In Death 08 - Conspiracy in Death

piece of foreign matter. The Conservative party, which includes Senator Waylan, would dance in the street. Plenty of them have artificial tickers, but they like to stomp around every few years and talk about how it's against the rules of God and humankind to prolong life by artificial means."
    "Darling, you've been reading the papers. I'm so impressed."
    "Kiss my ass." And it felt good to grin. "I'm betting when Nadine gets in touch, she'll tell me Waylan stands against artificial life aids. You know, the 'if God didn't give it to you, it's immoral' line."
    "NewLife routinely deals with protests from natural-life groups. I imagine we'll find the senator supports their stand."
    "Yeah, and if he can make a few bucks running interference for a group who promises a new medical and natural miracle, so to speak, so much the better. It would have to be a quick procedure. It couldn't be risky to the patient," she went on. "They'd never outdo the implant unless what they do is as convenient and as successful. Business," she said again. "Profit. Glory. Votes."
    "Agreed, again. I'd say they've been working with animal organs up until recently. They must have reached a level of success with that."
    "Then they moved up the evolutionary scale. Kept low on it from their viewpoint. Scum, as Cagney put it."
    "I'm in," he said mildly and had her blinking.
    "In what? In? What've you got? Let me see."
    Even as she dashed around the console, he ordered data on-screen. When he pulled her neatly onto his lap, she was too distracted for even a token protest.
    "Neat as a pin," she murmured. "Names, dates, procedures, results. Jesus Christ, Roarke, they're all there."
    Jasper Mott, October 15, 2058, heart sample successfully removed. Evaluation concurred with previous diagnosis. Organ severely damaged, enlarged. Estimated period until termination, one year.
    Logged as donor organ K-489.
    Regeneration procedure begun October 16.
    She bypassed the rest, focused on her case, her first victim, Snooks.
    Samuel M. Petrinsky, January 12, 2059, heart sample successfully removed. Evaluation concurred with previous diagnosis. Organ severely damaged, arteries brittle and clogged, cancer cells stage two. Sample enlarged, estimated period until termination, three months.
    Logged as brokered organ S-351.
    Regeneration procedure begun January 13.
    She skimmed down the rest, out of her depth with the medical jargon. But the last line was easily understood.
    Procedure unsuccessful. Sample terminated and disposed of, January 15.
    "They stole three months of his life, then failed and tossed his heart away."
    "Look at the last one, Eve."
    She noted the name -- Jilessa Brown -- the date, the sample removed.
    January 25. Preliminary regeneration successful. Stage two begun. Sample responding to injection and stimuli. Noticeable regrowth of healthy cells. Stage three begun January 26. Naked eye exam shows pinkening of tissue. Sample fully regenerated within thirty-six hours of first injection. All scans and evaluations conclude sample is healthy. No indication of disease. Aging process successfully reversed. Organ fully functional.
    "Well." Eve drew a deep breath. "Applause, applause. Now let's fry their asses."
    I have done it. Through skill and patience and power, through a judicious use of fine minds and greedy hearts, I have succeeded. Life, essentially endless, is within my reach.
    It remains only to repeat the process again, continue the documentation.
    My heart trembles, but my hands are steady. They are ever steady. I can look at them and see how perfect they are. Elegant, strong, like works of art carved by divine hands. I've held beating hearts in these hands, have slipped them delicately into the human body to repair, to improve, to prolong life.
    Now, finally, I have conquered death.
    Some of those fine minds will have regrets, will ask questions, will even doubt the steps that had to be taken now that the goal has been reached. I will not. Great strides often crush even the innocent under the heel.
    If lives were lost, we will consider them martyrs to the greater good. Nothing more, nothing less.
    Some of those greedy hearts will wheedle and whine, will demand more and calculate how to gain it. Let them. There will be enough for even the most avaricious among them.
    And there will be some who will debate the meaning of what I've done, the means by which it was accomplished, and the use of the process. In the end, they'll shove and elbow their way in