The Resistance

about it.’ Inside, he knew he was doing the right thing; he still felt slightly sick even suggesting he might sign.
    ‘Peter, I wonder if you’d let me tell you the story of Longevity.’
    Peter looked up briefly. ‘I know the story,’ he said, before he could stop himself. ‘I saw the film.’
    His grandfather held his gaze for a few seconds. ‘Indulge me, Peter, just for a few minutes?’
    Peter nodded quickly, kicking himself.
    ‘The story of Longevity,’ his grandfather said, standing up and walking towards the vast window behind him, ‘starts many thousands of years ago, when humans first walked this earth.’
    Peter found his eyes drawn back to the window and its spectacular view. Slowly, he scanned the horizon, taking in the buildings on the other side of the river, the river itself. Somewhere out there were his friends; somewhere out there were the other members of the Underground, his comrades. They were outside and they were depending on him, just like Anna had in Grange Hall. And just like then, he wasn’t going to let anyone down.
    ‘As soon as man worked out how to communicate, how to develop tools, the fight against death had begun. Man learnt how to protect himself from predators, to insulate himself against his environment. Through discovery, he extended his lifespan. But that wasn’t enough, Peter.’
    Peter nodded seriously. ‘It wasn’t?’
    ‘No. Because man still feared death; feared disappearing into nothingness, feared how death made each life insignificant. And so he sought to attack the things that ended his life – disease and illness. Longevity did not appear out of nowhere, Peter; it is simply the latest invention in a long line of inventions – antibiotics, vaccinations, X-rays, even sanitation – all of which extended man’s life substantially. If you reject Longevity, then why not reject all of medicine? If nature’s way is the best way, then surely a bandage, antiseptic, any intervention at all in fact, is morally wrong, is “unnatural”.’
    Peter felt his cheeks redden. ‘I haven’t . . . I mean, I haven’t rejected Longevity. I just haven’t decided.’
    His grandfather looked at him impatiently. ‘Then decide, Peter,’ he said, a hint of menace in his voice. ‘Decide. Choose life, Peter. Man has always searched for eternal life – through religion, through philosophy. And you are being offered it on a platter.’
    ‘Religion?’ Peter frowned.
    ‘You won’t know much about religion, Peter; people have no need of it now,’ he said. ‘But people used to put great store by the notion of a god, or gods. Great men spent many hours debating the subtle nuances of different religions, arguing that belief in a higher being, in an afterlife, in redemption, placed humans above animals; that it made them special, superior. Great wars were fought between countries that held different religious beliefs, even when the points of contention were so small as to be laughable now. But religions were based on the pretext that humans were fallible, that humans died. Only gods lived for ever; only through religion could humans hope to achieve salvation and some sort of existence after death. Now, we ourselves live for ever. Now, Peter, we are our own gods. Through Longevity, we are more powerful than anything man has ever imagined.’
    Peter cleared his throat. ‘I heard,’ he said carefully, ‘that religion was suppressed by the Authorities because its leaders didn’t agree with Longevity.’
    His grandfather’s eyes clouded over and Peter kicked himself for speaking his mind yet again. ‘It’s true enough that religious leaders condemned Longevity,’ his grandfather said darkly. ‘But why do you think that was, Peter? I’ll tell you why. It was because they were desperate to hold on to power and influence. Do you think people miss being told what to do, being encouraged to mistrust others because they happened to believe in a different god? Do you think people miss the corruption, the genocide, the wars, the terrorist attacks that were all implemented in the name of some god or other? Do you think they are sorry to be free of all of this? To make their own decisions?’
    Peter said nothing, and his grandfather smiled triumphantly. ‘Of course,’ he said lightly, ‘personally, I’m rather grateful to religion. You see, we used to be rather behind the US when it came to scientific research; everyone expected their scientists to come up with something