{"id":884,"date":"2024-12-21T17:02:19","date_gmt":"2024-12-21T16:02:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/acmstudio.net\/gmwp\/?p=884"},"modified":"2024-12-21T17:12:53","modified_gmt":"2024-12-21T16:12:53","slug":"the-immortality-pill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/acmstudio.net\/gmwp\/index.php\/2024\/12\/21\/the-immortality-pill\/","title":{"rendered":"The immortality pill"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n

\u2013 So this is the famous immortality pill? he asked the doctor.
\u2013 Maybe, the doctor replied.
\u2013 What do you mean, maybe?
\u2013 First, it\u2019s a double-blind procedure. Which means that this pill might be a placebo; I don\u2019t know myself. Second, we aren\u2019t, of course, one hundred percent sure that the pill will work. But we believe so.
\u2013 All right, he said. Let\u2019s say that this is the genuine pill, not the placebo. It means that I will become immortal?
\u2013 Exactly, said the doctor.
\u2013 Let me fully understand, he said. I will live forever? Really?
\u2013 Yes. Because this new molecule is able to block the process which make cells die. I can give you the biological explanation, but it\u2019s quite technical.<\/p> \n

He thought for a moment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n\"\"\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u2013 Are there any risks? he inquired.
\u2013 Of course, said the doctor, it\u2019s an experiment, therefore there might be side effects, like a little dizziness, headaches, diarrhea\u2026
\u2013 If it\u2019s the price to pay to become immortal\u2026 he said with a grin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He wondered silently for a while.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2013 And what if it doesn\u2019t work? he asked.
\u2013 You will die, of course, answered the doctor.
\u2013 What!?
\u2013 I mean, you will die in due time, when you\u2019re old, corrected the doctor. Now, make up your mind, because we have a lot of candidates waiting.
\u2013 OK. I\u2019ll take it.
\u2013 All right, sir, said the doctor. Please sign here.
\u2013 What is it?
\u2013 It\u2019s just to confirm that you accept the protocol, said the doctor.
\u2013 Of course I do, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He signed with such enthusiasm that he almost tore the paper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The doctor gave him a glass of water. He looked at the pill, took a deep breath, swallowed the pill, and drank the water.
\u2013 I\u2019m feeling all right, doctor.
\u2013 That\u2019s what we are going to monitor.
\u2013 What do you mean?
\u2013 We need to control how your organism reacts, said the doctor.
\u2013 Of course, he said, without understanding.
\u2013 This way, please, said the doctor, opening a door at the back of the room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He stood up and went to the door, following the doctor. There was a corridor, and another door. Behind the second door, there was a long room full of hospital beds, with a few people, men and women, lying down, sleeping, with all kinds of tubes and infusions, and computer screens beeping around them.
\u2013 What\u2019s that? he asked.
\u2013 The monitoring room, said the doctor.
\u2013 But\u2026 but\u2026 how long are you going to keep me here?
\u2013 It depends, the doctor said. If it works\u2026
\u2013 You mean\u2026 forever? he asked. But\u2026 no!
\u2013 You signed the protocol, sir, said the doctor with a grin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before he could scream, he was caught by two strong guys in white blouse, who immediately gagged him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The last thing he saw was the needle being planted in his arm.<\/p>\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u2013 So this is the famous immortality pill? he asked the doctor.\u2013 Maybe, the doctor replied.\u2013 What do you mean, maybe?\u2013 First, it\u2019s a double-blind procedure. Which means that this pill might be a placebo; I don\u2019t know myself. Second, we aren\u2019t, of course, one hundred percent sure that the pill will work. But we […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":886,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/acmstudio.net\/gmwp\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/884"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/acmstudio.net\/gmwp\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/acmstudio.net\/gmwp\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acmstudio.net\/gmwp\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acmstudio.net\/gmwp\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=884"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/acmstudio.net\/gmwp\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/884\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":891,"href":"https:\/\/acmstudio.net\/gmwp\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/884\/revisions\/891"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acmstudio.net\/gmwp\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/886"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/acmstudio.net\/gmwp\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=884"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acmstudio.net\/gmwp\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=884"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acmstudio.net\/gmwp\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=884"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}