Is it just me, or did everyone forget the gene altering "cure" that made it's way across the world of path? In my head that's the obvious cure to Julian's 'problem.' I know that I'm probably the only one that wants to keep Bean alive but, oh well, I'm giving my ideas too. Picture it, he and his three children are travelling at light speed, and continue to do so since no word is coming from Earth, when all of a sudden the same computer program that he asked to watch over Ender's account (and also what should be left of his?) finds it in her heart to let Mr. Delphiki know of the power she has that might help. Come on, if not for Bean then this might be an idea for the kiddies on board with him? *And if this has been mentioned before, I'm so sorry. Mr. Archimedes is new to the boards but a long time fan of the Enderverse.*
Posted by jongo05 (Member # 7580) on :
I'm pretty sure that OSC said somewhere that he didn't want to pull another rabit out of his hat to save Bean like he did going "outside" with the other gene-related diseases (on Path and Lusitania). The thread is somewhere around here and I might look for it later.
Posted by Archimedes (Member # 7798) on :
Take Bean out of the picture. The children need a way out. I'd hate to see them go the way of their father.
Posted by Mahabarata (Member # 7664) on :
Somehow i cant let the idea go that Bean has something to do with the very smart people on Path. Am I totally of the mark?
Posted by SteveRogers (Member # 7130) on :
I think Bean has something to do with the Descaldores.
Posted by Orson Scott Card (Member # 209) on :
The genetic change that was being fixed on Path was a simple one, a tiny splice. It could be fixed with a virus because it was a one-step alteration. (Even then, it would have to be a very FAST virus, and one exceptionally resistant to the body's immune system; and being so fast and resistant, it would be a dangerous thing to unleash on a population in case it mutated and did extra unintended things.)
Neither the original alteration nor the cure have the slightest thing to do with Bean; the technique could not cure his problem because his body already HAS the structures, etc., that his genes created. His body wouldn't suddenly start producing the growth inhibitors just because his genes changed. He already IS what he is.
Posted by Mahabarata (Member # 7664) on :
That wasn´t what I meant. The question was, are the alternation that made Path´s people smarter anything at all like what made Bean smarter?
Posted by Archimedes (Member # 7798) on :
My idea was that it could just turn Anton's key back off. With the toddlers being so young, it could give them the life their father never had. And I thought it was just a simple gene or two that was causing what Bean went through. Ah well... still not a bad post for my first.
And back to the second question. What if, somehow, the search for Bean's cure turned violent (Volescu) and got out of control? That could have something to do with the origin of the descolada. (Not that it needs one.)
Posted by MrSquicky (Member # 1802) on :
Besides being genetic alterations that affect intelligence, there isn't really much in common between Aton's Key and the Path manipulation. One of the central traits of Beans intelligence was his hyper-advanced developmental rate, which is absent from Path. They have to test their children for the OCD co-signifier. If all the modified kids were doing things at 6 months that most kids couldn't handle until they were 4 years old, they wouldn't need to test.
Genetics doesn't work like turning on or off a switch for something complex like intelligence. You don't have one gene sequence that controls how smart you're going to be. There are many interrelated genetically controlled traits that influence this. Potentially, there are also many different, mostly mutually exclusive configurations that could lead to a certain intelligence level. Giraffes evolved long necks, monkeys evolved as expert climbers. Both of these allow them to get food out of trees, but the genetic codes that make them up are very different.
Posted by Archimedes (Member # 7798) on :
The way I'm thinking of it isn't really getting conveyed through what I'm writing so I'll just leave it be. Maybe someone will post something more similar to what's wracking it's way through my head, but I seem to be destroying my idea more than figuring it out. LOL! Posted by urbanX (Member # 1450) on :
Why does Bean's children need to be cured? One problem Bean was he was alone, the only one of his kind. Beans children have each other. For all of their lives they'll know about the condition that will kill them. They'll be at pease would it. Would you be willing to live with a say 40 IQ if you could live longer? That's what you're asking them to do.
Posted by Archimedes (Member # 7798) on :
Um... what? Bean was never alone after the first year. And how many times did we hear him say that he would never wish his curse on anyone, ESPECIALLY his own children. Just my own opinion, but I'd want my kids to live a long normal life... not a brilliant spark of one, and from what I've read, so does Bean.
Posted by urbanX (Member # 1450) on :
When I say alone, I mean the only person with his condition. No one will understand what he's going through, besides he didn't find out until later on in life that he was dying. His children will know since birth. They will be able to accept it more and be at peace with it.
Posted by Archimedes (Member # 7798) on :
Once again, the point I was trying to convey isn't being conveyed. It's all good...
Posted by 0range7Penguin (Member # 7337) on :
What if Bean just never told his kids that a longer life was possible. If you never knew you could live past twenty five why would it upset you?
Posted by Archimedes (Member # 7798) on :
That would haunt me for my entire (unnatural) life!
Posted by sabel4 (Member # 7819) on :
Bullwinkle: Hey, Rocky watch me pull a gene altering virus out of outside. Rocky: Bullwinkle, that trick never works. Bullwinkle: Nothing up my sleeve. PRESTO! (Pulls out a piggy) Rocky: And now here's something we hope you really like.
Seriously, how come the gene altering viri on path could affect inteligence in growing children then according to that assumption.
Posted by Archimedes (Member # 7798) on :
Someone who understands... wow... didn't see that one coming. Appreciate that post much!
Posted by urbanX (Member # 1450) on :
Because going outside is to dangerous. Let's see, what happened the last time they went outside to make a magic cure? Oh yeah, Ender made two people of thin air and Miro made a new body for himself. What if Bean went outside and out popped Achilles? Besides we've already overused this outside thing. It's to much of a Deus ex machina solution for my liking.
Posted by Archimedes (Member # 7798) on :
Speaking of which, good point. If it was good enough for Miro, it's good enough for Bean. He could do the same thing Miro did... just get a new body ever twenty or so years. (If the outside weren't so hated. I'm an outside person myself... don't like the indoors very much!) Posted by Hamson (Member # 7808) on :
Once I read your first post, you made me think that the world of path was bred (or created), for the sole purpose of finding the cure to Bean's Growing problem that is now the problem of his future generations(?). Although I know it has been stated that Path has nothing to do with Bean, this could have been something that brought the worlds of Bean and Ender closer together.
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The children need a way out. I'd hate to see them go the way of their father.
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That would haunt me for my entire (unnatural) life!
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