Sequim Gazette Editorial and Letters to the Editor

Earlier this month a computer fantasy game named "Spore" went on sale. Starting at the beginning of life, it allows the player to control the evolution of a human being until a final form and personality is achieved. During the game, body parts are player-selected. The result might be more than 8 feet tall, have five eyes and tentacles or be as we are today.

Suppose current genetic engineering progresses to a point that allows us to make limitless changes to our bodies. Suppose that after-birth improvements can be ordered at any time, for a price; a sort of plastic surgery without the surgery.

Here is one way that future might look to us.

Wal-Mart has been purchased by the Disney Corporation. The old one in Sequim has been hauled to the dump and replaced by "Disney Mart." Inside, 200-year-old Mickey and Minnie direct you to an air-cushioned car. Entertained by a modern rendition of "It's a Small, Small World," you are whisked through a series of enclosed boutiques. The one you will visit is "Eugene's Genes."

Inside, there is a circle of doors. A large placard on each describes the interior: "Hands and feet," "Limbs, with or without," "Bellies, backs and buns, "Ear, nose, throat and other senses." Are you surrounded by people-pieces?

The man who greets you is physically perfect. He looks like Ken. Nearby, speaking with another customer is a woman who also is a doll. She is a very tall Barbie.

The Ken look-alike announces, "Welcome to Eugene's. I'm Ken Mattel. Are you familiar with our boutiques that display modern gene technology?"

"No," you reply with certainty.

"Ah. Well, to begin with, Eugene's showcases the two basic techniques of gene modification: our most popular, enhancement gene therapy, and gene transplant. A third method, in continuing development, is the one that we call 'thing gene engineering.' Please, let me show you examples of all three."

The perfect Ken leads you through the "Ear, nose, throat, and other senses" door where you see many before and after photographs on the walls.

"As you can see, this man had a less-than-attractive, walnut-like nose. It is now almond-like after only three months of taking 'Eugene's Almond Nose Gene Pills.'

"Over here, these pictures are of a woman whose rather large ears were changed into the shape of roses. And there is the before and after of the disappearance of a protruding Adam's apple."

"Now let's visit a gene transplant room."

There were no befores and afters on the other side of a door marked "Animal transplants." Seated at a candlelit table were the rose-eared woman and a fat man who was ravenously consuming a huge meal. "Oink;" you think you hear "oink."

"'Slim' here came to us with an eating disorder. He was dangerously underweight. Dr. Franklin Stein transplanted a pig gene into the appropriate cell and you can see the result."

Next we went into a "What's new" room. There were many pictures on the walls. None of them were of people.

"These pictures symbolize 'Thing Therapy,' the introduction of inanimate genes to modify those in humans that will emulate the source. The firetruck represents a fire-hose pill for anger management and the rainbow displays the sunny personality of the woman who took rainbow gene pills."

"This is unbelievable," you tell Ken. "I've seen enough. I'm going."

As you walk toward the exit Ken says, "I wish we could talk a bit. I think we have the perfect nose for you. Oh, and you are invited to Eugene's Gene Show tomorrow night. It is like a fashion show except that we will fill the runway with gene therapy successes."

"No, thank you."



Louis Howard lives in Agnew. He has written columns for The Reporter in the Sacramento Valley and the Sequim Gazette.