Free Crystal Healer by S. L. Viehl Page B

it?"
    "My latest batch of epithelial scaffolding cells." Squilyp hopped over and peered into the culture incubator I was inspecting. "As I suspected. They're not bonding with Reever's tissue samples. I'm afraid that so far, nothing has."
    "If the chameleons don't bond with host cells, then how can they repair and replace damaged organs?"
    "When I discern that," the Omorr said, "I will be the wealthiest surgeon in the galaxy." He saw my expression and sniffed. "Cherijo was never so gullible as you. The reason I commissioned this lab was to protect my research. No one can know about Duncan's condition, Jarn. If I can discover how to implant chameleon cells in another host body, they could be used by less virtuous researchers to create virtually indestructible armies."
    We went over the test results, which had yielded little new information. Squilyp had performed a comprehensive series of scans on the chameleon cells I had harvested from Reever's kidneys and liver, but they did not respond or behave like any other form of human cell.
    "My best guess is that in an environment outside the body, the cells become dormant," Squilyp said. "They may have been engineered to do so to prevent unnecessary growth or accidental transfer. They are not fooled by implantation into simulated bodies, either."
    "You can't experiment with them on living beings." I gnawed at my bottom lip. "Have you tried organic stimulants?"
    He nodded. "Organic, recombinant, and synthesized. The results are the same. No reaction; no growth. Scans show the cells are alive, but inert."
    That reminded me. "I have some other samples to give you for testing." I put my medical case on one of the worktables and opened it, removing several vials of blood and cellular samples I had prepared. "These are from my body. While we are gone on this expedition, I would like you to perform some specific tests on them, as well as my husband's."
    "Of course." He transferred the samples to a refrigerated case. "What do you want me to check?"
    "I want to know how to reverse the bioengineering that Joseph Grey Veil performed on us," I said. "In my case, I need a treatment to repair the tampering performed on my DNA in utero, and in Duncan's, a process that will safely remove all of the chameleon cells from his body."
    "What?" Squilyp stopped fiddling with the incubator's controls and stared at me. "Why?"
    "If we can somehow undo Joseph's genetic tampering, Reever and I would be able to live normal life spans," I explained. "We could have more children, grow older, and die a natural death."
    For a long moment, the Omorr said nothing. Then he turned his back on me. "No. I won't do it."
    I had not counted on his resistance to the idea. "Give me back the samples, then, and I will do the research myself when I have time."
    He swiveled around. "Do you even know what you're asking me? Essentially, you want me to find a way to kill you and Duncan."
    "Not immediately. Barring disease or injury, the average life span of a Terran in good health is ninety to one hundred twenty years." On Iisleg, we would have been fortunate to live half so long. "That should be sufficient for us. It is for every other Terran in existence."
    "I cannot believe you." Squilyp began hopping around the lab. "You and Duncan are immortal. Every being in the known universe would wipe out entire star systems to have what you've been given. Now you tell me that you wish to throw away this tremendous advantage?"
    "We want to be like every other being and live a normal life span." I gestured toward the incubator. "Whatever you discover in this lab, I can tell you now, immortality is not an advantage. It is death. The greed for it causes madness and war and destruction. If Duncan and I were like every other Terran, no one would fight over us. No one would care."
    "If you were like other Terrans," Squilyp spat out the words, "Reever would be dead, and so would Cherijo. They would never have met. You wouldn't even exist. Neither