Norman Spinrad

But even as the radioactive toadstool belched its genetic poison into the atmosphere of the earth, Feric Jaggar determined that the pure human genotype would survive because it must survive. Failure would not be tolerated from himself or anyone else. Humanity would be saved by a sheer act of will if need be. If a miracle were needed, every last Helder would be totally committed to bringing it about or to die trying.

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In the grim days following the detonation of the monstrous final weapon of Zind, only the fanatic will of Feric Jaggar and the iron discipline of the Helder people kept all humanity from falling into despair and apathy. As the fetid cloud dispersed its poison throughout the atmosphere of the earth, many plants began to sicken and die, the young, the old, and the infirm broke out in horrid sores and pustules, and nearly two million true humans expired in agony.

^ Rather than deal with these symptoms of radiation disease, Feric devoted the full resources of the new World Empire of Heldon entirely to the preservation of the true human genotype. Within two months, SS genetic scientists had fully confirmed the horrid truth: there was not a true human on the face of the earth with germ plasm capable of breeding true. Even Feric himself was affected. The last generation of humanity had already been born—the Helder gene pool was now capable of producing naught but vile mutants and obscene monstrosities.

Not three days after a sallow, thoroughly shaken Remler had delivered this racial death-warrant, Feric had made the hardest decision in his life, and stood before television cameras with Waffing, Remler, Bogel, and Best at his side to proclaim to his mourning and stricken people the course of action that Heldon would now take.

For the occasion, Feric had dressed himself in his sleek black uniform, and had had the chrome brightwork and the Great Truncheon of Held polished for hours so that every inch of metal on his person shone like diamond. He stood on a low dias with a great scarlet swastika flag behind him for a backdrop. At his feet, his High Commanders stood in similarly brilliant uniforms; it was essential that the heroism of the Helder people be raised to the utmost. Feric had told absolutely no one of his plan; he required a spontaneous demonstration of support from his 235

High Commanders for all Heldon to see, for what he was ordering would be the greatest test of loyalty to the Swastika yet faced by the Helder people.

"My fellow Helder," he began simply, "what I must say today will be brief, inescapable, and brutally blunt. As has already been announced, the gene pool of Heldon has been completely and permanently contaminated by the perfidious last act of the wretched Dominators, who have paid for their evil and vileness by total extinction. This means that the germ plasm of each and every one of us is capable of producing no offspring but vile and degenerate mutants. Clearly, the production of such a posterity is an absolutely unacceptable anathema to everything that the Swastika stands for."

He paused for a long moment to let it sink in, to ensure that no Holder was unclear as to the full import of the situation. Then, when all Heldon was sunk in unbearable gloom, he gave his people hope.

"For some time, SS race scientists have been working on the technique of cloning. If a snippet of flesh can be used to grow a human being artificially, the exact genotype of our finest specimens—the purebred supermen of the SS—may be duplicated in the next generation without dilution. Thus, in one generation we can advance human evolution a thousand years and produce a race of blond giants fully seven feet tall with the physiques of gods and an average intelligence on the genius level. Out of the tragedy of genetic contamination, we can create the final triumph of human racial purity. For the radiation that has mangled our germ plasm beyond all hope of repair has not contaminated our somatic tissue whatever—from the cells of our SS purebreds may be cloned the new master race! The next generation of Helder will consist entirely of clones whose genetic endowment is that of the finest SS

purebreds living today!"

Once more Feric paused, watching the gleam and sparkle return to the eyes of everyone present, technicians and High Commanders alike. From a vision of final doom, the Helder people had been transported to the raptures of a dream of ultimate racial glory. Surely they would now be ready to make the sacrifices such a goal required!

"Though SS scientists are close to perfecting his technique, much heroic effort is still called for on the part of the SS before the production of a master race of SS clones becomes assured. Therefore I have decided as your Su-236