Quote Originally Posted by Ramil
2

Death is the last adventure. Resurrection/Regeneration doesn’t bear anything new in it; it is like an ordinary awakening.
At first, Kay saw a light. Then there was a knobby grey tower, raised up/rising up over him and as motionless as if it were dead. It must be said however that the dispute about whether the term ‘life’ is applicable to the Silicoids has been lasting/ongoing for several hundred years already.
“Name” the word came from within the grey surface.
Ignoring the question, Kay raised himself up/Kay rose up a little. The Silicoid didn’t try to stop him. This race moved with reluctance except for the case when they were in it for the kill.
The room that he was in was very familiar to him. It was a reanimation module of the aTan company except that the wall screen where the name of a planet should be displayed was turned off. Kay was lying on a white disk two meters in diameter – a molecular replicator which had just recreated his body, as new and healthy as it had been stored/regenerated seventeen years before. The open framework of an aTan-emitter which had pushed into his new brain all his childish grievances, mistakes of youth and adult crimes – everything that comprised Kay’s personality, was hanging over his head. He was resurrected/regenerated. Resurrected/Regenerated in spite of the fact that his aTan wasn’t paid up?
“Name?” patiently repeated the Silicoid.
“Kay Altos.”
“Citizenship?”
“Human Empire.”
“Code?”
The Silicoid’s voice came from the whole surface of his body. Lacking vocal ligaments and a respiratory tract he talked/spoke by exerting his silica muscles and vibrating the whole surface of his body. This created a strange polyphony and volume as if the whole choir whispered the words in unison.
“Three, nine, six, three, one, four, nine, one” said Kay in a low voice. One shouldn’t flaunt the personal code even in the aTan company which knew it all too well anyway. Squinting he looked at his left hand – the fingers were intact. No, he has not been patched by surgeons, he has been indeed resurrected/regenerated. But why?
“The code is correct” the Silicoid said as it turned away, which was simply an act of politeness, and floated towards the exit. Blue sparks were crackling under the bottom of the gray column. Before the opened door he stayed for a moment and Kay thought that he felt/saw the impossible, that the Silicoid was smiling.
“And who’s going to tell me what all of this is about?” asked Kay rhetorically looking at the bas-reliefs on the walls – there were flowers, naked women, naked men…
“I am.”
Kay turned around. There was a man sitting not far away from the replication disk. This was something at least. Kay wasn’t a racist but a heart-to-heart conversation with a Silicoid was beyond his comprehension. The man seemed to be in a friendly mood. Judging by his appearance, he was about forty to forty five with a sleek face, physically not very developed. Even his bouffant gray suit couldn’t conceal this fact. An aTan official? Not from the very bottom, but not from the very top…
“Thank you for a new life” said Kay taking/setting his legs down from the disk.
“You’re welcome”
The words were normal, but it was the tone that Kay didn’t like. He chose to remain silent.
“So, what are the questions?”
“I…” Kay stopped.
“Come on, come on…” the man apparently enjoyed the conversation. “You didn’t pay for the aTan? I’m aware of that.”
“I have the money. I renewed my immortality six times and…”
“That doesn’t matter. The rules of the company are simple – you pay for immortality in advance and for only one time ahead. Do you know why?”
Kay shook his head. The man, as it appeared, belonged to the sort of people who were able to speculate for hours on the nuances of the ceremonial gastronomy of the Bulrathi, the advantages of interphased drives for small ships, or about the tactical blunders of the Mrshan in the Feud War. These speculations are usually entertaining, but almost always are ill-timed.
When the Psilonians were selling a device which was later named aTan to people, to very far seeing people, as you understand, they’d laid down only one condition. A very strange condition if one doesn’t know their psychology. They demanded that aTan would have to be granted only once during a lifetime. Do you understand, Kay? They value life very much, but they are afraid of immortality. And what did we do?
Kay shrugged his shoulders.
“We proved to them, but only after the contract had been signed, that a resurrected/regenerated man would be a new person. A legal successor of the previous one, but new nevertheless. And he would have the right to sign up for the aTan once again. Wasn’t/Isn't that good?”
“Great” Kay searched for clothes/clothing with his eyes/Kay looked around for clothing without success and prepared to wait.
The man laughed.
“Never mind, I got/was distracted. What do/did you want to ask?”
“Where am I? Is it Cailis?
“No, you’re not on Cailis, it’s Terra.”
If the man wanted Kay’s face to show surprise then he wasn’t disappointed. Kay chose not to hide his emotions particularly when they were flattering to the stronger opponent.
“But aTan doesn’t have offices on Terra…”
“This is not a company office. It’s a private aTan.”
Kay forced a laugh and raised his hands helplessly:
“That’s great. I didn’t hear it and you didn’t tell me that. The company has the exclusive right and there are no private resurrectors/regenerators…”
“You’re wrong, Kay Altos. The exclusive right was granted to a private person. This private person founded the aTan company.”
“I know who you are.” said Kay, “You are Curtis Van Curtis, the owner of the aTan company, and you are the oldest man in the galaxy.”
Curtis nodded.
“Well done, Kay. Now they will bring you some clothes and we’ll go to my summer office to drink some wine. You’re a very lucky person. Not only have you got a new life, but you've also landed a great job.”