BLUE GENES             BY: ALEXANDER DUNCAN

From the private journals of Archimedes Ledic:

June 2: Ah, married life is such a change. After yesterday's dinner party, the next thing I can safely mention happened this morning after breakfast. The events in between belong only to my memory and Adena's.

Dear Adena must be my first concern from now on. My kingdom and hers come next. That is why it is so hard to do what I must.

Though my opinion must be biased, Adena is definitely the most compassionate of the monarchs. (She's also the most passionate!) The others, most especially Taft, want power. Taft will go to any means to get it, including using the powers of my lineage. Now, over the 443 years the PUTR had incubated the Ledics, its genetic program had improved the line's strain until pregnancy was 100% insured. Knowing that my line will continue, I can now thwart unwanted and usable half-bloods. Adena knows nothing yet, but the sterilization process was simple and quick. This prevents any use of my genes for Taft's (or any other's) purpose. I'll tell Adena today.

I hope that I don't contract an il1ness from this operation. I am unused to the new strains of virus that have cropped up during my suspended animation. I used the Putr for the operation. (I don't trust our new doctor.)

I'm not feeling well, though, and I may ask the doctor for a vaccine anyway. The PUTR doesn't know of the modern diseases and I can't defend myself too well.

This is a sad thing far me to have to do, but life is too full of good events now for me to be depressed. I wouldn't renege on my marriage or anything since then.