The Last Book In The Universe

Bean is taken to the Primary Laboratory after Lanaya’s parents get permission from the Authority. So far, she is not getting worse or better. Because proovs are genetically enhanced, they no longer need doctors, just “med-teks,” or medical technicians, who fix proovs after they’ve been involved in an accident. They begin to search for data related to her specific illness, while the others take a look around the Prime. Most of the lab is underground because that’s where the proovs first went after the Big Shake to hide from the poisonous air from the volcanic eruptions kicked off by the massive earthquake. For a while, the average lifespan fell to around 20 years before genetic engineering. Holographic images in the oldest part of the Prime show the original team wearing gas masks, barring a small baby who doesn’t need one. One of the first improvements, which is still in place, according to Lanaya, was the ability to tolerate elevated levels of toxic gases. Ryter asks if the original baby is still alive, hoping to hear that the proovs have unlocked the secret to eternal life; he is disappointed to hear that their average life expectancy is around 100 years.