Conversations on a Balcony

86

A/N: I'm totally making up this science stuff, Guys!


Agent Dox stepped out onto the balcony outside command ops to join Director Danvers, who was leaning against the wall and sipping from a cup of coffee.

"Hi," he said, leaning back against the wall too. "Are you ok, Alex? You seem... troubled."

"I... can't stop thinking about what Cat and Kara asked us, Brainy," Alex replied slowly.

"You're unhappy?"

"Torn," Alex clarified. "OF COURSE, I want them to have as long together as possible but... trying to find a way to extend Cat's life by changing her body... is it really ethical?"

Brainy nodded. "I know it seems... unusual... but consider this..." He rubbed his thumb over his Legion ring. "If Cat was diagnosed with cancer, we'd do everything we could to prolong her life and treat the illness."

"Right, of course," Alex replied, nodding.

"Aging could be classed as just another illness. In fact, in the future, people live far longer than they do now, and people NOW live far longer than those during the fifteenth century. It's just another stage in biological and technologic evolution."

Alex nodded again. "You know what? You're right, Brainy. Any breakthrough we make could be good for everyone, not just Cat. Did you make any progress with researching solutions?"

The man nodded slowly. "There are... a small number of potential solutions... but the one most promising using tech that already exists is... stem cells."

"Stem cells?" Alex repeated. "That seems... simple."

Brainy nodded again. "Into stem calls, we would infuse cells from each of Cat's organs and grow perfect replicas. Then cryo-store them until she needs them."

"The cryo-process could damage them, though. Do we know how long we could store them before risking that?" Brainy blinked but kept his mouth shut. Alex sighed. "You have that I can't tell you future shit look on your face." Brainy blinked again. "Ok, so, what other options do we have?"

"Not too many," the man replied with a little shrug. "We could replace her limbs with robotic or cyborg technology, but it would be very difficult on Cat, having to retrain her brain to control them sufficiently, especially as she ages further. And that solution won't work for her internal organs like the liver or kidneys, that perform sanitation and/or filtering functions."

"Then there's her brain," Alex added. "We're not even close to being able to replicate brain function..." She paused then. "Unless Lena can come up with something."

"I was also thinking about her question about becoming Kryptonian," Brainy said then. "It would be possible in the thirty-first century. DNA rewriting is considered a cosmetic procedure."

Alex frowned. "How come you can tell me THIS future shit but not THAT future shit?" Brainy just blinked again and Alex rolled her eyes. "Keep working on it when you can, ok? Somehow, I don't think we're going to the thirty-first century any time soon."

"Yes, Director," Agent Dox replied. "But I suggest we keep that little piece of information from the Danvers-Grants or somehow, they might just figure out how to get there."

Alex just laughed softly. "No fucking kidding."