The Terminal Man
By: Michael Crichton
Summary
This science fiction thriller that takes place in the 1970's and has 4 main characters named Harry Benson, Dr. Ellis, Dr. Morris, and Dr. Janet Ross. Some of the hospital staff, including Dr.Ellis and Dr. Morris, have been working on a special project in the hospital and have been awaiting a patient to come along that is fit for their new surgery. This surgery entails implanting electrodes, a minicomputer, and an atomic power pack in the brain and under the skin of the patient. Dr. Ellis has long been waiting for the day to preform this new surgery that he has tested out of over 100 monkeys. Now the hospital has the perfect candidate for the surgery.
Harry Benson is a border-line psychopathic computer scientist who suffers from a type of epilepsy that causes him to have rather violent blackouts that later leave him disoriented; leaving him without knowing what he had done during that blackout. The surgery would be a great thing for Benson because he was often violent during his blackouts. Before coming in for the surgery he has recently assaulted two people and was currently in custody of the police because of the charges. He is admitted into the hospital, and before his surgery can begin the next day, he is questioned and interviewed by doctors. Dr. Ellis is especially excited for his first patient to ever undergo this new surgery. The patient must wear a dog tag alerting all people that he has an atomic power pack, that could be potential dangerous, implanted under his skin. While in recovery, a woman named Angela Black brings him a bag on supplies.
The surgery lasted a littler over and hour and Benson seemed to be recovering just fine from it. All of the electrodes that had to be implanted had to be "interfaced". This meant that they all had to be tested to see just which ones controlled Benson's' epileptic fits. The right ones would be able to control and stop his fits by having electric pulses sent to them as soon as the minicomputer sensed a seizure coming on. The interfacing went well. While having electric impulses sent to the brain every time he had a seizure, that should have caused his brain to induce seizures less often. The problem was that Benson enjoyed the small electric shocks because they gave him a sense of pleasure. This, instead, increased the frequency of the simulations and that would prove to be a terrible thing. Then, Benson runs from the hospital.
In a mad dash, Benson runs; leaving the hospital dressed in scrubs as a hospital worker. He stops at home grabbing only a gun and some blueprints. Ellis, Morris, and Ross all take off after him. The split up and look at the places where they think he would most likely go. Ross goes to his house and finds two girls there who tell her what Benson took when he stopped at his house. Unsuccessful in their search, the return to the hospital and wait. Because Benson's seizures were happening more frequently, the moment where they begin to happen simultaneously would cause something bad to happen.
While waiting for something to happen, they get a call from John Anders. Anders is the LA Police Captain of Detectives and found Benson's dog tag at a crime scene. Ross goes over to the scene of the crime to find a woman (Angela Black) with a bashed skull and multiple stab wounds. Ross goes home and after her shower, Benson shows up at her front door and later attacks her. She narrowly survives and is left unconscious on her kitchen floor. On another lead as to where his is, Morris goes to an airplane hanger with hopes to find Benson there. Morris enters the hanger and finds a man severely beaten on the floor beneath an airplane. Morris is then severely beaten by Benson, himself.
Everyone returns to the hospital feeling spent. Ross takes a nap and is awoken by a telephone being handed to her with Benson on the other line. Benson believes that computers will one day take over the world and the hospital contains a super computer in its basement. The hospital staff and Anderson believe that he will be down there ruining the computer. They find him there and after a shootout with the police and a run in with Ross, Benson is dead. He died from a shot fired by Dr. Ross.
Harry Benson is a border-line psychopathic computer scientist who suffers from a type of epilepsy that causes him to have rather violent blackouts that later leave him disoriented; leaving him without knowing what he had done during that blackout. The surgery would be a great thing for Benson because he was often violent during his blackouts. Before coming in for the surgery he has recently assaulted two people and was currently in custody of the police because of the charges. He is admitted into the hospital, and before his surgery can begin the next day, he is questioned and interviewed by doctors. Dr. Ellis is especially excited for his first patient to ever undergo this new surgery. The patient must wear a dog tag alerting all people that he has an atomic power pack, that could be potential dangerous, implanted under his skin. While in recovery, a woman named Angela Black brings him a bag on supplies.
The surgery lasted a littler over and hour and Benson seemed to be recovering just fine from it. All of the electrodes that had to be implanted had to be "interfaced". This meant that they all had to be tested to see just which ones controlled Benson's' epileptic fits. The right ones would be able to control and stop his fits by having electric pulses sent to them as soon as the minicomputer sensed a seizure coming on. The interfacing went well. While having electric impulses sent to the brain every time he had a seizure, that should have caused his brain to induce seizures less often. The problem was that Benson enjoyed the small electric shocks because they gave him a sense of pleasure. This, instead, increased the frequency of the simulations and that would prove to be a terrible thing. Then, Benson runs from the hospital.
In a mad dash, Benson runs; leaving the hospital dressed in scrubs as a hospital worker. He stops at home grabbing only a gun and some blueprints. Ellis, Morris, and Ross all take off after him. The split up and look at the places where they think he would most likely go. Ross goes to his house and finds two girls there who tell her what Benson took when he stopped at his house. Unsuccessful in their search, the return to the hospital and wait. Because Benson's seizures were happening more frequently, the moment where they begin to happen simultaneously would cause something bad to happen.
While waiting for something to happen, they get a call from John Anders. Anders is the LA Police Captain of Detectives and found Benson's dog tag at a crime scene. Ross goes over to the scene of the crime to find a woman (Angela Black) with a bashed skull and multiple stab wounds. Ross goes home and after her shower, Benson shows up at her front door and later attacks her. She narrowly survives and is left unconscious on her kitchen floor. On another lead as to where his is, Morris goes to an airplane hanger with hopes to find Benson there. Morris enters the hanger and finds a man severely beaten on the floor beneath an airplane. Morris is then severely beaten by Benson, himself.
Everyone returns to the hospital feeling spent. Ross takes a nap and is awoken by a telephone being handed to her with Benson on the other line. Benson believes that computers will one day take over the world and the hospital contains a super computer in its basement. The hospital staff and Anderson believe that he will be down there ruining the computer. They find him there and after a shootout with the police and a run in with Ross, Benson is dead. He died from a shot fired by Dr. Ross.
Relation to Biology
Biology essential standard 3.3.3 states: Evaluate some of the ethical issues surrounding the use of DNA technology (including cloning, genetically modified organisms, stem cell research, and Human Genome Project). Many of the people in this book, including Dr. Ross, was strongly opposed to the operation. It was an ethical issue because it was the computer controlling the brain and not Benson himself. This relates to biology because stem cell research along with many other things in biology is very controversial and is an ethical issue.
Not only does this book takes place in the 1970', but it was also written in the 70's as well. To me, this book strongly related to the 2045 Initiative and just goes to show that a science fiction novel could become science fact.