Blast off! The project was officially under way. Optimism is the key note the world over. Earth's dwindling cultures displayed a new concept of their endangered lives as a whole. The total population of the planet worked together as a team and actually loved one another!

World peace had been achieved during the five year period of inpending disaster. The entire world is now governed by the prestigious "Council Of Science."

Its membership includes every remaining scientist on Earth holding a doctorate of science degree in his or her field. They comprised the most intelligent body of people still alive at this date. Every major issue concerning the people or the environment is analyzed and judged upon by its thirteen-hundred members.

The overall morality of humanity had returned to Earth's last quarter of a million native residents. The horrifying threat of AIDS has almost been eradicated within the last year after the scientific community sent out their urgent plea for help to Rex Morgan, a doctorate of science holder in the field of genetics, and his wife, Marsha, holding doctorates in both agro-biology and animal husbandry. When society had outcast them three years ago, they had each continued their research within the confines of their five-hundred estate on which a fully equipped laboratory had been previously constructed for their convenience as noted scientists.

With their combined efforts and knowledge, Rex and Marsha had succeeded far beyond the original proposal they had offered to science a scant three years ago. They now had living proof of their claim characterized by intelligence second to none and had accomplished astounding discoveries on virtually the essence of life itself! A single pair of Bald Eagles had been responsible for most of them.

Rex had chosen eagles for one phase of his research simply because they mated for the full duration of their lives. This was a quality he deemed the "perfect" human should exhibit, and thought it quite possibly to be genetic in nature. With the aid of powerful computers combined with a spectroscope, he stumbled onto several facts.

The first became apparent when comparing chromosomes of the two eagles. Spectrographs of the single chromosomes revealed nothing; however, when both had been run through together, they created the full wavelengths of the entire color spectrum necessary to produce white light, . . or basic sunlight.

Further analysis revealed that each gene contained in the chromosomes had its own polarity, and the male bird's genes were polarized exactly opposite from the female's. Amazingly, when the birds were touching or just close to each other, their bodies' biorhythms immediately synchronized and produced the same pattern!

Rex had proven that the pair of eagles were also scientifically genetic mates as well! The birds had mated simply by pure, natural instinct; however, a complex spectrographic screening of human eggs and sperms would be necessary for mankind to achieve the same results. The patient scientists had painstakingly tested thousands before finally matching thirty pairs of reproductive donations successfully. These had been frozen with liquid nitrogen before the AIDS nightmare had begun. Sexes of the matched offspring could be controlled by removing one of the chromosomes within the eggs and sperms.

While Rex was busy devising a suitable growth chamber, Marsha's research continued. She discovered the brain could be electronically educated by electrodes carrying the conversion of the information into equivalent electrical impulses while it remained in the subconscious embryonic state, a condition produced by slightly reducing the oxygen supply.

When testing Rex's prototype chamber, Marsha found that the metabolic growth rate could also be accelerated twenty-four times normal speed by increasing the normal amounts of nutrients and hormones proportionately. Anything above that level had proven fatal to all mammals tested. Her testing research had taken place while Rex was completing a new chamber large enough to accommodate a fully mature human being.

During the next nine months, the scientific dream of the superior human couple became a stark, historic reality. The Morgan team had produced a single pair of genetically perfect, mature human beings equivalent to the mature age of eighteen years! They had also computer educated the pair with every available scrap of information contained in their extensive library of knowledge. The couple's intellect proved to be vastly superior to anything previously known to science. They were even able to communicate telepathically within a liberal distance range!

The "children" were escalated to full consciousness by sharply increasing the regulated oxygen supplied to their bodies. This task was accomplished after their metabolic growth rates had been restored to normal.

Fingernails and toenails had been cut and trimmed along with the male's beard, hair on the female's underarms and legs, plus the extremely long hair on both of their heads. The genetic couple then appeared as a normal part of society after Rex and Marsha had appropriately dressed them. As the first examples of a new breed of humanity, they had named the children "Abe" and "Babe" utilizing the first two letters in the alphabet. The scientists had then prayed and thanked God for their unprecedented success in obtaining this astounding final goal.

When the plea for help arrived, Rex had informed the Council Of Science of their ultimate achievement in relation to Abe and Babe. Armed with this phenomenal current technology, the Council unanimously voted to immediately initiate plans to repopulate the entire planet.

Within the next year, a giant space "nursery" would be constructed. The great ship would contain Rex's growth chambers, a zoo comprised of compatible mammals and birds, a botanical garden to grow foodstuffs, and two aquariums containing gamefish and some crustaceans, plus various beneficial algae to complete the total food chain. There was to be only a small quantity of harmless insects, such as Mayflies and butterflies, on board to help feed some birds and fish while also aiding in plant pollination.

The main objective of the mission was to "grow" more healthy young people like Abe and Babe to later return to Earth. The next generation would be far ahead intellectually and could help solve their ancestor's present environmental and social dilemmas. They would live as matched pairs, totally free of domestic problems. The couples could soon integrate their superior ideals of peaceful and productive living back into normal society. Should Abe and Babe agree to go, they would be granted sole dominion to carry out this important mission for the sake of all mankind. Absolutely nobody was more qualified. They had jointly agreed without hesitation, deeming the task as necessary to sustain man's continued survival in this solar system. The cold, black void of space would insure a sterile environment for the incubation period for the future genetic couples.

Abe and Babe had quickly gained the love and respect of their ancestors during the previous year while the "New Hope", as Abe had Christened it, was under construction. Their intense research led to a vaccine responsible directly for the systematic erradication of the deadly original virus which caused AIDS, plus its many mutated forms as well! The surviving peoples of Earth were ecstatically thankful. The compassionate couple expressed remorse; however, that the previous damage sustained by child-bearing women proved to be painfully irreversible.

Abe and Babe also made possible great strides in the clean-up of the tainted environment. Within a short time, the two had engineered an efficient nuclear waste accelerator which drastically speeded up the decay process, rendering the toxic materials harmless in less than two years.

The genetic pair had then focused their undivided attention toward the completion of the New Hope with optimistic enthusiasm concerning the repopulation problem. Thankfully, the work progessed according to schedule, . . right through to the final countdown and a glorious lift-off! All of Earth's prayers went with them as they streaked skyward, and the spectacular event was freely televised worldwide.