Summary

“The Last Dignity of Man” opens with Alexander Lutheran asking a young man he calls Clark to put on a cape slowly. Frustrated, Alexander tells the young man to leave. Alexander looks at his reflection, how he keeps his head bald to be like Lex Luther.

Alexander is the head of a biotech company called RanTech. In the lab, Alexander is told that the worms that the company has genetically manufactured are “growing faster than we anticipated” (80). The worms are designed to consume toxic sludge. Dr. Kathy Reynolds is uncomfortable with the worms, confiding in Alexander that “some days I’m even afraid of them” (81). Alexander confirms Kathy’s fear because they are “playing God” (80).

After the meeting, Alexander thinks about the consequences of the experiment and whether the worms will evolve. Alexander knows that...