This is a work of fiction, and the main idea, that of creating a person, I would be very much against in the real world.
Robby Healy would readily admit he was a nerd. Not the live in your mother’s basement until you’re 40 kind of nerd, but the kind who loved school and loved studying and was more impressed with a mathematical breakthrough than the feats of the local college quarterback. Oh, he enjoyed sports, but didn’t obsess of them.
Now a 28 year old university graduate with a degree in engineering, he had saved enough money to enter the office he was not sitting in. The tinted glass that made up most of the walls in the office gave it a modern look, and this was, as best as Robby could tell, a very modern facility.
“Are you sure about this?” asked one of the office workers, sitting right across the table from Robby, “This is quite an investment. The more traditional ways are certainly cheaper and can be more fun.”
Of course, Robby had already decided. He had dated a few girls in high school and one in college, but nothing every seemed to get serious. He didn’t think there would be a way to meet a “soulmate” even if he believed in such things. This was his choice, “Yes, I am sure.”
“Very well. If you will read over this brochure, I will send in a sales representative to plan your purchase.”
Robby simply nodded. He didn’t really need to read the brochure, he knew the history of the company, the history of the industry. In 2017, designer babies had become all the rage – genetic modification for blue eyes, skill at sports, or intelligence. It was a baby industry itself, but it soon blossomed to the point where by 2024, you could design a complete person based on your likes and dislikes. It took a month to plan, another month to grow, and another month for the aging process, but the people it put out were nearly perfect. The companies had made a fortune, nearly, but not quite ending the matchmaking industry – why go to a matchmaker when you could create your perfect match in a lab.
Governments were currently debating the ethics of this industry – many rich people were wanting to buy many developed persons, D.P for short, for what amounted to slave work. The companies insisted that the people could be designed for that kind of task and legitimately enjoy it, but human rights organizations strongly fought against it – citing the difference between drones and robots and humans. Robby figured that was other people to decide. His developed soul mate wouldn’t be a slave, but would be cared for deeply.
A man in a navy blue suit walked into the room. “Hello, Robby. I’m so glad you’ve chosen to make your purchase with Develogene.”
Robby merely nodded as the man continued, “I’m Gerald Jones. I’ll be helping you design your D.P today. I am required to remind you that D.P’s are in every way human – they have flesh and can bleed and feel and think just like you and me. If you are not prepared to deal with those ramifications, then I recommend an android instead.”
Robby spoke up, “I understand.”
“Good, then, let’s get to work. First off, I understand you would like a female model?”
“That’s correct.”
“And you understand that female model’s are more in demand and are more expensive?”
“I understand.”
“Alright. Then some basics: Height, weight, eye color, hair color, intelligence,”
Robby passed a card that he had already filled out with some of the information on it. Shorter than him, slim, above average intelligence, but below his own. Feminists would have a hayday with me, he laughed. The feminist movement had died out as workers were paid the same regardless of gender now, and especially after the first female president was elected in 2028. There were still some sexist people, on both sides, but like racism, sexism and even ageism had been dying down for a long time.
“You haven’t put in hair or eye color,” Gerald Jones pointed out.
Robby replied, “I understand that you can do analyses of me compared to the model that I prefer and choose those on what will actually be most natural. I would prefer that since I really don’t have a preference.”
Jones replied, “Simple enough. You are again aware that some hair colors – redheads and blondes, for instance, are much more expensive.”
Robby replied, “I have been saving up. I do have a budget but it will cover the cost of most of these basics.”
Jones replied, “Very well, let’s move on then.”
Robby got bored after a while – answering questions about health were simple. Answering questions about the formed family background and the D.P’s career paths were harder, but he had already settled on that long ago – a museum curator of some sort, a librarian or a bookstore worker would be perfect. Charismatic and humorous, able to make friends, but friends he would get along with. From the western hemisphere – North or South American, European. Quiet and feminine but not overly so, with some adventurous streaks. She would appreciate good fashion but be okay with not-brand name.
It took a couple of hours, but soon the questioning died down. “Alright, Robby, let me go plug this into the computer and see what we can do for you.”
Robby waited patiently after going to a vending machine for a soda and some pretzels. He knew the process – they would do a background check, make sure he would treat her alright, make sure he could actually provide for another human, but they wouldn’t find anything. They would come back and tell him the price and he would sign all the legal documents and in three months would come back in to meet Lauren. No, Cindy. No Claire. That’s the only thing he hadn’t decided, but the company said that he could decide anywhere in the first month.
Finally, Gerald came back. “Alright, Robby. You’re perfect girl can be yours, for the price you see at the top of this contract.”
When Robby looked at it, he was astonished. It was much higher than he expected. Of course it could be a gimmick, but the types of gimmicks people could get away with were much smaller now, after the Used Car Saleman laws passed a few years ago.
“This is a little high,” Robby finally said.
“We understand. But the supplies we need to create a person are getting more expensive as demand increases. And the person you are wanting to create doesn’t have many faults.”
“Why would faults make them cheaper to create?”
“Too close to perfect and we have to work harder to make sure they believe they are human.”
“So if I added some faults, the price would go down?”
“Yes. For instance, you could lower her attractiveness quotient. Or you could just give her a bad habit, nose picking or smoking or something.”
Cigarette smoking had been banned many years ago, but legalized marijuana had been common since the early 20s. And Robby didn’t want that.
Gerald continued, “How much do you need to knock the price down by?”
Robby said the number. Gerald chuckled and said, “Let me see what I can do,” as he got up and walked away again.
This time the wait seemed longer. Robby got a bag of chips and started surfing the net on his cell phone. He wasn’t obsessive about sports, but he was in a fantasy football league with some of his friends. Most of them were more statheads than anything, and Robby who knew a little about football, was able to do fairly well most years. But this year he sat in the middle of the pack. If he was still in it when Laura, no Jessica was presented to him, he would have a hard time focusing to win the championship anyway.
Gerald came back. “Alright, Robby, we have a few options for you.”
Robby nodded, “Let me hear them.”
“The first is to significantly lower her IQ quotient.”
Robby thought about it, but no, that wasn’t for him.
“How about an artificial limb?”
No one really used artificial limbs anymore when the science was there to grow a new one.
“A speech impediment?”
That wouldn’t do either.
This went on for a while until finally, Gerald said, “Okay. This one may sound off, but what if she had urinary incontinence?”
Robby paused. That was interesting. He himself had been a bedwetter for a while, he understand the term. But still, his perfect girl, incontinent? He wasn’t sure.
“How much would that save?”
“Well, we have contracts with medical supply companies. If we create a person with a need that they supply, they benefit, and so they can defray costs a little. It’s actually quite the discount. It would be this…”
Gerald Jones slid a number over to Robby. Robby’s jaw dropped. It was much less than he had saved up. With her intelligence and skill, she would easily make enough money to cover the cost of, how had Gerald put it- medical supplies. He meant diapers of course, but Robby figured he could get used to that. With the extra money he saved, he could move into a better apartment and perhaps start on his doctorate.
“Where do I sign?” Robby said.
He walked out of the office wondering what he gotten himself into. He was about to have an incontinent girlfriend.