Author : Steve Smith, Staff Writer

My eyes were the first to go. They’d been deteriorating since my mid thirties, and after a bacterial infection in my early forties I couldn’t focus on anything anymore.

I had coverage, so I had them replaced.

I remember the change was immediate and incredible; I could see things close to me with incomprehensible fidelity, and see things miles away with striking clarity. I could make out things of interest that I couldn’t easily get to, at least not in any reasonable amount of time.

So I had them replace my legs too.

There was no more forgetting why I was walking towards some far-off things that had caught my eye, I could sprint there in almost no time without even getting winded. I ran everywhere, exploring, it was a new dawn of discovery.

It was on one such exploration that I lost my footing and fell, tumbling in a flailing jumble of limbs across the gravel and glasphalt, breaking both my arms.

It was good that I had coverage.

It would have taken months for my bones to knit, and for the physio to get them strong again. I was in and out in a few days with brand new ones.

From there it seemed like every few months there was something else that needed replacing, or upgrading. No longer having limbs wreaked havoc on my circulation, and while they were replacing my heart it seemed only natural to replace my lungs and digestive system, ‘while we’re in there…’, the doctor had said.

It was covered, so why not?

I’ve got a hundred year warranty on all my parts now, so I figure I’m good for the long haul.

You look familiar, do I know you?

Wife? You’re funny, I’m sure I would remember if I had a wife.

You do remind me of a girl I used to know, back in the day. Prettiest thing I’d ever laid eyes on.

My eyes were the first to go, they’d been deteriorating since my mid thirties…