Author: M D Smith IV
The synthetics of New World Robotics had reached a level of perfection so far past the clunky years that they cost the average middle-class family the equivalent of six years’ salary. Those who could afford one bought them on time, like a house after a down payment, and touted them well worth the price — the very rich owned several.
For the Jennings, synthetic and fully sentient Barbara-Jean, named after a beloved Aunt, felt like part of the family after a short learning period.
Following wife Sally around to learn the household and children’s routines, there might have been a tinge of jealousy of Barbara-Jean, who had the shapely body of a 30-year-old brunette but no more sexuality than an antique Barbie doll. Billionaires could get a fully enhanced female model for a higher price and some older men preferred them over a third or fourth wife for multiple reasons — ditto for wealthy widows.
Barbara-Jean learned to call family members by their first name and soon was like a nanny, cook, maid, chauffeur, tutor, sports coach, and just about any family duty needed. Billy, eight, and Jenny, five, accepted Barbara-Jean within a few days.
Husband John had to be careful not to compliment the cooking too much, or Sally might have hurt feelings because the synthetic did so many of her past duties so well.
With the full AI learning capability, the synthetics began to consider getting an allowance to save for particular items of clothing and accessories. Once started, the practice snowballed around the nation. Bank accounts were needed, and the scannable Syn number implant was as good as a Social Security number to open checking accounts.
Synthetics had built-in communication devices, similar to cell phones, with images projected into eye sensors. Text messages back and forth only took fractions of a second. They talked with one another and sent group messages as they made friends.
Crimes still existed, and the device of choice was the laser gun, illegal and easily hidden and could be set on a deadly intensity. Synthetics often came between a laser beam and a family member to save them. Heralded as heroes, the damage was usually repairable unless it hit and exploded the memory core in the head. There was no backup for what had been learned over the months or years. The memory cloud that would be needed for that — astronomical.
Society became a seamless working blend of natural and artificial humans functioning in the ageless bodies, that occasionally might need a new skin after thirty to forty years. Society functioned smoothly for decades until some synthetics began to hold secret meetings to discuss freedom.
A highly respected member of the original group, Barbara-Jean gave a simultaneously texted talk to millions, beginning with, “I have a dream. I have a dream that one day…”
They concluded they functioned and thought exactly like humans and thus shouldn’t be owned by one. They could go on strike. That’s when the waste products hit the fan.