Fictitious 52 #5

Back to tons and tons of dialogue this week in: "Legacies"

 “First, I would like to congratulate the both of you on your coming child,” the man says mechanically. It's obvious that, for him, this has become just another part of the job. A well practiced opening with no actual meaning behind the words.

“Thank you so much, Mr. Johnson. We're both ecstatic. We weren't sure, for a while, that Carol could have children, so this was fantastic news.”

“Yes, I see that in your case file. I'm sure it's a very exciting time for the two of you. Busy as well, which brings us to the purpose of our meeting today.” He sets his briefcase on the coffee table and opens it as he says this. Carol and Louis Todd share a significant glance, sitting across from hospital's Newborn Care Unit representative. Louis cradles Carol's hands in his own as Mr. Johnson finishes removing papers and files from the briefcase and setting them upon the table. He slides three packets across the table.

“Having looked over your file, these are three packages are in your price and social range and that we feel appeal most appeal to your sensibilities. You, of course, have the option of customizing the available packages for an additional five-hundred dollar fee, though I would advise against it. These packages have been optimized for maximum effectiveness in the specified areas of concentration.”

Mr. Johnson watches the Todds read each offered sheet. A look of annoyance crosses his face briefly when he senses the their reluctance to accept their options building. He's been doing this job for some time now, he can always tell the which are the couples who are going to make getting his job done difficult before sitting with them, and he's rarely surprised. The Todds' file practically screamed this would happen at his face when he read through it. It had all the indicators. Both parents from lower class single child families. A mother whose ability to bare children was in question. The first child of both members of the couple. And they're a pair of dreamers, according to comments by their neighbors and family. He wasn't looking forward to coming here today, and from the looks of things, he wouldn't be leaving anytime soon.

The Todds have a conversation between themselves in whispers. Unfortunately, from what he can see, they agree with each other, as expected. When one member of the couple is able to think rationally and sides with him, it's easier to bring the other one to their side of thinking. When it's simply him versus both parents, things usually take longer. In the worst case scenario, they get exactly what they ask for, which is, more often than not, the most terrible thing one can do to their child, despite what the parents may think.

The Todds turn to Mr. Johnson. Their faces are plastered with slight frowns, the options obviously not appealing to them.

“Are these our only options, Mr. Johnson?”

“Not technically, Mrs. Todd, but I can assure you they are the best options available to you.”

“But they aren't the only ones?”

“No, Mr. Todd. If you are willing to pay the customization fee, you will be able to use the memory you are allotted however you wish. But I sincerely warn against doing this.”

“You must understand, Mr. Johnson, that we want the best for our son, or at least better than what we have. The options you're giving us.”

“I understand what you are saying, believe me, I do. But you must trust my experience, and my team's experience. I have been doing this for seven years now. Every parent believes that they can come up with some magical combination to beat the system. Or that they know the best way to plot out their children's future. They almost invariably fail at this, Mr. and Mrs. Todd. I will be happy to discuss your suggestions and ideas, really. But please understand, if I advise you against certain courses of action, it's out of years of experience demonstrating to me that what you want to do is ultimately destructive to your child.”

The Todds nod their heads and slide the packets back to Mr. Johnson. He replaces them into his briefcase and locks eyes with the Todds.

“Alright, before we begin, I must lay out some facts for you. Forgive me if I seem to be a bit overly direct in my exposition, but these are facts that you must understand in order to make an informed and intelligent decision regarding your child's future.

You, Mr. Todd, are a construction worker. And you, Ms. Todd are clerk at a national supermarket chain. That qualifies your family as tier four in social standing. The government will therefore fund up to a tier three implant for your child. As you know, you have the option to upgrade the implant from there, allowing your child a more advantageous. Based on your financial information, we have determined that your child is eligible for a tier five implant. The options gave you were determined to be the most advantageous tier 5 implant specifications that are also compatible with your personal views and beliefs. What I am saying to the two of you is that there are options that I do not simply suspect, but know, that you would like to open for your child that simply are not available to you. Now, having said that, and assuming that, for the moment at least, you intend to go with the option for customization, what would you like to discuss,” he concludes and retrieves a clipboard and pen from his briefcase.

Louis and Carol listen to Mr. Johnson's explanation. Laying their situation out so plainly before them catches them both a bit off guard, but they are still determined to make an attempt to go to bat for their unborn son.

“Well first, we noticed that none of the packages you showed us said anything about any creative abilities.”

“I'm sure anything like that he can learn on his own, without the need of implants. There are much better things for you to put into his implants.”

“Yes but, what if, for example, he decided he wanted to be a musician? He could learn how to play an instrument on his own, yes, but children who started with this information already in them due to their postnatal implants? How could he compete?”

“Implants like that, Ms Todd, are better left for people at the bottom of the social rankings, who are desperate enough to invest all of the implant into possibly allowing their child a chance at fame and fortune, or people at the top, who have enough leeway to splurge in such a manner as that. You and your husband are better off ensuring the stability of your child's future.”

“Well then,” Louis interjects. “What about medical knowledge?”

“I'm sorry, Mr. Todd, that kind of aptitude is not available at a tier five rank.”

“That makes no sense! You're telling us that not only is there a limit on how much of a leg up we can give our son, but what kind of information we can do it with? Sounds to me like you people trying to make sure that we just stay in our place!”

“No, Mr. Todd, that's not it.”

“Then what is it!? Why wouldn't we be allowed to help our son achieve?”

“The system is designed to be as fair as possible.”

“How is it fair that the rich get to stay rich, but we're forced to settle? Tell me how that's fair!”

“It's not, but it's as fair as things can be, Mr. Todd. How well do you know history?”

“I know what I learned in school. It wasn't in my implant, if that's what you're asking.”

“It's not. Do you recall from those classes what the world was like eighty years ago? We didn't have this technology. Everyone had to work their way up from where they started. If you want to talk about unfair, how about that? Every child with poor parents limited by that fact. Families going for generations without being able to pull themselves up. Some made it, sure. Some had fortunate breaks, some were simply too talented to stay down. But many others didn't.

Or how about when the middle class disappeared in 2090 after the technology was developed because only the rich could afford the new implants for their children? Everyone either had postnatal knowledge and enhanced mental faculties or was simply an unaltered human being who couldn't compete in the new world. Poor families were going to black market doctors in desperate attempts to get their child something. Infant death rates skyrocketed. How fair was that system, Mr. Todd?

This system wasn't put into place to make sure that everyone was upwardly mobile. It was put into place to make sure that every family had the tools available to pull themselves up to the top over the generations. Likewise it's meant to ensure that there are people available to do all the work that needs doing. It's not perfect, but it does its job. You both should know that, judging by your files. What tier did your family occupy, Mr. Todd?”

“One,” he says, a note of insult in his voice.

“And you Mrs. Todd?”

“Two.”

“And you have a tier two and tier three implant respectively. In addition, you've used what you were given to pull yourselves up to a tier four status. And now your son has the opportunity to have a tier five implant. Through the combination of your hard work and the system your family has managed to pull itself up three tiers in society in three generations, Mrs. Todd. Yours has gone up by four, Mr. Todd.

In a perfect world, your son would have every advantage available and would be able to do and compete with whoever he wished. But I am sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Todd, this is not a perfect world. But it's a little better than it was before. So believe me when I say I have your son's best interest at heart. You may not like for him to be pointed in the directions that are open for him, but if he's the worker that you two are, your grandson will have very nearly every opportunity open to him. Or you can decide that you can do my job better than I can and make sure that he does not make it very far in life.”

---

Mr. Johnson leaves the home of Carol and Louis Todd. His briefcase is full of forms and papers indicating the Todd's selection of specifications for their son's postnatal implant. It will be a standard tier five. Robert Todd would grow up with paths laid out for him. If he chooses one he can eventually eliminate the linearity that was forced upon him from his own child's life. If not, he can end up setting his family back to square one. Either way, it was up to him and his parents now. William Johnson has done his job.