'Be Careful What You Ask For, You Just Might get It' (Or the irony of wishful thinking)
A short story by Buddy Black
Feb.2020
Mary and Jim were just a typical couple, they married young with hopes of raising a family of their own, not unlike the hopes and aspirations of any couple out on their own, working jobs, Jim as a renowned high IQ mathematics professor at an esteemed Ivy League university, and Mary, also of high IQ, as a highly acclaimed computer forensics specialist, careers that paid and mended their way through life's trials and tribulations of modern day life.
Their biggest dreams were to have a child that they could conceive, and raise from birth until their child was of the age to set out on its own to make its own path through life just as its parents had done. They both wanted a boy child that of course resembled themselves, one with great intelligence, and of course healthy in all respects. A 'dream' that no doubt every hopeful parent would wish for. They dreamed of the day they could hold and cuddle their new born baby in their loving arms, the days and nights of caring for and watching their new born grow day by day into the child of their dreams, teaching him to speak and longing for his first words, 'momma..daddy', teaching him to take that first baby step, and to walk, ride a tricycle, and all the 'first baby' things parents everywhere indulge in, and of course making their own 'Baby Album' replete with photo's from birth until forever. They had even stocked up on a supply of baby clothes for just such an event. They had even named their future child as, 'William', in honor of Mary's father.
As the years crept by though, it was obvious that try as they may, procreation through the normal means was something that was just not going to happen. They were willing to try unconventional means in their quest at impregnation but all attempts failed one after the dismal other. Becoming ever more desperate, they even advertised on various social media venues of their infertile plight.
Their friends all were having children, raising families, and reveling in their child rearing successes while Mary and Jim languished in their own, it seems, futile efforts.
Then one nondescript day, Jim's telecommunication device sounded, and a soothing AI generated voice told him that they had been chosen to participate in a new Government Sponsored fertility program, the 'DNA Fertilization Program' There would be no charge to the participants, and results were guaranteed to produce a healthy, intelligent child of their liking. There was a 'return-no questions asked' policy in the event that they were not completely satisfied with the results. Jim was told that this new program involved the collection of DNA samples from both he and Mary, as well as from both of their own parents. These DNA samples would be examined for any snipes of rogue building blocks that could in the future produce illnesses such as cancer, or any other disease or ailments that currently afflicts the human body, and those rogue elements would be tweaked from the new DNA chain, thus producing a healthy for life, child. Participants could even chose the sex of their DNA tweaked child, along with other features such as eye color, skin tone, hair color and texture, mature height, and longevity.
The only other difference in this 'DNA Fertilization' process from 'natural fertilization' was that Mary would not be the 'host' body because results were only guaranteed if the process was conducted in sterile laboratory conditions where the fertilization and growth process could be closely monitored and tweaked as needed. As such the fertilization and growth process could be expected to be somewhat 'expedited', although when questioned as to the definition of "expedited" the AI voice soothingly continued, 'as opposed to that if carried by a host mother'.
Desperate as they were for a bouncing baby boy of their own, Jim and Mary both agreed to participate in this new program, and so they donated the DNA as required. They were told to be patient and to go about life as usual and they would be contacted when need be.
Four long months crawled by with no word from the government agency until at the beginning of the fifth month when Jim and Mary were told to come to the fertilization laboratory where they would be updated with news of their new babys 'development'.
Excitedly they rushed to the laboratory which was surprisingly disguised as a nondescript office building in a not well traveled section of town, they both hoping to hear news of how their new baby was developing.
In order to enter the building complex, they had to be screened and processed at three security stations before being allowed further access into the structure. They noticed that the walls were bare of pictures or any other decorations one would expect to see in any other office building. None of the government personnel, all clothed in white smocks sans name tags, they spoke with at the security stations carried on any banter among themselves or with Jim and Mary. 'Name, government identification, case number please'. The silence was practically deafening until they were ushered through a set of airtight doors where to their astonishment the noise of children was nearly as deafening as the silence was earlier. All around them scurried dozens of beautiful children, all, without exception who seemed to be of the age of about two years, some running about playing, others sitting and reading, some working at computers or other electronic devices, one even appearing to be conducting a class of some nature for other children crowded around her. Both Jim and Mary were surprised that they saw no other children younger or older than these before them at present.
Mary and Jim were then led to a conference room and told to be patient. While waiting for news of 'anything' in life minutes can seem like an eternity, and so it felt to these two 'expectant' parents. While waiting, they excitedly discussed how in just a short five more months they would be holding their cooing baby boy in their wanting arms, and they starting a new parents journey through life as they watch their newborn baby boy grow through the infant stage, the toddler stage, and every step therafter, a dream all 'expectant' parents have, and they could think of nothing that could now deprive them of that 'reality'. How very wonderful, they thought, that their government was thoughtful enough to have such a fertility program such as this for hopeful parents like themselves.
Soon though, the door was slowly pushed open and a boy child appearing to be about two years of age walked in while playing a game on a handheld electronic device. A beautiful child, lovely hair, bearing facial features that Jim and Mary found that remarkably mirrored their own. The child approached Jim and Mary, held out his hand, and said in a mature voice, 'Hello Mother, hello father, I'm William, your new son', we can go now, my job is finished here'.
A short story by Buddy Black
Feb.2020
Mary and Jim were just a typical couple, they married young with hopes of raising a family of their own, not unlike the hopes and aspirations of any couple out on their own, working jobs, Jim as a renowned high IQ mathematics professor at an esteemed Ivy League university, and Mary, also of high IQ, as a highly acclaimed computer forensics specialist, careers that paid and mended their way through life's trials and tribulations of modern day life.
Their biggest dreams were to have a child that they could conceive, and raise from birth until their child was of the age to set out on its own to make its own path through life just as its parents had done. They both wanted a boy child that of course resembled themselves, one with great intelligence, and of course healthy in all respects. A 'dream' that no doubt every hopeful parent would wish for. They dreamed of the day they could hold and cuddle their new born baby in their loving arms, the days and nights of caring for and watching their new born grow day by day into the child of their dreams, teaching him to speak and longing for his first words, 'momma..daddy', teaching him to take that first baby step, and to walk, ride a tricycle, and all the 'first baby' things parents everywhere indulge in, and of course making their own 'Baby Album' replete with photo's from birth until forever. They had even stocked up on a supply of baby clothes for just such an event. They had even named their future child as, 'William', in honor of Mary's father.
As the years crept by though, it was obvious that try as they may, procreation through the normal means was something that was just not going to happen. They were willing to try unconventional means in their quest at impregnation but all attempts failed one after the dismal other. Becoming ever more desperate, they even advertised on various social media venues of their infertile plight.
Their friends all were having children, raising families, and reveling in their child rearing successes while Mary and Jim languished in their own, it seems, futile efforts.
Then one nondescript day, Jim's telecommunication device sounded, and a soothing AI generated voice told him that they had been chosen to participate in a new Government Sponsored fertility program, the 'DNA Fertilization Program' There would be no charge to the participants, and results were guaranteed to produce a healthy, intelligent child of their liking. There was a 'return-no questions asked' policy in the event that they were not completely satisfied with the results. Jim was told that this new program involved the collection of DNA samples from both he and Mary, as well as from both of their own parents. These DNA samples would be examined for any snipes of rogue building blocks that could in the future produce illnesses such as cancer, or any other disease or ailments that currently afflicts the human body, and those rogue elements would be tweaked from the new DNA chain, thus producing a healthy for life, child. Participants could even chose the sex of their DNA tweaked child, along with other features such as eye color, skin tone, hair color and texture, mature height, and longevity.
The only other difference in this 'DNA Fertilization' process from 'natural fertilization' was that Mary would not be the 'host' body because results were only guaranteed if the process was conducted in sterile laboratory conditions where the fertilization and growth process could be closely monitored and tweaked as needed. As such the fertilization and growth process could be expected to be somewhat 'expedited', although when questioned as to the definition of "expedited" the AI voice soothingly continued, 'as opposed to that if carried by a host mother'.
Desperate as they were for a bouncing baby boy of their own, Jim and Mary both agreed to participate in this new program, and so they donated the DNA as required. They were told to be patient and to go about life as usual and they would be contacted when need be.
Four long months crawled by with no word from the government agency until at the beginning of the fifth month when Jim and Mary were told to come to the fertilization laboratory where they would be updated with news of their new babys 'development'.
Excitedly they rushed to the laboratory which was surprisingly disguised as a nondescript office building in a not well traveled section of town, they both hoping to hear news of how their new baby was developing.
In order to enter the building complex, they had to be screened and processed at three security stations before being allowed further access into the structure. They noticed that the walls were bare of pictures or any other decorations one would expect to see in any other office building. None of the government personnel, all clothed in white smocks sans name tags, they spoke with at the security stations carried on any banter among themselves or with Jim and Mary. 'Name, government identification, case number please'. The silence was practically deafening until they were ushered through a set of airtight doors where to their astonishment the noise of children was nearly as deafening as the silence was earlier. All around them scurried dozens of beautiful children, all, without exception who seemed to be of the age of about two years, some running about playing, others sitting and reading, some working at computers or other electronic devices, one even appearing to be conducting a class of some nature for other children crowded around her. Both Jim and Mary were surprised that they saw no other children younger or older than these before them at present.
Mary and Jim were then led to a conference room and told to be patient. While waiting for news of 'anything' in life minutes can seem like an eternity, and so it felt to these two 'expectant' parents. While waiting, they excitedly discussed how in just a short five more months they would be holding their cooing baby boy in their wanting arms, and they starting a new parents journey through life as they watch their newborn baby boy grow through the infant stage, the toddler stage, and every step therafter, a dream all 'expectant' parents have, and they could think of nothing that could now deprive them of that 'reality'. How very wonderful, they thought, that their government was thoughtful enough to have such a fertility program such as this for hopeful parents like themselves.
Soon though, the door was slowly pushed open and a boy child appearing to be about two years of age walked in while playing a game on a handheld electronic device. A beautiful child, lovely hair, bearing facial features that Jim and Mary found that remarkably mirrored their own. The child approached Jim and Mary, held out his hand, and said in a mature voice, 'Hello Mother, hello father, I'm William, your new son', we can go now, my job is finished here'.
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