“He threatened me, Nicole!”

 

“He did what any customer does – say he’ll talk to your superior. That’s normal, Michelle.”

 

They were at a jazz bar together attempting to talk over the music. Michelle had texted her sister Nicole immediately after Adam had left to express her anger at his callous demeanor. When Nicole finally arrived, Michelle had immediately talked about everything that struck her as infuriating about him.

 

“Well memorized, my dear doctor!’” Michelle mimicked sarcastically, emphasizing Adam’s British accent. “His accent probably isn’t even genuine,” she said savagely, “Probably paid some linguist to give him that holier-than-thou way of speaking.”

 

“I understand how frustrating it must have been. Trust me, the cybernetics department deals with some rich A-holes too.”

 

Michelle swirled her cocktail with the wooden pick. A Manhattan. The cherry floated lazily around the translucently red liquor. She jabbed at it, but the pick glanced off the cherry’s round body, which somehow frustrated her even more.

 

“This wasn’t what I envisioned, Nicole. Not with my research. And now I’m a glorified, Nobel Prize-winning attendant!”

 

Nicole laughed at that. “Look at us. The Nobel Prize-winning sister attendants. Out to serve the ultra-rich in their bid for everlasting life. Or youth, at least.”

 

“Well at least you don’t have to interact with them. No rich person wants to be a cyborg, apparently.”

 

“Well of course not,” Nicole agreed. “Rich people don’t get irreparably injured. And if they do, they don’t want machine parts. They’re waiting on buying a new body now.”

 

Michelle laughed half-heartedly at that. The uses for both of their Nobel Prize-winning researches have ironically become that which they hated. She had originally developed her method of brain transplantation to help those who were willing to exchange bodies, such as people that did not identify with the body they were born with. Nicole had originally researched cybernetic body modules in an effort to help the disabled. But the rich had taken a look at their researches and created a new market where the wealthy paid for cybernetic bodies and a hefty amount to the poor in exchange for younger, healthier bodies.

 

It took them years to complete their research but only a few months before the wealthy realized they could pay the poor for their bodies. At her Nobel reception, Michelle had been asked, “Could this technique allow the old or infirm to inhabit the body of a fresh, young person?” to which she had offhandedly replied “I suppose.” She regretted it then and she regretted it now, no matter how many times Nicole told her it would have happened regardless of her answer.

 

“And now, the rich become richer, while the poor sell everything but their soul,” Michelle said wryly. She tried to jab at the cherry again. It glanced off.

 

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Nicole glance at the entrance to the bar, then down at her watch. Nicole saw her looking, and explained, “Just waiting for Matt. He was supposed to meet us at quarter to six.”

 

“Is Matt talking to David?”

 

“Probably. Matt is working on a side project for David, remember? That’s why I’m taking over the Full-Body Cybernetics now.”

 

“Oh. Right.” Michelle remembered vaguely. She had been far too busy with her own department in the past few months. “I thought you just wanted to take a break for life after selling your patent.”

 

“Oh, I did. But David roped Matt into this new project and apparently, I’m the only one qualified to lead now. I guess I’m happy to be back with my baby again though – at least I have a say again in how my research is used.”

 

“Any clue as to what the project is? The one Matt is doing for David, I mean.”

 

Nicole’s eyes unfocused – a sign that she was trying to think of something, before she looked back. “I have no clue, actually. Matt hasn’t told me much about it, only that it’s an idea David thought up. Weird, he normally tells me everything.”

 

“Well, he probably knows about how we feel about David right now ever since David sold the fruits of our research as a ‘technological package for supplanting aging bodies,’” Michelle said, quoting the tone and voice of a popular advertisement for their company. “The almighty David, face of EdenCorp. Bringing peace and prosperity to you.”

 

“To the rich,” Nicole added.

 

“I’ll toast that.” Michelle said with a straight face, lifting her Manhattan.

 

Nicole raised her beer, but Matt chose this moment to slide up behind Nicole, deftly lifted the bottle from her hands and tap it against the Manhattan before he pulled it back for a swig.

 

“Ahh, what are we toasting?” he said, sliding his other arm around Nicole’s waist, who expressed her delight at seeing her husband.

 

“David, of course,” Michelle spoke, glancing away from their short cuddling in the middle of the bar.

 

Matt adjusted his voice to speak louder over the music, “Ah yes, David. The prophet visionary of our time.”

 

“Weren’t you in a meeting with him, Matt?” asked Nicole as she tabbed her next drink order into the bar. “What was it about?”

 

Matt reached over and increased the quantity of Nicole’s order by one before the order was confirmed before responding.

 

“The usual. David is trying to keep an eye on the future of humanity, he thinks he knows the next step, and wants me to work on it.”

 

“Well, take precaution so he can’t take your research and do exactly what it shouldn’t do, Matt.”

 

Matt frowned at her, then glanced at the drinks rising from the bar table. He handed one to Nicole and then sipped his own, looking at Michelle over the rim of his glass.

 

“Science has rarely been used according to the desires of its creators, Michelle,” Matt said slowly. “The past year you’ve been angry at David, but don’t you see? He’s taken your research and created a better world. The rich care about the health of the poor now! It took less than a month of deliberation for Congress to approve bills and set aside money for the social welfare and health-care of the less economically inclined. Conservative estimates show that because of this tidal wave of changes, every single person in the country has the chance to become what they were meant to be without having to worry about the basic levels of Maslow’s needs. All this because David convinced the Powers-That-Be of the worth in having a healthy and happy society.”

 

She finished her Manhattan as he spoke, but didn’t eat the cherry. It lay there in her glass, with the dregs of her drink. She jabbed at it. The pick bounced off.

 

“Do you know what that reminds me of, Matt?”

 

“Michelle, stop,” said Nicole worriedly, “We’re not working right now and it’s family time, right? Let’s not talk about this and just – “

 

“It’s fine, Nicole. Michelle, what does this remind you of?” Matt said, setting down his drink.

 

“It reminds me of a farm, Matt. A farm. Where the farmer keep the pigs alive and healthy and gives them a great environment to breed and run ‘free range’ until it’s time to have bacon on the menu.”

 

“Pigs don’t have a human’s rights, Michelle.”

 

“I doubt David sees the difference.”

 

“Nor can pigs choose to sell themselves.”

 

“Well then, humans have become dumber than pigs,” she forced a smile at him.

 

“Alright that’s it, both of you,” said Nicole. “It’s Friday, and you two can just agree to disagree because nothing will change. At the end of the day we all work for David.”

 

We do, Michelle thought to herself, but I used to work for my conscience.

 

She jabbed at the cherry again, breaking her pick as it jammed into the glass. She snorted and tossed it to the side.