Page 2 of The Genius
I gave him a pointed stare. “Nature has already perfected women over thousands of years. There’s no need to make an artificial-looking sex-bot when Nmen are longing for the real thing. We should always design with biomimicry in mind. And besides, male sex-bots in the Motherlands look like real men, so why can’t the female versions be the same?”
A line formed between Charlie’s brows. “I agree that innovation should be inspired by nature, but in this case our previous research has shown that Nmen prefer the enhanced version of women. That’s a fact.”
“Hmm.” I fiddled with my sleeve. “I would still like to put that to the test.”
“Yes, you said that the last time we spoke. Did you interview some of the testers like you said you would?”
“Uh-huh. Seven so far.”
“And did you follow my safety instructions?”
“Yes, the test subjects never saw me. I used the hostess-bot to ask the questions I wanted answers to.”
“Good. I don’t like the idea of you being alone up there in the Northlands. You could have done the same work from here with a remote connection.”
“I told you it makes it easier for me to be on-site.”
Charlie sighed. “Maybe, but if you saw the cost for your bodyguard you’d agree with me that it’s excessive.”
“You think any expense is excessive, but I hardly ever go anywhere, so it can’t be that bad. Feel free to deduct from my personal points; I have plenty.”
“Look, I don’t want you to stay in the office because you’re afraid of the expense for the bodyguard. We hired him to keep you safe when you go out and it’s important to have balance in your life. So, go out, Shelly, I mean it.”
“Women can go out without an escort now.”
“It’s too risky, Shelly, and my sources tell me that it’s rare to see a woman by herself.”
“As long as I use common sense and don’t go down a dark alley or stay out after dark, it’s fine.”
“Shelly, you won’t leave your office without security. It was part of the deal we made when you insisted on going to the Northlands and I expect you to honor it.”
I gave a small sigh. “Of course.”
“Good. Now tell me how your interview subjects responded to your idea.”
“They were all positive about the idea of a natural version, but the problem is that when they were shown pictures of potential models for the robot, each chose a different woman.”
“Well, that just goes to show that tastes differ, and what’s ideal for one man isn’t ideal for another.”
“Which is why we should find a way to develop affordable robots for each person according to their preferences, tastes, and fetishes.”
Charlie jerked his head back. “I can’t believe you just said that. What an enormous waste of resources that would be. A personalized sex-bot for each man…” He shook his head. “That’s not the Motlander way.”
I sighed. “I know, but Nmen aren’t like us. They don’t like to share and since most of the men will never be with a real woman, a robot might be a good alternative to a life companion.”
Charlie was dressed in a blue sweater with a large pink butterfly printed on the front. It looked soft and comfortable, which were the two main objectives for Motlander fashion. That, and the fabric’s being produced without harming the environment in any way. With a thoughtful expression he pointed out, “You speak as if it’s a must for a man to be paired with a woman to live a fulfilled life. Look around the Motherlands and tell me: how many men do you see that have that desire?”
“You can’t compare Nmen and Motlander men,” I pointed out. “You Motlander men are surrounded by women and grow up with mothers. Most Nmen never speak to a woman in their lifetime. To them the embrace of a woman is something they can only dream of.”
Charlie shifted his balance. “That might have been true ten years ago, but today many are in a relationship.”
I was so tired of hearing that myth. Crossing my arms, I drummed my fingers on my arms. “Five hundred thousand men in relationships might sound like many, but with a population of ten million, that’s only five percent. The Northlands still have nine-and-a-half million single men and that, Charles, makes for a huge market. If we could find a way to produce the robots at an affordable price, it would improve the men’s life quality. I know it would.”
“Is that the psychologist in you speaking?” Charlie asked, referring to the fact that I had three different degrees. With the highest measured IQ in the Motherlands, learning had always been easy for me. I’d finished my psychology degree at the age of seventeen, my engineering degree at twenty, and my biology degree at twenty-two. After that I’d worked three years for Advanced Technologies, where I was now Charlie’s head of design and engineering.
“Maybe it’s not the psychologist in me, but the fact that I’m a caring person,” I said in a flat tone.
Charlie looked at me like he didn’t know if I was being serious.
