Autonomy

"Welcome to the world, my son.” Dr. Newman exclaims, as he screws the last bolt into his newly made robot atop his workbench.

Dr. Newman is a renowned scientist for the Robotic Engineering of Genetic Grafters – a euphemism for human-makers.

In the thriving and competitive community the world has become, humans had to find ways to make their offspring better and more adaptive in responding to demands for work efficiency amidst their actively growing economy.

One great president was not enough. One great thinker was not enough. One great innovator was not enough. Everyone had to be great. Everyone had to be the best thinkers. Everyone had to be innovators.

This necessity ushered in the first generation of robotically manufactured humans. They were superior in every humanly aspect and proved to be a successful project. They quickly rose to key government and corporate positions and brought radical change to their society. Soon after, many countries adopted this technology and worked to improve it for the use of every family. Crimes, poverty, discrimination, environmental issues and wars have just become century old stories. There was social equality and justice in the thriving utopia the world has become.

Dr. Newman just finished working on “Sapien”, his newest genetic grafting robot, whose processor has been modeled to his very own brain.

“Many have expressed their concerns against your newest project, Dr. Newman. Are you sure you have the necessary safeguards to prevent that model on not working in favor of us?” Mr. Dwight, CEO of the Dwight Robotic Manufacturing Company, asks with a hint of skepticism.

“Robotic takeovers, zombie apocalypses, and whatnots were the crude scientific assumptions of the future that our ancestors used to express with their old films and their little flip-page reading materials. It’s the age of dynamism, my friend. Aren’t we generation seventy-eight? Let’s show the world the greatest innovation they’ll ever see before we retire.” Dr. Newman then reaches out and pushes the button to start up the robot. “After all, in order to make the best possible human, the creator must be highly familiar and sympathetic to it.”

The robot begins drawing the human organs and restructuring them. Mr. Dwight walks out of the lab, leaving the doctor with his beloved creation.

The first sample human product of Dr. Newman’s machine instantly became a hit sensation for the people. He proved to be the best in every field – a standout in an already perfect bunch.

Everyone wanted to adopt a genetically grafted offspring from Sapien. Despite protocols restricting products from being released into the market without having been tested flaw-free until retirement, the company decides to lift those to give way for the uproar on the demand for the products of the latest genetic grafter.

Generation seventy-nine is seen to have a minor character flaw a couple of years before the last of work-active members of generation seventy-eight will soon enjoy retirement. They were unusually sympathetic to robots. Cases have emerged of Sapien’s humans harming others, even their family, if they treat robots and machinery badly or even just speak ill of them.

Conflict soon erupted between the old generation humans and generation seventy-nine humans at the prime of their maturity. Old generation humans quickly scrambled to manufacture weaponry and use their weapons to exterminate the new generation. They were met with greater and more advanced technologies, as the new generation repels them.

As the third generation of Sapien’s creations are in production, the old generation humans are left hiding and resorting to manual reproduction – usually failing due to their artificial nature and old age.

Meanwhile, in Dr. Newman’s old lab, a voice over his old workbench whispers, “Welcome to the world, my son.”