Cyberman

"It's impossible."

"It’s not impossible. Thousands have done it. The paper this morning said that C.T.I. has a waiting list of six months! Their opening a new plant up state."

"Men cannot transfer their intellects into robots."

"They’re not robots- they’re cybernetic organisms. Androids."

Cally turned and walked away triumphant. Neely looked after her, curious how an eleven year old girl could sound so vindictive and spiteful.

Cybernetically Transformed Intellects (CTI) was the talk of every household, the headline of every newspaper, and the fashion of every American for over a month. Out of nowhere this company preached the "everlasting human" through a method of transferring one’s complete mental contents into that of a metal and chemical shell, where immortality was within ones grasp, deteriorating health a thing of the past along with disease and famine.

CTI was the perfect world.

__________

"I got the idea watching a comedy show where they did a piece about how plastic Poinsettias on a man’s grave were such a great value because they lasted forever, unlike the dead man. And I thought, what point is there if we’re all going to die anyway? How wonderful it would be to be like that plastic flower. No problems, no worries, no struggles. To last forever! To have no needs or wants- why, it would be Heaven in the realm of men!"

"This is Roger Roth, of CNKCB news here with super genius Moam Gestaldo, doctor of geneti-physics and cyber-technology. A man who has revolutionized the trends, ideas, and morals of American life with..."

__________

"He's coming! He's coming!"

"Who, Pete?"

"Moam Gestaldo!"

Stuart jumped up. Stefan gasped. Neely sat there, waiting to here more.

"Wha- here? Now?"

"No, not now. Two weeks, right here in Portsboro!"

"Wow," breathed Stefan. "Moam Gestaldo here in Portsboro."

"Why, Pete? Why’s he comin’?"

"He’s gonna dedicate a robotics institute."

"Wow."

"Cool."

"And that’s not all. He’s bringing some of his successful transfers to meet the public!"

___________

"It's impossible."

"Oh, Neely, you're so...so...negative."

"Is not impossible!"

"Cally, eat your dinner."

"Yes, Dad."

"Obviously it's not impossible- they're doing it!"

"Technology has come far. I remember when I was a young man like yourself, Neely. Video games were the rave and what not. Home Entertainment Systems they called them. Well, then Adult Home Entertainment Systems and holograms and videophones and home shopping- hell, in five years, the entire video industry was re-revolutionized. And this man Moam Gestaldo's gonna do it again, you'll see. Listen to your mother, seeing is believing."

Neely prodded his potatoes with his fork.

"Oh, Neely, what is it with you?" asked his mother. "For the past two months you’ve been looking like a prune. Your face all bunched and contorted- like it is now."

"I thought it was a joke."

"What's that son?"

"Remember about six months ago I told you I read about this cyberneticist who was working on cloning human brain tissue and incorporating it into robots? I thought it was ridiculous. A nut, is all. But now everyone’s buying into it- having their thoughts put into a machine. It seems so obvious to me. But what I can’t figure is, why is everyone buying into it? Why don’t they see?"