‘What’d you find, Johnny? Why’d you tag me and the baby with that AI?’
He looked at her, concerned. He wasn’t sure how much to tell her. He knew stress could be deadly. But it was a chance he had to take. ‘No more lies, right Sally?’
She nodded, so that he could continue.
‘They ain’t comin’ for us, Sal. We’re on our own. They’re limiting us, in family size and structure. World reset, you know, the usual bullshit, but this time -’
‘This time they have the science to follow through?’
He nodded again. ‘So this might be our only chance at having a baby, and I need - we need - to be prepared, in case things go wrong. Sal, ain’t no more doctors out there. They just-’ He began breaking down, realizing she probably already knew, on some level. She had to - woman’s intuition, and Sally was the smartest woman Johnny ever knew.
She waited, watching him, until he resteadied his breath.
He looked at her, right in the eyes, the way he did when he felt vulnerable. ‘Sal, if this baby makes it - we both know…it won’t be ours. They’re neural templating all the kids. Everyone, to be followers, to be less like us and more like - like everyone else. A null policy. And the real minds of these children, the children of America - uploaded to some server in space. All the data, coalesced. And once in a while, if an elite general - someone bigger than me - or scientist - someone with better hair than you - wants a baby - then they’ll just template us, our kids, our neural netting - and make ‘em elsewhere. Upload ‘em in-’
She nodded, cutting him off. ‘You did the right thing, Johnny, the best thing. You told me.’ Sally looked at her stomach, slightly bulging. It wriggled - a small kick from their son. ‘He knows, he’s gotta - he’s as smart as his papa.’ She winked. ‘Whoever uploads him - they won’t know what’s coming for them.’ She smiled, reaching for Johnny’s hand, but hers went right through it. ‘Sorry,’ she said. ‘Pregnancy brain - I, forgot.’
‘It’s okay, Sal. I’m right there.’ She took off the NeuralSim helmet and placed it next to the bed stand, on her chair. Standing up slowly she moved toward Johnny’s bed. Silent, but breathing heavier than he did in his sleep. She reached out her hand and held his until it warmed again. She checked the monitors. No signs of increased heart rate. No one would ever know she and Johnny had this conversation.