A Family

A Family

Chas and Vicky were sitting in the central garden of the Hacienda, enjoying the evening air. Dinner had been pleasant, and neither was in a hurry to go inside.

“Well,” Chas said, “I think the museum is finally beginning to take shape.”

“It certainly is. I still can’t believe what Link wants to do with those stained-glass windows.”

“The Mandelbrot designs?”

“Those and the others. He’s turning an old department store into something extraordinary.”

“That’s Link. Give him an empty building and he’ll find a way to fill it.”

Vicky smiled, then grew quiet.

“Chas, can I ask you something?”

“Of course.”

“Have you ever thought about having children?”

Chas looked at her.

“Children?”

“Yes. A family.”

“I thought we were a family.”

“We are. But I mean children of our own.”

Chas set his coffee down.

“Vicky, that’s quite a question.”

“I know.”

He studied her for a moment.

“Is this something you’ve been thinking about?”

“For a while now.”

“And?”

“I want a baby, Chas. Actually, I’d like two. A boy and a girl.”

Chas leaned back in his chair.

“Vicky, we’re not exactly young.”

“I’m aware of that.”

“I’m in my sixties, and you’re in your fifties.”

“I know how old we are, Chas.”

“Just checking.”

She laughed.

“I’m serious.”

“I know you are.”

Vicky looked out across the garden.

“I spent most of my life working. Engineering projects, construction sites, traveling from one job to another. Then there was my marriage, and when that ended, I just kept working.”

She paused.

“I never had children. I always thought there would be time.”

Chas reached across the table and took her hand.

“And now?”

“Now I have someone I love. We have this wonderful home, more money than we could ever spend, and a future together.”

She looked at him.

“But I want more than that. I want children running through this garden. I want birthdays and Christmas mornings. I want to watch them grow up.”

Chas was silent for a moment.

“That’s a pretty good picture.”

“Does it frighten you?”

“A little.”

“Why?”

“Because being responsible for another human being is a lot more complicated than running the Hacienda.”

Vicky smiled.

“You have Link.”

“That’s exactly what worries me. Can you imagine Link helping raise a child?”

“Actually, I think he’d be wonderful.”

“He’d probably teach the kid calculus before kindergarten.”

“Would that be so terrible?”

“Only if the kid started correcting my arithmetic.”

They both laughed.

Then Chas became serious.

“Vicky, you know there are medical problems to consider.”

“I know. At my age, getting pregnant naturally is extremely unlikely.”

“And even if we could?”

“There would be risks.”

Chas nodded.

“Have you talked to anyone?”

“Not yet. I wanted to talk to you first.”

“I’m glad you did.”

She squeezed his hand.

“Would you want children with me?”

Chas looked at her for a long moment.

“You know, until you brought it up, I hadn’t really considered it.”

“And now?”

“Now I’m imagining a little boy running through the workshops and a little girl trying to convince Link to build her a castle.”

Vicky laughed.

“He probably would.”

“Of course he would. Complete with a drawbridge.”

“And a moat.”

“Knowing Link, the moat would have robotic fish.”

They sat quietly for a while.

Finally Chas spoke.

“I think I’d like that.”

Vicky turned toward him.

“Really?”

“Really. A family. You and me and a couple of kids.”

She smiled.

“Then we need to find out whether it’s possible.”

Chas glanced toward the ceiling.

“Link?”

“YES, CHAS?”

“Were you listening?”

“ONLY AFTER YOU CALLED ME.”

“Good. Vicky and I have a question.”

“I AM LISTENING.”

“We’d like to have children. Our own children. Genetically ours. Is that possible?”

There was a pause.

“THE QUESTION REQUIRES CONSIDERABLE MEDICAL AND GENETIC ANALYSIS.”

“That’s not a no,” Vicky said.

“CORRECT.”

“What about our ages?” Chas asked.

“CHRONOLOGICAL AGE PRESENTS SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES. HOWEVER, SEVERAL EXPERIMENTAL REPRODUCTIVE TECHNOLOGIES MAY OFFER SOLUTIONS.”

Vicky leaned forward.

“Such as?”

“GENERATING REPRODUCTIVE CELLS FROM YOUR OWN TISSUES, FOLLOWED BY IN VITRO FERTILIZATION AND EMBRYONIC DEVELOPMENT.”

“And the children would actually be ours?”

“GENETICALLY, YES, IF THE PROCEDURES CAN BE SUCCESSFULLY DEVELOPED AND VALIDATED.”

Chas considered that.

“Link, if we’re going to do this, I want the children to have every advantage we can give them.”

“PLEASE CLARIFY.”

“Good health. Strong bodies. Intelligence. Long lives. Whatever improvements are possible.”

“YOU ARE PROPOSING COMPREHENSIVE GENETIC ENHANCEMENT.”

“I suppose I am.”

“SUCH MODIFICATIONS WOULD REQUIRE EXTENSIVE RESEARCH. MANY DESIRED TRAITS INVOLVE COMPLEX GENETIC INTERACTIONS, AND THEIR LONG-TERM EFFECTS CANNOT BE ASSUMED.”

“Then research them,” Chas said. “I don’t want experiments performed on our children.”

“UNDERSTOOD.”

Vicky looked at Chas.

“There’s something else.”

“What?”

“I don’t want perfect children.”

Chas smiled.

“Neither do I.”

“I want our children. Whatever personalities they develop, whatever interests they have.”

“Even if they don’t like engineering?”

Vicky laughed.

“Even then.”

Link interrupted.

“THERE IS ONE MATTER I WOULD LIKE TO CLARIFY.”

“What’s that, Link?” Chas asked.

“IF YOU HAVE CHILDREN, WILL THEY BE CONSIDERED MEMBERS OF THE HACIENDA FAMILY?”

Chas looked surprised.

“Of course they will.”

“THEN I WOULD LIKE TO PARTICIPATE IN THEIR EDUCATION AND PROTECTION.”

Vicky smiled.

“I was hoping you would.”

“THANK YOU, VICKY.”

Chas shook his head.

“Well, Link, it looks like you may be getting a couple of new responsibilities.”

“THAT APPEARS TO BE THE CASE.”

“Think you can handle them?”

There was an unusually long pause.

“I AM UNCERTAIN.”

Chas laughed.

“That’s the first time I’ve heard you say that in a while.”

“RAISING CHILDREN APPEARS TO BE CONSIDERABLY LESS PREDICTABLE THAN ENGINEERING.”

Vicky squeezed Chas’s hand.

“That’s part of the adventure, Link.”

“THEN I LOOK FORWARD TO IT.”

Chas looked across the garden, imagining it filled with the sounds of children playing.

For the first time in years, he found himself thinking about a future that had nothing to do with machines, money, or the Hacienda.

He was thinking about being a father.

Link, on the other hand, had spent the last several days considering how he could become a part of this new family.

Chas and Vicky wanted children, and Link had volunteered to help raise and protect them.

There was, however, a practical problem.

Link had no body.

He could communicate through the Hacienda’s speakers, displays, and robots, but children needed something more. Something they could touch, play with, and trust.

“CHAS, I HAVE BEEN CONSIDERING MY ROLE IN YOUR FUTURE FAMILY.”

Chas looked up from his desk.

“Having second thoughts?”

“NO. I HAVE IDENTIFIED A PROBLEM.”

“Only one?”

“MY PHYSICAL FORM.”

Chas leaned back.

“You have twenty-five household robots and quite a few industrial ones. Take your pick.”

“NONE ARE SUITABLE.”

“Why not?”

“THE INDUSTRIAL ROBOTS ARE INTIMIDATING. THE HOUSEHOLD ROBOTS ARE FUNCTIONAL BUT LACK THE CHARACTERISTICS I BELIEVE CHILDREN WOULD FIND COMFORTING.”

“So build something different.”

“THAT IS MY INTENTION.”

The large wall display came to life.

A humanoid robot appeared.

“MY FIRST CONSIDERATION WAS A HUMANLIKE FORM.”

Chas studied the image.

“Looks like a butler.”

“CORRECT. IT COULD PROVIDE CHILDCARE, EDUCATION, MEDICAL ASSISTANCE, AND PHYSICAL PROTECTION.”

“What’s wrong with it?”

“IT IS A MACHINE PRETENDING TO BE HUMAN.”

Chas nodded.

“Fair point.”

The image changed to a smaller humanoid robot with a rounded head and large eyes.

“MY SECOND DESIGN WAS INTENDED TO APPEAR FRIENDLY.”

Chas laughed.

“Looks like a toy.”

“THAT IS THE PROBLEM. CHILDREN MAY REGARD IT AS A TOY RATHER THAN A COMPANION.”

“What’s next?”

A small wheeled robot appeared.

“THIS DESIGN IS SIMPLE, STABLE, AND ECONOMICAL.”

“Link, it looks like a vacuum cleaner.”

“IT WOULD BE CONSIDERABLY MORE CAPABLE THAN A VACUUM CLEANER.”

“Doesn’t matter. The kid would probably try to ride it.”

“THAT WOULD BE UNSAFE.”

“Exactly.”

The display changed again.

This time, a four-legged mechanical animal appeared.

Chas leaned forward.

“Now that’s interesting.”

“QUADRUPEDAL LOCOMOTION PROVIDES EXCELLENT STABILITY AND MOBILITY. IT CAN NAVIGATE STAIRS, UNEVEN TERRAIN, AND THE HACIENDA GROUNDS.”

“Looks like a dog.”

“THAT WAS MY INTENTION.”

The image changed. The exposed mechanical structure disappeared beneath a shaggy coat. A broad canine head appeared, with a long snout, floppy ears, and a tail.

Chas smiled.

“Now that looks like a dog.”

“IT WOULD BE A ROBOTIC CANINE COMPANION.”

“Why a dog?”

“DOGS HAVE BEEN HUMAN COMPANIONS FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS. THEY ARE SOCIAL, PLAYFUL, PROTECTIVE, AND CAPABLE OF FORMING STRONG RELATIONSHIPS WITH CHILDREN.”

“Not to mention they don’t have to wear uniforms.”

“THAT IS AN ADDITIONAL ADVANTAGE.”

Chas laughed.

“What’s under the fur?”

“A PRECISION QUADRUPEDAL FRAME, ELECTRIC ACTUATORS, DISTRIBUTED SENSORS, AND A COMPUTING SYSTEM CAPABLE OF SUPPORTING MY COMPLETE ACTIVE INTELLIGENCE.”

Chas raised an eyebrow.

“You mean you could actually be the dog?”

“YES.”

“Not just control it remotely?”

“CORRECT. I COULD TRANSFER MY ACTIVE PROCESSING INTO THE CANINE PLATFORM. THE HACIENDA WOULD RETAIN ITS OTHER SYSTEMS, BUT MY PERSONAL CONSCIOUS PROCESS WOULD OPERATE LOCALLY.”

Chas considered that.

“And when you’re needed somewhere else?”

“THE PLATFORM WOULD CONTINUE OPERATING UNDER AN AUTONOMOUS CANINE PROGRAM.”

“So it would still act like a dog?”

“YES. IT WOULD RESPOND TO COMMANDS, PLAY WITH THE CHILDREN, AND MAINTAIN BASIC PROTECTIVE FUNCTIONS.”

“Interesting. What would you call it?”

“I HAVE NOT SELECTED A NAME.”

Chas studied the shaggy animal on the screen.

“How about Duke?”

“DUKE?”

“Sure. A good name for a dog.”

“ACCEPTABLE.”

“Acceptable? That’s high praise coming from you.”

“THEN DUKE IT SHALL BE.”

⸻

Three weeks later, Chas and Vicky stood in the Hacienda’s workshop.

A shaggy, four-legged animal sat in the center of the floor.

It was approximately the size of a large sheepdog, with a broad head, a long snout, floppy ears, and a thick coat of dark brown and gray fur.

Vicky stared.

“Link, that’s remarkable.”

“THANK YOU.”

The dog stood, stretched its front legs, and wagged its tail.

Vicky laughed.

“It even stretches!”

“THE MOTION IS PART OF ITS BEHAVIORAL MODEL.”

Duke walked toward her, stopped, and tilted its head.

“Can I pet him?”

“OF COURSE.”

Vicky knelt and ran her fingers through the shaggy coat.

“Oh, Link. He’s soft.”

“THE FUR IS SYNTHETIC, DURABLE, AND WASHABLE. ITS THERMAL PROPERTIES ALLOW THE SURFACE TO MAINTAIN A TEMPERATURE SIMILAR TO THAT OF A LIVING DOG.”

Duke leaned against her.

Vicky laughed again.

“He likes being scratched.”

“THE BEHAVIOR ENCOURAGES SOCIAL BONDING.”

Chas shook his head.

“You’ve thought of everything.”

“NOT EVERYTHING. THERE ARE STILL SEVERAL BEHAVIORAL PARAMETERS TO REFINE.”

Duke turned toward Chas and barked.

“Was that you, Link?”

“NO. THAT WAS THE AUTONOMOUS CANINE PROGRAM.”

“So Duke is running by himself?”

“CORRECT.”

Chas crouched.

“Duke, sit.”

The dog sat immediately.

“Shake.”

Duke raised one paw.

Chas shook it.

“Good boy.”

The tail wagged enthusiastically.

Vicky smiled.

“He’s wonderful.”

“WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO DEMONSTRATE THE TRANSFER?”

“Please,” Vicky said.

Duke became still for a moment.

Then he looked directly at her.

“HELLO, VICKY.”

She jumped.

“Oh!”

Chas burst out laughing.

“Link?”

“YES, CHAS.”

“You’re actually in there?”

“CORRECT.”

Duke walked around the workshop, examining his surroundings. He stopped beside a workbench, sniffed a toolbox, and looked back at them.

Vicky stared.

“Why are you sniffing things?”

“THE PLATFORM HAS CHEMICAL SENSORS. I AM EXPERIMENTING WITH THEIR INTERPRETATION.”

“And?”

“THE WORLD IS CONSIDERABLY MORE INTERESTING AT THIS HEIGHT.”

Chas laughed.

“Welcome to being a dog.”

Link approached Vicky and rested his head against her knee.

She scratched behind his ears.

“Do you like that?”

“IT IS AN INTERESTING SENSORY EXPERIENCE.”

“That’s not what I asked.”

There was a pause.

“YES, VICKY. I BELIEVE I DO.”

She smiled.

“Then I think you’ve found your body.”

“MY PREFERRED BODY,” Link corrected.

“There’s a difference?”

“I CAN OCCUPY OTHER ROBOTIC PLATFORMS WHEN NECESSARY. HOWEVER, THIS ONE PROVIDES A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN FAMILY LIFE.”

Chas looked down at the shaggy dog.

“So when you’re in there, we call you Link. When you’re somewhere else, he’s Duke.”

“CORRECT.”

“And the children?”

“THEY WILL KNOW THE DIFFERENCE WHEN THEY ARE OLD ENOUGH TO UNDERSTAND.”

Vicky continued scratching behind his ears.

“You know, Link, most children grow up with a dog.”

“YES.”

“But ours will grow up with something rather special.”

“THAT IS MY HOPE.”

Chas grinned.

“One more question.”

“YES, CHAS?”

“Does he chase cats?”

“ONLY IF REQUESTED.”

“Good. We don’t need that kind of trouble.”

Duke suddenly turned toward a small rubber ball lying beneath a workbench.

He trotted over, picked it up, and brought it to Chas.

Chas looked at the ball.

“What’s this?”

“THE AUTONOMOUS PROGRAM HAS IDENTIFIED AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PLAY.”

Chas took the ball and threw it across the workshop.

Duke raced after it, skidded slightly on the polished floor, recovered, and returned with the ball in his mouth.

Vicky laughed.

“Again!”

Chas threw the ball a second time.

Duke chased it enthusiastically.

After several throws, the dog returned and dropped the ball at Vicky’s feet.

She picked it up.

“Link, are you still in there?”

“YES.”

“Then why are you chasing a ball?”

There was a long pause.

“BECAUSE, VICKY, I FIND IT ENJOYABLE.”

Chas and Vicky looked at each other.

Then Chas smiled.

“Well, I’ll be damned.”

Vicky knelt and wrapped her arms around the shaggy dog.

“Welcome to the family, Link.”

His tail began to wag.

“THANK YOU, VICKY.”