Android Paradox Read Free Page A

biodegradable cup. Three pinches of sugar and hazelnut creamer. The aroma relaxed him. No matter how many times he came to this office, it surprised him how real the coffee smelled. It practically was real. He took a sip and the coffee slowly disappeared as if he were drinking it. Though he wasn’t really consuming it, it still felt like he was getting the benefits.  
    He sat down in a chair and put his hands behind his head. A digital screen appeared in front of him, displaying advertisements of new medical enhancements. A woman in a running suit dashed across the screen as an overly enthusiastic narrator spoke.  
    “Speed!”
    A man being chased by two evil robots ran down an alley. He picked up a dumpster and heaved it at them, destroying them in a fiery blast. He grabbed his back as if in pain, then smiled and looked at the camera as if to say "gotcha."  
    “Strength!”
    A tall man with shoulder-length red hair and freckles appeared on the screen. He wore a white coat and a stethoscope around his neck. His hands were in his pockets, and circular drone bots circled him. His contact lenses glowed, as if a teleprompter were directly inside his eyes. He would have looked like a hipster if he weren’t a doctor.
    “Got the android blues?” the doctor asked. “Why should robots get to have all the fun? Sure, they’re intelligent, but aren’t we the intelligent species who created them? With my enhancements, you can be better than an android. You can be human. I’m Dr. Jonah Frantz, and for years, I’ve been helping people just like you modify their bodies so that they can pursue their dreams with confidence, get there faster, and live happier lives. Are you tired of chugging along in your cushy UEA career? Want to join the new rich? Want to get the girl? Hell, do you want to be a superhero? I can make it happen. My prices aren’t cheap, but the real question is this: what do you want to do with your life?  
    “There are two kinds of people in this world. Those with enhancements and those without them. We did a study last year. We looked at the brain activity of humans today, in 2300, versus known data for brain activity of humans in the early 2000s. Want to know what the difference was? Nothing. They were identical. Identical! I don’t know about you, but I believe that life is about progress, not perfection. I want to believe that we’re better than our ancestors—much, much better than that dark generation. After all, weren’t they better than the savages in the Middle Ages, and weren’t the savages in the Middle Ages better than prehistoric cave men? When did we plateau? When did humanity get so damn boring?”
    Shortcut watched, enraptured by every word. “I don’t want to be boring,” he said to himself. “I refuse to be boring!”
    Several of the virtual people looked at him, and he smiled nervously, embarrassed by his outburst.
    Dr. Frantz laughed. “If you want to be better off than the humans of yesterday, if you want to create real advantages for your children, if you want to further the real pursuit of intelligence, you only have one option.”
    A nurse appeared in the doorway. “Shortcut?”
    Shortcut followed her through a winding corridor. She led him into a room with an exam table and watercolor paintings on the walls that changed every few minutes, then gestured him inside before leaving.  
    He walked to the sink, washed his hands with foamy soap that made his hands feel like velvet, and took out his contact lenses. He held them in his palm and doused them with a bottle of solution from the countertop, then held them up to his eyes, scrutinizing them.  
    It always felt weird to take the lenses out. The world, 3D and sumptuous and full of data to be explored, became flat. He couldn’t imagine how humans lived without lenses. They made everything easier. When he was walking down the street and wanted to know which restaurants had the best food, all he had to do was focus on the