Asimov's Science Fiction: September 2013 by Penny Publications

Author:Penny Publications
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Asimov's #452
Publisher: Penny Publications
Published: 2013-08-31T12:00:00+00:00

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WHAT WE OURSELVES ARE NOT

Leah Cypess | 5291 words

Leah Cypess ( www.leahcypess.com ) is the author of two young adult fantasy novels, Mistwood and Nightspell, and numerous short stories. She lives near Boston with her family, and is at work on a new fantasy novel that will be published in early 2014. One of Leah's most recent short stories for us, "Nanny's Day," (March 2012) is currently a finalist for the Nebula Award. The tale below owes its inspiration to Michael A. Burstein's, "Kaddish for the Last Survivor," and its title to Vaclav Havel's, "The Need for Transcendence in the Postmodern World."

The second Zach's mother walked into his room, he knew it was time for the Talk. She was biting the side of her lip, the way she did when she was really nervous, and she gave his picture of Amy an extra long look before she sat down on his bed.

Not that he was surprised. It was his seventeenth birthday, and the copy of Dealing with the Teen Years she kept on her nightstand recommended seventeen as the ideal age for chip implantation. Which made sense: it only became legal at sixteen, and was usually impossible by the age of twenty, due to decreased brain plasticity.

Secretly reading that book had been one of the best moves he'd ever made. Now he always knew what to expect when his mother got nervous.

"Zach," his mother said. Despite all the signs of nervousness, her voice was casual and even. Dealing with the Teen Years also recommended "practicing important conversations" and "preparing responses for expected arguments." Though Zach was pretty sure his mother had no response prepared for what he was going to say.

Since she had done all that preparation, though, it seemed polite to at least let her get through her speech. He minimized his v-screen and said, "Hey."

"So." His mother smoothed the blanket over his mattress. "I know a couple of your friends have chips now, and I was wondering if you were thinking about it."

Zach grunted. Suddenly, despite the fact that he had prepared for this, he wanted to put off the inevitable.

"I also know that some of your friends have opted not to be chipped, and your father and I will respect your decision if that's what you want. But we really think getting a chip will be the best thing for you."

Amy's parents had thought the same thing. They had even paid big bucks for the custom add-ons she had asked for.

His mother's brow furrowed, and Zach realized that she was waiting for a response. He tried to think of one. "Uh—why?"

"Because it can be diff icult, in today's world, to hold on to who you are and what makes you unique." She launched into the speech with evident relief. "It's so easy to be swallowed up by the majority, and that might even seem like an attractive option to you. But a world without diversity is a poorer world..."

He tuned her out while pasting an attentive look on his face.

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