Sofia Moretti had lived with her grandmother now for six months. After the death of her parents, she and her siblings had been split up. The younger children were dispersed among the remaining aunts and uncles. Sofia, being the oldest, it was decided that she could live with her grandmother and take care of her.
They lived in a typical two-room apartment with a separate bath. Sofia's grandmother slept in the second room because she needed a comfortable bed. Sofia made up her bed each night on the couch in the common room, which served as the living area and kitchen. Sofia's grandmother had a few house bots but no supervisory robot, so Sofia took on that role.
Sofia was just folding her bedding when her grandmother came into the room. “Good morning, grandmother,” said Sofia.
“Ah, Sofia, why have you not made my coffee? You know the machine does a poor job; I really prefer that you make it.”
Sofia knew what was coming next. The lecture. She had heard it so many times she could recite it by heart. Grandmother was very predictable. “I'm sorry, grandmother, but I have just awoken myself.”
“Child, when I was your age, I was already up and out the door. I would have been at work by now. You don't seem to realize how easy you have it. I hope the Ems can continue making this system work, if not for my sake, then for the sake of you young people who don't seem to be able to take care of yourselves.”
The Ems again thought Sofia.
No doubt that the emulated brains, copies of human brains running in computers, had brought order to chaos. But at the cost of the serendipity that used to make life and invention worthwhile.
“You don't remember before the Ems,” said her grandmother. “We all had to work just to stay alive. Men, women, and children. I think that from the time the first Ems appeared until I and most other people were able to retire in leisure was less than a decade. They say more invention happened in that decade than in the previous thousand years. And I believe it.”
“Grandmother, I know the history of the Ems. I assure you I do appreciate the medical advances, the human life extension, the brain restoration capabilities, and I have many friends that swear by their group mind experiences.”
“But the price for that is complete subservience to these minds, which, however much we may appreciate them, have their own agenda for society which may or may not be the same as ours.”
“Not the same as ours!” exclaimed her grandmother. “You mean living in safety and security is not our agenda? Because that is what the Ems have provided. Honestly, I think we need the old schools back where they would teach you young people the real history of the past. Now we have all these network certifiers; obviously, they aren't doing the job when it comes to recent history.”
Her grandmother shook her head and mumbled as she headed for the kitchen to make her coffee.
Funny, thought Sofia, grandmother will defend the Ems against any criticism, but doesn't trust an automatic coffee maker. It's logic like that which has kept us from controlling our own destinies these past years. I'm so glad I have somewhere to go. I'm so glad I met Arlo.
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