Martin Greenberg - The Future We Wish We Had

She stood slowly, then walked to the crib, bent over, and kissed her sleeping child. He stirred slightly, confident in her touch. Knowing it was a light touch, a secure touch, a loving touch. He trusted her, especially now, when he could not do anything for himself. He trusted her to do the best thing for them all.

Dr. Wyatt’s office door was open, and he was waiting for them. He bent over one of his tea roses, his long fingers working a particularly delicate trim. Ro watched him, seeing the gentleness, now knowing that was only a part of him.

Gil held Alden’s carrier. They agreed that Ro would do most of the talking. It had been her idea, after all.

Dr. Wyatt smiled when he saw them and took Alden’s carrier as he had done before. They took their places in front of the desk.

“Well?” Dr. Wyatt asked as if he already knew the answer.

“We have decided,” Ro looked at Gil, who nodded at her to continue. “To let Alden make this decision when he turns eighteen. We agree with the waiver we signed. This is not a decision we should make for our child.”

Dr. Wyatt frowned. “It would be better not to wait.”

“Better for whom?” Ro asked. “The companies? Yes, it would. And perhaps for a few patients, too. But we are locking my son into an agreement for life, which is something medieval. We don’t believe in such things, Dr. Wyatt.”

“I’m sure some clauses can be waived. Perhaps you could even get a temporary agreement, something that would be nonbinding on him when he became an adult.”

Ro shook her head. “This is not an emergency, Doctor. We are willing to be contacted on a case-by-case basis in the event of an emergency, when someone actually needs Alden’s help. What we are refusing is a business arrangement. We want our son to be a child first, and a commodity only if he chooses to be.”

“He wouldn’t be a commodity,” Dr. Wyatt said.

She stared at him for a long time. “Maybe not to you,” she said. “But the biotech company who bought his genes wouldn’t know him. To them, he would be something that would enable them to make a profit. To other patients, he would be another tool. To us, he is a person already. And people make their own choices, and their own commitments. We’re sorry, doctor.”

She stood. So did Gil. Finally Dr. Wyatt did as well. He ran a hand along Alden’s small face. “He is a perfect child.”

“No,” Ro said. “He’s not. He’s got good genes. That’s all.”

“That’s plenty,” Dr. Wyatt said. “Promise me you’ll tell him of this opportunity when he’s grown.”

“You will,” Gil said. “Or someone in your clinic will. We will stipulate that. We have an attorney who can draw up a document.”

“It was kind of you,” Ro added, “not to mention the money.”

Dr. Wyatt took Alden’s tiny hand in his own. “You realize how rare and precious he is.”

Ro smiled. “Yes,” she said softly. “We do.”

Kevin J. Andersonhas more than sixteen million books in print in thirty languages, including Dune novels written with Brian Herbert, Star Wars and X-Files novels, and a collaboration with Dean Koontz. He just finished the sixth book in his epic space opera, The Saga of Seven Suns. He and his wife Rebecca Moesta have written numerous bestselling and award-winning young adult novels.

Loren L. Colemanis a full-time novelist. His first novel, Double-Blind, was published in 1998. He has since explored the universes of BattleTech, Magic: The Gathering, Crimson Skies, MechWarrior: Dark Age, Star Trek, and Conan. His latest works are a new trilogy set in the Conan universe and co-development of a new fiction market for the Classic Battle Tech and MechWarrior universe: www.BattleCorps.com. Currently he resides in Washington State with his wife, Heather Joy, two sons, Talon LaRon and Conner Rhys Monroe, and a young daughter, Alexia Joy. The family owns three of the obligatory writer’s cats, Chaos, Ranger, and Rumor, and one dog, Loki. His personal website can be found at www.rasqal.com.

Brenda Cooperhas published fiction in Analog; Oceans of the Mind; and Strange Horizons; and in the anthologies Sun in Glory; Maiden, Matron, Crone ; and Time After Time . Brenda’s collaborative fiction with Larry Niven has appeared in Analog and Asimov’s . She and Larry wrote a novel, Building Harlequin’s Moon, and her solo novel, The Silver Ship and the Sea, was published in 2007. Brenda lives in Bellevue, Washington, with her partner Toni, Toni’s daughter Katie, a border collie, and a golden retriever. By day, she is the City of Kirkland ’s CIO, and at night and in early morning hours, she’s a futurist and writer.

Dave Freerwas born at a very early age. And then, alas, things started to go downhill for him. He was unable to maintain the status quo; despite considerable and lifelong resistance to growing up, he has found himself married to Barbara and a father to two sons-who were also born at a very young age, proving it must be hereditary. In a desperate and vain attempt to change the world and also to pay the rent, Freer turned to the writing of fantasy and science fiction. He believed they were closely related fields; both paid badly and required a great deal of intellect and very little common sense; and therefore it was something he could do. Fortunately he was wrong about the intellect it required of him, although it has taken him ten books-eight of them with co-authors Eric Flint and/or Mercedes Lackey-to figure this out. “Boys” is his eighth short story sale. When not writing Freer can sometimes be found clinging to rocks, both on the sides of mountains or in the raging sea, in the mistaken impression he is getting back to his roots.

Esther M. Friesneris the author of over 30 novels and over 150 short stories, plus poetry, articles, an advice column, and one professionally produced play. She won the Nebula Award for her short stories in two consecutive years. At present she is best known for having created and edited the five extremely popular Chicks in Chainmail anthologies. Her most recent novels are Temping Fate (Dutton/Penguin, June 2006) and Nobody’s Princess (Random House, April 2007). She lives in Connecticut with her husband, is the proud mother of two all-grown-up kids, and harbors cats.

P. R. Frost,the author of the Tess Noncorire Adventures series, resides on beautiful Mt. Hood in Oregon. She is currently finishing up the second novel in the series. She hikes the Columbia River Gorge for inspiration, reads omnivorously, and enjoys attending science fiction conventions. She grew up in a ballet studio, performing with the Ballet du Lac, a pro/am company out of Lake Oswego, Oregon.

It’s been almost exactly ten years since Sarah A. Hoytsold her first short story. In the interim, she’s sold over three dozen short stories to magazines such as Amazing, Asimov’s, Analog , and Weird Tales , as well as an assortment of anthologies. Alongside the short stories, she’s sold a dozen novels. The most notable are her critically acclaimed Shakespeare Fantasy series, her Musketeer Mysteries series, written as Sarah D’Almeida (www.musketeersmysteries.com), and her new Urban Fantasy Shifter’s series (www.shifterseries.com.). Sarah lives in Colorado with her two teen sons, her husband, and a varied pride of cats. Catch up with her at http://www.sarahahoyt.com.

Julie Hyzyhas loved science fiction since her eighth-grade teacher put a copy of Ray Bradbury’s The October Country in her hands many years ago. Julie’s short stories have appeared in Star Trek, Strange New Worlds (Pocket Books), and All the Rage This Year (Phobos). She’s also written several mystery novels, including Artistic License (stand-alone romantic suspense), Deadly Blessings (first in a series), and Deadly Interest . She lives with her family in Tinley Park, Illinois.