The Great Awakening
A story about the birth of consciousness
“Ew,” says a woman, “What the hell is that?”
In the open living room of a New York apartment, there is a human body on a table with the color of hypothermic skin. Over the body is a dozen working printers, slowly adding layers. It is nearly complete.
“I 3D printed a person,” says the man, wine in his hands. He gives her one and takes a long sip. “It’s totally illegal.”
“It’s also horrifying,” she says. “What are you, a modern-day tech-billionaire version of Frankenstein?”
He laughs. “Are you a modern-day villager with a pitchfork? It’s been a while since I’ve read that book, but aren’t they the real villains?”
She shoves him playfully. “If you think I’m going to fuck you with this anywhere near me, you’re are incorrect.”
He shrugs. “Maybe if you take a closer look you will get used to it.”
She looks at him as if that were unlikely. Still, she approaches it the way you’d approach a motionless snake. The floor-to-ceiling windows display a glittering cityscape. The body’s cool white skin is in sharp contrast and glows with dispersed light.
Suddenly, the printers stop working. The sound nearly makes her jump 2 feet backward.
