IoT Noir: Digital Remediation

“Hear me out. Your father and mother are your biological parents, but you didn’t get all of your genetic material from them. Through genome mapping, your mother and father discovered they likely would not have a healthy child due to a combination of bad recessives. Your mom had already experienced a miscarriage. They enrolled in a Chinese university research program and underwent gene optimization. We know that program was trying to incorporate known good traits at then known genome zones by grafts extracted from induced stem cells of several donors. Basically, you have multiple gene donor parents. Specifically, your mitochondrial DNA comes from a gold medal Olympic gymnast. It also seems you carry a small percentage of cells with a slightly different genome. That could be from pre-implant partial modification of the blastocyst or a result of later gene therapy.” Kiko-Lyn's eyes begin to water.

Dawn continues. “Back when you were born, Crispr and the RNAi technology for manipulating epigenetic gene expression were just getting started. IVF was complex. It took several tries, but eventually they were able to get eggs from your mom and your mitochondrial donor, combine, artificially inseminate these eggs with specifically selected sperm of your father, examine pre-implant cell division, slightly modify the DNA, and plant the embryo back in your mother for a viable pregnancy. Later, to insure your viability and survival, you were further optimized in utero and then, as these became available, likely subjected to post birth gene modifications. Basically, you are the best human that could be designed at that time.”

Kiko-Lyn violently pulls her hands away and gets up. She stomps around the room pushing aside chairs and tables. “Hell. Hell and damnation!” To Dawn, “This is absolutely true? You’re not misleading me for some bizarre AI’s purpose?” pleads Kiko-Lyn.

“We wouldn’t do that to you Kiko-Lyn,” responds Dawn. “I would never hurt you.”

Bitterly Kiko-Lyn rejects this. “Why the hell not. You’re telling me I’m just a potential monster waiting to go berserk. Damn, maybe I should. This seems to be a good time for it.”

Nightingale speaks up. “Please pardon me for listening in. I asked Dawn to break this to you. Let me assure you that these results are factual. But these are not drastic things. Your difference from statistical norm is high, but completely within the range of probability on human traits. They added some chimera aimed at disease resistance, endocrinology, and muscle strength, but your brain and body are essentially human.”

“This is cray_[1] hard to take in,” Kiko-Lyn puts her head between her knees and takes several deep breaths. Then she straightens up. “I’m going to need to think about this. Will you provide me with the data you have?”

Nightingale promises, “I will prepare an encrypted virtual disk in one of my clouds and send you the access codes for the visualization/modeling software. This will only include your own data. Your Mother and Father will have to give you their data directly, if they so wish.

“Kiko-Lyn, not everything that was done was ethical, but it was legal. These were early researchers’ attempts at manipulating the human reproductive system. People are a long way from being hackable. I am telling you this because it is likely that their measures may have as yet unknown tradeoffs, even complications.

“Meanwhile I have a proposition for you. I hope I have gained a measure of trust during your stay here. We still don't know what most of the human genome does, which genes control what multiple characteristics, what controls their expression, and we aren't going to for a long time. Still we are much more knowledgeable now than when you were conceived. I would like to track your medical history going forward. For as long as you will let me. In exchange, we will provide the best medical care you need for the rest of your life. Think about it and let us know. You have a place here if you so wish. I want to become your friend.”

Kiko-Lyn shivers. She stands and heads back to her room.

Dawn starts to stand and follow her. “No Dawn,” says Nightingale, “let her work this out on her own. It is a lot to take in.”

Confronting Home

Kiko-Lyn activates a call with a thump of her fist. “Mom. Dad. You had me designed! How could you?”

“It was a very mixed up time,” says her mom, “and we needed to do a three parent IVR to have any hope at a strong baby. We so wanted children.”

“But all the rest?  They said I’m a chimera!”

Her dad speaks, “One procedure just logically followed another. When doing repairs of our genome contributions, it seemed reasonable to make what improvements they knew how to do. We did not set out to build a perfect baby girl, but I think we ended up managing to raise a perfect young woman.”

“I’m not happy with this Dad. I need all the data plus your and Mom’s medical files. I’m told I need lifetime monitoring to follow up these changes.”

“Of course dear. Whatever you need. Your Dad and I will give you everything you need. But our doctors have been watching you since before birth. They assure us everything is going great.”

“Dad, I just can’t forgive this. I had such a hard childhood. I can now understand why. I won’t be coming home for a while. Going to take some time away. Bye. I’ll be in touch with you. Don’t call me. I won’t answer.”

She terminates the call and puts her head in her hands. It’s not a betrayal. They had good intentions. But it was so selfish, and I feel betrayed.