by Lauren James
Mum keeps that picture of me for the same reason that Jia keeps this one of Shen. It’s also why I have a secret folder on my tablet full of pictures of Shen curled up under a blanket with a book, or lounging half out of the pool scribbling Chinese characters on his tablet.
You don’t remember the perfect things when you think about the people you love. You think of the them things. The little habits or guilty pleasures or secret flaws that only they have. Those are the things that make them unique. Those things make us all human. That’s why I could never have guessed that Mum and Dad are robots. They have flaws and obsessions too. Dad’s passion for lichen and Mum’s love of dogs make them who they are. It’s what makes me care about them, no matter who – or what – they are.
They are real, and human, and nothing is going to stop me from making sure they stay that way. They are my family. I don’t care if they’re made of code.
MyWaves05
OK, but why didn’t anyone tell me how hard motherhood is? My lofty plans to get work done at home were hopelessly optimistic.
Posted on 17 Feb 2034
Unhako_neko on 17 Feb 2034
Replying to @MyWaves05
We all told you this.
Every single one of us told you this.
MyWaves05 on 17 Feb 2034
Replying to @Unhako_neko
Ah, see, the problem here is that I wasn’t listening.
Unhako_neko on 17 Feb 2034
Replying to @MyWaves05
Just wait until Darcy grows into the next body kit and starts walking. You’ll never have a moment’s peace.
MyWaves05
@Blueburnedskies I can’t believe how big Hailey is in all your latest pics! How is she six already? She’s going through those body kits like water!
Posted on 19 Aug 2034
Blueburnedskies on 19 Aug 2034
Replying to @MyWaves05
I know, she’s costing a fortune. Thank God the kit upgrades will be on the NHS from October, because I’m not sure how we’d have kept affording the yearly upgrades as she grows up otherwise.
MyWaves05
Darcy went in for her upgrade today! She’s grown up into the 2–4 years body kit. She’s so big now. I can’t believe she’s really my tiny baby daughter.
Posted on 18 Oct 2035
MyWaves05
Good one, Labour! This is exactly what was needed.
Posted on 29 Nov 2035
BREAKINGNEWS.COM
NHS TO OPEN SPECIALIST
BABYGROW TECH SUPPORT CLINICS
AT SELECT MEDICAL SURGERIES
In this year’s budget, the Labour party announced plans to open new BG clinics at surgeries around the UK within the next six months.
The NHS is hiring programmers and software developers to run the clinics, which will be available free of charge for people registered at the medical surgery.
In the press release, the national medical director of NHS England anticipated that the service’s main function would be to “help patients repair general wear and tear to their children’s body kits, such as replacing damaged limbs”.
Tech-wary parents will also be able to get assistance in installing body kit upgrades, as well as dealing with software malfunctions and malware infections. A recent report suggested that there has been a sudden surge in malware and computer virus attacks aimed specifically at Babygrow systems.
The first NHS clinic will open in February, with the rest to follow in late April, once an operational protocol has been established. Until then, people will have to take their sick Babygrows to computer repair shops for servicing, where a charge will apply. A directory of shops which deal with Babygrow medical issues can be found here.
The announcement coincides with the ninth birthday of the first Babygrow child, who was born when the software was still in beta-mode, before the public launch in May 2027.
Rizzz on 29 Nov 2035
Replying to @MyWaves05
I think it’s stuff like this that has stopped all the riots. Everyone has relaxed in the last few years.
MyWaves05 on 29 Nov 2035
Replying to @Rizzz
It helps that no one needs to panic about how automated bots are taking over their jobs any more. The Babygrow boom has created a whole new job industry, for programmers, engineers, factory workers, clothing designers, childcare workers, the laid-off teachers who lost their jobs when the primary schools started shutting down – it’s massively boosted the economy.
MyWaves05
Today @Rizzz downloaded a new social interactions mod made by someone in China. The software’s language is a bit odd, but when it’s installed it works great. Darcy’s behaviour was noticeably different almost immediately. It makes Darcy a lot more aware of body language and subtle facial expressions now. She picks up hints a lot more quickly when we’re not happy with her – which is amazing considering she’s so young. She also laughs at funny faces a lot more and comes up and asks for hugs all the time.
Posted on 27 Dec 2035
Blueburnedskies on 27 Dec 2035
Replying to @MyWaves05
I just downloaded it. What a difference! It’s amazing how realistic and human these mods are making the software. People are working so hard to get Babygrows as close as possible to biological babies. (Though the growing toenails is a bit too much for me. Urgh.)
I dust off the picture of Shen as a baby, placing it back on Jia’s desk. Our parents loved us, just as much as we love them. There’s no doubt about that, even if they are robots.
And Maya loved Darcy in the same way that I love my parents. The fake babies seemed creepy when I first learned about them, but now that I know about my parents, I can understand it a bit more. It’s no wonder that Maya could love a computer program. I love my mum and dad, even knowing what they really are. It seems impossible that I could stop loving them just because they’re made of silicon instead of cells. They are like us in every way that matters. Just like Darcy.
That makes me think.
“Shen, is there anything in Jia’s notes about Babygrows?”
Shen looks up from the computer. His eyes are bloodshot and tired. He hasn’t stopped working for hours. “What do you…?”
I realise that I haven’t told him much about how the Babygrow app was developed. I don’t have time to go into that now, though. “Just have a look!” I say and make a hurry-up gesture at him, jumping up to lean over his shoulder.
He runs a search, and a result pops up:
. . . as is standard, Alexei Wyatt was running on the Babygrow 12.4 operating system. There doesn’t seem to be any faults in his coding, but . . .
Babygrow. Alexei was using the Babygrow operating system.
“Oh my God. Shen. They’re – they’re the Babygrows! Maya’s Babygrows!”
“Are you sure?” he asks. “Those things were just apps. How can they be – how can they have – no way.”
“It might have started as an app, but it didn’t stay that way.” I quickly fill him in on the Babygrows’ development, including how Maya and Riz had a baby of their own via the app.
“How did they get from this Darcy to our parents, though?” he asks, skimming through Jia’s notes.
“I don’t know. I haven’t had a chance to read any more of Maya’s posts. Let me look.”
I run a search for all her posts about the Babygrows, quickly reading about their development over the years. Shen peers over my shoulder.
“Oh my God,” I gasp, when I read about the body kits. “The doll. In the attic. That was —”
His eyes widen. “That was one of them! One of the babies!”
“That wasn’t Mum’s toy at all,” I say, stunned. “That was her. When she was a baby.”
“Tamade,” he swears, in an overwrought tremble.
We sit in stunned silence as a hundred moments shift and take on new meaning. Then Shen bursts out, “Wait, this could help us!” He looks at me, eyes bright. “If we know that they’re Babygro
ws, then there must be some information out there about how to get rid of malware infections in their operating system. There was a mention of something about malware in one of the articles Maya posted.” He scrolls back through her entries. “Here, this one.” He points at the piece about the NHS opening tech clinics at local GP surgeries. “Can you see if Maya mentioned anything else like this? Or maybe even anything about viruses in general.”
I nod. I can do that. This is something I can actually understand. “We’ll fix this. I know we will,” I say, to convince us both.
The sliver of wood from the bureau in the loft is still embedded in the flesh of my arm. It’s thrumming with a low-level pain, so I press on it to make it hurt in a less quiet way that’s easier to ignore.
“Do you have a splinter?” Shen asks, noticing my movement. “You need to remove it.”
I grimace. “It’ll come out on its own.”
“It’ll get worse if you leave it.”
I shake my head. “It’ll be fine.”
He rolls his eyes and leaves the room, coming back with a sterilized needle from a hospital supply cupboard.
“No! Shen!” I hide my arm behind my back, grimacing.
“Lowrie, come on. It’ll go septic. I can do it for you if that makes it easier. Your…” He draws in a breath and stops talking, looking sad.
“What? What were you going to say?”
“I was going to say that your parents will be mad at you if you don’t get it out. But I guess we’re on our own now.”
I swallow. “You can remove it. But I hope you appreciate the full extent of my bravery here.” I hold out my arm for him to take.
He nods in fake solemnity and then carefully tugs the skin around the splinter taut. I squeeze my eyes shut and breathe in, trying to ignore the jerking sensation happening under the surface of my skin.
“Done,” he says. He holds up the needle. On the end is a minuscule sliver of wood, so small that it’s almost embarrassing.
“Thanks.” I shudder, trying to release the tension. “Day one of isolation: Lowrie nearly succumbs to splinter.”
“Let’s hope neither of us gets a paper cut tomorrow.” He smiles at me. Lines crinkling around his mouth, but his eyes are still sad.
MyWaves05
Today I was walking with Darcy in the park and she had some kind of … seizure? We were feeding the ducks when her hand started twitching and her eyes fluttered. It was really scary. If she was biological, I’d have sworn she had epilepsy. @Rizzz took her to the GP, but they couldn’t see any software errors. Does anyone know of anything like this happening before?
Posted on 16 Apr 2036
Silentstar on 16 Apr 2036
Replying to @MyWaves05
Shit, that sounds awful. Is she OK now? I’ve never heard of anything like that.
MyWaves05
Darcy has been having her little seizures every few days. She says the pain goes away after a few minutes, but it’s making her forget things, like where we are or what we had for lunch. Obviously we’re quite concerned. Does anyone have any recommendations for specialist private BG doctors? We’re losing patience with the NHS GPs. They’ve not been able to offer any kind of helpful support.
Posted on 9 May 2036
Blueburnedskies on 9 May 2036
Replying to @MyWaves05
I’m sorry, Maya. We’ve been lucky, and Hailey has been very healthy. I’ve asked around but no one in my mums group has had any issues either.
MyWaves05 on 9 May 2036
Replying to @Blueburnedskies
Yeah, that seems to be the general reaction we’re getting everywhere. Everyone is completely baffled. It’s so frustrating. We all work so hard to make the BGs seem human, but the minute they start getting illnesses, it’s suddenly too human and no one knows what to do.
CHAPTER 24
Since I found out that our parents are Babygrows, I’ve been reading Maya’s posts as fast as I can, seeing Darcy with new eyes. When Maya and Riz stop posting, I have to do a search to find out what happened. The news articles about Darcy’s illness make me blanch in horror. My heart breaks for Maya and Riz, even as my mind is racing.
“Shen!” I shout.
He jumps at my exclamation. He’s slumped over the computer, reading internet archive results about Babygrow malwares between half-closed eyes.
I explain what happened to Darcy, then say, “The posts say that if the body kits are turned off for more than forty-eight hours, they will deactivate. If we don’t solve this today, then their memories are going to be lost. They’ll forget who we are!”
Mum and Dad passed out around one p.m., which means they’ve already been turned off for three hours. We’ve barely even started trying to find a way to fix them yet. The thought of Mum and Dad waking up, only for them to stare at me with blank, unrecognizing eyes makes me want to throw up. We are so close to losing them completely.
“I can’t fix this in a few hours!” Shen says. There are deep circles under his eyes. “I can barely understand the code yet – even knowing they’re Babygrows doesn’t help much, as I don’t know anything about that system either. I’ll keep trying, but I don’t think I’ll have time before it’s too late.” He’s been chewing on his knuckles again, and they’re red and swollen. When he lifts one to his mouth, I push his hand away.
“There must be something we can try,” I say.
“I don’t know what to do, Lowrie. I really don’t. You were right, there’s nothing I’m going to be able to come up with that Mama won’t have already tried. I just – I need more time. A lot more time. And we don’t have it.” He rests his chin on his knees, curling around himself protectively, and stares at the screen in deep contemplation.
I bite at the inside of my cheek, trying to hide my fear.
All I can see is the countdown playing in my mind, marking out the hours we’ve got left until our parents’ minds are wiped. Forty-three hours. That’s it, before they’re gone for ever.
Silentstar
@Blueburnedskies Have you heard from M at all?
Posted on 15 May 2036
Blueburnedskies on 15 May 2036
Replying to @Silentstar
The last I heard they were in London seeking a second opinion. I don’t think they’ve made any decisions yet.
Silentstar on 15 May 2036
Replying to @Blueburnedskies
Shit. Calling you now.
Unhako_neko
There is a farewell dinner at the Stevens’ house tomorrow at six. If you’d like to see Darcy before the treatment, please feel free to come along. If you’d like to pass on a message, let me know.
Posted on 16 May 2036
Silentstar on 16 May 2036
Replying to @Unhako_neko
I still can’t believe this is happening.
Unhako_neko on 16 May 2036
Replying to @Silentstar
I don’t think any of us can.
Unhako_neko
YES!!!
Posted on 17 May 2036
NEWSBREAKING.COM
TERMINALLY ILL BG SAVED AT
LAST MINUTE BY PARENTS’
QUICK THINKING
The sick two-year-old Babygrow child who faced rebooting this week to stop her seizures has instead been cured of her illness by her parents’ quick thinking.
Only hours before the procedure to wipe her memory was due to take place, the parents, who have yet to be named, suspected that a small part in their daughter’s body kit might be broken. A specialist clinic in London confirmed their theory, when they discovered that the component that controls motor function had malfunctioned, causing disconnected movements in the body kit’s limbs, which appeared like “seizures”.
“We’re thrilled,” the mother said in a statement released by the hospital this morning. “We thought we’d lost our daughter completely. This has saved her life, and ours too.”
MyWaves05
Thank you to everyone who has reached out in th
e last few days, since Darcy woke up. Riz and I appreciate your support, even if we haven’t been able to reply individually. Darcy was discharged from hospital yesterday and she seems to be in a stable condition. We’re all tired but relieved.
Posted on 25 May 2036
CHAPTER 25
I reread Maya’s posts about Darcy’s seizures several times, thinking over what happened. What if Jia was approaching the malware all wrong? What if a broken part has caused this? What if this can be fixed by replacing the malfunctioning bit of kit, like with Darcy?
I don’t want to get Shen’s hopes up until I’m sure, so I leave him in Jia’s lab and sneak back on to the ward. I look through the supply cupboard until I’ve found what I need: a magnifying lens, some tiny screwdrivers designed to fit the smallest of screws and an antistatic cloth.
I decide to start with Alexei Wyatt, since he’s been here the longest. If the Babygrow systems get erased after forty-eight hours, then there’s a chance he’s gone anyway. He crashed his helicopter three days ago. If I break something, it will be less awful.
I clench my hands into fists and flatten them against my sides. What if I’ve got this wrong? My stomach is twisting like I’m about to take an exam.
Telling myself to stay calm, I direct the light from a table lamp at the bed. I don’t know exactly what I’m looking for, but I’ve spent enough time fixing bots to know that there has to be some way inside the system, to repair damage. If I can get inside, I’ll be able to find any broken parts.
Feeling incredibly weird, I take off Alexei’s shirt. I close my eyes and try to see him as a bot to fix, instead of my friend. I shudder slightly as I search his chest for a panel, like the one in the side of his scalp. It takes a while, but eventually my fingertips run over a small bump in the side of his fifth rib. I run my fingernail under it, working it open.
