A paper entitled “Economics of Motherhood” by Lakshman, Leibowitz, and Drake had taken the world by storm. Popularly entitled LLD, it had dwelt in detail upon the massive drain of human resources from industries because of females giving birth. The impact had been both astonishing and swift, and the immediate reaction was to outsource both birth and child-care.
Surrogate mothers were being used widely, sponsored and supported by the industries. Mallick was wise enough to foresee the chaos, emotional issues, and worst of all, the cancerous lawsuits that were spawned as a result.
His plan was simple. After seven and a half years of intensive research, development, and harsh secrecy, he announced the Cherub birth system to the world.
The response, to put it mildly, was hostile. Mallick was ostracized from civilization within a week. But by the time he had passed on the reins of Cherubs Inc., to his son Firoze, the outright skepticism and ethical outrage had given way to a grudging admiration, and finally acceptance. Now, it was the norm in most societies.
Astonishingly, women were the most ardent supporters of the Cherub birth system, hailing it as the perfect route to freedom from the tyranny of motherhood. Even in the most under-developed countries, women fought to implement the Cherub birth system. The advantages were obvious: no more time off from work meant more money, and fewer health issues meant more productive life times. It was liberation at its best. Mallick Jagir, for all his acumen, had never foreseen this.
A sharp buzz pierced the tension. A voice shaking with excitement said, "Sakib?"
Sakib answered. "Yes?"
"Could you come over to Lab D210 please? It's urgent. We think we've found something."
Sakib and Javed looked at each other, an explosion of hope lighting up their faces.
They hurried outside the conference room, and made their way to the labs that were housed towards the end of the facility. They passed large silent rooms where foetuses at various stages of development lay in artificial wombs, the manufacturing robotic units that silently assembled the latest models of The Nanny, the "Brain" where the software was installed into The Nanny, and the well-lit testing areas where The Nannys did their first basic learning with dummies.
Sakib and Javed entered Lab D210. At the epicenter of the nervous energy that rippled through the air stood a young intern. Johnson was at the large computer screen that dominated the room. A dismantled Nanny lay on the table beside him. The others had crowded around him.
Sakib pushed his way through to the front.
Johnson was trying hard to control the quaver in his voice. "I was asked to review the software..."
"Just tell us what you've found, young man." Javed interrupted brusquely.
