Gregor always considered himself to be a punctual man. That was one of the reasons why his clients liked him so much. He got right down to business without any of the annoying pleasantries. Really, that is what people wanted in his line of work nowadays. People were simply busier than they were a century ago. They had precious little time to spare in their schedule.
Holding his black briefcase in one hand, he jammed his thumb on the apartment buzzer. A few moments later, the metal door swung open, revealing Mr. Lindsey inside. He wore a finely tailored suit with a sharp red tie. Combed blond hair smelled of expensive hair gel. Gregor noted an earpiece in the man’s right ear. Before Gregor could speak, Mr. Lindsey raised his finger.
“Yeah… I’ll take care of it. Yes, just put the account on hold for now. Listen, I have to go. Yeah, see ya.” The man clicked the earpiece and greeted Gregor. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Ivanovitch. Please come inside.”
Gregor smiled back and stepped into the pristine white apartment. Working as a salesman was somewhat different in modern times and especially with the sort of product Gregor was selling. Companies now picked their own customers from a variety of applications. Each customer was then given a selection of offerings based upon what the company deemed as a good fit. It turned out with enough surveys and diagnostic screening; the old adage had proven wrong. Algorithms knew best, not the customer.
Going past the foyer into the living room, Gregor saw two brown leather couches. Off to the right side was a granite counter with accompanying high seats. Behind it was a small kitchen with all the usual amenities. He noted a beautiful wine cabinet which stood by a chestnut dining table—although both the table and the cabinet were covered in a thin layer of dust. All in all, it was the normal apartment for an upper-class couple. Gregor only sold to the upper class. Alternative products were reserved for people with less financial income.
He waited for a moment as Mr. Lindsey ducked down a hallway. The man came back with a gorgeous woman wearing a green dress which clung to her shapely form. She wore her red hair down across her shoulder while two diamond earrings fluttered as she walked.
“Mr. Ivanovitch.” The woman shook his hand. “A pleasure to meet you. I am Ms. Lindsey.” Gregor smiled and nodded, noting the lack of a ring on the hand. Not that it was unusual, no it was far more unusual for couples to be married. Even so, it factored into the product being sold.
Mr. Lindsey gestured to the living room. “We have to go out for dinner in about ten minutes. I’m told this shouldn’t take too much time.”
“Not at all.” Gregor went over to one of the couches and sat down as the Lindseys took the other couch. “Generally, some customers would prefer to take their time with the selections on offer. But if you’re ready to make a decision now, then by all means, I just need your signatures.”
“We have a great deal of faith with the company.” The woman rested her hands on her lap and crossed her knees. “As long as nothing terribly sticks out, we’ll sign off on it.”
Gregor chuckled a little. He wished all of his contracts were so simple. The fact was people didn’t like choice. They liked what was best. This was one of the rare meetings where the customers knew that. “We’ll start with the basics. The company selected Physical Template 46-XY No. 3289.” He unlatched his briefcase on his lap and took out three pictures, handing them to the Lindseys.
Mr. and Ms. Lindsey quickly glanced through all three. Gregor saw approving looks on their faces. He couldn’t help but feel a touch of pride in that. He had a hand in the selections. That was his job, after all, making sure the product was the best fit possible.
“Each picture is the expected appearance at the corresponding stage of development. If the appearance deviates more than ten percent from these photos, we will give a full refund upon return, as well as a free platinum package for your inconvenience.”
“And what about personality?” The woman set the picture down. “We obviously do not want something obnoxious.”
“We can control for traits and dispositions early on, but the environment has its own effect over time. What specifically are you looking for? People generally opt for playful in the beginning. Some prefer shy or coy. I just want to make it clear. We can make adjustments at various intervals.”
“I’m worried more about feeding.” Mr. Lindsey took a deep breath as he looked at one picture. “Don’t get me wrong, we’re excited our application finally got approved, but we don’t want it to impact our lifestyle.”
“You might be in luck,” Gregor quickly said. “Due to the recent mandates, as I’m sure you are aware, our company is offering special deals to people who buy at least two packages. If you choose a second purchase, we will personally cover all secondary expenses to ease financial burdens.”
“Oh, honey.” Ms. Lindsey held her partner’s arm and gave him a pleading look. “Can we please get two? It’d be so cute seeing them run around the apartment.”
Mr. Lindsey shooed her arm away before turning to Gregor. “Can we start with one and then buy another if we feel we’re ready?”
“Of course,” Gregor replied. “Since your application is already approved, we don’t need to put you on a waitlist for a second purchase. I should add, the deal applies to costs retroactively as well. You won’t have any penalty for waiting.”
“We’ll start with just one for now,” Mr. Lindsey hesitantly decided. “I wanted to ask about intelligence. I remember trying to buy a puppy from a company when I was a child. Poor thing was dumb as a brick.”
Gregor reached into his briefcase and pulled out a new set of papers. “You’ll be glad to know that you were approved for one of our higher categories.”
A look of excitement passed between the couple.
He handed them sheets of information for the precise measurements of the brain structure. It wasn’t really understandable for untrained eyes, but the high numbers often helped with sales.
“I think that pretty much covers everything,” Mr. Lindsey said, nodding alongside his partner. “We’re thrilled with what we’ve been given. I don’t think we have any problems whatsoever.”
“There are a few other benefits I should read to you while you sign the papers.” Gregor beamed inside as he produced the final documentation. “Your package includes a guarantee of no genetic defects, both physical and behavioral.”
Mr. Lindsey took the paper and a pen from Gregor before signing his name with black ink. It could all be done digitally these days, but the algorithms had shown that people actually prefer some tactile sensation in their affairs. They wanted something physical and concrete to tie their decisions down. The paper added some genuine reality to this business.
“If there are any mishaps such as accidents or unexpected problems, remember you have a full three-year warranty. Don’t hesitate to call the company with the smallest issue. We’ll be right there to get it sorted out.”
Ms. Lindsey took the pen and quickly signed her name on the document. The ink was wet upon the dry paper.
Gregor clapped his hands. “I need to ask one last thing before we’re done. Have you picked out a name? We can get that documentation sorted right now if you do.”
“Not yet.” Mr. Lindsey wrapped his arm around his partner. “Just leave it untitled in the certificate for now. We haven’t quite been able to decide on it just yet. We’ll come up with one down the line.”
“Well, that concludes our business.” Gregor took the contract from Ms. Lindsey and placed it in his briefcase. Standing up, he shook both of their hands. “I’ll get out of your hair and let you get on to your dinner.”
Mr. Lindsey led Gregor back to the hallway, while Ms. Lindsey remained in the living room. The man opened the door for Gregor, and the salesman stepped back into the hallway. Turning around, Gregor smiled again.
“I just want to thank you. You might have already guessed this, but I came from Physical Template No. 3289. I’m personally quite proud that my product line continues to be of high quality. I hope you will be completely satisfied with your choice.”
Mr. Lindsey shook Gregor’s hand. “I think we will. It was a pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Ivanovitch.”