"I know this comes as a shock, but your son can still live a normal, happy, life."
Eli's legs swung freely from the bench where he sat in the hospital hall. He listened to the muffled conversation coming through the door. The man in the white coat was talking.
"His condition is extremely rare, but it wasn't always so. We looked into it and apparently there are old regulations, still in effect, that provide support for cases like his. We've filed with the state, they will contact you to provide resources and a care manager."
The room went silent, save for some quiet sobs, his mother. Eli couldn't understand what they were talking about. Sure, he got sick when he used the headset thing, but he wasn't blind or dying of an illness, was he? He was pretty sure he wasn't developmentally disabled, whatever that meant.
"I don't want to minimize the difficulty he will have, but a little historical context here is good. It was only in the last century we invented augmentation technology. Before that, everyone lived full, and meaningful lives without it. And," the muffled voice paused. Eli scooted towards the door and stretched to hear every word.
"Most of these early cases were cured through later technological breakthroughs. There's still a chance that newer technology will resolve his ...situation." It wasn't likely. There weren't more than a handful of cases left worldwide. With so few cases, there wouldn't be any market demand, and that meant no research would go into it.
"As for your earlier question. There are several options if you want to continue building a family, from adoption to surrogates, to donors. I assure you, this is just a temporary setback. Please don't let it discourage you."
...Setback. Developmentally disabled...
***
"You must be Eli," the man bent over and offered his hand. Eli gripped it firmly, as his father taught him.
"Wow, you sure you're only six? That's quite a shake there."
Eli smiled and nodded.
"I'm Theodore Roberts, but everyone calls me Theo. Come on in and have a seat." Theo smiled and nodded at Eli's father, who stood in the hall. His father nodded back and closed the door, leaving him alone with the stranger.
"I wanted to meet you, get to know you a bit and talk about what my role will be. Tell me, have your parents told you why you're here today?"
Eli moved across from the desk and climbed up into a big green leather chair. He looked around the room. It seemed old to him: wooden shelves with actual books, plants, pictures on the wall.
"They said I would meet someone who would help me with challenges, said that you had too."
"Well, I like to think of it as I get to help. I work with many people that, through no fault of their own, have disadvantages and I get to help them overcome the challenges those disadvantages bring."
Eli smiled. Theo seemed nice enough.
"Do you know what a disadvantage is?"
"If I'm playing checkers with you, and you have fewer pieces than me, then you have a disadvantage, it makes it harder for you to win."
"That's exactly right! Wow, what a great analogy. Mind if I borrow that?" Theodore opened up a yellow notepad on his table and made a few notes. "The important part though is that I can still win right, I just have to work harder."
Eli thought about that. In checkers, if you ended up at a disadvantage it was likely that you made bad plays. No one started a game with fewer pieces. Not unless they were handicapping it for some reason.
"With your condition, being unable to use DAO, it is going to make it harder for you to interact with other people, make new friends, and go to school. When you get older, it will make it harder for you to find work."
"The important part to remember is that you can still have friends, get an education, and find meaningful employment, you're just going to have to work harder. Does that make sense to you?"
Eli shrugged. What any of those things had to do with wearing a headset he didn't know.
Theodore shifted forward in his seat, his eyes searching Eli's.
"Eli, people, all people, need challenges to thrive, but not any kind of challenge - it can't be just whatever. It has to be personally meaningful, something bigger than ourselves." Theo considered how to best explain.
"You know you've found something meaningful when after you spent your life in pursuit of it, even if you don't solve the problem or accomplish your goal, you can still look back without regret." Theodore smiled then looked out the window before looking back.
"Sorry Eli, listen to me. I know you probably don't understand all this, but for most people, we find our life's purpose while wearing a headset. I know that sounds strange because what you know of immersives is limited. Just know that immersives expand the problems people have access to. They allow us to find personally meaningful problems where our contributions matter; where we are important."
"But it's not real? It's like a game?" Eli inquired. His parents were always wearing those headsets at home.
"In some ways it's not real. In other ways it's more real than all this." he waved his hand around to show his office or the world, Eli didn't know which. That made little sense.
He tried thinking about how something could be not real and more real at the same time.
"That's not what this meeting is about, though. You're going to need challenges to thrive, something beyond yourself where you can place your efforts. When you're older, you'll have to figure out what that is for yourself, but for now, I have an idea I think you'll like." Theo leaned forward and pressed something on his desk.
"Mrs. Meyers, can you bring her in now? Thank you." Theodore's eyes lit up as he waited.
After a moment of futile guessing, Eli watched as the door to the office opened and an unfamiliar lady walked in carrying a small animal. The puppy yipped, her tail wagging, as the lady passed the small gray, black, and brown animal to Theodore.
"Thank you, Mrs. Meyers." Theodore cradled the puppy. Mrs. Meyers left the office unobserved, as Eli looked on at the puppy. A puppy. He'd never seen a real puppy before, except for that one time in the park, and that was only from a ways away.
"This little lady here is Legend," Theodore introduced the lively pup.
"Her brothers and sisters all found homes. She was the last one left. I thought maybe you could take care of her?"
"Me?" Eli blinked. Take care of a puppy? "I can do that. I mean, I don't know how to, but I can learn... Legend."
"Can I hold her?"
Theodore gave him an impromptu class on how to safely hold a puppy before letting him hold her.
"Legend. That's a weird name for a dog, isn't it?"
"Is it? You could call her L for short?" Theo reached over and rubbed her muzzle, "I hope she will give you some challenges and with that meaning, for now anyway, just until you can figure out something else on your own."
"No, I like it." Eli scratched her head. "Legend."
***
Legend yipped and jumped as she tore around the track for the umpteenth time.
"She's excited," Eli said. He smiled seeing his dog run around the large looping track in his new living quarters.
"She should be, this is a big step for both of you. You're own home." Theo replied, setting the last of Eli's boxes down in the hall.
"Yeah."
Theo's hand found Eli's shoulder and he squeezed him, before awkwardly patting him.
"I can't believe how much you've grown in the last four years, I remember when you barely use to come up to my waist." Theo removed his hand and stepped into the unit.
"It'll be great, you'll see. Your parents will visit when they can, and I'll come by for our trips to the park." He looked around for a bit before his lips turned down. "Concrete and metal aren't the most comfortable but I guess they designed it more for security. You should be plenty safe."
Eli liked it. It reminded him of home. My old home. He reminded himself.
"You've got everything here you'll need growing up," Theo moved to a large panel and touched the controls. The panel rotated creating an alcove in the wall. "Food and supplies are delivered here. I'll handle ordering everything until you're a bit older."
Theo walked around the unit explaining the various rooms, what was in them, how to use the equipment. He was quite thorough. Eli walked behind him, barely paying attention. He'd only been told this morning that he'd be getting his own home. He said goodbye to his parents just an hour ago. His mother was beautiful, as always, and kind. His father was distant, distracted.
Legend slowed down, came to a halt, and walked up to him, after a moment she put her paws up on his shoulders and licked his face. They were not the fast, excited licks she normally gave. They were are-you-okay licks. Eli pushed her down.
"Oh I'm fine girl," he said stopping to scratch behind her ear.
"Eli, there's someone I want to introduce you to." Theo turned, from where he stood in the hall. "I almost forgot. Your new place comes with an automated valet."
"Hello Eli, I am happy to serve," the baritone voice that came from the apartment speaker had an accent that Eli didn't recognize.
"Hello!" Eli's eyes brighten. He'd heard of automated valets before but his family was wealthy enough to buy one. "Do you have a name?"
"I do not. Perhaps you could suggest one?"
"Automated Valet is a bit much, maybe AV for short?" Eli suggested.
"It is settled then. I am AV."
"AV that's a great name. AV is one of the new A.I. models. You can ask it whatever, and it'll grow as you do." Theo elaborated as he moved towards the entrance.
"I'm glad to have you AV," Eli said.
"Alright Eli, I'm going to get going. Don't forget we've got our regular appointment tomorrow, I'll call like usual. And next week I'll come by and take you to the park. Sound good?" he stopped at the door.
"Sounds good Theo." Eli knelt down to scratch Legend's belly.
Theo slipped out and the door closed behind him.
"AV this is Legend. She'd my best friend in the whole world."
"It is a pleasure to meet you Legend."