Ty developed a refusal to use the 3D printer at home, even if Damon offered to print composites for him. He eyed the printer with the same contempt he had for the work interface. He welcomed resentment for anything other than Jennifer.
Another workday passed during which he felt under-appreciated in comparison with bits and wires. All of the managerial training Wallace offered lost its appeal. Yet, the paycheck bump melted away the bulk of his concerns, for a few hours anyway.
The excitement at his checking account balance deflated when Ty got home. Jennifer was watching the news, content in allowing their daughter to play with toys quietly in a corner.
Helia reached out when she saw her father. "Hungy," she yawed.
"Aw, and tired." He picked up Helia and she clung to him like the little monkey she was. "Let's go, little lady."
She giggled and copied his tone. "Wittle Wady."
Ty attended to with Helia's needs with love. Afterward, Jennifer couldn't be found. He opened the front door to check if the car was gone. She lingered near the entrance way, hiding something behind her back.
"What is that?"
Jenn answered with red eyes. "A cigarette."
Right. A blunt-shaped cigarette. He kept his anger to himself, as confrontation only made things worse with Jennifer.
Ty ducked back inside the house, counting on Damon to cheer him up. His brother's rumor about 3D printing hacks did just the opposite. Is there anything these damn machines can't do, Ty thought bitterly.
On the day of their purchase, they printed a number of composites, laughing as the machine built them a pencil, a cup of coffee, underwear. Then they requested a pet bird, and the printer made a noise that could only be distinguished as a refusal. It was worth a try, Ty said.
Printing living composites was impossible. Organic matter, like food and flowers, were hard enough for the 3D printers to perfect.
Or so the programmers publicly claimed.
"I've been talking with some amateur programmers, and they know how to print living organisms." Damon said.
Ty decided to indulge his brother, whether he wanted to or not.
"How is it possible to print living organisms?" He tried to sound like he cared.
"That's just it. Printers already have the capacity to print live composites, but the programming is blocked."
The duplicity brought up Ty's interest, minimally. "The technicians lied? They've known how to print live this whole time?"
"Apparently, but can you blame them? If people had the power to print live in their own homes, do ya think they'd use that power wisely?" Damon went on to answer his own question. "Hell no! There'd be carbon copies of the average Joe everywhere."
"This thing," Ty pointed at the printer like it had just grown a limb, "can print a person?"
"With the right CAD files, yeah, but I'd never try it."
"Why's that?"
Damon grabbed at his head as if his brain might explode. "Too many unknown variables, man. Too much unknown data. The composite could come out all wrong, and then it'd be damn hard to get rid of."
Get rid of...Ty followed the logic to its only conclusion.
"Cause it'd be like murder." He couldn't help yawning.
"Exactamundo, it'd be murder, even if the thing did come out with the five arms and an asshole where its nose oughta be."
Ty patted his little brother on the back. "You've always been great with the imagery."
Damon clicked away on his computer, completely focused.
"I know. Mom always said I was the creative one, and you were the dependable one."
From there, Damon proceeded to explain the complexities of printing a living organism. As he spoke, he typed at a ridiculous speed. In order to print a living composite, you need a copy to scan. Ty considered the rule stupid, but Damon disagreed. It made sense because a living (functioning) organism had too much complex data involved, thus it was hard to compress and replicate such intricate details into the necessary CAD files without a physical copy.
The younger Benning brought out a small glass case. Inside, a fly tried to buzz its way free. Damon put the fly on the printer's metal platform. After the red laser finished its scan, Damon looked at Ty expectantly. Then, he pressed the enter key.
Ten seconds.
Twenty seconds.
Nothing happened.
The muffled buzzing from the fly grated on Ty's already depressed disposition.
"I'm going to bed."
"No, wait, it'll work." Damon extended one hand to block the doorway.
They both gave the printer another stare. The small nozzle should have been moving back and forth at fuck-me speeds, adding layer upon layer to create a tangible object. Fifteen seconds, and another nothing occurred.
Ty left his brother to get ready for bed.
~*~
A/N: Click the little star (cuz you totally want to!), and then visit EricaChanWrites
She's written an awesome sci-fi story, Dissolution, and Wattpad knows it, too, as it's been short-listed for the latest round of Watty's!
I also like her story because it rhymes with Obsolution XD
https://www.wattpad.com/story/109362141-dissolution