The last two decades have seen unparalleled advancement in many fields of science and engineering. The human genome had been fully mapped, the function of every gene identified, and more importantly how the gene contributed to complex human biological processes. The dream of eliminating diseases seemed on the brink of reality.
The utility of this information was briefly stymied by the lack of an effective means of correcting errors in the DNA of diseased cells. Then Radeon Scientific made a huge breakthrough in the field of nanotechnology. Their tiny robots called nanites could enter any cell and bend it to the will of the medical team. Physicians now had the tools to figure out what made a cell become abnormal and a means to correct it.
Cancer was the first battle ground to gauge the effectiveness of Radeon’s nanites. The only practical limitation was the month it took to map the tumor genome, develop a strategy to destroy it, and finally generate a batch of nanites specific for that patient.
Cancer, once called the emperor of all maladies, had been deposed.
Radeon became fabulously profitable overnight. Now the leadership at the company sought to develop new income streams. Their rationale was simple. If their nanite technology could alter the biochemical processes of tumor cells, why not normal cells? Billions of dollars were spent annually on cosmetic procedures and Radeon wanted that business as well.
Their advertising campaigns focused on the experience of the consumer who were typically women. Why go through a painful invasive procedure such as liposuction to remove unwanted fat when an almost painless infusion of nanites could give the same result? This messaging was very successful.
The health insurance companies reluctantly paid Radeon’s high prices when it came to saving cancer patients' lives. But they drew the line for what they considered ‘elective’ cosmetic procedures. The executives at Radeon were hardly fazed. If it was deemed ‘elective’, then they could charge much more. Thus, the medical field termed “bio-sculpting” became restricted to the ultra-wealthy.
This wasn’t to say Radeon experienced smooth sailing with its rapidly growing business. The nanite preparations were tailor made for a specific person. Occasionally mistakes occurred during the treatment prep that resulted in a mix up. For example, a man with cancer suddenly grew a large pair of breasts after he received a nanite prep intended for a woman with self-esteem issues. Thereafter Radeon instituted strict policies to maintain quality control of their products. The mantra became “one tech, one nanite product, from start to end”
On a typical workday morning at a Radeon facility in the Southeast of the country, Steve Waller was only partly listening to the banter of his coworkers as they put on their clean-room coveralls. He was a nondescript 24 year old man who his coworkers would have described as ‘a quiet guy who mostly kept to himself’. He had been overjoyed when he landed a job at Radeon fresh out of college. Working with cutting edge technology to save people’s lives seemed a worthy endeavor.
The reality was far different. Steve was a lower middle class “wages slave” who barely made enough to pay off his student loans. His bachelor’s degree was necessary to work at Radeon as a technologist but insufficient to rise higher in the organization. His small social circle was limited to others like him at Radeon. He had no girlfriend, no money saved away, and no prospects for promotion. Working at Radeon was slowly sucking the life out of him as each day blended into the next.
Like every other morning for the last few years, Steve booted up his workstation and reviewed today’s work queue. He grimaced in disgust when he saw it was all cosmetic procedures. This job was tolerable when he knew he was doing something that would save someone’s life. The first job was particularly grating:
’47 year old woman. Requesting facial skin rejuvenation, facial musculature remodeling, breast augmentation, fatty tissue reduction at waist, buttocks, and thighs”
Steve mentally ticked off the pile of money this woman would soon be transferring into Radeon’s accounts.
‘Very little of which will end up in my paycheck’
This spurred a bit of curiosity on his part. Steve toggled a feature in the system’s software that allowed him to see this woman’s prescription order. The latest physical exam was attached that often included a photo of the patient. He snorted in disgust
“She looks pretty damn good to me! Must be nice to have a million dollars to throw away on such minor cosmetic improvements.’
Steve got started on programming several sets of nanites for their specific task. It was monotonous work that allowed his mind to wander.
‘How did she get so lucky to end up rich while I’m stuck day after day doing the same stupid thing’
It didn’t happen right away, but Steve began to slowly formulate an idea. On the face of it, it was a very outlandish plan. The reality was unless Steve won the lottery, he was never going to be rich. But he had access to nanites and extensive genetic testing of very wealthy women. Theoretically, he could modify his body in order to ‘borrow’ a rich woman’s identity. Temporarily of course. He certainly had no lifelong desire to be a woman. But it should be easy to step into the patient’s life for a day and make off with some jewelry or cash.
The success of the plan would necessitate that he never cross paths with his target. Otherwise, his scheme would be revealed. Fortunately, Radeon unknowingly provided a means to prevent this from occurring. It turned out that undergoing tissue reconstruction carried a risk of experiencing severe adverse events including death. The faster the nanites worked, the higher the incidence.
In its wisdom, Radeon created a luxurious “Spa” like building attached to its manufacturing facilities. A person about to undergo the treatment would check in for several days while the nanites functioned at a slow pace. Also, the patients would typically be mildly sedated during their stay in order to minimize any discomfort.
Further aiding the plausibility of his plan was that Steve was not very brawny. He stood only 5’6” and weighed about 150 lbs. Steve would have to be careful though with choosing his target. Significantly increasing or decreasing his body mass or height could be fatal and no amount of money would be worth that. He reasoned that he could easily self-administer some nanites that would modify his features just enough to pass a cursory examination by the target’s friends and family. When they surely would ask what happened at Radeon, ‘she’ would say there was a slight delay and would be returning tomorrow for the procedure.
This would give Steve a 24-hour window to grab whatever loot he could and get back to his life. He even tried to rationalize his actions that the women wouldn't even notice the loss of a few thousand dollars.
Steve began to screen some upcoming work orders for women that would be easier for him to transform into. That narrowed the list somewhat. He then used Google to figure out which of these targets provided the best opportunity to steal some valuables. After a little detective work, he narrowed his potential choices down to three.
Who does Steve choose for his first “genetic identity theft”
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