Excerpt: Her Brother's Keeper

“I mean what I say,” she insisted, letting just a hint of her stress and annoyance show in her voice. “I am asking you to make him my brother. To make him appear similar to me in appearance and age, and—to give him memories that make him believe he has grown up with me, just as a blood brother would have. I wish he might believe he was human.” Grace gave a skittish little laugh. “Assuming, of course that that's even possible.”
“My dear lady,” purred the roboticist with a blinding smile, “of course it is possible. Tricky, as it has never been attempted before, but that is of no consequence. We here at Lazarus Limited live to cater to the deepest desires of our clients What you ask will be done so perfectly that you will hardly believe it an android.”
“He,” Grace said stubbornly. The salesman---for that was what Grace felt he really was—looked suitably abashed and apologetic. But he'll probably forget all about it the next time he has to use a pronoun, she thought with a sigh. Oh well. No point in trying to change the world.
“He—your brother—yes, of course.” Now that toothpaste commerical smile looked a tad forced. “And what designation----” His voice trailed off. “What—name--would you like to give—this android?” So much easier to call things what they were and say what designation woul d you like to give the unit, but he could play along with this farce a little longer. The important thing was to secure the client. Her delusions were not his concern.
“His name is Dante. Dante Ford.”
“ 'Lasting', hmm? How very appropriate,” murmurred the roboticist as he pushed a lengthy form in the client's direction.
The whole experience of filling out that form was surreal for Grace. She, who had been dreaming of having a brother for years—someone to fill the lonely hours, and to stop her mansion from echoing in its emptiness-felt as if she were filling out a birth certifcate. Which, in a sense, she was.