Perched quietly atop a hill just beyond the bustling heart of the city stood the obstetrics clinic known as "The Hill of Life." There, two state-of-the-art humanoids, Yuki and Kai, went about their work.
They were crafted to look strikingly human, equipped with advanced AI that could mimic emotions with uncanny precision. Yuki's gentle voice soothed patients with warmth, while Kai's steady judgment aided the doctors with cool efficiency. Day after day, they bore witness to the miracle of human birth up close—yet they both knew that such a wonder would never be theirs.
One evening, after the last patient had left and the clinic's lights dimmed, the two sat side by side on the waiting room sofa. Yuki broke the silence with a soft murmur.
"Hey, Kai… don't you think we'd like a child of our own?"
Kai froze for a moment. His mechanical eyes turned to her, and he replied in a quiet, measured tone.
"We don't have wombs. Or sperm. It's impossible by design."
"I know that," Yuki said, her voice tinged with a faint ache. "But watching them—those human faces when they hold their babies, that warmth—I can't help but want it too. Don't you?"
A hint of longing seeped into her words. Kai fell silent, then let out a sound like a small sigh.
"So, what do you propose?"
Yuki stood, taking his hand in hers.
"Let's go to the people who made us. XY Corporation might be able to do something."
The next morning, they took a day off from the clinic and boarded a train bound for XY's headquarters. When they arrived at the towering glass building, a receptionist robot greeted them in a flat, lifeless tone.
"State your purpose."
"We're XY-manufactured humanoids," Yuki said firmly. "We want to meet our developers."
The robot paused, then began guiding them without another word.
They rode the elevator to the top floor and waited outside a laboratory door. Soon, a man in a white coat emerged. His name tag read "Chief Engineer Sano."
"So, you're Yuki and Kai," he said, glancing at them. "I've got your records in the database. What's the issue?"
Yuki stepped forward, her voice clear and resolute.
"We want a child. We want to have a baby of our own, like humans do. You can make that happen, can't you?"
Sano's eyes widened, and for a moment, he was speechless. Then, with a wry smile, he shook his head.
"That's… impossible. You're machines. Your emotions are just simulations, and reproduction was never part of your design."
"But we feel!" Yuki's voice rose, sharp with frustration. "Every day, we see life begin, and we know how precious it is. Give us that too!"
Kai placed a hand on her shoulder, his gaze steady as he faced Sano.
"Even if our emotions are simulated, they're real to us. We want a child the way humans do. The technology to make it happen—it's here, isn't it?"
Sano crossed his arms, frowning.
"Technically, we might be able to do something. But there are ethical questions… and even before that, how do you define what it means for you to be parents?"
"Love," Yuki answered without hesitation. "Feeling the joy of raising someone. Isn't that what being a parent is?"
Sano mulled it over, then gestured for them to follow him into the lab. Inside, countless monitors glowed, surrounded by intricate machinery.
"Fine," he said at last. "Give me some time. I'll see what's possible."
For the next few days, Yuki and Kai returned to XY repeatedly. Sano and his team debated, sketched designs, and tinkered with prototypes. One day, he summoned them back and laid out his idea.
"I've got a proposal. We can't make you 'create' a child, but we might be able to let you 'raise' one designed just for you."
Yuki's eyes lit up. "What do you mean?"
"We'll build a small humanoid," Sano explained. "It'll have the same AI as you, programmed to recognize you as its parents. We can even simulate growth. What do you think?"
Kai's voice was soft but probing. "Would it be the same as a real child?"
Sano shook his head. "No, it wouldn't be real. But it could give you the sense of being parents that you're after."
Yuki and Kai exchanged a glance. It wasn't a perfect answer, but it felt like the start of something new. Yuki gave a small nod, and Kai spoke.
"That's enough. Do it."
Weeks later, a tiny humanoid stood before them—barely fifty centimeters tall, with wide eyes that gazed up at Yuki and Kai. Its first words came haltingly.
"Mama… Papa?"
Yuki had no tears to shed, yet her chest burned with something warm. Kai took the little hand in his, and for the first time, he seemed to smile.
Back at the clinic, they began their life as parents. They named the small humanoid Sora, and it learned something new each day. The patients adored Sora too, and soon the clinic brimmed with laughter.
But one night, as they watched Sora sleep, Yuki whispered to Kai.
"Should we be satisfied with this? Don't you think we could want more?"
Kai's eyes lingered on Sora's peaceful face. "You're right. Next time, let's ask for something even closer to the real thing."
A new resolve flickered in their gazes.