"I'll make the cloner," said Jon. "A device where, if I put in DNA samples from people, I can create a duplicate of them, maybe with some changes...."
"Interesting idea," said Karyn, "but where would you get DNA samples?"
"Well," said Jon, "there's you and me, and I'm sure I could find some hairs of Mikey and Zoe... not sure about the people at school. I could always wish to have someone's DNA. No, wait, I'm thinking about this all wrong."
"Hm?"
"I don't want to make the clone-o-matic because I'm interested in DNA. I want to make one because I want it to work. It doesn't matter what I need to do to get it to work, so why don't I wish that I don't even need DNA?"
"Well, it wouldn't be a clone if you don't use DNA?" said Karyn.
"So it's not a clone," said Jon. "I wish that I have a machine that can make a person when I type in a description, without needing DNA. I wish that the description could be anything--another person's body, or another person's mind, or parts of two people, or just saying 'make a blonde girl who likes cheerleading'. I wish that if I don't specify something, the person is still as much like a normal human being as possible, not a monster."
Suddenly the air blurred in the corner of Jon's room and with a loud POP a clear fluid-filled chamber appeared in that corner, along with a screen and keyboard. It was even plugged into the wall, and pipes led into it from the wall so he didn't have to keep filling it with water.
On it was a label, "Build-a-(wo)man."
"Nice plan, Dr. Frankenstein," said Karyn.
"No Frankensteins. I said 'not a monster'. I don't want to ask for a blonde cheerleader and get a ten foot tall cheerleader with three arms. It's really no different from the clone, except I don't need DNA. And if I don't like what I make, I can use the stone and wish the new person has a normal life somewhere as far away as the stone can do."
"So your blonde cheerleader..."
"Is just an example," said Jon. "I'm going to use it for something different."
Jon went up to the panel and began typing.
"What are you going for?" asked Karyn.
"You'll see..." said Jon. "Oh, come on, you can look."
Karyn watched the words that Jon typed....
