"I tell you that love has nothing to do with the conception of a child or the formation of a family," Dr Steven Myers told his wife Dr Elizabeth Myers one night over dinner.
"Of course all you need for conception is an egg and a sperm, coupled with a 9 month gestation period and there you have your child," Steven continued.
"Steven of course. But I think love is required to have a family," Elizabeth replied.
"Love? Will you please use your brain," he retorted snobbishly.
"How many orphans are there in the world? Millions," he continued.
"Are we to assume that if there was love they would not be orphans? Of course not. Pregnancy is a biological response of the human beings desire to breed. It is the only thing that man is trained for," he continued.
"But would you not concede that love is the foundation of the happy family," she countered.
"No. Love is meaningless; it is only a sense responsibility that requires humans to take care of their offspring. Love has nothing to do with it," he replied.
"We study it all the time. Dominant genes, recessive genes, and everything else are the things that make yup a child. Not love," he boasted.
"Oh you are full of it," she retorted.
"Oh I can prove it, via an experiment involving human subjects," he replied.
"Are you out of your mind," she replied
"You dare try me," he mocked.
"Steven it is unethical, not to mention illegal to experiment on humans in this manner. Besides the university would never support it," she lectured.
"You know sometimes you are pathetic Lizzy," he snapped.
"Listen if you want to create some kind of warped fantasy in your mind where you play God, then you go right ahead, but you leave me out of it," she said as she stormed from the room.
"I'll show you my love. I show you," he mumbled as he left the room.
Dr Steven Myers was one of the most preeminent geneticists in the university, so when Vince Schmidt a first year grad student who had recently joined his research group was summoned to come to his office, he dutifully complied.
"Come in Vince and please sit down," Myers said.
"Thank you professor Myers," Vince replied as he sat down.
"Vince I'll get right to the point. I assume that you are wondering why I had you take a blood test before joining my group," Myers began.
"Well sir yes," was his response.
"I thought maybe it was to see if I had been exposed to anything that would prohibit me from working with anything in your lab," Vince replied.
"No Vince thats not the reason," Myers replied.
"I did it because I am beginning a new experiment and I need a clean subject," Myers continued.
"Subject sir," Vince asked quizzically.
"Yes Vince. I am working on a theory that surrounds human reproduction. In short I want you to reproduce," Myers stated.
"What," Vince exclaimed.
"Now hold on before you get crazy here just hear me out ok. Good now what I am proposing is for you and another person I have in mind to reproduce and study the genetic traits of the offspring. The reason I chose you is because you have the most compatible genetic make up to the woman that I have picked out," he said.
"But sir you are asking me to do something that is completely unethical as well as morally reprehensible. I should go report you to the dean right now," Vince countered.
"You could do that Vince, but who do you think he will believe. A tenured professor who brings in millions of dollars of funding a year, or a poor graduate student who has a few skeletons in his closet," Myers countered.
"What are you talking about," Vince demanded.
"I know you lied on your application to get in here son. You were convicted of a DUI 4 years ago. Oh I know that you said your friend was driving, but that really doesn't matter does it. In short son you don't agree to this and I'll have you out of here by tomorrow," Myers demanded.
Vince was in turmoil because his dream was to get his PhD and if Myers did what he said he would do, then no university in the world would touch him.
"What is your answer Vince," Myers asked sarcastically
"Yes sir," Vince mumbled
"I'm sorry I didn't hear you," Myers mocked
"Yes Sir," Vince acquiesce.
"Good, and relax Vince you might enjoy this," Myers giggled.
"I can't believe this is happening to me," Vince cried.
"How am I supposed to support a baby on my stipend," he bellowed.
"You don't need to support the child. The woman who will be conceiving has a great desire to have a baby and you will be doing her a favor. As a matter of fact I have a contract here where you will waive all parental responsibilities," Myers said.
"Here look it over, but I had it drawn up by my lawyer and I assure you that it is legal and iron clad," he said as he tossed the copy to Vince.
Vince leafed through the contract until he got bleary eyed, and then finally looking up asked, "who is the woman."
"Well Vince the woman is my wife," Myers replied.