A Nikolas Investigates Dentistry in an Unusual Context

"You should floss more," the assistant complained. "You'll become decalcified, dessicated, and dead!"

A Nikolas winced as she probed his tender gums and de-tartared him (as the kamikaze had seven hundred years ago). He went home and thought. He had previously considered a pound of cure less painful than an ounce of prevention; but the thought of other consequences deterred him.

Then the Singularity hit!

A Nikolas would have been surprised, but he read Slashdot.

Then he encountered the assistant again. She was in a slightly different career now, having adapted well. Now she sold luxury teeth designs!

"Hello!" a Nikolas greeted her. "How are you?"

The former assistant examined his teeth. "Not too bad," she admitted. "But you know you need to set the nanobots to maintain the gums, once a day."

"It stings, though!" a Nikolas complained. "What's wrong with just having it fixed when I go for general maintenance? That's what I pay them for, yes?"

Silly Nikolas! He never does learn.

The Singularity may redefine technology, economies, and perhaps even the nature of humanity, but Nikolases will always be silly.

Unless they stop being Nikolases.

But that would be a shame, I think.