"The bio-engineering advances of the last 15 years have been a boon to human life at large, but for some, it has resulted in a lifetime of troubles. Hi, I'm Kayla Dennis with Channel 11 News," said the reporter as the camera craned down to her level, "and today, we're going to explore the real lives behind the recent controversies. But first, a quick summary of just what happened in government a handful of years ago."
"September of 2025, government approved the motion to extend eminent domain to human body parts, and bodily functions." Said a man in a greenish-brown suit as the image cross-fades to a warm study. "Eminent domain is the power of the state to seize private property, in the interest of the public good. So like, uh, 'Hey, we need to build a highway here, and your house is in the way.' In that case, they'd pay the owner the market value of their house after forcing them to move out so they can tear it down. Of course, it's not always something so noble as a highway or a hospital. Sometimes, it's a hotel or a parking garage, and eminent domain only kicked in because the local politicians got bought out by the investors behind those projects.
"This has been a rough issue for a long time, but it at least only applied to real estate and land, until seven years ago. Now that we have the tech to transplant a leg, an eye... people have been wondering what ought be done for the good of others. We can cure someone's spinal injury now, by taking the necessary pieces from another person's working spine. The problem of course is that the person with the working spine is now just as disabled as the newly-healed patient was. More so, in fact, as there's always some entropy in transfer between subjects.
"But of course, billionaires, politicians... other connected individuals, they just want to take this opportunity to heal themselves, regardless of where it comes from." Said the man.
"And now, if the courts deem a transplant necessary for the public good, any civilian may be seized, and have their needed parts or functions removed." Said the reporter as the screen faded back to her. "We're here, now, with someone who was just recently affected by this. Her name is Alyssa Alvarez, a 27-year-old attorney's assistant." The camera panned over to a young woman, sitting somewhat awkwardly in her couch.
"Hi." She said.
The screen cuts to older footage of Alyssa playing soccer.
"Until just recently, Alyssa enjoyed sports with her friends. Now, however..." the narration of the reporter said as it faded to current footage of Alyssa, "while she can still walk, she has to move slowly and carefully, often with assistance needed." A nurse was standing behind her, watching to see if she stumbled.
"What could have caused this drop in performance?" Asked the reporter, rhetorically. "Local public services leader, Ingrid Hastings, suffered a stroke back in March. In order to preserve her ability to serve the public good, the courts decided that her mobility will be restored by taking it from other young women in the city. One woman had her ability to speak removed, and given to Mrs. Hastings, so that she may be able to continue to make speeches and direct projects. A few various abilities were taken from others, and Alyssa was forced to give up most of her skillful cognition and fine motor skills." Said the reporter.
"I'm not really able to do much for myself now." Alyssa said as the screen cut to her on the couch again. She held up a book and attempted to hold it steady in front of her, but it wobbled significantly in her hand. "I can't drink anything unless it's in a spill-proof bottle, and it's too dangerous for me to handle silverware." She added.
The screen cut to Alyssa at the dinner table, with an assistant cutting up her food and carefully feeding her, bite by bite.
"Unable to move gracefully, Alyssa now relies on nursing assistants for just about everything." Said the reporter.
"So you're not able to control your bodily functions either, right?" Asked the reporter.
"No, not really." Answered Alyssa as a long trail of saliva fell down her chin, deftly wiped up by her caretaker. "I just hope that, you know, Mrs. Hastings does a lot of good for the city, now that she kept her ability to do things for herself and be strong, I guess."
In-between cuts, the caretaker quietly mentioned that Alyssa needed to be changed. The reporter asked if they could show this process in the feature, and Alyssa gave the TV studio the thumbs up.
Back to the next part that aired on TV, Alyssa was helped up to her feet and her hand was held to the bathroom.
"In addition to not being able to do most things for herself, Alyssa has no control over her bladder, or her bowels." Said the narration.
The camera observed as Alyssa was guided into the extra-large, specially-designed bathroom. A 6-foot long table was folded out from up against the wall, and Alyssa was helped up by her two caretakers, and lain on the table, on its padded center. One of her caretakers lifted up Alyssa's skirt, then pulled her black leggings down to her ankles. Alyssa's adult diaper was tinted yellow from top to bottom. A mosaic censor appeared over the space between Alyssa's legs as the caretaker undid her diaper. Even with the censorship, there was enough brown visible that you could tell Alyssa had thoroughly soiled herself.
"Do you have any opportunity to use the toilet sometimes?" Asked the reporter, kneeling down to eye-level.
"No. Ever since the transplant, I'm completely incontinent." Alyssa answered as her caretakers lifted her up and moved the diaper down a few inches, to separate her skin from the main "piece" of her soiling.
"So does that mean you are going to have to wear diapers for the rest of your life?" Asked the reporter.
"Yes. I'm never going to use the toilet again." Said Alyssa stoically as one of the caretakers began to wipe her bottom.
Of course, the diaper change was not censored in real life, and so the cameraman was taking in the sights of this grown woman having her private parts wiped, and his mind started to drift a little. Seeing this naked woman exposed began to make him think of his wife. Her pubic area was completely shaved. He was reminded of how he'd been recently suggesting his wife shave, but she never wanted to. She told him that it would make her feel like a child. The cameraman began to wonder if Alyssa feels like a child. Surely, Alyssa has no choice but to shave down there, as pubic hair would greatly worsen the cleanup process.
Alyssa was taped up into her new diaper, and her clothes slid back into place.
"The one thing that makes this lifestyle manageable," said the narration as one caretaker washed her hands while the other helped Alyssa off the table, "is that per the rules of eminent domain, Alyssa is fully compensated for her lack of mobility. Her caretakers and all her medical supplies are paid for by the state, and Alyssa is paid $5,000 a month for her condition."
"It costs up to $300 a month just to buy her diapers." Said one of the caretakers as the screen cut to an interview. "We could go through a third of an entire package of wipes, you know. Like if she had an upset stomach or ate the wrong thing earlier. During a change... yeah, up to a third of a tub. She had to move into a single-floor, safety-optimized house, too."
"I still have my job," Alyssa said as it cut to her own interview, "but I'm only part-time. I have the experience and knowledge, and stuff, yeah. I can help direct some things, or manage some papers if my assistants are with me. Someone else has taken my position though, because I don't have the ability to do enough to be helpful all day."