Terraform, October 15, 2015

“The NuCorp Guide for New Corporate Persons” by J.R. Johnson

Reviewed by Eric Kimminau

“The NuCorp Guide for New Corporate Persons” by J. R. Johnson presents a 2033 future where under contract you can somehow transfer your corporeal self into the body of another and assume their life and their identity as your own (at least for the duration of the contract). In this case a female assumes the body of a “six feet tall, a history of sports and competitive achievement” male as her step up into the business world. She awakens to discover her new self as she is walked through the legal documentation stating the agreements, limitations, indemnification against the transference company (NuCorp) and some recommendations for “Integration” and “Settling In.” I found this to be a rather immoral commentary on the expected future of the world and “Corporate Greed” where not only does one have to be told what “legal and other stimulants” are viable but that prostitution is “still illegal” and murder is still an act for which you will be “held accountable,” “particularly if you are based in a jurisdiction with weak corruption laws.” I felt this was a rather lame feint against the current and future state of humanity and corporate culture, although it does present a thought-provoking potential scenario whereby your physical self becomes an asset of the company for which you work—the assertion that your rights to yourself could be forfeited without your personal permission, as long as you are still employed by the corporate entity. I see this as a level of corporate servitude that the anti-business community wishes to spread, where I personally see the complete lack of corporate loyalty, both on behalf of the employer and the employee, as a far more likely scenario. Of course it has to end that in your new body, you may “experience the urge to volunteer at a food bank” being a feature of the whole process. Unicorns and rainbows. Isn’t that special.

Eric Kimminau is a BBS geek turned IT professional still looking for a modern company with a conscience.