No Charge for Alterations

"No Charge for Alterations" by H. L. Gold, is a science fiction story set on the distant planet Deneb, where doctors reshape people's personalities and bodies to fit the needs of their society. Dr. Kalmar trains his new assistant, Dr. Hoyt, in the ways of "Ego Alter" and "Rephysical" treatments. Dr. Hoyt struggles with the ethics of changing people like Avis, who is transformed from a unhappy girl into a farm worker. Dr. Kalmar justifies these actions as necessary for the good of Deneb, but Dr. Hoyt questions whether it's right to take away a person's free thought with these transformative medical treatments. When Dr. Lowell, Kalmar's teacher, appears, the rising conflict between the doctors comes to an unexpected close, as the story explores themes of free will and social control, challenging the morality of these practices.