The Materializer by Robert T. Kurosaka
The materializer was finished! Ned Quinn stepped back, rubbed his hands together, and admired the huge mass of dials, glowing lights, and switches. Several decades and many fortunes had been dedicated to that project. But it was finally ready! Ned adjusted his metal helmet on his head and plugged the connectors into the control panel. He turned the switch to ON and slowly said, "Ten-dollar bill." A faint buzzing sound was heard. Then a rectangle of paper appeared in the Receiver. Ned inspected it carefully. Authentic. "Martini," he said, satisfied. A new buzzing followed. In the Receiver, a small reddish puddle formed, which began to drip onto the floor. Ned muttered under his breath. He had a lot to learn. "A quart bottle of Dunkel beer," he said with precision. The buzzing was followed by the appearance of the familiar brown bottle. Ned took a sip and smirked. Ecstatic, he continued his experiments. After a while, Ned maximized the Receiver and prepared for his grandest experiment. Now immensely wealthy, his new appetites were naturally dictated by that little libertine devil that resides in each of us. He turned the Materializer back on, took a deep breath, and said, "A girl." The buzzing grew in intensity, then faded. On the Receiver's platform stood a lovely girl, looking around with a bewildered expression. She was completely naked. Ned hadn’t specified any clothing. She had a nose dotted with freckles, braces, and two magnificent braids. She couldn’t have been more than eight years old. "Hellfire!" exclaimed Ned Quinn. A buzzing was heard. The firefighters found two charred skeletons among the smoking ruins.
Original title: A Lot to Learn - © 1978 Robert T. Kurosaka.