The Breeding Center

And so it was proclaimed in the days that followed The Great Plague, and in pursuit of the planet's repopulation, that to prevent further epidemics and rescue humanity from itself, that men and women shall remain segregated, and that healthy adult males of every age shall make frequent and unending donations at his local Seeding Center, and that every female, upon her coming-of-age, shall be promptly drafted into The Breeding Center to receive her ration from The Pool until such time as two or more live female offspring are blindly conceived and redistributed. And so it was decided that commencement into adulthood and of the preceding shall begin promptly as of nineteen years of age, and all created shall be raised immediately and solely by the elders of their sex. For it is declared that regeneration of life as described herein shall be the most honorable and patriotic act one can perform for the continuation of mankind. And hence a binding ordinance was written and approved by the people, and so it was done.

...nearly one hundred years later...

*****

CHAPTER 1

"One ticket to Navarre Island please." I told the blue-haired woman behind the window.

She immediately perked up and gave me a quick look. "Just one?"

"Yes." I replied as I opened my wallet. "How much is it?"

"Any chance you are going to The Breeding Center?" she inquired with a big smile.

"I am." I said cautiously.

"Then there is no cost." she explained. "Transportation to The Breeding Center is government funded. I just need to scan your I.D. and see that you have all your papers!" She slipped on her glasses as I extended my arm. I was shaking slightly and hoped she didn't say anything. She scanned my I.D. bracelet and focused on her computer screen. "Lexi of House Meridian?" she checked, as she compared my image.

I nodded. I withdrew the forms from my bag and handed them to the clerk. I shifted my weight impatiently as she examined them.

The woman said, "You'll need notarized documentation of the dates of your last three cycles." She looked over the top of her glasses. "That doesn't appear to be here."

A brief moment of panic passed over me before I remembered I had that form officiated a week or two prior and must have slipped it into a separate pocket. "I'm so sorry." I said, rifling through my bag nervously. I located the form and withdrew it. "Here it is. Sorry." I repeated.

She took it and studied intently. "I think you're good to go." she finally said. I exhaled in relief and returned the papers to my bag. A moment later my ticket was generated. "Thank you for your service." she said as she handed it to me.

I nodded and gave her a polite smile. I began to step away, then hesitated. I turned back to the old woman. "Can I ask you a question?" I said wavering.

"Of course!" she replied.

"Have you ever seen one... a man, I mean?"

She broke into laughter. "Just how old do you think I am sweetie?"

I felt like a real idiot. My face flushed and I was tempted to run away. "S...sorry." I squeaked out.

Her laughter slowed. "I'm just teasing you... No hun. That was before my time." she said.

"OK thanks," I was quick to leave her window, afraid I might say something else equally as stupid.

My bus was done boarding and waited for me. I handed the driver my ticket and noted that the color was different than the others in her hand. She took it from me and her demeanor instantly lifted. "We'll be at Navarre Island in about three and a half hours. Is there anything I can get you before we head out? A drink? A snack?"

"No thank you." I said. I was eager to get on that bus and zone out for a little while.

I turned to board and the driver followed. She took her seat then pulled the arm to close the door. As she watched in her mirror, I pushed my small carryon bag into the overhead compartment and sank into my seat. At once, the static of the microphone filled the quiet and her voice was heard over the speakers. "Good morning ladies. Just a quick announcement before we pull out of the station: one of our guests will be traveling to The Breeding Center today." The passengers became excited. "Please stand and reveal yourself." the driver said.

Quite self-conscious, I half stood, looked around at all the smiling faces, and quickly returned to my seat. My face burned with mortification and I longed to become invisible.

As the bus pulled away from the depo, the driver led the passengers in a highly spirited round of "Go Forth and Multiply"... all eight verses... and when the singing finally ended, women of every age began chattering with much excitement. They recalled their experiences at The Birthing Center and shared their fondest memories. The topic was slow to stall.

I remained quiet and let my mind focus on the passing scenery, the hum of the road, the warmth in the air. When we finally crossed the bascule bridge and arrived at my stop, I was thanked for my service, and even hugged by many of the passengers as I made my way down the aisle to the exit, bag in hand.

Mentally exhausted, I took a deep breath of the sea air as the bus pulled away. Girls my age had come from near and far to The Breeding Center and a small crowd bottlenecked near the entrance.

"Don't look so terrified." I heard a voice say. I turned to find a very pretty girl smiling at me. Her blond hair pulled casually into a ponytail as if she was on her way to the beach.

I smiled back. "Is it that obvious?" I asked with a nervous laugh.

"I'm Kayla of House Wilmington." She said, extending her hand. "It's on the east coast."

"Hi I'm Lexi of House Meridian" I replied, shaking hers. "You know there's a Breeding Center on the east coast, right?"

She laughed like I imagined a tiny fairy would sound. "I like an adventure." she winked. I liked her immediately. Her happy-go-lucky approach to our stately responsibilities was a quality I hoped to embrace.

We made small talk as we merged in with the others and entered the building single-file. We made our way to a sober woman behind a table. I read her nametag. Miss Nell scanned Kayla's I.D. bracelet and made sure all her paperwork was present, completed and signed. She printed a tag for her small suitcase and gently tossed it into a huge plastic receptacle. Finally, she directed Kayla down a hall where the next line was forming. The same was repeated with me.

As we inched toward the gymnasium, a employee with a nametag that read Miss Laura stood at the entryway and directed traffic. Her assignment was to hold the line and release girls into the room one at a time, as an intake nurse became available. The space was set up with a dozen small tables, each with a chair, a nurse, and her computer. When my turn came, I was sent to a table with a familiar face. "Miss Riley!" I said, thrilled to see my favorite teacher from high school. "I didn't know you worked here!?"

"Lexi, Hi! It's so good to see you. How are you?" She asked with great excitement.

"Shhhh!" Someone said harshly. We turned to see a very stern older woman who had been pacing about with hands clasped stiffly behind her back. She briskly approached and spoke in a hushed tone to Miss Riley. "This is a serious environment. We must remain indifferent at all times. No fraternizing with the recruits."

"I'm sorry Miss Ethyl. It won't happen again." Miss Riley whispered, giving me a little smile and a wink as the supervisor returned to her pacing.

"Miss Riley was your teacher. Here, why don't you just call me Riley. We'll be friends, okay?" she said with a coy little grin.

I smiled and nodded, happy to feel a little less lost. "Yes, I'd like that very much."

"I was teaching health at Meridian, but all the while I was studying to be a nurse so I could work here," Riley whispered. "I just loved my term and wanted to continue the work of bringing about new life."

The smile faded from my face.

"What's the matter? You're not frightened, are you?" Riley inquired.

"Just a little nervous," I whispered.

"That's understandable." She said warmly "but it's going to be okay. I promise." She put her hand on mine.

I gave her a little smile and we began the process of my admission. Riley took my vitals and entered all the information into her computer. My finger was pricked for a drop of blood and my temperature was taken. There were several questions about my health and a few that seemed... kind of intimate. Then she said "Ok we are just about done. I just need to know if you would like the fertility shot or not. It's optional."

"Shot?" I said, not prepared to answer.

"It's just like it sounds. It increases the chance for multiple births. A lot of girls get it." she explained. "I mean... you don't have to, but multiples will satisfy your obligations here faster, plus you'll be treated to perks the other girls won't get." Riley waited for an answer. Then, her eye caught her screen and she turned to study it with more interest.

"What is it?" I questioned.

She stood and gestured for Miss Ethyl. "I've input all this recruit's information. We were about to make a decision about the fertility shot, but the system is showing she is not a candidate. Is that right?"

The two looked at the screen briefly while I shifted with curiosity to see what she saw. "Good catch, Miss Riley." Miss Ethyl finally said. "This recruit is prime for immediate breeding. Unfortunately, she has missed her window for the shot. Maybe next time. I'll take her over to Prep to make sure she gets in with today's group."

Miss Ethyl stepped away from Riley. "Come along," she said to me. "Quickly."

I stood and followed. I turned and looked anxiously back to Riley. Another girl was promptly seated at her table, but she kept her eyes on me. A moment later as I passed into another corridor, the whirl of intake day was gone.

*****

Dear reader,

The above is one chapter of an ongoing story. It is not intended as a stand-alone piece.

Some chapters may be more graphic than others.