Strictly speaking, needing an interview to be accepted into the prestigious Fertility Ministry was not standard procedure. Usually, the decision was based on test scores, grades, and overall strength of the application. Eva, by any traditional metric, was more than qualified. She was a top student with the test scores to match. She was well-regarded by former professors and managers, and her application was impeccable.
However, there was a stigma that followed Eva around wherever she went. It was only discussed in hushed tones, behind her back. It followed her around and fueled an inherent distrust wherever she went. Eva was, as far as anyone knew, one of the last people conceived using "natural" methods.
She was born and raised in a small enclave of survivors and dissidents that had been hiding out in the fjords of a land previously known as Norway for generations. The government finally caught up with them when she was 5 years old. Eva is still traumatized by the memory of being ripped out of her family's arms. To this day the memory haunts her in reoccurring nightmares, waking her up with a start in the middle of many a night. She remembers the screams of her mom--her real mom--and her father being violently restrained as he tried to hold onto her. Of course, she could never talk about it. It, along with any information about any men, past and present, was classified.
It had been over 100 years since the world was forever transformed. Since the "Before Times." Few knew the real story behind it all. However, the Fertility Ministry knew all the secrets, which besides the sheer prestige of the organization, was one of the main reasons why Eva was so desperate to join their ranks. All she--and by extension, wider society--knew was that there was some plague.
Before the plague, societies the world over had been controlled by men. A second gender. Now such a thing seems absurd. Hardly anyone even knows what these men looked like, although it was widely acknowledged that society was violent and oppressive under their rule. All mentions of men have been carefully and thoroughly removed from public records. Books have been sanitized, classic movies remade with all-female casts, and any statues and monuments with their images have been destroyed.
The Fertility Ministry was the last bastion of truth from the Before Times, and they only trusted this knowledge to the best of the best.
It was funny, because the few memories Eva had of her father seemed to conflict with the wider narrative that she'd been indoctrinated with since joining wider society at 5 years of age. She remembered her father being kind. Funny. Loving, even. Yes, there was violence, but only when the Ministry finally caught up with them. Was he, or the Ministry violent in this case? How could these men be so bad for society if he was any indication? This curiosity fueled her ambition. She needed to know what happened to her family. She needed to know how and why men had been effectively banished.
This curiosity flowed both ways, of course. It was only natural for the Fertility Ministry to be suspicious of her and her motives. How had Eva's early childhood shaped her? Could she be trusted with such sensitive knowledge?
Regardless, society is better now. Womankind has created a truly global society without nations or borders and has even established colonies on the Moon and Mars. Poverty, hunger, and war were all relics of the past. Wealth inequality, along with the concept of money had been banished along with the men. Society was safe, egalitarian, and fair. Womankind had solved the climate crisis, reversed environmental degradation, and everyone was free to pursue their dreams.
Utopia, right?
Eva tried to fight the growing anxiety as she biked through the gleaming streets of Copenhagen. The late summer sun had already been up several hours, and it appeared as if it would be an incredible day, not a cloud in sight. No matter how long she lived here, the combination of new and old architecture was always a sight to behold. Occasionally she passed a building where an image or sculpture of a man had been removed or remodeled. The work wasn't always seamless. It was as if the shadows of the past could never be fully swept under the rug. But her mind could not be further from city planning, past and present. She could feel the stress of the interview growing with each and every second as she approached the massive and imposing Fertility Ministry. You could see the structure for miles across the otherwise low, uniform skyline. And now was her make-or-break chance to finally gain access.
She parked her bike outside the massive Fertility Ministry. Her bike had no locks. There was no need these days. The building, located at the heart of the city, was divided up into four sections, with a massive glass dome built over the top. Supposedly it had previously been used for royalty, when such a thing existed.
Her heart was practically bursting out of her chest as she stepped nervously up the stairs and up to the reception desk. Eva's heels clicked loudly against the marble tile. She didn't really need to wear heels, at 5'11" she usually towered over most, but they went well with her nicest business dress suit. Her friends always made fun of her for being "so classically femme," but Eva liked wearing skirts, dresses, and even heels, even if they were considered a bit old school and out of fashion. Her long, dirty blonde hair was up in a bun, and her bright blue eyes were framed by black rimmed glasses.
"Hi," Eva said nervously to the smiling woman behind the counter, "Umm. I have an interview? With Hannah Nielsen?"
The receptionist quickly confirmed the interview on her computer, and then issued Eva a guest badge. "Hannah's office is through those doors and to the right, room 118."
The hallway seemed to last forever, but she finally reached the office labeled "Hannah Nielsen: Global HR Director." Eva took a deep breath and knocked, followed immediately by a friendly but authoritative All voice, "come in."
The office was clean and well ordered, with a few photos of her wife and kids scattered around. Hannah got up to shake Eva's hand. Hannah had brown hair with more than a few strands of grey showing through and had friendly, beaming blue eyes. She was also taller than Eva, even in flats, which was also a surprise and caught her off-guard. She didn't need to feel even more out of place than usual, and yet that was exactly what was happening.
"Please, sit down." Hannah said, watching and waiting as Eva took a seat. She let the uncomfortable silence grow for a minute before continuing. "Your qualifications, as you know, are phenomenal. You're a very clever woman, so you undoubtedly know why you're here for this...unorthodox extra step in the hiring process."
"My background," Eva said, making eye contact. Hannah smiled but neither confirmed nor denied the assertion. The silence hung in the air, uncomfortably Eva pushed on, "I...I've done everything I can to fit into this great society." She, understandably, felt defensive. "I have no interest in divulging secrets, or returning to life in the mountains, or...anything untoward, really."
Hannah just smirked, picked up a file, and walked around to the front of her desk, sat on the edge, crossed her legs, and opened the file. Again, silence hung in the air.
"It says here..." Hannah began, "that you've been in therapy. Relationship problems. You report..." she paused for maximum effect, "that you don't enjoy sex? Not with her or...any lover." Hannah stared down at Eva with a wicked grin. Eva had no idea where she was going with this but she didn't like the implications.
"Those...those are supposed to be private," Eva said weakly, feeling foolish as the words came out of her mouth. Of course the Ministry did their research, and their impressive and covert mandate meant that they could easily get around any pesky patient privacy laws. "I...I don't know what that has to do with...anything..."
"We are the most important government agency on the planet, dear. We need to make sure our employees fully believe in our...vision." Hannah, with the last word, uncrossed her legs, spreading them and exposing her black lace panties underneath. Eva's eyes went wide and she tried to not look, despite Hannah obviously wanting her to do so. Hannah responded by hiking up her dress even more, it was almost impossible not to look. "Go on dear, have a look. I want you to. I need to know that you're committed to our continued way of life..."
Eva let her eyes drop. It was a very sexy sight, after all. She had never considered herself particularly submissive, she had never played in "that space." But she was feeling very submissive, and despite the overwhelming nerves, also aroused, right at this moment.
"H-how can I p-prove myself?" Eva looked up at her, practically begging for instructions.