Over the next several days, Jason and Kat spent their days fishing and hunting, and gathering water and wood. Jason took great pride in learning these new skills, and felt a genuine feeling of accomplishment knowing that they were supporting themselves without the oversight and guidance of the State, or anyone else for that matter. He savored the taste of real food and fresh water, and he enjoyed having human companionship and open conversations without worrying about who was listening, or who would be offended and file charges against him.
One night, after a filling dinner of fresh fish and rice, Jason gazed at Kat as she sat at the table, playing a game with a stack of paper cards. He watched as she took another card off the top of the stack and placed it on the table. Her deep blue eyes sparkled in the light of the lantern. She bit her bottom lip as she studied the layout of cards on the table. He watched as her delicate fingers lifted another card from the stack.
He studied the soft contours of her face, her flawless, olive-toned skin, and the dimples that would appear when she shaped her mouth in a certain way. He noticed the gentle curve of her neck, and felt the sudden, primitive urge to taste it and inhale its scent. His gaze fell to her collarbone, and then to the top of her breasts. She wore a loose-fitting top that exposed her cleavage whenever she moved in a certain way. The flickering light of the lantern made it appear as though her skin were glowing.
He felt an odd sensation in his chest and belly. It was both painful and pleasurable at the same time. And he felt a warm and tingling sensation in his penis, which he curiously discovered was fully erect. The urge for a physical release was overwhelming and all-consuming.
"Everything okay?" Kat said, snapping him out of his trance. He felt his face flush as he realized he was still staring at her.
"I—yes, I'm fine," he said.
She smiled sweetly. "Are you sure you don't want to play?"
"No...I mean, yes. I'm sure. I...I don't think I'm feeling well."
"Are you ill?"
"I'm not sure. I feel...strange. My stomach feels like it's fluttering. And...well ...my penis..."
He looked down at the bulge in his pants, and then at Kat, appearing almost frightened. She gave him a quizzical look.
"Let me ask you a question, Jason," she said. "You said you weren't born in the city. You were born naturally?"
"Yes, that's right."
"Then, that means that your genetics weren't engineered by the State."
"That's true, although I didn't learn that until recently."
She rose from the table and sat in the chair next to him, looking him in the eyes. "Do you know why the State began their genetic engineering program?"
"Well...what I learned at the Academy is that, through advancements in human genome mapping, the State found a way to eradicate most deadly diseases by modifying our DNA structure. This ensures a healthy population."
"That's true," she said, "but there is more. The State also has an interest in controlling the population. If the needs of the population exceed the supply, then higher rationing would result, and protests and riots would ensue. And if the population is too low, there would not be enough productive workers for the State."
"Yes," he responded, "I learned that before State-enforced birth control, there was a great threat of overpopulation in the cities."
"That is the State's version of the truth, yes. The fact is that it was in the State's best interests to have complete control of both the size and composition of the population. So they encouraged women to choose careers with the State over motherhood. Those who chose motherhood were portrayed as selfish, and encouraged to allow the State to raise their children from the earliest age possible, in order for the mother to return to work.
"The State began to regulate the act of sex itself, and explained that it was for the good of the community. Sex was portrayed as an act of physical violence and male oppression over women, and affirmative-consent laws were passed to protect women from their oppressors. But the definition of 'consent' was too ambiguous. Inevitably, all sexual contact was prohibited unless sanctioned by the State."
"Sex is a primitive act," Jason said. "It is no longer necessary in the modern world."
"It's also human nature," Kat responded, "and no law can negate human nature. Humans are naturally sexual beings, with primal sexual desires. The desire to procreate is innate in all living things. The survival of the species depends on it."
Jason thought for a moment, weighing her words. "Then how did the State solve this problem?"
