"...And those individuals deemedprone to dissent and/or impurity shall be detained and/or purged fromthe Union in the best interest of its citizens."
BY ORDER OF THE
High Ministry of the Union of Corzibar
PURSUANT TO
ARTICLES OF EXISTENCE
Article IV, Amendment 134
---
Western boundary forest of Sector 7,Northeastern Corzibar
"Are you nervous?"
Wren Miller lifted her eyes to studythe young man sitting on the rock beside hers at the edge of thedried up creek. He was chipping away at a smaller rock in his hand,clacking it against the boulder with an absentminded precision sheknew came from many hours spent sharpening hunting blades in hisfather's shop. Foster wasn't looking at her, his attention on histask but his eyes seemed glazed over and unseeing. She cast her gazeaside.
"I don't think there's ever been aperson who went into the test without being nervous."
Even as she spoke the words, Wren wassurprised by the note of resignation she heard in her own voice.
Verification Day was less than threedays away, and it was the time of year that everyone grew nervous. Itwas the time of year when people started to disappear, either oftheir own accord in a bid to avoid the test, or because their plansto avoid it had been discovered and thwarted.
"I never saw the point in runningaway from it," Foster said, as if reading Wren's thoughts. "Imean, not beforehand, anyway. Yeah, maybe you'll get sent away, butthe way I see it, it's best to worry about that if it actuallyhappens before you go pissing them off." He held up the sharpenedstone for a moment, examining it, and then tossed it away.
Nodding, Wren watched the stone fallagainst the dry, rounded pebbles of the creek bed. She wondered ifshe would still be around to see it when it was running again in afew months. At the thought, her throat went dry.
"Do you think..." she began,hesitation finding its way into her chest and threatening toconstrict her willpower altogether. Foster was looking at her then,and for a moment she considered she might be rushing things.
No, she thought, steeling herself. Thisis important. I need to ask him this.
"Do you think, Foster, that...if weboth pass this test...do you think they might actually approve...us?That we could actually be approved to...to have children?"
The young man blinked, but Wren didn'tsee any sign of offense or any other adverse reaction to herquestion. That in itself let some of the tension escape her.
"I hope so."
With that statement alone, Wren feltherself sag in relief. She leaned against him and he wrapped his armaround her shoulder, giving her a comforting squeeze.
They sat like this until the shadows onthe ground grew long enough to cross onto their boulder.
"We should probably get back beforesomeone notices we're gone." She hated to say it, but with theDirectorate scouring the majority of Sector 7 for any suspiciousactivity or individuals, it would not be wise to be out after dark.She slid off the rock and got to her feet.
Foster mirrored her actions and tookher hand in his.
"Let's take the long trail back."
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Science Fiction"...And those individuals deemed prone to dissent and/or impurity shall be detained and/or purged from the Union in the best interest of its citizens." In the aftermath of the Crisis, Corzibar initiated the Human Atmospheric Adaptation Program in an...
