Her Essence

Chapter 17: Harvest Camp

I was relieved when we finally arrived harvest camp. I really didn't want to hear any more depressing stories. I wasn't afraid; maybe it was for the best.

The place was very neat and beautiful. The grounds were well maintained as a resort, filled with bright pastel colors making the place look less depressing and not as bad as it sounds.
  The fence which was tall and barb-wired was well hidden behind a towering hibiscus hedge and although the girls in residence see the crowded buses arriving at the front gate each day, they are spared the sight of departing trucks. Those leave the back way.
The rooms were painted lavender, with pink. The staff have uniforms that consist of comfortable shorts and Hawaiian shirts, except for the surgeons in the medical unit. Their scrubs were orange.

"Don't you ever wonder what they do with the seeds after the harvest?" my roommate asked. "Don't know, don't care" I replied
"You know, I'm still here because they found out I'm expecting triplets" she smiled "turns out my case is rare and special. Who knows? They might even let me keep it".
"Good for you" I said absent-mindedly. "You don't have to pretend" she said, her name was Mia "I know who you are, everyone here does. They're all talking. They look up to you; I do too".
"Ugh! They sent you?" I asked in disgust "This is the end. If I come out alive, great! If I don't, fine! I've made my peace with it; you should do the same too".
"Wow. I tried" Mia got up to leave "And oh. You should know your harvest will be soon. The staff are afraid you might be rebellious and do something crazy".
"Well the earlier the better. I guess my reputation precedes me" I replied.

                         _______________________

They came for Dinah the next morning, right after breakfast. A harvest doctor and two votan guards cornered her in the dormitory hallway, isolating her from the others.
  "No no...please...You don't want me...I'm not ready...please...I've only been here a few days" she cried loudly. The others looked away. It was always painful when one of them was taken to the clinic. And all they could do was pray she makes it out alive.

  I sat quietly, looking out of the dormitory window, devastated, crying. I had failed them. I knew it would be like this but Dinah's cries and screams...I couldn't bear it. That little girl, she was only 18. She didn't deserve that, none of them does. What of the seeds...Mia was right. What do they do with them? Maybe it was more than just votans mating with humans. I thought to myself. Poor Dinah. I tried not to blame myself. After all, there was no way I could have escaped. This wasn't rebel camp. This was worse. The union really takes this serious.

____________________________

"Petra McCauley?"

She turned to see two guards at the entrance. Around her, most of the girls had left the unit for their afternoon activity. The ones that remained took a quick glance at the guards, and at Petra, then looked away, busying themselves in anything that will keep them out of this business.
"Yeah. What do you want?"
"Your presence is requested at the harvest clinic," said the first guard. The other guard didn't talk. He just looked quietly.
"The harvest clinic? What for?" she asked
"Well, let's just say you're leaving harvest camp today"
"Leaving?"
"C'mon, girl, do we have to spell it out for you? You're a problem here. Too many of the other girls look up to you, even the votans and that's never a good thing at a harvest camp. So the administration decided to take care of the problem."

They advanced on Petra, lifting her up by the arms.
"No! No! You can't do this. Please! Please!"
"We can, and we are. It's our job and whether you make it hard, or easy, it doesn't matter. Our job gets done either way."
"My father is a Lord in the Royal City. He's rich...he's important...He can give you anything you want...Please...Please" she cried. She wasn't afraid at first but after seeing Dinah go down, she wasn't sure anymore.

  She looked to the other girls as if they might help her, but they don't. "Good-bye, Petra," said one, but she won't even look in Petra's direction. The quiet guard looked more sympathetic, which means there might be a way to get through to him. Petra looked at him pleadingly. But he just stood there quietly.

They dragged her out of the room as she cried and pleaded "Please....please...I'm not ready... not today...I just need more time...one more day...please...I'll be ready tomorrow". The other girls all came out, to see their savior being dragged to her fate. They tried to look away "I'm sorry" she shouted to them "I'm sorry I failed you! I'm so sorry!!"
It was a sad moment. Some of the girls that were in her van cried. "You'll be fine Petra!" Beth called out "You're stronger than you think! You'll be fine!"

She tried to imagine what it must be like for an inmate to be led to his execution. Do they fight it? What would be the use of screaming and kicking her way to the harvest clinic? She might not make it out alive but if her time on this terra-formed Earth as Petra McCauley was ending, then maybe she should use the time well. She should spend her final moments appreciating who she was". Yes she thought, I'll be fine. This is not the end.

  "Wait...Wait..." she said "Hands of me! I'll walk by myself" the guards instantly let go of her perhaps surprised by the authority in her voice. She braced herself up and prepared to go calmly. But how do you prepare yourself for something like this?

The first step is the hardest, but from that moment on she decided that she will neither run nor dawdle. She will take this last walk of her life in steady strides.