BREEDERS

Chapter Two: Blue house

Sam went to the Clinic with me today. My mother and I have not spoken since two weeks ago. Sam is getting tested again, and today they are giving me an ovulation test to see if I peaked when they had predicted. He's been off with me lately, being more touchy than usual and I find myself thinking about him more.

It needs to stop.

I feel like everyone is against me. I do not want the babies I produce. Does anyone realize how risky this was for me? Just last week a girl had her baby cut out of her and they have yet to find the infant. Most likely it was sold in the Market. I could be next. This was the most dangerous thing I could do- forget the birthing aspect. Someone could go and cut me up and take what is mine and sell it off. The Clinic said they would be announcing a solution to us today in regards to that.

I glance at Sam and he smiles at me, reaching over to touch my arm while we sit next to each other. The front desk clerk coughs disapprovingly in our direction and we pull apart.

Coupling is not allowed with Breeders. Project EVE calls for all their women to be untouched and have select sperm cells. That's another thing I hated about this; I was going to be a virgin until I could buy myself out. They did not expect the boys to be virgins however, but getting pregnant the conventional 'old fashioned way' was damn near unheard of now.

I want Sam.

I shake my head to dismiss the thoughts, blaming them on all the extra hormones they have been injecting me with.

"Number 223696," the clerk calls out. I get up out of my chair and Sam gives me the thumbs up.

Dr. Emerson looks rather excited today. This makes me uneasy. He's holding in his hands another holographic tablet, lights blinking as it forms the shape of a large building. To me there is nothing fancy about the square warehouse building, until he swipes his finger over it and the image flips to the interior.

It looked like one of the resort spas I had seen on a billboard in the distance while on the D Train in a different sector. The hologram changed to show different rooms and different scenes. Some pictures showed bedrooms that had their own bathrooms, a cafeteria where they showed a picture of baked chicken on trays. The next slide showed a small garden and I instantly became envious.

Flowers do not grow in Sector D.

"I don't understand what you are showing me?"

"This is the solution," he answered. "Instead of having our pregnant young woman go back to sector D, or wherever they are stationed, the idea is to bring them all to one place- a safe haven."

"Like a farm," I said sarcastically.

Dr. Emerson rolled his eyes, turning off the tablet. "It is a facility that is opened in Sector B. With all that is going on- with the death of that girl and her missing baby- it is opening its doors to pregnant women in all sectors."

"So, if I were to become pregnant... I would be living there?"

"Yes. It is a heavily monitored facility and has the best medical staff team 24/7. You would be there for your entire pregnancy. This is just a way to ensure everyone's safety."

I admit it, I was excited. Just to taste any kind of life outside the walls of Sector D. Then it dawned on me. "What about my family?"

Dr. Emerson looked confused, picking up the tablet and pulling up my chart. I saw my mother's name across the board and then a series of numbers. The next image was without a picture and a series of numbers, the words Donor flashing on the screen in red. Number 35984 was my father, whoever he was.