I never knew my parents. That's the first thing to know about me; I never met them and never will.
The second thing to know about me is that I'm an orphan - as stated above but in simpler words.
The third thing to know about me is that I belong to the Organ Tissue Growth and Culturing Organization. A.k.a OTCG.
When I say that I 'belong' is that I literally belong to it. If you see my ID Card it clearly says all of the things above primarily because under 'Profession' the name of my Section is written.
All orphans, ever since a decade ago, were distributed between global organizations known as 'Sections'. Each specializes in one section of technology that includes the human anatomy. Some focus on the nervous system, others on reproductive organs, some on biotechnology and a few others on smaller things like organ tissues and cells.
I don't really work in the OTCG. It's more like they pay for my living expenses. All of it. I'm 18 now so I live by myself and administrate the money the way I want to. Yet, I do have to go to weekly check-ups to go over levels of any substance that is and isn't supposed to be in my body. You know, fat, vitamin E, D, A... and all other things that bore the hell out of everyone who sees them every weekend. Even the doctor seems to be fed up with me since the levels are always the same. My foster parents/doctors taught me too well – specifically, taught me to understand that my life depended on my Section.
I don't need a job, I don't need to go to college, I don't need anything... for now. Once I'm 25, I'm legally a woman with physical freedom under the law for orphan children. Yeah, different, huh? We always have basic human rights. Usually, nothing drastic happens in any of the Sections. You get anesthesia or knocked out if needed and they check how much pain you actually are in even if you don't feel it so that they can give you the proper amount of pain-killers and never feel anything during the process.... I mean, that's what I've seen in other Sections. Mine just involves taking cell samples from my body. Sometimes they apply some liquids that have already been tested on my cells and that's as far as it goes on invasive processes.
I would not like to be in any Section regarding your brain – physically. Not like the IQ and Brain Research Unit. That one is more of a hassle. It's like double school.
“Hemoglobin...” The doctor on shift said to himself. “Yes. All alright.”
When he took the small tube out of my wrist I rubbed it, like I always do, to ease the tickling sensation it left on my skin. “Can I go now?”
“Yeah.” He said, signing off my name on a folder – the very old-fashioned way. “See you next week.”
“Okay.” Probably it was going to be the blond female one next week. I really hoped so. She's around here every two weeks. “See you.”
I exited the SU – Section Unit – of my local hospital and made my way down the crystal solar panels that created a path towards the sidewalk. I laughed to myself when I remember how me and some High-school friends almost got arrested for laying down on all of the ones outside our school. We were there for barely 4 hours (enough to realize something was wrong with the electricity generators) when the Principal had the police literally drag us off.
Probably, it wasn't the best prank ever since you can't really hold onto anything when it comes to laying down on solar panels. It was fun though – seeing the dude get all flustered due to our 'rebellious actions'.
“Wish I could go back to that...” I raised my eyes towards the sky where a train hung from the rails as it waited for passengers to get int and, after a few seconds, it moved off quickly down its path.
My house was only three blocks away from the hospital, as were many of the 18 year-old orphans' places. I knew almost everyone around here. Most of us went to High-school together or were involved in the locally-based Sections.
Really, we have lived here all of our lives. Never left or anything. Not allowed... but we are allowed to communicate with Cases in other cities. 'Case' is the name you give to an orphan. You always use 'orphan' but colloquially you're known as a Case.
“Rachael!” I heard coming from my right.
I turned my head slowly knowing who's voice it was. “Steph.”
Stephanie Richards, my childhood friend who came from the same orphanage when all of this started ten years ago. One of the only 8 year-old children who were healthy enough to be considered for the new advances.
She trudged down the front steps of her apartment building and approached me. “Just got back from tubing?”
'Tubing' – it's self-explanatory. The process in which they tube us into a machine to check on our blood and everything else dissolved in it.
“Yeah.” I answered back as I tried to ignore how red her cheeks were, “You from a jog?”
“Is it that noticeable?”She asked laughing slightly as she touched her cheek.
“Uh huh.” My eyes went down to her body which I knew was very fit, just like every Case. “Your cheeks get very red.”
“Not the first time you've pointed it out.” She raised an eyebrow quickly to show how she, for some reason, doesn't appreciate me saying it all of the time. Steph, with her dark-brown eyes, then lit up like a deer and slapped my forearm. “Want to stay over for dinner tonight? I'm having chicken and I know you have chicken on Saturday so...”
You know, sometimes I feel like she feels the same way I do. The way she seems to hit on me but at the same time be the nice, normal friend she has always been. When we were kids she'd always give me the nicest looking piece of meat when our lunches were served in school. She'd always lend me her colored pencils when I'd lost my own and wouldn't get any replacements until the following month. She'd always support my excuse to go to the infirmary so that I could sleep.
Always those little details.
It has only been recently that I realized that I like her.
Yet, I've never been brave enough to tell her. Let alone, actually really show it because of her boyfriend. Jay.
“Is Jay going to be around?” I asked her switching my weight onto my left foot.
“Nope. Just you and me.” She smiled. “Remember? My friend over my boyfriend?”
I smiled, halfheartedly, but sincerely enough. “Yeah. Friends first.”
“Okay, then.” She said, “I take that as a 'yes'! Come on then. I'll just take a shower before cooking.”
She turned around and I watched her start walking in those running shorts and sleeveless shirt... I don't know if this was me or just the solar panels over-heating under my feet...
+++
So this is my new story guys!
Like, wow, I'm so excited!
Kewk :3
YOU ARE READING
Think 'Haven' & Take My Hand (girlxgirl)
Science FictionThey were told that it's technology. They were told that they are part of it. Humans continue to develop technology in an attempt to save more lives than they actually can. This approach has brought advances beyond human comprehension – ironically...
