Liberae Bellatorum

Josephine

To be completely honest, I am really nervous about the Bonding Ceremony. After this, I will be Pheenie Durkheim, wed to a NERD! I mean, Ferdie is great, but he's from a completely different crowd than I am. My group breaks software, his group fixes them. I will lose all of my respect after this. But on the other hand, Ferdie is a really sweet guy, and I know that he wouldn't judge me, and I suppose I shouldn't judge him either until I get to know him. I'm sure he will have some super cool hobby...like stamp collecting. Ugh why can't he be a normal guy? I'm going to have to get married to him in front of all my friends and I'm not about to reject Supreme Derine's choice either and have us both banished to the Other World.

The Other World is a place on the other side of the country where people are banished to once they are 35 years old, or they break a rule, or they don't do their duties. The only thing is, they can't get banished unless they already have two kids. You see, Supreme Derine's plans for Libera would be ruined if there was more than or less than 100 children born on Birth Day. The whole system would be off. Either she'd have to banish someone, or someone wouldn't have a spouse. And she would banish a child without even thinking about it if it meant saving her reputation as a Supreme.

Honestly the whole banishment thing makes me upset. It's not someone's fault if they can't have children or they have twins or something. In the past, there have been so many banishments, it's not even funny. I think maybe between 200 families and 400 families.That's a lot of people. That doesn't include the 35 year olds either. It's terrible.

But on a happier note, everything will be okay after the Bonding Ceremony, because I won't have to worry about anything besides my job and my two future children. The Children Ceremony comes after the Bonding Ceremony though. Okay. Supreme Derine is ready for the Bonding. Am I though? I guess it doesn't matter.

"Now, each table has a piece of parchment. As each of you prick your left ring finger and smear a drop of blood in the correct boxes, you will fuse the two drops together with the Swirl Pen and you shall be officially Bonded. I will give you six minutes to do so and enter your slips of paper into the Box. Good luck."

Ferdie went first, pricking his finger quickly without even blinking, and smeared his finger in the box labeled "FJD", for his initials. Reluctantly, I did the same, but smeared my finger in the box labeled "JLS". I let Ferdie fuse the boxes, because I doubt I could stand doing that. I walked down the auditorium and dropped our slip into the Box. I looked on the Screen above the Box and our names, Ferdinand James and Josephine Lynia Durkheim.

I felt good about my decision. Ferdie is great.

After the six minutes were over, two pairs were escorted out of the room. I guess they didn't want to sign the papers...

"Now, I would like all of you to follow me to the Surgical Room and you will all be assigned Children Pods. Please don't touch anything until you are told. Thank you. Now, when we get there, a doctor will give each pair a Pod. That Pod is to be swallowed. Don't be alarmed by the taste, for we haven't found a way to flavor it yet. I do not want anyone swallowing the Pod until I tell you to. Of course only the females will do this, but we expect the males to be by their side the whole time. If anyone doesn't want to do this step, go to the escorts and they shall usher you to the Banishing Room. You will force a Mother to have a child that she doesn't get to keep just so that everything will be okay. Is that what you want? No? That's what I thought." With that, she walked off, flicking her hand towards us as a way to have us follow her. We did.