195
No one spoke, but I could see the rapid display of emotions on their faces. Damien rose and stood staring at a wall for a moment. Evan and Bane both looked pointedly at Christof.
I knew suddenly what they wanted. My family knew how I had hated to give Hannah up. It would have killed them to tell me I had to do it again, so they couldn’t bring themselves to say it.Belongs to © n0velDrama.Org.
The women wanted another Hannah, they would breed me.
Breakfast rushed into my throat and I bolted for the bathroom. Everything I had just eaten came right back up. Kneeling on the bathroom floor, I panted and cried.
“I won’t do it,” I kept repeating.
The men wiped my face and I slapped at their hands while scooting back from them on my knees.
“I won’t do it,” I said louder. “You cannot make me. I gave away my firstborn, never again…”
I stood and kept retreating for two steps. Literally and figuratively I found myself in a corner.
“You must,” Christof said quietly. “It is what they want from you, from us.”
“No, I won’t let you put a baby in me,” I shouted shaking my head. “None of you will touch me. The women will get bored with the game and they’ll leave me alone.”
Evan took a step toward me and I flattened myself into the wall behind me. He spoke and it chilled me to the bone.
“If we do not put the child inside of you,” he said slowly, “the women will give you to a group of men they find suitable. They know how fertile you are. We only had you for five days…”
I was hyperventilating.
My thoughts were suddenly of Earth. The women in my mother’s family were all good breeders. Grandmother had eight children, my great grandmother had eleven. Despite her alcohol issue Mom had been, too. She had six elective abortions after she had me. Children had not been in her plan. Her tubes were tied finally. Mom had sworn I’d do just like all the other women and raise a brood.
“Your children will be strong,” Damien’s voice broke into my thoughts. “The women tested you, somehow. They know any child you bear will take up the Paterian traits well. We do not understand how they can know this.”
Genetic testing was the assumption I made. My mind swam with the implications of what Hannah had told me. Huge living computers had studied me and found me a suitable breeder.
“Can we get away?” I asked softly. “Can you send me off this planet?”
Damien’s fist crashed into the stone wall in the bathroom. Again and again his fist slammed into the structure in front of him. Bane stopped him finally with Evan’s help.
“No,” Christof said watching Damien warily, “we cannot. The women watch the ships that leave here. If we tried to take you through the portals, they only lead back to the slave auction.”
Evan spoke as he held Damien’s arm, “All the portals from there lead to planets that use slaves or are ones the slavers hunt on.”
It wasn’t safe in those places. The men would have to come with me and who knew what dangers we would face. None of us would know what was poison, or what we could eat or even touch. There may not be water or air and all of us needed those things.
The men were not educated about other planets. Their knowledge of anything past the flat lands they lived on was nonexistent. We were woefully unprepared to leave this world.
“We swore,” Damien said hoarsely, “to protect you. You are ours to protect, our Sister… our family.”
I nodded silently. It had not been a lie. I knew they had tried. The marks on their flesh were testament to the women’s resolve. My family had tried to protect me. When the whip did not break them, Nu-reeh had threatened them with a worse fate for me.
The idea of being passed around and handed to other men terrified me. I would do anything to stay in the safety of my family.
“It is late,” I said softly. “You must get to work…”
We got ready quickly. Christof fed me the root to settle my stomach. They ornamented me and dressed themselves in silence. Our ride to the Keepers’ compound was quick. When the transport landed I turned and looked at their strained faces.
“I know you tried and I am grateful. Don’t worry, we will survive this,” I told them simply.
Inside the Keepers’ was the usual flurry of activity. Music and dancing were the themes that predominated. Many girls lounged and talked casually. No one noticed as I found a quiet corner and settled myself.
Thoughts raced in my head as I looked out the window at the open sky. I fought to find the positive in this situation. It seemed that it might be the thing to finally break my resolve.
Yes, it was good Hannah was strong. That hardly meant I wanted to be a breeding bitch for the women here. Perhaps my next child was male or weak? Where was the good in that?
Rose and Fuji suddenly bounced in front of me and settled down. Fuji’s grin turned to a frown and Rose immediately calmed herself.
“Something is very wrong,” Fuji stated taking my hand.
Rose nodded and put a comforting hand on my leg.
There was no reason to burden my friends with my problems, but I couldn’t resist. I told them everything. In a fierce whisper the truth spilled out of me.
Even with them, I had never been as honest as I was now. Before I had led them to believe this society was organized as the men saw it. Now the brutal candor seemed to stun them.
“The women own…?” Fuji said stunned.
“The men,” I finished, “are sold by their mothers to strong women who will protect them. They are moved to the compounds to be raised and kept.”
“Will they try to breed the rest of us?” Rose asked touching her own stomach.