08-23-2018, 02:00 PM
Hale Residence, Grapevale
Jennifer Hale sighed and stirred her coffee.
"I already told you no," she repeated to the three women standing there. Anita Patel looked impatient, Rebecca Arnott was trying to look friendly, and the third woman, Jennifer hadn't been introduced to.
"Look, Jen, I understand your reluctance, and if it is the childbirth that bothers you we could try to find a surrogate to carry the baby to term..." Arnott tried.
"You can't force me to have kids. I'm sorry, Ms..." Jennifer looked at the third woman, the head of Council of Kerlile Reproductive Services, an organisation that both ensured daughters of Council members were treated well... and was responsible for getting rid of sons.
"Annette Gardiner, Councillor," the woman said, bowing in deference. Jennifer once more tried not to roll her eyes.
"Ms Gardiner, you have wasted your time."
"Jennifer," began Patel, "there is a record of a Sonja Viratnen-Alvarez and Josephine Alvarez visiting an adoption centre in Lauchenoiria. We are offering you IVF and even considering finding you a surrogate, which would be a Council first. We know you wanted a child from the record of your visit. You are doing this only to irritate us."
"I'm doing this because I don't want to have a daughter who grows up to be like you. Or, even worse, I have a son who vanishes off into the ether. I won't bring life into your world."
"Please leave," Patel ordered Gardiner. Apparently not even the head of CKRS was allowed to hear someone criticise Kerlile. Gardiner complied.
"You can have all the privacy you want to make your case, I won't change my mind," Jennifer insisted.
"That would be a shame. Especially given your... partner's upcoming trial."
Jennifer's blood ran cold.
"Oh, hell no. Nope, you're not doing this."
"I understand, Jennifer, really, I do. You do not want to be disloyal to Josephine by starting a family without her while she is still alive. I am sure, after the trial, that will not be a problem any longer."
"I swear to god, I should've let her kill all of you at that party."
"Now, now, Jennifer, that is not a very nice thing to say," scolded Patel.
"Jen, if you agree to have a child, I am sure Josephine can come and live with you in Maytown while you raise your daughter. We want you to be happy," Arnott pleaded.
"Your absurd performance is like a really bad quality Lauchenoirian crime drama," Jennifer commented. Arnott looked confused and turned to Patel, who ignored her.
"Josephine's trial begins on Monday. On Wednesday, I will be in Sanctaria for these peace talks you so desperately wished for. After that, I will no longer be able to... weigh in on matters. I hope you make the right decision before then," Patel smiled her false smile.
Patel and Arnott exited the room. When she was sure they were out of earshot, Jennifer picked up her sister's Council-branded ashtray, screamed at the top of her lungs and threw the object at the door. It smashed into a thousand pieces. It didn't make Jennifer feel the slightest bit better.
Kerlian Re-education Camp
"Leonie?"
Helena Ortega was concerned. Leonie was unresponsive.
"Leonie?" she tried again, prodding the woman with her finger. Leonie blinked, but did not acknowledge Helena. "Leonie, please! You're scaring me!"
It was almost breakfast, and Leonie still wouldn't move. Helena had been sad when Leonie had been thrown out the film club, but really, she didn't blame the Kerlians. Leonie seemed so completely unwilling to learn. She continued to spout the same misogynist propaganda as when they'd arrived.
"Is something wrong with her?" a Kerlian guard stopped outside their cell.
"She won't respond to me at all," Helena said. The guard unlocked the cell and came in to look at Leonie. The door was left open. Helena stood over to the side and made no attempt to leave.
"One of the hunger strikers becoming unresponsive. Need medical here," the guard said through a radio.
"Her choice not to eat," a voice crackled back.
"This one's on the list to keep alive."
The radio crackled again in response, with a rude word of the sort Helena's parents would never have let her use.
"Go to breakfast," the guard ordered Helena, "nothing you can do here."
Helena complied. When she arrived at the canteen, she sat next to Myriam as usual.
"Guess what?" Myriam said excitedly.
"I don't know, Leonie's not well though."
"That's a shame, but she should know better than to stick up for the men of Lauchenoiria over her own kind."
"I completely agree, but... still."
"I'm sorry. But we're starting a new film today!"
"Really!? Ooh I can't wait!" Helena was genuinely excited.
"I heard," Myriam began, eyes sparkling, "that this one is about everyday Kerlian life. Oh, you should see it."
"I will, after the war!"
"Does this mean you're going to stay?"
"Of course! I could never go back to misogynist Lauchenoiria. No, I want to stay in Kerlile for the rest of my days."
"I'm so happy!" Myriam squealed, hugging Helena.
The voice in the back of Helena's head, tried to argue once more that Kerlile wasn't the utopia the films claimed. As Helena embraced Myriam, though, she became ever more convinced remaining in Kerlile was the right thing to do.
The voice in the back of her head died. Permanently.
Jennifer Hale sighed and stirred her coffee.
"I already told you no," she repeated to the three women standing there. Anita Patel looked impatient, Rebecca Arnott was trying to look friendly, and the third woman, Jennifer hadn't been introduced to.
"Look, Jen, I understand your reluctance, and if it is the childbirth that bothers you we could try to find a surrogate to carry the baby to term..." Arnott tried.
"You can't force me to have kids. I'm sorry, Ms..." Jennifer looked at the third woman, the head of Council of Kerlile Reproductive Services, an organisation that both ensured daughters of Council members were treated well... and was responsible for getting rid of sons.
"Annette Gardiner, Councillor," the woman said, bowing in deference. Jennifer once more tried not to roll her eyes.
"Ms Gardiner, you have wasted your time."
"Jennifer," began Patel, "there is a record of a Sonja Viratnen-Alvarez and Josephine Alvarez visiting an adoption centre in Lauchenoiria. We are offering you IVF and even considering finding you a surrogate, which would be a Council first. We know you wanted a child from the record of your visit. You are doing this only to irritate us."
"I'm doing this because I don't want to have a daughter who grows up to be like you. Or, even worse, I have a son who vanishes off into the ether. I won't bring life into your world."
"Please leave," Patel ordered Gardiner. Apparently not even the head of CKRS was allowed to hear someone criticise Kerlile. Gardiner complied.
"You can have all the privacy you want to make your case, I won't change my mind," Jennifer insisted.
"That would be a shame. Especially given your... partner's upcoming trial."
Jennifer's blood ran cold.
"Oh, hell no. Nope, you're not doing this."
"I understand, Jennifer, really, I do. You do not want to be disloyal to Josephine by starting a family without her while she is still alive. I am sure, after the trial, that will not be a problem any longer."
"I swear to god, I should've let her kill all of you at that party."
"Now, now, Jennifer, that is not a very nice thing to say," scolded Patel.
"Jen, if you agree to have a child, I am sure Josephine can come and live with you in Maytown while you raise your daughter. We want you to be happy," Arnott pleaded.
"Your absurd performance is like a really bad quality Lauchenoirian crime drama," Jennifer commented. Arnott looked confused and turned to Patel, who ignored her.
"Josephine's trial begins on Monday. On Wednesday, I will be in Sanctaria for these peace talks you so desperately wished for. After that, I will no longer be able to... weigh in on matters. I hope you make the right decision before then," Patel smiled her false smile.
Patel and Arnott exited the room. When she was sure they were out of earshot, Jennifer picked up her sister's Council-branded ashtray, screamed at the top of her lungs and threw the object at the door. It smashed into a thousand pieces. It didn't make Jennifer feel the slightest bit better.
Kerlian Re-education Camp
"Leonie?"
Helena Ortega was concerned. Leonie was unresponsive.
"Leonie?" she tried again, prodding the woman with her finger. Leonie blinked, but did not acknowledge Helena. "Leonie, please! You're scaring me!"
It was almost breakfast, and Leonie still wouldn't move. Helena had been sad when Leonie had been thrown out the film club, but really, she didn't blame the Kerlians. Leonie seemed so completely unwilling to learn. She continued to spout the same misogynist propaganda as when they'd arrived.
"Is something wrong with her?" a Kerlian guard stopped outside their cell.
"She won't respond to me at all," Helena said. The guard unlocked the cell and came in to look at Leonie. The door was left open. Helena stood over to the side and made no attempt to leave.
"One of the hunger strikers becoming unresponsive. Need medical here," the guard said through a radio.
"Her choice not to eat," a voice crackled back.
"This one's on the list to keep alive."
The radio crackled again in response, with a rude word of the sort Helena's parents would never have let her use.
"Go to breakfast," the guard ordered Helena, "nothing you can do here."
Helena complied. When she arrived at the canteen, she sat next to Myriam as usual.
"Guess what?" Myriam said excitedly.
"I don't know, Leonie's not well though."
"That's a shame, but she should know better than to stick up for the men of Lauchenoiria over her own kind."
"I completely agree, but... still."
"I'm sorry. But we're starting a new film today!"
"Really!? Ooh I can't wait!" Helena was genuinely excited.
"I heard," Myriam began, eyes sparkling, "that this one is about everyday Kerlian life. Oh, you should see it."
"I will, after the war!"
"Does this mean you're going to stay?"
"Of course! I could never go back to misogynist Lauchenoiria. No, I want to stay in Kerlile for the rest of my days."
"I'm so happy!" Myriam squealed, hugging Helena.
The voice in the back of Helena's head, tried to argue once more that Kerlile wasn't the utopia the films claimed. As Helena embraced Myriam, though, she became ever more convinced remaining in Kerlile was the right thing to do.
The voice in the back of her head died. Permanently.
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