Day 10: May 5th's Story
I love the comics on smbc. I'm not sure why, but sometimes I think of concepts for smbc comics that never happened. This next story spun off of one of those ideas.
Lucy sat in the waiting room. She arrived early at the Bureau of Reproduction. "There's always a line at the BR. It's what hell must be like," some people joke. She's waiting for the numbers four and two to illuminate on the screen, signifying it is her turn to be served. Today is the day she gets to find out if her and her husband get to have a child.
An elderly lady sits down near her. The people seem to be moving at a relatively quick pace. Every now and then she'd hear numbers being called out by an automated system. "Number... TWENTY SEVEN... Please come to the front counter to be served."
Lucy turned to the woman next to her, "Hello."
The woman nodded politely. "Hello."
"So, what number did you pull?"
"Forty six."
"Ah, you're not that long after me then. We got some time to wait so I thought I'd strike up a conversation."
The woman nodded, smiling. "So what are you here for, dear?"
"Oh, I'm going to get my repro ticket today."
"Oh my, you're a bit young to be getting one of those aren't you?"
"I am a bit young, but I've always wanted to have kids. At least two of them. One a girl, one a boy. They'd get along and play together. It'll be nice."
"I'm sure it will dear. But how did you get called to get a repro ticket so early in life? Doesn't it take eight to ten years?"
"Oh, I applied for one when I turned eighteen. My mother suggested it."
"Ah, well. If you know that you're definitely going to have a family... then..."
"I knew. I knew from when I was very young that I wanted a family. It's all I cared about having. It got me through school and finding a job out in the colonies, finding a husband, but it was all worth it." Lucy beamed when she spoke. Her eyes were dancing with delight with every word. "I just know I'll be a good mom, and love every second of it." Lucy nodded. Mostly to herself, but it was a vigorous nod all the same. "I'll be a great mom."
The woman nodded. "That's nice deary. I hope everything works out well then."
"Thank you so much. I'm sorry, I've been blabber on. What are you here for? I mean you're not..." Lucy looked the old woman up and down but didn't say anything further.
The woman laughed. "I'm not nearly that young. Nothing would come out of me but dust." she said with a smirk.They both laughed at that. "No, I'm here to return my husband's soul back into the system."
"I'm so sorry to hear that. How long ago did he pass?"
"Just a few weeks ago. Died peacefully in his sleep. Keeping his soul around had made the mourning easier. I had almost let the dead line pass but, you know how these...", she waved her hand around the room, "... bureaucrats can get. Sending message after message. Doesn't matter how far out in the black you live, people will find a way to annoy you. Especially government official types."
Lucy smiled. "Well, I'm glad you're here. Who knows? Maybe my son will get to have..." she stopped herself before she had said something upsetting. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be..."
"It's alright. He lived a long life. I think he'd be OK with being brought back into the world with such a nice young woman as his mother." they shared a smile.
"Number... FORTY TWO... Please come to the front..."
"Oh! That's me." Lucy jumped up and started to walk to the counter. "It was nice meeting you!" She said as she waved and started to walk up to the counter.
"Ma'am, please. There is nothing I can do from my end. I'm just relaying what I've been told." a man in a blue and white stripped dress shirt with a tie stood behind a desk. He was speaking to Lucy through a communications terminal. She stared at the glow screen in disbelief.
"But there must be some mistake I put in my application for two children ten years ago. I swear I did."
"I know you did, we have your application on file. That's not the issue. There have been extensions on the quality of life, people aren't dying as fast as they use to. So now we don't have the same influx of souls. I can't let you walk out of here with a repro ticket for two children. I'd lose my job, and oh... yeah... I'd be arrested."
"But..."
"I can give you the ticket for one, today. And you can reapply and maybe have another child in ten or so years. Hell, maybe you won't even want another one after the first one. Did you think of that?"
"But that's not..."
"That's the best I can do for you. So, take it or you can be put on the waiting list for multiple children just like everyone else. In the mean time there are parents perfect happy just to have one child today. I can make the phone call and someone will show up."
"You... I..." Lucy's rage made it tough for her to speak. She was tense and shaking. Her nails were biting into her palms.
"I don't got all day."
"Fine! Fine... Give me my ticket."
A few key strokes from the man, and then a small ding sound rung out on Lucy's digital ID being displayed on the screen. "Valid for reproduction of one child." Lucy walked out of the booth and turned her face away from the crowd of people still sitting and waiting. Her cheeks were burning and she could feel tears stinging there way through to be released into her eyes.
The old woman walked up to her, and gently pulled her aside. "What's wrong?" She said it in a material, almost nurturing steadiness. A calm started to wash over Lucy, but so did the shame of making a spectacle of herself.
"I can't have... a second child." She huffed in between words. The woman put her arms around Lucy and hugged her.
'It's alright dear. It's alright." The woman looked around the room. Their were cameras on each corner. "Come, let's get you freshened up in the rest room."
Just as soon as they were in the bathroom, the woman checked each stall and then turned to Lucy. "I want you to have this..." She handed her the old leather bag she had been carrying around. Lucy opened it and inside was a glowing light contained inside a force field. She couldn't see deeply into the light, but it molded and flowed like liquid. It was pure. "My husband was a good man. And I know he would help a young woman fulfill her dream. When you want to have your second child, you'll have to hide your pregnancy. Then, go to this address."
Lucy stared at the page, "Wow, paper. I haven't touched paper in years. Who..."
"Who I am isn't important. The second address on the back is for when your child is born. That person can forge documents for you. They'll make sure your child won't be hunted by the government. That they'll have a real life for themselves. Stay in the colonies for as long as you can. If you don't live out in the big cities you won't draw attention to yourself."
"I... I don't understand. Why..."
"I told you. My husband and I are good people... He would want me to help you."
"But if you get caught..."
"I'm old enough dear that it doesn't really matter to me anymore. When and where I die is the only mystery I have left in this life. And if that's going to be in a prison, so be it."
"What... if my second child is a girl."
The woman laughed. "That's OK. Maybe then he'll get to know what it's like." she smiled wryly. And Lucy embraced her.
Lucy had bother of her children with no problem. The first was a girl that she named Jasmin, the second a boy named Sam. They both became doctors and over the course of their lives save almost three billion people after creating the cure for an unknown viral strain discovered thirty years after their birth. Their teamwork and tenacity, garnering them the title "Siblings of Asclepius", quickly became known throughout medical history. In the many articles and news broadcasts after, they referred to them as gifts from God himself. Lucy would just nod and smile and agree.
Lucy sat in the waiting room. She arrived early at the Bureau of Reproduction. "There's always a line at the BR. It's what hell must be like," some people joke. She's waiting for the numbers four and two to illuminate on the screen, signifying it is her turn to be served. Today is the day she gets to find out if her and her husband get to have a child.
An elderly lady sits down near her. The people seem to be moving at a relatively quick pace. Every now and then she'd hear numbers being called out by an automated system. "Number... TWENTY SEVEN... Please come to the front counter to be served."
Lucy turned to the woman next to her, "Hello."
The woman nodded politely. "Hello."
"So, what number did you pull?"
"Forty six."
"Ah, you're not that long after me then. We got some time to wait so I thought I'd strike up a conversation."
The woman nodded, smiling. "So what are you here for, dear?"
"Oh, I'm going to get my repro ticket today."
"Oh my, you're a bit young to be getting one of those aren't you?"
"I am a bit young, but I've always wanted to have kids. At least two of them. One a girl, one a boy. They'd get along and play together. It'll be nice."
"I'm sure it will dear. But how did you get called to get a repro ticket so early in life? Doesn't it take eight to ten years?"
"Oh, I applied for one when I turned eighteen. My mother suggested it."
"Ah, well. If you know that you're definitely going to have a family... then..."
"I knew. I knew from when I was very young that I wanted a family. It's all I cared about having. It got me through school and finding a job out in the colonies, finding a husband, but it was all worth it." Lucy beamed when she spoke. Her eyes were dancing with delight with every word. "I just know I'll be a good mom, and love every second of it." Lucy nodded. Mostly to herself, but it was a vigorous nod all the same. "I'll be a great mom."
The woman nodded. "That's nice deary. I hope everything works out well then."
"Thank you so much. I'm sorry, I've been blabber on. What are you here for? I mean you're not..." Lucy looked the old woman up and down but didn't say anything further.
The woman laughed. "I'm not nearly that young. Nothing would come out of me but dust." she said with a smirk.They both laughed at that. "No, I'm here to return my husband's soul back into the system."
"I'm so sorry to hear that. How long ago did he pass?"
"Just a few weeks ago. Died peacefully in his sleep. Keeping his soul around had made the mourning easier. I had almost let the dead line pass but, you know how these...", she waved her hand around the room, "... bureaucrats can get. Sending message after message. Doesn't matter how far out in the black you live, people will find a way to annoy you. Especially government official types."
Lucy smiled. "Well, I'm glad you're here. Who knows? Maybe my son will get to have..." she stopped herself before she had said something upsetting. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be..."
"It's alright. He lived a long life. I think he'd be OK with being brought back into the world with such a nice young woman as his mother." they shared a smile.
"Number... FORTY TWO... Please come to the front..."
"Oh! That's me." Lucy jumped up and started to walk to the counter. "It was nice meeting you!" She said as she waved and started to walk up to the counter.
[--------------------------------]
"Ma'am, please. There is nothing I can do from my end. I'm just relaying what I've been told." a man in a blue and white stripped dress shirt with a tie stood behind a desk. He was speaking to Lucy through a communications terminal. She stared at the glow screen in disbelief.
"But there must be some mistake I put in my application for two children ten years ago. I swear I did."
"I know you did, we have your application on file. That's not the issue. There have been extensions on the quality of life, people aren't dying as fast as they use to. So now we don't have the same influx of souls. I can't let you walk out of here with a repro ticket for two children. I'd lose my job, and oh... yeah... I'd be arrested."
"But..."
"I can give you the ticket for one, today. And you can reapply and maybe have another child in ten or so years. Hell, maybe you won't even want another one after the first one. Did you think of that?"
"But that's not..."
"That's the best I can do for you. So, take it or you can be put on the waiting list for multiple children just like everyone else. In the mean time there are parents perfect happy just to have one child today. I can make the phone call and someone will show up."
"You... I..." Lucy's rage made it tough for her to speak. She was tense and shaking. Her nails were biting into her palms.
"I don't got all day."
"Fine! Fine... Give me my ticket."
A few key strokes from the man, and then a small ding sound rung out on Lucy's digital ID being displayed on the screen. "Valid for reproduction of one child." Lucy walked out of the booth and turned her face away from the crowd of people still sitting and waiting. Her cheeks were burning and she could feel tears stinging there way through to be released into her eyes.
The old woman walked up to her, and gently pulled her aside. "What's wrong?" She said it in a material, almost nurturing steadiness. A calm started to wash over Lucy, but so did the shame of making a spectacle of herself.
"I can't have... a second child." She huffed in between words. The woman put her arms around Lucy and hugged her.
'It's alright dear. It's alright." The woman looked around the room. Their were cameras on each corner. "Come, let's get you freshened up in the rest room."
Just as soon as they were in the bathroom, the woman checked each stall and then turned to Lucy. "I want you to have this..." She handed her the old leather bag she had been carrying around. Lucy opened it and inside was a glowing light contained inside a force field. She couldn't see deeply into the light, but it molded and flowed like liquid. It was pure. "My husband was a good man. And I know he would help a young woman fulfill her dream. When you want to have your second child, you'll have to hide your pregnancy. Then, go to this address."
Lucy stared at the page, "Wow, paper. I haven't touched paper in years. Who..."
"Who I am isn't important. The second address on the back is for when your child is born. That person can forge documents for you. They'll make sure your child won't be hunted by the government. That they'll have a real life for themselves. Stay in the colonies for as long as you can. If you don't live out in the big cities you won't draw attention to yourself."
"I... I don't understand. Why..."
"I told you. My husband and I are good people... He would want me to help you."
"But if you get caught..."
"I'm old enough dear that it doesn't really matter to me anymore. When and where I die is the only mystery I have left in this life. And if that's going to be in a prison, so be it."
"What... if my second child is a girl."
The woman laughed. "That's OK. Maybe then he'll get to know what it's like." she smiled wryly. And Lucy embraced her.
[--------------------------------]
Lucy had bother of her children with no problem. The first was a girl that she named Jasmin, the second a boy named Sam. They both became doctors and over the course of their lives save almost three billion people after creating the cure for an unknown viral strain discovered thirty years after their birth. Their teamwork and tenacity, garnering them the title "Siblings of Asclepius", quickly became known throughout medical history. In the many articles and news broadcasts after, they referred to them as gifts from God himself. Lucy would just nod and smile and agree.
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