16 September 2012
Part 2
The nurse from earlier, Ingrid, takes my hand and lifts me up. I don't object, too tired to save my own life. I was born here, I will die here. That's the way life is. The only thing holding me back is the fact that my child will be born into this hellish place, raised in a small cell, genetically enhanced, then killed as she gives birth. You see, you only live to twenty here, because you're no use to them after that. You're a failure. By then, you're already a genetical mess, and pregnant with your first child. Your only child. I don't know why they do it. It's not a breeding programme, and they're not gaining anything by changing us. Maybe I shall ask that before they kill me. I rub my stomach absentmindedly, almost floating down the corridors, my mind a sorrowful haze. Ingrid leads me through the maze of cells, which make it almost impossible to leave unattended. Ingrid's face is stone cold, her steely features staring straight ahead, blank, an expressionless void. "Do you know what it feels like?" She twitches slightly, then continues walking. "I am not authorised to talk to inmates." I continue, regardless. "What it feels like to know you're just about to die. When everything is lost. I know." Ingrid turns a sharp left, causing my wing to catch on the corner of the wall. I shriek and gently tug it away, trying my best to catch up with Ingrid, her pace fast, too fast. She leads me to a row of doors, above which is inscribed, 'Birthing rooms.' I shudder, but follow her into a room marked 'BR 353X' She leaves, then locks the door behind her. A doctor gestures towards a steel table, and I lie down. He clips my ankles and wrists to the table then walks over to a computer, tapping in a code. The clock on the wall ticks menacingly, counting down to 3:13. A mechanical arm enters the room from a small hatch, and makes it's way towards my arm. I scream, fear finally overwhelming me. The syringe jabs into my arm, and I cry out in pain and the liquid enters my bloodstream. The doctor clicks something and a video starts playing on a screen built into the celling. An American woman, her face obviously reconstructed, walks onto the screen, her too-white teeth flashing as she grins. "Welcome to New World Labs: where the future happens everyday!" I growl at her, my scarlet iris' glowing dangerously. " We thank you for participating in our latest experiments, and will now explain the next process to you. If you are watching this film, your genes were not perfect at birth, therefore you could not participate in our 'Perfect human' project. So, you have been selected to join our 'Cleaner Genes' breeding project. This means, your child could have the genes we need! In the event of this happening, the labs will go into automatic shutdown, and your child will be taken away for testing." I can feel her stirring inside of me, and hope to god that she is the one. Maybe, then, she'll have a better life than me. "You may have noticed that a syringe has been injected into your left upper arm. If so, do not panic, this drug is designed to start the birthing process. Please do not struggle as this can interfere with results. Thankyou. Now, I will guide you through the next process. Please pay attention." I scream at the screen, tired of her sunny voice droning on. Tears stream down my cheeks as I struggle against the restraints, desperate to save me and my child. The American woman continues, oblivious to my shrieks. "In a few moments, you may experience sharp pains coming from your abdomen. Do not panic. This is normal, and means the drug is working. Now, you may wish to ask your doctor for details of your partner, or for a mild painkiller." I glare at the doctor, smiling with satisfaction as he shuffles uncomfortably under my gaze. Suddenly, something pangs in my stomach. Oh, god. I scream, completely terrified. My waters can't have broken. But they have. No. No. No. "If your waters have broken, do not worry. You are..." Her voice is broken off as I let out a bloodcurdling scream, panting frantically. "The drug you have been given speeds up the birthing process, so you will be here, at most, for an hour. After your child is taken, you will be shown a short video. Then you will be euthanised. Thankyou for your cooperation." The screen fades to black, and I let out another scream, as a contraction racks through my body. The doctor just stands there, staring at me and the blood stained sheets, his face completely emotionless. I look over at the clock. 3:13. So it begins. Contraction after contraction floods through my body, each followed by a shriek. The pain never seems to end, each contraction slowly fading into the next. I scream at my child, wishing she would just come, and that this would all be over with. The pain flares again, and I push, my muscles screaming with effort. All this, and I will never be able to see my child's face again. Tears stain my face, my vision blurred and hazy. I push one last time, and she's here, alive and safe. A soft mewing fills the air, and I scream, reaching out to her, my scarlet hair slicked back to my head with sweat. The doctor takes her in his arms, severs our last connection, and takes her away. I scream, sobbing hysterically. They can't do this, can't take her away from me, can't... The screen above my head flickers back to life and I am greeted by the overly happy face of the woman again. "Your child will now be taken away to be tested. Thankyou. As you know, if your child does not have perfect genes, she will enter our 'Cleaner Genes' breeding project, where she will play her part in helping our scientists better understand different DNA strands. Now, you have completed the 20 year programme, and will be euthanised. If you have any objections to this, please inquire with your doctor. We thank you for helping us here at New World Labs and congratulate you on your achievements. Thankyou." As she says this, a hissing noise echoes through my ears, and the lab fills up with a green gas. I whisper my child's name softly, then close my eyes, letting the darkness wash over me one last time.
24B96X • Opuss № I