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Page 3
In a hall, Dr. Linder picked a lab coat for himself and handed one to
her. "Well," he mumbled, "That certainly explains the sudden drastic drop in procreation,"
he slid his arms in the sleeves and tapped his chin in thought. "You'll just have to have women procreate
at an earlier, safer age, I think."
Dr. Patterson raised her eyebrows. "With all due respect, doctor, that may solve the problem in the short-term,
but what about if this problem persists? The age keeps dropping and show's no signs of halting. And what about
what women need? We need to be allowed to lead our own lives without interference or pressure to sustain a population."
She raised her hand, encompassing the building; "I certainly wouldn't be here if I had put aside my dream
to be a scientist and instead forced myself to procreate for my species."
Dr. Linder's expression became solemn as he looked away from her towards the lab area they prepared to enter. "Well,
hopefully you'll be able to find some helpful information to bring back to your office."
Dr. Patterson let her anger fade away and even smiled at him. "I do indeed hope so."
"Shall we?" he motioned her ahead of him, and they entered the research areas.
He took her straight through the laboratories to the freezing areas. Proud as a new papa, he showed her the large,
custom-made facility.
"We're able to keep sperm and embryos here."
Dr. Patterson scribbled information in her small notebook as he recited procedures and policies.
"What about eggs?" she asked, "Have you made any progress in that arena?"
His face fell slightly and his smile became melancholy. "We've made significant advancements in the field,
but unfortunately our technique is still not perfected."
Ann nodded in understanding. "Why don't you show me what you do have?"
He motioned her forward. "I'd love to. Right this way."
They exited the room and entered a long, white hallway with one door at the end. His shoes made a clopping noise
as he walked towards the door. "Through here, please." He held it open for her.
When they entered the room, Ann thought at first it was a dorm room. It was lined with rows of beds; the simple
kind that encouraged single occupancy. The window at back of the room let partial sunlight stream in and allowed
the wind to blow gently across the occupants. Then she noticed the quiet beeping sounds of the machines and the
number of attendants who strolled through the room, walking quietly down the rows in silent shoes.
"What is this?" She frowned deeply, trying to make sense of it all.
Dr. Linder smiled with pride; "I mentioned that we're unable to safely freeze eggs with any type of consistency,"
he said, excitement infusing his voice, "And actually, we've found that repeated pregnancy keeps women more
fertile and postpones the inevitable infertility. So," he shrugged as if the room explained everything else.
Unfortunately, it did.
At first Dr. Patterson thought all the occupants were men. Then she saw past the bald heads and their comatose
state. The delicate features and bulging abdomens suddenly became blaringly obvious.
"All these people in the beds are women," she blurted. Dr. Linder smiled and nodded. And the vast majority
were in some state of pregnancy.
Dr. Patterson stumbled into a seat, her mind trying to grasp what she was seeing. "But," she searched
for the right words, and finally settled on, "How? Did these women volunteer to do this service?'
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