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Page 4
Dr. Linder frowned over her question. "We needed these women. If
we didn't have them, our small population would dwindle every decade, and completely die out in less than a century."
Dr. Patterson straightened in her seat. "But what about what these women want? Aren't they to have the ultimate
choice about their lives and what to do with them? About their bodies and what grows there?" Her eyes darted
from one bed to another, trying to count how many were imprisoned, but it was impossible. There were too many.
"Even with the survival of our population in jeopardy?" he asked. He shook his head; "Sometimes,
the needs of the many must outweigh the needs of the few, Dr. Patterson."
She stared at him in horror, nearly speechless. "I can't believe you just said that." She looked around
the room again, noticing the women and the various states of their pregnancies. "These are people, not child-bearing
machines. Couldn't you at least use an artificial womb for the pregnancy itself?"
"As I said, the state of pregnancy helps prolong the fertile period of their lives. It's the hormones, you
see."
She didn't. She felt revulsion for what was happening; it ran all through her body like some type of disease. "I
just don't understand."
Dr. Linder smiled kindly. "You will." He looked down at his watch, "Oops, visitor time."
Dr. Patterson followed him reluctantly, and they slipped into a side office just in time to see three men entering
the ward. They were dressed the same as the orderlies, who she noticed were all men, and each had a numbered tag
in his hand.
The three men turned to look at her as she and Dr. Linder enclosed themselves in the office. He sat behind the
large wooden desk in the office and relaxed. "Can I offer you any tea, perhaps?"
Dr. Patterson eyed him with disgust. "No. I think I'd much prefer to leave now."
He smiled condescendingly at her. "You're uncomfortable with our fertility practices."
She looked at him angrily. "Oh yes. How can you get away with this?"
His smile became smug; "Haven't you figured it out yet?" At her blank look he continued. "We get
the women from Earth. The government supplies them for us."
She shook her head unable to believe him; "I can't believe that," she muttered.
He shrugged as if to say he didn't care what she believed. "It's been a mutually beneficial arrangement for
several years now. We take what's not wanted."
She stared at him, nearly ill with fury. "I want to leave. Now."
He nodded his understanding, "Of course. Please follow me."
They stood and he preceded her from the room. Dr. Patterson stepped from the room and halted, unable to look away
from the new horror before her. "What are they doing?"
Dr. Linder glanced over his shoulder, unconcerned. "We keep them pregnant, Dr. Patterson. This is a planet
of men; how do you think we get them that way?"
She watched, entranced, so appalled she could look away, as one of the three men who'd entered the room raped one
of the patients. "I thought you used IVF or Artificial Insemination."
He laughed. "We did, at first. But with so few women…" he shrugged again, "We find it easier, and
cheaper to maintain the pregnancies naturally."
"But he's raping her."
Dr. Linder rolled his eyes. "Dr. Patterson, use your sense. These women are kept sedated and unconscious.
They aren't even aware of what goes on around them. We are certainly not hurting them."
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