Matched

Chloe & Tor

Tor should have expected that Chloe would be unusually curious about his world. Almost fearlessly she was dragging him through the corridors of the medical building. A building he didn't know. There were places he was uncertain whether they were even allowed to enter.

She was absolutely obsessed with the teleporters, stepping in and out of them like it was a ride.

'Be careful,' Tor said as he hurried to join her in another teleporter. 'Remember, if we separate too far ...'

'Oh, I forgot.' She looked a little glum as they appeared on the forty-fifth floor close to the top. 'So I can't do this on my own. I can't really do anything on my own ...'

Tor tried not to feel guilty—unsuccessfully.

Chloe winced. 'Sorry.'

'It's okay.'

She shrugged. 'If it wasn't for you I'd be trapped in my father's house anyway. Probably off marrying a boring man I barely like and having a litter of children. Never travelling. Never learning. Never being myself. You saved my life. You saved me.' She kissed him on the cheek.

Tor laid his hands upon her shoulders and kissed her on the forehead. 'As you've saved me.'

Hand in hand, they continued on their exploration. A Zibon wearing a white coat passed them with a nod, his eyes lingering over Chloe's face.

'It's all very much the same, isn't it?' Chloe said. 'Not much to see. So many doors locked. When can we go and see your world?'

'I'm not sure,' Tor said. 'Not yet. They don't want you to leave the building.'

Chloe sniffed.

'But that'll likely change when more and more of you come here and plenty of babies are born.'

'Or not born at all.'

Tor gave a solemn nod.

'It could be years,' she said. 'It could be my entire lifetime.'

'No, it won't. We won't let that happen. I certainly couldn't stay here forever.'

'I want to go back out into space. I want to do things.'

'I know.'

Chloe was biting her lip.

'What's wrong?'

'I'm not sure ... I'm not sure about babies.'

Tor stopped. Gently he guided her to the side of the corridor, out of the way of the passing medical staff.

'What do you mean?' he said quietly.

'I don't—I don't think I'm ready just yet. Can't we—can't we wait?'

Tor stared at her. Chloe turned her eyes away.

'We could ... we could wait,' he said uncertainly. 'I'm just not sure how that's going to go by the specialists. It's why you're here.'

'I'm here because you wanted a companion. Babies were an accident.'

'True ... true ...'

'I want to wait. I'm only twenty-one.'

'I'm-I'm just not sure how it's going to be possible. As far as I'm aware we don't possess contraceptive methods. We've never needed to.'

'You don't have condoms? The pill?'

'I don't understand your Rictorian words.'

'It's like a-a wrap you put around your-your penis.' Her cheeks flushed. 'I'm not sure how the pill works. I've never been told. It affects women's hormones somehow.' She lowered her eyes. 'I'm sorry.'