The Dark Side of Space

Chapter 15

Bile rises in my throat. "No," I say. I feel like I'm blacking out. "No! No!" I can't stop myself from crying. This has to be some sick joke. Only I know it isn't. This is the craziest, least humane thing I've heard of, and I've hear of terrible things happening all the time.

I think of how my mom always told me not to get pregnant. I was so scared to disappoint her, and be trapped in the same cycle as her, my grandmother, and my cousins that I told Ray there was no way in hell we were having sex before we were married. Now, none of that matters. I made all those promises to myself, to my mom, to Ray, for nothing. And the baby I have won't even be with him.

"They are sad," Galatea observes, her face screwed up in confusion and interest. Pandora nods in agreement. I wonder how much they know about this.

"Of course we are!" Naomi screams. She struggles against her restraints. "You people are batshit crazy!"

Nick doesn't look shaken by our outrage. He motions for people to come down and get us. I try to loosen myself even though I know nothing will happen. Even if I did manage to escape, where would I go? Where could I hide?

"You can't do this to them," Adam speaks up. "You can't force them to have kids! You can't force us to do this either!"

"We're not forcing anything. You volunteered. Next time you get contracts, kids, read the fine print," Nick advises. I want to rip him to shreds.

I scream when my restraints are loosened. A man and woman yank me out of my chair. The only thing I can think to do is dig my heels into the ground and go limp like a child.

"Now, now, Grace, let's be mature about this," Nick warns. The man puts his hand on the back of my head and tightens his grip around my arm, forcing me to budge. Naomi gets removed from her seat too, kicking and screaming.

"Don't hurt them," Joseph says in a weak voice. He's just now realizing it isn't all fun and games like he thought.

"Stop!" I say, trying to writhe away. "No, no! Please!" I don't remember the last time I begged for anything like this. I've never had to beg for my life.

It takes three people each to get Pandora and Galatea out of their seats. They don't fight. Maybe they know it's worthless. They tower over everyone else. Even though Galatea is smaller than Pandora, she's still a giant.

I try to do anything I can not to get hauled out of the room. I know as soon as I make it out, I'll be at the mercy of ACTS and part of the sick experiment they're planning for me.

I look to the woman who's doing her best to hold my arm behind my back and drag me at the same time.

"Please, don't do this!" I beg, my voice choked with sobs. "Please!" How can she be okay with doing this to another woman? If it were her, would she be all right with this? She probably doesn't see me as a woman, just like her, She probably doesn't even see Pandora and Galatea as beings.

The woman ignores me and pushes me forward. I try again to press my feet as hard as possible on the ground to stop them from moving me.

"We don't have all day," Nick says testily, bored of all the commotion. He waves his hand. "Let's move this along."

I scream as what can only be a needle is jabbed into my back. If this happens to me again, I might just die. Clearly ACTS thinks knocking us out is the solution to everything. I try to keep fighting, but my arms and legs feel like they're falling asleep. The last things I'm aware of are Naomi's screams and the burning pain in my shoulder.

***

I've never been so sweaty in my life. I stare over a pot, trying to cook and wiping my forehead with a rag every few seconds. The loud, tell-tale whirring of a rickety fan buzzes in my head like an annoying fly. My stomach is so big I feel like I'm about to burst.