Small Spaces
folder
Original - Misc › Science Fiction
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
8
Views:
3,272
Reviews:
10
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
Original - Misc › Science Fiction
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
8
Views:
3,272
Reviews:
10
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of characters to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. The Author holds exclusive rights to this work. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited.
Mutualism
A/N: Yay! Finished this chapter!...Thank you to my reviewers, two of which are fellow NaNoWriMo-ers! Chapter 5 will be up tomorrow.
The woman on the VCD was still peering anxiously up through the screen, and her almost-presence in this small room made Jacob uncomfortable.
“What do you think of the place?” Nora asked him. He looked around again, his gaze falling to the bed that was to be theirs when they were performing their...duties.
“It’s not bad,” he turned in the direction of the bathroom, opening the door and sticking his head in. There were two matching medicine cabinets with mirror fronts, a toilet, and a full standing shower, the sight of which made Jacob’s mouth water slightly, “a lot bigger than my old one.”
“Not saying much though, is it? Those bachelor flats are awful.” She turned away from him, bringing the VCD up and speaking softly into it, “Listen, Jen, I’ll talk to you later, okay?” There was no answer, and she placed the device onto her desk. She had chosen the left side of the room as her own.
“Umm...Dr. Farwell said that they’d brought my things?” Jacob didn’t see a wardrobe or a cubby anywhere, except two cupboards and a few drawers in the kitchen.
“Oh,” Nora crossed to his side of the room, and gestured him over, “here.” She indicated a passkey screen that lit up as she approached. He swept his card, and a panel slid away, revealing his work suits hanging in plastic bags, two shelves with his civilian clothing, and two pairs of shoes. A drawer contained his underclothing and socks. Nodding, he swept his passkey once again, and the panel slid closed, leaving scarcely a mark in the smooth, white wall.
“Impressive,” he commented, turning to his desk. There were a few of his books, mostly manuals. The monitor was up, but it was brand new. He tapped a key, and the flat screen descended into the desktop. Jacob realized that he hadn’t acquired much in his years of service, and the thought didn’t mix well with his already frazzled nerves.
“Dr. Farwell gave me orders to hold a discussion with you about what we expect to get from this.”
She didn’t sound cold as she said the words, pulling out her chair and turning it around so that they could face each other. He did the same.
While his breathing was shallow and quick, Nora seemed to be taking deep, calming breaths, “I won’t cook for you,” she began simply, “I won’t do your laundry. I’m not your mother...or your wife.”
Jacob nodded very slowly, his eyes not meeting hers, try as she might to catch his attention.
“I have a job as well, and I work six to two in the afternoon, after which I like to come home and take a long shower, so don’t be surprised to find me in the bathroom when you arrive back from work.”
He coughed, “Where...where do you work?”
Nora smiled at him, thankful that her forcefulness hadn’t shut him up permanently, “I’m in the agriculture station. Mostly lab work.”
“Are you working on anything interesting?” He shifted in his seat.
“Cold-weather crops, mostly. Development of hot-house plants suitable for our climate. Tomatoes and cucumbers and such.”
The job sounded fairly interesting, and he wondered how one might go about getting a position there. Nora answered for him.
“You’re a Code Monkey; there are lots of you, and that’s why you had such a hard time getting a promotion. Trust me, if you’d have shown a talent for anything else, you wouldn’t have been at that desk job for 14 years.”
If she were a more boisterous person, her words would have stung him quite deeply. As it was, she sounded completely sincere and almost sorry for him. Jacob nodded, looking at the ceiling, which was as plain and white as the walls.
She changed the subject, “You’ve had your meeting with Dr. Wren, correct?”
“Yes.”
“She told me a little about you, but not much. However, she did say that this was the best way to get to you, so here goes nothing.”
Reaching behind her into a desk drawer, Nora pulled out a plain envelope, from which she retrieved three sheets of pink paper. Handing them to Jacob, she didn’t explain. The first was a few rules on how they were to treat each other. No abuse: verbal, mental, physical, or sexual. If either was suspected of abuse, they would be investigated, and upon conviction, tossed out of The Program. They were to respect each other’s wishes, in terms of privacy and responsibility. And, lastly, while they were together, they were not to see other people. Instead of reading further, Jacob turned to her.
“I won’t see other people,” he said quietly.
Nora sighed, a slight, sad smile quirking her lips, “I’d figured as much.”
Content, Jacob returned to his reading. The pair was to remain exclusive to each other until conception and birth, after which, if they chose to begin relationships with other people, they were free to discuss their options. The first priority was the health, nurturing, and well-being of the child.
The next sheet was a how-to, beginning with pregnancy, and the wording was very feminine. There were remedies and drug recommendations for morning sickness, stretchmarks, bladder issues...
“That’s mine,” Nora hesitantly reached forward and plucked the paper from his hands, “Sorry.”
The third paper was half-filled with a schedule of dates. The second half was a list of rules for the conception process. No contraceptives were to be purchased by either party. If found purchasing or owning contraceptives, they would be punished and removed from The Program.
“What are these dates?” Jacob asked, a faint blush coming to his cheeks. The answer was apparent, but he figured they should open a line of communication. They were adults, after all.
“Those,” she began, her apple-like cheeks become more pink as she spoke, “are my best possible dates for conception, according to Dr. Wren.”
He looked them over; the first was in three days.
Talk about performance anxiety.
“We...well, Jacob, we aren’t expected to begin right away. We’re supposed to get to know each other a little, spend some meals together, see if we can stand each other’s company,” she paused, “I was told you’re a little difficult to get along with.”
His head snapped up, “What? Who...who told you that?”
She grinned at his sudden outburst, and his blush deepened, “Dr. Farwell shared a few of your answers to the questionnaire with me. I realize that you’re only doing this for advancement, but I really want a baby. You’re my best chance.”
Nora reached across the short distance between them, this time placing her petite hand over his. He stared at it, then back at the dates before him. He was her best chance...God help them.
The woman on the VCD was still peering anxiously up through the screen, and her almost-presence in this small room made Jacob uncomfortable.
“What do you think of the place?” Nora asked him. He looked around again, his gaze falling to the bed that was to be theirs when they were performing their...duties.
“It’s not bad,” he turned in the direction of the bathroom, opening the door and sticking his head in. There were two matching medicine cabinets with mirror fronts, a toilet, and a full standing shower, the sight of which made Jacob’s mouth water slightly, “a lot bigger than my old one.”
“Not saying much though, is it? Those bachelor flats are awful.” She turned away from him, bringing the VCD up and speaking softly into it, “Listen, Jen, I’ll talk to you later, okay?” There was no answer, and she placed the device onto her desk. She had chosen the left side of the room as her own.
“Umm...Dr. Farwell said that they’d brought my things?” Jacob didn’t see a wardrobe or a cubby anywhere, except two cupboards and a few drawers in the kitchen.
“Oh,” Nora crossed to his side of the room, and gestured him over, “here.” She indicated a passkey screen that lit up as she approached. He swept his card, and a panel slid away, revealing his work suits hanging in plastic bags, two shelves with his civilian clothing, and two pairs of shoes. A drawer contained his underclothing and socks. Nodding, he swept his passkey once again, and the panel slid closed, leaving scarcely a mark in the smooth, white wall.
“Impressive,” he commented, turning to his desk. There were a few of his books, mostly manuals. The monitor was up, but it was brand new. He tapped a key, and the flat screen descended into the desktop. Jacob realized that he hadn’t acquired much in his years of service, and the thought didn’t mix well with his already frazzled nerves.
“Dr. Farwell gave me orders to hold a discussion with you about what we expect to get from this.”
She didn’t sound cold as she said the words, pulling out her chair and turning it around so that they could face each other. He did the same.
While his breathing was shallow and quick, Nora seemed to be taking deep, calming breaths, “I won’t cook for you,” she began simply, “I won’t do your laundry. I’m not your mother...or your wife.”
Jacob nodded very slowly, his eyes not meeting hers, try as she might to catch his attention.
“I have a job as well, and I work six to two in the afternoon, after which I like to come home and take a long shower, so don’t be surprised to find me in the bathroom when you arrive back from work.”
He coughed, “Where...where do you work?”
Nora smiled at him, thankful that her forcefulness hadn’t shut him up permanently, “I’m in the agriculture station. Mostly lab work.”
“Are you working on anything interesting?” He shifted in his seat.
“Cold-weather crops, mostly. Development of hot-house plants suitable for our climate. Tomatoes and cucumbers and such.”
The job sounded fairly interesting, and he wondered how one might go about getting a position there. Nora answered for him.
“You’re a Code Monkey; there are lots of you, and that’s why you had such a hard time getting a promotion. Trust me, if you’d have shown a talent for anything else, you wouldn’t have been at that desk job for 14 years.”
If she were a more boisterous person, her words would have stung him quite deeply. As it was, she sounded completely sincere and almost sorry for him. Jacob nodded, looking at the ceiling, which was as plain and white as the walls.
She changed the subject, “You’ve had your meeting with Dr. Wren, correct?”
“Yes.”
“She told me a little about you, but not much. However, she did say that this was the best way to get to you, so here goes nothing.”
Reaching behind her into a desk drawer, Nora pulled out a plain envelope, from which she retrieved three sheets of pink paper. Handing them to Jacob, she didn’t explain. The first was a few rules on how they were to treat each other. No abuse: verbal, mental, physical, or sexual. If either was suspected of abuse, they would be investigated, and upon conviction, tossed out of The Program. They were to respect each other’s wishes, in terms of privacy and responsibility. And, lastly, while they were together, they were not to see other people. Instead of reading further, Jacob turned to her.
“I won’t see other people,” he said quietly.
Nora sighed, a slight, sad smile quirking her lips, “I’d figured as much.”
Content, Jacob returned to his reading. The pair was to remain exclusive to each other until conception and birth, after which, if they chose to begin relationships with other people, they were free to discuss their options. The first priority was the health, nurturing, and well-being of the child.
The next sheet was a how-to, beginning with pregnancy, and the wording was very feminine. There were remedies and drug recommendations for morning sickness, stretchmarks, bladder issues...
“That’s mine,” Nora hesitantly reached forward and plucked the paper from his hands, “Sorry.”
The third paper was half-filled with a schedule of dates. The second half was a list of rules for the conception process. No contraceptives were to be purchased by either party. If found purchasing or owning contraceptives, they would be punished and removed from The Program.
“What are these dates?” Jacob asked, a faint blush coming to his cheeks. The answer was apparent, but he figured they should open a line of communication. They were adults, after all.
“Those,” she began, her apple-like cheeks become more pink as she spoke, “are my best possible dates for conception, according to Dr. Wren.”
He looked them over; the first was in three days.
Talk about performance anxiety.
“We...well, Jacob, we aren’t expected to begin right away. We’re supposed to get to know each other a little, spend some meals together, see if we can stand each other’s company,” she paused, “I was told you’re a little difficult to get along with.”
His head snapped up, “What? Who...who told you that?”
She grinned at his sudden outburst, and his blush deepened, “Dr. Farwell shared a few of your answers to the questionnaire with me. I realize that you’re only doing this for advancement, but I really want a baby. You’re my best chance.”
Nora reached across the short distance between them, this time placing her petite hand over his. He stared at it, then back at the dates before him. He was her best chance...God help them.