Tweak

Shin stepped into the study and closed the door. He barely managed to keep from wincing as the sound barrier turned on. The man who stood behind the desk was the steward of Uhwan’s family, he was the one who spoke to those like Shin when something happened. The stewards ran the houses when it came to servants and breeding partners. Most of their work dealt with servants.

While breeding contracts were the constant talk of the families, it was only the problems that the steward dealt with. A partner who had a hard time adjusting to a different family, one who had gone back on his contract. Shin was not bound to Uhwan’s family, thus the steward had no right to speak to him, but given his position, Shin would rather have spoken to the steward and say as much. Rather than simply being the stupid male who had upset the female.

Females stayed with the family, males moved into the females’ houses until the contract was over. Once it was, the males could leave.

If they wanted to disgrace both families.

“You wished to speak with me?”

“Shin,” the use of his name, when he had not introduced himself, was rude. The steward assumed too much, “you have upset a woman of my house.”

“Female. Her breeding capabilities have yet to be proven,” Shin murmured, meaning the insult as the steward took it. The man went bright red. The term female was usually attributed to an infertile woman or a tweaker.

“And now you insult my house.”

“You assumed familiarity with me, what do you want?” Shin asked, placing his hands in the pockets of his dress pants, “if this is truly about the female of your house, the one named Uhwan, then my insulting her was pure accident. She took my speaking to a male as out of turn, despite the fact that she was not interested me in the least way.”

“You will be nice to her, you will accept the contract. It is quite generous,” the steward slide the ten page summary of the contract towards Shin, “at the end of your services you will make a quiet retirement, never to be heard from again. Yet again, this is quite generous, a house in the wilds, all to yourself, a pension of a ten-”

“Which is pocket change.” Shin said, “what’s the contract demand as services?”

“You will produce two children on Uhwan, she will have lovers. You may not.” that clause was in nearly every contract, it dated back to some fool of a man who had cheated on his woman. She had made him sign a contract, having written it to reflect his idiocy, “the two children you produce will not be modified,” that was new, and interesting, “and will not be permitted to reproduce. They will be made infertile and held to the house until their second growth, at which time you and your progeny will be removed from my house.”

Shin felt cold, he knew he was upset and he wasn’t certain if there would ever be another contract for his genetic material. Only the results of the second growth would tell and even those were not looking promising, considering his file. Like many middle children, his form had not been given much consideration besides the basic assembly, the same treatment the commoners would receive during their tenth generation. Being as so, there were multiple stamps over his files that stated ‘CON’ or, case of nature.

In reference to his being a runt, to his ‘overly emotional’ state and his sexuality. To say nothing of the power that the family didn’t know of.

But to be offered a contract that would result in his genetic material ceasing to exist, and then him being quietly shuffled off to someplace where he would never see his family again was the kind of insult he had only ever heard myths of. He could stay in his family and decline the breeding contract, asking for a common combination, a surrogate female, if he earned enough from his work. Even if he did not earn enough, he could take on orphans or become a nursemaid and care for the children of the family.

Nursemaids, once they retired, were well looked after, the children they raise being adults by the time of retirement. Those children would, in turn, look after the one who looked after them.

“I decline.”

“You will not receive any other offers.”

“I decline.”

“You will be black listed.”

“How much has my family offered for a contract?”

“They are offering a good deal of money, it is the only way anyone will ever take you on. The oldest is the one offering the money.”

As if called by the idea of him, Layaent slid into the study and closed the door behind him. He looked over the steward and then Shin. Lips pressed into a thin line, eye twitched.

“What is going on?” Layaent murmured almost lazily, he put the back of his head against the door gently and kept his hands on the doorknob, “a private conversation between a male and a steward? Has Shin said he will sign the contract?”

“He has declined,” the steward spat out, standing from his seat, “I have tried to explain to him how gracious an offer it is, that having two children on Uhwan is a good, strong offer. A private house after they reach maturity-”

“They will be made infertile and I will be placed where no one sees me with ten, ten a year,” Shin turned so that he was facing neither man but could watch them move, watch their reactions.

Layaent relaxed almost immediately. Did he, too, think it was a good idea? That the contract was generous despite it’s meek offerings?

“Ten? Ten. You will make twenty off of interest alone,” Layaent said to the steward, who was going redder and redder, “and a breeding contract is meant to create breeding pairs, the point of which is to continue on the genetic material of both partners. Not to create the illusion of carrying on the material and then destroying the donation. Are you saying that my family is not worthy of life?”

“I would never insinuate such a thing, but considering how much money you intend to spend to gift him away, you surely know that no one will take on a homosexual runt.”

Layaent pushed off the door, shoulders pushed back just slightly, the man lowered his head by the slightest bit and looked at the steward. A toothy, daring smile, tugged at Layaent’s lips as he breathed out. The threat was made an insult as Layaent moved his hands away from his side, as if greeting a male of equal strength. Layaent was stating that the steward was not worth the fight so he would not start a fight, but that Layaent, were the steward a stronger man, would not hesitate to break the steward in half.

“We retract our interest in your female,” Layaent growled out before he straightened. His jaw clenched for a moment before he forced himself to relax, “if you do not want him for his genetic material, what did you want him for? The offer? The money? A breeding contract has never, nor will it ever, be about the money, the money is to pay for the genetic tweaking that is needed for the next generation, or to pay for the opportunity to use genetic material, but it is not so that you can whore your daughter out. Shin. Leave.”

Shin made a sound at the back of his throat and stepped out of the study. He glanced up and down the hall. The tweaker guard was standing with the wheat haired female. Shin turned away from them and stepped away from the door as it opened. Layaent stepped out, closed the door and looked at the guard.

“Come.” there was no doubt of the order in the voice, at the lack of choice.

Layaent turned on his heel and brushed past Shin. Trying not to look submissive, Shin lowered his head and followed. It took every ounce of willpower he had to straighten himself out by the time Layaent threw open the door to his personal study. Shin stepped through and settled on the available seat a moment before he realised that the guard and woman had been following them. The guard sat beside Shin and shot the young man a sideways look before his eyes drifted down to Shin’s right hand.

Shin watched Layaent walk around the desk and settle. Layaent straightened pens and paper, clips and odd trinkets on his desk. Once everything on the desk was in its proper place, the older man straightened and looked at Shin expectantly.

“How did he know?” Shin asked, meaning, how did the steward know he was gay? His file only said that his sexuality was abnormal.

“I told him,” Layaent responded quickly, cutting of Shin’s protest, “full disclosure is necessary when pursuing a breeding contract of any kind. Homosexuals, often times, gain a clause that states that both male and female can have lovers, thusly making the contract about breeding entirely.”

“He didn’t even offer that clause.”

“Well.” Layaent pressed his lips together and turned to the guard, “Ash, this is Shin, Shin, this is Ash.”

“We’ve been introduced,” they both muttered at the same time.

“Good. Ash, your family has demanded that Shin sign the contract.”

“He is a runt, there will be few contracts offered unless his second growth produces more than a few inches of height and girth,” Ash said quietly, “are we speaking as companions, or as a tweaker to the family who is proposing a breeding contract.”

“As companions.”

“The offer will likely be the only one he gets, if he is smart, he will sign it.”

“Are you aware what they are offering?”

“No, I suggest breeding pairs, not the contracts themselves. Though it is not unheard of for a tweaker to request a lover clause, should they find the partner interesting enough, there is little we have to do with the contract writing, even for the breeding pairs amongst our own family.”

“Our tweakers are informed at all turn, as per the breeding contracts they set up, which is why I asked you about it,” Layaent said, “as you know, my family, while having begun as the most strict fund family, have become lenient with our tweakers. We view them as a necessary function, as a part of the family at times.”

This was all being said for the wheat haired companion. Of course Ash knew how Layaent treated the tweakers of his family.

“What did he offer that you take as such an insult?” the spotted male’s chest rumbled with a near growl. It was never a good thing to put a tweaker and a genetic in a small room when they were arguing.

“Two children, a house in the wilds, a small purse a year,” Layaent said, “this was the offer and after questioning, he revealed to me that the children will be infertile and that Shin, my brother, my baby brother, would have to retire. Nor would the children be altered in any way.”

Whatever went through Ash’s mind, the man showed no outward emotion, “that is an insult to your genetic material. Your anger is righteous. Why not take it to the council of six?”

“Do you know how much we are offering to contract Shin out?”

“A small fortune.”

“My entire life savings.”

“Oh.”

“Why?” Shin snapped, “why offer that much? You all have said it, I’m not worth that much money and it’s not supposed to be about the money, so why offer that much?”

“That money is to pay for your first born, Shin,” Layaent snapped, “To pay for the alterations that the family would find necessary given the fact that you are a runt and not the most intelligent amongst us.”

Shin sunk lower into his chair.

“They want the money,” Ash said quietly.

“Obviously. Why?”

“I don’t have to answer that.”

“I could have you brought before the council of six and have you publicly beaten, make you a disgrace of your family. All I am asking is for you to tell me why they need the money and I will go searching to find the evidence myself.”

Ash sighed, “You owe me a good deal for this, you realise?”

“You are asking a good deal of me as well, I should think this would make us even.”

Pressing his lips together, Ash glanced at the woman, who gave the barest nods. Whatever were they to one another? Had a ninth generation tweaker really taken up with a third generation commoner? Such a waste of good breeding material.

Shin felt his face heat up at the thought and found something else to focus on.

“My fund family is broke,” Ash said, breathing out loudly, “They have been dipping into my family’s pockets to do alterations. The contract on your brother would allow them to repurchase the company they had to sell to make good on a debt. They would have their money back.”

“The tweakers. Are funding. Their fund family?” Layaent sounded strangled, he looked at Shin.

Shin straightened in the chair and knew that he would be the one to go searching through the files. The alteration files of all families were open for financial reasons. He couldn’t look at the genetic material that had created the other families, but he could look at the money and trace it back to its original owner. That was one of the reasons a genetic began as an accountant to the family, to track the funds and learn what went into running the family.

“No, of course not, that’s not even legal.”

“Is your family, the tweakers, paying for their own alterations?”

“We do not, no, but we’ve no idea where the money comes from.”

“The pool,” Shin piped up. The pool had been created to keep the tweaker alterations going even if the fund families ran out of money. An initial investment of a few million each, five hundred years previous plus a little from each matriarch and patriarch’s life fund gifted in the will plus interest. The cost of altering a person had dropped dramatically and the fund had increased to nearly more than Shin’s family’s fortune, “who has been deciding what alterations to give you then?”

“They have.”

“Shin,” Layaent made eye contact with Shin.

Shin tilted his head just slightly towards Ash and received a nod. Which meant he would be spending the next day elbow deep in numbers. Not the way he wanted to spend his day off, but Layaent had made it very clear that when he asked for something it was an order.

“I’ve a favour to ask of you, Ash,” Layaent said, changing the subject quickly.

“That is?” Ash murmured, un-phased by the change.

“Invite Shin to the after party. I want him to be introduced to the tweakers.”

Ash’s cheeks tinged red, “anyone could invite him to the party, and the tweakers of your family have no doubt wanted to extend the invitation, so why not ask one of them?”

“Because. I’m asking you.”

Ash went redder, “very well, I extend an invitation to the one named Shin.”

“Good, Shin, you will be at the after party, remember, the dress code is undergarments or nothing.”

“I have work to do,” Shin grumbled. He didn’t like the idea of others seeing his skin, seeing his body. Shin was teased and taunted for the way he looked with clothing on, he really didn’t want to find out what they had to say when he was nearly naked.

“You will be there.”

Shin sighed, “fine. I will be there.”

“Good, leave.”

Shin stood and left the study, wondering whatever Layaent could have to say to Ash that he could not say in front of his brother. Ash was an officer of the law, and being a tweaker, he was the only one who could get inside information on the genetic families. Was the ring’s duplicate already noticed? Were there officers of law searching the city for the ring and its thief?

And what would happen when they discovered that Shin had it?

He would have to start working out the ring’s secrets sooner than he though. He would have to work twice as hard to get his job done each day so that he would have more time to research and study the ring. He wouldn’t be caught, he refused to be caught.

Because to be caught would surely mean death.

***

Ash watched the little male leave the study and wondered what sort of trouble he had just gotten his fund family into. The family owned the contracts of every tweaker in his family, they could do as they pleased with the tweakers. When someone upset them, that was the worst.

“How many of them are altered?”

“Not many,” Ash said in response to Layaent’s question, “the oldest and youngest of the breeding pairs and no one in between.”

“They’ve been birthing more females than the other families,” Layaent muttered.

“While the other families have been birthing more males, to suggest that one would affect the gender of the child they are altering is the same as making an accusation and without proof, such an accusation is unfounded. You could be taken to court just for murmuring about it,” Ash reminded Layaent, “The contracts bring in money to the families, yes, but without breaking into confidential agreements, there’s no telling how many males have signed away their lives to the family with no means to the end.”

“Is the eldest theirs?” Bri asked.

Both men turned to stare at her. Ash had forgotten Bri had come into the study with him. Layaent was so focused on Ash that he had likely not even realised that there had been a fourth person in the room during the discussion about his brother.

“The eldest is theirs, yes,” Layaent murmured, “the eldest has never been female, but the oldest female of each household is usually overly altered and thus, her eggs are valuable. Being the eldest, she is being harvested to be sold to all the families as well as the newgens.”

“Newgens?”

“Fourth, fifth and sixth generation genetics,” Ash said before Layaent could answer, “they came to the game a bit late but are still genetics. Not part of the original six, they will not be welcomed in until they prove that their genetic material is as good as ours. Bidding would be high for even one egg.”

“If they’re going to get money from her-”

“Most of the money will go to the pool,” Layaent said, standing from his seat, he walked to the small table that held a lamp in the corner of the room. He opened the drawer and pulled out a small chip, a micro-text, he handed it over to Bri, “as tradition dictates, if ever a female elder is used to gain money, if ever an elder is sold to an outside family, then ninety-five percent of what is gained must go to the pool, which is the fund that the genetic families set up in the name of the tweakers upon the death of the first generation.”

“The firsts believed that the tweakers were property, but to get the tweakers to agree to being altered, the families signed humanitarian contracts, one of the clauses being that they, the families, would set up a fund. Should ever something come up with the tweakers, if there is a massive breakout and we all take ill, the pool will be used to pay for medical bills. Some families, in times of economic crisis, have turned to the pool to pay for alterations to tweakers. Because the second clause is that we are guaranteed alterations every generation, unless there comes a generation when none are needed.”

“What happens when a genetic family goes broke?” Bri asked.

“Depends, I suppose. Borrowing from the tweakers is a sneaky way of going about it,” Layaent said, sitting at his seat once more, “however, if discovered and evidence is provided, given the contract between the families and the tweaks, the council of six will rule against the family, they must. Which would mean reparations at the very least, at the most, the family could be removed from power.”

“But there have always been six families,” Ash growled.

“There have,” Layaent sat back, “but that’s something to worry about another day. You had questions, yes? About what exactly? And realise, that I am only answering as a companion, not as a member of the genetics. Any answer I give you, I will not repeat in court and if you try, as I am the oldest of my family, I will have the city sued for all it is worth.”

“We well understand,” Bri said, “and appreciate your cooperation.”

“Excuse her,” Ash said when Layaent turned red, “she is used to thinking as an officer.”

“What brought you here, asking such things?”

Ash sat back and motioned for Bri to sit beside him. He waited until the woman had sat and allowed her the time to adjust her dress, smoothing out the wrinkles in her skirt. Bri rarely wore dresses, one of the few times the young woman had worn a dress was when they had met.

When Ash was three he had ‘run away’ from home and taken the city bus into the downtown area. Bri and her parents had been at a park, had stopped by after the funeral of Bri’s grandfather. She had been the first person to ever say hello to him, or to treat him as the child he was. Ash’s parents had come and found him, taking him home to the fund family. Despite what the fund family had threatened, Ash had searched Bri out again and again. He had memorized her scent and could smell her half way across the city on a smoggy day.

“We were brought in from the capital city,” Bri said.

“Yes,” Layaent interrupted, “Ash’s fund family lives there. Does that mean you are in town, Ash? And is Bri from there as well?”

“Yes, I am no residing in town,” Ash said, “With the term of my contract running five years, at which time I shall return for breeding. Bri and I met at the capital when I was three.”

“Oh, so this is she?”

Ash had never mentioned Bri before, it was possible that Ash’s family had told Layaent about Bri. Or, considering how Layaent’s nostrils flared, how the man tasted Bri’s scent, that Ash had smelt heavily of Bri during a visit with Layaent.

“Yes…” Ash adjusted in his chair, “we were sent here because there was rumoured to be a thief here who Bri’s mentor had been hunting. She pulled some strings to become my mentor and brought me with her because of how many unregistered power users are thought to be in the city.”

“And this thief… he…?”

“He uses power,” Bri said, drawing Layaent’s eyes to her, “to make other people steal items for him. The victims black out and have little to no recollection of what they have done but they all say they recall a male voice and form. He’s stolen millions in art and relics from civilizations past. All items that are easily recognisable and nothing that he can, or has even tried to, sell.”

“So you think he is one of my family?”

“No, by all means, no, we would never suggest a thing. He was in the capital city for years. Had a running dialogue with my mentor,” Bri paused for just a moment. She still mourned the loss of the man, “He, uhm, my mentor, he died. One of the victims was an officer of the law and he tried to stop the officer but the thief had programmed his victims to get the pieces at all costs. So. He was shot and killed.”

Layaent made no indication, no apology as commoners expected. The genetics had found attachment to other people too inhibiting. They seemed capable of all the emotions, but when it came to grief, they mourned for a few moments, then moved on.

When no response was received, Bri continued, “we never heard from the thief and then rumours began spreading, that he had his sights set on the national museum.”

“Ah. Which brought you to the city.”

“Yes, while we were settling in, a victim was caught trying to steal the star ring.” Layaent held up his right hand, meaning to stop Bri and ask what the ring was, Bri nodded and pointed at the ring on Layaent’s finger, “the one that one of your generational siblings has been handing out to those who have gone through or started the second growth period.”

“The original ring? It is the last piece of star metal in existence, in form,” Layaent lowered his hand to the top of his desk, “what could anyone want that for? Power users have cursed the ring for centuries, it is a symbol of power but nothing more.”

Ash had studied up a bit on the ring’s history, so it was he who spoke, “The ring‘s origins are questionable at best, some say it was forged for the Emperor, some say that he inherited it from his master, it is engraved with six, six pointed stars, it was a key symbol of the Emperor’s religious belief. The belief of the six chairs of the gods. Unlike others of the time, the Emperor believed that these chairs of the gods were empty and would remain so until the people died off and were replaced by another people. He believed that the people, us, our people, would become the gods of the six chairs and that they would need all the power available to them to survive the new people.

“So he poured all his power into his ring, and in return the ring healed him and kept him alive long past his years. The ring had become so accustomed to absorbing power, that when the Emperor’s heir killed him and took the ring, it consumed the heir, who had little power of his own.”

“Yes, thus, anyone who wears it, dies. A curator got curious one day, we had to clean up the mess, because my family is funding the exhibit,” Layaent muttered, “that was when we received a similar history lesson.”

Bri and Ash shared a look. Bri looked back at Layaent, “that’s the thing, the ring absorbs power.”

“You think that is the point? To take the ring and subdue power? None of my siblings have power!” Layaent tapped the top of the desk with his hand, an indication that his temper was growing short, “and if they did, why would they steal a ring? I am guessing that it was actually stolen, given your questioning on the star rings genetics are wearing?”

“Yes,” Bri murmured, bowing her head for the slightest moment. Did she know that she showed submission and humility by doing so, that she calmed Layaent’s temper? “it was stolen sometime during the process of investigating the victim, and replaced with a titanium replica. Something that a general scan would turn up as star metal.”

“How could you tell then, that a star ring before you is really a star ring?” Layaent asked.

“It has an inscription on the inside, six symbols which the public are not aware of,” even as Bri spoke, Layaent took off his ring and looked at the inside of the ring, “we make no accusations against your family, though this is the city of your family and therefore, if a genetic stole from the city then it is either of your family or you would really want to know, I should think.” Layaent arched an eyebrow and looked to Bri, “well, if a genetic steals in your city and gets away with it and the people hear about the theft. We are not about to tell them, I might add. But if the people heard about the theft, they would call for the genetics to do something. It is your family who would be affected the most by such an action. Thus. You would want to know ahead of time, and you would, no doubt, want the person delivered straight to you.”

Layaent considered this information carefully before he responded, “and. If the ring were to. Magically. Appear, there would be no questions as to where it came from or who had it, or what happened to the thief?”

“It would be assumed that the genetics, who are outside the law, have taken matters into their own hands.”

“Considering the fact that it is my family who would be the laughing stock of the nation, we would greatly appreciate it if you brought all information you receive, to us,” Layaent paused for the briefest moments, “we took the museum on as a tax write off, it cancels out all taxes we would have to pay, to run the place. Security, we are told, is above par. Why, my generational siblings visit there every week.”

“Have any of them been there within the last few days?” Ash asked.

“Yes, Shin went on a tour of the museum when he returned from the capital city. He had a few days of work there and it was his first time in the city,” Layaent said to Bri, meaning to tell her that he had contemplated Shin as a possible suspect despite the fact that they were brothers. It was not the first time Ash wondered if Layaent had any connection with his siblings, “let’s see, that was the day our matriarch passed and the same day Shin’s second growth began.”

“When did he receive his ring?”

Layaent looked up, thinking back, “two days after his growth began. Taya was worried about him, because he had taken a fever and an appetite. The appetite,” the other man explained to Bri, “is normal, growing takes extra energy and rather than burn through fat and muscle, we are encouraged to eat and allow our bodies to consume the food in place of tissue. But the fever is an indicator of complications, it could be power or a badly written code. My family has lost too many to badly written code. They enter the second growth, take to fever and a few days later are found dead. We think we may have solved the problem, and perhaps Shin’s fever was an example of that. He took to fever, but recovered nicely.”

“Before or after he received the ring?” Bri asked.

“After, of course,” Layaent nodded, “Taya went to the ring dealer to purchase a new ring. When she arrived, she was told that he had no rings in stock, he had not expected her for at least another week. Worried that Shin would die without a ring, she bought the second hand ring that the dealer offered. His name is Johen, I believe, down on First and Main, blue canopy.”

“Why would Taya, the one who started the tradition?” Bri waited for Layaent’s nod before she continued, “why would Taya rush to get Shin a ring? Are they connected somehow?”

“Taya is Shin’s youngest sister. She and he share the same overemotional states, except, being female, she is more affected by them. Taya is about to enter her first growth period and we are all trying to keep everything as calm as possible for her. Her mother had a difficult first growth, as did her aunts.”

“Taya being Shin’s sister would make her yours as well?” again, Layaent nodded, “and how many… actual siblings do you have?”

“If you mean, how many children did my mother and father bear, then the answer is three. Myself, Shin and Taya. I was modified only slightly, a gem, they like to call me. Taya and Shin were greatly modified, and perhaps that is why they are as they are, emotional and with health problems.

“Neither has shown potential for power, and both have been through the museum several times. Taya is sensitive, she knows something is off about the displays, but cannot say what. She has only ever avoided our third cousin, a creature name Mysh. Again, she knows something is wrong with him, but does not know what.”

“Is there something wrong with Mysh?”

Ash growled, the hairs on his head rising as Layaent stood and walked around the desk. Layaent was not about to explain to Bri why Mysh was called a creature, or even the fact that Mysh was kept secluded in the basement of the family estate. The male was seriously disturbed and his upsetting young children was entirely understandable.

“There is, yes, Mysh would have been elder, had something not gone terribly, horribly wrong during his growth,” Layaent opened the door of the study and motioned. The discussion was over then, “each of us has a ring, and each looks exactly the same, besides Shin’s because it is a pawned, second hand item.”

Bri stood, as she did Ash gave her a pleading look but she turned to Layaent anyhow and asked, “when did Mysh go wrong?”

“Oh,” Layaent frowned, eyes narrowing to pinpoints, “I believe it was. Well, it must have been about the time Shin was born, actually.”

Layaent ushered the pair of them out of his study and very firmly closed the door behind them. Ash looked up and down the hallway. No one was about. His eyes strained, but he picked up no sounds. There was no one in any of the studies but for Layaent in his own.

“Why did you ask about Mysh?” Ash hissed at her.

“Why did he bring him up?” Bri countered, “what is wrong with Mysh?”

“He’s an animal. Sensitives are upset by him, greatly upset, and no doubt the sister is a sensitive. But before you even suggest it, Shin’s birth had nothing to do with Mysh’s fall. Four or five others would have been born at the same time.”

“That’s how a female became eldest?”

“Yes,” Ash growled as someone opened the door that would lead to the ball. He glanced at Bri, but even her less sensitive ears had picked up the door opening, “the ball is ending. The heads are retiring and will take up council in an hour as we begin our party.”

“The council of six is here?” Bri whispered.

“Of course they are, the council of six is appointed by the heads of the families,” Ash responded in a normal voice, “They are the representatives of the houses, thus, they are members of the genetics. Each ball, they are there, each party, they are there. Every time a debate of a child is raised, they are there. They act as the judge and jury of our world.”

“I know about the council of six.” Bri muttered.

“Did you know, commoners went to the council of six? They knelt before the council and begged them to save the people, begged them to perform genetic engineering, something that the religions of the nation declared an abomination, begged them to make all the children equal. The council said yes.”

“The government-”

“Propaganda, that’s all that is,” Ash shook his head, “we have the videos of it, if you don’t believe me. But any commoner of any generation, with any ranking, power user or not, can go and petition the council of six. You, you could petition them for the genetic material of a tenth generation male. They might even give it to you.”

“No way, there’s no way they’d give me genetic material. Would they?” Ash tried not to look surprised by the hopeful little squeak that ‘would they?’ became as Bri finished speaking.


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