“It’s the next generation” Romulus explained - he was speaking to a large man in a suit, perhaps a dignitary, who was clearly out of his depth and appearing extremely flushed and flustered.
This was literally a baby factory, with glass and steel and hundreds of little bodies captured within. There were no mobiles or fluffy animals - the entire floor was stark and sterile, and it was hard to imagine any child emerging from such a cold space as this.
“We’ll make to order a boy or girl, or an ambiguous if you like … intersex is popular these days” he said as casually as though he was speaking about new cars. Romulus pointed to a wall of photographs with numbers beneath them. He then continued: “we can share your DNA no questions asked, or use someone of your choosing …the prodigy will be yours within the definition of the law”.
Goober glanced over to Puck who heard this also. They remained still now standing in a supply closet with the door ajar. The shelving there was packed with saline packs and transport cribs.
Yes! thought Goober to himself - that is what this middle-aged man had come for - a child of his own.
“Ah, er, - how long?” he stuttered.
“Well assuming you keep up your end of the bargain I’d say seven months turnaround - seven to twelve. You can start choosing names and I am happy even to give you two for the price of one.”
The man in the suit appeared nervously excited hearing this - clearly he had achieved what he had come for. They watched him go to take something from his wallet.
Romulus raised his hand to stop him saying “That won’t be necessary. We have contracts with terms - you will need to go through our Neonatal Department to formalise our agreement. Just understand - if you ever tell anyone anyone about our plant downunder we will not hesitate to put you, your wife and your children into our very own tissue bank. We can recycle these days - eco friendly and all that”
“Well assuming you keep up your end of the bargain I’d say seven months turnaround - seven to twelve. You can start choosing names and I am happy even to give you two for the price of one.”
The man in the suit appeared nervously excited hearing this - clearly he had achieved what he had come for. They watched him go to take something from his wallet.
Romulus raised his hand to stop him saying “That won’t be necessary. We have contracts with terms - you will need to go through our Neonatal Department to formalise our agreement. Just understand - if you ever tell anyone anyone about our plant downunder we will not hesitate to put you, your wife and your children into our very own tissue bank. We can recycle these days - eco friendly and all that”
He had said this threateningly and then finished with a casual laugh saying “but then you know that already Parker”. For one brief moment Romulus’s eyes turned crimson, and then green, and shot sparks from them.
The air suddenly got colder, and the man in the suit wet himself. It did not appear he was used to being threatened, and pee saturated his trouser leg all the way to his sock. Perhaps the environment underground had proved too much for his nerves.
“I hear you” he said belligerently, looking away from Romulus and towards the exit. He could not bear those eyes. He mumbled something else that Puck and Goober could not hear and the two departed leaving Puck, Goober and Needles in the laboratory alone.
-Gabriel Brunsdon, Finding Self - Second Guesses- Azlander Series
The air suddenly got colder, and the man in the suit wet himself. It did not appear he was used to being threatened, and pee saturated his trouser leg all the way to his sock. Perhaps the environment underground had proved too much for his nerves.
“I hear you” he said belligerently, looking away from Romulus and towards the exit. He could not bear those eyes. He mumbled something else that Puck and Goober could not hear and the two departed leaving Puck, Goober and Needles in the laboratory alone.
-Gabriel Brunsdon, Finding Self - Second Guesses- Azlander Series
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