Summary: In a world where men rule and women are oppressed, women's rights
activist and escaped convict Relena seeks shelter with Heero. But it's
only a matter of time before he turns her in.and only the death penalty
awaits her. H/R.
INTRO
In the time when this story is set, Earth is a very strange place. Men are the dominant sex and women are oppressed because of their physical weakness. The world's leaders are all male and show no signs of changes the laws that repress females.
When young children are weaned from their mothers they are immediately segregated. Male children are kept in the families and sent to school to learn. Female children taken away and are brought up in the 'Women's Camps'. Here they are taught how to be good women. This involves housework and speaking only when spoken too. Those who pass this camp are found suitable males whom they must serve unquestioningly.
After one year those women who have been good are permitted to leave this job and find a husband. They have children and do all the work that their husbands require of them. When they have children they keep the male children, but the girls are taken away when they are only a month or so old.
Those who pass camp but fail their year of service are sent to reorientation camp, where the process of teaching is repeated and they are given a new master to serve for a year.
Those who fail the camp are sold as slaves to the highest bidder. As slaves they have no rights and are not able to find husbands. The slave master may do whatever he wishes to his slaves, and because of this many women end up dead.
This is all that the public knows about the system. Because no one wants to oppose the terrifying world leaders, no one speaks against it. The women don't dare and the men only want a quiet life. But there is a deeper, darker secret project that only a few people know about.
Only the highest-ranking officers and a few unfortunate women who experience it know about project 'Black Keeper'. The officers know that it would only take a few people to persuade the population of the world to revolt against the system. Any person who speaks out against them is dealt with severely. Men are murdered, and women are sent to Black Keeper Fort.
In this Fort terrible things happen to them. The women sent there are those who have tried to cause an uprising. Here, their spirits are beaten down and their minds wiped. After the treatments they become like living dolls, only doing whatever is requested of them. Conditions in The Fort are horrendous, but no one in the outside world knows of the terrible environment because no woman has ever survived to tell the tale. And once someone entered the Fort, they were never seen again.
.Until Relena Peacecraft escaped from Black Keeper Fortress.
It was a day like any other. The villagers of Whitely were keeping themselves to themselves. No one ever asked about the strange fortress that stood high on the cliff top. When children dared to enquire about the forbidding castle they were reprimanded.
The streets of Whitely on market day are a merry sight. Little boys run around in the street playing. Men walk along talking happily and their wives follow in their shadow, never looking up or speaking. This is the way of the woman. She does as her husband wishes but makes no decision for herself. She is not allowed to think, speak or act unless her husband permits it. And a husband not enforcing these laws upon his wife can face dire consequences.
The summer sun beat down on the little village. The white walls gleamed and washing fluttered in the warm breeze. No one even looked up when a crying baby was heard. Everyone knew that Mrs Brown had given birth to a baby girl a month ago, and now The Enforcers had come to remove her daughter and take her to 'Women's Camp.' Here the girl would remain for sixteen years until she was ready to serve men.
Heero Yuy, a tall strapping young man, squinted his eyes against the sun as he hurried home. He could feel a storm brewing in the air. The summer storms, although short, were often fierce and it was unwise to remain outside during these storms. Heero stepped into his house and shut the door behind him. A single oil lamp burned on the table. Heero lived alone. He had been an orphan and was now too old to live in the orphanage. He was, however, too young to be given a girl to serve him.
That day was no different than any other as Heero climbed into bed and blew out his light. But for Relena, the day was very different.
Relena had been imprisoned in Black Keeper Fortress for nearly a month. Her crime was speaking out against the oppression of women. She was viewed as too dangerous to be allowed to be free. Her spirit was strong and her heart was true. The Enforcers knew that she would never bow to men and that she would eventually cause too much trouble if left unchecked.
So it was that Relena was brought to The Fort against her will. She fought her guards fiercely, but they were physically far stronger than she. She endured four weeks of the pain and terror inflicted on her at The Fort, but all the time her mind was working.
The guards thought that they had finally broken her spirit. She never moved with spontaneous energy or free will. She moved only when told to do so, never spoke and became pale and thin. She exhibited all the signs of a weakened inmate, and so security on her was lifted.
But although on the outside she seemed a mere shell, on the inside she was plotting and planning. When the opportunity arose she grasped it eagerly.
Something went wrong when the guard on her cell changed. No one really knew how she managed to escape, but in a few minutes Relena was somehow racing down the uneven cliff path. She was vaguely aware that she was heading in the direction of a village, but she was so intent on escaping that she never paid much attention to the lights that grew stronger as she ran.
When she realised she was in a built up area and the pursuing guards had still not caught her, she began to think again. She had to find a place to hide, and quickly too. The streets were abandoned as she ran wildly through them. She was just passing a door when she felt a hand grab her collar and pull her inside a side street.
In the dim light afforded by the moon, Relena saw a woman looking at her. The woman had dark hair and her deep blue eyes stared at Relena. Behind the woman stood a man, with long platinum blonde hair and light blue eyes. Both raised a finger to their lips and ushered the girl inside a house. They pushed her under a bed and told her to remain quiet.
The guards rushed past the house and soon all was silent. The darkness was terrifying. After a few minutes Relena found herself being pulled out from under the bed by her too saviours.
"Thank you." She said. "You saved me. My name is Relena."
"I am Zechs, and this is my wife Noine." The man said. "We only took you in to stop the guards from catching you. But you can't stay here. If we are caught harbouring a woman we will be punished."
The woman, Noine, nodded but said nothing.
"I won't trouble you further." Relena said. "I will go."
She left, knowing that she could not stay with her saviours and endanger them further. By now the storm was upon the village. The wind howled through the houses and rain slashed to the ground. Now and again lightning illuminated the scene. In one flash of light Relena could see the wind buffeted guards who had pursued her. They seemed to be leaving, deciding that it was safer to search for her in the daylight.
Relena walked on. Her entire body was frozen and soaking wet. He hair fell lankly down her back and her feet railed in the mud. She was weak from weeks of bad treatment and malnutrition. She stumbled several times and her vision began to blur. In the darkness she stumbled one final time and fell against a door.
She was vaguely aware of someone walking up to the door and opening it from the other side. A face stared down at her. Relena looked into the beautiful eyes above her, and Heero looked down at the pathetic girl lying in the mud. Silently he dragged her inside his house and placed her in front of the fireplace.
Relena smiled before her eyes closed and she shuddered. She fell into a deep, almost coma like, sleep. Unaware that Heero was staring at her with apprehension in his eyes. He could tell from her uniform of brown that she was from The Fort, as he had once been up that way and had seen some women being paraded out into the open air for five minutes. Knowing that the woman could bring nothing but trouble, but feeling incredibly sorry for her, he let her sleep.
Heero knew that in the morning the guards would come and take her away. He didn't know how she would be punished, but he thought it fair that she should be permitted to sleep until daylight. Heero drifted off to sleep watching her, and not even the thunder awoke them from their slumber.
AN - What do you think? It's a bit of a complicated story because I had to introduce the world that they live in. Read and review please so I can get an idea of how to continue!
INTRO
In the time when this story is set, Earth is a very strange place. Men are the dominant sex and women are oppressed because of their physical weakness. The world's leaders are all male and show no signs of changes the laws that repress females.
When young children are weaned from their mothers they are immediately segregated. Male children are kept in the families and sent to school to learn. Female children taken away and are brought up in the 'Women's Camps'. Here they are taught how to be good women. This involves housework and speaking only when spoken too. Those who pass this camp are found suitable males whom they must serve unquestioningly.
After one year those women who have been good are permitted to leave this job and find a husband. They have children and do all the work that their husbands require of them. When they have children they keep the male children, but the girls are taken away when they are only a month or so old.
Those who pass camp but fail their year of service are sent to reorientation camp, where the process of teaching is repeated and they are given a new master to serve for a year.
Those who fail the camp are sold as slaves to the highest bidder. As slaves they have no rights and are not able to find husbands. The slave master may do whatever he wishes to his slaves, and because of this many women end up dead.
This is all that the public knows about the system. Because no one wants to oppose the terrifying world leaders, no one speaks against it. The women don't dare and the men only want a quiet life. But there is a deeper, darker secret project that only a few people know about.
Only the highest-ranking officers and a few unfortunate women who experience it know about project 'Black Keeper'. The officers know that it would only take a few people to persuade the population of the world to revolt against the system. Any person who speaks out against them is dealt with severely. Men are murdered, and women are sent to Black Keeper Fort.
In this Fort terrible things happen to them. The women sent there are those who have tried to cause an uprising. Here, their spirits are beaten down and their minds wiped. After the treatments they become like living dolls, only doing whatever is requested of them. Conditions in The Fort are horrendous, but no one in the outside world knows of the terrible environment because no woman has ever survived to tell the tale. And once someone entered the Fort, they were never seen again.
.Until Relena Peacecraft escaped from Black Keeper Fortress.
It was a day like any other. The villagers of Whitely were keeping themselves to themselves. No one ever asked about the strange fortress that stood high on the cliff top. When children dared to enquire about the forbidding castle they were reprimanded.
The streets of Whitely on market day are a merry sight. Little boys run around in the street playing. Men walk along talking happily and their wives follow in their shadow, never looking up or speaking. This is the way of the woman. She does as her husband wishes but makes no decision for herself. She is not allowed to think, speak or act unless her husband permits it. And a husband not enforcing these laws upon his wife can face dire consequences.
The summer sun beat down on the little village. The white walls gleamed and washing fluttered in the warm breeze. No one even looked up when a crying baby was heard. Everyone knew that Mrs Brown had given birth to a baby girl a month ago, and now The Enforcers had come to remove her daughter and take her to 'Women's Camp.' Here the girl would remain for sixteen years until she was ready to serve men.
Heero Yuy, a tall strapping young man, squinted his eyes against the sun as he hurried home. He could feel a storm brewing in the air. The summer storms, although short, were often fierce and it was unwise to remain outside during these storms. Heero stepped into his house and shut the door behind him. A single oil lamp burned on the table. Heero lived alone. He had been an orphan and was now too old to live in the orphanage. He was, however, too young to be given a girl to serve him.
That day was no different than any other as Heero climbed into bed and blew out his light. But for Relena, the day was very different.
Relena had been imprisoned in Black Keeper Fortress for nearly a month. Her crime was speaking out against the oppression of women. She was viewed as too dangerous to be allowed to be free. Her spirit was strong and her heart was true. The Enforcers knew that she would never bow to men and that she would eventually cause too much trouble if left unchecked.
So it was that Relena was brought to The Fort against her will. She fought her guards fiercely, but they were physically far stronger than she. She endured four weeks of the pain and terror inflicted on her at The Fort, but all the time her mind was working.
The guards thought that they had finally broken her spirit. She never moved with spontaneous energy or free will. She moved only when told to do so, never spoke and became pale and thin. She exhibited all the signs of a weakened inmate, and so security on her was lifted.
But although on the outside she seemed a mere shell, on the inside she was plotting and planning. When the opportunity arose she grasped it eagerly.
Something went wrong when the guard on her cell changed. No one really knew how she managed to escape, but in a few minutes Relena was somehow racing down the uneven cliff path. She was vaguely aware that she was heading in the direction of a village, but she was so intent on escaping that she never paid much attention to the lights that grew stronger as she ran.
When she realised she was in a built up area and the pursuing guards had still not caught her, she began to think again. She had to find a place to hide, and quickly too. The streets were abandoned as she ran wildly through them. She was just passing a door when she felt a hand grab her collar and pull her inside a side street.
In the dim light afforded by the moon, Relena saw a woman looking at her. The woman had dark hair and her deep blue eyes stared at Relena. Behind the woman stood a man, with long platinum blonde hair and light blue eyes. Both raised a finger to their lips and ushered the girl inside a house. They pushed her under a bed and told her to remain quiet.
The guards rushed past the house and soon all was silent. The darkness was terrifying. After a few minutes Relena found herself being pulled out from under the bed by her too saviours.
"Thank you." She said. "You saved me. My name is Relena."
"I am Zechs, and this is my wife Noine." The man said. "We only took you in to stop the guards from catching you. But you can't stay here. If we are caught harbouring a woman we will be punished."
The woman, Noine, nodded but said nothing.
"I won't trouble you further." Relena said. "I will go."
She left, knowing that she could not stay with her saviours and endanger them further. By now the storm was upon the village. The wind howled through the houses and rain slashed to the ground. Now and again lightning illuminated the scene. In one flash of light Relena could see the wind buffeted guards who had pursued her. They seemed to be leaving, deciding that it was safer to search for her in the daylight.
Relena walked on. Her entire body was frozen and soaking wet. He hair fell lankly down her back and her feet railed in the mud. She was weak from weeks of bad treatment and malnutrition. She stumbled several times and her vision began to blur. In the darkness she stumbled one final time and fell against a door.
She was vaguely aware of someone walking up to the door and opening it from the other side. A face stared down at her. Relena looked into the beautiful eyes above her, and Heero looked down at the pathetic girl lying in the mud. Silently he dragged her inside his house and placed her in front of the fireplace.
Relena smiled before her eyes closed and she shuddered. She fell into a deep, almost coma like, sleep. Unaware that Heero was staring at her with apprehension in his eyes. He could tell from her uniform of brown that she was from The Fort, as he had once been up that way and had seen some women being paraded out into the open air for five minutes. Knowing that the woman could bring nothing but trouble, but feeling incredibly sorry for her, he let her sleep.
Heero knew that in the morning the guards would come and take her away. He didn't know how she would be punished, but he thought it fair that she should be permitted to sleep until daylight. Heero drifted off to sleep watching her, and not even the thunder awoke them from their slumber.
AN - What do you think? It's a bit of a complicated story because I had to introduce the world that they live in. Read and review please so I can get an idea of how to continue!