The Creationist (Working Title)

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Lesson 2: There are few wives who do not heartily desire a child

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I slump over in the chair, my arms around my mid-section and begin to sob as if I were a teen wife again, one who'd lost her baby. Unintentionally, by mistake; as if it'd been a miscarriage brought on by domestic labor or a beating from a husband.

Except that this wasn't by mistake. It wasn't brought on through hard work; nor a beating from my husband. Although, what difference did it make? He might as well have beat me himself. Then, at least, I could pin the blame fully on him; the lost life of the angel that grew inside of me...

"What was it? I want to know." Tears pour down my cheeks, my voice is cracked and raspy. Slowly, I open my eyes. The glare of the harsh overhead lighting is too much, I squint as I try to make out the technician.

When I'm finally able to open my eyes, I see the technician is no more than a young girl, she too, is several weeks into a pregnancy. Her face is beautiful, but pain and sorrow mark her features, a grimace pulls her full lips down into a frown. "Most High -- I'm so sorry..." She begins, trailing as she looks down, one hand of her thin hands unconsciously drifts to the slight bulge on her abdomen.

Small tears form at the corners of her eyes. "It was a little girl. Most High, please forgive me." I let out a small cry at her words and slump back down onto the gurney. I pull my legs up to my chest, dig my head into them and let out the full force of my emotions.

The nameless, but very pregnant technician lets out a small cry of her own and wraps her arms around my defeated form. She's warm. Somehow I feel the small, new life kick inside of her. It brings me back into my own reality, back from the depths of my own despair and heartbreak. I won't be able to forgive Endymion.

Slowly the technician releases me, a sad smile on her face. I begin to pull at the white smock I'd been given to wear for the procedure, the coarseness off the cheap but sterile medical fabric scratches me skin. I long for the silks and soft cottons of my own clothes.

"Most High, your procedure it over. I would recommend returning to your apartments. And, perhaps, to eat something chocolate." Her voice is warm, affection and worry both create lines on her face. I give her a short nod and slowly push myself off the gurney.

I quickly leave the room. I don't even bother to grab my shoes, or to even clean myself up. The procedure itself was quick and clean, used only a small, concentrated laser. There was no blood. Not even a break in the skin.

I'd not yet fully composed myself as I walked down the hallway, my bare feet padding down the corridor, tears still streamed down my face. I moved my right hand to lay over my flat stomach, my left shielded my eyes from the bright lights above, tears, still, rolled down my cheeks.

In the span of a five minute procedure I'd been reduced to a sniveling, desperate teen girl again. Memories of my wedding flooded my head...

I'd been married more than one-hundred years ago, at the fresh age of seventeen. The ceremony had been the loveliest, most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. And my husband... Oh, how I'd loved my husband. His face, the look on his face, when I first travelled down the alter, I'll never forget it. All of the love and adoration...

I'd gotten pregnant right away. This was joyous news, erupting throughout the kingdom. Technological advances had allowed me to stay in perfect prenatal health throughout each of my terms, even my delivery had been painless. My daughter, the love of my life, was perfect. My most precious memory of her as a baby was when she first grasped my finger.

I was, for lack of better words, the perfect, unassuming wife. I did my job with happiness, always filling my husband's wants and needs. I'd produced an heir. I'd never been unfaithful to Endymion, although it had been hard at times. Oh, yes, temptation can get the better of us. Woman, we're like that...

I'd walked for quite some time now, everything had began to look the same. That's how it was at Skylab's medical precinct. Everything from the glossy white enamel of the walls to the sterile carbon flooring was white. And not a lovely eggshell or cream, but the harsh bleached white of serious medical professionals.

Finally I'd reached the receptionist's desk. The woman behind it was dressed in the same color of the walls and flooring, her right eye covered with a small, translucent spectacle that constantly fed her new data. The look on her face turned sour as she took me in, her chin raising slightly as she assessed me.

"I've finished my procedure. Please, my clothing?" My tone was courteous, I did not demand my clothing nor make her submit to my command. Even though I could have had her banished just for the look she gave me.

"Most High, I'm afraid the Great One has forbidden your exit - " Her voice, oh, how I wished to slap the little bitch behind the glass and titanium partition. "You will go back to your holding unit until the Great One has authorized you to check out." The receptionist's tone is still affected, I wish to wrap the cord of her spectacle around her neck so that she might never again speak.

"I've tried to be nice. Now, give me my interface ring and my clothes or I shall have you banished!" My voice is shrill as I rake my nails over the smooth surface of the partition. The woman blanches and slowly slips my interface ring under the partition. However, my clothes does not follow.

"Where are my clothes?"

The woman looks down, her face still pallid from my earlier threat. "Most High, your clothes have been fed back into the recycler." She does not dare look up, for if she does, she knows she will sorely regret it.

"Fine. Check me out. I'm authorizing my own exit." The receptionist taps at the holographic keyboard of her station, the glass doors ahead of me finally part with the whoosh of air.

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The music pulses around her body, flashing lights of blue and purple fill the room, illuminating it like the deepest reaches of the galaxy. Everyone from Preppies to Rasta kids and Burnouts were present, all drinking and sending pings to each other like there was no tomorrow.

In the past one hundred years Chibi-Usa had grown into the picture perfect young woman, an image of what every princess of the Lunar Court and Terran Alliance should be. She no longer held the look of a small child, but had gained several feet in height, her breasts had filled in and her face lost all traces of childhood fat.

"Hey, you bitch!" Chibi-Usa squealed as a girl in a green latex number spilled a toxic-looking drink all over her. The girl giggled stupidly as Chibi-Usa pushed her off of her, shoving her into the endless throng of people that swam around the bar in a mix of alcohol, dance, and pulsating trance music.

This was a typical weeknight at The Crescent, Chibi-Usa's favorite night club. The outrageously large crowd of people was unusually small tonight. On a good night you could barely make it too the bar, let alone find a seat and actually order something.

Helios, in the most stylish of outfits, sat next to Chibi-Usa, an affected look on his face. "Dear Heart, must we stay here? This music is awful, the alcohol is sure to be infected with something. You're already acting utterly indecent."

Helios looked utterly unlike himself, dressed in the garb of modern teen wastrels, or, as they were called socially, the Raver. His silvery hair had been tousled as if he had racked his fingers through it, giving him a 'fresh out of bed' and sexy 'slept-in' look. Chibi-Usa had fashioned his interface ring to holographically hide the golden accoutrement that remained permanently fixed to the crown of his head. However, the small red bindi on his forehead could not be hidden, and easily gave off his high rank to those who gazed upon him.

"Oh, please! You know you love it here..." Chibi-Usa purred as she slid her body around to fit inside his open legs. "You're only acting so... proper for my father. Who - " She trailed as she ran her fingers over his lips, "is not here at the moment." Her voice ended in a whisper as she crushed her lips down onto his, the music and the masses of people melting away.

Helios, ever the gentleman, slowly pushed Chibi-Usa away. "Dear Heart, you know if anyone saw us in such a compromising position, that it could mean my life. You know with all of your being that your father has eyes everywhere, and if he where to know of our romance that he would have me sent to Sol Invictus."

Just as he had finished his last word, his interface ring began to trill, indicating an incoming ping. With deliberate movements, Helios twisted the ring so that the ping played aloud.

"Helios, I've been made aware of your treason." Endymion's words fill Chibi-Usa's and Helios' ears. Fear instantly overtakes Chibi-Usa, causing her to act impulsively and to shut the interface ring off.

"We have to get out of here." By this time Helios is silent, his face frozen in horror. Chibi-Usa grasps his arm and pulls him through the packs of people, each to busy to notice the looming terror that lay outside the walls of the night club.

As soon as Chibi-Usa and Helios exit the club, they are greeted by a group of Endymion's guard. Immediately, the leader of the group reads Helios' warrant from the transparent spectacle that cover his right eye. "Helios, Keeper of the Golden Crystal and High Priest to Elysion, you are under arrest by decree of the Great One. You have committed sins against the state, and shall be detained until further questioning."

After the last word is spoken, four men tackle Helios, pinning him the ground. They secure his arms behind his back with carbon locks, slowly pull him to his feet.

Chibi-Usa watches in fright, her eyes wide with fear and panic as she takes in the scene before her. "Your Royal Highness, please my soldier to escort you back to the compound. You are not safe here alone."

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Okay... okay! Thank you so much for the encouraging reviews! I really, truly appreciate them. They are truly uplifting and inspiring! :) /hugs reviewers/