Hotch had finished eating his breakfast and was neatly stacking the dishes back on the tray when the door to his cell opened admitting an older woman (in her mid-sixties, he guessed), with long gray hair and no make-up, wearing what his mother would have called a farmer's wife's dress. However, judging from her upright posture and the look on her face, this was someone who was used to issuing orders and being obeyed.
"Done eating, I see," she greeted Hoch cheerfully. "I hope you enjoyed it."
"As well as I could enjoy anything eaten in while in captivity," Hotch replied, giving the woman his patented 'Hotch glare'.
"Still hostile, I see," the woman replied. "Good. That indicates a very determined personality, and that's always a plus. However, it may be a drawback initially."
"I will have you know that I am a U.S. Federal Agent," Hotch told her heatedly. "And, holding me against my will is a federal crime."
"I have no doubt that it is, in some places," was the placid reply. "However, you are not now at one of those places. So, I would strongly suggest that you adjust your attitude."
"What is your number?" Hotch changed his mode of attack. "What should I call you?"
"You may call me Mistress," the woman replied as she sat down in a chair that 415 brought and placed for her. Hotch noted that she also kept carefully out of his reach.
"You have a name, not a number?" he asked.
"Everyone has a number," Mistress assured him. "However, some of us also have names, and I am one of them."
"I heard someone being called Commander," Hotch remembered. "Is he one of those?"
"He is my husband," was the reply. "And, you're right, he also has a name in addition to his number. But, that's not what I am here to discuss. I am here to explain what is going to be expected of you now that you have joined us. You need to have a clear idea of what your duties are going to be and how they will be carried out."
"My duties?" Hotch questioned. "What do you mean by that?"
"And, I have not joined you," he quickly added. "I am being held here against my will."
"You have been brought to us to be a Breeder," Mistress continued calmly. "And, this morning I am going to explain to you exactly how that is going to work."
"A Breeder?" Hotch questioned. "You mean with other people – Women?"
"Of course with women," Mistress replied with a smile. "Unless you don't like women. You do like women, don't you?"
"Of course I like women! I'm a heterosexual male who has been married and has a son," Hotch quickly replied. "However, I refuse to rape a woman. I don't care what the circumstances are – I WILL NOT DO IT!"
"My dear 751," the woman sighed. "Please rid yourself of the impression that you are going to be presented with some dewy-eyed, innocent, underage young virgin to ravage. That's not how it works. The women who live here understand their responsibilities to the community, and part of my job is to make certain that they have the opportunity to fulfill them in a way that is suitably anonymous for both them and the man they are paired with. I also take into consideration the fact that we need to have both a healthy mother and a healthy baby resulting from each encounter, and that takes some planning."
"You do admit that what you expect me to do is to impregnate these women," Hotch demanded. "Women who I don't even know."
"They don't know you either," Mistress pointed out. "And, the way this is set up, they never will know who it was they were partnered with. That's not important."
"It is to me!" Hotch insisted. "I will be a responsible father to any child I help to create!" He continued glaring angrily at the woman.
"Oh, Dear," the woman signed. "I am afraid we have gotten off on the wrong foot all together. Let me start again. This time I will begin by outlining the system we have set up here and your role in it."
"You are currently at Farm #3, which is one of several farms on this island," she began. "And, most of the residents of the farms have lived on this island for several generations. We raise our own food as well as several cash crops and engage in some light manufacturing. We are mostly self-sufficient and have always been so. However, as isolated as we are from the rest of the world, we need to be concerned about the dangers inherent in in-breeding. Therefore, we not only track the family trees of all of our members but we also periodically go to outside sources for new genetic material."
"Go to outside sources?" Hotch burst out. "Go Outside? Don't you mean you kidnap innocent people and haul them out here against their will?"
"That's one way of looking at it," Mistress agreed. "However, most of the individuals we acquire we are rescuing from a less than desirable lifestyle. You, of course, are one of the few exceptions. As I said, we are farmers and there is always a need for strong people who can work on the land. When I requested someone of that type who would be a good breeder, you were who they supplied."
"You order people up like they are fast food?" Hotch demanded. "Who are your suppliers?"
"We need a specific type of person to live here," she continued unconcerned. "Not everyone is suited to life on an island, even a large island. And, as for our supplier, let's just say that they have been in business for a long time and that they generally come through with what we need. Now, to continue – "
"The women who live here know that they are expected to produce offspring. Without them, we would die off. And, they are also aware that they can't go off and breed with just anyone. The other party involved might be a close relative. So, a system has been developed. When a young woman reaches the age of 21, we begin monitoring her fertility cycle. Once we are certain of when her most fertile days are likely to occur a mate (or group of potential mates) is determined. Sometimes this process can take over a year as we may decide to go outside this farm. Then, arrangements are made for the two of them to meet in a specially designated area – Like this room. Three meetings are planned over three nights and, during all three meetings, the man involved is masked so as to remain anonymous and so is the woman. If a pregnancy occurs, the meetings were deemed to have been a success and after nine months the woman gives birth. If no pregnancy occurs, another series of encounters is arranged; sometimes with the same man, sometimes with another."
"So, you expect these women to spend their entire lives being pregnant and giving birth?" Hotch burst out. "Just so you can maintain the population on this island?"
"Far from it," was the response. "Provided there wasn't any difficulty with the first pregnancy and delivery, a second pregnancy is generally expected. However, following that the woman is free to make her own decision on whether or not she wants to have more children. And, no stigma is attached to whatever decision she makes. She also has the freedom at that time to decide who she partners with – Either I will arrange it or, if she has her eye on one of the men here, I can check to see whether he is suitable."
"You mean whether he is a close relative," Hotch spit out. "It sounds as if no one here knows exactly who they are related to."
"Family is a very fluid term," Mistress told him thoughtfully. "We prefer to define it as being those persons we are close to and care about, not necessarily those we have a blood tie to."
"Either way, I will not be participating!" Hotch declared hotly. "I will not be playing your breeding game for you and that is final!"
"I am sorry you feel that way," Mistress replied as she stood up to leave. "However, please keep in mind that we do have ways of forcing your participation."
As she left Hotch's cell he noted that she took the time to make certain the door was securely locked behind her.