Chapter 301
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As Eve and Jamal walked to their apartment Eve had to stop at the hospital first. She told Jamal that she needed something from Dr Weber. It was a prescription to prevent infection after giving birth. That's what Eve told Jamal it was. He didn't ask why she needed it two months after giving birth, he wasn't a doctor. This was really to prevent post-partem depression. That would've been awkward to explain to Jamal, it wasn't illegal. What was now illegal was the birth-control pills Weber gave her. Tonight would be the first time Eve made love to a man in two and a half years. She didn't consider getting pregnant in camp 81 to be making love, the same with the old sector guards who used her. And ofcourse Amy couldn't get Eve pregnant. But these pills were now illegal in this sector, and Eve still hoped Gid would spare their community. But if he didn't, Eve didn't think it was fair to a child to get pregnant, only for her and the baby to die before it was even born.
There was definitely a black-market in the secotr after the uprising. With tobacco and alcohol banned, most of the confiscated material was under guard. The plan was to trade this to the outside world for fuel and food. Much of the contraband was destroyed in the chaos of the uprising, enough had survived to trade for important items. But some of it "dissapeared." Some of Amanda's old crew were put to use setting up deals. For better or worse they were more familiar with illegal deals than religious zealots. Eve's superiors emphasized the importance of this contraband to her. If people in the sector drank booze, smoked ciggarettes, or used drugs, the sector had less to trade for food for the collective good. But it seemed impossible to completely stop this black-market. Some had been arrested, but others took their place. The religious council controlled sector airwaves, restricted much of what people saw. The rumors were that much of what aired outside was trash. Every manner of sexual perversion, torture, glorification of crime was unavailable. One rumor even said that there was a murder store. A store where people could buy weapons, tools to dispose of bodies, and the like to help in murder. This store actually advertised on television, right alongside assasins advertising their services. Eve could understand why the council would want these things banned, but she missed watching "Buffy" "Twilight zone" : "Simpsons." Another black-market was preparing for March 1st. Preachers were warning that the Arks could not protect them from God's wrath. Only living right in God-fearing communities would save their lives. Some feared the sector guards wouldn't even let out those selected for the Arks. Some were preparing to escape if they had to, regardless of what God wanted.