Chapter 15: Chapter 15

I’m stuck in my room, banished while the Masters deliberate over my actions. They’ve even taken Beth away, leaving me completely alone. I sit on my bed, staring out the window, waiting.

After a few hours, a worker brings me some food. I thank her and eat slowly. Then, I wait some more.

By the time they come for me, the sun has already set. Two soldiers lay their hands on my shoulders and guide me downstairs. We enter the circular room I was in earlier.

The Masters of the house, all eight of them, are seated around the table, but there are still many chairs left vacant.

Defective Abby is behind them, tied to a chair. She’s been cleaned up and looks well. Gael is next to her, also cleaned but not restrained. She starts crying when she sees me enter.

Beth’s here too. She’s sitting on Gael’s lap, taking in everything with her big brown eyes. She lets out a squawk and a giggle when she sees me and reaches over Gael’s arms to get closer to me.

I don’t see Crippled Abby, but her mother doesn’t seem overly worried, so I assume she’s with the other workers.

“Alexandra 958,687,487.64.4.2.1,” says Master Richard, rubbing his pale, sweaty hands together and looking at me from across the room.

Eric is sitting next to him. His fingers are intertwined in front of him, and he stares blankly ahead. The two soldiers push me forward, but their grip on my shoulders remains firm.

“Yes, Master,” I respond promptly.

“You have been found guilty of encouraging a pregnant Perfect to leave the safety of her home with a Defective worker and have her child cut out of her by Defectives.

“You have exposed a Perfect to Defectives, the dangers of being outside, and you have destroyed the life of a Pre-Perfect, the most sacred being in our society,” Master Richard informs me.

“Therefore, you are being charged with treason.” I flinch at his words. “Two witnesses, Defective Abby and Perfect Gael, have admitted that you forced them to commit this crime with you,” he continues.

I glance at the two women. Gael is crying uncontrollably, but Defective Abby meets my gaze. I understand. I would have done the same for Beth. She has to survive for her daughter, so I won’t hold it against her.

I know she sees this in my expression. She bows her head slightly.

“Therefore, 958,687,487.64.4.2.1 Alexandra, we find you guilty of this horrendous crime,” Master Hector growls.

I bow my head. I see Eric raise his chin slightly out of the corner of my eye, and I hear Beth smacking her lips and giggling.

“However,” says Master Richard. I look up. “Master Eric has spoken on your behalf. He tells us that you suffer from nightmares about past raids and you spend many nights sleepless.

“This, we’ve agreed, is enough to affect the mindset of a Perfect woman. He told us that you committed this crime because you wrongly feared for this Perfect’s life.

“You were foolish, but your actions weren’t to kill a Pre-Perfect but to save a Perfect’s life. Though she was in no mortal danger, your actions are loyal to Albion and your pledge.

“Therefore, we remove the treason charge against you.”

I stare at him with wide eyes, trying to hold back the tears threatening to spill. I meet Eric’s gaze, and he gives me a curt nod.

“Luckily for you, Perfect 958,652,601.64.1.3.7 Gael has been treated and the doctors have found that she is still able to produce Perfect children. Therefore, the only casualty was the Per-Perfect fetus.

“You are going to make up for this lost life, 958,687,487.64.4.2.1 Alexandra,” Master Richard continues.

I feel my body heating slightly. My palms are sweating and my heart races. I want it to stop; I don’t want to be afraid, to be nervous. I want to be strong, to accept my punishment.

Master Richard clears his throat and then clicks his tongue against the roof of his mouth. He stares at me intently. “958,687,487.64.4.2.1 Alexandra, you have been sentenced to produce nine Perfect children.”

There is a long silence. I stare at him wide-eyed.

“Nine?” I breathe. The Masters only stare back at me. I think fast. “But that’s an honor Master,” I whisper.

I watch as small smiles crack their faces. Eric beams at me. Master Richard nods once.

“A true Perfect,” Eric says. The Masters murmur in agreement.

“Yes, you are correct,” Master Richard says. “We are also further honoring you: your next child must be created with Master Hector.”

I can’t help the scowl on my face, but I force it to disappear, to neutralize. I search Eric’s face. I want his eyes to meet mine, but he looks away. He’s turning red—in anger or embarrassment, I’m unsure.

“Thank you, Master,” I murmur.

“We have found that honoring you hasn’t been sufficient punishment. How will you learn?” Master Hector snarls at me.

“Therefore, we have arranged for your daughter to be taken to school today. Though she is still young, with such a Perfect mother as yourself, this will not affect her future.”

His words hit me like punches. The other punishments, having nine children and sleeping with Hector, are caresses compared to losing Beth.

They’re taking her away from me. Beth, my child. They are taking her from me. I can’t stay calm and composed any longer.

“No!” I burst out, dropping to the ground to kneel. “Please no! She’s not twelve months yet!”

The soldiers holding me let go in surprise. Everyone stares at me wide-eyed for a second. Everyone but Defective Abby seems shocked.

“Please control yourself,” Master Richard growls. “Pick her up.”

The soldiers grab me and haul me to my feet. I struggle against them, and they loosen their grip slightly. I’m no danger.

“Please,” I beg, tears beginning to stream down my face. “I won’t ever see her again.”

“Raising a child is taking away from your time to make more. You’ll be having another one soon, and you can keep that one for a whole year.

“You’re fortunate because you have another eight children to give to Albion. Your daughter is old enough to join Albion’s society. You should feel proud!”

Master Richard’s words hit me like a punch. “Please!” I plead.

“Alexandra!”

It’s Eric. He strides over to me. I look at him, my eyes wide with fear.

“Compose yourself,” he commands. I know I have to listen to him. I know I’m risking losing even more, but they’re already taking my child from me. I look past him to Beth, sitting on Gael’s lap, her eyes locked on mine.

“Let me say goodbye,” I manage to whisper through my tears.

Master Richard clears his throat. “You have ten minutes. The school will be here by then. Dismissed!”

He bangs his gavel once, and the soldiers grab me to hold me back as the Masters leave the room in a single file. Defective Abby is dragged out, and Master Hector takes Gael.

Eric lifts Beth into his arms and brings her to me. “Leave us,” he orders the soldiers. They nod and leave.

Eric shuts the door behind them and turns back to me. I hate that he’s still here with me. I want him to go. I want to spend this time with my daughter, just the two of us.

“Alex, why aren’t you more appreciative? What was that display? Sobbing on the floor! What did I tell you before?” Eric scolds me.

I lower my head and hold Beth close. “I apologize, Master,” I say. “It was instinctive. A mother’s instinct.”

Eric sighs deeply. He continues to lecture me, but I don’t hear him. I can’t care, not when they’re taking Beth away from me. I sink to the floor, clutch her to my chest, and bury my face in her hair.

“Beth,” I whisper, “oh, Beth, I love you. I love you so much. More than anything else in this world.”

I pull back to look into her big brown eyes. Eric has fallen silent. “You have been the only light in my life,” I tell Beth. “I feel so lost, but you are my reason. You won’t remember me, I know that.

“But I’m going to remember you. For the rest of my life. I will never forget you, my sweet, sweet baby.”

I glance up at Eric, who is staring down at me. His piercing eyes bore into me.

“Master.”

He purses his lips. “I don’t like seeing you like this, Alex,” he says seriously.

I take a deep breath and try to pull myself together. I rise from the floor, still holding Beth tightly.

“Eric,” I say, taking another breath. I see a hint of a smile on his lips. “Can you tell me which school she will go to?”

He raises his eyebrows. “The same one you did,” he says. “I thought you would like to imagine her there. You care for her so much.”

I nod once. “Thank you.” I kiss the top of her head and close my eyes, breathing in her scent.

“You knew this day was coming,” Eric says. “You shouldn’t be so upset by it.”

“Should I be grateful?” I ask.

Eric steps closer to me. “You should always be grateful, Alex. To Albion, to me. But I do understand that you will miss her. I might miss her too. She’s a good kid.

“I remember when she was born and when she first came here. I’ll always remember her too. How happy she made you, her laugh.”

His words are oddly comforting. He wraps his arm around my shoulders and looks down at Beth.

I feel my muscles tighten. There’s something cold about him, about the way he’s holding us, talking about Beth. I suddenly want to take her far away from him.

But he’s my only protection here. Without him, they might have killed me or made me a Defective. And Beth would have been taken with me, and we would have worked until we died.

Eric saved us in a way. I know I should be grateful for the life he’s given me, but there’s something wrong with it.

I look into Beth’s big brown eyes. I know what I want to ask her. She’s the only witness. I want to know if she remembers him, the Japanese soldier who saved our lives.

Did he exist, or was he a figment of my imagination? Beth is alive and in my arms today, thanks to him. Where is he now? How can I repay him?

I want Beth to answer me, comfort me, and tell me that I’m going to escape from here. That one day, I’ll be free from Eric and the Masters and far away from this house.

I need her to promise me that I won’t be forced to have eight more children that I’ll have to give up.

I need to know that I’m not going to spend the rest of my life making bombs and producing children who will only die trying to live.

Or live trying to die, like I am doing now.

But Beth can’t speak to me, she can’t understand. She sees my distress; she wipes my tears and tells me about a small scratch on her hand, which I kiss and make better for her.

Ten minutes. It could have been ten seconds or ten hours. In the end, they take her from me. The doors open and five soldiers appear. They escort me carrying Beth in my arms to the front entrance of the house.

It’s a ceremony, giving your child to Albion. The flag hangs from the ceiling, almost touching the ground in front of the door.

The eight Masters of the house stand in front of the flag. Soldiers and workers are lined up to watch.

I kneel in front of them with Beth held tightly in my arms. Before the flag, I pledge my life and Beth’s life. I press my lips to her forehead.

“Beth, remember your name. It’s Beth. I’ll find you. I promise, I’ll find you again, Beth. I love you.” I murmur these words to her just as a teacher in a long gray dress takes her from my arms.

The teacher stands in front of the flag, pledging to care for the Pre-Perfect until she reaches Perfection. She promises to raise her for Albion, to mold her into Perfection. Beth isn’t mine anymore; she belongs to Albion now.

I remain on my knees as the teacher vanishes around the flag, taking Beth with her. I hear each footstep, and I hear Beth’s cries for me. I’m frozen in place. My body shakes, and my face is wet with tears.

They let me stay there on the ground until the truck pulls away. Then Eric helps me up, leading me to his room. He doesn’t force me; he just holds me close, letting me sob against his firm chest.

But even in his arms, I feel alone. I’m cold, and I’m alone. My sobs grow louder as I realize that I don’t want to belong to Albion. I realize that I despise Albion. I realize that I need to escape Albion.