Intentionality Read Free Page B

seemed a harsh and unjust blow to the struggling Mono community. They fought back, some running rescue retrieval operations in the dark of the night and others began to riot.
    Our history becomes patchy with this turn of events. Peace was eventually restored but uncharacteristically for our civilisation it is not clear how this was achieved. Records have been mislaid or were never produced. They simply begin again during the next year, explaining in detail how our Nest here under the Polar Ocean was developed.
    We arrive here as embryos, ‘seeds’.
    We have no elders, no ‘family’, no influences that are not first authorised and vetted before being efficiently timetabled. We are of course looked after in the practical sense. Our clothes are washed by the Monos in the laundry level, our food cooked to order. Our education is paramount to the cause, so this begins very early on and is by its nature a source of entertainment for the one hundred or so girls that reside as princesses in this submerged palace. Our every whim has been anticipated, every worry eased along the way. We in turn are extraordinarily well behaved. Why would we not be? We are the future, the chosen.
    â€œYou are the honoured few. Your mothers gave selflessly to our cause. Your grandmothers survived through great distress and hardship, but the true gift givers were your grandmothers of three generations ago. They fought and emerged victorious so that we could remain and prosper. Now we are in your hands. Let your journey to us be scholarly and swift. Do not tire, do not deviate, for you ladies are our future, Intentionality waits to be yours.”
    These are the words of our leader Natura (the daughter of Eve and grand-daughter of Eden, our saviour) in her annual address to the Seeders.
    We see her once a year. She travels here to The Nest. We show her our world (a highly polished version!) and then we have a harvest. A high percentage of us on this day are to be ready to ascend. Of course this is not the only harvest day, our Evo-genes mature at different rates but it is generally the group of girls from Mrs Alders advanced learning set that ascend during these special harvest days. Lily and I are expected to ascend this time.
    We place ourselves in between the orchids and the freshly cut grass. The stream in front of us trickles and tinkles as it winds its way past our feet. Always busy never stopping, with a focus and a surety that I should try to emulate one day!
    â€œSo please explain to me in simple terms how on earth you managed to not turn up for class again Mae?
    â€œIt’s not like it’s planned Lily. It’s the buzzing, I can’t focus and then when I do it’s only to try and work out what the sound is. I was wondering whether it means that my Evo-gene is about to mature? Perhaps then I shall get the answers to my questions. Maybe I will become a dentist. That would explain the buzzing! Anyway why would I even want to turn up to that torture on a Friday? I have been lifted off the floor too many times to forget our history. I can’t change it and it’s not like we get any insight into our future until we ascend.”
    â€œMae, focus, with harvest time nearly upon us, it’s too important for us to be missing parts of the induction process. Remember when we were separated for that term when you were really ill in the medical bay. I just couldn’t go through that again. I don’t work well on my own. Once after visiting you, I even threw myself into the air hole on the lower deck. I thought that the water would make me ill and I would be able to be with you for a few days.”
    â€œOh my God Lily, you didn’t tell me that! What happened?”
    â€œYou were so far into the induced coma Mae. You couldn’t respond to me, your voice had been artificially removed from my head for the first time ever. I was so lonely. Everything seemed blank and silent. The Seeder girls don’t