The Legacy of Earth (Mandate Book 2) Read Free Page A

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    “Pregnancy bonus?” I said, dumbfounded. My phone was about to shake itself apart with so many back-to-back calls. I shook my wrist—a gesture that told my watch to shut-the-fuck-up and go into silent mode.
    Ortega ignored me. “That’s right, and this is off the record , son. If you consent by signing this contract, your dearly beloved will be granted ex post facto benefits from the first day of her pregnancy.”
    “I see. So, when I sign up, I get my girl to sign up too—in a different way. Or she will just disappear into some damned federal concentration camp for those afflicted with the condition known as having a fucking baby !”
    “Y—yes, in a matter of speaking,” Ortega said, grimacing. “ If you can get her pregnant, that is. That’s the part we don’t fully know yet. And, by we , I mean, the doctors, scientists. We don’t know if the airborne attack affected just the libido or the reproduction system as well because other things were changed.”
    I was visibly angry and he knew it. “Tell me something, Commander.”
    “Yes?”
    “When did this country become a fascist regime?”
    “Why, Mr. Garner! Outside of this building, it is the United States of America. In God they trust. Land of the free, home of the brave. Nothing has changed in that regard.”
    “Oh, spare me the speech, man! I don’t go for that hooyah bullshit. Why else do you think I’m at the UN enlistment office?”
    “Mr. Garner . . . the United States as we know it no longer exists. The executive order began as a Security Council directive made privately—by courier—to the top twenty nations. Those that don’t heed the warning will implode in a single generation. Remember, the world loses a third of a million people per day . Age, cancer, disease, accidents, murder—any number of usual and unusual causes. That is devastating to smaller nations.”
    I mulled his words over for a moment. “So, the Defense Force is—”
    “—looking after the unborn. The next generation is a paramount emergency. We were attacked , son! As a species! I’m supposed to encourage you to go home , find yourself a nice girl—or a bad girl, whatever works for you—get married if that suits you. And try to knock her up. The population is dropping rapidly. We have a few more years before it affects the economy, but it’s already a problem. There will be a huge generation gap if we fail to counter it. If it weren’t for the religious extremists—”
    “Wait, how did you know?” I said, my position feeling tenuous. “About me being . . . you know?”
    “I’m a trained interrogator, Mr. Garner. I can tell just from the expressions on your face. You don’t need to say a word. There are a few like you. About one in ten thousand. Most young people have all of their native behaviors except the desire to . . . reproduce. Have you noticed?”
    “Yeah, who hasn’t? What’s the government doing?”
    “The best we can, son. We are fighting this the only way we know how. By going to the Moon, going to Mars, back to growing our own food, back to making real babies again. Not relying on the damned AI to feed and clothe us, despite all of those social services already in place. Despite its authoritarian control of the world.”
    I nodded. I didn’t disagree with him but found it difficult to acknowledge that to him.
    “I know who you are, Mr. Garner. I know who your mother is. So, your name carries some weight over random recruits. You’ll get a good assignment, assuming you don’t fuck up your training.”
    I stared at the desk for long seconds, surprised by the sudden change of subject. Finally, I looked up at him, said, “I might just do that. Some day. But as of now, I need to get away from here, get this place out of my head for a while. I need to get out! And, there’s the problem of my condition getting noticed . ”
    “Your condition, son, is why I’m suggesting you go home and settle down with a woman. You will be