Eaitn: The New Earth

In the middle of a large gray city is a large dark building, towering above the small businesses and houses asserting its dominance and importance to our people. That is The Building of New Life, responsible for the continuation of our race and life on Eaitn. Without it, we would be a lost people like those before us who destroyed a once plentiful world with their wars and selfishness creating a large desert of toxic sand and smog with very few areas left with the ability to sustain life, including my little home of Kent.

My partner, Nam, and I were on an important trip too the BNL building, our application of family life integration had been accepted, and we were to help mold a new homunculus into a helpful citizen among out community. Some liked to call young homunculi, babies; a term I imagined Nam would prefer instead of the more traditionally used small one. I myself liked the old terms for things, but homunculi from the district cities of culture and arts had been leading a new revolution in the hopes of improving our stagnant society.

Watching the buildings whoosh by from inside the tram, a little change wouldn’t be so bad. All the buildings in my farmer’s town were the same, very few differentiated from the other inside or out, as we focused more on restoring the lands outside our protective bubble of land. I had heard that in the artists’ town’s houses were all different in shape, size, and color, showing that they were proud to be a different person.
“I hope our little one-” I began in a slow drawled tone, relaxing into my seat only to be cut off by Nam.

“Baby, Cri, its baby.” Nam supplied.

“Yes, yes,” I placated, “I do hope the baby is simple of emotion and personality.”

It wasn’t often that homunculi differed from one or the other, differences could lead to prejudice and hubris, leading people to think them better than the other. Yes, there were bound to be differences, we were all made for something and created to fit into our assigned towns but small personality quirks, or likes could be accommodated for or modified. Sometimes the science went wrong however and created more than a tolerable quirk and a little one could come out more aggressive or more nurturing, more creative or a bit dim witted, or stronger or weaker than others. This created imbalance and that imbalance was to be corrected by the parent or family figure.
 
“You shouldn’t worry, if the baby is too much, the Corrections Office will find a town more suited to their strengths, they won’t be singled out, and we would still be able to teach them for thirteen years.”

“I do not fancy correcting the behavior of a fast talking li- baby.” I admonished Nam’s optimism. Everyone here spoke in a slow relaxed drawl and when someone visited from the politics towns for Cultural Learning Months or Family Life Learning where young homunculi traded towns for half a year, they often spoke to fast resulting in repeated conversations and headaches.

“Even so, I cannot wait, I feel rather excited. Are you not?”

Admittedly I was. I could not help it, I was the type, while weary at something new, could not help but feel excitement of discovery. I balanced out Nam’s over active excitement, one of the few traits that caused a good partner relationship. Nam held enough curiosity in her being to supply two more of us, whereas I held the cautious outlook that would preserve mine and Nam’s life in the field one day should any danger happen.

“Yes.” I admitted as the tram stopped at the underground station, opening the door to a clear white hallway with a few benches scattered around.

“Do you think we can pick the name?” Nam questioned curiously, even though Nam knew better. Names were picked out by the BNL scientists, systematically going through sounds and syllables and books of old to create names that didn’t match so that each year’s batch would be different from the one thirty years before and thirty years after.

“You know better Nam. Though it would be interesting, would it not? I always liked the name Da. I found it in a book of old in the Book Keeper’s Room, cleaning up for old Bon.”

“Da?” We stood and walked out with the other young parents who had also applied for their first little one, eager and waiting, the more impatient one hoping from foot to foot in rhythm while the calmer ones stood, stoic in expression.

“I like the name Mahi. I had a friend Mahi when I was younger, just beginning work in the deserts when Mahi fell into a sand hole. Mahi was to smart and timid for the fields, was going to transfer to the Keepers towns in order to read all that young life away. Keepers are too cooped up. I can’t see how they have the patience.”

“Nam, they may not give us a little one, you talk too much. Wouldn’t want to teach the little one bad public skills.”

“Oh! Forgive me Cri. Thank you for reminding me as always. You are my perfect partner.”

“You are my perfect partner.” I supplied after before grinning mischievously. “Even if we are sometimes unbalanced.”

“Cri. Maybe it is you who will teach the baby bad skills. Teasing others is only done by children who know no better.” Nam’s voice was playful however, teasing me back.

“Children. Another word started by the-” I was cut off by a homunculus standing before us, waving a hand in the air to grab out attention. Immediately all small chatter ceased.

“Walk in single file with your partner to the elevator. We will take four couple at a time to retrieve their new family member.”
Luckily me and Nam were the fourth couple in line because the tram picked people up starting on the outskirts of the town, which is where we lived, enjoying the free view of the skies above the toxic lands.

Nam leaned into my arm to whisper to me. “You do not have to worry about the personality.” The elevator lurched causing a couple to stumble, obviously they had balance issues, must be our lab workers. “They have ways of telling what the personality will be like if taught right and what may happen if we stray from the parenting style or forget something. Every gene is accounted for and any problems that might appear because of an extra gene will be accounted for, all we need to do is inform them of it while the baby is still young so that the problem will be corrected before it has grown into it.”

“I thought one could only decide for a correction procedure at twenty, or if they cause too much harm to the public.”

“If it is in the best interest of our continuation, we may also make that decision.”

The elevator slid to a stop and a bell dinged above the silver doors. “Please step out and proceed to the crib with your names on it. There you will find the information of the little one. After, please follow the next scientist back down and await the tram home.” The first scientist’s voice droned on in a bored tone while another scientist led us out of the elevator, their long white coat flapping behind them.

“Cri. Look!” Nam’s finger pointed to a clear crib, that I assumed had out names on it for Nam had better eyesight than me.
We walked with as much dignified speed as we could to the little crib. I eyed our names on the crib to double check, before grabbing Nam’s hand, building up the courage to look in the crib.

“Its name is Juji.” Nam sighed sadly, but grabbed the folder from its pocket on the crib. I peered through the glass at a bundle of gray.

“Basic personality. Intelligent, curious,” Nam smiled at that one, curiosity was a must have trait for field workers, “Good natured, shy. Conflicting problems: Creativity.”

“That’s no to bad…” I tried to amend, despite the fact that I wanted an easy young one who would be compatible with our town as well as our personalities. Creativity wasn’t a bad thing either, but if it had been singled out, that means we may have to adjust to a young one who was more creative than their fellow peers.

“It gives us the log number so that we may file for more details later, this is just introduction day, so they are only concerned with giving us the need to know. There rest won’t matter until it’s at least four.”

Nam looked over the edge and picked up the little one. “Hello Juji. Look, here’s Cri. You’re parent. I am also you’re parent, Nam.”

The little one was swaddled in gray blankets for warmth, its gray eyes open and already curious as it studied me. Juji was perfect. Right height, right weight, a shiny little baldhead, and a simple face, just like every homunculus.

“Hello Juji.” Nam handed Juji to me, who promptly fell sleep, the stimuli of the real world to exhausting for its new senses.
“Let’s go back home.”

So we headed back to the elevator, to await the tram ride home.