(Leopold’s POV)
The secretary indicates me to go in. I take a deep breath before I open the wooden office door. The first thing I notice is the tall woman standing next to Mejor Anderson’s desk. I can tell she is a Matron because of her brown uniform. A simple blouse and skirt, boring and plain, just like the Matrons are. The woman stares at me attentively.
“I’m sorry, Major Anderson, I thought you requested to see me but I see you have company. I’ll leave” I say as I turn around to exit the spacious office.
“No, Commander Mortensen, I did request to see you, I have news for you,” the major says with a wicked grin on his face. He then turns his eyes to the Matron and she gives him a knowing look. What is this man up to now? “This is Matron Sarah, she is a member of the Assignment Committee. Matron, this is Leopold Mortensen, Commander of the 9th Unit.” He introduces us.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” I say to the Matron without understanding why she is here. The Assignment Committee is in charge of matching fertile people with a suitable partner, but Major Anderson has had a Bearer for years and is way past his assignment age. Why is he meeting with a member of that committee?
“It is an honor to meet such a renowned commander. I truly appreciate all the things you do for Estermond,” she says and I nod thankfully for her recognition.
I immediately notice that Major Anderson makes a face. He hates that everyone in Estermond recognizes me, he envies my fame and that’s the main reason he repeatedly tries to sabotage my career. I should have become a major myself years ago, but Major Anderson always opposes my promotion.
“Enough with the chit chat,” Anderson tosses me a file, it lands exactly in front of me over the desk. I take it with curiosity. Maybe it’s a new Eel location we can raid. It is about time! It’s been a while since the Keepers got any useful information from interrogating their prisoners. I open the file and frown, I don’t get it. Prisoner 3312? Who is this girl and why am I looking at her file? She appears to be just another dirty Eel... she was part of the attack against the Ministry of Education a few weeks ago. She is already detained... Jordan, my number two, did it. Good for him.
“I sincerely apologize, major, but I don’t get why you are showing me this file,” I say frowning.
The major stands up with that stupid grin still on his face.
“Can’t you read, commander? Female prisoner 3312, formerly known as Aubrey Campbell, 19-years-old. The only daughter of Mia Campbell, a well-known Eel we’ve been chasing for years. Prisoner 3312 was detained by your men while she was helping her mother attack the Ministry of Education three weeks ago,” he uselessly repeats what’s in the file.
“I see that, major. I was there that day with my men; we shot Mia, too bad we didn’t do the same with her rebellious daughter. But luckily, she was detained so the Ministry of Obedience will handle her now,” I put the file back on the desk, uninterested by it.
“Well, not exactly, commander. I’m afraid we have stumble upon a bit of a conundrum, you see, prisoner 3312 used to be part of the Shark Youth Forces in our very own ministry, apparently, she was exceptionally talented...”
“Are you telling me an Eel infiltrated our forces?!” I feel my blood boiling with rage, those dirty Eels are everywhere!
“Unfortunately, it seems like it,” Major Anderson replies.
With one swift move, I take the file once again and scan the document with my eyes frenetically, but I don’t find what I’m so eagerly looking for.
“What is happening here? Why haven’t the Keepers executed her already?” I ask furious. “After what she has done, she must be eliminated at once!”
“On normal circumstances we would, but I’m afraid we have other plans for this girl,” Major Anderson informs me.
“Other plans?” What plans can there be for an Eel?
“Actually, that’s the reason why I called you to my office. You see, Commander Mortensen, prisoner 3312 took her fertility test right before the attack, and given her unusual results, the Ministry of Obedience, as well as our own ministry and the Assignment Committee, have had to reconsider what to do with her. Not every day do we get FX100 results. You surely understand the extraordinary circumstances we are facing, with our birth rates getting lower and lower every year, we simply can’t execute a girl like her,” he explains to me with his eyebrows arched.
“Major, are you telling me that our superiors have decided to let her live?!” I ask in disbelief.
This is outrageous! Who cares what her test results were? She is a traitor! And a dangerous one, if she was sneaky enough to infiltrate our Youth Forces, who knows what else she is capable of? We can’t let an individual like her on the loose.
“They have, commander, but that’s not all,” replies the Matron. “As you can imagine, this situation is rather unusual for us at the Assignment Committee. We have debated what is to be done with this case because, naturally, a girl like Aubrey Campbell can’t be left unchecked as a Bearer. She needs a partner who is capable of keeping her in place. We need a strong, brave, and intelligent man capable of containing any threat she might pose for our good society... preferably a man already experienced in dealing with Eels...”
My jaw drops the second I decipher her intentions. “No way,” I exclaim “Absolutely no. I won’t accept it! I’m a Shark commander! I won’t be forced to be the partner of an Eel. I refuse!”
“Commander, I am certain you can see our predicament. We wouldn’t put a burden like this on a man so beloved as yourself if it wasn’t necessary,” Matron Sarah explains.
“Commander Mortensen, be reasonable! All the other commanders already have partners. You are the only one who is still unmatched. The situation is too unusual, a heroic man like yourself should give this country many children. I know you and sweet Grace were never able to conceive and after she passed away, out of respect for your loss, we tried to give you time and space to heal, but that time has passed and now you have to serve your nation.”
“Serve my nation? I already serve Estermond every day,” I defend myself.
“Commander Mortensen, don’t be so childish. Part of your duty is also doing what you can so we don’t get extinct,” Major Anderson’s eyes sparkle with malice, he is enjoying seeing me upset.
“But an Eel? You expect me to spend the rest of my life with a traitor like her? This is outrageous!” I’m doing my best not to lose my temper but I am so infuriated I could smash my fist against the wall.
“If anyone is suited for this, is you, Commander Mortensen,” intervenes the Matron.
“That is insulting. A couple of minutes ago you said that you appreciated what I do for Estermond and this is how you pay me? I do my best every day to fight our Eel enemies and now I’m going to have to live with one too? That is my reward for working so hard to ensure the safety of our nation?”
“I’m afraid you have no choice, the Assignment Committee consulted the decision with General Schubert and he thinks this is a good idea,” Major Anderson informs me.
I draw my breath in. The head of the Ministry of Bravery thought this was a good idea? Then the major is right, there’s nothing I can do about it, no matter how much I hate the situation. I can’t go against General Schubert’s wishes.
“I… I… guess I’ll fulfill my duty,” I mumble defeated.
I look away bitterly. After everything I have done for Estermond, and this is how they pay me? Forcing me to be with an Eel? I’m going to need to go for a run or get in the fighting ring to get rid of all of this anger and frustration I’m experiencing.
“Enough with that sour face, commander. Come on! Don’t be so dramatic! We are giving you a pretty 19-year-old girl for you to knock her up, not a contagious disease! And look at the photograph on her file, she is beautiful! Look at her, you have to admit she is good-looking,” he says with satisfaction.
“I don’t care how she looks… she is an Eel,” I mutter.
“I know she is, but are you seriously telling me you can’t handle a 19-year-old girl? Maybe you are not such a great Shark after all,” Major Anderson exclaims jokingly.
I clench my fists and take a deep breath. The major is trying to get on my nerves, Anderson won and he knows it. He has been trying for years to prevent me from becoming a major, he can’t stand the idea of us being equals. Now he found the way, no one will consider me for a promotion with an Eel by my side. He has always hated me and now the opportunity to mess with me arrived on a silver platter. I’m sure he is behind this unusual decision. I don’t know how he convinced General Schubert this was a good idea, but I know this is all Anderson’s plan to mess with my career.
“I can control any Eel presented to me,” I assure him.
“That is good to hear, commander,” says the Matron.
“Have you thought about what is going to happen if the girl refuses to reform herself? What if the tries to betray Estermond again?” I inquire.
“In that case, the decision will be 100% up to you, commander. You will choose if you want to hand her to the Ministry of Obedience or kill her yourself, we won’t intervene, we will trust your judgment,” the major replies.
I gaze at the major for a few seconds, considering the situation.
“I guess I can live with that. Thank you, major,” I mumble feeling a little bit calmer.
“I’m glad we have come to an agreement,” the Matron says with a smile.
“Me too. You may go back to your activities, Mortensen. I’m sure you are a busy man,” the major says.
“Let the Righteous Regime last forever,” I say before I step out of the office.
(Leopold POV)I storm into my office. I am so mad I could punch a wall. I think I’ll better go for a run or something to calm myself down. Major Anderson is doing this to mess with my career, I am certain and I can’t do anything about it. This is so frustrating!A soft knock on the door, I turn around and Sabrina smiles at me.Oh, no, I completely forgot about her. I let out a soft groan as the brunette walks towards me with seductive moves. The black tight uniform suits her perfectly, she is undoubtedly attractive, and yet I could never really fall for her, in spite of how hard she tries.“Is something wrong, dear Leopold? You are fuming,” she observes.
(Aubrey’s POV)I look at my feet, every now and then I venture a glance at the Matron, who hasn’t said a word since she got here. I waited for her all day yesterday and today all morning, now it’s way past noon and she just got here like fifteen minutes ago and has been silent the whole time. Just by looking at her face I can tell she dislikes me. That is no surprise. She thinks I’m an Eel, so of course, she hates me. Everyone in Estermond hates Eels, they are the enemies of our good and peaceful society, they threaten our existence as we know it; I hate them too and I hate that everyone thinks I am one of them.The Matron sighs, like she is already bored with me.“Did Keeper Winder explain to you what is expected from you?” She finally asks.
I draw my breath in as the intimidating commander stands before us. His penetrating stare burns like fire. His deep blue eyes convey all his might and self-confidence, his comb-over black hair is perfectly in it’s place, just like his uniform is impeccable. It is evident that he likes to present a clean and neat appearance, like any respectable commander would. He is so tall and impressive he makes me feel tiny and insignificant.The dog won’t stop barking behind him, eager to scare the visitors away. I can tell by his face, that the commander wishes for us to leave too. Neither the dog, nor the owner are glad to have me here.“Good evening, Commander Mortensen,” Matron Mary Ann greats him and then she places her hand on my back. “This is Aubrey, your new Bearer.”
I get up and run downstairs to get the door. I can’t have Matron Mary Ann waiting for me, she might get upset.“What is the meaning of this?! You are not ready! Look at you hair, it’s a mess!” Matron Mary Ann exclaims as I open the door. “I told you I would come to pick you up everyday at 8:3o on the dot. You are going to be late for your first day at the Bearer Center! You irresponsible girl!”“I overslept, Matron Mary Ann, but I’ll be ready in a minute. I’m sorry,” I apologize as I let her in.“Well, I guess I’ll let it slide just this one time, I assume the commander didn’t give you much chance to sleep last night,” she says with a wicked grin.I avoid her gaze so she can
I look around me, getting use to the idea that this place is going to be part of my daily routine from now on. All Bearers around us are smiling and acting extremely polite to one another under the attentive stares of the Matrons walking among them. I was right, this place is creepy.All of a sudden, the sound of a slap echoes in the lobby. Everyone hushes and stays still as we stare at a Bearer looking down as she presses her hand against her cheek. In front of the Bearer, a tall Matron glares at her.“No foul words, Renata. I have warned you a thousand times, bad Bearer! Vulgar language damages your future babies,” the Matron warns her.The slapped Bearer nods timidly. “Sorry, Matron Lina,” she mutters.“You see what happens
(Leopold Mortensen P.O.V.)A blow to the nose. A left hook and then a cross punch. Anthony reels backward before falling to the ground. I growl, defeating him was too easy. I still have a lot of anger left and he wasn’t a good enough opponent.“Who's next?!” I shout looking at the rest of my Unit as they watch me standing outside the ring. “Come on! Who wants to fight me now?!”"Hey, Commander, you seem angry. Maybe instead of boxing, you should go for a walk,” Valentine suggests, looking at me with a hint of fear.His cowardice irritates me beyond words. But deep down I am aware that my anger has nothing to do with Valentine or anyone else in my Unit. I’m upset about what happened last night or, better said, what almost happened. I feel disgusted with myself. What was I thinking? I know the who
(Aubrey’s POV) Shortly after, Eliza comes back with Fiona, whose eyes are reddened because she has been crying. Fiona takes a seat next to me. I feel sorry for what that strange girl said to her, Fiona seems nice, I thought so since I saw her during our fertility test. “Are you okay?” I ask in a whisper. Fiona straightens her back at the sound of my voice. She looks askance at me, she clearly distrusts me for being an Eel. After a few seconds, she nods. “Yes, I’m better now, thank you,” she replies with caution. I press my lips together. I shouldn’t have asked her anything, I am not her classmate, nor a regular Bearer, I can’t pretend to act normally and for my group to accept me.
I walk around the house like a caged lion. Waiting for the moment Commander Mortensen gets home. Suddenly, I hear Baxter's paws behind me. I look over my shoulder, the dog is shyly walking behind me with his tail between his legs.“You don’t have to be afraid of me, boy, I won’t hurt you,” I say in a soothing tone.Baxter starts to wiggle his tail as I pet him. Suddenly, the door opens and Commander Mortensen comes in, he is carrying a box with my prisoner number written on it. “Good evening,” I mumble with my eyes fixed on the box. What it’s inside it?The commander doesn’t even reply. My attention gets diverted from the box when I realize a middle aged woman comes in behind the commander. She has short blac
(A few months later) (Aubrey’s P.O.V.)I fix my eyes on the TV screen, I look at the news anchor for a brief moment trying to pay attention to what he is saying.“The secession movement has gained enough support in the Fourth District and now they have separated from Estermond. This is the third district to separate from our nation in the last two months. Unfortunately, without the Righteous Regime, there isn’t anything we can do about it as we witness the downfall of our nation…”I turn off the TV. I don’t care about the news, I am uninterested by Estermond’s destiny. Since the fall of the Righteous Regime a lot of changes have occurred in our nation and there is no one who can stop them. People are taking back what once was taken from them, the life that we once knew is over. We don’t have a unified powe
(Leopold’s P.O.V.)We get off the car in half a second and run towards the building. It is time to save Bastian. We go in and run up the staircase to the sixth floor. Sabrina is waiting for us in front of the apartment where she heard him cry. As soon as the four of us are together, Jareth kicks the door open.“Ministry of Bravery! Hands up!” Wilson yells at the top of his lungs as soon as he takes the first step inside. Sabrina and I go in behind both of them.We are immediately greeted by a burst of gunfire. Jareth drops to the floor in time to avoid the bullets, but Wilson is not fast enough and he is shot twice in the chest. Sabrina and I take cover behind a wall and start shooting back at the Eels. Ahead of us, we hear Jareth shooting at them too. I lean my head slightly to see what is going on, Jareth is crawling inside the apartm
(Leopold’s P.O.V.)The only thing I want is to drive as fast as I can to get to the place where the Eels have my son. But I am aware Jareth and I cannot do this alone, we need the support of our Sharks and for that we have to go meet everyone else.The meeting point where Major Anderson and Commander Wilson are waiting for us is located a few blocks from where the Eels supposedly have Bastian. Jareth drives at full speed to get there, we don’t want to waste any time. We arrive at the meeting point, the place is brimming with Sharks from numerous Units. Wilson is not the only commander present, there are other commanders ready to help. The only high ranking Shark who is absent is General Thompson who is with President Laurent at the Righteous Regimen headquarters, but nevertheless he is in constant communication with us thought the telephone. It moves me to see
(Aubrey’s P.O.V.)I look at myself in the mirror of the dressing room where they are making us wait until it is time to go to the set. In my hands, I hold a sheet of paper on which I wrote down what I want to say in case I get too emotional and forget the message.Leopold is standing behind me looking at his phone insistently in case there is news about Bastian’s whereabouts.Someone knocks on the door and comes in. It is an assistant who is here to take me to the set. I get up my chair and walk behind the assistant. Leopold gives me a reassuring smile before we exit the dressing room. The assistant leads us to the set, which consists of a black desk, a chair, and a gray background. I already gave them Bastian’s photo, so they can show it while I talk to the camera. The assistant takes me
(Aubrey’s P.O.V.)There is no point in staying at the Equality Square, the banner has no more information or clues that can help us find Bastian. We go back home, heartbroken and feeling dismayed. Sadness is has consumed my will to live, I find no comfort or solace. The Eels have not attempted to contact us, they have not asked for ransom or anything in return for Bastian. The banner we found in the Equality Square only indicated their desire to make the citizens of Estermond suffer, they do not seem to have any intention of negotiating to give our son back to us.Once we are home, we find that Roberta has made dinner for all of us. I sit at the table and stare at the food on my plate. I am unable to eat, sleep or do any normal human function, in my body there is only room for anguish.Mabel turns on the TV, the news of Bastian's kidnapping spread like wildfire through Estermond. Several people w
(Aubrey’s P.O.V.)Several hours go by and we have no news of Bastian, with every passing minute my heart breaks a little more. I do not know how much I will be able to endure this nightmarish situation. I never imagined experiencing pain like this was possible.In the news they are justifying the closure of the roads with maintenance work, President Laurent does not want the population to panic thinking that Estermond can not take care of their babies. He wants for Bastian’s kidnap to remain a secret.The night ends and a new day begins. We are all exhausted and dejected. At dawn Alice decides to go home, she wants to be here to support me, but she also worries for her little boy. She is afraid that what happened to us could happen to her child. Commander Wilson orders one of his men to accompany her and watch over their house, he is worried about his son too. Our experience is a cautionary
(Aubrey’s P.O.V.)I feel like I am trapped inside a nightmare and I don’t know how to wake up from it. The house is full of Sharks that come and go gathering evidence. I am seated in an armchair in the living room while Alice holds my hand to give me strength. On my lap, I have Bastian’s blue baby blanket. My baby boy is not here, someone took him and forgot his blanket. Bastian must be cold, he must be scared, hungry... I burst into tears again. Alice surrounds me with her arms to comfort me. She says nothing because there is nothing to say. What can you say to a person in a situation like this? There are no words, no possible comfort.The 9th Unit along with other Units is questioning all our neighbors, hoping that someone has seen something unusual that can help us find Bastian's whereabouts. People I have never seen in my life are searching for Basti
(Leopold’s P.O.V.)We arrive at the building of the Ministry of Bravery. People get out of their vehicles wearing their best clothes, the place is brimming with Sharks and their families. Aubrey takes my arm and we head to the party. The event is going to be held at the Temple of Strength under a big white tent. A lot of Sharks salute me as we walk, I am enjoying greatly all the honor and respect that comes with being a major. I look at Aubrey out of the corner of my eye, even though she has barely slept since Bastian was born and she has spent all her energy taking care of our boy, she looks ravishing. I feel like the luckiest man when I am with her.We enter the tent, inside I see General Thompson chatting with other high rank officials, among them Major Anderson. I d
(A few months later) (Aubrey’s P.O.V.)My eye lids feel so heavy that I have to close my eyes for a moment to rest. I can still hear Grandma and Mabel as they talk to each other seated on the couch next to my bed. I would like to ask them to give me a few hours to sleep in peace but I am afraid to be perceived as rude.The whole family is so excited about the birth of our little Bastian that they did not even wait for us to leave the Bearer Center to come to meet him. Normally, the Matrons do not allow so many family members to be here at the same time, but this time they decided to let it pass because of Leopold’s rank.Leopold is showing little Bastian to Jareth and Roberta in the nursery, while the three of us stay in the room waiting for them to come back."Aubrey, are you paying attention? What do you think about the id