“I do not snore,” she squealed, but Nadinehadthreatened to put a pillow over Gemma’s face many times.
He chuckled, reaching up to pull Gemma’s face to his. When their lips met, the tingles in her body started all over again.
At some point during the night, the alcove had gotten too cold, so Gemma and Christian resigned to the dormitory to get at least a few hours of decent sleep. The room had been so dark that Gemma banged her toe on the ladder leading up to her bunk, and the snort that came out of Christian echoed in the quiet. He gave her bum a gentle pat as she ascended the ladder, and within a minute, she was asleep.
No loud siren woke her in the morning. Instead, it was the voices of the other winners celebrating the delivery of a fancy breakfast that forced her to open her eyes.
Gemma sat up and looked around. Her mouth dropped when she realized how few actually passed their Trials. They had started with over two-hundred contestants, including herself, and only forty had made it through.
Her heart ached for those sent back to Perileos.
The door to their housing quarters opened. Gemma gripped the covers of her bed when Rami strolled through, followed by the Kaizen and another well-dressed person she’d never seen. Gemma tried to catch the Kaizen’s gaze, to determine if the ginger-haired woman still suspected her, but the captain never met her eyes.
Rami’s face beamed from beneath his combed-over, brown hair as though he’d been crowned king. “Good morning, winners. And congratulations! I told you the first moment I met you that I knew you’d succeed.”
Gemma fought to keep her eyes from rolling.
“I see you’ve begun to enjoy the breakfast we’ve provided for you. That’s splendid. There is someone I would like to introduce to you while you eat. Please welcome Oranos Station’s liaison to the United Planetary Government, Lieutenant Commander Ivan Mehnkof.”
Rami held out an arm, motioning for Ivan to step forward. He did with such an air of magnetism that even Gemma felt the need to sit up straighter and absorb his every word.
Unlike Rami, his voice wasn’t laced with fake enthusiasm. Instead, he provided a thorough welcome on behalf of the Planetary Government with full warnings of what they were signing up for.
Finally, someone in Zion was telling the truth.
They wouldn’t be sent to their assigned stations upon graduation; they’d spend an entire year aboard Oranos, where they would be put through brutal training to prepare them for their new military lifestyle. Wages would be minimal to start but would increase with achieved levels of proficiency.
And they would not have any communication with their families in Perileos during their stay on Oranos for security reasons, which Gemma suspected had something to do with the Dissent.
“Now,” Ivan continued, “there is one last...stipulation you all must be agreeable to. This requirement comes directly from the President herself; I have no say in the matter.” He held up his hands. “Therefore, if you refuse, I will have to decline your permission to board the space station.”
Gemma’s stomach knotted. A requirement from the President? They’d already passed their Trials and been told what they’d signed up for. That was the stipulation.
The Dissent had told her nothing about an additional requirement. Was it possible even they didn’t know?
Ivan left the steps near the exit to walk amongst them. “Soldiers do not have the same luxuries as everyone else. Our homes are where we are stationed. Our families are our comrades. As soldiers in the employ of the United Planetary Systems, we require that all be sterilized prior to accepting their position.”
The room exploded with protests and questions.
Gemma’s eyes flicked from person to person until it found Hawk, whose face had paled beyond its usual porcelain complexion. As if he felt her gaze, Hawk looked up at Gemma, his dark brown eyes pierced in shame.
He understood now why his family required he father a child before coming to Perileos, why they had birthed him and left him behind. He practically fell into a seated position on the mattress of his bed and stuck his hands in his red hair.
Ivan held up a hand, and the contestants quieted. “As I mentioned, I cannot override this requirement. Now, you may choose to adopt children once you reach retirement, but while you remain in the employ of the Planetary Systems’ military, you will not have any ties that compete with your ability to perform your jobs. Distraction, even for a second, can cost the lives of hundreds.”
“This isn’t fair,” one of the male contestants said. “Why are we not told any of this at the beginning?”
Ivan ignored his question. “You are welcome to leave and return to your home in Perileos. You will not be looked upon with contempt, forthere are those who are built to be soldiers and those built to be parents. Both are necessary for the survival of our species. But if you choose to stay, you will receive this implant before you are allowed to leave this room. Does everyone understand?”
Gemma clenched her jaw. She’d never planned on birthing children, but the idea that the option would be taken away from her had also never crossed her mind.
What about the men and women who did want children? This revelation would be devastating for them. They were being forced to choose between a life outside Perileos or a family in it. What kind of a government does that to their people? Either way, they would be forever stuck wondering if they’d made the right choice for the rest of their lives.
One of the female contestants rose, her face contorted in anger and stormed out the door. Another followed, as did the male contestant who’d posed the unanswered query.
A thought of Christian pushed its way into her mind. What did he want? Family meant a lot to him. Would he be willing to give up the possibility of having his own?
Gemma gripped the blankets of her bed tighter. She wished she could see his face right now, see whether his eyes were full of pain or anger.
