Children's Control

29-05-2030

I can't sleep this night, as I always hear a loud beep from somewhere. I'm restrained to my bed, so I can't look for the source. I wasn't even told why I have to stay awake at some nights. When I try to ask why, no one responds. I try to get out, but I just can't get the ropes to break. I can't even turn around.Similarly, I can't see what's going on. The children have put a blindfold on my eyes yesterday. I can't even move my arms, as they have also been shackled together. Same for my legs. My entire body has become so stiff, I can't even get up.

Eventually, the beep stops and Billy comes in to remove all restraints from my body. I have to go with him to a breakfast room, where he gives me an apple, and nothing else. I try to go to the kitchen, but Billy takes me right back to my seat. Once there, he scratches both my cheeks. He then takes me to what seems like an old First Aid post. There, Alice comes in to put me under.Just before that, I can see a small clock hanging on the wall, but there's really nothing else. Seemingly hours later, I wake up in a laboratory, with Alice still next to me. I'm not told about anything that happened. I do feel, however, that some blood has been taken from me. I don't know where it will end up.

I slowly step out of my bed, and look at where the tube coming from my arm ends up. There, I notice a large machine, whose purpose is never told to any adults. There isn't even a single mark indicating it, other than a number: "2580". I walk to a central console, which is the one Alice is standing in front of.She forces me to go back to the bed and have my tube removed by her. Once she's done that, I go back, to find out a very familiar pattern of letters on one of five screens. It's my very own DNA. When I look closer, I also notice some unscrupulous letters and numbers just below the DNA pattern.

I hit one of the buttons on the panel, and I come to a screen that tells me the amount of reproductive cells that have been produced by the machine so far. I can't believe my eyes, as this machine seems to be able to use the blood cells as a means to create reproductive ones. I don't know how in the world that works! I look a bit further from the central console. There's another bed, where a woman is laying on. She isn't anyone I even met until now. It seems like the children want us both to have babies together. I didn't expect this at all. I never wanted any new kids since a long time ago, and I feel that wish is now justified.

After some time, I discover a very thin tube leading from the machine to the women. It seems like she's going to be impregnated. I look back at the main console, where Alice presses another button. This actually starts the still-unknown process by which the woman is impregnated with my genes. It seems like this process is specifically designed to make women have multiple babies at a time, exactly how many are requested. I just have a look at the screen, as the children walk away. I notice my DNA pattern scrolling at the top end, indicating which part is processed, and just below that, is an indicator telling how many babies are requested, and how many are to be expected with the current number of reproductive cells.

Alice takes me out of the laboratory, with only a small letter telling me some new children will be on their way. I end up back in my cell. But I don't see Ellen anywhere. It seems like she's one of the women who will be impregnated. Alice leaves, for Billy to come back and tell me how everything worked out. Yes. I did something I never wished for... And now I highly regret it, even though there is no way to survive, other than listening to the children, and doing exactly what they tell me to do. These children seem so rude, it's like my worst experience with children.. Ever, in my entire life. All of a sudden, I feel like I'm nothing, just a tool for the children to use. I try to find a way out, but there is none here as well. The children really put their best efforts into ensuring no adult gets out without a child. I just lay down on my bed, only for Ellen to arrive. She tells me she's expecting five children. I don't know how that could ever happen. Typically,everyone I know only has one or two children at a time.

Billy comes in and takes me to the dining room, where I'm given a small slice of bread, with nothing on it. I then have to clean off all tables. I sometimes have to do up to five tables at once, with a single platter. I'm not that good with balancing large weights, so sometimes a glass falls off the platter. In that case,one of the children gives me a dozen of relatively soft whips, but I still can't stand upright for a while after the whipping. After the task has been completed, Billy takes me back to my cell, where I listen to the radio. I hear a child saying, that there is a return plane tomorrow.