| Author: | Emily Dickinson | ISBN: | 9781311815149 |
| Publisher: | Emily Dickinson | Publication: | June 2, 2014 |
| Imprint: | Smashwords | Language: | English |
| Author: | Emily Dickinson |
| ISBN: | 9781311815149 |
| Publisher: | Emily Dickinson |
| Publication: | June 2, 2014 |
| Imprint: | Smashwords |
| Language: | English |
At last the war was over. Now it was time to savour the fruits of victory.
General Alice Webster, Supreme Commander of the New Federation of Women, the body that as of today would govern Earth, strode down the long hallway towards the soundproof room at the end. Several guards along the way (all female, of course) snapped to attention as she passed. One or two were frankly staring, for in the last five years, ever since the war began, Alice Webster had become a legend. Her use of strategy and her ability to bring together fighting units from around the globe had helped the Women’s Alliance immeasurably. Of course, World Wars III and IV had also helped, since more than three times as many men as women had died in each of those pointless conflicts. In fact, the appalling slaughter and carnage from those wars were the primary driving forces that had made women all over the world decide that men were no longer fit to rule. Today was the result. There was finally peace on Earth, and with women in charge, that peace would hold. More than 70% of the world’s men over the age of 18 had died in the various conflicts over the last ten years, and privately, General Webster wasn’t sure that the rest shouldn’t be executed as well. Cloning had rendered men largely unnecessary in the reproduction process—any woman could carry and birth a clone of herself. However, the orders had come that a certain percentage of the male captives were to be tested and then retained as breeding stock, in order to maintain genetic diversity and as a safeguard in case the cloning process turned rogue. That was to be General Webster’s task—and her reward. She smiled tightly as she passed the guards stationed outside the door to the interrogation room. She paused to speak to one of them, a fresh-faced blonde girl with the unmistakable stamp of Nordic heritage.
“Are we quite certain the room is soundproofed?” she asked. The girl’s fair skin flushed scarlet, and there was a smothered giggle from the other guard.
“Ye…yes, ma’am…I mean, yes, General…”
At last the war was over. Now it was time to savour the fruits of victory.
General Alice Webster, Supreme Commander of the New Federation of Women, the body that as of today would govern Earth, strode down the long hallway towards the soundproof room at the end. Several guards along the way (all female, of course) snapped to attention as she passed. One or two were frankly staring, for in the last five years, ever since the war began, Alice Webster had become a legend. Her use of strategy and her ability to bring together fighting units from around the globe had helped the Women’s Alliance immeasurably. Of course, World Wars III and IV had also helped, since more than three times as many men as women had died in each of those pointless conflicts. In fact, the appalling slaughter and carnage from those wars were the primary driving forces that had made women all over the world decide that men were no longer fit to rule. Today was the result. There was finally peace on Earth, and with women in charge, that peace would hold. More than 70% of the world’s men over the age of 18 had died in the various conflicts over the last ten years, and privately, General Webster wasn’t sure that the rest shouldn’t be executed as well. Cloning had rendered men largely unnecessary in the reproduction process—any woman could carry and birth a clone of herself. However, the orders had come that a certain percentage of the male captives were to be tested and then retained as breeding stock, in order to maintain genetic diversity and as a safeguard in case the cloning process turned rogue. That was to be General Webster’s task—and her reward. She smiled tightly as she passed the guards stationed outside the door to the interrogation room. She paused to speak to one of them, a fresh-faced blonde girl with the unmistakable stamp of Nordic heritage.
“Are we quite certain the room is soundproofed?” she asked. The girl’s fair skin flushed scarlet, and there was a smothered giggle from the other guard.
“Ye…yes, ma’am…I mean, yes, General…”
