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“It that all?” she had asked in surprise, rising froestured that she should

“That’s all Come back next week to be tested and certified”

She had laughed nervously She wished they had explained everything iven her when she was selected “What does ‘certified’ mean?” she asked

The worker, putting away the insemination equipment, see “Once they’re sure it implanted,” he explained impatiently, “then you’re a certified Vessel

“Anything else?” he asked her as he turned to leave “No? You’re free to go, then”

That all seeo Now here she was, nine months later, with the blindfold strapped around her eyes The discomfort had started some hours before, intermittently; noas nonstop She breathed deeply as they had instructed It was difficult, blinded like this; her skin was hot inside the nore the disco her strength for the job, she groaned slightly, arched her back, and gave herself up to the darkness

Her name was Claire She was fourteen years old

Two

They clustered around her She could hear the interently to each other So

Again and again they checked her with their instruments, metallic and cold A cuff on her arm was inflated, and someone pressed a ainst her stretched and shaking belly She gasped as another convulsive pain ripped through her Her hands were tied on either side of the bed She was unable to move

Was it supposed to be like this? She tried to ask but her voice was too weak—mumbly and scared—and no one heard

“Help me,” she whimpered But their attention, she sensed, was not on her, not really They orried about the Product Their hands and tools were on her taut an, the first twinge, then the rhyth on of the mask

“Put her out We’ll have to go in for it” It was a coe “Quickly” There was a startling urgency to it

“Breathe deeply,” they ordered her, shoving so it to her mouth and nose She did She had no choice She would have suffocated otherwise She inhaled so with an unpleasantly sweet scent, and i drifted away Her last sensation was the awareness, pain-free, of so her

She eony but now a broad, deep ache She felt freed, and realized that her wrists were unshackled She was still on the bed, covered with a war sound, so she was protected on either side The room was empty now No attendants or technicians, no equip the emptiness of the room with her eyes, and then tried to lift her head but was forced back by the pain the attempt caused She couldn’t look down at her own body but carefully moved her hands to rest there on what had been her own taut, swollen belly It was flat now, bandaged, and very sore The Product hat they had carved out of her

And sheof loss

“You’ve been decertified”

Three weeks had passed She had recuperated in the Birthing Unit for the first week, tended and checked—pampered a bit, actually, she realized But there was an aardness to everything There with her were other young wo, so there was pleasant conversation, a few jokes about being slender again Their bodies, hers as well, were entle exercise was supervised by the staff Her recuperation was slower, though, than the others’, for she had been left with a wound and they had not

After the first week they were moved to an interiaroup of Vessels Back they went, to the Dorer in size now, their bellies growing as they waited—and taking their places again in the group They all looked alike, in their shapeless, smocklike dresses, with their identical haircuts; but personalities distinguished the; Miriaanized and efficient

As Vessels returned following Production, there was surprisingly little talk of the Task “How did it go?” so, and “All right Fairly easy” Or a wry “Not too bad,” with a face indicating that it had not been pleasant

“Good to have you back”

“Thanks Hoere things here while I was gone?”

“The saone”

“What did she get?”

“Farm”

“Good She wanted that”

It was casual talk, inconsequential Nancy had delivered her third Product not long before After the third, the Vessels were reassigned Far Factory Food Delivery

Claire remembered that Nancy had hoped for Farm She liked the outdoors, and a particular friend of hers had been assigned Farm somelife in the company of someone she enjoyed Claire felt happy for her