Chapter 3

As she suspected, anyone trying to leave was being intercepted at the door and convinced to stay. Lucinda and the other nine bunny breeders put their heads together and whispered in agreement: an extraction was imminent. A few went to call in relatives, but discovered that their cellphones were just not working.

Suddenly the view outside the doors of the otherwise windowless facility turned grey. Lucinda reflected that this would be the closest to the colourful ribbons that were usually awarded at such events.

"Ladies and gentlemen, sorry for the delay, but we are now ready to announce the awards. First prize goes to those who realized that yes, this is a Confederacy extraction."

Beside Lucinda, Lacey gave a pumped up "Yessss!"

"Now, this is not your typical pickup. Have a seat in the stadium area, and we'll explain."

It took a good five or ten minutes for everyone to get seated in the folding chairs in front of the temporary stage.

"First of all, let me introduce myself. I am Tribune William Whitefeather of the Targeted Extraction Section of the Department of Evacuation and Colonial Operations. My section is responsible for filling in the skills gaps that colonies have identified.

"Normally, we'd start by identifying the sponsors and having them choose their concubines, but as you can see, we're kind of shy on concubines right now. You may not have realized it, but we have actively scouted this entire group out. You, your families, and all your bunnies - ALL your bunnies, including those still back at your homes - will be extracted and sent to various colonies. Let me explain.

"At a colony world called Ishtar - no relation to the absolutely forgettable movie of the same name, although two of the planets are named after characters in that piece of schlock - we had an experiment with bunnies as pets and trade items. We found they work well not only for training youngsters in caring for other living things, which stands them in good stead to help with their younger siblings as they come along, but also in helping to form a cohesive family unit, having a pet that everyone can dote on. They're using their bunnies to trade for seeds to create a suitable ecosphere.

"As a result of the successful experimentation there, we've decided to send one family with their bunnies to each of several worlds we've classified as 'breeder' colonies - most are also research colonies. We have our eye on one potential concubine in specific, Lucinda Everest?"

Lucinda turned beet red.

"James Rabb asked us to look after you specifically, because of your favour to him. Because he is considered something of a hero to many in the Fleet, we're going to make sure you get to a nice colony. Anyone who takes her gets one additional concubine slot so if they've already got their prepack together, it's not going to mess up your head counts. By the way, because of the nature of this targeted extraction, we are doing special concubine pickups in addition to the usual dependant pickups. Normally you'd choose from where you were, but that's part of what makes targeted extractions special.

"Now, is there any sponsor interested in accepting Lucinda as their concubine?"

At the back, a man stood up.

It was late in the evening shift, and Victor finally found time to take a break. Using an excuse of seeing a young patient who had arrived with appendicitis-like symptoms, he made his way to Pediatrics to meet Mrs. Jacquie Mondale, LPN. In his pocket, aside from his newly-issued CAF card identifying him as a Navy Commander, were a CAP card reader and a list of other potential concubines.

Tribune Whitefeather had handed the medical volunteers over to Sub-Decurion Anthony Chan ("No, it's not Charlie Chan. Call me that and I'll call you Doctor Volkswagen."). He in turn had helped them winnow through the potential concubines to find those with the scores and any other factors that interested each sponsor.

In Victor's case, his list consisted of single mothers with qualification of either being a doctor, a nurse or an EMT. He had decided he didn't need fuck bunnies. If five women weren't enough for him and his male concubine, then he'd borrow from the concubine pool he'd been told about.

He already had his male concubine: to his astonishment his fellow trauma resident Dr. Robert Proust was a concubine at 6.3, and when approached was quite willing to be the other male. He was kind and quiet and just wanted to heal the sick and injured, and the nanites would all but guarantee that their patients would have positive outcomes, making extraction even more tempting for him. Regrettably for both him and for Victor, he had no kids of his own.

Jacquie proved to be a somewhat stout brunette of average height. She was currently sitting at the nursing station of the darkened Pediatrics ward monitoring call lights and reviewing patient notes.

"Nurse Mondale? Jacquie, can I call you Jacquie?" He handed her a take-out coffee and cinnamon roll from the bakery across the road. It gave discounts to Hospital staff; rumour had it that it was owned by one or more doctors. "Two cream, two sugar, right?" Just in case she didn't want her coffee that way, he was prepared to sacrifice his usual black coffee that was occupying another space on the take-out drinks tray.

"Oh, a man after my own heart," she whispered eagerly. She gave him a smile that lit up the entire ward as she accepted the peace offering. "Thank you, Dr. Walden. Now, what did I do to deserve this?"

"Can we discuss this quietly?"

"How about the back room of the nursing station?" She looked mystified. "Candace, can you watch the front desk for a bit?"

Candace could. "Look out for these handsome young doctors," she advised, a glint of humour in her eyes as she leered at the handsome young trauma resident. "They probably all have killer CAP scores and want you to be their concubine."

Victor gave her a look that he hoped read, "be serious, silly girl."

He settled in his seat and opened his coffee.

"Say, how did you know how I like my coffee?" Jacquie wanted to know.

"I asked someone." He didn't say whom he asked. Jacquie blinked in confusion.

"I'm getting a pre-pack together," Victor announced, still talking in whispers to avoid waking the children on the floor. Jacquie snorted at the accuracy of Candace's prediction. "With my CAP score I can get at least four, and if I get concubines with certain skills another two. I've already got Dr. Proust, he's a 6.3, so I have slots open for up to another five. And you very much have both of those 'certain skills' I need for those extra two."

"You're serious..."

"Never more. I want you as my concubine. You are kind, and pleasant, and everyone who knows you here has told me they like you very much. The kids here adore you." He blushed. "Plus, I think you're physically attractive, although I know that this is something I don't need to worry about in a concubine. Bodies can be modified to make you look however we want. But I have to tell you that if it wasn't for the Sa'arm, I'd be trying for the position of 'husband'."

At the remark of "husband', Jacquie blushed, but then realized the import of what he was saying. "You said you get two additional slots... you aren't saying 'maybe', you're really going, aren't you?"

He nodded, and showed her his Confederacy Defence Force ID card. "That's why this has to be kept confidential. I have three more slots to fill, and I don't want myself, my concubines or my dependents to become an Earth First target of opportunity before they have a chance to extract us."

"I'm not leaving without my children. And there's a problem there. My oldest, Penny, is technically an adult."

"She'd have to be a fellow concubine. She'd have to have sex with me, and bear my children. You have any problem with that?"

She paused, and for a frantic moment Victor thought she'd protest. "No. Not if she's safe."

"None of us are safe. The Swarm want everything. But she stays here, she's Swarmy Num-Nums for sure." He paused. "The person I called about your coffee preferences was Penny. I said I'd have three slots open if you agreed to be my concubine? That's because I'm holding a slot for Penny. If you say 'yes', she goes with me too."

Jacquie launched herself into his arms. "Oh, yes, oh yes, oh yes, thank you, thank you. I accept, I want to be your concubine."

"And I accept you, and Penny, as my concubines. She has great organizing subscores, I figure she'll be straw boss of the household while we work the medical facilities."

The voice of the AI came on that instant, also quiet as it recognized the need not just for discretion but to not disturb the sleep of the youthful patients. "Jacquie Mondale is registered as Victor Walden's concubine. Penny Mondale is registered as Victor Walden's concubine."

"What was that?" a startled Jacquie wanted to know.

"The hospital's new AI. Call it a bribe: in exchange for letting certain volunteers to poach their fellow staff, the Confederacy is providing Trauma with two medical pods, and a third for the General Medical wards, and an AI to assist wherever possible." He lost himself in her gorgeous hazel eyes. "We'll be extracted as soon as I fill in my other three slots. After shift, let's get together with Bob, and see if we can't settle on the remaining three members of our family."

"It's a shame that we couldn't take some of these kids with us, especially these four..." Jacquie was saying as they got up to resume their duties.

Sid's "staff" consisted of his granddaughter and two ladies: 43 year old Maude and 34 year old Gert.

Gert was divorced and had two children, 10-year-old Hanna and 8-year-old Bert. To her eternal happiness, her erstwhile husband was last heard of back in Holland, where his disinterest in his offspring was only matched by his disinterest in his ex-wife. The last time she'd heard from him was so he could drunkenly swear at her because the Canadian Junior National hockey team had triumphed against their utterly outclassed Dutch opponents - apparently he'd rather foolishly put down a sizable sum on the outcome of the game.

Maude was childless despite her fondest desires, and her husband, with a CAP score hovering around two point nothing, was a reluctant guest of Her Majesty. His intelligence subscore was obvious in that his plan of retreat after committing the hold-up of the bar was through the roof, across to other buildings and out their front doors whilst the police approached the establishment where he'd made his unauthorized withdrawal. The fact that the structure in question was separated from its neighbours by at least three metres had escaped his notice completely until far too late to modify his otherwise cunning retirement plan. The crime had netted him the princely sum of $231 and change, all of it forfeited the moment the nice police sergeant explained to him as he peered perplexedly over the lip of the roof he found himself trapped on, "There's two ways this can end. You can come down, or we can come up and get you." When advised that if she agreed to be Sid's concubine she'd have the equivalent of an instant divorce, Maude's reaction was "Illmisshimletsgo."

Gert's children were latchkey kids. With a few phone calls, she'd arranged for a taxi to pick them up and bring them to the Garden Centre, explaining, "We're doing inventory tonight. Give us a hand, and after we're done, we'll have pizza." The taxi driver didn't have a clue he'd just done a dependants' pick-up for the Confederacy.

The kids got into the back to discover big burly marines hurriedly transferring plants and supplies onto a Leopard hiding behind the barn. Thirteen-year-old Vickie Cheevers intercepted the pair and directed them to where Gert was busily piling pots and fertilizer onto a grav sled. This was the second time the Leopard had touched down during this extraction, and was almost full with the last of the store's stock. In the back, Sid was busily cutting cheques to pay off the last of his suppliers.

After the situation was explained to Gert's astonished kids, they threw themselves into assisting their mother and new "father" in loading the large troop transport currently making dents in the back parking lot's macadam.

"So," Hanna demanded to know of Gert, "Did you 'do it' with him yet?"

Gert glared at the daughter she had hoped was more innocent than that. "Do what?"

Hanna blushed, but didn't avert her gaze. "You know." She sighed at her mother's obtuseness. "Sex." As her mother stared at her in astonishment she added, "They've ramped up sex ed since you were in school. They have to - so many of us will see everything when we get extracted anyway. Nobody has the time to go to a bedroom at an extraction. So, did you?"

It was Gert's turn to blush. "Yes. Before I called you, before I agreed to be his concubine."

"And how is he?" Hanna smirked.

"Quite good," Gert responded as she reflected on the activities she'd enjoyed while lying over the office desk. "And that's all I'm saying on that score, young lady. Get back to work."

A second later, Gert turned around to spy Hanna and Vickie whispering, snickering and gesturing with potted-plant filled hands at her. It didn't take much to deduce they were discussing her performance with Sid, which Vickie had happily witnessed. "Get back to work you two," she called out.

It was now quite late. His two newest dependents were sound asleep on benches lining the Leopard, and he was taking a last look around his soon-to-be former office to determine if there was anything else he would require out there in the stars. Lieutenant Valentine stuck her head in his office door. "We're almost finished, but you are going to have a call in a couple of minutes. Want to take it on your land line?"

He nodded, the Sergeant got a brief faraway look in her eye that Sid had guessed meant she was subvocally talking to the AI, and as promised, his phone began to ring...