The Future

THE FUTURE

By C

PART II

CHAPTER 33

                            

       There was a festive atmosphere in the air when the members of the newly formed committee met for the first time to begin deliberations on recommendations to be made on how to implement the policy that had been decided upon. They sat around a large table, and prior to the meeting being called to order, the younger women chatted with a great deal of enthusiasm about being given the honor to play such an important role in what, without a doubt, would be the most historic and worthwhile undertaking the world had ever known. Their eyes sparkled with excitement as they talked about all that it would provide to women of future generations - and to themselves as well. Dr. Carson and Dr. Morgan sat quietly and listened to the discussions but did not take part. Their manner was cordial, but it was obvious they did not share in the enthusiasm of their fellow members.

       When the chairwoman called the meeting to order, she said that they would begin by going around the table to let everyone introduce themselves and, in general terms, give their personal view of the task that the committee had been given. The responses were predictable with many glowing endorsements being expressed in which often mention was made of how obvious it was that they would merely be doing what was clearly intended.

       It was not until they were halfway around the table that one of the young women brought up an issue about what many had been wondering. "With all of this being so obvious, I frankly find it hard to understand why it was not thought of much sooner – especially after the scientific research proved that the answer did not lay in any type of genetic remedy." She then turned and looked at Dr. Carson. "Since you were involved in a great deal of what took place during the past leadership and are also a close friend of the retired Supreme Commander, perhaps you can enlighten us. Was this not even considered?"

       Dr. Carson smiled while seeming to take no offense at the sarcastic tone that had been used. "Was the course of action we have been asked to develop a method of implementing ever considered previously? Oh.., I guess it crossed our minds in a wishful sort of way at times, but no, I can't say that it was ever given serious thought." "But why on earth not when it is such a perfect and foolproof solution?" The other woman shot back. "It wasn't given serious thought because most of those involved in making the decisions at that time were older women such as myself and Dr. Morgan, and, by being older, knew that such a policy has no possible hope of withstanding the revolt that would surely occur."

       A gasp went through the room with everyone except Dr. Morgan registering looks of wide-eyed astonishment. The chairwoman rapped on the table to restore order while registering a stern look on her face. "Really.., Dr. Carson! You surprise me. I thought you knew fully of what is intended. Are you taking this matter so lightly that you did not even read the mission statement which makes it quite clear that males will not be allowed to reach an age where revolt would become a threat?"

       Dr. Carson was unable to suppress a slight chuckle. "Yes, I've read the mission statement, but even without doing so, it would be extremely difficult after hearing all of the conservation taking place a short while ago not to know exactly what is intended. But, I do not refer to a revolt by males trying to escape captivity. I am referring instead of a revolt that would be far more intense – a revolt coming from women."

       "Surely you're joking?" The young woman that had initially raised the issue cried. "If there’s a reason why women would want to raise any kind of objection, it's beyond me to think what it might possibly be!"

       "That's because you have yet to know the experience of becoming a mother." Dr. Carson said with a smile. "There is no stronger love on earth than that of a mother for her child, and I assure you, women are not going to willingly allow male infants they bring forth into the world to be taken from them for any purpose, and surely, not to be held in captivity and then be slain at an early age."

       "What..?" The young woman exclaimed. "Love..? Feel love for a male..? Just because of giving birth to one..? Maybe that's the way women were before but.., certainly not now. In case you haven't noticed, things have changed somewhat than they were in the past." She then broke out in laughter with many of the others joining in.

       The chairwoman again rapped of the table to restore order. "That will be quite enough! I encourage open debate, but I will not tolerate it not being done in a respectful and dignified way. If there is anyone present that is unable to conduct herself in such a manner, she will be dismissed from this committee! Is this fully understood?"

       The somber nods that accompanied embarrassed expressions on young faces showed accepting having been properly chastised. The chairwoman appeared satisfied and looked at the recipient of the outburst. "Dr. Carson." She said. "I am aware that, except for you and Dr. Morgan, we have no knowledge of the type of feelings that women in past times had in regard to their male children. I must admit that I also find it hard to envision there being feelings of love, but if someone with the high credentials that you possess state this was indeed the case, then I must accept it as being true. But, in spite of the somewhat rude manner in which it was done, I think a valid point was raised."

       "Things have indeed changed. I'm sure you must agree that women have come to view males in a far different manner than at anytime in the past. When considering the sheer magnitude of all that has occurred in creating this attitude, I must confess finding it extremely difficult to see how simply giving birth to a male would cause these feelings to suddenly change. I also find it somewhat difficult to understand how you can be so convinced of your viewpoint when there is surely nothing resembling anything close to this ever occurring in the past upon which to base such a judgment."

       Dr. Carson again gave a chuckle. "I'm afraid that you will soon discover there is nothing at all simple about giving birth, but for the moment, I'll put that issue aside. You are quite correct in saying that I must agree that women of today have come to regard males in a far different manner than at anytime in the past. It would be rather difficult for me to even attempt such a thing when I myself have done the same."

       "A few years ago, I would have though it impossible for me to find myself capable of willing taking an innocent human life, yet I have now not only done this, but because the life was that of a male, I found myself being caught up in the same excitement as everyone else. And, from that day forward, it has not diminished. I still feel a great amount of pride whenever I look at his mounted head and genitals that hang in my living room. Like each of you, I have reached a point of placing little value on the life of members of the opposite sex, and I have come to harbor a strong resentment and indifference toward them. In fact, my feelings are of such magnitude that if I thought there was any possible way of successfully implementing the policy being proposed it would receive my full endorsement."

       "Yes, things have surely changed, and women have surely changed with them - not only in the way we have come to regard males, but in many other ways as well. But, there are things within us that, as women, are beyond our ability to change, and these are basic instincts instilled by nature as is done in all living creatures. One of the strongest of these instincts is that of self survival which I doubt any of you would question. But, another of even greater strength is the instinct of a female to nurture and protect her young - young that would be helpless otherwise. If such were not the case there would be very few species existing in the world - and, surely.., not our own."

       "But, for us, when this instinct is coupled with human emotions that are part of being a woman it proves to be overpowering. There is no fury on earth equal to that of a mother fighting to defend her young, and it is for this reason that I can say with total confidence that our present attitude toward males will undergo a dramatic change for a male that is conceived within our bodies."

       The room was silent as the women seated around the table found themselves being slightly perplexed. Their belief was far too strong to be swayed by something that, at best, they regarded as being nothing more than a viewpoint based on conjecture, but it was, nevertheless, disturbing to find an issue being raised which they had not even been aware might exist.

       The silence was broken by Dr. Morgan who, up to this point, had been sitting quietly while giving the appearance of being lost in deep thought. "Martha? You said something earlier that caught me somewhat by surprise. Did I understand correctly when you remarked that if you thought a way could be found to enable this policy we're discussing to be successful that you would actually endorse it being implemented?"

       Dr. Carson chuckled. "I guess hearing such a statement coming from me did catch you somewhat off-guard, Ruth." She paused for a moment and then shrugged. "When considering all of the violence, suffering, devastation, and senseless barbarism that males have brought to the world throughout history and, if allowed to resume their ways will surely bring again, I find it beyond me to put their welfare ahead of that of women who would again become the innocent victims."

       "The policy being proposed is a drastic course of action, to say the least, but when the issue is bringing forth a world in which women could forevermore live in peace and without fear, I find myself feeling little concern for the plight it would mean for males. I would object to them being mistreated, but since they would be held by women, there is little likelihood that mistreatment would occur."

       "Unfortunately, as I have stated, the instinct and human emotions of motherhood poses an obstacle of such magnitude I can foresee no way in which it could be overcome. But, even setting motherhood aside, there are other difficulties that would be encountered. I'm afraid that being caught up in the excitement by what, on the surface, appears to be not only a solution that is simple, but also one that is highly desired has prevented pausing long enough to reflect on exactly what trying to enact such a policy would actually entail."

       "What would these other difficulties be, Martha?" Dr. Morgan asked. No one noticed that her previous thoughtful expression had been replaced by a sparkle of excitement beginning to show in her eyes. Dr. Carson reflected for a moment before responding. "It needs to be recognized that it took many unique circumstances that had never existed before coming together in an almost unbelievable sequence that led to creating the attitude that women now have in regard to males. One of the most prominent that we had from the start is feelings of deep resentment toward them from having suffered at their hands the barbaric brutality of a war such as had never existed before."

       "One of the most unique circumstances that occurred was in our holding the entire male population in captivity after bringing the war to an end. But, even though possessing intense feelings of extreme resentment, it was still originally intended that majority of males would be released even though knowing that such action would eventually result in the world becoming as before. As women, we found ourselves incapable of even contemplating slaying them in massive number to serve what would be nothing more than our own interest – regardless of whatever future threat it might prevent. It was only when suddenly being faced with a desperate crisis, that we found ourselves having no other choice but that such action be taken if we were to have any hope of not only surviving ourselves, but the entire human race. It needs to be pointed out that, in all likelihood, taking this course of action would probably not have been contemplated if it were not for the fact that previous circumstances had already resulted in us being forced to look upon the body of a human male in terms of being a source of food. There is little doubt that this combination of events, above all else, was by far the most unique of all and played a vital role."

       "Because males were the ones responsible for bringing on the crisis, and because of our already deep resentment toward them, we found ourselves not only openly accepting them being slain to solve the crisis, but considered such fate to be justly deserving. In fact, the acceptance was to such a degree that we soon found ourselves being filled with excitement, exhilaration, and pride from witnessing them being slain and butchered for food by fellow women who were performing these acts in both a degrading and exciting manner which, I might add, were carefully orchestrated to create these very reactions."

       "But, even after all of this, if the number receiving such fate could have been small to solve the crisis, our attitudes would have turned out to be far different. It was because males were being openly slain and processed in massive quantity on a daily basis that we came to look upon such action with indifference, and in time, in terms of becoming almost a way of life. It reached the point of us finding ourselves having a strong desire for it to continue and, in so doing, not only bring forth a world that lives in peace, but if we are truthful, one that for women at least, would also be filled with excitement."

       "I afraid this desire has created such enthusiasm that it is assumed women of future generations will have the same attitude toward males as ourselves and will, therefore, be equally motivated. Unfortunately, even if we could put the issue of the emotions of motherhood aside, I can see no way this could occur."

       "If the world you envision became reality then all males would be placed in captivity from birth, and as a result, women of future generations would not suffer even the slightest harm at their hands - to say nothing of suffering brutality, rape, and war. These women would know only of what they might be told of what had occurred in the past, and although this would undoubtedly cause feelings of dislike, it would fall far short of creating the deep resentment that has become so strong within ourselves and which has played such a decisive role."

       "I ask of you.., from where will come the motivation when there are no longer such feelings of deep resentment to inflame passions? From where will come the motivation when food will be bountiful with no desperate crisis being in existence to require such action?"

       She was about to continue when the chairwoman interrupted. "Dr. Carson, these things might have played important roles for us, but we were doing something profound that had never happened in the past. But, such will not be the case for women of future generations. Their motivation would surely not have to equal ours since they would merely be continuing a precedent that had not only already been established, but would result in many of the circumstances that came into existence for us remaining the same. They will find themselves being caught up in the same type of excitement as ourselves, and of primary importance, will likewise be able to experience the enjoyment of feasting on the delicious taste of a meat that is unmatched from any other source. And, if by chance, more might still be required.., I have no doubt whatsoever that being given the opportunity to bite into a roasted dick will serve to provide all the motivation that would be needed - and then some."

       Laughter broke out around the table that was combined with murmurs expressing agreement. Dr. Carson joined in the merriment and waited patiently for it to subside. When the room became quite she smiled ruefully and shock her head. "That might indeed be the case if the quantity were sufficient. Unfortunately, the number of males that could be "harvested" in an exciting manner and whose flesh could be feasted upon would be extremely limited. And, even though biting into a roasted dick does indeed provide unbelievable enjoyment, I'm afraid that one bite is all that each woman of a future generation would be able to have."

       "One bite..?" The chairman exclaimed in a surprised tone. "What on earth do you mean?" Dr. Carson again shook her head in a rueful manner. "I'm afraid that this is another area where being caught up by enthusiasm has prevented pausing to look at the full picture. The conversations taking place prior to the meeting made it quite apparent of anticipating that, as soon as a newly created male population reaches maturity, we will simply pick up where we left off and begin "harvesting" them in abundance one again. Unfortunately, instead of abundance, the exact opposite would be the case. In a span that lasted no more than three years, we annihilated a male population that was over eight times our size.”

      “All of you are well aware that this large disparity was due to women suffering far grater casualties during the war. When things are left to nature, however, the male and female populations have always been approximately the same. This ratio facilitated mating in pairs, but if all males are going to be held captive, then mating in pairs would no longer take place. This would leave reproduction as the only issue to be considered for their need to even exist, and since we have found a way to determine sex, we can control the size of male populations which could be far smaller than our own and still fulfill this needed function."

       "An average male, during a lifetime, produces a quantity of semen that, if collected daily and using artificial insemination, would be capable of impregnating up to thirty thousand females if an entire ejaculation was used in each procedure. But, semen contains such a high concentration of sperm that an ejaculation can be divided three or four times and still be effective which, if done, the number of women being impregnated would approach a hundred thousand and possibly even higher. Let me remind you, the semen used to accomplish this would be produced by only one male. If this method were adopted, it would require such a small number of males being needed that all could safely be held - regardless of age. On the surface, this might seem to be an ideal solution to bring forth a world that could indeed live in peace. It would require a few dedicated women volunteering to produce an occasional male to be raised in captivity, but since these males could be allowed to live a full life and suffer no mistreatment, the difficulty of giving them up is something that could be accepted. Unfortunately, this would result in such a large number of women being related by blood that it would cause severe genetic deterioration in subsequent generations."

       "For the sake of discussion, although I’m sure it would be more, let’s say that it would be safe to use semen taken from a single male to impregnate ten females without causing genetic problems. The male population could therefore be much smaller than ours, but not of a size that would enable being safely held in captivity after reaching maturity. They would therefore have to slain as the only effective means of preventing revolt, and although the flesh could be used for food, if it was proportioned equally among the female population, it would result in one body being shared by ten women."

      “This is all that women would consume during an entire lifetime, and a roasted dick sliced into ten pieces would provide, at best, the one bite which I mentioned. I seriously doubt that being given a small, tantalizing sample of something never to be tasted again would generate a great deal of any type of motivation in female populations of the future - certainty nothing of the magnitude that would be required in them of having a passionate desire for pursuing the rather drastic course of action you envision."

       The women seated around the table looked at each other with looks of dismay. They had indeed been so caught up with enthusiasm by the prospect of being able to "harvest" males one again that they had though only in terms of it being done in abundance. The suddenness by which Dr. Carson had pointed out the error of this assumption had caught them completely off guard, and for several minutes, they were in a state of numbed shock.

       The young woman that had been the first to question Dr. Carson was the first to recover. "Why should we limit the size of the male population to such a ridiculously small number just because that might be all that would be needed for reproduction? It's entirely up to us to determine the size, and we can make it anything we want.”

       The faces of the other women brightened, and they looked at Dr. Carson who was quick to respond. "I'm afraid you spoke in haste without taking time to realize of the full implication of what doing such a thing would mean. You are suggesting that males be produce in great abundance - not be for the purpose of reproduction for which only a small number would be needed - but for the sole purpose of being raised to be slain for providing meat."

       "Do you not grasp what such a thing would be doing? In every sense of the word, it would be turning the human male into becoming nothing more than livestock. On the surface, this might not strike you as being worthy of concern until one stops to consider that, in so doing, it would delegate women to taking on the role of becoming breeding stock for the sole purpose of using their bodies to produce their own food."

       "Can you truthfully tell me that in is within you to conceive of women doing such a thing? I certainly find it beyond my ability - even without taking into consideration the extreme physical demands that would have to be endured. I mentioned earlier that there is nothing simple about giving birth. It requires women suffering a burden of increasing discomfort for a period of nine months and severe pain at the end. The though of women of future generations willingly undertaking such an ordeal for no other purpose than to produce meat, regardless of how delicious it might be, is beyond all reason - especially when the number that could be produced would be so small that it would still be extremely limited."

       "I think it needs to be pointed out that if every woman produced twelve to fifteen male infants, a feat that in no means would be a small undertaking, it would be only the equivalent of this number that would be consumed during a lifetime. This quantity might exceed having to share just one body, but even without the physical demands being taken into account, it would still fall far short of what would be needed to create any type of strong motivation."

       It was at this point that Dr. Morgan again interrupted. "Martha? You're point is well taken and one in which I can certainly offer no argument. But, you've implied that there might be some way in which sufficient motivation could indeed be created in future female populations. Your manner makes it obvious that, whatever this might be, you consider it to be unrealistic, but just for curiosity sake, I'm sure that all of us would at least like to hear what it is."

       Dr. Carson gave a chuckle. I'm afraid that calling it unrealistic is putting it mildly, Ruth. "You see, to start with, it would require finding a way to grow males on trees instead of having to be produced in a woman’s body. I do not say this simply because it would provide a way to avoid the physical ordeal of pregnancy and, in so doing, being caught up in the overpowering emotions of motherhood. You see, I'm afraid it would take far less than a mother's love to stand in the way of women of future generations finding themselves desiring to of carry out a policy such as the one being proposed."

       "It needs to be remembered that, regardless of being in the future, we are talking about women and, as such, they will have within them the basic nature of everything it means to be a woman. I assure you that, regardless of whatever attitudes they might hold, this basic nature in no way would change, and this includes having strong feelings of compassion and objecting to taking the life of a living creature - any living creature – unless circumstances exist that result in the life being considered either deserving or the taking of it fulfilling a legitimate and unavoidable need and, therefore, was justified."

       "The obvious question is what type of circumstances would it take to cause women of future generations to find themselves having such an attitude about members of the opposite sex? We must rule out being faced with a desperate crisis or becoming inflamed by passions of extreme resentment - both of which played such an important role in our own actions and emotions. With these factors being absent, I can see but one way in which it might be accomplished."

       "I mentioned earlier that there was another factor that played an important role on our part. In fact, I think it could be said that, in spite of everything else, it had the greatest influence in creating the attitude we found ourselves feeling toward males. I speak of being so inundated from seeing massive number being slaughtered for meat over such a long period of time that we reached the point of considering it to have become almost a way of life. This outlook, as you are aware, resulted in our placing such little value on a male's life in terms of sanctity that we looked upon them being slain with indifference – even those that were extremely young. But the underlying cause for this indifference came from our considering males, in being responsible for the desperate crisis in which we found ourselves being confronted, not only deserving to be held accountable, but of much greater significance, viewing it to be fulfilling a legitimate and unavoidable need for them being slaughtered to obtain meat as the only means of adverting the desperate crisis and, thereby, was justified. It was this being present that enabled us to openly accept the slaying of the entire male population with a clear and untroubled conscience."

       "If women of future generations, starting at early childhood, could be exposed to males being "harvested" in exciting ways and in such great abundance that it became extremely commonplace, I find it hard to envision them not being influenced in a manner that would indeed result in creating open acceptance if other carefully planed factors were also present. It is for this reason that I said a means would have to be found for growing males on trees. The abundance of which I speak would need to greatly exceed that to which we were exposed. It would have to be of sufficient magnitude to enable the flesh of males being eaten on a daily basis – preferably at every meal. A quantity such as this would result in each and every woman consuming well over five hundred males during an average lifetime, and needless to say, it would physically impossible for a female population to produce no more than a minute fraction of a quantity such as this."

       "But, let’s assume for the moment that some other means could be found, such a being grown on trees, in which males could be produced in this magnitude. Being "harvested" in such number would indeed be turning them into a form of livestock in every sense of the word, and if women and girls of future generations found themselves regarding males in this manner, it would bring forth the same valid justification as slaughtering any form of livestock to obtain meat has been accepted by women of past times and, therefore, would be looked upon with similar indifference."

       "You might question how an outlook reaching this extreme could be achieved when such did not occur for ourselves - even after what we were doing reached a point of being regarded as nothing more than a way of life that had that had come into existence. You might at this very moment be pausing to remember the degrading manner in which we observed countless number of naked males being slain - the extent to which we gleefully watched their lifeless bodies and that which so vividly defines them being taunted and ridiculed - the witnessing of them being butchered and packaged for distribution in highly efficient assembly-line processes – gazing upon row after row of frozen gutted carcasses, hanging by the thousands, in mammoth cold storage facilities - the proud displaying in our homes of a mounted head and sex organs showing undisputable proof of our own personal and exciting conquest – the viewing of entertain and exciting televised broadcast and countless pictures of all that took place - and much more."

       "All of these things played important roles in causing us to look upon males not only being justly deserving, but also as being unimportant and highly inferior. In spite of this, however, we still recognized them as members of our species and, therefore, never reached a point of regarding them in terms of becoming livestock. With this being the case, you might ask in what manner such an outlook could occur in women and girls of the future."

       "What I am about to say is only my opinion since nothing remotely approaching such a thing has ever existed, but I will express my views on how it might be accomplished. It would, of course, require extensive planning in developing a policy aimed specifically at achieving this goal. A fundamental part of such policy would be, as we have done, to openly "harvest" males in public facilities with emphasis being placed on subjecting the slain bodies in general, and sex organs in particular, to degrading ridicule. It would also be of immense value, as did we, of giving women of the general public the opportunity personally participate, but instead of “harvesting” only one male, it should be done on a regular basis, and at least for the first, as we have also done, be given the head and sex organs mounted on a plaque to be proudly displayed at home."

       "Displays, however, should not be limited to trophies representing personal triumphs. There should be almost no place that women and girls could go, either public or private, that they would not only observe mounted heads and sex organs, but other displays such as stuffed torsos and even entire bodies. A great deal of effort should be put forth in this area in creating a wide variety of different types of displays and articles made from male bodies in ways that would subject them to disrespect and ridicule. It goes without saying that a primary emphasis should be directed at that which so vividly separates them from us which, by this alone, subjects them to humiliation and ridicule when being openly exhibited for countless members of the opposite to view at their leisure. All of this should be done to such extreme that women and girls would find themselves surrounded by such things in however many ways can be contemplated, but skin from male bodies and sex organs being used in making countless other items as well – including, of course, clothing and other articles made from tanned hides which, as we all know, makes an extremely soft and supple leather of superb quality.

      You might have noticed that I keep mentioning males being subjected to things like disrespect, humiliation, and ridicule - especially the sex organs - but as it was for us, such things would be crucial in instilling within women and girls of future generations the viewpoint that males are both highly inferior and unimportant which, in so doing, would help create indifference being felt toward whatever fate they were being subjected. The only thing that would have a negative effect on feelings of indifference would be the witnessing of mistreatment being inflicted but, since everything being done would be performed solely by women, any form of mistreatment would surely never occur."

       "All of these factors would play important roles, but a key ingredient of creating an outlook of which I speak is the manner in which males would be raised. If they are going to be turned into becoming livestock, then they should be raised as such. They should be kept in open pens and fenced pastures in which they sleep on the ground and eat only with hands and tearing with teeth. And in being livestock, they should not be clothed in any manner between conception and death."

       "It would, of course, serve no purpose to educate them beyond being trained to obey simple commands, since lacking both human knowledge and awareness would greatly simplify the ease of being controlled. It should go as far as not being taught even the most rudimentary of speech so that their only sounds would be yelps and grunts. It goes without saying that such as this would greatly enhance being viewed as highly inferior, unimportant, and with indifference."

       "Males raised in such an environment would be more closely aligned to dumb animals than human in their behavior, and it would be this key factor, in conjunction with all else taking place, that would enable women and girls of future generations to indeed come to look upon members of the opposite sex in terms of being a form of livestock to such extent that they would not question them being slaughtered for meat or, for that matter, question anything else I have mentioned being done. It might not be in a manner of giving the word “livestock” conscious thought, but the subconscious attitude being created would be the same. Due to having human form and at least a small number being needed for reproduction, women and girls would still recognize males as being of their own species, but by being inundated by all that would be occurring, it would be more in terms of a subspecies whose only purpose was to serve a female population’s needs and pleasures. Oh, and speaking of pleasures, upon reaching sufficient maturity males would, of course, be used for enjoying the exhilarating physical pleasures for which their bodies are so uniquely made until the time came for them to be "harvested."

      “The recognizing of males being of their species, even though relegated to a subspecies status, would however, prove to be of great benefit in making open acceptance of what was being done become something that was also filled with a great deal of excitement and enthusiasm. When I mentioned being viewed with indifference, I was referring only to being indifferent of the fate to which males would be subjected. But, there would be no indifference, whatsoever, in observing the manner it was being done, and it would be this that would indeed bring forth excitement and enthusiasm. Many factors would play a part in creating this atmosphere to such extent that trying to explain them all would take a great deal of time, so I will only mention the one that would, by far, have the largest influence. This factor is one that has always been imbedded deep within the inner make-up of the human female which, regardless of how low a status males might be viewed in the future, would remain unchanged. I speak, of course, of our inborn attraction toward members of the opposite sex in general, and that of them that so vividly sets them apart in particular – the sex organs. It was this inborn attraction, imbedded deep within us, that by far, had the greatest influence in us responding with the heightened feelings of pride, amusement, and extreme excitement that we found ourselves being caught-up with when viewing all that was being done. And it would be this same inborn attraction, going unchanged, that would cause members of future female generations not just responding as had we, but to a much greater extent since they would be viewing such immense extreme – especially in the manner of being vividly displayed in countless type and number wherever they might go.

         "Unfortunately, since human males can not be grown on trees, all of this is only wishful thinking. And with this being the case, we are left with having to face obstacles of such magnitude that, as I have said, I can see no way in which they could be overcome. I am well aware that I have not been successful in convincing you about much of what I have said, but I hope that, at least, I have been able to make you aware that, regardless of how much it might be desired, it would be physically impossible for women to produce a quantity of males that would be anywhere close to what you have envisioned - certainly nothing that could be called abundance."

       The room again lapsed into silence. Dr. Carson had indeed been successful in making the young women seated around the table realize they had been so caught up in the enthusiasm of thinking about the prospect of once again being able to "harvest" males in abundance, that it had prevented them from pausing long enough to contemplate that giving birth to such number would be physically impossible. The realization that there would be no abundance whatsoever had a sobering effect that dashed all of the previous excitement. The tantalizing world that Dr. Carson had described as being possible if males could indeed be produced in large number only served to deepen the depression.

       The chairwoman finally broke the silence and spoke in a somber tone. "I'm afraid you have made us look extremely foolish, Dr. Carson. But, even though we might be disappointed in being forced to realize that the number of males which could be produced would fall far short of what we had anticipated, I still don't see why this should keep us from not going ahead with the mission we have been assigned. Not only do I find it difficult to envision any possible reason why male flesh would be so outstanding other than clearly being intended to be eaten, but we must not loose sight of the fact that our primary motivation for taking this action is to create a world that, forevermore, would live in peace. A goal as important as this is certainly worth at least making an attempt."

       "You were quite correct in saying that you failed to convince us in much of what you said. I know that, for myself at least, I find it hard to contemplate women having feelings of compassion toward males. I mean, after all, they have dicks don’t they? It's not like they were anything important. For the life of me, I simply can't see how women in future generations could object to males being slain before reaching an age to be a danger if there was an awareness that, by so doing, it would prevent the world from ever again experiencing the horrors of what we were forced to endure."

       Dr. Carson nodded in understanding. "I would have been surprised if you had said otherwise, and I deeply respect the sincerity in what you desire to achieve. I'm not going to try and change your present outlook, but I do have a suggestion to make. The highest priority we have facing us at this point is to begin rebuilding our own drastically depleted number. I would like for the committee to consider delaying making any proposals in regard to males at least for several years and, during this period of time, adhere to the original plan of producing only females which, as I have said, is of primary importance."

       "If this is done then, during this time, many of you will come to know first hand what it means to conceive and bring forth new life into the world. Those of you that do will have experienced all of the emotions that are created and, regardless of the fact that the infants for whom these emotions will be directed will be female, will therefore gain a far better insight of how such feelings would relate to either sex. We can reconvene this committee two years from now, and if you still find yourselves being of the same mind and determined to go forth, I will offer my assistance regardless of whatever personal reservations I might hold."

       The chairwoman nodded. "I think that seems to be a reasonable approach. Now that we have been forced to realize that there won't be any abundance of males, there is really no urgency to start producing them as soon as possible. If waiting several years will give us a grasp of what could prove to be potential problems that would have to be overcome, then the delay would certainly be worthwhile. It would also give us time to reflect on issues in a more sober manner than we have obviously not done up to now. If there is no objection, I would like to call for a vote on accepting Dr. Carson's suggestion." The other women nodded, and the proposal was adopted as being the recommendation of the committee.

       There was a dispirited mood in the air when the meeting adjourned, and none of those present noticed that Dr. Morgan did not seem to be sharing this somber outlook. In fact, if they had taken a close look, they would have seen that her eyes were flashing with excitement to the extent that it was only with extreme effort that she was able to maintain an outwardly calm composure.