[ WP ] In the future , science has found a way to cure death , allowing people to become immortal . The only way to get the cure is to have your reproductive organs removed , and never bear children .

On a small synthetic-wood bedside table sits a pregnancy tester. On the bed, with his eyes shifting between the two red lines of the positive tester and his hands folded in his lap, sits a man who doesn ’ t look a day older than 25. Pacing the length of the room is Yvette. Yvette is young in temperament but with the eyes of an old soul. 
 
 Joseph draws a deep and conclusive breath while easing into his words. “ I know its bizarre but we don ’ t have any choice. ” 
 
 “... but what does it mean? ” Yvette almost whispers “ This doesn ’ t just happen. What are the chances that we both still... you know... work? ” 
 
 “ Look babe. Maybe the doctors were tired when we went in. Maybe our paper work got mixed up. Maybe a million other things. The only thing I know is that this doesn ’ t look good for us. If it gets out that you ’ re whel... “ Joseph pinches off his words with a cautious pause “ that you ’ re pregnant. ” 
 
 “ We didn ’ t do anything. ” Yvette pleads back to Joseph. 
 
 “ I know that. You know that. But who else is going to believe us? People will think we're scheming. That we ’ re trying to get around the law. They won ’ t be sympathetic. ” 
 
 “ Who won ’ t be J? ” 
 
 “ Yvette, you know damn well I need public funding. Look around! The world is crumbling. I ’ ve got answers but I need people to back me. If little rumors start flying around that I have no respect for humanity then my projects won ’ t get a dime. ” 
 
 “ So that ’ s it? You would choose money over a life? ” 
 
 “ We ’ re talking about billions of lives! I can ’ t believe we ’ re even talking about this?! There ’ s no way we could ever even think about raising that child! If anyone found out... The laws are perfectly clear. The only question is whether we come clean and tell the doctors they botched the job... or... ” 
 
 “ Or what, J? ” 
 
 “ I know someone who would take care of it and keep everything real quiet. ” 
 
 For the first time all night Yvette stands still. The blood rushing out of her extremities left her hands cold and shaking. Under a desperate realization her eyes blur under a thick layer of mist. Minutes of silence pass broken only by the ruffle of tissues wiping slow tears from her cheeks. Yvette chokes down the thick spit in her throat to speak. “ I know. I just needed to dream for a bit. It ’ s really quite amazing you know, having something live inside you. I just needed to dream for a little. Do you ever wonder if we made the right choice? ” 
 
 “ Choice? What choice? ” 
 
 “ You know, the Life Project. Maybe we ’ re not meant to live forever? ” 
 
 “ Come on Yvette. We can ’ t start doubting ourselves now. What ’ s done is done. Just think about how privileged we are. We ’ ve conquered death. People have been living in fear of death since the beginning of time. ” 
 
 “ That ’ s what I mean. Maybe we should die. Maybe we are meant to have kids and die. It ’ s obviously not natural to live forever if the government has to rip away your reproduction rights, is it? ” 
 
 “ Could you imagine if they didn ’ t have those rules? If they had n't passed the Enter Eden Treaties? The world would be over populated in two generations. There ’ s noway. That doesn ’ t mean that it ’ s not natural though. There ’ s no reason why we should ever have to suffer death. All those people who refused Life Treatment only live for seventy or eighty years. Imagine what we can achieve that they can ’ t. ” 
 
 Yvette, almost not even listening anymore, distantly replies “ Yeah, I guess you ’ re right. ” Her puffy eyes seem to gaze somewhere beyond the cheap plastic pregnancy tester.
