[ WP ] There are two cities . One only has men , the other only women . They meet only once every year .

“ Do you really think Earth is dead by now? ” 
 
 I love Jenny, and I ’ m going to get to see her for the first time tomorrow because it ’ s Mingling Day and we ’ re both 16 now. We ’ re going to have sex, and I ’ m going to try to get her pregnant. I even hope the baby is a girl so it can stay to live with her rather than coming over to me. However, I ’ ve learned this doesn ’ t mean she never annoys me. “ I don ’ t know. No one knows, not even the Vorn. ” 
 
 “ Yeah, but my grandma says they were wrong. Humans weren ’ t doomed to overpopulation and war. We can control our breeding with contraception or even just by avoiding sex even though when we ’ re all mixed together. If that ’ s true, then they didn ’ t rescue us, they kidnapped us. ” 
 
 “ My grandpa says the same thing, ” I agreed. I was mostly being diplomatic though. I thought the Vorn had probably been right, and human civilization on Earth had probably been doomed when they had first found us. It was true that humans, unlike the Vorn, didn ’ t have to have sex just because we encountered a fertile female. However, it was also true that our females were always capable of sex, and most people would choose to have sex if they could. The population of Earth had certainly doubled in the four decades before they arrived. That didn ’ t seem sustainable. 
 
 “ Anyway, ” I told Jenny, “ here and now we live like they do- segregated. We ’ re alive, and we ’ re going to see each other tomorrow. That ’ s all that really matters, right? ” 
 
 Jenny sighed happily and that made any annoyance I still felt melt. “ You ’ re right. OK, if we have a baby and it ’ s a girl, what do you want to name it? ” 
 
 ~ ~ ~ 
 
 “ I still think you ’ re nuts to skip the orgies, ” Mike called over the noise of the bus. 
 
 I looked out the window at the approaching Women ’ s City. From the outside it didn ’ t look like much. Just a giant circular wall rising from the lifeless plain of the planet the Vorn had dumped us on. Some people call our world Earth 2 or New Earth. Maybe that ’ s an acceptable name, but the new world certainly isn ’ t an improvement on the old one. Still, when the Vorn are convinced we ’ re responsible about population they ’ ll let us expand. We ’ re doing well with that. Mingling Day is run by humans now, and humans punish anyone trying to city jump. There ’ s talk the Vorn are going to let us have another couple of cities. Maybe they ’ ll let us plant something as well. I looked back to Mike, “ If you have a son without a registered partnership then you don ’ t get to keep him. The pop board will assign the child to the best adoptive parent. ” 
 
 “ Kids are a lot of work, ” Mike countered. 
 
 “ Everyone helps. You ’ re just mad because you broke up with Ann. ” 
 
 Mike folded his arms and turned back toward the front of the bus, suggesting I ’ d hit closer to the mark than I intended. It was just as well. By that time, our bus had reached the massive gate in the wall of the women ’ s city and we both had better things to worry about. 
 
 ~ ~ ~ 
 
 The day passed quickly, a little awkwardly, and pleasantly. In truth, I only remember the first half. On Mingling Day anyone is allowed to drink, and I didn ’ t have the head for it because otherwise the minimum age is 18. Things get fuzzy around noon, and I think I passed out with Jenny in her bed at about 3. Still, before that everything was great. 
 
 Afterword ’ s, not so much. 
 
 I woke up, groaned slightly, and rubbed by head. “ Ouch. I thought hangovers came the following morning. ” 
 
 Jenny stirred beside me, waking up then sitting up. She looked like an angel. My headache faded somewhat, and I leaned over to kiss her. We ’ d gotten enough practice during the day that we were getting pretty good. The kissing lasted a few minutes before Jenny pushed me back. “ Do we have time? How long will you need to get back to your bus? ” 
 
 I ’ d memorized that, “ Only 10 minutes. ” I looked around. It was dark except for the street lights coming through the window and the light that leaked under her bedroom door. “ What time is it anyway? ” 
 
 Jenny fumbled a bit in the darkness pulling a piece of clothing off of her alarm clock. She gasped then showed it to me without saying anything. I heard myself gasp as well though I didn ’ t consciously decide to make the sound. The clock read 3:13 a.m. 
 
 “ That can ’ t be right. ” 
 
 “ I went around and set all the clocks yesterday. Nothing ’ s more than a second off! ” 
 
 “ But what about the sirens? I didn ’ t hear anything! ” I fumbled through the darkness finding my pants and in them my phone. The phone agreed with the clock. “ Shit! I ’ m city jumping! The pop board is going to execute me. ” The Vorn hadn ’ t done that, but the pop board was serious about getting those extra cities. They ’ d upped the penalties for illegal mingling. I was starting to freak out. 
 
 Jenny grabbed me, “ Not if you get back to Men ’ s City. ” 
 
 “ How? ” 
 
 “ Today is the best day for it. Everyone got the day off, everyone got drunk, no one would expect a city jumper three hours after Mingling Day ends. If anyone is watching the wall it ’ s some granny too old to care about Mingling Day, and she ’ ll probably be half blind. ” 
 
 ~ ~ ~ 
 
 Jenny proved to be more or less correct. She was able to show me where to find a wall maintenance harness, and we were able to move around the city without anyone getting close enough to realize I was male. I texted Mike to hang a rope over the Men ’ s City wall, and miraculously, he wasn ’ t too drunk to get the text, so I had a route back into the Men ’ s City when I got there. 
 
 When I reached the door to the stairs in the city wall I kissed Jenny and sent her away. She wanted to come with me, but she ’ d already helped me all she could. She wouldn ’ t get executed for being caught with a man, but she would get in a lot of trouble. I ’ d let her risk enough just getting us across the city. 
 
 Alone, things felt even worse. I ’ d expected the door to the stairs to be locked and I had taken a crowbar to pry my way in, but it wasn ’ t. The stairwell echoed like a tomb as I climbed them. Worse yet, it was completely lit. Anyone who could see me would know in an instant that I was male. Climbing to the top of the wall was the longest 15 minutes of my life. When I finally reached the top without meeting anyone I was physically dizzy with relief. I ’ d be able to get back out into the darkness. 
 
 I shouldn ’ t have assumed I was safe. 
 
 I did n't open the door to peek out. I just threw it wide and stepped out like a moron. There was a woman guarding the walls. Like Jenny had predicted she was old. She was sliver haired and tiny. She moved somewhat uncomfortably as she turned to face me. I didn ’ t think she ’ d be fast enough to catch me, or strong enough to fight me. Unfortunately, the huge gun she held would see to both of those things though its recoil might knock her over. 
 
 We were both startled. I raised my hands reflexively, and she trained her gun on me. Then slowly I lowered my hands. I was doomed, I might as well make the best of it. I addressed her, “ I ’ m going to run. Shoot me in the back and make it good. It ’ ll be quick and it ’ ll keep my partner out of trouble. ” 
 
 “ You idiot. Come over here and I ’ ll help you get that harness tied off. At least you were smart enough to bring something to get down. ” 
 
 “ What? ” None of that made sense to me. 
 
 “ You think you ’ re the first person to over sleep on Mingling Day? You ’ re the 5th tonight! Fortunately, we old folks remember how stupid this all is. We can ’ t do much about it, but we watch the walls tonight. I ’ m going to keep this section of wall clear while you ‘ escape ’ and then I ’ m going to call a man in the other city. Do you have a way up? ” 
 
 I nodded, too stunned to speak. 
 
 “ Good, now hop to. You haven ’ t got much time to get back before dawn. Never speak of this, but remember it when you ’ re old. ” 
 
 ~ ~ ~ 
 
 I made it. It was close; false dawn was in the sky when I crested the city wall. No one saw me, or if they did they also ignored me. I kept my promise to the old lady and didn ’ t say anything about her help. Actually, I didn ’ t mind having to make up a slightly more impressive lie to give Mike. Almost getting shot by a granny did n't sound so great. 
 
 I ’ ll keep the second half of my promise as well, and once I ’ m old I ’ ll watch the walls once a year. 

