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Alpha and Omega - Part 13
By Marie Ellen Pacha
We have psychiatrists here as well, and that is a good thing. Our ancestors must have suffered some level of claustrophobia early on, and periodically the necessary restrictions of our society overwhelm one of us.
These individuals are having a field day with Adam and Eve, the first individuals they have studied from outside in their lifetimes. Eve is a particular favorite topic of theirs. We know that both were "educated" by god to meet criteria set by their progenitors. But Eve is so narcissistic that they wonder if there is a defect in her brain, or if that characteristic has a genetic component.
And they refer to Adam as a born leader. He attempts to take control of meetings, and he urges the consensus to follow his suggestions. But his goals are single minded. Neither of our two newest citizens shows a real concept of working for the common good. Adam is bright, very bright, but contentious. And for the first time in many years we have discord in our society.
Perhaps it is time I clarified the structure of our society. We believe equality is a prime necessity. Not because all of us are of equal intelligence by any means, but because in our world each and every human being has a role, and duties assigned to it upon which each and every one of us depend. If any one of us fails in our duties our whole civilization could be placed at risk.
For that very reason we do not have a Leader, or a President. Once a month we meet to discuss relevant issues as they arrive and make status reports. Each month a different adult individual is assigned the role of moderator. Within our individual areas of expertise we do have supervisors who direct the others who work with them and they assign individual tasks. In the rare event of one of those supervisors abusing their limited powers we decide as a group during those monthly meetings if a new supervisor should be assigned.
We don't have a lot of patience with egos here. Individualism is not stifled though. In our free time we are encouraged to have hobbies such as music or art, or even literature. While these occupations are not necessary to our survival we know they are conducive to our mental health. But when it comes to survival we MUST be in agreement.
Those individuals offered the opportunity to procreate and bear children rarely refuse. They may or may not be mated to one another. Artificial insemination is an option for those who are mated to other individuals. The decision on who should bear children is always based on recommendations of our geneticists.
Pregnancy and childbirth are still carried out in the manner of our ancestors. We could produce test tube babies as they were once referred to, and the debate is reconsidered every few years or so, but the majority of our population believes we will lose some of our humanity if we relinquish that role to machines.
Child rearing duties become the responsibility of the most capable of the genetic parents; unless of course neither is suited for nurturing roles. In that case there is always a man or woman willing to assume that role, particularly among those not chosen to bear their own offspring. Early childhood education is begun at age 4, and from that time until the child reaches the age of 18 they are tested every two years to determine where they should focus their abilities and intelligence.
Members of our society are allowed to create partnerships with members of the opposite sex. These partnerships are neither encouraged nor discouraged. For those that chose to enter into such relationships they usually prove to be lifelong and based as much upon intellect as physical attraction. Casual liaisons for sexual satisfactions are not discouraged, but we are for the most part modest and not prone to boasting or public displays of affection.
On the rare occasion when a resident has proven to be ineffective in their role, or a detriment to society as a whole our new civilization is faced with its most serious debate: whether or not life should be terminated. We do not take this responsibility lightly. A vote is taken by ballot and three quarters of our adult populace must agree upon the outcome. Only once in our history has the motion for termination not passed. That was for the last survivor of Armageddon, and the last living link to our past. Emotions ran particularly high for the life of the last person who remembered our world as it had once been.
Continue to Part 14
This article is © copyrighted by Marie Ellen Pacha. Any use of this article, in full or in part, is strictly prohibited without written permission from Marie Ellen Pacha.
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