however.”
“How could you possibly expect cooperation?” Bobby demands.
“Our scientists have been working on this problem for years. You will be allowed however much time you need to come into physical, emotional, and intellectual alignment with your match. Martian males have been tutored for years on the excitation of and courtship with Earth females. While most of us have little to no experience, we do have a high level of intellectual understanding and emotional intelligence. We also have reason to believe that you will find your genetic match sexually irresistible after spending a suitable amount of time in his presence.”
“How is that even possible?” Bobby demands.
“Science.”
Medic Foxx goes through the procedure with everyone but Bobby. I watch, rubbing my arm unconsciously where I was injected. When we are all done, I ask how long it will take for the results to come back.
“We don’t know yet. This is a new process for us, but we will make every effort to accommodate you all with the utmost respect and comfort.”
“This is bullshit,” Bobby mutters. “I’d rather just die now.”
“On behalf of everyone on Mars, I apologize for the inconvenience.”
“Inconvenience!” she shouts.
“Thank you for your cooperation. I will leave you now while we work on the results.”
Lieutenant Controi and Medic Foxx disappear out of the sliding door. Everyone but Bobby is speaking excitedly about the new development. She’s pacing in the corner, and we ignore her angry muttering while we try to come to terms with our new reality.
“It’s better than being eaten by bugs,” Bethany says.
“That’s not saying a lot,” Madeline says.
“Are you going to object like Bobby?” Sophia asks.
“I don’t know yet. I guess it depends on the guy they match me with,” Madeline reasons.
“I’ve wanted to settle down and start a family for as long as I can remember,” Bethany says. “But the pickings back on Earth were slim. Men these days just don’t care about that sort of thing anymore. All they seem to want is porn and video games.”
“I doubt any of these men will be interested in me,” I say. “They are so… hot…”
I can’t imagine that men that gorgeous would ever want to make love to the likes of me, no matter how desperate they were. I’m awkward and freckled, and my fashion sense went out of style before I was born. But the thought of getting matched up with the captain for mandatory mating fills me with a kind of thrill that I didn’t know was possible for me. I never even felt this way with Ashton. My deepest desire seems to be rising to the surface and demanding attention. I bite my lip at the thought while everyone else keeps talking. Their words sound like buzzing as I’m lost in a fantasy about the sexy captain, whose name I don’t even know.
“Doris?” Bethany asks. “Doris?”
“Oh, what?”
“I said, you are being ridiculous. Any of these sexy Martians would be lucky to have you. You’re the best person I know.”
“You are all enslaved sheeple,” Bobby snipes. “I can’t believe you’re even having this conversation.”
“We are trying to come to terms with reality, Bobby,” Sophia says. She’s been mostly silent for the majority of the conversation. Being the most traumatized of all of us by the capture, she’s taking the turn of events with the Martians in stride, unlike Bobby, who seems to want to compare this situation with being herded into a gulag.
“Just don’t come crying to me when you realize these men are monsters just like the bugs.”
“I don’t think you need to worry about anyone crying to you, Bobby.” Madeline laughs.
“Fine. Whatever. It’s your grave.”
“They aren’t going to kill us,” Madeline says, rolling her eyes. “If these men had no women on their planet and we then become the only ones, the most logical response would be for them to treat us like goddesses. Or at least with high regard. Anything else would be irrational in my opinion, and these men don’t seem in the least irrational to me. They seem to be extremely thoughtful and well prepared. So my guess is that they will treat us with great dignity for the rest of our lives. I only wish that Abigail were here with us.” Madeline goes silent. Tears glisten in her eyes. She wipes them away, trying to maintain a brave face for Sophia.
“I’m sure she’s okay,” Sophia says. “Abigail is a survivor.”
“I know. It’s just…”
“They don’t care about anyone but themselves,” Bobby says. “Or they would have saved the whole planet from