"Good evening Father, good evening Mother." I spoke respectfully as I closed the door to our designated dwelling behind me. The inside furnishings were no different from that of any other in the Society. The dwelling was decorated with white walls and furniture in alternating shades of grey and black. I cannot help but feel welcomed by the simplicity of it all.

"Alyssa, you're fifteen minutes tardy." A soft spoken voice answered me as my father and mother came to greet me at the door. They were not my biological parents, but I am no different from the numerous others soon to be citizens of the Society. We have the Birthmothers for childbearing, allowing the remaining of the female population of the Society to continue as able-bodied and productive Citizens. The Birthmothers were a vital part of the Society; they provide the population for the Society. While they work for the shortest amount of time, approximately 13.6 years, in that span of time they go through the processes of insemination and birth five times, raising those five Products for exactly two years each.

"I apologize, Mother and Father." I replied, looking down to the floor in respect before returning eye contact. "However, it was out of my control. I sincerely wish I did not frighten you." They gave me warm smiles, their eyes crinkling up in the corners with happiness. In that look alone, it was obvious to tell that all had been forgiven. One of the largest factors in the Society was the ability to not dwell on past slights, especially if they had been justified.

"Thank you for your concern, Alyssa." My father told me, nodding in approval of my actions. "I'm sure your tardiness can be explained, but perhaps later on into the evening. This evening is for celebration."

My mother smiled at him, looping her arm through his own. She directed her smile towards me then, “We just received notification that you had been accepted." She explained to me, and I allowed myself a moment for the blood to rush to my face from the praise. "Congratulations, Alyssa. In a matter of days, you will be a full citizen of the Society."

"We are very proud of your success." My father adds.

I smiled kindly at them, "Thank you, Mother. Thank you, Father."  I removed my shoes carefully where I stand, placing them gently on the mat in front of the door. The linoleum tiles were cold against my bare feet, but I had long since stopped minding. Every house was kept at the same designated temperature, which was kept cold enough to keep our minds sharp, however warm enough to be comfortable. "Have you eaten yet?" I asked them politely, but still concerned, "Surely you did not wait on account of my tardiness. That is not good for your schedules."

I received a light chuckle from my family as we moved into the sitting room where it would be more comfortable. "We did not interrupt our schedules, Alyssa. Although, I do strongly advise you to eat. You are young, and your schedule is more flexible for things like tardiness. But as a full citizen, you will no longer have that flexibility." My father told me, his voice gentle but firm in his beliefs. I nodded in affirmation to his words, smiling again as they sat down comfortably on the couch in our sitting room.

"Of course, I will return to my normal schedule immediately. Please, excuse me for a moment." I left the room momentarily, heading towards the kitchen for my predetermined meal. The Society plans out every meal of every individual, keeping us all at a healthy, normal weight. The kitchen itself was a relatively small room, large enough to hold three people in it, and no more. The room had precisely three screens built into the wall, much like the touch screen desks used for examinations, one for each member of the family. I turned to the screen on the right, farthest from the door, watching the symbol of the Society as it bounced happily from corner to corner, before my presence was noted.

They tell me that it does not matter which screen I pick, all of them would deliver accurate results. But the one on the left has always been Mother’s; the one beside mine has always been Father's, so this one has always belonged to me. The one of the far left remains off, we have never had a need for it.

The Society's symbol was replaced by the face of a smiling pixilated woman, who never looks quite real in my mind, but never quite animated. "Good Evening, Product Seventy-Four." The woman said in a pleasant tone as it recalled my face in its memory banks. "Please, stand still while we take a quick scan of your metabolic balance. Your meal will be determined shortly.” I waited patiently as it does so, watching as the bouncing symbol returned and recalling the seemingly thousands of times I have done this before. In a few short days, I would no longer be sharing this kitchen with my family unit. I would have my own designated dwelling, with my own screen. A pleasant chiming rang through the room, and the woman's face returned. She smiled at me, and a small whirring noise began inside of the screen.

"Thank you for waiting patiently. Your meal will be dispensed momentarily." She was hardly able to reach the end of her sentence before the meal was dispensed. In a small compartment below the screen sat a single pill, which contained all of the vitamins and nutrients I would need to nourish my body until the next meal. I pinched the pill delicately between my forefinger and thumb, removing it from the compartment. I place the pill on my tongue, letting it dissolve and ignoring the bitter taste I have long since grown used to. The Society's symbol returned to the screen, and I glanced over to the fourth, lifeless screen on the left.

Only fifty percent of family-units ever apply for a second child. My mother and father have never done so. Statistically speaking, it's not an uncommon occurrence; however it was an unusual one. Some of the Society's couples only wish for one child, as the other half wish for two, the maximum amount allowed. My family-unit remains in the first category, and my designated mother and father were long since past the age recommended for raising children. The screen would forever stay blank.

Without much more thought to the blank screen, I turned from the kitchen and returned to the sitting room where my mother and father wait. I sat on the chair near the couch where they have made themselves comfortable, and for several minutes we talked about small things. School and work mostly. We spoke of my upcoming acceptance into the Society at last, and the briefed me once more on exactly what would happen before I would be fully accepted. There would be a public announcement of all of the new members, where the few of us who still have only numbers would be given a name for the first time. Then, they would assign our jobs and new designated dwellings. In a few months or a year, the selection for a partner would begin, and I would continue on with life. It was a fairly easy transition from Product to Citizen, and I do not find myself the least bit nervous by its prospects. We did not speak of my tardiness, it was a topic that could easily be avoided, and so therefore was.

Then somehow, the talk turned to the others who had been selected.

"I'm afraid I did not pay the others much mind." I admitted, slightly ashamed at my inattentiveness. I needed to be alert and focused on everything around me. I had let my attention slip, and my curiosity had gotten the better of me. But I was not capable of sharing that information currently, I thought it best to keep the entire situation quiet, as I expected would be Daniel's wishes would be, since he wanted to slip by unnoticed into the Society.

"You did not?" My mother asked, surprised by my lack of concentration. "That's peculiar, Alyssa. Was something the matter?"

"No, Mother." I assured her, smiling reassuringly, "Nothing was the matter. I was simply in a state of elation at my success, and let my concentration slip. I do apologize if I have disappointed you." She appeared relieved at my explanation, and something odd seemed to twist inside of my stomach, however I kept my smile reassuring. I had the sudden compulsion to tell them exactly what had happened, but I had been given strict orders against doing so. What was this feeling, then?

"That's good to hear." She told me, before glancing at the time displayed on the wall. "My, it is getting late. You should retire to your room for the night, Alyssa. I must discuss some things with your father." I nodded, standing up from the chair.

"Of course, Mother. If you need anything, please feel free to ask for assistance." I told them politely, receiving a smile in return.

"Thank you, Alyssa." My father answered, only to have the words echoed by my mother.

"Goodnight." I told them, before excusing myself from the room and heading up to my bedroom. It was fairly simple in design, something I rather liked. A bed, a chest of drawers, and an empty toy box from my younger years. Complexity could be challenging at times, life was much better if you kept everything simple. It looked less like the artwork from pre-Plague years, and more like something reliable and straightforward. I undressed quickly, replacing my day clothes with my sleepwear, and proceeded to get ready for bed.

I looked out my window momentarily, looking at the now dark roads and sleeping Citizens. I had not realized just how quickly time had passed today. The houses seemed to stretch on and on for lifetimes. As I watched, a slow moving fog began to rise from the ground, blanketing the street below in an opaque white sheet. A small whirring noise, hardly audible, began to resonate within the house's mechanisms and as the fog slowly began to settle, a sheet of steel slid down silently in front of the window, signalling the beginning of curfew. I smiled softly before  reaching out and pulling closed the curtains. The lights shut off soon after, and I climbed into bed in the dark, for the first time realizing that I was far to awake to sleep. So much was happening already, so much was ahead of me. The tests, the miscalculation of scores, Daniel, my new occupation...Slowly, my eyes began to close at last as the warmth of my blanket and quilt lulled me into sleep.

The road ahead of me had never seemed brighter.

(This was...totally a filler chapter. XD I'M SO SORRY! )