sixteen

[sixthsinner]

You know, it's too bad all everyone grew up again. After a few days, I'm really starting to missing having a bunch of kids running around.

Comments

[desig_survivor]

I act like something of an idiot when I'm sixteen or seventeen, so it's really better that I'm usually not.

But it does seem strange now how few children there are here.

[sixthsinner]

Not many kids are born here, huh? Either kind of born.

[desig_survivor]

Now that I think about it, there really aren't. Actually, since then I haven't seen any babies or very small children at all, and I've never seen any pregnant women. With two thousand people here, and this not being a military installation or anything, that seems unlikely.

Odd.

[sixthsinner]

Human nature. People will jump in bed, and accidents happen. Except they don't.

[desig_survivor]

Exactly. Even assuming that it's easy to get protection and everyone is aware that this is a bad environment to raise children in, there should be something.

All I've heard of is an anecdote about someone getting a "sympathy belly" as payment for a memory crystal, and that's not real pregnancy.

I wonder if there's something in the air or water. But I've heard about the animals breeding, so it can't be that. Maybe there was something in those cocoons.

[sixthsinner]

Sympathy-now that's creepy.

Do they breed, or do they just show up, too? Most things here do. Makes you wonder where they come from, too.

[desig_survivor]

He ended up having to wear some kind of weighted vest that was supposed to simulate what it's like to be pregnant - kicking, shortness of breath, back pain. Or something like that. He was somewhat drunk when he talked about it.

[ They exist, and are actually called "empathy bellies". Teach me not to look things up...]

I don't know. There was a [NPC] entry not long after I came here which had someone talking about kittens young enough that their eyes hadn't opened.

[sixthsinner]

You know, I'll just take ladies' words that having a child is no walk in the oasis and save myself the trouble.

And yet no one's reported witnessing any births. Interesting.

[unevoked]

Think one've the medics said once that we're sterile- animals and shit too.

Kinda a stupid thing to research, if you ask me.

[desig_survivor]

[A very long pause as he flips many pages back to an NPC's random entry]

I suppose. Someone talked about new kittens, and they had a queen cat washing and taking care of them, but that doesn't mean the queen gave birth.

I wonder if they come out of the same pods.

[grinninggrifter]

[Hi, butting in.]

Pregnancy doesn't happen here? I don't suppose it has to, considering the cocoons.

2/3

[grinninggrifter]

[Wait for a second, he's a bit slow. What are the implications of this...]

[grinninggrifter]

[WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP!!!!!]

[sixthsinner]

Grift, you cad. At least try not to catch anything, all right?

[grinninggrifter]

I said nothing. I'm merely cheerful that no infants have been brought into a place such as this. It's no place to be rising a child.

[sixthsinner]

Say that with a straight face, and maybe I'll believe you.