Every day, I go to "new" page of reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts (I apologize in advance if you were previously unaware of Reddit) where I select the latest prompt - whatever it is - and write it out. I've decided to post those here. Hope you enjoy it. Today's Story is:
PERFECTED LOVE
"Welcome, Mr. Johnson." The woman was dressed smartly - a suit with a skirt and a blood-red tie. She wore no jewelry; but then, who did these days? Her hair was short and she wore no make-up. Aesthetically, Simeon found her to be quite pleasing. He wondered if his bride would be as attractive.
"Falicitous greetings," he bowed curtly. "You are Ms. Hanover?"
"Mrs." She said. When Simeon failed to mask his surprise, she added, "part of the conditions of my contract with PerfectedLove was that I agree to a match myself." She motioned to the desk behind her, and the two sat down.
Simeon leaned forward, placing his hands on the empty surface of the desk. "Do you enjoy it," he asked. "Is it worth it, I mean?"
Mrs. Hanover smiled, "Mr. Johnson, I'm here to facilitate your Union. I could hardly tell you otherwise."
He shrugged. "Of course," he said. "But even if you intend to lie to me, I think I would benefit from your perspective. You were looking for a job, right? Not Love or marriage?"
"That is correct," she said. Her hands were folded in her lap. "My perspective... The interesting thing about PerfectedLove, Mr. Johnson, is that it doesn't rely on pre-existing chemical processes to work. My husband is a powerful man. I remember a time before I loved him, when I believe I was intimidated by the prospect of meeting him.
"I remember he was cordial, curt. Aesthetically pleasing - healthy, I mean - with no obvious deformities. You've already been through the Training Program; all of the things you think about, I assume I also dwelled upon."
"Except that It was Mr. Hanover in my position."
"Of course."
"Well," he said, taking a deep breath. "Is there anything we need to do?"
"No, actually. Everything has been arranged. Your provider is in the next room. We'll sit with her and go over the contract. If both parties are amenable to the arrangement, then we'll sign the contract, and by the end of the day you will be happily married, and madly in love with your bride."
"If both parties are amenable? So if she finds me unappealing or-"
"Oh no, no," she said. "it's just a formality. This is the 21st century, Mr. Johnson. With genetic screening, the advent of CustomPhysiQ and modern cosmetic biology - we find that physical attraction isn't even an issue. Even if you don't find the other party to be aesthetically pleasing, the presence of LP9 in your system will rewire your preferences to find her more favorable - the most favorable option. The same goes for the other party. It's all in the contract."
"Okay," he said. "Let's do this." His heart was racing. It was...
It was the most emotion he'd felt in his entire life. "I..."
"It's nerves," she assured him, offering her hand as he stood. "We call them 'wedding jitters' after an old pre-war tradition. For some reason its one chemical reaction that resisted the Wipe."
"It's amazing!" He smiled broadly. "Will it always feel like this?"
"Fortunately no," she said, leading him through a pair of powder blue doors off to the right. "Actually, we find it best to give the initial LP9 injection after the initial emotional response wears thin. It's why the contract negotiation process is done here, today - and not something you can do during the Training Program or from home."
She led him down a spartan hallway with dark blue carpeting and off-white walls. They passed two doors on either side, before she motioned him through the third door on the left.
Within the small office, there was a short desk and three chairs. Sitting in the chair opposite the door was a young woman - though only slightly younger than Simeon. Her hair was long and curly, chestnut brown. She sat upright, with her hands folded in her lap, her legs crossed at the ankle. She stood up as they entered. Her expression was hard to read, and then Simeon realized she must be feeling the 'wedding jitters' as well.
"Mr. Simeon Johnson," Mrs. Hanover said, gesturing toward the woman, "this is Seong Hera."
The woman curtsied and he responded with a bow. "It is a pleasure, of course."
The three sat down. And the contract came up on the screen. The negotiations were tedious and long. Each page of the contract required a number of thumbprints in acceptance - a lot of legal stuff. Simeon agreed to provide a home for Ms. Hera. He would share all his property with her, and in the unlikely event of a LP9 rejection, he would agree to a 50/50 split of all holdings.
He would give her children and agree to LP4 injections should his biology not generate the proper paternal response. He would care for her children as he cared for her. They would be guaranteed a place in his home and under his care until such time as they chose to leave - or until the 21st anniversary of their birth if it proved a hardship.
Ms. Hera's part of the contract was equally long, but primarily dealt with her acceptance of the agreement, and her willingness to submit to no less than three LP9 injections, in return for the financial and social security provided by Mr. Johnson.
There was an addendum for everything - from acceptance of hobbies to an agreement about location stability and joint assessment of any major decisions. That part, Mrs. Hanover added, was purely for legal reasons, and in practice was unnecessary.
In the end, they both placed their hands on the palm reader and voiced their agreement. The door opened again, and a young man in white came into the room with a small black box.
"This is Howard," Mrs. Hanover said. "He'll be administering the injections."
Howard was a consummate professional, performing his task quickly and efficiently. When he was finished, Mrs. Hanover stood.
"Alright," she said. "It is now necessary to separate the two of you for a brief period. We find it expedites things if we go ahead and have you change into your wedding attire. When you're done, we'll all step into the Chapel, where you'll be given a half-hour or so to explore your new feelings. You will be monitored during this period, so we encourage you to avoid engaging in any sexual activity. It will be unusually difficult for you.
"The initial onset of PerfectedLove will be euphoric - like the wedding jitters amplified ten-fold." She motioned them out of the room. "As you learned in Training, the rush of emotion will fade to a background - though ever-present emotion that will thereafter color your every decision and desire. And of course, we offer discounted renewal injections on your 10th, 25th, 50th, and 100th anniversaries. Please, step right into these dressing rooms..."
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