The Breeding Program

Gina's walk to the guild was quick. It was one of the nice things about the job. If you didn't live inside the guild, there was still plenty of rooms nearby that you could live in for free. That way you could run over at a moments notice to help in an emergency.

When Gina walked in, the place was closed despite the lights being on. A dark feeling settled in her stomach as she pushed the door open and walked inside. She could see her coworkers sitting at the various tables and counters. Some looked cheerful, excited even. Others were the complete opposite. The only thing they had in common was the look they gave when they saw her. One of fear.

Adali, one of her coworkers and friends, led her to a seat and poured her a drink.

"So...There's not really an easy way to say this to newbies, but...Congratulations, your becoming a mother!" She said with a **** laugh. "Same as the rest of us. Though some will technically become dads instead. Those poor unfortunate souls."

Gina's hand shook slightly as she took a sip from her glass. She appreciated Adali trying to make comedy out of the situation, but it was pointless. Today was clearly the day of the breeding program. She wasn't ready to get pregnant. Not even close. She was only 21.

"Um...Incase that wasn't clear. There's this thing called the breeding-"

She was interrupted as Gina spoke, "I know what it is... I was going through the book on traditions and cultures when I read about it...I'm surprised it's real."

"Oh it's real all right, but it's not as bad as everyone thinks! I mean, look around! Some are even smiling at the thought of being breed. For some it's a good way to guarantee a pregnancy, for others its just a lot of fun. Not to mention that this could greatly help in terms of connections and money."

Gina didn't care at all about the money or connections, but it did confuse her. That confusion was something she cared about. "How exactly does that help with connections and money?"

"Lets start with the money. Every year, you get a bonus during the breeding program. The amount of money depends on the breeding program is done. There's a few different ways it can go. We'd get to that later. If you decide to keep the baby instead of giving it to the father or giving it up to adoption then you get even more money. Then there's the money that your milkers can make." Adali said with a quick chuckle, "Obviously, you'll start lactating. There's a device, kinda like a small portal, that will milk your nipples and send the breastmilk through the portal. The milk will then be used in potions or just sold as milk. The government considers it like a side job so you'll get paid for every hour that you keep the device on."

After a quick sip from her own drink, she continued. "As I mentioned there are three different ways the program can go. The first one lets call the nobility path. Government officials will show nobles photos of different people **** into the program. People like you and me. Along with a bunch of info about every person. The noble, on the day of the breeding program, can then come down and interview and examine the person. Afterwards they can decide on whether or not to breed you. The noble will then pay for you. The guild, you, and the government official that researched and recommended you would get a cut of that money.

"It's one of the best paths since there's a chance that you won't be breed. The noble could say no and leave. Another noble with an interest in you might show up, but they also might not. Then there's the second way the program can go. The government path, lets call it. Basically, the government decides who breeds you. This is probably one of the worse ones. Since the government decides, they could make it so a family member ends up breeding you. It has happened before. You still get paid, though it's not as much as the Nobility path. Since obviously, a noble would want to give a lot of money to encourage good research and recommendations in the future.

"Finally, the last path is the auction path. Get on stage, expose yourself, and people will auction on who gets to breed you. This could be a great way to make money. The money is split between you and the guild, obviously with you getting the most. The only problem is that the auction is open to everyone. Someone like you will likely be bought by nobility, but you never know. A blacksmith could make a deal with nobility, having them pay for you and in exchange the blacksmith will supply the nobility with weapons at a discount. There's always politics, bribes, and deals involved.

"Of course, this year they could do things differently. These are just the most common ways the program goes." Adali said, finally downing the rest of her drink. As she did, the door opened. Two guards and a man in a black robe with blue runes all across it strolled inside.

I wondered what he was going to say. Which way the program would go this year...