The group disembarked off the coach and stood in a line. The waited for their tour guide. Today was a great day for this group; finally able to delve into the deep secrets and mystery that was The Sunflower Corporation’s BioFarms. Some were nervous, others, more excited like children on Christmas day. One was merely squeezed the piece of paper in his pocket with anxiety and dread. The only certain constant in this collection, was that they were all male.

‘Hello, and welcome to the BioFarms. My name is Eric, and I will be your tour guide.’ Eric beckoned the group into the main lobby, where name tags and brochures were given out. Theo accepted both with one hand, in constant fear that if his grip left the piece of paper, he would be discovered. They stood in a room, with a large window looking down at the farm. He remembered when the word farm brought with it a thought of animals, joyful times for children and pride in mans work. This was indeed mans work. It was all Mans work.

They were herded into an elevator, the tour guide the last man to enter. Theo could see the nonchalant expression on his face. He was preparing to give his prize speech along his usual tour route.

‘As we all know, The Plague of 2013 struck suddenly and without warning. Over two thirds of our planets population was genetically affected,’ he paused as he turned to the group. ‘Of course, this group needn’t worry about that.’ A wink, followed by fake laughter seemed to satisfy the guide.

The elevator opened and the soft orange glow invaded them. As they stepped out, each person was given a pair of goggles. They were sturdy with a strong leather strap and thick, black glass. ‘Don’t worry, folks,’ said a man handing them out. ‘We supply these to protect the eyes from any strain.’ He nodded to the Tour guide, who then led them out into the great space of the farm.

The huge space was staggering and Theo found himself feeling guilty. He eyed up each capsule, about the size of a single bed. He could barely make out anything beyond the thick, orange liquid in them. Each row of capsules was ten high and they seemed too stretched into an unimaginable distance. He squeezed harder on the paper in his pocket. The bodies inside looked like they were standing, almost peaceful, were it not that they looked unnatural. Theo pulled his gaze away at the bodies, vertical, yet remaining in the foetal position.

‘Now, this time of The Plague had the majority of mankind in an uproar. What, with women’s ovary’s being attacked by a degrading disease, the world leaders were stuck on any course of action. It seemed that with no cure in sight, birth rates would become absolute zero, and humanity would quickly disappear.’ He stopped and pointed to Theo. He suddenly looked behind him to a man who had raised his hand. Theo tried to hide his face and fought the urge to run. ‘Yes sir, can I take you’re question?’

‘Is it true that the fluid in which The Subjects are contained in is similar to what an amnion of a female would contain?’

‘That’s true; inside our BioWombs, the subjects are contained in a sort of fluid, much to what you would have found in any female’s amnion. A collection of proteins, carbohydrates, electrolytes and lipids are absorbed into The Subjects with quaint ease. This aids the continued development of the female bodies within these pods.’ He motioned for the group to follow them as he led them further down a series of winding pathways. Eventually they came to large collection of similar pods. These however, were lay horizontally and had a greater deal more room. There were a dozen stacked up, and their rows continued. All of these capsules were stored in a deep pit within the ground. Many of the visitors gathered around the rails and looked on with interest.

‘Now, these are our prize creation. In 2015, Andrew Harvey invented this processes, which consists of inseminating our wide assortment of female bodies using IV treatment, and having them bear the child. When they come to term, our collection of talented surgeons perform a caesarean section of the body. Unfortunately, this can sometimes kill the carrier of the child.’ There was a collective sigh of sorrow, and the guide placed a mock face of being upset. Then, like a simple actor, he smiled and winked at the group. ‘Don’t be sad, folks, the chance of fatality between our collection pieces is only 36%. And since The Plague, male/female sex ratio has increased with the invention of genetic modifications, we can ensure what gender the child will be. With a quick neurological neutering, the female becomes docile and unresponsive. After its finished puberty, the body is recycled back into our farms for continued insemination.'

He walked around the group, beckoning for them to follow him once again. ‘Now, it’s not to say that all the males on the planet are heartless; much to the contrary. Since we can guarantee the gender of any of our foetuses, potential Fathers have the opportunity to still raise a healthy boy. They donate their sperm, and after paying the Administrative fee, we have effectively created a Baby-To-Order service.’ He stopped, and waited for the expected laughter. Theo simply clutched the paper. ‘Now group, if you would like to follow me, I think we may be able to observe a caesarean taking place in one of our surgery rooms.’

Theo’s palm was beginning to ache, the muscles around the paper now leaving it a crumbled mess. He had been waiting for this moment, and now it was here he didn’t know what he could push himself to achieve. He glanced upwards, saw the long cat walks with scientist and armed guards. He glanced behind him and judged the distance between himself and the closest capsule. The columns were large enough to hide him from view, and rows extended at a distance. He could weave between the rows, avoid being seen. Before he could register the move, he dashed from the back of the all male tour group and slid up next to a pod. He held his breath, and listened. In the distance, he could hear the guide talking about The Sunflower Corporation, trying to earn his sponsors. Ever since the BioFarm technology went public, many men had sold themselves.

He could hear no shouts; no alarm of any indication that he’d been seen straying away from the group. Theo took out the paper from his pocket. He looked at the scrawled pencil handwriting and read it carefully. He looked at the pod of which he had been leaning against and at the display readout that was attached. He noted the coordinates, B86-D32, and started to map the building in his mind. A gift he never inherited from his Father. He walked down the row, and followed the trail in his head until he came to a row that looked no different than the rest. All the capsules were indistinctive, containing the same amniotic fluid and single, female body. But there was something on this row that he was looking for. He continued to walk slowly and read each label carefully. Then he read the ones above them. Eight high, but that wasn’t a problem; the capsules were bulky and the restraints that held them in place could support his weight. He started to climb the column until he reached the eighth capsule.

He was unsure of what he was supposed to do, but placed his hand on the capsule. He had the sense of achievement that he expected, but there was something unfamiliar to him. It struck him as a lump, delicately forming in the mid of his throat. The fluid swayed with an invisible denseness to it, but he could make the figure. She was a female, like the millions that lay in buildings like this all over the world, no more or less remarkable in terms of property to The Corporation. Of course, to Theo, she was much more. He felt he owed her this much to seek her out and see her.

‘Don’t worry, Mother, we’ll make sure all this is corrected,’ he said. He was shocked that he actually spoke the words, and knew that his associates would have shunned such a slip. He didn’t know how long he was there, viewing the capsule and its imprisoned individual. He suddenly felt like his stay had been long enough and he carefully climbed back down the restraints. He walked quietly far enough away from the capsule, before signalling the attention of one of the guards on the walkway. They were all too happy to help a lost tourist and escorted him quickly to the rest of his group. Soon, he would be outside and in the company of his organisation again. He had attended to personal matters of which he felt obliged. Now, he returned to the stoic political rebel he had been before arriving here. The Government had not listened to them peacefully, and that was their bane.

Soon, times would indeed change.