Soul Mate Service - Chapter 2: Chapter 2

I took one last look in the mirror that was bolted to the wall in my bedroom, heaving a sigh as I adjusted the starched collar of my mandated formal wear for today's Soul Mate Service Ceremony.
Today was the day.
And I looked fine as fuck.
I smirked at my reflection, flexing my arms slightly so that the fabric hugged my muscles in a way that I knew would make all of the ladies at the ceremony stop and stare. I was a great example of superior genetic engineering in The Society, I mean who could resist this face?
"Thad! Thaddeus, are you done yet?! We have to go!" I rolled my eyes at my mom's excited screeches, and chuckled to myself when I heard her heckling my father to hurry up as well. You'd think it was her Soul Mate Society Ceremony with the way she was acting.
I took a few more moments to ruffle my short hair, allowing a few curly strands to fall loose onto my forehead as if I didn't spend upwards of two hours working it into a perfect disaster on top of my head. With a final smirk, I turned to grab my travel tablet and sneak one last grin to myself in the mirror.
Damn, I really couldn't get enough.
"Thaddeus Axton! Do not make me come up there and get you myself!" I winced at my mother's voice as she continued to screech. That woman was like an alarm clock: unwanted, and too way damn loud.
"I'm coming mother! Fuck!" I yelled toward my open door, tapping the control panel on my wall to shut off the digi-windows and lights in my room.
Sliding my travel tablet into the pocket of my slacks, I slipped out of the room and tapped a panel to slide the door closed behind me. A few plastic bins containing my clothes and few belongings were lined up in the hallway, filling the small area as they awaited pickup by the Moving Transport Service. They would be sent to my assigned living pod which I would begin sharing with the woman I Soul-Bonded to immediately after the ceremony. Meanwhile, my mom would move into a smaller Housing Pod so that this one could be used for a size of family that needed it.
It was a tradition for the Soul-Bonded mates to move in with each other immediately in order to become accustomed to their significant other as soon as possible. According to the Elders it made the transition a lot easier while we also started our occupation training.
My mother stood by the open front door, her formal wear neat and tidy and travel tablet in hand. Through the open front door, I could see throngs of people in identical formal wear walking past from their living pods as they headed for the Gathering Auditorium of The Society, the area where the Soul Mate Society Ceremony would take place.
"Well you took long enough!" my mother huffed, grabbing my arm to drag me out and into the densely packed flow of bodies as the door automatically slid shut behind us. I blinked to gather my bearings as we walked down the hallway that led to all of the living pods in The Society, towards the Main Quad. The stark white hall was filled with chatter regarding the upcoming ceremony. With it being the most important time of the year besides Founders Day, I wasn't surprised with the amount of excitement that sizzled in the air.
"Ay, if it isn't my man Thad!"
My head snapped over in the direction of the sound of my name, only for a smirk to spread across my face at the sight of my best friend, Mitty. The guy was pretty large, almost as tall as me despite the soft sound of his name. Everyone called him Mit, and if you were caught dead making fun of his name, well they say most don't live to tell the tale.
That's what I liked most about the guy, he didn't take shit from anybody.
"Mit, dude! What up?!" I cooly replied, slinging an arm over the guy's shoulder before pulling him into a masculine side-hug, taking this opportunity to lose my parents in the steadily moving crowd. "Ready to meet your lucky lady?"
Mit shrugged and dusted his hands off on his slacks. "I mean yeah, but I'm more excited for you, man!" he grinned at me, pounding a fist into my bicep as if to reinforce his words. "You've been waiting for this shit ever since you were running around in diapers! Remember when you used to draw faces on balloons, name 'em and act like you were Soul-Bonded to the damn things?" Mit laughed aloud, holding his stomach like it was the most hilarious shit he'd ever heard.
I just rolled my eyes and grinned, shaking my head at the ridiculous memory.
"Yeah man, but this time it's real. I hope the Soul Mate Service assigns me a girl who is sexy as hell, with nice hips, long hair, kissable lips..." I trailed off, finding myself drifting into another daydream of the hot babe of my dreams until Mit tugged my arm and I snapped back to reality, realizing we'd already made it to the Main Quad.
The Main Quad was the most Surface-like part of The Society: faux grass and trees lined the ground while the sky was emulated through electronic holograms of clouds. It was in the very middle of the Society layout, like the junction point to get to all of the other areas. It emulated the look of a park, with benches for those that chose to hang around during their Free Period. Personally, it was one of my favorite places to be when I wasn't stuck in Instructional or at a party drunk off my ass.
"Dude, you're spacing the fuck out." I looked over at him with a smirk, throwing an arm around his broad shoulders to pull him down a flight of glass stairs which led to the Gathering Auditorium.
"I'm fine, man. Just... Hard to focus." Shaking my head, I walked into the auditorium only to be assaulted by an onslaught of excited chatter. Thousands of rows of chairs made up the modern, white amphitheater, and for this occasion almost all of them were filled.
Mit and I pushed our way through the constantly thickening crowd to get down to the designated seats for those participating in the Soul Mate Society Ceremony, and I pulled out my travel tablet in order to find the area I was assigned to.
"Where are you at, bro?" Mit asked, lifting his head from his own tablet, just as I strained my neck and squinted my eyes to see over all of the heads of people.
Damn, it pays to be tall.
"I'm at 1A, what about you?" I leaned back down to look at his tablet, only to huff at the "1D" displayed on the transparent surface. Mit pounded my back in a masculine gesture, although his sigh of annoyance showed that he was pissed that we weren't at least semi-close for such a monumental occasion.
"I'll find you after, alright? We can introduce each other to our sexy ladies then." Mit grinned, sending a wink my way before dissolving back into the crowd in pursuit of his seat. I couldn't help but grin back after him, making my way towards my own seat before settling in and spreading my legs open carelessly as I waited for the ceremony to begin.
The crowd of Society members began to slow to a trickle, and sooner than later almost every seat in the auditorium was filled. The Society Anthem began to drift through the air, the familiar, patriotic sound signaling the beginning of the ceremony. I shifted my eyes through the crowd, trying to find Mit's face among the vast sea of section 1D, but the lights dimmed just as I caught sight of his unruly hair.
I'd find him later.
"Welcome, members of the North American Society, to the annual Soul Mate Ceremony, made possible by our wonderful Soul Mate Service!" Our Head Elder - Portia Laancaster - exclaimed, walking onto the raised, circular platform in the middle of the theater just before the entire room erupted into a round of applause.
Fuck, could they get any louder?
I winced at the sound, covering my ears as I waited for it to all die down. I scowled at those around me, sinking leisurely in my seat and crossing my arms tightly as I waited. Honestly, I couldn't care less about these people around me, I just wanted to get what belonged to me and proceed to my honeymoon with the gorgeous lady.
"In the coming hours, we will be commemorating the newest additions to our Adult Sector. They will be rewarded for reaching their eighteenth year in our beloved Society by graduation from Instructional, the assignment of Occupational Training, and among the most anticipated..." she paused, taking a deep breath as a wide smile took over her features. "the assignment of a Soul Mate, made by the most knowledgeable of our Elders!"
I flinched again when the room erupted again, although it didn't last half as long as the original when the Elder cleared her throat in order to quiet everyone.
"Without further ado, we shall begin!" With a smile, Portia turned to the side to grab a tablet which contained all of the match information made by the Elders of the Soul Mate Service. Sliding my hands into my pockets, I prepared for the droning on and on of this woman's voice as she read off of the transparent surface. Faces of those I'd briefly seen in the hallways flashed up on large screens situated throughout the Auditorium along with their Mating, rooming, and Occupational assignments.
It seemed to drag forever, and hundreds of faces blended together as they walked across the stage with their new partners. Around number four hundred I began dozing off, only to be jolted awake at the mention of the one person I actually gave a fuck about other than myself.
"Mitty Scomiche and Andrea Gardener." I grinned, watching my best friend walk up to the stage with a cocky swagger, only to be met with a blushing - but incredibly beautiful in the chest area - girl. He shot her one of his signature smirks, and I could tell that she immediately went weak in the knees with the way she stumbled on her way to him.
"Mitty's Occupation skills were analyzed, and he has been assigned to Construction Training." I grinned even wider at that. Mit and I both wanted to be part of the Construction Unit. They're the ones that do the heavy lifting - expansive construction of the Society - and it was practically considered the epitome of masculinity to be placed in it.
"Congratulations to Couple 393!" Mit locked eyes with me as he took his Soul Mate's hand, sending me a grin and pointing to their interlocked hands exaggeratively.
I sent back a universal - albeit immature - hand gesture, with my index finger penetrating a hold made with the fingers of my opposite hand. It was an old school allusion to sex, back when they used to do it for fun all the time on the Surface.
After Mit and his blushing bride left the stage, I once again receded into the confines of my mind - waiting for the signal of my own name being called.
Time passed, hundreds more names were called, and pictures flashed up on the screens in rapid succession, but none of them were mine.
What the fuck? They couldn't have forgotten about me.
I mean, for fucks sake.
I'm the hottest guy in this goddamn place, who could forget me?
"Members of our beloved Society, the Elders and I have work very hard to assure that every Soul Mate Ceremony is a successful one." Portia smiled, taking a moment to turn in a circle as if to address everyone in the Auditorium individually. "And as we reach the conclusion of this one, I have a very special announcement to make." She paused, turning in my direction, and I could have sworn that her gaze lingered on mine for a little longer than normal.
What the fuck was going on?
"Eighteen years ago, our Scientific Unit reached a critical breakthrough in genetic biology. On this particular annual Soul Mate Ceremony, the trial of this technology will commence, as it was planned."
Curious whispers filled the room, as Society members pondered just what genetic breakthrough Portia could be talking about.
Hell, I was even confused.
She couldn't be talking about me, right? I mean, I am superhumanly handsome, but I don't think that would be considered a genetic breakthrough.
"One, special member of our society was chosen to spearhead the experimental stage of this research from the moment of their birth. In times of crisis, it is important to have the means to reproduce. However, if all of one sex are eradicated, it would be virtually impossible for that population to continue on. In order to address this problem, our lead scientists developed a genetic mutation which allows males to carry and give birth to a child, a trait which can be passed down hereditarily." Portia remained professional as the entire Auditorium exploded into confused mutters, easily silencing them with a harsh clear of her throat.
"Eighteen years ago, this genetic mutation was introduced into a member of our beloved Society at birth. This member is Aria Toulsend."
The screens once again flickered to life, and my brows furrowed at the sight of...
The invisible, know-it-all girly-boy from Instructional?!
The moving picture that adorned the screen shocked me to my very core, but the brown, silky curtain of hair which fell to his shoulders was unmistakably that of the little cookie-baking son of a bitch.
I felt as if I'd been struck with a spear right through the chest, glued to my chair. That explained why he was so fucking feminine, and was an exception to the close-cropped hair rule for all males in the Society. He was obviously caught up with the fact that he was practically a girl, with the way he could have kids like one.
But... Ew.
That meant that someone had to have sex with this little abomination.
A male someone.
That is how reproduction works, right?
Fuck, I shouldn't have skipped so much of Instructional.
But a guy and a guy together; that shit was beyond nasty. I know they used to do it back in the day, but after the war it was virtually never hear of again. Reproduction was the main priority, and anyone who was caught with another person of the same sex was punished severely.
Everyone seemed to catch onto that bit all at once, and the entire room once again erupted into chatter. It died down however, when the kid himself ascended the stage, his cheeks flushed a bright red as he tried to hide behind that ever-present curtain of hair and played with his thin fingers timidly.
Portia smiled brightly at the boy, beckoning him closer with her hand. He slowly joined her, lifting his head to flash a small smile to the crowd before looking back down to his shoes and trying to disappear behind the woman. It was obvious that he was either extremely uncomfortable, nervous, or a combination of the two.
Not that I cared.
"This boy right here is the key to the ultimate breakthrough of the North American Society. This could change the course of history, my fellow members!" Portia exclaimed, before looking down at her tablet and tapping it a few times.
"And of course, he has also been assigned both a Soul Mate and Occupational Training. Because of his nurturing and inherently caring spirit, Aria will be put into the Early Childhood Instructional Training Unit. I find he will be a true asset to maintaining the happiness and intelligence of our very young Society members. And finally, his mate."
Portia smiled, her eyes once again meeting mine, and I tilted my head in confusion.
I know I'm hot, but why does this old broad keep staring at me like I'm some sort of exotic exhibition in a zoo? Doesn't she know those don't even exist anymore?
"Aria, under careful consideration with all of the Elders who govern our Society, will be mated to-"
I missed the rest.
All that I could hear was the blood rushing through my ears, blocking out any sensory input other than my vision - all of which was fixated incredulously at my face, under which read "Construction Training", displayed directly next to the girly-boy's on every single screen in the goddamn place.
Oh, fuck no.
They had me one-thousand percent fucked up.
There was no fucking way in hell I'd...
I like women, for fucks sake! Ones with big boobs, thick asses, and no brains to argue with me!
Like lightening, I jumped out of my seat - making a beeline for The Quad which was surely deserted. All heads followed me as I stormed out, but I couldn't care less. I needed to be as far away from that freak of nature as I could be.
There was no way I would Soul-Bond to that... thing.
Even if I had to give the Elders hell.
❦
Everyone'd long gone back to their Housing Pods from the ceremony by the time I finished taking my anger out on everything in my line of sight in the deepest parts of The Quad Park. Now, I stared up at the artificial night sky with my back rested against one of the many equally artificial trees, ripping apart innocent pieces of grass as I awaited my fate.
No matter how much I may have wanted to stay here all night, I would inevitably be forced to trek out in pursuit of my new Housing Pod - shared with the one person that had effectively ruined my life. Curfew was quickly approaching, and I was beginning to feel fatigued from the intensity of what I'd endured earlier in the day.
I couldn't believe that they expected me to suddenly be some kind of homosexual freak. Mit saw that shit too, and I'd spent the longest time trying to fathom what he would think of me now that I was expected to be Soul-Bonded with another guy.
Sighing, I leaned my head back against the trunk of the tree, one leg propped up enough to drape my arm across it.
"Attention, Society members: Free Period will be terminated in T-minus five minutes. Please return to your Housing Pods at this time. Those found out after curfew will be punished as Society laws regulate. Goodnight, and remember, long live The Society of the People."
The automatic, nightly message blared through the loudspeaker, followed by the inevitable drone of the Society Anthem.
I glanced down at my tablet, tapping a few time to pull up my basic information. Along with my Society-mandated headshot and basic physical description, was my new Housing Pod assignment. I groaned, taking another minute to myself before pushing against the tree to stand up.
A few stragglers laughed together as they headed back to their Pods, but I ignored them as I headed for the AirLift. I quickly boarded the empty vessel and pressed the button for the negative sixth floor, where the Housing Pods were for Soul-Bonded couples without children.
The doors eventually opened into the quiet floor, although I could've sworn that a few moans from various Pod doors escaped through the thick metal and assaulted my ears. I shook it off though, proceeding down the white hall until I reached a door marked negative six-hundred and thirty-four.
I hesitated.
That... thing could be waiting just inside the door.
Fuck, of course he was. I bet he was in there at least thirty minutes before curfew. That one seemed like a firm stickler for the rules.
I debated with myself for a long moment, before sighing aloud and steeling myself.
Thaddeus Axton isn't a fucking pussy. I would walk my ass in there and tell that little abomination that there was no way this pairing was correct, that there had to be some sort or error.
With my mind made up, I reached out and placed my thumb onto the fingerprint scanner, stepping inside of the Pod once the door opened. I blinked once, surprised to find the small, one-bedroom pod pristinely clean and... dark. None of my delivered boxes were in sight either, which was really damn weird. The Moving Transport Service couldn't have mixed up the delivery, could they?
I groaned, the door closing behind me as I walked into the dark living room, and upon finding no one there, I headed for the bedroom.
The door was closed, but I didn't hesitate to tap the control panel, making it slide open quickly. And boy, was I in for a surprise.
The Aria kid lay on his side, fast asleep on a small portion of the bed, as if he intentionally left room for someone else to join him. His incredibly small body was clad in a simple, but extremely feminine nightgown which bunched up modestly around his shins. His hair was splayed out on the pillow around his face, which seemed almost... Angelic in the dim light that was casted from the bedside light that was left on. In his limp hand was what seemed to be a... Recipe book?
This little asshole was so fucking girly that he fell asleep reading a cook book? This was so unreal.
I scoffed, moving over to the bed and hastily gathering the free pillow and blanket in my arms before walking right the fuck back out and closing the door behind me.
Looks like it was the couch for me tonight. No way I would bring myself so low as to lay in the same bed as that thing. I'd figure out the mystery of my missing boxes tomorrow.
After setting down the bedding, I stripped to my boxers quickly, carelessly tossing my clothes aside onto the floor of the living room. Just before settling in however, I headed to the kitchen for a glass of water.
I stretched my arms above my head, flexing my strong abdominal muscles while I went to rummage through the cupboards in hopes that the last inhabitant of this Pod left behind at least one cup I could use. To my surprise however, I pulled open the cabinets to find that they were already full and impeccably organized with different foodstuffs and dishes, as if someone had spent hours setting it all up.
My brows furrowed, but I simply shrugged and grabbed one of the glasses before heading to the chiller and tapping the panel on top to dispense cold water. I waited patiently for my glass to fill, glancing around the kitchen in the meantime.
However, once again my brow furrowed at the sight of a square plate of food which sat on the counter covered in plastic wrap, a light blue piece of paper laying on top of it. After my cup filled, I held it in one hand as I walked over to the plate and glanced down at the note, which was written in surprisingly elegant printing.
Dear Thaddeus,
I know you might be having a hard time trying to process this, but I promise I'm going to try and be the best mate that I can for you! I thought you might be tired and hungry when you came home, so I made you dinner. I really, really hope you like it, it took a long time, I even tried out a new recipe! I also thought I'd help by unpacking all of your boxes for you and sorting everything in our room.
Hopefully I will see you in the morning! :)
Love,
Aria ♡
Resisting the urge to gag, I immediately ripped up the note, placing it on top of the ceramic plate and opening the garbage chute that led to the incinerator before chucking everything down it - plate and all.
No way I was going to eat that shit. I'd rather starve.
I stormed back into the living room with a huge gulp of water before setting it down on the coffee table and sliding under the covers on the couch - closing my eyes to pray to whatever Gods people used to believe in that I would wake up to all of this being a bad dream.
Yeah, that'd be nice.