“Clyburn…” Cornelia watched me hesitantly, at a loss of what to say over what both of us had just heard.

I had my head down, my expression gave nothing away. The thoughts bubbling under the surface were disordered, and even I couldn’t really say how I was feeling at the moment. I was certainly angry. I was also confused. This wasn’t what I had been told. Detective Roxanne was watching me, having just realized the similarities between the cases. She said a few words to the woman she was speaking to and then started walking over to the police car.  When she reached it, she knocked on the window. The policewoman in the driver seat opened it without waiting for our permission.

“This case will take some time. We’ll come by later to ask questions. Just take him somewhere safe for now.” She ordered, pointing through a gap for them to take the car.

Her eyes were not even looking in my direction. Rather, she was speaking directly to Cornelia, my caretaker. Once she finished what she had to say, she didn’t hesitate to turn away. I reached out and grabbed her arm. Cornelia made a noise, her hand partially out, but she stopped herself. After hearing what I heard, she couldn’t bring herself to stop me. Roxanne turned back, looking at me with a frown.

“Does my mother know?” I asked.

“What?” Her eyes widened and she looked to where she had been standing and back to me, then her eyes narrowed. “You… what have you…”

“Just answer me. Did she know?” I said, turning to look at her.

Something in my eyes seemed to have caught Roxanne’s tongue. She was about to lecture me, but then she swallowed her tongue harshly and nodded slowly.

“It was never a secret. Your father’s death shook the city eighteen years ago. It was a big trial. How did you never hear about it?”

“…”

I didn’t respond. Instead, I turned away from her and then hit the button for the window, causing it to lift back up. The detective looked at the car for a bit longer before turning around and walking away.

“Clyburn, she probably…” Cornelia stopped herself from saying anything else.

She had read the stories about my mother in my file, I was sure. She probably knew things about my mother that even I didn’t know. However, she didn’t have the right to say anything on the subject. At least she realized that before she said something we’d both regret.

“The prison… I need to go talk to my mother.” I said.

She licked her lips, working moisture back into her mouth. “Is that another negotiation? Another two-”

“No.” I cut her off. “No more agreements. You can keep me from that prison if you’d like, but I wouldn’t recommend it.”

I let the threat hang in the air. The pair of us were silent for a moment. Noticing the car wasn’t moving, a police woman came over and tapped on the hood, pointing once again in the direction that lead out of the blockade. The police woman who was behind the wheel had been watching us curiously. I was a man, after all. Only one in a thousand were men, and a police woman probably only saw one in the rarest of instances. It was like having a celebrity in the back of your car. You couldn’t help but grow flustered. She started the car and started to pull out.

“Tomorrow. You can go tomorrow.” Cornelia finally said, “Tonight, let’s just get you settled down and safe.”

“You mean protected by bodyguards, right?”

She looked away, but by the expression on her face I was pretty sure that was what she meant. She’d be spending the night making sure I had a team to protect me from then on. The guards we had right now, a group that was waiting outside of the blockade, having not made it past when the pair of us dived in, were woefully not sufficient.

There were three cops now keeping the group of body guards back. They had angry expressions on their faces and shot Cornelia a deadly look when the police car pulled us up next to the car we had abandoned. She gave a sigh and stepped out of the car, walking over to the group and mediating between the police and the angry bodyguards, who had been kept from doing their job.

“How did you do it?” The voice came from the woman sitting in the front.

“How did I do what?” I asked, my voice croaking just a bit from stress and exhaustion.

“That magic that allowed you to listen in? Had I realized what you were doing before, I’d have stopped it, but the conversation was almost over before I realized what you were doing. Detective is probably going to have my ass for that.”

The woman who had watched us and escorted us out of the blockade was a young girl, not much older that Madison. She was in a simple police uniform, and she had her hair tied up and covered by a police cap.

“Even if I told you, you wouldn’t believe me.” I responded.

“I’m… sorry about what happened.” She said softly. “That man, he was a friend of yours?”

“I suppose you could say that.”

“Just… stay safe, okay? Do what they tell you, and everything will be okay.”

“I’m sure it’s easy to say that.” I responded.

She looked like she wanted to say more, but my door opened a moment later with Cornelia standing there. “I’ve talked them down. They’ll be sending a cop to take your statement tomorrow night. Let’s get you to your new living quarters.”

“To the male district, then?” I asked bitterly.

She shook her head. “No. I felt that you wouldn’t… thrive in such a location. Instead, I have a place for you.”

“Yeah, where is that?”

“You’ll see.” She responded somewhat coyly.

With a sigh, I got out of the car and made my way back to the one I had come in. This time, a bodyguard sat in the same car as us, so that they could keep a closer watch on me. I supposed that was one of the trade-offs they had to make for Cornelia to mediate the situation. She did come in handy every once in a while, I guess.

The vehicle headed out with the other one in tow. The bodyguard with us crossed her arms and gave me a scathing glare, clearly upset that I impeded her in her job. I suppose I couldn’t blame them. Had I somehow gotten in trouble, it would have been their careers on the line. Although, they could just as easily blame the cops who didn’t let them past while failing to stop me. A competent bodyguard would have found some way to get to me regardless, and wouldn’t have stood outside frowning with me out of sight.

Those kinds of thoughts only made me start to miss Brooke all the more. I wasn’t even certain where she was or what came of her. The girls hadn’t kept track of Brooke as smoothly as the others. I had no doubt that Cornelia knew where she was. It was probably all in her reports about me. I needed to stop having thoughts like that. They only made this whole situation feel increasingly bitter.

Surprisingly, the location they brought me wasn’t some place out in the boonies of town or anywhere close to the male district. It was actually a rather normal apartment complex, perhaps a little on the rich side. There was a doorman and a security detail in front, so this place was a bit more secure than most. Just to get past the gate, Cornelia had to pass a card to the driver and they scanned it to get in. I guess she had planned this place for a while.

 We drove up to a square courtyard with buildings three levels high surrounding a parklike center. Just as I was starting to admire the place, the road dipped into a downward slant, and we ended up driving under the park square into an underground parking lot. In the city, parking garages and underground parking were about the only ways anyone could find parking. There was more security and another buzz here. The underground parking was well lit and I could see abundant security cameras.

Cornelia had definitely picked a place full of security. The only reason it surprised me is because the apartments security might interfere with my own security. Although, perhaps Cornelia had already through of that as well.

“This location already contains a half-dozen other males.” Cornelia explained. “It’s one of the best apartment complexes in the city.”

“One of the best prisons, you mean.”

“Women live here too.” She stated shortly.

I raised an eyebrow, but didn’t respond as I waited for the car to park. This time, I didn’t get out until a security personnel opened the door for me. The last thing I needed was to start a panic. Going to the places I wanted to go and doing the things I wanted to do were going to be a constant challenge. The fewer issues I had with my bodyguards, the better off I would be. Even though these guys were temporary, who knew how long it’d take to get replacements.

We ended up in an elevator. I was starting to really feel like a VIP now. With four suited women standing around me, it was definitely the celebrity treatment. We went from the basement floor of the parking garage straight to the third floor. The elevator took the card again before it would operate. I was beginning to see one weakness in all the security. If a person had access to the card, then they had access to everything else. No matter how many locks you had, if they all used the same key, then that key was the weakest link.

When the elevator opened, I came face to face with another group that looked almost identical to mine. That was to say, four suited women, and then a man sandwiched between them. The only difference was that this guy seemed to be wearing a swimsuit and towel. I did notice the complex had a pool.

“Hah? A new guy moving in? Awesome!” The guy broke into a smile.

He was a bit older than me and likely came out of the first batch who were reintegrated to society.

“This is Charlie. He lives on the same floor as you. If you’d like to… hang out, we can arrange a meeting time.” Cornelia did the introduction.

I might have made a scornful comment about how it was more like arranging a playdate for children, but the second I heard his name, my mind had frozen. Charlie was the same name as a girl I used to know. She was a ghost, or perhaps someone who never existed in the first place. It was too hard to tell. It had been almost two years since I had last seen the girl, and on the very day I get out I meet a guy with the same name. I definitely felt justified in being just a bit shocked.

“Clyburn!” Cornelia hissed in my ear and elbowed me painfully in the ribs.

I snapped out of it, shaking my head and then offering my hand. “The name is Clyburn.”

“Haha, did you forget your name?” He chuckled, but then his face froze. “Wait… you’re Clyburn! You’re the one in the news two years ago?”

“Cornelia, I’m not aware of any open apartments on our level nor news of any men moving in.” A woman shoved in front of Charlie and cut him off.

She was an older woman with a more severe look to her. She was beautiful, like most women in this world, but compared to my sisters, Mother, or Lyra, she was definitely lacking.

“That’s been handled.”

“Handled…” She nearly spat the word. “How can you expect others to do their job if you don’t properly inform us? As a fellow agent, you should have more respect for the rest of us!”

Cornelia’s expression twitched, but she still lowered her head. “I apologize. I was given this assignment at nearly the last second, and I didn’t have time to consider everything.”

“Well, see that you do in the future! Now excuse us! Some of us try to do right by our charges, and mine enjoys a dip in the pool after he’s unloaded.”

Charlie gave a laugh, not showing any embarrassment, although I suddenly regretted shaking his hand. Our group moved to the side and out, as their side entered the elevator. It involved a bit of finagling, and even the two security teams felt at ends, like either might make a move on the other’s charge at any moment. Cornelia had the most bitter expression. I was honestly a bit surprised. She had been advertised as the best agent in the MPA, but her colleagues seemed to hate and resent her.

When the elevator door closed, I gave her a side-long glance. “Jealousy?”

She glanced up at me and bit her lip. “Many of the girls don’t agree with my techniques.”

She left it at that, continuing down the hall so that I had no choice but to follow. We only needed to head down about three doors before she turned and used the card again. I could only give a wry smile. At the very least, they could have added a combination, but it looked like anyone who had the card could get all the way through. It wasn’t like I was that worried about it, but I could see that all of this security accounted for smoke and mirrors. I would say something, but I had grown used to women of this world looking at me like I was an idiot whenever I pointed something out that made sense, and I wasn’t in the mood to explain something I considered obvious.

Cornelia had barely even looked at the apartment number. She had moved confidently, and entered the room as soon as she buzzed in, leaving the door open. Wasn’t this my place? I felt a little awkward. The guards instantly stationed themselves at the door and made no attempt to look in. That was another thing I questioned. Wouldn’t they want to walk through the place first? With a quick breath, I stepped into the room and immediately I started to understand.

The entire room was already furnished. It was more than just furnished. It was lived in. It was a wide apartment. From the look of things, there were two bedrooms and one bathroom. The living room already had a couch and a visual screen. Compared to the luxury men were used to living in, this place looked rather messy. Compared to the life I led in my previous world, this would definitely be on the high end of middle class. My eyes fell on a picture of Cornelia. She was wearing the Amaryllis Academy school uniform.

I felt a sudden sense of familiarity again. Of course, I was familiar. This was a uniform I had been very familiar with! I shook off the strange sensation and looked up at Cornelia.

“This is your apartment? Am I supposed to be living with you?”

“For now, given your propensity for trouble, this would be the best place for you to acclimate to your current life.” She responded. “Is there a problem?”

My lips twitched slightly. “Is that what you do with all of your charges?”

She looked down at the floor, blushing slightly, “You’re the first.”

There was just a hint of indignant anger in her voice. I had to admit, she was really good at that.

“I see…” I responded hesitantly.

She let out a sigh. “I had a feeling that no other option would be acceptable, and I didn’t even have the time to set up anything properly. I would have preferred to give you your own apartment, but for the moment, you’ll have to endure being with me. You have your own room, but we’ll have to share a bathroom.”

“What about the women?” I asked.

“It’s fine… they will be vetted and then you can have them in your bedroom.”

“And you?”

She blushed. “If you’d like to do it in my bedroom… I suppose… it can be arranged.”

I blinked. “I mean, what will you be doing when I have a woman over? Do I not have any privacy?”

“Oh…” She gave a cough, turning away from me as she spoke. “If you don’t want me around, I can leave the apartment. However, it is a requirement that a guard be outside the door while you are alone with any woman. I cannot give you any more privacy than that. Even for someone who has gone through all the processes, a man should be able to end the encounter whenever he feels done. It’s for your own safety. If a woman slipped through the cracks, and she ended up hurting a man or stealing more than her share of seed.”

“And my selections?” I asked. “I have four, yes?”

“That… I was going to give you a few days. In light of your friend’s death, I can give you up to a week to grieve.”

“I see…” I responded. “You know… one of the best remedies for dealing with loss is a beautiful woman to warm my bed.”

Her eyes widened. “Really? I’ve never heard of such a thing!”

“Either way, I gave you four, did you have anyone in mind?”

She shook her head. “It’s unethical for me to use my position to select. The choices must be yours.”

“A choice from a catalogue that has already been vetted substantially.”

“Clyburn…” She sighed. “Vetting occurred every day. What did you think the Academy was? You had certain women pushed under your nose every day of your life, while those unworthy were kept away from you, either by economic barriers, or literally security barriers. This isn’t any better or worse.”

I supposed she was right. There was a lot of Amaryllis I hadn’t seen. I was always carefully shown the high society. The women I was introduced to were always beautiful, rich, and had status or intelligence. Unless I went far out of my way, I never ran into a woman that the government didn’t show approval for in one way or another.

“The catalogue?” I asked, realizing she was still watching me curiously.

“Of course!” She blushed again, reaching into her bag.

She fished for a bit, but eventually came out with a massive catalogue. On the cover it said the month, year, and MPA Selection in big gold letters. I flipped to the first page. There was the picture, name, and number of a woman. Next to two pictures of her, one face picture, and then another picture of her naked body, there were also stats and various facts about her. At the bottom of the page was a personal message she wrote.

Hey! I’m looking to have a baby! I’m a doctor and neurosurgeon at Amaryllis Medical. I love cock and will give you a wonderful time. I am still a virgin, but I have practiced extensively. Your child will be watched by me and my life partner, who currently works for the MPA!

“This is the middle of the month, so it is very likely she has already been serviced. It’s best to look in the middle or end. Also, give me three or four picks. If you absolutely must select a girl who has already become pregnant, let me know and I can make arrangements. Women in the catalogue keep their schedules open for the entire month they advertise. I’m supposed to update the list daily, crossing off the girls when their situation changes. I haven’t had time to do that with you.”

“It is like an advertisement.” I muttered. “Kind of reminds me of a phonebook, except in color.”

I flipped to later pages, and some had pictures while others didn’t. Some girls had a full page, while others only got a single line. Noticing my questioning look as I flipped through the book, Cornelia sighed and then sat across from me.

“The girls with pictures and larger ads paid for them. On the one hand, they’re more likely to get selected. On the other hand, you have more information on them up front. I wouldn’t obsess about that. If you ask me about any girl in this book, I can bring up her pictures and information. Some guys are impulsive though, and these girls try to exploit their impatience.”

“What does it take to get the first page? Luck? Or connections?” I pointed to the neurosurgeon who just happened to have a female life partner who worked for the MPA.

“I won’t sugarcoat it with you. She definitely is on the first page due to her connections. She likely also put a lot of money as a donation to the MPA. Perhaps her generous donation wasn’t completely legal either. I’m not in a place to say one way or the other. In the future, I can remove the women in the catalogue that look like this. I’m happy to give you a narrower list, especially if you’re feeling overwhelmed.

She wouldn’t pick the women because she desired that I had some choice in the matter, but she was happy to make the list as small as necessary, restricting my choices. To me, there was little difference in the matter, but to these women, it was all the difference. I just had to accept that the choices I had were already those in a box.

Cornelia watched as I flipped through the guide. After I had been turning pages for about five minutes, she started to speak up.

“Have you found anyone that interests you?”

“How about this woman?”

“Vienna, age 34. Quite old.”

“Is that a problem?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

I had only picked her exactly because her age stood out. The vast majority sat between sixteen and twenty-two. A few of them crept up to thirty, but she was the first woman I saw who approached the age of my mother or my aunt. I almost thought it might have been a mistake.

“Not at all…” Cornelia answered. “There are many young men who form mother complexes and thus prefer older women. That’s why we make sure to include such women. If you’d like, I could narrow the list to women over thirty. This is the full catalogue, but as your agent, I can have refined your catalogues. Only want a blonde? Tits of a certain size? Only confirmed virgins? The agency is prepared to offer them all.”

I had to hide my expression, which twisted a bit at her words. I didn’t like the idea of women being summed up by their body parts. I supposed to these people, it was all just part of a big picture. Every woman in the catalogue would get their turn. If one man shallowly picked only blondes, there would be another out there that would only touch brunettes. Also, I wouldn’t be surprised if an agent wouldn’t bleach a brunette’s head just to find her charge another blond, or something like that. So, in truth, I couldn’t trust any of these so-called refinements, since the agent would be able to pick whatever they wanted and cut out just the same.

Just then, my eyes glanced across a name. It was a name that definitely shouldn’t have been there. Instantly, I froze, feeling a great deal of shock, frustration, and anger. Noticing the sudden shock in my eyes, Cornelia leaned over and looked on the page where my eyes had landed. She gasped, grabbing the book and pulling it out of my hands.

“This was a mistake! You shouldn’t have gotten a book with someone you knew on it. Her name shouldn’t even be in there.”

“Cornelia.”

She shook her head, looking as flustered as I looked cold. “It’s probably someone else, anyway. There are always people with the same name. Since there is no picture, there is no evidence.”

I snatched the book back, slammed it on the table, pointing at a name. “Why is she in this book!”

The name I was pointing at was “Hannah Bornholdt”.