Anon: Chapter One - A Hot Bath

Summary

Chancellor Hammond and his wife were both uploaded to the blockchain when they were born. They enjoyed the privileges of transacting on the decentralized ledger all their lives.

Kate, however, had no such privilege. There were many like her, found in different types of enslavement and poverty. Because they could not transact on the blockchain, very little was available to them, and nothing they did was recorded. So...it didn't happen. They were essentially nonexistent. They were ANON.

The social and economic climate grew more tense with each year, and a revolution was just around the corner. The Anons would fail unless something unusual altered the inevitable. Kate found herself in the home of one of the most powerful men in the New World. And she had an unusual plan....

Chapter One - A Hot Bath

A-21-VX2 SS-K4 stood rigidly near the entrance of the palatial home, her hands shot straight down her sides, like little soldiers. Her dingy earth-toned robe had been removed and replaced with a simple, pale frock. It made her look 13, a good five years younger than she was. But that was deliberate. The younger, the better. More time for birthing a nobleman's children.

"So this is what nobility looks like," she thought, glancing around the room. "I wonder how many he will want..."

Just then, a crisply, but simply dressed, matronly woman popped in, rushed over to her, fussed over her belongings (and her), and whisked her up the back stairwell toward the servants' quarters.

"There isn't a lot of time. You will meet Chancellor Hammond and his wife in an hour. You'll need to wash up. Put this on when you're through. It's more becoming and will show the details of your....figure...or what you've got of one anyway."

She handed K4 a thin, delicate silk robe of light blue, then looked at her sideways and tried to imagine the waif of a girl standing before her was more than she was. The last applicant was a lot prettier. But it wasn't up to her, was it?

"Well? What are you waiting for?! I'm not going to help you bathe, if that's what you're wondering! You may become a nobleman's mistress, but you don't get special treatment from me! We all have to work around here. You included. You're one of us, as far as I'm concerned."

The large-bottomed individual made her way toward the door. She looked not unlike a mother hen as she waddled to and fro and picked at things. She half-turned toward the girl and said as an afterthought,

"There are biscuits and cheese in the cupboard if you're hungry. But be sure to take a mint afterward. We can't have you smelling like cheese when the Mrs. inspects you. If it were up to me, I'd rather you didn't eat anything, but I don't want your stomach growling like a starving alleycat. That will not do. Mrs. Hammond will think I have not taken care of you, and she wants your pregnancies to be healthy...."

She paused and looked K4 up and down again, this time with a huge sigh.

"I'll come get you in 50 minutes."

Mother Hen scooped up the door and shut it harshly behind her all in one swift movement.

K4 stood there, stunned. The dress hung in her arms, like a fragile butterfly. She dared not interrupt the moment. She feared that if she moved, it might break her trance. She was actually inside the servant's quarters of Chancellor Hammond's household!

K4 became aware of the delicate fabric draped over her arms. She brought it up to her face and gently brushed it across her cheek and lips. She would be wrapping herself in this robe within only a few minutes. She wondered if the towel hanging on the wall over the tub would be soft as well. Just then, she noticed a slight movement directly above the tub. She looked down, and saw what looked like…...steam…...rising from the surface of the water!

K4 slowly walked over to the large basin, pressed the dress against her chest, bent over, and trickled her fingers gently through the clear water. Warm.....no.....hot. Hot water! A chill of ecstasy ran down her spine. She lifted up a foot and placed a toe in. It was less than two seconds before she had plunged into the basin and fully submerged herself under the water. In her excitement, she had forgotten to remove her clothing, and she sat there amused while her skirt floated to the top of the water.

The energy required to both filter and heat this tub of water would feed her family for a week! She was bathing in a tub full of food. It suddenly became difficult to fully enjoy the experience. Her face fell, and she got out of the tub, dried off, and put on the blue silk robe, absent-mindedly.

"I'm here on business," she reminded herself.

Mother Hen's steps grew louder as they approached the room door. Kate heard a tap on the door, and Mother Hen barged in, as promised.

"Well, you clean up all right. Let's finish drying your hair."

Once done primping her little chick, Mother Hen dragged her up and down and through several corridors and passages until they finally reached the Drawing Room. She would now be presented to her new owner.

Mother Hen gasped, "You need a name! Do you have a name you go by?"

"My friends call me Kate. Short for K4."

"Kate's fine. Katie would be better. Kathryn even better than that. OK. Stand up straight Kathryn. Smile."

"May I present to you, a Miss Kathryn, from the Genetics Council."

From the center of the room, a distinguished looking man of 45 immediately shot up, erect, and devoured the child with his eyes. He knew to stay put while his wife approached the girl. The soon-to-be babies that came from this child's loins would be her children first and foremost. It was ultimately up to her whether the family kept this surrogate or not.

"Hmmm. Well, she's not exceptionally pretty, which is good. I don't need competition in this household. But she's not so ugly she'll bear me little trolls," said the Woman, who walked closer to the young woman, and picked up her arm to examine it. The skin was soft, the muscles not too wiry, but firm enough.

“I hear you have certain immunities..." Mrs. Hammond grabbed the girl's lower jaw and tilted her head to the side. "We want our children to be healthy, don't we?"

Kate remained silent. She knew her place.

"Lovely neck. I'll give her that. And the eyes are a nice almond shape. I did always like the almond shaped eye. Her nose is a little smug, but maybe it'll do...how much did you pay for her?"

Mr. Hammond began to stammer something, when Mrs. Hammond interrupted. "Oh darling. Freckles? Really? Those are so last decade. Do you think they'll make a comeback?"

"My sweet. Freckles never left. You haven't been paying attention. Besides, this child has an amazing pedigree. I didn't pick her for her own genetics alone. You should see her brothers!"

"Is that so? Do you have strapping brothers, my dear?"

Kate remained silent while Mrs. Hammond pushed her fingers through Kate's scalp and grabbed onto a thick bundle of her hair.

Kate felt completely degraded, but knew how to turn off the shame and deflect it. She pictured herself as an assassin, with a sharp blade attached to her thigh. She pretended she had been sent by the Embassy to eliminate the Chancellor's wife and take her place as a spy.

"Well, her hair is thick, and it's still somewhat shiny, despite the Anon diet I'm sure she's used to. We'll need to make sure she has plenty of avocados and fruits. She'll need the lipids for her hair and skin. And she'll need a detox. She smells like cheese. I don't like the hair color, either. Can we fix that in utero, Doctor?"

"Absolutely,” said the geneticist, who suddenly stepped out from the corner of the room, and knew not to speak unless spoken to.

"What about the freckles, can you get rid of those?"

"We are on the cusp of perfecting that branch of pigment proteins. Maybe another three years? But...if I may, Ma'am, I wouldn't be so quick to eliminate the freckles. Freckles are on their way back. By the time your children reach 10 or 11, it will likely be a strong fad for years to come.”

“Sigh. I don’t know, honey. Is this the best you could do?”

“Remember, my dear, we want her pedigree, not just her own genetics. This one has exactly what we are looking for. She’s a K4. Not smart enough to organize any kind of rebellion or successful escape, but not too dumb either. She’ll be easy to manage, a good listener. She’ll follow direction well. And improving the intelligence of the fetus won’t be much trouble at all. Doc says it takes only a couple of doses of norepinephrine and Folic acid injection into the amniotic fluid and we’re golden. Plus, she already has most of the items on your wish list: the long neck, the thick shiny hair, the slender figure, and more importantly, a robust male side to the family tree.

You should see these men. My doll! They are exactly what we are looking for. Look at these pictures. Look, see? No balding, exceptional build, broad shoulders. And look at that jaw. They got it from Dad. Isn’t he a good looking fellow? It’s a shame he wasn’t uploaded to the Blockchain. He could have made a great politician." Mr. Hammond sighed.

"The thing is," he continued, "this family has all developed natural immunity to the things we have to get inoculated for. We need someone who is strong in physique to withstand the Rebellion we know will arise within our lifetime.

When we have a son, he, and his siblings will represent the leadership of this country and take over the reins when it is time. Trust me on this. It’s not all about the freckles, my dear. This is about World Order. She is the best specimen I could find to match our family, as well as the future political climate.

And for your own peace of mind, I checked on our genetic compatibility as well. My dominant and recessive traits, coupled with hers, will produce some of the most handsome little critters the world ever saw. You will be a very proud mother. Make no mistake. This is the right decision.