Covid 19 Crossing the line.

©Copyright to Beverly Guinevere Taff

List of Characters.
Terry Harrington. Fugitive boy marked for compulsory transitioning.
Samantha, (Sam) First transitioned kid Terry meets on the streets.
Theodora (Dora) Leader of the transitioned kid gang.
Jessica. (Jessie) The only natal girl in Dora’s gang.
Charlie Member of the transitioned gang.
Jan Another member of the transitioned gang.
Ron Café owner who lost his daughter to egg-snatchers.
Doctor McTavish. Female paediatrician
Doctor Cummins Professorial Consultant Paediatrician
Sarah. Senior Midwife at the maternity unit
Dawn Very young trainee nurse.
Eleanor Jessica’s mother.
Diana Terri’s mother.
Marek. Refugee from ISIS fertility terrorists in Syria.

Part 13

Jessica emerged from the bedroom as Terri finally got the twins Eleanor and Diana settled into their double baby-buggy.

“You all set darling?” Terri asked.

“Yes darling buy you’d better fix your hair.”

“That’s what comes of being a busy mum.” Terry grinned before stepping into the bathroom and fixing her looks.

“That was quick,” Jessica observed as she ran her gaze over her friend.

“Getting better with practice. Come on, let’s try our first stroll in the park.”

“Nervous?” Jessica asked as they locked the front door.

“As hell,” Terri replied, “aren’t you?”

Jessica nodded and took a deep breath as they stepped onto the pavement. As she looked both ways to cross the road she could not help but notice the escort casually emerging from the main hospital gates. She smiled and gave a tiny ‘finger-wave’ to the escort who gave the briefest of blinks then turned to look the other way.

“They don’t want you to acknowledge them babe’s,” Terri whispered.

“I know but it seems so rude just to ignore somebody who would lay down their life.”

“You can say thank you when we get back safely. Nobody knows what the dangers are.”

Terri hugged her to show he was not annoyed, just concerned, and they continued chatting. When they arrived at the park, Terri took out her mobile and dialled up Dora.

“Hi are you busy?”

“Just clearing up the lunches why?”

“We’re in the old part of the castle park. D’ you wanna’ meet up?”

“Give me an hour to scrub down then scrub up.”

“Okay, we’ll go for a walk around the harbour and meet you back in the park under the cherry trees by the twist.”

“Right, I’ll be wearing my red biker jacket.”

With arrangements completed Terri and Jessie were pleased to spot the bright red jacket as arranged. When Dora spotted the baby-buggy, it was hard for her not to come running to greet them but she knew that any untoward responses might attract unwanted attention.

“Hi,” she grinned, “nice to be out.”

“Ain’t that the truth,” Jessica agreed. “Coffee?” she asked as she nodded towards the Costa café across the river.

Soon they had settled in without a fuss and Terri noticed the discreet guard casually sat on the wall looking towards their table while seemingly playing with his mobile phone. After coffee Dora arranged for Charlie and Jan to meet them back in the Castle gardens and they duly rendezvoused.

“You didn’t have trouble getting out of the hostel then?” Dora asked.

“Nah.” Charlie revealed. “We’re stuck with it now so we may as well accept the shit and carry some bloody sucker for nine months.”

“What about you Jan?”

“Got no bloody choice have we. They’ve re-inserted the micro-chips so bloody deep it would take a bloody surgical operation to get them out.”

“Have they done you yet?” Jessica asked.

“No. They’re waiting for the results to come back after the virus. Summat about blood platelet levels and antigens. One of the quacks even wants us to take part in some sort of vaccine trials., then get us pregnant just to see if their vaccine affects unborn babies. Fucking lab-rats, that’s what we are.! Our kids could be born with two ‘eads for all they care.””

Terri and Jessica exchanged brief glances with Dora but none of them said anything.

Eventually they separated and Dora accompanied Terri and Jessica back to the fertility clinic. On the way, they discussed Charlie and Jan’s predicaments.

“Charlie and Jan are already immune to the virus, why do they want to test any vaccine on them? They should be testing uninfected people.” Terri observed.

“Search me.” Dora replied. “It doesn’t make sense.”

They arrived back at the clinic and once inside, they personally thanked their guard. He turned out to be a black trooper from the SAS and ideally profiled for seemingly ‘hanging around’ on the inner city streets of Bristol. They ended up having coffee in the canteen with him and he entertained them with exploits he’d had before he ended up with a -

“ ‘Cushy number’ like guarding you two.”

As he said this, Professor Cummins appeared.

“You said you had some sort of problem Terri?”

“Yes Professor. Can I talk to you privately?”

Professor Cummins glanced questioningly towards Jessica who nodded as she allowed.

“Be my guest. I know what it’s about.”

Thus released from obligation the Professor took Terri to a quiet corner table of the canteen and asked.

“So Terri. What’s up?”

“This vaccine they’re making from my blood. Is it dangerous?”

“We haven’t fully tested it yet; we don’t think so.”

“What about unborn babies if the mother is vaccinated while she’s carrying a baby?”

“That’s something of a problem. The implanted eggs are not genetically related to the transitioned mother and there’s some potential for complications we think. Possibly if the blood groups are conflicting.”

“Hold on Professor! My blood is ‘O-negative’, it’s good for everybody.”

“Yes, but the antigens are somewhat unusual. We have to run tests.

“Can’t you test the eggs before implanting them?”

“We have to test the foetus after it’s implanted and that’s very difficult. Invasive procedures like that could endanger the foetus.”

“So you just test the mother and foetus after impregnation.”

“It’s much easier and quicker.”

“But there’s potential for foetuses to be damaged.”

“Usually a foetus aborts if it’s that badly damaged. Amniocentesis tests are the most effective, followed by scans to find out.”

“And the mothers to be tested, are they here in Bristol?”

“Yes, it’s logistically easier to have the research concentrated in one place.”

“So the transitioners will be those lodged at the Nightingale hostel next to the Nightingale Hospital.”

“Who will the fathers be?”

“Depending on the progress surrounding separating your sperm, they’ll be possibly amongst the last tranches of randomly collected sperm bearing in mind your fortuitous appearance.”

Terri fidgeted with his fingers and Professor Cummins could sense a question coming.

“Can I ask a big favour Proof?”

“Go-oo on.” The professor replied cautiously. “I’m making no promises.”

“I’ve got two good friends in that hostel. They looked after me during my first times on the streets after I ran away from home.”

“Aa-and!”

“Can you exempt them from the trials?”

“I can exempt anybody Terri. The selections will be truly random and if your friends pop up in the selections, I am fully enabled to de-select anybody.”

“Would you have to give reasons?”

“Only to my private team, Doctor McTavish and George and a couple of others.”

Terri sighed with relief and the professor smiled.

“Consider it done girl. Would it be unfair of me to ask why?”

“Just that they have been good friends to me and I might not be here if it hadn’t been for them. They hid me away long enough to avoid being transitioned.”

“Ah. Then that’s more than reason enough. Would I be allowed to meet these friends?”

“I’ll ask them. If they’re sure they can be de-selected, they’ll agree; I’m sure.”

With this agreement secured Terri took the news to Dora and Jessica. The following morning, the friends met again at a different rendezvous.

ooo000ooo

“How?” Jan demanded as Charlie craned forward.

“It’s a very long story. I’ve got pull in high places.”

“I should co-co!” Jan declared. “How’s that worked out?”

“If I told you, you’d have to shoot yourself.” Terri pursed her lips.

“Come on, be serious!” Charlie chuckled.

“Uuhm! She is being serious,” Dora responded with some gravitas, “deadly serious!”

Jan and Charlie fell momentarily silent.

“What! Are you being serious?” Charlie

“Yes!” Jessica hissed impatiently. “This is no shit!”

Jan let out a weak high-pitched squeak of alarm.

“What’s goin’ on?”

Terri, Jessica and Dora exchanged glances before Terri murmured.

“Shall we tell them?”

“We’ll need a sworn oath.” Dora warned.

“What’s this shit about?” Jan demanded.

Jessica moved forward with a constructive ploy.

“How do you guys feel about being impregnated with any old egg and any old sperm.”

“Yeah, then we’re single mothers in thrall to the fertility clinics and egg-snatchers.”

“No blood connections to your babies save being the carrier; not even knowing who the mother or father was.”

“Exactly. Fucking battery ‘ens.” Jan cursed.

“If you are prepared to maintain absolute silence and keep secrets, we can go some way to getting around the anonymity shit.” Terri explained.

“How?”

“I want a sworn promise.” Terri demanded.

“About what” Charlie asked suspiciously.”

“About what we’re prepared to share with you, provided you’ll not talk. Leastways, not until any babies you might have, are born.”

“We’re gonna’ have babies anyway, whether we like it or not.”

“Yeah, but babies who know their parents and whose parents will know them.”

“Do you mean you two?”

“Exactly!” Dora replied. If you’re prepared to stay shtum, Terri and Jessica can supply both the sperm and the eggs.”

Charlie, as always a sharp brain, squinted knowingly.

“You’ve got summat’ else to offer haven’t you?”

“Yes, but first I want your promise,” Jessica pressed.”

“Is this legal and is it likely to cause us any problems?” Charlie demanded.

“It is legal and yes, it’ll probably cause you problems.”

“Legal problems?”

“No, problems with fame and notoriety.”

Jan stared hard at Charlie and they both decided to take the plunge.

“Oh all fucking-right then. Yes! We promise,” they chorused.

“I knew you would.” Jessica grinned as she motioned them to lean into the buggy.

Deftly she unfastened the twin’s nappies and revealed the big secret. Jan almost shrieked out loud but Terri had anticipated her reaction and covered her mouth before she could draw breath. Charlie alternately just grinned as she stared transfixed at the baby girls’ genitals.
“Fuck me Jessie!” She whispered hoarsely. “So you’re ‘super-mum’ !”

Jessica nodded as a second, even brighter light dawned in Charlie’s head. She turned to stare questioningly at the extremely attractive girl with her hand around Jan’s mouth. Terri slowly nodded and Charlie’s jaw sagged.

Dora took great pleasure in confirming it.

“Yes Charlie. Terri is ‘super-dad’. Pretty isn’t she?”

As Terri finally released her hand from Jan’s mouth both Charlie and Jan stood shocked as they slowly assimilated the information. With mouths agape, they stared first at each other, then at Terri and Jessica and finally they leaned over the buggy and simply stared incredulously. After a painful silence, Jessica grinned then scolded them gently and mockingly.

“Okay! Okay! Have you never seen a baby girl’s bits before?”

Then she realised her insensitive blunder. There had been very few girls born at all in the past fifteen years as Covid 21 had spread like a cancer and slowly taken hold in a delayed action to destroy the ‘X’ chromosome in sperm.

Worse still, there had been NO girls born in the last three years. Charlie turned and frowned at Jessica.

“Actually, that’s true! I’ve never actually seen a baby girl, let alone a naked one.”

“Shit! Sorry Charlie. D’ you want another look, - seriously?”

“No. But if I’m going to be forced to have a baby, then I want a baby girl.

After a pregnant pause, Jessica nodded thoughtfully.

“Would you like it to be my and Terri’s baby; his sperm and my egg.”

Charlie choked back a sob.

“Yes! Who else’s?”
ooo000ooo

Likewise, Jan had fallen completely silent as she grappled with the idea of carrying Jessica and Terri’s baby. Slowly she observed.

“If you did that Charlie, your baby would be a full blood sister to Jessica’s babies. What are their names by the way?”

“Eleanor and Diana; they’re named after our mothers.” Jessie explained.

“Do your mothers know? – You know, about these two.”

“Of course,” Terri confirmed, “and they’re keeping shtum about it. Just like you have to, - for now.”
A cloud crossed Charlie and Jan’s faces as they began to realise the dangers. They settled on the grass under a cherry tree and Jessica eased her breasts as the milk needed to flow. She invited Jan and Charlie to gather about her to hide the next act while Terri took a large blanket out of the baby-tray at the bottom of the pram and draped it around Jessica. Hidden from view, the twins quickly settled as the thrilled transitioners chatted softly about it in the park.

The full import of the circumstances eventually took root in Charlie and Jan’s heads and the sincerity of their promises was re-iterated intensely. Finally, Jessica released the twins from her breasts and fixed her nursing bra while Terri savoured the luxury of having two friends determinedly fussing as they placed them in the double pram. Finally, they parted company as Terri and Jessica returned to their apartment in the grounds of the clinic and Dora returned to Ron’s café.

Charlie and Jan found themselves unexpectedly approached as they strode back to their nightingale hostel.

A tall black girl accosted them briefly with a firm warning.

“Anything Terri and Jessica told you, is a state secret. You tell nobody on pain of death, d’ you understand.”

"Bloody hell! Are you another of their protection squad?"

"Yes. Be warned here and now. Their identity has got to be kept secret for now."

“We’ve already got that thank you!” Charlie snapped back belligerently until she noticed the girl carefully peel back the lapels of her bolero jacket to reveal a pistol discreetly tucked into a breast-and-shoulder holster.

“It’s for your protection as well as theirs, especially when you’re together in public.”

“Fuck me!” Jan cursed softly. “You’re serious aren’t you?”

“Never more so girls. Mind how you go.”

ooo000ooo

Back at the clinic Terri was approached before she got through the front door of their apartment. Doctor McTavish and George the technician were waiting in the outer lobby.

“Thank God we’ve got hold of you! Can we respectfully ask you for a deposit of sperm right now?” Doctor McTavish pressed.

“What! Right now?” Jessica protested.

“F’raid so girls, Spy ‘catcher plans have been advanced. The kidnappers have set up a back-up plan if they can’t access , any sperm.”

“Haven’t you got any immediately to hand? -You know frozen in storage.”

“Not right now, the last sample was delivered to Manchester yesterday. We were working on the X sperms at the moment and all the Y sperms were delivered to Birmingham, Glasgow and Manchester.”

“That’s three destinations, I thought it was only Manchester and Glasgow.” Terri inquired. “Why suddenly Birmingham?”

“Logistics Terri.” Professor Cummins assured her as he entered the room. “As more transitioners are being located, were calling them in and impregnating them. The faster we get girls back into circulation, the sooner that social stability will return.”

“What about other countries?” Jessica asked.

“The same applies. Once the system gets up and running we’ll be distributing world-wide. Our biggest issue at the moment, is locating these gender terrorists and stopping their threats.”

“But there must be dozens of crazies out there. All with some sort of agenda.”

“We have to start somewhere. The biggest identified threat at the moment is from some country in the Persian Gulf. We’re not sure which but the sooner Marek gets on a plane with a bait sample, the sooner we get to track them down.”

“Brave man,” Terri observed.

“Very,” Professor Cummins agreed. “His reward is a son from your sperm and a female cousin’s egg. She’s currently living in a refugee camp in Syria. If he completes his task, his sister gets asylum to come to the UK.”

“She’s better not be a fundamentalist,” Terri declared. “I don’t want any of my daughters or granddaughters to suffer from any of these damned fundamentalists whatever their religion.”

“Point taken Terri. Now, Marek is leaving tomorrow morning so can we have a sample ASAP please, then we can separate X and Y?”

If you must,” Terri sighed as she took a sample bottle from the stack in her bathroom cabinet..

ooo000ooo