It was cold, the sort of cold that made you think of staying inside forever and never going out again.  The snow was ten foot thick easily, it was impassible to any form of transport.  Yetta just wished that her brother would quit pulling her hair and give her back her favourite berries to make her face bright red like a proper grown up woman’s face should be stained with berry juice.  The caves were completely blocked in, which was good because no predators could get inside and carry off a newborn baby or maul an elderly great grand parent.  The strange woman sat by their fire and handed around strange meats that tasted nice.  This was the sort of winter that would leave an echo in the race memories of a thousand later generations.

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Paelli huddled around the fire in between her mother and her favourite aunt.  She was glad they had let her sit at the woman’s fire, unlike her younger cousin’s who had to remain at the children’s fire.  She looked over to Berrat sitting at the men’s fire.  He looked so scrawny next to the older men of the tribe but he had asked her to wear the smallest bones of his kills in her hair and she had gladly agreed.  He was a strong and quick hunter, in time he would be leader of the tribe, she was sure of it.  Her new friend, who wore strange clothing whispered that she would be happy with him and she had to agree.  Berrat and Paelli’s lineage would continue for many seasons.

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Verina poured more water on the coals to release another cloud of warm steam into the air.  The sauna felt so good on her skin.  She was so happy here, she felt the dirt slowly pouring out of her skin and that made her feel even better.  However the exfoliation part didn’t feel so good as she was forced to rub herself with course branches, but in the long run it was better for her and it did help make her look even prettier.  She was almost ready for the dance.  The traditional end of her childhood, where she would meet her future husband.  As the daughter of the seer she had first pick of all the young men and there was one she had had her eye on for some time now.  He was kind and strong and he always knew a joke to make her laugh and she knew that they would have such strong children together.  The future really did look good, especially as the new healer she shared the sauna with spoke such kind words to her about marriage.

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Rae could hardly believe it.  School was over, at last.  She’d hated it.  They made her wear such awful dresses and those shoes were shocking.  Now she could wear proper clothes all the time.  Her parents wanted her to get a job straight away, but Faed already had a job and promised to provide for her and their family.  Rae wasn’t sure about having kids so young, but it was what Faed wanted and he was so good to her, she couldn’t refuse him anything when he nibbled her neck in just the way she liked.  However lately she’d been feeling so unwell the last few mornings.  She;d tried to talk to her mother about it but she had just run out of the room crying.  Rae put it down to parental weirdness and continued looking inside shop windows at dresses and shoes with her aunt, who was a doctor.  She felt that she could confide anything with her.

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Michka looked out of the apartment window at the familiar sight of a hovercar jam.  This was so bogus, and she had a really big date tonight too.  She was planning on giving herself completely over to her partner.  She wanted them to have a proper loving relationship, the kind where there was no secrets, no lies, only love and tenderness.  The brain implant would remove all trace of her personality and turn her into a mindless drone, eager to obey her lover’s every word.  It was the only way to ensure that she gave everything to her marriage.  It was tradition for the last hundred years for one partner to give themselves utterly to their partner, becoming their most cherished possession and loving slave.  Her father had given himself utterly to her mother and her sister was now the mindless slave of her husband.  Her own wedding would seal her fate as she destroyed herself for her lover.  Tomischelle was worth it too, she lover her and would take care of her.  Their wedding was approved by the senate, and she held the mind chip in her hand.  Tomischelle was in the other room with her bridesmaids getting her ready, while Michka sat naked and happy with the brain doctor who would implant her and wipe her mind free of everything but love and obedience.  Her lover had already selected a lover to implant her with their first child.  Same sex relationships were encouraged by law as it enabled more breeding as otherwise a lesbian couple would be denied even basic breeding rights under the old laws.  Now though Michka could get married, have her mind wiped and get herself knocked up and all with state approval.  She was so happy to live in such enlightened times.  However the brain doctor didn’t look so enlightened.  In fact she’d done her best to argue her out of it.  But Michka loved Tomischelle too much to give up on their relationship and their marriage.  She stood still while the chip was implanted in the mind and then she was no more.

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An army of mindless drones paraded across the planet’s surface.  They had no concept of self.  They were all devoid of personality since birth, when they had their brains wiped clean once they reached the age of maturity.  They all looked forward to it, they all wanted to serve in the wifebanks and the army.  All they wanted was to become a productive citizen, a mindless drone eager to obey any orders.  Soldier F439625-HIUF-4589 stood at attention and didn’t notice anything at all, ever, until she killed in action a year later.  The Dorians all knew that they were the most perfect life form in the universe and that nothing could ever stop them.  The Doctor left, a tear cascaded down each cheek, she was too late.