When Time Comes 'Round Again

Her half Western features made her an outcast in the East and half Eastern features made her a star in the West.



Maya, Minako’s mother, could not look at her daughter’s face without loathing the half alien monster that had ruined her life. The tight scowl had become permanent in the dozen years since Mina’s birth.



On more than one occasion neighbors had (rightfully) informed on Maya to the Proctors of the Neighborhood Committee for Harmonious Environment and Enforcement, for not controlling her wayward daughter. Fortunately the penalties were usually light since most of the committee was as repelled by Mina’s foreign looks as her mother was.



Mina had been tested early and granted a gray card, so she was never tattooed. Technically she was classed as a sentient human with citizenship, Still, it was a very low level gray card. Since the first test is always provisional, she could be upgraded later. Or downgraded, red carded & tattooed.



As a child, Mina had been hailed as a minor child star overseas in the surviving communities in America and Europe. Her natural blonde hair, pale pink skin along with slight Asian eyes and athletic body was considered the ultimate in girlish Eurasian perfection by the decadent Westerners that had survived the Poisoning. In Japan, even saying “Eurasian” guaranteed a visit from the Proctors. Her half Western features made her an outcast in the East and half Eastern features made her a star in the West.



You are Asian or you are not.

You are Japanese or you are not.

You are human or you are not.



After the second tour she returned home to Tokyo. The STATE would not sanction additional social contamination. Mina spoke nearly perfect English, French and German. The Westerners though preferred her to speak a Japanese English patois with a slight Asian mispronunciation. The Westerners thought it was cute, and sexy as hell. Mina’s language skills counted for nothing back home. They were almost dead languages anyway.





Maya

In a freezing desert called Detroit



Maya was also an outcast. As a blue card, she was assumed free from most genetic pollution. She may have had some recent Korean or Chinese ancestry, but that was not really a problem. It wasn’t too recent anyway.



Her neighbors often accused her of spreading her legs for some ill formed foreigner during her mandatory service to the STATE overseas. She had betrayed the brave soldiers serving under harsh conditions. Often during public confession meetings she would be urged to further repay her debt to the STATE. They accused her of selfishness when she resisted volunteering for medical experimentation. The Proctors did not urge her to volunteer. They also did not discourage her neighbors from making the suggestion.



When Maya was 13, she began her 5 years of compulsory service to the STATE. She was a good singer and a gifted amateur dancer so was not surprised to be conscripted into military service as an entertainer. This was an opportunity to travel. Japanese occupation authorities wisely provided Japanese entertainers for overseas duty. Given the nature of combat and especially occupation duty, a constant supply of fresh talent from the homeland reduced incidents of rape and abuse of the locals that made O/P/C so difficult (Occupation/Pacification/Conversion). Besides, what soldier would touch a tainted Western animal if he had the choice?



Most Japanese believed that the Poison that had destroyed the West was due to the moral pollution of its people. The STATE had declared this a “scientific” truth. Even pure blooded Japanese who lived in the West prior to the Poisoning were morally polluted. The STATE also declared moral pollution to be infectious.



Successful completion of Maya’s service guaranteed her full citizenship including guaranteed rations, preferred housing, job opportunities and even some luxuries.



In a freezing desert called Detroit, she spent three years as an entertainer, companion and bedmate. After training, she and two other teenage military whores were assigned to a company of 75 soldiers. She quickly gained insight to the American expression about her “dance card being full”.



Maya found the nights less unpleasant than the days. At least they were less hectic. A rotation was established so she knew ahead of time whose bed she would be warming (even if she already had been fucked by a dozen others during the day). Some of them were sweet, some were not, but the others tended to keep the violent ones in line. Most soldiers found it disagreeable fucking her if her teeth were knocked out or her ribs tended to make snapping sounds. Nearly all agreed that it was their responsibility to take care of whatever equipment the STATE issued them.



Maya qualified as STATE issued equipment, along with weapons, bedding and rations. Her service designation might as well have read:

Designation: Aino, Maya

Classification: Personnel Entertainer: Whore, Grade 3

Structure: Cunt, quantity 1 (one)

` Asshole, quantity 1 (one)

Mouth, quantity 1 (one)



As brutal as some of them could be, she found herself caring about these men that abused her body and cried when some of them did not come back from duty. Her mandatory medication kept her in a constant state of arousal. Birth control was strictly forbidden in modern Japan. Becoming pregnant was not unexpected. Betting ran high on the identity of the father. Maya looked forward to 3 months of leave once the child was old enough for a crèche, Baby Farm or could be contracted out. A child of hers might someday be assigned to this very company! She sometimes wondered if it would be a soldier or a whore… though it didn’t really matter, did it?



When Maya saw the blonde hair and slightly rounded eyes she tried to kill the baby.



Within 3 hours she and her child were on a transport back to Japan. The STATE was generous and credited her with early completion of her full service requirement. No one saw her off. Although she could not determine who the father of her child was, she knew it wasn’t one of the savage Westerners. She was a military whore… not a slut. Sleeping with one of “them” was unthinkable for her. It must have been the father’s polluted genes, though everyone knows that soldiers all are genetically acceptable and morally pure. STATE science declared it.





Mina

A career in entertainment was unlikely.



Mina grew up a very headstrong and willful child. At an early age she and her mother reached an accommodation. Maya had grown tired of uselessly trying to punish her daughter, though the Proctors urged her to consider additional courses of constructive beatings. While it was personally satisfying to see her daughter whipped through the street, it only served to make the child more sullen.



As long as Mina stayed out of her way and did not involve the authorities, she could do what she liked.



Mina applied for private lessons in dance, singing and theater arts. In spite of the expense to the STATE, it was granted. Mina would not be required to go to a public school. Although a career in entertainment was unlikely, the STATE expected that it would eventually recoup the expense.



As a child Mina appeared in a number of popular shows. She was not discriminated against. As the best dancer she often led the others in the company… behind a screen in silhouette. She had many starring roles, all of them requiring heavy makeup and wigs. She was often in the choir, offstage. She was surprised when chosen to appear in a musical review on the east coast of the old United States. There were still cities there where the Poison had not settled.



Ami

Whatever happens, this is the beginning of a new life.



The largest STATE building in Tokyo is the Juban STATE-Sec Center. All roads leading to and from the industrial, residential and business districts passed the building on one side or another. It may have been possible to use side streets to bypass the building. No one tried to bypass the building.



Pedestrians going to work, shopping or to school walked on the streets that ran along the five sides of The STATE Center. No one ever crossed the street to avoid it. Other crowded streets were noisy with human traffic. These streets were silent.



Some clever style of architecture or special lighting feature kept the entire building in shadow all day. The brightest morning, cloudless afternoon and lingering sunset deepened the shadows, yet never revealed the actual shape of the structure. There were probably windows, but they remained unseen. At night the powerful lights aimed directly at the building hid it from view. No one actually tried to look at the building, though no one turned away from it.



Thousands of people must work in there. But if there were people entering or leaving, no one saw them. No one tried not to see them.



Every few hundred yards around the perimeter, past the rings of gates and fences, watchtowers and barbed wire, there were decorative stone benches that no elderly people sat on. There were small colorful playgrounds that no children played in. There were shade trees that no one rested under.



At 9AM precisely, Ami appeared at west gate 22 of the Juban Center. The armed guards watched her perform the appropriate salute and bow expected from a civilian of minor age to soldiers of the STATE.



When Ami received the “request” for her to appear at the Juban Office of STATE-Security, Office of Reeducation her heart stopped for a moment. Although she had never heard of an Office of Reeducation in STATE-Sec, any order to appear meant something serious and significant



Her conscience was clear. Unlike others, Ami did not fear being summoned. She had, in fact, been of service to the STATE and had been rewarded by being granted sole possession of her mother’s wonderful apartment. She had been credited with two unquestioned, successful denouncements! One of the denouncements was eventually judged as a crime against STATE authority.



Besides, if she had done something wrong they would not send a written request.



This was her big chance!



Ami was impressed by everything she had ever learned about STATE-Sec. She was ambitious. She was driven. She would make any sacrifice to be noticed by them. She had already made sacrifices (or rather, she had sacrificed other people). Ami was a true patriot.



A tall dark skinned woman in the dress combat uniform of an Infantry Master Sergeant approached the gate. Ami stood at attention using the pose reserved when meeting a combat noncom of the STATE on official business. She then performed a perfect level 4 obeisance.



The dark skinned woman scowled.



“It is not appropriate for a civilian to wear that uniform in this facility.”



“Yes ma\'am” Ami said. She had wondered about that.



“If you insisted on wearing a pretend uniform, then at least you should have been properly attired.”



“Ma’am?” The ‘pretend’ comment hurt her pride, but Ami refused to let it show.



“The cadet corporal uniform includes a 21 inch, 11 oz. spring activated baton with holster.”



“My apologies, ma’am. No offense was meant. I make no excuse for my failures,” Ami said glancing at the much larger baton on the Sergeant’s web belt.



“Continue.”



“I considered it…” Ami thought for a moment, “… inappropriate to bear a weapon when entering this facility”



The dark skinned woman snorted. “So, you admit you are technically out of uniform when you should not be in a uniform at all? I think we can skip denouncing you for that one!” she laughed.



Ami smiled at the Sergeant’s joke. The Sergeant removed her cap for a moment. Ami looked admiringly at the shaven skull, offset by a single asymmetric braid of dark shiny green hair on the left side of her head. The beautiful woman was clearly Elite, a high level one.



“You may call me Meioh-san. You are not to address me or any other person by rank or any other military title while on the premises. You are not to salute or bow. Understood? You have not earned the right. Follow me”.



Ami had to struggle to keep up with the pace set by the long legged sergeant. She thought, “Whatever happens, this is the beginning my new life, my destiny.” She was right, of course. But for a new life to begin, old ones have to end.