SCISMA

The Salem University Centre is buzzing with sweating bees. The students’ parking lot is flooded with either blueHondasor redJeeps. It is the beginning of the first term. The sun burns Artemisia’s skin. She forgot to put on sunscreen. She woke up late this morning. She had to walk all the way from her residence to her college. Her feet hurt so much and her white shirt is soaked in sweat. She is out of breath as she had to run most of the way.

She finally finds her office:Room 102. Mary is waiting for her inside. She has her arms crossed and she looks angry. Artemisia sighs.

‘I know. I’m late again.’

‘You know; I can easily replace you. So next time, you’ll be fired.’

‘I’m sorry.’

Mary doesn’t retort and disappears behind a shelf. Artemisia goes to her desk that is filled with books to verify. She sits and starts to read the first one:Pride and Prejudice, written by Jane Austen. Her job consists of checking and re-writing books that can harm the population’s mind of Amazonia. For example, when Elizabeth Bennett is asked for a second time in marriage by Mr. Darcy, she can’t respond yes. In that case, Artemisia’s job is to re-write the entire ending. She really despises her job. According to her, she was destroying all books and their meaning.

Artemisia graduated from college last year. She was only 18. At 13, she entered a literary major. After her graduation, she was given this important and hazardous job to re-edit classical literature in order to give it women’s empowerment.

Suddenly, Artemisia’s phone buzzes. She looks at it. It is a message from the Ministress of Culture. She is coming to Salem University Centre in order to ’help young minds develop freely in our ideal country and ‘all college students’, professors’ and staff’s presence is highly requested’. Great. Artemisia is upset about this as it will delay her demanding work.

At 10 AM, Artemisia and Mary go to Room 003 where there is the biggest amphitheater of Salem College. Artemisia sees her friend Cleopatra on the other side of the room. She has her red hair tied in a bun and her blue eyes are hidden being her thick glasses. She is wearing a black long dress which makes her even taller and skinnier. Cleopatra turns to Artemisia. She waves at her. Artemisia responds with a smile and a nod. All of a sudden, Ministress Helena enters the room. Everyone rises.

‘Hello, citizens of Salem. Thank you for receiving me so warmly. I’m here at the government’s request. We are at the time of the year where we all need to sacrifice our time for our nation. You, girls, live an ideal world. There was a time where our rights were downtrodden, where we had no liberty, no equality and no opportunities. Now, that Amazonia was created, you are all living in a wonderful world without any oppressor to enslave us, woman. But it came with a price. We need to survive. Thus, give birth.’

The audience starts to fuss. The Ministress used very taboo words: ‘give birth’. Artemisia has read the word of birth in many of the books she had to re-edit. She usually traded it with words such as ‘survival’ or ‘bringing’. It is slightly identical but less taboo, or ‘thought-provoking’ as the Party is used to saying. Ministress Helena calms the crowd down and continues:

‘I know it upsets a lot of you. But the Mating Process is necessary. We are children of this process and in order to ensure our survival, we need some of you to participate in it.’

Artemisia and most of the people in the audience have already heard this speech. She knew by heart what she would hear after: ‘Therefore, you all need to pass the fertility test. You all have heard of it and some of you might have already pass it. But we need to have all of you doing it, so that you can serve your nation and ensure its survival.’ The Ministress did not explicitly say that everyone is required to pass it, but everyone knew it was an order - which actually explains the unexpected visit. Artemisia has not passed it yet. She was always working, never taking some time off – even for a thirty-minute test.

After the Ministress’ speech, the audience rises for the national anthem.

Goddess of the hunt, breaker of our chains!

Look at what we women gain!

We were once oppressed and frail.

May our Amazonia prevail!

Subdued to all the men,

We shall never ache again.

Women, prepare your swords to victory,

Conquering and empowerment will make our History.

How grateful we are my dear Amazonia

You made us stronger than ever

We shall fight

We shall rise

For our dear Amazonia

We are all your children

All rise civilians

We must all protect our Eden

It gave us freedom

It gave us wisdom

How grateful we are my dear Amazonia

You made us stronger than ever

We shall fight

We shall rise

For our dear Amazonia

At the end, Ministress Helena is all smile and she disappeared as quickly as she appeared in the room. Everyone goes back to their classes or jobs as if nothing happened.

It is approximately 5 PM when Artemisia gets back to her residence in Red House. She is living in Building C. When she is about to get to Room 202, she hears someone calling her:

‘Artemisia, get in here!’

Shit. What did Artemisia do wrong this time? She enters Matron Boudicca’s office. Matron is sitting nonchalantly on her red-silk sofa. She is the heaviest woman Artemisia knew. And she is also the tallest. She has her platinum hair wrapped in a ponytail with a blue old ribbon and her eyes were hidden behind her round glasses. Matron takes her role of guardian of Building C very seriously, thus she never goes out of the building. She is always in her office, on this sofa, with her dog Abby at her feet.

At soon as Artemisia sets foot into the room, Abby barks at her. She hates that dog. It always barks at her. If Matron were not there, Abby would have eaten her alive. Matron Boudicca frowns and shouts at her dog. Abby automatically stop her barking. She quickly returns her attention to Artemisia.

‘You have the money?’ she asks, on a threatening tone.

‘No. Am I late? I thought…’

’No, you’re not. But tomorrow it’sRent Day. I will need my money.’

Artemisia sighs: ‘Sure, I’ll give it to you. First thing in the morning.’

‘You’ better.’ she mutters.

Artemisia is very happy to leave this cursed room. She is about to climb the stairs when she hears Matron Boudicca screaming:

‘Oh, Artemisia! That crazy girl is back! She is in your apartment!’

Cleo, what are you doing here?On the third floor, she sees her door already open. Artemisia sees Cleopatra on her bed. She has gotten rid of her glasses and her wavy red hair is loose. Artemisia puts her bag on the sofa.

‘Boudicca really hates me.’ Cleopatra says. ‘I thought she was going to kill me.’

‘Well, you shouldn’t come in the building like that.’

‘I needed to. We need to talk ASAP.’ she retorts patting the mattress so as to incite Artemisia to sit next to her.

Artemisia takes place next to her friend. Cleopatra does not wait to ask her:

‘Have you done the Fertility Test?’

Artemisia frowns. ‘Why do you ask me that?’

‘C’mon, you heard the Ministress today. And I am certain that you still haven’t done the Test. It’s mandatory, Misia. You can’t avoid that for years.’ Cleopatra’s joyfulness has disappeared. She has become suddenly very sullen.

Artemisia did not want to speak about it. Why does Cleopatra insist on that so much? The Fertility Test is a very scary thing to go through. No one in their right mind will be willing to pass it freely. ‘I know. I just don’t have time to do it.’

‘Don’t lie to me. I know you scared to do it.’ Cleopatra takes her right hand and presses it. ‘But don’t worry, it’s just thirty minutes and you go back to your normal life. I did it years ago and I’m fine.’ That is what the brochures and the governments say. But school teaches you otherwise. The Fertility Test is the only thing that makes women go back to their Submissive Era, namely before Scisma. It is very taboo and considered improper for women. However, no one can avoid it. It is the most efficient to know if you are fertile for the Mating Process.

Artemisia sighs. ‘But what if I’m eligible for the Mating Process?’

‘No one is.’ retorts Cleopatra. ‘I scarcely know women who were eligible. Most of the people who pass it don’t move from Amazonia.’

‘But some are eligible, Cleo. I can be one of them.’

‘It’s a chance in a million. But you have to do it before you’re twenty.’

Cleopatra is a nurse in Salem. She is teaching new nurses how to do their job. She knows everything about the Fertility Test and she knows all the medical side of it. Artemisia has graduated an English and History major. She is no one to talk about women’s biology. ‘Yeah… You may be right. I’ll do it.’

Cleopatra presses Artemisia’s hand once again. The warmth at her contact becomes so comforting to Artemisia. Cleopatra keeps reassuring her: ’Donotworry. You’ll feel better once it’s done.’