Gerden Ibrahim

We call it Sector B.

There are two simple laws where we live, and when we abide by them, we're allowed to live a fruitful life in a place that seems to be more advanced than the entire rest of the world, but not accessible to anyone who wasn't born on our ground.

The first law is that you only live in Sector A until you have children of your own.

If you reach a certain age, realize that children will not be a part of your future, and decide not to adopt, then you move away.

That part is an unspoken rule.

Nobody will throw you over the gates.

But if you don't add to the community, then you won't find work.

And buying a house will be rather difficult as well.

It's the social norm.

Few leave, but most want to stay.

As I said, life here is as close to perfect as it can get.

When you do decide to have or raise a member of the next generation, you only get to do so until they have children of their own or decide to leave town.

As I said, the latter seldom occurs, partly because if they leave, they don't get to come back.

And we see what the world outside looks like.

It's dark and cruel.

It's stuck in time in too many ways.

Progress is seen as something to be feared, whereas here it's one of our core values.

When you reach that certain age and the time has come for you to see your first grandchild, you're asked to pack your bags and move to Sector B. If you happen to have multiple children, you wait for the last one to have a child of their own.

The second law is for Sectors A and B to never mix.

When you leave the first chapter, you're bound to the second.