Global food shortages brought about by rampant overpopulation in the 2020s brought humanity to the brink of collapse. By 2028, scientists predicted that unless we, as a species, could bring the population down below 4 billion by 2045, humans would face certain extinction.
The world burned, and for half a decade, civil war and strife reigned as governments tried in vain to replicate the success of China’s one child policy on a global scale. Then, when all hope seemed lost, something changed. Over the course of several months in 2035, the global birthrate dropped precipitously. Some called it an act of God, others an act of terrorism, but whatever it was by December 31st, 2035, more than four fifths of humanity had become sterile.
Less than a year later and humanity saw it’s first decrease in global population since the Black Plague in the mid 14th Century and within a decade, the Earth's population had dropped to sustainable levels.
Even as people around the world celebrated, there was growing concern in scientific communities that the pendulum would soon begin to swing in the other direction.
To ensure that humanity would not be bred out of existence, a coalition of countries led by the United States, China, and Europe founded the International Breeding Program, or IBP.
As part of this program, fertile children and their families from around the world would be voluntarily relocated to a planned community in Upstate New York where their every expense would be subsidized by the IBP.
In every respect, the children would lead completely normal lives: going to school, playing sports, making friends and socializing, but with one glaring exception. On the first day of their senior year of high school, they would be required, by law, to begin procreating.
The date is now January 2nd, 2049. You turned eighteen three days ago and you’re excited to be back in class.
As you walk into the classroom that’s been your homeroom for the past four years, you’re surprised that instead of being greeted by the bubbly Mrs. Dawson, a stiff looking man in a gray suit is standing in front of the white board.
You hastily greet a few of your closest friends and take your seat at the back of the class.
As the last student takes their seat the man shuts the door and clears his throat.
“Welcome to your senior year of high school.” He says in with just the slightest hint of an accent, “I want to congratulate you all for being the first cohort to reach the age of maturity as part of the International Breeding Program.”
“Breeding program?” someone interrupts incredulously.
“Yes,” he answers, “The IBP is a program that was established nearly 18 years ago to counter ongoing infertility crisis. We reached out to the parents of nearly 20,000 fertile children and offered them the opportunity to live out their lives in this community, on the condition that they make their children available for breeding on the first day of their senior year. Since than, the program has grown to nearly 400,000, but you are the first.”
The class erupts in a cacophony of angry chatter, “And what if we refuse to take part in this ‘program’?” Someone calls out above the noise.
“That is entirely your choice. The contract is not with you, it is with your parents,” He pauses for a moment, “but be aware, should you choose not to participate, both you and your family will be immediately removed from the city of New Haven and your parents will be forced to pay back every cent that they have been given for the past eighteen years.”
Silence blankets the room. You all know that expulsion from New Haven would mean a life of destitution for the people you care about most in the world.
“Let me be very clear on one point,” the man continues, “This is not a rape program. Neither women nor men will be forced into a specific pairing, and any man found forcing himself on a woman will be removed from the program immediately and their family expelled from New Haven. There are however some rules that must be followed.”
“First, you may not commit to a monogamous relationship. Doing so is grounds for dismissal from the program.”
“Secondly, while females are free to have as many partners as they’d like, they must copulate with a minimum of one new male every month until they are pregnant. Once pregnant, this requirement is suspended for a period of exactly 12 months.”
“Thirdly, each of the first eleven children born to a female is to be given up for adoption to a family somewhere in a participating nation that is incapable of having their own child.”
“Finally, once a female has birthed her eleventh child, she will have satisfied the terms of her family’s contract and will be released. Each male shall remain bound by the contract until he has sired eleven fertile children or until the day of his 30th birthday, whichever comes first.”
The man notices you all staring at him in utter shock and clears his throat, "I realize that all of this may come as a surprise, but rest assured, it is necessary for the survival of our species."
He begins passing out tablets to your and your class mates. "There are twenty students in this class, ten male and ten female. You will now rank each member of the opposite sex from most to least desirable. Pairing will begin immediately after home room in isolation pods that have been set up outside."
After a quick glance around the class you look down and see that the tablet is prompting you to enter your biographical information before you can make the selections. What do you enter?