Pop-ex (Population Exchange)

My name is Vronca, but everyone calls me Vron. My mom called me V, but she died recently. It's only because she died that I'm finally able to make the decision I'm about to make. I've been itching for this day for years. See, whenever we dock at a station we're given the opportunity to exchange a portion of our population. The bigger the dock, the more of our population we can exchange. It keeps ships from ending up with inbred populations. Every time I volunteered in the past: my mom placed an objection. Publicly, she claimed that she needed me too much to leave. Privately, she always told me that she was saving me from a fate worse than this ship. My younger brother and I both volunteered last year, at a small dock. She tried to stop us both with a need objection, but she quickly found out that she can only apply that to one child. I thought she might choose him, because he was finally stronger than me, but I'm better at taking care of my younger siblings, so she kept me. I haven't seen him since, but I hope he's doing well. Now, even my youngest sibling is of choosing age, and with my mom dead, no one can stop my siblings, or me, from volunteering. We're stopping at an enormous dock, and get to exchange up to two hundred of our population. I'm throwing my name in as fast as I can. The captain has us gathered in the pit. The only place large enough for the majority of the population to gather. The only ones not here are those deemed un-tradeable by the captain, his functionaries, the crew that runs the ship. I've learned a lot from them over the years, but never joined the ranks because I wasn't willing to lock myself here forever. Captain Ton announces, "We will be docking at Hu-Genar Space Dock shortly, and can exchange up to two hundred of our population, do I have any volunteers?" I jump up. "I volunteer!" The captain smiles as he asks, "Any objections or conditions?" This is when my mom always placed her objection, but everyone knows she can't this time. "I request a condition." I hear to my right. I look and see my baby brother, Jorman, with his hand raised. "I know I'm of choosing age, but I'm not ready to be alone. I request to be bonded to the choice of Vronca, so I can keep the guidance of my oldest sister." I'm shocked. It never occurred to me that he might do this. "Condition granted." Captain Ton replies. The volunteers keep going. I tune them out. It doesn't matter to me who else is leaving. What matters is my baby brother is now locked to whatever life I choose, usually for at least five years, depending on the rules of the crew I choose. Then he can put in for an exchange of his own, but a lot can happen in that time. With only a few spots left I hear a familiar voice announce, "I volunteer, as long as I get to choose for myself." I turn to verify that the person speaking is my sister, Celka. "Volunteer accepted." Captain Ton states, with none of the emotion that I saw in his eyes when Jorman and I volunteered. It's not that the Phennox, our ship, is bad, it's just that I want to experience more. My favorite memories of growing up are the times I got to explore planets, and see how other lives are. "Our ship will be docked for one space week." Captain Ton announces, "Those who decide not to exchange have until then to change their mind, or the change is set, until the next time our paths cross, if that ever happens. Those without a chosen crew at the end of the space week will have to make accommodations with the space dock, or other ships as they're able." We, the volunteers, nod our heads in acknowledgement. "Volunteers prepare to leave!" He states loudly with a grin and raises his hands. I grab my baby brother's hand, and pull him back to our quarters. My sister has chosen to go on her own, so I leave her to return to the quarters on her own as well.