Under the grand arches of the century-old auditorium at St. Thomas Monroe High School, Spencer Graham and you stood, gowns flowing and tassels swaying, as the embodiment of academic excellence. As the ceremony drew to a close, the high school’s principal, Dr. Eleanor Myles, approached the podium with a smile that barely masked her seriousness.

"Ladies and gentlemen, today we celebrate not only the academic achievements of our graduates but also their ambition to join the new incentive this year," Dr. Myles announced, her voice echoing through the hall. "You and Spencer, following this ceremony, you are invited to join our esteemed guest Mr. Jenkins from Washington, D.C., for a week-long capital city tour and a scholarship award ceremony with the president!"

The crowd erupted into applause, but Spencer could feel your glare from beside him. You were still angry that he had edged you out for the top spot by a mere fraction of a percent. He smirked slightly, knowing full well that your rivalry had pushed both of you to new heights.

As the ceremony concluded, Mr. Harold Jenkins guided you through the ivy-wrapped exterior of the campus to a sleek, self-driving car waiting to whisk you away. The journey was silent, the tension of your school years’ rivalry hanging heavy in the air.

The car arrived at a local Air Force base, where they were led into a new-looking structure. Inside, they found themselves in a rec room outfitted with games, a 72-inch TV, exercise equipment, an adjoining restroom—and most strangely, a single bed. Before either of them could question the situation, the door slammed shut and Mr. Jenkins’ voice crackled through a speaker.

"I am sorry to have deceived you both, but I assure you this is for a good cause. You are among the first to be selected for a new government mandate known as the Beneficial Genetics Initiative. As you may know, birth rates continue to steadily decline among top-performing members of society such as yourselves. This initiative gives the government the legal right to seek out candidates with the best chance to produce desirable offspring and, for lack of a better word... breed them. You two will remain in this room until you produce two viable offspring. In which case, you may raise them yourselves or give them to us. Any attempts to escape or harm yourselves or each other will result in serious consequences. Now, get to it, you two!"