The year was 3025, the government created a system of chaos.  Each family was only allowed to have two children, one female, and one male.  Each child would then get put into a schooling system to be taught how their gender is supposed to act.  Any child who failed the program or was a second-born child of the same gender as their sibling was to be electrocuted.  The electrocutions were held monthly, and all citizens over the age of 18 were required to attend.  This was the system inside the walls of the economy, but what did the outside look like?  The outside world was barren: no grass, no trees, no wildlife.  The resources were used dry and then abandoned.  At least, that’s what the government told everyone.  

Anthem and Kayla were born July 6, 3045, at 6:45 am.  The doctor, a close friend to their mother, took the second born, Kayla, and hid her away.  The family consisted of a mother and her two daughters.  When night came, the doctor snuck back the newborn Kayla to her mother and sister. Hiding in the shadows, he carried the tiny illegal bundle through town. The mother took her child from the doctor. Fearing for the life of her children, the mother put them into a box and put them on the outside of the wall, praying for a miracle.

-16 years later-

3061

The twins grew in the forest raised by a gentle woman who found the basket after being drawn to it by the cries of the babies.  The small family lived in a carved out tree stump that held everything that you’d find in a modest house.  The hole was big enough for the family to stand in, but everything was squished together. This family of master thieves snuck into the closed economy, stealing all necessities for survival.  

Stood perched on a tree was Anthem, the older of the two, her hair pinned down to her head in a bun.  The sun provided an orange glow across the land as it set. Anthem watched over her younger counterpart, Kayla, as she stole from the unsuspecting victims.  She used the technique of brushing up against their shoulder to make them drop their belongings and pocket what she could.  That was their system: one watched for danger while the other acted out the plan.  

Kayla returned to the wall, pockets slightly bulging out away from her legs. She snuck through a small gap in the titanium structure, which was covered by vines and years’ worth of plant growth, to meet Anthem back at the tree, so they could count their loot. Anthem grabbed a vine and rode down it like one would ride a fire pole.  

“What you got?” Anthem asked, crouching down to inspect the small brown satchel that Kayla had filled. Kayla proceeded to empty her pockets onto the root-covered ground.  The satchel was brown and was only being held together by small pieces of fabric sewn over holes.  It smelled of food and had a rough texture that could scratch up your skin.   The contents of the bag included some loaves of bread, some fruit, and sewing supplies to fix clothes.  Kayla’s pockets held small jewels and valuables that could later be pawned off at that same market.

The trek back to their hole was an adventurous one.  There was no clear path, so jumping and crouching was required to make the journey.  The forest held the sound of animals chattering amongst themselves and the surrounding environment smelled of wet grass due to the moisture accumulating in the air.  Mother Fawn sat at the table reading a book when the girls entered.  The trio usually stayed quiet to not disturb their surroundings, even though the animals of the forest had become accustomed to their presence. The rest of the day went as it normally did. Dinner was cooked and eaten. Then, they went to sleep, prepared for the next day’s adventure.  

The next morning the girls switched roles and Anthem went into the village.  The need to steal new clothes had arisen and that was now the focus of the day.  The village was bustling and full to the brim.  People stood almost on top of each other, trying to fight their way into a better deal.  

It happened in a flash: Anthem stuck her hand in a satchel, only for another hand to grab her free one.  Her body was pulled into the only empty part of the village, the alleyway.  The alleys were bare of anything and everything, other than pipes and machines that helped power the village.  A man in a red hat stood holding onto Anthem’s arm.  The red hat signified his status: village guard.  The girls had never been caught before and this caused them to let their guard down, leading to the exact moment of their capture.  

The dungeons were dingy and covered in rust.  They smelled like a sewage system and the walls were littered with the dirt of the village ground.  The room was cold and the walls and ground were made of cement with some straw littered across the floor.  The patter of water falling was the only sound heard.  

Kayla watched as Anthem was swooped away, already creating a plan to get her back.  After determining where the dungeon was, Kayla snuck into the wall and pick-pocketed a pair of keys off of a nearby guard.  She snuck down to the dungeon, finding Anthem sitting in a corner playing with straw. 

“What took you so long?” asked the agitated twin.  

“I got here like 10 minutes after you got taken.” Kayla responded, holding the keys up in a mocking tone, as if to say, “You need me to get out.”

“Whatever,” Anthem muttered, getting up as the dungeon door was being unlocked.  As the two made their great escape, they stopped dead in their tracks in the middle of a hallway.  The cries of a small child bounced around the walls and the girls burst into action following the cries at a fast pace.  

The room they entered had dozens of cribs, all filled with wailing babies. A mission was created to save all extra babies. The babies were to be raised in the forest, just as the twins were. From then on, the girls and Mother Fawn created their own organization.  The rescued illegal children formed their own economy: The World of the Rescued.