Introduction

In answer to the question “How does procreation work in the Dominion?” the response is as follows:

For most people, it happens in the way with which we are familiar:  Two people decide to have a child or one happens by accident as a result of the usual biological processes.  However…

    

Conception

• Most conception happens between consenting parties via normal biological processes, this is particularly the case for the majority of Mers who live in lower-tech areas.
• Mers who have trouble conceiving may apply for assisted reproduction.  These applications will be assessed for genetic merit (genetic class modifiers help here) and appropriate interventions (including a Surrogate or Artificial Womb) may be authorised.  However, the Dominion prefers Mers whose genetic heritage is such that they can reproduce without assistance, so applications may be denied on that basis.

    

Geneered Classes

• Most G-Class Mers arise as a result of two G-Class parents procreating in the usual fashion.  However, some G-Class Mers are born as a result of programs run by the Eugenics Bureau.  These Mers have no recognised biological parents.  
  • All G-Class Mers (and a good many others) are traceable back to a Eugenics Lab birth.
• Geneered classes with the same House Name do not usually breed together due to the likely high degree of genetic relationship.
• G-Class natural births are subject to high rates of congenital deformation, and these offspring are usually claimed and raised by the Eugenics Bureau.

  

Abortion

• Abortion is generally illegal in the Dominion, however, a mother may freely elect to donate a live foetus to the State (as represented by the Adoption Bureau) before it reaches a certain age.  
  • In this case the foetus will be removed from the mother and placed in an artificial womb or a surrogate for gestation.
  • The father has no rights in respect of this operation but can assert rights of parental acceptance, in which case the child will generally be returned to the father at birth. 
  • There is no stigma associated with this decision.

  

Surrogacy

• While the Dominion has the technology to gestate babies outside the mother for the entire gestational cycle, the resources of the Eugenics Bureau are limited and so there is an ongoing demand for surrogates.
  • Surrogacy is generally considered prestigious work.
  • Most Surrogates are private contractors, but many are employed directly by the Eugenics Bureau as Specialist Stream Bureaucrats.  

    

Contraception

• Male and female contraception is widely practised and unstigmatised, although more so at the higher tech levels.
• While contraception is extremely reliable at the Dominion’s tech level, should conception occur, see abortion, above.

    

Offspring

Acceptance

• Parents are not required to Accept children into their house.
  • Acceptance is a specific legal concept
• At birth, one or both of the biological parents may make a formal election to accept their offspring.
• Offspring not accepted by the parents will be taken in and raised by the State (being given a new House Name).

  

Adoption

• The Dominion permits adoption of State-Accepted children.  
  • Social Class plays a role in approval of such an application.
  • The parents may or may not choose to adopt the child into their House Name as well.

  

Marriage

• Marriage and child birth often tend to coincide but neither are a requirement for the other.