The Temporary Parenting Agency

In the year 2010, many advances were made in the contraceptive industry. Teenage pregnancies became an all time low, abortion clinics were aborted and Africa became a healthy and productive continent. STIs were eliminated by a simple super virus engineered to piggyback the chicken pox and made everyone immune to both.

People started going at it like rabbits because they knew that there was no risk of pregnancy. As a result, the population started to dwindle. America went from 301 million people to 30 and got itself confused with Canada (Whose population stayed the same as they were pretty careful about that sort of thing anyway).

Without all the unwanted pregnancies, humanity was at a low. Noone felt like parenting because they were having too much fun. That's where the Temporary Parenting Agency (TPA) comes in. We give you the chance to look after one of our babies for a week and encourage you and your friends to see what it's like and have a baby for yourself.

Jenny put the pamphlet down and continued waiting. It had been the 673th time she'd read the pamphlet since she wrote it. Business was slow. Thankfully there was a booking for 4 o'clock and it was just about 3:50pm now. She sighed and read the pamphlet again.

At 4 o'clock, a Man and a Woman appeared at the door and wandered in. They were well dressed but seemed down to earth. These must be the Moores Jenny thought to herself and put the pamphlet back on the stand on her desk, straightening everything else as she went.

'Good Afternoon, Welcome to the TPA. How may I help?' Jenny asked them as they approached

'Yes, Hi' said the man, 'My name is Ryan and this is my wife Cassandra. We have an appointment?'
'Ah yes, 4 o'clock?'
'That's us'
'Brilliant, If you could just sign these forms while I go get the baby, that'd be great'

Jenny half-ran through the door and went back into Darren's Room. He seemed to be in a good mood and as she picked him up he cooed cheerfully

'Good boy Darren, be nice to these ones' Jenny whispered as she walked through to her desk.

Mrs Moore's face lit up when she saw Darren and Jenny knew this would be a successful trip.

'See you in a week!' Jenny said happily as the Moores walked out, fawning over Darren.

One week later

The Moores returned at 4 o'clock. They both looked very tired but generally happy.

'How was he?' Jenny inquired
'He was fine. Very noisy and wouldn't go to sleep but I suppose that's normal. Do you breast-feed him?' Mrs. Moore asked
'Uh no I don't'
'Oh I just thought you might've because he kept trying to get me to breast-feed him'
'Interesting. I'll make a note of that. You're happy though?'
'Oh yes, very happy' Mrs. Moore leaned forward 'And in between you and me, I'm already pregnant'

Mr. Moore was inspecting the wallpaper so he remained oblivious. They both gave Darren a hug and left, holding hands.

Jenny turned to Darren;
'You're such a jerk sometimes'

Darren replied, 'She had a nice rack! I was being held against it! What would you do if you were an undersexed midget?'

'Get a life and move on! God you could've ruined the whole trip!'

Darren felt guilty at this. Jenny was running the Agency all by herself and he really wanted her to keep doing what she was passionate about, even if it meant being changed by strangers and the occasional nappy rash (Though Jenny's complimentary pamphlets usually saved him form such horrors).

'I'm going for a walk. I'll see you soon Dar.'

Jenny exited to the utopian landscape of the 23rd century. It wasn't overly different from past centuries; Buildings were slightly shinier, Cars were shinier and even people were shinier, but Jenny was sure that phase would end soon.

The biggest frustration Jenny had with the 23rd century was the lack of children. She was an only child, the product of a bad test of contraceptive prototypes. She loved her Mum and Dad, when they weren't behaving like bunnies, that is.

She sighed and walked past a billboard shouting a slogan about synthetic pork (Are YOUR children eating 'Like pigs'??) and headed down to Gary's.

Omg, this is happening in two years??!

People are shiny in 2010!!

I like your punchy narrative style =D

The brochure states "In 2010" but it actually occurs in the 23rd century which is... later than 2010

Wow, it's almost 2010. That's a weird thought...

Like 2001: A Space Odyssey... That's also a weird thought. Not that I've actually seen that movie. But i want to. <3

We should see both that and; '2010: The Year We Make Contact'

I started watching 2001.

The first 25 minutes consists of apes running about and fighting eachother.

I gave up around then

Oh dear.

Well, I still hold out hopes for 2010. And 2015. Methinks those scientists are going to have to step up their game if we're to have hoverboards and self-lacing shoes by 2015

You know, I'm quite impressed with 1957.

They had fridges that could survive a nuclear warhead!







I want a nuclear-resistant fridge.


That would be neat.

Eee, that *would* be neat indeed.


And in response to the TPA, since when has man never bred like rabbits? (:

yeah but even more so

And no-one's even bothered to mention 1984... XD

Well We had a crapload of years to choose from.

2008 to be precise. And then some.

In the genre of pop-culture references shitface. XD

urmmmm.... I'm not pop-culture literate then

1984: the epic novel by George Orwell about life in an authoritarian regime.

According to nasmyth it was very accurate in predicting life in China in 1984 when she was there.

I really would NOT consider that pop-culture

'Twas at the time... I suppose... At any rate, 2001: A Space Odyssey, certainly is pop-culture.

By that definition, then isn't everything 'pop culture'?