Any pet owner knows that when you get a new male kitten or puppy, you have him neutered. It helps manage the animal’s behavior, and the vet will tell you that it keeps him happier.
What if someone tried to control people that way? Keep a restless portion of the male population docile, remove their aggression, by routinely neutering them when they reach puberty? Who would do that and why? And what would one of those neutered young men think about the loss of emotions and sensations he will never know? Asking the questions, world building, asking more questions, adding characters, all resulted in this story.