Hadrian's Lover
Page 40
Frank’s post is atop the central watchtower. He takes no days off unless sick or ordered to. He breaks for meals and the odd trip to the bathroom. He won’t watch news streams or vids, he plays no wave games, and takes no lover. Most of all, he tries not to think. He mans his station, kills every human straight that wanders into his site, and suffers restless, nightmarish sleep. Frank cannot stop his mind from remembering when he succumbs to weariness.
When forced to rest by a senior officer, usually one new to his platoon, Frank runs. He runs the three-mile length of the wall his tactile tattoo restraint allows him. He then runs back. Back and forth and up and down. When Frank runs the three mile stretch, he runs up and down every set of stairs leading up the three stories of the wall as well as up and down the fourth set of stairs, leading up to each of the watchtowers within his limits. For Frank, running is the most effective method of emptying his mind. It does not please the MPs assigned to guard him day and night. Whenever Private Frank Hunter runs, the MP is obliged to run alongside him. More often than not, though, the MP trails behind, unable to keep pace with the lithe, powerful man. One MP actually shot Frank in the leg when he was unable to keep up. He claimed he had ordered Frank to halt, and very likely did, but the gap formed between them made it impossible for Frank to hear him. Nor could he have simply voc’d Frank. Being that military service is a life sentence for Frank, he is not allowed any luxuries such as the voc or access to Hadrian’s wave network. Nor does he wish for any. Being granted access to the historic library on his one enforced day off is all he cares for. When he is not running, Frank will retreat to the historic library and read one of the archaic books. The feel of the book in his hand, its weight combined with the scent of the paper as he flips the pages, is oddly relaxing.
Contact with family is also limited to one downloaded letter a week, which one of the senior officers projects from his voc onto the wall screen for Frank to read. Once a month, Frank is entitled to a vid conference or personal visit with family. Frank is forever being ordered to attend these and must be escorted to the meeting room by his MP. Always, his father and Roger come. Dean, initially by his own design and also at Frank’s request, has never attended or participated in any family conference or visit. On this day, however, unknown to Frank, Dean Stuttgart arrives. He does not come into the room immediately. Geoffrey and Roger intend to prepare Frank. They begin with the usual trite conversation about how healthy Frank looks—so tanned, so fit—and then move on to how little activity there has been at the wall of late while Frank tallies off his kills for the month. Neither Geoffrey nor Roger care to hear about that aspect of Frank’s life, but Frank always lists them off anyway. It is grizzly how detailed Frank is when he describes each man or woman’s death. It is as if he has engrained the image of each heterosexual he kills into his mind’s eye. Finally, nearing the end of their visit, Frank asks, as always, “And how is your schooling, Roger? Are you excelling?”
“Uni is great!” Roger ejaculates.
“Do you know he plans to attend for at least six years?” Geoffrey is proud of Roger’s decision to study agricultural engineering and his determination to obtain, at the very least, a Master’s degree.
“Eight,” Roger adds excitedly. “I’m definitely going for my Ph.D. Professor Joel Lipman, the same man who taught Will Middleton and Quintin Laugharne, says I show real promise for an undergrad.”
“Well, get your Bachelor’s degree first,” Geoffrey adds judiciously. “Then you can work on your Master’s. You can talk Ph.D. six years from now!”
On this particular visit, Roger made sure to take a few days off from uni to be with Frank, his father, and Papa Dean for this most important reunion.
“Good work, Roger.” Frank remains civil, containing all show of affection, sitting upright and at attention, as if he were addressing senior officers.
“Roger’s average,” a proud father interjects, “is eighty-eight percent!”
Although there is no sign of emotion, Frank replies, “I am pleased, Roger. Todd would be proud.” The only sign of emotion that threatens to crack the veneer of Frank’s self-imposed emotional exile is the closing of his eyes and an intake of breath held momentarily before slowly exhaling.
“Thanks, Frank. That means a lot to me,” says Roger. Reaching into his pocket, he retrieves a small burlap bag. “I brought you a present.” Handing the package to Frank, he says, “Smell it.”
Working to keep his voice flat, Frank replies, “It smells really good. What is it?”
“Ground cocoa.”
Frank’s eyes moisten. Once more, he must breathe slowly to contain the threat of an outpouring of emotion. “Todd had promised to grow these for Papa Dean.”
“I know. Professor Lipman lets me grow these in one of the Antinous Uni hot houses. He was reluctant at first, hot houses being critical for growing plants for life saving medicines, and the beans having to come from Hadrian’s Global Seed Vault, but when I explained about how Todd…well…how he…well, how I want to…you know, genetically alter them…like he wanted to…anyway, I get to grow a little crop. I roasted and ground these figuring they’d make a great gift for…” Looking now to his father, Roger asks, “May I tell him?” Geoffrey nods; he does not contain his emotions; tears begin to stream, creating an odd image on a face suddenly shining with delight. “And, I figured they’d make a great wedding present for Papa Dean.”
Frank starts. “Pa—Pa—Papa Dean is—but, Dad—he—you—never divorced—did you?”
“No son,” Geoffrey smiles through the tears. “We are getting remarried. Papa Dean wants you—he wants you to stand up for him. He came with us today and is waiting outside until you ask him to enter. May I please go get him, Frank? He misses you dearly. He loves you and wants you back in his life.” Frank is speechless. Afraid to talk, afraid to move from fear of breaking down, he just sits in his chair, waiting. Geoffrey stands, “I’ll—I’ll go get him.” As soon as he opens the door, he calls out and Dean steps into the room. Franks stands, the two men facing one another.
Dean opens his arms, “Frank—”
Frank crumples to his knees, wailing in a sudden burst of emotion expelled from him like an explosion. Sobs and tears rack his body like a tempest-tossed bark. Papa Dean bends down and cradles him. “I’m so sorry, son. I’m so sorry I abandoned you for all these years.”
Through his sobs, Frank manages a plea. “Forgive me.”
* * * * *
Bibliography
Although fictional, a substantial amount of research went into the production of Hadrian’s Lover. Resources used while writing this novel include:
About.com Geography. Current World Population. http://geography.about.com/od/obtainpopulationdata/a/worldpopulation.htm
About.com Geography. How fast is the world’s population growing? http://geography.about.com/library/faq/blqzworldgrowth.htm
About.com Geography. Most Populous Countries Today. The 24 Most Populous Countries on Earth Today. By Matt Rosenburg. About.com Guide. http://geography.about.com/cs/worldpopulation/a/mostpopulous.htm
About.com Geography. Population Statistics. http://geography.about.com/od/obtainpopulationdata/Population_Statistics.htm
About.com Geography. Trash Islands. Trash Islands of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. From Amanda Briney, Contributing Writer. Updated March 24, 2009. http://geography.about.com/od/globalproblemsandissues/a/trashislands.htm
About.com Geography. Seven Billion People. Will seven billion people be overpopulation? http://geography.about.com/od/obtainpopulationdata/a/seven-7-billion-people.htm
American Institute of Biological Sciences. Articles. Forecasting the Effects of Global Warming on Biodiversity. Daniel B. Bodkin. Henrik Saxe. Miguel B. Araujo. Richard Betts. Richard H. W. Bradshaw. Thomas Cedhagen. Peter Chesson. Terry P. Dawson. Julie R. Etterson. Daniel P. Faith. Simon Ferrier. Antoine Guisan. Anja Skjoldborg Hansen. David W. Hilbert. Craig Loehle. Chris Margules. Mark New. Matthew J. Sobel. David R. B. Stockwell
. http://ibcperu.org/doc/isis/7086.pdf
Annenberg Learner. The Habitable Planet: A Systems Approach to Environmental Science. http://www.learner.org/resources/series209.html
Arctic Institute of North America. Arctic, Vol. 54, No. 2 (June 2001) P. 142-148. Climate Change Scenarios for Hudson Bay Canada, from General Circulation Models. William A. Gough and Edmund Wolfe. (Received May 16, 2000: accepted in revised form September 19, 2000). http://arctic.synergiesprairies.ca/arctic/index.php/arctic/article/view/773/799
Arctic. Vol. 57, No. 3 (September 2004) P. 299-305. Trends in Seasonal sea Ice Duration in Southwestern Hudson Bay. William A. Gough, Adam R. Cornwell and Leonard J. S. Tsuji. (Received 22 August 2003; accepted in revised form April 1, 2004). http://pubs.aina.ucalgary.ca/arctic/Arctic57-3-299.pdf
blog.modernature.ca. MODERN LIFE vs. HUMAN NATURE. Garbage Island: Floating Plastic Ocean. Posted on June 6, 2008. http://blog.modernature.ca/?p=90
Blythe, David, Director. “Circadian Rhthyms”. 1976. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Xyy9OgCOZE. Published on Oct. 9, 2012. Note: the You Tube account associated with this video has been closed.
BMJ Helping doctors make better decisions. Falling grain stocks and rising population spell disaster and demand debate. A. J. McMichael. http://www.bmj.com/content/311/7021/1651
Calendar 2210. http://www.hf.rim.or.jp/~kaji/cal/cal.cgi?2210
Daily News. Scientists uncover possible source of homosexuality. By Christine Roberts. New York Daily News. Tuesday, December 11, 2012. 6:11 PM. www.nydailynews.com/news/national/scientists-uncover-source-homosexuality-article-1.1218017
Genesis of Eden. The World Population “Bomb.” http://dhushara.com/book/diversit/bomb.htm
Government. no. Ministry of Agriculture and Food. Svalbard Global Seed Vault. http://www.regjeringen.no/en/dep/lmd/campain/svalbard-global-seed-vault.html?id=462220
Hinton Parklander.com. News Local. Breeding a forest to survive climate change. By Craig Palmer. Hinton Parklander. Wednesday, July 4, 2012 10:58:28 MDT AM. http://www.hintonparklander.com/2012/07/04/breeding-a-forest-to-thrive-during-climate-change
Hus, Tim. Alberta Crude. “The Bull Rider”. Track 2. Saved by Radio Records. 2004. Festival Distribution
Hus, Tim. Alberta Crude. “Silver in the Buckle”. Track 6. Saved by Radio Records. 2004. Festival Distribution.
Jones, Lisa. “Why Bad Sex is Shortening Your Life”. Cosmopolitan. Love/Sex. http://www.cosmopolitan.com/sex-love/tips-moves/orgasmnews.
Live Science. Stephanie Pappas. Why Gay Parents May Be the Best Parents. By Stephanie Pappas. http://www.livescience.com/17913-advantages-gay-parents.html
National Geographic. The Ocean. Photo Gallery: Polluted Oceans. http://ocean.nationalgeographic.com/ocean/photos/ocean-pollution/#/alaska-dump_46_600x450.jpg
New Statesman. The Staggers. The New Statesman’s rolling politics blog. “Top Ten: the world’s most populated countries.” By Samira Shackle.
Published 08 July 2:10 9:44. http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/the-staggers/2010/07/population-index-overpopulated
One More Generation. Is ocean garbage killing whales? By Jim Ries. Published July 11, 2011. http://onemoregeneration.org/2011/07/11/is-ocean-garbage-killing-whales/
Overpopulation – America’s Greatest Calamity. By Frosty Wooldridge. March 12, 2009. http://rense.com/general85/over.htm
Overpopulation in Africa. Effects of overpopulation. By Derek and Ryan. http://geojoedr.tripod.com/id3.html
Overpopulation. The Population Explosion. By Paul and Anne Ehrlich. http://dieoff.org/page27.htm
Parviz, Babak. Electrical Engineer at the University of Washington. As told to Flora Lichtman. Popular Science. “Terminator Vision.” P. 33. March 2012.
POPSCI: The Future Now. How We’re Creating “Terminator Vision” in Your Future Contact Lenses. By Babak Parviz, as told to Flora Lichtman. Posted February 21, 2012 at 10:13 AM. http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2012-02/terminator-vision
Softpedia. The Effects of Global Warming in Africa. http://news.softpedia.com/news/The-Effects-of-Global-Warming-in-Africa-41077.shtml
Suite101. Ancient History. The Scandal of Hadrian and Antinous. By Brenda Ralph Lewis. http://suite101.com/article/the-scandal-of-hadrian-and-antinous-a186176
Sustainable Development in the Hudson Bay. James Bay Bioregion. Canadian Arctic Resources Committee. Environmental Committee of Sanikiluaq. Rawson Academy of Aquatic Science. http://www.carc.org/pubs/v19no3/2.htm.
The Daily. Report points to radical Arctic warming. November 9, 2004 at 12:00 AM. Usha Lee McFarling Los Angeles Times. http://dailyuw.com/archive/2004/11/09/imported/report-points-radical-arctic-warming#.UPxwlY7C5Wg
The Daily. Studies show warming in Antarctic regions. September 28, 2006 at 12:00 AM. Staci Miner. http://dailyuw.com/archive/2006/09/28/imported/studies-show-warming-antarctic-regions#.UPxwHI7C5Wg
The Sustainability Report. Canada’s Population. http://www.sustreport.org/signals/canpop_ttl.html
treehugger. World Population to Hit 7 Billion by 2011, New Stats Show. Mat McDermott Business / Corporate Responsibility August 14, 2009. http://www.treehugger.com/corporate-responsibility/world-populationto-hit-7-billion-by-2011-new-stats-show.html
Truthdig drilling beneath the headlines. We Are Breeding Ourselves to Extinction. By Chris Hedges. Posted March 8, 2009. http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20090309_we_are_breeding_ourselves_to_extinction//
UNRV. History. Hadrian. http://www.unrv.com/five-good-emperors/hadrian.php
University of Toronto Libraries. Canadian Poetry Online. Earle Birney: Biography. Source: Wailan Low. http://www.library.utoronto.ca/canpoetry/birney/
University of Toronto Libraries: RPO (Representative Poetry Online). David. Birney, Earle (1904-1995). http://rpo.library.utoronto.ca/poems/david
U.S. Department of Commerce. United States Census Bureau. World POPClock Projection. http://www.census.gov/population/popclockworld.html
WebMD. Health & Sex. Is There a Gay Gene? New Genetic Regions Associated With Male Sexual Orientation Found. WebMD Health News. January 28, 2005. http://www.webmd.com/sex-relationships/news/20050128/is-there-gay-gene
Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Human population control. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_population_control
Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Hudson Bay. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hudson_Bay#Climate
WWF Global. Marine problems: Climate change. http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/blue_planet/problems/climate_change/
WWF Global. Marine problems: Pollution. http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/blue_planet/problems/pollution/
Yahoo! News. Business. The world of 2030: U.S. declines; food, water may be scarce. By Olivier Knox, Yahoo! News. The Ticket – Mon. December 10, 2012. http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/world-2030-u-declines-food-water-may-scarce-162757458--politics.html
Yahoo! News. Canada. Next Great Depression? MIT study predicting ‘global economic collapse’ by 2030 still on track. By Eric Pfeiffer, Yahoo! News. The Sideshow – Wed. April 4, 2012. http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/next-great-depression-mit-researchers-predict-global-economic-190352944.html
YouTube CA. 7 Billion, National Geographic Magazine. 3,915 videos. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sc4HxPxNrZ0
2208 Hanke-Henry Permanent Calendar. http://henry.pha.jhu.edu/calendardir/ccctdir/ccctHTML/2208.0.html
Disclaimer: The author of this text cannot be held responsible for any links that have been disengaged since the publication of this novel.
Copyright
Published by Clink Street Publishing 2015
Copyright © 2015
Second edition.
The author asserts the moral right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means without the prior consent of the author, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other
than that with which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
ISBN: PB: 978–1–910782–98–9
EB: 978–1–910782–99–6