by Celie Wells
“Holy shit, it’s your grandfather,” I whispered, helping to push Jason to a seated position.
“Damn, are you going to be okay,” I asked, running my hand down his pant leg.
“Only if you stop touching me, Kar,” he mumbled. I put my hands up over my head and tried to smooth my hair back into place. “Shit no way,” Jason mumbled. “You need to sit over there where I can’t see you for a few minutes,” he instructed.
“What are you going to do way over here by yourself,” I asked playfully.
“Think about solar burns, and naked floppy old men parts, my last trig quiz, anything awful I can imagine for a few minutes,” he explained.
Dredge knocked on the door frame without entering. “Cook says dinner will be ready in ten minutes. We both yelled thanks in unison. Dredge lured Clara down the hallway after him with a discussion about interviewing a replacement housekeeper.
Once their voices were far enough away, I raced the few steps to the bed and jumped up, bouncing the bed into a disheveled state. “You’re killing me, Kar. Totally killing me.”
“Oh, so sad for you,” I pushed Jason flat on the bed and resumed my assault. This time I was free to move. It didn’t take long before he didn’t have to think about his awful things list.
“We better get down to dinner, quick,” Jason noted, grabbing a fresh pair of pants from his closet and pointing to the bathroom. I straightened the bed cover and ran one of the fancy combs on his dresser through my smashed curls.
Jason emerged from his bathroom and tossed his old clothes in the hamper. I must have had a worried look on his face because he asked me what was wrong.
“Nothing really, a year is a long time,” Jason nodded his head in agreement. “I don’t think Hess is going to sign so I can marry early.” Jason nodded in agreement again this time, adding a quiet, mmm, hmm.
“You forget, I’ve known you all your life. What is bothering you, Kar?” he asked, his voice dusky and serious.
“Stupid stuff really, the human interactions course claims it will be uncomfortable the first few times, and not to sound defeatist, but I don’t think that is going to fit,” I said, pointing at his crotch.
“They put stuff in those courses to scare people. I am never going to hurt you. We’ll figure everything out. But I won’t have you afraid to be alone with me, I couldn’t stand that,” Jason almost sounded angry. He grabbed my arm and kissed the back of my hand for a long time. I made sure I didn’t flinch.
“I consider you mine too,” I sat up straight and looked into his eyes. “I shouldn’t have said I thought it sounded creepy. I feel the same way,” I confessed. This was my problem area, the sharing of uncomfortable truths. “I love you.”
Jason smiled a big broad smile. “We have to get out of this room, or you will end up back in that bed,” Jason laughed and pulled me towards the doorway and down the hall towards dinner.
CHOCOLATE AND CREAM
The quiet peace of the Fuller estate was behind us for now. Jason and I arrived at my family home in time to watch the end of the pre-vote coverage with my father and Hess. The woman Hess brought with him, Nina, was in deep conversation with my mother in the family room. Beryl was nowhere to be seen.
My finance bracelet was a somewhat new tradition. The jewelry technology hybrid is solar-powered, hooks up to my day suit, and keeps track of my biometric readings—all while linking me to Jason's account. My father noticed the black and platinum bracelet and motioned for me to present my wrist for inspection.
“What do we have here?” My father put on his glasses and inspected the bangle slowly.
“It's a finance bracelet, Sir. It's linked to my reserves. After Kar's birthday, we can make a trip to the city and get her an account of her own.” Jason rehearsed this explanation. There was no hesitation in his voice or his usual light humor.
“You two are planning on going forward with this wedding plan of yours?” My father asked.
“Yes, Sir,” Jason replied.
“Of course, Daddy.” We answered in unison. I could tell Hess's negative attitude toward my wedding plans corrupted my father. He let out a gruff dismissive breath and turned the conversation to the vote.
The two sides were given their ten minutes to persuade the masses. The accused could provide a statement but forfeited his time. The accused's legal representative closed the arguments with a single phrase. “Leges humanae nascuntur, vivant, moriuntur.” The laws of man are born, live, and die.
“How about ad quod damnum? The punishment fits the crime.” Jason yelled at the viewer screen. My father nodded in agreement.
“It's more like, according to the harm done or inflicted. I'm voting for death. He killed his friend, and he admitted it, how much guiltier could he be? The proper punishment is death. That dumb ass lawyer can spout all the Latin he wants. It's murder.” My father growled while popping a handful of crunchy cheese puffs in his mouth.
“I agree with you, Sir. I will be voting the same way,” Jason stated firmly.
“The case facts show his friend was unable to afford an end of life ceremony and was in considerable pain. Says this fact was presented to the court but omitted from the final verdict.” My father scoffed and Jason looked surprised by the information.
The two took turns using their citizen cards to place their votes. The vote was only open to locals sixteen and over and carried twice the weight of a continental citizen vote. My mother slid her card through and pressed the not-guilty button with a wink. The process went quickly. The outcome was death as most expected. My father promptly paid the fee to view the execution live. He and Jason ran off to refresh their drinks and snacks before the show began.
Beryl arrived home from work and went straight to her room. She winked as she brushed by me, obviously trying to avoid our mother. The meeting with her benefactor must have gone well, and I couldn't wait for her to tell me all about Grandma's reclusive friend.
Hess accepted our fresh-water delivery and made his way to the basement to fill the well. Nina watched as he carried the heavy bottles through the house with peaked interest. You could see she found him attractive. I found the situation cringe worthy.
The sun was falling, and the temperature outside would drop soon. It was almost time to escape to the town square to see my friends and live free in the open air. I excused myself to change clothes and found my room cleaned, my bed made, and a big black box topped with a green velvet bow sitting next to my pillow.
There was a card, the note read. Something to help brighten your day, everything will return to normal, I promise, p.s. Beryl helped me pick these out.
I lifted the lid to find a caramel brown jacket and matching calf-high lace-up boots. Both smelled like chocolate and vanilla cream. I had the perfect pair of retro jeans and a white sleeveless top to complete the outfit. I quickly changed clothes, pulled my long hair up into a ponytail, and ran out to show Jason.
Hess was in the hallway when I opened my door. “Wow, that's quite some boy you have Kar. I knew Beryl helped him find something you wanted but is he trying to replace our parents now, buying your clothing.”
“He got me a jacket and boots. He's trying to cheer me up, not replace our parents.” Hess slowly grabbed my jacket arm and pulled the fabric to his nose.
“Chocolate and cream maybe some synth leather in there too. This isn't the knockoff brand they sell in the square Kar. I think this jacket and the boots are the original designer versions.”
“He has good taste, and he likes to buy me things. What is wrong with that?” I retorted.
“If you don't love this boy, you can't accept his gifts. You have to end this, Karine,” Hess demanded.
“You can't even try to be happy for me. Why do you want to crush every happy moment I have? You need to go back up the Tree Hess.” I could see that I hurt him, my brother looked stunned like I knocked the wind out of him. “I love Jason. Even if you can't accept it, I will marry him as soon as possible.”
&
nbsp; “You can do anything Kar, why are you pushing so hard for this life,” Hess asked quietly in a blatant attempt to deescalate the argument.
“Don't use that quiet conflict crap with me. What you mean is I can do anything if you approve. I don't know what made you so intolerant, but I choose the Domestic path. I don't care what you want me to do. I don't much care what any of you want me to do with my life.” I walked past Hess. He grabbed my arm and spun me around in the hall, placing his back towards the kitchen.
“You are going to regret this choice for the rest of your life,” Hess scowled.
“No, I won't, but you will regret not being supportive. You can apologize by signing my family documents before you run back to the top of the Tree, so I don't have to file a petition to marry without consent. Glad to see you aren't falling down drunk again today.” I yanked my arm away from my brother, forced a smile on my face, and walked out to show Jason how great I look in his gifts.
The execution started with the view of the empty evaporator room. The murderer was being walked into place over the trap door covering the evaporator chamber below. As the crew placed the hood over his face and the long noose around his neck, the code he broke was recited.
My mother's hand sat lightly on my back, and Nina leaned close at my side as the final verdict was read aloud for the record. The countdown to ten began, and at nine, I could feel the collective inhale as everyone in the room held their breath. The clank of the rope system and the bang of the evaporator door was followed by a loud room-wide exhale.
Jason patted my hand when it was over. I felt my mother move from my side as the news anchor recounted the verdict and the fact that this was the fourth execution for this site this year.
“So, do you still want to meet everyone at the square?” Jason asked, rising from the overstuffed couch.
“Yes, I do. I'll be home before too late, Daddy.” I put my hand on my father's shoulder and felt his warm hand reach back to pat mine.
“Be careful, the crowd can be overly excited after these things.” My father warned, tapping on his phone. “Call me if you have any problems.”
“Yes, Sir, I will keep my eye on her.” Jason shook my father's hand quickly and yelled out goodbye to the household. Hess leaned against the doorway to the hallway and scowled at us both.
“Hess seems pissed,” Jason commented once we got in the car.
“Hess doesn't want to sign my family papers. He thinks we shouldn't marry so young.” As I said the words, I felt embarrassed to have such a dramatic family member interfering in our business. “But I don't care what Hess thinks.”
Jason smiled and shook his head. I knew he didn't care either. We could wait out the year until my seventeenth birthday or petition the court for a license without my family's many blessings. The stupid brother problem will have to wait for tomorrow because tonight the moonlight is calling my name.
THE GALLOWS
Humanity is easily excited. At least that is what my history teacher loves to say. Tonight, I understand what he’s talking about. The air in the town square was super-charged with righteous violence, and the gluttony fried foods encourage.
The murderer experienced swift justice. Dressed in white cloth and hanging from the gallows, the image of his swinging body being cut free and tumbling into the evaporator would not leave my mind for some time.
I’m sure this was the intent of the government spectacle. Show the masses what happens when you kill without their blessing. If you want to surrender your life fine, that act will have ceremony and meaning, but if you break a law it’s the gallows for you. Either the gallows or little cakes and poisoned fruit, you’re still dead. It was a distinction without any real difference, in my opinion.
Being out with our friends in this primal atmosphere was exciting. You could smell the adrenaline in everyone’s veins, but it was safe, there was no real danger. Truly dangerous people were bred out of our population long ago.
Diff and his new protection path buddies were already at a table drinking when we arrived. Aqua and our friend Blue were on the way to meet us, so I pulled two more chairs to our table.
Diff was celebrating his recent betrothal to the young daughter of a family friend. Hearing him explain the situation made my head hot and woozy, I could barely pay attention. He was taking his mother’s family name, Allerton. His fiancé was thirteen and would live with his family until she turned sixteen, then they would marry. This one point of fact stopped me from hearing anything further.
“Wait, she’s how old?” I asked.
Diff put his beer down and leaned closer to me. “She is thirteen now, but we won’t marry for three years Kar, it’s legitimate, there is a contract and everything.”
“But you don’t like girls,” I reminded him in hushed tones.
“I don’t dislike girls completely. I just like guys more.” Diff explained quietly.
As I contemplated my oldest friend’s perfect bedroom partners, an old story began to replay in my mind. It was the tale of the Unity when the original houses pulled their armies together to put down the European Continental take over. They were required to prove they were descendants of the original thirteen colony settlers. This lineage gave them a birthright to the old American territory.
Fuller had the largest army after they combined with the Jones militia. The two families secured the continent for the Americans and the Canadians. With no water technology and widespread fear of starvation, South America followed soon after.
The original twenty family lines married off their children to secure the wealth and the militias from connected but non-lineage families. This tactic provided military support and men to the cause. I remember reading how ten-year-old boys were married off to days-old infant girls to secure these family ties. It was the beginning of the posthumous breading rights act and the most significant population boom since the comet hit the planet and boiled away the oceans.
“Congratulations, Difference, she sounds lovely,” I said politely. I tried to smile and sound sincere, but panic was settling in my mind.
I needed to talk to Dredge. He was the oldest person of influence I knew. Something wasn’t right here. Jason wanted a craft soda, and Diff wanted a fresh beer, so I went to a vendor to grab a round of drinks. I called Dredge while I waited in line. I was passed from one secretary to the next until one found him in an off-site storage warehouse.
“Karine, my dear, is something wrong?” Dredge asked.
“No, nothing’s wrong. Jason is fine, but I need to talk to you. It’s the Unity all over again. People are marrying off their children to original settler families. They are changing their names to show their bloodlines. We just did the same thing. I know we aren’t related. Is there another war? Who’s even left for us to wage war against?”
“Calm down, Karine. Can anyone hear us?” he asked, “No. I’m in a crowd, but no one is that close to me.”
“We aren’t going to war, but we are getting ready for an outside threat. I can’t tell you anymore over the phone. You shouldn’t worry, my dear. Your grandfather and I have this whole matter completely under control.”
“My grandfather is dead, and he took my grandmother with him. Besides, he worked all his life on asteroid mining. What could he have to do with the Unity,” I asked?
“Yes, he is gone, but he left you with his name, Fuller, and the fruits of his life’s work,” Dredge explained.
“Outside threats, like way outside, like an asteroid strike?” I yelled the words into the phone, unable to contain my fear.
“There will be widespread panic soon enough. You won’t be the only one to notice the shuffling around of original family children. Jason loves you, my dear. Our family’s survival is all that concerns me. We will talk later, but I must return to my work now. We will speak again soon. “Dredge ended the call abruptly.
It wasn’t war. It was something far worse that I hadn’t considered. I filled my arms with soda and beer containers and walked b
ack to my friends through the rowdy crowd. Everyone I walked by was ignorant of this new threat.
A timeframe floated in my mind, a year, six months, longer. There wasn’t much time left judging by what little I understand about our planet’s defenses against wayward objects. If people are already scrambling for lineage names, there may be less time than I imagined.
I found Jason in the crowd and watched his face and animated arms while he talked. He noticed me walking toward him and smiled, it only took a half a second, but he lost his train of thought. Everyone laughed at him and took their fresh drinks from my overloaded arms.
Aqua and Blue arrived while I was waiting in line. Both girls grabbed and sniffed my new chocolate leather and admired my bracelet with bouncing high pitched squeals. Jason seemed pleased with all the attention his gifts were getting.
“Hey, you two need a third. For that kinda swag, I can become very flexible.” Diff ‘s new friend jumped on the table and began dancing suggestively right in front of Jason.
“Nope, we don’t need a third breeder, yet.” I offered the young man my hand to help him off the table, but he jumped off with a summersault and landed square on his back. Everyone in the vicinity started to clap and cheer.
He popped up like nothing had happened and took my hand in his. “Chicago Smith pleased to meet you.”
“What kind of name is Chicago?” I asked. The young man’s hands were incredibly warm, but his cologne was almost weaponized. The scent was so intense my eyes began to water.
“Worker’s found me in the Old Chicago project buildings. The nurse that took care of me, her last name was Smith.” All the women at the table nodded their heads in swooning approval of his sad story, including me. Jason took my other hand and pulled me towards him and wrapped his arm around my stomach.
