Illoia stared at her comp. Hydroponics? They expected her to work? And what was hydroponics?
She fiddled with her comp and followed the directions and came, a few minutes later, to a door labeled “Hydroponics Bay One”.
She palmed the door open and gasped. The air was… wonderful. All wet and fresh and…
She hurried through the door not wanting the wonderful air to leave… and not sure whether it was important for the air to stay in this room.
And it was beautiful! There were plants literally everywhere. Plants in long plastic tubes with water bubbling in them, bright hot lights over them…
“Excuse me,” she heard and saw a lass hurrying up to her. “You are Tomirosh-a?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Good. We are rather pressed right now so I don’t have much time to orient you to the job. So if you will come over here I will give you a job that doesn’t need much instruction.”
The lass walked quickly down an aisle and turned left. This room was not so nice. Altho the smell and all were still there, it had no pretty plants, just bin after bin of the tubes they went in.
“There is a kind of mould that grows on these tubes,” the woman said, picking up one of the tubes. The washing machine gets most of it, but the area right here, where the plant comes out, somehow always gets missed. So what we do is take this little brush, and we use this bleach solution, and we scrub out the hole.”
She made a few quick swipes at the hole, then moved over to a table lamp, which she switched on. “This UV lamp will show you where you have missed,” she said, and Illoia saw an edge of yellow around the hole, barely scraped away in some parts. “You need to keep doing it until that you can’t see any of that yellow.”
She put the tube down and walked off and Illoia stared at the pipe. She turned off the light and walked over to the bucket with the bleach solution.
She sat down, scrubbed at the holes until she figured that they were clean, went back to the light, and sighed. Every single hole still had a few yellow flecks around them.
Two hours later she had five pipes finished, was dripping with sweat and exhausted. The air was wonderful, but it was hot. She wondered why her suit didn’t cool her. And didn’t’ they have any kind of climate control in this room?
Well, of course not. The plants probably needed the heat. And the pipes would be making the air humid. She glanced down at her comp. Two more hours.
She sighed and picked up another pipe…
Illoia finally came back into the room, pulled the couch into a bed, lay down... and suddenly doubled over, gasping with pain. Her left calf was on fire with a cramp!
She frantically rubbed it and then, remembering what her husband had told her, half walked half hopped over to the dispenser and frantically dialled in an electrolyte drink and... ugh... drank it.
Then she tried to go back to the bed and slipped and fell on the floor and hit her elbow... and collapsed crying on the floor. She hated this! She hated her husband, she hated this training, she hated these quarters, she hated these people... she hated her new life!
And he had the audacity to preach! He made her go to these stupid twice daily training, with that stupid obstacle course which made her hurt in every single muscle in her whole body.
She lay there and cried and then started praying. Surely God would help her through this!
She lay there praying and a verse kept on coming up. A bizarre verse. She rolled over and pulled it up on her comp:
Micah 7:5-6
Trust ye not in a friend, put ye not confidence in a guide: keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom.
For the son dishonoureth the father, the daughter riseth up against her mother, the daughter in law against her mother in law; a man's enemies are the men of his own house.
She tried several times to understand what God was trying to say but it wasn't like she didn't know. She was the wife that couldn't be trusted.
She rolled over and sat on the couch, studying the verse again, and then turning to Proverbs 31... and how many times hadn't she heard that passage!
So... husbands were for enduring, but wives were supposed to be a blessing to their husbands. It wasn't fair, and it definitely wasn't easy, but it was where she was right now. She was supposed to be a blessing to this bizarre, cold, efficient man.
And it wasn't like he was wrong. She knew that. He had gotten her two training sessions a day because she was totally out of shape, had no idea how to shoot a pistol or rifle or what the difference between a staff-major and a sub-commander was. And she didn't want to know those things! She didn't want to need to know those things!
But what she wanted didn't matter. Her father had taught her that. She had duties: duties as a daughter... well, she was pretty much done that in one sense. Duties as a wife, duties as a part of the stupid military unit!
Thank you for reading Von’s Substack. I would love it if you commented! I love hearing from readers, especially critical comments. I would love to start more letter exchanges, so if there’s a subject you’re interested in, get writing and tag me!
Being ‘restacked’ and mentioned in ‘notes’ is very important for lesser-known stacks so… feel free! I’m semi-retired and write as a ministry (and for fun) so you don’t need to feel guilty you aren’t paying for anything, but if you enjoy my writing (even if you dramatically disagree with it), then restack, please! Or mention me in one of your own posts.
If I don’t write you back it is almost certain that I didn’t see it, so please feel free to comment and link to your post. Or if you just think I would be interested in your post!
If you get lost, check out my ‘Table of Contents’ which I try to keep up to date.
Thanks again, God Bless, Soli Deo gloria,
Von
Links
Article 17
Article 17 is a military science fiction story with aliens and romance. It is set in a future reminiscent of Napoleon era Britain. The war was going very poorly until the military installed a dictator. This story follows one of the dictator’s great men: Cladin Tomirosh, Leader, and thrice decorated hero.
Intro // Podcast Version
She was pretty, popular, snobby, and a planetary governor’s daughter. He was the son of shopkeepers, a social misfit, and a decorated hero. She thought she was there to dance. He had other ideas.
A Dance // Podcast Version
As a governor’s daughter, Illoia usually avoided such events, but when the captain made the announcement that there was to be an Article 17 dance, she, too, was forced to attend. If only the scum hadn’t been there too.
The Unbridgeable Chasm // Podcast Version
Eukles and Meriones, brave military leaders, quail at the idea of crossing the gulf between themselves and asking a lass to dance.
There He Is // Podcast Version
The young hero comes in, and Aleshia and Illoyia gossip about him.
Look at the Young Hero // Podcast Version
The young hero comes in, and greets Eukles and Meriones… and announces his intentions.
Target // Podcast Version
Tom, Leader Cladin Tomirosh, sets his sights on the governors daughter. She isn’t impressed.
Fuming // Podcast Version
Tom and Illoia dance, while she desperately tries to get him to go away!
Now’s Our Chance! // Podcast Version
Eukles and Meriones use Tom and Illoia as a distraction and stalk their own girls.
To Slap or Not to Slap // Podcast Version
Meriones introduces himself to his new wife with a slap on the backside.
No Sane Man // Podcast Version
Illoia insults the young hero, and he proposes.
Never You, Darling // Podcast Version
Illoia finds herself unable to turn down his proposal.
A Wild Dance // Podcast Version
Illoia finds being Tom’s Consented Wife hard… with wild New Irish dances and immodest ones.
Registered // Podcast Version
A new marriage is registered. All hail the dictator!
Middy’s Got a Lass! // Podcast Version
Medinia is deliriously happy… she got 17d!
A Duel to the Death // Podcast Version
Illoia wakes up next to her new husband.
A Dowry // Podcast Version
As it turns out, Illoia brings some money into the marraige.
Fitting // Podcast Version
Even soldiers wives have to wear the uniform.
Message // Podcast Version
So, about telling her father. It’s not going to be easy.
Training // Podcast Version
Even soldiers wives have to learn how to shoot aliens.
The Captain // Podcast Version
So, about telling the governor about the marriage you allowed on your ship, Sir…
Presentation // Podcast Version
The absolute last chance to get an Article 17 wife, with everyone all lined up and shaking hands and no real time to talk…
Ma, Pa, Squeakers // Podcast Version
Imagine sending a tick tock message to your family telling them you are married.
Yee Haw // Podcast Version
Illoia is shocked to find that Tom considers his social responsibilities at a weird eating joint.
New Ship // Podcast Version
Telling the Governor // Podcast Version
Aleshia rides down on a shuttle, takes an aircar to the governors mansion, and gets to face his temper.
Hardship // Podcast Version
Marja is finding marriage very hard. Not her husband, just… life.