Abstinate
Staying in her cubby was driving her a bit crazy. She could play screenies on her wrist comp, but the quality wasn’t nearly as good as a wall projector, and she was limited to the ones she already had… all of which Mother said she would have to delete when they got near Libertas.
So she decided to sit in the common area for a while and work on some math. Just some fun math, Mother hadn’t assigned her anything. Mother wasn’t even here, although it was the middle of their new day.
She had been sitting there for at least an hour when she sensed someone coming close and saw a man sitting down next to her.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
She looked at him. This seemed pretty obvious. “Abstinate,” she said, and he frowned and got up. But, seriously, he was way old and the more she thought about it the more she was sure that she had blown it with Charles. All that fooling around was just going to make her life harder now.
She eyed the man out of the corner of her eye. He was probably pretty frustrated, given that there were so many men and so few women. She wondered if he came from Ephemera. Maybe she had just blown a possible contact for the future.
She supposed she couldn’t blame him for trying. It wasn’t like she had her school cap on, so he wouldn’t have know that she was still a minor. And she was of age where she might have been dating already. Indeed if she had she might well have accepted.
She heard a giggle and turned to see Mother emerging from a bunk… and not her own bunk. She closed the bunk door as soon as she got out, so Jellia didn’t get to see what man was in there.
“Hello, Darling,” Mother said, stretching. “Miss me?”
Jellia snorted and looked back at her screens. Mother sat down next to her. “Now, don’t be like that. I think you would have enjoyed learning about his culture.”
Jellia looked at the bunk, “I didn’t even see who it was.”
“It was that man with the reddish beard.”
“Short.”
“Oh, don’t be so prejudiced. Yes, he was short. But very nice. And their culture… as I was saying!”
“Very well, Mother, tell me about his culture. Obviously not Libertas.”
“No, but actually there are some similarities. Like on Libertas a man and a woman share a house… or apartment or whatever.”
“But obviously he still dates… or is it just because he is on a spaceship with you.”
“No, no, they still date. It’s just like the person they are living with is their ‘fall back’ date… your date when you don’t have a date.”
“That sounds truly bizarre. So there is some man already in the house and the woman brings a man home?”
“It usually goes the other way, but yes. I can’t say I like it but it might mean a little less pressure. I mean, if you say no to a date there would always be a woman at home for him.”
“Unless she was off on a date. No thank you. I prefer Libertas… it seems like you will at least always know what is going on.”
“Oh, Darling. I suppose it is good that you are beginning to get ready for our new culture but… oh well.”
“Are you going to keep dating him the whole trip?”
“I don’t think so. I think there are a lot of men here who will be very upset if I…”
Jellia rolled her eyes and Mother stopped. “Listen, Darling, many of these men can be important contacts for me…”
“… And you can’t just wave your wrist at them and get their snip, you have to date them.”
“Yes, Darling. You will need to grow up and understand this fact of life. Dating is a natural function…”
“Not on Libertas, apparently.”
Mother sighed. “You are being deliberately annoying, Darling. We say ‘dating’, they say ‘en-drek contract’, but the point is the same. A man and a woman sharing a bed. A society that doesn’t arrange for that will not survive. The men will all go insane, if nothing else.”
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.
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Thanks again, God Bless, Soli Deo gloria,
Von
Links
Contract Marriage
Contract marriage is an adult dystopia examining the issues of marriage. Like 1984 and Brave New World, Contract Marriage treats the relations between the sexes as a fundamental aspect of how a society is formed and, thus, how a society can go wrong.
Unlike those dystopias, Contract Marriage isn’t all horrible all of the time. The characters for the most part have a good time and get along in their society. But the issues of sexuality, of marriage or not, monogamy or not, faithfulness or not, and gender roles… keep coming up and causing tension and conflict and joy and pain.
My desire is that my readers would be thinking along with my characters about these issues and perhaps even arrive at the same place (minus the flying cars).
Introduction
In which I lay out the themes that I intend to explore in this light Dystopia, and ask others to participate.
Trade Master: First Chapter
In which Fenestra, our heroine’s mother, puts in her application for the job of 'Trade Master’ on the planet Libertas, and finds out that it isn’t that easy.
En-Drek Contract
In which Fenestra finds out that, on Libertas, everyone must be in an ‘En-drek’ contract… a long-term, live-in, heavy date between a man and a woman for the purpose of producing one child after the other with one date after the other.
Disappointment and Meditation
In which Jellia, the daughter and our heroine, finds out about her mother’s job opportunity, including its difficulties, and commits herself to meditating on the situation. (And internally commits herself to encouraging her mother to take the job.)
Decision Reached
Jellia tells her mother that she thinks she should take the job, and so her mother puts in her application… and gets the job!
First School
Jellia goes to school and gets to tell everyone about her new adventure.
First Work
Fenestra goes to work, and tells her coworker about her new opportunity.
Writing Class
Jellia writes a poem (a limerick) and tells her classmates more about her new adventure.
Trader Galloway
In which a man comes over for a ‘date’ (Ie to sleep over with her mother) and to tell them all about his time as Trade Master for their company on Libertas. And as how he was almost executed for asking a woman out on a date.
Shopping
In which Jellia and her mother go shopping for the last time, and we explore some of the nature of the planet she is leaving.
Language
In which Jellia starts using some new words at school, and everyone gathers round to find out what they mean.
Kesh-i Cooking Class
In which Jellia finds out that children (Kesh-i) on Libertas are expected to cook.
Trade Master Training
In which Fenestra begins her training for her new role, with an old enemy.
Two Week Date
In which Fenestra and Alex decide to date for the next two weeks.
The Facts of Life
In which Fenestra brings Alex home, and Jellia isn’t impressed. Although she is interested in how dating works for boys.
Snips
In which Jellia spends time snipping with a boy, and brings him home.
Kissing
In which Jellia and her mother both have a sexual ‘last fling’ before they leave, and Jellia practices the new kisses she will need for her new planet.
Off Ephemera
In which Jellia and her mother arrive at the shuttle port, go through some annoying formalities, and take off!
And Fly!
In which Jellia and her mother board their spaceship, and Jellia starts doing her homework.