Article II and IV

Nov 18, 2024

Article voiceover

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After her nap Illoia dressed, Tom having left already, and wandered down the hall, intending to go see one of the dorms. She had only gotten a few feet, however, when her comp flashed and vibrated,

Article II and Article IV reports due

“What?” she mumbled.

“Ma’am?” a nearby ranker asked, stopping from where he was moving down the hallway.

Hoping that the ranker would know what it was about, Illoia said, “It says here that I have to submit an article II and article IV report for some of the dorms.”

“Yes, Ma’am, I remember. The leader said that these were your responsibility.”

Illoia did too, although she had forgotten. “But how do I do it?”

“Oh, that’s easy, Ma’am. Just tap on the words.”

Illoia tapped on the words ‘Article II’ and they flashed and she saw,

Article II report (This record will be visible by the commanding officer of the unit only)

Illoia Tomirosh-A

Following the date, location, and the century concerned, she saw:

Formal discipline carried out (Formal report will also need to be submitted)

Informal discipline carried out

Reports submitted

Worrying events

Investigations

Visits

“What do I do with this? Do you have any idea?”

“Yes, Ma’am, it was part of our training.”

“Well, come with me and explain it.”

Illoia went to her office and the ranker stood, nervously, across the table from her. “The first two lines are easy, Ma’am,” he said. “We have had no formal discipline in these area that I have heard about, but if you have, you submit the record number. The leader would have to submit the formal report.

“Then if there has been any informal discipline…

But how would I know?”

“These are your areas, ma’am. The person who had done the discipline would have come to you and reported. And… I heard you were present at an informal discipline?”

“Oh, that. So I will need to write that up?”

“Yes, Ma’am. The form should have… look, it has a series of questions that you just have to answer.”

“Oh, Ok, but what are these, ‘Investigations’ and all?”

“If someone comes to you with a report, or a concern, and you looked into it, but it didn’t become a discipline, either formal or informal, you would write those there. You see it gives a place for name, date, concern… that has to do with the ‘worrying event’; and then the next line lets you write who you talked to.”

“Then all you have is ‘visits’ and you’re done.”

“Who am I supposed to have visited?”

“The dorms, ma’am. You’re supposed to visit the dorms on a regular basis. You write down which dorms you visited, how long you were there. You write down any concerns you might have, how people were working together…”

“For Article II??”

“Or IV, on that form.”

“But what does ‘how they are working together’ have to do with Article II?”

“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t understand your question. I think that that isn’t quite right…” he trailed off, thinking. “As I understand the idea, some parts of the form are just ‘reports of your visit’, and include all those things. Then that other part of the for, ‘concerns’, includes both things that you passed on… things that might concern any article… and then, specifically, Article II concerns that you are formally reporting.”

“Oh,” Illoia said.

“The Article IV form is almost the same, ma’am.”

“Well, ok, that’s plain enough, I guess.”

Sections like this remind me that I am very much still in the process of writing this story (along with the dozens of other stories that I am in the process of writing). This scene very much needs more details, more description, more emotion. But, alas, these have not yet been revealed to me. But if anyone has any ideas, that is what the comment section is for :)

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!

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Von also writes as ‘Arthur Yeomans’. Under that name he writes children’s, YA, and adult fiction from a Christian perspective. His books include:

The Bobtails meet the Preacher’s Kid

The Bobtails and the Cousins

The Bobtails go to France

and

No Ordinary School

Arthur also has a substack, and a website.

Thanks again, God Bless, Soli Deo gloria,

Von

Links

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.