Jellia stood in line, flapping her arms. This was cold! She wondered what first-class passengers went through but this was awful. The flight down to the planet had been so crowded she had hardly been able to see out, then then they had been separated and the daughters herded into this room and told to undress!
At least the line moved quickly into the next room once the final daughter had undressed and gotten in. The next room was a solid metal room, with all sorts of holes in the ceiling. “Hold your breath!” the daughter… ‘ska’. She would have to remember this!… sitting behind the transparent aluminum wall said, and pushed a button and… ughh… even holding her breath Jellia could still smell the awful chemical. Ugh. It hadn’t been this bad when the had left Ephemera.
Finally the chemical finished and a water mist came out of the ceiling… first fine and then drenching. Then air began circulating until finally, dry except for her hair, Jellia left with the other daughters and found herself in an austere dressing room.
Many of the other daughters were putting on those awful ship coveralls again, but Jellia, Mother, and two other daughters were directed to some shelves with some underwear… which was of a type that Jellia found bizarre but… when on Rome. If the worst thing she had to suffer through was bizarre underwear, she was doing very well.
She looked around, and there didn’t seem to be any hats or caps or anything. Then she remembered that none of the screenies had shown them. She could hardly imagine! She would feel naked!
Then she found the skirts and picked one up, trying it on for size. What was this made of? She ran her hands over it… it was practically paper! She was sure it wouldn’t hold up to even getting wet. No doubt since they gave them away they wanted them to be as cheap as possible.
The shirts, which were all a very boring kind of beige, were the same or worse. She couldn’t even really find one that fit! The one she finally decided on was too big in the waist but bound her in her shoulders. Ugh.
And shoes. Apparently boots were the thing on Librtas, there weren’t even any shoes available, altho she was sure they would have been cheaper. So at least her feet were pretty well covered, and she did find a pair that seemed to fit.
“Well, that was awful,” Mother said when they met up outside the dressing room. “I don’t think I will ever become a regular of space travel. The space ship was annoying, and the shuttles and decon were worse. And since we can’t even get at our luggage we have to wear these awful clothes. First thing we get there I will take you…”
Mother stopped. A very interesting look came over her face. “Code and custom,” she said. “Let me try again. First thing we get there I will….” She took a deep breath, “… I will encourage you to go shopping and by yourself clothes. By yourself, with no input from me.”
“Surely Mother,” Jellia said, but Mother raised her hand.
“No, Daughter, do not make this harder for me. We will both need to make this transition. While mother’s might go shopping with their daughters here on Libertas. For fun and because they enjoy each other’s company. You know… we both watched the screenies… that at practically toddler age children… Keshu… are allowed, encourage, expected, to begin using their funds, some of which they earn themselves, to make purchasing decisions. By themselves, for themselves, with their own taste in mind, not their ‘Ska-drek-a’s’.
And our new house will be in walking distance of such stores as you would be able to purchase an entire new wardrobe, and you will have a large set of funds to do it with but I trust you will be careful. .
Jellia stared at Mother. She had never imagined she would allow this so quickly! She shivered in anticipation… and a bit of fear. Before whenever she had wanted something she had counted on Mother being able to count how much it cost and add up how much she would need for everything else she needed or wanted. She had never so much as ordered an ice on her own… and now she was going to be able to fill her own closet with new clothes? And no doubt get an ice, or even a new meal, while she was at the store? While Mother sat at home and (she was sure) worried herself to death? What… what a thought.”
“Ska Fenstra Drendin? Kesh Jellia Drendin?”
There was a man… a ska… she would have to remember these new words!… standing in front of them with his comp open.
“Yes?”
“You are expected in induction room 412, please. I have informed the inductor that you are through decon and she is waiting for you.”
“Very well,” Mother said. “Which way… oh, I see the sign. Thank you, umm, ska.”
“Ska Brendin Trogar, ska, kesh,” he leaned forward and Jellia realised, to her shock, that she was about to get her first of those bizarre greetings on this planet… first Mother and then it was her turn, his hand on her shoulder, brief almost miss kiss; her hand on his shoulder, brief… oops she leaned forward too far, ow, kiss, pull away, resist the temptation to wipe her lips and he was gone and she could breathe again. She should have practised that more. She and her daughter-friends had spent the whole time giggling, really, so she knew the forms but the actual practice was horrible. Ugh. And she would have to do that, or worse, all day every day with everyone.
It was amazing how much harder this greeting kissing was to do than what she had done with Charlie and the others! She had gotten used to putting her hand on the date in a certain way so that they both kind of moved toward each other…”
“Come, Daughter, you can recover your poise while we climb the stairs. We should have practiced that more.”
“Yes. Yes we should have. Going to the store will not be nearly as hard as all this kissing.”
“Except you will no doubt have to kiss people at the stores,” Mother said. Oh, curses!
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!
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 // Podcast Version
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.
Abstinate // Podcast Version
In which Jellia gets bored, rejects an older gentleman, and rejects her mother’s idea of dating.
Older Kesh-u
In which Jellia learns more about what Kesh-u (children) are allowed to do on Libertas.
Fertility
In which Jellia and her mother are taken off birth control by an odd doctor.
Article 17
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 cross 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.