En-drek File
The briefer turned to Fenestra. “Very well. Now, ska, we have chosen your first en-drek for you. You may reject this en-drek and we will re-negotiate, but you may not leave this room without a contracted en-drek .”
“Oh. I thought there was a waiting time?”
“There will normally be, but these are not normal circumstances. You cannot leave this room without a contracted en-drek.”
“Very well. Why have you picked this one?”
“A good question. We picked him for two reasons, at least. The first is that he is known as a good disciplinarian and a good teacher. That is not his field but his previous en-drek-a-u have all given him high marks in that area. That will be important to allow you and your daughter to adjust as quickly and thus as easily as possible. People will overlook issues in the first few days that they will not overlook when your bracelets come off. You need to adjust quickly.”
“And the second reason?”
“There are several culture differences between the planets, and he met with us and was open to being a little more open in some of the areas than most of our men would be. He is less likely to push you too quickly in areas that are more of his private domain.”
Warning: This story is a light dystopia, specifically addressing issues of marriage and sexuality, as well as other issues, such as corporal and capital punishment, different dress codes, etc., which might be offensive to some readers.
“Very well. Let me see his file.”
The briefer snipped her, and Fenestra opened the file, wishing that there was a polite way to ask Jellia to leave the room. One of the stronger customs on Ephemera was that you could write quite graphically in the Cyclo, but you never discussed it in front of anyone. But, then, Jellia would soon be going through this herself, so perhaps it was good she got to hear the discussion.
Name: Iloh Kiladi
Occupation: Bio-tech, New Seed Creation
Income: 1/2 Platinum Bit/month
Percentage: 80%
Previous Ska-drek-a-u: Six
Current living Kesh-u: Six
Code/Custom Rating: High
Sexual Preferences: Private, soft music, frequent
She stared at the document. Some of it was written by the male himself! She was very used to reading things about a date, the cyclopedia could be rather graphic; but they were always written by the women he had dated, never by the male himself! Which meant it was missing a whole lot of details she would have expected.
“The, umm, intimate details,” she managed to ask, with an annoyed look at Jellia. Well, she would be going through this soon herself, it would be good for her to hear this. And, of course, she had read the cyclopedia… and even written in it… for her own dates. “When it says he has preferences… is he expecting a female that, umm, shares those preferences or…”
“Not necessarily,” the woman said. “You will need to be prepared to meet his desires, but he will also be prepared to meet yours. If you prefer the couch, for example, and he prefers the shower, well, you will both need to be prepared for both.”
“And hair length? Is that a preference, or will he command?”
“It is his preference, but while you are with him he certainly will command.” She looked down, “I see he put ‘long’, which is fairly normal here. Yes, he will almost certainly not allow you to do much cutting of your hair while you are contracted with him.”
“If you were looking on your own, and not in such a bind, you would certainly, or could certainly, look for a man that prefers the mid-length that the two of you have. But in your case I wouldn’t think that would be a priority.”
“Well, no. Growing my hair out will hardly be the hardest thing about… about signing an en-drek contract.”
“No, wait, really? The daughters… the kesh-u-i all have longer hair?” Jellia asked, looking a bit askance.
“Most of them,” the briefer said. “Your length will be considered a bit odd but…”
“I wish I had noticed that! I had it cut just before we came. Curses!”
“It will grow out,” the briefer assured her. “And it will give you a slightly exotic air, which might be nice.”
Jellia looked more content, and, seeing her mother still reading the packet, opened a book on her comp, leaving Fenestra a bit more freedom to read herself.
Hobbies: Music, art, frequent vacations alone
Her eyes skimmed down the page, and then closed the file. If this son had been back on Ephemera, and had had good potential as a contact, she would have dated him if he had asked. But the idea of picking him herself, and for the next however long until she got pregnant and finished nursing his child,… truly bizarre. But…
“Very well, I don’t see anything objectionable. And his income will certainly help. Mine will be a bit variable at first, as I take over the desk. And, of course, I get the house free.”
“At the bottom of the file was an acceptance,” the briefer said and Fenestra opened it again, found the link, and, after a few seconds hesitation tapped it. In for a bit, in for a hex, as they said here. They had some interesting expressions here, one of the funner parts of learning the culture. Alex had loved them.
“Now,” the briefer said, having obviously received the notification, “my last warning. Before we leave this room. Make sure that everything you have told me is perfectly true.”
“But… but I didn’t tell you anything,” Jellia protested.
The woman laughed, “Yes, you have, kesh. You have said ‘yes’ and you have nodded at various times. So you can’t come crying to our office later and say, “I didn’t understand… I didn’t really mean it.”
“Oh.”
“And your ska-drek-a has said a bit more, as well, including agreeing to her new contracted en-drek . You will receive his packet soon, ska, and you will meet him this afternoon at two oclock. Be on your porch to meet him, it is custom.”
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
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.
Decon
Jellia and her mother arrive on their new planet, go through an awful decontamination, get sent to a briefing, and recieve their first kiss/greeting!