Fuming

Illoia was fuming. She had handled that horribly. She had been so shocked that anyone would dare to ask her to dance without even an introduction. And the way he was staring at her. It was practically a leer. And that stupid hum he kept humming. She knew that these events were not run on the lines of polite society but…

“What is your name?” Her partner asked her, at the close of a twirl. The next few steps would keep them face to face so this was an obvious time to begin conversing. 

“Illioa su-Tarreno,” she answered, emphasising her father’s position and glaring at him. She doubted he didn’t know her name or her rank. His question was proper, if anything he was doing now could be called proper! But she was the daughter of the governor, she couldn’t just be 17’d as if she was some scum! He should have allowed himself to be politely brushed off. Practically any other lass in the crowd would have been pleased at his advances, since he was a ‘hero’!

“It is nice to meet you, Illoia su-Tarreno,” he said, in a mockingly formal fashion, as they moved back and forth toward and then away from each other, “My name is Tomirosh, Leader Cladin Tomirosh.”

Illoia all but glowered at him. The lack of honorifics with his name indicated that his family honours weren’t even important enough to mention; merely a name passed on down the generations. The she flushed. With his three medals his great-grandsons would still be Tomirosh-ana!

She concentrated on her dancing, hoping that her anger didn’t show in her steps or on her face. He must know that she had no interest in these formalities, these proper pieces of small talk. She couldn’t believe that he had had the presumption to force her, a sector governor’s daughter, to dance with him… a lowly army scum despite his medals. But she didn’t dare show her anger openly. Everyone was watching and her behaviour would no doubt be reported to her father, and might even make the newsys. And she had no desire to receive her first midnight visit from the Ash.

“So why are you on this flight?” He asked, interrupting her reverie. According to the rules of polite behaviour he should have waited for her to speak. But then, according to those same rules, she should have been speaking long since. “Alternate questions,” the rules said. “Make your partner comfortable.” As if she would make such a scum comfortable.

 “I’m returning from a visit to my relatives on Fenner IV,” she answered, as curtly as she dared.  “My mother’s family. I had five cousins I had not seen.” She was used to these polite, meaningless, exchanges where both parties already knew the answer to the questions they were asking.

“Ah, so your Aunts are breeding well?”

“Yes,” Illoia answered, curtly. Not that they had much choice. Aristos, the ones that had survived, were not known for their stupidity and when the articles had come down, and everyone had seen how they were being interpreted, everyone who was anyone began ‘breeding well’. It didn’t hurt having access to excellent medical care.

Although it was clearly her turn to speak, to ask him some polite question, she did not. She did not ask what he was doing here on the ship, for example, and further encourage this outrageous behavior. She knew well enough from the ship journal. He, like the other leaders, was returning from his commissioning celebration and intensive training; along with the presentation of certain medals which for him meant his third Dictator’s Own.

 Nor did the young hero speak, seeming to need to pay rather careful attention to his dance steps, as they were reaching a complicated part of the dance, and the crowd of dancers had massively increased.

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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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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

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Links

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.

Look at the Young Hero // Podcast Version

The young hero comes in, and greets Eukles and Meriones… and announces his intentions.

Target

Tom, Leader Cladin Tomirosh, sets his sights on the governors daughter. She isn’t impressed.

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!