The Janleen clan dominates human space through unity, discipline, and strict generational contracts: every marriage must produce six children—two for the Army, two for the Navy, two for the clan—while advancing family fortunes through carefully negotiated “exchanges.” A marriage proposal is no simple pledge of love, but a legally binding document outlining obligations, allowances, offspring quotas, and even fertility expectations.
This story follows the coming of age of three members of that clan, as they navigate marriage, clan expectations, and the deadly fight against the aliens: Lorcan, a shy middle class boy who volunteers for a deadly army job, Andreina: the lower class girl whose financially successful marriage proposal ends up catapulting her into a class change and that same deadly army job, and Gaspard: A spoiled rich young man, who gets a beautiful wife, a cush navy job (or so he thought), and finds himself in deadly trouble.
Lorcan stared curiously out the window as the carriage bumped along the cobblestones, his chin barely clearing the sill. There were littlies and lads and lasses playing all along the side of the street, and in the various alleys that they passed. A few of them stared curiously back at him, and he wondered if their class ever got to ride in a nice carriage like this one.
The carriage stopped, held up by traffic, and Lorcan watched a group of lasses, their colourful skirts flying and their bare feet slapping as they jumped in and out of a large swirling rope, chanting together.
“Two for the Army
Two for the Navy
One for the Elders
Two for the Clan,”
Always steady,
Always ready,
Always watching
Is the clan
Moving upward
Moving outward
Keep it moving
With the clan
“What does that mean, Mommy?” Lorcan asked.
His mother patted him on the head, “Nothing you have to worry about for a few years,” she said.
“I do wish the street class wouldn’t let their young ones natter on about clan business in front of everyone. I suppose I am glad they are teaching it, though. Good for their them to know learn obligations early.”
He peered outside again, “They are Janleen clan, Mommy?” He asked. “Our same clan?”
“Some of them, no doubt, dear, if they know that poem.”
“But what does the poem mean?” He insisted. No one ever really told him anything.
“One day your father and uncles will call you to a meeting, and they will explain the whole thing then, dear.”
Lorcan, disappointed, turned back to the window, quickly becoming reconciled at the view of three lads, wrestling in the mud…
“Two for the Army
Two for the Navy
One for the Elders
Two for the Clan,”
Always steady,
Always ready,
Always watching
Is the clan
Moving upward
Moving outward
Keep it moving
With the clan
Two For
Two For is a science fiction story set on some colony in space in the distant future…
The Janleen clan dominates human space through unity, discipline, and strict generational contracts: every marriage must produce six children—two for the Army, two for the Navy, two for the clan—while advancing family fortunes through carefully negotiated “exchanges.” A marriage proposal is no simple pledge of love, but a legally binding document outlining obligations, allowances, offspring quotas, and even fertility expectations.
This story follows the coming of age of three members of that clan, as they navigate marriage, clan expectations, and the deadly fight against the aliens: Lorcan, a shy middle class boy who volunteers for a deadly army job, Andreina: the lower class girl whose financially successful marriage proposal ends up catapulting her into a class change and that same deadly army job, and Gaspard: A spoiled rich young man, who gets a beautiful wife, a cush navy job (or so he thought), and finds himself in deadly trouble.
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If there was anyone that was waiting with bated breath for the next chapter in Article 17, I have very bad news… it doesn’t exist yet. I have some more written, but not enough to form full chapters. So, instead, I am going to start posting my story ‘Two For’.
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Thanks again, God Bless, Soli Deo gloria,
Von