Author:
Jadestar Iceblade
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Date Posted: 15:48:38 08/31/03 Sun
In reply to:
Jadestar Iceblade
's message, "Trying some stories...." on 12:42:31 08/31/03 Sun
The old man, grizzled hair falling lank across his forehead, swung the backpack over his shoulders, mounted the unicycle, and pedaled off over the dirt road. He was an old man, about 120 inspections, and his thin body showed it. He didn't have a spare groikk of flesh over his wrinkled frame. His shoulders sagged under the deadweight of the heavy backframe, and already he panted with effort. The old man was obviously near his Removal Time. He had barely gone a kralu and he was winded.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
The old man came into the Checkpoint. He stopped, stood, dropped the backframe, and raised his hands. Two men in black uniforms strode forward. They patted the old man down and checked the backframe. It contained nothing but gommernuts.
Only then did they speak. "Number?" one asked in an officious, impersonal voice.
"Yullgre Fa." the old man carefully maintained an impersonal voice.
"Business?"
"Fresh gommernuts to the processor."
"Proceed. No lollygagging. One hour."
"Sir!" the old man acknowledged. He rode off.
Entering the town, Yullgre Fa glanced around. Straight, metal streets, plain buildings, no sun. Only farmers were allowed sun. The light was kept outside towns, where everything was gray.
Number Yullgre Fa gazed around as he pedaled. The only spots of color were the skin, hair, and eyes of people, and even those were covered up as much as possible by the regulation gray jumpsuit. The man was struck afresh by how fortunate he was. Being a farmer, he had to recieve sun on the fields and so far from the Checkpoints many things were permissible- with caution, of course. The twice a year inspections were easy to prepare for- you only hid all forbidden things in your secret place. The regime was much stricter in town.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
At the processing plant, Number Yullgre Fa was subjected to another check, deposited his gommernuts, and waited. If the tests revealed that the nuts had recieved the proper measures of sunlight, water, and food, he would be paid. If they had not, he would be punished.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cycling back through the town, the old man clutched the gold coin tightly. This was his family's food, water, and clothes allowance for the next tenday.
At the Checkpoint he stopped, laid down the coin, and raised his arms. Two Blackmen came to inspect and frisk him.
"Number?"
"Yullgre Fa."
"Number Yullgre Fa, our records indicate that you did not arrive with an escort." one announced. "Why did you not send a flare to recieve an escort?"
"Sir, I apologize. My flares ran out. I was careless and neglected to request some last tenday." the man rattled off.
"Immediate punitary action. Blackman Yullma Ter, take the gold coin and give this man half."
Blackman Yullma Ter ran into the Station and quicky returned with two silver coins.
The spokesman nodded curtly. "Dismissed, Blackman."
"Sir!" replied Yullma Ter. He left, marching smartly.
The other leaned close to the old man. "A word of advice, Yullgre Fa. Don't go anywhere without an escort. The Gossafi can fly in and sieze you, especially out in the country."
"Sir!" answered Yullgre Fa.
The Blackman blew a whistle which he produced from seemingly nowhere. Another Blackman appeared.
"Yullma Lia, give this farmer a box of flares and escort him home."
"Sir!" Yullma Lia responded. He vanished.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Number Yullgre Fa pedaled nervously, glancing every now and then at the Blackman pacing beside him. But he didn't really notice the Blackman. He was more focused on the Vulwid beside the Blackman. Vulwid look like large tan dogs with the wings of vultures. They were fierce, vicious, and answered only to their Blackman handlers. Reputedly they were cousins to the Gossafi, a species which raided and killed farmers often. Gossafi were like little tan dogs, very cute with gossamer wings. They looked like fairy's dogs, but savaged unsuspecting people often.
The old man was jolted from his reverie by his Blackman escort. Yullma Lia shoved the farmer hard, knocking him down. He was ordered to get up and walk, and hand over one of those silvers! With the Vulwid growling at him, the old man readily complied.
The Blackman pocketed the silver, mounted the unicycle, and grinned leeringly at the pathetic old man. "Walk!" he ordered. "I don't have all day to waste escorting you home!"
"Sir!" Yullgre Fa obeyed, trembling with rage. He bowed his head and hurried. He thought about reporting the Blackman on his next trip to town in a tenday. But he knew it would most likely be suicide. The Ultimate Authority did not like lowly farmers complaining about his elite Blackmen.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Finally home, Number Yullgre Fa began turning down the regulation white arkrum walkway. He heard his unicycle hit the dirt of the roadway and winced inwardly. Then another sound froze his blood. "Run him into the house, boy!" The Blackman's voice. Speaking to the Vulwid. A snarl.
Yullgre Fa shot into the house and stayed there. His wife and children were in the gommernut fields, working.
He peered cautiously through the ventilation hole and watched the Blackman stride off, the Vulwid at his heels. Fifteen minutes later the farmer scuttled outside to retrieve his unicycle.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Number Yullgre Fa strode outside to join his wife and two children in planting more gommernuts. His face was grim.
His wife stopped working and smiled when she saw him. "Well, Sh'lo, how much did they pay you?"
Sh'lo sighed wearily. "One gold."
"Well, that's good. Where is it?"
The pushed-down rage began bubbling up in the old farmer. "Three silvers of it are in the hands of the Blackmen."
"Oh..." the woman, equally as old as Sh'lo, pressed her hands to her head. Then with forced brightness, "Well, it could be worse. Next tenday we'll have two backframes for the testing place. I'll make sure of it."
Sh'lo was not so easily convinced. "How?" he asked. "There's only water for one."
"Don't worry, Sh'lo! It'll be fine. Remember the inspection we had extra gommernut food and water? I saved it."
"And you saved us!" the farmer cried exultantly. "Where is the water? I'll fetch it."
His wife hesitated. "I'll get it."
Something in her manner attracted Sh'lo's suspicions. "Ithla!" he called after her retreating figure. "Where is it?"
She stopped, turned slowly. Her face betrayed a terrible agony. Finally she gestured. "Come."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ithla lifted the clump of false grass and pushed the red button. "Second Daughter, let me in!" she called. She depressed the button. Her mind whirled. She'd have to imprison Sh'lo there. He was too mercenary. He'd inform. First Son could masquerade as him each tenday, but at inspection they'd know he wasn't there. Maybe Second Daughter could masquerade as First Son.
Her mind was full of plans as the crack opened.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sh'lo observed all this with utmost astonishment. First, the fake grass and the radio. Then, Second Daughter? He'd thought she'd killed the child. Only two children were allowed per family.
His scowl deepened. He'd find out the rest of her little secrets- then inform.
Carefully masking his feelings, he watched as a crack opened in the earth. A square hole appeared, lined with metal.
He watched as Ithla descended a ladder cut into the metal sides of the pit. A square room wherein stood the kinds of secret things you'd expect a woman to have. Old water, gommernut food. A tunic dyed with plant dyes.
He nodded. "Very well. I won't inform, Ithla."
She put her hand on his shoulder, eyes full of appeal. "Wait. There's something else to show you."
"More?"
Ithla's facade seemed to crumble. Tears swam in her eyes, those lovely blue eyes. "I'm tired of secrets, husband. I'm just so tired." She collapsed against her husband, sobbing quietly. Sh'lo enfolded her in his arms.
His mind was racing. Maybe it was just a trick. But then, maybe she was sincere. She certainly looked it. Sh'lo took the plunge. "All right, Ithla. Would you like to show me?" He patted his wife's gnarled old shoulder.
She looked up, blue eyes shining. She nodded. "Okay."
Ithla walked over to the wall, shifted a small square of metal, and pressed a red button. "Second Daughter, let me in." she called. The wall opened again.
This time Sh'lo was not so astonished by the wall opening. He was astonished by the sight beyond.
A girl, looked around her 24th inspection, sat on the crosslegged on the floor, petting a small animal. Sh'lo recoiled. The animal was obviously a Gossaf. It fit all the descriptions. He stared as the girl scrambled to her feet.
To be continued...
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