Luna Station Quarterly - Issue 018 by Luna Station Authors

Author:Luna Station Authors
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Luna Station Press
Published: 2013-11-22T16:00:00+00:00

Revision

Penelope Schenk

Penelope Schenk moved to the UK from the US in 2002; she lives with her partner and their French Bulldog on a narrowboat in Oxford. She has recently begun submitting stories for publication, and blogs at pschenk.wordpress.com.

At least it was a job. Two years as an researcher on one of the sorriest outposts in the system made it seem like an appealing option. Better yet, it was on Delfinio. I’d been looking for an excuse to return, now that the war was over. India’s call had come as a complete surprise; she’d been my thesis adviser, but we hadn’t had much contact in recent years. I knew she was head of the anthropology department at one of the New Sweden universities.

“Got wind of a project that’s right up your alley, John. Qual gig back on Delfinio; figuring out what happened when a rather unusual community of folks calling themselves ‘Editors’ was terminated using lethal sonic weapons a couple months ago. This on the say-so of some intervention-happy senator. Four survivors. The way I heard it, higher-ups at the Health Ministry went apeshit when they found out about it. New director wants to throw some money at it and commission a report. Ideally, one that’s completed before anyone gets wind of what’s going on.”

I’d written my thesis on Delfinio’s Walleyed Foal sect, and spent three years interviewing the handful of shell-shocked survivors up in the mountains where they still lived. High-control groups had always held a certain fascination for me; couldn’t tell you why.

“I’m game,” I told her, silently adding and broke. “I hear Delfinio’s still dangerous, but I do want go back. You know how it is.”

“Do I ever. Just got back from a 3-month stint there myself. The threat level is manageable – – at least it seemed that way to me. Health wants work to start next week. I’ve sung your praises, told them you’d be ideal – – I would have gone myself if it didn’t clash with the end of term. I’ll send you what information I have – – call me on my office number if you have questions, OK?”

“Sure thing. Hey. Thanks, India.”

“No problem. Take care of yourself kid.” She hung up.

The prospect of A. employment and B. time on Delfinio was a lot to take in. I’d grown up there. Dad got out by the skin of his teeth four years ago; at the time, most of his radical friends insisted that the political winds were shifting. Right up until the day they were taken out in a drone strike.

*

STET

This exercise is useful when you’ve made a big decision and then realise that you’ve made the wrong choice. It requires nothing more than intense concentration on the moment just before the action you now regret. Some insist that the use of STET to remove controversial amendments to the Delfinio constitution sparked the recent Civil War, but his has been consistently denied by the Editors.

*

I’ll say this for the Delfinio Health Ministry: they don’t mess about.

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