Life on Dirt by Kevin Killiany

Author:Kevin Killiany
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: science fiction, teen and young adult, social and family issues, alternative history, prejudice, values and virtues
Publisher: Evolved Publishing LLC
Published: 2017-04-22T00:00:00+00:00

1810 / 21 February 22

Over the course of Thursday, 17 February, and Friday, 18 February, Commander Tenafly distributed Mara’s first message to twenty-seven SS-JOT cadets: we remaining eleven in the junior cadre and all sixteen in the senior cadre.

On Saturday, 19 February, twelve junior and senior level SS-JOT cadets who had expressed interest in corresponding with Mara were summoned to a brief meeting with Commander Tenafly. The other fifteen had either chosen not to view Mara’s message at all or declined to participate after viewing. Commander Tenafly designated us a Special Task Communications cadre, which attached SS-JOT service and experience credits to our actions, and charged each of us with individually creating a list of at least three questions to ask Mara about life on dirt and three items to tell her about life on Tombaugh.

Today we met in the SS-JOT secondary classroom to discuss Mara’s message and select the questions and updates we would send. Marc Botticelli and Ramona Luis suggested we find a way to covertly ask Mara whether she was under duress. I stated she was not, citing the physiological evidence noted previously. Others who knew Mara well supported my assertion. Nonetheless, Commander Tenafly tasked Marc and Ramona with devising a covert method of communication that Mara would recognize but dirts would not. (Commander Tenafly used the phrase “observers on Earth,” which—I inferred from the way they immediately adopted more formal poses—reminded Marc, Ramona, Candy, Walter, and Dinah that she was an earther, raised on dirt.)

Under Commander Tenafly’s direction, we then recorded twelve individual replies, each expressing slightly different interests to give Mara as much latitude as possible in responding. Two questions interested me: Calvin asked about her use of natural resources, and Emma asked about native defenses against solar radiation. I asked Mara about the presence of meat and the difficulties in maintaining a healthy diet without access to proper food. Candy, typically, did not have a question but informed Mara that as a result of observing her development while preparing for dirt, the physical trainers had increased the required Deck Four bone- and muscle-density exercises for everyone. Commander Tenafly aggregated our individual messages into a single video file.

She then positioned us so that we would be clearly visible behind her, and established a live audiovisual link with Mara’s uncle. She addressed him as Special Agent In Charge, indicating he has a position of some authority on dirt, and notified him of the incoming message and its nature. Special Agent in Charge Duval acknowledged receipt and stated he would forward it to Mara as soon as possible—no doubt an allusion to the reviewing process Marc and Ramona were tasked with circumventing. Though Commander Tenafly did not introduce the cadets, Special Agent in Charge Duval made a point of clearly looking past her and acknowledging us with a formal nod. I noted that Special Agent in Charge Duval looked remarkably like Supervisor Duval, but his features were more rugged and lined. The ravages of gravity. Despite his disfigurement, I was able to read his expression as indicating he was pleased with the transaction.

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