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(I do apologize for a lack of other types of post. Day job is kicking my backside, I’m having enough trouble just finding time to do the actual new writing)
The view of Sumabad Strait from a height of 23 kilometers was still breath-taking. Even if it was holographic instead of ‘real’
Ferugio had apologized, but it wasn’t his fault Scimtar’s extended family was bigger than it used to be. There were no living spaces available within the Residence that actually fronted the outside of the building. Anana and Parnit had annexed our old apartment to their own as their family expanded from two to six; Anesto may not have been legally an adult at twentyeight Imperial years of age, but that was a technicality, Urona at twentyfive was just as jealous of her privacy as any seventeen year old girl back home; the difference was that since her chance of pregnancy or disease were zero, Imperial parents had far less reason to be concerned. Anana and Parnit would get involved if someone from outside her age cohort began taking advantage of her; otherwise Imperial parents believed their offspring should be free to experiment. Even twentyone year old Anosha and seventeen year old Imar were at the age where smart parents started letting them have more freedom and responsibility for it. Any of them could have passed the adulthood tests if necessary.
The best choice for our living quarters had been behind the apartment occupied by Asto’s parents. It’s not like I had any real hope of privacy from Anara and Gilras anyway; my little terrors were their first grandchildren. Even though Asto’s older sister Anri was married now, she’d made it plain it would be sixties of years before she was ready for children, especially under the new changed reality where operant women of the important families carried their children naturally again. It was a good thing I liked my in-laws; we’d be seeing a lot of them. Scimtar and Helene, too.
The holo panels made it all look real with a real-time feed taken from the outside of the building but however clever, it was just an illusion. Perception told any operant that beyond that wall was Anara and Gilras’ entertaining room, not the empty space looking down on the Strait, and I had a sudden understanding that Anara and Gilras might wish they had more privacy from their grandchildren before this was over. When your neighbors were strong operants, privacy was an illusion, and kids are not exactly the most consistent enablers of such illusions. But I figured Anara and Gilras had raised four children of their own thus far; they should be at least as cognizant of the issues as I was.
The holographic wall showed a well-lit night scene of the Strait below, running lights of the various pleasure craft setting off the personal boats dotting the strait rather than identifying them. It didn’t really get dark on Indra anymore; a function of the annular habitat barely two seconds outside Indra’s orbit reflecting more light than thirty full moons would have on Earth. The broad sunlit band of Indra Habitat One hung there in the sky on the holo wall, same as it would have if it were a real window. The angle was wrong for Habitat Two, a few seconds further out; I’d have to actually go outside if I wanted to see that.
Our new apartment had more than twice the room my pilot module had. The master suite Asto and I would share was ‘upstairs’ on a second level, as far from the ‘nursery’ as possible within the apartment. We were using ceilings five ififths, or a little under eleven of the Earth feet I grew up with, which meant the entire apartment had an area of thirty prime ififths squared, five times the size of the four bedroom house I grew up in. House Scimtar was rich beyond any Earthly level of wealth; the habitats overhead were theirs and represented a small fraction of their holdings. Nor were they the wealthiest Imperial family; the Baryan and Yokel were each at least twice as wealthy, and at least two other families were also wealthier than we were. I explained to Mischief and Scarecrow their place in the apartment; they were welcome to sleep with the kids but were not to climb the ramp to the master suite without invitation. They were dachshunds; we’d see how long that lasted. Lady and More would have obeyed but dachshunds were cut from a different cloth. You can’t choose dogs from a breed known for strong personality and stubbornness and expect them not to follow their breeding. They were cute enough to get away with it, too. The prohibition might last until Asto got here in three days, but it was amazing how a man raised to be tougher than bondsteel melted for two imperious little dogs because his children loved them.
Copyright 2018 Dan Melson. All Rights Reserved.
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