Donna Maree Hanson, Author, Phd in Creative Writing

Prologue

The Founders created us

They created Frequil to keep us safe from the world outside

They made us the best that humans could be

They created us free and equal

Chapter 1

Tal

Frequil is a small-domed city and since I can remember I have lived here in pod quarters, with my podmates, other sihem the same age as me, and viewed wider society cocooned by rules and Pod Control. Today my life was to change. I was half-excitement and half-fear. The old brown modular lounge held all of my podmates. As I looked around the set of rooms that were our pod quarters, I tried to understand whether I felt either sadness, fondness or trepidation or all three together. I’d studied in the computer room, slept in the bed with my podmates, played and fought and laughed and cried here. 

During the last six months, we had prepared our applications for our future careers and, in a few moments, we would find out what the future held. 

I would find out. 

That was probably the most important realization. In this moment, I was interested in myself. Not my podmates, not even other sihem, not even the greater good of Frequil. Just me. My future. My life. My focus. 

I was going to be famous! Well, I hoped I would be. That was what made my heart skip a beat. The name Tal 455 was going in the history books, and a plaque emblazoned with my name would hang on the memorial wall. My name would be on everyone’s lips. I was going to succeed with my brilliant proposal to build an experiential history machine.

Time to join the graduation party. As I took my place, my noisy podmates made merry.

There was Zeo, Jed, Mer, Lil, Silk, Kai and me: seven podmates of Pod 455.

“Sixteen years young!” Zeo said, lifting a cup of mildly narcotic slee in sis hand. Mer joined in along with Silk.

Jed bellowed out a laugh, rowdy as always. Cups clinked together and laughter broke out. I tried to suppress a chuckle as Mer ended up on the floor, spilling sis drink onto the dark brown carpet and splattering sis tunic and trousers. It wasn’t the first spillage. Nastier things were ingrained into the floor. Years of stains. Yuck!

The party mood still escaped me. The anticipation was killing me. How could they celebrate without hearing the announcements first?

Sure, sixteen was a big milestone and Pod Control would relax the rules until, over time, the restrictions would be gone all together. That meant I was free to leave pod quarters whenever I chose and stay out late, provided I notified Pod Control. The entire city of Frequil awaited me…us. As adults, no part of the dome would be denied us. While excursions had allowed us to have supervised visits to most places when we were growing up, now there were no limitations. 

Why did that not excite me as much as it did the others? Within these faded brown walls, I realized that I felt safe. I took in the laughing, boisterous collection of young sihem and sighed slowly before taking another sip—we were family. Would we still be family after tonight or would that slowly erode like the rules that had bound us to this place?

The tallest and strongest of us, Jed, led another cheer, jolting my attention back to the room, to the pod. The rest of us joined in.

“Hey, Tal, Zez doin’?” Kai, my favorite podmate, joined me in the corner where I sat observing the others. “Still on your first drink?” 

I lifted my still-full cup and bumped it against Kai’s. “Zez doin’ gud, taking it slow like.”

Kai rolled sis dark eyes and shook sis head. Despite the regulation short haircut, Kai’s hair remained curly. We were of similar height, but Kai’s skin was dark brown compared to my mid-brown color. I was thin to Kai’s plumpness. I had always admired Kai’s cute round cheeks and little button nose and the way si held and comforted me when I was emotionally down.

The main computer console beeped an alert. Kai wiggled into the seat next to me as the room quieted. Pod Control was ready to announce.

Mer and Lil started pushing and shoving, play fighting over space on the seat until Silk hushed them. 

To gain everyone’s attention, Silk waved a cup of slee in the air, blond hair sticking up from its short cut, pale grey eyes flashing. “Quiet! It’s starting.” Silk, a lover of dance, was a close friend as well and I admired sis long limbs and graceful movements. My pursuits were more academic than athletic.

A chirpy voice issued from the console. “This is Pod Control. Congratulations Pod 455, on graduating. Following are the notices of your work placements. Zeo 455, you have been accepted into Enforcer training.” 

Cheers rose up and Zeo took a swig of slee. Bossy Zeo would excel in that career.

“Jed 455, you have been allocated to hydroponics engineering and maintenance.” Another cheer rose up. Despite sis size and physical prowess, Jed loved growing things. I damped down my excitement and waited. 

“Sil 455, you have been accepted into the Guild of Performing Arts.” Silk jumped up and down on the seat, holding back a squeal. Sis real name was Sil, but because of sis winning ways became Silk when we were younger. 

“Mer 455, you have been accepted as a trainee carer in the nursery.” Mer had always loved podlings, so it was no surprise that si had gotten that first choice. More cheers. Mer sloshed sis drink onto the floor again. Obviously, si had had way too much to drink. 

“Kai 455, you have been accepted into the Guild of Performing Arts.” Kai squealed in delight, not able to keep silent. 

“Lil 455, you have been accepted into the Guild of Medicine.” Lil’s dark, almond-shaped eyes glowed with delight. It was sis second choice but a good one.

In the open space, Silk and Kai joined hands and swung themselves around. They had been dreaming of this day since they were nine years old. 

With a frown, I sat and waited, tapping my foot impatiently. Where was my announcement? There was only one name left. Time ticked on and then finally the voice issued from the speaker. “Tal 455, your research proposal has been refused. You will need to resubmit your candidacy for employment within forty-eight hours.”

Gasps spread around the room. I froze, couldn’t breathe, couldn’t look at my podmates. Rejection had not been on my mind. I had expected adulation, not this.

“What?” Zeo said, standing up. “Ze brain box didn’t get the research job?” Si laughed and Mer joined in. 

I tried to keep my face calm, to not let the shock and shame show. I sat there, squeezing my cup of slee so hard it might shatter. There was no rebuttal to Zeo’s teasing remarks. Words could not come. To process this refusal was gut-wrenchingly hard. Dreams of fame shredded and caught fire. The laughs and stares must not be allowed to penetrate, or I would be flayed internally, destroyed by the mockery that came so easily to some of my podmates. I avoided meeting their eager gazes and took a long drink. 

This disappointment was mine alone. I was alone. They had the careers they wanted, and they would never understand my disappointment. I was the smartest in the pod and I didn’t get the job I wanted. How could this be possible? I squeezed my hand into a fist, fighting the hurt, and tried to channel the anger into something positive, like coming up with another job application. That was going to be hard. I had only wanted this one thing.

Silent anticipation stretched out until broken by yells as my podmates leaped out of their seats to spill congratulations into the air. Laughter and excited chatter crammed into the room as the party took off. My disappointment forgotten, like yesterday’s evening meal. The celebrations distracted them, giving me a reprieve from scrutiny and a chance to breathe normally again.

Kai came and sat down, pulling me into an embrace. “It will be all right. There must have been a mix-up. You excel at everything.”

I gathered the energy to reply. “Obviously that’s not true.” My voice was heavy with self-pity and suppressed tears.

“What about the subject of your research?” Kai suggested.

I shifted my gaze and met Kai’s dark eyes. Kai knew what I had written in my proposal. “I wanted to explore how and why Frequil was built. That’s not too controversial, is it?”

Kai shrugged. “Not for me, but then I don’t care about that stuff. Have you considered it might have been boring?”

My eyes widened. “No, of course not.” Could it?

Kai grinned. “I’m so glad I don’t have to sit in the study room anymore, learning from that darn computer. I get to dance my days away.”

I did an eye roll. “You still have to study at the Guild. And you have to leave pod quarters to perform.” Kai’s lips closed together, and sis face took on a hurt expression. My comments were mean spirited as Kai was shy and didn’t like leaving pod quarters, even when we had excursions. I knew si struggled with the desire to perform and be creative and sis shyness.

“I’m sorry,” I said, relenting. “I’m just upset. Besides, I liked the computer-based learning.”

Kai eased me back and drew away. “That’s because you’re clever. For the rest of us, academic pursuits are hard.”

It was true that I had excelled early and had smashed through the preliminary grades to surpass everyone else in math and computing, physics and, to a lesser extent, chemistry. The education computer system and our carers had to come up with projects to keep me challenged until I came up with my own, like inventing the proof of concept for my experiential history machine. I had been so sure the concept would astound the council. The design for the project was built on the software engines that drove the virtual reality games all sihem played, except I had taken them a step further.

“Join the party?”

“Later.” I took a swig of the slee, finally getting a buzz. I considered the research I had done, bluffing my way into the old, archived records in the city library, just to prove there were resources enough to support the project. All for nothing.

* * *

Come morning, I opened my mouth and screwed up my face. My tongue felt like old carpet and the aftertaste of the slee was sour. I staggered into the bathroom and pouted at the mirror. All my dreams had come tumbling down and no amount of sleep or slee was going to change the outcome. Condensation obscured my reflection. That wouldn’t do. When I scowl, I like to see the full effect. Using my sleeve, I wiped the surface clean and pulled a face to match my mood. Even my expressions fell short of expectations. I sighed loudly. What is wrong with me? Why am I already a failure at sixteen?

“Did you say something, Tal?” Kai asked from the doorway, voice muffled from sleep. The words drifted through the dimness as my podmates were still in bed, sleeping off the party and slee. Tilting my head, I said to the mirror, “It is a truth universally acknowledged that a newly minted podbean must be in want of a career.”

Kai stumbled sleepily through the door, still in a sleep suit, burnished skin peeping out around sis midriff, sis unruly curls standing up and waving hello. Si leaned against the door frame, a cheeky grin in place. “You must be feeling real bad if you’re trotting out that old adage.”

My lips twitched, but I couldn’t quite smile. “Yeah, well, it usually applies to podbeans who can’t choose, not those who were rejected. I can’t think of any old sayings to help there …”

“What about all’s well that ends well?”

“It’s all right for you. You get to do your precious dancing.”

Kai folded sis arms and looked at the ceiling. “Still upset about last night, are we?” 

I screwed up my eyes and mouth and then relaxed them. There was no point in taking it out on Kai. Best friend. Best of the best in the pod. “Of course I am.” I swung around to face Kai. “I don’t know what hurts more. That I didn’t get the research project or Zeo teasing me about being a brain box and unemployed.” I threw up my hands. “I’m so over the teasing and disrespect in this pod.”

A smile lit Kai’s dark eyes. “You know, it is only jealousy because you are the smartest of us all.” Kai came over and kissed me lightly on the lips.

Somewhat mollified, I turned, folded my arms to frown at my reflection. My eyebrows knitted together, and I massaged the spot to remove the crease. Then, Kai hugged me from behind, placing sis head between my shoulder blades. “I’m sorry you’re hurting. Truly.”

I lifted a hand to pat those clasped around my waist and paused. “Your hands are very warm.” I turned to face Kai.

Si shrugged. “Yeah, I think I’m coming down with something.”

I pulled back, and Kai’s hands dropped away. “Now you tell me. Why did you kiss me? I don’t want to get sick.” The gleam in Kai’s eyes was more likely a fever than the smile I had seen earlier. “You should go to medical.”

I was angry and concerned. It seemed anytime one of the pod caught an illness, we all came down with it. As a child, I had hated it. The boredom of being kept in bed. Medicine and examinations.

Kai tilted sis head, showing vague agreement mixed with indecision. “I supposed it was too much slee last night. But yeah, a high temperature is not meant to occur with too much slee.”

Remembering the alcohol-fueled party, I sniffed. We could legally get intoxicated now that we were old enough. “Slee will make you puke, rather than give you a fever.”

Kai yawned hugely, arms stretched up and out to the side as if si was easing kinks out of every muscle. “I’ve got some aches and pains. Sore spots, you know?”

Great. “You are definitely sick,” I said without a trace of sympathy. I frowned when my wrist personal tingled, signaling an incoming message. I focused on the small screen and gasped. 

You are requested to meet with Sihe Pel at 10 am today. 

Sihe Pel? The council member? Pel, who was head of science division? Founders! I must be in trouble. Not that I’d ever met one of the council before, but being sent to one was a threat often used by carers to keep us in line while growing up. If you don’t listen to me, it is straight to the elders for discipline for you.

My heart thumped as I tried to figure out what the message meant. Was I in trouble because of my proposal? Had the council changed its mind? Had they already decided that I was fit for some menial job in some dark sector of the city?

Kai came in closer. “What is it?”

“I’m excrement!” The time! The time!

“What? Who is it from?”

“Sihe Pel, you know, head of science projects.”

Kai screwed up sis face. “Founders! A councilor? You are in trouble!”

“Maybe. I’ve been summoned for a meeting.”

“Oh dear. Zez.” Sis smile was weak.

“I’ve got to rush off now. Go see a medic, okay?”

“I will!” Kai waved as I bolted for the door. “Let me know what happens.”

“Sure!” I called back. At least I had already washed and dressed because I would never make it in time otherwise.

* * *

After a mad dash down the corridor and onto the glide to the city square, perspiration began to drip down my spine, making an invisible line of irritation. Imagining all eyes on me, I couldn’t lift my tunic and wipe away the offending moisture in public, so had to keep going and ignore the itchy tickle of it. 

The city square was full of sihem, and voices and footsteps echoed up and around Frequil’s city dome. The Great Sihem statue, the symbol of human physical perfection, loomed overhead, regarding us all with disinterested, dead eyes. It had always fascinated me from the first time I noticed it as a podling. Built along slim lines, the statue depicted a head with short-cropped hair, a naked torso gently muscled, a small pudy bud on the mound between its legs. Its limbs had strong, well-formed muscles that gave it an athletic air. It depicted all that sihem strived to be. I was afraid I didn’t live up to the perfection it represented. I didn’t have such an athletic frame due to my tendency to be always studying.

I didn’t know what was going to happen in the meeting. I just had to go in blind and accept whatever was coming my way. I put on a calm façade while riding the glide that curled up to the administration level, kissing each floor as it passed. Up there, the air tasted stale, like old damp. 

The flowing plates vibrated underfoot as I kept my hand on the rail. Understrap North stretched overhead; the metal struts supported the dome. Beyond the dome loomed a translucent light grey. Light penetrated the once transparent dome, enough for us to see if it was night or day, but not much else beyond. The long years had eroded its surface, changing it from transparent to the rather opaque surface now. Solar-powered LED lights brightened the day and illuminated the nights.

Nervous again, I shifted from foot to foot and tugged on the hem of my tunic, then I ran a shaky hand through my hair. Assuring myself I was as presentable as I could be, I let out a tense breath and reflected on the lectures from Pod Control. Everything mattered with first impressions—the way a sihem dressed, sis manners and the tone of sis voice. All that was under control. I was nothing if not rule adhering, particularly in how I dressed. I hated breaking the rules and drawing adverse attention. Instead, I always desired praise and recognition for the good things I did. Jed and Zeo had always called me a ‘goodie pod beans geez butt’ and teased me endlessly.

Leaning over the barrier of the glide, I could see other sihem, all wearing the plain tunics in the brown-to-cream color spectrum, scurrying about their business. It was hard to tell anyone apart—same haircut, same clothing. Only the elders stood out because they wore cream or brown cloaks which fluttered and flowed as they strode about. The background hum of the city’s announcements suddenly grew distinct. I nodded as the voice exhorted “maintain unity of thought and form”. I tilted my head, trying to guess the next one in the series. After another beat, the words “all citizens were born free and equal” sounded and then the announcer’s voice grew indistinct again. It was always there in the background, the words of the Founders in the comforting hum of that voice, particularly out in the city. In pod quarters, it was barely noticeable, more like a whisper you heard as you drifted off to sleep.

Looking into the city square with a sense of wonder, I marveled at this rare sight from this side of the city. Now, legally an adult, I could come here every day and look down on the splendor below and that lifted my spirits. Bathed in the fine mist from the central waterfall, the Great Sihem statue evoked the pureness of the sihem and my chest filled with pride, as I wanted to be a sihem like that. On the other side of the Great Sihem was Understrap South, its dark metal stretched over the tiers of pod quarters where I lived. Pod Control guarded the pod quarters diligently from the ground level and nearby was a medical center that treated ailments large and small. Kai was probably there now, seeking treatment for sis illness.

A flash of black drew my eye. An Enforcer turned the corner into the main corridor of level nine. Heart thumping, I twisted around to see what was happening. But a large crowd of sihem exiting a lecture theatre obscured the view and, by the time they cleared away, the Enforcer was no longer visible. Pity. My domineering podmate, Zeo, had been accepted into Enforcer training. Maybe I would learn more about what they did, besides rounding up sihem who broke the rules. It surprised me that others broke rules, and I wondered which rules. But they must, otherwise why did Enforcers exist?

I passed through level seven, and the glide provided glimpses of the industrial sector. The buildings were very functional. Not attractive like the administrative block. It just appeared to be less green and bright than the other sectors of the city. Perhaps the dome was more obscured, letting in less light. I shivered, hoping that I didn’t end up there.

The noise level increased as the echoes of sihem talking spilled up from the lower levels. Mixed in was the whir and hum of machinery and the churn and bubble of the central cascade as the water surged over the lip to crash into the wide pool below. Level ten came into view—a band of white: floors, walls, ceilings and railings. I had not been this high before and blinked away the glare of blue-tinged artificial light as I leaped off the glide, landing easily before the transport began its descent. The elder behind me paused the glide and stepped off elegantly, giving me a shake of sis head. I blushed and bowed to hide my reddened cheeks. I was no longer an adolescent and should not be leaping from glides, no matter how much fun it was.

After checking the directions on my wrist personal, I trudged to Sihe Pel’s office. I had never met the elder in person—just a name often heard in the broadcasts into our pod. Sihe Pel was famous by reputation, always seeming to announce a new initiative or presenting an award or reading some statistics. To be honest, I had never taken much of an interest until framing my proposal. In the corridor outside, I paused, clenched sweaty hands and then wiped them gently against my trouser leg. The pale green door zipped open and, before I could pull myself together, the door sensors announced my arrival.

Sihe Pel, councilor of Frequil, and head of science project permissions, stood before the floor-to-ceiling windows, with the expanse of Lakeside and the dome wall beyond in view. Pel focused on something on the lake. A regatta was underway, the brightly colored boats decorating the lake’s surface as the rowers headed for the finish line. 

Studying the councilor, who had to be the oldest sihem I had ever seen, I waited patiently. The elder’s face was lined with wrinkles, with two deep grooves spreading from the edge of sis nostrils to the corners of sis mouth. A spider web of lines spread from sis eyes. Sihe Pel had dark hair smattered with white streaks and sis hands were plump, with cracked knuckles and bulging finger joints. Sihe Pel half-turned, seeing me at last.

“Ah, Sihe Tal, a pleasure to finally meet you.”

I genuflected as appropriate for a supplicant to a superior elder—a bow, both hands open and to the sides—before standing erect again. Sihe Pel, in contrast, made an elegant bow, followed by an open palm to show welcome. The elder’s councilor robes added grace to this gesture, the subtle mix of cream and light brown rippling with the movement of sis body. Sihe Pel’s sharp brown eyes contained a speculative glint and the keen assessment in them made me uneasy. A smile played around Pel’s mouth, twitching sis lips subtly. “Experiential history …” The sihe’s eyelids lifted higher, sis gaze fixing on me. “Dangerous concept.”

My heart sank. I had hoped the reason for this meeting was that the council had reconsidered their rejection or made a mistake. How wrong was I? With nothing to lose, I argued. “But if I construct my machine and test it before I begin, there will be limited physical danger.”

“I am not talking about physical danger.” Sihe Pel strolled back to the window. “The cause of my concern is the topic you wish to explore. We have a delicate balance here, a balance maintained for nearly five hundred years. It is not by chance that we have this equal society. A lot of work goes into maintaining unity of thought and form. This is something your proposal fails to acknowledge and address.”

My forehead furrowed. “I am certain I covered the required criteria adequately—I could revise—”

“You desire to go back in time and rake over the past. Why?”

Blinking at the elder’s cutting tone, I straightened my spine. It wasn’t a tone I had heard often. Our carers had all been soft spoken and our computer tutors had no emotion at all. “I considered it would be informative to look back at how Frequil began.”

Pel paced, robes billowing and hands making a cutting gesture. “But to do that, you would need to touch upon the Founders.”

I bowed my head, trying to keep the churning disappointment in check. We had been taught that the Founders built the city, though not much was known about who they were and what their lives were like. Their motives had been to make a city that was self-sustaining because there was some catastrophe affecting the world: the inhabitants were to be free and equal and the best that humans could be. The Founders were revered and honored for creating Frequil. I had been taught to always be respectful of them. Then I recollected one of the lines the announcers spoke into the air. “The Founders created us. Honor their vision.” Was that why my project was rejected—because I dishonored the Founders?

Thinking rapidly, I worked out a way through the issue. “Yes, the Founders built Frequil, so understanding the founding of the city may mean touching on aspects of their lives, as well as their concepts and directions regarding the construction of the dome,” I replied, raising my head and meeting Sihe Pel’s stare. 

“Construction?” Pel repeated, as if this word was a surprise. “You want to restrict yourself to the construction of the dome?”

“I had not planned to restrict but use it as a starting point. Curiosity is my excuse,” I rushed on to explain. “I don’t seek to disturb the present by exploring the past. I cannot see how I can. It’s not like I can change it.” 

Hardly anything had been taught to us podlings about the founding of Frequil and I was curious about why we were here. I was surprised by the resistance to examine our history, the life of the Founders, the beginnings of Frequil. The Founders were mysterious, revered, honored and worshipped. I wanted to know why. All my life, I had been encouraged to explore and seek answers, but now it seemed I had overstepped, straying into some wrong thinking. I was appalled. No wonder the project had been rejected. Inadvertently, I had asked to break one of the big rules.

Sihe Pel let out a grunt. An expression of … what? Disdain?

“To speak frankly,” Sihe Pel said as wrinkles rearranged themselves around sis eyes and mouth, “I dislike this proposal. It runs against everything you were taught, and I wonder how that could be. I note you did not seek input from your betters.”

“No. Yes. I mean, I tried at first.” Was that a realistic excuse? Had I been deliberately wrong in my actions? I trembled. I had submitted the proposal without help from Pod Control and endorsement from the Frequil Higher Education Board. “It was just that I found it hard to articulate my project to them, and they found it difficult to understand my concepts. I meant no disrespect.”

I recalled that time. I had been frustrated at the lack of engagement from Pod Control. In my opinion, they were just being obtuse, like all adults. Now I could see where the problem was. The Founders! Once I mentioned them and the construction of Frequil, I had strayed into forbidden territory and didn’t even realize. 

Pel’s mouth lifted in a not-quite-smile. “You thought you were smarter than them. You thought you could break the rules.”

“No,” I said and then blurted out, “No!” I stepped forward, hands outstretched in appeal. “Not break the rules. I could not do that. I just didn’t know…” 

Sihe Pel tilted sis head and stroked sis chin. “Yet, you have applied your intellect to this problem in unique ways—ways which have caught the administration’s notice. The helmet you produced as proof of concept is ingenious.”

My spirits rose. “Does that mean …”

“No,” Pel said sharply. “The council did not like the proposal. Their reservations about your subject matter could not be overcome.” Sihe Pel looked me up and down as if committing my form to memory. “Yet …” Pel turned away, played with something on the desk before sitting.

“There’s no point,” I said in a whisper. Everything closed up then in my mind. I stepped away and headed for the door.

“Wait,” Sihe Pel said.

It took a moment for the word to register. I slowed and turned around. A small bud of hope rose in my chest.

Sihe Pel sat back in sis chair, hands clasped loosely on the desk, face composed. “I am intrigued by your proposed delivery mechanism—the experiential history machine. If it could be done by sticking to the construction of the city only and not straying into other areas such as the lives of the Founders, the creation of sihem and what disasters might have befallen the outside world…”

I frowned. “I am sure I could make it so. I’m acquainted with what information is available.”

Pel rubbed sis chin and nodded slowly. “If you could remain within these agreed parameters, I think I can convince the council to agree to an experiential history machine that allows sihem to experience the construction of the Frequil dome in a limited way.”

I let out a whoop of joy, unable to contain my delight at this change in circumstances.

A slight smile eased the elder’s severe expression. “And if you can make it work as you describe, I see a potential for other applications.”

“I can … I’m sure I can.” I looked Sihe Pel in the eye, almost jumping out of my skin with excitement. 

The councilor lifted a hand and said, “I will oversee this project as well as providing the resources.” Si lifted a warning finger at me. “I will, however, have the power to stop it at any time if the council is not happy with your progress, or you stray into areas we deem unsuitable.” Pel picked up an infopad personal and looked up at me. 

Standing straight and unwavering, I said, “Thank you. You won’t regret this.”

Pel studied me for a minute or so. “I hope not,” the elder said, lowering sis gaze to sis infopad. “Have you heard of Sihe Gen 456?” 

I bit my bottom lip. “I’m not sure …” Four-five-six meant that Gen was a year younger than me and as such there was no reason to expect I would know sim.

“Gen received the highest honor in academic achievement two years ago. Surely you saw the broadcast.”

My brows furrowed together as I tried to recall. “I might have …”

Pel lifted an eyebrow. “Sihe Gen will assist with this project. Sis talent with computers and mathematics will be of benefit. Gen is … impressive.”

“But—” I was cut off.

“Sihe Gen’s current project is finishing up, and the young sihe is available right now to be assigned.”

“I didn’t expect to be working with anyone else,” I replied, not able to hide my surprise and annoyance.

Sihe Pel made throat-clearing noises. “Sihe Gen is not without ego. You may have trouble with that.” Pel’s face remained perfectly composed.

Realizing that I could not avoid the appointment, I accepted the inevitable. “I’m sure sis talent is exemplary. Pod 456 is to be congratulated for producing such an excellent sihe and I will be honoured to work with Sihe Gen.” 

The councilor turned dark eyes in my direction. “Just so. You will need to complete and file the appropriate forms. The project name will be Origin. The project description will be on the documents that are being drawn up for you in the science division on level five. You will be notified when they are ready.”

“Yes, Sihe Pel.”

“When approved, you will receive notice of the assigned space where you will undertake the project. All allocated resources will be available to you. In the meantime, I strongly suggest you get acquainted with Sihe Gen.”

“Thank you, Sihe Pel.” This was my cue to leave, and I bowed deeply.

“Keep well, sihe. I look forward to seeing the requisite forms completed and submitted in due course.”

Now, I had to make it work. Founders! I was going to be famous after all.