Read Online Hadrian's Rage by Patricia-Marie Budd - Free Book Online Page B

have come forth to register complaints. Pazima Zulu, Quadrant Four’s Ombudsman spokeswoman, has reported a significant increase in complaints from re-eds employed as detritus fishermen. Quadrants Four and One, as you know, are the home to the majority of our re-ed class as, besides Antinous City, the majority of detritus fishery factories are housed nearest to the Hudson Bay waters. Zulu believes our re-ed citizens, especially detritus fishermen, need greater protection under the law. One recommendation she makes is that management, especially of the detritus fisheries industry, undergo sensitivitytraining to better help employers understand the individuals who work in one of our most dangerous industries. “Not only do these workers suffer from numerous medical issues due to the exposure to chemical pollutants, they also have to incur discrimination on a daily basis. Even after having been reeducated, many of them still suffer the stigma of being considered straight.” Her reasoning is sound a—I’m sorry?—Yes—I said, yes!
    Humph. I’ve been asked to remind our viewers that all of Hadrian’s citizens are employed—but no one wants to be forced to work alongside heterosexuals—which is—understandable. Employers simply ask that you use common sense and not reveal any unseemly attractions to persons of the opposite sex. Individuals are urged to repress offensive sexual inclinations. If you do not act upon repugnant desires, you will have no issues to deal with at work.
    Va—
    I’m sorry—it is also important to remember—What?—Heterosexuals are—are—dangerous members of society—if you think—no—if you believe—a coworker might be—strai—report him—to your employer immediately.
    Vale!

Messages
    Geoffrey’s late return home from work follows a very similar routine. He quietly calls on the living room’s lights and wall screen. As Roger is already in bed, likely having been asleep for over an hour, Geoffrey never wants to wake him. Waking Roger might result in a conversation. Roger always insists they talk at dinnertime, but Geoffrey never feels like talking. He comes home for supper every night, though, because a teary-eyed Roger would constantly voc him to please come home. Still, Geoffrey is always able to find a reason to return to work. I’m a fucking horrible dad! Geoffrey mutters to himself, another regular aspect of his late night routine.
    The first thing Geoffrey does when he enters the living room is to toss his suit jacket towards the couch, miss it as usual, and ignore that the jacket falls to the floor. As he stretches and attempts to crack his back, he calls up his messaging system: “Voc mail on.” Although he could simply blink and pull up a small screen for his eyes only, Geoffrey is always too tired at this time of the night; he never gets home before 11:30 p.m. He needs the wall screen in order to blow up images for him and to increase print size if necessary. “Messages. Vocal, please.”
    The voice of Geoffrey’s voc message system is Dean’s. He had Dean record his voice to use for his voc a few years back. Even though Dean has been out of his life for almost two years now, he can’t bring himself to change it. Geoffrey shudders briefly as he hears his ex-lover’s voice: “You have two messages.”
    “First message?”
    “Destiny Stuttgart.”
    “Play.”
    Destiny Stuttgart’s image appears on the screen. Even at eighty-eight, she is quite alert and perky. Her hair is completely white, thinning some, but shesuccessfully combs it up and curls it in such a way as to hide her bald spot. She is smiling and her eyes twinkle, complementing her wrinkles. “Hello, Geoffrey. I hope this message finds you well. I had hoped you would be home. It is, after all, 8:30. Who spends the evenings with Roger? I know Dean worries about him. You leave the boy alone far too often. Is being CEO of Hadrian’s Detritus Fisheries really that important? I know you make a decent wage