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Food for Thought
12 July 2010 19:02“In time of great scarcity, great sacrifice is needed” the Elder droned on, his voice wafting out over the congregation. Every sixday it was the same thing. We have nothing, we have nothing, we have nothing. Don’t hoard, don’t steal, don’t breed, wait for rescue. Blah, blah, blah.
“They will return. Our absence has been noticed. We will be collected and brought back to the land of plenty.” He said. The suns were shining outside and Gerald Peterschild was aching to get out and have a game of tag with the other boys. Fidgeting, he looked over for Jack and Ronnie to see if they were as bored as he was.
He felt the elbow in his ribs before he had time to prepare for it. “Look forward” his father whispered harshly out of the side of his mouth. Gerald looked forward dutifully. His father was at his most serious during the re-affirmation sessions. His eye-patch gazed forward beside his remaining steely blue eye at the Engineer at the podium at the front of the Church of Return.
“Our numbers must not grow.” The Engineer intoned. “Our colony must survive. The machines that were left must feed us all and we cannot make more. The land is unforgiving.”
Bah. Gerald had seen gardening videos in the restricted quarters when he had sneaked into a heating vent to watch other parents at a secret late-night meeting. They were part of the Gardening movement. These heretics proposed a splice of local plants with the earth seeds kept in the ship's vaults so that we would gradually adapt to the new food. It would weaken the present population but strengthen the grandchildren. That was the theory. And it would keep up from being dependent on the machines.
Madness. Everyone knew the ship was returning. We could not afford to depend on this planet for food. They would not return if we did. We had to stay pure. We had to stay human.
“Soon, the Gardeners will have to be dealt with.” Spat the Engineer. “There will be a reckoning. Stay vigilant.” The adults murmured, some with smiles and some with fear.
Gerald was happy with the food cubes that came out of the machines. On that video he’d seen from between the slats of the air vent, however, he’d seen something called an apple. It looked delicious. He was curious.
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“They will return. Our absence has been noticed. We will be collected and brought back to the land of plenty.” He said. The suns were shining outside and Gerald Peterschild was aching to get out and have a game of tag with the other boys. Fidgeting, he looked over for Jack and Ronnie to see if they were as bored as he was.
He felt the elbow in his ribs before he had time to prepare for it. “Look forward” his father whispered harshly out of the side of his mouth. Gerald looked forward dutifully. His father was at his most serious during the re-affirmation sessions. His eye-patch gazed forward beside his remaining steely blue eye at the Engineer at the podium at the front of the Church of Return.
“Our numbers must not grow.” The Engineer intoned. “Our colony must survive. The machines that were left must feed us all and we cannot make more. The land is unforgiving.”
Bah. Gerald had seen gardening videos in the restricted quarters when he had sneaked into a heating vent to watch other parents at a secret late-night meeting. They were part of the Gardening movement. These heretics proposed a splice of local plants with the earth seeds kept in the ship's vaults so that we would gradually adapt to the new food. It would weaken the present population but strengthen the grandchildren. That was the theory. And it would keep up from being dependent on the machines.
Madness. Everyone knew the ship was returning. We could not afford to depend on this planet for food. They would not return if we did. We had to stay pure. We had to stay human.
“Soon, the Gardeners will have to be dealt with.” Spat the Engineer. “There will be a reckoning. Stay vigilant.” The adults murmured, some with smiles and some with fear.
Gerald was happy with the food cubes that came out of the machines. On that video he’d seen from between the slats of the air vent, however, he’d seen something called an apple. It looked delicious. He was curious.
tags