Belinda gets bad news
Jul. 4th, 2011 03:38 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
loloteheAnnora had to break the news.
It was late afternoon, when the older children handled farm duties and the youngest played simple games with sticks and rocks.
Belinda was coming back to the lodge after the second feeding of the pigs. She held her head high, swinging the empty sop bucket and singing to herself.
I don't want to destroy her, Annora thought. But she has to know.
One of the older girls took the slop-bucket from her. That was Belinda's first warning.
Peter, who had been so strange and cruel during her stay, asked if she needed a hug. That was her second warning.
Annora invited Belinda to the office for a personal visit. That was her third.
The office did not look unusual. Belinda took a seat.
“I'd like to visit your aunt,” Annora said. “I think she has some news for you.”
Belinda nodded, not understanding.
Aunt Ulan did not answer the visit, but the family viast, Hestia, did. “What is the nature of this visit?” the robed figure asked.
“The sister's daughter asks for information,” Annora said.
The viast cocked its head to one side—asking a question of its master. Finally, Hestia unrolled a scroll. “Due to an unfortunate tragedy, Book Gaines is unavailable. You shall be updated as need be.”
Annora cut the connection almost immediately.
What tragedy? Belinda wondered. Aunt Ulan is never too busy for family.
Now, Annora templed her hands before her. “I suppose it falls on me, then.”
Belinda cocked her head, viast-like, questioning.
“Your...” Annora started and stopped. This was not easy news. “Your grandmother has died.”
There it was. The announcement had been staked in the middle of the room. It stood like a flagpole that no one dared to salute.
Belinda was cautious with her question. “Died?” she asked.
“I'm terribly sorry,” Annora said. “It happened in hospital. A series of strokes.”
The words were lead. Belinda felt the weight.
“There have been arrangements,” Annora said. “Your aunt will collect you soon. The funeral proper is to be held on Pegasai-51.”
Belinda sat very still in her chair. So that was it, then? Grandma has died. She's gone forever.
Annora started to stand, but halted when the visiter buzzed its request. There was an incoming visitor and Annora held out her hand—a warning for silence.
It was Aunt Ulan.
“Thank you for having Belinda here,” Ulan said. “She should know.”
“I heard already,” Belinda said.
The long pause stretched itself across the room.
“Then, you may already know--” Aunt Ulan started.
“She's dead,” Belinda said. “She's gone.”
Aunt Ulan and Annora both nodded, almost in unison.
“But you can bring her back,” Belinda said.
Annora shook her head. “It's not that easy.”
“We have the stem-cell tanks,” Belinda said. “We can grow anything. We used tanks to make people. You have the evidencer. You can put her back together. You can make her over again.”
“No,” Aunt Ulan said. “It's not like that.”
“Then what's the point?” Belinda asked. “Isn't that what it's all for? You can make a person. You can grow a person from a tank, like they did with my mother. Isn't that what a headstone is for? Isn't it just so you can put that in a new person? Isn't that why we do this?”
Aunt Ulan bowed her head. “That's the mistake the Vencume made.”
“Then why do it?” Belinda demanded. “That's what it's all for. You can make a hand or an eye or a whole person. Isn't that what the evidencer is for? Isn't that whey we have headstones? You have all this technology and it's for making people all over again, isn't it? We're supposed to be immortal. That's what the Vencume were doing. Isn't that what we're supposed to do?”
“Belinda--” Annora started.
“But that's what it's for!” Belinda insisted. “That's why they taught us to do all of that; so no one would be lost! That's the whole reason! That's why we can do what we can do! We're supposed to keep those people alive! We're supposed to make new versions and just make them again! That's what we were supposed to learn. No one has to die!”
Annora sighed. “You know all those people we study and the things they thought?”
Belinda nodded.
“Imagine if those people were still around,” Annnora said. “Think about all those funny thoughts people had a thousand years ago and what it would be like if they were still alive.”
Aunt Ulan stood and her office chair de-rezzed. “Why would your mother have you if she could just live forever?”
“But there are good people!” Belinda said. “They still have good ideas. Just because they're old doesn't mean they're wrong.”
Annora smiled and nodded. “Each one of us is a product of our time.”
“What about that doctor?” Belinda asked. “The Beccaners still get all worked up over that doctor that died. What about that?”
Ulan winced. “Very few Beccanners have actually met Becca.”
“But you could make her a new body, right?” Belinda asked. “You could make her all over again.”
Ulan nodded. “We could, yes. But let me tell you what would happen.
“Death is a very powerful thing for humans. It is a dividing line for those who have influence and those who don't. The dead will always be more important than those who survived. It's because the dead will never do something that diminishes the ideal they left behind. Look though history and see how many died young and were worshiped. Growing old is just more opportunity to fall from grace.
“Your grandmother had to die, eventually. We all do. It's how we stop the narrative on a high-point, you see? You have to stop when you're ahead; or else, others might get to watch you lose. Evie was a very powerful force, though she never would have admitted it. Your grandmother remade the world. She was a fine woman. We all shall honor her.”
“Honor won't bring her back,” Belinda said.
Aunt Ulan smiled to herself and paced the room. “Do you remember your grandmother five years ago?”
Belinda nodded.
“Do you remember her three years ago?”
Belinda nodded, more slowly this time.
“Do you remember her last year?” Aunt Ulan asked.
It was hard for Belinda to nod this time. Five years ago, her grandmother was a sprightly woman who still traveled the world, teaching. A year ago, she was an old woman who repeated herself and messed around with cats. Her grandmother was a frightening shadow by the end.
Belinda nodded. Out of respect.
“Which Evie do you want me to bring back?” Aunt Ulan asked.
Now Belinda was stuck. Her grandmother last year was not her grandmother three years ago. But, if that was the case, her grandmother five years ago was different. And if that was true, than her grandmother ten years ago, fifteen years ago, twenty years ago, was a person she had never met.
“Who is my grandmother?” Belinda asked.
“Which one?” Annora asked
And Belinda understood. People change with time. That's why we could not do what the Vencume did. Old ideas come and go, but new ideas need new people. It was like how her school-friend Peter had hacked the visiter. There have to be new ideas and those only come from new minds. Old people keep old ideas because that's what they are used to. They don't like change. Change is scary.
“When is the funeral?” Belinda asked. “And am I invited?”
Aunt Ulan smiled. “Of course you are invited. I will collect you.”
It was late afternoon, when the older children handled farm duties and the youngest played simple games with sticks and rocks.
Belinda was coming back to the lodge after the second feeding of the pigs. She held her head high, swinging the empty sop bucket and singing to herself.
I don't want to destroy her, Annora thought. But she has to know.
One of the older girls took the slop-bucket from her. That was Belinda's first warning.
Peter, who had been so strange and cruel during her stay, asked if she needed a hug. That was her second warning.
Annora invited Belinda to the office for a personal visit. That was her third.
The office did not look unusual. Belinda took a seat.
“I'd like to visit your aunt,” Annora said. “I think she has some news for you.”
Belinda nodded, not understanding.
Aunt Ulan did not answer the visit, but the family viast, Hestia, did. “What is the nature of this visit?” the robed figure asked.
“The sister's daughter asks for information,” Annora said.
The viast cocked its head to one side—asking a question of its master. Finally, Hestia unrolled a scroll. “Due to an unfortunate tragedy, Book Gaines is unavailable. You shall be updated as need be.”
Annora cut the connection almost immediately.
What tragedy? Belinda wondered. Aunt Ulan is never too busy for family.
Now, Annora templed her hands before her. “I suppose it falls on me, then.”
Belinda cocked her head, viast-like, questioning.
“Your...” Annora started and stopped. This was not easy news. “Your grandmother has died.”
There it was. The announcement had been staked in the middle of the room. It stood like a flagpole that no one dared to salute.
Belinda was cautious with her question. “Died?” she asked.
“I'm terribly sorry,” Annora said. “It happened in hospital. A series of strokes.”
The words were lead. Belinda felt the weight.
“There have been arrangements,” Annora said. “Your aunt will collect you soon. The funeral proper is to be held on Pegasai-51.”
Belinda sat very still in her chair. So that was it, then? Grandma has died. She's gone forever.
Annora started to stand, but halted when the visiter buzzed its request. There was an incoming visitor and Annora held out her hand—a warning for silence.
It was Aunt Ulan.
“Thank you for having Belinda here,” Ulan said. “She should know.”
“I heard already,” Belinda said.
The long pause stretched itself across the room.
“Then, you may already know--” Aunt Ulan started.
“She's dead,” Belinda said. “She's gone.”
Aunt Ulan and Annora both nodded, almost in unison.
“But you can bring her back,” Belinda said.
Annora shook her head. “It's not that easy.”
“We have the stem-cell tanks,” Belinda said. “We can grow anything. We used tanks to make people. You have the evidencer. You can put her back together. You can make her over again.”
“No,” Aunt Ulan said. “It's not like that.”
“Then what's the point?” Belinda asked. “Isn't that what it's all for? You can make a person. You can grow a person from a tank, like they did with my mother. Isn't that what a headstone is for? Isn't it just so you can put that in a new person? Isn't that why we do this?”
Aunt Ulan bowed her head. “That's the mistake the Vencume made.”
“Then why do it?” Belinda demanded. “That's what it's all for. You can make a hand or an eye or a whole person. Isn't that what the evidencer is for? Isn't that whey we have headstones? You have all this technology and it's for making people all over again, isn't it? We're supposed to be immortal. That's what the Vencume were doing. Isn't that what we're supposed to do?”
“Belinda--” Annora started.
“But that's what it's for!” Belinda insisted. “That's why they taught us to do all of that; so no one would be lost! That's the whole reason! That's why we can do what we can do! We're supposed to keep those people alive! We're supposed to make new versions and just make them again! That's what we were supposed to learn. No one has to die!”
Annora sighed. “You know all those people we study and the things they thought?”
Belinda nodded.
“Imagine if those people were still around,” Annnora said. “Think about all those funny thoughts people had a thousand years ago and what it would be like if they were still alive.”
Aunt Ulan stood and her office chair de-rezzed. “Why would your mother have you if she could just live forever?”
“But there are good people!” Belinda said. “They still have good ideas. Just because they're old doesn't mean they're wrong.”
Annora smiled and nodded. “Each one of us is a product of our time.”
“What about that doctor?” Belinda asked. “The Beccaners still get all worked up over that doctor that died. What about that?”
Ulan winced. “Very few Beccanners have actually met Becca.”
“But you could make her a new body, right?” Belinda asked. “You could make her all over again.”
Ulan nodded. “We could, yes. But let me tell you what would happen.
“Death is a very powerful thing for humans. It is a dividing line for those who have influence and those who don't. The dead will always be more important than those who survived. It's because the dead will never do something that diminishes the ideal they left behind. Look though history and see how many died young and were worshiped. Growing old is just more opportunity to fall from grace.
“Your grandmother had to die, eventually. We all do. It's how we stop the narrative on a high-point, you see? You have to stop when you're ahead; or else, others might get to watch you lose. Evie was a very powerful force, though she never would have admitted it. Your grandmother remade the world. She was a fine woman. We all shall honor her.”
“Honor won't bring her back,” Belinda said.
Aunt Ulan smiled to herself and paced the room. “Do you remember your grandmother five years ago?”
Belinda nodded.
“Do you remember her three years ago?”
Belinda nodded, more slowly this time.
“Do you remember her last year?” Aunt Ulan asked.
It was hard for Belinda to nod this time. Five years ago, her grandmother was a sprightly woman who still traveled the world, teaching. A year ago, she was an old woman who repeated herself and messed around with cats. Her grandmother was a frightening shadow by the end.
Belinda nodded. Out of respect.
“Which Evie do you want me to bring back?” Aunt Ulan asked.
Now Belinda was stuck. Her grandmother last year was not her grandmother three years ago. But, if that was the case, her grandmother five years ago was different. And if that was true, than her grandmother ten years ago, fifteen years ago, twenty years ago, was a person she had never met.
“Who is my grandmother?” Belinda asked.
“Which one?” Annora asked
And Belinda understood. People change with time. That's why we could not do what the Vencume did. Old ideas come and go, but new ideas need new people. It was like how her school-friend Peter had hacked the visiter. There have to be new ideas and those only come from new minds. Old people keep old ideas because that's what they are used to. They don't like change. Change is scary.
“When is the funeral?” Belinda asked. “And am I invited?”
Aunt Ulan smiled. “Of course you are invited. I will collect you.”
