Yam Story Excerpt 3

After holding forth for quite some time, Arthur shocked Noah by saying they ought to turn in. “We have plenty of culture to live, I reckon”, he declared. It would be a relief to de-focus from the aura of weird that was Arthur. As Noah dozed off he toyed with naming the phases he’d seen Arthur seamlessly cycle through: scared watcher on the plane; eager boss-follower at Lars’s house; fretting paranoid at the dinner; chatting academic after supper. What fueled all this? Not just the stress of the trip on its own, or the whole resort would feel like an American mental ward.

The next day, the resort became an American mental ward. A general scurry seemed to be in progress. The hippy-looking couple, who were just next door to Noah and Arthur, were complaining to the house staff about the rats they had heard in the night. Noah walked by just in time to hear the chambermaid swear there were no rats in Kaokara—laughable since he had heard them himself, but never thought to complain about it. Of course there were rats here.

Before he reached breakfast Noah was accosted by Carlton, the eldest of the trainees, who was making a list of names of people who didn’t get hot water at their morning showers. On behalf of the more delicate palates in the group, Suzette was conferring with an impatient cooking staff on the subject of breakfast options. Pete and Carol were discussing what sounded to Noah like lost luggage. Dennis exited the public loo swearing about the toilet paper. Noah looked around at the faces of his companions at breakfast. The only eyes that weren’t wild with some sort of panicky discomfort were those of the two former missionaries, Amy and Michael. Whatever calm-juice they are drinking, Noah thought, laughing inwardly, I’d like to get about five gallons of it. As Noah joined the couple, Mike recommended the sausage, then quietly intoned—smirking—that there were some misplaced expectations regarding the hot water.

Earth 2 (fiction excerpt)

The news on the radio was plain enough, as all had come to expect from the Republic. There was movement in such-and-such province of China, toward the sea. Flotillas of unarmed civilians were being shuttled from here to there, probably in preparation for an attack; the enemy, which was China this time, had proven unwilling to negotiate several points of importance to the Republic. Military arrangements were now underway but diplomacy was to be exhausted fully before any Americonian forces would be committed to defending...

"They tell us exactly nothing," Katie would say. 

Sonny spoke up, "You know how I can tell they're going to get us into another war? The way they keep telling us they absolutely won't get us into a war."

An older neighbor nodded. "It's a sure sign."

One of Katie's farm hands brought lemonade and something strong to add to it, for those who might prefer it. The radio droned on but only Sonny stayed close enough to it to hear what followed. Two hours later, when some of the recruitment-aged youths began asking about fighting and traveling to foreign places, Dumar found Sonny still listening to all the fluff programming that came after the news. 

"If you can tear yourself away from the dancing fish-men, there are some green-horns you should be scaring."

"I'd be happy to scare some youngsters. But what do you think I'm listening to here?"

"It must be the ads, because I know you hate the evening programs."

"That's right, Pop. Stay a minute and listen to what they're advertising."

In a few minutes the host of Dancing Fish-Men politely ceded the airwaves to their sponsor, Unversal Transport: 

Thousands of job opportunities in industries overseas. Farming, manufacturing, communications, education and more. Many jobs provide and require only an able bodied volunteer with current papers and a clean bill of health. Seek your adventure abroad and send your pay home to the family!

"It's just some trick the armed forces are using. Isn't it?"

Sonny looked his dad in the eye. "The army's running warnings on the radio about how dangerous it is to travel. Or those standard low-budget recruitment speeches by old veterans..." Scare you into thinking the only way to be useful in this world is to step up to the danger."

"Somebody begs to differ." Dumar nodded at the radio and Sonny rolled his eyes.

"Freeing up the highways for the adventurers and profiteers, making sure the cautious and the infirm stay at home. They've always done it like this."

Dumar found it poetic when his sons spoke to him with authority he used to speak to them. The schooling had been worth it, but there was no way both sons could be happy as a farmer, as Dumar had been. It was fine with Dumar. He understood the times didn't call for settled men; Dumar sensed there was a change due. If his sons could be part of it, so much the better.