Day 16b - Write a scene on horseback
Jul. 6th, 2011 12:09 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lilfluffThis a Flashfic based on a prompt from ravenswept's 30 Days of Flash Fiction Meme
My 30 Days of Flashfic Index Page
Day 16b - Write a scene on horseback
Yes, Day 16b, I have actually done two for this prompt. This one, and another posted on my LJ account.
Content note: This one is darker than the one posted on LJ, although pretty tame compared to other fic I've seen posted. An off page death, slavery, and implied off page abuse.
Setting: The as of yet unnamed colony world, Eastern continent, an uncertain amount of time (probably decades) before the other pieces from days 1 and 10.
Title: Family Politics
The first thing Jayce felt as he woke was the urge to lose his breakfast. The ground refused to hold still and his body ached. Every moment reminded him more and more of the one time he'd sampled his Uncle's liquor cabinet with his cousins.
"I know you're awake kid, no point in pretending.
The voice was stern rather than harsh but that was little relief when he didn't recognize it. Slowly he opened his eyes, the light thankfully not as painful as that half-remembered hangover. The brown head of a horse before him, explaining the unsteady feeling, the blue-green of the forest all around the string of horses.
"What...?" All at once everything rushed back in an instant. The desperate call that woke everyone. Waiting for news from the family's main house. The power going out. The horrible thunder and flash of the stun grenades that lead the attack. Seeing one of his cousins cut down when he tried to draw his pistol. Each remembered moment feeling more real than the forest around him. "I'm, I think I'm going to be sick."
The man behind him muttered a curse. Grabbing a fist-full of his shirt's back and his bound wrists, shoving his head out to the side. "Then be about it boy."
Jayce barely heard the words. The memories and sudden swing to the side enough to bring up everything and leave it covering a mass of bushes. Once he started he couldn't stop, his belly still twisting, coughing as dry heaves continued. After a few coughs the man let his wrists go and gave him a few good thumps on the back before pulling him upright again. A firm grip holding his head as a canteen was held to his lips.
"Rinse and spit, then drink."
Head clearer he looked around again. How long? Blinking he tried to pull up his clock. Nothing. Closing his eyes he tried again. Nothing would come up, not the clock, not journal, not anything. After a minute he heard the man behind him snort.
"Don't bother. Really kid, think. Are we going to grab you, cuff you, and carry you off only to leave you with your augments? You really think we're that foolish?"
"Fu-- ow!"
"Watch your mouth, kid, before I decide you're one of the brats."
Jayce closed his eyes again fighting back a shudder. Trying not to remember some of the stories he'd heard about raiding parties. Tried not to remember some of the things he'd laughed at when some prisoners were brought by the house. Suddenly the thought of prisoners being turned over to entertain field hands was much more frightening than entertaining.
"How many others..."
"Made it out? Hardly anyone got hurt bad where we were. Chairman Burns had to end the feud before it attracted more trouble. That doesn't mean he wanted to kill kin."
"Didn't have to come in like that."
"Yes, we did. Look kid, you seem decent enough. But even if you aren't one of the family princes that doesn't mean you can ignore reality. If we didn't come in like that there would have been blood everywhere."
Apparently taking Jayce's silence as acceptance he continued. "Look, it isn't my job to make you like me. My job is making sure the family is safe. Your Uncle Nichol tried to split the family. That puts everyone in danger. Chairman Burns didn't have any choice.
"I don't like hurting kids, so don't do any stupid and force me to hurt you. You going to behave?"
At Jayce's nod the man patted his head, "Good boy. Look over that way, back of the gray horse."
Jayce twisted a bit to look wondering what the man meant. A younger boy was slung like a saddlebag across the horse's back. One glance at his hair and he knew. Red so bright it was almost orange. His eyes froze, watching until the boy turned his head. Even with the boy looking the other direction he could tell, that hair, the dark red collar. For the first time since waking Jayce felt his first touch of hope.
"Izzy." He only whispered it, but it was almost as if he heard it. As soon as he said his name Izzy turned his head to face him. The younger boy's eyes going wide as soon as he spotted him.
"It was kind of cute the way you tried to cover him when we came in. I figured if you were going to try to protect your pet you probably weren't too bad. Left the rest of the servants and slaves back at the house but it seemed a shame to separate you two."
"What are you going to do with us?"
"If you behave, nothing. But the split is over. Chairman Burns is the head of the family. Nichol is dead, fool shot himself rather than accept he'd lost. Didn't have to be this way, Chairman Burns said to take anyone we could alive. But he's going to need examples."
Jayce tried once more not to shudder. "That's a funny way of reassuring someone."
"Think kid. He needs to show the other families the fight hasn't weakened him. So he will need examples. If you want to be a fool then he does whatever it takes to break you. Believe me, whatever you think you can be broken. Then you will be paraded in front of others as a warning and proof that no divisions remain in the family.
"But you've got a chance. The adults who sided with Nichol are screwed. Only question is how screwed. You're young enough to have a chance. Keep your head on straight, do what you're told, and show your uncle the Chairman respect. Do that and you can be a much happier example that there are no divisions left in the family. You might even be allowed to keep that pet of yours."
A few notes:
Izzy is actually named Isaac, but people thought it was cute he had trouble saying his own name as a little kid and now he's stuck with that as a nickname. :)
As for why Jayce is concerned about Izzy, that might come up later if I do more with him.
The comment on augments: The folk on the eastern continent use technology access as part of how they firm up class divisions. Part of that is access to 'augmented reality' technology. Those in the upper class families have implants that allow for things like virtual screens without needing glasses or fancy contacts. Imagine having access to something like Google Earth, but with no need to pull out even a cell phone to use it. Just a quick command to pull it up and it's as if there is a holographic screen floating in front of you. Those managing to hold onto a middle class status have limited access to the AR networks. The lower class's and slaves are barely allowed access to computers (and then only to the degree it's felt it is needed for them to do their jobs). Access to AR systems is pretty much right out. The founders were firm believers in the maxim that information is power and sought to restrict it as much as possible to themselves.
ravenswept's 30 Days of Flash Fiction MemeMy 30 Days of Flashfic Index Page
Day 16b - Write a scene on horseback
Yes, Day 16b, I have actually done two for this prompt. This one, and another posted on my LJ account.
Content note: This one is darker than the one posted on LJ, although pretty tame compared to other fic I've seen posted. An off page death, slavery, and implied off page abuse.
Setting: The as of yet unnamed colony world, Eastern continent, an uncertain amount of time (probably decades) before the other pieces from days 1 and 10.
Title: Family Politics
The first thing Jayce felt as he woke was the urge to lose his breakfast. The ground refused to hold still and his body ached. Every moment reminded him more and more of the one time he'd sampled his Uncle's liquor cabinet with his cousins.
"I know you're awake kid, no point in pretending.
The voice was stern rather than harsh but that was little relief when he didn't recognize it. Slowly he opened his eyes, the light thankfully not as painful as that half-remembered hangover. The brown head of a horse before him, explaining the unsteady feeling, the blue-green of the forest all around the string of horses.
"What...?" All at once everything rushed back in an instant. The desperate call that woke everyone. Waiting for news from the family's main house. The power going out. The horrible thunder and flash of the stun grenades that lead the attack. Seeing one of his cousins cut down when he tried to draw his pistol. Each remembered moment feeling more real than the forest around him. "I'm, I think I'm going to be sick."
The man behind him muttered a curse. Grabbing a fist-full of his shirt's back and his bound wrists, shoving his head out to the side. "Then be about it boy."
Jayce barely heard the words. The memories and sudden swing to the side enough to bring up everything and leave it covering a mass of bushes. Once he started he couldn't stop, his belly still twisting, coughing as dry heaves continued. After a few coughs the man let his wrists go and gave him a few good thumps on the back before pulling him upright again. A firm grip holding his head as a canteen was held to his lips.
"Rinse and spit, then drink."
Head clearer he looked around again. How long? Blinking he tried to pull up his clock. Nothing. Closing his eyes he tried again. Nothing would come up, not the clock, not journal, not anything. After a minute he heard the man behind him snort.
"Don't bother. Really kid, think. Are we going to grab you, cuff you, and carry you off only to leave you with your augments? You really think we're that foolish?"
"Fu-- ow!"
"Watch your mouth, kid, before I decide you're one of the brats."
Jayce closed his eyes again fighting back a shudder. Trying not to remember some of the stories he'd heard about raiding parties. Tried not to remember some of the things he'd laughed at when some prisoners were brought by the house. Suddenly the thought of prisoners being turned over to entertain field hands was much more frightening than entertaining.
"How many others..."
"Made it out? Hardly anyone got hurt bad where we were. Chairman Burns had to end the feud before it attracted more trouble. That doesn't mean he wanted to kill kin."
"Didn't have to come in like that."
"Yes, we did. Look kid, you seem decent enough. But even if you aren't one of the family princes that doesn't mean you can ignore reality. If we didn't come in like that there would have been blood everywhere."
Apparently taking Jayce's silence as acceptance he continued. "Look, it isn't my job to make you like me. My job is making sure the family is safe. Your Uncle Nichol tried to split the family. That puts everyone in danger. Chairman Burns didn't have any choice.
"I don't like hurting kids, so don't do any stupid and force me to hurt you. You going to behave?"
At Jayce's nod the man patted his head, "Good boy. Look over that way, back of the gray horse."
Jayce twisted a bit to look wondering what the man meant. A younger boy was slung like a saddlebag across the horse's back. One glance at his hair and he knew. Red so bright it was almost orange. His eyes froze, watching until the boy turned his head. Even with the boy looking the other direction he could tell, that hair, the dark red collar. For the first time since waking Jayce felt his first touch of hope.
"Izzy." He only whispered it, but it was almost as if he heard it. As soon as he said his name Izzy turned his head to face him. The younger boy's eyes going wide as soon as he spotted him.
"It was kind of cute the way you tried to cover him when we came in. I figured if you were going to try to protect your pet you probably weren't too bad. Left the rest of the servants and slaves back at the house but it seemed a shame to separate you two."
"What are you going to do with us?"
"If you behave, nothing. But the split is over. Chairman Burns is the head of the family. Nichol is dead, fool shot himself rather than accept he'd lost. Didn't have to be this way, Chairman Burns said to take anyone we could alive. But he's going to need examples."
Jayce tried once more not to shudder. "That's a funny way of reassuring someone."
"Think kid. He needs to show the other families the fight hasn't weakened him. So he will need examples. If you want to be a fool then he does whatever it takes to break you. Believe me, whatever you think you can be broken. Then you will be paraded in front of others as a warning and proof that no divisions remain in the family.
"But you've got a chance. The adults who sided with Nichol are screwed. Only question is how screwed. You're young enough to have a chance. Keep your head on straight, do what you're told, and show your uncle the Chairman respect. Do that and you can be a much happier example that there are no divisions left in the family. You might even be allowed to keep that pet of yours."
A few notes:
Izzy is actually named Isaac, but people thought it was cute he had trouble saying his own name as a little kid and now he's stuck with that as a nickname. :)
As for why Jayce is concerned about Izzy, that might come up later if I do more with him.
The comment on augments: The folk on the eastern continent use technology access as part of how they firm up class divisions. Part of that is access to 'augmented reality' technology. Those in the upper class families have implants that allow for things like virtual screens without needing glasses or fancy contacts. Imagine having access to something like Google Earth, but with no need to pull out even a cell phone to use it. Just a quick command to pull it up and it's as if there is a holographic screen floating in front of you. Those managing to hold onto a middle class status have limited access to the AR networks. The lower class's and slaves are barely allowed access to computers (and then only to the degree it's felt it is needed for them to do their jobs). Access to AR systems is pretty much right out. The founders were firm believers in the maxim that information is power and sought to restrict it as much as possible to themselves.
no subject
Date: 2011-07-06 12:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-07-06 05:54 pm (UTC)The major families initially were set up on something somewhere between a traditional extended family model and a business. They don't go for noble titles like baron or duke or king. Rather the head of the family is the chairman, and get handed off responsibilities like "VP of Security" or "Manager of the XYZ factory." It's become a sort of corporate feudalism.
While the unnamed speaker refers to "princes of the family" that's not an actual title. It's just an informal way of referring to those whose parents are prominent enough that they are expected to handed positions of power. Jayce unfortunately (or possibly fortunately depending on how things go) isn't one of these. He's family, but neither of his parents were particularly high up in the family. Then they go and leave him an orphan to get taken in by a more prominent family member who has to go and make a failed bid at seizing the chairmanship.
The unnamed speaker would be from what I've taken to calling the Tenuous Middle Class. Possibly easiest to define by exclusion; it's made up of anyone who isn't a recognized member of one of the ranking families and isn't under peasant contract or a slave. Tenuous because it's easy to lose the status if you aren't careful. They don't actually have any more real rights than the lower classes, but they're more likely to have a job that will give them more power than the lower classes have. Hopefully you have enough family who like you that they'll help you if you get in trouble. Otherwise you might slip down to the lower classes. You'd also better believe their parents tell them repeatedly as they are growing up to get an education or skills to hold onto what they've got with. Do well enough and you might be able to marry, buy, or bluff you way to higher status.
And in theory the non-slave lower classes do have a few rights. Under the colony charter and the original contracts most of their ancestors would have signed they are more or less in a feudal relationship with the ranking families. They provide whatever services are required and in return the holders of the contract provide food and housing. In theory if you are really unhappy you can seek to change who holds the contract. In practice you probably have no idea you theoretically have that right. Since the government is made up of members of the ranking families there's no point in turning to it if you're unhappy.
The slaves: Well, you do have to give the Eastern Continent's government (such as there is one) one thing. They're at least honest about declaring them property. To the extent that there are censuses the slaves don't show up. You will find them listed in the family inventories and account books lumped in with any livestock or other animals. No rights only the potential protection of whoever owns them.
no subject
Date: 2011-07-08 08:19 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-07-12 06:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-07-12 09:37 pm (UTC)