Span
Speculative Fiction
Nate’s girlfriend and colleague are suspicious about the off-world utopia he considers joining.
Fancy a new life offworld? Would it be any different, if you were there?
Opening
‘Sounds like Span,’ said James over lunch at Pandagogo All-you-can-eat, pointing a neatly-wrapped spare rib at Nate, ‘but I wouldn’t call that a sensible cure for your malaise.’
‘Meaning?’
‘Bit desperate, isn’t it? Throw in your lot with total strangers. Move offworld?’
‘The offworld bit’s the whole point. How else would I ever afford that?’
‘But that’s what makes it so dangerous! No oversight, no law. Alright. Let’s assume it’s all legit. The only people who’d risk it must be reckless adventurers or people with nothing to lose. That would make for a pretty extreme society.’
‘I guess.’
‘Gives me the horrors.’
Nate slurped up a leaf of pak choi, choked, and tearfully dragged it out again with his fingers.
‘Sorry,’ he coughed, eyes streaming.
‘You looked like a vomiting cat.’
‘Thanks for your help.’
‘Dear, dear. I knew being vegetarian had made you a bore, but I didn’t know it attracted you to cults or was physically dangerous.’
‘Alright, James. Eating vegetables isn’t being veggie.’
James inspected Nate’s bowl. ‘Yet there’s no meat in there, Nathaniel. How long can you keep it up?’
‘Till she dumps me.’
‘Ah, is that why I had to bring you to lunch to cheer you up? Has her attention begun to drift? Was it when she saw you eating, one wonders?
Nate poured green tea, burnt his tongue.