11-26-2023, 03:10 PM
(11-25-2023, 07:45 PM)ANNEE Wrote: THE COLLECTIVE
They came from the fieThatlds. Men, women, children, mothers, fathers, the young, and the old. Every able-bodied citizen.
Pre-dawn was creeping closer. Soon the twin suns would bring the heat.
The agrogeologists and laborers filed out from under the tarp covered fields to return to the safety of their homes. Thick walled, insulated, prefab identical structures. All white and sparkling under the morning glow, like a sea of crystal salt poured over boxes all lined up in perfect order.
Systematically, one by one, washing off the muck of their labor in sun warmed, crystal clear water, piped from underground aqueducts. Each home or group complex following the same order. This is the beginning of the end of their day.
Fresh fruits and vegetables are set out on platters and in bowls. Individuals and families gather together in picnic style assemblage, laying their sitting mats on the cool floor. Enjoying conversation of their current interests. Sometimes they talk of older times, but not often - - as it disrupts the harmony of life as it is today.
Soon the sleep meditation will begin. This is the morning respite. A time of calmness, tranquility, and rest to relieve aching bodies from the labors they endured tending their fields of growing edibles. The harvest is months away. This is a critical time to ensure that plant growth is healthy and abundance assured.
Sleep will come. This is the daily ritual. The body and mind expect it. The body responds to the internal Circadian Rhythms. It is the way of this life, as the suns bake the outside, threatening, but not touching this inner peaceful sanctuary.
Later in the day, alarms will sound to awaken the homes of those at rest. It is a new day, that starts when the suns have passed a safe distance from midday. This is the time of personal responsibility and education through interactive video programs. For soon, all will exit their dwellings, and begin the evening social exchanges and festivities. Each home has a small courtyard in front, with a cooking grill. There is no cooking within the house, where heat is forbidden. Each family is responsible for cooking a portion of the feast. The children and adults alike then visit and mingle among the neighboring homes, choosing delicacies and staples of food from each.
The festivities wind down, with a short siesta following. Then the workday begins again.
THIS IS THE COLLECTIVE.
(If it's not clear -- this is about a new start-up farming colony "collective" established on a new planet)
ANNEE
That was a good read.
On the surface it seems idyllic.
Have to admit to being turned off by the inevitability of each day in thet colony though, there doesnt appear to be any room for a rebel does there?
