Other formats

    Adobe Portable Document Format file (facsimile images)   TEI XML file   ePub eBook file  

Connect

    mail icontwitter iconBlogspot iconrss icon

Salient: At Victoria University College, Wellington, N. Z. Vol. 24, No. 10. 1961.

Short Story: Leonatrus

page 7

Short Story: Leonatrus

This is a speculative tale based not on fact, but on seemingly inevitable trends. Our hero is a youth from the Earth colony of Moonus, and the setting two centuries hence.

The room spun inn sickenly onvulsed fashion as Leonatrus remitted full possession of his concious sensory perception. "Finished at last," he thought as he removed and sterilised the Sub-Corical. Thalamic Image-Erasors that ad been strapped to his forehead, then, setting his Emotional Recession. Adjust or he unlocked the [unclear: a]bicle and joined the other Universities in a shifty seething mob before a large Teleworldvisor. Then the numbers 643x/9 + 3/1.4 appeared he adjusted his thought-Ray Interceptors to the frequency indicated.

"Greetings new Universities, welcome to Fellingtona. The conpllers of Victoria Un-Egoising Instiute extend to you their best [unclear: wis]hes for your successful study, [unclear: re]goising and general development into appropriate human-institute figures. During this [unclear: week] you have undergone [unclear: treatment by] the latest and most successful invention of the World [unclear: scientific] Syndicate—the [unclear: Sub-critical] Thalamic Image Erasors. These you have all been rid of [unclear: by] original and individualistic [unclear: mention] implanted within yourselves the indulgences permitted in [unclear: our] homes in the World Empire [unclear: cionies] of Moonus, Moravia, Australia and New Jupiter. You, [unclear: being] the elite of your colony have [unclear: me] to be trained as Political [unclear: rvasionalists]. Now before [unclear: entering] into the various remaining [unclear: sections] of this Erasoration week [unclear: you] are to attend the Physiological Restoration Parlours."

The voice faded and Leonatrus adoped with the others to the pysiological Restoration Parlours were each received oxygen recement, Energy restorative and drolators. Here he learned from neighbour that many of the new universities were holding Agrair [unclear: uties]—anyone could attend as on as they brought half a gram [unclear: agrair]. He was also advised to have behind his Emotional Ression Adjustor and to bring [unclear: inded] his Conception De-Facilitator females as well as males would not all Agrair parties.

That evening Leonatrus and his and Joalid attended a party at Re-creative Parade. They [unclear: bed] down the ladder from the [unclear: ti-taxi] and entered the [unclear: roofing]. They were met by a [unclear: Unite] who introduced herself as [unclear: sence], the hostess. They joined of the groups and entered the [unclear: discussion], until the room grew [unclear: led] in reverent silence.

[unclear: Salence] assisted by two other [unclear: tales] brought in glasses and a [unclear: sage] bowl of sulphurous wine. [unclear: Such] University dissolved his [unclear: Again] in a glassful of this liquid, [unclear: to] one by one the frothing [unclear: poses] were raised, drained and [unclear: entered].

[unclear: In] joining a group of the more [unclear: trily] drugged Universites he learned that the annual Lifeball game between Plutos and Earth was to be held the next day. They began discussing with awe, the players of the Lifeball teams. These huge lifeballers were descendants of the race that had originally inhabited the now derelict land of New Zealand. In that country the combined factors of an insular geographic position and a population of apathetic reactionaries had caused the country to gradually separate from the rest of the world and vegetate. Thus when the revolutionary discoveries of the 21st century occurred (the utilisation of chlorophyll to form synthetic carbohydrates and the manufacture of food from sea-water treated with solar energy), this poor little country was so unprepared that its inhabitants were reduced to an existence of subsistence farming.

Now during this period of economic depression there had risen to the position of Director a capable man—Nalter Wash. He had attained this post by the clever manipulation of two Electoral Stupefaction Gimmicks: "If the People have it, we can Use it; and: We can Give you Nothing, But you have Nothing Anyhow."

By astute and strategic placement of these slogans between the sixty and hour, one minute commercials that featured 24 hours a day on radio, television and cinema, he was able to indoctrinate the populace with a strong desire to see them put into practice. So enthusiastically were they received that by setting each to a vigorous "jump and jiggle" tune he was able to see them rise to the top of "The Top Five Hundred" a weekly ranking of all "jump and jiggle" tunes. After this success was assured, and so Confident was he that he immediately drafted a speech of acceptance of the results of the election to be!

When finally elected Nalter began to reconstruct the country's economy by exploiting the two undeniable distinctions of his fel-low-New Zealanders. First he organised national competitions of the top Lifeball teams and Agrair drinkers in the country.

What a feast of Lifeball and Agrair it was! Teams played Life-ball for 12 hours a day and attained hitherto unsealed heights:

Thirty-five Lifeballers broke a leg: 24 an arm; 12 suffered concussion; eight suffered traumatic shocks and 456 spectators were crushed, suffocated or otherwise mutilated.

The field of Agrair drinking was by no means less spectacular:

Thirty-two Agrair drinkers choked; 21 ruptured their bladders; 12 contracted Agrair poisoning and three spectators drowned!

Astounding progress!

At the end of the month's competitions the most proficient performers were selected and assembled. Nalter outlined his plan: New Zealand, he said, in relation to the rest of the world was extremely backward and because of this was forced to endure unnecessary privations. "Gentlemen, we have decided that for New Zealand to raise itself from its present state of depression it is necessary for us to produce a product that will surpass its overseas counterpart—and gentlemen, we have decided to produce Lifeballers and Agrair drinkers that are unbeatable. To produce players of this calibre we intend to retain you who have proven yourselves masters in these fields in barracks here in Felllngtona. Gentlemen, never in the history of New Zealand has so much depended on so few!"

During the months that ensued the inmates entered into intensive and extensive training in their special fields. In December of the year 2117 their diligence was rewarded by the glory of defeating the former world champions—Moscoo—in both spheres. As Nalter Wash had shrewdly foreseen New Zealand was able to reconstruct Its economy on the Increase of tourists Into the country.

Leonatrus listened with amazement to this. He knew, as did most people in the year 3060, of the Agrair drinkers and Lifeballers. By an efficient programme of eugenics Lifeballers of an average height of eight feet and weight of 26 stone, and Agrair drinkers of an average girth of 110in. had been evolved. But he had not realised the history of these beings.

He was now beginning to feel the effect of the Agrair, things in the room becoming blurred and distant. Several males and females he noticed had already fixed into place Conception De-Facilitators and were entering into the quelling of their sex drives. He tripped and staggered between and over the thrashing bodies and looked for an unattached female. Finding one he applied his Conception De-Facilitator and for the next 15 minutes was engaged in quelling his sex drive.

When he was finished he disengaged his De-Facilitator and went to look for Joalid. He found him and together they hailed a Hemi-taxi and rode back to the dormitory. Here they took an Anti-Agrair poisoning tablet and auto-suggested themselves to sleep . . .

—J.E.H.

But I'd rather be a tenor

But I'd rather be a tenor