{"id":2359,"date":"2022-03-12T17:03:39","date_gmt":"2022-03-13T00:03:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/?p=2359"},"modified":"2022-03-12T17:03:39","modified_gmt":"2022-03-13T00:03:39","slug":"one-square-centimeter-of-nothing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/2022\/03\/12\/one-square-centimeter-of-nothing\/","title":{"rendered":"One Square Centimeter of Nothing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

prompt:\u00a0Write a story about someone forced out of their home.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

available at Reedsy<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It wasn\u2019t that Jersey loved her tiny flat; in fact, she wasn\u2019t even that fond of it, but it was home<\/em>. The artificial gravity was glitchy, it took forever to get hot water from the tap, power outages were a monthly occurrence, and the recycler hadn\u2019t worked for months. Still, the idea that a faceless corporation could take it away from her made her angry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She marched through the station, strawberry blonde curls bouncing around her pale, pink-cheeked face, headed for the administration office. In her hand she clutched a data cube with her lease agreement, payment history, and every other bit of data she felt was relevant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A detailed plan for the upgrades to the station was plastered to the front window of the offices, below the sign that read, \u201cUnder New Management!\u201d Jersey growled at the sign\u2019s forced jocularity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She pushed through the door. \u201cKai, we have a problem,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The young woman at the reception desk looked up at her. \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Kai is no longer here. He chose to move on after the sale. My name is Ana. How can I help you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jersey took a deep breath to calm herself. The raven-haired young woman before her with black eyes flashing from a golden-brown face was not to blame. \u201cWhat gives your bosses the right to break my lease agreement?\u201d she asked, holding the data cube up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMa\u2019am, if you\u2019d like to talk to one of the officers, I can set up an appointment for you. I\u2019m just the receptionist.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I just sit here and wait?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you\u2019d like,\u201d Ana said, tapping away at her console. \u201cThe earliest appointment I can get for you is at 16:00 today, unless you\u2019d like to come back tomorrow morning.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jersey groaned, trying to hold in a complaint. \u201cSixteen works. I\u2019ll be back then.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYour name?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cJersey Mickle, flat 1423.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThank you. See you this afternoon.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jersey made her way to the cargo docks, hoping to pick up a half shift to keep her occupied. It was busy that morning, so she thought her chances were good. She waved the foreperson over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou looking for a shift?\u201d the short, stocky woman asked. Her reddish-brown hair was mostly stuffed under a hard hat, her light brown eyes hidden behind safety glasses, but her warm brown arms were exposed from the shoulders to the tops of her heavy gloves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHey, Lia, have a half shift I can grab? I have an appointment at sixteen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDid you sign with Taro Group?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSince TG bought the station, if you want to keep working on the station you have to sign an employment agreement with them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut the docks are Stellar Freight. Did their lease get broken, too?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo, TG bought Stellar as part of the deal.\u201d Lia leaned in close. \u201cThey bought out all the independent vendors, too. The chains are staying, but all the small shops, and both bars are closing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m not signing anything until I figure out where I\u2019m going to live.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lia\u2019s eyes grew wide. \u201cOh, are you in The Thousands?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYeah. The flat where I grew up, and they say I have fifteen days to vacate.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI heard about that. They\u2019re saying that whole section of the station is going to be ripped out and replaced. If you\u2019re going to stay, you should check out the flats in The Downs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYeah, thanks.\u201d Jersey knew that the flats in The Downs were far beyond her means. \u201cI\u2019ll spend the day trying to figure out what to do next, I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lia put a hand on Jersey\u2019s arm. \u201cIf you\u2019re going to stay, you should sign on soon. If you\u2019re not, then I hope you\u2019ll stop by to see me before you leave. Flat 77 in The Downs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWill do.\u201d Jersey waved at a worker that was trying to get their attention. \u201cIt looks like you\u2019re needed. I\u2019ll let you get back to work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jersey walked back to the station\u2019s main promenade. She walked past the shops she\u2019d grown accustomed to, owned by people who were, if not friends, at least acquaintances. Most had a \u201cgoing out of business\u201d sign. The bakery, however, had a different sign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cArmando\u2019s Bakery is closed. Future site of PanStar Cafe and Bistro.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Armando\u2019s is closed, and they\u2019re putting another <\/em>PanStar in<\/em>, she thought. As if three on the station wasn\u2019t too many already<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The confectioner\u2019s was open and Jersey wandered in. The tall, rail-thin man behind the counter greeted her. \u201cHallo, Jersey! You need some sweets today?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMorning, Moussa. I don\u2019t know if need<\/em> sweets.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moussa frowned. Creases formed on his forehead, dark brown eyes squinting amid his mahogany face. \u201cYou look sad. I think maybe you do need sweets.\u201d Just as quickly as he had frowned, his broad smile returned. \u201cYes. Sweets to make you feel better!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHow can you be so chipper? We\u2019re all being evicted so some big corporation can turn the station into some sort of fake paradise or something.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He leaned over the counter. \u201cI\u2019m chipper, because I refuse to be angry or sad. I\u2019ll open a new shop on Mars; already have a lease signed. Besides, I charged Taro with a huge amount for breaking my five-year lease three years early. They were happy to settle rather than go to court.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe other shops have done the same?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He nodded. \u201cThey were very generous, since they were breaking our business and home leases.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI hope they\u2019ll do the same for me,\u201d Jersey said, though she doubted it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou live in The Thousands, yeah?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYeah.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHow long has your gravity been messed up? Or your water? Or electricity?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAt least a year,\u201d she said, \u201cmaybe longer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMaybe you can get a refund to go with your lease buyout.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat lease buyout? All I got was a notice that I had fifteen days to vacate, and a notice that the entire section of the station was condemned.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moussa looked serious for a moment, then nodded. \u201cAll right. I know what you need.\u201d He pulled out a small bag, filled it with an assortment of candies and handed it across the counter to her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHow does that help?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He smiled. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t fix anything except your mood,\u201d he said, \u201cand a good mood will help your negotiations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThanks, Moussa. How much?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNothing today. Special 100 percent eviction discount\u2026only for friends.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jersey wandered the station for hours, finally settling into a chair in the administrative office at 15:30. She took her time with the sweets, letting them melt on her tongue and savoring each. She\u2019d only made it halfway through the bag.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the time for her appointment rolled around, Jersey was ushered into the administrator\u2019s office. The colorful mural that had been taken up three walls of the office was covered in a pasty off-white, faint hints of the darkest areas of the mural showing through.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everything about the small, frazzled man at the desk was beige. Beige skin, mousy hair, light brown eyes, and a rumpled beige suit. He gestured at the chair opposite his desk. \u201cHave a seat.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHow am I supposed to\u2014,\u201d she began before he cut her off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMs. Mickle, I\u2019m David Smith from the Taro Group\u2019s property management division. I\u2019m aware of your situation\u2026everyone in the Thousands, really\u2026and very sorry about it. We\u2019re doing all we can, but our hands are tied.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTied how?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen TG bought the station and the leases, the courts wouldn\u2019t allow Bakshi Enterprises to sell the leases in the portion of the station where you live.\u201d He slid a data gem across the desk to her. \u201cThose leases were found to be in violation of Federal housing law, as those flats have been deemed unfit for habitation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd yet you bought the station and are now evicting me with eight months left on my annual renewal lease. I grew up<\/em> in that flat, and between my mother and I, we\u2019ve paid enough rent to buy it outright four or five times\u2026if they\u2019d have let us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you don\u2019t mind me asking, where is your mother?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou know the big oak in the park?\u201d she asked. \u201cHer ashes are buried there. But I guess I won\u2019t get to visit her anymore, either, since you\u2019re evicting me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRead the eviction notice closer,\u201d he said. \u201cTaro Group is not evicting you; the court is. Since we were unable to buy the leases, you\u2019ll have to go to court to get Bakshi to reimburse you. This gem has a copy of the court documents, including the judgement of the court that Bakshi has to reimburse all the leases in that section of the station in full.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell, that at least gives me something to buy a ticket to somewhere else, I guess. Not sure where to go, though. This is my home.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

David sighed a heavy sigh. \u201cYou can take this to civil court, but it\u2019ll be tied up for years. In the meantime, Bakshi has already filed for bankruptcy, so I doubt you\u2019ll get anything out of it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAre there any available flats elsewhere on the station? Ones that I could maybe afford?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you sign on with TG, you should be able to keep your job, at the same pay. It looks like we have a five-room flat on deck seven, just below the promenade deck, or a three-room on level nine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy job doesn\u2019t pay enough to live in The Downs. Why do you think I live in The Thousands? Anything in the outer ring?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSorry, those are the only open flats at this time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jersey noticed the dark rings under his eyes, and realized he\u2019d probably been going through this exact song and dance all day. Her vision swam behind tears that threatened to fall. The sweet taste of the candies had left a film on her tongue and all she tasted was despair. \u201cI don\u2019t know what to do. I don\u2019t have anywhere to go and can\u2019t afford a ticket to get there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

David retrieved a chit from his desk drawer and handed it to her. It was embossed with the seal of the Federal Government and had a small data chip embedded. \u201cThis is a housing emergency pass,\u201d he said. \u201cA troop carrier is stopping tomorrow afternoon for refueling, then heading to Mars. This will get you on the ship and they\u2019ll let you out there. It\u2019s not the best place to go, but there\u2019s always work there, at least, and Federal subsidy housing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd if I don\u2019t go on the ship?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re still here after the eviction date, you\u2019ll be taken into police custody for trespass.\u201d He looked at her with tired eyes. \u201cThere\u2019s three-hundred and nine of you that are being displaced,\u201d he said, \u201cand so far, I\u2019ve only talked to twenty-seven\u2026including you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhere else will this get me?\u201d she asked, holding the chit up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

David typed at his console and read for a few quiet moments. \u201cAfter the troop carrier tomorrow, there\u2019s a government passenger vessel bringing an inspector at the end of the week. It has room for six more passengers and is going to\u2026Mars afterward.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He typed some more. \u201cThe only other government vessel stopping by before your eviction date is a cargo carrier, heading to Luna. No passengers allowed.\u201d He turned off his console. \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Ms. Mickle, but I think your only option is the troop carrier to Mars.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jersey stood and set the half bag of candy on the desk. \u201cYou can have those.\u201d She crossed the office to the door and stopped. \u201cI miss it already.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe station?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy flat. Yeah, it\u2019s dim and dingy, it takes forever to get hot water, the gravity goes weak all the time and the electricity is hit and miss\u2026but it was home. I grew up in those twenty-two square meters, and I was happy for it. I had twenty-two square meters of crap to myself, and now I have,\u201d she held up the chit, \u201cone square centimeter of nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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