{"id":2555,"date":"2023-10-07T15:39:16","date_gmt":"2023-10-07T22:39:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/?p=2555"},"modified":"2023-10-07T15:39:16","modified_gmt":"2023-10-07T22:39:16","slug":"big-big-good","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/2023\/10\/07\/big-big-good\/","title":{"rendered":"Big Big Good"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

prompt: Set your story in a type of prison cell.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Lissette watched Igrud run around the track in his loping, knuckle-walking gait. The others of his kind engaged in various sport on the pitch surrounded by a track. For his part, Igrud had a standing race against one of the humans every Thursday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His muscles sufficiently warmed up, he stood up in a bipedal stance, the foreign sun of this planet shining off his dark brown scales in shimmering rainbows. \u201cAre you ready, Kel?\u201d he asked the human.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kelly Brady, former professional sprinter dressed in exercise shorts, a tee-shirt that said \u201cSTAFF\u201d on the back, and running shoes, smiled at the maukan. \u201cI won\u2019t go easy on you, Ig. You going to win today?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think I might,\u201d he said. \u201c400 meters. Let\u2019s go.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lissette Deschamps, dressed in the polo shirt, slacks, soft boots, body camera, and utility belt with keys and a radio, that made up her standard uniform, stood by the starting line for the 400-meter dash. \u201cCome on, you two. Let\u2019s get this show on the road, so Kelly can get his skinny, glow-in-the-dark white legs back into a uniform.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They lined up, and Lissette gave them the signal to go. The human, in his long-legged stride, led off the line. It took a maukan some time to build up speed in their quadrupedal, knuckle-walking gait. Once they did, though, they could far outstrip the speed of a human.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conventional wisdom was humans win at 100 and 200 meters, they tie somewhere around 400 meters, then maukans win at distances up to five kilometers; the outside range for maukan endurance. At long distances, humans always the upper hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kelly ran like he had the devil on his tail, head forward, arms pumping, back straight. Igrud built up speed like a locomotive, gaining on Kelly on the oval track. Lissette watched the finish line along with a few of the other maukans, most of whom cheered for Igrud, but Lissette noticed a couple of them cheering for Kelly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 She positioned herself so her body camera was pointed straight down the finish line. It was going to be close. They came across the line, Kelly slowing after with the few long, arm-swinging steps she\u2019d gotten used to seeing. Igrud, however, dove across the line so hard that he rolled into a ball on the other side and came to a stop in a heap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ignoring the question of winner for the moment, Lissette ran to his side along with Kelly. \u201cAre you hurt?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Igrud unrolled himself and they could see he was laughing. \u201cThat was my best run ever. If that didn\u2019t beat you, I don\u2019t know if it\u2019s possible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A voice came across her radio. \u201cLissette, we\u2019re watching the replay in control. Igrud won by about two millimeters.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kelly helped the exhausted Igrud to his feet and congratulated him before going in to prepare for his shift. Lissette finished out the afternoon with the maukans until it was time for them head back inside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As they filed in, she greeted them each by name and they responded in kind. She had just stepped inside and locked the outside door when her radio chirped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She put in her earpiece and set the radio to talk to send. \u201cThis is Lissette. All counted. Some of the guys are making a celebratory dinner for Igrud. Some variation of a traditional dish using local ingredients.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lissette nodded. \u201cYeah, I\u2019ll handle it. I\u2019m off tomorrow anyway, so I can handle staying a little late. \u2026 Will do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHey, Lissette, are you having dinner with us tonight?\u201d Igrud stood tall on two feet, his long arms held out a bit from his body. That stance from a human, would be a warning that he was about to get violent. In maukan body language, however, it was equivalent to a human standing stock straight, their head high, their chest puffed out: pride.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI bet Kelly will, when he gets here,\u201d she said, \u201cbut I\u2019ve got some other things to take care of. It sounds good, though. Could you save me a plate, if it\u2019s not too much trouble?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll make sure of it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI have to welcome a new guest, so don\u2019t be too hard on Ivan and Waylon. I\u2019ll be back later. You can be as hard as you want on Kelly, though.\u201d She laughed and the maukans \u2014 and Kelly \u2014 laughed with her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She walked through the common room where a large holo played a popular sitcom. Various board games were stacked on the shelves, along with a wide selection of books, both human and maukan in origin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The open kitchen \u2014 with all the needed amenities \u2014 was a hub of activity as it seemed at least four of the maukans were all trying to make the same dish with a surprising lack of dissent or disagreement. The most common noise coming from the group in the kitchen was laughter, including from Ivan, who was helping out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lissette opened a panel near the elevator and turned her key in the recessed keyhole. The elevator doors slid open, and she stepped in. In the dormitory she\u2019d just left, there was nothing that felt like a prison at all; nothing to suggest that entire dormitory was, in effect, a giant prison cell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stopped on the level where tunnels ran beneath the dormitories and sport field, that illusion was shattered, even without a single bar anywhere in the prison. She entered control, the literal and metaphorical center of the prison.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After finding out what time the new guest was due to arrive, she waited in the intake office just inside the outer walls of the prison.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the maukan was led out of the ground car, hands and feet shackled, Lissette stood just inside the door, her arms crossed in a close approximation of a maukan greeting stance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The military police unlocked his shackles, handed his file to Lissette, and said, \u201cHe\u2019s all yours.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Freed of his bonds, the maukan returned the greeting stance, seeming bewildered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lissette spoke to him in the most common maukan language; one that over eighty percent of the prison population spoke, and the only one she\u2019d learned. \u201cWelcome, Jigan Mantun. I am Lissette Deschamps, the man there is Jorge Mendez, and we will be handling your intake.<\/em>\u201d She offered a hand to shake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jigan looked at the extended hand and shook it in the human gesture he\u2019d learned during his brief detainment. \u201cYou speak Hantu. This is not\u2026the reception I expected.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI speak some, but getting better,<\/em>\u201d she said. \u201cDo you speak Common?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He made a fist with one hand held low, the sign for small. \u201cI talks can little good-bad. I listens can big good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe can teach you,\u201d she said. \u201cIf you don\u2019t understand anything I\u2019m saying just stop me, and I\u2019ll try to translate. First, though, we need to get you checked out by the doctor\u2026and get rid of that silly orange uniform. We have a closet full of donated maukan and human clothes. Feel free to take anything that fits you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She led him to the elevator and Jorge followed behind, joining them in the elevator. They exited in the tunnels below the prison, where they went to another elevator to the assessment wing and exited right next to the doctor\u2019s station.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jigan selected three changes of clothes from the donations closet. After his physical exam, the ill-fitting orange jumpsuit was put into a box marked, \u201cMP return\u201d and he dressed in one of the new outfits. Lissette then led him back to the elevator and up to the dorm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When they exited the elevator at the dorm level, she led him to his quarters and held the door for him. \u201cThis is where you\u2019ll be staying. A counselor will be by tomorrow morning to learn more about you and figure out what we can do to make you comfortable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jigan looked around the room as Lissette pointed out the bed, closet, desk, holoscreen, shower, toilet and sink, and the interior lock on the door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAny time you feel you need to be left alone, you can come in and lock the door. We can open it with a key, but we won\u2019t unless it\u2019s necessary. If you follow me, I\u2019ll show you to the shared kitchen, where you\u2019ll be expected to cook your evening meal for yourself and clean up after yourself. Morning and noon meals are delivered.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She handed him a card with a matrix code on it. \u201cDon\u2019t lose this. This is your identification and how you can buy things you need from the store through that double-door there, when it\u2019s open. It\u2019s not required that you work, as you get a small daily stipend, but we encourage it, just to keep you occupied, and not molting on your own tail<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jigan titled his head at her use of the Hantu phrase that equated to going stir-crazy. He sniffed the air and pointed at the plate covered in foil that sat near the microwave. \u201cWhat is that?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Igrud stepped in, speaking Hantu. \u201cIt happens to be a ho-kun tapah, made with local ingredients. It\u2019s missing that sharp tinganuru note, but cooking in human wine comes a close second. I saved it for Lissette, but if you\u2019re hungry I bet she\u2019d let you have it.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lissette nodded. \u201cIt looks good, but I doubt the MPs fed you very well. Go ahead, Jigan, I\u2019ll try it next time.\u201d She showed him how to use the microwave to reheat the meal and left him in Igrud\u2019s care while she moved to join some of the others watching a holo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She heard snippets of their conversation as Igrud replayed his racing victory over Kelly. After a few minutes, Jigan walked over and stood next to her. \u201cI don\u2019t know what to make of this. Guards and prisoners mingling, and you carry no weapons.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI get that a lot. I know you\u2019re a prisoner of war, and you know it, but that\u2019s no reason to treat you badly. Our job is to make sure you\u2019re safe and comfortable, and well-cared for until the war\u2019s over. We\u2019d rather act like a helpful neighbor than an overbearing guard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat said, though, if you cause trouble, there will be consequences. There are 214 guests here, and 307 staff. We do everything we can to solve problems before they get that far, though.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you need anything tonight you can ask your dorm mates, the staff on the floor, or the intercom on the wall near your door. Just push the button to talk and let the staff on duty know what you need.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jigan relaxed his posture. \u201cGood, no torture, but you haven\u2019t even asked me any questions. When are you going to interrogate me?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhy would we do that?\u201d Lissette asked. \u201cTorture doesn\u2019t work, and we can\u2019t trust anything you might have to say about military plans or anything of the sort. Trust me, I would make up all sorts of wild stories to muddy the intelligence picture.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThen why do you take prisoners, if not for information? Why not just kill us instead?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cKilling you is against the rules\u2026our rules, at least. The war may still be going on, but it will end, and when it does, would we be better off having treated you with kindness, or with punishment and deprivation? One promotes the ability to someday live side-by-side, while the other promotes more hatred.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou speak the truth.<\/em>\u201d Jigan sat on his haunches, head bowed low, his long arms behind him. Lissette recognized it as a submissive posture, and one used during formal apologies. \u201cI big sorry,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor what?\u201d she asked. \u201cYou\u2019ve done nothing wrong. Our peoples are at war, but all you\u2019ve done is be a soldier for your people. Look, you didn\u2019t start the war, I didn\u2019t start the war\u2026nobody here started the war. Politicians did that, and no matter how mad we are at them, that\u2019s not a reason to take it out on each other.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI big big sorry,\u201d he said again. \u201cOn behalf of my people\u2026I worked at a POW camp before I got sent to the front. Even the guard quarters were worse than this. It\u2019s day and night lockdown and questioning. And even though I was shooting at your kind just two suns ago, you are treating me with dignity and respect.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lissette knew maukan body language and knew how to respond to a formal apology. She placed her palm on his forehead and said, \u201cYour scales are clean, your blame molted.<\/em> I forgive you, Jigan. Now you need to forgive yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He raised his head to meet her gaze, and the oily tears she saw often from some of the prisoners \u2014 usually when talking about family and home \u2014 gathered at the edges of his eye-pits. Many of the other maukans had stopped what they were doing and watched Jigan’s formal apology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Igrud brought Jigan a cold beer from the fridge. \u201cYour scales are clean, cousin. This will help.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ivan cleared his throat calling attention to himself, where he had been playing chess with one of the maukans. \u201cIt\u2019s your move, man.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Igrud laughed. \u201cWay to read the mood, Ivan.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lissette joined in the laughter and the holo started up again as Jigan rose from his position. \u201cI believe I need to sleep now, if I may be allowed.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSure,\u201d Lissette answered. \u201cYou don\u2019t have to ask. We\u2019re all adults here, so make yourself at home. I\u2019ll be leaving after this holo and I\u2019m off tomorrow, but when I come in on Saturday, I\u2019ll check in with you first thing to see how you\u2019re adapting.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jigan walked on three limbs, knuckle-walking with his left arm while he drank the beer with his right. \u201cI don\u2019t know what this is, but I like it,<\/em>\u201d he called out. \u201cBig good. Big big good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ivan called out, \u201cBeer. Big big good!\u201d and got a laugh out of everyone, including Jigan.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

prompt: Set your story in a type of prison cell. available at Reedsy Lissette watched Igrud run around the track in his loping, knuckle-walking gait. The others of his kind engaged in various sport on …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[208],"tags":[210,228,209],"class_list":["post-2555","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-trunk-stories","tag-fiction","tag-science-fiction","tag-short-story"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pxT7i-Fd","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2555","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2555"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2555\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2556,"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2555\/revisions\/2556"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2555"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2555"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2555"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}