Hadrian's Rage

by Patricia-Marie Budd

  “We aren’t strai,” Kendra now pleads to the crowd. “We just lost a bet. We lost a bet. That’s all. To pay up, we had to walk around Uni Park, pretending we were strais.”

  The big man looks Kendra’s way before turning his scowls back at Sid. “That true?”

  Sid picks up where Kendra left off. “Yeah, man; it’s just a prank. We lost a bet. Our buddies made us do this.”

  “Fuckin’ stupid bet. Your friends must hate you.”

  “Yeah,” Kendra agrees, trying desperately to convince the man. “I would have been a lot happier having to down a dozen shooters or guzzle a mickey of rye.”

  This confession convinces the man and he laughs. Suddenly, he and Sid are best buds. He wraps an arm around Sid’s shoulder and gives him a shake. “You two were really good. I really thought you were a knife and a stab walking that way.”

  “Yeah, well,” Sid says as he breathes a sigh of relief, “that was part of the bet. We had to make it look real.”

  When Kendra is finally able to extricate Sid from his “new best friend,” the three of them head back to Sid’s place to debrief.

  “Man, I’m telling you,” Sid readily admits, “that man scared the shit out of me. I thought I was dead.”

  “I know,” Kendra concurs. “The way he grabbed me and shoved me…Look.” She points to the bruise on her left bicep. “That fucker really hurt me.” Now looking her brother’s way, she adds, “I had no idea what it feels like to be so hated. It’s horrible.” Shaking her head, looking directly into the vid cam Prasert is holding, she declares, “Everyone in Hadrian needs to know what this feels like.” Now talking directly to their future audience, she says, “If you could feel what Sid and I went through today, just for walking arm-in-arm, you would never want—you could never want—no decent human being could ever justify treating another person that way ever again!”

  *****

  41 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/the-filter/virals/

  11738047/Watch-what-happens-when-two-gay-men-

  hold-hands-while-walking-around-Moscow.html

  Hadrian’s Real News

  Shocking News!

  HRN—Melissa Eagleton Reporting

  Jason Warith, the Head of Hadrian’s National Reeducation System, has just resigned his post after exposing himself as heterosexual. This is perhaps the most shocking news to hit Hadrian’s wave since the exile of Angel Higgins and Grace Godoy for the brutal murder of Tara Fowler. According to Jason, it was this very act of senseless violence, a vicious attack against a person resulting from hate, that inspired him to reveal his true orientation. He said he could no longer live with the pretense that he was gay. He had studied reeducation at uni and went on to bring in many of the humane reforms so desperately needed in our reeducation camps, but for Jason, that simply isn’t enough. Jason turned down our offer to interview him, saying his coming out has brought with it a great deal of scorn and harsh words thrown his way. He wishes only to retire quietly now and avoid further bombardment of hate. But when he is ready, he promises to return to the forefront, or as he likes to call it, the front lines, in the fight for human rights in Hadrian, by joining forces with Dean Stuttgart and our founding mother, Destiny Stuttgart.

  Although he is not here to speak these words, Jason Warith has given me permission to quote him directly. When asked why he was giving up on reeducation, as he is clearly the “poster boy” for the reformed heterosexual, one who lives a celibate lifestyle, his reply was simple. “I no longer believe reeducation is needed to help Hadrian remain strong in its intent to counter world population. Reeducating our youth—forever branding the unlucky ones with the stigma of being straight and, therefore, imperfect, someone needing to be fixed or cured—will never bring humanity together as a whole. We need to become one people, a collective willing to work together towards peace and harmony and the resurrection of the planet earth. If we want to create a sustainable world once more, we will have to learn to live and love and work together as one. Tara Fowler’s death has convinced me that Hadrian needs to learn to accept all sexual orientations. I want to see a Hadrian that embraces humanity—not one that embraces hate.”

  Jason’s words resound poignantly in the wake of the social experiment that has gone viral over the wave. Two young students of Augustus Uni, the uni considered to be the most liberal-minded in accepting open straight and bisexual students, decided to see how loving and accepting Hadrian’s population really is. Siddhartha Seshadri and Kendra Schmidt, both gay, walked around Uni Park arm-in-arm. At first, they only experienced stares and the occasional glare. Fingerpointing and name-calling came next, and then the threat of violence ensued. The two had to lie their way out of being attacked by claiming to have lost a bet. If ever Jason Warith’s words ring true, people, it is in the aftermath of this social experiment.

  Truth, Hadrian! What you have just heard today is:

  TRUTH!

  Nothing Is Sometimes Everything

  “What do you mean ‘nothing’?”

  “I mean ‘nothing,’ Sissy. I get nothing.”

  Sissy and Jeremy are holding hands across the small wood table that doubles as a kitchen table and coffee table. Her small home is a small one-room cabin. One room serves as a kitchen, living room, and bedroom. Only one other room is attached to the back—the toilet/washroom. Sissy has never wanted more. In fact, she actually found her living quarters quite spacious, even after her lover moved in. Sadly, Quinton had been perceived as strai and beaten to death two years earlier. No charges were ever made, and no attempt on the part of Hadrian’s peace force or quadrant officials to investigate what happened was ever made. Even though this heart-wrenching experience taught her not to expect any fairness from Hadrian’s legal system, Sissy still remains dumbfounded that Jeremy is being cut off without any recompense. “But you worked that ranch for close to thirty years now. You raised two children there. Surely that has to count for something.”

  Jeremy’s voice is hollow. “If I fight him on this, he’ll out me as bi and play on the idea of incest.”

  “That’s ridiculous; we’re not genetic siblings, and, besides, there are lots of gay couples out there just like we were. They met through their parents just like we did.”

  “Irrelevant. They can’t procreate, whereas we can.”

  “Ridiculous. Besides, the odds of my getting pregnant at this age are slim to none.”

  “But not zero.” With frustration building, Jeremy’s anger bursts out. Letting go of Sissy’s hand, he slams his fist on the table, shouting, “The law’s the law, Sissy. I can’t change that.” Wisely giving her brother time to calm down, Sissy reaches across the table to rub Jeremy’s hand. “I’m sorry I blew up. It’s just, he’s got me by the balls, and there ain’t nothing I can do about.”

  Sissy refuses to give up. “Why not? The law’s not immutable. The Stuttgarts and the Hunters changed it.”

  Jeremy harrumphs at that, “We’re not the Stuttgarts or the Hunters.”

  “I know, but Mother Stuttgart, she’d support you.”

  “Get serious, Sissy. Who am I to go up to Mother Stuttgart and ask for help? Not only is she a national icon, but the woman doesn’t even know me.”

  “Haven’t you been watching Salve! and HRN? Mother Stuttgart’s been on both, and she’s a strong proponent for bi and straight rights. You should voc her.”

  “I wouldn’t even know where to begin.”

  “START BY CONTACTING MELISSA EAGLETON!”

  “Shit, Sissy; you think I know everybody.”

  “HRN has a contact button on its wave site.”

  “I know, but—”

  “But nothing; contact HRN and ask Melissa Eagleton to connect you with Mother Stuttgart.”

  Jeremy shakes his head in defeat. “I might as well fart in the wind.”

  “What in Hadrian’s name is that supposed to mean?”

  “No one upwind ever smells the likes of me.”

  “What?”

  “We
ain’t nobody, Sissy. Get that through your thick skull. Them folks live upwind of folks like us. They keep themselves sheltered from the wind so they don’t have to smell us. When changes are made, it’s because someone with money’s got a strong arm and other folks are willing to listen. No one listens to the likes of us. Face it, Sissy; it’s just you and me left. We cain’t afford no help. No one gets paid no more.”

  Sissy looks dejected. “I guess that means letting go of all our hands?”

  A depreciating nod precedes Jeremy’s words. “I’m sorry, baby girl. We got no choice. All we got to make our living by is this small piece of rocky clay and grass we feed our sheep on. We make it based on this.”

  “That’s not good enough. You can’t let him win. You’ve got to fight, Jeremy.”

  “If he outs me, Teril and May’ll find out.”

  “But they’re your kids. They love you.”

  “Lots of families turn their backs when someone is outed. ’Member that Middleton kid? And all them strai kids havin’ to live in the sewers? Damn, I wish there were something we could do to help them.”

  “We can.”

  Jeremy looks up. Sissy sounds so confident that he can’t help but be swept up. “How?”

  “We contact HRN.”

  Both dejected and angry, Jeremy practically growls, “I ain’t fighting Jake; I done told you that already.”

  “I know, but this isn’t about Jake. It’s about them kids. We could hire ’em on. Offer ’em a place to live.”

  “Sissy, be real. We just decided to lay off your entire staff and you want to hire these kids? We can’t afford hired help; I told you that already.”

  “No, no, no, you don’t understand.” Smiling now, hoping to set Jeremy at his ease, she says, “We could offer ’em food and shelter in exchange for work. Surely living in the sheepherders’ bunkhouse has got to be better than the sewers.”

  Flummoxed by the prospect, all Jeremy can sputter out is, “I don’t know.”

  “Why not? Least we can do is offer. If they turn us down, they turn us down. But if they accept, well, then with the extra manpower, we could maybe break even.”

  “I reckon we could try. Kinda adopt ’em like.”

  “Yeah. Now yer thinkin’. We could give ’em a home, food, and clothes, something to work for and help keep this old sheep farm afloat.” After a brief pause she adds, “Not everything’s impossible.”

  Jeremy smiles. “That might work, and it sure would be nice helpin’ them poor kids out.”

  “I’ll contact HRN.”

  “No mention of my situation, mind you.”

  “I promise, Jeremy; I won’t.” Pausing briefly, Sissy brings up a truly sore spot for Jeremy. “What about Teril and May?” Jeremy’s head sinks into his arms on the table. His sigh shudders with tears. “Don’t let Jake be the one to tell ’em. If you tell ’em, I know they’ll come around. If not right away, eventually. Trust them. Trust all them years you spent raisin’ ’em and lovin’ ’em.” Running her fingers through Jeremy’s hair, she adds, “I know them kids love you. Nothing can change that. I gotta believe that, Jeremy, and so do you.”

  *****

  Hadrian’s Real News

  Good News for Strai Youth

  HRN—Melissa Eagleton Reporting

  Hadrian, it is not very often these days that I am able to offer up some good news, especially news that pertains to our straight and bisexual youth. You may remember last year when I presented a Salve! on straight and bisexual youth living in the sewers of Hadrian. Sadly, I was still citing bigoted rhetoric and had even suggested that Hadrian’s Peace Force needs to sweep all the sewers clean to bring these children out of hiding.42 Well, as is evidenced by my Hadrian’s Real News broadcast, I have come to see the ignorance of my previous ways. Fortunately, I have since gained the trust, unworthy as I am, of these abandoned and desperate children. Look to the right screen and you will witness footage of my recent visit to their underground home.

  As you can see, I am being guided blindfolded down into Hadrian’s sewer system by a youth whose face and all evidence of gender has been blurred to protect this child’s identity. Once inside, with my blindfold removed, I saw before me these youth struggling to eke out an existence in a country that refuses to accept them for who they are. We were not allowed any sound, and the faces of all the youth are blurred out. But here, to my right, is a young heterosexual couple, the girl clearly pregnant. When I asked, she told me her last period was over six months ago. When I inquired into medical attention, her boyfriend sneered. He reminded me that doctors require credit, which none of these youth have, and Hadrian’s current propagation laws would require the young girl to have an abortion.

  The fact that this child was going to have a child in such horrific conditions encouraged me not to air this episode. All I could think of was how the peace officers would indeed sweep the sewers to find these youth and impose an abortion on these children. She cried when she was reminded of that prospect and begged me not to let that happen. “Why,” she asked, “can’t we make our own baby? Why does everything have to be IVF?” As she was choking on her tears, her boyfriend finished for her. He made sure I understood that they were not interested in having dozens of babies. “We only want this baby. We are each responsible for bringing one child into this world; why can’t a heterosexual couple bring two babies into the world the old-fashioned way?” When I inquired whether or not they could stop at two babies, he was adamant in the affirmative. “We’d use birth control if we could access it!”

  Maybe Hadrian needs to revisit its birth control laws.

  So why am I showing you this footage now? Because there is now hope for these youths. An individual who wishes to remain anonymous has offered food, clothing, and shelter to them in exchange for manual labor. When notified of this proposal, the youth were at first skeptical, but when they met with their benefactor, they accepted the kind offer, and now they are thrilled at the chance to start a new life somewhere where no one knows them as straight or bisexual. The young girl we saw will now be able to raise her child in a clean, loving home environment.

  I know many people will want me to expose these youth and the person generous enough to save them from their current circumstances, but I cannot. When I met with the youth from the sewers, I was blindfolded, and no one revealed their real names to me. The individual who is taking these youth also managed to contact me anonymously. I have never seen this person’s face, and I cannot even tell you the gender of the generous benefactor. Right now, I believe this is how it has to be. Until Hadrian’s laws are more inclusive, the identity of these youth and their benefactor will remain a profound secret. Hopefully, as profoundly kept as the name of the young woman who seduced and later exposed Todd Middleton.

  TRUTH!

  42 http://www.buzzfeed.com/lesterfeder/how-

  jamaicas-sodomy-laws-drive-gay-teens-into-the-sewers-of#.rrnZarwYP

  36 Questions43

  Dean and Geoffrey reconnect by using late twentieth century psychologist Arthur Aron’s Experimental Generation of Interpersonal Closeness.44 Dean had found this study on the wave while doing research for one of his psychology classes. When he first reached out to Geoffrey through the voc, he was saddened by how distant Geoffrey had become. Geoffrey’s reticence is both natural and expected; Dean recognizes he must do more than just compromise. He must win Geoffrey’s love. Woo him back. So he asks Geoffrey to start again. To this end, Dean commits to vocing Geoffrey every night. They both agreed that each night their voc convo will begin with one of Arthur Aron’s thirty-six questions for generating closeness. Aron’s study was brilliant and it has proven life-changing for Dean and Geoffrey. Dean started by asking the first question. “Given the choice of anyone in the world, whom would you want as a dinner guest?”

  Geoffrey fumbles. To hide his discomfort, he picks at a fringe on his housecoat. Geoffrey is seated at his desk in his and Dean’s bedroom. He was getting ready for bed when Dean voc’d
in. “Geez, Dean. Can I say you? Are we allowed to say the other person, or are we supposed to pick someone famous?”

  Dean’s reply is equally confused. He too stumbles. Like Geoffrey, Dean is in bedclothes. He is wearing the maroon silk pajamas Geoffrey had given him for Hadrian’s birthday a few years ago. Unlike Geoffrey, he is lounging on his bed. He runs his fingers along the buttons, causing the top one accidentally to pop open. Although Dean seems oblivious, Geoffrey notices. “To be honest,” Dean replies, “I’m not sure. If we can pick each other, truth be known, your name popped up first for me, too.”

  Geoffrey catches himself smiling. He forces a frown, though, as the fear of being hurt is still prevalent. “Well,” he says quickly to cover up his mixed emotions, “that was easy, then. What’s question two?”

  “Would you like to be famous? In what way?”

  “Absolutely not!”

  “Why not?” Dean was amazed at this sudden, very confident remark. Geoffrey was always the go-getter in their relationship. He ran a huge corporation, Hunter Detritus Fisheries, for close to twenty years, and then after selling majority shares to Hadrian’s government, he became CEO for Hadrian’s National Detritus Fisheries. Whether he likes it or not, he is at least somewhat famous in Hadrian.

  “Famous people can’t live human.”

  “That sounds strangely bigoted.”

  “It’s not. I don’t mean famous people aren’t human. I mean that everywhere they go, they get recognized and can’t just do normal things.”

  “Yeah, that’s true.” Dean is already learning so much more about his lover than even their twenty years of marriage had revealed.

  “What about you?” Geoffrey asks. “I’m guessing yes for you since you’ve been fighting your way into the news so much of late.”