A Night at the Museum

Sedona left Tower One, headed back home to change out of her work clothes. Approaching the door of her apartment, she spied two shadows lurking in the passageway. She tensed slightly as her defense response instantly kicked into high gear. Who could it be?

By the time she put her wrist implant up to the door panel, she had a good guess. And as the two shapes jumped out at her, she turned with a smile.

“Look who I found,” laughed Merida.

“Hi Merida, hello Jakarta. Didn’t we plan to meet in the Square?”

“Yes, but each of us had decided to surprise you here,” answered Jakarta. “Instead, we surprised ourselves by turning up in the passageway together.” Merida was still laughing.

Sedona couldn’t help noticing the warmth when they grinned at each other and shoulder-bumped in a good-buddy move. “I didn’t know the two of you knew each other.” She was puzzled, having planned today’s outing so her two best friends could finally meet each other.

“Oh, we didn’t,” responded Jakarta. “We just realized who the other person must be by how you described us. And it was so funny how we both had the same idea for a prank.”

“Well, I’m glad we’re all such good friends already. Now, I don’t even have to introduce you to each other.” She smiled, waving them into the apartment. “Come on in and sit down while I change, then we can head off to the museum.”

“Yeah, it’s really good… OOF!” Said Jakarta as he and Merida tried to squeeze through the door at the same time. “…good timing,” he finished as they dissolved into laughter again.

Sedona just shook her head as she headed off to change. She bent down to scritch Snuggle’s ears as the cat wheeled into the lounge to see what the all the giggling was about.

Everyone was in high spirits as they entered the Museum block. Jakarta had been correct – most of the morning crowd had thinned out and they could take their time looking at the exhibits, rather than being shoved along.

The Museum was always a popular destination for off-work entertainment. The staff was skilled, constantly creating new displays, mostly based on Old Earth artifacts. Even the mandatory viewing of the “How We Got Here” display at the entrance gate was changed regularly. However, today they were showing a repeat – a segment of an old news program showing sub-humans attacking the city walls. Sedona had seen this video many times over the years and she felt angered at the destruction wrought by the greedy, evil creatures.

That event took place a millennium ago, during the destruction of Old Earth’s environment. The sub-humans had not begun to mutate yet and still appeared human. They resembled the residents of the city, which made their violence even more disturbing. There were trees visible in the video already beginning to show the effects of the breakdown of nature. They had broken branches, peeling bark, and only a few leaves left hanging. Sedona felt sickened by it.

The first object on display inside the museum was an antique chess set, exquisitely carved, made of ebony and ivory. Jakarta, a serious chess player, was very excited. Merida was quickly bored, especially since Go was her preferred game. Sedona studied the beautiful ebony pieces, made from a wood that was special and prized even in ancient times. But the ivory horrified her. Those parts were carved from pieces of an animal, probably one who was killed just for the ivory. All animals were long gone, none remained on the Earth. Except, of course for the robotic pets, designed to honor the memory of all the extinct lifeforms. And to keep the city dwellers happy.

Sedona and Merida left Jakarta behind, talking with other chess fans. There were several new exhibitions and Merida stopped at the clothing display. Sedona continued on to the furniture room where they were showing Art Deco pieces.

The three of them met up in the main room for dinner, and as they ate, Sedona realized they were the only group in the lounge area speaking with such enjoyment and enthusiasm. Most of the other diners were quietly eating, with a brief remark now and then. She found herself wondering why she and her friends seemed so lively in comparison. Just then, an older child reacted loudly to something said at his table. He was really making a fuss and the other diners seemed shocked. She heard a woman nearby say the child’s emotional outburst was in bad taste. Someone else answered, “he needs to have his meds adjusted.”

Turning her attention back to Jakarta and Merida, she couldn’t help noticing the way they were leaning toward each other as they spoke. They were almost touching. Was there something going on between them? They seemed to have forgotten about her entirely.

She didn’t mind, she was happy her two friends were getting along so well. But the intensity of their attraction worried her a little. Grown adults were permitted to have sex, but only casual sex. It was considered a minor recreation, like playing a game or listening to a concert. But real attraction, a relationship … that was taboo. Relationships like love could lead to all kinds of disruptive emotional reactions and might threaten the peace of the city.

Even just spending too much time with a friend could be cause for alarm. Sedona herself would have to hang out with other people on her next off-work days just to make sure she didn’t seem to be giving Jakarta or Merida preference. She hoped the two of them realized they could be heading toward a dangerous situation.

There was a brief flash of memory, something that happened in her childhood. A man and woman had done the unthinkable and fallen in love. Once it was discovered, they were forbidden to be near each other and were forced moved to separate areas of the city. But they were caught together again, and were punished by being exiled. They were put out. Out into the barren wastelands without even a tox-suit. Everyone in the city was scandalized.

She turned a worried look on her friends, only to find them both looking at her.

“Where did you go just then?” Merida asked with a puzzled look on her face.

“Oh, I was just daydreaming,” Sedona answered. She hoped she was mistaken about their attraction to each other. 

After a little more time talking and laughing, they all headed home. Saying goodbye, Sedona took a deep breath as she watched Merida and Jakarta go in opposite directions. Relief swept over her and she decided she had imagined the whole thing. Then she saw them turn around and look back at each other.