Ripeness is All

Jesse Roarke

Description

Although set in a dystopian future, Jesse Roarke's short story "Ripeness is All" takes its title from a line in Shakespeare's King Lear, and there is a sense of a kind of timeless tragedy that rises to the surface in the tale. Brief but beautifully written, this fable-like story underscores the fact that even the most wondrous technological advances don't guarantee one's happiness.

Sujets

• Science fiction

Informations

• Publié par: The Floating Press
• Date de parution: 01 février 2014
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781776531219
• Langue: English

Extrait

RIPENESS IS ALL
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JESSE ROARKE
 
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Ripeness is All First published in 1962 Epub ISBN 978-1-77653-121-9 Also available: PDF ISBN 978-1-77653-122-6 © 2013 The Floating Press and its licensors. All rights reserved. While every effort has been used to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information contained in The Floating Press edition of this book, The Floating Press does not assume liability or responsibility for any errors or omissions in this book. The Floating Press does not accept responsibility for loss suffered as a result of reliance upon the accuracy or currency of information contained in this book. Do not use while operating a motor vehicle or heavy equipment. Many suitcases look alike. Visit www.thefloatingpress.com
Ripeness Is All
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Shakespeare wrote it, in the tragedy of King Lear—a phrase to live by:
Men must endure Their going hence, even as their coming hither;
He was disturbed, but he did not know it. Murky, agitated waters creptup in his vast subconscious world, and sought the threshold, the mouthof the pit, the slope of the clean shore; little rainbows of lightnow and then flashed over the waters. They heaved, and against thesluice-gates they beat, sullenly. There was a yielding, but the greatforce was contained.
He left his Pad, curiously mopping his brow a little, and furrowing itbetween the eyes. It came to him that he was hungry. He stepped to thecurb, pushed the button, and leaned against the post, as if waiting, orin thought. Almost immediately a Car appeared, in a cheery orange andgreen. He almost shuddered, and he almost knew that he did so. Then hebrightened, stepped into the car, and voiced his desire.
He was carried at a moderate pace through clean, broad streets and pastbright, shiny buildings and smiling parks and gardens. He came to thetop of a high hill, saw the sparkling blue bay in the distance, andthought vaguely of sailing upon it. On his face he felt a brisk spray,and the air was tanged with salt. Then a warmed, faintly perfumedglow dried and composed him, and the Car shut off all its machineryand glided to a stop. He got out, ever so comfortable, and entered aluxurious Kitchen, in which he had not dined for several days.
The doors opened automatically, and a smiling android, gaily featuredand clothed, conducted him to a table. She was a soothing sight: yes,that's what it was. He ordered a sumptuous meal, rubbing his amplewaistline in anticipation.
"Dig dig!" crooned the waitress.
He patted good-naturedly her well-moulded behind as she turned; sheglowed sweetly back over her soft and delicate shoulder. He wondered ifMeg was enough, and decided that, well, for the time being, he guessedshe was. No use hurrying things. The waitress returned and served themeal. As always, it was excellent. He finished with a leisurely bottleof wine and a cigar, pinched the waitress's firm yet ever so yieldingthigh, and departed.
Then a deep stirring almost took hold upon him. Yes, that was whathe needed. It had been several months now. He pushed another button,and a rosy pink Car appeared to his service. "Take me to a House, youknow what I mean?" he said, as he arranged himself upon the pearl greycushions. The Car glided away.
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On and on along the shore of the ocean they pleasantly careened. Atlength they turned into a rich garden bower, and stopped in front ofa great mansion overlooking the waves. He alighted; the Car departed.Profusely bloomed scarlet and golden and azure flowers, everywhere;succulent and bright was the lavish green. The doors opened, and a Womanreceived him. She was past child-bearing, motherly, and smiling.
He smiled back, and said, "You got one, huh?"
"Of course," she answered.
He sat down to wait.
And while he waited, he almost thought. Meg was good, all right, butwhy wasn't she enough, sometimes? He tapped his thumb-nail against histeeth in a few moments of near perplexity, and then desisted. Soon abevy of charming Girls entered the room and paraded for him, laughingand smiling. He settled upon a petite brunette with cherry lips. Shestripped him of his clothes, and they went walking in a private garden.
In an inner bower they sat down to a rustic table, and were served byrobot with a heady aphrodisiac wine. On the grasses and the petalsof flowers, overlooking the sea, they entwined their limbs and theirbodies, and he nearly enjoyed her. He thought that once he had enjoyedthis activity indeed, and wondered whether it were so.
He sat looking over the waters, trying to muse. The androids werephysically perfect, flesh meeting flesh, clinging to it, thrilling withit. They were warm, they whispered, they strained and cried. They werefreely available, for every man and woman. None need be unsatisfied.
But he did not know all of this, history and psychology were lost tohim and he could never keep a connected train of thought; his beingunsatisfied could not penetrate to his consciousness. He did not quiteknow that flesh cried out for something more than flesh, and hadalways done so. He did know, more or less, that there was the matterof population, and that real men and real women had, at mysteriousintervals, to copulate. That was the way it was. He had once spent sometime in a House himself, meeting the requirements of an endless varietyof Girls.