Sex Culture in the 23rd Century Ch. 04

He sat silently while she read it, watching her feet, still in high heel shoes, play around under her desk, and wondered what it might be like to rub them. After a while, Fredrik looked up at her large breasts, which seems to sag a little under her tight satin shirt. Again, he felt this inexplicable feeling of attraction, to a body type he had never felt this kind of interest in before. But he couldn't take his eyes off those marvelous breasts! Unfortunately, Madeline chose that moment to look up and saw what he was looking at. She always seemed to know when to catch him in the act!

But Madeleine only smiled with those luscious red lips. "Very good," she said. "Very good indeed. I've made a few minor corrections, but this will go out on the newsfeed tonight. By dinner, you'll be famous."

That was it? His article has been approved? That was easy! Too easy?

"Thank yew! Oh, thank yew!" said Fredrik.

"Thank you," said Madeline, and those bright, plush red lips smiled at him. Then she said the four most disappointing words of the day. "You may go now."

********

The Global Consciousness Women's Painting Collective was located in the Susan G. Noman Building on Amelia Earhart Way. Laura's guide, a very friendly woman named Michaela Iberian Quiche, led her into a series of artist studios.

"Laura, I'd like to introduce you to the Director of The Global Consciousness Women's Painting Collective 12-B. This is Maria Group Hug. Hi, how are you, I'm fine!"

"Hi, how are you, I'm fine," said a smiling, slightly overweight woman. "And you must be Laura."

"Hi, how are yew, Ay'm fine," said Laura obediently.

"So nice to hear that," said Maria Group Hug. She seemed like a friendly fat lady. "I understand you're quite a talented artist."

Laura found herself blushing. "I'm an amatarr, really."

Maria put a pudgy arm around her. "But where do virtuosos initially come from, if not the ranks of amateurs? Come, come, let me introduce you to our little colony."

"Be seeing you," said Michaela, giving Laura some kind of salute with curved fingers.

"And yew," said Laura.

Maria took her around. Artists were working with things that looked like wands, not paintbrushes. And they were painting not on canvases, but on the air, on holographic canvasses. It all had a very futuristic look to it. Everyone seemed to be doing some kind of abstract art project.

"Laura, this is Amber," said Maria.

"Hiiiiii," said Amber, smiling dreamily at them.

"Hello," said Laura.

Amber had a tray full of pills by her side, and a Weed mask. She took a deep breath from it, and then turned back to them. "So... nice... to.... meeeet you," she said. She shook Laura's hand. She had very sweaty palms. Laura self consciously wiped her hand on her ass when no one was looking.

"Amber is one of our foremost Weed artists," said Maria.

"She paints... Weed?" said Laura, trying to make sense of the abstract shapes on the virtual canvas.

"No, she's on it," said Maria. "Some of our artists do their best work when they are high on Weed. Amber was high on Weed for a record 22 days while she painted a collage for the Reconditioning Center at the University of Repurposed Paradigms."

"Oh, that's... impressive," said Laura, not sure what to say.

The tour continued. "And over here we have Emma Meat Patty."

Emma Meat Patty did not turn to face them, but kept painting.

"Emma, we have a new artist in residence."

"That's nice," said Emma.

"Emma, wouldn't you like to say hello?"

Emma turned. "Oh. You're that one. We were told about you. Welcome." And she turned back to her painting.

As they walked on Maria said, "Emma is a bit high strung. She's quite brilliant, though."

Mary took Laura to meet another artist. "And here we have Benji Best Buy." She introduced Laura to a handsome young man in his 20's, wearing a pink dress. "Benji is our token man. We are in the process of teaching him what femininity is all about."

"Hi, hello, how are you," said the man in a very soft voice, not meeting her gaze. He seemed shy.

They walked on. "And last but not least is perhaps our most brilliant artist," said Maria, taking her inside an enclosed studio, separated from the others.

The artist in residence, with her back to them, said, "You flatter me, Maria." Then she turned around, and faced Laura.

"Hi, hello, how are you? I'm Mary Elizabeth Coca Cola," she said, extending a hand. Mary Elizabeth looked to be only a few years older than Laura, perhaps closer to 30 years of age, but she had an air about her as if she were emotionally much more mature than her calendar age. Any man would have found her gorgeous. She had long, straight brown hair, bright red lips, and piercing green eyes. Those eyes stared into Laura, and she suddenly felt breathless, as if she had just run a marathon. Suddenly, she felt both nervous and excited.

Laura reached out and tentatively shook Mary Elizabeth's hand, and felt a tremor inside of herself. "Nice to meet yew," she managed to whisper.

"Laura's going to be painting with us," said Maria.

"So I've heard," said Mary Elizabeth, giving a small smile, as if she had heard much more than that. Laura involuntarily shivered.

"I was going to assign Emma to be her mentor, unless you want to," said Maria.

Emma, the snobby one.

Mary Elizabeth looked at the play of emotions going across Laura's face. "Well, if Laura wants Emma to be her mentor, that's fine."

Laura found herself speaking quickly. "Emma looks really... busy. I don't want to be a burden on her."

"Would Laura be a burden to you, Mary Elizabeth?" Maria asked.

Mary Elizabeth studied Laura for a long moment, as if she were considering the question. Her eyes seemed to sparkle and flirt with Laura. Laura shifted nervously. Then Mary Elizabeth smiled. "No, I don't think she would."

"Would that be all right with you, Laura? If Mary Elizabeth was your mentor? You can always request someone else, if you're unhappy," said Maria.

"No, no, she'll be fine, really," said Laura, a little too quickly, a little too enthusiastically, she feared.

"Good," said Maria. "Then I'll leave you two to get acquainted. Be seeing you."

Suddenly, Laura found herself alone with Mary Elizabeth. Mary Elizabeth smiled at her with those sparkling green eyes. Laura found herself in desperate need to fill the silence. She had been so awed by Mary Elizabeth's face that she hadn't bothered looking anywhere else. Suddenly, she noticed that Mary Elizabeth's artwork was different from the others. Her specialty wasn't abstract art. It was nudes.

Women's nudes.

And Mary Elizabeth actually used canvases, unlike the others, and also used paints. Real paints. Mary Elizabeth's white shirt was splattered in different colors. Through the stain patterns Laura suddenly noticed Mary Elizabeth's large, firm breasts.

Mary Elizabeth looked at Laura's gaze. "You noticed," she smiled.

"Noticed what?" said Laura.

"They're real," said Mary Elizabeth, and for a moment Laura wasn't exactly sure what Mary Elizabeth was referring to. "I've always been a bit old fashioned. Using real paints. The Community accepts it, prizing diversity of all forms. We're all exclusive until we're all inclusive."

"That's true... yes," Laura babbled. Why was she feeling so excited? She had met women before, and had never reacted like she had to Mary Elizabeth.

"Let's get you set up."

Mary Elizabeth took Laura to what was to be her own work area, in the open workspace housing the other artists. To Laura's disappointment, there were no paints, only an electric brush.

Laura picked up a wand-like device which was presumably the brush. "I don't know how...."

Mary Elizabeth smiled and said, "Canvas." A holographic canvas appeared in the air. "May I?" she asked.

May you what? Laura didn't know... but it didn't matter. "Yes, please," said Laura, not sure what she was agreeing to, but that didn't matter either.

Mary Elizabeth took Laura's hand, gently. As she did so, she looked deeply into Laura's eyes for a moment, as if this were something special, the first time they had touched.

Then Mary Elizabeth turned her attention to the virtual canvas, and directed Laura's hand. "Like this." A black line started to appear. Mary Elizabeth moved Laura's hand gracefully, and a second black line appeared.

"What if I want to change the size or color of the line I'm drawing?" said Laura.

"Green half inch," said Mary Elizabeth, smiling at her. The wand drew that color, under her guiding hand. Then, "Magenta quarter inch, 50%", and the brush drew magenta, but a softer line. Then she said, "Eraser". And she waved the wand over a line, erasing it.

"You can't do that with a real painting, of course," said Mary Elizabeth. "But I still prefer my paints. The tactile sensation of paints on canvas, the smells of the pigments... it can be... intoxicating," she said, looking closely at Laura.

"Yes," Laura breathed, her small Asian breasts momentarily heaving.

"I'll leave you to it, then," said Mary Elizabeth. "Let me know when you create your first masterpiece." She casually walked away, and Laura watched her backside sway as she went.

When Mary Elizabeth left, Laura discovered that she had been perspiring. What was going on here? Mary Elizabeth was a very nice lady, but Laura couldn't be attracted to her. Laura had never been attracted to women. Ever.

She must simply be nervous and confused by her new environment. She set herself down and started to paint.

After a few hours, Laura went to a lunch break with the other artists. But to her disappointment, Mary Elizabeth was not there. After lunch, Laura returned to work. She pushed all thoughts of Mary Elizabeth out of her mind and focused on a scene she remembered, a beautiful stand of trees on Grimault Island. It had been last spring, when she and Fredrik had taken a canoe and gone out there with a picnic lunch. After enjoying the lunch, the inevitable happened, and after that, she remembered lying in his arms, watching the trees.

She painted with determination and vigor, and by late afternoon was done. Laura was always a very quick painter. When she had an image in her mind, she got to it and put it on canvas. The look of it as a hologram didn't do a real painting justice, but in her mind it was as close as she could have come to the real thing.

Exhausted, she went over to Mary Elizabeth's studio. Mary Elizabeth was working on another nude, a black woman with green eyes, sharp shoulders, and very pointed breasts. All her nudes were female, Laura noted, looking at the ones hanging on the walls in Mary Elizabeth's studio. The subjects in the paintings seemed eager, energetic, and vivacious. Like Mary Elizabeth herself.

Mary Elizabeth suddenly noticed her. "Why hello there," she said, smiling.

"Hi," Laura smiled shyly. "I've painted something," she added, in a small voice.

"I'd love to see it, if you're willing to let me look," said Mary Elizabeth. If you're willing to let me look. There was something in her choice of words. Something more. About asking to be invited, asking to see some part of her. Was Mary Elizabeth toying with her, teasing her?

Laura led Mary Elizabeth back to her workspace. When Mary Elizabeth saw the painting, she stood in front of it for a moment.

And then another moment. And then another after that.

"What... what do you think?" Laura asked anxiously.

Mary Elizabeth turned to face her, not twelve inches away. "Incredible" she breathed. "This is so vital, so raw, so passionate." She pointed to the images of the trees, swaying in the breeze. "It's so lifelike. You can almost reach out and touch the wood, the vitality, the hardness of it." She looked intently at Laura as she said it.

"Yes," said Laura, her heart racing.

"And the tall grasses. I can see them, but I can also feel them. So soft, and gentle to the touch, correct?"

"Yes," said Laura again, smiling now.

"I get the feeling... that this place is special to you. A place of... excitement? Maybe... a place... of passion."

Laura turned away, blushing.

She felt gentle hands on her shoulders, turning her.

"Never be embarrassed by your art. Never," said Mary Elizabeth.

Laura nervously forced herself to look Mary Elizabeth in the eyes. Her green eyes were soft and compassionate. "This is what artists do. We share ourselves, through our art. And by putting a part of ourselves into our art, and having others see our art, we Connect with the Community in a unique way which no one else can. Through our work, we achieve Oneness." She spoke the words softly, as if describing an intimate act of love. Her hands seemed to caress the back of Laura's shoulders, ever so slightly.

Laura paused, and then said quietly, "I understand."

"I knew you would," said Mary Elizabeth, ever so softly. Her hand traced the back of Laura's, just for a moment longer, like a coda. Then she raised her voice. "Come! Let us call the others. Everyone must see the masterpiece you have created, on your very first day, no less!"

**********

A helpful guide led Manu to his workplace, a cultural subgroup of the Happy Prime Ethnic Architecture Institute, in the Vertically Challenged African, Satisfied Pacific Islanders, and Bisexual Japanese Workgroup. Manu was introduced to the head of the subgroup, a short black man named Roark Diversity Funnel.

"Hi, how are you? I'm fine," said Roark. "It's so nice to meet you, Manu." The short black man vigorously shook his hand. "So, you are to be our new architect!"

"I want to be," said Manu hesitantly. "But I've never been trained in it."

"Training? My boy, this is the 23rd century. Training went out with the dodo. Virtue is key."

"Virtue?"

"Yes," said Roark. "With virtue, you can do anything you set your mind to. Come! Let me introduce you to some of the other members of the cultural smallgroup."

He led Roark to an open workspace where people were manipulating diagrams of buildings on three dimensional holographic displays.

Roark pointed out the other workers. "Over there is Leilani Demand Justice." He indicated a woman of possibly Hawaiian descent. "She's one of our most socially minded builders." Next he indicated a thin Japanese man wearing a pink dress. "And over there is Haruto Queer Straight. Haruto's specialty is dealing with the sexuality of architecture."

"The sexuality of architechar?" said Manu, clearly confused.

"Architecture fundamentally projects sexuality. Consider buildings with tall, pointed ends. What do you think that's all about?"

"Uh..."

"They're phallic symbols, man, phallic! A fundamentally symbolically architecturally gender and sexual imbalance can destroy an otherwise harmonious Community. When you have an overrepresentation of one kind of shape and an underrepresentation of another, the buildings silently scream of sexism, which creates division in the Community. And you wouldn't want to do that, would you?"

"No," said Manu quickly.

"Good. " Roark introduced Manu to the other members of the subgroup. Then he took Manu over to a desk with a wand on it. "Compose," he said, and a holographic diagram appeared. "Are you ready to begin?'

"Begin?" said Manu.

"Haruto will show you how, won't you Haruto?" said Roark.

"I'd be happy to," said Haruto, elegantly getting up and walking sinuously to Manu, like a cat. "So good to have you with us," said Haruto, speaking softly as he leaned over Manu's shoulder.

"Thanks," said Manu.

"Now, take the wand in your hand," said Haruto, indicating the one sitting on his desk. Manu complied. "Now start to draw."

Manu started to draw. Haruto explained how, through verbal commands, Manu could change the composition or the size of the materials being drawn.

"But... aren't there all kinds of rules? How much weight things have to be able to hold up, and so on?"

"Oh, the interface will fix that for you," said Haruto. "You just tell it the design you want."

It seemed so simple. In seconds, Manu had drawn the simple outlines of a small house.

"Complete," said Haruto, and it turned into the image of a finished house!

"That's easy," said Manu.

"Yes," said Haruto.

"So... what's my first assignment?" Manu asked.

"The choice is always yours," said Haruto, and Manu felt a small shiver down his spine when he said that. "What would you like as your first assignment?"

"What do you mean?" said Manu. "I can't just design anything, can I?"

"Of course you can," said Haruto.

"Let me make sure I have this straight," said Manu, instantly regretting the use of the word 'straight' in front of Haruto. But he didn't seem to have offended. Manu said, "If I understand you correctly, I can design anything, anything at oll?"

"That's right," said Manu.

"A big building?"

"Yes."

"A giant bridge?"

"Yes."

"Amazing," said Manu.

"Yes," said Haruto, leaning close. Manu felt Haruto's hot breath on his face. "The Community just keeps making life better and better. Enjoy. Let me know if you have any questions."

Manu got to work. On his very first bridge!

********

Rowenka's posting was to the Beverly Rectum Institute for the Study of the Global Human Infestation, specifically in the Office of Global Guilt and Atonement. There she met her boss, a very nice man named Liam Real Love.

"So good to have you with us," said Liam, shaking her hands vigorously. Liam was a heavyset balding man in his 50's. "I'm certain our work can only benefit from your scientific input!"

"I'm not exactly trained as a scientist," said Rowenka.

"That doesn't matter," said Liam dismissively. "All you need is the proper ideological perspective."

"What exactly is the nature of your work here?" Rowenka asked.

"We study Temperature Change," said Liam.

"What?"

"The earth's temperature is changing!" said Liam. "This morning it was 52 degrees. By 2 o'clock, it will be 72 degrees. That's a twenty point temperature swing in just a few hours!"

"So?" said Rowenka, shrugging.

"Two hundred years ago, it didn't used to be that way. Our records show that back then, the temperature was almost unchanging, always between 68 and 72 degree. And five hundred years ago, the temperature was a constant 72 degrees year around!"

"How do yew knauw what the temperature was 500 years ago, when there were no thermometers?" Rowenka asked.

"Science, my dear, it's science! And science, guided by the agenda of the Community, tells us that womanandmankind are destroying the planet, slowly but surely."

"How?"

"Temperature Change! Wind! Rain! Snow! Hurricanes! Earthquakes! All caused by the behavior of womanandmankind," said Liam.

"How?" said Rowenka again. "How do we cause it?"

"In many different ways," said Liam. "Imagine 12 billion people on the Earth, each one taking a simple footstep. 12 billion footsteps! That's bound to have an impact on the stability of the planet! It shakes up ecosystems, it shakes up the weather, it shakes up our whole ecology! And then there is energy. Every time we burn energy, minute vibrations seep into the Earth, further destabilizing our ecosystems. Buildings also make it worse. The Earth was not made to have large, unnatural shapes like buildings pressed into it. It depresses the soil, only exacerbating the cycle of Temperature Change."

"So... what can be done about it?"

"The Community is working to limit the damage. We strictly limit the use of electrical power. We push people into densely urbanized cities to reduce our global footprint and impact on the environment. We live in very small apartments to reduce our footprints further, and take virtually waterless showers to reduce our greedy demand for the liquids of Gaia. We recycle everything, and I do mean everything: water, clothes, food, and more, to reduce the drain on global resources."