Beauty in the Bones: Season 1

Episode 20: The Portent

Many would welcome the ability to see into the future, while others preferred the ignorance bestowed by linear time. Some, such as myself, were trapped between.

The subject arose one evening, while Gerald and I played chess in our room.

"I wonder what our next year will be like," he said. "We'll have even more responsibilities when we're upperclassmen. I wish I had a crystal ball or magic wand of sorts, so I might look ahead, and know what to expect."

"Knight takes rook. Check." I set my piece triumphantly, and pilfered his, rolling it between my fingers with satisfaction. "Are you sure you'd like to know? If you did, you might decline to take action, for fear of possibility."

He scratched the back of his neck, pondering both the move and the concept. "I suppose. Do you believe we can't see into the future, then? That everything is up to chance?"

"Not chance--choice. What we do is much more important than what happens."

"I've never thought of it that way before. Bishop takes knight. Your move."

I grinned. "Everything we're taught emphasizes achievement. I think this is useful to a certain degree. But it never works out as planned. It's better to take the leap, hold your breath, and hope you can swim through it. Queen to B5. Check again."

"I do see your point. Even if you knew what was going to happen tomorrow, getting there would be the next unknown. Since we don't know either way, and we have no control, we might as well dive in. Rook takes Queen. Check yourself."

"A stand-off, is it? This battle's about to turn. I've learned much since I came to Chamberlayne, and not all in the classroom. We have some control, though only in how we decide to take action. And there's never only one way to do it. Bishop takes rook. Checkmate."

He laughed. "Well played. You just bowled me over on every level possible."

"It's a new perspective I've reached of late. I hope it makes sense. Sometimes I barely understand it myself."

"Oh, it made perfect sense. I'm just a little stunned. I never considered you as a philosophical type."

I sipped my hot tea, then helped him put the game away. "I'm not. Think of me as more of a seeker."

"That's odd, but it suits you."

We finished our homework afterward.

Later, he chatted with Alys via wristcom, and I browsed the Net.

Out of curiosity, I tuned to the Society News hub. I rarely watched it. Sometimes it was amusing, or good for shock value.

The host, Mr. Salinger Reid, presented his signature grin, and his famous oversized brass microphone. It was he whom Father had struck, the night Mother nearly terminated me. He was one of the most recognized celebrities across the worlds, a remorseless yet dedicated gossip columnist. I expected him to launch into another gasping tirade about love triangles, or what the holo-cinema stars wore to their latest party. Instead, he sighed, and adjusted his glittering tie before the flashing cameras.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. We have breaking news across the network. The Bureau and the Homeworld Security Council have just issued a report of Pruessian transport vessels sighted off the Amerixcan coast. The enemy retreated to neutral zones when the Guard arrived, but we remain on high alert. Stay tuned to your favored channel for updates. And now we return to your scheduled program here on Society News."

A peculiar chill crept along me. I turned off the interface when Gerald ended his call.

"Have you heard the latest news?" I asked. "Apparently the Kaezer is jaunting about the shoreline."