a map I’ll know.” Imelda’s annoyance grew. It was none of his business where she was going. She had no intention of making it his business; he might gain access to her personnel files.
“I might be able to help you if you’d just...”
Imelda’s face lost all interest in Bill and she turned to go.
Bill's voice adopted the frustrated disgust characteristic of most people who had tried to reason with her. “All right, if you insist. Look under Cencom directory ‘architect’ and enter ‘where.’ You’ll get a complete set of maps.” As she followed his directions on her hip PC, his expression revealed his doubt that she’d know how to read a map, considering that she was obviously too stupid to understand clearly printed instructions.
Turning away, Imelda examined the map closely, paging through the different ship levels. The Research Center was cylindrical in design with fiberoptic cables carrying light from Iago inward to brighten even the most central passages. Several layers of corridors lined the edges of the cylinder like the staves of a barrel, taking advantage of the centripetal acceleration of the outer cylinder walls to mimic gravity. The power plants and maintenance areas were in the hub. The Administrative area, personnel quarters, and recreational facilities were arranged in the outer portion of the cylinder in order to take advantage of the greater simulated gravitational pull, while the research labs were located more interiorly.
Strange, no corridor seven on the research wing, but there was one in administration with the right room number. Maybe she hadn’t been assigned a work center yet. She glanced back at Bill. He was staring at her rump with an odd expression.
With a look that dripped icicles, she left. Bill suffered from androgen excess to judge by appearances.
Imelda glanced at a distorted reflection of herself on the metallic wall of the hallway. Regulation scrubs, no makeup, hair lopped off in an unflattering bob, the guy had to be desperate. Maybe you got that way sitting in hallways.
Her mind flickered back to the writings of Gloria 8889. Leader of the Lesbian Revolution in 2193. She had hated men and had led a group of women to a new planet supplied with a warehouse of stored sperm. When their plan was discovered, men and heterosexual women of the era had gone nuts, demanding the planet blown up. Her theories were interesting though, if you really wanted to hate men. Her ‘les’ psychiatrist had tried to drill them into her head as part of her ‘retraining.’
Society has created numerous rules to regulate and decrease male aggression, including clothing to hide genitalia, statutory limitations on the number of mates, protective laws for females, prohibition of murder, mandated equality under the law, sports activities to channel aggression, and marital contracts for the stability and protection of the family.
Non-dominant males fight constantly against the social regulation of their reproductive instinct. Organized societies battle constantly in favor of regulation, in order to maintain a peaceful and safe environment for social progress and for raising children. Inherent in this struggle is the evolutionary belief that physical prowess is not the only characteristic that should provide competitive success. Over time, the most enduring societies have been those that best regulate aggressive male instincts and support social cooperation.”
According to Gloria’s theory, Bill and Straiss were both examples of frustrated non-dominant men attempting to ignore a social regulation that they can’t comprehend and attack every female in sight. Not true of course. They simply thought that she was good-looking, even dressed as a slob. The pickings must truly be grim out here.
Finally, Corridor seven. Another secretary worked busily near the entrance. Imelda approached the secretary cautiously,
“I might be able to help you if you’d just...”
Imelda’s face lost all interest in Bill and she turned to go.
Bill's voice adopted the frustrated disgust characteristic of most people who had tried to reason with her. “All right, if you insist. Look under Cencom directory ‘architect’ and enter ‘where.’ You’ll get a complete set of maps.” As she followed his directions on her hip PC, his expression revealed his doubt that she’d know how to read a map, considering that she was obviously too stupid to understand clearly printed instructions.
Turning away, Imelda examined the map closely, paging through the different ship levels. The Research Center was cylindrical in design with fiberoptic cables carrying light from Iago inward to brighten even the most central passages. Several layers of corridors lined the edges of the cylinder like the staves of a barrel, taking advantage of the centripetal acceleration of the outer cylinder walls to mimic gravity. The power plants and maintenance areas were in the hub. The Administrative area, personnel quarters, and recreational facilities were arranged in the outer portion of the cylinder in order to take advantage of the greater simulated gravitational pull, while the research labs were located more interiorly.
Strange, no corridor seven on the research wing, but there was one in administration with the right room number. Maybe she hadn’t been assigned a work center yet. She glanced back at Bill. He was staring at her rump with an odd expression.
With a look that dripped icicles, she left. Bill suffered from androgen excess to judge by appearances.
Imelda glanced at a distorted reflection of herself on the metallic wall of the hallway. Regulation scrubs, no makeup, hair lopped off in an unflattering bob, the guy had to be desperate. Maybe you got that way sitting in hallways.
Her mind flickered back to the writings of Gloria 8889. Leader of the Lesbian Revolution in 2193. She had hated men and had led a group of women to a new planet supplied with a warehouse of stored sperm. When their plan was discovered, men and heterosexual women of the era had gone nuts, demanding the planet blown up. Her theories were interesting though, if you really wanted to hate men. Her ‘les’ psychiatrist had tried to drill them into her head as part of her ‘retraining.’
Society has created numerous rules to regulate and decrease male aggression, including clothing to hide genitalia, statutory limitations on the number of mates, protective laws for females, prohibition of murder, mandated equality under the law, sports activities to channel aggression, and marital contracts for the stability and protection of the family.
Non-dominant males fight constantly against the social regulation of their reproductive instinct. Organized societies battle constantly in favor of regulation, in order to maintain a peaceful and safe environment for social progress and for raising children. Inherent in this struggle is the evolutionary belief that physical prowess is not the only characteristic that should provide competitive success. Over time, the most enduring societies have been those that best regulate aggressive male instincts and support social cooperation.”
According to Gloria’s theory, Bill and Straiss were both examples of frustrated non-dominant men attempting to ignore a social regulation that they can’t comprehend and attack every female in sight. Not true of course. They simply thought that she was good-looking, even dressed as a slob. The pickings must truly be grim out here.
Finally, Corridor seven. Another secretary worked busily near the entrance. Imelda approached the secretary cautiously,
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