A Year of Stories

The King's Stew

1.

"Miles, wake up..."

There's nothing I hate more than waking up. That might have something to do with the fact that I sleep in a box, six feet long by four feet wide. A box that can sense my heart rate and breathing patterns, and uses that information to flood itself with light whenever it realizes I'm no longer dreaming.

"Helen, is that you?"

I already know the answer. What other voice would be in my head this early in the morning?

"Yes Miles, it's me, and you need to be awake and dressed."

Neither of those things are true.

"Helen, this is where you and I are going to have to disagree. All the meals have been Designed for the next week, and I have enough Access to know that the Fabricators are humming along just fine without me."

Every light in my pod flares to life, and alarms both inside my head and from speakers hidden throughout the coffin I call home, start broadcasting a sound ten decibels away from being considered a war crime.

"I'm not here to argue with you Miles. Baron Tanaka has requested an audience. Get dressed."

Baron Tanaka?

Oh.

I get dressed.

2.

I live on The World Train.

Well, not The World Train itself, I don't make nearly enough Exchange for that. I'm just a Functionary on one of the dozens of satellite cars that clothe and feed and water the train proper.

Truthfully, I'm lucky to even be here.

I graduated from School near the bottom of my class, which usually earns you – if you don't just punt and join the Campus – a one way ticket to the Unincorporated Zones.

Thankfully, in my final year, I took a few cooking classes and Lord Kaija "Sunkissed" Boon took pity, underwriting me as a Functionary for her food Design Concern.

As it turns out, cooking on a train that never stops moving is harder than it sounds, and the fact that I showed some talent, was incredibly cheap, and stand at 5 feet 8 inches tall in boots, made me the perfect candidate.

"Helen, I apologize if this sounds rude, but what in the name of Apollo's forelocks could Baron Tanaka want with me?"

Helen manifested herself to my left, wearing a scarlet bodice and matching skirt that would have fit two of me underneath. Her honey-colored hair was long and hung in ringlets around her shoulders, taking up even more room.