19centconstable | Case #9: Video

[George is holding his communicator in one hand and filming himself as he waves cheerfully. He turns the camera briefly to show a group of aliens sat at a small table amidst what looks like a futuristic street fair who are waving cheerfully back. They are about nine feet tall, and hairy, with sharp talons on their fingers. They are wearing breathing-masks. They are also wearing slacks and crisply pressed button-down shirts. The camera turns back on George, as he continues to stride through the bazaar.]

I've just been speaking to some terribly nice Martians about Martian Jesus! I'm afraid a good deal of it all went straight over my head, but they did give me book which...

[George glances down at, presumably, the book in his hand.]

...appears to be about the Greek God Dionysus. I'm not sure what that has to do with anything, but it was quite kind of them nevertheless. They also tested my levels of stress, although I really don't believe I'm under any undue amount of it, and invited me to come to their church tomorrow, although I think I'm going to decline.

[George draws closer to his communicator and imparts in a hushed voice:]

I believe they may have been Mormons.

[He draws back and makes a face that's equal parts "yikes", and "Mormons: whattayagonnado? They're really nice and it's hard to hold it against them".]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

They don't mind that you've loved someone before them? I would mind a bit.

Not at all. Hell, half of them just want to have one good night. I guess it's not really the first thing I tell people, though, and they don't generally know unless I tell them. In 2011, though? Half of all marriages end in divorce. People have gotten self-centered and greedy. You can't really blame them, with all these messages about how they should focus on their happiness and do what they love and what they're good at. Most people think a relationship should be easy and you should just 'know.' It's not like that.

Spending, er, the night with someone isn't the same as being in love with them,

That's terrible, though. And you certainly can blame them for selfishness. A courtship should always be entered carefully, as it involves a woman's heart, and her dignity, and her precious time.

I get that, George, but it's relevant. If people are used to having sex without any kind of commitment whatsoever, imagine how much -- or how little -- people care about any emotional attachments you might have made before. I'm not saying none of them care. Some do. But not a lot, because probably one of every four people you meet is divorced too and others have been in long-term relationships where they lived together and loved each other and just never married. It's a lot more complicated than it used to be.

Our age pushes for equality between the genders, so it's about a man's heart, dignity, and time too. It's about both parties being happy and loving each other.

Well then why was it allowed to become complicated?

Yes, of course: any marriage should be about that, I just meant that it's acceptable for a man to remain a bachelor for quite a while, where as a woman who allows herself to be courted by a man but does not ultimately marry him often considers that time wasted.

Because women claimed to want equal rights while still expecting men to fill certain gender roles and everyone wanted to be truly happy rather than just happy some of the time. Most people are raised with the wrong idea about relationships, thanks to a mixture of Hollywood and their own parents, and the result is a whole nation that doesn't know how to be married. That's only America, of course. Relationships and the statistics are different in Canada, the UK, Japan, and other similarly financially advanced cultures.

Gender equality. Women "court" men and vice-versa. Don't get me wrong, there's still gender roles, like I said, but they're not so clear cut anymore. People don't have just one relationship or one love anymore, so it's not about wasting time, it's about wasting energy. Some relationships, even if they end badly, are worth it. Others aren't. Half the time you don't know which are which until they're over and you're looking back deciding. Then it's too late and you just move on.

Women court men, eh? The rest of it sounds terrible, but I don't think I'd mind that much.

You should try it sometime. My time, I mean. Maybe we can take a trip back or a port will provide itself. I'd like for you to see what it's like so that you could maybe get a better understanding for what it is that I'm dealing with when I talk about Melissa and Ginny.

For now, you should enjoy yourself. We'll meet up and spend some time together later, alright?

Oh. I...I'm not sure...about that.

Yes, certainly.

You don't have to sleep with anyone, George. We'll just get you a modern date. Actually, I might even be able to arrange that on the Barge..

To what end, exactly?

Empathy and understanding. You seem like an open-minded guy and I'm hoping you're willing to try this to get a better feeling for some of my situation. We're supposed to be learning about each other, right?

Well, yes: that's true.

I'm not planning on it being one-sided. I think we both need to come at this with an open mind and willing to try other things. If you can tell me why I'm an inmate and I can tell you why you're a warden, we'll both have a better idea of how I need to change in order to grow towards redemption and to get out of here.

Case #9: Video

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