“I’m teasing you, Zohro,” she said, giving me a small grin from over her shoulder. “Just a joke. Although, not the part about you being a doctor so young. That really is wild to me.”
“I was not cutting people open before I knew how to use a spoon, if that’s what you mean,” I grumbled, feeling suddenly self-conscious. “In early childhood, we practise upon lab-grown tissue and hyper-realistic synthetics. By the time I was treating real patients, and had graduated from the Medical Academy, I was close to the age of fifteen cycles.”
“Is that, like, fifteen years old? Like a teenager?”
“A young one, but yes. I think so. Had I reached fifteen cycles by that time, I would have been tried and convicted as an adult.”
“Wow.” Her eyes went wide. “Timing worked out well on that one.”
“Did it?”
“I mean… You tell me, I guess. Wouldn’t your punishment have been worse as an adult?”
“Yes,” I said bluntly, thinking of the mines.
But at least I would have remained in the empire. I would not have been flung so far from everything I’d known, condemned to waste away listening to the lowing of cattle and scraping dust from my blasted eyes every day until I died.
Although…
Then I never would have met Jolene.
And all at once, exile with the cattle and dust seemed a much smaller price to pay.
21
JOLENE
Incoming Tablet Communication Magnolia Jones: Happy wedding day, Jolene! When is the ceremony?
Outgoing Tablet Communication Jolene Macdonald:Thanks! It was this morning. Now we’re just getting back to work. Lots to do around here, but it’s good. Keeps me busy.
Incoming Tablet Communication Cherry Dawson:Yay! Congrats! So how was your second night here, JoJo? Do people call you JoJo?
Outgoing Tablet Communication Jolene Macdonald:You can totally call me JoJo. It was OK! Pretty quiet.
Incoming Tablet Communication Darcy Dubois:Were there any snakes in your bed last night?
Outgoing Tablet Communication Jolene Macdonald:Snakes????
Incoming Tablet Communication Cherry Dawson:Nooo, Darcy. Don’t scare her.
Incoming Tablet Communication Darcy Dubois:NICE SNAKES!!!
Outgoing Tablet Communication Jolene Macdonald:Do I need to be worried about snakes?
Incoming Tablet Communication Magnolia Jones:Well, yes, but…
Incoming Tablet Communication Darcy Dubois:Snake emoji loading
Incoming Tablet Communication Darcy Dubois:Tentacle emoji loading
Incoming Tablet Communication Darcy Dubois:Worm emoji loading
Incoming Tablet Communication Darcy Dubois:Noodle emoji loading
Incoming Tablet Communication G. Jaya:What the hell did I just walk into?
Incoming Tablet Communication Darcy Dubois:WELCOME JAYA. I am spreading the gospel of our snakey saviour. The beloved cock tail.
