Flash Fiction Friday
The Cost of Coffee, part 14
Prompts for 30 May 2025 from @Scoot
Write about a sunny day
dismal celebrations
“Just a matter of perspective”
A character with a twin
At home, Pinta's mother seemed increasingly distracted. She was in the suite less than ever before, but even when she was there, her mind was a million miles away. Now and then she would start to say something about a sunny day, but she always stopped before she went any farther. Pinta thought she must be thinking about life before the Bio, since the sun here was small, distant, and blue, sort of a sickly twin of the brilliant sun of Earth. Mealtimes became dismal celebrations, even when Naimeh was home.
"Mother," Naimeh spoke up during one supper, "Tell me about your childhood. What do you remember?" Pinta was surprised that her sister would ask. It had long been established that Earth was gone, and with it all stories and histories. Everyone in the Bio was supposed to begin a new life with a new focus on participation and equity, a perfectly balanced humanism considered to be far superior to the way people lived before.
If Pinta was surprised when Naimeh asked the questions, she nearly fell out of her chair when her mother spoke.
"When I was a child I loved to be outside. Rain or sunshine, I didn't care. My mother would scold me over my muddy shoes, but she let me romp amongst the plants and grasses as much as I wanted. I used to sit for hours and admire the symmetry of sunflowers or the way bees spread pollen, which led to fertile food plants and then they would make honey with the nectar. I loved the way nature's cycles supported each other, allowing every part of the ecosystem to thrive. I used to sketch everything I observed. " It was the most Mother had ever said about her childhood, and Pinta wanted to know more.
" If you loved the natural world so much, why are your degrees in Economics and Policy?" she asked.
Mother's eyes, which had softened with her memories, began to harden, just a little. "I think nature gave me the idea of participatory economics when I got to college. I was always good at calculations and I was able to see both the big picture and how smaller elements fit in. There was something about systems working in harmony that I thought was important to master. But, humans being preoccupied with their own sense of autonomy and power to control made that ideal just that, an ideal with no substance. I so hoped this would be different." With that, Pinta's father gave the sisters a look that said, "Let it be," and the table was quiet again.
Pinta doodled in her notebook. She had been creating a sketch of a coffee plant's life cycle for her report, but she had been distracted in recent days. Hearing her mother talk about sketching nature reignited her ideas about how to construct the flowers. They formed in clusters, which complicated the shading, but she felt like she was getting the shape right. Her father's coffee plants were self-pollinated with a little robotic aid, but Pinta wondered whether she should add bees instead, like on Earth. Drawing had its benefits. Not only could she avoid editing her completed report she could also think more about the Bio and the trouble brewing. She knew her father had his ideas about the greed for power of some people, but she couldn't see her mother participating in that, especially after hearing about her childhood. How could someone so delighted by nature's rhythms be caught up in the wrong side of human nature?
Naimeh had gone back to work. The cotton had rebounded better than anyone expected, so she only came home once a month, at best. Pinta never had a chance to ask how Naimeh got her poem, and it niggled at the corners of her mind. Pinta was also lonely. Her parents were rarely home; Mother in the comptroller's office and Father reviving the coffee plants. Some had produced beans, but they smelled and tasted of ash, so they became compost. Now he was developing a new hybrid that he hoped would give an essence of vanilla aroma without diminishing the depth of the coffee flavor. The roast had to be perfect. Pinta hadn't seen Arturo since he interrupted lunch in the chaotic office.
Pinta nearly broke her pencil when the AI sounded an alarm. "The following Bio members are to report to the Council Chambers immediately," and then listed a dozen names. Her mother's name, and Arturo were both included. Her father, thankfully, was not, but Pinta knew he would make his way to the meeting as well. She gave up on her drawing and made her way to the chambers as well.
It was crowded in the room. Twelve people, including Pinta's mother, sat in two rows of chairs facing that year's council members. The council was made up of 13 members from different families and Sectors. Four people rotated off each year so that no one group could begin to dominate. Equity, respect, and collaboration formed the three prongs of decision-making. A specialized AI called Keeper of Process (KOP) recorded every session, searching for any hint of favoritism, challenge to the Council's authority, or comments that might suggest any hierarchy of value. Conflicts between people were uncommon, but always handled in quiet arbitration and restoration rather than punishment. Whether those final decisions were actually just was a matter of perspective.
Father had once served a six-year term on the council, fulfilling his obligation and glad of it. He was much happier among his plants and his roaster where human nature didn't usually manifest itself. Pinta watched him now, sitting ramrod straight and making eye contact with every current member with whom he had once served. Pinta followed his gaze and realized that she remembered some of these members, which meant they either hadn't rotated off or they hadn't waited to return for the requisite five years. She leaned over to ask him about why the Council wasn't completely different than when he served, but the AI KOP began to speak.
"We are here today to discuss activities that may be outside the bounds of our participatory collaborative community. As you all know, this Bio is founded on principles of Collaboration, Cooperation, and Equality. The Council's role is to maintain sustainable and efficient thriving for both individuals and the community writ large. No one here is charged with a crime of any kind, but in the spirit of restoring confidence and full integration into the community, each person will be expected to truthfully answer a series of questions. The Council will then determine appropriate steps to assure the continuing harmony of our community."
Across the room, Pinta spotted Naimeh making her way over to where Pinta and her father sat. Quietly hugging them both, Naimeh sat next to Pinta and waited to see what would happen. They didn't wait long before the AI explained that each person's testimony would take a full day. It then gave the schedule. Mother's name was the last.
The Cost of Coffee is a serial story from Defaulting to Grace, a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Donations are gratefully accepted on Venmo.