Deep Wheel Orcadia
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Higgie the Codd at her screens Aence sheu wis a packer: whan the Lights cam in sheu wirked the spectral refractors, prismatic acceleraetors,containment dykes, brissan somtheen skare an lowse intae somtheen birnable. No a coorse wark – buttons an levers, mosstleens – sheu jeust needed care an the canny gy o timeen. But sheu an her pals wis aye tae loss the unavoydable race wi aatomaetion.
Higgie wis lucky: sheu wis keepid on at the skeul tae ken the maths tae tak the coarse tae qualiefy fer maintenance, so sheu wis the body lukkan eftir machines lukkan eftir Lights, an than the body lukkan eftir machines lukkan eftir machines.
Thir aalder noo, an only Higgie bade tae be a elder. Dagmar’s maed a faimly on Wolf; Kari teuk a Martian job in maet; Torsten deed an naen o them ivver spaek aboot hid; Higgie, back croppenan more wi ivry year, dellt wi codd an solder intae machines, missan the clashan, thinkan in script an circuit. Sheu monietors: here at the plant, by screen, an eftir, i’the back pew o the kirk. Sheu maks peedie adjustments: wha sits whar, whit wirds is needed, whan tae apply comfort an whan tae chide or spaek a truth. Sheu isno alaen. She kens sheu disno sing in tune, but at the plant an wi her screens sheu sings.
Higgie the Coder at her screens
Once she was a packer: when the Lights came in, she worked the spectral refractors, prismatic accelerators, containment wallfieldbarriers, squeezepressbruising something clearbrightcut and loosefree into something burnable. It wasn’t roughhardnasty work – buttons and levers, mostly – she just needed care and the skilledwisemagicalcautious sensecompetence of timing. But she and her friends were always going to lose the unavoidable race with automation. Higgie was luckyblessedhappy: she’d stayed at school to know the maths to take the course to qualify for maintenance, so she was the personbody looking after machines looking after Lights, and then the personbody looking after machines looking after machines.
They’re older now, and only Higgie waitstaylived to be an elder. Dagmar made a family on Wolf; Kari took a Martian job in foodmeat; Torsten died, and none of them ever speak about it; Higgie, back bendcramptwisting more with every year, delved with code and solder into machines, missing the noisegossip, thinking in codeprogramscripture and circuit. She monitors: here at the plant, by screen, and after, in the back pew of the kirk. She makes little adjustments: who sits where, what words are needed, when to apply comfort and when to chide or speak a truth. She is not alone. She knows she does not sing in tune, but at the plant and with her screens she sings.