Excerpt: Model Society

One
To explore the unknown and the familiar, distant and near, and to record in details with the eyes of a child, any beauty, horror, irony, traces of utopia or hell. - Dan Eldon

“Attention all personnel: the following students are to report to Study Hall 21 for an impromptu meeting of the Socrarch Society – Castor Epsilon, Demetrius Tau, Medea Psi, Cepheus Delta and Theia Omicron. Again, this is a spontaneous meeting for the Socrach Society. The members are required to report to Study Hall 21 immediately.”

Theia sighed and slung her backpack over her shoulder as she shoved the rest of her books into her locker. She loved the Socrarch Society, but she hated arriving home late after school. She had had plenty of arguments with her parents about the idea of volunteering at the Institute after she graduated from the Academy, and she knew that every time she came home late because of some unplanned meeting, she was in for another one. It wasn't the difference in opinion that bothered her; after all they were taught to respect and value individual opinions at the Academy. Of course, it went without saying that the wrong opinions were to be clearly denounced for what they were so that the individual in question could arrive at the right opinion. Rather, it was that they seemed to have some sort of irrational hatred for the Socrarchs and the Institute. No, it wasn't quite that, she decided. They just were protective and they wanted her to go into research. She knew this was research in its own way, but she just could not seem to explain herself to them well enough. This frustrated her more than their disagreeing about her decision; as far as she was concerned her inability translated into failure on her part. The lack of a proper explanation on her part and the ability to make them see things from her point of view meant she wasn't doing a good enough job and hadn't applied herself enough.