Room 2D

Story by R.T Mason from Janus 42 The subway station was ultra-modern, spacious, brightly lit, and of course spotlessly clean. A far cry from the London Underground or the New York Subway, with not a sign of graffiti marring the sparkling walls. For naturally here in this Socialist State no one would be so antisocial as to wish to deface public property. And if by some faint chance someone did he would only do it once. A clean new train drew quietly in, its doors sliding smoothly open. From the first two compartments came a party of teenagers, 16- to 18-year-olds, laughing and chattering but at the same time orderly and well behaved. Socialist youth, disciplined and self-disciplined; no London punks here. There were perhaps 20, all in casual summer clothes, the boys in open-necked shirts and shorts, the girls in blouses and skirts or light dresses. They all carried rucksacks. There was an excited buzz for the school year had just...

Story from Janus 43 by R.T. Mason A bright shaft of afternoon sunlight slanted across the Headmaster’s office to highlight the blonde bowed head of a girl seated at a table at the side of his large polished oak desk. It was 4.15 and the raucous clamour of departing pupils had now died away, leaving the school largely deserted except for a few masters, like the Head, holding a detention. The brightly-lit head remained bowed as its owner continued, unhappily, to write over and over:  I must endeavour to do very much better . James Wescott, fiftyish, tweed-jacketed, looked momentarily up from the papers he was marking and experienced a pleasant glow of anticipation. She was an extremely attractive pupil. She was also a very special pupil. And his instructions were to make her life very unpleasant indeed. Her name was Carole Wright. The reason she was very special was that although she at present was not wearing a wedding ring C...