Unto Zeor, Forever
(approx. 130,000 words. )
Summarized by Jacqueline Lichtenberg
Copyright (c) 2000 by Sime~Gen Inc.
With technology at the 1970's level in cities, with horse drawn carts co-existing with touch-tone direct-dial phones, Digen Farris, Sectuib in Zeor, is the first Sime to finish a degree from a Gen medical school.
Digen arrives in Westfield for his internship to meet his nemesis, Ilyana Dumas, who is a Gen of the Distect. She is dying of "underdraw" -- a pathology of the Gen's need to give selyn. One transfer with Ilyana -- the only Gen during this Donor shortage who can give him an adequate transfer -- and Digen would be deemed to be legally junct. The penalty is death. But it would save Ilyana's life.
Digen works at the Sime Center as a Channel and at the adjacent Gen territory hospital as an intern. For months he juggles schedules and fights prejudices on both sides of the border, while the Donor shortage intensifies. His only near-match for transfer is Imrahan ambrov Imil who is rarely available.
Through Ilyana's eyes, Digen sees the injustices in the selyn delivery system of the Modern Tecton. Rimon Farris, the
First Channel, Digen's ancestor, made a ghastly blunder when he volunteered to take selyn from Gens and give it to renSimes to prevent the Kill. Rimon's descendant, Klyd Farris, Sectuib in Zeor, who led the World to Unity, (novel
Zelerod's
Doom) made an even worse mistake creating the Modern Tecton. It cannot survive and should not survive.
If the Sectuib in Zeor, leader of the world's dreams of Unity, goes public with such a statement, the Tecton (teetering due to the Donor shortage) will topple. Simes will go junct. Zelerod's Doom will be upon the world.
Digen can't do that. Can't.
Then, to save the life of a very important man whose work holds the promise of solving the Donor Shortage problem, Digen uses Ilyana's Distect trained Gen abilities to perform surgery in-Territory. The legal penalty is death.
Digen runs away with Ilyana to the remote mountains, to Ilyana's own House of Rior -- the core of the Distect movement, the Householding founded by Hugh Valleroy, hero of the novel
House of
Zeor.
They become Lortuen mates, bound to be transfer partners and exclusive sex partners to the death.
After some months at Rior, Digen is adjusting to his new life. Then Imrahan, his nearly-adequate transfer partner, breaks Tecton law and comes after Digen.
Imrahan tells Digen the man he saved is alive and his machines have solved the Donor shortage -- but Digen must return and abjure all Distect ways to save the Tecton.
While they debate, a carefully foreshadowed and very deadly shaking-plague strikes Rior. Simes catch it from Gens. Gens catch it from Simes. The treatment for the siezures is tracheotomy.
Digen teaches the surgical technique to Rior. Too many Gens die, and the Simes decide they must go Raiding - unheard of in the modern era.
Digen and Imrahan must stop the Raid. In the ensuing action, Ilyana burns down a building with all of Rior inside, including herself. She dies, leaving Digen in shock. Imrahan gives him transfer, and Digen's transfer dependency switches to Imrahan.
They return to save the Tecton -- leaving Digen condemned to a twilight existence without love, technically junct, and in legal trouble. But the world is stabilized and surgery is saving Sime lives in-Territory as never before.
END
Jean Lorrah played a
key role in shaping this published version from the early
draft that is posted for free reading in Rimon's Library
along with so many other S~G novels and stories.
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