Grocer Girls

The Miranese islanders Isuri and Catia return.

As they approached adulthood, compulsory service loomed large in their futures like a great wall. The thing about compulsory service (or ‘corsosva,’ as it was called) was that it could be dice toss, which was a hell of a thing for something that took four years of your life. You applied for jobs you might like to do, but if they were full or you didn’t make the cut, you could find yourself on the other side of the country doing clerical work or working construction in the Arctic.

No, thank you. There was a scheme that allowed teenagers too young to start corsosva to accumulate credit towards it, which would deduct from the total length of service. You still had to work, but at least you had security in choosing where you were.

For Isuri and Catia, they picked up casual work after school at their local United Grocers. Vekllei might be a society of miracles, but their groceries look the same as anywhere, and the work was easy and boring. Their neighbourhood was small and they knew everyone who came through.

Their jobs were unadventurous, but the store was owned by a neighbour of Isuri and they goofed off a lot or sat outside in the sun when it was quiet. The stock robot did most of the work, so they were really just around to keep an eye on things, and often read magazines or played chess to pass the time.