Sleeping in Trees: Liberation From Oppression, #1

By Bruce Edward Butler

In a future matriarchal society, Prittesse falls in love with Edward. But love has been banned in this society. It's illegal for a female to treat a male as an equal. In fact, it's punishable by death...for the male. Edward wants nothing to do with her, but he's slowly drawn into her desperate escape plan.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bruce Edward Butler
• Release date: Dec 28, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386945666

Bruce Edward Butler

ABOUT ME: I've been married to the same beautiful woman for the past fifty years. Karin and I live in Oregon where we have eight children and ten grandchildren. When diagnosed with cancer in 2008, I stopped watching TV and began writing. Previous writing experience was as a song writer when I played in a couple of bluegrass bands. I've worked actively in jail and prison ministry for the past twenty-five years. I design houses when I'm not writing or in jail. :-)  

Book preview

1  THE NOAH PROJECT

Fadilah Ainsworth, an American Muslin, read the US Consulate travel advisory warning against travel to Tangier, Morocco. But the same State Department website warned about Wheeling, West Virginia, San Diego, California, Boulder, Colorado and Buffalo, New York. In 2040, anarchy plagued every nation and violence could erupt in any city. So why not travel abroad She thought. The risk is no greater in Morocco than right here in the United States.

A month later, Fadilah and her seven-year-old son strolled the historic Cashbah Marketplace in Tangier. The day was warm for a hijab, but she erred on the side of caution. They stopped at an open-air restaurant for Moroccan stew with couscous. Travel videos could never do justice to the magic of this place where her grandmother shopped and played as a child. For Fadilah it was a dream fulfilled.

When she saw the mob coming, she grabbed her son by the arm and ran in the opposite direction. Shop owners slammed and bolted doors preparing for the onslaught. She tried to slip into one of the doorways, but she was too slow. These merchants were practiced in protecting against uprisings. A block away, Fadilah was cut off by another mob coming from the other direction. It was like a flood. A flood of violence. She scrambled into a doorway, shielding her son the best she could. A thug grabbed her by the arm and flung her out into the street where she was attacked by children wielding boards and sticks. One of them swung a length of pipe. A man jumped in to rip off Fadilah’s blouse and skirt, and then let the children at her again. Anarchists were training their youth to kill, steal and destroy.

Trying to see what happened to her son, Fadilah glimpsed a young woman off to the side videotaping her. Her glance was caught on camera and was her last act. Her screams and groans were drowned out by the shouts of the mob as the children went in for the kill like a swarm of  piranhas. Within minutes, a video posted on the internet began getting hits. It was an ongoing challenge to see who could post the most violent breaches of human decency imaginable. The senseless murder of Fidilah Ainsworth became symbolic of the egregious attacks against innocent citizens all over the world.

UNITED NATIONS, SECRETARY-General, Perez Sartorius played the Fidilah Ainsworth video before the General Assembly. It served as an introduction to his message. When the lights came back up, Sartorius stood before the gathered diplomats.

"Dear Colleagues. As we all know, it’s unsafe to go out in public anywhere in the world today. No society is immune from this scourge of savagery. Police forces are overwhelmed and incapable of handling the uprisings. When the military is called in to restore order, soldiers often join the mobs, making the incidents even more deadly and destructive. Anarchy is a plague threatening every human being, and if it is not reversed, civilization as we know it will be destroyed.

"As you know, last year the Security Council commissioned a select panel of social scientists to seek a solution to this problem. You have their official findings in front of you. They blame global communications advancements for giving every society access to every other society in the world. Inequalities are now obvious, and impoverished people groups are no longer willing to endure it. They’ve brought their anger and violence to the streets of metropolitan areas. They are destroying our planet in their attempt to gain equality.

These are the recommendations. UN Proposal A/C.6608. Sartorius lifted the four-inch thick document above his head. "Our best minds believe we have lost something vital to human society. They have labeled it our primal purpose. They believe we can rediscover this lost element and save our civilization before it self-destructs. Proposal A/C.6608 outlines an approach called the Noah Project. It involves the construction of twelve experimental communities. Each will be planned with different social parameters. By observing these evolving societies we can rediscover our primal purpose and change humanity’s destructive course."

THE NOAH PROJECT

The Daily Mail

By David Spritzer

The United Nations, led by Secretary-General, Perez Sartorius, continues to defend their controversial Noah Project. Despite opposition, the project continues to move forward, seeking mankind’s primal purpose, or what critics have mockingly called The God Principle. This monumental endeavor has been attacked by numerous world leaders as a waste of time and money. Much of the criticism is aimed at the blue ribbon panel that conceived the project. Opponents claim the panel was staffed on the basis of political persuasion rather than expertise. Sartorius defends all of his appointees, claiming he did his best to ensure a well-rounded consensus of opinion.

Eighty-nine US senators stated in a letter to US President Abboud Assaf, that the Noah Project does nothing more than provide false hope to people in desperate need of protection. They claim that the only principle that will solve anarchy is military force. President Assaf responded with a public statement, claiming that the concept of using force against impoverished, hungry people was contrary to all human decency and would never be tolerated by his administration.

At this time, several nations have placed their bids to host Noah Project communities. Host nations are required to finance the construction of the experimental zones and a minimum of two hundred square miles of land to enclose them. A thirty-year maintenance agreement is also required. To date, eight nations have applied to the UN Security Council and have been accepted. The European Union will host one zone. Russia will host three zones. China will host two. The United States will host three. Brazil will host one. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates will host one. Australia will host one.

Initially, the inhabitants will be composed of adult workers, acting as parents. Those workers will be withdrawn once the societies have become self-sufficient. Each community will be given a plausible history, based on the actual history of the host nation.

The official policy for the experiments is Observation Only. Teams of observers will document all aspects of the societies. Data will be fed into a mainframe computer for analysis. It is the hope of the administrators that the successful zones will provide the secret of survival. Each zone that succeeds will be allowed to continue, but if it fails, nothing will be done to prevent its failure.

The two hundred square mile area will be enclosed in an electrified fence to keep intruders out. Inside of that, each community will comprise fifty square miles and be enclosed by a high wall to keep the Noah Project inhabitants in. Predatory animals will be released between the fence and the wall to ensure compliance. None of the participants will know they are part of a study.

2  ANDROGYNOUS ZONE B

The girl sat on the bench mesmerized by a yellow and black caterpillar, climbing the stem of a ficus leaf. So many tiny legs, moving sequentially in programmed waves of motion. Not far away, sparrows raised a cacophony, flitting through bougainvillea vines, but the inquisitive girl could not be distracted. What a strange creature, a caterpillar. Where did it come from, where is it going and what will it become? The bright spring sun warmed her bare legs, arms and freckled her nose.

Her house opened to this beautiful, park-like garden. Since her mother had been sent here, each day brought another adventure with the garden’s natural wonders. An immense stone wall, probably twenty feet high or more, enclosed the rear of the garden. That same wall enclosed the entire nation of Femalon. Wilderness lay on the other side of the wall. No one went there. At least not willingly. Huge beasts lived beyond the wall. Their sounds could be heard at times. Terrifying sounds.

On the right side of the garden stood a green fence. The girl was not permitted near the fence. She studied it from a distance, wondering why it was forbidden. Why does Mother keep me away from the fence, when the real threat is behind the wall?

Prittesse. It was her mother’s voice. Lessons.

Coming, Mother.

You haven’t been near the fence have you?

No, Mother.

Okay. Now go inside, your tutor’s waiting.

That day, Prittesse questioned her tutor about caterpillars.

In the late afternoon, she came back to the garden. The descending sun gilded her long hair as she skipped along the path, surveying her territory. One corner had bamboo, but it joined the green fence, so it was off limits. A large banyan tree with low branches filled the middle of the garden. She’d been warned not to climb the trees, but that afternoon, she saw the banyan as a challenge. She reached for a lower branch and pulled herself up. That brought another branch within reach. Prittesse climbed one branch after another until she reached the upper limits of the banyan. Looking out, she observed the tops of smaller trees and shrubs below.

I’m a bird, flying high above Femalon. I can fly over the stone wall or the green fence. Nothing can touch me. Thinking of the fence, she arched her body and craned to look in that direction. She was high enough to see beyond the fence. She saw a person on the other side. Hello-o-o, she yelled and waved her free hand frantically.

The person looked her direction and gave a small wave back but then moved out of sight. She watched for the person to reappear, but they didn’t. She hollered a couple more times, but nothing. Over the next couple of days, Prittesse climbed the tree, trying to see the person, but she didn’t see anyone again.

One day each week, the garden was off limits when drolls came to tend it. Prittesse didn’t understand why she had to stay inside when the drolls were there. Why are there so many rules?

Drolls were servant class workers. They did all of the work in Femalon. Two drolls worked regularly in Prittesse’s house, doing such household chores, as cleaning, laundry and preparing meals. She was not permitted to talk to them, but sometimes she did it anyway. All she got were low grunts and mumbles in return. Drolls were short and stout but still taller and stouter than Prittesse at her age. They wore dark, drab hooded smocks and moved about slowly. Their facial features were thick and broad.

Prittesse’s only relationships were with her mother and two tutors. Her mother had guests occasionally, but those meetings happened when Prittesse was with her tutors.

She asked her mother, Who are the visitors that come during my lessons?

If you must know, they’re called alphs.

She’d heard of alphs and knew her mother didn’t like to discuss them. Prittesse pursued an answer anyway. What’s an alph and how are they different from us?

alphs are companions. Uh...we’re fems. When fems get older, they see alphs...sometimes. Her mother waved an arm at Prittesse. It’s adult business you’ll learn all about it someday. She turned away and said over her shoulder, But not now.

The answer was unsatisfactory, but all Prittesse was going to get.

One afternoon, an alph came after Prittesse’s lesson was over. Her mother ushered her out to the garden. You run along and play for a while. Prittesse got a good look at the alph. Once outside, she heard the click of the door lock behind her.

Unhappy with such treatment, Prittesse headed straight for the green fence. Out of spite, she decided to touch it. That’s when she heard someone crying.

Hello. It’s me, Prittesse. The crying stopped. Are you there? I’m the one from the tree. No one answered. Eventually, she gave up and moved away from the fence before her mother caught her.

Prittesse determined to find out about the person beyond the fence. She continued climbing the tree, and when she thought it was safe, she went back to the fence and listened. One day, when her mother was occupied with an alph visitor, she moved along the fence until she came to the bamboo. From inside the bamboo, she heard the crying sound again. Hidden behind the bamboo stalks, she found a small hole through the fence fabric.

Hello, are you there?

A person came into view, wiping their eyes and trying to see her.

I’m over here. She shook some stalks of bamboo. Why are you crying?

Because.

What’s your name?

Seven.

It was a strange name, but Prittesse wasn’t about to be picky. A closer look through the hole revealed that Seven was wiry and a little taller than her. He had straight white teeth, with dark darting eyes.

Seven drew closer until the two of them stood eye to eye.

Why is your name Seven?

I don’t know.

I’m a fem. My name is Prittesse.

I’m an alph. My whole name is Seven O nine K.

alph’s come to visit my mother, Prittesse said.

What’s a mother?

I don’t know. She’s the one who has me and takes care of me. Don’t you have a mother? 

No. Just the teachers.

What do they teach you?

The Discipline.

Why were you crying?

Because of the Discipline. Everyone is eating now, but because I made a mistake, She could see Seven wipe his eyes, they won’t let me eat.

Prittesse learned that there were many other young alphs on Seven’s side of the fence. Seven had to leave, but she asked him to come back again. Two days later, he did. They began working to enlarge the hole in the fence. From then on, whenever Prittesse’s mother was occupied, Prittesse met Seven in the bamboo. 

Sometimes they lay on their backs, staring up at the leafy canopy. They questioned many things they didn’t understand. They talked about the way things should be in Femalon. Prittesse delighted in amazing Seven with her wild speculations. Nothing was off limits to her inquisitiveness.

Where did Femalon come from? she asked.

It came from The Great Ascendancy, Seven answered. That’s what they teach us.

"Where did we come from?" 

From the Designers laboratories, he said.

Where are we going?

I don’t know.

What will we become?

Seven stopped answering. He had already told her what he was to become, and it had horrified Prittesse.

It’s not right, and I won’t allow it to happen, she had told him.

Do you know what caterpillars become? she asked.

No.

"Something beautiful. That’s what you are to become. Not what they say, but something beautiful."

One day in the early fall, she was waiting for Seven in the bamboo, when her mother appeared.

What are you doing here Prittesse? You know Mother’s rule about the green fence. I told you never to go near it. Now you’ve done it. They know you’ve been coming here, and they want to see you. Come along, right now, they’re waiting.

Held tightly by the hand and led swiftly along the path, Prittesse’s mother scolded her the entire way. Back in the house, three people watched them approach. The one in charge was a large fem. Much larger than Prittesse’s mother. She had a name badge that said, Dr. Putnam. The two with her were large too, but they were more like alphs.

Dr. Putnam glared at Prittesse. So, this is the one who compromised our novice.

Putnam turned to Prittesse’s mother. You knew this position came with a certain amount of responsibility, Fem Gerray. Unfortunately, you have proven yourself to be a disappointment. You were told about the facility beyond the green fence and that you would have to keep your daughter away from there.

It was done without my knowledge, her mother pleaded. It will never happen again.

Uh-uh. Too late for that. You allowed a young fem to meet a young alph novice, and that’s a security breach. You obviously can’t control your daughter, so you’ll be sent back to your colony.

With that, Dr. Putnam stood up and headed toward the door, but she stopped and turned back. Motioning with her thumb towards Prittesse, she said, And, we will be keeping an eye on that one.

That same day, Prittesse and her mother began packing their things and were moved far away the next morning.   

2  ANDROGYNOUS ZONE B

The girl sat on the bench mesmerized by a yellow and black caterpillar, climbing the stem of a ficus leaf. So many tiny legs, moving sequentially in programmed waves of motion. Not far away, sparrows raised a cacophony, flitting through bougainvillea vines, but the inquisitive girl could not be distracted. What a strange creature, a caterpillar. Where did it come from, where is it going and what will it become? The bright spring sun warmed her bare legs, arms and freckled her nose.

Her house opened to this beautiful, park-like garden. Since her mother had been sent here, each day brought another adventure with the garden’s natural wonders. An immense stone wall, probably twenty feet high or more, enclosed the rear of the garden. That same wall enclosed the entire nation of Femalon. Wilderness lay on the other side of the wall. No one went there. At least not willingly. Huge beasts lived beyond the wall. Their sounds could be heard at times. Terrifying sounds.

On the right side of the garden stood a green fence. The girl was not permitted near the fence. She studied it from a distance, wondering why it was forbidden. Why does Mother keep me away from the fence, when the real threat is behind the wall?

Prittesse. It was her mother’s voice. Lessons.

Coming, Mother.

You haven’t been near the fence have you?

No, Mother.

Okay. Now go inside, your tutor’s waiting.

That day, Prittesse questioned her tutor about caterpillars.

In the late afternoon, she came back to the garden. The descending sun gilded her long hair as she skipped along the path, surveying her territory. One corner had bamboo, but it joined the green fence, so it was off limits. A large banyan tree with low branches filled the middle of the garden. She’d been warned not to climb the trees, but that afternoon, she saw the banyan as a challenge. She reached for a lower branch and pulled herself up. That brought another branch within reach. Prittesse climbed one branch after another until she reached the upper limits of the banyan. Looking out, she observed the tops of smaller trees and shrubs below.

I’m a bird, flying high above Femalon. I can fly over the stone wall or the green fence. Nothing can touch me. Thinking of the fence, she arched her body and craned to look in that direction. She was high enough to see beyond the fence. She saw a person on the other side. Hello-o-o, she yelled and waved her free hand frantically.

The person looked her direction and gave a small wave back but then moved out of sight. She watched for the person to reappear, but they didn’t. She hollered a couple more times, but nothing. Over the next couple of days, Prittesse climbed the tree, trying to see the person, but she didn’t see anyone again.

One day each week, the garden was off limits when drolls came to tend it. Prittesse didn’t understand why she had to stay inside when the drolls were there. Why are there so many rules?

Drolls were servant class workers. They did all of the work in Femalon. Two drolls worked regularly in Prittesse’s house, doing such household chores, as cleaning, laundry and preparing meals. She was not permitted to talk to them, but sometimes she did it anyway. All she got were low grunts and mumbles in return. Drolls were short and stout but still taller and stouter than Prittesse at her age. They wore dark, drab hooded smocks and moved about slowly. Their facial features were thick and broad.

Prittesse’s only relationships were with her mother and two tutors. Her mother had guests occasionally, but those meetings happened when Prittesse was with her tutors.

She asked her mother, Who are the visitors that come during my lessons?

If you must know, they’re called alphs.

She’d heard of alphs and knew her mother didn’t like to discuss them. Prittesse pursued an answer anyway. What’s an alph and how are they different from us?

alphs are companions. Uh...we’re fems. When fems get older, they see alphs...sometimes. Her mother waved an arm at Prittesse. It’s adult business you’ll learn all about it someday. She turned away and said over her shoulder, But not now.

The answer was unsatisfactory, but all Prittesse was going to get.

One afternoon, an alph came after Prittesse’s lesson was over. Her mother ushered her out to the garden. You run along and play for a while. Prittesse got a good look at the alph. Once outside, she heard the click of the door lock behind her.

Unhappy with such treatment, Prittesse headed straight for the green fence. Out of spite, she decided to touch it. That’s when she heard someone crying.

Hello. It’s me, Prittesse. The crying stopped. Are you there? I’m the one from the tree. No one answered. Eventually, she gave up and moved away from the fence before her mother caught her.

Prittesse determined to find out about the person beyond the fence. She continued climbing the tree, and when she thought it was safe, she went back to the fence and listened. One day, when her mother was occupied with an alph visitor, she moved along the fence until she came to the bamboo. From inside the bamboo, she heard the crying sound again. Hidden behind the bamboo stalks, she found a small hole through the fence fabric.

Hello, are you there?

A person came into view, wiping their eyes and trying to see her.

I’m over here. She shook some stalks of bamboo. Why are you crying?

Because.

What’s your name?

Seven.

It was a strange name, but Prittesse wasn’t about to be picky. A closer look through the hole revealed that Seven was wiry and a little taller than her. He had straight white teeth, with dark darting eyes.

Seven drew closer until the two of them stood eye to eye.

Why is your name Seven?

I don’t know.

I’m a fem. My name is Prittesse.

I’m an alph. My whole name is Seven O nine K.

alph’s come to visit my mother, Prittesse said.

What’s a mother?

I don’t know. She’s the one who has me and takes care of me. Don’t you have a mother? 

No. Just the teachers.

What do they teach you?

The Discipline.

Why were you crying?

"Because of the Discipline. Everyone is eating now, but because