
In a future where the government guarantees every comfort, boredom has become the real rebellion. Allen Kinderwood spends his final night in the city’s main park, wandering among perfectly synchronized crowds while waiting for a coveted Departure Permit that could finally let him leave the sameness behind. The night feels endless until a striking woman in a bright orange cloak, Nedda Marsh, steps into his path, her presence shaking the calm routine he’s tried to maintain.
Their unexpected encounter spirals into a charged, whispered date that defies the strict social codes governing intimacy. As the two navigate the glossy, controlled world of C Sector, the chemistry between them hints at something more daring than a simple night out. Their brief connection promises a glimpse of spontaneity in a society built on order, leaving listeners curious about how far they’ll risk the system for a moment of true feeling.
Language
en
Duration
~31 minutes (30K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Greg Weeks, Stephen Blundell and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net
Release date
2009-10-21
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects
A mid-20th-century science fiction writer whose stories imagine Mars, survival, and the strange pressures of future societies. His work still circulates through public-domain collections, where readers can discover brisk, idea-driven tales like "DP" and "Trees Are Where You Find Them."
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