In the Deadlands (22 page)

SUPERVISOR'S REMARKS:
Dammit, Pete! Can't you be a little more clinical than this?

(signed) H.B.

MAY 9, 2011

LABOR POOL STATUS BOARD, CA 99-5674

UNIT MONITOR FORM JHX-908

DANA LEDGERTON, DL 551-69-5688

Subject is thin, very fair, blond hair. Small for his age. Required to perform eighteen hours of Class IV labor per week in order to support educational demands. Assigned to manual labor in University CafCom. Designation: busboy.

REMARKS:

Subject discovered in Comskool Personal committing homosexual act with fellow student at age twelve. Referred to PsychStat who confirmed unit's sexual outlook. No recommendation made. In accordance with Federal Civil Rights Amendment, subject's sexual preference has no bearing on his ability to perform Class IV labor.

RECOMMENDATION:

Leave to discretion of local supervisors.

MAY 45, 2035

FROM:
   
FIELD OPERATIVE JASON PETER GRIGG

TO:
        
F.B.I. DIRECTOR WARREN J. HINDLER,

HOOVER CENTER,

WASHINGTON D.C.

FILE: LEDGERTON, DL 551-69-5688

Chief,

Sorry for the sketchiness of this report; I'll have to do a complete rundown when I get back. This thing is a mess to the nth power. The Manweather records only go back twelve years. Before that, it's incomplete and often sketchy. Yes, I know that's hard to believe, but Manweather was one of the hardest hit during the sex and protein riots, and, a lot of their records were wiped clean by the activists.

Attached are copies of the working papers. Here's the summary:

Ledgerton's birth was an accident. He wasn't wanted, not by his parents, not by the local board. When he came along, unannounced and unwelcome, the parents were sterilized and sent to Labor-Module 14, Manweather. The child was transferred to the Comskool Creche, which had only been open two years at that time and still had elbow room. However, due to shifting population pressures, Manweather became one of the densest concentrations in CA. Within five years, it was a behavioral sink.

Competition wasn't Ledgerton's big thing. He preferred to withdraw into himself. Because his teachers and PsychStats kept telling him how smart he was and how he should be proud of himself, he became narcissistic and introverted. He took a lot of fag-baiting from his classmates, too.

There's a full psych profile in here somewhere. I was lucky to find that. According to the shrink, “Little Dana” wasn't as self-assertive as he should have been and too many of his life choices were made because population pressures forced him into them and he didn't feel like fighting back.

His college career tends to bear this out. He went into bio-chem. strictly by accident. It was the only classification still open that he was qualified for. And it was either that or the unskilled labor pool. Nuff said about that.

MAY 24, 2014

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT INDIO

REAGAN HALL

FLOOR MANAGER'S MEMO

SUBJECT: REASSIGNMENT OF ROOMS,

Dana Ledgerton DL 551-69-5688 and Paul-John Murdock PJM 673-65-4532 have been reassigned (at their request) to room 12-32, the “lavender hills” section. This leaves rooms 6-87 and 7-54 with only one person in them. Immediate reassignments available for each.

MAY 3, 2015

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT INDIO

PSYCH-STAT REPORT,

CONFIDENTIAL SUBJECT: PAUL-JOHN MURDOCK PJM 673-65-4532

Subject is tall and husky. 6'1”, 186 lbs. Fairly well built. Dark hair, curly. Thin face. “Penetrating” eyes—an illusion produced by deep-set sockets and heaviness of eyebrows. Prone to long periods of moodiness and introspection. Theatre arts major.

He has been living for the past year with another male student and the relationship is apparently sexual. However, subject's emotional involvement tends to be shallow. He has a long history of casual sexual encounters with his fellow students, both male and female, and probably would not grieve if this relationship were to end abruptly.

I suspect the continued use of mildly narcotic drugs, including such illegal agents as “Spice,” “Pink,” and “Harrolin.” (No definite proof here.) Subject's manner is lackadaisical and uncaring. Selfish, introverted, narcissistic. Typical T.A. major: more concerned with things on a “higher plane” than with the exigencies of everyday life.

Subject's strongest motivation for continuation of education is the avoidance of the labor draft.

RECOMMENDATION: 1A status.

STATE OF CALIFORNIA, INFORMATION DUP-OUT

APPLICATION FOR CONTRACT TO ENTER STATE OF LEGAL MARRIAGE

DATE: MAY 12, 2015

APPLICANTS:

DANA LEDGERTON DL 551-69-5688

PAUL-JOHN MURDOCK PJM 673-65-4532

LENGTH OF CONTRACT: THREE YEARS.

PURPOSE: MUTUAL INTERDEPENDENCE.

CONDITIONS: INDIVIDUAL PROPERTY MAINTENANCE, DISSOLUTION TERMS NONNEGOTIABLE. MUTUAL INHERITANCE. RESIDENCE: REAGAN HALL, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT INDIO, ROOM 12-32.

DISPOSITION OF APPLICATION: GRANTED.

WILLIAM APTHEKER, COUNTY CLERK

HARDCOPY FRAGMENT IN FILE, dislocated page, thought to be part of report by investigating agents. (Nature of agency not known.)

“...after his marriage broke up, he remained at the University for another three years. He tried to reconcile the contract several times, but twice he couldn't get in touch with Paul-John and the third time, Paul-John was vague in his reply..

“After that, he concentrated heavily on his studies. He earned a Ph.D. in biochemistry and an M.A. in medicine. They were (in the words of the department head) `Uninspired degrees'. Meaning he was qualified, but not exceptional.

“Somehow he landed a teaching position and was able to hold onto it for several years. They had him giving the freshman science classes, something nobody else wanted to do.

“What he did on his own time during those years is beyond me, though I suspect he spent a lot of time at the boy-shows.”

MAY 32, 2027

COLORADO COLLEGE OF SCIENCE

DENVER, COLORADO

FROM:
Dr. Margaret James-Mead

TO:
Dept. Head Harlan Sloan

Hal,

If I have to look at that “wispy little thing” wandering around the halls of this college one more day, I think I'll puke. You know who I mean. That man is a disgrace to the institution.

I don't care how you do it, but you've got to get rid of him. If you can't find something on him, make something. If you don't ask him for his resignation within a week, I'll give you mine instead.

Love, Maggie.

May 34, 2027

My dear Dr. Ledgerton,

It is with deepest regret that I must ask you to resign your position with the Denver College of Science. Your record here has been without blemish; however, we find that there is no longer any need for your services and are forced to take this rather unfortunate step.

I assure you that it has nothing to do with your personal life, or the incident with Dr. James-Mead. It is instead a question of…

MAY 3, 2029

INTERBEM CHEMICAL RESEARCH

PORTION OF SUPERVISOR'S REPORT

“...the Ledgerton group seems to have come closest to a workable solution of this problem. They have generated an experimental strain, temporarily designated NFK-98, which appears to combine the functions of both DFG-54 and DFS-09 into one continuous process, rather than the two separate steps we have today.

“Suggest further experimentation along these lines to substantiate the findings and put them into production. The Ledgerton group should be commended. Despite his unappealing manner, Ledgerton is a tireless worker. Morale of the technicians working under him is not as good as it could be, but they do produce usable results.

“The viral research teams should be expanded as soon as possible in order to…”

INTERBEM CHEMICAL RESEARCH

MAY 9, 2029

TO ALL EMPLOYEES:

COMPANY FACILITIES ARE NOT TO BE USED FOR PRIVATE RESEARCH PROJECTS WITHOUT FIRST SECURING PERMISSION FROM DEPARTMENT HEADS. IT IS UNDERSTOOD THAT INTERBEM RETAINS THE RIGHT OF FIRST OPTION ON ANY COMMERCIAL APPLICATION OF PRIVATE DISCOVERIES PRODUCED BY INTERBEM EMPLOYEES. REMEMBER, THIS PRIVILEGE IS CONDITIONAL UPON FULFILLMENT OF MINIMUM QUOTAS AND WILL BE REVOKED IF THEY ARE NOT MET.

MAY 1, 2030

FIRST DORIAN CHURCH OF AMERICA

OSCAR WILDE CONGREGATION

CONFIDENTIAL MEMBERSHIP REPORT:

Dr. Dana Ledgerton, employee of InterBem Corporation, age thirty-six. Unmarried.

Dr. Ledgerton was interviewed by the membership committee whose discussion follows. J.M. commented at length that Dr. Ledgerton is thirty-six and physically unappealing. He suggested that the only reason Ledgerton wants to join is because he cannot find sexual partners anywhere else.

K.R. found J.M.'s attitude and phrasing undignified and demeaning.

L.N. said that Ledgerton's primary purpose in joining the church is probably loneliness.

J.M. agreed, but said that loneliness was just another way of saying “horniness.”

L.N. insisted that the applicant was basically good intentioned. Lots of people join churches because they are lonely. Why should the Dorians be any different?

K.R. interrupted both of them to speculate on whether or not Ledgerton really did embrace the principles of Dorianism.

Ledgerton was called back into the room then and further questioned. He responded at length and the discussion continued again, while he waited outside.

A.S., visiting minister from the Bay Area, cast his support in favor of Ledgerton. Most people, he said, are not aware of all the precepts of Dorianism when they join, and it would be unfair to hold that against Ledgerton.

A vote was taken then, and Ledgerton was admitted to the membership by a count of 4-1. He was readmitted to the room and sworn to uphold the church and the principles upon which it was founded, that overpopulation is a sin and that all Dorians will devote their whole lives to zero population growth.

Dr. Ledgerton will be presented to the general congregation at the next open meeting.

MAY 39, 2031

INTERBEM CHEMICAL RESEARCH

SUPPLY REQUISITION

Need: Forty hours use of electron microscope for viral research. Private project. After hours use will be okay. Would appreciate available time as soon as possible.

(signed) D. Ledgerton

MAY 14, 2032

INTERBEM CHEMICAL RESEARCH

SUPERVISOR'S MEMO

Spoke to Ledgerton again today about his after-hours research. He's been working on this one project for nearly a year now, and he has spent nearly thirty-five thousand dollars on it. When questioned how much longer this line of research would continue, Ledgerton declined to say, but seemed to indicate that it would not be much longer.

I asked if he were close to a solution. He replied that he was closer to finding out that there was no solution, but would not go into any further detail. I suspect he does not want to discuss his project. A complete report on the objectives of his program and his findings has been ordered. He has until the end of the month to submit it, at which time it will be evaluated and decided whether or not he will be allowed to continue.

He was upset, but not as much as I expected. Perhaps he is nearing the end of his research after all. He mentioned something about a possible sabbatical later in the year. If he requests it, it is my recommendation that it be granted. His lapse in work has been only recent and may be due to personal problems. Ledgerton has always been a good worker, although his personal manner does leave something to be desired.

MAY 50, 2032

INTERBEM CHEMICAL RESEARCH

REQUEST FOR LEAVE OF ABSENCE

APPLICANT: DANA LEDGERTON DL 551-69-5688

REASON: VACATION, INDEFINITE LENGTH

DISPOSITION OF APPLICATION: GRANTED

REMARKS:
(Scrawled in pen.) Good. I never liked him anyway.

MAY 50, 2032

FIRST DORIAN CHURCH OF AMERICA

OSCAR WILDE CONGREGATION

CONFIDENTIAL MEMBERSHIP REPORT:

The membership committee then considered a motion to expel D.L.

J.M. wanted to go on record as being opposed to D.L.'s membership in the first place. It was duly noted.

L.N. inquired as to what the charges against D.L. were.

J.M. said that D.L. has not been faithful to the principles upon which the credo is based.

K.R. noted that D.L. has been observed almost nightly in the company of “paid female prostitutes.”

L.N. requested amplification of this charge.

J.M. presented receipts made out to D.L. from the Xanadu Pleasure Corp.

L.N. wanted to know how J.M. got the receipts, but he was ruled out of order. The issue at hand is D.L.'s transgressions, not J.M.'s source of information.

L.N. disagreed, saying that we should not be “spying on our brothers.” He was ruled out of order again.

The vote was taken and D.L. was expelled by a count of 4-1. The general membership will be informed at the next open meeting.

MAY 7, 2036

FIRST DORIAN CHURCH OF AMERICA

OSCAR WILDE CONGREGATION

CONFIDENTIAL MEMBERSHIP REPORT:

L.N. called the special meeting to order at 8:00 p.m. The first order of business was the reconsideration of the expulsion of D.L. four years ago. In light of recent events, it has become obvious that D.L.'s actions at that time were not in violation of the basic principles of Dorianism.

If anything, D.L., more than any other member, has done the most to further the cause of zero population growth.

K.R. noted some additional facts about the situation and a vote was taken. D.L. was unanimously readmitted to the congregation. He has not been notified because his whereabouts remain unknown.

It was decided not to apprise either the public or the general membership of this decision, because of the adverse publicity this might bring to the church.