Enemies of the System Read Free Page A

independent world almost. In this erroneous model of human physiology—that’s what ‘mind’ really was—there was presumed to lurk in its muddy recesses various savage and socially destructive elements, waiting to overthrow reason. Those elements were bundled together under the term ‘id.’ It was a regressive force.”
    They had finished their meal. As Takeido pushed the sofa back, he said, “Instructive! How did the ancient term materialize here on Lysenka II a million or more years later, do you suppose, Jerezy Kordan?”
    â€œAs I thought I had made clear, the term was coined in some long-vanished capitalist system—in part to explain and explain away its own organizational deficiencies. If you understand the retrogressive nature of the animals on this world, then you can understand that the—er, striking technicians must have picked up the term here.”
    â€œThey should be criticized,” said Regentop, in a shocked voice. “It all sounds disgracefully non-utopian.”
    Sygiek stood up and remained looking down on the others, but Takeido leaned forward, clearly wishing to carry the subject further. Clasping his hands together earnestly, he said, “This is most interesting, Jerezy. If you are right—and of course I don’t doubt that—then the striking technicians have it wrong. ‘Earth is our Id’… Lysenka is the subversive forbidden place, so it should be the id and Earth should be … I don’t know the term. I’m just a simple exobotanist.”
    Regentop patted his back and smiled proudly.
    â€œâ€˜Super-ego,’” said Kordan. “Earth should be the super-ego.” He laughed dismissively, disowning the term, and glanced up to see how Sygiek was taking the conversation.
    â€œThis discussion is too self-indulgent,” she said. “‘Speaking of error is itself error.’ Let’s finish and get into the buses. Most of the others have already gone ahead.”
    â€œThese old theories were nonsense, inevitably,” Kordan said to her, taking her arm as they left the dining room. “Medieval. Like alchemy.”
    She regarded him with slightly raised eyebrows and a smile he had not seen before. “But alchemy led somewhere, Jerezy Kordan, Academician. It provided one of the foundations of scientific advancement. Whereas psychoanalysis was a dead end.”
    â€œAh ha, then you are also familiar with these ancient and interdicted models. Psychoanalysis !”
    â€œIt is part of my job to acquaint myself with what is forbidden.”
    He looked searchingly at her. She met his gaze. He said nothing, and they moved out into the open. Kordan stood on the steps, breathing deeply as he looked ahead.
    Buses waited like great slumbering beasts.
    The exobotanist, Takeido, caught Kordan’s attention, coughed, and said apologetically, “It was a pleasure to listen to you talking at the breakfast table, Jerezy Kordan. Working on the Jovian moons, one is much alone. One thinks, one longs to talk … to talk about many things, such as the topics you touched on. May Jaini Regentop and I ride with you to Dunderzee?”
    Kordan looked at the youth, as if thinking how young and thin he was. He watched the black eyebrows twitch nervously on Takeido’s forehead.
    â€œYou are at liberty to choose any seat you wish in the bus,” he said. “But language is much more precious and must be guarded. Better to be resolute than curious. ‘Resolution is the foe of deviation,’ as the saying has it. I imagine that applies as much on Jupiter and Lysenka as on Earth.”
    â€œOf course …” said Takeido, and swallowed.
    â€œLet’s get aboard the buses, then,” said Kordan smiling. He nodded at Sygiek. She nodded contentedly back, and they walked down the steps, fully in command of their world, toward the waiting buses.
    The gates in the fortified perimeter