Issue 1 Downtime

Mahua was sitting in the teachers' lounge and sipping at something that smelled like Indian coffee. From the smell coming from the pot, she'd gotten here first and had brewed it herself. She was dressed in a professional-style sari and was leafing through the local paper for starters. A couple of London papers sat on the table next to where she was sitting.

((Open))

"Hello." Amanda said as she walked in "How are classes going?"

"I would swear that more than half of my economics students aren't actually interested in the subject at all. Which makes me wonder why they're taking the class." She folded the paper down. "I look forward to seeing their research papers," she said, rolling her eyes.

"For the same reason they're taking Anthro." Amanda said "It fulfills their general studies requirement."

"At least my political science students seem to be there to learn. Although a couple of them would just like to launch into diatribes about what's wrong with the system. How are your classes going?"

"Ok, for the most part." Amanda said "I think that I've managed to convince most of them that the topic matters."

"I've already heard the 'professor thinks that their class is the only one' line thrown around when they think I'm not listening. That one showed up a little sooner than I was expecting." She changed the subject, "I did want to talk to you about the Morlocks and their political and economic structures sometime. I've read some of your writings on the topic and it is fascinating."

"Thank you." Amanda said "I've recently become interested in the way those structures in the US compare to those in the UK. I'd hoped to get to do field work in other Morlock communities in the US.....but well, that isn't happening any time soon."

"We have a few such communities in India, though they're even more insular than the ones you describe. In a society like India, that just marginalizes them further," she said, sounding sad.

"The insularity is just getting worse in the US after the MRA." Amanda said "I'm not as familiar with the mutants in India, is it like it is in the West, where a lot hinges on how pretty your mutation is?"

"Yes and no. For as many advances as we've made, mutation is still a matter of debate. The most widely-held view at the moment seems to be that mutants should fall into a separate caste, similar to the untouchables. But the more secular minded of us believe that the circumstances of someone's birth should never be enough to condemn them to being ostracized. Once you're outed as a mutant though, it really ceases to matter whether your mutation is beautiful or not. It was easier to deal with in the academic setting."

"That is interesting." Amanda said "Do mutants tend to congregate in urban areas?"

"As the rural areas tend to be more religious and therefore more conservative, yes. Although there are a couple of communities in rural settings that are almost completely mutant. Those are the exceptions though."