Mazouri Syndrome

Tuesday 12 March 2013 - Filed under Squibs

The winter had been difficult. A late January noreaster had run through the plantation and toppled several of the older units, spilling oil and sapoline across the sands and throwing productions schedules all out of whack. Quota was at 77%. Noise from the mainland filtered down through the hierarchy, and the static was filling up Joyner’s inbox. Acts of Nature were not something Corporate considered acceptable.

But the inbox screeds would have to wait; early March was introduction, and with six unit spaces to fill as well as the fourteen already planned, the hands were too busy for anything else. The threelings  were already spoken for, either planned or for stock trades with other plantations. So Hassler and Xiling were in the twolings’ pen, taking a census of the strongest and most broody.

Sometimes a mature twoling could take to introduction, settling down and setting a nice taproot in its prepared berm, but you always rang the risk of Mazouri’s Syndrome. An improperly introduced turbie could take the whim in its meristem to shuffle off, to abscond, to set up shop elsewhere. None ever made it past the perimeter fence, but a twoling turbie is surprisingly strong, and somewhat ornery about its desires. The last thing you needed was for a mazouri to sink a taproot next to an established unit, fighting its elder for wind and sun and water, and ruining both units.

2013-03-12  »  Edward Semblance