{"id":2949,"date":"2017-10-21T02:46:43","date_gmt":"2017-10-21T02:46:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sfintranslation.com\/?p=2949"},"modified":"2017-10-22T04:29:47","modified_gmt":"2017-10-22T04:29:47","slug":"flash-fiction-from-around-the-world-the-borders-of-perfection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sfintranslation.com\/?p=2949","title":{"rendered":"Flash Fiction From Around the World: “The Borders of Perfection”"},"content":{"rendered":"

This is the eleventh in a series of posts featuring speculative flash fiction in translation. This series highlights both new and established spec fic writers from around the world.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

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Born in northern Italy in 1986, Carlo Vicenzi<\/strong> holds a degree in Modern Languages and Anthropology. An enthusiast of Renaissance fencing and a martial arts practitioner, he works in a book store during the day, translates at night, and finds time to write. He has authored novels, short-stories and flash-fiction in a range of genres, including Science Fiction, Romance and Fantasy. Vicenzi collaborates with various information and entertainment websites, and with magazines distributed nationwide.<\/p>\n

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\"\"Born in London to British parents, and raised bilingual in Italy, Sarah Jane Webb<\/strong> grew up in a house full of books. From her family, she inherited a passion for reading and writing. After studying modern languages, she worked for years in multinational companies in London and Milan. After the birth of her two children, she obtained a TEFL certificate for teaching English and started teaching and translating commercial literature. Over time, translation became her full-time occupation and she specializes in creative and literary work.<\/p>\n

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“The Borders of Perfection” by Carlo Vicenzi, translated from the Italian by Sarah Jane Webb
\n<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Her pursuers had<\/span><\/span><\/span> steeds with legs of steel and brass nostrils<\/span><\/span><\/span>. <\/span><\/span><\/span>They were catching up.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Vision misted with tears, strength waning, Eva pushed on: she knew them to be as ruthless as the Machines they worshipped. She would fight to the death to save the baby in her womb. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

She\u2019d grown too big to hide her condition: her pregnancy had been inconspicuous at first, but as the months went by there was no way of hiding her swollen belly. Confining herself at home hadn\u2019t helped: the Inquisition had found out. Such a blatant breach of Sacred Perfection could not be tolerated.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cStop, heretic!\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSurrender!\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSubmit to the Machine God\u2019s will!\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Their knife-edged, steely voices resounded from a few steps away.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Narrowly escaping when they\u2019d broken into the house, she\u2019d been running ever since. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSacrilege!\u201d The hollow litany rang in her ears. \u201cFlesh born of flesh! Sacrilege!\u201d <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

She had fallen prey to heresy the year before, when she\u2019d met Augusto. Like her, he still hadn\u2019t crossed the Borders of Perfection, a rite during which imperfect and perishable internal organs were replaced with cold and efficient metal parts.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Eluding the Inquisitors who watched over the as-yet imperfect, they had mated once, in secret, indulging instincts outlawed by the Doctrine. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

And this was the outcome. Augusto was taken first. Hopeless as it was, he had defended them both, affording them a chance to escape. But her large belly slowed her down.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s only one hope,\u201d he\u2019d said, just before the door was knocked down, \u201cleave the city and look for the Rebels.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Yes, the Rebels would accept her, save the life she carried.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Everyone knew, in town: the Rebel Movement hid in the woods out there, refuting the Machine God and preferring a body without mechanical parts. They chose to remain impure and imperfect, coming nowhere near the Border. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

She must find them. They\u2019d give her refuge, even though her hands had been replaced with prostheses.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The pounding of hooves was closer: they were moving in on her. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The wood suddenly opened onto an ample glade. Eastward, a faint glow heralded the imminent dawn. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Fatigue pulled her down with the force of a hundred arms. Eva, her energy totally spent, felt her legs buckle. She lost her balance.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

She somehow managed to fall onto her side, saving her stomach from hitting the ground, and wept, her sobs drowned by the clatter of the approaching monsters. The stars were obscured by their looming mounts, whose bodies retained little of their original form: pistons and mechanisms had replaced muscles, and brass pipes traversed the animals\u2019 skeletal belly.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

They surrounded her, bent towards her: she counted five of them.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Through twin holes in tall black hoods peered the glacial greenish eyes of the riders. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Their torn tunics revealed glimpses of metal pipes that bore through their flesh like huge dark worms. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Steely voices resumed the doctrinal litany: <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFlesh born of flesh is imperfect.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHence it is forbidden.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBecause the Machine God is beyond time, He knows the future.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe imperfect being generated in the belly of machines will be a seed of destruction.\u201d <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHence only metal and glass shall generate flesh.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFor this reason, it shall be faultless.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThus speaks the Prophecy Doctrine.\u201d <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou disobeyed. Hence you are a heretic.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHeretic the mother, heretic the child.\u201d <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDeath. For disobedience to the God.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDeath!\u201d they convened in one voice, rough as rust.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Eva saw the Inquisitors raise writhing multi-jointed limbs like rust-stained snakes.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

She begged her child for forgiveness for not giving birth to it, and closed her eyes, waiting for iron tentacles to pierce her flesh. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The ground shook, as if sobbing in sympathy.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

There was the crash of broken steel, the agonizing shriek of a dying machine.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Eva\u2019s eyes flashed open, in time to see one of the Machine God\u2019s servants smash to the ground in a heap of twisted metal and torn flesh.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cImperfect!\u201d cried the hooded riders. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The ground shook again.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

With a sickening shriek, a second Inquisitor fell from his steed, an artificial limb severed at the shoulder.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Her strength rekindled by hope, Eva raked the ground with iron fingers, dragging herself outside the circle of battle to avoid being trampled. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Turning her head, she saw the powerful legs of a white horse kick up the dirt in a lethal charge, and the rider sink a large rostrum-shaped weapon into the chest of a third Inquisitor. The sun filled the sky with blue, banishing the night, and Eva fixed her gaze on the man who was taking on the God\u2019s deadly servants: his armor of light-colored metal shimmered almost white, compared to the black tunics of his foes. Except for his eyes, his face was concealed by a heavy helmet. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cImperfect!\u201d screeched the two remaining inquisitors. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBe gone, loathsome machines,\u201d thundered the knight, \u201cthere\u2019s no room here for metal abominations!\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFear is no longer a part of us: the Machine God has allowed us to cross the Border of Perfection.\u201d <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThen I\u2019ll gladly destroy you!\u201d he replied, his voice laden with hate, before attacking with his horse at a gallop.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Eva squeezed her eyes shut before they collided and ripping sounds resounded in her ears.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Suddenly everything was still.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

She now beheld what remained of an inquisitor lying immobile before her. His hood was torn off, revealing what it meant to cross the Border: a horrendous face, glass eyes, metal tubes winding out of his nose and gaping mouth. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Her savior alighted from his horse and bent over her. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHelp me,\u201d wheezed Eva.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d replied the man curtly, drawing a long knife, \u201cI will help your baby, because he never crossed the Border. Let the prophecy come true.\u201d <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Eva\u2019s heart contracted in panic.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSave us,\u201d she rasped, as his knife travelled towards her belly, \u201cI never crossed the Border to Perfection!\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou did!\u201d he replied, lifting her iron hand, \u201cwhen you allowed metal to defile your flesh, your soul. Before that you were perfect. As your child is. This is our Border. You have crossed it.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Searing pain tore through her as the blade sank. The torture seemed endless. She hadn\u2019t the strength to rebel and was paralyzed by pain. She cried out and wept, thinking of her baby.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Seemingly from far away, she heard a faint whimper.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe prophecy will come true. You will save us from the Machines,\u201d said the man. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Before darkness enveloped her, Eva saw the knight hold her baby in his arms. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

He was right, she realized.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

He was perfect.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This is the eleventh in a series of posts featuring speculative flash fiction in translation. This series highlights both new and established spec fic writers from around the world. Born in northern Italy in 1986, Carlo Vicenzi holds a degree in Modern Languages and Anthropology. An enthusiast of Renaissance fencing and a martial arts practitioner,<\/p>\n

Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2709,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[169],"tags":[422,165,133,90,419],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sfintranslation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2949"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sfintranslation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sfintranslation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sfintranslation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sfintranslation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2949"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.sfintranslation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2949\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2977,"href":"https:\/\/www.sfintranslation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2949\/revisions\/2977"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sfintranslation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2709"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sfintranslation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2949"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sfintranslation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2949"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sfintranslation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2949"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}