Time Corps 18

I dread it all day, arrive with the intensity level of a USAF fighter pilot scrambling aloft in West Germany during the Cold War.
Receptionist grins, "room 38, on the left, abandon hope all ye who enter in."
"Still quoting Dante?"
"Who's that?"
I shrug, another example of quote outliving the reputation of quotee.
I knock on number 38.
"Come in."
She's in civvies, leather dyke look. Pale enough she could be a vampire.
"I'm Indira Ramyar, your 3 o'clock."
"Get lost kid, we don't do cadets. Receptionist will give you the phone number."
I swing one arm in front, point to the shoulder flash, "know what that means?"
"Nope, we're civvies, hired by the mil, we don't get into all that BS."
"Means Time Corps."
"And who are they?"
"People who bring you history TV."
She guffaws, "you're serious. So you aren't a cadet, but one of the Little People. Do you actually get periods when you're that small?"
"Perhaps we could return to the topic at hand."
"Quite, history TV. Deadly boring dreck, hasn't produced any good shows in 20 years. Only tea-drinking grannies watch it anymore. But let's not trash your fave TV show, to business. All I got is your name, not why you're here. Here on your own hook or CO orders?"
"CO suggestion."
"So why would your CO suggest you charge in where angels fear to tread?"
"She said I had 4 times the disdain toward men as is average and it would get in the way of my doing impartial TV interviews."
"Since when has TV ever been impartial? And what's wrong with mega-disdain to men?"
"So if I'm ah cured, you could just sign my card."
"Not so fast kid. You thought you could just charge in, blurt out the problem, dump it all over me, then go home relaxed."
"Isn't that your job?"
"No, my job is to get to know you a bit. Then you tell me the real dirt."
"Oh."
"So, starters, you're one of the Little People, not of our time, tell me of your time and place in history."
"Born and raised in Skeldon, Guyana. On the coast, by the Suriname border. Adult, circa 2000 Canada, Masters Degree in History and ended up a library worker."
"It's you!" she gasps, "the Reservist on TV."
"Yes."
"You look a ton smaller in person. Those camera people got tricks of angle."
"Ok, now the important stuff, your fave sex fantasy?"
"S&M, just finished doing the NaNo. My opening scene was S&M orgy, 9,350 words."
"So tell me, you ah just flog men in these fantasies? Or swing both ways?"
I stiffen, "I would never flog a woman."
"But men, until your arm drops off?"
"Yeah."
"So whaddya think you just said, in a roundabout way?"
"Ah well ah maybe probems with child abuse."
"We don't talk bout it until you decide you trust me enough. Meantime, talk of life. So, hobbies, whaddya do when you're not studying courses?"
I'm at a loss, don't even know where to begin.
"I see, so you feel sort of overpowered by the whole Time Corps scene?"
I nod.
"You'll be off on site for 10 years. Have whatever cover job so you can meet people. But still, big mountain of free time. Don't fill it wisely, you'll fill it stupidly, drugs, booze. So, whaddya gonna do tonight?"
"I ah you know I should go to the base library. Not to research stuff, like I always do, just to find a fun story or 2."
"Good, same time next week."

As I set out for the base library, I realize she's right. One and only fun thing I've read since arrival is Donald Duck. Even Le Monde, though it provides some fun, is aimed mostly at educational. As I open the library door, I realize I've never been here before on fun, just duty.
I start optimistic and it soon goes south.
Two acres of sappy romances, as if such a thing exists.
At least you aren't gambling as much time on any one book as in the past. Three-quarters of fiction books are what you'd call novellas, 60 to 100 page range, a minority traditional length.
I wander through murder mysteries, it all seem so sordid. Sorta like me digging up imaginary dirt on some scientist just to get my wordcount. I blush with shame.
Sci fi appears to hold 2 main genres - thinly-disguised porn and shoot-em-up.
War novels, oy.
I'm about to give up in despair, when I discover the Cowgirl Adventure Series. Cover illustrations connect with me bigtime, remind me of fun times with my platoon. Each and every book proclaims itself sex-free and suitable for children or adults. I pick 3 likely stories head for the checkout.
I soon realize how ridiculous I look, with 3 80 page novellas. Most people have 2 dozen, limit you can borrow is 30.