A Question of Identity (short story): Difference between revisions

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{{Infobox Story
{{Infobox Story SMW
|main character = [[Bernice Summerfield]]
|main character = [[Bernice Summerfield]]
|featuring      = [[Irving Braxiatel]]
|featuring      = [[Irving Braxiatel|Braxiatel]]
|enemy          = [[Comparative Religion Society]]
|enemy          = [[Leader (A Question of Identity)|Leader]]
|setting        = [[Braxiatel Collection]]
|setting        = [[Braxiatel Collection]], [[2599]]<ref>In ''[[Professor Bernice Summerfield and the Doomsday Manuscript (novel)|Professor Bernice Summerfield and the Doomsday Manuscript]]'', Benny says that the business with the Delvians (i.e. the events of ''A Question of Identity'') was a few weeks ago.</ref>
|writer        = [[Caroline Symcox]]
|writer        = Caroline Symcox
|anthology      = ''[[The Dead Men Diaries (anthology)|The Dead Men Diaries]]''
|anthology      = The Dead Men Diaries (anthology)
|release date  = [[September (releases)|September]] [[2000 (releases)|2000]]
|release date  = September 2000
|series        = ''[[Bernice Summerfield (series)|Bernice Summerfield]]'' short stories
|series        = ''[[Bernice Summerfield (series)|Bernice Summerfield]]'' short stories
|next          = Steal from the World (short story)
|next          = Steal from the World (short story)
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|next2          = Steal from the World (short story)
|next2          = Steal from the World (short story)
}}
}}
'''''A Question of Identity''''' was the first story in the [[Bernice Summerfield]] anthology ''[[The Dead Men Diaries (anthology)|The Dead Men Diaries]]''. It was written by [[Caroline Symcox]].
'''''A Question of Identity''''' was a [[2000 (releases)|2000]] short story written by [[Caroline Symcox]] and released as the first story in the ''[[Bernice Summerfield (series)|Bernice Summerfield]]'' anthology ''[[The Dead Men Diaries (anthology)|The Dead Men Diaries]]''.


== Summary ==
== Synopsis ==
Benny, newly settled as the [[Braxiatel Collection]]'s staff [[archaeologist]], is trying very very hard to put her adventuring days behind her and be a "Serious Academic". She has put in some long hours of studying, but [[Irving Braxiatel]] thinks she needs a break. He wants her to attend a dinner the next night, which members of the [[Delvian Academy]] will attend. She will need a new dress.
''To be added''


Benny attempts to find a dress that is both becoming and conservative, but has no luck. She then finds a gorgeous, [[blue]] (expensive) dress, and can't resist buying it.
== Plot ==
[[Bernice Summerfield|Benny]], newly settled as the [[Braxiatel Collection]]'s staff [[archaeologist]], dedicates herself to research and study in an attempt to become a serious academic and put her adventuring days behind her. She accepts [[Irving Braxiatel|Braxiatel]]'s invitation to [[dinner]] with [[professor]]s from the [[Delvian Academy]], being bored of paperwork, and buys an expensive [[dress]] for the occasion to ensure that she looks elegant.


At the dinner, Benny is ready to work and, drinking only mineral [[water]], asks Braxiatel which guests she should chat up. He sends her to Professor [[Hayes (A Question of Identity)|Hayes]], who is familiar with her work. He criticises one of her books and walks away. After dinner, Benny, having had several glasses of white [[wine]], approaches another guest. He is [[Erich Fromm]], from the [[Delvian Academy]]. Benny, slightly drunk, talks on and on about the academy's work on [[Traxis Four]] and their attempts to connect Traxis Four with [[Traxis Six]]. She herself is working on a book from Traxis Six, and mentions that she has taken the book to her work station. She doesn't notice that Fromm has been growing more and more nervous during the conversation. He abruptly leaves.
At the dinner, Benny drinks only [[mineral water]] until [[Hayes (A Question of Identity)|Professor Hayes]] criticises her book, after which she takes to drinking several glasses of [[white wine]] and drunkenly talks to [[Erich Fromm]] about her own attempts to find a link between [[Traxis Four]] and [[Traxis Six]]. He abruptly excuses himself and, embarrassed, Benny leaves and is accosted by [[Guy Chisholm]], an enthusiastic student of [[archaeology]] who idolises her and explains that she was his inspiration. The two come across an unconscious guard and Guy drags Benny towards the [[library]] to investigate despite her arguing that they should contact security.


Embarrassed, Benny leaves the party but is accosted by [[Guy Chisholm]], an [[archaeology]] student who considers Benny his inspiration. She tries to convince him that she is no longer the Benny he's heard stories about. As they continue their conversation, they trip over an unconscious guard. Guy wants to investigate and drags Benny to the library. She tries to argue that they should go for security, and that she's no longer the old Benny and is happy the way she is...but then she realises she ''isn't'' happy. She sends Guy for security and heads for the library.
Realising that she is unhappy in her life as a serious academic, Benny sends Guy to get security and goes to the library herself. She finds the intruder taking a [[book]] on Traxis Four and Traxis Six from her work station and knocks him out after he tears her dress, after which she sees that it is Fromm. Braxiatel arrives with his guards and explains that he was aware that the Delvian Academy has been stealing from other researchers to delay their progress and ensure that they can publish their findings first, but the trap he laid was almost unsuccessful because of Benny moving the book.


Meanwhile, in another area of the Collection, a group of men have broken into a room and are searching the boxes for something. The [[Leader (A Question of Identity)|leader]] criticises [[Mason (A Question of Identity)|Mason]] for not knowing which box is theirs, but they are suddenly interrupted by the arrival of Braxiatel and several armed guards. Smugly, Braxiatel heads for the correct box, only to find it empty. He realises it must have been Benny.
Benny comes to terms with the fact that she will always be an adventurer and returns to dinner, where she insults Professor Hayes and [[kiss]]es Guy on the way out.
 
In the library, Benny sees that the intruder is taking the book from her work station. She tackles him, and when he fights back, her dress tears. Enraged, she punches him, knocking him unconscious. As Braxiatel arrives, she realises that the intruder was Fromm.
 
Later Braxiatel explains to Benny that he heard the Comparative Religion Society had been stealing the artefacts from Traxis Six, so he set a trap for them.
 
Benny heads back to the dinner party and locates Professor Hayes. She insults him and leaves. On the way out, she sees Guy, who has just been released from security, and snogs him.


== Characters ==
== Characters ==
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* [[Erich Fromm]]
* [[Erich Fromm]]
* [[Guy Chisholm]]
* [[Guy Chisholm]]
* Professor [[Hayes (A Question of Identity)|Hayes]]
* [[Hayes (A Question of Identity)|Professor Hayes]]
* [[Mason (A Question of Identity)|Mason]]
* [[Mason (A Question of Identity)|Mason]]
* [[Leader (A Question of Identity)|Leader]]
* [[Leader (A Question of Identity)|Leader]]


== References ==
== Worldbuilding ==
* Ten artefacts from the expedition to [[Traxis Six]] in [[2205]] now reside in the [[Braxiatel Collection]].
* Ten artefacts from the expedition to [[Traxis Six]] in [[2205]] now reside in the [[Braxiatel Collection]].
* Mason, Fromm, and the leader are members of the [[Comparative Religion Society]].
* Benny drinks [[mineral water]] and [[white wine]].
* Fromm is a professor at the [[Delvian Academy]].
* Mason, Fromm and the leader are members of the [[Comparative Religion Society]] at the [[Delvian Academy]].
* Benny's first academic publication was ''[[The Traxian Paradox: A New Perspective]]''.
* Benny's first academic publication was ''[[The Traxian Paradox: A New Perspective]]''.


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''to be added''
''to be added''


== Footnotes ==
{{reflist}}
{{TitleSort}}
{{TitleSort}}
[[Category:Irving Braxiatel short stories]]
[[Category:Irving Braxiatel short stories]]
[[Category:Short stories set on the Braxiatel Collection]]
[[Category:Short stories set on the Braxiatel Collection]]
[[Category:Stories set in 2599]]
[[Category:Stories set in 2599]]
[[Category:The Dead Men Diaries short stories]]
[[Category:The Dead Men Diaries short stories]]
[[Category:Bernice Summerfield stories]]
[[Category:Bernice Summerfield sources]]

Latest revision as of 19:50, 2 March 2024

RealWorld.png

A Question of Identity was a 2000 short story written by Caroline Symcox and released as the first story in the Bernice Summerfield anthology The Dead Men Diaries.

Synopsis[[edit] | [edit source]]

To be added

Plot[[edit] | [edit source]]

Benny, newly settled as the Braxiatel Collection's staff archaeologist, dedicates herself to research and study in an attempt to become a serious academic and put her adventuring days behind her. She accepts Braxiatel's invitation to dinner with professors from the Delvian Academy, being bored of paperwork, and buys an expensive dress for the occasion to ensure that she looks elegant.

At the dinner, Benny drinks only mineral water until Professor Hayes criticises her book, after which she takes to drinking several glasses of white wine and drunkenly talks to Erich Fromm about her own attempts to find a link between Traxis Four and Traxis Six. He abruptly excuses himself and, embarrassed, Benny leaves and is accosted by Guy Chisholm, an enthusiastic student of archaeology who idolises her and explains that she was his inspiration. The two come across an unconscious guard and Guy drags Benny towards the library to investigate despite her arguing that they should contact security.

Realising that she is unhappy in her life as a serious academic, Benny sends Guy to get security and goes to the library herself. She finds the intruder taking a book on Traxis Four and Traxis Six from her work station and knocks him out after he tears her dress, after which she sees that it is Fromm. Braxiatel arrives with his guards and explains that he was aware that the Delvian Academy has been stealing from other researchers to delay their progress and ensure that they can publish their findings first, but the trap he laid was almost unsuccessful because of Benny moving the book.

Benny comes to terms with the fact that she will always be an adventurer and returns to dinner, where she insults Professor Hayes and kisses Guy on the way out.

Characters[[edit] | [edit source]]

Worldbuilding[[edit] | [edit source]]

Notes[[edit] | [edit source]]

to be added

Continuity[[edit] | [edit source]]

to be added

Footnotes[[edit] | [edit source]]

  1. ↑ In Professor Bernice Summerfield and the Doomsday Manuscript, Benny says that the business with the Delvians (i.e. the events of A Question of Identity) was a few weeks ago.
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