2A/Autumn 161B
Social Care
It’s been a while since my friend Rastu started this blog. We’ve both been so busy since xe came to Geos and such a lot has happened so most of her writing has either been for her studies of science and mathematics or her letters and emails back home to Arté and the others on Duplos. You will be able to read all about what’s been going on when our Earth contact Richard Arthur publishes Twin Worlds 2.
Right now Rastu is unable to continue the blog, I can’t give you the reason without a spoiler so I’ll not go into that any further. However I don’t think I’m giving too much away to tell you about my plans for my Mum. Xe suffers from osteoporosis and it seems to me that her life would be made much easier in the lower gravity of Duplos. So I plan to relocate and take xim with me. However there are a number of practical considerations for me to sort out.
One of the problems is obviously that medical science on Duplos is way too primitive for us, although we Geosians are in the process of transferring knowledge, technology and skills. If you’ve read the first book you’ll know that nurse Red Robin Garden was one of our landing party. Xe was also struck by the potential advantages of the lower gravity for some medical conditions and I learnt recently that xe is in the process of establishing a nursing home in the Western Federation reasonably close to where Astra has her summer home. This means there will be appropriate medical facilities not too far away. Astra and Arté have acquired a suitable plot of land for me and are in the process of organising builders to provide a home for me and Mum.
The other main issue is, of course, the financial one. The cost of living on Duplos is somewhat lower than here and for reasons that will become apparent in book two I could afford the costs, which if I were Duplosian or a New Norlander I would have to do. But here in the KNN on Geos we do have a system to help with the affordability of social care. This means that unless you are very rich the Government (i.e. taxpayer) helps with the costs. For me the main issue has been to persuade the Government to include care on Duplos in the system.
I’m still working on that but the signs are encouraging and I anticipate success, largely because the ongoing costs are likely to be lower than in the KNN. Anyway I’ve done my sums and think we should manage OK. I understand that the issue is also a hot topic in Richard Arthur’s world so I’ll tell you how it works over here.
When the need for long-term care is identified a person’s assets (income and capital) are valued by the Government and the valuation is used to determine the contribution that the individual has to make to the cost of their own care. Firstly the individual is expected to contribute 41.7% (50 pertwent) of their income, but for those a bit richer than my Mum this is mitigated by extending their tax-free allowance to cover the contribution. After that the balance is first met from some of their capital until a maximum is reached after which the Government takes over paying the balance. The first £100,224 (£4A,000) of capital assets is ignored and the maximum cap is set at 25% (30 pertwent) of the excess.
In the case of my Mum, her annual income is £23,040 (£11,400) and the value of her capital assets is £414,720 (£180,000) – most of which is her house. This means that she must pay the first £9,600 of the costs from her income and then keep paying the rest out of capital until her total capital cost reaches £78,624. Here in the KNN the average cost of the nursing home is about £62,208 a year (£30,000) which means she would reach her cap after a bit over a year and a half when the Government would have to take over paying the £50,000 pa plus balance. On Duplos we think the cost will be about half that over here so there could be a substantial saving to XMG – hence their willingness to allow the plan!
I‘d better stop now as I’m quite busy with work as well as keeping an eye on Mum and looking after a baby. Not mine, but to learn more you must wait for the next book.
Jezzie Peteschild
Camford, KNN, Geos
B/Summer 161A
On Magic
I’ve recently arrived here on Geos where I’m confronted by all sorts of phenomena that I can only describe as magic. When I expressed this view to my hosts their response was to tell me that my reaction is understandable although everything has a rational scientific basis. It’s just that the product of any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.
When I write to my friend Arté back home on Duplos I shall continue to describe things as magic even though I am going to learn as much as I can about Geosian science and technology, as indeed are Arté and Astra once the cultural exchange between our two planets gets going. Science is what the Geosians call Natural Philosophy.
!’ve now got a pretty good grasp of New Norse and am beginning to cope with base twelve numbers so feel ready to start on the magical secrets. My dear friend Jezzie tells me that my knowledge of Maths is pretty well up to the standard for university entrance here, although my scientific knowledge is somewhat primitive. Xe says that the most important gap in my maths is something xe calls calculus but that it is only a small step for me to learn. Xe also recommends that I get familiar with complex numbers which involve a square root of minus one which on Duplos we think is impossible. Then xe says I can learn about electricity which I am really keen to do because it appears to be the most important ingredient of Geosian magic.
Jezzie isn’t from New Norland but from a country across the ocean called the Kingdom of Northern Nations usually abbreviated to KNN. Xe is an engineer and an expert on making machines think almost like people. She did this for the aircart that the Geosians use on Duplos and also on the space shuttles that they use to travel between space stations and the ground. With Jezzie’s magic these machines can fly themselves without the need of a pilot. When we get out of quarantine I am going back with Jezzie to KNN to stay for a while.
All this is truly magical for a country girl from Duplos!
A. Rastu
Q City, New Norland, Geos
