Jaisa

It had been yet another quiet night. I had been on watch since the middle of the night – the rest of the young guns were certainly progressing fast, and after their display at Andy’s little ‘graduation ceremony’ there was no doubt that they were well on their way to being able to hold their own. But shooting targets is one thing. Shooting a rumbler (as I can say from personal experience) is something else entirely. So I’m pulling double duty for the next while.

Summer had been on last shift with me. Andy was right, she was going to make a good officer. She was the only other one of us that had fired a gun before landing on Alchibah, which was something, but she certainly didn’t have my background. Which, all things considered, she should be thankful for. That didn’t change the fact that she had the stuff.

“So, I heard Elana mention that you run?” I asked. We were just getting off shift. “You any good? And what events, anyway?”

She laughed. “Yeah, I’m good. 1500, 3000 and 5000. You run?”

“You could say that. I’ve been missing it. Any chance you’re up for a little early morning training?”

”Abso-freaking-lutely! Let me just go get John – he wouldn’t miss a good run for the world. Be right back!” I watched as she dashed off. Yup, definitely a runner, born and raised.

I went back to my own tent, leaving the rifle and quickly getting changed. John and Summer were just getting there as I returned.

“So, what’s the plan?” John asked. “I haven’t so much as jogged since I got on the Lancer.”

“I figure a few laps around the main town clearing should do for starters. About a mile a lap. Think you can keep up?” I grinned.

“Don’t worry about us hotshot. Just don’t fall behind!” Summer shouted over her shoulder, starting.

They were as good as her word. Better. Truth be told I had never found anyone, even back with the resistance, that could push me. Until now. After the second mile John piped up.

“Enough with this jogging crap. You girls ready to start running?” Summer rolled her eyes. I grinned.

“Follow me if you can!” I shouted, sprinting ahead. After that it was all we could do to keep up with each other. I think John could have won, if he had pushed to his limit, but we were pretty evenly matched. A half an hour and five laps later we all started slowing down together. By then the camp was awake. More to the point, the other young guns were awake. One by one they joined us, pushing to keep up with our slowed pace. They weren’t runners, that’s for damn sure, but they were young guns. They kept up. As we rounded the bend halfway through our last lap I saw Andy and Ash looking at us. I could just pick out what they said as we passed.

“Would ya look at that?” Ash exclaimed, “Voluntary PT. Remember when we that young?”

“I can occasionally remember that far. Never thought I’d see the day again,” Andy replied, “Maybe these pigs can fly.”

Morning Day 18

I slept in for a change, I barely acknowledged Marinna when she left for the Lab. Ash had to go to the Lab to install the last link of the Software Firewall, so we were not going to start the cook off till the afternoon. So for the first time in weeks I had a slow morning.

The one thing I had not figured out was what we were going to do with the 6 quarts of our test run. Our best test said it was 180 Proof, not for the faint of heart for sure.

I stopped by Hanna’s place for breakfast and got asked if I wanted to try the “New” home fries. As I could find no real difference, I asked what was new about them.

Hanna grinned, “Those are your new ‘Quasi-potatoes’. How do they taste?”

I mumbled around my mouthful, “Sell ‘em Hanna, they be good!”

Bart came in grabbed a cup of coffee and sat down. “Didn’t see you at the service yesterday?”

I sighed, “And you never will if it’s not a Funeral. Bart, I am not an Atheist but I damn sure am an Agnostic.

“Don’t get me wrong I believe in God but I have no use for any organized religion. I have spent most of my life fighting one religious fanatic or another.

“You know where the Christians have it wrong; God did all his planning first. The first words he spoke where “Let There Be Light” and then there was a damn big bang. He’s sitting around somewhere in space and time with a really, great brew in hand thinking ‘How are They gonna Screw this Up Today?

“Anyway I gotta go, see you around Quigley!”

I moved out of Hanna’s knowing jaws were dropping behind me. Then my wrist comp chimed, it was Kurt Kellerman. “Finally got your tests on the Unicow done and figured out why it took so long.

“The computer was rejecting the results because it was too close to an Earth result.

“That’s Beef Boss, so close the computer was sure we were spoofing it with a test run.”

“OK, thanks. Now I have to make a couple of calls, one I am going to enjoy, and one I won’t”

First, the one I wanted to make.

“Dr. Hibbes on Mayflower, A. Stuart; private and Secure Please.”

I waited on the normal delay for the Mayflower and finally got Hibbes on the line.

“What can I do for you Mr. Stuart?”

“How would you like to make a commercial deal that you can probably do in your sleep; remembering that the ground component will probably pay well.”

I heard a long pause, “Well Mr. Stuart what could you have that I would want and what do I have that you would want?”

I had the mental image of a hook setting in a Tuna. “Let me list it. I have fresh made Bourbon, several meats that are not chicken and a vein of 70 percent pure Chalcopyrite that I can start shipping up on a moments notice. “You have a motor winding shop, which you as well as I know can wind generators just as easily. I need three more 150 KVA generators and I don’t really care what they cost. Do we have a basis for discussion?”

“Oh Dear Lord, I would have to discuss this with Capt. Travis. Please hold a moment…”

A couple minutes later, Hibbes returned to the secure line and said, “All set with Travis. The Chalcopyrite will be a big help. There’s no copper ore in this asteroid rock and with all the circuitry we have to build…And you folks will be needing more simple wire for your projects, too. Also, Travis asked how his boots were coming?”

“Chalcopyrite is in plentiful supply. I got about two tons we moved out of the Hydro site. You have a smelter, I don’t. At least till I get those three generators in place.

“Tell Travis that I actually found a 2 Qt. Mason Jar that is full of a clear liquid that is not for the young or faint of heart. And, his boots are ready.

“So, like I said Doc; what’s your price?”

Hibbes thought a moment and said, “Anything that isn’t chicken does sound good. Plus, our ‘greenhouse’ vegetables are limited in variety and taste. Have you folks discovered any tasty plant products yet?”

“Oh yes Doc, I’ll happily throw in a load or two of the tubers we found as well as a load of tasty berries Kara discovered in some bushes growing by the river. So I think we have a deal?”

“I think we do, Sir. And don’t forget that homegrown bourbon. Chandler and I enjoy a drink or two in our late night brainstorming sessions.”

“Done deal Doc, tell Travis to give me his ETA and we will have it ready. Stuart Out”

“Jai Benjamin, A. Stuart open.”

“Yeah Boss!”

“LT. grab a couple of the young guns and go bust me a couple of Unicows. Then put your best tracker to follow the herd reaction, we just made a deal with Mayflower and I am going to negotiate with elements on the planet to utilize the herd.”

“Yes Sir, you are not going to send someone to ride herd?”

“LT, did you hear anything you, Summer and Ryu can’t handle?”

“Sir, No Sir”

“Carry On, LT.”

Then I had to make the call I did not want to make. “L. Reye, A. Stuart, Private please!”

“What can I possibly do for you COL. Stuart?” Was the Ice-cold reply!

“Sir, the Militia has discovered a bovine animal that the Lab has analyzed as an almost perfect replication of Earth Beef.

“I was wondering if you would like to take a shot at trying to domesticate it. The Militia will undertake to drive a herd into a holding pen of your construction.

“Even if this animal which is temporarily named the Unicow can not be domesticated; it could be an interim source of protein until we can get some Cows up via the tubes.”

I heard a confused voice ask, “Why would you offer this to me?”

“Lester, this is Andy talking. Put this in your memory; don’t ask me the question if you don’t want to hear the answer. I don’t like you that’s no secret, mostly because you present yourself as an Officious, Bureaucratic Prick.

“But, I have no reason to hate you or to call Blood Feud on your House. To me your one saving grace is that you are the Father of SGT. Mike Reye; no one who can do that can be completely bad.

“I don’t have to like you to work with you to the betterment of Alchibah.

“So, Sir do we have a deal?”

“Yes Andy, we do. I will contact you when we have the corral ready!”

“OK Lester, I will be waiting.”

I stood up from the bench outside Hanna’s where I had been sitting and as I turned to walk away, I caught the eyes of Buchanan. In them, I saw the very definition of hate.

“Dear God Andy, one of these days you are going to have to kill that Bastard.” I thought!

Day 17 Sunday on Alchibah:

     Jules Parker Sr. had put stone markers out on one of the three dozen surveyed city lots south of the Community Building in order to mark the corners of the church he, and a number of others, intended to build. The lots were on either side of what would come to be known as Liberty street, half overlooking the river, the others, larger, crowded the roads west side. The church lot was sited just where Les Reye had originally figured to build his mansion. That seemed like ancient history now. But it was on that spot, an hour after sunrise and before breakfast, Jules presided over a nondenominational service that attracted about a third of the colonists.

     Janie and I attended, not because either of us were particularly devout, but as a show of solidarity and respect. Jules wasn’t the only speaker and his words of hope and grace were sincere and heartfelt. No one spoke for more than five minutes or so and all followed Jules lead. Jack Seaworth.’s death wasn‘t mentioned. With his widow Michelle and daughter Laura sitting there it would have been far to painful.

     We closed the service by singing one hymn, Martin Luther’s paraphrase of Psalm 46.

A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing;
Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing:
For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and power are great, and, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.

     It was an eerily powerful experience, hearing all of the unaccompanied voices, clear and strong, in the still morning air. . . As the last words faded, the analogies with our present circumstances escaped none of us.

Breakfast:

     We sat at one of the longer tables in the mess tent and talked about the plans for Liberty City. Eight of the lots surveyed were already spoken for. Every colonist was entitled to one lot, but the Council had voted to assign them, and necessary building materials, on the basis of relative importance to the community, as best determined by the city planning commission. The planning commission’s choices were subject to vote but they had all been rubber stamped thus far.

     The first structures would be the church, a general store, a woodworking and furniture shop, Sabbu’s electronic repair shed, a textile and clothing setup for Rajnar Singe, a combination mechanical repair and blacksmiths shop, a place to begin making glass and ceramics and a building to house and maintain the robots. Out on the north end of Windmill Hill we planned two large storage buildings. One was slated for food stuffs, as they became available, and the other, larger one, for anything that needed to be stored or worked on out of the weather. There were requests for other definite purpose commercial buildings, but for now at least their construction would have to be totally private in nature.

     The Council had given priority to the materials use but except for the two large buildings all construction labor would be private in nature and so would ownership. It was an unfortunate but, undeniable fact, that we didn’t have enough people to manage or do the work required for all of the trades and services we knew we would want.

     I had made a deal with the Spacers aboard the Mayflower. In return for bearings, shafting, and two circular blades, one three foot in diameter and one six, and miscellaneous hardware items, I‘d take care of the finishing materials for their dirt side building projects. The Town Council had already promised the basics. Gene Washburn, Joe Fortson, and I, had also begun laying aside, on our own time, beams and other materials for a private mill, but except for the largest structural pieces it seemed, in return for help in the future, we were passing most of it out as fast as we could get it cut. I guess we would just have to get the roof up and finish the rest later. That was something we would come to hear over and over again.

     But today was Sunday, and except for two hours on camp guard right after breakfast, a favor to Joe and Karl Nash, and good experience for Janie, we would do as we pleased.

     There were fish in the river, and having made a few modifications to my Caddis Alchibus, the day ahead seemed all too short.

Elana Pierce

I gazed out past the bay towards the horizon as the sun set, leaning on the bridge’s railing.  A gentle breeze blew the salty air towards me, like a memory of my childhood.  I’m so glad we made it here.  We had a good life on Earth, but living here, on the first real frontier the human race has faced in almost 200 years?  This is something else.  Truth be told I wish we could have waited for Summer to finish high school, but it just wasn’t in the cards.  Other than that…no regrets.  We didn’t have a whole lot holding us back.

I felt John coming up behind me.  He was certainly a bundle of emotions since we got here.  Exhaustion, mostly, but a certain contentment as well.  I turned my head to greet him.

“No sneaking up on you, is there sis?” he laughed. “Thinking of California again?” I nodded as he joined me at the railing. “I know you too well.  The stories you tell…wish I could remember more of it.  Oh well, this’ll have to do.”

“Taking a break?” I asked.

“Yeah, a little one.  You too I guess.  We deserve it though,” he said, clapping me on the back.

“You certainly do.  You’ve barely stopped working since we landed.  Nothing you’re not used to though.”

He sighed. “One of these years I’m going to try relaxing.  I’ve heard good things.”

“Don’t make me regret letting you push yourself so hard.  After mom and dad died…”

“Don’t.  We’ve had this conversation a hundred times if we’ve had it once.  It was my decision, and I don’t regret it.” He stretched. “Of course, if I turn out all messed up in the head you know I’m blaming you,” he grinned, skipping out of the way as I took a playful swipe at him. “Come on, we should get back.  Race ya!” He took off.

“Damnit, get back here!” I yelled, sprinting after him.  Little punk.  He’s twenty and he still acts like he’s five sometimes.

“Ohhh, can’t catch me!  You’re too slow!” he turned around, charging backwards for a second.

“Just you wait ‘til I get you in the water again!  Get your scrawny ass back here!”

Ah, my family.  What would I ever do without them?

From The Log of Mariana Stuart

I laughed as I walked into the Lab; the sight of Kurt nursing his hangover was great theater. “Well Dr. Kellerman, did we have one to many last night?”

“That’s CPT. Kellerman to you COL. and I damn sure did. I still can’t believe he popped these on me.”

“That’s what happens when you prove you can get it done to a man who believes in results. Your dumb ass did ask me to teach you how to use those things. Little did you know I learned how to teach from the three best there ever were.”

“Three, Mariana?”

“Andy Stuart, Gabriel Benjamin and Ashcroft Andrews. Do not cross anyone on that list, you are far from ready to play in that league. Shit, I would not try that crowd.”

“Mariana,” exclaimed Kurt, “I have seen your draw, you make my Grand Dads “Panther Quick” look slow.”

“But, you could see it,” I said. “Tell me did you even see Ash’s when he drew down on you back on the Mayflower?” Kurt just nodded no. “Kurt, he’s the slowest of the three!”

“Benjamin, is that any relation to the Benjamin’s we have here?”

“He is Connor’s adopted brother and Jai’s Uncle. You think she got to be the firebrand she is by accident?”

“Oh Lord, that’s why Andy’s dumping on her; she has Leader written all over her.”

I caught his eyes, “If your little experiment don’t work for sure; she is Andy’s adopted daughter. She will be his replacement, he won’t admit it, but I know it.”

Kurt stared at me for a long moment then, “Mariana I was not drunk enough that I could not run up your blood work from last night. I figure you have somewhere between sixty and ninety days to find a source of tampons or pads. Your enzyme and endorphin levels are already ramping up, that thing is deader than hell; that was the other reason I was partying last night.”

I slumped into the chair, it was real; I knew in my soul that Kurt would not lie to me, then the voice broke the silence.

“Ain’t that buggering interesting? Who’s the head Digger at this Military sawbones shop?”

I heard Kurt answering, “Ma’am this is not a Military facility.”

The statuesque Redhead answered, “Well damn Mate. I see a Full Bird COL. and a CPT. what the bloody hell am I supposed to think?”

Kurt laughed and came back with a great line; “This is a civilian facility that just happens to be staffed heavily by part time military. That’s our story and we are sticking to it.”

While she was laughing, I stepped in, “We leave rank at the door here, if you’re looking for the boss; it depends on what you want! By the way who are you and how did you come to know military ranks?”

She stared at me for a minute, “The name is JoAnn McKenzie, late 2LT of the Australian SBS; so those rank tabs are familiar. My only question is that according to my last briefing before we were dissolved, is that COL. Stuart was a male.”

“No,” I said, “While I was on active duty I went by Kearns, that was before we got married. Once again, what do you want? And what does the name mean to you?”

“Dear Lord Mate, you can’t be Magic and the Reaper. The UNWG swore you were dead,” JoAnn exclaimed.

My reply was short and sweet, ” Not Hardly Mate; now one more time, what do you want here?”

“Well, I heard the CPT. bragging at the bar last night and I was wondering if you could tell me why the UNWG hung one of those bloody things on me?”

I heard Kurt’s low “Oh Shit!” and immediately called Sally on my wrist comp; “Sally is Treatment fired up?”

“Sure Mariana, I just finished the run up self diagnostic, what do you have?”

“We have a female, early thirties; full body scan with a possible active implant. We are going to need a full workup on location of any implant.”

“OK, JoAnn get that gear off, open your mouth for that swab Kurt’s carrying and get next door.” I watched as she took off her gear and what a strange mix it was. I had to ask, “A lever action and two Ruger Super Redhawks?”

“Well, they at least use the same round they are all .44 mags!” She said as she placed them on the weapons rack Dave had built in just the day before.

I turned to see Kurt’s wry grin as he started the DNA scanner, “Never thought I would see a Bio-Lab with a weapons rack and no one think anything about it. Brave New World indeed.”

We traded mindless banter like that for the five minutes it took for Diag and Primary to start putting up results. Staring at the visual in Diag I asked, “You see any problems here? I see a couple of small glitches there but nothing to worry about.”

Kurt’s reply was kind of strange, “Nah, not a problem but I swear I have seen that pattern before.” He then started a comparison search of our database. The hit came up fast, “Yep, there it is; only the fact that this one is a male pattern is what had me confused!”

“Ok Kurt, who’s is it?” And the reply was the bingo surprise of the morning,

“Ashcroft William Andrews IV, my oh so interesting double recessive mutant. We are looking at a Female double recessive and I know why she got tagged. You see Ash lied to everybody but me, you did not get tagged as a cover for your ex; you got tagged to stop you from mating with this.” He then called up a fourth scan on the split screen.

I just stared and asked, “Whose is that?” Then the impact of what I was seeing hit me, “Dear God, that’s Andy’s.”

“Yep, the UNWG followed basic eugenics; stop the females is the fastest way to stop the line. All we need now is a basic idea of her IQ; I give you Dr. Andrews as a baseline.”

Just at that moment JoAnn walked in, like most Aussies I had ever met she was in her pants and bra carrying her upper garments. I asked her, “Just to get us a baseline what’s your education level, it’s faster than an IQ test.”

“Crikey, double BS Civil and Chemical Engineering wanted to go for a More of the Same but ran out of degree completion time.”

Just at that time the fates or my bad luck had Ash walk in the door, ” Hello Sis, I got some ohmygod I mean softbod, I mean software to put on the ohmygod I mean control unit.”

Kurt came to the rescue, “Ash the computer is back in primary as you well know. I don’t know what software you have to load; but that Lady has been tagged and I need some help.”

Ash’s face suddenly lost its slack-jawed look and assumed the Clan Stuart cold stare. “What do you mean by tagged and what help do you mean?”

“Dammit, she’s got one of those damn active implants and it’s a different model from the one they put in Mariana. I need some help with the correct harmonics.”

Ash was as cold as they came, “Five minutes for the upload, then I’ll frack that Bastard for you.” He turned towards JoAnn, “That I promise you My Lady!”

As Ash and Kurt moved into the back room I looked at JoAnn, “Would you get dressed please, I’ve never seen that dumbass like that.”

She started pulling on her shirt and smiled at me wistfully, “He’s kinda cute actually”

I just rolled my eyes towards the ceiling, “Dear God, two of them. Who did I piss of in a past life?”

Arra Benjamin

Aya and I have a new friend!  We think his name is Shuk, but it’s kinda hard to tell.  He’s a devil.  Or at least that’s what people are calling them.  It doesn’t seem like a very good name for such nice birds, but everyone seems to like them anyway, so that’s ok I guess.  Shuk’s followed us around some the past couple of days.  He’s funny, and I think he likes us.  It might have something to do with the fries we snuck from lunch for him, but that’s ok too.

Everyone’s still seems really sad about Jack.  We never really got to know him, but I guess I’m a little sad too.  They don’t think we know what happened, but Aya and I are pretty smart when we want to be.  I know everyone thinks it’s for our own good, but I think it’s better for us to know what’s going on.

Dad’s been really good about it.  He made sure Emily came and got us right away after it happened to take us to stay with the Parkers for the night cause Jai and him had to stay out.  They’re both really good at pretending everything’s ok, but we can tell sometimes when they’re worried.  Jai expecially has been beating herself up over it I think.

School’s a lot of fun.  Mr. Parker and Kaiya (we have to call her Ms. Yamasak when we’re in class, but she lets us call her Kaiya outside of school) are really great teachers.  It’s cool to finally go to a real school after being homeschooled for all our lives.  Dad and Uncle Gabe and Sinopa and Okanai are really good teachers too, but it’s more fun to have other kids around.

I think Kaiya and Dad like eachother.  I mean, like like – like in the movies.  I think it’s great.  She’s great, and he’s happy around her, so it’s fine by us!  He still really misses Mom.  I dunno.  It’s weird.  He’s really happy around her, but he seems sad too.  I guess it’d be like if Aya died and then years later I got a new sister.  Would it be ok for me to like my new sister as much as I liked Aya?  It’s tough, but I think he should try to be happy.  He spends so much time taking care of other people that he forgets to take care of himself sometimes.

Well, we’ve got to go have dinner.  Maybe we’ll get to sit with Jai’s friends again!

With everything going on, the devils were a welcome distraction.  Every day I looked forward to lunch, so I could see them.  They got me wondering about how much we could learn from them about Alchibah.  They obviously had a language of some kind as they clearly named things.  But I wondered if it was just for them, or if there were other animals they could communicate with.  At the very least, I could see if they could help us with naming things.

So with Marianna's permission, I downloaded pictures of the samples we've collected.  I wasn't sure if the devils were going to understand what pictures were or if they'd even really see them very well, but I figured I give it a shot.  I just hope they wouldn't destroy my computer!

As if on cue, the devils arrived at lunch.  I had plenty of fries waiting for them (though seriously wondered if they were going to get sick from eating them so much, as who knew if they were even remotely nutritious for them).  They brought some Cappies and I gave them some fries.  I also had a picture of a Cappi on my screen.  I turned the computer towards the few devils that remained at the table, and I pointed to the screen.  The devils looked at me, then looked at the computer.  I pointed again and said Cappi.  They looked at me some more and I got concerned.  So I held up a Cappi, said Cappi, then pointed at the screen and said Cappi.  Still nothing.  I had a pencil and some paper for notes, so I drew a quick outline of a Cappi, and repeated the exercise.  Then I did it again and included the picture on the computer.  They immediately started saying "Cappi!  Cappi!"  So I then gave them some more fries and showed a picture of a basket of fries.  I said Fries.  They agreed, Fries!

I then moved on to a picture of a small slizzard.  I wasn't sure how they would react, assuming a larger slizzard would be a predator.  They looked and immediately said "Paac!"  After giving them their fries, I showed them a picture of a much larger slizzard.  They took a step back and hesitated.  I pointed and said, "Paac?"  They looked at me and said, "PaacPaac!"  I guess a small one isn't any concern, but the bigger ones are.  I also imagine they would end up saying Paac over and over again if they saw a big slizzard, like you would in a warning, and so the double name became its name.  At least that's how I make sense of it.

I did this many times more, alternating between plants and animals, and always rewarding with fries.  Hannah kept an eye on my fries supply, and always had more ready when I was low.  Which was good as the devils didn't seem to mind staying longer than they had previously.  They didn't have words for everything, as I suspected, but I a lot to work with.  "Lil'li" for one of the stream's fish, "Panna" for the tree that killed Robert, "Teh" for one of the pine-like trees, etc.

When it was time for me to get back to work, the devils seemed disappointed it was over (of course, I'm probably personifying that).  They flew alongside me on my walk back to the Lab squaking "bye! bye!"

I think I may have made some friends.  :)

From the Log Files of Lester Reye

   There weren’t enough hours in the day for all that needed doing. When I first mentioned that to Judith she said “Of course not Lester, there are only twenty of them. Back on earth we had 24 and something ought to be done to fix that. Can‘t you pass a law to make our time system the same as the one we were used to? This may be a new planet but that doesn‘t mean we have to change everything!” I told her I would look into it.

   The death of Jack Seaworth and fear of being out of the protected area around Liberty City had almost put a stop to working on our farm. Guns, and the culture of guns, both Judith and I had always said, were a danger to the public, and should be, and rightfully were, at least back on Earth, illegal. Now I wasn’t so sure. Without some means of protection though, working at our future farm was out of the question. And I guess I was surprised, though I shouldn’t have been, when Burt Buchanan helped solve that problem.

   When Burt and I had our first meeting after the militia regulation issue was settled I was not at all prepared for his anger. Till this point he had always seemed cold and professional whenever we had spoken, that wasn’t how he behaved in public but I had come to the conclusion that everything he did in public was part of a larger act.

   “That bastard Stuart,” Burt said snarling with rage, “he didn’t follow the script. Now we are going to have to find another… and a more certain means to discredit him!” Buchanan was livid, I was momentarily stunned by the force of his anger. “Next time, if we decide to let him have a next time, he’s finished!”

   Shaking my head slowly side to side, and in a puzzled, wary tone, I said, “But we have civilian control of both the Militia and the Guard, isn’t that what we wanted?”

   He was like a kettle about to boil over, “It was only part of it Lester.” I could see the veins in his face and neck throbbing, “We also needed to eliminate his influence in the future. Now we may need to eliminate him!”

   As soon as those words left his mouth his entire demeanor changed like the flicking of a switch. A mask seemed to drop over him and instantly he seemed the Buchanan I had come to know. If I hadn’t been so shocked by the vehemence of his tirade it would have been scary, and when I thought about it later it was.

   “This is what we do for now,” he continued as if nothing at all was out of character in his earlier remarks. “We start at once, today, working your farmland, that gets us out of town and out from under anybody’s prying eyes. After that we begin to prepare for the next stage. We will get this colony structured in a sane efficient manner. But first the farm.”

   “But Burt, I can’t bring my wife and son out there, the danger is way too great until this ‘rumbler and slizard’ problem are dealt with.” Gathering up all my courage I said, “I just won’t do it!”

   Far from becoming angry again, Burt’s expression, and persona, changed once more, this time to one of, I can only call it, good natured natural bonhomie. “There’s no need to worry about personal safety Les, Jack the Blade will provide all the protection you will ever need.”

   So that’s how it was. With a couple of Jack’s supporters and their robots always on watch, Mike, when not at Bartlett’s lumber mill, and I began getting the farm into order. We had Buchanan’s help along with any of J t’ B ’s personal support group along with their robots whenever free from community projects. Progress was both more rapid and satisfying than I had any reason to hope for.

   Our farm was slated for mostly livestock, cattle and, well buffalo. Cattle I knew, the other might take some getting used to, though until the Peta laws there had still been a few small herds used to provide food for elitist and ostentatious consumption back home, so I was aware they could be domesticated to a degree. The farm was on the other side of the river and farther from Liberty City than any of the other colonist’s freeholds with the exception of the spacers.

   The fact that the lower bridge was in place just to our west made it a very good location providing the natural predators could be kept at bay. The land itself was a little too sandy to make good cropland but should be fine for the grasses and cover crops we would want for animal feed. There was also plenty of nearby forest for firewood and fence posts. I spent all of my time there when not involved with Township meetings, or the new thing, working on a draft Constitution.

   Mike and I were getting along better than we had in years, I could see he was starting to pay attention to some of the girls in the camp who were near his own age. I couldn’t say that came as a surprise. But Judith wasn’t quite ready, or maybe didn’t want to overcome her fears, and so spent most of her free time helping out at the Community Farm closer to town. The walk back and forth between the city and our farm was time consuming, but that, along with all the work I was doing, was getting me into the kind of shape I could have only dreamed of back on Earth.

   I was continually troubled, and starting to have ever darker and more uncomfortable thoughts concerning Buchanan, and deeply regretted the necessity of our continued association, but I pushed them into the background and decided to deal with the present and let the future look out for itself. No… that’s wrong… I knew something was terribly wrong and just refused to address it, but I was still certain that I could back out when the time came, and fix things if any of those things I wouldn‘t think about, should turn out to be real. And then I prayed it would never come to that.

Connor

Day 15, early morning

Two nights since Jack was killed and we’d seen neither hide nor hair of the rumbler, or any slizzards or anything else for that matter.  The lot of us on guard detail were on short sleep, but we could handle it for a while longer while the young guns got trained enough that they didn’t need such thorough babysitting.  Of course, Jack had been ex-military and had known what he was doing, so it was going to be a while before we let them totally alone.  I just hoped one of those kids didn’t buy it.  That would be more than the colony could take.  It would be more than I could take.

The last shift had just ended, the sun creeping over the horizon.  I had put the Tavor back in the tent, though I left the HK and one of the Pythons on and in plain sight.  Andy was right; what people needed now was reassurance, and when you might be attacked weapons in the hands of competent people that you trust (I hope the other colonists trust us) are reassuring.  As I was headed to Hanna’s for coffee (by now I had given in to the temptation) I saw something I hadn’t really ever expected to see again down by Windmill Hill.  Coffee forgotten I started jogging in that direction.  As I neared the man I slowed.

He was kneeling with his back to me under one of the few trees in the field, hand on the hilt of what was unmistakably a katana, staring straight ahead, motionless.  I had seen this once before as a child on a trip to Japan to visit a friend of my father’s.  I looked up.  Sure enough, on a leaf ten feet above his head and not three feet in front of him sat a glistening drop of dew, inching its way ever so slowly downward.  I kneeled, watching.

Minutes passed.  The drop had stopped.  Then suddenly it fell, catching the light as it sailed toward its fate.  The sword flew through the air, bisecting the shimmering drop, catching half on its blade and letting the rest continue undisturbed to the grass below.  The swordsman shook the water off, wiped the blade and gracefully slid it back into its sheath.  He stood and turned.

I bowed, hands at sides, looking at the ground. “Hajimemashite.  Benjamin Connor desu, yoroshiku onegaishimasu.” I looked up to see an ever so slight look of surprise in the man’s eyes.  He bowed back.

“Maeda Kiyoshi desu, yoroshiku onegaishimasu.” He straightened and extended his hand. “It is good to meet you Connor,” he said, shaking my hand. “I am Ryu’s father.  He has told me good things of you and your daughter.”

“Thank you.  And you have quite the son.  He’s turning into a real leader.  I’ve met few people his age as mature as he is.” I paused. “If you don’t mind me asking, is that a traditional katana?  I thought they had been outlawed.”

He sighed. “Yes.  This was made by my father.  I have two others made by him as well.  I had to leave my own katanas on Earth.  With luck, and if the gods smile on me perhaps I will make more yet.”

“You’re a smith?” I asked, stunned. “You were one of the five still allowed to practice, to make ‘art swords’ after the ban?” My eyes widened. “You’re Hayashi Maeda’s son?” He nodded curtly. “I have to show you something.  Come on!” I started walking quickly back to the tents with the confused smith in tow.  I couldn’t believe it.  Was the world really that small?

I decided to start this day at Hanna’s place, her coffee was better and I needed to do some stuff in public.