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Bella has watched a simple, managed Martian ecosystem and a glitteringly colorful first city pour procedurally out from assorted points of origin on her computer with a variety of rand seeds, and picked the prettiest result.
She's standing on that ideal origin spot now - the top of Olympus Mons, under a blue-dyed sky and a breathable layer of atmosphere - holding her laptop which holds this specification under her left arm. All present to witness this moment are Alice, Libby, Lazarus, and Bridget.
She defangs a trio of stars: one for the terrain, one for the wildlife, one for the city of Olympus. To be dramatic, she squares them off her bandolier and holds them high in the air between the fingers of her right hand.
"Welcome to Mars," she says.
Wishwishwish.
Moss ripples out from under her feet and carpets the landscape, giving way to forest further downhill and, further away, to freshwater ocean. Birds, startled by their existence, take off. An instant later they're all standing at the foot of her crystalline tower that sits at the center, watching skyscrapers riddled with magical appliances sprout from the ground, and streets pave themselves with smooth tiles.
Bella defangs more stars and lays down what she's taken to calling Ground Rules with another gesture. Mars is going to be peaceful. Mars is going to be safe. Mars is going to watch its people and report to her.
Mars is going to be the seat of the Empire of the Stars.
(There's a flag, on the spire of her tower. It's sky blue, and there are half a dozen seven-pointed stars spangling it. It ripples in the breeze that's begun to waft in from the sea.)
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self_composed
self_composed
"Surprisingly few people I have asked want to move to Mars. I suppose I'll have better luck asking among populations who'll find the free rent and the food replicators and the lack of utility bills compelling."
self_composed
"They'll feature prominently in the brochure," says Bella. In her head, she finishes the design of Imperial Asters. "Either of you wanna buy some Empire of the Stars currency against the possibility that its value will go up after I decouple the exchange rate?"
self_composed
"A dollar to an aster, to start. I figure I'll sell half a trillion of them and then not make any more unless there seems to be a reason to."
edgeofyourseat
"I'll give it a little more time," says Judith. "If the offer stays open, that is."
self_composed
"Oh, probably it will," Bella says. "Unless I get a lot of speculators and it looks like there won't be any asters left for people who actually wish to move to Mars."
self_composed
"I think so. Well. Unless there are further questions, I think I'll go down to Florida and try to figure out how to explain this matter to my mother."
self_composed
Bella takes one for Renée and one for Phil. "Thanks," she says, and off she pops.
She lets herself in. She doesn't actually have her key to the place on her, but the spirit of the key surely allows that she can just walk into the house with a triangle instead. "Mom?"
She lets herself in. She doesn't actually have her key to the place on her, but the spirit of the key surely allows that she can just walk into the house with a triangle instead. "Mom?"
prima-sequentem
With impeccable timing, Libby says, [I found some real estate that fits your specifications.]
self_composed
[Marvelous. You want your asters in cash or in the First Bank of Mars? How much is the place?]
"Bella, is that you?" calls Renée from upstairs. "What are you doing here? Don't you have school?"
"Nope," says Bella. Golly, this is going to be awkward.
"Bella, is that you?" calls Renée from upstairs. "What are you doing here? Don't you have school?"
"Nope," says Bella. Golly, this is going to be awkward.
prima-sequentem
[Your choices are bigger, closer, and half a million, or smaller, farther, and three hundred thousand. I'll take Bank of Mars either way.]
self_composed
[Enh, how much bigger?] Bella says, assigning a few brains' worth of brain to working out how the bank ought to work.
Renée comes downstairs, wearing a brand new yoga outfit. "Why don't you have school? Is it a holiday?"
"No, I'm just... working on something else today," Bella says. "Where's Phil?"
"Grocery shopping," says Renée. "He'll be back in a half an hour maybe. What are you working on?"
"A... design project of sorts," says Bella. Charlie is so much easier to talk to, mostly because he doesn't want to know. Renée will, which means Bella has to figure out how to tell her all the things.
Renée comes downstairs, wearing a brand new yoga outfit. "Why don't you have school? Is it a holiday?"
"No, I'm just... working on something else today," Bella says. "Where's Phil?"
"Grocery shopping," says Renée. "He'll be back in a half an hour maybe. What are you working on?"
"A... design project of sorts," says Bella. Charlie is so much easier to talk to, mostly because he doesn't want to know. Renée will, which means Bella has to figure out how to tell her all the things.
self_composed
[Let's go for it, then.]
"Mom," says Bella, "do you believe in magic?"
"Well," says Renée, "I've always thought there must be a little something - something more, you know, but you've never seemed very interested in developing your spiritual side, Bella, what brings this on?"
"Mom," says Bella, "do you believe in magic?"
"Well," says Renée, "I've always thought there must be a little something - something more, you know, but you've never seemed very interested in developing your spiritual side, Bella, what brings this on?"
self_composed
[What manner of paperwork is it? Have I got to sign anything?]
"Well, I don't really mean anything particularly spiritual," says Bella. "I just mean straight-up magic. Fantasy novel magic." She hesitates, then floats, slowly.
Renée stares and frowns.
"This is the strangest dream," Renée says. "I feel so awake."
"Well, I don't really mean anything particularly spiritual," says Bella. "I just mean straight-up magic. Fantasy novel magic." She hesitates, then floats, slowly.
Renée stares and frowns.
"This is the strangest dream," Renée says. "I feel so awake."
self_composed
[My office in the moon palace. I should name the moon palace. Hmm.]
"You're not dreaming, Mom. Do you need a minute?"
"A minute to do what?"
Bella shrugs. "I don't know. Process. See if you can get a hoop to go all the way around me. Faint." No one has fainted so far. Bella feels misled by the media.
"You're not dreaming, Mom. Do you need a minute?"
"A minute to do what?"
Bella shrugs. "I don't know. Process. See if you can get a hoop to go all the way around me. Faint." No one has fainted so far. Bella feels misled by the media.
prima-sequentem
[I'll get it there. Does the moon palace need a name? Does your tower on Mars have a name?]
self_composed
[It'd be easier than referring to "the moon palace" all the time. The tower does not have a name yet, but "the tower" is a little shorter and less bizarre to refer to in conversation. How do other royalty name their palaces, do you know?]
"I feel fine," says Renée, "it's just that it looks like you're floating."
"I am floating, Mom. I can fly. I can do other stuff, too."
"How?"
"Magic."
"I feel fine," says Renée, "it's just that it looks like you're floating."
"I am floating, Mom. I can fly. I can do other stuff, too."
"How?"
"Magic."