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Bella keeps her empire humming. Her staff swells; her population booms. Earthlings solicit more and more tweaks here and there until it's nearly as safe and pleasant as Saturn in some places, although the realities of economics, prejudice, and politics mean that Saturn continues to be particularly inviting to certain classes of people. Bella receives Earth's tired, its poor, its huddled masses yearning to breathe free. There are political cartoons with spikes on her halo-crown, a torch in her hand, and her telling Uncle Sam, "Well, someone ought to do your job."
People on the Internet complain that she is technically an absolute monarch who has not, in fact, limited herself with a Constitution of any kind, only posted about what she does and does not expect to want to do on her website. Other people on the Internet point out that she seems to want and not want to do those things just as predicted and that it doesn't really affect anyone's quality of life if she happens to wear a ringcrown while she does it. Still other people point out that even if she wrote up a Constitution and swore to uphold it, this would not, in any way, shape, or form, cut her magical power in such a way that anyone could make a practical objection should she change her mind.
A lot of dead people come back to life. She does not make a particularly big dent, but it's enough to give hope, and the fact that the resurrected immortals don't suffer unusual levels of existential dread or lose their ability to appreciate classical music leave a lot of those who have never died more willing to try immortality.
Time passes. The Empire of Rings is the new normal. She still gets attention, but she's not nearly as memetic anymore. Her spotlight continues to shed spare interest on Ripper and his musical career.
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bellfounding
bellfounding
"Sit down, sit down - I actually cooked today, not that the magic food isn't a lovely convenience -" Renée fetches a dishful of pasta with chicken, and a bowl of salad, and a pot of broccoli cheese soup. "So how have you been, Bella?"
"Pretty good. Spent most of yesterday in Lebanon. But I also took enough of a shine to a historian who kept emailing me that I pastwatched some things for her, that was fun."
"Pretty good. Spent most of yesterday in Lebanon. But I also took enough of a shine to a historian who kept emailing me that I pastwatched some things for her, that was fun."
bellfounding
"Key scenes from the battle of Troy. Very gruesome."
"I'm sure she appreciated the help, though. Maybe you'll do more of that sort of thing once the politics are all sorted out," says Renée.
"Yeah, probably my focus'll shift over time when politics settles down. Politics and also the bottleneck in torching, I'm hoping for demographic shift to cut the birthrate so I can eventually get everyone who wants in. Bigger groups of people are signing up for torching now and just because I can do as much as I want doesn't mean it's instantaneous. At least I've offloaded most of the screening process and can basically fly down a line every time I do a batch."
"Why do you call it torching?"
"It looks like going up in flames," says Bella.
"I'm sure she appreciated the help, though. Maybe you'll do more of that sort of thing once the politics are all sorted out," says Renée.
"Yeah, probably my focus'll shift over time when politics settles down. Politics and also the bottleneck in torching, I'm hoping for demographic shift to cut the birthrate so I can eventually get everyone who wants in. Bigger groups of people are signing up for torching now and just because I can do as much as I want doesn't mean it's instantaneous. At least I've offloaded most of the screening process and can basically fly down a line every time I do a batch."
"Why do you call it torching?"
"It looks like going up in flames," says Bella.
"Have you done it? Goodness," says Renée.
bellfounding
"Why does it look like that?" Renée asks.
"Why not?" says Bella. [I actually have no idea,] she adds to Ripper. [Should maybe ask the admin when I can.]
"I suppose. Well, go on, eat up," says Renée, and she takes some salad and then starts ladling soup into everyone's bowls. "And leave room for cake."
"Mmm," says Bella appreciatively.
"Why not?" says Bella. [I actually have no idea,] she adds to Ripper. [Should maybe ask the admin when I can.]
"I suppose. Well, go on, eat up," says Renée, and she takes some salad and then starts ladling soup into everyone's bowls. "And leave room for cake."
"Mmm," says Bella appreciatively.
bellfounding
It is all nice home-cooked food. "This reminds me of being eight," remarks Bella.
"Well, of course," laughs Renée. "I used to make these recipes all the time - and then I started trying to eat less fat but it doesn't matter anymore, does it?"
"It does not," agrees Bella.
"Well, of course," laughs Renée. "I used to make these recipes all the time - and then I started trying to eat less fat but it doesn't matter anymore, does it?"
"It does not," agrees Bella.
"I'm glad you like it. I asked Bella if you would want anything specific but she told me you were an omnivore," says Renée. "I know you sing - I love the Song of Saturn, I haven't looked into your other work - what else do you do?"
"And write songs - but I meant nonmusically?"
"What bubble do you live in? Have you and your neighbors named it yet or is it still going by number? When I moved in here it was already called Shipley for some reason, I should ask Agatha why."
bellfounding
"It also seems to slow people down that they have to be unique names and no one living in the bubble at the time can strenuously object before the transit system will officially log it."
bellfounding
"And I wasn't going to think of a hundred thousand names for neighborhoods and common-areas, so. A little project for inhabitants."
"I think Shipley is a fine name. I didn't know how else to pick from the list of places with open homes that had people living in them. And I didn't want to move in somewhere empty," says Renée.
"I think Shipley is a fine name. I didn't know how else to pick from the list of places with open homes that had people living in them. And I didn't want to move in somewhere empty," says Renée.
tearingup
"I don't even remember if I checked the population of my bubble before I moved there," Ripper admits. "Too long ago. It's pretty full now, though."
"Do you talk to your neighbors much?" Renée asks. "Mine were very friendly. Agatha came over the day I moved in with a nice little cross-stitch to hang in my window and we talked about setting up a nice group visit to the zoo."
tearingup
"That's cute," he says. "I don't see mine much. Every so often when we hit a skating rink or a park or something."
"Introvert?" inquires Renée, taking a second helping of pasta. "Or do your friends just all live on Earth or in other bubbles?"
"More or less?" inquires Renée.