21. Johree
JOHREE
Jesse was happily recording his vid stream with the assistance of Kiprr, Buster happily loping along with his tail whipping from side to side.
“And here’s the stasis container filled with the roses that will adorn the arch.
You can see them through that viewing window on the side.
Such a beautiful, deep shade of red! And fastened to the top, the much smaller one holding the boutonnieres for us to wear.
Wow, between seeing the arch, chairs, and the stasis container holding our cake earlier, it’s really hitting me hard that in just a few short days, I’m going to be marrying Johree.
And yeah, I know, by law we’re already legally mated on paper because of how the treaty was worded, and the papers we both signed before getting tested and all, but the act of actually saying vows under the open sky makes it feel truly real, you know?
If you felt like this right before you got married, whether you were legally mated first or not, please drop a message into the comments. I’d really like to hear about your experience. And if you’d hit like and subscribe, that would really help too.”
The camera focused on him now instead.
“And that’s something I’m actually going to address right here and now,” he continued conversationally, looking sad for a moment.
“Some of you asked why y’all should do that, as the channel will generate extra revenue from future sponsors and a higher tier of royalties from YouVid based on the confirmed number of subscribers and approval rating average.
Saying stuff like, ‘You’re marryin’ a prince, so why do you need even more money?
’ First off, when I started this channel, before I even knew for sure it was going to take off like they said it would, I’d already decided then and there that the money here would go into a fund for the colony.
Sure, there’s lots of folks excited about maybe gettin’ a chance to come out here to farm.
But there’s very few, as in practically zero, who are surgeons, veterinarians, law enforcement, firefighters, teachers, and stuff like that.
We desperately need those, as do the other two colonies participating in the treaty.
I’m hoping to use the money this channel is earning to offer a bounty for folks in those positions.
If they qualify to come here and hold any of those positions or related fields, the fund will pay a hundred and fifty thousand dollars to a named beneficiary.
It can be paid directly to creditors, even, or whoever you say needs it. ”
“You can even have it sent to a named charity,” Bob piped up.
“That’s Bob, everyone, and he’s right. You sure can.
It’s an incentive to show just how valued the colonies find what such professionals can offer, on top of building the facilities they need, to the exact specifications they request. And the equivalent can be paid to a Dragonii or Mylos who wishes to settle here.
And if you didn’t already know this, in case it’s holding you back, all colonists can apply to bring their families.
So you don’t need to leave your parents or grandparents behind, or if you want to work the claim with siblings or cousins, as long as they qualify and take the test if they’re single, it’s all good.
You can even bring your cat, dog, horse, and a reasonable amount of livestock to start a herd here.
We could really use some dairy farmers and cheese makers, let me tell you.
And the climate is perfect for sheep and goats.
Temperate all year round and prairie grass as far as the eye can see if it’s not been planted up with New Haven wheat.
Okay, enough about that. I see Johree waving at me to come say hello to our first human family with kids. ”
The cambot turned to follow him over to me.
I introduced myself to them, as did Jesse, and they also did so in turn.
Then Jesse remembered the cambot and asked, “Is it okay if I film? It’s for the historical archives as well as my streaming channel.”
“Oh, that’s fine,” Roger said, grinning. “We saw your first couple of broadcasts, and when we saw the town and all that land, we made up our minds straightaway, didn’t we, honey?”
“We sure did! A free farm and a stipend to purchase and ship stock, with free agricultural structures and a house, plus all this fresh air and wide open spaces for the kids, it was like seeing a dream made reality.” Mary shifted their youngest, Jason, on her hip as she spoke.
I smiled. “I’m glad to hear you felt that way. There’s been a few changes to the town since that first vid showing it, which you’ll see in just a moment.”
I gestured for them to follow me outside, and Roger scooped up their middle child, a toddler named George, while Mary clasped five year old Bethany's hand tightly so the family could do so without risking one of the kits wandering off.
“Oh my,” Mary said as she saw what I meant. She giggled. “Look, Roger, they named the town Walnut Grove and made it look like an old timey prairie town.”
He chuckled. “Well, I’ll be danged. They sure did. I love how the spaceport got to stay the same though."
“So did the agricultural buildings already constructed, as well as the homes that were here.”
Mary stared at our new house. “Is that one gonna be yours?”
“It is,” I confirmed.
“Wow. I always wanted an old time farm house. Can ours be built to look like that, or do we have to make do with the kind everyone else has unless we pay for it?”
“You can choose within reason. Right now, Jesse and I have to approve house plans.”
“If you can find ones that show the floor plan and a picture of what you’d like, that’s good enough.
We don’t need architectural blueprints,” Jesse explained.
“And if you decide you want the default printed house the first settlers have, you can simply tell us the requested number of rooms and what they’re for. ”
Jason frowned. “But isn’t that unfair to the colonists already here?”
“Not at all,” I replied smoothly. “They can request a different dwelling and have it built. Their old one would be demolished and converted back into its basic atoms to be used to make more things, including other buildings.”
“Don’t that beat all,” Mary murmured.
“I had a temporary structure replicated for your family’s use on your parcel,” Bob said.
“It has a full water tank and a filtration system so you can drink it as well as use it for other things. A small fenced in playground for your children has been placed around the back of it, along with a line to dry clothes should you prefer that method. There’s electricity courtesy of the solar panels and a windmill.
The structures for your chickens and kilt-ha will be constructed two days after the wedding, so your livestock can be transported from the hold then, where they are in stasis.
We’ll need your housing request by then as well, so it can be approved and programmed for the construction bots and droids. ”
“We get to go to our own place already?” Roger looked surprised.
“Yes, indeed,” I was most happy to tell him. “Your household goods are being loaded onto a transport, and droids will assist you with the unpacking.”
“You can use the replicator to prepare meals until you’re up and running,” Jesse added. “Did you get to use one on the freighter?”
“In the mess hall, yes,” Mary said, nodding.
One of the dockhands drove a flitter over.
“If you’ll get in, I can take you folks home. I’ll show you how to operate this thing along the way.” A second flitter came alongside him. “He's my ride home. I’m Hurlit, and he’s Demert. I’ll be leaving this flitter with you as it’s been registered to your claim. “
“Is there a driving test we need to take if we use it off of the farm?” Roger asked, already settling his older children into rear seats.
I sighed. “Not yet. You’re fine to operate it as long as you don’t pose a danger to anyone.”
Roger nodded as he took their youngest from his wife. She climbed in and took him back, settling him on her lap. “We’ll be sure to practice first.”
“Great! “
“They’re super easy,” Demert assured him. “You’ll be an expert after a little bit of practice.”
Both drivers bowed their heads to me and the small human family began excitedly waving goodbye to me and everyone else they could see as the flitters slowly flew away, taking them towards their new life here in New Haven.
“They were nice folks. Cute kids, too.” He grinned. “Did you see how Bethany and George kept trying to get Buster to stay close so they could pet him?”
I smiled indulgently down at the canine in question. “I certainly did.”
“Oh! I know! There’s a custom we have back on Earth where you give a present to someone who gets a new home and moves in. It’s called a housewarming gift. If I ask and they say it’s okay, can we get them a dog or a cat of their own?”
It was a dear, sweet thought and my hearts filled with warmth from it.
“I think that’s a wonderful tradition. Yes, find out if they will accept such a gift, and if so, we’ll arrange for it immediately.”
“We’re going to need a bigger water fountain if more than Buster is going to be in town,” Bob said.
“Water fountain?” Jesse echoed.
“Yes. In addition to troughs and tie ups for horses who may end up being ridden into town, a central water fountain for cats and dogs is being placed.”
“Huh. That's not a bad idea, actually.”
I nodded my agreement, turning to watch as the roof was placed on our house.
“Looks like the outside is nearly finished already,” I murmured.
Jesse turned to look, and the camera moved with him. ”It’s so cool how the outside walls and the roof already have the correct texture and color.”
“The colors look even better in reality than the rendering did.”
“Sure does,” he said softly. Then louder. “Alright, that’s all for this video today. We’ll be seeing you again after the wedding, which will be streamed live and then a copy of it uploaded here to the channel, so you can watch us get hitched if you want to. Hope to see you later!”
The light on the cambot went dark.
“Come on, let’s get back to being lazy.”
I took his hand to walk back to our quarters aboard ship.
“That sounds wonderful to me.”
I could simply sit and hold him all day and night, and be perfectly content.