The more the merrier
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Next day, Peterkin told Samantha the plan. She checked the kids’ files. They looked fine, but the oldest boy had been in some bad spots. She knew his type. The various men were just names as yet, so she looked at the new home.
“Is it just a blow-up tent?” she asked.
“No, much better. Safe as a real house. A dome fit for a queen,” said Peterkin. “They’ll be done soon. The machines dig the base now. It has power, water, all you need.”
“They don’t fly up?”
“Not sure how they stop that, but they say they’re much safer. They can float and land too.”
“Sounds awful, but I like it.” Samantha gave a short, tense laugh. She thought of her odd life, this new turn from her prison work, to be a full-time mother. She’d been a show host on a screen feed, with lots of people to meet and talk to all day. But that got boring fast. She liked change, it seemed. She’d still watch people, just small ones now. She might need some quiet home time. Every mud cloud had a silver lining.
“Where is it?” she asked.
“South of here. We can come see you,” said Peterkin.
“Why?”
Peterkin just smiled and tried to make his eyes shine.
“When will it be done?” she asked. Peterkin looked at his feed.
“Well, they worked fast. The dome is almost done. Guess they knew things we don’t.” He spent five minutes on his screen. “OK, it’s yours. You get the first as a mum. They like you and all your kids and guys. The more the merrier.”
“I guess more EMUs too,” said Samantha. “That helps.” Peterkin and Bork looked at each other.
“Yes, not bad,” said Peterkin. “You’ll get a Botz too. Might not be there right off, don’t fret.”
“Do you have any pictures of these men?”
“Just imagine a lot of good-looking guys walking about,” laughed Bork. Peterkin frowned.
They flew her to the new q-dome, set in wet mud, with tall ground poles jutting into the air, power cells attached. The iceberg crash had made a huge lake and changed all the streams. Drones were still laying roads. The q-dome looked like a cake that rose too much, big and shiny, dark red like a blood drop. The material was strong but light. They filled it with high pressure gas, and soon it was hard, ready to use. The entrance was on top for safety. No need for doors or glass. Some q-domes were finished and small groups walked around, checking in.
“I wonder who lives next to me?” she said. Peterkin looked at his screen.
“Not shown yet. Most of these domes are small. You have one of the bigger ones.”
“But you said my new men won’t stay?” she said, scared of strange men lurking nearby.
“They won’t. I made sure. You still need the space for their non-access rights. Just red tape, don’t worry.”
Samantha clambered up the steps to the hatch on top and waved goodbye.
“Are you sure you know what you’re doing?” asked Bork. Peterkin smiled blandly.
“Of course. Kids want loads of stuff. Trips, entertainments, all that. She’ll need more Botz robots, she can get them from me. She’ll make us a lot of EMUs, don’t worry. The non-husbands will probably try to cadge EMUs off her too. The one working on the Rama Lama already has a nickname, ‘high guy’, that’s funny.”
“Perhaps not for her.”
“She’ll sort him out. She’s good at that.” The brothers smiled happily as they got in the stolen flyer and headed to The Cashino in FG, a new bar with a dubious reputation. They could use the flyer just a short time. Too risky to keep it. Peterkin wiped it clean and left it there, knowing some fool would take it and get caught.