by P. S. Power
"I think I see. Well, you can't move in with Tor, and are a bit too young to help run a bakery full time yet. What do you plan to do?"
She had a plan, that was clear.
"I'll build things, and make copies. Then get a place to live. I just need someplace for a little while, while I get the rest together." It sounded cute when she said it, like it would really work. The problem there was that it might. It wouldn't matter if she was five or six years old, as long as the work was good enough. There was even a market for things that might not be as good, as long as they were cheaper.
That would make it a lot harder to get her to go home than not.
"Well, you should get in touch with mother and father at least, and let everyone know where you are. It might mean a fight with ma and pa, but that's better than just vanishing, even if it seems harder right now. Let's see..."
She used her new communications device to try and find someone from home that might pass a message for her. That meant searching by last name, since doing it by first would take far too long.
It was interesting, but the one she found was Terry, one of her younger brothers. That was strange, since she would have thought her mother would have one first, but no, it was the nine year old. Or at least someone with the same name.
She decided to try it anyway, which meant a short ten minutes later, the device picked up.
"Hello? This is Terry Baker. Who's this?"
"Terry? It's Tiera. It seems that Taman left home, and came here. I don't suppose you could find ma or da for me, could you?"
That was, it turned out, possible, but he recommended that she disconnect from the line, being that he might well have to walk all over the village to do it. It worked out, since she needed to pack things up to go to the Space Training center. Those went on trays made from focus stone, but had lids to protect the product from the elements or crushing, so they got stacked seven high, which cleaned the shop out that way.
No one connected back with her from Two Bends, so she started to fish her Fast Craft out, only to have her little sister move forward, holding what seemed to be a copper coin. When she tapped it, a tiny floating craft appeared. It was big enough for two small people and the baked goods, but Taman just opened the hatch on the back, as if it was only logical to take her vehicle.
Then she motioned for Tiera to get in, closing it up tight. It was a shining yellow color that seemed happy and like it belonged to a little girl. The seats felt like leather, but were also yellow, if a darker shade. It was nearly oppressive, it was so cheery.
She got in, not knowing what to expect, but they both had shields on, and it seemed solid enough, if clearly different than the other carriages she'd seen.
"Which way?"
She looked around, but waved in the right direction which would be down the main road, in case the top speed wasn't that good, or it didn't fly at all. It was more one than the other. It was fast, for a ground vehicle. Easily faster than a military Tor-shoe. The girl slowed way down though, as soon as someone came into sight, being an old man leading a mule cart in the first case. The animal froze, clearly not all that excited about the bright new thing, but the man just shook his head and then gaped at the little girl driving it.
"It took hours to get here." Her voice sounded like a little kid pretending to be old, but was precise, and explained things clearly. "I know it isn't that fast, but I was thinking that, if I sold them for about five gold each, maybe people would let their children drive them? I could even go cheaper than that for a while, so that I can build a little coin to begin with. If I redesigned it a bit, I think that farmers might be able to use them too. Sell a village ten of them for a gold each and they could share?" It didn't sound like the girl had a real idea of how that kind of thing worked, and was really just guessing.
That she was probably pretty close to what people might actually want was surprising though. It sounded like she'd had help with it. Tiera didn't really care from who, since it all skipped merrily passed the fact that her little sister wasn't doing that. Not at her age. Not even if she had to drag her back to the forest kicking and screaming.
So instead of agreeing to the real plan, Tiera nodded, and started to talk about other things.
"Right, set it up to be able to carry goods directly from the farm fields, say in a floating wagon that could be pulled behind it? That... It's actually a very good idea. If you're willing to give them away, that would help a lot of people. Could you work up a few designs for that? I mean on paper." She looked out the window and guessed that they were moving down the road at about forty miles per hour. It was a careful speed, and Taman went even slower every time they passed a person at all.
Being very careful and not like a reckless hellion at all. Tiera probably would have been trying to go full speed, just to see what it could do, wouldn't she? Not the girl next to her. It made a prohibition against her working seem a bit heavy handed. Not if that was the real purpose behind it. Keeping her safe.
Taman didn't look away from the path in front of her, but smiled and nodded.
"I don't know how to read or write, but I can make the plans for it. Do you think it could really be useful? So far I haven't made anything like that. Not that's just mine."
"Oh, well, yes, if you make those and all that I'll buy them from you myself. Not, mind, that I have any coin right now. It will take a while, but first we have to get you home and figure out what the hell mother is thinking."
The girl next to her stopped suddenly, right in the middle of the road and turned to her, eyes wide. Really Tiera wondered if she were going to try and run off right then, hearing her plan, or at least intent, but she just tightened her lips a bit and shook her head. It was a lot more like da than ma.
"Watch your language."
Oh, hell.
Tiera didn't let herself smirk at the girl, just nodding.
"Thank you for the correction. I'll do that. Now, can you tell me exactly what ma said to you about all this? The last I heard she was very proud of you. I can see why too. No one told me that you were a builder already, except in passing. I can even see how that might freak our parents out a bit, since it means that you have power. Don't let that go to your head, since you have a lot of relatives that can paddle you if you misbehave anyway. Not that you do..."
That got the girl to start again. The little craft floated onward without making a sound at all, which was normal for that kind of thing, but after a few seconds, she tried to articulate what had happened, as best she could.
"It's... Ma... Mother says that I shouldn't be working for days at a time, not moving or playing, and that it isn't healthy for me. I just want to build, but now she says I have to go to school, or get a tutor, and if I don't pick one, she's going to do it for me. I didn't wait for her to do that and left, because she won't listen to me. I'm just... little." She didn't grump at the end, or even pout, but it put a very different spin on things, to Tiera's ears.
"Ah." She didn't add anything for a long time, since she really didn't want the girl to turn the craft off and dump them both on the road to try and get away. It wouldn't hurt them, of course, because they had good shields, but the baked goods just didn't.
After thinking about that for a minute or two, watching the scenery pass, she mentioned the idea to her sister.
"Hey, could you make little shields that could be placed on objects? Like goods to be shipped, to protect them? It would really only need to protect against impact and being dropped. Maybe heat? The thing there is that it would have to be able to be turned off from the outside, by regular people. If you can do that, people could save on packaging for fragile goods, or things that can't really be packed up at all, like baked goods."
"I... think so. Tor could do it faster. I'm really not very good yet. Plus, you aren't going to let me, are you? You think I should go home and do what ma says."
Tiera nodded. It was the truth and lying to someone that could make anything she wanted happen, or at least w
ould be able to eventually, wasn't a plan, it was suicide.
"Yes. You have to learn to read and write and do numbers, as well as history and probably how to fight. Maybe a few other things too. Especially if you want to be a good builder. Knowing what real people want and need is important, and..." she ran out of things to say to make it sound all lecturing and adult. "Really, you should see that. You're too smart not to. I'll talk to ma and make sure you can build sometimes. All right? It won't be all the time, but no one gets to do that. Tor has to work in his bakery most days, and the Lairdgren Group all have regular classes too. Stretching and dance to keep them limber for instance, and meditation. You should learn math as well and some languages. I only know this and home tongue, but need to learn the others too. So should you."
There was silence from the seat next to her, and instead of saying anything of note, the girl gave a soft gasp.
"What's that?"
"Our destination. Hopefully someone is here, or all my baking will get stale."
There was, thankfully. Actually they had a good dozen people around, with about half of them working to put in trees and bushes as Gerent pointed out what he wanted and used an Earth moving device to dig the holes. With the wall and all the palaces inside, plus a little glowing river around the outside it actually seemed very official. They had to drive around to find the main gate, and Gerent nodded to them both, his face seeming puzzled.
That would be the tiny girl at the controls, most likely.
Inside the courtyard there was a smooth expanse, and a single Space Craft in the middle. At least Tiera figured that was the case. It was all orange, and had two Ancients standing right next to it at any rate, as well as Bonita Coltress.
Taman didn't wait, stopping the tiny vehicle and hoping out lightly then running to them.
"Nita!" The woman got a hug and reacted with pleasure to seeing the girl, sweeping her up into a big hug.
"S'Taman! Have you come to join the Space Fleet then?" It was the kind of thing that adults said to children, not making fun of them, but gently poking at the idea that they might think they could do things like that.
For her part the girl shook her head.
"No. I moved away from home, but I don't think anyone would let me do that. I need to work on building, so I can eat." It wasn't what they'd just been talking about at all, which made Tiera want to sigh, and she felt annoyed with the idea. The little one was smart. Probably more so than she was. Like Timon, more or less, if with a kinder spirit, so far. The thing there was that Tim had been trapped as a child her age, having to do what his parents wanted, since there was nothing else in his world really.
Taman knew that she could make her own way. It wasn't the best plan ever, but it was a real thing, and her big sister clearly wasn't done trying to convince her of the validity of what their mother had suggested.
Count Lairdgren didn't seem upset by the news, but turned his slightly old looking Tor face away from them all and... smiled. He didn't let the girl see it, thank goodness. When he had control of it, seconds later, he turned back, making the move seem natural and flowing, then spoke calmly.
"Tiera, Taman. It's good to see you. Now, what's this? Taman is going to set up shop?" He examined the craft they'd come in and nodded. "I see. Well, perhaps..."
Ancient or not, he faltered and had to ask for an explanation, which took a while, so Tiera unloaded the back of goods, getting Alice to help her. Bonita stood by, going wide eyed at the news coming from the child.
"So I left home. I can do that, if I can make my own way. Can't I?" There was a sturdiness to the girl, and upright posture that Tiera took as her knowing that for a fact.
Rather unhelpfully the Count nodded.
"That's true. Still, it would hurt your mother to have you leave so young. She cried for weeks when your brother Timon did. She told me that. At night when everyone else was sleeping. It would be worse if you did it. Perhaps you could come to an accord with her? Work out a time schedule, so that both of you get part of what you want? That's an important skill in life. A hard one, but valuable."
Then he started talking about complex ideas and social contracts. Tiera was able to follow it, but Taman got lost early on. That was the point, which she got after a few minutes. The man was showing Tam that she still had a lot of things to learn.
Knowledge that she could get in school. Or at least with a tutor. The Two Bends school mistress wasn't a bad woman, but she didn't run into philosophy too often, or advanced social information. Nita was helpful then, talking about her own tutors and managing to do it without sounding like she was trying to sell the idea as fun. Needed, and not unpleasant, but real work.
Orange started to nod along.
"Very good. You shall return home, but work part of each month on the plans you've made. Set aside time to come here, and work with me as well. What we need is an interface between these craft, and the ones to come, with computers. That will require a great deal of study to learn about. I think that Green here might be able to do it, but it would be better if we had more than one that could." She looked at Burks and then Taman. "We'll need special tutors for her then. Ones to do your kind of magic, others for technological processes."
Tiera shrugged, which got the Count to do the same thing, but she spoke, her voice low.
"All my younger brothers and sisters should be in on that. Fighting too, as well as the customs and traditions of all the lands." It suddenly sounded like a lot, but they were all smart. For a second she felt a little jealous.
After all, she'd have loved to know all that when she were a child. Looking around she was surprised to see that everyone except Taman was nodding along. The Count even clapped a few times. It was thoughtful though, instead of excited.
"That will help to keep Timon from thinking that I don't love you all equally too, so a win all around. Very good. Let's set that up now."
Tiera thought for a bit and then pulled her communications device. They'd need to get in touch with some people for it, if they didn't want a screaming Laurie to descend on them all later that day.
"Um, Tor for the building parts?"
That got Lairdgren to shake his head.
"No, Instructor Fines and his people. Tor will be too busy. He has to design the main drive system, and that will take years. We'll have to have the kids commute for that. And... Let's get with Denno for the science portions of the events? Normally I'd get one of the Blue's in on this, but again, they'll be far too busy. As for the other things, I'll leave that to you two. Though Douglas can teach them fighting. Etiquette... Their mother would actually be good for the Noram side of things, having a nice understanding of all levels of society, but perhaps we should see to others..."
Tiera didn't blurt out that she didn't think her father could fight at all. Not past what any baker in a small town would know, which wasn't much. If the Count said it was the truth, then it was, and she lacked information. As a Countess though, it was a bad plan to show how little you knew about things like that, wasn't it? She'd need to find out some other way.
She contacted Brown then, and got a helpful man instead, who informed her that the Revered One was sleeping. So she just ran the problem by him, which actually had him tapping away at something that she figured was his compact.
"I have a listing of potential candidates here. I can set up a time for interviews? They're looking for work and all single. Would men or women be preferred?"
Tiera thought for a moment and then looked at the others.
"Either. They'll have to live in a very small village, and be willing to travel with the kids for educational reasons. On the good side they'll probably get to go back to Austra a few times per year. Maybe more. I'll be there in a few days... eight or so, to see about that? If you could be available to help with the interviews? That way we don't have to take up Brown's time. I... can pay you. In trade? Some..." She had to think for a second, but realized she didn't know what that would be. She didn't have a lot and of
fering her body would have that cook from Carlos's restaurant scolding them or perhaps even being violent to protect her. "Produce? Or goods from here that you might want, and can't get there? We can discuss it."
The man didn't say no, and actually scheduled a specific time for it, speaking as if him doing that kind of work was completely normal. It might be, but Tiera was glad for the help. It reminded her that she had to get over there sooner than that too, because Maria was having a party. That was just for a pick-up. Counting she realized it would be in twenty seven days, she thought. So not really sooner at all.
"No rest for the Tiera." She muttered it, which meant everyone standing there except Nita heard her.
That done, she debated just taking Taman straight home, but didn't get a chance, since the device in her hand started to glow. It was flashing, and very bright, making the whole area light up. Even the workmen planting trees turned to look, since the river changed color in bright blue pulses. It was getting dark after all, and they were just finishing anyway.
She tapped the device to activate it, wishing it had some way of telling her who it was.
"Tiera Baker here. How may I help you?"
The voice on the other end was panicked and desperate sounding. Her mother.
"Tiera, Taman is missing, I think she's run away, we've been searching the woods all day! Terry said that you know something?"
Tiera did something that she'd seldom done with her mother, and lied. Right in front of her grandfather and little sister too. They'd probably think she did it all the time or something.
"She's here, and safe. Apparently you told her to get tutors? She's arranging for all the younger kids to have them. We're going to Austra to see about one to teach them science and that sort of thing in ten days, and Count Lairdgren is assigning one of the best building Instructors to them as well. All the kids will get lessons. You're on tap for advanced etiquette lessons, I think, and I'm going to ask Princess Abbie to teach them about Afrak medicine and their language. Really, I'm jealous myself. We should see if any of the other kids in Two Bends want to sit in on any of this. I might too, if I can get the time. They'll need to travel a bit for some of it, but the plan is for whoever we get from Austra to live there, with you. They'll need a room."
