“There is nae need for you, any of you, to struggle to make increase! In all colonies of Alb, all is provided, housing, familiar foods, clothing formers, and healthcare. See Pas’ ba, who shall live in your home with you!” Another Pas came and sat with us. He had brown curls! A lot younger version of him.
“In our house? But, there aren’t enough rooms!” Daddy got red in the face.
“Surely you know all of your children are unwell, and need me!” This Pas touched all of our heads. He’s including me in that label? I didn’t feel ‘unwell’!
“They’re not sick, they just have some—problems.” Daddy frowned at us. Pulled at his silver hair in back.
“They are unwell! Must they have physical unwells to be unwell? Unhappiness is unwell! I can help them, but I must be near. Jo, Karl, Rose, and Allison have severe and constant unwells. I think, perhaps, that you and Mrs. Farnsworth also have them.
“Let us speak of your home. I think this may help you, much, to know where you shall live.”
“But, we brought our house with us! We left a holo.” Daddy pulled at a silver lock.
“Eae, but I noticed you have much dissatisfaction with him. If it pleases, you may design one that fits your needs and give him to one who wishes him.”
“Aw, I’m never satisfied! I tried to DIY some things and ended up having to hire a pro to fix what I did.”
“Modifications are easy! See this prog?”
I looked over his prog and learned a lot! Most of what a programmer does is looking at other people’s work and modifying it. I got some ideas and started playing with a new prog. As a diplomat-in-aid, I was too busy studying to play with this, but Farley was sick a lot and I did play around with the interface some, in Rainbow.
I designed a Victorian with animal statues decorating every post of a porch that went around the eight-sided house.
Daddy got his jealous look and designed a two-story with enough gingerbread to be a Queen Anne. I waved mine down. I don’t want to compete with anyone, I just wanted to play with the programming!
Farley kept showing him things, and Mama mentioned, “I’d like a sewing room. It’s been years since I made anything. Got a lot of ideas from the other stewardesses while we heated up meals for passengers. But, seems like I never had time to really do anything.” Her green eyes got a dreamy look.
Daddy met her on a flight to a convention. He didn’t like having to speak to crowds, so he became a programmer. Their love of travel brought them together, but programmers don’t. I don’t know why they had so many kids, when they really don’t want to do family things like other families talk about. We all stay in our rooms—well, Karl used to go to Jason’s house a lot, before COVID.
We kept munching pastries. Each of us picked out a platter of favorites, and put some candies up for when we got too full. I shared bites with Farley, but no one else wanted to share. We all have aandats, now, so we can’t get sick doing that.
Daddy finished his house and started on another one, a Tudor-style. He kept designing diff ones.
Farley smiled. “If you enjoy this work, perhaps you might wish to be House Designer.”
He startled. Then smiled. “This is a lot more fun than writing accounting software! But what if I get tired of doing that?”
“Then, you may apprentice to one who knows a different kind of work. We have needs for server instructors—you call them programmers—to do nearly as many activities as there are! Mostly, we need them to write progs for healers.”
Now, I startled. “Pas, can you teach me? I know doctor progs took years to learn, so I better get started!”
His red-gold eyes filled. “Daughter, you take on too much, in a new marriage! You should rest at least five weeks before you seek tutors, any of you!”
“Work’s good for the soul!” Yeah, so I don’t think too much about—things.
“We say ‘healing is healing’, but you must nae think to work intensely. Ah!” He looked towards the yellow ship and a group came through the wall.
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Rose jumped up! “Bess! Aunt Louie! Uncle Red! Oh, you came!”
Aunt Louie hugged Mama and bawled. The same light green eyes. But very overweight, unlike Mama’s thin figure. Bess clung to Rose. “I-I think I n-need meds!”
Pas leapt and landed by her. “I am a healer, Daughter. Be calm. What should I know, Lady?” She looked at Aunt Louie.
Who rolled her eyes. “She fakes all this to get attention! We took ‘er to a neurologist who said he couldn’t find a thing wrong with her—”
Bess cried out loud! Pas made her sit on his lap and put both his hands across her forehead. Nodded, and an aandat fell on her feet and the white gel zipped up her legs! They don’t do that unless the person’s sick!
“Rest, Daughter. I can give you meds for this, but we have one who can stop this shaking.” He looked out of the ship to Pirad’s green lab and a red-haired girl Rose’s age came running! “Oh, my, let me help you!” She touched the left side of her head and hummed. Something classical.
Bess went limp. “H-how’d you do that? No-body believes me!” Her blue eyes poured tears.
“I believe you! I can see all that stray brain activity with my telepathy! Lots of green. Did you get knocked out?” This girl waved and her braids became red curls.
“No. I was at a ball game at school and tried to catch a pop fly. Broke my nose and my wrist, but I didn’t pass out. Daddy joked that I shouldn’t do that without a catcher’s mitt and maybe an umpire’s—uh—” Her face got redder than her freckles.
“Aw, doctors just want money! Honestly, they wanted to do plastic surgery on her nose! Like I’m rich as a movie star farming! I used all my savings to buy my farm, but I can’t make any money and I’m glad to be leaving. Don’t know what in blue blazes I’ll do in space, but Louie wants to do this.”
Pas frowned at poor Bess’ nose, that had an obvious lump in the middle, a huge one! “I think you have much pain from this injury! I can heal this, but you must sleep. Let me see all of your points.”
She calmed down. “You can fix it? So people won’t make fun of me? Everybody at school knows what happened, and they made fun of me when I had to wear bandages, for months while it healed. I have awful headaches that make me dizzy and people think I’m drunk!”
“Does your head ache now?”
“Yeah, and every time I shake. Can you give me something—”
“No! You don’t need that stuff. Too many kids get hooked!” Her daddy frowned at Pas. His hair’s red like Bess’.
“She is very unwell, and needs relief from this pain! I will ne give so much of anything that she craves it when ne unwell. This one needed healing, long!”
“She just needs to be tougher. One little baseball, and she doesn’t want to help out on the farm, and we didn’t make enough to pay the mortgage!”
Pas got upset and it rumbled on me! “This child is injured, and must have healing! Are you a slaver, that you must have work, from a child?”
“W-what’s that?” He looked around, and so did a lot of people! This younger Pas rumbled louder--
I sighed. “Uncle Red, please don’t upset the Zheien. They can die from getting too upset, and when they are unhappy, they rumble like that. If you let Pas heal Bess, she’ll be happier and Pas will be happy.”
“Heal her? I can’t afford any medical bills, because I can’t even pay off my farm! I—what’s that?” His bank statement came up showing his mortgage was paid off. All of his expenses.
Another of Antomias’ clones—must be—came over. “Mr. French, we paid all of your bills. I name you and your wife Elders and you may have clones, if you are willing to share memories to a biome for them.
“Any who wish may stay to work your farm, and we have many needs for healing herbs and foods that will grow well there. You will earn trade for this, and enough for all of your clones as well. But you may have a farm on Elshar Zheiea and help to grow whatever you wish. We will provide tech to you that you nae must work so hard at this.”
They talked about that, and Pas sang healing on Bess.
Poor Rose was obviously upset. But, her new friend’s holo sat by her. She had blue eyes and blond hair, too. “Nae concern. Pas helped her. She will be well soon, after her sleep. I am Sameira, and I can stay by you.”
“Sameira. Do you like to do art?”
“Eae! I study many artworks and crafts with my tutor, Eira, who is my cousin. She is a Master Musician but also loves to make instruments.”
“I always wanted to make an instrument! Is it hard?”
“Let us ask! Eira!” This lady had hair almost the same shade as Allison’s carrot hair!
Allison moved over there and they talked about making musical instruments. Jo also got interested. She loves art, too, but feels she’s not any good at it, or anything else. I hoped she might find something to cheer her up while they talked. Her new friend sat by her in a holo, too.
Fa insisted on holding Bess while she slept. But, he spoke with the artisans and seemed to enjoy the convo.
Farley rubbed his eyes, and Fa pulled his head over to his shoulder. So satisfying to see them together! Farley missed his parents a lot. Maybe his mama’s waiting.
Mama and her sister talked and Daddy got in on the convo with Uncle Red and his farming. Designed a house and farm for him.
But Pas asked me to help him. “I need to write progs for Bess, so she has herbs quickly when she shakes. Her mea gave us permission. I can teach as I work.”