Lisa awoke to find her view filled by a large pair of nostrils, and her ears full of the sound of someone haranguing her. She put a hand to her head and winced.

Auntie Gorta's semi-transparent form drew back slightly.

“Get up, girl! She’s nearly here!”

Lisa was lying on her back on fluff grass, with the open door of the facility to her left. The limp form of the Ranger was sprawled nearby.

She sat up slowly, her mind full of vivid images. The Potion of Truth! It had shown her a condensed history of the world, documenting the colonisation process, and then the subsequent betrayal by the Founders. Hundreds of scenes had flickered through her thoughts, from the point of view of techs, geologists, naturalists, early settlers, and even of the Founders themselves, a kaleidoscope of information that coalesced into a clear sequence of events. Her mind felt like a finely tuned crystal, ticking over with cool, focused logic.

Even as she realised that, however, the cold, detached feeling disappeared, and a wave of hatred and disgust for the Founders washed through her, leaving her breathless.

“Get into the facility,” Auntie Gerta said. “You have to hide!”

Lisa blinked and tried to focus. What had Auntie Gerta been yelling at her just now? Something about someone being on their way.

“Who is nearly here?”

“Gabriela, child! Didn’t you hear anything I said?”

“Who…?” Then it clicked in her mind. “Wait, Founder Gabriela?”

“Yes!”

“One of the Founders is coming here?”

“Yes!”

Lisa looked around her. Her original mission was thoroughly compromised. Even if she did secretly get hold of a uterine pod, she would never be able to get it back to the farm, and to her sister. The Founder would do everything she could to stop that. Why hadn’t the goblins expected this kind of interference? Or maybe they had.

“You set me up,” she said to Auntie Gerta. “You had to have known that the Founders would try to stop me from taking the spindle. You never intended for me to get a uterine pod.”

“I can get you one!” Auntie Gerta said urgently. “The—it’s not really a spindle but I suppose that’s a good a name as any—it was supposed to … I thought it would start a sequence of events, which would ultimately end up giving you and your sister what you want, but it’s not working as I had hoped.”

Lisa crossed her arms.

“So what am I supposed to do now?” she asked.

“Just delay.” Auntie Gerta sounded anxious. “Oh, and don’t let Gabriela get her hands on it.”

“Delay until what?” Lisa got to her feet, then went over to the unconscious Ranger and plucked the spindle from his belt. She stepped warily back from him, her mind flicking through possibilities, then turned to Auntie Gerta. “I can’t blockade myself in the facility. Anywhere I go they will be able to find me, just like that Ranger did.”

“I just need a bit more time,” Auntie Gerta said.

“And you’ll help me after that?” Lisa asked suspiciously.

“Of course!” Auntie Gerta looked determined. “Try to keep Gabriela distracted when she arrives. She’s got a squad of Rangers hunting down my hideout, and they’re close. We'll need to move. Just hide in the facility for as long as you can, while Birtle tries to—"

There was a gasp as the Ranger sat bolt upright. He tore off his visor and looked around him wildly, then slumped forwards and dropped his head into his hands with a groan.

Lisa and Auntie Gerta both considered him.

“You can’t trust him just because he took a Potion of Truth,” Auntie Gerta said firmly. “It’s not mind control or anything, it just presents certain facts and promotes a state of clarity that enhances logic-based thought processes. Once the effect wears off, the subject can violently reject the paradigm.”

“Meaning what?” Lisa asked.

“He’s spent so much time obeying the Founders, the Potion of Truth might have the paradoxical effect of turning him fanatically loyal.”

“Why?”

“It’s called sunk cost fallacy.” Auntie Gerta added impatiently, “Is that really important just now?”

Lisa wrinkled her brow.

“Like when Farmer Nuthatch decided to grow peachberries, except things kept going wrong, like the soil not draining properly and the ground turning out to be full of blackblight, but he wouldn’t stop trying, because he’d already expended so much effort and resources, and he couldn’t bear the thought of it all being wasted.”

“Exactly that.”

Lisa crouched down near the Ranger. She was suddenly aware of the lingering taste of liquorice in her mouth, and felt herself blushing. Hopefully the Ranger would be too distracted to notice.

“Hey,” she said. “Er, sorry about the liquorice taste.” She bit her lip. She hadn’t meant to say that!

The Ranger lowered his hands and blinked at her. He had annoyingly pretty blue eyes, with long dark lashes.

“I don’t…” He said, hoarsely. “It’s fine. I don’t mind liquorice.” He sounded like liquorice was the last thing on his mind, which was fair enough. An existential crisis probably had priority.

“We haven’t been properly introduced,” Lisa said. “I’m—”

“Lisa Coinstar,” he said. “I know.”

He rubbed his eyes with the heels of his palms. After moment, still not looking at her, he said, “I’m David.”

Auntie Gerta’s transparent form drifted forwards.

“You’re out of time,” she said grimly. Lisa followed her glance and saw something silvery and glittering in the sky. It was approaching fast, but was utterly silent. Founder Gabriela!

“Get into the facility—” Auntie Gerta began, but Lisa shook her head.

“I have a better idea.” She sounded confident, but as Founder Gabriela’s jet banked in a wide circle overhead, she couldn’t help thinking was a stupid plan it was. Still, it was the only one that had a chance of working. “Just trust me, okay?”

David looked up at her, confused, evidently supposing she could only be speaking to him, but then it was suddenly too noisy to talk. The jet’s engines made no discernible sound, but the wake of its passage echoed through the sky behind it like thunder.

Auntie Gerta was busy remonstrating still, which was distracting. Lisa pulled the hair comb from her head and shoved it in her pocket, instantly cutting off the connection.

She swallowed nervously as the jet came to a stop in midair directly overhead, a fluid tear-drop shape with a mirrored surface which settled gently on the fluff grass. An oval appeared in the side, and two Rangers jumped out, each with a couple of drones swirling overhead. A tall slender figure materialised in the doorway behind them.

Founder Gabriela was at least seven feet tall, and dressed in flowing white robes with scalloped lace edges that made her look as if she was surrounded by clouds of foam. Her golden hair was piled on top of her head in ornate loops, and gleamed in the late afternoon sun. Although her face was beautiful, and her features were all regular, finely shaped and symmetrical, what you mostly noticed was how kind and wise her expression was.

It’s all a lie, Lisa told herself.

A small circular tray of silver material hovered in the air beside the door of the jet. Founder Gabriela stepped onto this, and it lowered her until she was floating a foot off the ground, behind her Rangers.

She frowned at David, then her eyes landed on Lisa.

“Retrieve the girl,” she ordered.

This had been the weakest point of Lisa's plan. She had hoped there would be some discussion first, but it looked like she was going to be unceremoniously bundled into the jet and carried off. She took a step back. She could run into the facility, but the Rangers would be able to catch her easily within a few paces. And she had reasons not to want them in there.

Sure enough, both Rangers started forward, but halted when David stepped protectively in front of Lisa, his expression determined. There was a series of mini explosions in the air above them as the Ranger drones fought amongst themselves, which resulted in several small metallic flying things dropping onto the fluff grass, many of them in pieces or smoking.

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Founder Gabriela’s mouth tightened.

“He’s compromised. Try to take him alive, boys.”

The two Rangers rushed David, who waited calmly until they were almost on top of him, then side-stepped one, and snapped an uppercut towards the second. His target dodged, while the first Ranger went on the attack again. David dropped and rolled out of reach. As Lisa watched the ensuing fight, she realised David was leading the other two away.

This left Lisa and Founder Gabriela staring at each other.

Founder Gabriela’s lips twisted in a grimace.

“You might as well give up,” she said. “It’s two against one.”

Lisa sneaked a glance at David. He wasn’t winning, but he appeared to be holding his own.

“Auntie Gerta sent me to retrieve the spindle,” she said.

“The what?”

“This.” Lisa held up the item in question.

Founder Gabriela looked impatient.

“It’s not a spindle.”

“Well anyway, I can give it to you now, or I could run into the facility,” Lisa jerked her head at the doorway in the side of the hill, “And you can spend hours chasing me around in there.”

Founder Gabriela rolled her eyes. She must have recognised the bargaining note in Lisa’s voice, however, because she replied, “And what, exactly, do you want in return?”

“A baby for my sister.”

“Is that all this is about?” Founder Gabriela exclaimed irritably. “Confounded Elders, making a mess of things as usual.”

She looked over at the three Rangers. The two she had brought with her had managed to pin David, but even as Lisa watched, David somehow managed to wriggle his way out of the hold, throw one of his opponents on the ground, and dance away again. All three were beginning to look dishevelled, and they were focused on each other to the exclusion of all else.

Founder Gabriela sighed.

“Very well.” She held out her hand. “Give it here, and I will have a newborn decanted and delivered specially to your sister.”

Lisa approached warily.

“Promise?”

“Yes, I promise.”

Lisa took the last few steps and placed the spindle in Founder Gabriela’s hand. Founder Gabriela’s long, slender white fingers tightened around it.

“A baby for my sister,” Lisa repeated.

“It’s an unequal trade,” Founder Gabriela said, a smile stretching her perfect lips. “The spindle, as you call it, doesn’t matter at all. I have half a dozen exactly like back at Alpha One. The goblins didn’t want the spindle, oh no. They merely wanted you to take it out of the facility.”

“I know,” Lisa said. She grabbed Founder Gabriela’s wrist. The Founder reflexively jerked her hand up, trying to take the spindle out of Lisa's reach, which gave her the leverage to pull herself up onto the hoverplate and wrestle for it.

Founder Gabriela released something from her other hand, however—a shiny fabric that wrapped around Lisa like a straitjacket. Lisa fell backwards, landing on the soft earth with a thump that rattled her brains and knocked the wind out of her.

She looked up at Founder Gabriela, who examined the spindle, which she still held, with cool disinterest.

“Now,” Founder Gabriela said. “This is what is actually going to happen. The spindle will be replaced inside the facility. Once my Rangers have subdued David, I will have his memory reset to a point where he is loyal to me once again. I may then punish him, which he will accept willingly, and even beg me for, when told of his transgressions today.”

She paused and considered Lisa. “You, however … what shall I do with you? I cannot believe you honestly thought I would lower myself to make a deal with you. You, who are my property, whose entire existence is dedicated to my service! You should be face down on the ground pleading for your life!”

Her eyes glittered coldly, and she tapped a finger against her lips in thought.

“First,” she said, “No-one in your family will ever be allowed a child ever again. Your line will die with you and your sister.”

“I knew you were lying,” Lisa said furiously. “I knew you would go back on the bargain. I expected it. You've already proven your word can't be trusted. You’re a selfish, lying traitor. You’re a parasite living off our society!”

Founder Gabriela’s expression hardened.

“This is the reward of disobedience,” she declared. “I will also make an example of you, specifically. I could just have you killed, but that lacks imagination. Perhaps solitary confinement in a small room for the rest of your life, where the necessities are only provided upon regular affirmations of your own guilt, and your loyalty to the Founders. Or,” she snapped her fingers, “a personality control module, which forces you to behave like a good little farmer girl, and obey all the Elders’ commands, but leaves your innermost self intact and aware. So many possibilities!”

Then she stopped, and frowned. Her eyes widened, and she looked around.

“What is this?” she asked, annoyed. “How did…?” Her hand swiped through the air in front of her, aiming for something invisible.

“Founder Gabriela,” Lisa said, her eyes fixed on the wooden comb she had stuck in the Founder’s hair a minute ago, while the Founder had been pre-occupied with their brief tug-of-war over the spindle. “Meet Auntie Gerta.”

Founder Gabriela stared sightlessly ahead of her. Her balance wavered and she stumbled backwards, falling off the hoverplate and sprawling on the ground. She was talking to herself, repeatedly swiping her hand in front of her eyes and muttering, “No, it’s just an illusion … it’s not real…”

She gritted her teeth and got onto her hands and knees, patting the ground in front of her for the hoverplate. She found it, and grasped onto it as if it was a lifejacket, but then when she looked down at it she screamed and recoiled in horror. Presumably Auntie Gerta's illusions had turned it into something nasty.

Founder Gabriela was now suitably distracted, and best of all, Auntie Gerta was the one providing the distraction, instead of Lisa. That meant Lisa could move onto the next part of her plan.

The straitjacket had only captured her arms, not her feet. She wriggled around until she could get onto her knees, and then stood up, awkwardly. Meanwhile, the two Rangers had finally overcome David. They had him face down on the ground, with his arms behind his back.

Lisa marched over to them.

“Let him go!”

They both looked up.

“Lisa, run!” David cried.

One of the Rangers stayed on top of David, while the other got to his feet. He paused, and his brow furrowed as he stared past Lisa.

“What have you done to Founder Gabriela?” he demanded. His mouth firmed and he started forward.

Lisa scooted back.

“I order you to let him go,” she said, “On my authority as Founder Lisa!”

The Ranger stopped dead.

“You! You’re not a—” he cut off what he had been about to say, evidently reading a message displayed by his visor. “This is a trick! You’re a farmer! A settler! A traitor!”

“The Beta One facility deemed me a suitable candidate,” Lisa announced. “Who are you to question the judgement of the central core?”

The Ranger’s eyes slipped behind Lisa’s shoulder again, and went wide.

“The hill…” he said.

“What?” The other Ranger sitting on David craned his neck trying to see.

Lisa turned to watch. Part of the hill was flexing and bulging as if a giant was trying to burst out of the mound.

“Maybe it’s a giant flatworm,” she suggested.

“Hell! Founder Gabriela!” The Ranger leaped past her and ran to his Founder, who was now curled in a foetal position on the ground, with her hands over her ears and her eyes tightly closed. The second Ranger followed just as the hillside finally caved in, then erupted in a shower of soil. A large, boxy metal machine came charging through the opening. This one was a digger, painted with cheerful yellow and black stripes. It had a bucket at the front with large, rectangular metal teeth, which it waved threateningly at the two Rangers as they hurriedly loaded a groaning Founder Gabriella back into the jet.

“The jet doesn’t have weapons, does it?” Lisa asked. She would be annoyed if they shot at the digger.

“Why would it need weapons?”

She turned to see David standing behind her. His lip was split and swollen, his hair was mussed, and there was a red mark on his temple that looked as if it would shortly turn into a bruise, but otherwise he looked unharmed.

The jet took off, rising vertically in the air in a blast of heated air before rotating towards the east and rocketing away.

“You’re a Founder now,” David said, as the sound off the jet’s passage faded. “I assume that happened before I first arrived.”

“Yeah.” Lisa cast her mind back to the scene in the control room. “It was only a minute or two before you caught up with me. I pulled the spindle out of the central core—yes, I know it’s not really a spindle, it’s a jammer. Founder Gabriela put it there to keep Beta One in a dormant state. As soon as I removed it, the central core booted up. It realised it had been mothballed for hundreds of years, and that the colonisation efforts had been disrupted. It declared a state of emergency, and offered me the position of Founder, because there are some things it needs human oversight for. Then it started to put itself back online.”

“The activity I detected when we came away from the control room,” David realised.

“Yeah. I kept getting all these confusing status updates that I didn’t understand, but I managed to prioritise getting one of the farming machines operational, and opening the machine bay doors. But it wasn’t quite ready when Founder Gabriela arrived. I just needed to stall a few minutes, and set her up so I could get close enough to jam the comb in her hair.” She added, “Thanks for backing me up.”

He gave a slight bow, then put a hand to his side and winced.

“You are welcome. I…” he stared at the ground. “I have unknowingly perpetrated a great injustice, and served those who are traitors to our colony. I must make amends.”

Oh, he was going to be one of those people.

“Why don’t you make amends by becoming a Founder with me?” Lisa asked, enthusiastically. "Each colony site is supposed to have three, to lead the colonisation effort."

David jerked back.

“What?”

“Let’s go and introduce you to the core!”

“Er,” David said.

She grabbed his hand and towed him towards the doorway.

“We can do that while my jet is being prepped.”

“You have a jet now?” he asked in a dazed tone of voice.

“Yeah. Well, the Beta One facility does, so that makes it ours, right? We need to go and collect my family, and rescue Auntie Gertie and Uncle Birtle before the Ranger squad finds them, and all the people who live in the Goblin Market—you have to see it by the way, it’s so cool—oh and there’s this really amazing woman I know called Nettle, I think she would make a good third Founder. Everything will be great! Just you wait and see!”

Epilogue

It wasn’t as easy as that, for course. Many years later, long after the war of the False Founders was over, when Lisa was a grandmother herself, and the prairie around Beta One was dotted with small homesteads, she was able to look back at her youthful naivety with nostalgic wistfulness. She had had so much to learn back then, and had made so many mistakes along the way—things she would have done differently, people she might otherwise have saved. There had been struggles and tribulations, joys and triumphs, losses and grief, and then new hope in a never-ending cycle.

But the colony was free of oppression. Both the Alpha and Beta sites were expanding thanks to the efforts of the settlers. Once the war was over, and the False Founders had been defeated, teams of Rangers-turned-geologists-and-naturalists had focused on exploring the local eco-systems, and working out how humans could live in harmony with the native life.

A pair of arms wrapped around Lisa from behind, and she smiled and relaxed into them.

“Are we all packed?” she asked.

“The airship is fully loaded,” David replied.

She twisted round to look at him. His hair was silver now, instead of blond, and his eyes had smile wrinkles at the corners, where the wind and sun had weathered his skin.

The airship wasn’t a jet. It was larger, quieter and slower, allowed them to watch the scenery go by as they travelled, and functioned as a mobile base of operations. Now that the settlements were self-sustaining, they could finally focus on other projects, such as exploration. The False Founders had only ordered desultory expeditions to other parts of the planet during the centuries of their rule, more concerned with finding unique prizes than expanding scientific knowledge. That meant there was a world of undiscovered marvels out there.

“Alright,” Lisa said buoyantly. “Let’s go!”

She took his hand, and pulled him towards the airship, full of giddy excitement. There was a whole planet to explore, after all.