"Josette, books?" Professor Druid asks from the front room.

'Working on them two or three times a week like I have been." the others nod. "We'll go over tomorrow and get another batch in since the library doesn't 'officially' open until next year." The library was on limited hours for the students to come in and do research on their independent projects.

"How are you coming along on your doctorate?"

"I'll finish the class this week, then start on the art history Masters. Once that's done I'll get in the others."

"And did you finally break down and open the new teacher?" Susan snickers.

"Don't have the time right now, I'll open it, download the update, and sign in after our second testing week, I'll have all the offworld harvests in and I've got the degrees finished." The others nod.

"How are you coming on your quilts?"

"I'll have fourteen finished, like I told the others once these are done I'm sure the bunny will slam me with others." The others snigger but nod.

"The socks?"

"We'll be done with this order by Thanksgiving and I'll pick up the rest of the order then plus the stuff for the other jobs."

"How are you handling the socks? More employees or longer hours?"

"Both, we'll have three more employees and they're working eight hour shifts four days a week starting after Thanksgiving when this order is complete."

"Working year-round?"

"Yeah, I have the idea that if we can handle the increased order they'll order again in a couple years." The others nod as Josette stands up to fill her tray again.

"If the orders get as big as they used to do you plan on opening the building here at the school?" In the front room Professor Druid and Principal Madison look at Josette.

"Probably. I can't see it before a decade or so though." They nod and turn their attention back to the front room.

Back at the dorm after lunch Josette counts her blocks and lays out another strip, pinning it together before going to the sewing machine. Susan looks through the closets, taking out the blankets and quilts to air out on the lines as the twins start taking down curtains, shaking them out outside before taking the carts down to the basement to wash them.

Josette sighs as she slides into her usual seat the second testing week.

"Get your degrees finished?" Dr. Cross asks.

"Yes, and the last offworld harvest is coming in today."

"The jobs?"

"I'm picking up supplies for them Thanksgiving, the jobs start the first of the year. They're opening the jobs up today." Dr. Stark nods in satisfaction as the buzzer sounds and the others arrive.

Back at the dorm after lunch Josette absorbs her other selves and opens the new teacher bag, plugging it in and starting the large update downloading before joining the others heading to the dining hall for dinner.

"Get it started?"

"Yeah, according to the status bar it will be at least three days for the download to be finished." David nods, his had taken that long when he'd started at the beginning of the semester. "Clarinda called, she wanted to see you."

"Already saw her. . .she's got the 'i'ma gonna gut my husband' look." David chuckles. "Are you the only one who's taken the step of the gifts?"

"Yes, everybody wants the kids to grow up normal. When they're old enough it's their choice. We're heading off to Krypton to visit the family and whatnot. I already told the others." David nods and turns to feeding Liam a spoonful of food. Mom and Ma are taking care of the other babies with the others.

"Next summer we'll have to start potty-training." Lois says. Josette nods. Meanwhile in her dorm room, one of the new students is reading a letter from home and snorting. "Bad news?" Her roomie asks.

"No, my idiot father is already divorcing his new wife for adultery. She's upset because it's only been six months and she's not getting a dime under the prenup. Tiffani with an I she always drew a heart over because it's cuter is already in deep shit with the authorities for stealing my education money, the judge ordered Dad to put sixteen years of tuition, room and board, books, and other supplies, plus a weekly allowance away in a trust account that he, my mom, or his new wife couldn't touch. It's under control of the lawyer and he called the cops when she hired somebody to hack the account, having small amounts sent daily to another account in her name since 'they shouldn't miss small amounts'. Stupid bitch."

"How's your mom handling it?"

"She's laughing. He thought that he'd found true love with Tiffy, everybody knew she was just looking for a sugar daddy while she kept a string of boyfriends on the side. He's suing to get all the money back she spent. She's howling at the injustice of having to pay for her own stuff or take everything back. She'll be howling even louder when the bank and attorney charge her with bank fraud and theft for stealing my money."

"Sixteen years? Your parents only divorced two years ago."

"Yeah, the judge wasn't happy about Dad trying to refuse to pay for my schooling. That was the compromise they reached to make sure I could stay in school. Sixteen years should handle any tuition increases through high school and possibly get me through university and maybe even into graduate school. I get anything left over when I turn 25 along with the trust my grandparents left me. They didn't want that stupid bitch getting her hands on it and changed their will the second my father married her."

"But it's not fay-urr." the woman whines and hiccups in the courtroom in the other dimension several weeks later. "I don't have the money anymore. The man I hired to steal it stole it from me."

"That's your problem, you shouldn't have been taking it in the first place."

"But I thought he was hiding the money from me. Why else would he have money in an account I didn't know about? And it was in his kid's name, why would it be in her name if he wasn't trying to hide it from me?"

"Because it was for her schooling, the family court judge ordered the money put away during the divorce when he tried refusing to pay for her education unless his ex dropped her demands for child support, alimony, and the house. You're hereby ordered to repay the money stolen from the account plus interest plus fifteen years in prison and twenty years probation." He bangs his gavel as she's dragged off.

"Josette, what are you working on?" David asks later that night.

"Oh, I was watching a show on Vikings one day when I was waiting for a last shipment to be delivered and saw kids on a Viking long-boat. They had about sixty kids rowing and I got hit by the idea of 'we can do that'."

"You're weird."

"Yeah, I know."

That weekend Josette sits down at the new teacher system, smiling as she signs in and sees all her information already in the system. Checking the list of 'you should be interested in these degrees' Teacher points her to she selects one and signs in.

"Wonder how long it will take her to come up for air?" Alan quips as he comes down the hall with the laundry an hour later. Josette finishes the lesson and comes out to grab her laundry. Putting it away she makes a note on her PADD and joins the others in the living room at the front of the dorm.

"Did you start the olives and grapes on one of the cities?" David asks.

"Yes, plus cherries, both tart and sweet. Eating, pies and other baked goods, and the possibility of cherry wine sometime in the future." She looks over at him. "You and President Bartlett were inspecting the u-pick farms, are they going to need expanding anytime soon?"

"No, we planted new when the students came over and the trees and bushes have been growing good. Are you planting on the first planet?"

"I'd planned on it in a few years. I wanted to see if they were needed here first." David nods. "Berries?"

"Yes. I'd always planned on planting but . . ."

"Stuff happens."

Josette heads to the pizzeria the next day after working in the library for several hours, getting a nod from the register as she walks to the buffet and settling at a table to start eating.

"How are you coming on the books?" Professor Fletcher asks, sitting down across from her.

"Good. I'll be finished with this batch from the other dimension the end of the week."

"Good, good. That just leaves monthly shipments now, right?"

"Yep, no more working two weeks after going to the mall and buying books for the semester before the senior trip."

"The library in town."

"I'm starting there next week."

"Josette, do we have any plans for harvesting asteroids again?" Professor Eppes settles in a seat next to Jessica.

"Limited. We've got a good stock of stuff and we don't need big stocks of raw materials right now."

Both of them nod. "Now I take off once a year or so to harvest, so does the ship on the sorting planet for special requests."

The next week Josette heads to the library in town after breakfast, bringing out pallets of books and other supplies from the containers and starting to work.

"Josette, flour?" Principal Madison asks at the meeting after Josette comes back Archimedes the third testing week and taking the students over the other dimension for Christmas.

"I'm taking more wheat and rice to the manufacturing satellite after our finals and the crops are in."

"Supplies for the bread factory?"

"I delivered some today. Along with the monthly food orders for the school. Books for the libraries, and supplies for the bookstore. I'm sure that a lot of the students stocked up on supplies while they were home for Christmas earlier this month judging by the shitload of bags and boxes they were bringing back. I'm sure the floor monitors had fun inspecting everything."

"I'm sure they did." Principal Madison chuckles. "We've had a good number of students interested in the jobs and vouched for by the teachers, they'll be starting after the first of the year when the school officially opens.

"Did anybody have any troubles getting used to be gone six weeks but only a hour here?"

"I haven't heard any problems. Your new classes on teacher? I notice you've been using the replicator to get your books and other supplies."

"I'm four classes into a new degree, right now there's a good sized download from the other dimension that's going from Ulonda to the server, then the server to the computers. The students who are dual enrollment?"

"Will be getting their books for the classes they're allowed to take each semester after the previous class. We'll have a list of students and classes in the administration building, when they sign up for a class they come over and get their books and supplies, the money being billed to their account at the school."

"Have we heard any problems having the students here?"

"No, Granda didn't say anything while I was there. And I didn't hear any scuttlebutt from Maria or Jane while I was delivering socks for them.

"Special orders?"

"Bringing them out when we go over after Thanksgiving."

"Seafood?"

"I'm harvesting with David and the twins this weekend."

"First planet?"

"I've got a good selection of green peppers picked and sold to the others, the rest are either in stasis or dried on wreaths. I'll pick the rest in a couple weeks before the crops and garden starts coming in. Now, how are we on fish?"

"Shouldn't need a new shipment until next year but I'll check the stock at the communal kitchen, store, and the dining halls." President Bartlett says. "Now, among the stuff coming out is there anything for the restaurants?"

"Oh yes. At least one shipment every couple of months."

The next few weeks pass in a flurry of harvesting at the clam, mussel, and oyster farms, on the first planet, and at the ranch. Soon everything is in and the garden tilled under for next spring and after Thanksgiving Josette starts the trips to the other dimensions, bringing out a handful of people from the 9th planet to the other dimension to see how the Justice League and the others are doing.

"Are you finished?" David asks when Josette comes in with Clark, CJ, and Thomas.

"Yep, all the dimensions have been visited. There's a difference between checking on the others by databurst and actually going out to check on them. They're spreading out from the watchtower and are setting up areas on Mars for research."

"What's the latest on the radiation?"

"Centuries before the nuclear winter ends, they're tapping all that radiation to supplement the solar panels." Josette thinks of the crystals of energy she'd filled while she was there with the others that was just a drop in the bucket. After lunch they head to the first planet to relax for a few days, checking on the new bushes Josette planted while she'd headed to the planet and coming back to plant in the dorm's growing areas then decorating the dorm over the next couple of days.

Josette fills her plate for the third time and opens a bottle of pop at the Albatross Nest the next morning.

"Josette, did you still get three quilts made with all your trips to the other dimension this year." Agatha asks after the kits and cookies have been passed out and basins filled with the dishes taken into the back room to be washed up later.

"No, I've got 14 out of the 25 quilts finished now, the files are all in the pool of stuff to work on." Josette puts the quilts on the clean table and the others look at them. The leftovers are passed out, most going to Josette with a grin and she helps wash everything up, everything being claimed or put in the back before she heads back to the school.

The students are busy decorating their dorms for the lights festival, students touring them and voting on the best decorations.

"The supplies for the new jobs?" President Bartlett asks at the meeting between Thanksgiving and the Lights Festival.

"Delivered and we've got a mix of the first and second batches of students ready to start working them. The new order of the socks is being worked on. The students?"

"Their grades for the independent work are in and they're ready for classes after the first of the year. The students signed up for dual enrollment have been at the administration building over the last couple of days getting their books and supplies. Their classes will be unlocked the start of the semester. Yours?"

"I'm a semester into a degree and I'm starting a second when the semester starts." Doc nods. "Your other degrees?"

"Starting the electrical engineering Masters and Art History doctorate, finishing the third year for at least one degree, and possibly starting a new degree. That would put me at 24 classes for the semester, plus whatever I pick up on the other systems."

"Brownstones?"

"I'll be finished with the renovations by the Harvest Festival, we're going to start painting and have everything finished by the end of next year. Including the plantings and sitting areas on the roofs. I'm not sure whether I'm going to have everything coming in before the winter or doming it and leaving them up. I'll see after the first winter we have plants." The others nod.

The night before the school officially opens again the students are checking their bags and making sure they have everything they need for their classes the next day while the teacher, both old and new and Josette settle in seats at the auditorium.

"Did you do this before every semester?"

"Yep, it was a time to talk about upcoming classes that was being added to the school, whether Josette was helping out at the textiles. . . Back on Earth we'd be talking about the senior class trip.”

Josette sits in her office at the library the first day of the school year and smiles.

"Almost feels like old times, doesn't it?" Professor Fletcher says, leaning against the doorframe with Professor Eppes. Everybody smiles and nods. "Josette, how are the kids?"

"Sophia and her group are starting kindergarten today, the triplets are starting tenth grade while Kinsey and her brood are starting their third year of university. Two more years and they'll be moving to Archimedes to start their internships at GD while the boys finish high school. And in that same two years the babies will be starting pre-school."

"They all grow up, no matter how often you don't want them to." Professor Fletcher smiles, thinking of her own children. "I never expected to become a mother, Frank and I were never blessed with children but we helped raise Grady into a fine young man."

"He sounds like a wonderful man."

"Oh he was, gone way too soon." Jessica pulls her thoughts away from the past. "Now, I heard rumors of a possible Ponderosa type restaurant?"

"Possibly, we're looking into seeing what the demand for steaks turns out to be before we decide one way or the other. The one selling point is they had the buffet as well as chicken and steaks."

"And we have something similar at the pizzeria, but we don't have the hot food they had. Maybe focus on the buffets and dessert bar instead of the steaks." President Bartlett who'd come into the library and was standing behind them nods. "Something to think about, but we wouldn't need one for several years." Everybody nods. "Josette,the library in town?"

"Working on stuff two or three days a week either splitting off duplicates or when the others need a break from their classes or work, it will be end of the year before we get everything in and like the school library, down to monthly shipments. Sanders is working with Agatha and Sue to put up a building for a crafting library."

"The boys doctorates?"

"Michael and Alexander are two years in, they'd been working on their papers during the summer and over the break when they weren't taking classes and working on orders. David's a year into his and is going to start his either this summer or next since all the work is done at the school, the houses, and in town."

"CJ?"

"Two years in to, he's also been working on his dissertation. Clark's going to start hinting to Thomas about another degree, Thomas will turn around and start hinting to Bruce about the same thing." President Bartlett chuckles and heads upstairs to get some books. Professors Eppes and Fletcher do the same as Josette signs into another lesson on teacher.

"How are you settling into having the school open again?" Dr. Stark asks when Josette slides into her seat at the testing center their first week.

"Just like it never closed." Josette smiles. "The new and old teachers are all talking about their classes and the students are settling into them. There's a good bit of interest in the classes we offered, I'm already been told to expect to be covering classes at the textiles building. They're going to be touring the yarn and fabric stores and the factories as part of the first semester's classes."

"Degrees?"

"Alexander and Michael are going to be two years in this year, they'll be working on their papers again this summer and over break when they're not taking classes and working. David's going to be a year in and plans on starting his either this or next summer since all the work at the dorm. the houses, the school, and in town are finished for a couple years."

"CJ?"

"Two years like the boys. Thomas and Bruce should be starting new degrees next year." The three men nod. "This is my first masters from MIT so I gotta go the full four years." The three men make the world's smallest violin motions and Josette laughs. "Yeah, I know. Sucks to be me. But this way I'm not finishing a Masters and Doctorate at the same time." Nods from the the others as the others start coming over as they finish their tests.

"And your doctorate?"

"I started my dissertation while I was working on my thesis." The others snigger.

"Shows?"

"Me Mom's dimension, the boys Granda's. I'm taking the first batch of socks for the government over Finals along with socks for the school and I'm taking another batch of socks to the administration building second testing week."

"How are the students handling recycling and having to do their own laundry?"

"Good, the floor monitors had to sit down and talk to a few of them, about keeping their rooms clean too but they're good kids for the most part. They also talked to the one girl whose stepmother had stolen part of her money, making arrangements for her to get a scholarship loan for her schooling if the court wasn't able to return her money. They weren't, the hacker that had stolen the money from the account for the stepmother stole it from her." Everybody sniggers. "Oh yes, she was heartbroken about that. The court ordered her to the medium penal dimension to pay back the amount of money she'd skimmed from the account and transferred to her own, plus interest before she served her prison sentence."

"What a miserable woman."

"B. . .bu. . . but he's got to be hiding money from me, why else would it be in her name?" Josette says in a mock-trembling voice. "But yeah, for every decent stepparent, you have those type, only in it for the money."

"Is she okay?"

"Yeah, she's one of those who have a good head on her shoulders and was closer to her mother anyway. She's already looking into a part-time job as well as taking as many electives as she can and really, really, really wants to enroll in dual enrollment when she's old enough. The others are trying to rein her in while everybody who knew me at that age is wishing them luck."

"Are you moving stuff to the ships?"

"Second testing week."

"How are you on the other system?"

"Starting my fourth class for the first semester. I want to get three in this semester." The others snigger. "Original teacher?"

"I'm starting a new degree and hope to be three years in for three degrees by the end of the year, I lack three semesters on two of them and four on the other but I'm taking one this semester."

"You spent more time with the school reps, did they have any problems with ours?" She asks the twins.

"No, they were quite taken with how they've added degrees through the years. And were stunned that we had Oxford and Cambridge."

"Do you see any of them picking up degrees on our system?"

"Probably, that was the reason for making sure our degrees would cross over. After all, I can't see too many people who wouldn't pay money hand over fist to be able to say their children attended Oxford while their friends kids attended high school." The others nod.

"That and our shows." Alexander snorts.

"Yep. So when are you starting Oxford?"

"When we're done with the comic book Masters. Oh, we could be like David and take classes in two different degrees at the same time, but not when we're working." Dr. Stark nods. "Are the orders slowing down any?"

"Hell no." Josette snorts. The boys nod.

A few weeks later Josette starts moving stuff to the ship, orders from the factories, hers and the boys special orders, and the socks for the school before heading off. Jane sighs in relief as Josette comes in and starts filling the containers.

"Thank you Josette, I was going to send off a message we were running low."

"I thought you probably were."

"Any problems at the school?"

"Not that I've heard beyond some of them having to be nagged by floor monitors to clean their rooms and do their laundry during room inspection or because their roomies complained but that's something that every kid goes through." Nods from all the other parents.

Josette drops off all the partial orders and special requests after her finals, moving everything to trucks that head off after accepting the payments. Moving containers to various rooms on Brigadoon she works on the recycling for several days, putting the money away in her account before picking up the students from their break and heading back to Haven, the students heading back to the dorms before she starts delivering shipping containers to various locations.

"Was everything okay?" President Bartlett asks as David, Josette, and Principal Madison slide into seats at the government building.

"Yes, there wasn't any problems with the students they couldn't work out themselves and we're expecting more students after the Harvest Festival. I can see our dorms being as full as they were before we lost Earth eventually." The others nod.

"The orders?"

"Good, the payments were sent to our account and I fully expect them to be increased in a couple of years." President Bartlett nods. "I'd had that feeling as well from what is happening over there, factories shutting down in third world countries and manufacturers having to find new sources for their products."

"Awwww, big business is having to pay a decent wage for their products. Pooo' babies." David coos, then laughs.

"Pretty much it." Josette sniggers. "Have their been any problems with the students in dual enrollment?"

"No, they've been keeping up their grades and unlike some of us usually take only four classes a semester." Principal Madison smirks at his daughter. Josette rolls her eyes. "How many classes did you get in?"

"22 on teacher and the school computer, twelve on the new system and maybe six or eight on the other teacher?" Josette counts a second. "Yeah, eight. I only took that many on teacher because I'm trying to finish three degrees I'm three semesters from finishing. And I started another degree beyond the Masters and Doctorate. I'll probably only get 16 classes in over the summer since I'll be busy with the harvests on teacher, plus whatever classes I pick up."

"Shows?"

"Me Mom's dimension while the boys are in the other."

"Did you deliver special orders?"

"Yep, we shouldn't have that many to take over for the show. We will the other dimension though." Doc nods. "Now textiles classes?"

"This summer will be the sewing and knitting projects from home ec, with sign up for the next year's classes the next semester after the new students arriving."

"The assignments for the school gardens?"

"Starting this semester. They'll be able to see the first garden of the year harvested, the second planted, and see how everything is canned, dried, or otherwise stored. Third semester they'll be heading to the farm market and buying offworld produce to work with, with a complete meal their final project for the class from each group." The others nod.

"When will the Brownstones be finished?"

"Harvest Festival, then we're going to be looking at colors and working on it next year. It will probably take a while to decide on the colors."

"And painting over the winter isn't really feasible."

"Nope, even if we were going to be there. But that will give us time to get everything ready for painting. With so many rooms, it will take a while." Josette looks at David. "Aquaponics?"

"Expanding over the next couple of years."

"Fish?"

"We're good, probably next year."

"Around the same time I'll need to make chipilotes." Principal Madison nods. "Are the home ec students visiting the cheesemaker and chocolatier as part of their class?"

"They are, along with the soap and candlemakers. And a visit to the beekeepers."

The morning of the second semester Josette settles in rooms at the town library, splitting off duplicates to start getting everything ready to go into the system. Stopping at the bakery on the way home that afternoon she puts everything away and absorbs her other selves that have been out and about all day.

"Do you have the list of what we're making this harvest?" Josette asks at dinner.

"Yeah, I was going to talk to everybody after dinner." After the kids are in David sends them the list and they talk about everything, Josette making a mental note to head to the satellite that fall and planting some more stuff for more recipes. David nods and she heads upstairs to her workroom.

"How's the summer been?"

"Good, it's been less hectic since I'm not presenting a thesis, defending a dissertation, or picking up supplies every two weeks even with more of the offworld harvests coming in early and growing for the 9th planet. I will be going over after the Harvest Festival to pick up more students but the worse of the year will already be over since I won't have offworld harvests, yearly crops, and our crops coming in."

"You boys?"

"We're going to be two years into our doctorate third semester and we're working on our papers some more. We should be finishing them next year and plan on uploading them to the server at GD the year after that. That will give us six classes and yes, we'll start the Art History degree from Oxford after that."

"Good. Josette, your degrees?"

"I'll be defending and finishing the Art History Doctorate the same year the boys are finishing theirs. I started the Electrical Engineering Masters this year but it's a new graduate school so it's the full four years."

"The Brownstone?"

"We'll be finished with the last of the renovations but painting Harvest Festival, that will give us all winter to select paint colors."

"You can't paint during the winter." Black Jack says.

"No we can't, then the boys and I will probably spend several weeks on the ship under time dilation working on furniture."

"Outdoor furniture?"

"I've got a good selection for the rooftop areas and plan on checking out planters."

"What are you eating?" David asks a few days after they come back from the school.

"Vat chicken sliced into strips for chicken tacos and fajitas." Josette says after chewing and swallowing the mouthful of food.

The crops start coming in and everybody's busy canning, drying, or otherwise preserving everything. Josette looks at the shelves and barrels of various pickling liquids and the refrigerator filled with quick pickling stuff before walking into the dorm.

"Finished?"

"Everything's in, the new crops are planted, we're going to be making pickled baloney and sausages over the next couple of months. The yearly crops and offworld harvests should start coming in while we're working and by the time we're done the second crops will start coming in." Everybody else nods as they head to the dining hall for dinner.

Josette brings back the school reps with Calvin a few weeks later, this time they devote themselves to the universities on Haven and the vampire planet, walking through the grounds and talking degrees.

Josette puts the containers of pickled baloney in the ranch's basement with the other food, the sausage either being put in stasis, being smoked in various machines, or being dried in the trays. As Josette had said, she's had to split off duplicates to handle the offworld harvests while they were working and the yearly crops were in.

Josette slumps into a seat in the living room after the crops are in at the ranch, and she's delivered rice and wheat to the manufacturing satellite for flour.

"Is that everything?"

"Yes, thankfully. They were running low at the store on flour so I took some in, and I took some in for Mom and Ma."

David nods. "I was going to say something, and this way they're getting their supplies in early for the winter." This time Josette nods. Josette's waved up to the front table at dinner, Principal Madison nodding at what she says.

"Going to remind you to check the store?"

"Yeah, and seeing if I was ready for bringing out the new batch of students after the Festival, and how far we were in the offworld harvests."

"When are we going to have students graduating?"

"Three more years, we're getting a mixture of grades again this year and for the next couple of years until the dorms are filled and students start graduating."

"Graduation?"

"After the end of the third semester, just like the students were before." Anna says. "Did anybody check the cistern?"

"Yeah, it's gotta be filled after the festival."

"We can do it. Give us a break from working on special orders, stuff for our show, or our papers." Alexander says. Michael nods.

"TP and cotton?"

"Year after next for both. Everybody should be running low on supplies then." The others nod. The students walk up and down 'Main Street' in Town, looking at the tables full of stuff or on rides or playing games at the carnival, or stuffing themselves at the food tables just like any teenager. The mall and movie theater has its share of students there and they're tired but happy when they head back to their dorm rooms. After the Harvest Festival Josette starts bringing out the new students over three weeks.

"Did you get in anything over the break?"

"Finishing the third year in my history school degree on Pearl Harbor. I'll finish the third year for Dark Shadows this semester and should have all three completed year after next."

"Did you have another download for the server?"

"No, I expect to have one when we go out after Thanksgiving."

"Orders?"

"Took them out when the students went out for Christmas. Brought back more supplies for all of the jobs."

"Take out more socks?"

"Yep." They talk about how the older students are helping the new ones get settled and what the interest would be for a Ponderosa restaurant in possibly the second floor of the burger place dining hall.

"Now, are the twins and the others going to be able to work on the projects they'd started after the school closed?"

"Yeah, most of the teachers aren't working, or only have one or two classes for their areas of expertise like Amanda's sosh classes, the home ec classes, and probably next year the fine arts and textiles buildings." Principal Madison says. "I know the English department is working with the historians from GD about writing the history of Haven, including the loss of Earth."

"How long until we start seeing interest from people out there to bring stuff out?"

"Already doing it. Bronwen is in talks with the supplier that we brought out, the city wanted the land and took it by eminent domain that's the only reason he had to go out of business. They didn't do anything once they got the land and he turned and sued, they got their hands slapped because they couldn't come up with a good enough reason for taking the land then not doing anything with it. Granda's talking with dairies about coming out here to offer more milk for the students and townspeople. That and cheese."

"Sour cream and yogurt?" President Bartlett asks.

"Possibly in the future."

"Did you have the smokehouse going this summer?"

"Yeah, we handled fish, the chipilotes, and various cheeses for Benton."

"Do we have more jalapenos?"

"Yes, both dried on wreaths, in stasis, and sliced in brine. I was working on those and pickles this year and last since we were running low on supplies."

The first testing week of the third semester comes and Josette slides into her seat at the pushed together tables.

"How many classes are you getting in this semester?"

"19 between teacher and the school computer with the cooking degree I'm starting. The others at least a semester, possibly two. Things are easier this fall with the last of the offworld harvests in this week."

Back on Haven Josette gets some pizzas from the pizza parlor, taco salads, and other stuff from the pizza parlor at the dorm, putting them up in her first floor room after eating a few slices before absorbing her other selves that have been out and about all day.

"Are you finished with the books and other stuff for the town library?" Principal Madison waves her up at dinner.

"Nearly, will be by Thanksgiving, that just leaves the monthly shipments."

"Brownstones?"

"Finished and we've got all the rooms in the program that allows to to choose paint colors, we should have everything decided by the end of the year including how much we'll need. We can start painting and furnishing next year, including the rooftop seating areas and starting the planting areas."

"Are all the offworld harvests in now?"

"Yes, I'll take this last one to the 9th planet when it's done." Professor Druid nods. "Did we hear anything about our degrees transferring?"

"Yes, we're going to be taking the new students on tours of the schools here and the 4th planet over the next couple of weeks just like we did last year. Classes at the schools will be available starting next year."

"Are you growing offplanet?"

"Yes, I'd planned on going out this fall and experimenting with some new crops and recipes."

"How are the students graduating in two years going to handle their classes if they signed up for dual enrollment?" Amanda asks.

"With the classes they're taking here they'll have their degrees. Just like any student who didn't sign up for dual enrollment but goes to school over there will be starting as a junior." Professor Eppes says. "That's how we did it at Cal-sci."

"And that's how it was set up here." Principal Madison says.

"This is probably a dumb question, but student clubs?"

"They started them this year."

The rest of the semester flies by and after Thanksgiving Josette loads the recycling and special orders for the other dimensions on one of the ships and they head off, Josette just chuckling as she takes care of the recycling she'd been bringing out. After a few weeks in each dimension, Josette slumps into a seat at the living room.

"Supplies?" Alexander asks as the others head down to the basement to bring up the decorations for the Lights Festival.

"I'll start bringing them out in a couple days. We don't need anything right away and we can use a break." Michael nods. Once everything is out and food for a few days on the island is purchased or replicated they head off, returning the following second day. Kissing the kids on the heads, they fill their trays and settle in their seats.

"Josette, supplies?" Principal Madison says in the front room.

"I'm delivering them right now."

"Did the orders get renewed?" President Bartlett asks.

"Yes, and like Josette I think that they'll be growing when we can show we can deliver."

"Josette, are all the offworld harvests going to be in before the third semester?"

"No, next year."

The next day Josette fills plates and opens a bottle of pop as she settles in her usual spot in the Albatross Nest.

"So how many quilts does this make?"

"Seventeen out of the twenty-five."

"Did you decide on the paint colors for the Brownstones?"

"Yeah, we've been getting in supplies and the furnishings that the boys and I aren't making over the last couple of months, when it's warm enough to open windows without the furnace coming on we'll start painting. We're lucky in that we're not covering old paint for the most part so it will only take one coat of primer and then paint." Everybody who's ever painted only for the old color to show through nods.

"Is everything delivered now?" Principal Madison asks at lunch.

"For the jobs yes, I'm going to start bringing out the stuff for the libraries this afternoon. Then the stuff for the school over the next few days and finally the stuff for us unless there was something special you wanted first."

"No, the special stuff we had with us and Alan delivered right to the house."

"Growing?"

"The others were planting this morning and I'm heading off tomorrow to work on some more stuff we don't grow yet." Professor Druid nods. "Keep records."

"Yep, on both the growing and what recipes I make from them." She heads into the back room. "Did you plant enough tomatoes for me to pick green?"

"Yep, and if you want more you can start more. In fact. . ."

"Yeah, if I do we'll have green tomatoes coming in longer. I'll do that after the Lights Festival."

"How many quilts are you in now?"

"Seventeen that are going in the pool for the kits and a couple patchwork quilts."

"Interest in the textiles classes?"

"Good, same for the fine arts stuff from the students after the Harvest Festival. I'm going out with Frances and a list of students to put names on containers for their supplies in the classrooms since they get them with their books."

"Quilt tops?"

"Not until the second semester but the knitting students have all their projects, as do the other classes."

"Damn, I remember the boxes you'd get for your projects."

"Yeah, and I had more room for my projects than the students. Especially since the knitters and fine arts students will be getting that many every semester. Hell, everybody but the bed quilters will." The teachers nod in the front room when Principal Madison repeats what Josette's been saying.

"Do we have any students taking classes at Assyrian or Edinborough?" Josette asks at the meeting later that month after everything has been delivered and put away.

"Yes, a handful with more at Montague. Oxford, and Cambridge have the majority of the students. For the prestige." President Bartlett says. The others nod. "That's what I said last year at the testing center when we were talking about our degrees transferring over there. People would pay money hand over fist to crow to their friends that their child was attending Oxford while theirs was in a regular high school."

"Hands on classes?"

"Nights and weekends."

"Would there be any interest in opening Disney World on the third planet for the students?"

"Before or after the Lights Festival."

"After, the weekend before the new school year starts." David says. The others nod. "Josette, did you bring back any more cardstock?"

"Tons, plus more photo paper so the students can take more pictures."

"Stamps?"

"Tons. . . literally. Now, students working?"

"A good selection for all the jobs but the sheets and towels, those are still going to be handled by the adults in town."

"Covering the front room?"

"Yep, you might check supplies every couple of days, the others will be doing the same thing. The teachers covering everything have been going over the students job duties during the break."

The Lights Festival comes and goes, Josette starting seeds in the greenhouse for her green tomatoes. The new school year starts and Josette unlocks the library, automatically checking the drop box before she settles in her office. She smiles as Professor Druid and Fletcher walk the student through signing into work, checking the drop box, then going to check the new additions to the school since this early in the year they didn't have homework to work on.

"How were the grades this last year?" Josette asks when Professor Druid comes in and shuts the door.

"Excellent, Calvin was pleased. The students work together to make sure their grades are good, new students are taken under the wings of the students who have been at the school longer since the teachers grade harder than they did in the schools they attended before." Josette nods. "Now, how are you coming on the new system?"

"I'm going to be finishing two degrees this year. Once those are done I'll either start two more bachelors or go on for a more advanced degree. It's damn weird to have Masters two years instead of four." Katrina laughs and pats her daughter on the shoulder. "You'll survive. Degrees from our dimension?"

"I'm a year from finishing three degrees, I'll have them all finished next year. That's not counting the two I'm taking on the school computer, I'll be finished with those next year too."

"Brownstones?"

"Starting to paint and furnish as soon as we can have windows open without the furnaces coming on. The boys and I will be starting furniture in a couple weeks, heading to one of the ships and working out of time just like we did when we were furnishing my library."

"Good, the houses are going to be beautiful when they're finished. They already are even without the paint."

Josette nods. "You can walk through the rooms and imagine everything in place."

The weeks until the first testing week fly by and Josette heads off to the other dimension for supplies after her tests.

"Are you still going out for supplies monthly?" Dr. Stark asks when Josette sits down at the pushed together tables.

"Every other month now, just like it used to be."

"Do the students head home for their breaks?"

"Mostly, to get the books for the next semesters, either to get the uniforms altered or new ones. To spend time with their family, and to stock up on supplies for their rooms. Just like the students did when they came down for graduation and for the new students to arrive." The three men nod.

"Graduating students?"

"Next year."

"Any factories?"

"Not for the next few years. We're good on everything for the time being. What we don't make at the factories we replicate, make do with something else, or it's not that damn important."

"Nails." Dr. McNider says, something he knows they've been talking about.

"Yeah, that's something we've been talking about for a while beyond the factory we brought out that made hardware stuff. I've got factories in mind for both the square spike type nails and the round head ones, but we'd also need the machinery to make the wire. And there's various types of fasteners used in flooring and carpentry. We don't need multiple factories."

"No we don't. Is James looking into them?"

"Yes, that and the nail guns themselves. Right now it's just easier to replicate them since we're not needing massive supplies." The others nod. "You don't need the massive orders they had on Earth."

"Exactly. With the computer they can usually come within a percentage one way or the other in the way of supplies needed. Sometimes they have too much because things change and they can put the extra up, sometimes they're under and they can replicate more or get into the stockpile."

"And there's the occasional 'whoops' at GD." Dr. Stark sighs as an explosion can be heard in the distance. "Allison can take names and kick asses. Now, papers?"

"David's starting his this year since he's a year into the classes, CJ, Alexander, and Michael started theirs last year. They should be finished next year and presenting them the year after that summer when they only have six classes left."

"Yours?"

"Started the art history when I started the thesis, MIT is a new grad school so it's a full four years. I've got tons of notes for both papers so I'll start them eventually. That's it for a while."

"New system?"

"Finishing two degrees this year, I'll either start another bachelors or go on."

"Did you have another big update?"

"Yeah, and possibly a second this fall. Granda's coming out with reps from our schools to talk to their counterparts here this summer and he's going to be seeing how everybody's settling in. This way if the teachers, students, or other employees have problems they don't feel comfortable bringing up with Principal Madison, they can bring it up with him. Not that they'll get any more satisfaction for their petty bullshit than they got from Principal Madison."

The others begin coming over after they finish their tests and after lunch everybody heads back to Haven. Upstairs Josette looks at the plants in the growing areas before coming back downstairs and leaning against David's doorframe. "Did Dad ever say anything about factories for the nail strips, brads, and guns?"

"Replicating it until we need one. . .which should be decades." Josette nods then looks over her shoulder at Alexander. "Yeah?"

"Paint and other stuff?"

"Been brought out over the winter, everything's ready for us to paint when it's warm enough to open windows and doors. I've got the list of furniture ready and we can start working on that after we've painted so colors don't clash. Once we get everything finished we'll probably do some rearranging and might end up making more stuff but that's life." The boys nod.

"Stuff from the other dimension?"

"Only going in every two months since we got the bulk of everything done." David nods in satisfaction and unpauses teacher again.

"First planet permanent home?" Susan asks at dinner.

"I've got a couple good locations, one inland on a hill and one on a stretch of land that's surrounded on water by three sides."

"Windmill to supplement the solar panel and help irrigate the crops?"

"Planning on going out this summer with the supplies and put it up. Dr. Stark agreed that it would be a good project for my Mechanical Engineering thesis." David cackles. "Yeah, I know. Putting the cart before the horse again."

"The horse hasn't even been born yet."

The week before her second testing week Josette heads off on Brigadoon to the other dimension to pick up supplies, delivering socks to the school office.

"Any problems with the students starting to work?"

"Not that I've heard. We don't have the snobs that you get here. Not that they usually stay long."

"No, those type think their money means everything and end up flunking out at the end of the year."

Josette comes back six weeks later for her. "Work on recycling?"

"Yeah. Took in more socks. Talked to Granda about how the students working are settling in. Sniggered at the latest celebritwit trainwreck on the news."

"How are you on green tomatoes?"

"I'm picking some this afternoon for some recipes. They're all coming in hot and heavy."

Josette looks at the shelves of full canning jars that weekend, grabbing Alan and heading to the ranch where they do inventory of the remaining food they have and what they need to work on that year.

"Are you tapping trees?"

"Yeah, I'd already planned on it. I knew we'd be running low."

"Olives?"

"This is an oil year. Everything I planted on the first planet should be nearly ready to harvest next year."

"Olives?"

"I've got three barrels left, though I gotta let some of them ripen to black again. I've only got half a barrel left of those." They finish the inventory, sending it to the others before heading back to the dorm. David's looking at the file when they settle in seats in the dining hall.

"Yeah, I knew we were getting low on some stuff, but not this much. Flour for us?"

"I'm taking it in in a couple weeks. The big order for the store will be going off the end of the semester." The others nod and head to dinner, Josette heading up to the dorm's pizza parlor for more food afterwards.

The next day they head to Archimedes for their second testing week, Josette and the boys working on new books, DVDS, music, and audiobooks for the library a couple days that week.

"Is anybody else going for Masters when you finish?"

"Probably not, at least not right away." Susan says, looking at the twins and Alan. They nod. "David's going to be finishing his bachelors next year."

"Yeah, I'm picking up the degree on Tarzan Josette just started from Montague to keep from killing myself with my doctorate."

"Diss?"

"Starting it next summer. Yours?"

"Working on them summers and over break when we're not working on special orders or shows, plus taking classes."

"Shows?"

"Josette Mom's dimension, us the school. We're good on special requests, if we have to we'll spend some time on the ship with Josette to get them done." Josette nods and heads upstairs to pick more green tomatoes, leaving the rest to ripen on the plants and go into stasis for sandwiches.

Josette and David start going over the crops and garden plans over the next couple of weeks, spreading manure over the fields and garden and tilling it under before planting a week or so before finals. After they're done the twins help the teachers grade and get everything in the servers before Josette heads off with the students for a few weeks, coming back with more supplies and watching the students head back to the dorms with their books for the new semester, new or altered uniforms if they needed them, and more goodies for their dorms. Josette brings out shipping containers and drops into a chair at the dorm, getting a lapful of cats and kids.

"Take in orders?"

"Yeah, and worked on the recycling I took out. Not that I didn't bring part of it back. . ." David snickers. "Yeah. I know. Did you check the stores supplies?"

"Yeah, we're going to have to do toothpaste, paper, and tp next year."

"Yeah, figured on the tp. I'm growing cotton offworld this year for it."

"What are you doing in your candy factory."

"Working on different candies, including a batch of five pound candy bars. I'll bring out a few scrub trees when I go offplanet in a few weeks." David nods and makes a note on his PADD. "And we can put up the poll for toothpaste at the Harvest Festival. Will next year be okay to start the order?"

"Yeah, if we run out we've got the stuff in stasis on the ships or replicator."

The others nod at David's reasoning at the meeting the next day in the government building. "Josette, the Brownstones?"

"I've got duplicates starting the first coat of paint this week, everything should be finished next week. The boys and I are going to be going to the ships after that to work on the furniture."

"How are we on clothes for quilts?" Josette asks Sue when she ducks into the store.

"I was going to tell you we're running low." Marilyn says from the counter. Sue looks at her. "I ran upstairs a few minutes ago while you were in the back with Agatha to check."

"Okay, I'll bring some out in a couple of days." They set the day and time and everybody starts sending out messages so they have enough people there to work on that and cover the store.

"Is everything finished in the growing area now?" Alan asks walking to dinner.

"Yeah, I tilled everything under before I went out."

"Offworld harvests?"

"Starting between my show and the boys. I might be getting in two a week a couple weeks."

"Twice yearly harvest?" Principal Madison asks when he waves her to the front table.

"Should be three years. I'll know for sure the closer we get." He nods and Josette heads into the back room. Filling her tray she makes a second trip to the salad and pizza bars before sitting down.

"What's your plans?" David asks. Josette points her fork at him, chewing and swallowing.

"I talked to Sue and they're running low on old clothes for patchwork quilts so I'm bringing a batch out in a couple days. The painting should be finished next week, I'm still working on the stuff at my candy factory. Until my show I'm pretty good unless I get the 'get over here' call from Assyrian and the others for some reason."

"Keep telling you, you might as well work for them as many classes as you've taken." David snorts.

The root vegetables start coming in, Josette wiping the dirt from them and putting them in the containers down in the cellar before planting again. The rest of the crops are in and Josette and the others head off to the other dimension, dropping off stuff with Dexter before putting their clothes away and dropping into seats in the living room.

"Okay, did they have a growing area here before we arrived? Or was it seeing our example that made them start planting."

"They probably already had it, we just never went that direction while we were here the first time." Susan says. "There's still a lot here we haven't seen."

Josette nods. "Show?"

"Couple days. I'll head off that morning for all the beautification crap." The others snigger. Clarinda has just come into the rooms and she laughs too. "It's a necessary evil. I've had to do it for political dinners."

"Ahhh, thankfully that's something we don't have to worry about yet. Since our political dinners is Doc staying over and eating with us in the back room when we have a late meeting."

They head back home a week later, heading to the dining hall by the tunnels since the dark skies look like they're going to open up at any minute.

"Did anybody check the cistern?"

"I was going to this afternoon but. . ." Josette looks out the window. "A couple days won't matter."

"No, the rain will help fill the cisterns and water the fields. Offworld harvests?"

"Next week. They're already on the schedule."

"They're? Two?"

"This week and next yeah, then one a week after that. No 9th planet this year, they're going to be planting in a few weeks."

It's miserable raining when they get up the next day and after breakfast Josette, Alexander, and Michael head to Ulonda to work on furniture.

"Are you going to need more wood?" David asks that night at dinner.

"Yeah, I'll bring some more out when I get the cotton and trees for the tp."

The next week Josette heads off with a group for the first offworld harvest, including several people from the 9th planet who needed to get the hell away from now for a while. Josette had laughed but nodded and they return an hour later, the others getting naps, washing laundry, and getting something to eat.

"You said two offworld harvests this week?" Courtney asks Josette, pointing a forkful of salad at her as they eat in the communal kitchen.

"Yeah, this week and next, then one a week until the Harvest Festival. Sometimes it happens this way, I'll leave the food on the ship so they don't get mixed up. The harvests will all be in, but we'll be working on them for a couple weeks after the festival."

The first harvest starts coming in and Josette's busy with everything for the rest of the summer, sighing one day several weeks later when she sits down in the living room at the dorm.

"Get everything in?" Alexander asks.

"Yeah, this was the last offworld harvest, that includes the trees for the paper and tp factories and wood for us." She turns her head to look at him. "Where is everybody?"

"Talking to the schools here or on the vampire planet or on the 9th planet seeing how they're settling in. There's a difference between just existing and living. Did you get the windmill put up on the first planet?"

"Yeah, while I was harvesting. I took notes of everything for the Mechanical Engineering degree."

"Okay, this is probably a dumb question, but could we use the. . ."

"robots for our harvests? Yeah, they could take everything to one of the ships to can, dry, or otherwise store it once I programmed the controls." Josette opens one eye and looks at him. "I've been thinking about it, especially for times like this when it's asshole to elbow. But. . ."

"Yeah, I'd rather not go that route right now. Most of us aren't working so we can go outside and harvest, the kids are old enough to help, even the babies." David says, coming over to them.

"And we all can use the fresh air and sunshine after we've been working on stuff for hours." Michael says. Josette and Alexander nod. "It's not like the offworld harvests where everything is staggered and you're gone a good six months."

"Even if everything is coming in asshole to elbow for two weeks. And that's after the early stuff has come in." Josette nods.

"Did Bronwen find a place for her supplier friend?" Bronwen had brought him out and he'd been talking with the suppliers and manufacturers on the planets, sighing with pleasure at being around people who know the business. And then he found out about the textiles universities on Haven.

"They're talking it, or bringing out one for here. The city near where he was is pouting since their claims of why they took the land were proven untrue and they're facing losing their jobs, massive fines, and prison terms."

"D'awww." David coos then laughs. "Yeah, so they're scrambling to wipe the shit from their face. 'Oh we're sorry, you can open back up. Oh shit, we demolished your buildings. Our bad. But you can move into this empty store. . .It's too small? Oh yeah, your complex was nearly a hundred and fifty acres big'."

"What the fuck did the city claim they needed that much room for?"

"They couldn't say. Especially when the complex was twenty miles outside of their city limits."

"Then how the fuck could they have claimed it?" David asks. "Not that Killingmesoftly wouldn't have pulled the same thing over the mall and other stores back on Earth if they could have."

"The government's seriously investigating the whole thing. Something's seriously wrong there. We're thinking bribes somewhere."

"Yeah, have to be. Normally the government isn't that fucked."

"Josette, your classes?"

"I'm finishing two degrees this coming semester on the new system. I'm going to be halfway through the art history doctorate. The Electrical Engineering Masters is a new school so it's a full four years. . ." the visitors look confused. "Masters are four years in our dimension, not two. Two years of classes geared for your degree and two years of standard classes common to every degree from that school that deals with your paper and project if your degree has one."

The supplier and visitors look up and down the street in Town, grinning before they start wandering the tables. The students who had arrived after the festival last year are doing the same.

"Does everybody come here?"

"Pretty much. Archimedes has their own celebration after the harvests are in, Haven is different in they just planted their last crops but the yearly crops have all been harvested and the school is on break."

"So was there any problems brought up to Granda?" Josette asks at the meeting before she heads off to start bringing over more students.

"Yeah, but it was mostly whining and they walked off pouting when he told them the same damn thing. They're teenagers, you have to expect it. Kinsey and her crew?"

"Inspected the intern housing on Archimedes and have been busy taking over clothes and other stuff before they move over after Thanksgiving. They're arguing apartments versus houses. And how much land they want to get so they have gardens beyond the communal gardens."

"Did you take in everything?"

"Yeah, when I picked up the last batch of supplies before the Harvest Festival. I'll take in the last Thanksgiving when we head off." Josette stretches in her chair.

Josette gets the nod from the register at the pizzeria, filling plates and sitting down at a table.

"Is this all the new students?" Professor Eppes asks, coming over with his own plates.

"Yeah, Principal Madison and Professor Druid are handling orientation."

After a good meal Josette heads out to the ranch to check on the garden, then heading back to the dorm and working on a quilt until dinner.

"Root crops?"

"First ones are ready to harvest in a few days."

Josette slides into her usual seat in the testing building a couple weeks later.

"Degrees?"

"Finishing five next year, the two I'm taking on the school computer plus three on teacher. I'm one semester from all three end of this year."

"And finishing two degrees on the other system in as many years." Dr. McNider chuckles. Josette rolls her eyes. "Did the school representatives have good talks with the others at the schools?"

"From what the others have said, yes. I'm not as familiar with everybody at Cambridge and Oxford as I am Montague, Assyrian, and Edinborough and even Balaclava to a lesser extent."

"Well, the city council that stole the land from Bronwen's friend Ellis is facing federal charges." Josette says when she comes back from picking up supplies in the other dimension. In the front room Principal Madison sighs and puts down his fork.