"So how many classes are you planning on taking this semester?" David asks at dinner the night before the new school year is due to start.

 

"Somewhere between 27 and 33, depending on whether or not we're pregnant." Josette says. "Shaddap." She says at his smirk.

 

"Are you finishing degrees?"

 

"Yeah, I'm finishing one this semester. I'm finishing two more degrees this year, one on teacher and one on the school computer. I'll be two and three years in for the other degrees I'm taking."

 

"Hey, if you are preggie, you won't be be hitting as old as how many kids we have in four more years."

 

This time Susan pushes him out of his seat. In the front room some of the new teachers are blinking at the scene in the back room.

 

"That's the . . .'damn it, I'm probably pregnant again' complaint." Professor Eppes chuckles.

 

"Yes, but it was David teasing Josette about not being as old as how many children they have if the girls are pregnant in a few years that got him booted out of his chair." Principal Madison chuckles.

 

"Especially since this is a multiple time." More looks. "Multiples run in the Covington family, the girls pregnancies usually are one baby per momma and then 'oh shit, *how* many children are we having?'" President Bartlett chuckles. "They have four children who are starting twelfth grade tomorrow and fourteen children starting the ninth grade, with their youngest four children starting third grade."

 

After dinner Josette joins the twins in the auditorium.

 

"How is everybody dealing with the loss?"

 

"It's hard, I won't sugarcoat things." One of the women says. "But you already know what we're going through thanks to losing your own Earth." The others nod. "NASA had always wondered if there had been life on Mars and if so what caused the death of the planet. . ."

 

"So did ours. They wondered if the asteroid belt between Earth and Mars might not have been the real fourth planet and the explosion that created the belt is what destroyed life on Mars. Just as they wondered if the moon was a wandering planetoid that got captured by Earth's gravity." The astronomy teacher says. "The common theory on Mars was somehow they lost their magnetic field, possibly by a meteor strike and the atmosphere bled out. The planet was still losing atmosphere when we lost Earth"

 

Nods from the others.

 

"Not to borrow trouble but. . ."

 

"We have sensors up in the communication satellites and a protective field will go up around all the inhabited planets, anything would hit against it and spin off or disintegrate."

 

"Good, I know most of the meteorites that entered Earth's atmosphere burned up on entry but. . ."

 

"A meteor strike the size of Mount Everest destroyed the dinosaurs." Principal Madison says.

 

"Yeah."

 

The first few weeks of the new semester passes and soon it's the first testing week.

 

"Do we need pregnancy tests?"

 

"Not for me, thank you gods and goddesses." Josette sighs. "But the others. . ." A twinkling heralds the arrival of Lord Apollo.

 

"Yes, you're pregnant. And it's twins for all three of you." He says, touching their heads.

 

"Thank you Lord Apollo."

 

"Hera and Aphrodite are taking care of the nursery."

 

"Please thank them, Lord Apollo." Susan says. The twins, Josette, and the boys add their own thanks.

 

"Here we go again." Susan sighs.

 

"The babies are turning eight years old in a couple of months." Josette says, her lips twitching.

 

"Ahhhh, bite me." Abby says, rolling her eyes. "Any other news?"

 

"Daniel's bringing in some of the younger people from the magical bank with the thought of retiring in a couple of years." Nods from the others.

 

"What about Sue and Agatha?"

 

"They claim crafting keeps them young and you'll have to carry them out of their stores feet first." Snickers from the others but they nod.

 

Back at the dorm Josette absorbs her duplicates that had been out and about, sliding into her seat and swatting David lightly upside the head.

 

"Really?" He purrs.

 

"Not me but the others. Lord Apollo confirmed their pregnancies at lunch. They're each having twins."

 

"Which is why the Ladies Hera and Aphrodite were in the nursery earlier." Lois says.

 

"Yep." Josette says. "So expect the others to beat you half to death when they get home tomorrow." David sniggers.

 

"How are you feeling about the loss of a second Earth?"

 

"There are as many earths in the multiverse as there are grains of sand on the beach, there's got to be hundreds of thousands if not millions of Earths where humanity lost the roll of the dice."

 

"As Dad says, sometimes you're the windshield and sometimes you're the bug."

 

"And to go with the grains of sand analogy, sometimes Earth is the sand in your speedo."

 

The others come back the next day, the girls giving David dirty looks when he grins at them and puts a hand on their stomachs.

 

"I'm going to be 87 years old damn it." Susan complains as they gather around the computer screen after dinner to contact family and friends. They flip a coin and Josette grumbles as she sends out messages, getting a split screen.

 

"Josette," Pat sighs. "Not again."

 

"Not it, just the girls this time." The others look at the screens where Josette and Pat are bickering, grinning at each other the entire time. Clarinda takes pity on Clark and Thomas. "This is the 'you're going to be grandparents again' call."

 

"Ahhhh."

 

"Twins for each of us," Abby says, pushing Josette back down into her seat with a hand on the top of her head. "Sit, stay, good school head librarian."

 

"I'm the only school librarian." Josette snorts.

 

"Which makes you a shoo-in for the head librarian position."

 

"Were we the first call?" Clarinda asks as Josette rolls her eyes.

 

"Yes, though Mom Sanders already knows since we were taking our tests when Lord Apollo confirmed the pregnancies. You know how quickly news spreads there." Pat chuckles. "Mom Covington is our next call."

 

"What was Dad talking to Doc and Thomas about?" David asks when they've all been treated to a 'girls, really' sigh from Alice Covington that's not as effective as it might have been since Alissa is in her arms.

 

"You know how we added the buildings from Earth to the school after we lost Earth?" Everybody nods. "They're planning on doing the same thing to Headquarters, the Fortress, and Wayne Manor. CJ's fortress wasn't duplicated, it actually came up." Nods from the others. "I think back then they'd already halfway thought of Haven as home. By a couple years ago they were talking about making their next identities genius recluses so they didn't have to spend any more time on Earth than they had to."

 

"Haven feels like Heaven after Earth's problems."

 

Nods from the others before they head to their rooms to get ready for bed.

 

"Josette, this is probably a dumb question but preserved lemons?" Principal Madison asks at breakfast, waving her up to the front table.

 

"Cut into quarters lengthwise but not all the way through, salt is put in them and then they're covered with brine. It takes about a week in a cool place for them to pickle and they should be used by a month, not that they usually lasted that long. We make a few batches through out the year."

 

"Salted lemons."

 

"Basically the same thing but the lemons are a different variety, much smaller with a thinner skin. Pop them in whole with salt and let it sit. We don't grow those lemons though we have the small trees in stasis on the ships."

 

"How long would it be before they were producing?"

 

"About five years. They're an acquired taste, they're both generally used in cooking. Though. . ." Josette says slowly. "I think Vincent probably uses them in some of his cooking. If not I think they're in the food replicator."

 

"Thank you Josette, there's so much fruit and vegetables that we don't produce."

 

"Yes but we're introducing them back to our world." Principal Madison nods. "Thank you, and if you can bring out a tree for the salted lemons. Would it fit in one of the growing areas?"

 

"Oh yes."

 

A couple days later Josette brings out a tree, planting it in a corner of the growing building in town and putting up a sign. A couple days after that Josette starts traveling offworld with various groups of people for

 

After the second testing week the crops start coming in for the dorm's growing area and they're busy picking and canning, drying, or eating fresh. They're also busy spreading manure on the fields and garden once the snow melts, the boys also cleaning up the doggie doody area. Windows are opened and people begin to stay outside longer as their winter clothes start getting washed and put away until the fall.

 

Pat and Bethany come out to help with the babies since Mom and Mom have babies turning two or just turned three that year along with Dr. Blake and Abby swears one morning after breakfast. Anna cusses a second behind her.

 

"Yes, not the first." Susan yells. Then "Dammit."

 

"Ha, spoke too soon." Josette sniggers as she helps Susan up to the medical unit while Alexander programs the robots to clean the three spots where the girls water had broken. By the next morning two more sons and four daughters have been delivered by the girls.

 

A couple weeks later Josette heads off with Alan, Michael, and Alexander to Eureka for their finals as the female proctor comes out for the girls finals.

 

"How is everything going?"

 

"Good. We've got all the crops and gardens planted. Most of the offworld harvests are in, everybody was more than happy to be out in warm fresh air in the middle of winter." Dr. Cross nods. "Everybody's . . .adjusting to the loss of the other Earth, even though there's probably millions of dimensions where Earth has been lost thanks to either natural disaster, greed, stupidity, or hatred."

 

"It still hurts when it happens to you." Vincent says. Josette nods.

 

"I understand there's some teasing going on?"

 

Josette rolls her eyes. "Abby's holding it over Anna's head that she's delivered before her the last two times and that she's got one more child, telling her she's laying down on the job."

 

"Isn't that how they became pregnant?" Dr. McNider says, chuckling.

 

"That's what I said, I was soundly booed." Josette sniggers. "Mom had come over for a few hours, she was giving them 'girls, don't start this shit' looks."

 

"How many students are graduating this year?"

 

"About five hundred from the first batch of kids that came up plus ours." Josette says. "The school representatives are talking to them again this summer between the planting and the harvesting." Nods from the others.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The next day on Haven Josette heads to Town after breakfast, stopping at the bakery and getting a bag of doughnuts she puts in subspace before heading to the working area, nodding as she sees a crew from Sanders constructions working on the new addition that's going both out and up. In addition to the work tables and sewing machine stations, Alexander, Michael, and Hank are working on a couple more quilting frames.

 

Back at the dorm Josette brings the bag out, eating a doughnut as she looks over the plans for the next semester's knitting and quilting classes. A duplicate is busy filling containers in the textiles building's storeroom for the next semester while a half-dozen are busy taking inventory of what they'd salvaged from Earth.

 

"First world grapes?" David asks.

 

"I'm working on the labels for the wine, I'm picking up a shipment of bottles in a few weeks and I should be harvesting and bottling sometime this fall. Probably around the same time as the other crops." David nods, the smirks. "How's it feel to be a wino. . .Hey!" he rubs his head where Abby had just swatted him.

 

"I was closer." she says smugly. "Are you ready for next semester?"

 

"Yeah, I've been bringing in the kits for the quilting and classes, the storeroom will be full by the end of the week end nearly empty by the first week of next semester if it's anything like last year." The others nod.

 

"Josette, that music you passed along was . . .haunting. It got me right here." Buckaroo puts his hand on his chest when he comes to talk to her a few days later after he's peeked in at the new babies. "I haven't been able to get through all the files yet, they're so powerful."

 

"I know, it's nothing that can ever be duplicated. I spent hours playing the violin late at night after we found Earth in the other dimension had died."

 

"Yes, I could feel the heartbreaking loss."

 

"There's a reason why they use music therapy when a traumatic event has happened. Just like I spent hours drawing when Sarah died." Buckaroo nods. "How are the kids handling it?"

 

"There's a difference between 'there's the door, don't let it hit you in the ass on the way out' and 'oh my god, everybody left on Earth just died'." Buckaroo nods. "Time heals all wounds is a cliche, it helps smooth down the edges."

 

"Has anybody else heard this?"

 

"Just Clark, Thomas, and CJ since they were there. It's too . . .raw is a good a word as any I guess."

 

"I understand completely. Thank you for allowing me to hear it."

 

"You wouldn't automatically think I was insane."

 

"Grief is a powerful emotion. So is rage."

 

"Oh I know, I went through a lot of that when Sarah was killed."

 

"We all did." David says, tapping on the door and coming in and being wrapped in an one-armed hug by Buckaroo. "Sarah's probably complaining about us giving her more brothers and sisters in Heaven."

 

"And telling the angels if they don't like her cussing to kick her out."

 

Anna giggles as she comes into the room. "The archangels are snorting and telling her no because like your t-shirt, they know she'll take over Hell." Buckaroo looks at them and Josette pulls a t-shirt from her first floor dresser that says 'Heaven doesn't want me and Hell thinks I'll take over' with thinks crossed out and knows written above it. Buckaroo chuckles despite himself. "Have your grandparents seen that?"

 

"Who do you think got it for her?" David snorts.

 

A couple days later Josette and David slide into their seats at the board room.

 

"Are they going to have jobs when they finish university without Earth's contracts now?"

 

"Yes, they might be only working part-time but they will have jobs here on Haven and the other planets as people start retiring. We've got the funds for them, they won't be finishing their degrees with no jobs when they're finished." Nods from the others.

 

"Apartments?"

 

"The next complex is going up year after next."

 

"Your classes?"

 

"I finished a degree last semester, I'm working on the first class for the second right now and plan on getting it in over the summer, and I'll have the third finished this fall on the school computer."

 

"The others?"

 

"I'll be three years in for the herbal medicine degree this fall, same with the loss of the sun degree. I'm three years in for a degree from Montague, I'll finish those next year."

 

"How many classes are you planning on taking?"

 

"33. The offworld harvests are in but we'll have the crops coming in. I'll have the new grapes to harvest sometime this year too." Nods from the others.

 

"The expanded work area for Sue and Agatha?"

 

"Should be finished by fall." David says.

 

"This isn't like when we lost Earth."

 

"No, we have less people needing jobs as they graduate, there's a range of ages, and we have industries all ready for them."

 

"They won't have to live in temporary housing, we'd already planned on permanent housing for them."

 

"We've learned from our mistakes. I wish we didn't have to use the lessons we learned though."

 

"We all do." Principal Madison sighs. "Now I heard a rumor that we're opening a baby store in a couple years?"

 

"We'd been talking about it for a while, same with expanding the store." Nods from the others.

 

A few days later Josette heads off to the first planet to look at the crops with Doc and Clark, both of them nodding as they look around.

 

"What was Nathan talking to you, David, and James about?"

 

"A testing lab on the eleventh planet, meteorology. The further away we get from the suns, the colder the planets become." Nods from the other two as they head back to Brigadoon. "Arctic weather conditions, food growing areas. . ."

 

"Arctic clothes, buildings, and heat." Josette agrees with a nod. "All things that might eventually be needed if the ice age doesn't end on Earth."

 

"Exactly. This way they can do the testing they want and thanks to the switching station be back on Archimedes. We had McMurdo base on Earth and they had times when planes couldn't fly in."

 

"Did Nathan say anything about. . .him?"

 

"Yeah, the little shit finally figured out that nobody believed his crocodile tears and 'oh god, I wish I was dead', he refused to take his classes so they cut off all contact with him for a few months. He sulked for a few weeks and got mighty fucking hungry before realizing nobody was going to blow smoke up his ass and he looked at the instructions for the hydroponics growing area. He's growing his own food to supplement the replicator rations. Maybe one day he can grow up and take responsibility for his own actions."

 

"Hopefully, and become a productive part of society again. His mother?"

 

"Spoiled little bitch who spent six days locked in her room for causing problems. She won't ever change. When she got out instead of being grateful stupid woman complained to the council that they were being mean to her. Got her ass handed to her for that stunt. She got another six weeks locked in her cell for her whining. She couldn't believe they were making her work."

 

"Useless woman, the apple didn't fall far from the tree in her son's case."

 

"Yes, they both have whopping big cases of 'me, me, me, don't you know it's all about ME." Josette snorts as she settles in the 'control' chair and they lift off, detouring to first the second planet and then the eleventh planet to drop probes in the atmosphere to map the planets before heading back to Haven.

 

"How are the crops coming along?" Thomas asks when Clark comes back to Headquarters.

 

"Good, Josette should be harvesting in a couple of months. Did you talk to James?"

 

"Yes, we're adding onto Headquarters, the manor, and your fortress over the next couple of years. They've had experience, first with the kids dorm, then adding to the school after the loss. . ." Clark nods and picks up Adam when he runs up.

 

"Where's Mary?"

 

"Outside feeding the livestock with CJ. She finished her morning session of classes with a test and wanted some fresh air before she started the next group."

 

"The boys will be starting classes in a couple years."

 

Josette yawns as she presses the buttons for the wall-mounted coffee maker they'd installed as a test in the government building.

 

"Yes, we're expecting another four days of rain." Principal Madison says as Doc looks out the window. "It should be starting by dinner."

 

"Is there any complaints about the Amish kids attending our high school?"

 

"No, the elders of the community realize that things have to change. They've got a garden and crop area set aside for 'English' growing concepts. Since they're showing a fifteen percent increase in the yield. . ." Nods from the others. "There's a second group of children born to the Amish who are going to be starting classes in a couple of years and a third group in the gestation chambers." Nods from the others. "All of the Amish 'kids' are going on to university, either Balaclava or Assyrian. Another change from tradition but one that's accepted by family and friends."

 

After the meeting Josette heads back to the dorm, checking her foul weather gear as the boys come back from taking care of the livestock and checking the gardens and crops.

 

The new semester starts the next day, Josette ignoring the rain beating at the windows as she splits off duplicates before breakfast to start getting in classes and bringing in supplies from the ships. In the agricultural building in town after breakfast she joins Professor Druid looking over the seeds they've been saving.

 

"You've got more seeds on the ships?"

 

"Yes, commercial and home-grown. I'm slowly bringing out more varieties, making sure they don't cross-germinate." Professor Druid nods in satisfaction as they separate. Josette checks on the factories then walks back to the dorm, hanging up her foul weather gear to drain before peeking in the nursery to find Susan rocking a fussing Lawrence.

 

"He okay?"

 

"Yes, he's just is being stubborn like his daddies and doesn't want me to put him down." Josette kisses the baby on the head and he sighs, falling asleep. "You just wanted your other mommy." Susan puts him down and stretches before they shut the nursery doors and head opposite ways, she heading upstairs to the gym to work on losing the last of the baby weight and get back in shape with the twins while Josette heads upstairs to her workroom to work on a patchwork quilt.

 

"I've noticed some of the Amish women working at Sue and Agatha's stores?" Abby asks when she comes downstairs and helps get the babies in their strollers for lunch.

 

"Not working, Amish women don't work outside the homes once they're married but they've been talking with Sue, Agatha, and some of the others about the quilts they make, blocks and patterns. They've been talking to some of the teachers at Assyrian and Edinborough too."

 

Nods from the others as they cover the strollers and walk to the dining hall.

 

"Are the knitting and quilting classes still packed?"

 

"Yes, I filled the supply closet in the textiles building last week and I expect it to be empty except for the knitting kits by the end of this week."

 

After lunch Josette, Thomas, Doc, and Clark go over the list of spices and foods that they brought back from the other Earth, making notes on how to introduce it to the planets.

 

"Vincent, you interested in any of these?" Josette sends his PADD the list of spices they have a couple days later when she heads to Eureka to pick up books for the classes she and David had taken on teacher the previous semester.

 

"Oh gods yes, where did. . .the other dimension."

 

"Yes, I'm slowly going through the servers and books for recipes."

 

"I've got tons of recipes, I'll pass them along to you. I've been wanting to grow plants for some of these spices but. . ."

 

"Not enough room and more important things have to be handled first."

 

"Exactly, I can come out in a few days to talk with your cooks." After checking in on Franklin and Madelyn Josette heads back to Haven, dropping off David's books and dl'ing hers into her mental library, putting them in containers in her closet to put in the library when she's finished the degrees before walking to the dining hall with the others for dinner.

 

"Did you talk to Vincent?"

 

"Yes, and he was excited about all the spices, he'll be coming out in a few days to talk to the other cooks." Principal Madison nods. "He's been wanting to grow crops for some of these but . . ."

 

"other things had to come first."

 

"He says he's got tons of recipes he'll pass along to me. I'm still going through books and server files." Principal Madison nods again.

 

The gardens and crops start coming in and when they're finishing the yearly harvests start coming in, Josette's busy for a couple of weeks with the wine and olive oil. Vincent had come out, moaning at all the new spices that Josette brings out and takes small bags back to Eureka to start working on recipes as the younger men and women that he'd brought in to take over shifts at the cafe over the years handle everything. He's not the only one experimenting, various cooks on Haven are doing the same. The new wine grapes are harvested and Josette bottles the wine, taking a couple cases to the cafe for Vincent.

 

"Thank you Josette, try this." He pops a bite of food in her mouth and she moans at the different tastes. "Oh god, that's almost as good as sex. . .but don't tell the others that." He sniggers as he opens the boxes to shelve on the racks and inspects the new wine, opening a bottle.

 

"How is the rice wine coming along?"

 

"Good, I plan on bottling part of the harvest next year, the rest will be left to age into vinegar." Vincent nods in satisfaction, putting a plate in front of Josette as she slides onto a stool at the counter.

 

Josette slides into her seat at the planetary leader meeting after coming back from Eureka.

 

"Is all the yearly crops in now?"

 

"Yes, there's been a good bit of interest from the communal kitchens for the new wine. I just got back from delivering Vincent's orders. Dr. Stark caught me while I was there, he wants me to take the first shipment of supplies out to the eleventh planet for a testing lab. Clark, CJ, and I have the job of putting everything together when everything's there, we should be finishing by the end of the last semester." The others nod.

 

"Anything else?"

 

"The cooks are experimenting with the spices, and they're all in the replicator's databases. We hope to be able to grow them in a few years." Nods from the others. "We're working on a new batch at the toothpaste factory, I'm experimenting on a new candy."

 

"The candy factory?"

 

"Supplies are still good and we're looking at putting up a survey next year." The others nod.

 

"Toilet paper?"

 

"We have literally tons in storage on the ships." The others nod. "One of the reasons why I didn't plant cotton offworld." Nods again.

 

"Not to be vulgar, toothpaste, dental floss, mouthwash, condoms, pads?" President Bartlett asks.

 

"Again, tons in storage. I took what was in the warehouses and stores when I harvested. Earth was at the height of population so they were churning stuff out."

 

"Mall?"

 

"Bringing it out later this year, there will be notices on the servers that we need to do work on it to connect it to a sewage treatment unit and hook it to the alternative power sources since it already has solar panels. It should be open for business by the next Harvest Festival with older people taking over the manager duties and at least one younger person working there every shift. The hours will be the same as the factories." Nod from the others, that way everybody is home by ten night hours.

 

"We've planned on having a mall eventually."

 

The others nod.

 

"Josette, offworld cacao?"

 

"I've got a new batch growing on the ships, it will be a couple more years before they're big enough to transplant though. And a few years after that before they can be harvested. But I have tons in stasis that we harvested from the other dimension." Josette says a silent prayer for those lost before tearing herself away from the morbid thoughts."

 

After the meeting Josette absorbs the duplicates that had been at the school or dorm all day before joining the others walking to dinner."

 

"Is everything in now except for the second crops?" Abby asks.

 

Josette nods, yawning. "Yes, everything that wasn't picked at the u-pick apple and berry farms have been split, part going in stasis to be sold at the Harvest Festival while the rest is dried or made into other stuff."

 

"Josette, has anybody thought of another building like the flea market back in Killingmesoftly?" Alexander asks.

 

"You mean, setting up a permanent stall?" He nods. "No need right now, we don't have enough people that we can't just go to the stores. Or send in an order and have it delivered." Nods from the others. "We make sure we've got good weather for the Harvest Festival, if we have to we can put the tables in the big building."

 

"Are we working on the store?"

 

"Yeah, Dad's bringing out a crew to start expanding the buildings while they're finishing the work area. Next spring he's putting up a new building for the baby store."

 

"New and used clothing?"

 

"Yes, plus other supplies."

 

"Will they need new shelves?"

 

"Yes, Dad's going to be talking to you in a few weeks."

 

A couple nights later is the party, Josette saying a silent prayer for those lost before blowing out the candles.

 

The second crops start coming in and Josette's busy at the school, the dorm, and the ranch bringing in the crops with the boys. Everything's in and the last crops planted before the Harvest Festival, Josette nodding in satisfaction at people from various planets moving among tables.

 

"Did the seniors talk to the school representatives?" Josette asks. She'd been off delivering the first batch of supplies to the eleventh planet.

 

"Yes, they're all set to start their classes next year." Principal Madison says.

 

Shouts of excitement as everybody turns to where the mall would be and seeing it shimmer into view. Everybody knows it will be another year before it's open but still. . .

 

"Are we going to be opening a storefront for the cheese?"

 

"Yes, we're going to be offering some of the dairy's cheeses too. We're also looking into the giving the chocolatier a storefront, we hadn't planned on it but . . ."

 

"Things change." Josette sighs.

 

"Exactly."

 

Josette says a silent prayer for the dead before standing up, putting her debris in the containers to be composted or disposed of and starts wandering the tables again.

 

"How many classes are you taking?" David asks when they gather to talk about the classes they plan on signing up for?"

 

"Only 27, I'm finishing three degrees this year and I'll be finishing three more next. I've got to pick up the winter crops and build the lab for GD on the eleventh planet."

 

"Break?"

 

"I'm getting in semesters for two of degrees I've been picking up semesters here and there from Montague." The others nod.

 

The weeks pass, Josette taking more deliveries to the eleventh planet, CJ and Clark coming out the last trip to start putting up the lab complex. They have it furnished and the switching station set up by Josette's finals and Dr. Stark walks through, looking around and nodding in satisfaction.

 

"Thank you Clark, CJ, Josette. We'll be able to run the experiments that we wanted and we'll see how people can handle life on a winter planet."

 

Back on Haven Josette absorbs her duplicates that had been out and about. She nods in satisfaction at all the crops and the garden in for the fall and her finals finished.

 

"Josette, don't you have a teacher from the other dimension?" David asks at dinner.

 

"Yeah, he's connected to the server at Headquarters Doc brought out. GD is working on integrating all the degrees from the other dimension. They hope to have it finished sometime next year."

 

"Just like the updates after we lost Earth." Josette nods. "We were expecting a rather large update when we went back. GD found that among the stuff we brought back and sent it to Doc's server, I updated him a couple months ago but they've been busy integrating other schools. We figure it will take a few years." Nods from the others. They're still integrating the classes from their own dimension even at 30 years.

 

Josette heads upstairs after dinner, going to her music room and sitting in a chair with a cello in front of her, going over the sheet music on the stand in front of her.

 

"You're playing more instruments?" David asks, leaning in the doorway.

 

"Yes, I'm expanding my musical range with different types of music and instruments."

 

"Uncle Buckaroo?"

 

"Yeah, he wants to see what I can do. Most people only play one instrument, I'm one of those gifted people that can pick up any of them." David nods and heads back to his room.

 

Thanksgiving comes and goes, everybody quiet as the anniversary of learning the other Earth had been lost coming and going as Josette, Clark, Thomas, Doc, and Dr. Stark head off to check on the planet.

 

Josette's quiet when they come back but smiles and hugs Thomas, Elijah, Mary, and Maura with the others when they graduate, standing up with the others and clapping for all the graduates. The next day Josette joins the others in Agatha's store for the meeting over next year's kits. On the way back Josette picks up the recycling and heads offplanet, picking up recycling and delivering it to various places. Josette delivers another batch of supplies to the eleventh planet and stops back to Eureka, picking up hers and David's books before heading back to the dorm.

 

"David, our books."

 

"Thank you Josette, how was the testing lab on the eleventh planet looking?"

 

"Lonely, but I'm sure the same thing can be said for the outlying ranches here on Haven." The others laugh and nod. "It was quiet, nobody was there so I just delivered and stopped in to Eureka on the way home to pick up our books and talk to Vincent and Dr. stark."

 

Josette takes the books for her finished degrees upstairs, shelving them and looking at the vastly expanded library.

 

"Josette." CJ says, ducking his head into the room. "Ahh, there you are. The update for Teacher is ready. This is the one we were expecting last year."

 

"Ahhh, I'll plug him in and set him dl'ing it then. Thank you." They walk downstairs and Josette brings out the computer, the update starting to dl automatically.

 

"How is the rest of it going?"

 

"According to GD, slow. Unlike you guys where it was already in one place we're having to integrate classes separately where they had them." Josette nods. "We're still integrating classes here, and it's been 30 years since we lost Earth."

 

"Then I won't feel bad about how long it's taking."

 

"Are you integrating the textbooks?"

 

"Yeah, like you we're having the libraries attached to a replicator so when we start a class we have the books right away."

 

"Do we have all the cover crops in now?"

 

"Yes, according to all the estimates the offworld harvests should start coming in the third semester next year with about ten years before the harvests are so wonky again."

 

Josette settles down in her workroom, working on one of the quilts for a couple days before they walk the streets for the lights festival, going to Albatross for one day.

 

"This is a magical time of year." CJ says quietly.

 

"One year is ending and another is beginning, the loss isn't as raw as it was last year. You never forget but the day doesn't hurt as bad as it used to." Thomas nods as he comes up to them with paper cups of hot cider. Josette drinks hers slowly as Doc passes around hot chestnuts that had been roasting on the pan used for paella during the Harvest Festivals.

 

The new year starts and Josette splits off duplicates to settle in front of various computers the first day, heading to her textiles building workroom to start working on her art again. Harvey and the others had insisted that she go on as a part of the healing after losing a second Earth.

 

The weeks pass as Josette is busy transplanting crops from the greenhouse to the growing area in the dorm. The first testing week everybody but David heads to Eureka for their tests.

 

"How are the kids handling the loss of the other Earth?"

 

"It's getting better, they're finding it ironic that the kids nobody wanted were the ones to survive."

 

"As am I, are we having any more students graduating?"

 

"Not until next year. The students don't mind, this is giving them time to get in more classes than they'd have been able to back on Earth. Lessons they'll be using in their new lives."

 

"Do you still have the supplies that you would have needed for clothing and other sewing?"

 

"We're bringing out the factories. Most of them will only be open long enough to make a batch of what we need but they don't have to be running all the time anymore. We've got tons of flour, sugar, and other supplies yet for the bread factory. That's the one that we need the most." Nods from the others.

 

"How is David coming along on his degrees?"

 

"I think he's a semester in for each of his Masters and a year and a half for his bachelors? Last year we were busy with the babies and the loss of the other Earth was still raw so nobody was cramming in classes. Not even me even with finishing a degree a semester."

 

"What was David teasing you about?" Alexander asks when they join them at the tables when the buzzer sounds to end the morning session.

 

"After Tinya and the others were born, David was saying I didn't have to worry about having as many kids as I was old anymore at a planetary leader meeting. I said that by the time I turned 86 the kids would be in high school, we'd probably have a couple more batches of kids by then. . ." the others sigh and nod. "And that we'd probably have a hundred kids by now."

 

"Not quite that many." Susan says. "But close. Is Mary attending high school here or taking the classes online like she has been?"

 

"Taking them online I think. She's turning eleven this year and taking high school classes in some areas."

 

"With Doc and Thomas for parents I'm not surprised, CJ's brilliant, so's Bruce. So are you. . .some of the time." Josette sniggers. "She's coming out to take some classes with us, including the textiles ones."

 

Josette heads back to the dorm after lunch, absorbing her duplicates and joining the others at the dining hall.

 

"How far are you in your classes?"

 

"I'll be three years into my bachelors and nine classes in for each into my Masters. I'm starting my theses. Grandpa Nathan asking?"

 

"Yeah, even though they can easily check the records to see how far we are in classes." He nods and Josette eats and helps feed the babies. After dinner Mom and Mom help get the kids bathed and in bed.

 

"The others?"

 

"Be home tomorrow, they should have been finished during the afternoon testing session and staying in the house for some sleep before they come back."

 

"Appliances?"

 

"I got tons in storage on the ships, we won't be running out for centuries." Nods from David and both Moms. "Earth always had to have more than was needed." Nods from the others.

 

"DVDS?"

 

"Movies and tv shows that were current there and film for the theater."

 

Mom Covington shudders a minute. "You don't tend to think how dangerous outer space is."

 

Josette nods. "You think you're safe on your own world but your world can die in an instant when something happens. It was just a case of wrong place, wrong time. Just like being wiped out in your own home when a train jumps the tracks and plows into your neighborhood." They hug the two older women before everybody heads different directions. Mary goes upstairs to Josette's workroom with her, looking over the kits.

 

"I know you're not interested in those." Josette snorts, looking over from cutting out the blocks for another patchwork quilt.

 

"No, like Alice I don't have the patience to sit down and do these types of things." Mary chuckles. "But I can enjoy the pictures and marvel at how much work you put into them."

 

The semester flies by and Josette starts harvesting the crops in the dorm's growing area as work continues on the mall, Clark's fortress and headquarters, and Thomas's Wayne Manor. Josette takes a tour of the mall her third testing week, nodding at all the work that's being done.

 

"Are we still on schedule to be open by the Harvest Festival?"

 

"Yes, right now we're putting replicators in the food court just like we did for the restaurants at the theater."

 

"Stores for the cheese and the baby stuff?"

 

"Going up in a few months. I've been talking with Benton and somebody from the dairy about what they'll need. The baby store is straight forward, good storage in the back and shelves in the front."

 

"What about the registers?"

 

"We've got to reprogram to work with our program, GD's already working on that."

 

"Josette, this is probably a very dumb question, but why do you only grow one variety of squashes in the gardens and crops instead of two at the same time?" Alan asks as they're working on the garden plans.

 

"Short answer is there's five or so different classifications in the squash family, each classification has a number of varieties in it. Insects pollinate the crops and if they grow more than one variety the same time they can cross pollinate the next time because the insects don't know better. The resulting varieties often aren't feasible. So we grow one at a time to make sure nothing happens."

 

"So by just growing one at a time we're keeping them pure? For the taste and the seeds?"

 

"Yes, and most home gardeners aren't familiar with all the different varieties of squashes." Nods from the others. "This way we have the seeds and we can introduce new varieties under a trial basis."

 

The crops are in by the finals, Josette coming back from her tests and sliding into a seat in the dining hall.

 

"So how close are you to finishing a degree?" David asks

 

"I'm a semester away from two of them now, I'll get one in over the break and the other this summer. The third is on school computer so I'll finish that this fall." The others nod.

 

"Ph.D?" Mom Covington asks.

 

"I'll be halfway through it this year, year after next summer I'll upload the dissertation to the server at GD."

 

"Professor Druid?"

 

"Finishing her Masters this year, she's uploading her thesis to the server this summer." Principal Madison says from the front room. Josette nods on the screen. The others look at him. "Alice was asking how far Josette was from her botany doctorate, she'll be uploading the dissertation to the server year after next. David then asked how far Katrina was in her degree."

 

"Josette, government meeting tomorrow morning now that you're finished with your finals." He says. In the back room Josette nods.

 

"Josette, how are you on the recyclables from the other dimension?" President Bartlett asks the next morning.

 

"Good, we've been working on moving it to the raw materials. A lot of high density and low density plastics is going into composite decking." The others nod. "Same with plywood scraps and stuff like that from Hank's workshop."

 

"Low density plastics?"

 

"Plastic bags."

 

"Ahhh."

 

"High density?"

 

"Milk jugs and laundry detergent bottles."

 

More nods. "There was just some stuff that I couldn't recycle, those were disintegrated and went into power crystals."

 

"Josette, thank you for taking along a PKE meter with you when you went to the other world, the levels were what I had been expecting with the loss of Earth." Egon says, tapping on the door and coming in at Doc's quiet words.

 

"Nearly eight billion people died over the course of three weeks, I wouldn't have expected otherwise. The Gods and Goddesses are going to be working millenia to sort all the souls lost. Our world we had so many deaths before the end but it was still nearly a billion people in one day. With my gifts I helped out the gods and goddesses by sorting them. Most went quietly to their afterlives but there was still a few thousand whiners who didn't like what I told them that I booted to a 'holding area' until their death gods sorted them out, telling them the same thing I did."

 

"People were stupid in life, why should death be any different?" President Bartlett sighs. Principal Madison chuckles and nods.

 

"Death is the great equalizer."

 

"Indeed." Egon says, heading off to meet the others who'd come in for some shopping.

 

Everybody nods. "How is Clark coming with adding the buildings from Earth?"

 

"Good, Dad's got a crew working with him, a crew working on putting up the new stores for the cheese and baby stuff, and a crew working on the mall."

 

"The apartment complex?"

 

"Coming up in the spring next year, we'll be finished with everything and they'll be able to put multiple crews on it." Everybody nods.

 

"Toothpaste?"

 

"Tons in stasis on the ships, you know Earth. If one was good, five had to be better." Josette snorts. The others sigh and nod. "The new batch will be finished in a couple of months and ready for purchase."

 

"Food?"

 

"Tons of it in cans and anything that would have gone bad is in stasis, including eggs, meat, and milk."

 

"Dry milk?"

 

"Literally tons of it on the ships."

 

"Cotton?"

 

"Offworld for the Charmin brand tp, with what we have in storage we should have enough for a batch." Nods from the others. "Are you growing?"

 

"Not this year, the field's being used for corn, squash, and beans two of the growing cycles and potatoes in between. I'll check the cotton stores after we harvest offworld. If there's not enough left over we'll wait another year." Nods after checking the stores of toilet paper. "Yes, we've got enough for another couple of years. I'm sure the other planets have a stockpile of it too. If we run low I'll bring out some of it from the other dimension." Nods of satisfaction.

 

"Cloth?"

 

"Tons of it on the ships. One of the reasons I let the cotton field lay fallow last year."

 

"Now you're finishing degrees?"

 

"Yeah, I plan on finishing my degree on Pulp fiction villains from Montague over the break, I'm finishing the loss of the sun degree from the history school this summer, and the herbal medicine degree this fall."

 

"The botany and herbal medicine degrees will work nicely together."

 

Josette sniggers suddenly. "Ahhh, more idiots?"

 

"Yeah, 'why are you using plants for medicine? why don't you just go to the drugstore?'"

 

"And where did they think the drugs originally came from? Most of our medicines were originally plant based first before being mass-produced." Doc sighs.

 

"Ohhh, I didn't know that." Josette says in a 'clueless airhead' impression.

 

"People really need a ten second delay between their brains and their mouths before their mouth writes a check their ass can't handle." David says. Josette cackles and nods.

 

"Anything else?"

 

"Not that I can think of. The crops and gardens are in, the students who graduated last year are all in university classes." Josette and David nod. After the meeting Josette heads to the stores, checking with Agatha, Sue, and the others about how they're getting along on supplies. Walking back to the school she stops at the bakery for some doughnuts.

 

"Josette, how many classes are you going for this summer?" Principal Madison asks at lunch.

 

"33, with finishing another degree. I'm starting two more this year, one over the break when I finish the first degree. This fall is going to be all hands on deck when the offworld harvests start coming in. I might get in the last four classes for the other degree over the second break so I'm taking less classes." Principal Madison nods. "Are we going to have one on the ships while we're working on another?"

 

"Shouldn't, we'll have the entire fall to harvest the offworld stuff." Nods of satisfaction from the others. Josette slides into her seat after filling the tray. The others look at her. "Wanted to know how many classes I'm taking this summer and if we would have one harvest on the ships while we were working on another."

 

"Shouldn't." David says.

 

"That's what I said, we'd have the whole fall to get them in and canned, dried, or otherwise preserved and delivered. I might finish that third degree over the 2nd semester break so I'm taking less classes this fall." David nods. After lunch Josette heads back into town to help out at the stores since the Amish are making one of their trips in. The women are busy looking at the patterns and kits and Josette is busy cutting fabric for quilts and clothes.

 

"Josette, Suzie says they're going to have the degrees on buttonmaking starting next year." Agatha says when everybody's settled in with sandwiches, coffee, and doughnuts. "Two degrees, like they have been, one all books and one handwork."

 

"Thankee, I'll sign up for it then."

 

David looks at her when she slides into her seat and starts inhaling her food at dinner. "Amish trip, I was busy cutting fabric and otherwise helping out." He nods. He'd seen the stores after the Amish trips. "That's the trouble with only coming in once or twice a year." Josette nods. "They're planning on more trips, we've got an account set up for them at all the stores now, including the u-pick farms. Now they can just come out and the stores will charge it to the account with their name. We're doing it for the mall and the new stores too." The others nod in satisfaction."

 

"Are the Amish women still coming out to talk with the others?"

 

"Oh yes, I've attended many of the talks. It's fascinating the work that they do. Everything on Earth was new, improved, glitzy, glamorous. . ." The others nod. Ma, who'd come into town to do some shopping nods, rolling her eyes. "New does not always mean better."

 

"Amen."

 

After dinner Josette heads back to her workroom after delivering Ma's purchases to the farm, getting a hug of thanks from her.

 

"Get your degree finished?" David asks the day before the summer semester is due to start.

 

"Yeah, and I started a degree on the Titanic from Oxford." Josette says as they walk to the dining hall for dinner.

 

The yearly crops start coming in after the first round of crops are in and the second ones planted, Josette bottling olive oil, wines, and vinegar, including the first batch of balsamic vinegar. She hands out bottles, Vincent moaning at the taste and ordering more.

 

"So it's good?"

 

"Oh yes, excellent. Especially for a trial batch. And so's the rice wine."

 

"That was an experiment, I only bottled half of it, the rest will turn to vinegar." He nods. "When we run low, which I don't think will be a while, we can start another batch." Vincent nods. "It's not something that most home cooks would be using on a regular basis."

 

"If at all. Most people don't experiment the way you do. The communal kitchen generally doesn't have the time to experiment, especially during harvests or the festival. They're busy making good, filling food that will keep everybody moving. They can during the winter." Vincent nods. "Same with the kitchens at the school. Now during the shutdowns they had the time to experiment since it was just the staff and our kids at the school." Vincent nods again.

 

Back on Haven Josette stretches and yawns after absorbing the duplicates that had been out and about. "Did you finish the degree you wanted?" David asks at dinner.

 

"Yeah, and I'll get in the last four classes for my other degree over the break since next semester will be asshole to elbow." David sniggers.

 

"Did you check the cotton?"

 

"Yeah, we'll grow another batch offworld next year and here so we have a good surplus after taking it in for the Charmin brand tp."

 

They sign up for classes the next week, Josette bringing the books back the next week before the first of the food offworld harvests. Once that's finished their crops start coming in, followed by the party, the mall opening, the Harvest festival, and another offworld harvest. Josette slides into her seat at the dining hall the night before the fall semester is due to start.

 

"Get your class finished?"

 

"Yeah, and I started another degree."

 

"How many classes are you taking next semester?"

 

"I'm planning on 29, in addition to the offworld harvests GD wants me to take another shipment of supplies to the lab on the eleventh planet, they're planning an extended test. If things quiet down before the end of the semester, I might pick up another semester to be three years in for a degree from Montague."

 

"What about the others?"

 

"I'm starting a class on the China conflict from the history school next year, I'm three classes into the third year for the military and sosh school degrees on Pearl Harbor."

 

"Hands-on?"

 

"I'll be finishing the two I'm working on now next year."

 

"Josette, did anything ever come of the buttonmaking degree they were talking about when you were pregnant with the girls?" Mom Covington, who'd come in to do some shopping, asks.

 

"Yes, the degree is available starting next year, so I'm signing up for it then." The others chuckle. Josette looks at David. "After the first of the year, we've gotta talk about bringing up a factory to make zippers, velcro, and elastic."

 

"Shoelaces."

 

"Those too. . .eventually. We've got tons in storage but. . ."

 

"Being able to get in supplies from the other dimension spoiled us for a while, now we've got to think of the future again." The others nod. David starts tapping on his PADD, nodding. "It's on the schedule." He puts it back on his belt. "At least with the tutorials from the other dimension, we know how to run most of the machinery." Josette nods.

 

"How many offworld harvests do we have in?"

 

"Three, it's quiet until our first testing week. Then a couple offworld harvests between the first and second testing week."

 

"How's the mall?"

 

"Hopping, the stores aren't all open yet. But the food court has a good business. The other stores will open as people take them over." Nods from the others. "Once the new wears off, it should get back to normal."

 

"How are you guys on your classes?"

 

"We'll be a year in for our degrees." Alexander says. Michael and Alan nod. "We're eight classes in our Ph.D."

 

"Susan?"

 

"A year into my Masters." she sighs. "David's what, a semester away from finishing his bachelors?"

 

"I will be with these three classes. I'll be a year into my masters next year."

 

"Any idea when they're doing graduation again?"

 

"Probably not for a while."

 

"How many degrees do you have finished?"

 

"Only 11 bachelors, a masters, and a Ph.D."

 

"Only 11 bachelors finished, she says." David rolls his eyes. "You said an extended test for the arctic lab?"

 

"Yeah, I'm dropping enough supplies off for two years, they're not going to be allowed to come back to Eureka except for a medical emergency."

 

"Like the biosphere."

 

"Exactly. On an arctic planet, you're not going to be able to throw your hands up and say 'I quit'."

 

"Same thing with colonies that are enclosed, you can't just pick up your marbles and go home." David says. Josette nods. "Here, if something comes up we can take a step back and go somewhere else for a few if we want to."

 

"You're going to be getting on each other's nerves in an enclosed space like a submarine, a research lab, or a biosphere." David nods. "You're going to have to have people who can work together an extended period of time."

 

"Yes, we've got an entire planet to roam when we get on each other's nerves, they won't."

 

Nods from the others.

 

The next day the semester starts and Josette splits off duplicates to take classes, teach at the school, work on kits, and another dozen other things. The weeks pass quickly and Josette and the others but David head to Eureka for their first testing week. After her tests she talks to Dr. Stark about the supplies she'd be delivering to the lab before the others join them when the buzzer to end the morning sessions ends. When Josette's finished with the offworld harvests she starts bringing supplies to the lab, finishing by the time the second testing week rolls around.

 

"Thank you Josette." Dr. Stark says. "This is a big step in the lab. We had the biosphere, but for the most part our labs weren't self-contained, the scientists could go home at the end of the day ... if they remembered to." Josette sniggers.

 

The next set of offworld harvests start coming in and Josette's frequently offplanet, picking up recycling or delivering the prepared food to the other planets. The night before the finals she slumps into a seat.

 

"Get everything in?"

 

"No, we have one more harvest yet to go." Josette yawns. "This one is Archimedes, the last harvest is ours."

 

"Get your 29 classes in?"

 

"Yeah. I knew I was going to be busy this semester, that's why I finished my third degree over the break."

 

"Pass it along to the others?"

 

"Yes, Doc, Doc, and Dr. Kane thanked me for the books and class lectures. They're going to be talking in a couple months about what they've been working on." Josette closes her eyes and falls asleep in her desk chair. David chuckles quietly and heads out, shutting the door so she can rest.

 

The next morning Josette sighs as she finishes her finals, holding up her hand and handing over the PADD to the proctor.

 

"Now you can relax until the next semester." Dr. McNider says. Josette snorts. "This is nothing compared to all the offworld harvests coming in. We're working on your last harvest right now, our last harvest will be coming in after Thanksgiving.

 

"Cotton?"

 

"We checked the supply and we're growing again next year before we send part of it to the toilet paper factory." Dr. Stark nods in satisfaction.

 

"Are your crops in yet?"

 

"They will be by the end of the week, I've got a dozen of my other selves off helping harvest with David since the rest of us are here." Dr. Cross nods. "After Thanksgiving is the last offworld harvest, once that's all prepared they'll start handing out the food and decorating for the lights festival, this year we'll have the mall and the new stores."

 

"Students graduating?"

 

"Next year, we're looking at another 400? Principal Madison has the exact number."

 

"Not as bad as when the students were graduating after we lost Earth." Dr. Stark says. Josette nods. "They're staying in the dorms while they're taking their university classes and I know GD, Wayne Industries, and Stark International has snapped up about half of them for internships." Dr. Stark smirks. "How's integrating everything coming along?"

 

"Good, we've got to much information to go through, I'm sure Stark and Bruce have the same thing."

 

Josette nods. "Bruce and Thomas have been working on it for the last year, they figure another couple of years will take care of everything." Dr. McNider chuckles. "You're still the heir to Wayne Industries?"

 

"Oh yes, Bruce and Thomas insisted." Josette calls them both something uncomplimentary. Bruce chuckles as he comes up after finishing his tests, kissing her on the head like she'd one of the kids. "Suffer, shorty." She calls him something else uncomplimentary that has the others chuckling. "What are you going for now?"

 

"Degree in chemical engineering. I've been doing the work for years I figure it's time to actually get the degree." Josette looks at him and sniggers. "Who nagged, Doc or Thomas?"

 

"Both of them." The others chuckle again. "How'd the first run of the printing go?"

 

"Good, now that we know it works we can start limited printing runs."

 

Everybody nods in satisfaction, talking until the buzzer sounds. After lunch Josette and Bruce head off to Haven. Josette absorbs the duplicates that had been working at the ranch and helping out with the others harvests before dinner. The rest of the harvests is in by the end of the week and canned, dried, or otherwise preserved and Josette takes the food delivery to Archimedes, delivering the food to various places on the planet after accepting payment.

 

After Thanksgiving Josette heads off to Clarinda's dimension with Thomas, Doc, and CJ on Hanover while another of her selves heads off to bring in the last offworld harvest on Brigadoon. They both return an hour later.

 

"How long were you gone?"

 

"About five years, regular time. . .a few decades under time dilation." Josette covers her mouth with an arm and nearly inhales it yawning. David sniggers. "Do you know there are whole worlds out there that are little more than malls?"

 

Alice, who'd come out to do some last minute shopping, shudders. "Yeah, that was my reaction. Everything is imported, even their food."

 

"That's a disaster in the making." David moans.

 

"It seems to work for them." Josette shrugs.

 

"More power to them but. . .Gah!" Susan shakes her head.

 

"Yeah. Lord Jor-El was there to deliver more supplies for us, including CJ and Doc. He held him for hours, telling him how proud he was of how he'd made his life and how proud he was of Clark and Thomas for making him a good man. We've got tons of stuff to go through for our fortresses." They nod.

 

The next day Josette joins the others in the Albatross Nest in Albatross for the kits meeting.

 

"How's everything here in Albatross?"

 

"Good, once everybody's oohed and aahed over the mall we all came back here." Marilyn says. Josette sniggers. "The baby store will be well used."

 

Josette nods. "The cheesemaking store has good business, especially now that we've got the dairy's cheeses on display." The others nod.

 

"Smoked cheeses?"

 

"Benton's doing another batch next year." The others nod in satisfaction as the talk turns to the kits. Josette drops her bags in the workroom and joins the others walking to the dining hall for lunch.

 

It takes a few months offplanet in her fortress to take care of everything that had been brought back from the other dimension. Coming back she walks town, looking at the decorations going up for the Lights Festival before joining the others at dinner.

 

"Get everything taken care of you wanted?"

 

"Yeah, the offworld harvest?"

 

"Will be finished and handed out in a couple of days." David says, looking at his PADD for the latest information before putting it back on his belt. The food is in and passed out, the Lights Festival happening a couple weeks later. Thomas pulls up Josette's hood where it had slid down.

 

"Did you finish delivering the supplies to the winter lab?"

 

"Yes, by the finals. They headed off a couple days ago, staying at the lab except in case of medical emergencies for two years. This isn't the first time they've had an experiment like this, there was the biosphere but this is the one that's the furthest away. Even if they can summon help within minutes by the switching station."

 

"I wouldn't be able to do it." CJ says, coming over.

 

"Me neither, the students were getting on each others nerves in the dorms back on Earth during storms before the rockets in the atmosphere. The lab's a helluva lot smaller for all they're doing a good deal of research into arctic conditions there."

 

"We're learning what will be needed to live in a winter environment year-round, what food can be grown, and if man can live in an enclosed environment for years." Clark says, coming up behind him. Everybody nods. "Growing food would be the biggie, that's one of the reasons I took a zero gee hydroponics degree, as well as a low moisture agricultural degree." Clark and Thomas nod.

 

"How are the others coming in their classes?" CJ asks.

 

"David's three years into his bachelors on Westerns, but since he's only taking three classes for that a semester he's actually two more years before he's finished. He's nine classes in the masters. The girls are eight classes into their Masters and Ph.Ds, taking two classes a semester."

 

"The twins are teaching and Susan's turning into a good manager for the government building."

 

"And there's talk about naming her a Judge if we ever need one." Nods from the others. "The boys are getting in three classes a semester for the comic book and lit degrees, they're a year in with this last semester." CJ chuckles, he's doing the same thing for his classes at Oxford. His fathers give him looks and he grins. "Are you finishing three degrees again next year?"

 

"Probably only the two hands-on degrees I'm working on since I started three new degrees this year and I'm starting two more next year. I'm three semesters from six degrees, two for another but two of those are the degrees I only take three classes a semester in and the others I switch semesters. That's one of the reasons I've been finishing so many degrees lately. They're all coming up."

 

"Your Ph.D?"

 

"I'm halfway through it, year after next summer I'll upload the dissertation to the server at GD for the botanist who's acting as mine and Professor Druid's advisor to read."

 

"Katrina's degree?"

 

"She finished her botany Masters this year, she might be going on for a doctorate but it won't be for a few years. The babies will be starting kindergarten in a couple of weeks."

 

"How long are we looking at the school being open?"

 

"Sixteen more years will have everybody out of high school, including our youngest and the Amish babies in the gestation chambers right now. The babies that came up with the second orphanages are in school or starting kindergarten in a couple weeks." Thomas, Clark, and Doc, who'd come up to them, nod. "By that time, most of the older teachers will have quietly turned their classes over to the younger ones and class sizes will back to what passes for normal now."

 

"We don't need to follow Earth's example and have millions of people, let alone billions."

 

"No, we don't want to ruin another world. Right now we're hovering around 31,000 people on Haven, that's enough for a few decades. On Earth 3000 wouldn't have been a viable population, let alone 31,000." Nods from the others. "Earth wouldn't have thought 300,000 a viable population."

 

Josette snorts. "Earth thought more had to be better, that's why there was so many famines in Africa. The land was wore out from constant farming and couldn't feed everybody anymore." Nods from the others as they go into the mall and look at the decorations on the stores inside. The next day Josette starts going through the kits from the store and starts copying the pieces of the pattern to plastic and marking them before she starts cutting out blocks.

 

The new school year starts a couple weeks later, everybody either going to work, heading elsewhere, or settling in front of their computers the first morning.

 

"Signed up for your buttonmaking degree?"

 

"Yep, and a degree on the China conflict from the history school. I'm taking that on the school computer though."

 

"Finishing degrees this year?"

 

"My two hands-on, tea-dyeing from Assryian and weaving from Edinborough. I'm two semesters from one degree and three more on others. I'll probably only finish the two hands-on ones this year though."

 

"Finishing a degree a semester declasse?" David smirks.

 

"Ahhh, bite me." Josette snorts. "You've got the first apartment complex going up this year and I'm looking into the factory for velcro and elastic." David nods. "Shoelaces."

 

"That I gotta look into too." Josette sighs. "The toothpaste order is coming in soon, the candy factory has the survey up for what to make next and I've got my own to work on." Nods from the others.

 

"How many classes are you looking at?"

 

"33, 14 on the school computer. I'll be three semesters from finishing the degrees from the military and sosh schools for Pearl Harbor with this semester."

 

"Finishing them next year?"

 

"Yeah, probably getting in extra classes over the break or during the summer semester so I'm finished with them before the fall semester."

 

After lunch Josette puts on her outside clothes and walks to town, checking on everything before getting some doughnuts and coming back to the dorm. The next morning is the planetary leaders meeting and Josette starts talking when they bring up the new business, putting pictures of the factories on the screen, what they'd be used for and what's needed, what they have in storage yet, and what the products are used for.

 

"We'd been talking about having to make them eventually." Principal Madison says.

 

Josette nods. "I'm looking into button and zipper making facilities next. We have them in storage but .. ."

 

Nods from the others. "We've got to have plans for making our own eventually. Better be prepared than running around like a chicken with his head cut off."

 

The next couple of weeks fly by and soon it's the first testing week. After she finishes her tests she talks to Dr. Stark about the plans for the velcro, elastic, zippers, and buttons, getting nods from him. "Those are things we will always need."

 

Josette nods. "Concentrate on what we will always need, let the others wait. Food, water, clothing, shelter."

 

Dr. Cross nods. "Leisure activities."

 

"We're going to be bringing up the first of four apartment complexes this year, we're looking at bringing out a good sized spa and the power production facility from the road in the next couple of years. We'd had tentative plans to bring the gym out, to give people something else to do during the winter, getting the orphans put the plans on hold for a few years." Josette snorts. "Though look how long it took us to bring out the mall."

 

Dr. Stark chuckles behind his coffee as the buzzer sounds and the others come over to the tables after using the bathroom.

 

"It's not something you needed until now." Dr. McNider says. Josette nods. Anna looks at her. "Talking about how long we've had plans to bring up the mall."

 

"Decades, almost from the beginning."

 

"We've been talking about bringing out the power production building from out by the road for in town for a few years now, but winters are getting mild again so people are outside more." Alan nods. "And a spa?"

 

"Yes, there's been talk about that too."

 

"The gym would need work. Ours needs work."

 

"Ours is being worked on this year." Dr. Cross says. "We tend to forget how long things have been."

 

Josette nods. "Dad's working on plans for the gym right now, the work should start next year."

 

Dr. McNider chuckles. "After the gym is finished, they're going to be working on the first couple of floors at GD, they don't get destroyed as often as the labs so they're getting a little timeworn."

 

"It happens, we were pregnant with Tinya and her crowd when the dorm was last renovated. They're turning fifteen in a couple months."

 

"Are the offworld children in high school now?"

 

"Yeah, they started this year. Hard to think that if things had been different we'd be closing the school again in three more years. Now we're looking at sixteen with this year to have all the kids through school. By that time I'm sure the younger teachers will be taking over most of the classes." Anna nods slowly.

 

"The classes will be back to 'normal' since people don't need to be popping out kids."

 

"No, the kids are going to be concentrating on degrees and then their jobs. That was one of the problems with Earth, having children too young."

 

"They didn't have strong support structures, too many single mothers who were little more than babies themselves."

 

"The baby daddy denying them, that's why there was so damn many Maury shows that were nothing more than one paternity test after another." Anna says.

 

"Maury hell," Josette snorts. "There was one of them court shows that was nothing but paternity cases."

 

"Awwww hell." Abby moans. "None of that nonsense here."

 

"No, the babies are DNA tested at birth." Dr. Cross says. The others nod.

 

Josette absorbs her duplicates that had been out and about when she comes back to the dorm, helping get the kids ready for dinner.

 

"How's the apartment complex coming?"

 

"Dad says it should be out by the end of the week. After that he's going to be looking at the buttonmaking, zippermaking, elastic, shoelaces, and velcro concerns, seeing if he can put them in one building." Josette nods. "He's also going to see if we can enlarge the toothpaste building to make toothbrushes too." David nods. "If not they can go in the same building as the dental floss and mouthwash."

 

"Shoelaces?"

 

"Tons in storage, flat and round. Various lengths, including the stronger ones meant for work boots." David nods in satisfaction.

 

"Toothpaste?"

 

"Should be finished next week, I'll deliver to the store and Albatross first, then offworld." David nods.

 

"Classes during the break?"

 

"Finishing the third year for Doctor Who from Montague and the man-made dyeing degree from Assyrian. That will put me two degrees I'm a year from finishing there."

 

The next day Josette starts bringing out boxes of supplies for the quilting and knitting classes for Frances and Elaine.

 

"Thank you Josette, this should last us for a couple years since the bulk of the current high school students who want to take the classes have taken the classes."

 

Josette nods. "And the rest are in their first year and probably be signing up the end of the year."

 

"And the advanced classes have the students going to the stores and selecting their own projects, if they want to buy the kits they can but it won't count for the classes." Josette nods as they head off for their finals as Josette heads into town, checking in at the various factories before buying some doughnuts and getting some food at the taco bell replicator at the mall.

 

"How are we handling perishable stuff at the chain stores?" Anna asks at dinner.

 

"Notes on the shelves, they can request the items and they are brought out of stasis so they don't go bad." David says.

 

"Just like at the store now."

 

"Exactly. The PADDS are linked so whoever's working can see if we have any left, if we don't, they remove that sticker from the shelf. Not that I see that happening for a few centuries, Earth had twenty or more different brands of toothpaste alone."

 

"Yeah, they were a consumer society. They never figured out less is more. It was just worse with the other Earth since they didn't have all the deaths ours had so they weren't ramping down production like we were." Josette says, saying a silent prayer for the dead.

 

"Some of the airhead patrol would be horrified at having to work for a living." Susan snorts.

 

"No trophy wives."

 

"No, men don't get stupid as they get older here. People are either married and stay together or don't marry and live apart but have children."

 

"We're starting a new planet and new traditions." Josette says, the others nod.

 

The next week Josette delivers the toothpaste to the stores in Town and Albatross, getting thank yous before she takes the rest of the order offplanet, accepting payments and delivering it where she's told. She stops to pick cactus paddles and returns an hour later, absorbing her duplicates.

 

"Tortillas?" David asks, looking at the bag before it goes in the stasis chamber.

 

"Yeah, I'm running low on the ones we made up last time."

 

"I know you planted blue corn last year."

 

"Yeah, I was running low on the blue cornmeal."

 

That weekend they spend a day working assembly line making tortillas, putting most in the freezer. The next week she finishes the other degree she'd wanted to get in over the break, talking to the others about how many of the offworld harvests would be in by the Harvest Festival.

 

"How many classes are you taking this summer?" Doc asks.

 

"I'm looking at 27 classes, depending on how busy I am I might pick up another semester. I'll be three full years in for six degrees, two more need one more semester to be that far. Two of them are the military and sosh school, I'll finish those next year, that still leaves six degrees to flip through to be finished."

 

"The others?"

 

"School computer I'm on my second year for one degree, and started another last semester."

 

"Did Dad look through the factories?"

 

"Yes, we can either link them like we do the museums, malls, etc. . ." Nods from the others. "Or we can put them in the same building on different floors. We can add onto the toothpaste factory for the toothbrushes. . ." Josette looks at her notes again. "He'll talk to us about the pros and cons of each plan in a couple of months to go over the final details." The others nod.

 

"There's talk about new babies on the animal and sorting planets?"

 

"Fifteen in the gestation chambers from the animal planet and twenty-eight from the sorting planet. They're going slow, making sure that they'll have apartments and jobs when they graduate. Right now we're still looking at staying open 16 years," Principal Madison nods. "They'll either get in more classes so they can start earlier to graduate with the last of the kids or get in their last year of classes on the computer."

 

Principal Madison nods. "Peanut butter?"

 

"We're looking into a factory in about a decade. By then we might have a second crop." The others nod.

 

"Cracker factory?"

 

"Working on a batch." Josette looks at her PADD.

 

"First world peppers?"

 

"Yeah, I've got a batch growing in the platform along with tomatoes and herbs."

 

"There's been a request for a second pizza parlor?"

 

Josette nods. "With the influx of so many newcomers, it will be needed. The manager has three senior people that she believes could take it over and she'll hold their hands over the first few months. We can bring out a mid-sized independent or a chain."

 

"Add onto the one we have?" David asks.

 

Josette shakes her head. "The kitchen would be too small."

 

"Like when we added onto the dining halls and had to add the new kitchens." Principal Madison says. "Exactly."

 

"Do you have a pizza parlor in the dorm?"

 

"Yes, I added one years ago."

 

"Do we have supplies either way?" Josette nods. "Have them look over the mid-sized independents, hopefully we can bring one out by the end of the year." Josette nods and sends off a message to the manager of the parlor. She gets a message back almost immediately, sniggering. "They already selected three, two mid-sized independent restaurants and a chain for the future." She clicks on the files, putting them on the screen, splitting it to bring up the points that had been added to the files. Josette looks over at David.

 

"Yeah, with them selected we can bring one out in a few weeks, a crew can split off the apartment complex to work on it once the outside work is finished. It should be finished by Thanksgiving. Including putting up a building for supplies." He sends that off to his Dad.

 

"Good."

 

"Supplies?"

 

Josette brings up a file, the others looking at them and nodding. "I'll add this stuff to the replicator as we bring it out. It's too late this year but next year they can start a garden for part of it." Nods from the others.

 

"Pizza Parlor?" He asks, nudging Josette as they walk back to the school.

 

"Yep, I've been adding quite a few things to the dorm over the years. And my fortress." He nods as they walk into the dorm.

 

"Crops?"

 

"On track, they should start coming in in a couple of months."

 

"Charmin brand tp?"

 

"I'm taking the cotton offworld when I go to deliver the first offworld harvest, that and a couple of scrub trees." Josette goes upstairs to her section of the dorm, settling in a booth at the pizza parlor and having one of the holograms take her order. Turning on the tv in the corner she settles in to wait, watching the tv channel from the vampire planet. The pizzas come out and she turns off the tv, heading down to her first floor room to eat.

 

"A second pizza parlor?" Anna asks at lunch.

 

"Yeah, with the last few years it was needed." Josette waves a hand at the screens of tables filled with students and teachers and she nods.

 

The next few weeks pass quickly, Josette bottling the olives and wine, bringing in the offworld wine and pepper harvests. Josette takes some of it to Eureka, haggling genially with Vincent over everything, then heading back to Haven and smiling as the pizza parlor appears. Heading to the communal kitchen, she knocks at the back door. "Offworld pepper harvest."

 

The manager of the kitchen wipes her hands on the towel on her belt and they talk, Josette taking some more to the store, and the rest going in stasis at the dorm. Part of it will go on sale at the harvest festival, the rest she'll eat.

 

"The new pizza parlor's up." She tells the others after putting everything away.

 

"Good, now that you mentioned it we can see how much business the parlor gets." Alexander says, rolling his head back on the couch to look at her.

 

"Michael?"

 

"At Hank's working on stuff for the Harvest Festival, I've got everything I had planned finished. The girls are working on their papers, they'll be a year in for their degrees this fall."

 

"And you boys will be three semesters in your classes. David will be a year in his Masters, and lack a semester to finish his bachelors."

 

"And you'll have two more bachelors in and next year will have a baker's dozen of doctorates. Damn it." Alexander looks at her. "Keep that damn evil imp in your own head." Josette smirks as she sees her and Rodney McKay in a snark war about soft science doctorates, even if she did have thirteen of them.

 

"I'd win, hands down." She says smugly. Heading upstairs, she works on a quilt top for a few hours until dinner. David tells the others about the pizza parlor that just come up. The crops start coming in and Josette's busy the next few days, harvesting and planting. The offworld harvests start coming in and Josette takes the cotton to the toilet paper factory along with a couple scrub trees when she delivers the first offworld harvest to the sorting planet.

 

"Are we done now?" David asks when she slides into her seat at the board room.

 

"Until the rest of the offworld harvests start coming in. Harvest Festival?"

 

"Next weekend, all the probes say the weather will be good."

 

Josette nods. "Pizza parlor?"

 

"Still on track to be open by Thanksgiving. Thank you for bringing out the supplies, we replicated enough for both buildings for what Professor Eppes said would be enough for seven months, then doubled it to make sure they had enough for the opening rush." Josette sniggers. "Everything's in the replicator now so they can make more as needed and they have a garden in for a harvest before they open."

 

Josette sniggers. "Wha?" David knows that look.

 

"I'm just thinking of some of those whiny idiots who couldn't live without a mall. We finally get one and after the first rush it's like 'meh, who cares, we got things we need to do'. They'd be heartbroken."

 

Everybody else laughs.

 

"How many employees are we looking at?"

 

"About eight or nine a shift, four in the back working on the pizzas, one up front, two waitressing, one home delivering and the last bussing tables, running the dishwasher, and replacing supplies as needed. The last two could be sharing duties as needed." The others nod.

 

"Same hours as most everything else?"

 

"Yep. Another thing the idiots on Earth would have whined about, nothing's open all the time. They'd have to wait if they wanted something at two in the morning."

 

"And they couldn't have that." Principal Madison smirks. "Waiting's for common people. They can't send off one of their people to buy whatever they want if the stores and restaurants aren't open all the time."

 

That night Josette's led into the dining hall as she busily types on her PADD.

 

"Damn it, let me get this down before I lose the inspiration."

 

"Quilt?" Pat knows the others have seen that look on her face when something's popped into her head she's got to get down right now.

 

"Yes." Josette settles against the raised platform, typing and drawing for about ten minutes before she puts the PADD away. "Okay, that's safe."

 

After the party Josette gets in semesters for classes on Zorro and the Titanic, being a year in on both before the other offworld harvests start coming in and the third semester starts. Josette's busy for most of the semester, their crops starting to come in after the last of the offworld harvests have been canned, dried, or otherwise preserved. The harvests for the other planets have been delivered and the last offworld harvest for their planet stores away to be passed out after Thanksgiving.

 

"Your harvests?" Dr. Cross asks as Josette slides into her seat after the finals.

 

"I split off a dozen duplicates to get in ours and help out with the others. Everything should be canned, dried, or otherwise stored for winter by the end of the week." Josette yawns and thanks Vincent for the bottle of Eureka Dew he puts in front of her.

 

"Did you finish your hands-on degrees?"

 

"Yeah, and I'm now three full years on eight degrees, two of them the Pearl Harbor degrees from the military and sosh schools. Those I know I'll finish next year. The others I'll take turns taking semesters in until they're done."

 

"Your botany Ph.D?" Dr. Stark asks. "I was asked by your advisor."

 

"I'm three classes from it and plan on uploading the dissertation next summer." He nods in satisfaction. Then smirks. "Are you going to the opening of the new pizza parlor?"

 

"Hell to the no. It will be asshole to elbow for about a month." the others chuckle and nod. "At least through the first month of next year." They nod again.

 

"427 students graduating this year?"

 

"Yes, that's the figure Principal Madison gave us a couple weeks ago. Next year we're figuring on about 200, including our kids. Then two years after that will be the next big group of kids graduating."

 

"And the ones that graduated a couple years ago heading off to their internships. Or moving to their new homes." Dr. Cross says. Josette nods. "The students have been looking at the new apartment complex and looking at the furniture Hank has available or is in the supplies."

 

"Have the floor monitors chosen their new homes?"

 

Josette nods.

 

"Did James come out about the factories?"

 

"Yes, we were talking to him at the last planetary leader meeting. We figure a five story building, one floor for each factory." The others nod. "The toothpaste factory is closed unless we're working on a batch, it won't be that hard to add onto it in the future for the toothbrushes. Right now Sanders is working on the computer programs to see if the floors will hold from the weight of the machinery."

 

Dr. Stark nods. "Which is why when you see multiple floor factories, the heavy equipment is usually on the bottom floor and the rest is storage."

 

"I remember that building in Korea collapsing when they went in and did renovations, adding the top floor that wasn't supposed to be there as a restaurant and had that big ass heavy air conditioning things on the roof. We're making damn sure it doesn't happen here. If we can't make it multiple stories, we'll bring out the buildings and link them to a common building. Either way, they're still using the same power." Dr. Cross nods. "If we can't add a second floor for the toothbrushes, that will go in that building too, adding other factories as needed."

 

"None of them would be in operation all the time."

 

"Exactly. Right now we're not even looking at them for a few more years, but we want to have plans in place for the future."

 

"Better to have them and not need them than be caught unprepared." The others nod as the buzzer sounds and the others come over to the table after using the bathroom and washing up.

 

"Crops and garden?"

 

"Will all be in by the end of the week, fingers, toes, and eyes crossed." Alexander snickers. "Might be another week to get everything canned, dried, or otherwise stored and everything tilled under for the winter."

 

Josette goes into the office the next day, helping print out the diplomas for the students graduating at the end of the week.

 

Thanksgiving comes and goes, food being passed out from the offworld harvests and the second pizza parlor opening. As Josette had said, it was wall to wall people for the first three days.

 

The next day Josette joins the others at the Albatross nest in Albatross, showing off the notes for the quilts she's been working on. She'd finished the art quilt with the cats, showing it off before putting it back in the bag.

 

After lunch Josette heads upstairs with David, looking over the supplies in the growing areas and starting things in the greenhouses and hydroponics area before dinner.

 

"Get everything taken care of?"

 

"The greenhouses and the hydroponics, we'll plant in the ground crops rooms in a couple of days.

 

The next couple weeks pass and soon its the Lights Festival. Thomas shakes his head at the line of people going into the pizza parlor even during the festival. "I figure another month before the demand drops to normal." Thomas nods.

 

"How is integrating everything coming?"

 

"Slow, Clark . . ." Josette's lips twitch as she valiantly tries not to cackle. "Talked you into going for a degree yourself?"

 

"Yes." He scowls over at Clark who just chuckles and wraps an arm around him. "I start it in a couple of weeks."

 

"CJ going on for another degree when he finishes his first one next year?"

 

"Oh yes, we insisted." Clark says. "He's talking with his advisor next summer. While he doesn't have a list of degrees ten pages long that he wants to take like some people." Josette sniggers. "He does have a few he's interested in."

 

"How many students are you expecting to graduate next year?"

 

"218, including our kids. Then it will be the offplanet kids graduating with the others finishing high school. Fifteen years and counting."

 

"I heard there's new offworld children."

 

"Yes, they're either going to be taking extra classes to graduate with the twins and the Amish children or taking their last year of classes on the computer. I'm thinking they'll probably take extra classes so they can graduate sooner. As it is, the last three years the school's open will just be the twins, the Amish kids, and them. By then we might have younger kids at the education center." She looks over sourly at David who smirks at her. "Including some more of our own." Thomas chuckles.

 

"Are we going to have work for everybody?" CJ asks.

 

"The others say we will, even if they're only working part-time. Which isn't that big of a hardship when we have three growing cycles, no utility payments, homes paid off. . ." The others nod. "People had been working multiple jobs, they're at the stage of life where they can let some of them go to younger people. I know GD has a problem with scientists getting older, so does Stark and Wayne. Plus integrate all the new stuff. . ."

 

The others nod. "They don't all have to stay on Haven. That's why we're waiting on bringing up the rest of the apartment complexes."

 

"No use leaving them sitting around. The cleaning robots would keep them in good repair like they do the dorms but . . ." Clark says, everybody nods. "The apartment complexes can go up on the other worlds just as easy as they can here."

 

Nods from the others. "Or Albatross for that matter. Though with the switching stations, they can work anywhere and still live here."

 

Nods from the others again. "You have the experience of what happened last time and know what to do now."

 

Josette nods.

 

The next weekend Josette slides into a seat at the auditorium to talk about the plans for this year's classes and the next batch of students graduating.

 

"Josette, not to be nosy, but your kids?"

 

"Are already signed up for an internship with GD, Wayne, or Stark. just like their brothers and sisters. I don't know where they get the brains in the family, they seem to have been skipped in our generation." She looks at the twins who are doing the village idiot impressions as everybody else in the building laughs.

 

"Frances, Elaine. Classes?"

 

"We've got a good number of students in the beginning knitting and quilting classes, a good portion of them tend to stay on for the others."

 

"Sooooo Masterharper Madison, what is the plans for the school?"

 

"Well Masterarchivist Takahawa. . ." the others snigger. "We might make Pern jokes but the traditional school isn't going to work anymore."

 

Josette nods. "Only a quarter of the years at Tesla have students right now. I don't think Albatross has any students right now." She looks over at Professor Fletcher. "Cabot Cove?"

 

"No children in school right now."

 

"I don't think there's any currently in Smallville either. Children come in waves." The others nod. "Fifteen years with this one will have our babies, the Amish children born last year, and the offworld children through school. Or through all but the last year for the off-world babies if they don't take extra classes to keep up with the others."

 

"We'll have to see how they're doing when your hoodlums are ready to start classes."

 

"Awww, you say the sweetest things." Josette coos while the twins cackle. In the dorm the boys and Susan are laughing and the others look at them. "Principal Madison talking about the plans to shut down the high school in fifteen years, including this one." David says when he finally stops laughing. Thomas nods. "We'd been talking about it at the Lights Festival."

 

"Principal Madison said he'd look into the schooling of the kids from the animal and sorting planet when our hoodlums were ready to start classes. Josette cooed that he says the sweetest things, the twins were laughing too hard to say anything."

 

"It's hard to think that the babies will be in pre-school next year already. It seems like just yesterday that we got the news from Atlantis that Earth had been . . .lost and Josette split off to duplicates to handle the other ships. How long did it take?"

 

"250 years to harvest everything. That was with 13 ships"

 

"It took Josette 500 years to harvest our Earth by herself. Your Earth didn't have all the devastation that ours had, there was a lot of urban renewal, tearing down buildings in cities instead of letting them fall down and once we lost a country, they went in with large scale recycling units took it down to the ground and let jungle reclaim the central American countries. Africa we added nutrients to the ground and encouraged gradual growth."

 

"It was already bad in our world, too many people, too much fighting, too many years of growing or trying to grow crops without letting the ground rest."

 

David nods. "It was beginning to recover. . .Josette's on her way back with the twins now." Five minutes late the pocket doors open and the three come into the living room.

 

"Thomas?" Josette asks.

 

"Can you come out to Wayne Industries tomorrow, there's a meeting about what we've been integrating."

 

"Yeah, when?"

 

"Just after breakfast with the time difference. We'll use the switching station here, it's going to be multiple meetings over the entire week, the council is talking, We're talking, Stark Industries is talking, and GD is talking. There's still tons of industry that we need to go through."

 

Josette sighs but nods. "And university classes." Thomas nods. "We've got plenty of time."

 

"I'll be ready." She rolls her eyes. "Wearing something decent." Thomas chuckles and heads back to Headquarters.

 

The next morning Josette splits off duplicates that either settle in front of computers or head various directions. After breakfast Josette changes her clothes, putting her hair in a neat bun before walking through the switching station with the others. She looks at her PADD beeping a few hours later.

 

"Damn it, but we were expecting it. Plan B for the factories, Dad finished the computer simulations." Tony Stark looks at them. "We've been talking about bringing out factories to make velcro, buttons, zippers, shoelaces, elastic, and toothbrushes."

 

"Wouldn't the plastic factory be able to take care of those?" Thomas asks.

 

"Different machinery." Nods from the others. "We'd been talking about putting them on separate floors in one building instead of adding more buildings, but the upper floors won't handle the weight."

 

"Yes, we have to be careful with the machinery loads when we add onto the labs." Tony sighs. Nathan nods. "Plan B?"

 

"Linking them in one building, each door going to a different building like we have the malls, museums, and a lot of other things now." He nods. "They wouldn't all be in use at the same time."

 

"Josette, the plastic factory. . .combs and brushes?" Bruce asks.

 

"Thank you, we'll have to look into it. Combs definitely, not sure about brushes."

 

"The machinery to insert the bristles?"

 

Josette nods. "I'll look into the factories we have in 'limbo' in case they can't do it."

 

"Who's handling integrating the university classes?" Tony Stark asks.

 

"Me, somebody from GD, Doc, somebody from each of the schools that came up. . ." Josette says, waving a hand. "It's slow going since so many of our schools had been shutting down thanks to the epidemics that took out teachers and students. They weren't, they were updating degrees and adding new ones because nobody wakes up and thinks 'today there's going to be a natural disaster that destroys the world'." Everybody nods.

 

"What were you talking to Joan and the quilting teacher from Edinborough about?" David asks at dinner when Josette's absorbed her duplicates.

 

"Fabric painting for quilts, some of it is heat and sun reactive so we're experimenting. It may end up being a degree. Unless there's degrees from the other schools or books in everything I brought back, it's all hands-on."

 

"How much longer?"

 

"All this week probably, we've got a whole long list of stuff that we're integrating. Did you get the message from Dad?"

 

"No, what about?"

 

"The computer simulations show the floors wouldn't hold, we have to go to plan B." Principal Madison sighs in the front room, repeating that for President Bartlett. "Meeting tomorrow morning after breakfast to go over everything, Dad sent me the file with the simulations, I'm letting Doc know now." Principal Madison nods and repeats it for President Bartlett. "Somebody also has to look at the plastics factory to see if they can handle combs and brushes. And see if there's factories in what we have in limbo that will do that." Principal Madison nods, making a note of it on his PADD. Josette gets the confirmation back from Doc and puts the PADD back on her belt.

 

The weeks fly by and the first testing week of the semester comes, Josette sliding into her seat after finishing her tests.

 

"David says Assyrian and Edinborough are working on another degree together?" Dr. Cross asks.

 

"Don't know if it will turn into a degree, but they're talking about fabric painting for quilts where the paint is heat sensitive, painting the fabric then laying it in the sun or under heat lamps with items on it to make designs. Unless there's a degree already from one of the other schools or books that can be used, it would all be hands-on."

 

Drs. Cross, McNider, and Blake nod. Dr. Stark's off telling somebody who blew up a lab doing something stupid they're idiots in twenty dollar words.

 

"How are you planning your classes during the break?"

 

"Getting in three three classes for the military and sosh school degrees, two for one and one for the others. With five for the degrees this summer, that will leave two and one class over the 2nd semester break. I'm also getting in the first semester for one of the degrees I'm three years in this break and one the next, doing a third 3rd semester. That will leave me one degree that I'm still two semesters from next year but I can finish three or more next year."

 

"Your dissertation?"

 

"Planned on uploading it to the server after my finals. I'll be two semesters from the degree then." Nods from the others.

 

"Have the historians figured out where the dimension timelines changed?"

 

"After WWII, the world council grew out of the group that took over after Germany fell. They put major sanctions on the countries. Korea and Vietnam were taken out before they became wars that involved the US. Communism was stamped out during the cold war, the USSR, Cuba, and China under extreme trade embargoes and sanctions."

 

"Awwww, no cheap labor." Josette coos. "No wonder they were so happy to buy from us." Nods from Drs. Blake, McNider, and Cross. "I know most of the alternate dimensions Professor Xavier's group interacted with, Kelly being assassinated by the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants caused widespread mutant deaths and internment camps."

 

"All that over one bigoted asshole." Dr. Cross shakes his head. "What a waste."

 

"Amen, may he rot in hell with the rest of the bigots. Who are probably still trying to tell everybody else they're soooooo much better than everybody else."

 

"What's your plans this year?"

 

"Dad's putting up a building for the factories, bringing out the factories to attach them one at a time after the crew working on the apartment complex is finished. It's a bit of work since we've got machinery to go over and everything to tie in." Nods from the others.

 

"Has there been any problems with bringing out restaurants? I know some of those kitchens were filthy."

 

"No, first we made sure that the premises were kept up to date, the bringing them out cleaned them. When we brought out supplies we made sure it was new and in good condition because it would be needed for a while. A lot of it went right to the recyclers to be turned into raw materials." The three nod in satisfaction.

 

"The Mars colony wasn't like that."

 

Josette snorts. "The Mars colony was all 'money, money, money, show me the money'. Big business just sent out they wanted to get rid of because it was old and failing or just worn out and didn't want to pay to dispose of it. If it was somebody else's problem they could ignore it." The others nod. The talk turns to how the lab on the eleventh planet is going, how the renovations at GD are coming along, plans for the gym's renovations, and the latest accident of the week at GD.

 

"For being so smart, people can be so damn dumb." Josette says.

 

"Oh I know, that's why so many of the people who demanded to come to Eureka or Archimedes were told Hell no." Dr. Blake snorts. "Some of them made Rodney McKay and Sam Carter from Stargate look tame."

 

"Carter was a bitch who needed a dom to knock her attitude out of her. . .or her brains fucked out of her ears more often." Josette snorts. Dr. McNider chuckles. "I wouldn't have minded Radek or Carson, but that fucking twit Kavanaugh needed the stick pulled out of his ass and beaten to death with it."

 

"Ahhh yes, we've had people like that, tattling fools who don't have lives of their own. They either grew up or are sent off for being troublemaking assholes who were too stupid to live. Whoever had the influence to force them on us against our wishes were not happy, Nathan made them even more miserable when he called them stupid in twenty dollar words. You'd think they'd learn not to piss off Nathan." Josette nods, sniggering.

 

"Too bad we couldn't have sicced him on that stupid bitch on Buffy the vampire Slayer."

 

"Which one, Buffy or Willow, they were both shallow brats who needed beating to death. Buffy was all 'I'm the Slayer, I'm king of the world one minute' and 'I'm the Slayer, oh woe is me. I have to do it allllll' the next. Nobody else fucking mattered. Willow needed a fucking leash when she started getting into magic. It was all me, me, me, it's all about me because I'm spe-shul from both of them. I'd have taken Willow out with a sniper rifle when she went all Dark Willow."

 

"People like that give magick a bad rap." Allison says, nodding as Dr. Stark walks in the door and the buzzer sounds to end the morning session. After lunch Josette heads back to the dorm, talking with David, Doc, and James Sanders before and after dinner and the kids are in bed about the new plans for the the warehouse that would be holding the factory links.

 

"Josette, a factory to make thread, yarn, and cloth?"

 

"Possibly far in the future, we wouldn't need a larger setup right away. The supplier I brought out had a good sized setup since he liked experimenting. And speaking of experimenting, I'm going to be doing some the next time I make thread." Doc looks at her. "Painting the thread before its wound on the cones so there's bands of color."

 

"Why?"

 

"It just came to me. Maybe using the same color bands on fabric so they match."

 

"What would you use it for?"

 

"A quilt, the back with squares of complementing colors for the top. Or maybe just because." Josette shrugs. "Who knows with the muses, they're as bad as that damn imp." David sniggers. "Shaddap." She pushes him lightly with one hand. "Won't be a while anyway, I'm not planting cotton and we're not doing it offworld either." They nod, they have a good supply of it for the next couple of years. Josette makes a note on her PADD and puts it back on her belt.

 

"Anything else?"

 

"Nothing that we'd need right now, it's been a few years since we needed these."

 

"In a couple decades we'll probably have more factories that we need to bring out." The others nod. "Not for a while though."

 

"How are we on flour and whatnot for baking?"

 

"Tons of tons of tons in stasis on the ships. We won't run out for a few thousand years. Even if we used nothing but that. Which we're not."

 

"What about the offworld growing areas, are we harming the ground?"

 

"No, the machines switch the crops continuously. And they're taking readings of the soil yearly." The others nod in satisfaction.

 

"Oats?"

 

"Again, got tons of them on ships plus we know which factory has the machines to cut them. We can start growing them in a while."

 

"Instant?"

 

"Tons of it, plus we could make more if we wanted but it's almost easier to make regular oatmeal if you soak it overnight. The only thing about instant is it's quick to make and it's available in flavors, but you can do that yourself when you make it."

 

"People were all hurry hurry hurry on Earth. With the day so long here we have to make sure we have good nourishing meals to keep us going."

 

"And a good portion of those people skipping breakfast also were trying to lose weight because everybody had to be supermodel thin. Or doctors looked at BMI stats and didn't take anything else into account like muscle mass." Doc says dryly. David sniggers. "Yeah, Josette said something like that when she was pregnant with the quints and Doc, Thomas, and CJ came out. She said some idiot doctor would look at her records, see she was 140 pounds and call her obese before looking further down the page and seeing she was pregnant with five babies." David pretends to think a moment. "Course he's also complain about how much food Josette eats at a regular meal."

 

Josette blows him a raspberry as Doc laughs and heads back to Headquarters. Josette shuts up the dorm for the night and heads upstairs as David goes to his room. Working on her quilt top for a couple of hours she heads to bed. The next day the others come home from Eureka.

 

"Dr. Blake says you're a heathen brat." Anna says with a grin at dinner, looking at David.

 

"Duhhhhh," Josette snorts, making everybody laugh. "What about this time?"

 

"I picked up another comic book degree." Josette rolls her eyes. "Hey, I'm going for two Masters." He says in his best innocent voice. "Josette, crops?"

 

"I'm working on the commercial crops and our garden plans, the dorm crops are starting to ripen, I figure another week or so we'll be picking the early stuff." David nods. "A couple weeks after that will be our midterms."

 

"Are you working on your theses?"

 

"Yeah, it's rough going. . ." Josette sniggers. "And I have a project to work on as part of the thesis." Everybody does the world's smallest violin playing just for you bit for him. Even he laughs.

 

"How's the factories coming?"

 

"Good, Doc, David, and I were talking them over last night after dinner. We're putting up the warehouse this summer and bringing the factories out one by one. The warehouse can be multiple floors since everything's linked."

 

"And we can add as needed." The others nod. "The buildings themselves can be used as storage for supplies or the finished goods before they're sent to the stores or the other planets."

 

The next couple of weeks pass and Josette and David start picking the early crops in the growing area, eating some and putting the rest in stasis to last until the first of the garden crops start coming in. A few days after the early crops are in Josette heads off to Eureka again for the second testing week. A couple days later Josette slides into her seat at the dining hall after coming back with the others.

 

"How are you figuring out your extra classes?"

 

"I'm taking two for each degree over the break, five this summer since defending the dissertation is just a formality, then the last two for each degree over the 2nd semester break. I'll also get in semesters for the degrees I'm nearly finished with, that way when they come up again in the rotation they're done."

 

"No new doctorate next year?"

 

"No, none for a few years until I start new degrees." Nods from the others.

 

"Are the new olive trees big enough to transplant?"

 

"Yeah, I'm heading off tomorrow to plant a grove on the first planet." Josette rolls her neck on her shoulders. "They won't be big enough to harvest for a few more years yet, but I can plant them. Doc wants to see what the differences are between the two ecosystems." David nods. "So does GD."

 

"Lemons and limes?"

 

"Yeah, I'm planting a few of them too."

 

Josette flies to Brigadoon the next morning, looking at the trees in the botany section before they head to the first planet. Planting everything takes a few weeks and Josette makes sure everything's well settled before they come back.

 

"Finished?" David asks at lunch.

 

"Yeah, everything's planted and it should be a couple years before they're producing." Between one second and the next, the eight vanish.

 

"Well that's new." Principal Madison says. A few seconds later Josette reappears. "Josette, just because you flit off to other dimensions doesn't mean the others can too." Josette sniggers and gets on the servers, sending information to Salem as she settles down to eat. The others appear in the back room a few seconds after she's flew off.

 

"Josette just head?"

 

Thomas nods.

 

"Good, this way we don't cross the timeline or give her any future information or any of that other . . .stuff." David waves a hand. Principal Madison can't help it, he snickers in the front room.

 

"Do I want to know?"

 

"Some moron who wanted us there to keep our families under control since they're bigwigs in the government." Susan sighs. "Or at least Grandma, David's parents, and Josette's Mom. Oh and Professor Xavier was there too along with Jack Harkness and a guy who called himself Black Jack.

 

"Japanese Manga and anime." Alan says. "Josette's a fan, he's a mercenary medical doctor, charges outrageous amounts of money."

 

"I can't believe that hotel manager was so fucking dumb."

 

"He's one of the assholes who thinks he's gods gift to humanity and everybody has to do what he says."

 

"Is this dimension likely to be lost?"

 

"No, they've already had their major disaster, 85 to 95 percent of humanity vanished in the three years after WWII. They've had more alien contact than we had, including the Doctor. They had magnetic levitation trains that went between cities in twenty minutes. It would have taken hours to drive. They also had trains that got you from the US to Japan in under 90 minutes."

 

Whistles from the front room where Principal Madison is repeating what Alexander is saying. "Huge cities that went up instead of out, megaskyscrapers that were 200 floors tall. The maglev trains went right into the buildings. Each building was nearly their own city with factories, malls, schools, museums, libraries, hotels, living quarters. . . Each building had their own peacekeeping force and there was also the city police. The building cops had ceremonial uniforms and duties, including swords that caused a few accidents. Oh, Josette's fighting abilities was her mother's mutation. She absorbed it when her mutation became active."

 

"We'd wondered since they didn't fade like her mother's memories." Professor Druid says slowly.

 

"I think the memories comforted her for a while, even though she thought she had taken her mother's life she knew that her mother loved her. Finding the truth out and meeting two different versions of her mother that love her unconditionally helped too, even when she's in a fuck this shit mood, hiding because she's got the sniffles and just wants to be left alone to whine, piss, bitch, and moan in peace until she annoys herself. . ." Clarinda who'd been contacted when Josette and the others vanished laughs and nods. "Or she's in that mood that has Lords Strife and Loki swearing and hiding if it's aimed their way or laughing and grabbing bowls of popcorn if it's not."

 

"Our evil genius got full ride scholarships to seven private preparatory high schools. . .which she was all attending at the same time thanks to computers. She only had to go to the campuses once a week."

 

"Uniforms?" Principal Madison's lips twitch.

 

"Yep, including ties. Some skirts, but mostly slacks. She complained about looking like one of those Japanese schoolgirls about to be ravished by a tentacle monster, the only thing missing were the short skirts that were a pervert's wet dream. Not only did she get scholarships to prep schools, they were all associated with universities." The others chuckle.

 

"Anything else?"

 

"Yes, they have a good delivery system, we were getting shipments of metal and wood for shows and the delivery boxes were only about eight by five by six inches."

 

Everybody whistles. "Limit on sizes? Or what they can be used for?"

 

"Not really, they're used for most everything. Unlike the crystals, finished products can be put in them. Weigh ounces no matter what's in it."

 

Josette arrives back at the dorm fifteen to twenty minutes after they finish lunch.

 

"Slowpoke."

 

Josette rolls her eyes. "Stopped to deliver some stuff at my fortress."

 

"Do you have any boxes?"

 

"Yep, and all the schematics. I sent demonstrations to Doc, Clark, Thomas, Bruce, Sanders Construction, Principal Madison, and GD when I arrived. I'm expecting moaning from at least one person." The others snigger.

 

"Garden plans?"

 

"I'm starting them in a couple of days." David says. "We'll go over them this weekend if we have any special requests."

 

Josette heads upstairs, looking up from working on a quilt top when a shadow leans against the doorway.

 

"Again, Josette?" Thomas shakes his head. "I shouldn't complain though, you were pulled to our dimension."

 

"First time it was just me, second time it was me and Bruce, this time it was all of us. Principal Madison just sighed and told me when I came back to get one of the ships that just because I flitted off to other dimensions, that didn't mean the others could." Thomas chuckles.

 

"Are they able to be replicated?"

 

"Yeah easily, plus I got thousands of them on Salem, filled with stuff."

 

"Did you start copying stuff when you brought Salem out?" David asks poking his head around the door.

 

"Yep. that way if we ever get big enough for cities we have a good basis for them. Not that I see if for centuries. I also have information on the alternate power sources, theirs were much larger than ours, it seems they grow under the demand."

 

"Really?" Clark, Doc, Bruce, David, Thomas, and Dr. Stark say almost in unison. Josette starts tapping on her PADD, bringing up the file and sending it to their PADDS. "I have no idea on the science but I was talking with Dad when he asked what our power sources was and he said that it takes time, which we have.

 

"We knew they were self-recharging. And they can handle a large load." Dr. Stark sends the information to GD through the switching station.

 

"While we're all here, how long until we have to bring out the second apartment complex?"

 

"Not for about five years, that will be about the time another batch of students graduate. We might be bringing up a complex to Archimedes and/or the vampire planet depending on how many we have staying there instead of staying here to commute." Dr. Stark says. The others nod.

 

"Have you been talking to the students who are interning with you in a couple years?"

 

"Yes, making sure they're ready and seeing how their grades are. Introducing them to their advisors and showing them intern housing."

 

The next couple of weeks pass and both before and after the third testing week Josette's busy with spreading manure on the fields, then tilling it under a few days later. By the finals everything's planted for the first growing cycle.

 

"Plans for break?"

 

"Finish sorting through what I brought from the other dimension, bring a few things out to add to the dorm, get in the two classes for the sosh and military school, and get in a semester for another of the degrees I'm two semesters from finishing. Upload my dissertation to the server at GD after I finish my finals." The others nod.

 

"Offworld raised boxes?"

 

"Last year, I'll look into it again next year depending on what we have left."

 

"Is everything in in the growing areas?"

 

"Yep, we tilled everything under and we'll check the soil again next fall. I might set up another zero-gee test offplanet for us instead." The others nod. "And I'm going to be changing out the herbs behind the fish tank." Nods from the others, they try to change out the herbs growing there every year or so.

 

"Josette, cane sugar vinegar?"

 

"I'm not sure how to ferment the juice, but I'll look into it."

 

"Only the three degrees finished this year?"

 

"Yeah, I'll get more next year, I'll be one semester away for four degrees, a full year on three more, one of which is one of the school computer degrees. Of course I'll probably be starting just as many next year." The others snigger.

 

"Are you talking to Dad and Dr. Stark about the warehouse for factories?" David nods. "We're putting the basic building up this year and hope to have at least one linked in and being worked on by fall. A few years should have everything in and ready to be used, plus give us room to expand in the future as we need things."

 

After her finals Josette settles at her laptop, sending her dissertation to GD and sending a note to her advisor before turning off the computer before going upstairs and working on the sunset at Black Jack's house. The next few days pass quickly and the next week Josette gets in two classes for each of her Pearl Harbor degrees then a semester in for the dyeing degree from Assyrian. The meeting with Dr. Stark, Dad Sanders, and the government is a couple days later and they talk about what would be needed in the factory warehouse, plus putting together a list of what will be needed in the future. After the meeting she talks with them about what she's been adding to the dorm, getting head shakes at some choices and laughter at others.

 

"I do like your habit of adding things to make sure they work before we bring them out."

 

"If there's problems, I want to know before we get that far." Dr. Stark nods. "That only makes sense."

 

"How is the lab on the eleventh planet doing?"

 

"Driving me insane, they're complaining about everything. Everything they were grateful for before they're bitching about now." Josette sniggers. "I know, we need to know how people can live and work in an arctic environment and they know it, they're just pouting and acting like two year olds. Not that's any different from how some of them act normally. . ." Josette sniggers. "Stand them in corners or spank them?"

 

"Don't tempt me. How far are you on your degrees?"

 

"Seven classes for each, I'm getting five in next semester and the other two for each over the second break. That will give me three degrees finished."

 

"Did you turn in your dissertation?"

 

"Yeah, I put it on the server the day after my finals and contacted my advisor, I think she's probably still going through the paper since it was totally different than the masters thesis. Two more semesters and I'll have a bakers dozen of doctorates. Until the next set of degrees that go that far."

 

"What next?"

 

"I was thinking a masters and doctorate in alternative medicine if the herbal medicine degree qualifies, if not I'll take the bachelors. Chemistry. Biology. Engineering, maybe metallurgy."

 

They both nod and use the switching station to head back to Eureka. Stark taps on the door of the botanist's lab, getting her pausing her computer. He looks at the picture on the screen and smiles. "Josette's dissertation?"

 

"Yes, it's slow going through since it's all new information."

 

"Josette thought you would be. Are we looking at any problems?"

 

"No, I approved it the second I got the note from her." She looks at the picture and sighs. "I would love the chance to see this in real life."

 

"Josette said she's possibly doing it again for the Haven winter crops to give the growing areas in the dorm a year to recover."

 

"I'll e-mail her and ask for a visit if she does." the botanist unpauses the film when he leaves. "Oh yes, I'll definitely ask for a visit if she does it again."

 

Josette slides into her chair at the government meeting the morning the summer semester starts.

 

"Daniel, not to be nosy but are people going to have money to retire?" Principal Madison asks, starting the meeting.

 

"Yes, now that the homes are paid off or paid down, people are putting money away towards their retirements. We don't think about it but it's been over 30 years since we lost Earth."

 

Josette nods. "We think of the students as kids but they're nearly fifty."

 

"I've been talking to people to make sure they're putting money away for the future. Everybody has been looking through the planning for your future tutorial on the server. And there's the macros on the bank server for scholarship loans, homes and apartments, furniture, babies, and the future."

 

"Good, if they take responsibility for their own retirements I'm feeling a little better about the job situation slowing down."

 

"We've been lucky to have as many jobs as we have had. We never counted on something like this happening. We had more people we had to find jobs for, in a shorter length of time."

 

Nods from the others.

 

"Josette, David, did you two talk to your Dad?"

 

"Yes, the warehouse is going up and the first factory will be linked in by this fall, we'll look it over this winter to see what needs to be done."

 

"Solar panels?"

 

"No, each factory will be linked to to the building's alternate power source, just like the libraries, malls, and museums are now. GD's looking into whether we can tap another building's and how quickly they grow."

 

"Range?"

 

"Something else we're looking into, they had power collection boxes like we have." Nods from the others. GD is talking to Brainy and the others."

 

"We don't need massive power sources for a few more decades."

 

"No we don't, thankfully." She looks over at David. "The ship's by the cities."

 

"Thankee, I also have the plans for others."

 

"Yep." They look at them. "We were getting a little overwhelmed in the city and they had old ships being sold. We brought one to go out on the ocean and veg for a few days. Salem put it in limbo before we left."

 

"Power production building from by the road?"

 

"Going up year after next, fingers crossed. Right now Sanders is working on the school's gym and some other things that need updating. They're also talking to me about some things I'm adding to the dorm over the next few years. And what needs to be worked on."

 

"The robots should be taking care of that." David makes a note to look at that when they get back to the dorm.

 

After lunch Josette looks at what she'd been working on in her workroom, looking through her fabric for strips that would go with it then taking a picture and heading to Agatha's store.

 

"Perfect." She looks over at the Assyrian and Edinborough teachers who are there. "I'm working on a painted quilt top and this is the focal point."

 

"Oh Josette, that's beautiful. . .and so peaceful. Framing strips?"

 

"Yeah, nothing leapt out at me and said 'me, me, me, me, me' when I was going through my fabrics."

 

"We've all had those moments." Joan says, the others nod. "What were you thinking of for binding and backing?" They start looking through the fabrics and talk for a few hours until heading various directions. Josette absorbs her duplicates back at the dorm, the others looking at her. "Wanted some second, third, and fourth opinions on a painted quilt I'm working on. I'm working on the main section but I'm thinking of how I'm going to be framing it when it's finished."

 

"What's the focus?"

 

"Sunset over the ocean at Black Jack's home, it's on a bluff so we're looking down."

 

"Are you going to the first planet soon?"

 

"In a couple of weeks, I want to see how the new trees are settling in." The others nod. "The early stuff should be coming in then too."

 

"How's the knitting and quilting classes?"

 

"Good, the students interest is keeping up, as they're old enough to take the classes they do and a good portion of them buy a second kit to work on after their first one is finished. The students who are going to be finishing their university classes next year are looking at apartments or looking at the intern housing on Archimedes and the vampire planet."

 

Michael nods. "We're getting a few orders in for furniture. This way we can have their places fully furnished by the time they're ready to move in."

 

"What's going to happen when people die without families?"

 

"If the furniture is still good, and we make sure that stuff is built to last. . ." the others nod. "It will go in a building somewhere to be sold again as used. Those who have family it will be split among family members in their will." The others nod.

 

"How many apartments are we looking at?"

 

"About 250 in this first round, give or take 20 or so since a good chunk of the students are going to GD, Wayne, and Stark. With more going as we integrate stuff." Josette says. The others nod.

 

"Any news from the kids?"

 

"Bruce, Thomas, Tony Stark, and Dr. Stark are in a three-way tug of war over Clarinda, Yoriko, Aiden, Jared, and Stacey. Their contracts and coming up at the end of the year Archimedes time so they're all fighting over them." The others grin. "The girls are smirking as they rake them over the coals for a new contract."

 

"Of course they are, they learned from the best. . .Mommy." David snorts. The others laugh and nod.

 

"Dissertation?"

 

"She approved it the minute she got my note." Josette preens as the others smirk. "And if I plant in zero-gee again, she wants an invitation. I'm trying to figure out a raised bed planting area in zero-gee now."

 

"Plastic covering the soil?"

 

"Yeah, with slits for the plants. Drip irrigation." Josette makes a few notes on her PADD, she'll send the plans to the botanist and . . .she looks up. . .yep, there's Professor Druid giving her the 'yes, I'm coming too' look. "We'll talk when I have everything figured out." she nods.

 

"When will the gym be finished?"

 

"Should be by this fall, Dad's coming back out to talk to us about what needs to be done at the dorm in a few weeks, then talk to Principal Madison to see if the rest of the school needs anything."

 

"Shouldn't, maintenance is good at keeping ahead of repairs and we checked everything while the school was shut down last time. But the buildings are getting old."

 

"James coming out to talk to us about the school?"

 

"Seeing what needs to be done if anything when he comes out to talk to the kids about the dorm."

 

"We'd been talking about doing some work when the school shuts down again. Josette wants to expand the library." On the screen Josette nods. "Frances and Elaine want to expand the textiles buildings." They nod.

 

"Josette, sewing machine factory?" Frances asks.

 

"Tentatively on the schedule to come out sometime in the future along with the threadmaking and yarnmaking factories beyond what I have in my dorm or the satellites." The two women nod.

 

Principal Madison looks over at the fine arts teachers. "What about you?"

 

"We've been talking with the potters and other artisans. We might be adding on, we're still talking. "

 

"It won't be for another fifteen years or so so you'll have plenty of time to make plans. Katrina?"

 

"Possibly adding onto the greenhouses, growing building, and hydroponics. They haven't been updated for years." Principal Madison nods. "Going through the school buildings, including the administration building. Painting if nothing else. Possibly new carpeting." Principal Madison sighs and nods. In the back room the others snigger.

 

"Desk chairs?"

 

"Thousands in stasis on the ships plus more in the replicator. Yes, I know I need a new one." David sniggers and nods. "I just got this one broke in comfortable."

 

"Like Pat said so many years ago about your shoes, it's not broke in its worn out." Abby says dryly.

 

"I'll fix it, just like I fix the recliner." Josette waves a hand, doing just that back at the dorm.

 

"That thing has got to be over a hundred years old."

 

"And still as comfortable as it was the day I got it. Even after being reupholstered about ten times."

 

After dinner Josette heads back upstairs, laying out the fabric for the strips around the picture and taking pictures to show the others before putting everything aside to work on another project for a few hours.

 

"Are you going to have quilts for next year's kits?" David asks a couple days later.

 

"Yeah, I'm nearly finished with all of them. I've got to start putting the layers together, quilting, and binding them. We've got a good supply of projects ahead so if I don't get them finished by the Harvest Festival, they'll go in the list for the next couple of years."

 

"Is quilting staying steady?"

 

"Yep. We'll have to eventually bring out a factory to make sheets and stuff but not for a while." David nods. "Dad here?"

 

"Walking the dorm with one of my other selves talking about what needs to be done and what I want to add in the future."

 

"I had no idea you did some of that Josette." James shakes his head a couple hours later in her first floor room.

 

"I've been adding over the years." Josette shrugs. "Checking the records it looks like the alternate power source has grown a millionth of a percent over the decades."

 

"Not bad. You usually have the turbine spinning during winter storms so we have uninterrupted power in case of emergencies." Josette nods. "And during harvests when we've got tons of stuff to prepare and have something on every burner in the kitchens."

 

Nods from the others.

 

"Have you figured out how to plant the winter crops in zero-gee?"

 

"Yeah, I'm talking to Professor Druid and our advisor in a couple of months."

 

"Second offworld harvest?"

 

"Looks like a few more years."

 

The next few weeks pass and soon the crops start coming in. Josette heads to the sorting planet to bring in an order of canning jars that's delivered to various places and the new crops start going in. The yearly crops start coming in and Josette heads off to the first planet, sending pictures to the botanist and Professor Druid of the new trees and measurements of how much they've grown.

 

"Josette, what are you looking at?" Doc asks at the government meeting.

 

"A non-electric way of pressing the oil, a grinding wheel to turn the olives into paste, then putting them in what looks like woven flat baskets that stack together with somebody pressing a weight on top to press out the oil."

 

"And why were we looking into it?" Principal Madison asks.

 

"One, we got everything for this sort of setup in limbo and I could use something like this one the first planet when the trees start producing. It's 'artesianal' or whatever fancy ass title they wanted to give it on Earth." The others snigger. "When we were in the other Earth I saw a setup like this at a farm where they were picking and pressing olive oil for customers on demand."

 

"Josette, with so many vanished in the other dimension, were there many cities?"

 

"No, there was only one or two major cities for each state in the US, the rest were small towns, farmland, or open area. Many of the people who lived in the cities used the trains to go to nearby open areas on weekends."

 

"Were there replicators?"

 

"Yes, both food, clothing, and other stuff. My school uniforms were replicated, as were my school books since they were special orders. They had food queues where you could line up and get meals with nearby seating areas but they also had restaurants."

 

"Fast food versus sit down restaurants."

 

"Exactly. It was damn convenient being able to go shopping without having to go outside, especially during a bad winter but Christ that would be claustrophobic after a while."

 

"Road traffic?"

 

"Mostly foot traffic, most of the major traveling was done by maglev or smaller local trains. Germany and Japan faced heavy sanctions after WWII, communism got its ass kicked during the Cold War when they nearly destroyed the world."

 

"Small rural villages?"

 

"Yep, no importing of goods and very limited exporting. No morons going to tour communist places since they opened them up to make more money." Principal Madison rolls his eyes.

 

"They'd lost so many people and they still caused trouble."

 

"Well yeah, you know assholes like that. If they can strike while they think people are weak. . ."

 

"Then they whine when they get their asses handed to them."

 

"Exactly. The leaders were sentenced to death in the world court and the countries were put under even more extreme sanctions, including doming them. That leaves the infrastructure so any innocents wouldn't be harmed too badly by their government's psychotic shit. It took Germany, Japan, and Italy decades to recover from far tougher sanctions than they had in our universe."

 

"What's the growth rate?"

 

"Slow, very slow. Maybe one birth for every five deaths. They had already lost so many people to the wars, even more than we did especially when the world courts went in and took out so many remaining Nazi party members and sympathizers with extreme prejudice. Japan and Italy faced similar harsh punishments, they wanted to make sure that both those who were behind the war atrocities were punished and the countries would never be able to raise another army. Even to this day, those people born after the war hate their countrymen who were involved in it. No ceremonies or shrines to the 'honorable' war dead in Japan anymore. The world population is somewhere around 225 million. They were stunned that the other Earth was nearly eight billion in less than a century."

 

"The crops?"

 

"Coming in well, the olive oil and wine will be coming in next. I gotta talk to Vincent if there'd be a demand for cane syrup vinegar and if so how I'd ferment it short of leaving it to sit for a few years like I did the rice wine." The others nod.

 

"Cream cheese?"

 

"Tons in stasis, right now the extra cream is going to making butter." Nods from the others.

 

"Candy factory?"

 

"The poll for the next type they make is ending in a couple of days and they should be starting in a couple of weeks. I'm starting a batch of skittles this time." They nod.

 

Josette slides onto a stool at Vincent's a couple days later, looking at him. "Cane syrup vinegar?"

 

"Oohhhh," he moans.

 

"I take it you might be interested if I can figure out a way to quick way to ferment it beyond putting it in a cask for a few years?"

 

"Yes. What brought this on?"

 

"I got asked about it a while ago. There's so much we lost when we lost the other worlds." Vincent nods. "But we're slowly bringing them back."

 

"People cooked what they were comfortable with and didn't experiment."

 

"Did you talk to the botanist?"

 

"Yeah, I just got back from GD." Josette yawns, rubbing a hand over her head. "With the regular winter crops going zero-gee this year, we're going to be growing a whole new variety of plants."

 

Vincent chuckles. "More reports."

 

"Yeah." Josette sighs. Dr. Stark comes in and he's handed a cup of coffee with a little kick in it. "Thank you Vincent, I needed this."

 

"Problems at GD?" Josette asks as Vincent goes into the back room to look up information for Josette's latest project.

 

"Those I can handle, it's the whining of that stupid woman that drives me insane. She was refusing to come out of her room or talk to anybody, pretending that she was having a breakdown so she shouldn't be forced to work. Everybody agrees she's not mentally ill, she's just too stupid to live. So she's getting more time added to her sentence. Her useless son is just as bad, he'll never be leaving that prison world. He threatened suicide again, we're monitoring him but nobody got on the computer to stop him. He made this big melodramatic announcement and walked outside to die, he came back a few hours later cold, hungry, and tired. His big 'I'm going to walk out into the sunset to my death, you'll be sorry!' melodramatic attempt didn't even last four hours."

 

Josette rolls his eyes and calls him something scathing. Dr. Stark nods. "The courts agreed that he's never coming out of prison, the judgment you were awarded was transferred to his mother since she's the only one with a job. Normally parents aren't responsible for their children's actions but this was both willful misconduct and everybody agrees that her 'ohhh, you're too good for their rules, you should be able to do what you want' attitude was part of the problem."

 

"Has that fool woman ever asked about her daughter Dr. Stark?" Vincent asks as he comes back out, sending files to Josette's PADD and putting plates of food in front of them.

 

"No, she'd have to both admit she had a child that wasn't as stupid as her useless son and it would take the attention away from her." He sneers.

 

"And she couldn't have that." Josette drawls sarcastically. "The only good thing that stupid woman ever did was have her daughter."

 

"Amen."

 

Josette looks at the file while she eats. "I'm growing next year, I'll keep some back for tests of both." She says finally, putting the PADD on her belt. Dr. Stark looks at her. "Cane syrup vinegar."

 

"I didn't know you could do that." Dr. Stark says finally.

 

"Anything that's sweet will turn into vinegar eventually." Vincent says. "The problem is how long it takes."

 

"I'm growing sugar cane next year and I'll plant extra to experiment with." Dr. Stark looks at her. "Experimenting with different types of sugar, including turbinado."

 

"Ohhh." Vincent moans. Dr. Stark looks at him. "Also called sugar in the raw, not as refined as the rest of the sugar."

 

"That's one of the reasons we're growing next year, we've got tons of sugars and molasses in stasis. We're experimenting with the specialty sugars now that we can, introducing things that we lost when we lost earth."

 

Josette comes back a couple weeks later to deliver wine from Alessandro and her wineries, putting it in the racks.

 

"How are the new trees coming on the first planet?"

 

"Good, it will still be a few years before they're ready to harvest. I'm looking into a second pressing operation for the oil for that planet, basically a large stone wheel turning on a second one to make the olives into paste, then putting the paste in baskets under a pressing station for the oil."

 

"Limited runs?"

 

"Yeah, under a different name maybe. All depends on how much work that turns out to be."

 

Vincent snorts. "You thrive on work." Josette grins. "Yeah, I do. Won't be for a few years though before we have enough olives to harvest. I'm already ordering new barrels for them to be stored in."

 

"Beer?"

 

"I'm planning on another run next year. Possible vodka and bourbon after that."

 

"I was going to say that we were going to be running low in a few years."

 

"I've got a notice on the server that lets me know when certain items reach a certain pre-set limit, when they fall beyond a second limit I get another reminder. I've got a another reminder if they hit another mark, each one depends on how often that item is used and if it needs to sit after it's made before it can be used." Vincent nods. "Since everything's scanned at the store, you know if you're running low on something and the other places can handle their own inventories."

 

Josette nods, hugging him then stopping at the toilet paper factory on the way back, picking up the Charmin brand tp along with napkins and paper towels. She delivers to various places, getting payments before coming back to Haven and making more deliveries to the store and pizza parlors, getting payments before she comes back to the dorm.

 

"Get everything delivered?" David asks at dinner?"

 

"Yep, the wines for Vincent and picked up the TP, napkins, and paper towels. Everything's paid for and delivered." Josette covers her mouth, stretching and yawning before she starts typing on her PADD. "I also delivered supplies to the second planet for the lab Clark and Thomas want to set up." She gets a thank you before putting her PADD away.

 

"Dad's coming out tomorrow to go over the last details about what you want added to the dorm and start talking to the teachers about what they want for the school. This is just a list of 'I wants' since most of the work won't be done until the school shuts down again unless it's something major that needs to be done sooner."

 

The others nod.

 

"Fourteen years, a semester, and a few weeks." Josette says, the others nod.

 

"And in nearly five years we're only going to have ten kids left at home." Abby shoves him out of his chair. In the front room Principal Madison laughs.

 

"David teasing the others about more children?" President Bartlett says after swallowing a bite of food.

 

"Reminding the others in five years they'd only have ten kids left at home."

 

"In five years they'll be 95 years old except for Josette and Alan." Professor Druid snorts. "Their next batch would be juniors and the babies in third grade. I think they can wait a few more years."

 

"Exactly." Josette says. /Let's make sure the kids have jobs when they graduate, the job market is going to be glutted for a few more years. Even with integrating stuff from the other dimension and people retiring./

 

/I think Professor Druid is trying to lead some of them into settling on their own farms like we'd planned at the beginning./ Alan says. /Because yeah, GD, Stark International, and Wayne isn't going to be able to handle all the graduating students. And there's only so many jobs opening up when people retire./

 

/Sorting planet?/

 

/They're only in their late forties to early 50s, they'll be working for years yet. We don't need to bring out more factories. Or another mall./ Nods from the others. /They can make money helping with the offworld harvests or canning, drying, and preserving them./ Nods from the others.

 

"They can also work at the u-pick farms." Michael says aloud since Principal Madison is giving them a look.

 

"True, some of the commercial crops could be harvested by hand instead of machine for more jobs. It's be part-time but a few harvests a year could help out."

 

"Talking about future jobs for the graduates it looks like. Right now they're talking about harvesting some of the commercial crops by hand instead as a way of making extra money."

 

"That would help." Professor Druid says. "Maybe something like potatoes when we're introducing new varieties." She makes a note on her PADD, Principal Madison doing the same to bring up at a meeting. "Because as she's probably said, there's only so many jobs opening up. Unless we want to bring out more factories?"

 

"Not really, we're trying to get away from the commercialism of Earth. That's why we took so long to bring out a mall. And why the stores usually only have one person working there at a time."

 

"And nobody hopping up and chirping 'can I help you?' the second you walk in the building." Josette says, rolling her eyes. "One of the reasons I would never have been able to work retail. That and the stupid chits who spray you with perfume in the higher end stores the minute you come near them even though they're not supposed to because of possible allergies. They said they were going to stop that shit."

 

"They can say anything." Susan says, rolling her eyes. "Doesn't make it the truth. It was going to take somebody dying of an allergic reaction to get them to stop and they'd have pouted the entire time then."

 

"Thank god that's something we don't have to worry about, that shit and makeup. Unless somebody replicates some to make themself feel better."

 

"Anti-aging creams. Botox. Plastic surgery." The others shudder. "Hell and no."

 

"Josette, are you finished with everything until the crops come in?"

 

"No, we have two offworld harvests before then. When we're done with them, the crops should start coming in."

 

"Classes?"

 

"On track, I'll finish two over the break and the Ph.D next semester. I'll work on the other degrees I'm close to finishing next year. Might not get them all but I'll get at least three of them, including the one on the school computer, the others I'll get the following year when I finish the other degree there."

 

"What degrees are you starting?"

 

"Looking into a Masters on Alternative medicine or chemistry. All depends on whether the degree I took from Johns Hopkins qualifies. If not I'll pick up something else." Josette shrugs. "I'll sign up for it in a couple years."

 

"Somebody's going to be finishing a degree this year too." Alan smirks, looking at David. "Finally as your godmother would say."

 

"Yeah," Josette smirks. "Only took him eight years."

 

"Well look how long it took him to start his Ph.D." Susan snorts.

 

Professor Druid looks at her husband in the front room when he chuckles. "Now they're tormenting David about taking eight years to finish his bachelors on westerns and how long it took him to start his doctorate."

 

"How is he in his Masters?"

 

"A year and three classes for each the end of the year, the boys two years in their degrees, and the girls two classes from being three semesters in for theirs. Papers?"

 

"Principal Madison wants to know about your papers." Josette says, looking at the other girls.

 

"Starting them next year." Abby says. Anna and Susan nod. "David?"

 

"Working on mine, doing two papers for such different degrees is hard."

 

Josette gives him the world's smallest violin and the others laugh.

 

"The girls are starting their papers next year and David was complaining that doing papers for two different degrees is hard." Principal Madison snickers.

 

"Did he sign up for another degree?"

 

"Yes, another comic book bachelors." Professor Druid looks up at the ceiling as she shakes her head. On the screen Josette laughs.

 

The next couple of weeks pass quickly, Josette canning, drying, or otherwise preserving the u-pick crops that hadn't been picked, putting some in stasis to sell at the harvest festival, then bringing in the next offworld harvest. The second one is in and taken care of as the crops start coming in, Josette being walked into the party after the crops are in. She hugs Jack Harkness who waves a hand at a table of presents. "For all of you from the others. I'm taping this for the others, plus showing them what Town looks like."

 

Jack arrives back at the rooms a few weeks later for him but only minutes later for the others. "Damn, that takes getting some used to." He holds up a package of disks. "The party is the first one, the school takes up five or six, the converted dorm they live in take up a couple. The Harvest Festival takes up a couple. The planets take up the rest, they're all marked."

 

"How are they?"

 

"It's been a few months since they got called, the second of three yearly harvests is in and Josette had brought in a couple of the offworld harvests while I was there to be canned, dried, or otherwise preserved for Haven and the other planets. Maybe next year you can arrange to be off for the day to attend the party and the Harvest Festival. Everybody but David had signed up for their fall classes on the GD continuing education system, David takes his classes on a different system and gets his books at the end of the semester, not before the semester starts. Josette's on the same system for the majority of her classes, but she also takes classes on the first system. The others says she usually averages 32 to 33 classes now, but she's gone as high as 50 classes a semester."

 

"That's too many, even with her mutation." Professor Xavier shakes his head.

 

"I know, the others keep trying to get her to slow down but she's going full tilt from the moment she gets up until she goes to bed." Jack laughs, the Doctor chuckles and nods. "We brought back some things, some tea they grow, bottles of the wine Josette or the other vintner on the planet makes, and some plants that we have growing on the TARDIS. Including some alien plants that even the Doc hadn't heard about."

 

The morning after her party Josette heads to the warehouse with David to go over the plans for what's coming out first. They look around in satisfaction. "When are you starting to bring stuff out to the dorm?"

 

"Have for a few weeks. It's all being integrated and the robots are checking everything over." David nods as he sees Jack walking around with a camera taking footage for the others. "That's familiar."

 

"Yeah, the Doctor did the same thing. Where is the Doctor?"

 

"Which one, the one who arrived yesterday or ours? They're both talking."

 

"Josette, musical instruments?" Principal Madison asks.

 

"We have a bunch in storage and Edinborough has a good section on making various instruments."

 

"Good, I was hoping that knowledge hadn't been lost."

 

"No, I'm going to be starting the classes in a couple of years. The music teacher has been talking to them because we're going to need that knowledge in the future." Principal Madison nods and walks off. Then stops in his tracks and turns around. "Next offworld harvest?"

 

"In a couple of days."

 

"Your degrees?"

 

"I'll finish the two over the break and my doctorate when the next semester starts." He nods and walks off again to check on the plans for the Harvest Festival. A couple days later Josette heads off with people to harvest, Jack shaking his head at what starts coming out.

 

"There's more still on the ship to be delivered." David says dryly. "Whatever doesn't need to be prepared, just stored in stasis or not."

 

"How long was she gone?"

 

"Six months. That's why everybody who's up for an offworld harvest gets a good bonus for picking from sunup to sundown, moving from one crop to another until everything's in."

 

Jack shakes his head. "Another group will be working on canning, drying, or otherwise preserving everything else over the next week until it's done. If it's one of ours it will be put away until after the last harvest then passed out, the other planets harvests are delivered and we're paid for harvesting and taking care of it. The fourth planet is the closest to Earth with only one growing season. The animal planet, sorting planet, and Archimedes are all home gardens or communal gardens since they don't have the time or manpower to take care of the crops like we do even if Archimedes does have four growing cycles."

 

"I grew up on a farming colony, yeah . . .I know how much work goes into raising crops. Gotta be even rougher when you have more growing cycles."

 

"Yeah, but that means we can grow different things every time, introducing new foods that people might not be familiar with. So many people only ate what they were familiar with, we're slowly changing that by having new dishes at the dining halls in the school and the communal kitchen. And special days that feature an ethnic cuisine. We put reminders and information on the server in the days before it happens so nobody sits down and goes 'ewww, what's that? I'm not eating it'." Jack chuckles and the Doctor laughs.

 

"Josette, are you getting things ready on your ship for the winter crops?" Professor Druid asks when they're back at the dining hall.

 

"Yeah, I gotta check and make sure everything's ready before we plant in a few months."

 

"Ship?"

 

"Thomas, Clark, and CJ's world had less alien interaction than we had, just like your world had more. They had found a couple of alien ships, huge suckers. I have one and Clark has the other, they were used when we were in touch with the other dimension and when they were moving supplies out for their homes here. It's got a good sized botany section including a section that doesn't have gravity. I used it for the work for my botany doctorate. The botanist who's my advisor wanted the chance to see the plants in person rather than video footage so we're using it again to give the dorm's growing areas a year off."

 

"You always plant over the winter?"

 

"Doc, what would you rather have, replicated fruits and veggies, canned or frozen fruit and veggies, or fresh picked ripe off the vine?" Jack chuckles. "We travel enough that we can pick up fresh at the bazaars and markets but. . ." The Doctor nods.

 

The Harvest Festival comes and Jack and the Doctor head off a couple weeks afterward. The new semester starts and Josette dances in her room a couple weeks later. "And another one down, and another one down, and another one bites the dust."

 

"Finished?" David asks from the doorway.

 

"Yes, your bachelors?"

 

"Yep, finished it this morning."

 

"Only took eight years." Josette snorts as they walk down the hall to where the others are waiting. "Just finished my doctorate."

 

"Good, I hope this means you're done for a couple years."

 

"Yeah, no masters or doctorates for a couple of years, I'll look into the alternative medicine masters next year. . .probably. All depends on whether the degree I already took qualifies. If it doesn't, I'll take the beginning degree in a few years." Josette shrugs. She detours to the front table, leaning between Principal Madison and Professor Druid. "I just finished my doctorate not ten minutes ago."

 

"Congratulations Josette." They hug her. The teachers at the front table congratulate her also. Then Professor Druid smirks. "You realize of course this means David's going to try to talk you all into more kids since the babies are starting pre-school next year."

 

"Nope, we agreed to wait a few more years, the girls are not quite three semesters into their Masters and doctorates, they're going to be busy next year starting their papers and David's working on his two. Another four years will have the twins nearly finished with their Ph.Ds and Susan four classes from being three years in for her Masters with David lacking 3 classes for lacking three semesters for both of his." In the back room David nods, obviously repeating the conversation.

 

"Are the girls going to have enough for their dissertations?"

 

"Yes, they planned on expanding on what they wrote for their theses. After these are finished they'll be busy as the majority of the students will be finishing or starting high school." The other teachers nod.

 

"Josette, factories?"

 

"The first one is going in in a few weeks, that will give them the winter to go over everything before they start adding the others."

 

"Sugarcane next year?"

 

"Yes, we're experimenting with different sugars. That and saving the juice for cane syrup vinegar is the only reason we're growing it next year."

 

"Tapping trees?"

 

"Probably not for a few years since we've got maple sugar and maple syrup in stasis."

 

"Candy factory?"

 

"Working on their first batch of bulk candies, in this case skittles. They should be delivering bags of the candies in a few months." Josette heads into the back room.

 

A couple weeks later Josette slides into her seat at the pushed together tables after finishing her first set of tests."

 

"I'd normally say you wouldn't have to come back for the third testing week but. . ." Dr. Stark says.

 

"Not with the first two weeks of the semester finishing my botany Ph.D." Josette nods. "Even with only taking eight classes on this system I won't be finishing until after the second testing week."

 

"200 graduating this year?"

 

"218 with our 14. Small year. None next year, the year after that will be about fifteen, sixteen hundred. That many every year or so after that until it's just our kids in ten years."

 

"Fourteen years plus this semester until your school is closed." Dr. Cross says.

 

Josette nods. "The last four years will be back to somewhat normal for us, following the same class for all four years. And I can't believe that the school's been open eight years already. Or that it's been ten years since the first batch of orphanages started coming up. Nearly four years since the other Earth was lost." She says a quick prayer for the dead and a longer prayer for the death gods who have to deal with all the lost souls. She looks at Dr. Stark. "My alternative medicine degree, will it qualify for the Masters."

 

"It should," he says slowly. "But some schools were so tetchy about things like that. I'll look into it but it will be a while."

 

"Hadn't planned on it for a couple years anyway."

 

"What are you starting next year?"

 

"The dust bowl from the sosh school, I'll take a break from the military school and start a class from the naval academy on famous shipwrecks. We also have the plans for some sailing ships and a ship on Salem that we want to bring out."

 

"History school?"

 

"Two more years. I'm finishing a degree from the comic book school next year." The others nod. "I'm also looking into the degrees on building and repairing instruments from Edinborough."

 

"Music and other entertainment will always be an essential part of life, if you don't have leisure activities, you're little better than a human robot." Josette nods. The others come over when the buzzer sounds.

 

The semester flies by with Josette busy bringing in and delivering the last of the offworld harvests. Theirs is stored until after the lasts harvests are in and Josette and David fly off on Salem one day, a copy of the city coming out on the first planet. They check the new trees before delivering another batch of supplies to the site of Clark's future lab on the second planet.

 

"How many more deliveries?"

 

"I think three more, it shouldn't the three of us more than a week to put it up, even with the shorter days. GD is talking to Doc about experiments, just like they've been doing some of the arctic experiments." David nods. They land on Haven and Josette flies them back to the dorm.

 

"Crops should be coming in soon. It's supposed to be a hard winter."

 

"Yeah, the domes are ready to come up if it gets too cold but we should fingers, toes, and eyes crossed, have everything in before that happens."

 

"Ship planting?"

 

"I'm starting after Thanksgiving." David nods as they head separate directions. Josette checks the supply of blankets in the front storeroom as David checks the robots maintenance logs to make sure everything's ready for the winter. Once she's finished with that Josette checks how the robots are coming along with the new additions to the dorm then absorbs the Josettes who'd been out and about that day before they go to dinner.

 

"Storm?" Alexander asks, looking out the front of the dorm.

 

"Yeah, we'll have rain by night. Thunder and lightning too." Josette sends out that announcement to the server and they grab foul weather gear in case its raining by the time they're finished with dinner, checking the computer to see what windows are open and closing them.

 

"We need to wash windows."

 

"Yeah, we can do that this weekend. Probably be the last time before winter."

 

It's raining by the time they finish dinner and they duck their heads as they walk back to the dorm, hanging up everything to drip before shutting the dorm up for the night.

 

"I hope this isn't going to last long."

 

"Shouldn't, I just hope it doesn't damage the crops. Or suddenly turn cold and we get freezing rain."

 

"Yeah, that would be the cream on the crapsicle sundae. We've got another hay crop to bring in before winter. The animals will need extra feed with a bad winter." Nods from the others. "Will the domes come up for freezing rain?"

 

"Yeah, but by then the damage might already have been done." Josette sighs. "And the crops might be coming in late since they'll be too wet to harvest if we get a lot of rain."

 

"And this is going to be a bad winter."

 

"Yeah."

 

The harvest starts a few days late when the ground dries out and they're busy bringing everything in and canning, drying, or otherwise storing everything over two weeks.

 

 

"How are you on your degrees?" Doc asks at Thanksgiving.

 

"Josette's finished her 13th doctorate, I finished my bachelors on Westerns, the boys are two years into their lit and comic book degrees, and the girls are two classes from being three semesters in for their Ph.Ds and Masters." The others nod. "We're starting our papers next year." Susan says. "Unlike some of us who start the papers before they start the degree." Josette sniggers.

 

"I did the same thing." CJ sighs. "I just got better be prepared than putting it off looks like some people from the Dads." Everybody looks at Bruce who just chuckles. Then they look at David. "I started my papers last summer."

 

"I believe they were thinking about where it took your 30 years to start your doctorate." Principal Madison says calmly, "As Dr. Blake complained about repeatedly." Sniggers from the others.

 

"Josette, last hay?"

 

"Harvesting in a couple of days, we're expecting snow that sticks by next week. But once everything's in, we can head off to the other dimension for a bit."

 

The next day David opens a tesseract to Atlantis for the botanist and Professor Druid with the supplies for planting on the ship. The botanist spends most of the trip staring at the viewscreen, then staring at the ship as they approach it before entering the planet's atmosphere.

 

"Oh wow Josette, I know you said the ship was big but . . ."

 

"There's a difference between knowing and knowing." Josette nods as they land.

 

"Are we close enough to check the trees?"

 

"No, but I can tap the video from the robots to check on them."

 

"Raised beds?"

 

"Next year or the year after, I gotta check the store of peppers when we get home. That would let me plant another variety of heirloom tomatoes. Beyond what I'm going to do on the ship."

 

They go up to the ship, the botanist looking around. "How big is the ship?"

 

"Big, the botany section is bigger than the school and it's just a portion of the ship."

 

"Where's Clark's?"

 

"Behind one of the moons."

 

"Did you use them when. . ."

 

"Yeah, the cities were moving stuff to the ships before we started filling them." They say a silent prayer before Josette starts bringing the supplies out of subspace and starting to work.

 

"We'll come out so you can see everything in growth." she promises the botanist when they've finished planting in the various areas.

 

"Peppers?"

 

"I grow hot peppers on the planet, with the constant temperatures the heat is more concentrated than they are on the other planets. I also grow tomatoes and herbs that handle the heat well, reservoirs of water dripping into the soil handle the moisture needs."

 

"How often?"

 

"Two crops every other year or so, the constant growing cycle could allow for more but we don't need them." The other two women nod. "I usually try to grow one new pepper every other year or so, plus whatever I'm running low on of the others. I have standing orders with GD, Vincent, and Dr. Kane on the fourth planet for whatever peppers I grow."

 

"I can understand Vincent but GD?"

 

"Alternative medicine."

 

Josette nods. "Dr. Kane uses them in cold remedies."

 

"Yes, one of your hot peppers would certainly clear your sinuses." Professor Druid says when they're back on the planet. It's getting dark and they head back to Atlantis, Josette showing off video from the robots on the trip back.

 

"How long?"

 

"We should be ready to transplant from the greenhouses to the raised bed and hydroponics after the Lights Festival. It'd be longer at the dorm but the ship has those large mirrors and solar collectors to concentrate the light on the growing areas."

 

The botanist and Professor Druid nod. "You can't get the same growing conditions inside, that's why plants grown outside are bigger or produce earlier." David opens the tesseract for them at Josette's call and they come out at the dorm, the botanist looking at where they'd normally be planting this time of year inside then taking the switching station to Archimedes.

 

"We're going to have snow by dinner." Josette says, looking out the front of the dorm as Professor Druid heads off.

 

"Yes, the others are checking on supplies for the livestock in case it turns into a storm." David says as they shut the pocket doors. Josette closes her eyes and concentrates a second. "No, not this time, just cold and dumping buckets of snow on us. Nothing that will keep us from leaving for an hour tomorrow morning."

 

They return the next morning before lunch, slumping into seats.

 

"Is there anything that we need to take care of?"

 

"No, Graduation's done and we did laundry a couple days ago. Everything can stay on Hanover until we get ready to start bringing it out."

 

"Then I'm napping for an hour or so before lunch." the others nod and head to their rooms until lunch.

 

"It was weird not to see Las Vegas as built up as it was." Susan says at lunch.

 

"The mob started the town, with so many losses after the war then the idiot communists nearly destroying the world the city didn't grow as big as it had in our world or Clark's." Josette nods and looks down at her PADD when it beeps. David looks at her after she types in a response. "Meeting on the vampire planet tomorrow morning about what we've been integrating."

 

"You or me?"

 

"Me. You've got a meeting with Dad and Principal Madison to go over the first factory now that it's done, what we're adding next, and going over a preliminary list of what the teachers want done in fifteen years when we're shut down."

 

"We might even have another batch or two of kids by then." David says. This time Alan shoves him out of his chair. "Let the students graduate and get settled into some kind of job first. We want holders, not the beggars in the Igen caves to quote another Pernism."

 

"Are we going to be growing enough when the first batch of students move out of the dorms next year?"

 

"Yeah, the commercial farm has been making plans. They're going to be expanding next year and the year after that when the students are in their new apartments. That should be enough for them and the next batch that graduated."

 

The others nod. "I've got to take up wheat for flour to the manufacturing satellite in a couple of weeks, we're going to be running low on pasta in a few months."

 

"Are we introducing new types of pasta?"

 

"Yeah, every other batch or so to replace one that isn't selling as quickly. With the ethnic recipes being introduced, we're getting interest in more varieties."

 

The Lights Festival comes a few weeks later, Josette coming back from picking up books and supplies for the classes she and David had taken last semester then taking the botanist and Professor Druid on another trip to the first planet, this time stopping at the planetary growing areas first to let them explore before going up to the ship. They work on transferring the plants, looking in satisfaction at the three growing areas when they're done.

 

"A little more work than just going upstairs but once they're planted. . ." the others nod. "And it gives me an excuse to soak up a few hours of sun."

 

"Excellent excuse with how cold and snowy this winter is turning out." Professor Druid says. They soak up warmth and sun for a few minutes on the walk back to Brigadoon, shaking their heads at the difference between the two worlds when they they arrive back on Haven.

 

"How many classes are you taking in a couple weeks?" Professor Druid asks when they're back on Haven.

 

"Only 26, this year I want to finish at least three or four more degrees. I'm starting a degree from the naval academy about WWII ship losses, I'm starting a degree on the dust bowl from the sosh school and I've got a degree from MIT on electrical engineering and a degree from Johns Hopkins on chemistry on the list but I don't plan on getting in classes from them yet."

 

"There's no need right now."

 

"Exactly. There's no need for the dust bowl or naval academy degrees either but those who forget history are doomed to repeat it. The historians are gaga over the books that I got from the other dimension."

 

"I heard rumors that the boys were practicing their art over there?"

 

"Yeah, there was a gallery in the building that handled their stuff." Josette says. "It was linked to other galleries and stores by the internet so they were getting orders for their stuff from all over the world."

 

"Awww."

 

"Yeah, Jack took pictures of some of my stuff and I got 'encouraged' to work on pottery and glass stuff while I was there." Professor Druid sniggers. "Yeah, I know. World's smallest violin, Sucks to be me, all that shit."

 

"Exactly." Katrina pats her on the shoulder and heads off. "And quit worrying about the job situation, everything will work out. We've hit rough patches before. Some of the students who plan on farming will be helping out with enlarging the commercial crops as they finish their university classes. We're going to be bringing out the power production building from by the road, people will have jobs charging batteries. If we plant on the other planets, we can have an enclosed farm market with whatever fresh fruit and vegetables are coming in for delivery. . ."

 

"Adding a second shift to the laundry or even bringing out another copy." Susan says coming out of her room. "When the students start doing theirs in town." Josette starts making notes on her PADD for the next government meeting.

 

"An extra shift or two at the power production facilities for the offworld batteries." Alexander calls down the hall. "Right now they're dropping them off when they do their laundry, other shopping, or charge them themselves by pedal power."

 

"We'll need more people doing that." Josette says, nodding.

 

"See, plenty new jobs. Add in harvesting and it will be fine until the factory jobs open."

 

"Barber shop?"

 

"Do we have anybody to run it? And cut hair?"

 

"Pat has people at the spa that handle men's hair, I'm sure Albatross, Smallville, or Cabot Cove have people too."

 

"And some of the students can move there. Smallville and Cabot Cove will both need new blood." Anna says, coming down the hall and dropping her laundry down the chute before walking out front to get another set of sheets. "New factory building?"

 

"We have the first one in and we'll bring out the second one come spring. We won't need them for a while but we'll have them ready when we do." Nods from the others.

 

"Josette, do we have the patterns and fabric for thermal underwear? The supplies are running low."

 

"Yeah, we're going to be making them starting tomorrow. Easy enough to wear them under your clothes for an extra layer of warmth, that's why they wore flannels under their dresses in Little House."

 

The couple days passes quickly, Josette bringing up the others ideas for new jobs at the government meeting the day the new school year starts and adding a few more to the list as the others throw out ideas.

 

"So the power production facility by the road and a second laundry this summer?" President Bartlett asks. The others nod. "They'd both be ready for operation when the students finish university classes this year and next."

 

"Commercial growing on the other planets will be nice, that will mean having offseason fruits and veggies coming in."

 

"And we can introduce more new produce." Nods from the others. "Have an area set aside just for that, that way if we don't get that big of an interest we don't add it to the regular crop cycle."

 

"Something different every time will keep the ground from losing nutrients and we can let the area lay fallow once a year or so." The others nod.

 

"Now factories?"

 

"The zipper factory is up, the button making factory is coming up in a couple of months. I've got to go through all the machines in the one at the dorm and we had to add a storage area for the extra forms to make different kinds as well as the regular supplies." The others nod. "I'll have to look through the others as we add them to see if the others need extra storage. We knew the button making operation would since there's so many different types of buttons."

 

"Toothpaste?"

 

"We should be making a new batch year after next." Josette looks at the remaining stock on the server. "Yeah, we have enough for eighteen months left in this batch. By the time this new batch is ready we should be running low." Nods from the others. "Josette, pasta?"

 

"Yes, I figured we'd be running low there too. That's why I took bags of wheat to the manufacturing satellite. They're going to be starting a new variety this time."

 

"Excellent. Your hot peppers?"

 

"Next year, we still have plenty in stasis and dried." The others nod.

 

"At least one new pepper variety?"

 

"Yep, and an heirloom tomato."

 

"Cotton?"

 

"Next year possibly offworld. We've still got a good supply. I'm growing oats instead."

 

"How many batteries do the apartments have?"

 

"Two, one in use or charging and a second for it to switch to automatically. They can buy racks for up to five extra batteries when they buy the apartments or later. We have five racks of ten batteries each at the dorm, plus triple that number of extras."

 

"I'm bringing out the power production building by the road to the dorm this summer to charge the extras instead of popping them in the racks to charge before a storm." Josette says. "I know you're talking about adding a facility to headquarters and Clark plans on doing something similar."

 

Doc nods. Josette sighs and starts typing on the PADD after looking out the window.

 

"Another storm?"

 

"Yep, should be coming in by tomorrow morning, figure on being socked in for another week or so before the storm passes and we can start digging out."

 

/No, make it four weeks just in case, we'd just barely dug out from the one after Thanksgiving in time for the Lights Festival./ Josette passes that information along in e-mails and out loud for the others as the boys head off to get the animals in the barns and start bringing in food. The automatic feeders and barn cleaners can take care of everything if they can't make it out.

 

"This will give everybody today to get in supplies."

 

"Thankfully we have a few hours advance warning. And this early in the winter it won't delay the spring planting." The others nod. "All non-essential businesses shut down and the rest on emergency status."

 

Nods from the others. "We knew that it would be a rough winter so the candle-making building has been doubling batches to have some to hold back. They're going to be out or nearly out by this spring though. Even with making batches over the winter."

 

"Not the first time people just decided to lay in bed and stay warm instead of lighting a candle." David says. The others nod. "The kids will be life as usual at the school until it passes, then everybody will be outside playing in the snow once they're out of classes." Nods and smiles from Principal Madison and Professor Bartlett.

 

"Do we need to break early?"

 

"No, the boys are taking care of everything at the ranch and the others have everything well in hand everywhere else." Doc nods.

 

"Okay then, next order of business. When will we need another apartment complex?"

 

"Not for a few years. . .and then it might not be coming up here on Haven." Nods from the others. "Depends on how many of the graduating students head off to the other planets." Nods from the others.

 

"Second batch of Amish children?" Doc asks.

 

"In a couple of years. Next year they'll be attending the intro classes at the education center about the two Earths and be introduced to the others that will be graduating with them." Principal Madison says.

 

Back at the dorm after a late lunch Josette looks at the racks of batteries.

 

"When are you setting the turbine running?"

 

"After dinner, that will give a solid week of electricity before the generator comes on. We might be on the generator for a few days but. . ."

 

"Can't be helped, this has been a bad winter and we've got nearly four months yet to go." Alan says. "Productive meeting?"

 

"Yeah, we've got the power production facility by the road and another laundry coming out this summer, by the time they're ready to start operating the students graduating university this year will be out of the dorms and ready to work. I'm adding the power production facility to the dorm too so we can charge extra batteries that way during storms. The button factory is coming out this year, we've got to have a couple storage areas, one for the extra machinery to change out the buttons for different types and one for supplies."

 

"Candy?"

 

"Picking up the next batch when I pick up the flour for the pasta factory."

 

"Toothpaste?" Susan asks. She'd come home when the government building/law office had shut down early for the storm.

 

"Starting a new batch next year, by the time it's finished the other batch should be running out."

 

It's dark and nasty out when they get up the next morning, taking the tunnels to the dining hall for breakfast. Josette opens doors a few times the next couple weeks, blinking awake one day to see a clear sky outside the window.

 

"Is it over?" Anna asks at breakfast.

 

"Yeah, I've got a half-dozen duplicates cleaning the school, town's, and the others solar panels. Everything should be dug out by the end of the week with everything opening back up by next week." David nods.

 

"Are you finishing a degree this semester?"

 

"Yeah, and I'll get a second in over the break. I might get in another class this semester depending on how soon I finish these ones and how busy I am with the winter crops being on the first planet. I'll either start a new degree or get in a semester for one of the two that I'm a full year in from. Next year I'll have everything I'm close to finishing finished."

 

"Is GD offering a graduation ceremony for the students?" Anna asks.

 

"Yeah, year after next so the two years that graduated back to back can do it together. Then one every few years as the students finish their degrees until everybody's walked." David says.

 

"That's nice of them. Us?"

 

"A separate one in a few years, one of the years the kids aren't doing theirs." Josette says. "Dr. Stark wanted to talk to us about it when he comes out in a few weeks. They'll start replicating caps, gowns, and honors collars after third semester."

 

Everybody at the front table nods when Principal Madison repeats what they're saying. "Here?"

 

"Yes, that's something else Dr. Stark wanted to talk to you about. Ours is going to be at GD in the auditorium as usual. Josette might even have one of her degrees from the naval academy finished and have something else to quick change into on the stage."

 

Josette calls him something rude and the others laugh. The others look at Principal Madison in the front room. "Theirs is at GD as usual and David just tormented Josette by saying she might have a degree finished from her new school so she has another quick change on stage." Professor Druid snickers.

 

"You might have another bachelors or even your masters finished." Josette snorts. "It'll take another thirty years before you get in a doctorate though."

 

"Probably." David sniggers. "I don't know about anybody else, but I gotta open a window or crack the doors open a few minutes when we get home."

 

"Yes, the dorms got that 'lived in' smell going." Josette says. "I'll crack the doors before I take care of the doggy doo-doo area."

 

"I'll check the batteries and generator. How long were we on it?"

 

"About a week. This storm stayed a while." The others nod. "I gotta head to the first planet tomorrow to check the crops. Next week is our first testing week already."

 

"Yeah, it doesn't seem like it with the storm coming in so soon after the school year started. We've been busy with our classes instead of moaning about the weather."

 

After breakfast Josette absorbs her other selves that had been outside, cracking doors open as she heads upstairs and cleans out the puppy poop area, dropping the bag in the replicator's recycling unit and washing her hands after shutting the doors.

 

"Everybody getting dug out?" Abby asks at lunch.

 

"Yeah, it's going to be a while, that's why I suggested everybody make sure the animals had enough food and water for four weeks in the automatic feeders. It will be a few days before everybody can get out to the barns."

 

"Yeah, Michael and Alexander figure they'll only be able to blow an hour or so at a time, it's wet heavy snow. Even the heavy duty machines maintenance uses it will take a while. And shoveling by hand will take even longer. Crews of people in town are clearing the main streets right now so the stores can open next week."

 

Josette nods, then sighs. "Damn it, keep the evil imp in your own head whoever gave it to me."

 

"What?" Susan smirks, this should be good.

 

"The little towns where people say they rolled the sidewalks up at six? I just saw that happening in town. The old board sidewalks being rolled up and put at one side of the town, the other going the other direction."

 

"No, we keep things open later and everything's open Sundays." Susan snorts. "Not even Albatross, Killingmesoftly, or Kickinthepants was that small. Though I'm sure Mom and Ma could tell us stories about when that didn't happen."

 

"Or Agatha."

 

The stores are open the next week and people begin stocking back up on what they'd run out of during the storm. After their tests Josette heads into town, stopping at the bakery for some doughnuts and then walking to Agatha's store, finding it filled with the gang from Albatross sitting and talking. Josette grins and pours herself a cup of coffee.

 

"Did you get dug out?"

 

"Finally, we left the doors open so the animals could get some air since their pastures are full of snow."

 

"So are the ones in Albatross." Marilyn says. "What brings you out besides like the rest of us and you just needed some fresh air? Or to get away from family before you throttled them?" The others snigger.

 

"Exactly. This is going to sound strange, but does anybody remember the old saying rolling up the sidewalks at six?"

 

"Oh yes, a one horse town where they rolled up the sidewalks at six." Agatha chuckles. "I remember when it was really like that though, stores closed at five and nothing was open Sundays. Back then it was like it is now and life was simpler, but we do stay open later than five."

 

"Josette, this is probably a stupid question, but do we have any reclaimed wood?"

 

"Tons, from old barns and other buildings. It's all on the ships to be remade into other things. We have pictures of the old buildings too."

 

"That's nice."

 

"I thought the woodworkers would want it for decorative stuff. You can't get the new stuff to look like it, a coat of clear to protect it."

 

"Exactly, just like nothing beats an old kitchen table that's seen generations of use."

 

They talk a couple years about things, the others asking Josette a few questions and nodding as they hear about the second laundry and new power production facility coming in this summer. The tentative plans for offworld growing areas and an enclosed farm market where fresh fruit and veggies are available probably year-round is met with excitement.

 

"The growing areas help during the winter but..."

 

"There's a difference between something grown outside in the sun and something grown inside under lights. I know, Professor Druid, the botanist from GD who's our advisor for our degrees, and I were talking about that after we were planting after Thanksgiving. And growing on other planets we can introduce new foods. If demand is good we can grow more if it tanks we take it off the list of stuff to grow for a while."

 

"Chickpeas."

 

Josette nods. "I grew them commercially once but the demand wasn't that great. I might grow them offplanet with the corn, but more likely I'll grow them for myself when I grow blue corn for tortillas."

 

"Are you tapping trees this year?"

 

"No, not until next year since we have it in stasis. I am growing sugarcane this year, but that's because we're going to be experimenting with different types of sugar than we normally make. Including Turbinado sugar. And cane syrup vinegar."

 

"Josette, the factories?"

 

"The zipper factory is out and ready to run when needed. The button factory is going in in afew months, it needs more work in two storage areas. One for the other presses for other types of buttons and the second for general supplies." Nods from the others. "After that will be elastic or shoelaces with factories going in every year or so."

 

"The factories on the sorting planet that shut down."

 

"We're checking the store of underwear and bras, hoping to open that back up again in a couple years. We're looking into adding combs and brushes to the plastics factory if they have the molds. Like toothbrushes, they'd need the machine to insert the bristles, but they might be able to make the bristles there. If not we'll look into making them at the toothbrush factory, they can insert the bristles there too."

 

"If they can't?"

 

"Replicators, there's no use bringing out a factory for just one item." The others nod. "Josette, any chance of a chicken restaurant? That's not KFC?"

 

"I'll bring it up at a meeting, we'll probably put a poll up on the server. And look into recipes beyond what's on the food replicators." Everybody makes faces.

 

"Yeah, I agree but we can add recipes to the replicator, and look into other cooking styles."

 

"Jerk chicken."

 

Josette nods. "Unless we had specialty nights I can't see the demand for a non fast-food chicken place. Pizza is nearly a fast food, the crust and sauce are basic, it's just a matter of different toppings. Very rarely do you have a different crust or different sauce." The others nod. "And those only take a few minutes to prepare unless you're throwing the pizza crust, some chicken preparations can take a while."

 

"Any chance of a sub place or the pizza places adding grinders? Beyond the one at the mall. Because there's a difference between fast food and good grinders."

 

"Possible. The fast food places made their own bread though."

 

"Point. Maybe when you have to add another pizza place it can be one of the chains."

 

Josette grabs her PADD. "They had a list of what they wanted in the way of restaurants when they asked for this new one a couple years ago. . ." She looks at the information and then the others, nodding. "Yep, the chain has grinders, they said they selected it for that reason."

 

"Good. We want it."

 

"Talk to Dad Sanders about bringing Albatross out a copy." Josette sends out an e-mail to him then talking to David for a minute. "David says to figure out where you want it and they'll come out to talk to you. And you can ask him about other improvements you want to make to Albatross."

 

"Thank you, we don't want the factories but another power production building and a second food growing building would be nice. It's not that hard to commute if we want to pick up extra shifts at the shops or factories. Oh Josette, thermal underwear?"

 

"We're working on it right now. Candy is coming out in a couple of months when I pick up the flour from the manufacturing satellite for the pasta and we're starting a new batch of toothpaste next year, the poll should be up on the server by the Harvest Festival. And. . ." Josette looks at them. "I don't know why you guys don't have a commercial farm or two in Albatross."

 

"We've been talking about it." Marilyn says slowly. The others nod. "We can sell shares to everybody in town and sell the leftovers or sell to the government like you do."

 

"Hell, you even do both if you wanted." Josette says, then looks at the clock. "Thanks for the coffee and talk ladies."

 

"How are you on your classes?"

 

"Good, I'm looking at finishing four or five degrees this year and the rest I'm close to finishing next year. I'm signed up for more degrees, including one of the dust bowl from my sosh school and a degree on shipwrecks during world war 2 from the naval academy."

 

"The Lusitania?"

 

"Yep, they'll touch briefly on it in that degree then expand further on the topics from this degree in others. This is just an intro history class."

 

"Another cap, gown, and collar for the quick change." Agatha chuckles.

 

"That's what David said." Josette rolls her eyes. The others snigger.

 

"Josette, how much longer is the school going to be open?"

 

"Fourteen years including this one. That will get the Amish kids, the kids from the sorting and animal planets, and our hellions through high school. Any kids after that will either take their classes on the computer or be home schooled."

 

"There's not many births except for your kids but we don't need them."

 

Josette nods.

 

"Josette, sweetened condensed milk?"

 

"We don't produce enough milk for that or dry milk but we have tons of both in stasis and can use the replicators when they run out. Same with the cream cheese, hopefully in the future we'll be able to make them but for now use what we have or replicate it." The others nod.

 

"Are you going on for degrees from Assyrian and Edinborough?"

 

"Yep, they have cooking degrees from Assyrian I wanna take and musical instrument classes at Edinborough."

 

The next morning Josette heads to the first planet after breakfast, checking on first the crops on the planet then the ones on the ship, picking the early stuff and bringing it back to the dorm.

 

"Is this all the early stuff?"

 

"Yeah," They start sorting everything out and putting it various places in the dorm before going to lunch, Josette sending the footage from the cameras to the botanist and Professor Druid.

 

"Next time?" Alan asks in the back room.

 

"A couple of weeks, then everything should start coming in, just like here." Nods from the others. "Hope like hell that all the snow doesn't delay the spring planting toooo much."

 

"All the snow melting will help the water table though. And we won't need it to rain before we plant. All the moisture in the ground will put the plants off to a good start. Even if all the water delays spreading manure and tilling it under."

 

"And the domes will protect everything however late the last harvest is." Josette sighs. "Just more proof that Mother Nature is ultimately in charge no matter what Man thinks. And we've been damn lucky." The others nod.

 

"Are we going to have any more storms?"

 

"Yeah, we're looking at another one in a couple more weeks. And a fourth just before our finals. Did anybody from Albatross get hold of you?"

 

"Yeah, we've been talking. They're figuring out where to put them now."

 

Anna looks at them. "They're putting up a pizza parlor, one of the chains that also does grinders since ours don't. And bringing out the power production building by the road there. And possibly enlarging their growing building. And they're talking about doing some commercial growing, either selling shares around town and then the extra at the farm market, Harvest Festival, or to the government, selling directly to the government, or both."

 

"No use for them to stay the same forever." Abby says. The others nod. "They're also talking to the government about low payment loans for everything. Because I know some of the homes can use some work. And Sanders can use the business." Nods from the others. "We gotta stop and think that it's been over 50 years since we came up to Haven."

 

"It seems like just yesterday we walked out the back door of Josette's room and looked up at two suns in the sky." Michael says.

 

"32 years since we lost Earth." Alexander says quietly. "Time flies."

 

"You young whippersnappers. . .you don't know how good you have it." David says in a crotchety old man voice.

 

"All you need is a rocking chair on the porch, a cane to wave at somebody, and a blanket over your legs Grandpa." Josette snorts. After lunch Josette checks on the new additions to the dorm and orders a couple of pizzas in the pizza parlor before going to her first floor room.

 

"Couple weeks for the next storm?" Alexander asks, leaning against the door.

 

"Yeah, it's not developed enough for the weather satellite to see anything but all the weather seers agree it's coming in a couple of weeks." Josette covers her mouth and yawns. "We'll be digging out from it during our second testing week, I'll be heading offworld to pick up the flour, delivering part of it to the sorting planet for the pasta and picking up the candy order and delivering it to the other planets before coming back home."

 

"How's the candlemakers?"

 

"I'm heading off tomorrow to make a couple of batches with them.

 

"Finals?" David asks, coming up behind Alexander.

 

"Digging out, which will delay everything at least three weeks."

 

"Shit, it'd be snowing again before the last crops come in if we plant three times."

 

"Yep, but not the first time we had Thanksgiving and the Harvest Festival back to back."

 

"No it's not, I'm sure Alessandro will only plant two crops, that way he's not outside in the middle of winter." Josette says. "Dome his land and come in early."

 

"Yeah, his place is out pretty far." David sighs, remembering the map in the government building of settlements.

 

"He's got a kid in the growing chambers so he has a family to carry on the winery."

 

"Good, he's going to be a good parent. Did he buy more land?" Michael asks, joining them at the door.

 

"Yeah, so did Susannah Charles. They're only planting two crops this year too."

 

"Albatross?"

 

"Probably work through the plans for growing this year and start next year. 'Swhat I'd do." The three boys nod and head to their rooms to get back to their classes as Josette eats a couple pieces of pizza. Josette absorbs her duplicates before dinner, walking to the dining hall through the tunnels with the others talking about their classes and the girls and David's plans for working on their theses and dissertations this year.

 

"Do you think we'll have a non fast-food chicken place?"

 

"Yeah, but not for a few years. I see people working on recipes first and putting them in the replicators before opening a restaurant. There's so many different chicken dishes, including ethnic ones." Nods from the others as they fill trays and sit down at the tables.

 

"We need a sub place."

 

"The chain restaurant has grinders. That's one of the reasons Albatross is bringing it out but yeah, we need a good place beyond fast food. The communal kitchen makes good sandwiches, we'll talk to them about splitting off to a separate place."

 

Principal Madison nods on the screen, talking quietly with President Bartlett who also nods as David and Josette makes plans about what they'd need. They send the plans to the communal kitchen the next day who change a few things and say what they'd need before sending it back to Josette. Josette then contacts the manager over the bread place, bringing them out to talk to the new manager over the sandwich place, talking about the different types of bread orders they'd want when it opens and the possibility of baking their own bread in the future.

 

Josette nods at Dad Sanders, who comes over with plans. . .one that the new manager falls in love with instantly. They make plans for where it will go and Josette signs off on the plans and everything else, sending copies to the server.

 

"Be the middle of the year before we start building."

 

Josette nods. "Be that long before the ground is dry enough. Standard format?"

 

"Yes, a small area in front with a few seats, a work area behind glass where the sandwiches are made to order as well as storage for the ones they have already made up, coolers in back for fixings, and a larger work area with the idea of baking their own bread in the future. The sub places had a proofing station and bread oven with the glass doors in front, ours will be in the back to give them more room."

 

"Garden?"

 

"Yes, they've been talking about expanding it when the university students leave the dorm this year, a second garden will work just as well." They nod.

 

"Been talking to Albatross?"

 

"Yes, the place they have selected for the new businesses is perfect, they have the low interest loans from the government and they're making plans for commercial farms to help pay them off sooner."

 

Josette nods. "This year's going to be bad for plants, everything's going to be delayed by the storms still coming."

 

"Storms plural?"

 

"Yeah, One in a couple more weeks, we'll be digging out of the last one our finals weeks."

 

"Shit, you should have already planted by then."

 

"Yeah, so everything's going to be delayed by at least three weeks, those who don't have to, like Alessandro will only plant twice. Everybody else will be harvesting the last time with snow on the ground and Thanksgiving and the Lights Festival back to back."

 

"Not the first time that's happened."

 

"No, it won't be the last time either probably. Man might think we're in charge but Mother Nature says gotcha every once in a while to put us in our places." The others nod around her.

 

"If it turns out later than that?"

 

"We won't plant a third time, any later and we'd be in real winter. As it is, we're looking at the Harvest Festival being during the third semester now."

 

Dad Sanders shakes his head. "We don't grow commercially and we know that's going to make things rough."

 

"Can't be helped, we have replicators, indoor growing areas, and offworld harvests for a reason like this." Everybody in earshot nods again. "Be worse if was something like the vampire planet or Earth where they only had one growing season." Dad shudders. "Yes, it was getting bad when we left Earth, worse when it was winter year-round."

 

The next couple of weeks pass and the sound of snow being moved sends most of them off to Archimedes for their second testing week.

 

"Digging out of the storm?"

 

"Yeah, everything will be opening back up again next week. Then we just have that last storm to get through."

 

"Third planting?"

 

"We'll officially decide during the second harvest. Right now we're leaning against not since we don't know how long it will take before we're able to get in our first crops. Too late and it's be full winter when we were trying to harvest." The three men nod. "We just have kitchen gardens and the weather doesn't always cooperate."

 

"This winter has been bad and we had that storm last fall that delayed harvesting by a week or so. The meteorologists figure this is the last of the bad weather as the second sun's orbit settles back down and we quit intersecting. You've had them too."

 

"Yes, and like you told James it's not like the vampire planet or Earth where they only had the one harvest. They went through something similar a few years ago." Josette nods. "We're all going to have years like that but the astronomers swear the second sun won't be shifting orbit again for a few millenia." She looks at Dr. Stark. "How are the whiny things on the eleventh planet?"

 

"Sulking since I told them to grow up." He says smugly. "The test will be finished in another few months. They acted like children, I treated them like little children and told them to stand in a corner for a few hours." Josette sniggers. "They realized they were being stupid when I put a loop of them whining on all the monitors for several days."

 

They talk about the new businesses going in Town and Albatross, the plans for Eureka when the new interns arrive, and plans for the electronics factory until the buzzer sounds to end the morning testing session.

 

"Josette, the offworld plants?"

 

"I'm going tomorrow. Is everybody going to be finished this afternoon?"

 

"Yeah, we should be back tomorrow."

 

Josette absorbs her other selves when she comes back to Haven, checking on the status of the new additions to the dorm before joining the others taking the tunnels to the dining hall for dinner.

 

"How long until the sandwich place opens?" Ma asks, she'd come out to do a little stocking up on supplies they were running low on from the storm.

 

"Probably sometime next year, it won't be started until partway through the second semester with the ground needing to dry out from all the snow." Everybody nods. "Once the building is up, the interior work needs to be done and then supplies brought in. It's not like a fast food place where they already had everything finished."

 

"No, it will be better." Lois says. Everybody nods. "Any news on the chicken place?"

 

"Not for a few years if they have one, the first step would be working on recipes to go in the replicator. Because some of the chicken preparations take a while. . ." the cooks in the kitchen nod vigorously. "And we're looking into ethnic dishes beyond the few recipes most people make." More nods from the cooks. "So unless you had specialty nights. . ."

 

"Yeah, but it's something to think of in the future. Because there's more to chicken than KFC." Nods from everybody in earshot. "Tandoori chicken."

 

"Jerk chicken."

 

"Assyrian has a good culinary section."

 

"Yep, I'm going to be taking classes there and probably Oxford since they have a few good ones too. There's culinary schools on the server from both earths but none that specialized in cooking came up."

 

"No, they wouldn't have had a place here, for the most part the food is wholesome good food that nourishes you for long days of work, not the artsy-fartsy fancy shit you'd find on a plate that cost 20 bucks and you'd finish in two bites."

 

"People eat there to say they've been there, not for the food." Ma snorts. the others nod. "It's the prestige and ambiance."

 

"None of which nobody gives a shit about anymore. That would devastate the spoiled brats in other dimensions. Including the so called adults who should know better."

 

"Living proof people grow old but they never grow up."

 

"Amen."

 

"Offworld?"

 

"Tomorrow, the botanist is coming over and Professor Druid has somebody covering her morning classes to come out to look everything over since I'm growing a larger selection of what I had last time. Good thing I already have my doctorate or she'd be nagging me about another paper." David snickers.

 

"Are you picking up another semester?"

 

"Not this semester, I'm starting three new degrees this year and finishing at least that many. Plus we have all the new construction."

 

"Candy and flour for pasta?"

 

"I'm doing that tomorrow when I go to the first planet."

 

"No use making multiple trips even if it is a chance to get away from the snow." David says. Josette nods. "The less time I'm off the more I have to work on bringing out the second factory and the storage areas, getting that ready to go, finishing my degrees and looking over everybody's shoulders when we start bringing out everything else."

 

"Been a while since we brought out this much stuff at the same time. Or even built." David says.

 

"We're recovering from the loss of Earth and moving forward again." Everybody nods. "The boys are talking about getting in the plans for building sailing ships."

 

"Small ones?"

 

"Those all the way up to the large ones you see in pirate movies."

 

"Don't forget to let NIMR know."

 

"Yep, they said they've already been looking at the plans. We don't have the large wood that they did for the frames so they're looking at plastic instead. It will be a few years. They're adding modern conveniences, including a engine for when there's no wind." Nods from the others.

 

"Are they getting orders in for furniture?" Maria asks.

 

"Yes, we've been delivering it to the apartments as it's finished. They should be getting the last of it this fall, just before the students pack their belongings to move. Those who are moving to apartments here will be heading to the store to get a load of groceries delivered so they just have to unpack their personal belongings. They'll also have food from the communal kitchen or a pizza to eat."

 

"That's nice."

 

"Nobody should have to unpack and cook. Even if most of them only have a couple totes of belongings." The others nod.

 

David looks at his beeping PADD, then sends off another message. "Vampire planet wants to buy one of the apartment complexes. Then hire Sanders to make it ready for occupancy. I'll head tomorrow morning with Dad to talk to the council and make arrangements." Josette nods. "Furniture?"

 

"They're not sure whether they want them furnished or not. Something else to talk about. If they do, Hank and the boys will have about four solid years of work. If they don't, they'll be making furniture as the apartments are sold and people get ready to move in." She sends that information to the others. In Eureka Dad, Alexander, and Michael look at their PADDS during dinner at Cafe Diem with Mom Sanders and Drs. Blake, Stark, McNider, and Cross.

 

"David about the apartment complex on the vampire planet?"

 

"Josette, telling us that they're trying to decide whether they want the apartments furnished or not. If they do it's a good four solid years of work for us, if not it's orders coming in as they're sold."

 

The next morning after breakfast David opens the tesseract to Hanover for the three women before he and his Dad head to the vampire planet. Josette flies to the manufacturing satellite first, picking up the flour and heading to the sorting planet, delivering part of the flour then picking up the pallets full of 40 pound bags of candy, delivering to various spots on Archimedes and accepting payment before heading to the first planet and the ship. The plants are taken care of and the produce put on the ship before they stop at the other planets to deliver the candy and accept payments before landing. David opens the tesseract for Professor Druid and the botanist as Josette puts everything in subspace and flies to town, delivering the candy to the store's basement before sending the payments to the government account and then going back to the dorm, bringing the produce out of subspace before its moved to various places in the dorm.

 

"How is everything?" David asks when she slides into her desk chair, getting a lapful of cats.

 

"Good, everything's growing much better under the mirrors and solar reflectors than it would here in the dorm. Not as good as it would be outside but. .."

 

David nods. "We might have to use it again if we can't get a third harvest in. And plant here for the winter crops." Josette nods, then looks at him.

 

"We've made payment arrangements for the apartment complex. We're bringing it out next week. And they've decided on furnished apartments, I have a list of what they want and numbers, you can talk to Hank after lunch and find out how much it would be."

 

Josette whistles as she looks at the items and numbers. "Not just Hank."

 

"No, the potters, glassblowers, and candlemakers will have work too, there's pictures of what they want. When we get the final details we'll make payment arrangements."

 

"The boys aren't the only ones working a solid four years."

 

"Nope, and they're also talking paychecks for whoever's doing all the work since it's so much. And there's a list of what else they'll want, including canning jars from the factory on the sorting planet."

 

"This is a good two years of supplies. . .I'd say they'll probably put a second shift on just to work on their order. Same with the candlemakers." David nods. "Once we get all the details hashed out, somebody will be coming to talk to the others."

 

"Yes, I know it's an imposition. But I need you here. . .NOW!" Josette tells the manager of the glass factory on the sorting planet. He arrives about twenty minutes later and Josette starts pacing as she looks at Hank, somebody from the glassblowing studio, one of the potters, and the manager of the candlemaking store.

 

"Yesterday David got a request from the Vampire planet to bring out an apartment complex. They're furnishing the apartments." Josette sends the list of what the apartments would need to everybody but the glass factory manager. They whistle or whimper.

 

"Yeah, we're looking at a good solid four years of orders. Alexander, Michael, and I will be working with Hank, I'll be working with you others but the glass factory. You have your own order." She sends it to him and he whimpers. "I figure a solid two years for you there, with a second shift of people working just on that."

 

He nods. "Are we getting part of the money up front?"

 

"Yes, and you're all getting money to pay people for as long as you're working on the orders. The council is hammering out the final details now."

 

"Good, because we're going to need a second shift too for this order." the candlemaker says. Josette nods. "How soon do we need to start?"

 

"Not until the end of this year for Haven, we need to bring out the apartment complex first and work on it." Josette looks at the glass factory manager. "I'd say year after next for you since your year's ending in a couple of months."

 

"That will give us time to make arrangements for everything."

 

"I see it's not just furnishings." Hank says.

 

"Nope, kitting out a complete kitchen for each apartment." Josette says. "Sheets, towels. . .we'll have to grow cotton offworld this year after all for the towels. And bring out a few scrub trees for the TP, paper towels, and napkins they want too. When they say furnishing the apartments, they mean furnishing the apartments. The only thing they'll need to do is order groceries to be delivered when they move in."

 

"Which explains the large order of canning jars. I'll have the costs for you in a couple of days." The others nod they'd be doing the same."

 

"Thankee, I'm off to the store to figure out the costs of everything else for them."

 

Dr. Watson shakes his head at the list. "Yeah, this is just this stuff. I'll call off prices, you can calculate the cost for each item." She nudges Sherlock. "Yes, you can wander the store aisles too."

 

"It's going to take a couple days to get through the list."

 

"Yep, we figured on getting all the costs in by next week. Some of this isn't on the shelves and you'll have to look the costs up on the server."

 

"Most of this will have to be replicated. Unless we want to bring out more factories."

 

"Yep." John starts a second file and calls off items, Josette and Sherlock calling off individual prices and case prices that are listed on the shelves until they break for dinner and John helps customers. The others are back by the time she returns to the dorm and absorbs her duplicates.

 

On the sorting planet a couple hours ago the glass factory manager calls in some of his top people, telling them about the large order. After some whimpering they nod at the plans for a second shift for two years to handle the order.

 

"Why so big an order?"

 

"The vampire planet only has one growing season, they need to can everything they can for the winter. Places like Stark International and Wayne Industries have cafeterias, but other than that there's no places to eat out."

 

"Do they have the people to fill the apartments?"

 

"Not right now, they're getting them ready for when they do though. Including stuff like pots, pans, sheets, towels. . ."

 

"Damn."

 

Josette sends a command to the offplanet growing area to start a cotton crop after dinner.

 

"Cotton?"

 

"Yeah, and I'll have to take some scrub trees to the paper factory next year for the toilet paper, napkins, and paper towels. Right now they're busy with the order for the new pizza parlor in Albatross and the sub place since they'll need paper to wrap the subs in. I sent in the order, got a whimpering e-mail and the promise to get back to me in a couple of days with the prices. I sent the order to the towel factory too, they'll get back to me. They'll be working two years full time too."

 

"The former students will be happy for the jobs, the new graduates can take shifts too." David says.

 

"It will help out when they're first starting out." Josette says, nodding. Then she sighs and makes a note on her PADD. The others look at her. "Dishwashing soap and detergent factory." The others nod. The supply will only last so long, even with what they brought in from the other dimension.

 

The next week Josette bundles all the information together in an e-mail she sends off to the council, getting a thank you a few minutes later. Walking into town, she's not surprised to find everybody in Agatha's store.

 

"I don't think the pastures are going to be clear until this fall."

 

"Just in time for the snow to start again." Marilyn snorts. Everybody nods. Josette passes along the information, getting shudders. "So anybody who wants extra money at the glassblowers, potters, Hank's, or candlemaking store, let them know. They'll be glad of the extra help when they start next year. I'll be working at all the places."

 

"Four years?"

 

"Yep, the glass, tp, and towel factory won't be starting production until year after next their time. The glass factory is looking at two solid years of work for a second shift, the others will work on their orders during the normal shift. I'm sure a lot of the graduating students will be working shifts there since their normal workers have other jobs."

 

"Sorting planet commercial farming?"

 

"It's early fall there, they'd be starting just about the time the university students are graduating."

 

"Farm market building?"

 

"We're bringing the flea market building from Killingmesoftly out, it's two floors, enclosed with a kitchen and bathroom. The tables from when it was in operation should still be in storage down in the basement. If they're not, we'll replicate more and set up a register where they can pay."

 

"Perfect."

 

Josette nods. "If we need more room we can add onto it. We won't need it until next year anyway." The others nod. "We're working on various plans this year and selecting land for the gardens. And talking about what we're going to have to do this year since the snow hasn't even begun to melt yet. Everything's going to be delayed a couple of weeks."

 

"Oh it's worse than that that. We're going to be digging out from one last storm around the time we should have already planted."

 

"Awww man." Agatha moans. Sue, who'd come in to see if they wanted lunch, sighs.

 

"Yeah, we're looking at only two harvests this year if it's delayed very long. Right now its looking at least three weeks after we should have planted."

 

"That would put Thanksgiving and the Lights Festival back to back again and any later we'd be harvesting in real winter." Everybody shudders. "Yeah, we're already making plans on whether we plant a third time during the second growing period. As it is, the Harvest Festival is going to be delayed into the third semester unless we hold it during the break anyway."

 

"Most of the foods that are sold at the Harvest Festival would have been harvested anyway."

 

"Yes, and if we keep it at the normal time people won't have to make other arrangements. And the kids would be off to run errands or deliver stuff. Even if we don't have the crops in." Josette sends off a message to the others then orders pizzas as the conversation turns to quilts and whether or not they light candles or just head to bed early during storms."

 

"The dorms got backup generators, none of us get to goof off." Josette says at their looks. "Unlike eons ago when dinosaurs walked the earth and the school didn't have generators. Then we did exactly that. Crawled in our beds fully clothed since without power the blowers didn't kick on after we worked on homework."

 

"Am I insane or do not many people want to buy land?"

 

"Not everybody's meant to farm." Josette says after the pizzas arrive and they fill plates. "The lower birthrate might be part of it too, people aren't having large families to farm their land."

 

"Mankind is a hive creature, they're meant to be around each other. Even Alessandro who lives on his winery lands during the spring, summer, and fall comes back to town during the winter so he's not alone. Susannah Charles and her partner are close enough that they can live out there year-round and still come into town whenever they want, for jobs or just to be out of the house."

 

"And there's times you just have to be alone." Nods from the others. After everybody's eaten Josette cleans the dishes in the back room, putting everything up and taking the leftovers back to the dorm. She's leaning against the back door in her room, looking at the snow drifts all around the dorm when David comes up behind her.

 

"You okay?"

 

"Yeah just tired of winter but it could be so much worse." He nods. "Clark contacted us, he's got another batch of supplies to go out to the second planet and wants you, him, and CJ to start setting the lab up."

 

"I could use some time away from the snow."

 

"I think we all can, this winter seems to have drug on forever even though it hasn't." Michael says from the doorway. "And we have so many plans for the spring." Josette and David nod. "We've got the university students graduating, the businesses are coming up and opening, the factories being brought out and worked on, we're worried about the last harvest. . ." The others nod. "Can't be helped and worrying about what we can't control will just make us nuts."

 

"Toooooo laaaattteee." Michael says in a sing-song voice, looking at Josette. She rolls her eyes. David and Josette's PADDS beep and they grab them.

 

"Keeping the Harvest Festival the same time even if we haven't harvested?" he looks at her.

 

"Yeah, that way the kids are out of school to run errands, deliver packages, or just enjoy the festival without having to worry about classes. Most of what we'd sell there anyway is yearly produce that's already been harvested." Nods from the others. "We'd be harvesting afterwards but if we don't plant a third crop. . .and we'd know by then one way or the other we'd have nearly the rest of the year free except for classes and the remaining offworld harvests."

 

"Nothing we can do until the ground thaws and we can start planting." Josette nods and absorbs her other selves before joining the others walking to the dining hall. After dinner she heads upstairs to work on her quilting until bed.

 

The next few weeks pass quickly, Josette busy taking care of the crops as they start coming in on the ship and spending some time laying in the sun on the first planet. One day she heads off with Clark and CJ to the second planet to start putting up the lab, spending a couple weeks on the planet putting everything up.

 

"How many more shipments?" Josette asks, her hair flowing behind her in the breeze as they look at the building in front of them.

 

"Two, including a switching station. We've got the main buildings up. We're seeing how the shorter days affect plant growth."

 

Josette nods. "The first planet days are shorter but the permanent growing season makes up for it. There's actual seasons here. Even if Haven feels like it's been stuck on winter forever." CJ chuckles, patting her on the shoulder. She gives him a sour look. "I haven't been able to see over the snowbanks since the first storm, each new one just adds to the wall of white when I go into town. If I want an actual view I need to go up to my second floor room." Clark's lips twitch. Josette rolls her eyes. "Yeah I know, sucks to be me. Reminds me of one year on Earth where we had snow into nearly June."

 

"Was that the year the first flea market roof fell in?" CJ asks.

 

"Yes, the town had taken it over when the former owners were crooks and giving the town a black eye with their stuff. We had so much snow that year that the town was using the grounds to store it since they were running out of room. One of the dozers moving snow to try to clear the land so they could open it up on time hit a pillar and it started coming down like a stack of cards, the roof broke in three places."

 

"Dry rot?" Clark asks.

 

"Yeah. The town was not happy because the building was supposedly inspected, but the inspector's name on the records had been on vacation in Jamaica with his family when he was supposed to have done the inspection. The town could have had the building inspected when they took it over the year before but they had relied on the supposed recent report. Since they were in jail for falsifying stuff and arson everybody knew that they just didn't want to spend the money."

 

"Insurance cover it?" CJ asks.

 

"Not for a preexisting condition." Clark says. Josette nods. "They should have had a building inspection for the insurance. So the insurance company told them screw you, they could have sued the former owners for the money but they already had a ton of lawsuits against them. They tried finding places to hold the flea market so they didn't have to refund the deposits the vendors had made to hold their places for the next year, and then tried to get us to let them use a building figuring we had a vested interest in the flea market opening since we had tables there. They were 'you go year-round, you have how many students, those are all dorms?'and finally had to admit they had to cancel the flea market that year. When the moron former principal found out that he wasn't getting a grant from the town council since the money came from the flea market and they had to cancel it he was all 'I would have let you use the school if you'd told me that'."

 

CJ snorts. "Yeah, he could have said that the first time."

 

"Well if he'd agreed the first time he'd have been inconveniencing his precious sports teams for the whole one or two weekends the flea market would have been in operation before the school shut down. He was even more upset when the state came in and took the school over since he'd been told to improve the testing grades and hadn't, who were they to tell him academics was more important than his precious sports teams. They were going to put the school on the map one day, they just needed the right student. Moron didn't seem to realize that the students who did get an athletic scholarship lost them because they couldn't keep up academically before they ever got a chance to be noticed."

 

"And even if they were noticed, the university would have got the attention, not the high school." CJ snorts.

 

"Yeah, well he was an idiot. The school got taken over Memorial Day since there was only a week or so left of school. He was incensed, went to Susan's law office to sue the state for saying they were shutting down his school, the media for breaking the story that the school was shutting down. He was telling them it was all a bunch of hooey but the teachers had the paperwork from the state saying the school was closing, our school for stealing his teachers and the cook staff, the other schools for stealing his students, the police for not taking his report saying the school contents had been stolen instead of being sold out from under him. .. the law office when they refused his oh so reasonable case."

 

"Idiot." Clark sighs as CJ cackles.

 

"Yeah, he was incensed when the new school year came around and he was at the school to greet his beloved students but nobody showed up. Got drunk and started shooting his mouth off then got hauled to jail. Meanwhile we were starting the mall and other businesses and had portable buildings by the road for the week-long yard sale the town held over the fourth of July. People were coming out to gawk at the school since we'd gotten publicity thanks to the school in town folding and we held tours of the school at 5 dollars a head, between that and selling food at the portable buildings and the sale itself we made over 7000 dollars."

 

CJ whistles despite himself. "Yeah we had hundreds of lookyloos coming through for two weekends. That's when people started talking about the school as one of the best around the area, we were already tops academically but now they knew we were one of the best."

 

"What about the students who were having to transfer?"

 

"The school had already been losing students when the 'you can go to any school you want' law passed, the school had been cutting classes and cutting teachers. The seniors were glad to be graduating, the others went to other schools, either Kickinthepants or Boston, many having to go into previous years because the academics were so bad. Students did the same thing when the school put their classes online and opened them to students."

 

They watch the suns set from the roof of the lab complex, heading back to Hanover for a few hours sleep before they head back to the Haven, detouring to the fourth planet and seeing the apartment complex shimmering into view.

 

"That's going to be a good bit of work."

 

"Four years, the vampire planet had been talking with Eureka about everything they'd need to make the apartments walk-in condition. This way Stark International and Wayne Industries has housing for their employees when they start adding new people with the integrated information."

 

"Not everybody's meant to farm."

 

"Exactly. And even with an agrarian lifestyle, we're going to need science and technology, but no large industries like Earth."

 

"Only 26 classes this semester?"

 

"I might pick up another semester for a degree, right now I'm just so damn disgusted with the weather I can't get interested in anything. If I do it will probably be the chemistry degree from Johns Hopkins, that will go into a chemical engineering degree from MIT. Or the electrical engineering from MIT. Or I can just start another comic book degree." CJ chuckles as Clark sighs. "I'm looking at finishing four or five degrees this year, and the rest that I'm close to finishing next year. And I'm already starting two new degrees, one on the dust bowl from the sosh school and the other on shipwrecks during world war 2 from the naval academy. It's a general history degree, the first step to more intensive degrees dealing with specific wrecks, U-Boats, liberty ships. . ." Clark nods.

 

"I heard rumors about sailing ships?"

 

"Yeah, the boys are looking into plans we got from the other dimension, from small one and two person vessels to large ones you see in the movies. We don't have the huge timbers that would be used for the frameworks, but we can substitute extruded form plastics when we start working on them. They're being adapted a little beyond the plastic frames, we're adding modern conveniences and solar impeller engines in case of an emergency or there's no wind." Clark nods in satisfaction. Hanover lands and they head off.

 

"How long were you gone?"

 

"About six weeks, we've got the buildings up. Two more deliveries including a switching station. One of the things we're working on is seeing how the shorter day affects plants, the first planet has a shorter day but they're also a permanent growing season and the second planet has real seasons."

 

"Complaining about winter?"

 

"Yes, and I just got smirked at." Josette rolls her eyes. "Yeah, sucks to be me."

 

"How are you on your classes?"

 

"Finished with the school computer classes and I'm about five classes from being done with the others I'd planned on taking this semester. This early in the year I'll probably pick up another semester for one of the new degrees I have in the chute."

 

"Buttonmaking degree?"

 

"I'm two years in and plan on getting in a third this year. I'll finish the book classes next year along with the degree from the history school on the china conflict and whatever degrees I don't finish this year. That will just leave me the hands on degrees to finish the year after that. I'll probably be starting more hands on ones from Assyrian, the buttonmaking and cooking since there's a book degree for the instruments stuff I gotta take before I can start the hands on stuff."

 

The rest of the semester seems to drag by and Josette heads off to Archimedes with the others for their finals while everybody continues to dig out from the hopefully last storm of the season.

 

"Are you all dug out?" Dr. Cross asks when she joins them at the tables.

 

"Hell no, this snow is wet and heavy. We've been digging out for a few days and we're going to be digging out for days. But please God let this be the last of it."

 

"How long are you looking at being delayed planting?"

 

"At least three weeks, first the snow needs to melt then we need to spread manure when the ground is dry enough to till it under."

 

"You want the ground wet enough to give the crops a good start but not too wet they rot." Dr. Stark says. Josette nods.

 

"Did you pick up another semester?" Dr. Stark says.

 

"Yeah, I started another comic book degree."

 

"Is David still going to be working on his theses this summer?"

 

"He's planning on it but all the new stuff going up might make a dent in the time he has. I can help out with part of them." The three men nod.

 

"Do you have the buttons factory brought out?"

 

Josette nods. "Sue and the others are going over the list of what's available on the servers making plans for what they want when it's in operation. After this is worked on the elastic factory is coming up."

 

"Did you ever see if the plastics factory can handle brushes and combs?"

 

Josette nods. "Yes they can after changing the machinery. So we can make those. And they can make the bristles for them, though the machinery at the toothbrush factory will be needed to insert them."

 

"How are you packaging them?"

 

"Something we're working on. They had plastic and cardboard on the shelves. . ." The others nod as the buzzer sound to end the morning session. The others wash up, use the bathrooms, and slide into their seats at the pushed together tables.

 

"Can I just say thank you god this semester is over?" Michael says.

 

"Amen." Susan moans.

 

"I gotta agree with Josette, all this snow meant nobody could concentrate on their classes." Abby sighs. Anna nods. Vincent puts plates in front of them. "Oh Vincent, would you be interested in being involved in the first original books on Haven? We're talking about cookbooks to sell at the Harvest Festivals sometime in the future. Right now it's all still in the 'maybe someday' pipe dream stage." Vincent nods. "What brought this on?"

 

"The gang in Albatross and I have been getting together at Agatha's store when we're able to get out after the storms. They asked if we could bring up a chicken place that wasn't KFC. I said that we'd have to have the recipes beyond what we have on the replicators and unless we had something like theme nights, it might not be feasible. Because some chicken recipes take a lot of preparation." Vincent nods. "This turned to the businesses coming up this summer and subs that aren't fast food, they asked if we had a chain that had grinders and I looked, the chain pizza place that was on the list the pizza parlor manager had worked on had one just for that reason. They said they wanted it for Albatross so they're getting that, a copy of the power production building from by the road we're bringing up, they're enlarging their growing building, and they're doing some work on their houses over the next few years."

 

"No use for everything to stay the same." Dr. McNider says. The others nod. "We're still talking about chicken recipes for an eventual chicken restaurant, that led to somebody saying 'why don't we just come up with a cookbook?' Everybody just looked at each other and started talking."

 

"That's how things happen." Vincent nods. "I hear that you're building your own sub store?"

 

"Yes and no, the communal kitchen makes sandwiches. We're splitting that off from them in their own building. They'll have sandwiches pre-made and make them to order as people walk in. We're also bringing out a copy of the power production building and a second laundry, it will be needed when the university students start moving off the school grounds and doing their laundry in Town." Everybody nods. "Awww shit!" Josette grabs her PADD and sends off a message to David. Everybody looks at her. "Bringing out the apartment complex to the vampire planet, do they have enough laundry facilities? The buildings have some but not enough, that's why most people drop off their laundry."

 

David looks at the message on his PADD, then over at his Dad, shoving it in his direction before pounding his head on the table.

 

"How did we not see this?" James asks, picking up the PADD and sighing.

 

"Because we're idiots and sometimes miss the obvious?" David looks at the others. "Laundry facilities?"

 

"Hell." Bruce facepalms. "The apartments complexes don't have enough for everybody."

 

"Neither does intern housing at GD." Dr. Blake sighs. "How'd Josette think of it?"

 

"We're adding a second laundry to town for when the students leave the dorms."

 

"And Josette's mind makes fantastic leaps sometimes." Bruce sighs, bringing up the current laundry facility shared by Wayne Industries and Stark International employees who didn't bring up homes with their own machines. "We won't need another one for a few more years." Tony Stark looks at the one they use now and the one in Town, nodding. "I'd say a couple years after the apartments start being occupied." Bruce and Thomas nod.

 

"Shouldn't you two be taking your finals?" David looks at Thomas and Bruce.

 

"We're taking them tomorrow since we had this meeting today." Bruce says. Thomas nods.

 

"CJ?"

 

"Taking his."

 

"Is he finishing his degree from Oxford this year?"

 

"Yes, he's meeting with his advisor this summer to talk about additional degrees."

 

Josette nods at the message she gets a few minutes later. "They're taking the need for more laundry facilities into consideration, they figure they shouldn't need more until a couple years after the apartments start being inhabited." Dr. Stark nods

 

Thomas pulls David aside when the meeting breaks up. "Do you have washers and dryers in storage?"

 

"Tons, you know Earth. More was better." David snorts.

 

"We need some more for Headquarters, we don't need something like the laundry facility in town or even the laundry at the school, but. . ."

 

David holds up a hand. "I can't bring up a picture of it since I'm not on Haven, but I have the perfect setup for you. Eight toploaders, eight frontloaders, five commercial washers, and eight large dryers. A room about the size of the back room of the dining hall since it's got room for storage. Not set up for cards or coins, it was one of those 'you drop it off and we do it for you' places. Josette and I have been to'ing and fro'ing about adding it to the dorm because we'd need to either add onto the treatment unit or install a second one. Josette says if we do have to add a second unit, she's going for the largest one so we don't have to worry about it for a few centuries."

 

"Big Mack Daddy treatment unit." Bruce chuckles.

 

"Yeah."

 

"I'm surprised Josette doesn't just add one of the laundries to the dorm."

 

"You know, I'm not so sure she hasn't already." David says sourly. He sends off a message, getting an audio file of mad scientist laughter back. "That's a bad sign." He shudders. "Fuck it, let her do what she wants and I'll get through it with life and limb intact. The less I know, the better off I am and all that other goody good shit." Dr. Blake chuckles and pats him on the shoulder.

 

"You are wise young Padawan, some never learn that lesson."

 

"Only life and limb, not your sanity?" James chuckles.

 

"I lost that years ago."

 

"I don't wanna know, do I?" David asks when Josette comes back from Archimedes.

 

"No, don't you worry your pretty little head over anything." she pats him on the cheek and heads towards her first floor room sniggering as she absorbs her duplicates that had been out and about all day.

 

"The others?"

 

"Couple of days probably, depending on how many tests they had to take besides their finals."

 

"Ranch?"

 

"Animals are fed and inside and I should be finished digging the paths out tomorrow." Josette looks out the sliding glass door. "I'll be glad to see bare ground again."

 

"And be able to air out the dorm for more than a few minutes at a time. The 'fresher units help but we need a couple hours of fresh air." Lois says. Nods from everybody as they get ready to head to dinner.

 

"When are we going to start bringing buildings out?"

 

"As soon as the ground dries out enough, we know what needs done for the laundry but we'll have to go through the other one top to bottom to see what it needs."

 

"Isn't it meant to be self-sufficient?"

 

"Yes and no, it was connected to the power grid but it had solar panels and a backup generator. It also had the pool, showers, bathroom. . ." The others nod.

 

"How are we handling power?"

 

"The sandwich place is tapping the same power source as the bakery and communal kitchen, the second laundry will be tapping into the first laundry's power source, and the power production facility/gym will be tapping the mall's. GD, Dr. Richards, and Professor Eppes are all looking into the math to figure out the rate of growth on the alternate power sources and what the maximum load is. I have the feeling it grows faster the more it's used."

 

Josette nods before they walk to the dining hall for dinner.

 

"What are you working on over the break?" David asks over dinner.

 

"Finishing another degree and getting in a semester for one of them that I have a full year left. Either Sherlock or Doctor Who." She says in an innocent voice. David sniggers. "Then I'll get in another degree during the summer semester."

 

"How many are you finishing this year?"

 

"With the degree I'm finishing on the school computer that will be four, I'll get the rest I'm close to finishing next year and the year after that I'll have Oxford, Cambridge, and two of the hands-on degrees. I'll be starting hands-on classes from Assyrian next year, the tapestry degree that's hands-on and one of the cooking degrees."

 

"Can't take them on the computer." Ma chuckles. Mom nods. They'd both come in to get away from house after being snowed in most of the winter.

 

"How is the candle store on candles?"

 

"Out. We thought we would be even with making batches when they weren't closed during the storms. Now that this sh. . .tuff," Everybody in earshot snickers. "is finally done we can start making more to get a stockpile again."

 

"What is the vampire planet doing about soap?" David moans and sends that off to the others.

 

"Replicating since the handmade stuff needs to cure before it's sold. They might be ordering some of the good stuff too. . ." Josette looks at David.

 

"I just sent the others a message. If nothing more they can have a gift basket of the good soaps waiting in the apartment with a card from the store so they can order more. It can also include the stuff GD makes. How long do you think it would take?"

 

"Six months of people working on nothing but that? I'd have to get the final numbers from the vampire planet and go over it with the manager. Once they're done they'd have to sit and cure, then maybe a month or so of work cutting and wrapping everything. The baskets could be put together just before somebody moves in." David gets a message back and sends Josette the numbers. "I'll plug these numbers into the computer at the dorm after dinner to get a preliminary estimate before I take it to the soapmaking building. Dr. Blake is going to take the other information to the GD section that does that." David nods.

 

"Do they have enough room to store everything as it dries?" Lois asks.

 

"SHIT!" David grabs his PADD again.

 

"We'll have this year to make arrangements for everything." Josette says. "If nothing else we'll make the buildings tesseracts and replicate shelving, they've been talking about expanding for a while." One the screen Principal Madison nods. President Bartlett looks at him. "Storage for the candles and soap they're talking about now. And the businesses have been talking about expanding." He nods. "Especially after a winter like this one. Are the candlemakers out?"

 

"Yes." Josette says on the back screen room. "Even with the batches we made between storms. They're working on them now that we're getting good weather to get a stockpile made back up by next winter. Next year we'll have a second shift dedicated just to the vampire planet's order."

 

"If we have to we can put up a couple of temporary buildings for storage."

 

Josette shakes her head. "Need a stable environment for curing. Tesseracts would work better and give them the room they needed to expand anyway. Unless they want to go up instead of out." She gets up and fills her tray again.

 

"Something to think about." David says. "But then they'd have to have a way to get the candles and soap up to the second floor and then down to sell."

 

"And if they expand it by tesseract they can add some more display shelves to the front to sell more varieties." Ma says.

 

"Something else to think about. Will the boys have time to make shelves?"

 

"Should, we didn't have tons of orders coming in at once as people moved out of temporary housing. Instead the orders came in as the apartments were sold. If not we can replicate racks that are meant to be taken apart when they're not needed any longer."

 

The others come back a couple days later and Michael, Hank, Dad Sanders, and Josette talk to the soap and candle makers about what they're going to need when they start working on the large orders.

 

"This looks damn bare." David shakes his head.

 

"So many storms this year, in normal winter we had at least some hours of daylight." Josette says. The candlemakers nod.

 

Josette finishes a second degree and gets in a semester for Doctor Who during the break while checking the ground and spreading manure the day before the second semester is due to start.

 

"Are we going to be able to get in three hay crops?"

 

"Should." Josette says. "I made the fields bigger so we made sure we had extra for the animals even with only two harvests. Our stockpile of hay and feed took a hit this last winter. The others on the continent, Albatross, and the dairy are doing the same."

 

"We can take care of ourselves, they can't." David says. The others nod.

 

"Get in the semesters you wanted?"

 

"Yeah, I finished the first of three degrees for independents DC took over and how the characters changed and I got in a semester for Doctor Who. This semester I'm finishing the degree on the Shadow from Montague."

 

"Tapestries degree?"

 

"Finished the books degree last semester and I'm starting the hands-on degree next year. Year after that will the buttonmaking hands on degrees."

 

"Cooking?"

 

"Starting the first degree next year too, the instruments degrees from Edinborough are book classes for the first degree, then splitting off into hands on."

 

"Books?"

 

"About the instruments, the history, how they're made. . . Everything you should be familiar with before you start actually working on them. You have to have either real-world experience or have a similar degree."

 

"So this isn't a program you can just walk in off the street for."

 

"'xactly." Josette says.

 

"We're going to need music, literature, and other leisure activities."

 

"Yes, because otherwise you're not living, you're just surviving. Even Pern had music and the arts thanks to the Harper Hall."

 

The next morning Josette splits off a duplicate to start classes as she heads off with David to town to start bringing buildings out as a crew starts working on the soap and candlemaking buildings and starting the construction for the sandwich building.

 

"Did you kids get the job of making tables?" Principal Madison asks a couple weeks later, waving Josette to the front table at lunch.

 

"Yeah, and other workspaces." Josette says. "Some cement countertops too."

 

"How are you coming along on finishing your degrees?" Professor Druid asks.

 

"I got one in last semester and one in over the break. I'm going to be finishing a third this semester and I'm finishing another this fall on the school computer so it's at least four this year. I'm not sure about the 2nd break yet, it all depends on how many places I need to be at once and if our family from the other dimension makes it out for the party and Harvest Festival."

 

"Keeping it the same time this year even with the crops still yet to harvest was a good idea."

 

"A little bit of normalcy since everything else has been up in the air." The other teachers nod.

 

"How is the orders for furniture coming along?"

 

"Good, we've been delivering it and setting up the apartments as they're finished, that way the students just have to bring their personal belongings over after their finals this fall. That gives us time to work on the racks and display shelves for the candle and soapmakers."

 

"And it's not like graduation when everybody was leaving at once."

 

The teachers nod. "I think some of them are moving their belongings over already."

 

"More they take over now the less they have to move when their degrees are done."

 

"Will the students graduating next year and in a couple years after that have furniture?"

 

"Yes, I've been working ahead on frames and other stuff. When the news broke students started getting their orders in early. Right now we're working on next year's students furniture, then we'll work on furniture for the others along with the furniture for the vampire planet. We've got four years work, but it's not the rush rush rush that we've had when the other apartment complexes went up since we had people living in temporary housing." Everybody nods. "So we'll have time to work on the other furniture as well as theirs."

 

Nods of satisfaction from everybody at the front table. "I gotta head offplanet to pick up more wood when I pick up one of the offworld harvests."

 

"How are we on salt?"

 

"Good, we've got tons of it in stasis yet from the other dimension. I won't have to harvest for a few more years."

 

"Scrub trees?"

 

"Delivering them to the paper factory the same time, I'll be picking up the pasta then too." The others nod as Josette walks into the back room. She looks at her PADD when it beeps. "Clarinda, Yoriko, their posse, and Dakota's posse are all heading back home to Haven. They're talking to Daniel about loans for houses and apartments and should be contacting you about furniture."

 

"Why?. . .Bruce won the argument?" Alexander snickers.

 

"Yep, Clarinda, Yoriko, and some of the younger set are heading to Wayne Industries, the rest are heading to Stark International. They're all working on the information that's being integrated from the other dimension. With the shorter days on the vampire planet, they're also looking into buying land to farm when they 'retire'."

 

David snorts. "The kids are no closer to retiring than we are."

 

"Exactly. Dr. Stark is talking them into working part-time for GD."

 

Susan suddenly shakes her head. "Whoever had the imp that had us turning into people complaining about not having grandchildren, keep him in your own head."

 

Josette snorts. "The kids will have children when they're damn good and ready. Either using gestation chambers or having them themselves. We've got time and don't need to start pushing out kids to overwhelm the planets resources. Including employment."

 

The others nod. "Slow growth is better. Pern only had several thousand people when the colony started and they were spreading out onto their own land, they needed children to help harvest. Most of the people on Haven and Archimedes are settling into communities."

 

"We don't want to repeat Earth's mistakes."

 

"Amen."

 

"How are the crops?"

 

"We should be harvesting in another month. About the time I'm bringing the offworld stuff in and the yearly crops start coming in. They weren't delayed even with being under domes for so long."

 

"What about the sugarcane?"

 

"Yeah, that will be delayed." Josette sighs. "Can't be helped though. I'm glad we hadn't planned on tapping the trees this year, we wouldn't have been able to."

 

David nods. "It didn't get warm enough during the day."

 

"Warm enough during the day hell, we wouldn't have been able to reach them." Alan snorts. The others laugh but nod.

 

The next day Josette looks at the crops growing. David walks up behind her, wrapping his arms around her.

 

"Life is good."

 

"Yeah, the crops were delayed and we won't have as many as we would have normally, but we'll survive and there's always next year." David tips his head and starts kissing Josette's neck.

 

"You have a year to stop doing that but we're not getting pregnant for a few more years." She snorts.

 

"Way to ruin the mood."

 

"David, nothing ruins the mood for you. And out of my head, evil imp."

 

David sniggers at the scene of them having sex as a volcano erupts nearby and cracking the old joke about 'was it good for you? I felt the earth move'.

 

"Did we enlarge the fields beyond the animal food?"

 

"Yes, it won't replace a third harvest but it give us a little extra food on the pantry shelves. Whether we keep them next year is something we'll have to talk about then."

 

"We could plant on the islands early."

 

"Wouldn't be able to plant everything without interfering with the ecosystem." Josette says. David nods. "Same reason you don't plant regular gardens on the first planet." Josette nods this time. "The yearly crops I grow there are enough, plus the peppers and other plants that thrive on the hot weather."

 

"Clark's lab on the 2nd planet?"

 

"We're bringing out another delivery of stuff in a couple months and the last one by the end of the year. The last one will include the switching station. Did Thomas decide which setup they wanted for the extra washing machines?"

 

"Yeah, I brought out the one we'd been talking about for Headquarters since that's where they spend most of their time. Dad told me what to do and they're working on everything. If they need to they can add it to the Manor and Fortress. Did you take care of the upgraded sewage treatment unit?"

 

"Yeah, the robots are adding another one, it will be done by the end of the year."

 

"Big?"

 

Josette nods. "We needed a larger one anyway. Ours was the first at the school and hasn't been upgraded like the others."

 

"Yeah." David yawns, his ears popping.

 

"Don't start, I've been yawning all damn morning." Josette shoves him lightly. He laughs and they head back to the ranch house. "Are we expecting rain?"

 

"Yeah, that's why I've been yawning all morning." They walk from the ranch house to the dorm, Josette taking off her boots and sliding on shoes. "We should have rain by nightfall."

 

"Four days of rain?"

 

"Yeah, this would be the rain that gets the second crops off to a good start. With everything so late this year it will give the first crop the last push it needs before we start picking."

 

"Offworld harvests?"

 

"I'm picking up some tomorrow, taking wood to the paper factory, picking up the pasta, and bringing wood back here. The first of the offworld harvests we actually pick will be in a couple of weeks."

 

"How are you coming along in your classes?"

 

"Good, finished my third degree for the year, I'll finish the fourth one on the school computer next semester. I've got two degrees that have one semester left and one with two, not counting the school computer one, that's only four classes."

 

"Oxford and Cambridge?"

 

"I'm two years in, I should be finishing them with the hands-on degrees year after next."

 

"Buttonmaking?"

 

"Three semesters, I'll finish the third year next semester."

 

"Are the cooking degrees . .." Lois asks.

 

"More like apprenticeships since there's only one or two students a year? Yeah."

 

"That's really the way to learn." Ma says coming into the room. Mom nods as she enters behind her. "Most people learned from their parents or grandparents. At least before traditional families went the way of the dodo."

 

"Too many children having children and eating fast food instead of real meals." Mom says sadly, shaking her head. "That's why I taught all the kids to cook as soon as they were big enough to hold a potato and and knife without cutting themselves."

 

"I did the same."

 

"So did Mom. And we all taught the kids to cook." David says. "Did the kids buy apartments?"

 

"Yep, they ordered furniture and they're moving in at the end of the year when Archimedes year ends. They're talking with Thomas, Bruce, Mr. Stark, and Dr. Stark about what they're going to be working on next year."

 

The next morning rain is pouring down the windows when Josette gets up, splitting off a duplicate to take care of her classes.

 

"Are you going offworld?" David asks at breakfast.

 

"Couple of days, will this rain delay anything?"

 

"No, the only thing that had exterior work was the sub place and that was all modular building, the panels went up within a couple of weeks. The solar panels was the most intensive work and that was finished yesterday since the weather forecasts were predicting this. . . stuff." he waves a hand at the window as the others snigger.

 

"At least it held off long enough to get the laundry hung out."

 

"Speaking of laundry?"

 

"The robots are working on it. We're getting both for the future."

 

The others look at them.

 

David pulls up a file, sending it to the others PADDS. "This is what we'd been thinking of adding to the dorm as we needed more laundry facilities. Toploaders, front loaders, commercial washers, and dryers plus storage space. It was a 'you drop and we do it for you' laundry place so it's not set up for coins or cards. We've been wobbling back and forth on adding it since we'd have to expand the treatment unit. Josette took matters into her own hand so we will have that, the town's laundry, and as she put it the big mack daddy of treatment units added to the dorm for future needs."

 

"Did you bring out the city?"

 

"Yep, it's on the first planet. The fortress robots are looking over everything."

 

"Unlocking the machines?"

 

Josette nods. "That's what we have to do anyway for the laundry, whoever's doing laundry tells whoever's covering how many machines they have and the money is sent to the laundry's account."

 

The others nod. "I don't see people having their own machines unless it was homes they brought up or they live far outside of town where coming in for laundry wouldn't be time or cost effective."

 

"Ma has her own machine, so does all the other homes on the continent. Alessandro has a washer and dryer at his vineyard, when he moves back into town he does laundry in town."

 

"Baby?

 

"A son he named after his father. I'm going to harvest the grapes for him after mine." David nods in satisfaction. "I'm also helping him with his garden since the baby's too young to be in daycare and he'd be working sunup to sundown harvesting and canning or drying everything." More nods from the others.

 

The next couple of days pass, Josette delivering the pasta to the store and bringing in the first of the offworld harvests the machines harvest. The cotton is stored in bales and the wood starts aging in the climate controlled drying buildings.

 

"The paper mill?"

 

"We've got a lot of paper in storage but we'll use it for recycling paper when the sub place and the pizza parlor in Albatross opens and we have more recycled to take care of." The others nod. They'd only recycled paper every couple of years before the new students had arrived.

 

"This is probably a dumb question but veneers?"

 

"Tons in storage and we have a field of trees for that. Most of our furniture is solid wood so it's not needed." The boys nod. "Hank's been talking about special finishes with some people at Assyrian."

 

"More cotton?"

 

"Yeah, I'm growing offplanet again next year so we have extra. We've got tons in storage so we won't need more towels for a while even if they are beginning to get thin." the others nod.

 

The crops start coming in, Josette planting the second ones than picking up a batch of people for the first offworld harvest. Josette comes into the dorm one day to find the others from the other dimension.

 

"Is that all the offworld harvests except for the ones we need to pick?"

 

"Yes, everything's in storage for when we need it."

 

"We didn't arrive too early did we?" Jack asks, looking at the Doctor with an amused look as he pretends to scowl.

 

"No, we had a bad winter as the second sun's orbit finished adjusting and our orbit intersected. We had a storm come in and dump five feet of snow after we should have planted for the first crop. The weather satellite and forecasts had already told us it would be happening but waiting for the ground to dry enough to till the manure under and make sure there was enough moisture for the crops to get a good start but not too much that they rotted instead of sprouting delayed everything by more than three weeks. So instead of having the third crops in the ground we're going to be picking the second ones after the Harvest Festival. We won't plant a third crop this year, it'd be the middle of winter before they ripened."

 

"Did either of you check in on the construction?" Anna asks, coming in from the front of the dorm.

 

"Yeah. The sandwich place is nearly finished. They might not have everything finished but they're going to try to be open for the Harvest Festival. The power production facility will be open by the end of the year. Albatross is on course to have theirs finished by the end of the year too, they were more concerned with finishing the work on their growing building first since they'd need the extra space." David looks at Josette. "Yes, I'm heading off in a few to start a crop on the ship again."

 

"So we don't overload the growing area." David nods in satisfaction. "We can't plant everything but we can get in a good sized garden." The next couple weeks pass, Josette's birthday and the Harvest festival coming along with Josette starting crops on the ship and taking everybody on a tour of the planets from space. The Doctors are busy talking with the ships and Josette chuckles.

 

"Do we want to know?" Alexander asks, waving a hand at them. Josette chuckles. "Yeah, so we shouldn't be surprised to find the ships traveling through time as well as space some day." He snorts.

 

"They already do some limited time travel with the dilation." Josette shrugs.

 

"The cities aren't bigger on the inside than they are the outside."

 

Josette's eyes twinkle. "Are you sure? The dorms' a helluva lot bigger on the inside than it is the outside. And how much of the city are you really familiar with?"

 

The others sigh as Josette sniggers. "Even on the show, you never saw people going from building to building outside, they always used the transporters that took you wherever you wanted to go or the nearest one anyway."

 

 

After the Harvest Festival construction starts up again and the others head back to the other dimension.

 

"I don't know if I could live on a planet that quiet." Mary says, looking at the screen that shows the skyline outside since the rooms don't have windows for their protection.

 

"It's what they're used to, and the city overwhelms us sometimes." James says. "I couldn't have lived on an Earth that had nearly eight billion people. New York City had eight million alone."

 

Shudders from the others.

 

"I enjoyed the Harvest Festival, it was almost like visiting one of the local markets." The others nod. "Town is well laid out, plenty of room for growth and the industry they do have will handle their needs for a few decades."

 

"I'd have worried about the arts and literature until I saw the museums, libraries, and whatnot they have linked into the warehouses. And the plays they have on the servers."

 

"The music teacher is talking with the universities about live shows. Taking in so many orphans from that other dimension pushed plans back but nobody is complaining."

 

"Nearly 25,000 orphans. Not only would they have had been placed with loving families here, that's nearly half the inhabitants of the city."

 

"That's what happens when you have so many people, children . . .the ones who should be protected at all costs fall through the cracks. The heads of the orphanages swore that they weren't warehousing the children but . . ."

 

"Nobody cared about orphans. No family to speak for them but those they made themselves of their fellow children and the people who did their best for them."

 

"And from what Josette said, their foster care system wasn't like ours. They were given money to care for children instead of welcoming them into their homes without any thoughts but they needed a home and they had the room at their tables and in their hearts."

 

"Ours they became family, there they were often pushed aside the minute the parents weren't receiving money for them anymore. Or like the people from the kids sophomore year at school who stole their children's cards and ran up huge bills on them, stealing their allowances and throwing them from their home when they found they were a couple."

 

"Is anybody else amused as I was to find out who the Covingtons really are?" Charles asks. Jack Harkness chuckles from his spot next to the Doctor. "And you should have told us."

 

"The kids don't know, so why bring it up? They're their Mom and Dad, whether they gave birth to them or not. Just like James and Mary are." There's an alert and Jack heads to the door after looking at the computer screen.

 

"You asked us to come?" A voice asks.

 

"Yes, we found the children you pushed aside because they weren't the ones you wanted." Charles says, looking at two of the three that had come into the room.

 

"Where are they?" The dark-haired woman says. Charles brings up the footage and she smiles as she sees the figures. "Your unwanted children did better than the ones you kept." she scowls at the other two. "Are they happy?"

 

"Yes."

 

She holds out two vials. Jack walks over and punches in a series of numbers, a figure landing on the floor cursing violently.

 

"Josette."

 

"Didn't you guys just leave?" The TARDIS is in the corner of the room and there's bags along the walls so it's a good question.

 

"Yes. This is the Morrigan and two of the Celtic pantheon, they're also Andrew's mother and Alice's father."

 

"Excuse me, I could swear I heard you say they were their parents but I've seen pictures of their family."

 

"They had their godhoods stripped and placed in human families because they weren't what they wanted."

 

Josette stands up and brushes off her clothes. "I knew people were stupid but aren't the gods supposed be above that petty bullshit?" The dark haired woman laughs loudly. "Yes, they're supposed to be but there's always stupid people." She hands over the two vials. "Please give these to them with our blessing, so they might take up their birthright as the god of multiples and the goddess of the hearth and home."

 

"Well," Josette sighs, putting them in her pocket. "That makes sense given how many children we have and why Mom adopted the rest of us into the family immediately. Thank you Lady Morrigan."

 

"Yes it does. And you recognize her?"

 

"I've seen pictures of the Lady in the Halls of War."

 

"Does Ares use it as dartboard or have a noose around it?" she snorts.

 

"Neither my lady, it's in a place of honor as an example of why you don't piss off women." She chuckles. "Good, the boy does learn. . .unlike his father. Next time you lot flit off to check on the children, I'm coming along."

 

Back on Haven Josette looks at the others. "Be right back." and heads to the Covington farm.

 

"Josette?" Alice looks over at her from the sink where they're washing the dishes. She holds out the vials, Mom and Dad looking at each other before finishing what they were going and shooing off the girls to tidy their room and get ready for bed.

 

"From Lady Morrigan."

 

"Are you sure Alice?" Andrew looks at his wife of over a hundred years.

 

"It won't change us any more than it has Josette." She says. "You are mine, I am yours, and our children are still our children." They take the vials from Josette's hand and drinks them. They start to glow with a gentle light and the sound of bells starts.

 

"Welcome back, the Celtic Goddess of the hearth and family and the God of Multiples." A voice calls gently. Josette smiles, hugs them, and heads off.

 

"Do we want to know?"

 

"They'll tell you when they're ready."

 

 

 

The construction starts back up again after the Harvest Festival and the crops start coming in, everybody busy canning, drying, or otherwise storing food for the winter. Josette starts bringing in the other offworld harvests, heading off to Atlantis to get the books and supplies for the classes she'd taken that summer. A few days after the first testing week Josette slumps onto one of the couches in the living room.

 

"Is that all the offworld harvests?"

 

"Yeah, I brought the last of it just now. This one's ours so I don't have to deliver it when everybody's finished canning, drying, or preserving it." Josette opens one eye and looks over at David. "Construction?"

 

"Coming along well. The stuff from the paper factory?"

 

"Ready to be picked up our second testing week. I'm talking to the plastics factory right now about combs and hairbrushes, they're going to be working on changing out the forms over the next few weeks."

 

"Did they figure out how they're packaging?

 

"Yeah, cardboard packing with formed plastic. All recyclable. We're looking at three different packages on a revolving basis, a brush and comb, two brushes, and two combs. All different colors, just like the toothbrushes."

 

"Which factories coming out next?"

 

"Elastic next year. Then either toothbrushes or shoelaces. Bringing out others as needed."

 

"Do we have the machinery to cut the oats?" Lois asks.

 

"No, we can soak them overnight to cook for oatmeal until we bring it out. Take longer than instant oatmeal but just as easy for families. Even if we don't have a night hearth." David looks at Josette who snickers.

 

"How's your theses coming?"

 

"Good, with all the construction this year I didn't get a chance to work on them much this summer but I was able to work on it during the storms first semester. And I can this semester when I finish my classes before we head off." He waggles a finger at her. "You evil minx you, you broke our families minds when they saw all your degrees."

 

Josette flips him off. "I think finding out how old we are and how many kids we have might have helped."

 

"The racks for the candle and soapmakers?"

 

"We're bringing them out tomorrow. Along with supplies."

 

"Thank you boys, these will be used often . . .and were sorely needed." the managers says the next day, looking at all the new room filled with racks of storage for soap and candles along with more storage space and more room in the front of the stores for extra display cases that Josette is bringing out and setting up. She's hugged and grins.

 

"This way you can put out all the new stuff that you'd wanted that you didn't have the room for. And you can put out speciality stuff for the lights and harvest festivals. I know you've wanted to for a while but didn't have the room until now. I'll start bringing out the supplies so you have it on hand before the first of the year."

 

"Josette, the other buildings?"

 

"The stuff in Albatross will be open for the Lights Festival. Their pizza parlor will be wall to wall people for a good six weeks." The others nod. "Sandwich place is officially opening after Thanksgiving. So's the new power production building."

 

"How's the addition to their growing building coming?"

 

"Done and they have everything set up and a crop planted. They're spacing things out so they have something growing all winter" The others nod in satisfaction. "Next year they're going to be working on home renovations and planting the first commercial crops. The Sorting planet areas will be ready to start by the end of the semester when the university seniors graduate and start their jobs." Everybody nods in satisfaction.

 

"Building to sell the fresh fruit and veggies?"

 

"We're bringing out the flea market building from Killingmesoftly today. Two floors, bathroom, and basement kitchen. Able to be added on to in the future, the only down side is it was meant to be seasonal so there's no heat. We can move into the big building when it gets too cold.

 

"Will we have the only building?"

 

"No, there's going to be one in Eureka too at first, possibly the other two planets in a couple of years. Depends on how much business they'd get with most everybody working." The others nod.

 

"Are you working up a list of prices?"

 

Josette nods. She looks up at a call and points out the window, everybody looking as a building goes up nearby.

 

"Tables?"

 

"Should be in the basement, if not we can make some." Alexander says. "Josette, bags?"

 

"People will bring their own, bigger stuff will be delivered. Probably offplanet orders will be delivered."

 

"We'll need crates or other containers on the tables."

 

"Plastic bags to put stuff like beans and whatnot in, that way they can put everything in a shoulder bag."

 

"A scale at the checkout." Nods from the others.

 

The second testing week comes and Josette absorbs her other selves before dinner.

 

"Plants?"

 

"I'm heading tomorrow to check on them, the footage shows they're looking good. They should start ripening pretty quickly. Maybe I'll spend a few weeks there and harvest everything before I come back. I need to spend some time at the fortress anyway, see how the robots are doing with the city." The others nod.

 

"How's the flea market building looking?"

 

"Good, the generator's going to be tapping a nearby power source for the kitchen, bathroom, and a single register. That will make it easier to expand as needed in the future."

 

"Tables?"

 

"There's some and Dad's talking more and boxes to hold the other stuff sold by weight."

 

Josette goes to the first planet the next morning after splitting off duplicates, returning an hour later with food that gets put in various places.

 

"Is that everything?" David asks.

 

"Yes, I've updated the list of what we have in stasis, after Thanksgiving we can decide what we want to plant upstairs." David looks at the lists on the server and nods before they head to lunch.

 

"Your theses?"

 

"Working on them and talking with Dad, Grandpa Nathan, and Bruce and Thomas about a project for the Mechanical Engineering requirement."

 

"No worse than a business plan and the thesis for a MBA." David nods. "I'll have time to work on it next summer since we won't be so busy next year."

 

"Everything seems to come at once."

 

"This year was rushed since the crops went in late and we only harvested twice." Mom says, kissing them on the temple when she comes into the back room, filling a tray and sitting down. Josette nods. "That's why I didn't take classes over the 2nd break, normally everything was quiet since the crops were just in and I could relax. This year we had the orders for the university students graduating in a couple of months."

 

"All the new businesses coming in." Lois says.

 

Everybody nods. "We're recovering from the loss of the other Earth and moving forward. Things just all happened to come at the same time this year."

 

"We've survived years like this before." The others nod.

 

"When do Clarinda and the others come back?"

 

"They'll be in their new homes for Thanksgiving, Thomas and the others will be heading to Eureka after that. They start their new jobs the first of the year. That gives everybody time to get settled in before they have to start work."

 

"No throwing anybody in the deep end their first day." Ma murmurs as she comes into the room.

 

Everybody nods.

 

"Are you two stocking up on supplies for the winter?"

 

"Yes, it's early but it's better to stock up now and miss the rush after Thanksgiving. We've had to stock up on most everything after last year."

 

"Let me know when you're ready to go back and I'll deliver everything for you."

 

"Thank you Josette, that will be perfect. They're getting everything ready for us. Otherwise we'd have to use a couple flyers and wagons."

 

"I thought you two must be scraping the bottom of the barrel on a lot of stuff." Anna says. Mom and Ma nod. "Even with getting the big 40 pound bags of rice, flour, sugar, coffee, cornmeal, and other stuff that won't go bad. Speaking of which?"

 

"I took a batch of wheat to the manufacturing satellite a bit ago, it should be ready after Thanksgiving. If we start running low again before next years harvest I'll bring some out from the ships." The others nod.

 

"When will the last hay be cut?"

 

"Couple of weeks, this next crop won't be big enough to cut before the frost kills it."

 

"Can't be helped and it will act as compost for next year." Ma says. "We've been damn lucky since moving to Haven. I remember years when we didn't have other harvests to fall back on and had to buy feed for the animals when an early frost or a drought took our crops."

 

"We're damn lucky we got so much this year. We've had years where we had to harvest after it snowed, but we'd been able to get in a full year's worth of crops. This year we weren't able to but we adapted."

 

"Yes we did, and this year will show everybody why we're lucky to be able to harvest three times." Nods from the others.

 

"Did you finish your degree?"

 

"Yes, that's the first classes I started, I finished the last one just before the first testing week, along with a couple classes for the history degree. I finished the year for the history degree and a couple classes for the other degrees before this testing week."

 

The hay's cut a couple weeks later, drying in the fields before being rolled into bales and put under cover. The next day Josette heads off with the others but David for their third testing week, dressing warmly since it was the middle of winter on Archimedes.

 

"Did you get the third hay crop in?" Dr. Cross asks when Josette joins them at the table.

 

"Yes, once the frost kills off the last crop I'll cut it and leave it in the field to compost for next year."

 

"Are you ready for winter then?"

 

"Yes, it's strange not seeing the crops starting to ripen in the fields the closer we get to finals."

 

"Are the students who are moving to apartments on Haven ready?"

 

"Yes, everybody moved what they could this summer, everybody will start heading off after Thanksgiving."

 

"Is the construction finished?"

 

"Yes, the pizza parlor and power production building will be opening in Albatross after Thanksgiving. I'm sure it will be asshole to elbow people until the first of next year." The three men nod, chuckling. "The addition to their growing building is finished and they're planting early, timing crops so they have something growing at all times." Dr. Stark nods in satisfaction. "Town's is starting after Thanksgiving as usual, we're farmers we know to plant early. The communal gardens are looked at as a second source of food, not the first."

 

"That may change after people run out of canned fruit and vegetables and they have to replicate or wait until the new crop ripens."

 

"Possible. We've become spoiled by three harvests a year, the hard winter we had last year and only two crops this year should knock some of that out of us." The buzzer sounds to end the morning session.

 

"So how's David coming along on his theses?" Dr. Cross is asking when the others join them at the table.

 

"Whining about having to work on a project as well as do a thesis for the Mechanical Engineering Masters." Dr. Stark snickers.

 

After lunch Josette heads back to Haven, absorbing her duplicates before joining the others for dinner. The weeks pass quickly and soon Josette's coming back from her finals with the others. The graduating university students are congratulated by their friends and teachers at Thanksgiving a few days later and start heading off to their apartments or to other planets, the cleaning robots coming in and cleaning the now empty dorm rooms.

 

The canned goods and other food is passed out, everybody looking at emptier than usual shelves. More than one person suddenly realizes just how much not having a third harvest hurt them this year. After Thanksgiving Josette cuts the hay in the fields, letting it compost for the next year while heading to the Albatross Nest.

 

"The kids head off or come back?"

 

"Yep, everybody's off until the first of the year so they have time to get settled into their houses or apartments before they start work."

 

"That's nice of them. Letting the kids get settled in instead of chucking them into the deep end their first day and letting them sink or swim on their own. And speaking of sinking or swimming on their own, are there any complaints about not enough canned fruits and veggies."

 

"No, people realize that it was their own damn fault for not planting enough. They were told that with the late storm there'd probably only be two harvests and to plant extra. They didn't want to and now they have to pay the price for it." Nods from the others. "Everybody in Albatross planted extra, I know you did too on the other continent."

 

"Yeah, we made the fields half again as big for the hay and other animal food crops, it wasn't that much more work to enlarge the human food fields. Even if our kitchen garden is ten acres now." the others snigger.

 

"Josette, sugarcane?"

 

"At the manufacturing satellite to be made into new types of sugar. We've got plenty in storage, this gives us the chance to experiment." The others nod in satisfaction around them. "Including cane syrup vinegar."

 

"Tapping the trees?"

 

"We'd planned on it next year, hopefully we'll be able to."

 

"Yeah, this year it was too cold during the day . . .not to mention all the snow." Everybody sniggers.

 

"It was a good year for quilts though." Everybody nods and they turns their attention back to the kits after eating. Josette 'flips' the bags back to her workroom and pulls on her stocking cap, gloves and matching scarf in a deep wine red with white accents, pulling on her heavy coat with fake fur lining before heading back to the dorm. She brushes off the snow when she enters the front of the dorm, putting up her outside clothes before heading down the hall to the storeroom to bring out kitty litter and animal food. Filling the animal dishes with food and water she feeds the fish and then empties the litter boxes.

 

Washing her hands she joins the others putting their outside clothes on to head to lunch. After lunch Josette and David head into town to talk to Dad Sanders, Doc, and President Bartlett about the elastic factory that's going to be coming out.

 

"Plastics?"

 

"Starting up after the first of the year." Josette sends them the details on the packaging and they nod in satisfaction. "They'll have to switch the forms for the different styles and the brushes, we can do that as they're needed." Nods from the others. "After the elastic will be the toothbrushes, the toothpaste factory is going to be starting a batch next spring." They nod. "That will give us the machinery to insert the bristles for the hairbrushes as well as the toothbrushes."

 

"After that?"

 

"Shoelaces, thread, dish and clothes detergent. The others as needed." Nods from the others as they head back to the school, Doc joining them in the back room for dinner and heading back to Headquarters. The next day they head off to the other dimension, coming back a long time later for them but an hour to the outside world. The next day Josette, Clark, Thomas, and CJ head off to the other dimension with some of the others, returning an hour later. The next couple of weeks pass and the Lights Festival comes, the new buildings decorated to match the season. They head to Albatross the second day, talking as they walk the streets of town and look at all the decorations before Josette picks up the pizza and subs from the pizza parlor and they head back to the school for a late dinner.

 

"Are you taking a full semester for the cooking degree?"

 

"No, only 3 classes since they're so intense." The others nod.

 

"Finishing a degree?"

 

"The second degree for multiple degree dyeing curriculum, they're working the hands on portion right now, it will be a couple years though so we don't duplicate projects." The others nod. I'm only taking 10 classes on the school computer, I'll finish the other degree I'm taking four classes at a time so I finish two of them at the same time again." The others snigger. "Wha? Finishing one degree one year and one the next gets annoying after a while." More sniggers from her loving family and she flips them off with a smirk. "Just because you plebes only finish one degree at a time. . .or two in David's case. . .and you've got to start working on your project this year." He nods. "Do you know the girls will be two years into their degrees."

 

"Three more years after that and we'll have another Ph.D and Susan will be a year from her Masters."

 

"Three more years and you'll be 95. Tinya and her group will be out of the house working, Jason and his group will be juniors, and the babies will be in third grade." Josette flaps a hand at David in mock-irritation, everybody seeing the amusement in her eyes. "Yes I know, we're going to have to start thinking about babies again, we're going to have as many kids as I am old pretty soon." The others snigger.

 

"Thirteen more years and the school closes down." Alan shakes his head. "Do we have a schoolroom set up for future kids?"

 

"Yep, I've been working on it for the last couple of years since the school opened again." Josette leads them off, everybody nodding in satisfaction at the rooms set up for future children.

 

"Are the offworld children starting kindergarten with ours next week?"

 

"Yeah, they're younger but pre-school and kindergarten isn't all that intensive and the teachers will decide at the end of the year whether or not they can handle first grade of they need to wait another year. If they do, they'll take extra classes when they're older so they start high school with our monsters."

 

"Are the apartments ready for the students graduating this year?"

 

"Yep."

 

"When do you start working on everything?"

 

"Tomorrow. Another reason I only plan on taking three cooking classes, I'm already going to be gone for hours with work and my classes." The others play the world's smallest violin and Josette pouts.

 

"And you'll be enjoying every second of it." They snort. She laughs.

 

"Do we have students graduating?"

 

"Yes, about seven, eight hundred a year for the next three years then every other year or so until it's just the youngest kids."

 

The next morning Josette splits off five duplicates that head to the candle, soap, glassworkers, the potters, and Hank's building before she joins the others walking to breakfast, heading upstairs to start working on a quilt when she comes back to the dorm, Alexander and Michael heading off to Hank's, Susan and Alan to work in town, while the girls and David work on their papers. The first week of the year passes quickly and it's the night before school starts, Josette and the twins heading to the meeting of teachers and staff members before school starts.

 

The next morning Josette splits off a number of duplicates before breakfast that head to work or start classes then joins the others walking to breakfast.

 

"How is everything coming along?"

 

"Good, I'm working second shifts with the others working on stuff for the vampire planet, our stuff is being worked on the first shift if we're making multiple batches." The others nod.

 

"Government meeting after breakfast?"

 

"Yeah, to talk about how things are going."

 

"Anything new?" Doc asks a couple hours later at the boardroom. Josette puts a hand up then covers her mouth with an arm and belches.

 

"Sorry 'bout that, but I was thinking. Something like meals on wheels? Deliveries of meals from the communal kitchen for elderly who don't have family or are infirm and can't cook for themselves. Right now we're all pretty healthy but it might be something to think about for the future."

 

"Doesn't Albatross do something like this?" David asks.

 

"Yeah, they have a bunch of people who prepare a week's worth of meals at the church and freeze them for delivery to people who are under the weather."

 

"Thankfully we haven't had to deal with most of the problems of old age. Including dementia." Nods and silent prayers of thanks from the others.

 

"Wellness checks."

 

"The person delivering could do that as well. Bring a day's worth of meal containers in the morning and pick up the previous day's containers." Nods from the others as they make plans for that in the future.

 

"Anything else? Josette, the flour?"

 

"Picking it up in a couple of weeks along with the sugar. The cane syrup is in casks, one aging normally into vinegar, the other I added something to turn it to vinegar sooner."

 

"Trees?"

 

"Tapping them in a couple of months when the days are warm enough for the sap to run but it's cooler at night." Nods from the others. The meeting ends and everybody heads back to the school. Doc heads back to Headquarters and Josette heads upstairs to work on her latest quilt until lunch.

 

The weeks pass quickly and Josette heads off with the others but David for their first testing week.

 

"How is David coming along on his project?"

 

"Good, he's working on it when he's not on teacher and he'll have plenty of time to work on it this summer when he's not taking classes." Josette says. "Keeps him out of mischief. . .like hinting that we need more children."

 

Dr. Stark smirks at her as Dr. McNider chuckles. "Well your babies are in kindergarten this year."

 

"Yes, and I'm turning 91 years old damn it."

 

"And you don't look a day over 90." Dr. Cross chuckles. Josette rolls her eyes.

 

"Are you starting new degrees?"

 

"Yes, I'm taking three classes for the cooking degree and I'm going to take a semester for the chemistry degree." The three men nod in satisfaction. "I'm only taking ten classes on this system so I'm finishing both degrees I take four classes for at the same time just like the degrees I take three classes for. Finishing one degree one year and the second the next is annoying." The three men snicker. "Well it is." Josette chuckles.

 

"Speaking of finishing degrees?"

 

"I'm finishing the second of three degrees on dyes this semester and with the school computer degree should be finishing five degrees this year and four next."

 

"Five?"

 

"Dyes, buttonmaking, both from Assyrian. Sherlock and Doctor Who from Montague," Chuckles from all three men, "and the China conflict from the history school."

 

"Four next year?"

 

"The two hands-on from Assyrian and Edinborough, Cambridge, and Oxford."

 

"Do we want to know how many degrees this makes you've got finished?"

 

"25 bachelors, a Masters, and 2 Ph.Ds that I haven't graduated with at the end of this year."

 

"I'd threaten you with a graduation ceremony but we're busy with the students who finished their degrees last year." Dr. Stark smirks. "And you've started a new school. . ."

 

Josette blows him a raspberry. The others laugh as the buzzer sounds to end the morning session.

 

Josette slides into her seat at dinner after absorbing her other selves that were at the dorm, she'll get the others working the second shift after dinner. They arrive back at the dorm later that night, being absorbed up in Josette's workroom. The next couple of weeks pass quickly, Josette looking in satisfaction at everything being made for the apartment complex on the vampire planet before she heads off to Eureka for her second testing week.

 

"Josette, beer?" Vincent asks at lunch.

 

"I'm working on a batch right now, I'll bring out a couple more kegs from the last batch in a couple of days."

 

"Thank you. Peppers?"

 

"Planting them, another heirloom tomato, and more herbs in a couple months."

 

"Excellent."

 

"How is everything coming along for the vampire planet?"

 

"Good, we know it's just a drop in the bucket but the shelves are beginning to fill. We're taking the first delivery of furniture out after our finals. We'll take a second batch out before the Harvest festival and the third before the lights festival, taking out some of the smaller stuff then too."

 

Nods from the three doctors.

 

"Toothpaste?"

 

"Started the next batch earlier this year, we should be running out just as this batch is finished."

 

"Warehouse factory?"

 

"Elastic, then the toothbrush factory." The next day Josette splits off duplicates before breakfast, settling in her workroom behind her sewing machine to start putting together the blocks for a quilt until lunch. She suddenly disappears, David blinks in the doorway but counts off seconds until Josette appears again. . .this time from the old fashioned cupboard that had appeared in the corner of the room. She walks down a flight of three steps as around them other cupboards appear.

 

"Do I want to know?"

 

"No, no you don't." Josette sighs. "How long was I gone?"

 

"Only a few seconds, I'd just come up to see if you were ready for lunch."

 

"Yeah." She follows him out into the hallway, going downstairs to put on her outside clothes with the others.

 

"How long until we start tapping the trees?" Lois asks when they're in the dining hall.

 

"About a month, by then it will be warming up during the day but still cool at night." Nods from the others.

 

"The graduation ceremony."

 

"Dr. Stark's got it in hand, it's going to be this summer. This way he can't torment me with another graduation ceremony." Anna sniggers as she comes into the room. "D'awwww."

 

Josette rolls her eyes. "Next summer will be the ceremony for the students graduating this year, then so on until all the university students have had their ceremonies. And yes, we'll have one for GD employees in there somewhere. Probably after I've finished the first degree from the Naval Academy so I'll have another quick change to go through on stage." Her loving family sniggers at her. She flips them off. In the front room Principal Madison snickers.

 

"Tormenting Josette again?" President Bartlett looks at the screen to the back room.

 

"Talking about the university students graduation this summer and how they should be having one for the GD employees in a bit. Probably after Josette's finished her degree from the Naval academy so she has another change of cap, gown, and collar on the stage. The others weren't impressed by her complaint."

 

"How far are the others?"

 

"David's going to be a year into his comic book degree and 21 classes into each of his Masters. He's working on his project and theses when he's not taking classes this year since last year was so busy bringing things out." the others nod. "The girls will be two years into their Ph.D's and Susan's Masters this year, they're working on their papers while they're not working. Alexander and Michael are going to be three years into their degrees and Alan two years into his. I think Dr. Stark plans on having a graduating ceremony in Eureka when the others all have at least one degree finished in a few years. That will have Tinya and the others graduated from university and the students finishing high school this year still in university." The others nod.

 

"How are they coming along on the vampire planets orders?" One of the other teachers asks.

 

"Good, they're taking their first batch of furniture in after their finals according to the last meeting. Then again before the Harvest Festival and again before the Lights Festival. The last trip they'll be bringing out some of the smaller stuff too."

 

"Toothpaste?"

 

"Started the next batch a couple weeks ago, we should be just running out of the last when this one is ready for deliver."

 

"What factory is coming up this year?"

 

"Elastic, next year will be the toothbrushes so we have the machinery to put the bristles in hairbrushes as well as the toothbrushes. If it can't handle them, we'll replicate."

 

"Don't we have the machinery to do that at the plastics factory?"

 

"No, they'd take the hairbrush handles and do that elsewhere."

 

"One of the reasons the world was in such bad shape, instead of seeing from beginning to end." President Bartlett snorts. "But then that's why we were making plastic cases and something electronic, both were sent somewhere else along with who knows what else to be put together."

 

"Are we going to have enough fruit and vegetables from the first sorting world crops to sell here?"

 

"Probably not, but we will the second. The first new crop is always an experiment." Professor Druid says. The others nod.

 

"Josette, the offworld olives?"

 

"I'm bringing out a small press later this year, should have the first batch of oil the end of this year or early next. I'll check on them when I go to plant the peppers, herbs, and tomatoes."

 

"Is Clark finished with his 2nd world lab?"

 

"Nearly, I'm taking the last batch of supplies out and we'll be installing the switching station between the lab and Headquarters after my finals."

 

After lunch Josette heads back upstairs, looking at the cabinets around the room and patting one before she settles back behind the sewing machine. A couple weeks later she flies out to the sugar maples, checking on the trees and starting to bring out the supplies for tapping the trees. The next week the sap starts running and Josette splits off a duplicate to head to the first planet to plant the raised bed, bringing out the pressing station, bottles, labels, and capping station.

 

"Barrels for the other olives?" Hanover asks over the link on her belt.

 

"Yes, I'll have to bring some out. And with so many olives growing we can let some of them mature to black olives, slicing them as needed for pizzas or whatnot." Josette looks around in satisfaction and flies back to the ship, coming back to Haven where she replicates more barrels, putting them on the ship for the next trip back.

 

"Do you do this every year?" One of the helpers bringing the sap buckets in asks.

 

"No, only when we're running low enough to be out during the year. Then we replicate or use what we have in storage until we can tap again. Usually it's every three to four years. More often if we keep going and make some of this into maple sugar, not just maple syrup."

 

The rest of the semester flies by and Josette nods in satisfaction at the shelves of maple syrup and bags of maple sugar before heading to Eureka for her finals with the others but David, who's busy working on his project and waves a hand as they walk out.

 

"David working on his theses?" Dr. McNider asks as Josette slides into her seat.

 

"Project, he waved a hand in our direction when we left." Josette says. "A good five months of work should have it and at least one of the theses at a stage where it can be finished next year." The three men nod.

 

"What are you doing over break?"

 

"Finishing the degree on Doctor Who and starting the fourth year for my buttonmaking degree. I'll finish that next semester and get in a class from Oxford to be three semester in for that and Cambridge. I'll finish the degree on Sherlock and the China conflict degree this fall."

 

"Did you bring the elastic factory out?"

 

"Yep, it's being looked over right now." Josette stretches in the chair and yawns as the buzzer sounds to end the morning session.

 

"What's your plans for the rest of the week?"

 

"When the boys are finished with their finals we're taking our first batch of furniture to the vampire planet, before that I'm off to deliver supplies to Doc's 2nd planet lab and setting up the switching station and botany section."

 

The next day Josette, CJ, and Clark head off to the second planet, working weeks getting everything installed before coming back. Clark pretends not to see Josette crossing her fingers behind her back at they use the switching station for the first time. CJ sniggers and Thomas smiles.

 

"Is David working on his project?" Bruce asks, coming into the room.

 

"Yes, we figure five solid months will have it and at least one of the theses at a spot where he can finish them next year. Having so much stuff coming up last year knocked his schedule to hell and back."

 

"How's the girls coming along on their papers?"

 

"Working on them during the breaks and when Susan's not working. They'll be two years into their degrees the end of this year."

 

"Susan and David should be finishing their degrees about the same time?"

 

"Should, David's taking one more class a semester but she's been going longer."

 

A couple days later Josette, Alexander, and Michael head off to the vampire planet, accepting the first payment for the furniture they're delivering. They return to Haven a few weeks later for them, the first payment being sent to Hank's account. He nods and makes a note of that in his records.

 

Josette finishes the classes she'd wanted over the break, looking at the plants just poking their heads out of the ground.

 

"What a difference a year makes." Alan says, coming up behind her from taking care of the animals and checking on the eggs now that the chickens are outside in their mobile coops. He's got a pail about half-full of eggs in his hand.

 

"Not a bad haul for the chickens just starting to lay again." He nods as they walk into the ranch, cleaning the eggs and putting them in stasis back at the dorm.

 

"Get your classes in?" David asks, pulling himself away from the laptop where he'd been updating the progress on his project.

 

"Yes, I'm one semester left for the buttonmaking degree and I've got the degree on Sherlock to finish along with the school computer degree."

 

"Are you taking classes 2nd break?"

 

"Probably, I want to finish the first year for my chemistry degree. Get in a year for the musical instruments degree too."

 

Josette heads off to the first planet a couple days later, delivering the barrels for the olives and checking on the peppers and other plants before heading off again to do some harvesting from the other planets. She returns to Haven six months later for her and slides into her seat in the back room.

 

"Get everything you needed to do offplanet?" David asks.

 

"Yeah, I've got in all the supplies I needed, checked on the plants on the first planet, and spent some time running experiments that GD and Doc has wanted done." Josette yawns. "I need a nap."

 

"How is the elastic factory coming along?"

 

"I gotta check on it this afternoon, and Doc and I are heading to the sorting planet tomorrow to see how everything's coming along at the paper, glass, and plastics factory."

 

"I should be going with you instead of Doc."

 

"Your project and theses are more important, Principal Madison has a meeting with Dr. Stark about the graduation ceremony next weekend, and President Bartlett has classes. So it's Doc and I this time. That's why we all make sure we know what we're doing at the meetings and can pinch hit at a moment's notice. You just want a break from your papers and the project but you need to keep your eye on the prize, your nose to the grindstone, and all that other stuff." Josette flaps a hand as everybody laughs. "I gotta deliver some of the cotton, pick up flour, and see how the commercial crops are going anyway while I'm there."

 

The others nod. "When are they going to start commercial crops on Archimedes?"

 

"They start in a couple of months, about the time our first crop comes in. That's the same time we're going to be bringing out Eureka's copy of the flea market building."

 

"Are the sorting planet and Archimedes going to get first dibs on the food?" Lana asks. David and Josette nod. "They'll be able to place orders for food, some of it's going to be canned, dried, or otherwise preserved, and the rest will be split between the two buildings for sale. We're not expecting much at the beginning but it will be nice to have fresh fruit and veggies in winter."

 

"And it won't have to picked super early to send across the country." Maria says. The others nod. "Fresh picked at the height of ripeness as the old commercials used to say."

 

A couple weeks later Josette heads to the first planet again, picking some of the peppers to put in stasis and dry before they turn colors as well as the early tomatoes and some of the herbs, stopping first on the vampire planet and accepting a sandwich from Adam as they talk about the prices for the peppers. Traveling to Eureka, she and Vincent haggle over everything as she puts bottles of wine on his shelves. They come to an agreement and Vincent sends her the payment before Josette checks on Franklin and Madelyn then heading back to Haven, spending the next couple of days braiding some of the peppers into wreaths and putting them outside to dry.

 

"The offworld harvests?"

 

"The ones I just pick up should start coming in soon, the ones we actually harvest a couple weeks after that."

 

"Our crops?"

 

"We should start harvesting next week. I see most of the people in town have full gardens." Susan chuckles.

 

"Now they know once they're out they're going to have to settle for replicated until the winter crops start coming in, just like we told them." Josette says piously, then grins.

 

"Are we working on tortillas eighth day?"

 

"Yeah, get them finished and in the freezer before we start bringing in the crops. Once those are in and the next crops planted I'll be busy bringing in the offworld harvests." The others nod.

 

"Your classes?"

 

"Getting along good on them."

 

Josette brings in the last baskets of food into the kitchen a couple weeks later.

 

"Is that everything?" Mom Sanders asks, looking up from the sink as a dozen Josettes bustle around the kitchen. Another half-dozen are at the Covingtons and another batch are at the Kents to help with the canning.

 

"Yes, the plants are pulled and in the compost bin." Josette says. "Thanks for coming out to help."

 

"I'm bored to tears on Archimedes, the kitchen garden is in and James is in Albatross going over the plans for the home renovations the others want since David's busy working on his Masters project and papers." Mom waves a hand towards the link to the dorm where her son is slogging away. Beside her Hannah is standing on a stool, washing the food in the sink and passing it along. Once everything is done she stacks the baskets together and starts sweeping up the dirt on the floor, dumping it outside.

 

"Did you keep the larger garden?"

 

"Yes, I wanted to try some new recipes and it won't go to waste. Everybody in town planted full gardens after running out of canned fruits and vegetables and having to make do with replicated until the winter crops ripened." Josette shrugs. "We told them to plant extra since we'd only have two harvests last year."

 

"People have to learn for themselves." Mary says, nodding as they start the last batch of food. "I'm sure everybody in Albatross planted extra."

 

"Yes, because they're farmers. The communal gardens in town were seen as a second source of food."

 

"We'd do the same thing in Eureka." Mary says shaking her head. "I'm not sure if starting to grow commercially offworld is going to help or not."

 

"We'll have to wait and see." Josette says as David comes into the kitchen, hugging his Mom and youngest sister. "Everything in?"

 

"Yeah, time for lunch." The three head off, letting Josette's other selves continue working on the food. They talk about how the commercial growing is going to affect the communal gardens.

 

"I can't see it, you can make what you want when you have your garden." Lois says. "Right now when we can, dry, and preserve to pass out after Thanksgiving for the winter, it's what's most popular." Maria nods. "And there's always the chance of a short harvest again."

 

Ma and Mom nod, having been shooed off to eat by the Josettes in their kitchens. They fill their trays and settle at the tables. "We want people to be self-sufficient, yes having offseason fruit and vegetables will be nice but I can't see people getting complacent, not after the kicks in the teeth we've had. We want people to be self-sufficient, that means canning more of their garden to have for the future while buying fresh fruits and vegetables when they're available at the market."

 

"And like Josette, being able to experiment with different recipes."

 

"Tomato sauces, pesto."

 

"Plus at least one field or area a year will be a new fruit or vegetable."

 

"Did you harvest the rest of the plants on the first planet?" Abby asks.

 

"I'm going to now that we're done here." Josette heads off after lunch, spending a couple weeks on the first planet but returning an hour later. Cleaning them on the ship she heads back to Haven, stopping on the vampire planet to haggle with Dr. Kane about getting more.

 

"Are you holding some back?"

 

"Both in stasis and dried in wreaths." He nods in satisfaction as Josette gets back on Atlantis and lifts off, heading to Eureka this time.

 

"Is that the last of the harvest?" Vincent asks.

 

"Until I plant again in a few months." Josette nods. They haggle over the prices of everything and Josette returns to Haven, braiding the peppers into more wreaths and putting everything else in stasis before planting the next crops.

 

"Everything in?" David asks a couple days later. tapping on the door of her first floor room.

 

"Until the yearly and offworld harvests start." Josette stretches and yawns, nearly knocking the chair over as she laces her fingers together and throws them up over her head. The cat lying in her lap gives her a disgusted look for disturbing him and she skritches him behind the ear, getting a purr. "Should be a couple of weeks and it will be asshole to elbow until the second harvest comes in and the Harvest Festival. "And it feels good to say that after last year."

 

Josette is busy in a couple of weeks, slumping into her seat at dinner after delivering everything and accepting payments.

 

"Is this it?"

 

"Until the crops come in and the next batch of offworld harvests." Josette says, opening one eye as a tray is put in front of her. Anna shoves a spoon into her hand and she begins to eat. The next morning it's raining like pouring piss from a boot and the others are quiet as they walk to the dining hall for breakfast. They shake off most of the water in the entry and hang up their foul weather gear, it steaming in the back room as they eat breakfast.

 

"The cisterns needed refilling anyway." David says, looking outside.

 

"Yes, this way nobody's got to stand pumping for hours to fill them." Josette laughs suddenly. "Something else they're going to have to get used to farming instead of gardening." Ma, who'd come out before breakfast to go to Agatha's after breakfast, laughs and nods. "The cisterns and pumping station to handle the larger fields helps a lot but it takes all day to fill the cistern. Bless the rains, they may make life miserable while they last though some of us forget to wear galoshes so they keep having to dry their feet and change out their socks and shoes..." Josette sniggers as the boys roll their eyes.

 

"Do you have all the yearly crops in now Josette?"

 

"Yes, both here and on the first planet except for the olives." Josette yawns and stands up to fill her tray again. After breakfast Josette and Ma head to Agatha's, doing some shopping there then heading to the flea market building and looking through the offworld fruits and vegetables, buying some to take home. Josette stops at the sandwich place and bakery before they walk home and Ma heads to the Kent farmhouse, stirring the hearty stew she'd put in the slowcooker before breakfast then making lunch for herself and the others as Pa and Connor come in from the barn.

 

"Is that some of the offworld food?" Pa looks at the bins filled with fruit and vegetables Ma's putting in the pantry.

 

"Yes, Josette and I stopped on the way back from Agatha's to see what they had."

 

Meanwhile Josette starts a brisket low and slow in her slowcooker and has meat marinating in the refrigerator for jerky.

 

"Brisket?" David pokes his head around the door, recognizing the spices Josette's putting away.

 

"and meat marinating for jerky. I'll put the drying racks out for them in a few days."

 

"Smoke house?"

 

"Next year, cheese, fish, and jalapenos for chipilotes." Josette looks in on the wreaths of drying peppers before they go to lunch.

 

"Josette, have we ever thought about the big water wheels to drive machinery?" President Bartlett asks, waving her up to the front table. One of the teachers listens in interest.

 

"Yes, I've thought of it but the solar panels provide more power unless we had somebody inside the wheel walking in place like we do at the power production buildings." Nods from the others. "There's also the thought of having to find a good sized river or stream for the wheel, which would put it apart from other buildings."

 

"Meaning anything produced there would need to travel."

 

"Exactly. With the flyers it wouldn't be that big of an inconvenience but if we had to rely on horses and wagons. . ."

 

"A good portion of the cost of getting a product to market on Earth was transportation." President Bartlett sighs. Nods from the other teachers. "That's why fruit and veggies were picked early so they could travel cross country or around the world and treated with wax or other stuff to make them look good by the time they arrived."

 

"And were tasteless since they were picked so early." Professor Druid says, rolling her eyes. The others nod. "Josette, have you been to the flea market building since it opened?"

 

"Yeah, Ma and I went earlier this morning and got bags of fruits and vegetables."

 

"How are they moving the food? Are you picking it up?"

 

"No, I could if they had a lot but right now they're sending somebody through the switching station to have a wagon ready, then the chamber is filled with basically banana boxes filled with fruit and veggies that are loaded onto the wagon and taken to the building. Whatever they've picked that morning is either canned, dried, or otherwise preserved for the future or delivered, either here or there." the others nod in satisfaction.

 

"Are they only growing fruits and vegetables this year?" President Bartlett asks.

 

"Yes, they're learning the difference between gardens and crops." Professor Druid chuckles. "Next year they should get the hang of it, and they'll have more helpers with the others finishing their university classes this year so they can expand the fields and crops."

 

"Is the sorting planet interested in another apartment complex?"

 

"Yes, we're bringing it out after our fall finals, they're talking about us furnishing it like the vampire planet's buildings when we're done. That will give a crew from Sanders over the winter to work on it."

 

"Is David getting along well on his project and papers?" Professor Fletcher asks.

 

"Yes, he's got an appointment with his advisor to go over his progress this fall when he starts classes again."

 

"How are you coming along on your classes?"

 

"Good, I finished the buttonmaking and dyeing degrees from Assyrian, I can start the buttonmaking hands-on degree next year but the dyeing degree they're working on to make sure they don't duplicate the projects from the other degree I took. I finished the degree on Doctor Who over the break, that leaves me Sherlock and the China conflict to finish next semester and I'll be a year into the book degree for musical instruments and my chemistry degree."

 

The others nod in satisfaction. "The girls?"

 

"Working on their papers when they're not at work or over the breaks in the twins case. They want to present them summer year after next when they'll be a semester from finishing."

 

Josette heads back to the back room, filling her tray and settling in her usual seat. The others look at her. "Wanted to know if I'd thought of a water wheel for power."

 

"Solar panels more effective unless you had somebody in it like a human hamster." David says.

 

"And we'd need a large enough river so it would be pretty far away from everything else. With flyers that's not a hardship but back on Earth where transportation was common it drove up prices. Someplace like the vampire planet where everything's spread out. . ." The others nod.

 

"There have been communities growing up around a saw or grist mill." The others nod.

 

"If we hadn't already planned out Town before we arrived, that might have been a possibility. It might happen on the vampire planet."

 

"Do we have water powered mills?"

 

"Tons, setting them up for the different types of operation might be a bit of work but we have waterpowered sawmills, gristmills, and woolen mills in limbo."

 

Josette checks on everything when she comes back to the dorm and goes upstairs. David leans in the doorway, looking at the cabinets and grinning at her. "Shouldn't you be working like a dog on your project?"

 

"Heading to Eureka in a few minutes to talk to Henry. Sooo, should I be assuming you went dimension hopping again?"

 

"Yes, I swear I'm the universe's playtoy in cosmic catch and release, pull me from my dimension, stick me in another for however long, then send me back home." David sniggers.

 

"Should I wonder?"

 

"Do you know there is a planet where time travel is so fucking common, you can go to a mall and shop in whatever time period you want?"

 

"Shit, I thought the worlds that were giant malls were bad." David winces.

 

"Oh yeah, all you have to do is go to a government agency and you can spend your vacation wandering through any time period you want, all you have to do is go down a hall. Don't even have to stay in the same time period, just day trip."

 

"Jeez." David shudders.

 

"There's also a underground where you don't even have to contact the government, all you need to do is know the right people and you're in like Flynn. That's probably why I was stuck in a time loop that lasted six days one time, the timestream there is a fucking mess and it took them days to figure out what the cause was. The hotel where I was staying had a fire drill and I spent days getting to the door and then being back in my room, since there was merchandise on the walls I just grabbed changes of clothes and food and stuck it in my duffel bag in case this was the time that I actually got past the door." David shakes his head.

 

"There's worlds where everything is covered with buildings either from natural disaster, building on worlds that you couldn't live outside, or just because once they started building they didn't stop. You know how the skyscrapers in the other dimension were basically little cities but people still went outside and the trains could take you anywhere in an hour or so, even halfway across the world? Forget that on those worlds, the same hallways that could take you to different time periods on one world could take you to different cities on another. You wanted to go from New York to London, just go down the hall and take the London branchway."

 

"Shit, the city on the first planet doesn't look so bad now, at least they went outside as often as they could." David heads off to Archimedes, taking a deep breath of air after stepping outside and walking to Henry's to talk over his progress. He returns in time for dinner.

 

"Good talk?"

 

"Yeah, Henry gave me a few pointers on what I'd need." David puts down his tray and sits down. "Unless I totally tank my paper, and he's promised to lock me in a room so my parents and godparents can beat me if I do, I'm good for the thesis. Of course that means when I'm done Grammy Allie will start hinting about a Ph.D."

 

Josette does the world's smallest violin as the others snigger.

 

"So, that planet you were telling me about. . .the hotel. Technology?"

 

"No, it's a natural function, they've never figured out how the hell it happens. . .which is why the government really wants to control it. Because a single misstep could cause something like what happened with me at the hotel. Or even worse."

 

"I can understand."

 

"Ahhh Jeez Josette, again?" Alexander asks.

 

"Yeah, I'm the fish on the line in the multiverse's version of catch and release." Josette snorts. "Yank me out of my nice warm dimension and pop me into another, then send me back home." On the screen Principal Madison snorts despite himself.

 

"Makes you appreciate what you have all the more." Susan says. The others nod. "Offworld harvests?"

 

"Starting again next year, I'll get another two or three in before we sign up for our fall classes, the crops start coming in, and the Harvest Festival."

 

The next couple of weeks pass and Josette nods at everybody in the front of the dorm.

 

"Thankee." She says as David hands her a bottle of Haven Dew. She slumps into a chair and opens the bottle, lap full of purring cats as one of the dogs puts his head under her head to pet.

 

"Lady Morrigan." She starts to get up to bow.

 

"Oh relax child, you're dead on your feet. From what the others have said, I can understand." She waves a hand.

 

"Is that all of the offworld harvests until the Festival?" Alice asks.

 

"Yes, that way everybody can enjoy themselves but I start right back up again after the Festival. It was rough the harvests and the crops all coming in at the same time but it can't be helped. As it is, all the offworld harvests will be finished by our first testing week. By next year, they'll all be done by the first week of the semester."

 

"How long until we could harvest twice if we wanted?"

 

"Atlantis and the other ladies figure three or four years."

 

"Doc is a Time Lord?" Alan asks after their visitors have left a couple weeks later. Doc had spent hours with the Doctors talking to the cities. David's snickering.

 

"Yah, that was my thought." Josette says, rolling her eyes. "My life is fucking weird. Oh, I did find out that the cities can link together to become one large planet sized city."

 

"Shades of Voltron." Michael says. Josette sniggers.

 

"Did you deliver the second batch of furniture to the vampire planet?"

 

"Yeah." Josette stretches. "We'll take the last batch along with what supplies we have made up so far after our finals. "You bringing out the apartment complex for the sorting planet then?"

 

"Yeah, the last of the work that can be done on the outside of the houses in Albatross will be done by then or scheduled for next year with the interior work having been finished. Winter is not the time to be having work done." The others nod.

 

"So what's Doc's TAR. . .Headquarters?."

 

"Linked to it, along with the Fortress."

 

"Do you exist . . .or did exist?"

 

"Nope, like Clark's world my father wasn't born."

 

"So does the Doctor exist in that dimension?"

 

Josette nods. "Yes, and like ours he has the wanderlust."

 

"Time Academy?"

 

"What makes you think I'd know anything about it?" Josette says innocently.

 

"All the new stuff in your workroom?" David snorts.

 

"Boring ass shit, no wonder the Doctor stole the TARDIS and shook the dust of Gallifrey off his heels."

 

"Time War?"

 

"No, they just sat on Gallifrey and moldered away because they forgot to live." Josette rolls her eyes.

 

"And some of us prefer to grab onto life with both hands and our teeth." Anna says, the others nod as they head off to dinner. The next day Josette heads off with another group of people to harvest offworld, bringing the food out when they return. Josette delivers their portion to the dorm, putting everything away before she opens her textbooks and supplies for the fall classes. and checks on the Josette on teacher.

 

"How many classes are you looking at next semester?" David asks that night at dinner.

 

"37, I'm finishing the first year for the musical instrument and chemistry degrees and finishing the China conflict and Sherlock degrees. It's a little more than I wanted to take but it can't be helped. It'll be tough." The others laugh at her.

 

"Did you plant the raised beds?"

 

"Yes, I'm off to check on them and the olives in a couple of days. I'm going back after I pick since I'm leaving some to ripen to black olives."

 

"Did you do a batch of beer?"

 

"Yeah, next year I'll work on something else." Josette reaches behind her to scratch her back absently. "Unless of course David gets his wish and knocks you girls up again." Michael chuckles as the girls roll their eyes.

 

"Maybe this time you'd get with the program and catch up with me." Abby smirks at her sister. Anna blows her a raspberry. The others snigger.

 

"Meeting with your advisor?"

 

"In a couple of days."

 

"Did you get to a good stage for the papers and project?"

 

"Yeah, I should be able finish one of them next year. Henry agrees with me, now I just gotta see if my advisor's on the same page. And duck Grammy Allie's nagging about going for a Ph.D when I finish the Masters."

 

"Rotsa Ruck." Josette snorts. The others laugh.

 

"The two of you should be finishing about the same time." Alan looks at Susan, David, and back again.

 

"Within a year of each other." David says, nodding. "I'm taking more classes a semester but Susan's got three classes on me at the end of this semester."

 

"How many students do we have graduating this semester?"

 

"758, 800 next year, and 827 the year after that. Right now we're looking at around a thousand, maybe up to 1300 students graduating at a time until it's our lot, the Amish kids, and the offworld children left."

 

"Plus whatever children we've had since then." David leers. Alexander pushes him out of the chair this time. The others laugh.

 

The next morning Josette splits off duplicates to go to the various workplaces or start classes and joins the others walking to the dining hall. David sniggers as he gets a message, putting his PADD away.

 

"They're having to pump to fill the cisterns on the sorting planet today, they're figuring out how much work farming really is." The others snigger. Everybody's taken a turn pumping to fill a cistern when it was empty . . .most of the time after they've spent a couple hours pumping water for the garden and fields.

 

"When do they start farming on Archimedes?"

 

"They've got everything laid out and are planning to plant everything in a couple of weeks." Josette says. "They should get two good harvests before their fall, they're starting midway through the kitchen gardens so they have fresh fruit and veggies before and after the others have been harvested." Nods from the others. "By the time the plants are big enough to need more attention, the second group of students will be finishing their university classes to give them a hand."

 

"And then they'll start working on the animal planet?"

 

"In a year or so. They don't want to produce too much too soon. Even with a five hundred more students moving to their own apartments and needing to buy their own food." nods from the others.

 

"Are they going to enlarge the communal gardens next year."

 

"No, they're already got the full gardens planted this year, the students have been helping to harvest and can when they're not in class or taking finals to get them used to it and to have a good selection of food set away in their apartments before they move in. And some of the stuff they've been canning and drying on the sorting planet is being handed out too this fall. More is being stored for the sorting planet's fall so they have it over the winter beyond the canned food from the gardens."

 

"Toothpaste?"

 

"Delivered before the Harvest Festival."

 

"Candy?"

 

"Still got plenty left, probably put up a poll next fall and start making another batch the year after that."

 

"Is the elastic factory finished?"

 

"Yes, we're going over everything tomorrow." Josette says, yawning. "Same time I'm heading off for another offworld harvest."

 

The next morning after breakfast Josette, Doc, and Principal Madison head into town, looking over everything in the new factory as another Josette heads off with a group of townspeople to harvest offworld. The next few weeks pass quickly and Josette slides into her seat at the testing center in Eureka.

 

"Are you done with the offworld harvests?"

 

Josette waggles a hand. "The last one was heading off before we left. It's ours so once everything's canned, dried, or otherwise taken care of we'll be done until the last crops come in."

 

"Are David and James still on to bring out another apartment complex?"

 

"Yeah, this one's coming out by the growing areas instead of the factories." They nod in satisfaction. "As the commercial crops grow, we'll probably get more people moving there." Nods from the others. "How's the crops coming along here?"

 

"Good, I like the idea of setting them off from our gardens so everything's not coming in at once."

 

"Fresh fruit and veggies before or after your gardens have produced but it also means only three crops instead of four."

 

The others nod. "We're looking at two this year but it will be a good start. There's other jobs they can do here or the other planets while they're not working in the fields."

 

"With the switching stations and longer days, it's easy enough to put in a full day's work on another planet and still have time at home."

 

"And a lot shorter commute, no rush hour traffic jams." Dr. Cross chuckles. "You're taking to the vampire planet again?"

 

"After our finals. Another batch of furniture and other stuff plus stuff from the others since they're going to be running low on room. Even with enlarging their buildings with tesseracts last year."

 

"Nobody expected this volume of business this soon." Dr. McNider says.

 

"Exactly, they thought of a slow population growth, not two large leaps when first we lost Earth and had 40,000 teens who needed jobs and homes, and again when we took in the orphans."

 

"Did you use the smokehouse this summer?"

 

"Next year, fish, cheese, and chipilotes since we're running low, once they're smoked I'll put them on wreaths to dry like I do the peppers from the first planet." The others nod. "Easy enough way to store them and you can put them on the wall as decoration once they're dried, pulling one off when it's needed."

 

Josette nods. "And much easier to store than other things."

 

"Potatoes take up a good bit of space, so do onions and other other peppers." Josette sniggers but nods. "Even if you leave the tops long enough you can braid them and hang them from something. In a basement or underground storage place you'd have to walk through them. Not too many places have nice open buildings with rafters anymore."

 

"Those would have been miserable in the winter. Even the modern homes built like that have to be a bitch to heat." The others nod as the buzzer sounds and the others come over to the table after using the bathroom.

 

"Did you finish your degrees?" Dr. Cross asks.

 

"Yeah, I started them first when this semester started since I wanted to get them out of the way so I could get in the others I was trying to finish years on."

 

"How far are you on Cambridge and Oxford?"

 

"Three semesters for both, between the breaks and the semesters themselves next year I should have both of them finished next year. If not. . ." Josette shrugs. "I started three new degrees this year and I'll start as many next year."

 

After lunch Josette heads back to the dorm, absorbing her other selves that had been working the second shift after dinner. The rest of the semester flies by and after their finals Josette finishes putting everything in Atlantis and flies off, arranging for the payments and delivering everything, including a shipment of towels, washcloths, bath mats, and canning jars from the sorting planet. She returns to Haven an hour later, delivering the payments to everybody and getting thank yous back before joining David and the others at lunch.

 

"Get everything delivered?"

 

"Yeah, we're not making a dent as quickly in the orders as we were when it was to get everybody out of the temporary housing but we have a less pressing need to get everything finished that fast too. Because the more we got done meant one more person into their new home." The others nod. "Now we're just getting apartments ready for future inhabitants." She looks at David. "Did you get the other apartment complex up on the sorting planet?"

 

"Yes, it's within easy distance of the growing areas and we'll install a switching station when people start moving. The sorting planet wants to talk about the same sort of thing we have with the vampire planet to get them move-in condition ready."

 

"I know people brought furnished trailers all the time but I'd hate not to have a choice in furnishings." Lois says. The others nod. "Us too, but if you're just starting out, and they have covers you can throw over your furniture if you don't like the colors. . ." Nods from the others.

 

"How long until we have all the crops in?" David asks.

 

"End of the week even with the extra we planted. I gotta check the olives next week. They should be about ready to pick."

 

The next week Josette heads off to the first planet, coming back several weeks later for her with barrels of olives and a couple pallets of olive oil, taking a case to Vincent's.

 

"Is this from the first planet?"

 

"Yes, first pressing."

 

"You can smell the difference." Vincent says, opening one and wafting the aroma towards him like he would a wine, then trying a little on toast then cooking with it. They haggle over the price for the first case before he puts it in the back before dishing her up a plate of food.

 

"Is that everything?"

 

"I left some of the olives on the trees to ripen, I should get as many black olives as I did green that I have in barrels."

 

"Are you selling these?"

 

"Only to special customers. Not wholesale." He nods and they talk as Josette eats. Sheriff Carter comes in and nudges her shoulder.

 

"Stark wants to know if the sorting planet has talked to you guys about the same sort of deal you have with the vampire planet for furnishing the apartments."

 

"Not yet, David expects they will after we've got more finished though. Why does he want the same thing, an apartment complex brought out by the growing areas and furnished?"

 

"They're talking about it. And like you said, nobody said the students had to stay on Haven."

 

Josette nods. "An apartment complex on Haven, the animal planet, the sorting planet, and here would handle all the students and the adults who came with them that haven't settled into permanent housing yet." Vincent looks at her. "Floor monitors." He nods. "As their floors empty of students they move into houses or apartments they'd already selected, most of them have jobs in town."

 

"Do the apartment buildings have switching stations?"

 

"There's going to be one installed when people start moving in. The same thing here so people can get to Eureka or Haven." Josette grabs her PADD and sends off a message to David to check on that with Bruce. "I know they could use the ones at Wayne Industries or Stark International. . ."

 

"But it's better to check." Jack says. Josette nods. "Because sometimes you just got to get away and do something else." The others nod. "That's why we have cookouts or head off to the first planet or the island for a long weekend after school ends and our last crops are in for a few months."

 

"We'd figured that would happen." David says at dinner after Josette has given him the news of the Archimedes apartment complex. "And between ours, the sorting planet, Archimedes, and one on the animal planet that will handle all the students."

 

"And with the longer days you don't have to live and work on the same planet." Susan says. The others nod.

 

That weekend after the high school students have had their graduation ceremony and the university students have left the dorms, Josette and the others head off to the island for a long weekend, laying in the artificial sun, swimming in the lagoon, planting the gardens, and making love for hours before returning home. Upstairs in the growing area they plant what they can't on the islands without upsetting the ecobalance and celebrate Thanksgiving a couple days later, decorating the dorm for the lights festival and seeing the decorations going up around town.

 

A couple days before the Lights Festival, David and Josette talk to somebody from the sorting planet and Dr. Stark about the apartment complexes and furnishing them.

 

"We might be interested in a power production building but don't have the people to charge the batteries with everybody working. Same thing with the laundry, we just don't have the people right now."

 

"No but you will as more students finish their university classes and leave the school." Dr. Stark says. "Nobody says you have to live on the planets you work on with the longer days and switching stations."

 

"True." they start haggling on what they want now and in the future, working up an agreement before heading to their own planets. Josette calls all the managers together.

 

"Have the orders been canceled?" the candlemaking manager looks at Josette.

 

"Nope, in fact they've been extended. After we're done with the apartments for Wayne Industries and Stark International in three years, you're going to be doing the same thing for the sorting planet and Archimedes. David brought out an apartment complex to the sorting planet a couple weeks ago since we're growing commercially there now and they're putting one up on Archimedes on the same principle." Josette sends them the information.

 

"Ohhh man."

 

"I figure a complex on the animal planet when we start growing there should be enough apartments for all the students currently at school. Nobody says we have to live on the planet we're working on." The others nod.

 

"Get everybody told?" Michael asks when she comes back to the dorm.

 

"Yep, they're excited and a little scared."

 

"Can't blame them, this is a big step for us." Alexander says coming out of the studio. "Your books and the meeting at Agatha's?"

 

"Meeting is tomorrow, we've got some of the Amish women and people from Smallville attending too. I'll pick the books up next week when I go out to scout out locations for the new apartment complex. Won't be going up next spring for them since Sanders is busy with the other one right now and next year they'll be finishing the home renovations for Albatross."

 

Josette heads back to the first planet a couple days after coming back from Archimedes, picking the black olives and putting them in barrels filled with brine before heading to the offworld planting area where the grapes are planted, harvesting them and bringing them back to the winery where they're pressed and put in aging barrels, bottling the oldest barrels before putting the notice on the server. She chuckles as a couple minutes later the order from Vincent comes in as she's delivering cases of wine to the store.

 

"Thank you Josette," Vincent says when she delivers the wine the next day. "Did you check on the olives while you were offplanet?"

 

"Yeah, I've got three barrels at the dorm. I picked them before I harvested the grapes."

 

"Ice wine?

 

"Should be another month or so before I harvest the rest of the grapes."

 

The next day they head off to the other dimension, finding a note on the computer when they arrive. Shrugging they update their computer links and head off in opposite directions. They return to Haven an hour later, Josette starts bringing stuff out after lunch.

 

"Gah!" Josette shivers. She pulls on an old disreputable looking but warm sweatshirt and a second pair of socks. "We'll have a storm by bed."

 

"Bad?" David asks.

 

"Three or four inches of snow by morning, maybe a foot by the time it moves through by the end of the week. Be more wind and cold than anything."

 

"We'll check on the animals and get them inside then. A week?"

 

"Yeah, we'll be able to get to the barn easily."

 

The rest of the year passes quickly and the day after the Lights Festival Josette splits off duplicates to head off to start working again on stuff for the vampire planet apartment complex before heading off to breakfast with the others, then heading to the government building for the first meeting of the year.

 

"You've made good progress with everything for the vampire planet." Doc says looking at the list of what they've already taken out and what they have left."

 

"We've had experience and since we're not under a rush and it's the same thing we're making good progress. Which is good since we have eleven solid years of work with this one to get everything furnished, more if and/or when we start growing on the animal planet."

 

"One year less than the school will be open." Josette shakes her head. "The offplanet students?"

 

"Starting first grade with your six, the teachers are working with them to make sure they can keep up." the others nod. "David, is the list of what we want done to the school complete?"

 

"Yes, Dad, Joshua, and I have been looking it over and sorting it by priority. Except for something like the school library addition, it's all minor stuff that can be handled on weekends and during the breaks. And that's probably going to be handled by tesseract."

 

"Good, that's even better." Principal Madison sighs. "This way Katrina can stop dropping 'gentle' hints about my office and the administration building." The others chuckle. "Some of the buildings in town probably could use some work, it's been years since they were brought out."

 

David sends an announcement on the server. "There, anything major they can let me know. Minor stuff they can talk to us as Dad or I go through the buildings. Making the buildings tesseracts took care of most of the problems the candle and soapmakers had but they had a couple other things that needed worked on. We're going to take care of that when they have the renovations in Albatross finished."

 

"Can you work on that while they're working on the stuff for the other planets?"

 

"Yeah, it's just stuff nobody thought about before the buildings went up because the architects didn't have the common sense to talk to people who actually do the work. . .they would have told them what changes needed to be made." David snorts. "Of course part of it might have been the 'who are you to tell me what needs to be done? This is my work, plebe' mentality that was common on Earth. At least until the world started going to hell in a handbasket. Then people started wising up and they got their asses handed to them for being spoiled, selfish brats. That's why we had so many lawsuits from idiots who got told no about coming to Haven and sued to get their way because 'Daddy said I was spe-shul." Sniggers from the others.

 

"That's why GD was very picky about who they brought out, a lot of people with Ph.Ds who thought they were better than God were told to fuck off and people who didn't have them but had common sense and could work with others were brought out."

 

"Some people learn better outside of the classroom and don't need the three letters after their name to do the same job." President Bartlett says. "They might eventually get the pretty papers, but they're not as rabid about it."

 

"And some get the pretty papers because others are rabid about it." David mutters. The others laugh at him. He gives them sour looks.

 

"CJ and Bruce get the same thing from Thomas, it's the sign of being a good parent." Josette says calmly.

 

"Did CJ finish his Oxford degree?'

 

"Yeah, a couple years ago. He's going to be a year into a second degree the end of this year. He got his basic degree out of the way, now he's building onto it." The others nod. "Bruce is just over halfway done with his Chemical Engineering Masters. He's taking a year off classes to work full-time on the project and paper before going back to them." The others nod.

 

The rest of the week passes quickly and soon it's the night before the first semester starts and the twins and Josette head off to the auditorium. After a few announcements they talk about the plans for the school renovations and other things.

 

"Frances, Elaine, how are you two on classes?"

 

"Dead this year, most of the students in high school who want to take the classes already have but that will give us time to work on the renovations we want. The fine arts buildings are going to be doing the same thing in a couple of years." The teachers there nod.

 

"Josette, how many classes are you taking this semester?"

 

"Only 29, I'm got three hands-on ones at Assyrian in different stages, I'm finishing the hand-on natural dyes projects this year, I'm starting the hands-on buttonmaking degree, and I'm finishing the last three classes to be a year into the cooking degree. I'm also finishing a hands-on degree from Edinborough this year and want to get in the last years from Cambridge and Oxford."

 

"Josette, the musical instruments degree?" the music teacher turns to look at her.

 

"Starting the second year for the books portion of the curriculum, right now it's an overview of the different types of instruments with detailed drawings. The second degree gets into working on the actual instruments."

 

"Cambridge and Oxford?"

 

"I lack three semesters for Oxford and two for Cambridge. I'm picking up one of the three this semester, if I finish early I'll pick up another semester somewhere."

 

"What are you taking on the school computer since you're starting two degrees again?"

 

"One of the comic book degrees that I haven't started the curriculum yet and the electrical engineering degree from MIT. I'm a year into the chemistry degree but I start hitting labs this year too. I gotta talk to Dr. Stark about that over the break."

 

"David did his projects while we were taking our tests."

 

Josette nods. "I can do it anytime during the semester though, just as long as we have a lab set up. Hell, as long as somebody supervises me nights or weekends I could do it here." The teachers nod.

 

The next few weeks pass and Josette slides into her seat at the pushed together tables in the testing center.

 

"How's the crops coming along on the island?"

 

"Good, I went up yesterday to check over everything. We should have the early stuff starting to come in soon." The talk then turns to classes, Dr. Stark nodding and making plans to talk to the teachers about Josette's labs when she starts her chem classes this summer.

 

"Is there any backlash about only a few people farming?" Dr. Cross asks.

 

"Not when people know how much work gardens are, farming is worse since there's larger fields full of different crops that need to be taken care of. It's not like Earth where people just saw the money coming in when the crops sell during a good year, they didn't see the money going out, the hard work, the bad years. . ." The others nod. "They just saw quick money. I'm sure if Earth was still around and it wasn't in the middle of an ice age, they'd be suing to get into the action and suing because we don't use fertilizers, just good old compost and manure."

 

Vincent makes a rude sound that makes Josette snigger. Dr. McNider chuckles. "But how can you farm without fertilizers? And you don't buy new machinery every year? How can you do that to me?" He says in a mock trembling voice.

 

"Easy, it's called caring for the land. . .not the almighty dollar. Only growing what we need. And making do with what we have." Josette snorts. "Right now our biggest splurge is the apartment complexes going up by the commercial growing areas, but I can see them having inhabitants in a few years." The others nod. "We spread out to other planets, but we haven't spread out beyond the first settlements on the same planets. You setting up an area on the first planet, Clark, Thomas, and CJ putting up a lab on the second planet, and now these apartment complexes means we're spreading out."

 

"What about the 11th planet?" Josette chuckles.

 

"We're going over the information from the two years and hope to repeat the experiment longer next time. If we do, it will be for five years with more buildings, as a first step for an eventual permanent settlement on a winter planet. If we do, you, Clark, and CJ will have the job of delivering the supplies and putting up the labs. Right now we're looking at one on the equator and one on the pole with the original partway between them so we have readings from all the climates." Josette nods as the buzzer sounds to end the morning session.

 

"Get everything settled for your chem labs?"

 

"Yes, I'll give the school the assignments when Josette signs up for her classes so she can work there nights and weekends. You might have to only take three classes a semester." Josette nods as Vincent puts a plate in front of her and a bottle of Archimedes Dew. "Thank you Vincent."

 

"Are you three still getting the furniture out as fast as you were when you had the former students waiting?" Dr. McNider asks.

 

"Faster I'd say," Alexander says. The others nod. "We don't have to hurry because we don't have them waiting on the furniture to get out of temporary housing. We're also making the same thing one after the other. . ."

 

Josette nods. "We're not having to stop and see what the next order involves, we can keep on going until we finish a batch of whatever furniture we're working on. Meanwhile, I'm plugging away on the smaller stuff and at the end of the semesters or before the Harvest Festival we take in a batch of what we have finished. The end of the year I take in what the others have been working on since they're running out of room and they can take a break until the first of the next year."

 

"Toothbrush factory?"

 

"Coming out in a couple of months."

 

"Josette, what's the biggest problems with a canning factory?" Dr. McNider asks.

 

"We don't grow a single crop large enough to need one, we don't have enough people to need one, and we'd need a second factory to make the cans themselves." Josette ticks off other points on her fingers after putting down her silverware. "Food factories got a bad rap on Earth, well deserved since every time we turned around they seemed to be having problems with food safety." The others nod.

 

"Cutting corners to increase profits, shoddy inspections, or both." Dr. Stark agrees.

 

"And sometimes it's one of the farms that send them the crops." Nods from the others again. "With everybody canning or drying their own food, food-borne illnesses don't spread quickly. And if there's a problem, thank god we haven't had any, it's taken care of quickly since we have to eat the food, we can't just send it off to be somebody else's problem."

 

"Yes, that's one things the commercial growers didn't do."

 

"No, and despite the fines and supposed other punishments, nobody really stopped." Josette snorts. "Like I said earlier, it was all about the money." The others nod.

 

"Aren't the food factories in the other dimension computer run and all the food checked before it's accepted?"

 

"Yes, and the few commercial growers who sent in bad stuff because putting in an insurance claim wouldn't have meant a profit lost their licenses and got heavy fines. And yes, we have the factories on the first planet, but we don't need them."

 

"Not with everybody canning their own food." Dr. Cross agrees. "The apartment complexes have communal gardens and their own plots, don't they?"

 

"Oh yes."

 

After lunch Josette heads back to Haven, absorbing some of the duplicates that had been out and about. At dinner she nudges Clark and CJ, who are talking with Doc, Bruce, and Thomas in the back room. "GD is talking about expanding the lab on the eleventh planet for a second test, this one to last five years."

 

"Really?" Thomas asks, everybody looking at her. "Yeah, Dr. Stark and I were talking about it after my tests." Josette looks at the front screen. "He's going to contact you about the labs I need for the chemistry degree." On the screen Principal Madison nods. "Anyway, they want to add at least two more setups, one by the equator where if they do have a growing season. . ." Nods from the others. "And the other by the pole?" Clark asks. Josette nods. "Labs in all three climates, each to see how being so far from the suns affects plant growth and other tests."

 

"Including how long you can stand being in such close contact with no outside interference?"

 

"And how long it takes until Dr. Stark wants to beat you for whining." Josette sniggers.

 

"Is this a possible first step towards a permanent settlement on an ice planet?" Principal Madison asks in the front room. Josette nods on the screen. "Possibly, it won't be for centuries though." Everybody in the back room nods, the front table doing the same when Principal Madison passes along that news.

 

"Josette, how's your classes coming?" CJ asks.

 

"Good, I'll be a year for both Oxford and Cambridge after this semester and I want to pick up another semester over the break for Oxford so I can finish it this summer. I'm starting the chem classes next year, though I'll probably only be getting in three a semester with the labs." Nods from the others.

 

"Electrical Engineering?"

 

"First year or so is all books, then we start working on the hands-on, learning about the circuits and whatnot. Stuff I've already been learning from the cities and helping set up the labs." Nods from the others. "Rather than actual projects though, everything will be on the computer for the degree."

 

"Why not do the chem labs that way?"

 

"The projects build on each other and can be used for other things at GD, that's why the two degrees were worked on after the loss of Earth."

 

"Waste not, want not. It may be pious but it's words to live by."

 

"The old ways shouldn't be ignored just because they're old. They lasted for a reason." Nods from the others.

 

"Damn it, I sound like one of those miserable old women who were always looking their noses down on people because 'we didn't do that in the old days'." Josette shakes her head as the others laugh.

 

"Josette, I hate to break it to you but you're 91, you would be one of those miserable old biddies on Earth." David says patting her on the shoulder.

 

"Wouldn't speak too soon grandpa, you'd be one of the old guys eating dinner at 4pm to get the early bird special and not driving over 20 miles an hour." Josette snorts. The others laugh.

 

"Are we going to be grandparents again?" Thomas asks dryly.

 

"If not it's not from lack of trying." David smirks.

 

"Not me but the girls were . .." Josette's interrupted by a priority incoming message beep on her PADD. Watching the attachment she blinks and starts it again before dropping on the floor cackling. She waves the PADD in midair, somebody taking it.

 

"Wellll," CJ drawls watching the footage from the testing center. "Abby can stop tormenting Anna about laying down on the job since she's got one more child than she does."

 

"Twins?" Principal Madison sighs. CJ holds up three fingers.

 

"OI frigging vey." He moans. Everybody looks at him. "Triplets."

 

"Twins for Abby and Susan." He hands the PADD back to Josette once she's stopped cackling like a loon.

 

"At least we have other teachers to take over the classes when the girls have to go on maternity leave." Professor Druid sighs. Josette sends off messages to the others to expect a call in a couple days when the girls finish their tests, getting moaning e-mails back from Ma, Clarinda, and Mom.

 

David looks at Josette. "Are we four for four?"

 

"No, I'm too busy right now with all the stuff to try to get pregnant. Give it a few more years."

 

"This is probably the time to tell you that they're going to have cousins the same age." Doc chuckles.

 

"Here too." Thomas sighs. "Mary is a teenager and the boys are nearly as old."

 

"Well at least you won't be turning as old as as many children we have for a while." David says as Josette gets up and takes her seat again.

 

"Oh shut up." Josette grumbles. "Just remember, you're going to have a talk with your mother as soon as the news reaches them. And she's not going to be happy."

 

"Awwwwww SHIT!"

 

"Suffer." The others shake their heads and laugh.

 

"103 grandchildren." Mary moans in Eureka a few hours later after the others have finished their tests and had dinner at the Cafe. They're all sitting around their house in Eureka.

 

"Better than the heir, the spare, and Bob." Susan snorts.

 

"Wha. . .No, I don't want to know what was going through what passes for my son's mind at that comment." Mary sighs. She looks over at her chortling husband.

 

"At least it's not just us this time, Josette says Clark and Thomas are expecting, Pat and Bethany too."

 

"When is the toothbrush factory going up?" Alan asks. "And yes, I'm changing the subject."

 

"Should be about your second testing week if everything still happens according to plan." James says. "We're going to be starting the process of installing the links to the factory and supplies in a week or so."

 

"Do the factories have anything for us this year?"

 

"No, Josette said the candy factory will probably be putting up the poll after the Harvest Festival and the toothpaste and plastics factory filled their orders last year."

 

"How are we on baby clothes?"

 

"Something I'm sure Lady Hera, Lord Apollo, and Lady Aphrodite took care of when they went off to take care of the nursery."

 

"The Lords and Ladies take care of everything?" David asks when they get back to the dorm.

 

"Yep." Josette looks through the drawers and shelves in the closets. "I'll send out a note to the diaper service tomorrow to let them know to expect our business." Josette comes out, hugging Mom, Ma, and Clarinda. They'd all suspected the news from the note and had come out to talk to the others. The news that Clark and Thomas have a baby in the chamber and that Pat and Bethany are expecting too are met with congratulations.

 

The next day Josette goes into town after breakfast to do some shopping. Marilyn is behind the counter at the yarn store and blinks as Josette starts filling a cart then laughs.

 

"Really?"

 

"Yep, the girls, Pat, and Bethany. And Clark and Thomas have a baby in the chamber."

 

"Awwwww." Marilyn starts to say, then counts the yarn. "How many?"

 

"Well, Abby can stop twitting Anna about having one more child than she does. Abby and Susan are having twins, Anna's having triplets."

 

Sue, who'd come into the building to see if Marilyn wanted lunch, starts swearing. Agatha who's behind her laughs despite herself. Josette looks at them and smirks.

 

"Yeah, so we're expecting a 'really, girls' sigh from Mom when they come back from Archimedes today."

 

"I'll order a couple pizzas." Marilyn chuckles. "Are Pat, Bethany, and Clark and Thomas only expecting one?"

 

"We think so, we won't know about Clark and Thomas until they open the chamber but . . ." Josette shrugs and pulls up a stool to the table.

 

"How's the progress going on the apartment complex?"

 

"Good. which is good since Dad's got a crew working on one on the sorting planet by the growing areas and there's one coming up on Archimedes in a couple of years."

 

"Oh man." Marilyn moans. "Same sort of arrangement?"

 

"Yep, instead of two more years after this one to work on stuff. . .we have ten. More if we put up an apartment complex on the animal planet when we start growing there. But between them and the second one we put up here everybody will have permanent homes by the time they get out of the dorms."

 

"Which is the important thing." Agatha says firmly. The others nod. "How long is the school open?"

 

"Twelve years with this one, with our six, the Amish children, and the offworld children the only students the last four years."

 

"When is this next batch of Amish children starting?"

 

"Next year, they're attending the 'what happened to the earths' intro class at the education center this year."

 

"Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it."

 

"Usually at Hogwarts." Josette snorts. The others laugh. "How's the renovations going for the textiles buildings?"

 

"Good. Dad's coming out again this weekend to check on the next stage. That should be expanding the buildings by tesseract. You can be in the building as that happens but it's a little .. .unsettling. You feel like you're on a roller coaster. . .or that's how we felt when they were working on the dorm for the first time. Now since they only work on one floor at a time, if it gets too bad they can just go up or down one flight of stairs and it gets better."

 

"How long does it take?"

 

"Usually a couple of days. The renovations to the rooms after they've shifted is the longer job."

 

"So get one floor enlarged, then work on what needs to be worked on afterwards, then start on another?"

 

"Yep, that's how we did it before we started adding onto the dorm by tesseract. Not only were we enlarging the rooms, we were tearing up the old industrial carpeting and linoleum in the bathrooms and adding larger windows to our rooms. Once we had the first floor done, we worked on the second, concentrating on my workrooms."

 

"Makes sense."

 

A couple hours later Josette comes back to the dorm, putting her bags upstairs in her room as the switching station alarm sounds and the others arrive back home. The girls swat David on the head on the way to their rooms. "From Mom until she can get here this weekend and beat you to death good and proper." Everybody in earshot sniggers. Almost as if their arrival had summoned her, the tesseract alarm sounds a minute later and Alice crosses her arms as she looks at the girls.

 

"Aht, get back here." She says as Josette starts down the hall.

 

"Bathroom."

 

"Really girls?" Alice asks when Josette comes back, sliding into a spot between Michael and Abby.

 

"I think the boys had a little something something to do with us becoming pregnant." Susan snorts. "Because it's still biologically impossible for us to knock each other up yet."

 

Andrew snorfles from his spot against the wall and Alice gives him a disgusted look, but everybody can see she's trying not to laugh.

 

The next few weeks pass quickly, Dad coming out to start the process of adding the toothbrush factory to the warehouse and starting to work on the renovations to the textiles buildings, starting with Josette's workroom.

 

"How is everything on Haven?" Dr. McNider asks the second testing week when Josette slides into her seat after finishing the tests.

 

"Hopping. The toothbrush factory is going in, Dad's working on the renovations for the textiles buildings. The girls officially go on maternity leave during our third testing week. I'm checking the stores of clothes we have made up, seeing if we need to start a batch. Dad and I are talking about the plans for the renovations to the school library and I'm clearing out Principal Madison's office so it can be redecorated in a couple of days."

 

"What's going on?"

 

"Cleaning, painting. Alexander's working on the desk. Mostly just stuff that he's been putting off as not necessary. Stuff that's driven Professor Druid up the wall, across the ceiling, and down the opposite wall more than once." The three men snigger. "I can get his office cleaned out in an hour and ready for the more intensive work the next morning. He might be out of it a few days but it makes Professor Druid happy." The three men snigger again. "Because then her office gets taken care of."

 

"And your office?" Dr. Stark says dryly.

 

"In the library? Good. Though I think once their offices are done Professor Druid's going to hint about mine."

 

"In the administration building, you are second in command after all."

 

"When would I be there?" Josette snorts. "I'd say the whole school is my office but that's an understatement."

 

"The whole planet is your office." Dr. Cross says dryly.

 

"More the truth." The buzzer sounds and the others come over, the girls already in maternity clothes.

 

When Josette gets back to Haven she heads to the island, checking on the gardens and bringing in the early crops from them and the growing area upstairs. David helps her put everything away.

 

"Do you think that the girls will be able to make the third testing week?"

 

"Nope, Dr. Stark already told us Dr. Blake and a proctor would come out to give them their tests since they're all carrying multiples. Dr. Blake's coming out to stay then, I'm sure the grandmothers and our sisters will be coming out a couple weeks later."

 

David nods, making a note to put the girls in adjoining rooms. And put bath stuff in the bathrooms.

 

"How are Pat and Bethany?"

 

"Disgusted with Doc, who's just smiling at them." David smirks, he's getting the same treatment from the other girls.

 

Josette chuckles and heads back upstairs, absorbing part of the duplicates that had been out and about all day.

 

"How long are the girls off?"

 

"At least through the 2nd semester, that will give them time to work on their papers." David nods he'd be doing the same thing.

 

The next day Josette starts clearing out Principal Madison's office, setting up a working area in the boardroom since it's not often used. Principal Madison sighs when everything's cleared out. "I didn't realize just how much stuff I've gathered in there over the years." He takes a box out of a desk drawer, putting it carefully in his pocket. David looks at her, he's busy taking measurements.

 

"There's some things that are precious to a person, for me it was my mom's picture, her gun, her ashes, and Samhein. I could lose most everything and live out of a backpack but as long as I had those. . ." David nods. "For Principal Madison it's whatever he keeps in that box, something of his father's."

 

"They're sacred."

 

"Exactly." They continue taking measurements, looking towards the door when a shadow falls into the room. "Oh this is already ten times better just by having everything out." Professor Druid says. "James?"

 

"In the boardroom. You don't know just how much stuff you accumulate over the years until you have to move it all. Or someone else has to."

 

"Amen, your first floor room was bad enough so many years ago. Moving your stuff now would take months. . .if not years."

 

Josette snorts. "We'd just move the whole building like we did last time." Professor Druid chuckles. The cleaning robots come in after everybody heads out. "Is everything in the boardroom?"

 

"The current stuff. The older stuff is in the overflow store room to be looked over."

 

"We've needed a couple of weeks to just sort through everything and move it to permanent microfilm storage or dispose of it. We've been meaning to but. . . "

 

"Stuff happens." Josette says. Professor Druid nods. "Sometimes you need a new set of eyes and pair of hands. Or two. Or ten. Like when the government had to go through their shelves of saved documents and weeded it down from a building to a room. Despite their whining they needed copies of memos from 2012 to cut down on toilet paper. . ." Professor Druid guffaws. "Yeah, that sounds like government nitpicking." She rolls her eyes and changes the subject. "What's the stores of clothes?"

 

"Good, we won't need to open the clothing factory until spring."

 

"Toothbrush?"

 

"Going in now."

 

She hugs her and checks the time before heading to class. They check Professor Druid's office, making plans for what they're going to need to do before heading back to the dorm. After lunch Josette goes upstairs and pets the cabinets and starts cutting out more blocks for her current project while a half-dozen of her other selves are busy knitting and crocheting baby caps and booties, blankets, and adult socks for the girls, Pat, and Bethany as well as new Daddy again gifts for the others.

 

The next few weeks pass quickly, Josette finishing her online classes a couple of days before the third testing week and go out to the ranch to check on the fields.

 

"Couple more weeks?" David asks when she returns.

 

"Yeah, I'll help Dad out with the fields and garden since Mom will be here with the girls." David nods and Josette walks upstairs, walking into one of the cabinets that disappears. It reappears about ten minutes later, Josette coming out and shaking her head as she pets the cabinet and settles back to finishing the last set of blocks for the quilt top so she can start putting it together.

 

"The dorm needs a good airing out." Susan says at dinner that night. The others nod. "The air cleaners help, so does having doors or windows open until it gets too cold but . .."

 

"We need to have all the doors and windows open for a few hours." Josette says. The others agree.

 

"How's the administration building coming along?"

 

"Good, they enlarged the building before they started working on the offices. Now they're redoing the boardroom and other rooms as they have the time and by how much work they need beyond 'this is driving me nuts, do something'." The others snigger and nod.

 

"How's the textiles building coming along?"

 

"Good. We're working on a floor at a time and Frances and Elaine love all the extra room."

 

The next morning Josette, Alan, Andrew, and Michael head off to the testing center after Josette's split off a dozen duplicates to handle the crops coming in on the islands gardens and upstairs as well as her other jobs. A few minutes later the switching station opens again and Dr. Blake arrives, hugging David and the girls.

 

"Project?"

 

"I'll be finished with it by the middle of summer, and have a thesis finished by the end of the summer."

 

"Good." Dr. Blake starts putting her clothes and other stuff away. "How are the fields looking?"

 

"The snow's melting well, Josette should be able to spread manure by the end of next week and plant a couple weeks after that. And we'll be able to open all the windows and doors and air the dorm out for a few hours."

 

"We do that as soon as the weather gets warm enough, the air cleaners aren't as good as real fresh air. Those labs that have windows generally open theirs at least once during the winter, so do many apartments."

 

Josette nods. "We open windows and doors during the winter but the cold makes us close them after a few minutes. That's not long enough to get the lived in smell out of the dorm."

 

"No, but it helps your room." Josette says, coming into the hallway and bringing out baskets of food from the island.

 

"Is this everything?"

 

"Hell no, I'll be picking just as much in a couple of days. I already passed along some to Mom and Ma." David nods in satisfaction. "The drying stations on the island are full." They go into the kitchens, starting to work on everything. for a couple of days. By the end of the week everything's in and Josette nods at the shelves of food in the kitchens before joining with her other selves that had been working shifts in town.

 

"Cotton?" David asks a couple days later.

 

"Yeah since we've got the other apartment complexes to furnish." Josette yawns, looking out the window at the rain. "This will get everything off to a good start after I plant." The others nod. A few days later Josette starts planting, everything in a few days later.

 

"Done?" David asks when Josette absorbs her other selves one night.

 

"Yeah, everything's in and I took the furniture to Salem since Hank was running out of. . ."

 

"GOD DAMN SUNNABITCH!!!! SHIT!!!!! WHAT SHE SAID!!!!"

 

"Room at the woodworking studio." Josette finishes what she was saying as David snickers and Alexander sends out the cleaning robots as Alan, Dr. Blake, and Michael help the girls upstairs. Josette sends out the announcements that the girls water had broken before she goes upstairs.

 

"Are you getting in another semester?" Dr. Blake asks after examining the girls and getting them settled in beds.

 

"Yeah, I'm starting a lit degree from my original sosh school on girl fiction when I finish this last semester in a few days."

 

"Oxford?"

 

"I'm getting in a semester in over the break and the last this summer. Cambridge I'll get a semester in over the second break and finish it this fall. I need to talk to my advisors about more degrees."

 

A couple days later Anna has had three sons, Abby a boy and a girl, and Susan has had two girls.

 

"Boys win."

 

"Only this pregnancy, the girls still have lead by 17." Josette says, the other women snicker. She heads out to answer the computer, coming back in a few minutes later. "Bethany had a boy and a girl."

 

"I didn't know she was having twins." Dr. Blake says, looking at her.

 

"Neither did she until Doc saw the afterbirth had hair. Lord Loki's cackling at all the swearing and threats if Pat's having twins too."

 

The news that Pat had a boy and Clark and Thomas had twin girls when they opened the chamber a few days later has everybody lifting their glasses in a toast. Pictures are sent out and cooed over and a few days later Josette, Alan, Alexander, and Michael head off to Eureka for their finals. A couple days after that Josette moves the last of the finished furniture to Salem and heads off to the vampire planet, picking up the payment after the lists are updated and the furniture delivered. Back on Haven Josette sends the payment to Hank's account. He nods after updating his records.

 

"How's the apartment complex on the sorting planet coming along?"

 

"Finished last week, the crew's switched back to Albatross to finish working on the last of the renovations now that we can paint and whatnot without running people out of their homes. They have low VOC paints but still being able to open the windows helps a lot."

 

The break comes and Josette gets in a semester from Oxford and another semester on the Flash comic book degree before the summer semester starts.

 

"How many classes are you looking at?"

 

"27, including 3 for the chem degree. I'll see how I fast I get through them if I want to pick up another semester for one of my comic book, Montague, or the sosh school degrees. All depends on how much work the crops and offworld harvests are."

 

"Finishing Oxford?"

 

"Yeah."

 

The new semester starts and Josette settles down into her classes, working at the various

places in town, and checking on the crops. The first offworld harvests start coming in and Josette's busy for a couple weeks as she's transporting people to harvest and picking up the harvests the machines handle.

 

"Are you done for a few days?" Anna asks when she comes into the dining hall for lunch, checking in on the babies sleeping in the strollers before filling her first tray.

 

"Yeah, until our crops start coming in. Then I'll have a couple more offworld harvests. It's a bitch working on ours and the offworld ones but it can't be helped." The others nod.

 

"Not when we realize that without the gardens we'd be relying strictly on the replicator since our reserves would have run out years ago. That was one of the problems with Earth, the reliance on stores. If they had vanished on Earth we'd have had rioting in the streets and people starving. . .here it's 'meh, who cares?'." The others snigger.

 

"Some people on Earth would have been heartbroken." Susan snorts.

 

"Some people on Earth were too stupid to live but somehow managed to survive anyway." Josette says.

 

"Y. . .yo. . .you grow your own food? B. . .bu. . .but why? There's a store isn't there?" Anna says in an 'I'm an airhead' voice

 

"And where the hell does the food from the store come from?" David snorts.

 

"Trucks bring it in from somewhere else, duh." Abby smirks this time.

 

"No trucks, no other settlements."

 

"Bu. . .but that's just wrong, ewww! How can you live like that?" Alan mock-whines this time.

 

"Easily." The others laugh.

 

The crops start coming in a couple weeks later, the girls working in the kitchen as a half-dozen Josettes work in the fields and garden, more helping Mom and Ma with their canning. A couple weeks later the new crops are in the ground and Josette's busy with the yearly crops when she's not bringing in more offworld harvests.

 

"Is everything in now?" Alan asks as Josette slumps into a chair.

 

"Yeah, I took cases of wine to Vincent along with some of the oil. There's barrels of olives in the store basement and at the dorm. The new wine is aging in barrels and I've got a batch of corn mash aging for bourbon and whiskey."

 

"Offworld harvests?"

 

"Every week until we're harvesting our own crops before the Harvest Festival. Off while we enjoy that then getting in the last ones. At least with this second batch of students graduating last year, we have people to take care of the offworld harvests and the communal gardens." The others nod.

 

"First planet olives?"

 

"In a couple of months, after we've got everything in. I'll be pressing more oil." They nod. "Everything else that didn't get sold to the other planets will be sold during the Festival." More nods before they get the babies settled in their strollers to head to the dining hall for dinner.

 

"How are you four coming along on your papers and your project?"

 

"Good."

 

"Josette, the smokehouse?" Principal Madison asks on the front screen.

 

"Going well, the fish went in this morning and should be finished in a couple of weeks. The cheese is in stasis to be brought out as needed and the peppers are strung up on wreaths and lines to dry in the sun. We'll be doing offworld harvests every week until our crops come in and the Harvest Festival, then we're getting the last of them after the Harvest Festival."

 

"Your classes?"

 

"Working on them. I'm looking at 26 classes this summer and want to pick up a semester for one of my comic book degrees sometime this year."

 

"Finish Oxford?"

 

"First classes I took this summer."

 

"Good, next semester?"

 

"Finish the first year for the electrical engineering degree, Cambridge, finish the degrees from Assyrian and Edinborough, the third semester for the cooking and chemistry degrees, be two years in for the musical instruments degree, and be three classes into the third year for the sosh school and naval academy degrees. Finish the year for the comic book degree I picked up or for the girls fiction degree I started. All depends on when I get these others finished."

 

"I can just see the reaction that would have gotten on Earth. 'But your honor, you have to stop her taking so many classes. It's. . .that's just not how it's done.'" The others snigger. One of the baby fusses in the stroller, Josette checking on them.

 

"When's the graduation ceremony for the students who left last year?"

 

"Next week."

 

The next few weeks fly by, everybody but David signing up for their fall classes one day as the crops are beginning to ripen. Josette's out in the fields by the time the books and supplies for the new classes are ready to be picked up, Alan heading off to pick them up after his shift.

 

"How's the crops?" Dr. Stark asks.

 

"All coming in at once, that's why I'm picking them up instead of Josette. Which you probably figured out." Dr. Stark smirks.

 

"When do the girls start work again?"

 

"Fall semester, having all this time off allowed them to concentrate on their papers." Alan pops the containers in subspace before heading off again, delivering the containers to the dorm hallway and helping out in the garden. The crops and garden are all in and canned, dried, or stored before their guests arrive.

 

"Girls." Mary sighs.

 

"Oh I know." Alice moans, rolling her eyes. "At least Abby can stop teasing Anna about having one more child than she does."

 

"I do hope this is it for a while?"

 

"Same here." Josette grumbles. "I'm 92 years old damn it. And I know damn good and well I'm going to be hitting the baby jackpot the next time I do become pregnant." The others chuckle and nod.

 

Josette, the various Doctors, the Doc who's a time Lord, and Jack head off the day after the party, coming back an hour or so later. Then the next day Clark and Doc head off with the Doc who's a time lord, returning a while later. Josette's talking on the computer station and they see Dr. Stark's office on the screen before Josette ends the connection.

 

"Eleventh planet?" Clark asks when she turns back to them.

 

"Yeah, they're deciding on areas for the new labs right now, the first batch of supplies should be ready to be delivered sometime next year, they figure about six before we can start putting up the labs."

 

"Six?" Time Lord Doc asks.

 

"Deliveries of building supplies, then probably a dozen deliveries of food and other supplies. The first experiment was two years for one set of buildings, this one is going to be three sets of buildings one on the equator since if a winter planet has a growing season it will be there, the original lab, and one in the arctic. And five years."

 

"No outside interference beyond computer contact?"

 

"Exactly, they had a biosphere years ago at GD until they had to shut down the project when a plant virus started people mutating. Though the lab had a switching station for medical emergencies."

 

"Even if Dr. Stark did want to beat them for being whiny brats." Josette sniggers.

 

"Starting to get on each other's nerves towards the end of the experiment?"

 

David nods. "With the lab there wasn't really a place you could go to get away from the others. And whining about everything they'd been excited about when the experiment started." The guests snicker and nod. "Man's not meant to be stuck in enclosed spaces for any length of time."

 

"That's why subs and aircraft carriers had shore leave."

 

After the Harvest Festival Josette heads off with people for another offplanet harvest after their visitors have left.

 

"Is that it?"

 

"Two more, one next week and the last the first week of the semester. That way we have a week for each harvest." The others nod. "Next year they'll all be in by the Harvest Festival."

 

"Is everybody still growing a full garden?" Anna asks.

 

"Yeah, there's been a lot of interest on the servers for recipes when we started introducing new stuff at the Harvest Festival last year."

 

"Class?"

 

"First one for Cambridge and finishing the 2nd year music degree next week."

 

The next few weeks fly by and Josette slides into her seat at the pushed together tables in the testing center.

 

"Did you find out if they can do the bristles?"

 

"Yes, that's one thing out of the way. We still need to make the bristles but we can replicate them if we don't have the machinery. I need to do a little more looking."

 

"Shouldn't be that difficult."

 

"No, just a bit of injection molding. Same thing we'd be doing if we ever make plastic silverware instead of metal. Or even a combination." The others nod.

 

"Classes?"

 

"Finished Cambridge when the semester started and I'm going to pick up the 2nd semester for the girls fiction degree from the sosh school. I'll be three semesters into the cooking degree and the chem degree, and a year in for the others."

 

"Alexander and Michael will be finished with their degrees next year." Dr. Stark says.

 

"Yeah, they're debating taking a year off, picking up a third comic book degree, or going on for a Masters from the comic book school. They'll figure it out before they have to sign up for the following years classes."

 

"CJ?"

 

"A year into Oxford, Mary should be graduating in a couple of years and starting university. Adam and Brett will be starting high school in a few years and Thomas and Bruce are about three semesters into their degrees."

 

"How's the gardens?"

 

"Good, everybody's growing full gardens this year and last to make sure we have fruit and vegetables over the winter after running out two years ago thanks to the late storm. We're adding new stuff at the Harvest Festival and people are checking recipes on the server. I've been making new stuff when the crops come in, they are too."

 

The three men nod in satisfaction. "It's always nice to try new things. And if they don't like it they don't have to make it again."

 

"Nobody's making giant batches of stuff." Dr. Cross agrees.

 

"Exactly, the communal garden stuff might seem like a lot when you're looking at it to have to take care of but when everything's portioned out you might get one or two good batches of something out after you've eaten your full of fresh fruit and veggies."

 

"Multiply that by three harvests and you have a good stock of food for winter, even before the offworld harvests are passed out. More if you have a second growing area or your own garden. Even with just one harvest from them it's an additional source of food for yourself or your family."

 

"Are you planting peppers next year on the first planet?" Vincent asks.

 

"Possibly, I need to check how many peppers we have left. The first batch should be running low." The others nod.

 

"Olives?"

 

"Going out in a couple weeks to pick and press. I'll be on the planet several weeks since I'm going to be spending some time in my fortress too."

 

"Do you have any black olives?"

 

"Two barrels aging in brine in the dorm. I'm harvesting more green olives for oil this year." He nods in satisfaction. "This year will be a full crop though I'm still only selling by special order."

 

"Are the black olives already sliced?"

 

"Yep,that way I could get them in two barrels. I'll bring out a glass jar as I need them for tacos, nachos, and pizza." Josette covers her mouth with her elbow and lets loose a rumbling belch.

 

"Chickpeas?"

 

"No, just a sour stomach."

 

"Baking soda and water." Dr. McNider says.

 

Josette nods. "Took it before we left, this is just the last of it." The buzzer sounds and the others begin to come to the tables after using the bathroom. They talk about their papers, their classes, Josette finishing Cambridge and what degrees she's picking up in the future as Vincent puts plates in front of them. After lunch the others head back to their tests and Josette heads back, hugging Mom and Ma who's come out to help with the babies and absorbing her other selves that had been out and about all day.

 

"How is everybody coming on the vampire planet orders?"

 

"Good, most will be around halfway done, some a little more and some a little less. All depends on what they're making." David nods. "Chem lab?"

 

"After dinner, starting my second class." The next couple of weeks pass and Josette heads off to the first planet, harvesting olives and pressing out the oil along with getting some in barrels to eat instead of leaving them on the trees to ripen fully. Nearly three months later she flies back to Haven, landing and putting everything in storage and sending out notes that the new oil is ready. She's not surprised when the orders start coming in and she chuckles before sending off the orders on Haven and heading to Archimedes with their orders.

 

"Thank you Josette." Vincent says when she appears at the door, bringing out the cases of oil in the storeroom. "Do you get many orders?"

 

"Yes, the others all tried bottles and demanded more, including our family in the other dimension. I'll take some more out when we go out after our finals and Thanksgiving. Thomas likes cooking to relax, so does Winston. Drs, Stark, Blake, and McNider brought some too, so did Sheriff Carter for when Dr. Stark's in a mood to cook at the bunker. You're actually my last stop on Archimedes."

 

Vincent waves her to the counter and has a plate of food in front of her in a few minutes. The bell tingles a minute later and Josette looks over to see Ray sliding onto the stool next to her.

 

"Josette, do you have any more first planet olive oil?"

 

"Beyond the half-dozen cases I just delivered to the firehouse from this second harvest?"

 

"Oh thank you, we've been out and about and haven't been checking our e-mails." Winston says, sliding onto the stool on her other side and nodding thanks at Vincent when he puts a coffee in front of him.

 

"Peter ordered them the minute I sent the announcement out."

 

Josette returns to Haven about an hour later.

 

"Get the oil delivered?" David asks.

 

"Yeah, and the rest is in storage for our use and later orders from the others. I pressed more oil and I also have a few more barrels of olives in brine, plus containers of olive paste." Josette smirks. She spreads that on sandwiches for an extra kick. The others shudder.

 

"Do I wanna know?" President Bartlett asks at Josette's smirk in the back room.

 

"Josette harvested the first world olives today. She has more oil. . ." President Bartlett nods. "I ordered a couple cases she delivered before going to Archimedes. More olives in barrels to eat by the handful or olive paste to spread on her sandwiches? That's the 'how can you eat that' shudder." Professor Druid sighs.

 

"Both." Principal Madison snickers.

 

Everybody at the front table chuckles.

 

"How is Josette coming along in her chem labs?"

 

"Good. I've been talking with one of the chemists at GD who's grading everything." Professor Druid says. "We don't really have a chemistry program like Tesla does but it's not needed for this stage since it's overview and gradual learning."

 

"Which is the best way to learn." The others nod.

 

"And crosstraining so that people know how to do other things than just their particular area." More nods.

 

The second testing week comes and Josette slides into her usual seat.

 

"Everything going okay on Haven?"

 

"Yeah, the students graduating are getting excited, thankfully they'll have another four years before they have to start packing to move out of the dorms." Dr. Cross chuckles. "I put another batch of furniture on Salem since they were beginning to run low on room and I'll get the rest after Thanksgiving so I can everything over." Dr. Blake nods since Dr. Stark's off lecturing somebody for stupid shit.

 

"Did you guys talk to Dad about the apartment complex?"

 

"Yes, it's coming out in a couple of years. By the time you're finished with the vampire planet supplies and have at least one year in on the sorting planet's orders." Josette nods. "And by that time the students who graduated last year should be ready to move out of the dorms. And the students doing internships finishing theirs and moving into permanent housing." Josette nods. "And by then we might be planting on the animal planet."

 

"The second batch of Amish children?"

 

"Starting high school next year, they're taking the 'what happened to the Earths' class right now."

 

Dr. Blake nods as Dr. Stark comes in, whispering in her ear when he comes over to the table. She squirms in her seat and slaps him lightly.

 

"That's why we have seven children under a year old." Josette snorts. Dr. McNider laughs. Dr. Blake gives them disgusted looks as Dr. Stark smirks.

 

"Do you have a schoolroom set up?"

 

"Yeah, so do Doc and Clark since they home-schooled anyway. That way the kids can get in lessons besides what they will from the education center or the computer." Nods from the others. The buzzer sounds and the others come over after using the bathroom. They talk about the students graduating, the future work to supply the apartment complexes, their planned trip after Thanksgiving, and how their classes are coming along.

 

After lunch Josette heads back to Haven, absorbing part of her other selves that had been out and about and joining the others getting the babies settled in the strollers for dinner.

 

"How are you coming along on your classes?" David asks when they're back at the dorm and the babies are in the nursery after their baths.

 

"Good. I'm busy as hell doing four hands-on classes but that will ease off when two are finished in a couple weeks.

 

"Weeks, not months?"

 

"Weeks." Josette agrees. "I always try to get the hands-on projects in quickly so I have at least the weeks between the 3rd testing week and finals free."

 

"Tests?"

 

"Not with the hands-on, by now I should know that the hell I'm doing so they just grade the projects. They just send the grades along to GD where it's put on the server and passed along to teacher."

 

The next week Josette is looking over the plans for the ships with Dr. Stark and Admiral Nelson, the two men shaking their heads.

 

"That will be a beautiful ship."

 

Josette nods. "We've got the other boats but this is different. This goes back to a different age of ocean travel." Both men nod.

 

"Extruded plastic for the frame made to look like wood?" Admiral Nelson asks.

 

"Yes, and maybe the outside as well. It all depends on what the trees look like when we get the frame finished. We've got at least ten more years of furniture after all."

 

Dr. Stark nods. "Even with careful planting, it will be a while before the forests recover."

 

"Working on the frame will take a while anyway. First we'll need to extrude the plastic and mark them so they can be assembled." The other two men nod. "That will take a while, even with full crews it took years for ships to be built."

 

"With only the seven of you working when you can it will take even longer."

 

"But we've got the other ship when we want to get on the water and we can take the time to work on this one properly." The two men nod as Josette puts the plans back in a cabinet.

 

"Can the replicators handle this?"

 

"The big commercial ones can, the ones that we use for the construction of the houses and labs." David says coming into the room. Dr. Stark nods.

 

"Shouldn't you be taking classes?"

 

"I needed a break before my eyes fell out and rolled on the floor for the cats playtoys." David snorts. "What's the latest on the biogas research?"

 

"Not feasible for a permanent alternative energy source, but it can be gathered for certain functions. We're working on that." Dr. Stark says. "Or they're supposed to be working on it."

 

"Arguing?"

 

"God yes. 'Why do we have to look into this? We've got solar and the alternate energy'." He says in a mocking tone.

 

"And what happens if you don't have an alternative power source and it's the middle of a storm that dumps feet of snow on the solar panels, blocking them so they don't get power? No lights, no water, no heat?" David snorts.

 

"I never thought of that." Josette says in a clueless scientist voice.

 

"Yes, the lab trolls often do lose touch with reality." Dr. Stark says, rolling his eyes. "I still remember the one that took months to realize we had a new sheriff after Carter arrived." Josette sniggers.

 

"How are you coming on your classes?"

 

"Good, I'm a year into the electrical engineering degree and three semesters into the chem degree. The others I'm either a full semester or year in for the others at the end of the semester."

 

"Have you thought about a marine biology degree?" Admiral Nelson purrs as he pulls Josette off to talk to her as David sniggers.

 

"How are you on your degrees?"

 

"Henry agrees that my project is complete and my paper's good too. I'm hoping to have the other paper finished in the next couple of years." David mock pouts. "It's not fair that our Masters are four yours and every other dimension we've been on have been two years."

 

"Wah wah wah wah wah." Josette says across the room, proving she'd been paying attention to both conversations. Harry and Dr. Stark snigger. "Our degrees are much more intensive."

 

The crops start coming in and Josette's busy in the fields, kitchens, and gardens, heading off to Eureka for her finals with the others but David, who's busy helping with the harvest since his classes are done. Everything's finally in at all the farms and Josette slumps into her seat at the dining hall.

 

"Done?" Alan asks.

 

"Yeah, until we start the dorm crops in a couple of weeks." The others nod.

 

"How are you on tortillas?"

 

"I gotta make some after Thanksgiving and we come back from the parents. I stopped and got cactus paddles a while back since I was running low. They're in stasis right now." Josette yawns and heads off to bed early after they get back to the dorm. After a solid night's sleep she's recovered and after Thanksgiving and the students graduation ceremony they head off to the other dimension. They return a few months later for them, Josette starting to move their belongings off Hanover. The next day she heads off to the Albatross Nest, pulling out a small container and making people either wince or cackle when she adds the olive paste to her sandwich.

 

"Did you take the order in to the vampire planet?" Sue asks.

 

"Tomorrow, everything's on the ship, I just need to head off. After the first of the year I gotta head to the manufacturing satellite to pick up the flour they've been working on for pasta."

 

"I heard rumors that you're interested in the eleventh planet?" Agatha asks.

 

"GD has me delivering supplies there next year. They have a lab set up to see how people can manage both an enclosed and a permanent winter environment."

 

"Like McMurdo on Earth." Somebody says.

 

"Yes, but without flights in and out. Once you're there, you're stuck until the test ends except for a medical emergency. Clark, CJ, and I set up the labs and I brought up supplies for a two year test. That ended last year, now they're talking about a lab by the equator, if the planet has a growing season it will be there." Nods from the others. "And another in the arctic, with the original between them. This test will be five years to see if we can live in an enclosed environment for a length of time without killing each other."

 

"People get on each other's nerves now, and we have a whole planet to spread out on when the weather's good. Gotta be more miserable there."

 

"Yeah, Dr. Stark was ready to beat some of them for being whiny brats by the end of the test."

 

"When does Tinya and her group finish university?"

 

"Next year, since it's a small group they've all got internships at GD, Wayne Industries, and Stark International."

 

"What grade is Jason in?

 

"Sophomore next year, with the others starting second grade."

 

"How are the teachers handling the offworld kids?"

 

"Good, they're keeping up well, if they look like they're having trouble they'll be tutored."

 

They settle down to talk about the kits for the upcoming year and what they're working on as personal projects, Josette flipping the bags to the dorm before joining the others at lunch. Afterwards she, David, Alexander, and Michael start working in the growing area of the dorm.

 

Josette flies off the next morning, delivering stuff to the vampire planet and accepting the payment before heading to the manufacturing satellite, picking up the flour and delivering part of it to the pasta factory before heading back to Haven. The payments are sent out and the rest of the flour delivered to the store before Josette heads back to the dorm.

 

"Is that everything?" Michael asks.

 

"Yeah, everything's delivered, I dropped the rest of the flour off at the store, the payments have been sent to the others, and I'll pick up the pasta around finals."

 

"What factory are you bringing out next year?"

 

"Detergents, dish and laundry. The plastic factory will be making the containers when we start operating." The others nod. "I'm looking into the PODS, that's a different type of factory."

 

"Does the first factory do dishwasher detergent too?"

 

"Should, and it also should handle the cleaners. If not the second factory should. I gotta check the tutorials we got from the other dimension. And I gotta check the forms to see if they got one for bristles before we start doing hairbrushes." The others nod. "Is everything finished until the greenhouse stuff is big enough to transplant?"

 

"Yeah." Josette stretches backward, her fingers brushing the floor before she straightens up. She looks out the sliding glass door, her eyes unfocused for a minute. "We'll have snow by dinner. And this time it'll stick."

 

"Had to expect it, and snow makes the Lights Festival more festive. I won't go as far as those whiny idiots on Earth who had to have a white Christmas though." Susan snorts.

 

"Those idiots needed a good swift kick." Josette murmurs. "Half the problem with Earth was people thought they were 'entitled'."

 

"Amen. And refused to take responsibility for their actions." David rolls his eyes. "'I'm a victim of my disease' was an excuse from everything from driving drunk and killing 20 people to being 200 pounds overweight."

 

After lunch Josette starts looking through the bags of kits, settling on one and starting to work. The rest of the year flies by and soon it's the lights festival.

 

"How many classes are you taking next semester?"

 

"32. I'll be three years into the naval academy and sosh school degree along with the musical instruments. Getting in extra classes over the break and next summer and I'll have the first two done early."

 

"What are you taking after you finish them?"

 

"The first of the more intensive degrees from the Naval Academy and a degree on Nixon and Watergate from the history school. Next year I'll also have at least one delivery of supplies for the eleventh planet labs and the first batch of timbers for the sailing ship."

 

"Real timber?" President Bartlett asks.

 

"Extruded plastic made to look like wood. It would take centuries for trees to get that big and we're making sure the old growth stays old growth." Nods from the others. "Especially with all the furniture you've been making."

 

"Amen, that's one reason why we plant two trees for every one that's harvested. And it's all second growth." Nods from the others in earshot. "Especially considering we have at least ten years more work. Probably fourteen when we start growing on the animal planet. And did you talk to the Vampire Council?" She asks Doc.

 

"Yes, they plan on putting up a building where they can sell fresh fruit and vegetables during the winter like our big building. We'll talk more at the meeting."

 

"What are you bringing out this year?" Principal Madison asks as he comes over, pulling Josette's hood up. Thomas nods thanks at him. "Yes, I know you don't feel the cold, wear it anyway. Because I said so." Everybody sniggers.

 

"Factory for laundry and dish detergent. One of at least two since the PODS need special machinery. Same thing can be used for the gelpacks for dishwashers. I'm also going to be looking through the extra molds to see what they're used for."

 

"Bristles."

 

"Yeah, that's what I'm looking for. That and making a list of what we have for the future. Or rather making a list of what each can be used for for the future."

 

The others nod.

 

"If it can be used for multiple things, all the better."

 

More nods.

 

The next week passes and it's the night before the new school year starts. They settle in the auditorium to talk about classes and the students who'd be leaving the school at the end of the year and over the next few years.

 

"Josette, how's the work on the library coming along?"

 

"We worked on expanding the building over the break, I'm going to be going through everything for a couple of weeks to make a list of what needs to be updated."

 

"Your office." Professor Druid says dryly from the stage. The twins cackle next to Josette. "I'd wondered how long it would take you to turn your attention there." Josette sighs.

 

"It's called being a mother. And the library is over seventy years old. It's in good shape, we make damn sure of that but. . ."

 

"It's wore out."

 

"What are your first plans?"

 

"Moving the bookcases out of a room so the walls can be scrubbed, the ceiling cleaned, and have the carpeting really cleaned then see if the cases need any work beyond a good cleaning themselves. If they do Alexander can work on them when he's not working at Hank's on the furniture."

 

"Will you need more cases?"

 

"Probably, but it won't be for a while, I gotta go through everything with Dad that needs to be done in the rooms before we start concentrating on that."

 

"Are the renovations to the textiles buildings finished Frances, Elaine?"

 

"Yes, and they're wonderful. Is Sanders planning on working on the fine arts buildings this year?" Frances looks at Josette.

 

"Yes, then working on the auditoriums the year after that."

 

"Josette, this is probably a dumb question but genealogy?"

 

"We've got a database set up, it's mostly for Haven births but we have limited information on the settlers that came up. Country of origin, stuff like that. This way in a few hundred years or so people can trace their ancestors back. Eureka has been involved in genealogy for decades and we've got the Mormon genealogy information in storage."

 

"Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it." somebody murmurs. Nods from the others. "That's why we have the class on what happened to the two Earths and why we're an agrarian society, why we have limited industry, and that we have laws for a reason."

 

"Because most of mankind never got beyond the 'me, me, me, it's all about me' mindset and made excuses for acting like spoiled little shits instead of growing up?" Josette murmurs. Everybody in earshot sniggers.

 

The next morning Josette splits off duplicates before breakfast to head off to her jobs and starting classes.

 

"Are you working on sheets?" David asks at breakfast.

 

Josette nods her head in dismay, making the others snigger.

 

"Do you have to head to Eureka for the computer work starting this year?" David asks.

 

"Yeah, one of the reasons I'm only taking four classes a semester. There's notes on the class lists about which ones include labs so before I come to them I gotta let GD know so they can set up the file to do the work in a lab, just like I'd be doing with teacher." The others nod.

 

"Library?"

 

"I'm there right now. I should have one room a week emptied, inspected, and cleaned. If they need work, it might take two."

 

After breakfast Josette heads back to the dorm, checking on the babies and going upstairs to her workroom. Patting her TARDIS she starts cutting out pieces for blocks, putting everything down when a beeping comes from her TARDIS. Inside she swears and splits off duplicates that head to the ships before she heads off.

 

"I didn't get you at a bad time, did I?"

 

"No, it's the first day of classes, things are beginning to ramp up, including busy moving the books and cases out of the library rooms so I can clean them." Josette moves over to the table where everybody's gathered, sniggering silently as she listens to the howls of anguish from the other room as the cities land.

 

"You brought the cities with you?" The Doctor asks as images start appearing in midair.

 

"Of course." Doc chuckles as he puts a hand on her shoulder.

 

A couple weeks later Doc and the Doctor are sipping drinks in an office while Josette's cackling as Rodney McKay is sent flying off one of the cities again.

 

"I'll give it a 7, good distance but your landing sucked." Josette bellows, her hands cupped around her mouth as everybody watching laughs.

 

"You have a doctorate?" Radek asks.

 

"I have thirteen, fourteen if you consider the medical degree that makes me a real doctor."

 

"How old are you?" John Sheppard asks.

 

"About 1200 spent out of time, I'll admit to being 92. I'd be older if we'd kept Earth's calendar after we moved."

 

"1,578." Josette says, sliding into her seat at the dining hall for lunch after she's returned to Haven, absorbing her other selves that had been on the cities.

 

"1,578 what?" David asks.

 

"Times Atlantis and the other cities booted Rodney McKay off their decks for being an annoying asshole when Doc sent me a 'Can you come here with the cities' message this morning. They counted, I didn't."

 

"No way." David says. Josette smirks. "Oh yeahhhh, pooooorrrr McKay. . he was totally outclassed when he tried to lord it over me because he's got three doctorates. I got called because we had to protect Atlantis while the government tore itself apart because they're greedy assholes. We ended up moving them to a new planet like they did in the show, this way the ships from Earth sent to take over the city couldn't find them. With Atlantis safe and everybody at SG sent to safe spots, the government fell and those who weren't shot for treason went to prison for the rest of their lives."

 

"Did you copy stuff?"

 

"Yeah, it will take me years to go through everything. Not as long as it will take them to recover but . . ." The others nod. "They nearly had another world war until the assholes in charge of the conspiracy was taken out."

 

"People are stupid."

 

"Amen. Anyway, Atlantis and the other sites are protected and declaring their independence, thumbing their nose at Earth. It might be rough for a couple of years but. . ."

 

"They're safe and free."

 

"No worse than before Atlantis got back in contact with Earth again. At least according to the tv show. Wraith, Genii, Ori, or Gou'ald?"

 

"Taken care of, they took each other out in a blaze of glory. The government came out of hiding and tried to take over like the big men on campus they wanted to be. Kavanaugh is as big an uptight asshole as he was on the show. He got sent back to Earth in disgrace as soon as they had contact by ship and he was found to be part of the conspiracy. He claims he was a double agent but nobody believes him and he was let go from the program in disgrace. He's jumped from job to job since civilian companies won't put up with his whiny ass 'I'm so much better than you' bullshit without the proof to back it up."

 

"How did McKay take you having at least 10 more doctorates than he did?"

 

"Honest to God, I swear he pouted. Especially when I showed him that our degrees are so much more intensive than theirs." The twins lean against each other cackling as David snorfles. "Of course he started complaining about them being in the soft sciences but agreed that an agrarian world might not need the harder sciences."

 

"How magnanimous of him." Abby snorts.

 

"Well he is the kindest, most giving man in the universe." Josette says. The others cackle again. "He is, he's so gentle that people would take advantage of him if the others didn't love him so. If he was Catholic the others would nominate him for Sainthood."

 

"If he does says so himself?" Lois snorts.

 

"And not because it would mean the annoying asshole's dead?" Lana chuckles.

 

"Exactly. Since we've been farming for decades I was able to help them get a huge one set up. They can harvest some by hand like we do the offworld harvests, the others the machines can handle."

 

"So is McKay allergic?"

 

"Yeah, and I used a fake rubber lemon like a crucifix in those cheesy vampire flicks on him when he got too annoying."

 

"Every time he was around you then?" Anna snorts.

 

"Pretty much. Once they realized it was rubber and the only way it would hurt him if I chucked it at his head fastball special or shot it at him with a cannon the others started laughing."

 

After lunch Josette starts working on her quilt again, setting up the sewing machine and starting to work. She absorbs the duplicates that had been out and about before joining the others downstairs, finding David and the twins telling the boys, Alan, and Susan what had been going on. Josette smirks and turns on the tv, sending a file to it that makes the others snigger as they see Josette holding a lemon on Rodney.

 

/Back off!/ Josette says on the screen /I've got a lemon and I'm not afraid to use it./ he walks off huffing and Josette smirks.

 

/Josette/ Doc had said in that 'I am so disappointed in you' voice everybody's familiar with. Josette had smirked and threw the lemon on the floor, it bouncing up into her hand before she tosses it to Colonel Sheppard.

 

/Rubber?/ He'd smirked and threw it back to Josette, she puts it in her bag.

 

/Yeah, I don't want to hurt the asshole, just annoy him./

 

Doc sighs as Colonel Sheppard laughs. Josette holds up a hand. /He didn't take no for an answer and he's heading for Salem./

 

/Damn it Rodney./ Colonel Sheppard hurries out to the pier. Josette sniggers and hops onto a railing, looking that way and silently counting off the seconds. She reaches fifteen when McKay comes flying through the air, landing with a giant splash.

 

/That's why I said no, the cities aaaallllll think you're annoying./ Josette calls.

 

/You've got that right./ Salem's AI appears on the pier. /I'd suggest you stay off unless you want to keep practicing your high dive./

 

"I don't know if McKay's just in love with himself, a closet masochist who likes be abused by older women, or just stupid but he didn't take Salem's advice." Josette says as they walk to the dining hall.

 

"Not when you say he was kicked off the cities over 1500 times." David snorts. After dinner Josette absorbs her other selves that had been working the second shift and works on her quilt for a couple more hours. The weeks fly by even with Josette heading to Eureka for the labs for her electrical engineering degree. Soon it's the first testing week and Josette slides into her usual seat at the pushed together tables after her tests.

 

"I cannot believe there is a world where not only is Stargate real, Rodney McKay hasn't managed to get himself killed pissing people off." Dr. Stark sighs when Josette sits down.

 

"Why not, you haven't." She snorts. "If only by Dr. Blake every time you get that look in your eyes." Drs. McNider and Cross chuckle. "So when's Dad bringing out the apartment complex for you?"

 

"After your Harvest Festival, that will be early spring for us. James will have most of the year to work on it before winter. By the time he's finished you should be nearly done with the vampire planet's orders." Josette nods.

 

"When do you plan on planting on the animal planet?"

 

"About four years Haven time, including this one. Two years of students will be finished with university and can start working the fields there. Once we decide on where the fields will be we can plan on where the apartment complex will be."

 

"You have another batch of students graduating this year?"

 

"Yep, 827 then a double batch graduating in two more years along with Jason, his brother, and sisters. Then it will be over a thousand every other year until everybody's finished school but the new babies."

 

"How many are we looking at?"

 

"About 1800 to 2600 every other year after this one. Three more graduations with the last big one when the kids are in eighth grade."

 

"How are you coming along on the library?"

 

"Good, the carpeting needed a bit of scrubbing but it was good for the most part. It's taking about three days for each room. Once I get everything back in I made plans for what we'll need for the future."

 

They talk about plans for that year and Josette heading off in a few weeks to harvest the offworld grapes for both types of wine, the detergent factories that are going to be coming up to the warehouse, and the students finishing their university classes the end of that year.

 

"I'd say that the dorm was going to be empty with only the youngest ten still living at home, David took care of that. . .now it's the youngest 17 living at home." Dr. McNider chuckles. "Have you figured out the teaching situation?"

 

"Yes, we've got a schoolroom set up at the dorm for when the babies are old enough. Once the kids are out of the education center, we're going to be shutting it down for some work." The three men nod.

 

"With the population growing so slowly it won't be needed as a day care for a few years."

 

Josette nods. "The other kids will be coming over for play dates so they don't grow up with just their siblings as playmates."

 

"Who's taking over their early education? Beyond the online classes which don't start until second grade?"

 

"Pat and Bethany, with everybody pitching in." The three men nod in satisfaction. The buzzer sounds and the others come over after using the bathroom.

 

"So you guys decided yet if you're going for another bachelors, a Masters, or taking a year off next year?" Josette asks Michael and Alexander when they slide into seats.

 

"Not yet, we'll make up our minds by the time it's time to sign up for next Spring's classes. Dr. Blake's already hinting that applying for a masters is just a formality." Dr. Stark chuckles as Josette sniggers.

 

"Josette, hot peppers?"

 

"Yes, I'm planting in a couple of months."

 

"If you have an extra space, GD would love for you to grow a pepper they've been working on for a couple of years."

 

"Not right now, but I can put up a temporary box so they don't cross pollinate." Dr. Stark nods and sends a message to that lab as Josette starts making mental plans. "They'll talk to you in a couple of months to go over the final details."

 

Josette nods as she picks up her fork. "Usual request, they get the plants to examine after I harvest?"

 

Dr. Stark nods. "They're looking at six plants, taking a quarter of the harvest since they don't have the space to store it fresh like you do."

 

After lunch Josette heads back to the dorm, absorbing some of her other selves and helping get the babies ready for dinner Afterwards she absorbs the others as they settle down in the living room after the kids are in bed to talk about their plans for the babies schooling and the plans for the education center work.

 

"The building has needed the work, we've been able to do work on the school while we were shut down but . .."

 

"Yeah, the building needs a good cleaning, possibly painting, and other stuff done. We don't stop to think how long it's been. Yeah, we're in our nineties and older but . . ." The others nod. "Until something happens nobody stops to think of the buildings or appliances." The others nod.

 

The next few weeks pass and after the second testing week Josette heads offplanet, putting together another raised bed for the new peppers then heading off to harvest the offworld grapes, putting the new wine in barrels and bottling the oldest wine.

 

"Get everything done?" David asks her a few days later.

 

"Yeah, the oldest of the wine is bottled and I took some out to the others. The corn mash that has been aging will be decanted later this year for bourbon and whiskey since I had enough for two batches. The grapes for the ice wine should be harvested by our third testing week and I'll bottle the oldest that's been in the barrels then.

 

"Josette, why do you age some but the first planet grapes you bottle right away?"

 

"Some wines are better right away while others are best aged after a few years." Josette shrugs. "That's one of the reasons I only grow limited harvests there." The others nod.

 

"Did you put together a growing area for GD's experiment?"

 

"Yeah, it's smaller than the other one but I can add to it if I want to or even add it to the other one. I'll plant everything after our third testing week, get everything in before we start planting here."

 

"How long before the first offworld harvests."

 

"First one just before the second semester starts, then one a week until then. It's going to be assholes to elbows this summer."

 

"Can't be helped. Next year we harvest twice?"

 

"Year after, next year first harvests will be coming in after our third testing week. First one I might have to put the drying tables on the first planet, year after that it will be the middle of winter when they start coming in."

 

After the third testing week Josette heads back to the first planet, planting the peppers, tomatoes, and herbs that had been growing in growing areas until they could go outside. Harvesting the ice wine grapes, Josette takes care of them and bottles the oldest wine, sending out the message and delivering cases around the planet and to Archimedes when the orders start coming in.

 

"Is that the wine until this summer?"

 

"Yeah." Josette stretches and yawns as she shuts her first floor window that had been open a few minutes for fresh air. "I should be able to spread manure on the garden and fields next week and till it in the week after that."

 

David nods as they walk outside to the dining hall, enjoying the fresh air. "We should be able to leave the windows open for a few hours then too. It will be the sign that spring's really here." The others nod.

 

The next week Josette checks the spreader and starts going over the fields and garden, coming back to the dorm the third day after she started working in the fields.

 

"Got everything done?" David asks.

 

"Yeah, the factory up?"

 

"Yeah, we're working on the storage area now. Now, the orders from the glass and towel factories?"

 

"They'll both be done by the Harvest Festival. They're going to start working on the order for the sorting planet after that. By the time they're done with that they can start on Archimedes, by then we should have an order from the animal planet."

 

"Perfect. And by the time that's done, we should be putting in an order." Josette nods. "They're already making extra for us."

 

"Good. Have you been looking through the plastic molds?"

 

"Yeah, I've been putting pictures of them and what they make on the server. We'll set up a tesseracted building for storage for them. Down here since we'll probably be the ones deciding what they'll be making." David nods.

 

"Animal food?"

 

"In a couple of years after we've looked at the so-called good brands in the other dimension and talked to the vets if they need anything special. Birthday party?"

 

"Next week. Mom and Ma are making the cakes though I think the babies aren't going to be too interested in the party itself." David sniggers and nods. "The others will enjoy the party though."

 

"Is Dr. Stark and Blake coming out this summer to talk to Tinya and her posse about their internships at GD, Wayne, and Stark?"

 

"Yes, along with Bruce and Mr. Stark. Grandpa Nathan and Grammy Allie are also talking to us since Alexander and Michael are finishing their degrees this year, Alan's six semesters in for his, and the twins will be finishing their Ph.Ds next year."

 

"When do the twins present their dissertation?"

 

"Just before the Harvest Festival. Susan should be presenting her thesis in a couple of years when she's a semester from finishing hers. I'll probably be presenting mine around the same time. You might even have your big girl pants on and started a Masters of your own." Josette blows him a raspberry before they get the kids ready for lunch.

 

"So what classes are you taking over the break?" Anna asks.

 

"I wanna start a degree from the history school and maybe work on one of the comic book degrees I'm halfway through. One's the second degree in a two degree curriculum, the other's the first of two."

 

"Musical instruments degree?"

 

"I lack three semesters with this one, Depending on how fast I get the summer classes in whether I pick up more than just the four degrees I'm taking on the school computer, the chemistry classes, and the cooking classes."

 

"I don't think anybody will be upset with you only taking 20 classes this semester, not with the cooking degree being so hands-on, the buttonmaking degree being hands-on, and the chem labs. Plus the crops."

 

"Yeah, I can pick up a full load this fall after everything's in." Abby's lips start twitching. Josette rolls her eyes. "Yeah I know, most people wouldn't get 20 classes in in a year, let alone a semester. Over at least six degrees." The others snicker. "Are you finishing any classes this year?"

 

"No, not until next year for the Dust Bowl and WW2 wrecks degrees, along with the musical instruments degree. The other two I'll get in the year after that along with the buttonmaking degree and possibly the chemistry degree."

 

"Cooking degree?"

 

"No, I'd still lack three classes. And with them all hands-on, I wouldn't be able to get them in over a break. But I can just go on to another cooking degree, the teachers have already been talking to me about them."

 

The others snigger.

 

The next week Josette starts tilling the manure into the ground, getting everything ready for planting. By the time of their finals everything's planted and Josette slides into her seat after her finals.

 

"First offworld harvest?" Dr. Cross asks.

 

"Week after next, then probably every week until the Harvest Festival. It's going to be a bitch when our crops start coming in but can't be helped."

 

"Do you have enough people to harvest offplanet, take care of the harvest, and work in the communal gardens?"

 

"Yes, it will be tight but with different shifts. . ." The three men nod.

 

"Pasta?"

 

"Picking it up tomorrow when I head off to deliver furniture to the vampire planet."

 

"The candy factory order?"

 

"Will be ready around the Harvest Festival when I'm taking in wheat for flour."

 

"How is the offworld orders going for the vampire planet apartment complex?"

 

"They'll be done with the towels and canning supplies by the Harvest Festival. They're starting the order for the sorting planet after that, by the time that's done, the apartment complex will be up here and we should be growing on the animal planet and have an apartment complex up there too. Once that order is finished they can go back to normal. . . Or what passes for normal anymore."

 

"They should be done with the animal planet order by the time you're finishing our order and a year before the school shuts down."

 

"Yeah, we'll be a year into the animal planet order when the school closes. Ten more years. . ." Josette sighs.

 

"Are the orphanage personnel still keeping in touch with the students once they leave?"

 

"Oh yes, talking, hugging, monthly lunches or dinners. We want the students and the personnel to have good relations. Most of them are the only family they had." Nods of satisfaction from the three doctors as the buzzer sounds and the others start coming over.

 

"Are you heading off tomorrow to pick up the pasta?" Alan asks.

 

"Yeah, I'm delivering the furniture too and checking on the first planet plants." Josette thanks Vincent when he puts a plate and bottle of pop in front of her.

 

After lunch Josette heads back to the dorm, absorbing some of her other selves before they walk to the dining hall. The next morning she heads off, picking up the pasta on the sorting planet and delivering the furniture to the vampire planet before heading to the first planet.

 

She returns several weeks later for her but an hour later for Haven, sending the payment to Hank's building. He nods when he gets the message, updating the list of what they still have to make.

 

"Are you going to take the whole four years?" David asks at lunch.

 

"Probably not, we should fingers, toes, and eyes crossed be finished by the Harvest Festival next year. That will give us a few months break before we start the sorting planet's orders. Even with the larger orders."

 

"You don't have people waiting for the apartments." Lois says.

 

"Exactly, and we have a lot of practice at churning out good quality furniture that will last for years."

 

After lunch Josette heads upstairs, the others coming back from Eureka a couple of hours before dinner.

 

"Josette, what is that?" Alan asks, coming into her first floor room and finding a couple new additions in a new area.

 

"Old fashioned cookstove. baking ovens, and fireplace hearth complete with a hook to cook over a fire and a turning spit, there's one down on the basement and the ranch. There's one in the kitchen huts on the first planet and the island."

 

"The Lords and Ladies?"

 

"Yep."

 

"Wood burning?"

 

Josette makes a yes, no, maybe hand waggle. "You can use the fake wood, the ones here and the ranch are also hooked to the power system somehow, just select the source." Josette pulls open a cover on the side of the stove and next to the hearth, showing dials and switches.

 

"Nice."

 

"Yeah, we can fix it and forget it, keep it cooking low and slow for hours." Josette strips the twin bed, putting on the new sheets and blankets, then 'flips' the towels and bedding into the cart in the basement. She looks around the room in satisfaction, couches and easy chairs had joined the original recliner over the years.

 

"Am I nuts or is it turning cool. . .cooler than normal for early spring?" Susan calls down the hall.

 

"Yes, there's a nip in the air. The domes are set to pop up if it drops too cold."

 

"Not the first time it's turned cool after we planted. Won't be the last time, it's still only a few weeks from winter after all."

 

Josette nods as she pulls on a jacket before they walk to the dining hall. Nobody's surprised when the furnace is running the next morning and a light dusting of snow is on the ground when they walk to the dining hall for breakfast.

 

"So what are you starting over break?"

 

"Third year for the Flash comic book degree and starting a degree on youth literature-female from Cambridge."

 

"Aren't you already taking a girls fiction degree from the sosh school?"

 

"Different countries, different books, different degree. The US might have taken over the world with comic books but most countries have their own literature besides ours." On the front screen Principal Madison's repeating what Josette says, Professor Fletcher nodding vigorously. So are Frances and Elaine. "Not just literature, there's also textiles books and magazines that are different."

 

This time Josette's the one nodding. "Whenever I went to other countries with Doc and Pat, I always checked bookstores. It was cost-effective for Pat to order magazines from other countries since she was dealing with the publishers or middlemen, I usually checked out her library at the spa whenever I had the time. Sometimes the magazines also put collections out on DVD."

 

"And we all know there's different textbooks, even in the same country." Everybody nods.

 

"Josette, first delivery for the eleventh planet?" President Bartlett asks from the front room.

 

"I'm heading tomorrow to pick it up, I should have at least one more delivery this year. Maybe more if it's supplies for the existing lab."

 

"Are they enlarging the original lab?"

 

"Don't think so, that was part of the first test after all. First floor was labs, second floor storage and third floor was living quarters." Josette sends off a message to Eureka. She gets a message back before the end of the meal. "Nope, I was wrong. They are planning on enlarging the original lab."

 

"Can they?"

 

"Oh yes, it's all pre-fab and meant to be added onto." She sends that news to Clark and CJ.

 

"Just like our buildings?"

 

"Yep."

 

A few days later Josette starts her first class for her new degree from Cambridge, looking up as David comes into her workroom and they both disappear.

 

"That does not get any easier." David says when they reappear a few seconds later.

 

"Amen." Josette grumbles.

 

"Awwww, did you not like having to stay in bed to recover from pneumonia. . .again? Doc and Thomas told us how they had to hogtie you to the bed to get you to rest long enough to get better." David purrs.

 

"Hell. No." David cackles and heads downstairs with Josette a step behind him. /Though the idea of Drs. Cross and McNider as super-heroes was kinda . . .fitting./

 

/Damn it, keep the evil imp in your own head./David rolls his eyes as he sees Dr. Stark dressed up as a superhero./

 

/Snark Man? Can't see it./ Josette sends him a image of Dr. Stark as Underdog. /Here I come to save the day!/

 

/Hong Kong Phooey?/

 

/Nah, that'd be Larry. With Fargo as the cat./

 

David cackles as they join the others walking to the dining hall for lunch. After lunch Josette checks the crops and flies off to Macchu Picchu. The ship had appeared a week or so after they'd been snatched and had been busy copying things. They lift off to check on the first planet crops, talking for days about what she'd been copying as they head to the sorting planet to pick up pasta then heading back to Haven, delivering the pasta to the store before heading back to the dorm.

 

"Get everything done?"

 

"Yeah, Josette sends pictures of how the new plants are coming along to GD for the botanists. "I checked on the other crops and picked up the pasta, spent hours talking with Macchu Picchu about what we copied while we were gone."

 

"Not again." Alan sighs.

 

"I'm the fish on the line in the universe's game of catch and release." Josette says, rolling her eyes. The others snigger.

 

"Are you picking green and ripe peppers for GD?"

 

"Yeah, just like I do the other plants. A portion of the green pepper harvest and a portion of the ripe harvest."

 

The next day Josette heads offplanet again, taking a group of people offplanet for the first of the offworld harvests.

 

The next few months pass quickly, the first crops coming in along with the offworld harvests and some of the crops from the first planet. One night Josette slumps into her seat at the dinner table.

 

"Yearly crops in? And the new pepper from GD?"

 

"Yep, the peppers and plants are at GD, they're already working on them. The rest are in stasis or drying, along with what I didn't sell of the other plants. The dirt's mixed in the compost pile to be reused and I used the plastic frame to enlarge the planting beds. Everything's in now except for the remaining offworld harvests until our second planting ripen."

 

Anna puts a plate in front of Josette, who begins to eat.

 

"How are you on your classes?"

 

"Good, I've got the chem labs and electrical engineering ones in. I can pick up the others whenever I have the time. Either over the break or next semester I'll pick up another semester for the musical instruments degree."

 

"Are you going to be three years into the chem degree?"

 

"Three classes into my third year by the end of the year, next semester I'll be three full years into the dust bowl and WWII wrecks degrees. Like the cooking degree I'll be finishing it first semester instead of the end of the year but Dr. Blake's already told me that the Masters is just a formality. Just sign up for it when I finish the bachelors. She looks at the boys. "Did you figure out what you're doing?"

 

"Yeah, we're signing up for one of the masters from the comic book school when we finish our degrees next semester. Dr. Blake . . .nudged us."

 

"Ohhh kinky." Alan drawls, getting swatted by Abby.

 

Josette shakes her head suddenly. "No, didn't need to remember those people, thank you very much."

 

"More idiots suing to turn Haven into what they wanted?" Susan asks.

 

"Yeah, this batch wanted to outlaw clothing since it made people conform to a certain image, people should be able to live free without the false identity pushed upon them by other people's clothing norms."

 

David snorts. "Yeah, that would have worked well on a farm. . .until they stepped into their first cow patty."

 

"Babe, I love you but I do not want to look at your junk that much." Anna snorts. On the front screen Principal Madison moans, covering his eyes as he tells the others what they're talking about.

 

"Just when you think people couldn't get more stupid." Professor Druid sighs.

 

"I can't believe the justice system even let the case go that far." Professor Fletcher sighs.

 

"I can.' President Bartlett says. "Lady Justice is blind and people were allowed to file lawsuits, no matter how stupid they were."

 

"I can just imagine somebody cooking in the nude." Mrs. Bartlett says.

 

"Ohhh, we'd have to get rid of those stupid health rules too. Freedom! Down to the capitalist pigs. Freedom!" Josette says in a fake activist voice.

 

"Clothing is for your protection." David says in a fake 'I know better than you do' voice.

 

"You're just saying that to make money. Freedom!"

 

"They'd have been dead within a year."

 

"Yep." Josette says. "If they hadn't died of exposure or accidents they'd have killed each other having to look at each other naked all the time."

 

"Yep, because it's not supermodels that would be walking around naked."

 

"Damn it, keep the fucking imp in your own head. I don't need to see some stupid woman coming around pointing out everybody's flaws or chirping about getting everybody in shape. 'Cause naked jumping jacks and those women you see on Maury. . .?" Michael shudders.

 

"Nope." Josette shakes her head. "Okay, now that my brain is functioning again, how's your dissertations coming?"

 

"Uploaded to the server later this week so they can be looked at by Drs. Stark and Blake over the next couple of weeks. It's just a formality." Josette nods.

 

The next couple of months pass and Josette gets in her remaining classes when she's not offworld bringing in the other harvests. She nods at everybody in the crowded living room, Drs. Cross and McNider talking with their other selves from the other dimension.

 

"Is that everything now?"

 

"Yep, the last of the offworld harvests and our crops. The new ones are planted for this fall and I started another degree from the sosh school, this one another villains as the main character lit degree."

 

"Did you pick up the orders from the towel and glass factory?"

 

"Yep, and delivered it with the furniture. They're off for a couple of years until we start the sorting planet order. By then the students who graduated a couple years ago should be finishing their university degrees and possibly moving offplanet."

 

"And after that will be our apartment complex. James is bringing it out after the Festival, we'll be able to get the exterior work finished before winter."

 

"Are we still planning one for the animal planet?"

 

"Yes, we start growing in a couple of years. We're looking at the growing areas right now and planning the crops."

 

"Do you see commercial growing on the fourth planet?"

 

"Probably. They've got Wayne Industries, Stark International, the council, Cambridge, and Oxford after all. None of them can grow their own food like the scattered farms and ranches do. Yeah, Cambridge and Oxford have growing areas but nothing on the commercial farm scale."

 

"We'd need at least four buildings there."

 

Dr. Stark nods. "Cambridge, Oxford, the council settlement, and one by Wayne and Stark. And we might want to think of expanding the growing areas in the future since they only have the one harvest."

 

Josette nods. "They'd be the ones coming for the offworld fresh fruits and veggies over the winter. And we'd have to expand the buildings for heat."

 

Dr. Stark nods. "You can move to the big building over the winter months, we've got a space too. They'd need something more than the flea market building. Alan Eppes has been working on a year-round market that can be added onto as needed. The good part is that it would have heat from the start but the downside is that it couldn't be brought out and worked on, they'd have to be built."

 

"But it would take at least that long until we started harvesting enough to have stuff for sale." Josette looks at David. "And we might start thinking of enlarging the commercial fields or starting second ones." David nods slowly, making a note of that on his PADD.

 

"How many harvests do you have?"

 

"Three, we harvested our second crops over the last couple weeks and we planted our third." Josette says. "Eureka's planet has four but they just started commercially growing when the students who finished university started planting commercially there and the seventh planet a couple years ago, otherwise it was home gardens on Archimedes and communal gardens for the people working on the seventh planet where most of our industry is located. They have three harvests with a few extra weeks. The fifth planet is our animal planet, two growing cycles with a few extra weeks. The fourth planet is the most like Earth, three extra hours a day, an extra day a week, and a couple extra weeks a year. They only have one growing season."

 

"The third planet?"

 

"A shorter day, week, and year. They have a growing season but nobody lives there permanently, it's mostly used as our vacation planet, we have all the world monuments and other stuff we saved when we thought it was only an ice age our Earth was facing. Everything we saved we could bring back to Earth." The others nod. "Then the solar flare took out all the electronics on Earth and killed everybody left and Earth was stuck as a permanent winter world."

 

"Do you have any information on Earth?"

 

"Years of recordings, some from before we left the planet." Dr. Stark says. "Josette, are you heading off dimension after your third semester?"

 

"Yeah, visiting these guys again." The two superheroes and her father and grandfather nod, "Mom's dimension, our family in the other, other dimension, and checking the probes from Clark and Thomas' dimension, then dl'ing the probes around Earth."

 

"31 children?" Clark sighs when everybody finally settles down in the back room.

 

"These are just our youngest that still live at home. Tinya and her age group will be finishing their university degrees this fall and moving to the fourth planet or Eureka for their internships. We have 103 children all together. Our eldest died. . .God has it been eighteen years already?" Michael sighs.

 

"Good Lord." Dr. Cross puts down his fork. "How many?"

 

"Ten sets of twins, eleven sets of triplets, five sets of quadruplets, a set of quintuplets, and the rest single births. The Covingtons have a genetic quirk that causes sets of multiples to pop up every so often. The girls and Alan have seven younger brothers and sisters, including another set of identical twin girls." David snorts. "I have six younger brothers and sisters. All but the two oldest of the other Covington children were born after we moved to Haven."

 

"Gestation chambers?" Charles asks. David nods. "The solar flares sterilized most of Earth before the end, those that came up just before the end and the students who were enrolled at the time we lost Earth as well as those in same sex partnerships or can't have children because of age or other problems use them. Including a handful of single parents here on Haven."

 

Josette gets up and fills her tray again, getting a smile from the kitchen workers.

 

"How long have you been on Haven?"

 

"Over 50 years, Josette had just turned 38 a couple weeks before we moved the school up from Earth."

 

Josette nods. "My birthday was the ninth of August and we moved the night before Labor Day, that way all the new students were settled at the school and they had a day off to just stand outside and look up at the clear sky and two suns before school started. The time difference made for a short semester before Christmas, then the semesters settled so we came down next for the seniors graduation and the new students. When we lost Earth and we shut down the school after the students graduated we changed the school years around so they started the first of the year and not in the fall. When we don't have students we shut down the school until the next batch are old enough."

 

"That only makes sense. How long are you going to be open this year?"

 

"Another ten years, that will have the last of the students graduated including our youngest but the babies. That will be 21 years this time. Longest we've been open at one shot since we lost Earth."

 

"How long had it been since the rockets exploded and you moved?"

 

"Ten years. We'd been expanding the dorm and making plans since all the precogs were seeing something happening." Dr. Stark nods, taking over telling of their plans to move.

 

"Are you only settled on these five planets?" Clark asks.

 

"Yes. Josette's taken over the first planet, she grows some crops there and uses it for a vacation spot, Clark's got a lab on the second planet, and we put up a lab on the eleventh planet to see if people could live on a winter planet full-time. We had a two year test and now have plans to put up two more labs for a five year test."

 

"Your years or theirs?"

 

"Ours, that's something else to get used to in a future test. The longer years and the permanent winter. We'll have another shipment for you to deliver by your first testing week." Josette nods.

 

"How long are your years?"

 

"Our day is 36 hours, our weeks are nine days, there's five weeks in a month and fourteen months in a year. Archimedes day is 48 hours. . ." The visitors shudder. "Everybody schedules their day how they want. Shifts at GD are on eight, off at least eight, then on another eight and off. If only because some of the scientists would never have come out of their labs if they weren't forced to." Dr. Cross looks at Dr. McNider and chuckles. David smirks.

 

"When GD came up, Grandpa Nathan gave Taggart a trank gun and told him to sedate anybody who he thought had been working too many hours. He got him twice." Dr. McNider leans on his arms and laughs. "Oh god, I can see that happening in Eureka."

 

"You'd have been the first one darted." Dr. Cross snorts.

 

"Probably."

 

"Our weeks are ten days, with six weeks in a month and fifteen months in a year." The visitors shake their heads.

 

The others start arriving over the next few days for the party and the Harvest Festival, the four from the other dimension watching in amazement as the apartment complex appears on Archimedes.

 

"That's. . ."

 

"Quite handy." Dr. Stark nods. "We've still got a bit of work to do to the exterior, moving everything off propane or natural gas at the source then each apartment during the interior work as well as adding battery packs, adding solar panels to the roofs and an alternative energy source. The furnace for each building will be locked to 66 degrees, a thermostat in each apartment would run down the solar panels too quickly. Thankfully we're past the storms from the second sun's orbit altering." The visitors perk up. "Yes, we can give you that information as well. It caused some bad winters when our orbits crossed."

 

"Communal gardens? I saw the apartments on Haven had them."

 

"Yes, one will go in when we have people moving into the apartments. The others have the rest of this year and next before they finish furnishing the new apartment complex Stark International and Wayne Industries had put up on the fourth planet. Then they're going to be starting on an identical order for the sorting planet. Then ours and finally the animal planet once they figure out where they want to plant."

 

"Is this the building you were talking about for selling fruits and vegetables?" Charles gestures at a building identical to one they'd seen in Town.

 

"Yes, it's actually the flea market building from Killingmesoftly, the town near the school back on Earth. It's two stories and the solar panels handle the checkout, kitchen, and bathrooms in the basement. But there's no heat and no easy way to add it without extensive remodeling."

 

"You'd be better off building new." Doc says. Dr. Stark nods. "Taking it apart carefully and salvaging everything to be reused elsewhere. Right now we and Town can switch everything to a different building for the winter."

 

"Sooo, adding onto the commercial crops." David says at the government meeting after all their guests have headed home.

 

"It has been over 50 years. And we've had plans for a while."

 

"Yes, and with the students leaving school over the next ten to twelve years we'll need them." Principal Madison says. "Hard to believe it's been that long since we moved from Earth."

 

The others nodded. "We'd had plans for people to settle on their own land and grow their own crops like the vampire planet but things have changed. Now, expanding your fields, planting elsewhere on your continent, or planting elsewhere?"

 

"There's yays and nays for each plan. . ." Josette puts the first file on the screen. "Adding onto the fields. . ."

 

"Ted, Michael,, I have a ton of files for you." Dr. McNider hands the men the hard drive. "From an Earth that is in an ice age, from an Earth that had an asteroid take out their moon, a piece of debris tore away the atmosphere, and from a binary sun system. The second sun has been shifting it's orbit, when the planets orbits intersected theirs they had some wicked storms."

 

"Planets?" Ted Knight as as he scans the hard drive for viruses then sends the files to the Society server.

 

"Five inhabited by people who came out from the first Earth because they knew the planet was sliding towards an ice age. Also by people from the second Earth that had come over over the years. They weren't expecting to go back to Earth for supplies and to deliver products they'd ordered to find it destroyed."

 

"Damn." Michael looks at the overview for the files, sending a copy of them to his computer system. "Both white suns?"

 

"Yes, the planets were terraformed to be inhabitable. They're each about two to three times the size of Earth. Sixteen planets total, there's buildings on four more planets but nobody lives there permanently."

 

Ted whistles. "Is there more current data?"

 

"There will be, Josette was going to dl information from the probes in a few months. There's also general information on the planets, we've been offered a nice spot when we have to leave."

 

Michael blinks.

 

"Eureka's there?"

 

"Yes, they're able to move whole communities. Eureka came first to the eighth planet, then Josette and David's school to the sixth planet with the community growing around it. Other buildings and communities came up over the years and they bring out buildings as needed. That's on there too. As is the switching stations that move you between the planets. We also traveled on one of Josette's ships."

 

"As in more than one?" Ted Grant asks.

 

"Thirteen in total. Including one that is Atlantis. Josette said that there's legends of the sunken continent of Atlantis in every dimension she's been drawn to, the comics she's seen have them like ours either turned into fishmen or living underwater in an undersea cavern with their own atmosphere."

 

"Did you see their gardens?"

 

"Yes, it had just been planted when we arrived for their third growing season of the year but it's easily ten well planned, well placed acres. They rotate the crops every cycle so the ground doesn't lose nutrients. After their last growing season they till the plants under or add compost to the soil and manure in the spring."

 

"Why so large?" Rick asks. "Third growing season?" Michael asks.

 

"To answer Rick's question they have 31 children still living at home though the older fourteen are graduating from university in a few months and moving away for their internships at Wayne Industries, Stark International, and Eureka."

 

"Stark International? Like the Iron Man movies?" Ted Knight asks. Then "31 children?"

 

"Yes, David says the Covingtons, Mom's family?" the others nod, remembering the pair talking about two women called Mom and another called Ma. "Have a genetic quirk that causes multiples to pop up in the family. The kids just have more than usual since they get pregnant more often. They've had ten sets of twins, eleven sets of triplets, five sets of quadruplets, a set of quintuplets, and the rest single births. All four of them tend to get pregnant at the same time. The 31 still living at home are the youngest."

 

"That's at least 88 children."

 

"They have 103 all total, the oldest was killed in a traffic accident 18 years ago. She was also the only one to have given them grandchildren with her family group."

 

"And Haven is the sixth planet in the system Michael, their days are 36 hours, they have a nine day week, five weeks in a month, and fourteen months in a year. They have three harvests in a good year, though a couple years they've had domes to protect the crops during an early winter until they could be harvested. And one year they only harvested twice since they got a late start thanks to a storm that came through when they'd have been planting. That's on the material you've got."

 

"That's got to be a bit of work." Ted Knight shakes his head. "Communal gardens?"

 

"For the apartment complexes and some of the houses. They also have smaller individual plots and larger gardens, your spot and growing period is chosen by lottery. Some of the businesses also have communal gardens, a couple pizza parlors, a communal kitchen and bakery, and a building that opened a couple years ago that split off the kitchen that makes sandwiches. They have their own garden but they share with the kitchen and bakery. They also have offworld harvests during the year so they have fresh fruit and vegetables over the winter. The one year they only had two harvests they ran out."

 

"The communal garden for the basics and the individual plots for what you want." Rick says, the others nod. "The smaller plots by the apartments are meant for one person, the others outside of town are a half-acre and meant for families, the land was developed as a step towards people buying their own land and settling on it. The fourth planet is scattered farms or other homes brought up from Earth, Wayne Industries, Stark International, Cambridge, Oxford, and three small settlements. Haven and Archimedes, which is where Eureka settled are communities along with a handful of individuals who have settled on their own land. Either bringing up their homes or building new."

 

"People aren't used to being self-sufficient. Probably one of the reasons they settled in communities." Alan says. "That and there's jobs and recreation." Everybody ends up getting copies of the information, each focusing on different aspects of life on Haven or the other planets.

 

"Oh Ted." Pieter hands him a small bag. "Samples of a new super hot pepper that GD had been working on. Josette's got a growing area on the first planet where she grows plants that thrive in hot environments, making hot peppers even hotter."

 

"Damn," Ted Grant opens the bag and sniffs, pushing it away and covering his mouth as he sneezes. "Those are strong."

 

"GD said the original were 2 1/2 million on the Scoville scale, the ones grown on the first planet went off the charts."

 

"I can understand drying them, that's the only way you'd be able to use them without taking your head right off. Is this all of them?"

 

"No I have some to experiment on and so does Clark. I also have some information from a scientist who uses the other peppers in herbal cures."

 

"Education?"

 

"Three twenty week semesters that start at the beginning of the year instead of the fall. They took in thousands of orphans from the second Earth that the government was basically warehousing since they didn't have enough good foster homes for them. The first thousand or so students have graduated high school and finished their first university degree, they're busy either doing internships with GD, Wayne Industries, or Stark International, or starting to grow commercially on the sorting planet and Archimedes."

 

"Sorting planet?"

 

"The seventh planet where most of their light industry is located, they call it the sorting planet because before they left Earth that's where shipments of metals and minerals they were harvesting from the asteroid belt was brought to be sorted and the initial step of making them ready for manufacturing was taken. Their recycling was also sorted there to be sold to Earth. When the first Earth was lost they started bringing out factories and some of the students who were at the school moved there for jobs. At that time Haven wasn't big enough to absorb 40000 new settlers, for all that they'd already been living there. When they agreed to take in the first batch of orphans and their support personnel, including teachers they brought out more factories so they'd have jobs when they left school."

 

"They were going to stay on Haven?" Michael asks.

 

"It was supposedly the first step in colonizing the stars but it was basically, 'you're orphans, nobody's going to care if you leave'." Pieter says, shaking his head. "Josette says she and the Clark from that dimension had been given the job of searching out other worlds for them to colonize and the job of moving supplies to the moon for a military/scientific research base that was the first step in moving off Earth. It was only a couple months after the plans for the moonbase before the asteroid hit."

 

"Damn, you hear about the asteroid near misses on the news." Courtney says, coming into the main room and putting up her school bag. "There, done until fall."

 

"Grades?" Charles says.

 

"Officially in a week but unless I bombed my finals I'm still going to be making the Dean's list."

 

"Good." Pieter says in satisfaction. They settle around the room in various places, each taking part of the information to work through. Michael whistles when he sees the apartment complex going up, putting that file on the main screen.

 

"That is damn handy, is that how they were able to move whole communities?"

 

"A slightly different process. They call that bringing stuff out of limbo. Restaurants are cleaned and everything, bringing up communities was going to bed on one planet and waking up on another. Nothing was touched, and it existed on the other planet. Clark had moved his headquarters there since he and Thomas were at the point of having to come up with new identities since they weren't aging. Clark was already a fourth and Thomas was a junior. They moved to Haven to be closer to the family there and allow sufficient time to pass before they started their new lives. When their Earth was gone they ended up enlarging the buildings on Haven with the buildings from Earth."

 

"So if we wanted to come back we'd have a place to come back to?"

 

Charles nods. "Just put up protections on the buildings that stay behind so they're not bothered and Josette can pick up supplies or mail every couple of months if it's put somewhere. We'd have internet so we could keep up current events here. Because I'm afraid this world's going to hell in a handbasket."

 

"Do we have plans for leaving?"

 

"Yes, I have another hard drive." Charles says. "With information on what we'd probably want to bring up with us and plans on a settlement. There's plenty of continents that haven't been touched on the five planets with permanent inhabitants, the third planet has a slightly shorter day than Earth, we could move there if we wanted."

 

"Sixteen planets?"

 

"Yes, beyond the tenth planet it's permanent winter planets. GD has a testing lab on the eleventh planet to see if mankind could live on a winter planet with the thought of eventually moving back to Earth if they ever come out of the ice age."

 

"From what I've seen that might not be possible." Ted Knight says. "The rockets put a lot of stuff in the atmosphere."

 

"That's the feeling at GD, if they ever do it will be millennia." The information on the second hard drive is transferred to the server and they start to make plans. Because the government was severely fucked even before they'd elected Lex Luthor as President.

 

"Shouldn't you be sleeping?" Thomas asks, finding Josette working on one of the lower floors of Headquarters a couple weeks into the new semester. "It's nearly two in the morning."

 

"Fuck no." Josette shudders. "I dreamt that I'd been kidnapped to Hogwarts."

 

"How long did it take you to pull it down around their ears?" Clark asks chuckling.

 

"Six weeks. Dumbfuck couldn't understand why I wouldn't do what he wanted, it was for the greater good after all. The teachers were about ready to lynch him after the first week when I refused to do anything in class but read a newspaper and flip them the bird, with two fingers since I was in Great Britain and they might not understand the single finger salute. For some reason walking snowmen invaded the Great Hall for their snowball fight. All the furniture in the classrooms ended up on the ceiling, a different classroom every day. A couple of times class was in session while it happened. I blew up the potions lab twice making stink bombs and other stuff in the middle of the night. . ." CJ's cackling in the corner of the room.

 

"The toilets started playing how dry I am whenever somebody sat down. Whoopie cushions in the teachers seats. I scared off Peeves, had the suits of armor smacking the teachers across the ass with their swords when they walked past. That little twerp Malfoy tried something with me and I handed him his ass ten times a day for a solid month, kept threatening me with his Daddy but since his Daddy got killed by hit wizards that took out the dork lord his mouth was cashing checks his ass couldn't handle. Doubledumbfuck was stunned I wouldn't accept the new husband he'd chosen for me. . . After all I should be honored at being brought to Pigfarts to bear magical babies since they weren't. . . I was muggle born but they'd 'overlook' that part since I had more than enough magic for their needs, Dumb fuckers. Hermione was horrified that I was ignoring the teacher's instructions, they know best after all."

 

Rude snorts from the three men.

 

"Yeah, that was my thought. Little twit, you'd think just from History of Magic she'd know better. They hated the idea of me not using a wand so they couldn't control me that way. They tried an unforgivable and I punched them in the face and walked away laughing. I should forget my old life, I was part of the wizarding world now. Yeah, right. Ugly old bastard who 'married' me tried touching me and I blew his tiny inbred dick off with a .357 magnum, he stood there with a stunned stupid look on his face before he fell to the floor and bled out."

 

"Good." Thomas and Clark say firmly.

 

"I was dressed up like Elmer Fudd and hunting Dumbledork when I woke up."

 

"Be vewy, vewy quiet, I'm hunting wizards eh heh heh heh heh." CJ smirks. "Was he hiding?"

 

"Yeah, probably because I shot the bastard in front of him and kinda, sorta, maybe hinted a little that he was next." CJ slides down the wall cackling.

 

"Yeah." Josette snorts. "The muggleborn students realized they were only there as breeding stock and the non-magical government had been called in. They were not happy with the Ministry or Fumbledork."

 

"You still need sleep."

 

"No worse than any other night I couldn't sleep." Josette says. "And you guys have been talking about working on this floor for a bit."

 

"We have." Clark says. "How far have you got?"

 

"Only as far as checking out the furniture, like a lot of office stuff it's old and wore out. The 'should have been disposed of years ago but we were too cheap' stuff is in the hallway to be chucked in the replicator. The 'good quality that just needs some tender loving care' is in a couple rooms to be looked over in daylight and a list made of what needs to be done with it. Some upholstering, some stuff Alexander needs to work on. He can look it over over the break and work on it after we're finished with the furniture and other stuff for the vampire planet next year before we start working on the sorting planet stuff."

 

"Some people do go for quality over quantity." Thomas says.

 

"And take care of what they have. That's why they stay in business. Some people also go expensive for their stuff and cheap out for their employees, then wonder why they can't keep them."

 

"And some are just assholes who want all the money they can get."

 

"Enron, Bernie Madoff. .." The three men nod.

 

"You still should try to go back to sleep."

 

Josette waves a hand. "Please, I can go without a few hours sleep. Not the first time, not the last time. Once the suns come up I'll soak up energy and get a good nights sleep tomorrow night when the insane imp isn't doing the fandango in my subconscious."

 

"Because you wouldn't just stop at Hogwarts."

 

"Nope, I'd destroy the Ministry too then roast marshmallows over the pretty fire. The screams would be nice too if I was in a particularly 'fuck this shit' mood. And I'd end up looting everything as compensation for kidnapping me. The light families could work in the muggle world for a while, the dark families could go leap, those that had survived the military coming in and taking over."

 

"We're not going to get you to go back to bed, are we?" Clark chuckles.

 

"To quote myself from a few minutes ago, fuck no. I'll be quiet, if I was further along in my degrees, I'd be working on a thesis for a Masters. That's what I did the last time my subconscious went nuts during the night."

 

"You'd need a project first."

 

"Yep, for the chem masters and the electrical engineering degree."

 

"What happened that time?" CJ chuckles.

 

"Samhein was the size of Clifford the big red dog. I was riding on his back and we were fighting giant Rutabagas with knives and forks on the ends of their hands, they wanted vengeance for their fallen brethren." CJ's rolling on the floor cackling, Thomas is laughing, and Clark's lips are twitching suspiciously. "When I realized I was wearing a fur bikini like them bad jungle movies I woke myself up swearing. Doc found me in the library working on a paper, I told him I didn't want to go back to sleep and find myself in a double feature fighting Brussels Sprouts next time."

 

"How were you fighting them?" Thomas asks.

 

"The sword on my back worked about as well as a toothpick. We were trying to lead them to the boiling ocean of melted butter where they'd be helpless to save utopia. They'd also be dinner, but they'd be helpless. Another reason to wake up and stay up." Thomas nods. "Show me what you'd decided to save." The four of them look everything over before going upstairs. "Try to rest." Thomas says, pushing her back into her room there. She'd been staying the night to talk about the plans for the labs on the eleventh planet.

 

Josette sighs and lays down on her bed, pulling up her PADD and starting to type.

 

"Did you sleep?" Thomas asks at breakfast, looking over from feeding Deborah as CJ takes care of Alexis and Adam and Brett set the table. Clark's at the stove and looks at her.

 

"Nope, I started getting an idea for my chem project and paper, spent the rest of the night checking sources and working on an outline." She sends it to them to look over later.

 

"What are you plans for the day?"

 

"Heading to the first planet to check the soil from the GD test, they wanted to see how fast it recovers when it's mixed in the compost." Clark nods. "Check on the new peppers, tomatoes, and herbs. Check the olives, I'm doing half and half this year, half pressed into oil and half in the barrels."

 

"Black olives?"

 

"Not for a couple more years, I'm only on my third jar, the first barrel's barely been touched."

 

"Do we think the others are coming out?"

 

"Yes, David, Dr. Stark, and I have been looking at likely spaces for them. Their government is . ..well to put it bluntly screwed, they have a megalomaniac industrialist as President. Instead of reining in hate groups he's letting them thrive because they make take out his enemies. Once they're no longer of use to him he'll probably take them out."

 

Thomas shakes his head. "It's going to get a lot worse before it gets better. He doesn't care about the people who voted him in, he's in it for the power. They're expecting him to quietly overthrow the government so he can't be voted out of office if they try to vote him out."

 

Clark shakes his head. "We have plenty of continents depending on how much room they need."

 

"They're thinking of maybe settling on the ninth or third planet. The third planet they could take one of the empty continents, the ninth planet they'd have the whole thing to spread out on. The tenth planet is the cutoff to have real seasons."

 

"Everybody who can leave is getting ready to leave in droves."

 

"Did you give them the information on putting everything in subspace and moving the buildings?"

 

"Yep. They're getting in supplies, so is everybody else who's leaving and putting protections on their homes if they want to come back. They're self-regenerating and can stand up to a direct hit from an atom bomb. Not even he's that stupid. Even if he did order the super-heroes not to interfere in a natural disaster and his popularity rating took a tumble when an entire town got wiped out in a flood. He didn't want them to fix the dam, it should hold. ... Until it didn't."

 

"Idiot."

 

"Yeah, if things get too bad I'll hurry over and give them several dozen emergency triggers and set up a space on an empty continent on the third planet, that way if they need to leave suddenly they have a safe spot." Nods from CJ, Thomas, and Clark. "If they want to move somewhere else, we can move them later."

 

"Is it that bad?"

 

"The previous president left office in disgrace for using his influence to shut down labs and police stations that had found a friend of his murdering people. Of course it had to be a police conspiracy against him. Asshole got shot in the act and the labs and stations sued the city, the state, him personally. . .it was quite the scandal."

 

"People are stupid."

 

"Amen."

 

After breakfast Josette heads to Atlantis, flying to the first planet and checking on the plants and taking readings of the soil that had been used in the experiment. She sends that data back to GD, getting a thank you back before checking out likely sites on the third, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth planets for them and sending it to them in a data burst when she lands on Haven.

 

"Got an e-mail from Josette, she's been scouting locations for us on the third and fifth through tenth planets." Charles says, looking at the message at the priority beep. His father comes up behind him to copy the information.

 

At Society headquarters, everybody's looking at the pictures. "Ninth or tenth planet, that way we have room to spread out? They have limited industry and what not that we'll want to bring out too."

 

"Did you ever learn how they pick up tv signals from the other planets?" Alan asks. He'd be bringing out his tv and radio stations. Billy perks up too, Station WHIZ is on the short list to come out. Between the two of them they'd have most of the major networks.

 

"Satellites between the planets. They act as relays."

 

"Movie theaters?"

 

"The industry went digital, theirs was still on tape. We'd be bringing out tape libraries too. Have you been looking over the list of industries Rex?"

 

"Yes, they have a good basis for what they need now and in the future. I've got a list of a few things they might not have thought of."

 

"Or they did and realized they weren't necessary." Charles smiles. "Life is simpler there."

 

"I wouldn't mind simpler. Do you have a list of crops to raise?"

 

"Yes, including a few tobacco plants. Michael's on top of the orders and Josette's volunteered to bring out supplies we can't keep here or in our homes."

 

"How did they handle it?"

 

"Shipping containers, had to." Ted Knight says.

 

Pieter nods. "Josette put the containers on Atlantis whenever the warehouse complex they were renting was full and took them up to Haven. With all of Eureka going up, they were able to get in a good stock of supplies in and she delivered more when they arrived, along with the other settlements until they lost Earth. Josette returned them to Earth as they were emptied. When they lost Earth she filled them with what she was gathering, what was still good after the solar flare. Most of the electronics had been sent off in the last pickup days before it happened since Earth knew they were dying."

 

"Damn, that would have been hell."

 

 

 

"Did you get in an extra class this summer?"

 

"Yeah, started another degree from the sosh school, villains as the main characters."

 

"32 classes again this semester?"

 

"Yeah, I'm starting a degree from the history school on Nixon and Watergate."

 

A couple weeks later Josette heads to Archimedes with everybody but David for their first testing week. A couple days later she lands on the water with Brigadoon to pick up the next batch of supplies for the labs on the eleventh planet. Moving everything takes a few hours and she talks to Drs. Stark and Blake then heads off to deliver everything.

 

"Get everything taken care of?" Alexander asks when Josette slides into her seat at dinner.

 

"Yeah, I should have another shipment of supplies around the second testing week next year, that should be the last of the building supplies. If not the shipment in the fall will be and we can start on the labs the year after that." The others nod.

 

"How long until you think that Drs. Cross, McNider, and their friends are coming up?"

 

"I think they planned on five years their time, so should be year after next. I'm heading off after finals, they should have decided on their settlement and have a first shipment for me. I'll copy some stuff while I'm there. I know they plan on doing the same and bringing stuff out over the years."

 

The next few weeks fly by and soon it's the second testing week.

 

"Have you decided on how we're expanding the commercial gardens?"

 

"Yes, we're planting second fields on the continent, both new crops and to add to what we already grow. Enlarging the fields won't work, they're as big as I'm comfortable with now and we'd be growing into each other. We're going to be looking into good spots next year with possibly planting the year after that. And the government's looking into enlarging their fields over the next few years as the students finish university." The others nod.

 

"Are we enlarging the mushroom building?"

 

"Not for a few years."

 

The rest of the semester passes and after Thanksgiving and the students graduation ceremony, Josette starts heading off, first to Earth to dl the information from the probes, then heading off with Clark and Thomas to the other Earth. After she visits the first dimension, coming back a few decades later she picks up the others and heads off to the other dimension. They hug their family and friends there, like they hadn't seen each other a few months before at Josette's party.

 

"Congratulations on finishing your degrees boys, I hear you're going for a Masters?"

 

"Yes we start next fall. It's a quirky choice, but unlike some people. . ." Michael smirks and looks at David. "We're not taking the degree to piss anybody off."

 

"But it's fun." David mock whines. Mary rolls her eyes as James laughs. "How long do you think it will be before Grandpa Nathan makes Josette do the quick change in the auditorium again?"

 

"Year after next, next year will be the graduation ceremony for Tinya's age group and the other kids who just finished university classes. It will be a couple more years before we have students graduating high school or finishing university." Susan says absently. "We're at the stage where the students are graduating every other year. And more importantly Josette will be finished with a new school next year." The others chortle as Josette rolls her eyes.

 

"How long until you're finished with the fourth planet orders?" Professor Xavier asks.

 

"Next year, probably around the time you guys come out for the party and Festival. We'll be off the rest of the year and then start on the sorting planet complex, after that should be the animal planet depending on when they start growing commercially there. Either them or Archimedes."

 

"Are they planting different times than the other crops?"

 

"Yes, that way they've got stuff coming in when they communal gardens aren't producing. Depending on which planet they're on and how often they harvest. The animal planet they can't get in three gardens but if we time everything right, we can have crops coming in until just before the first frost. Now Archimedes doesn't have that extra time at the end of their last harvest so they'd plant less often to offset everything."

 

"And the sorting planet does so they'd be able to get in their last harvest after the commercial gardens are harvested."

 

"And it's not meant to be all the planet's food, it's supplementing what they're already growing. They're growing about half of what we are right now, not counting the garden."

 

"That's not that much." Alexander sighs. "No, we don't want to wear down the planets or grow more than we need. It's just that we have all the students leaving the school over the next ten years and moving into their own homes or intern housing that we're growing more food."

 

A good length of time later they head back to Haven before Josette and David head off to the other dimension with all the latest from the probes, copying more information from where Atlantis is in orbit.

 

"Have you guys made up your mind?"

 

"Yes, the ninth planet sounds good, that way we can spread out and make it our own."

 

"That's the way to do it." David chuckles. They pick up the first delivery of supplies and deliver it to the selected place on the ninth planet when they come home.

 

"Have they decided?" Doc asks when they come home.

 

"Yep, they're taking over the ninth planet. We just got back from delivering the first batch of supplies."

 

"How is it there?"

 

"Megalomaniac who brought his way into office and is flexing his muscles now. People are whining that he's not doing what they wanted. He has what he wants and who cares what anybody else wants."

 

"Geee, whooda thunk that?" Principal Madison says in a fake surprised voice. Josette cackles.

 

"Yeah, anyway I was copying stuff while I was there and we just got back from delivering the first batch of supplies to the ninth planet. They're going to try to get as much done on their houses and whatnot before they come out but we're expecting some work."

 

"How soon?"

 

"Year after next, probably during our summer. One of the last deliveries will be stuff for the fields and communal gardens I'll be starting for them before they come up."

 

"They'll be coming up early enough in the spring to have the full year to get settled in and have crops in before winter. How many settlements are they thinking?"

 

"Probably two, it all depends on how many people they bring out. . .and that depends on how bad it gets."

 

The next day Josette joins the others at the Albatross Nest to talk about the kits for the next year.

 

"How many more graduations?"

 

"Three more, every other year now. 1500 to 1800 students until the last group have graduated. That just leaves the kids."

 

"It doesn't seem like the school's been open that long."

 

"21 years when we close it. The education center is shutting down in six years for a good cleaning and necessary repairs that we haven't been able to handle like we did the high school."

 

"Yeah, a lot of the buildings need to be shut down for a few months or years for a good cleaning and to see what repairs need to be made."

 

"We don't stop to think how long it's been since things came up."

 

"Or just how long it's been since you cleaned your house." Sue says. Laughter from the other women. "Until something goes wrong, you don't stop to think how old something is."

 

After lunch Josette starts looking through the bags and hugs the kids as they start heading off to Stark International, Wayne Industries, or Global Dynamics. The cleaning robots take care of the rooms after all the kids have hugged their parents, siblings, Lois, and Lana even though they won't be in each other's back pockets even on other planets.

 

"Josette, have you had a chance to look over the updated plans for the labs?" CJ asks, coming into the hallway.

 

"No, not yet. The kids just left for their internships."

 

"Awww. . .I can come . . ."

 

"No, I need something to get my mind off the suddenly empty rooms. I'm sure the floor monitors are feeling the same way, those that aren't moving themselves as the last of their charges are leaving the dorms." Clark comes through and chuckles. "Oh, the others are taking over the ninth planet. Unless we get somebody on the tenth planet they're going to the furthest out that grow crops outside."

 

Clark, CJ, and Josette settle in the first floor lounge with their PADDs, bringing up the updated plans for the labs before and after dinner.

 

Thomas looks at them when they come back. "The kids were heading off to GD, Wayne, and SI today for their internships. We stayed a few hours to talk about the changes to the labs and make sure the kids are going to be okay with the kids heading off."

 

The rest of the year passes quickly, everybody enjoying the lights festival and soon it's the first day of the new school year.

 

"Josette, what are you bringing out this year for the warehouse?"

 

"The other factory for detergent, this one will handle the PODS for the washing machines and dishwashers."

 

"You'll still be finished with the vampire planet order?"

 

"Yeah, the candlemakers are busting asses to get everything done by the time the furniture is, the towel factory and glass factory orders were finished and delivered last year. The potters and glassmakers will have everything finished by then too. There's baskets of soap in the bathrooms, that gives us all a break over the end of the year until we start next year for the sorting planet order."

 

"Cotton?"

 

"Four more offworld harvests should be enough for the sorting planet plus leave some left for us. I know most of the others at the Albatross Nest was going to be doing some spring cleaning over the winter, you forget how long its been since we came up."

 

Principal Madison sighs and nods. "The school and education center need more than what can be done over the break. All the buildings need a good move everything out of a room and scrub them clean and everything needs to be examined, you can't crawl over the buildings over the winter break . . .since it's winter."

 

Josette sniggers. "Yeah, I know you, Clark, and Clark have the robots that take care of the cleaning and repairs your homes need."

 

"Yes, but like you said we still need the 'move everything out of the rooms, see if any repairs need to be made, and scrub them' cleanings." Josette sighs.

 

"Now, offworld harvests?"

 

"This is a could harvest twice year. We should have a few offworld harvests in that I'll have to take the drying stuff to the first planet before we plant."

 

"The offworld labs?"

 

"Should have everything in the order I'll be delivering in by the second testing week, if not the fall delivery should have everything so we can start adding onto the original lab and building the others." Once those are delivered, we can start furnishing them and bringing in supplies. "

 

"What classes are you picking up?"

 

"First three classes for the dust bowl and naval academy degrees and first of two semesters I need to finish the musical instruments degree. Those are the three degrees I'll finish this year, the buttonmaking hands-on degree, the electrical engineering, and the second degree for the multiple degree Vertigo degree I'll get next year."

 

"Chem?"

 

"Finish it and the last three cooking classes the semester after that. Dr. Blake's already told me I'm pre-approved for the Masters and we've already agreed what cooking degree I'm starting at Assyrian the next semester." Her loving family and friends snigger at her fake put-upon look.

 

"You'd be heartbroken if you weren't doing twenty things at once."

 

"Probably." Josette shrugs.

 

"When are you going to pick up supplies again?"

 

"Probably the end of the semester, that will give them about eight to ten months to get more supplies in, I'll head off this year and start putting up barns for the livestock coming up and buildings to store hay and feed. I'm also putting up a weather satellite so they can check the forecasts." Doc nods.

 

After lunch Josette settles in her workroom and starts working on one of the quilts she'd been designing. The next few weeks pass quickly, Josette heading to Archimedes with everybody but David for their first testing week.

 

"This time next year you'll be staying home with David." Josette smirks at lunch.

 

"Yes, unlike the boys we didn't finish one degree and sign up for another." Abby smirks. Alexander blows her the raspberry as the others laugh.

 

"And Alan will be finishing his degree next year."

 

"Which means Dr. Blake should start dropping gentle hints with the force of a nuclear bomb in a couple of years about another degree." Michael sniggers.

 

"How is Bethany handling turning a hundred. . .officially that is?" Dr. Stark asks.

 

"Treating it as another day. Monk's threatening to turn off the fire system so they can put a hundred candles on the cake, Ham says he'll have a fire extinguisher handy. Doc's sighing and Pat's sniggering."

 

"You've got a hundred birthday coming up pretty soon."

 

"These guys before I do thankfully." Josette says, rolling her eyes.

 

"Changing the subject, the second detergent factory?"

 

"Coming out after our second testing week. It will need two storage locations." Dr. Stark nods in satisfaction. "After that?"

 

"Possibly the animal food factories but more likely we'll wait for a few more years until we need another factory. We don't want to get in stuff we don't have a need for yet." Nods from the others.

 

"The others?"

 

"I'm bringing up a second batch of supplies the end of the month, going out this year to put up barns and corrals for livestock. The animals are coming out just before they do, sometime next year unless they have to leave earlier."

 

"They've got just as good a reason to leave as we did, but in their case it's political instead of environmental." Dr. Stark sighs.

 

"The Doctors always said that the 21st century was a time of change for Earth." Josette sighs.

 

"And for every Earth that survived their troubles and thrived, there's a dozen that have been lost due to any number of things. Including man's greed and the need for power."

 

"Are the others coming out in the spring? Their spring?"

 

"Yeah, that's the plan, that will give them four full harvests before their first winter. They'll be busy working on the changes needed for their homes and other buildings that come out first."

 

"Once they get those taken care and they have their first winter under their belts they can make decisions for what else they need to do their second year."

 

Josette nods. "We're bringing out stuff as we need it, so will they."

 

The next few weeks pass quickly, the second factory and the storage areas being brought out when Josette comes back from Eureka the second testing week. The third testing week Josette picks up supplies for the eleventh planet, delivering them and sliding into her seat at the dining hall for lunch.

 

David looks at her. "Going to be starting the new labs?"

 

She shakes her head. "One more batch of supplies this fall. Right now GD and Sanders are concentrating on making the building supplies for the barns, outbuildings, pastures, and corrals for the ninth planet."

 

The others nod. "The eleventh planet labs can wait. Are you planting?"

 

"Gardens before they come out and the yearly crops later this year, setting up the domes before winter. Same time I'm out there working on their other stuff."

 

"Do you have time before their winter?"

 

"Yeah."

 

After finals Josette and David head off to the other dimension in Hanover, picking up supplies for the settlements then the first batch of extruded plastic for the barns. David heads home from Archimedes while Josette heads off, returning an hour later.

 

"How long were you gone?"

 

"Six months, it was beginning to turn cold when I left."

 

"Get everything done?"

 

"Yeah, I dropped off three more shipments of supplies while I was there."

 

"Do they have farm equipment?"

 

"Yeah, they're bringing it out with everything they need to convert them to alternate energy since Eureka told them how. Along with stuff like mowers and snow blowers. I'll plant rice, wheat, potatoes, and corn for them, the basics. They'll probably want to expand the second year when they have a year's experience growing."

 

"With the supplies they bring with them and four harvests, they can set aside a small garden for experimenting with different fruits or veggies just like we have over the years." The others nod.

 

"What are you taking over the break?"

 

"Five classes for each of my degrees from the sosh school and naval academy. That leaves me four classes for each, I'll finish one next semester and the other over the break."

 

"Okay, this may be very stupid, but I thought naval academies were . . ." Ma asks.

 

"Like West Point and Annapolis where the kids right out of school went through school and became officers or whatnot?" Josette says. "Most are. This is meant for further education. When you've made a name for yourself and your superiors want you to specialize. The instructors at the other academies and military geeks had to come from somewhere."

 

The others chuckle and nod. "Musical Instruments?"

 

"I'll finish it next semester, I'll probably only get in about 20 classes since I'm asshole to elbows with the offworld harvests coming in." Her loving family and friends snigger at her. "At least I don't have to take the drying tables to the first planet anymore."

 

"That's the only bad part of the offworld harvests coming in this early, but I'm grateful we can put them there." The others nod. "And we've got the space for them on the ships when we've got two in in a week."

 

"And next year we'll have more when I plant for the others."

 

"Yeah, they'll need it over the winter until they learn how much food they need to plant to eat *and* set aside."

 

"Socks?"

 

"Yeah, I'll probably take over a big batch before their winter."

 

"Anything else for the meeting?" President Bartlett asks the morning the 2nd semester starts.

 

"Yeah." Josette sends a file to the screen. "We've been talking about putting up a fountain in town."

 

"Circulating pump?"

 

"Yep, we can either drain it over the winter or let it go until the first freeze for the icicles effect. The base is wide enough to sit on so people can dip their hands in the water during the summer."

 

"Can it be up this year?"

 

"Yeah, they've been working on the components for a couple years now, once we have a place located for it they can start clearing the ground and have it put together in by the Harvest Festival."

 

"Are those crystals?"

 

"Yeah, the water passing over them should be quite a sight."

 

"Will they create sound too?"

 

"Yes."

 

"Vampire planet apartments?" Principal Madison asks.

 

"Still on track to be finished by the Harvest Festival. Next year we'll start supplying the apartments on the sorting planet. By the time we're on Archimedes's apartments, we should be growing on the animal planet."

 

"The 9th planet?"

 

"I'm taking over another batch of extruded plastic and working on more outbuildings and whatnot, picking up supplies again finals this semester, next, and first semester last year with them arriving next summer after our second crops are in. I'll probably be there most of their year helping them get settled, gardens in and canned, dried, or stored. I'll also plant two offworld harvests for them next year." The others nod.

 

"This is a dumb question but has anybody thought of setting up a resort area in a temperate zone?"

 

"We don't have enough people to run it, not enough people to make it necessary, there'd be nothing to do there that you can't do at home, there's the third planet if you want spend a couple days at a hotel, and if you just want to get away from the winter, you can head to another planet." The others nod. "Thankfully nobody's bothered by arthritis that would need to live in a warm climate." The others nod.

 

"And a day away from the snow is as good as a vacation to most people." President Bartlett says.

 

"Are you going to be done with the degrees on the Dust Bowl and shipwrecks this semester?"

 

"Yeah, I took five classes for each over the break. I'll finish those and the musical instruments degree. I'll pick up classes for the cooking degree, chem degree, and the two other classes I take online."

 

"That will be. . .?"

 

"28 classes."

 

"You'll be busy with the harvests, bringing the last of the orders to the vampire planet, and getting the ninth planet ready for settlers."

 

"Yeah, but their planet is going to hell thanks to an egomaniac who was elected President. The more I get in now the more they have ready for them if they have to leave early."

 

"Eleventh planet?"

 

"The last shipment of supplies for the buildings should be ready this fall. Clark, CJ, and I will start the construction after the Lights Festival, then start bringing in supplies over the next couple of years."

 

Josette heads back to the dorm after lunch, heading upstairs to work on quilt blocks until dinner.

 

"Are we adding onto the dorm again, it's been a few years." Susan asks at dinner.

 

"Yeah, I have plans for a few things in a couple of years." Josette says.

 

"When are you heading off again?"

 

"The second shipment of supplies for their barns and the extruded plastic will be ready in a couple of months. I should have everything up before their winter."

 

"Pray god they don't arrive before then. Winter is not the time to move to a new planet." Susan shudders.

 

"Their relays are set to deliver them to the first planet if that happens. Once it's spring on the 9th planet, they'll head there."

 

"Good, that's a lot less worrisome. Is that going to be all their building supplies?"

 

"No, I'll take one last batch to put up before they arrive, along with planting the crops then bringing out their livestock and shelter animals right before they arrive."

 

A couple weeks later Josette smiles as she sees the area being cleared for the fountain and walks through the memorial garden, enlarged over the years with first the loss of their Earth and then the other. Josette heads to Sue's next, signing in. Marian smiles and grabs a cart to start shopping, the pair cutting fabric for a couple of quilts.

 

"What are they clearing land for? Too small for a building." One of the women at a table cutting pieces for a quilt asks.

 

"Fountain, we've been talking about putting up one for a while." Nods from the others. It will be nice to sit and talk around in the evenings.

 

"How are you coming along on the vampire planet order?"

 

"We'll be finished by the Harvest Festival, have the rest of the year off and start the whole kit and kaboodle over again next year for the complex that went up on the sorting planet. When *that's* done in four years it's turning to Archimedes, by that time we should have a complex up on the animal planet and growing commercially there too. By the time that's finished the school will be shut down and everybody will be in their permanent housing. Once the last of the kids are out of the education center we're shutting that down and going over everything that needs done beyond a good cleaning."

 

"You were able to shut down the high school but not the education center." Sue says. Josette nods. "A lot of the buildings need to be gone over top to bottom, including the roofs and whatnot, something we couldn't do over the winter break."

 

"What about your youngest?"

 

"They're going to be homeschooled like Pat, Doc, and the others did most of the kids. We've already got an area set up at the dorm. It's not like the teachers won't be dropping in to look over our shoulders." Everybody in the building sniggers. Nobody really retires on Haven, even if you don't officially have a job you keep busy.

 

The weeks pass, Josette dancing in her first floor room when she finishes the dust bowl degree, then the degrees on shipwrecks during world war II and finally the musical instruments degree, getting the others standing in the doorway laughing at her.

 

"So what does this make?"

 

"32 bachelors, a Masters, and 2 Ph.Ds I've finished but haven't graduated with yet."

 

"Any more this year?"

 

"No, but I should have four more next year, the other two I'm taking online, another comic book, and the hands-on buttonmaking degree. Dr. Stark should be announcing our graduation ceremony early next year."

 

"Yes since you've got a new school to do the quick change on stage for." David sniggers. "But yeah, the rest of us will be on stage with you. Alan will be getting an honorary mention again since he'll have three classes for his degree." Alan blows him a raspberry as they walk to the dining hall.

 

The first crops start coming in and Josette is busy over the next couple of weeks bringing everything in then planting the second crops.

 

"Cotton?" David asks when she slides into her usual seat at dinner when everything's taken care of.

 

"Offworld and ours this year and next for the sorting planet towels and stuff." Josette covers her mouth and yawns.

 

"Is everything finished but the furniture and other small stuff?"

 

"Yeah, I moved everything onto Macchu Picchu. Once the last of the order from Hank's is on, I'll deliver everything and pass along the last of the payments."

 

"Wood?"

 

"I've been picking it up over the last couple of years, Hank's got batches of wood in various stages of drying in his sheds. I'll start picking up for Haven in a couple of years, then either the animal planet or just to have on hand." Alexander nods. "I gotta go mine ore for metal after the Harvest Festival though, we're beginning to run low with so many orders."

 

Michael nods this time. "I was going to say something."

 

"It's been a few years since I had to go off and harvest everything."

 

"We've got a lot on the replicators but. . ." Josette nods, then disappears between breaths. Everybody's counted to five when she reappears.

 

"Your parents?" Charles and Clarinda had headed off to the other dimension a few weeks ago as part of the switch between legionnaires. Since Alan sees stuff in subspace around Josette it's a valid question.

 

"Yeah." Josette yawns.

 

The next few weeks pass quickly, Josette and David heading off to the other dimension for a few months one day, bringing in supplies that are delivered as a Josette from a few days ago is busy putting up barns, sheds, other outbuildings, and putting up the corrals.

 

"How long were you there?"

 

"About six months. The first snow that was going to stick had just started falling when we left." They fly back to Haven, Josette bringing out the stuff from the other dimension for them as David opens the tesseract to the dorm for their guests. Doc, Charles, Dr. Cross, and Dr. McNider head up to the third floor.

 

"This is new." Charles looks at the fountain.

 

"Yeah, we've been talking about putting one up for years, this year we actually did it." After the party their visitors head off to the other dimensions, Josette heading off with an adventure with her grandfather Doc who's a time lord and returning later that night, looking over at Clark and CJ who'd come out to talk to Doc about something.

 

"You talk to Dr. Stark about the eleventh planet?"

 

Doc nods. "The last of the building supplies will be ready the end of the year. Once the labs are up, you can start delivering supplies.

 

"Josette, what is this planet?" both Docs ask a couple days later when Josette invites them along on an outing while she's harvesting ore and minerals.

 

"One of the worlds where life doesn't exist anymore, they died out for some reason before the ice caps melted and the world flooded."

 

"Oh this is marvelous, even underwater for so long you can see the vivid colors." they look at the pictures coming back from the probe.

 

Josette nods. "The cities are trying to duplicate them."

 

"We tend to think that intelligent life only existed on Earth despite all the alien beings we've been in contact with."

 

"All planets tend to be rather singular unless your galaxy has more than one inhabited planet. Or you live on a planet where multiple races live and work. Or you're like the Doctors and flit around various planets because yours is apeshit boring." her grandfathers chuckle at her dry tone.

 

"Is this a water planet?"

 

Josette makes a yes, no, maybe hand waggle. "By the current astronomy standards, no. They classify a water planet as a planet around seven times larger than Earth where the ocean floor is so far down it can't be touched. Of course they also didn't take aquatic intelligent lifeforms into consideration when they classified water worlds. I'm sure there's probably worlds where there's rings of settlements from the ocean floor going up to the surface or even above the surface if they can breathe air too. No, they'd probably classify this as a world that has undergone extreme climate changes due to a natural disaster." She sighs a minute. "Just like ours." Both men pat her on the shoulder.

 

"I understand you're growing something new this cycle?" Clark asks.

 

"Yeah," Josette visibly tears herself away from the sadness thinking of all those lost on Earth brings. "Sunflowers. The cooks want to try out recipes using the petals and of course we'll have the seeds. We're only growing a small patch, most of it will be in stasis for years." The two other men nod.

 

"Tell Vincent yet?"

 

"Oh yes, and he's over the moon at the possibilities. We're also experimenting with something beyond iceberg lettuce in the hydroponics unit this winter." They nod in satisfaction. "I'm setting the ship's botany section up for that."

 

"Have you been exploring the satellite?"

 

"Yeah, and I want to do some more while I'm there. I'll stay there for the whole growing season instead of flying back and forth."

 

"Peppers, tomatoes, and herbs?"

 

"Next year. I'll have to check and see what I'm going to be out of when we plant again."

 

They detour to the first planet on the way home, Clark shaking his head at her fortress.

 

"Yours is much bigger."

 

"I had more crystals to work with from the beginning, I'd say mine is the size of Kryptonopolis while CJ's is the size of Argo City." Her grandfathers look at her. "Okay, mine is the size of New York with all the boroughs while CJ's is Manhattan itself."

 

"That makes more sense."

 

"The crystals do everything." Josette waves a hand. Clark nods. "CJ's got some supplies from Krypton from Momma Clarinda's dimension, the extra crystals will go to growth and other stuff. His original crystals could do it, it would just take time." Checking on the crops they pick black olives that are sliced before going in barrels before they deliver the ore and minerals to the sorting planet then go back to Haven. The books for her eight classes on the school computer are there along with the supplies and Josette dl's the books in her mental library before putting everything away.

 

"So what did you take over second break?" David asks at lunch.

 

"One of two semesters I needed to finish the first degree on Green Lantern and the second semester on Nixon and Watergate."

 

"Only taking eight classes on the school computer?"

 

"Yeah, to finish the year for the comic book and electrical engineering degrees."

 

"What are you starting next year?"

 

"Degree on non WWII shipwrecks and chemical engineering. After I get these done next year, I'm starting on the degree from Oxford for the loss of Earth and probably another comic book."

 

"Did I hear you say you're heading to the ship to start the botany section running again?" Professor Druid asks, coming into the back room.

 

"Yes, I'm going to be about six months out of time, that will give me time to wander the satellite some more more. I'm growing some new things. It won't be until our second testing week at least, I'll be done with the online classes and tests and be between semesters for my other classes so if you got requests, make a list and get me the seeds. And I'm letting Marilyn from GD know too. And seeing if Vincent has anything he'd like me to grow while I'm there."

 

Professor Druid nods in satisfaction. A few days later the semester starts and Professor Druid and Marilyn get her packages of seeds and a list of what they'd like. She visits Vincent who gives her another list and more seeds and she heads off one day after finishing her online tests, returning nearly a year later for her.

 

"Everything's on Atlantis right now in stasis, let me know when you have a place to put everything and I'll bring it out." She tells the others, sending them the list of that to expect. . .after she took a percentage of it for herself.

 

"Oh my." Professor Druid looks at the list and starts one of her own on how to store everything. Josette chuckles and hands over recipes she'd been looking at.

 

"Thank you Josette, this will help a lot." The others say similar when Josette sends them the list, Vincent putting a plate of food in front of her as they talk.

 

"We're slowly introducing new foods."

 

"Yep, we've been making our own mustard for years since we grow the seeds in the growing area. Maybe we'll start making our own ketchup and mayo. People were already making their own mayo before all the troubles started."

 

Josette gives her husbands and wives disgusted looks the next morning as she fills her tray and sits down.

 

"Okay, who the fuck was dreaming about the Wizard of Oz?" She sighs. "I spent half the damn night singing 'follow the yellow brick road'. I'm short, I'm not that damn short." Alice, who'd come in to look over the list of what Josette had grown on the satellite guffaws despite herself.

 

"Yeah." Josette snorts.

 

"So who would have been who?" Susan asks with a smirk.

 

"David would have been the scarecrow. 'If I only had a brain'" Josette warbles off-key.

 

"Hey." He yelps as everybody sniggers.

 

"Josette, sugar beets?" Professor Druid asks, coming into the back room.

 

"I grew a batch on the satellite. Marilyn wanted some to see if they could supplement the sugar we have in stasis from the other dimension and the sugarcane." Professor Druid nods in satisfaction. "If we do grow them it would be a as needed crop like the sugarcane." Everybody nods.

 

"What are you working on class-wise?"

 

"I'm finishing the third year for my chemistry, electrical engineering, buttonmaking, the cooking degree, and the Flash this semester. I'll be two years in for another degree on Zorro, and a year in for the degree on villains as the main characters from the sosh school."

 

"Musical instruments?"

 

"I start the hands-on degrees year after next, I don't want to be taking the button-making hands-on degree, the cooking degree, and the musical instruments next year."

 

"And you'll be busy with the new orders for the sorting planet apartment complex and the others coming up to the ninth planet." Alice says. The others nod. "When are they due to arrive?"

 

"Next summer, after we've planted so I should have some free time." Everybody sniggers at her. Josette looks at Alex. "Did you and Hank get a chance to look over the 'I think these just need some work' furniture I brought you?"

 

"Yeah, now that we've done until the end of the year. You've got good instincts, the furniture has good bones, it just needs some work. Was there others?"

 

"I brought out what I thought needed work, the cheap stuff went right to the recycling unit. The real good stuff just needed looked after."

 

Alexander nods. "Business is one of two things, buy good stuff that lasts or buy the cheap stuff and have to replace it constantly. If their businesses survive the bad first impression. Because it's the ones who brought the good stuff from the start that stayed in business."

 

"Gotta spend money to make money."

 

After breakfast Josette settles down and talks to Alice about what she'd been growing and places an order for supplies from the glass factory.

 

"I'd wondered if you had enough jars." Alice chuckles. "Are you ready for the sorting planet's orders starting next year?"

 

"Yeah, everybody's getting stocked up on supplies while they can, working on the stock we'll need, or like Hank and Alexander working on other stuff until the first of the year."

 

"The offworld stuff?"

 

"Starting year after next since they've got less stuff to make. That will give me two offworld harvests of cotton for the towel factory."

 

"Is anybody leaving the dorms this year?"

 

"Next year, the year after that, then the year after that. The dorms will be emptying when Melissa and the other kids are graduating."

 

"When does the education center close?"

 

"Five years next year. Hard to think it's been open continuously for over 70 years Earth and Haven. We won't need it for a while, the students are busy with their classes and jobs and Albatross trades kid watching." Alice nods. "There's not the 'this is a new planet we have to populate' rush to start having babies."

 

"Thank you gods and goddesses for that, we already damaged one planet by overpopulation, we don't have to start on another." Alice nods. "Something most people on Earth couldn't wrap their heads around, learning from the mistakes of the past. That's why we had so many big businesses who were going 'whooo hooo, we don't have to clean up our shit, we've got another planet to destroy' that were stunned when we told them no."

 

"People don't want to change, they don't care about anybody else but themselves and how much profits they made or how much money they could spend."

 

"He who dies with the most toys wins." Josette says, remembering a t-shirt she'd seen once.

 

"Exactly. We don't play that game here. We grow and produce what we need." They look over the shelves of what Josette has canned, the recipes Josette wants to make from what she'd been growing, and what she plans on making from the crops in the garden and fields.

 

"This is supposed to be an early winter."

 

"Yeah, everybody's making quilts and stocking up on non-perishable supplies. We're expecting to wake up one morning with the domes up and snow on the ground. We should have a few good days to harvest though."

 

"Good. Are you growing at the dorm?"

 

"Not this year, I grew what we would have here while I was on the ship as well as the new crops." Alice nods in satisfaction. "That gives everything a year to recover before we plant again. I'd already halfway planned on growing on the satellite when we tilled the plants under this spring."

 

"Good, you don't have to grow every winter."

 

"No we don't. Not since they started growing commercially on Archimedes and the sorting planet."

 

"Speaking of the sorting planet, when do you think people will start moving in there?"

 

"I'd say some of the apartments are occupied by the time the education center closes. We'll have four years of students have moved from the dorms, over 1800 of them leaving that year." Alice nods. "By that time we should have the apartment complex on the animal planet up and working on Archimedes."

 

"Second offworld harvests?"

 

"I'm picking up the rye, barley, and other cover crops in a couple of weeks."

 

The rest of the semester flies by, like Josette had said everybody waking up to the domes over the crops and snow on the ground. They have a couple good weeks to harvest and everything's in by the time the others come back from their finals.

 

"How's it feel to finally be finished with your Ph.D?"

 

"Good, it feels satisfying. We might pick up another degree in a couple of year, but it won't be as intensive as the business or education degrees."

 

"Can't be serious all the time." Alice says, nodding. "The rest of you?"

 

"Josette's going to be finishing about four more degrees next year, starting her list again since next summer is graduation for GD employees." Susan snickers. "Another cap and gown to change into on stage."

 

"Happy Happy Joy Joy."

 

"Did you get everything canned?"

 

"Nope, there's plenty for you guys to help with." Josette smirks. The others chuckle at David's hangdog look. "I just put everything in stasis since I was running low on canning supplies, I'm picking the order up after breakfast. The list of recipes and food is on the server."

 

"Recycling?"

 

"After Thanksgiving, along with our books on teacher after we come back from the other dimensions."

 

"Will some of the students leaving next fall be moving into the new apartments on the vampire planet?"

 

"Probably, now that they've got more room, Wayne Industries and Stark International are offering more internships."

 

"Laundry?"

 

"Our two should handle everything. I can see the vampire planet needing one in the future, but not until all the apartments are occupied." The others nod. After breakfast Josette takes the switching chamber to the sorting planet. Paying for her order she heads back to the ranch, bringing out the supplies and pulling off her shirt to get up to her elbows in boiling water, peeling, coring, and slicing the tomatoes that go on a back burner to cook down.

 

The last of the food is canned, dried, or left in stasis by Thanksgiving and afterwards they head off to the other dimension, Josette picking up supplies from the JSA and spending some time with her family in the other dimension.

 

"You taking off again?" David asks when they return.

 

"No, I split off two duplicates to handle the other dimensions and a third to pick up our books and take care of the recycling and bring in the last load of wood."

 

A couple days later Josette fills a plate at the Albatross nest, talking to the others before they settle down to the job of examining the kits for the next year and talking about future plans. Josette flips the bags back to the dorm and joins the others walking to the dining hall.

 

"How many degrees are you going to have next year besides the buttonmaking?"

 

"Three, the two online classes and one from the comic book school on the Green Lantern, first of two. I only have a semester left on that one and I'm getting it in first thing next year." The others nod. "That, the cooking classes, and the chemistry classes. Other than that. . .?" Josette shrugs. "I'll pick classes up as they come."

 

"Peppers, tomatoes, and herbs?"

 

"Yeah, I'll plant next year."

 

After lunch Josette looks through the bags from the store, putting everything away in her workroom in containers before starting to work on a patchwork quilt.

 

"How are we on stocks of clothing?"

 

"Good, Pat and I checked everything before our finals. We shouldn't have to open the factory until next summer."

 

"Worn out clothes only good for patchwork quilts?"

 

"I'm going to have to bring out some of the stuff I held back on the ships in a while. We went through our stockpile this summer. The old but still serviceable adult clothes took a major dent too when the students started growing commercially." The others nod.

 

Josette heads off to Archimedes a couple days later with Clark and CJ,picking up supplies for the eleventh planet and building the labs. They return six months later for them.

 

The Lights Festival comes and goes and before they know it the new year has started and it's the night before the first semester starts when Josette joins the twins in the auditorium. The talk turns from the classes to the students both graduating this year and leaving the dorms for their permanent housing over the next three years.

 

"Josette, the animal planet apartment complex?"

 

"Going up in about three years when they start planting commercially." The twins look at her. "Dad and Dr. Stark told us this morning."

 

"The sorting planet orders?"

 

"We start working on everything tomorrow. The glass and towel factory will start working on theirs next year since they've got less to make."

 

"This is probably a dumb question but light bulbs?"

 

"They're working next year too. They've been getting good sized stockpiles for the planets on hand."

 

"Toilet paper?"

 

"Them too. They've got some in every apartment and rooms in the basements filled with more in every building."

 

Josette splits off duplicates the next morning after breakfast, two that start classes and four that head into town while she heads upstairs to her workroom and selects a kit to work on.

 

"How many degrees are you taking online?"

 

"Only three, finishing the two I'm taking four classes a semester for and starting another one from the naval academy on famous shipwrecks. I'm taking it easy this semester."

 

The others snort. "Taking it easy is three classes, not twenty-three classes."

 

"For me it is."

 

The month passes quickly and it's the weekend before the first testing week and everybody's gathered in the living room to talk about how they're coming in their last semester for their degree (Alan), two classes to be one semester from their masters (Susan), starting their second semester for their Masters (Alexander and Michael), or any of a half-dozen other topics when Josette vanishes suddenly, reappearing seconds later and looking up at the ceiling.

 

"NOT.FUNNY."

 

"Yah it was Josette." Strife's voice says in midair.

 

"Do I wanna know?" Abby asks.

 

"You are looking at the new 'it' girl for hollyweird. You may bo. . .I said bow, not howl." Josette waves a hand as the others cackle. "And I was a daring bank robber and jewel thief at night. Or was I the movie star nights and the bank robber days, and jewelry thief on the weekends?" Josette pretends to think then shrugs. "Meh, I had to make a living somehow."

 

"No Doc?"

 

"No, he was only a pulp character there. I summoned Brigadoon after I took over the 'evil lair' of the moron who summoned my stupid ass. He's currently babbling about the she-devil who had attacked him after he summoned her. The authorities didn't believe him of course."

 

"So did you copy stuff?"

 

"Oh yeah. What I didn't take outright as the spoils of war." Josette shakes her head.

 

"You get your Green Lantern degree finished?"

 

"Yeah."

 

"33 bachelors Josette?" Dr. Stark sighs at the testing center a couple days later.

 

"Yeah, a Masters, and 2 Ph.Ds." Josette shrugs. "It's a living."

 

Drs. Cross and McNider snicker. "So we understand you had a little excitement over the weekend."

 

Josette mumbles a few dozen rude words. Dr. Stark smirks at her and she fondly calls him an annoying asshole.

 

"Changing the subject, are you picking up supplies again for the ninth planet?"

 

"Yes, after finals. This is the last batch before they arrive."

 

"Are you delivering to the sorting planet?"

 

"Yeah, that way it doesn't pile up on everybody."

 

"Sorting planet stuff too?"

 

"Yeah, they don't have the way to get that big an order to the apartments. I can."

 

"When are you going to start growing on the animal planet?"

 

"Three to five years, three years and we'll have three years of students left school for internships or jobs, five years and we'll have the first major group of students leaving. The sorting planet apartments furnished, and a year in for yours. By the time the last of the students are leaving, we'll have yours finished and be a year into the animal planet apartments."

 

"Candy factory?"

 

"We're putting up the poll later this year."

 

"Toothpaste?"

 

"Next year, again with the poll going up later this year. Probably around the Harvest Festival for the candy factory and the lights festival for the toothpaste."

 

"Classes?"

 

"I'm looking at 23 right now, for some damn reason selecting them is like pulling teeth this semester."

 

"Maybe your subconscious is trying to tell you something, like slow down." Dr. Cross says. "You're finishing four degrees this year as it is."

 

Josette nods. "I'm probably only taking seventeen this summer. The ones I'm taking this semester minus the Green Lantern degree I finished.

 

The next couple of months pass by and Josette heads off to the other dimension to pick up the last batch of supplies, putting the containers in their spots.

 

"Is that everything?" Doc asks as she slides into her seat in the government building.

 

"But the shelter pets and livestock, I'm picking them up right before they're due to arrive and starting their gardens and crops."

 

"When are they due?"

 

"What is usually the third testing week during the summer." The others nod. "I'll head off in about eleven weeks to bring out their livestock and plant."

 

"Shipment to the sorting planet?"

 

"Delivering it tomorrow. I'm moving the furniture and other stuff to Brigadoon right now."

 

"Eleventh planet supplies?"

 

"I delivered them on the way back from the ninth planet."

 

"Your ship?"

 

"The first supply of extruded plastic is due around the Harvest Festival. We've still got to set up a place to moor the ship and build it." The others nod.

 

Josette heads off the next morning after breakfast to deliver the first of the sorting planet's order, returning about an hour later.

 

"What are you taking over break?"

 

"Starting the semester from MIT on chemical engineering and a degree from the sosh school on pulp fiction villains." Josette grumbles. "Selecting classes was like pulling teeth last semester but I already knew what I wanted to take over the break." The others snigger.

 

The next several weeks pass and Josette splits off a duplicate to head back to the other dimension, picking up the livestock and shelter pets. They get brought out of stasis and settle in buildings, corrals, or grazing areas, the horses, sheep, goats, and cows coming back to the barns at night as she plants the communal garden and fields. She looks up as Macchu Picchu makes a landing as the buildings start appearing. The others laugh when they see people looking out windows and opening doors. Everybody's staring around them then up in the sky. On Macchu Picchu the three people in the control room chuckle, they knew nobody really believed they'd be going to bed on one planet and waking up on another.

 

"Welcome to the ninth planet. You're early into your spring." Josette says, walking through the tesseract David opens with David and Dad Sanders. "I already planted for you before you arrived, I figured you'd probably be busy working on your homes and the other stuff."

 

"Thank you Josette." Pieter says, taking a deep breath of clean air. "This is beautiful." He chuckles as multiple windows are opened in various buildings. "What work do you still need done on your buildings?" James asks.

 

"Everything needs at least something done. . ." The lists are sent to James' PADD and he nods as Josette gets on a flyer with David behind her, heading off to the other settlements for lists of what needs to be done and still brought out. A few hours later Dad, Josette, Clark, Pieter, and Charles gather in a room on Macchu to talk about what needs to be done and in what order.

 

They head back on Jamestown a few hours later, Dad hugging everybody before heading back to Archimedes, He's not surprised to find the people he'd just left arriving back a few minutes after he did.

 

"That is something." the head of one of the crews says. His counterpart nods. They've all got good tans and shake their heads as they get ready to head to their homes.

 

"How long were you gone?"

 

"About nine months their time. Their last crops were in and it was just beginning to turn cool when we left. Josette was due back in a few days with supplies of hats, gloves, scarves, and socks from the factories."

 

Back at the school Josette absorbs the duplicates that had been working in town or taking classes on teacher and joins the others walking to the dining hall for lunch after Macchu Picchu arrives back on Haven and she absorbs her duplicate.

 

"How long were you gone?"

 

"About sixteen months with planting their crops. They had harvested their final crops and getting settled for winter when we left."

 

"What are they going to do with the containers once they're empty?"

 

"I'll break them down into crystals for their future needs as they empty. That way they're not sitting there empty." David nods. "I don't see them being emptied for a while though."

 

"Yeah, we've still got containers of supplies on all the worlds." Alan says, waving a hand. The others nod.

 

"How are you coming on classes?"

 

"Good, I'm halfway through the seventeen I wanted to get in this semester." After lunch Josette heads to the ranch to check on the crops before dinner. A few days later it's time to sign up for their fall classes.

 

The week after Josette, the boys, and Susan have signed up for their third semester classes Josette heads to GD to pick up their books and supplies.

 

Fargo takes care of her. "Dr. Stark is talking with representatives from the ninth planet." Josette grins and puts the boxes in subspace before finding where they're talking.

 

"Maybe ten years, it takes about that long for your bodies to start adapting to the longer years."

 

"That's got to be convenient." Dr. Cross says as she walks towards them.

 

"Oh it is, our pregnancies started getting shorter during our third pregnancy on Haven but it wasn't until about our fifth that they settled into twenty weeks." Josette says coming over. The others look at her. "Time difference, I've been home a couple weeks already, so's the crews working on your buildings. I'm here picking up the books for our fall classes since we signed up for them last week."

 

"How are the others on their classes?"

 

"Susan's four classes from her Masters with this next semester, David's a year from his, plus six semesters into his bachelors. Alan's finishing his bachelors."

 

"And the twins finished their business doctorates last year. Alexander and Michael?"

 

"A year into their masters this fall, like Alan they were getting in three classes a semester. The girls were getting in two classes a semester, David was getting in three classes but it was two for one Masters and one for the other, then switching them the other semester."

 

"Are the students getting ready for their graduations or leaving the dorms?"

 

"Yep, most everybody was busy taking stuff to their homes or apartments this summer, every thing they move now is one less thing to take after their finals."

 

"How many do you have finishing school?"

 

"Over 1800 students graduating high school, 758 students starting their last semester of university classes in about a month. They've been moving belongings to their new homes or apartments all summer, after their finals they'll pack up the rest of their belongings and head off."