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Bella has watched a simple, managed Martian ecosystem and a glitteringly colorful first city pour procedurally out from assorted points of origin on her computer with a variety of rand seeds, and picked the prettiest result.
She's standing on that ideal origin spot now - the top of Olympus Mons, under a blue-dyed sky and a breathable layer of atmosphere - holding her laptop which holds this specification under her left arm. All present to witness this moment are Alice, Libby, Lazarus, and Bridget.
She defangs a trio of stars: one for the terrain, one for the wildlife, one for the city of Olympus. To be dramatic, she squares them off her bandolier and holds them high in the air between the fingers of her right hand.
"Welcome to Mars," she says.
Wishwishwish.
Moss ripples out from under her feet and carpets the landscape, giving way to forest further downhill and, further away, to freshwater ocean. Birds, startled by their existence, take off. An instant later they're all standing at the foot of her crystalline tower that sits at the center, watching skyscrapers riddled with magical appliances sprout from the ground, and streets pave themselves with smooth tiles.
Bella defangs more stars and lays down what she's taken to calling Ground Rules with another gesture. Mars is going to be peaceful. Mars is going to be safe. Mars is going to watch its people and report to her.
Mars is going to be the seat of the Empire of the Stars.
(There's a flag, on the spire of her tower. It's sky blue, and there are half a dozen seven-pointed stars spangling it. It ripples in the breeze that's begun to waft in from the sea.)
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self_composed
self_composed
[Glad you like it,] to Libby.
[Some. Libby's helping with personnel, but I could probably find any job-wanting person something to occupy their time usefully,] to Lazarus. She puts an hour's worth of asters in his account in advance. She decides not to tell him, because maybe he can see it all by himself.
[Some. Libby's helping with personnel, but I could probably find any job-wanting person something to occupy their time usefully,] to Lazarus. She puts an hour's worth of asters in his account in advance. She decides not to tell him, because maybe he can see it all by himself.
nonbird
[We'll remember to ask you if he gets restless, then. Oh, you're paying me in advance, that's nice. Magic banks are my favourite banks.]
nonbird
[Worryingly, as in, I have never previously been tempted to keep a fifty-dollar bill as a pet! It has stubby little wings, Bella. Stubby little wings! Because it is an origami ostrich!]
self_composed
[It's an anti-counterfeit measure,] Bella says innocently. [I'd like to see anyone make convincing fake asters without magic.]
nonbird
[People are going to collect these. You have a two-hundred-aster bill and I am going to end up socking my first one away in the Bank of Frequently Hugged Table Decorations, I just know it.]
self_composed
[You think they're cute enough to interfere with their use as a currency?] Bella asks, concerned. [It's not like they're unique - everyone who has two hundred asters can make an identical swan.]
nonbird
[Well, if someone wants to populate their shelves with an army of little five-aster ducks, that's their business. Not that I'm considering it, or anything.]
self_composed
[I suppose that since the bank doesn't pay interest there's no reason for people not to store their slush fund in bird form,] Bella acknowledges.
nonbird
[Exactly. Also, people who can't see magic probably don't find them quite as cute. They have such helpful, polite parameters!]
self_composed
[I did expect that you'd like them,] giggles Bella. [The coins just glow on request. Is that cute too?]
self_composed
[Why the penny?] Bella laughs. She starts working on the brochure version of her website so there can be a stack of them in the building.
self_composed
[Fair enough. What language are you doing first, for the site?]
self_composed
[I haven't actually decided what language the next city will use. I suppose I could go with French.]
nonbird
[All official documents in English and French is a Canadian habit. I'm going to do Russian next because that's the next one I learned.]
self_composed
[I have a lot of pentagons that are no longer able to do anything but teach languages. Want some?]
self_composed
She sends him thirty. (She teleports to Mars, first, because squares don't have the range, and continues working on the brochure in the office in her tower.)
self_composed
[You're welcome!]
Brochure brochure brochure. She finishes writing it, then teleports to the immigration office and conjures a stack of a thousand and looks to see if anyone's there yet - staff or would-be immigrants.
Oh, and she did finish her website. Spirit's sign updates.
Brochure brochure brochure. She finishes writing it, then teleports to the immigration office and conjures a stack of a thousand and looks to see if anyone's there yet - staff or would-be immigrants.
Oh, and she did finish her website. Spirit's sign updates.