The Quince
Earlier that afternoon, the first shuttle from Arrow Rock had come and gone. It left behind Lola Rhea, a handful […]
Loose Signals
Main Story
Ports, Borders, and Space Cowboys
At a crowded agribusiness conference, Matt Marmaduke skips migrant-labor platitudes and goes straight to the V’ren, the beacons, and the hard math of borders. He unveils Elkhart, Kansas as a third inland port, invites Ten Tribes and DFZ haulers to cross free, and reminds everyone how little anyone can do about “space cowboys.”
Main Story
The Road to “We Need to Talk”
Matt shows T’mari the townhouse that once belonged to Annette, then reads the world’s snark about his youth tour from the front seat of an SUV. One furious livestream later, he fires his PR team, promotes T’mari into a wartime consigliere role, and reframes the world tour as something more than feel-good optics.
Main Story
An Invitation to Ninja Clan X
Maja expected backlash, maybe a stiff official warning. She did not expect Ninja Clan X, Star Wars door sounds, or two stormtroopers lounging with yakitori. Then the helmet came off, and Matt Marmaduke offered her a job, a tour, and a new name. T’mari promised diplomatic leverage, and mischief.
Main Story
Routes and Responsibilities
Matt’s phone buzzed again, crawling across the table like it wanted out. “Answer it,” T’mari said, eyes on her tablet. “Or turn it off.” “If I turn it off, Angelina will materialize by sheer will,” Matt said. The wall screen floated with edits. “That title is dead,” T’mari added.
Main Story
Tethered Rail and Sitio Buildout Briefing
Matt briefs senior V’ren and human logistics officers on carving straight rail corridors, anchoring biopolymer tethered track, and building sitios that will grow into barangays, towns, and municipalities. Questions turn to staffing, law, immigration, and cross partnering, revealing his practical, protective leadership and the Trust’s coming authority over settlement rules as the fleet goes dirt-side.
Worldbuilding
V’ren Shuttle and Hull Classes, White Pages v1
Reference guide to V’ren Trust shuttle and hull Types 8–60 supporting Earth Freehold operations, detailing roles, crew complements, performance limits, Earth–Lunar transit, and major Type 48/49 variants
Worldbuilding
Tethered Rail Network
A first-year plan maps the V’ren Trust tethered rail from Columbia to Rolla, Stockton, and Pittsburg, then west to Elkhart and north to Ogallala before looping through Ames Depot. Freight-heavy 200 kph segments give way to 800–1,550 kph high-velocity runs. Hubs and spurs seed 340 new settlements across CCA territory.
Main Story
Sycamore Park
Sycamore Park was an eighth of an acre near the eastern edge of the homestead set among the orchards. It
Media Interview
Engines of Order: Inside Arrow Rock, Matt Marmaduke’s Personal Dominion
Robb Report’s Liora Keene tours Arrow Rock, Matt Marmaduke’s privately deeded dominion beside the sovereign Freehold. Silent electric vehicles, closed-loop solar grids, and leasehold governance reveal prosperity built on solvency, reliability, and debt-free administration. With Freehold Inc managing assets, the town embodies quiet order through maintenance, not spectacle—everyday life here.
Media Responses
The Book That Doesn’t Open: The Freehold’s Quiet Sovereignty
In 2440, Zara Vox explains the Marmaduke Freehold’s secret to survival: it is a sovereign sole proprietorship under the CCA. With no shareholders, no debt, and private ledgers, continuity of ownership becomes statehood. Contracts, arbitration, and visible solvency keep critics at bay for 443 years, proving ownership can outlast empires.
Worldbuilding
Private Fiefdoms & Enclaves of the Marmadukes (Author Notes)
In the post-collapse Midwest, Matt Marmaduke personally controls over 200 private fiefdoms—self-contained farm, timber, mining, and cultural enclaves outside Freehold law. Inheritance from the Grable line, quiet corporate deals, and legacy seizures shaped holdings like Takumimura and Mohonar Bari, amid complex CCA geography. Airstrips and lakefront parcels keep them connected.