Faced with late-night social media criticism, Matt Marmaduke grabs his dobro, steps onto the deck barefoot, and livestreams a music set that turns the night into legend. Between shoutouts, shoutalongs, and shots of rum, the Freeholder blends charm, cultural fluency, and emotional honesty into a performance that rallies his people and reframes the narrative on his terms.
In a single day, Matt Marmaduke buried his past, saved two lives, welcomed spies, and fielded millions of opinions. June 3, 2440 saw Freehold tested—and strengthened—by blood, barbecue, and diplomacy. From social media flare-ups to citizenship offers and sacred rituals, the world saw a new kind of power take root on Missouri soil.
On a quiet Missouri morning, Matt takes T’mari on a road tour through farm towns, family kitchens, and cultural contrasts. Between coffee stops, samosa orders, and Amish encounters, something deeper unfolds—a glimpse of home, humor, and the humanity that bridges worlds. Sometimes, a truck ride says more than diplomacy ever could.
At the edge of a wheat field destined for permanent shadow, Matt offers three hundred untouched acres to the V’ren for their dead. What begins as a practical choice becomes a covenant—one that binds him not just as host, but as kin to a grieving people.
Global headlines and social media explode as Matt Marmaduke, Freeholder of Missouri, offers sanctuary to 120,000 V’ren refugees. His defiant, grounded leadership redefines first contact—turning a cornfield into the fulcrum of human history.
T’monn stared out the window, the Missouri night rolling past in streaks of dark and light.
“If you told them to leave,” she said, “they would. But most would rather stay.”
Matt didn’t answer right away. The red demon called Pickup growled beneath them, chasing its own headlights through the gravel dark.
“They’re not going anywhere,” he said. “This is home now.”