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.
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.
Matt’s cousin Gary Marmaduke, a botanist-priest and recruiter, and his wife Sayaka, a former J-pop idol, spend a decade crafting The Kinushi Ledger—a living chronicle binding Missouri and Japan.
Follow Up Media “Under Studio Lights, A New Alliance: Marmaduke and T’mari Go Public” — The New York TimesFrom a
Amid tense strategy sessions, Matt Marmaduke and T’mari Th’ron reveal a quiet love while their team shapes narratives of human-V’ren unity.
“You are something special,” T’mari said almost two hours later, standing in the quiet kitchen with Matt. The house had
As rain begins to fall, Matt Marmaduke shares rare wine and venison with T’monn, L’tani, and T’mari Th’ron, binding them closer as family.
At the Marmaduke homestead, Matt juggles venison, wine, and family as T’mari teases, Angelina laughs, and T’monn arrives to a table already full.
On a Missouri backroad, Matt Marmaduke and T’mari face blood, banter, and an unexpected deer strike—proving love endures even in the mess.
Matt Marmaduke summons Calvas Win for an unexpected job interview—pizza, trust, and a future as chief of intelligence for the Freehold and the V’ren.
As Matt Marmaduke discusses land, legacy, and the politics of hosting a displaced alien fleet, a child’s quiet interruption reveals the deeper engine of Freehold’s success: earned trust and presence in the small moments.
“Astra Quint,” she said, extending her hand, wondering what was in those drinks and if she could marry his bartender.