Julia welcomes her former sorority sisters to the Marmaduke Freehold—and immediately regrets it. As influencer energy collides with post-collapse pragmatism, Angelina lays down the law, Priya quietly observes, and the house begins testing everyone. Some came to study a culture. They didn’t realize they were stepping into one.
Matt Marmaduke greets Amazon’s incoming team with blunt clarity, assigning roles, acknowledging hidden agendas, and reminding every newcomer that the Freehold protects both V’ren and human lives. In one meeting, alliances are formed, boundaries are set, and the work of integration begins.
Matt explains to T’mari that it’s time for the wider world to meet the V’ren—beginning with his own community. What starts as political prep quickly turns personal as he invites her to join him, not just as a representative, but as something more. She sees through it, but doesn’t pull away.
A sandwich, a team photo, and a hint of lemongrass mayo pull Matt and Angelina into a quiet conversation about memory, loss, and why the fire tower still matters. It’s about grief that lingers, food that remembers, and the dry Missouri practicality that keeps everything stitched together.
Discover the background, leadership style, and legacy of Matt Marmaduke—Freeholder of central Missouri and the man who changed Earth’s future during humanity’s first contact with the V’ren. Farmer, strategist, and one of the last sovereign landowners on Earth.