The Tech Weenie and the High Lord
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.
Main Story
V’ren
Loose Signals
A Night for Optics and Oaths
At a university gala in Columbia, Matt dons a barong to honor his roots, while T’mari navigates the politics of academia with poise, charm—and a hidden plan to earn her doctorate in first contact protocols before Matt finds out.
Main Story
What Is a Freeholder, Anyway?
Matt Marmaduke explains the true meaning of Freehold law, its history, and why reputation matters more than force in the Missouri heartland.
Main Story
Pilgrimage
In the pre‑dawn stillness on June 3, 2440, Matt brings T’mari to the Marmaduke family graveyard. Over rider’s breath and dew-scented air, he opens up about loss, legacy, and what it means to carry both—with an alien officer witnessing his layman moment of real humanity.
Main Story
Dispatches from the Farm: First Contact Protocols
As first contact unfolds at the Freehold, Matt fires off a series of terse dispatches—balancing family safety, corporate authority, and legal contingencies. From keeping his daughters out of harm’s way to activating formal protocols, these messages reveal the immediate, calculated moves behind Missouri’s first encounter with the V’ren.
Main Story
Diplomacy and Negotiation
In the shadow of the landed V’ren ship, Matt Marmaduke meets the alien delegation on scorched Missouri ground. What begins as formal posturing shifts to mutual trust, ending in a decisive agreement—refuge for the V’ren under his charter, and a direct line of truth between him and their chosen ambassador.
Main Story
Shadow Over Missouri
When the V’ren ship settles across Matt Marmaduke’s northern fields, it flattens nearly two hundred acres of prime crop. The ramp lowers, and Missouri’s first alien visitor walks into the sunlight. In measured words, Matt greets her—balancing local pride, corporate authority, and a farmer’s blunt pragmatism.