Future Prospect Read Online Free PDF Page B

temporary housing for the civil service staff contained identical modular units. Everyone had a living area, galley kitchen, bedrooms, and bathrooms. Arriving settlers would share more compact accommodations in the soon-to-be built transition barracks. Since all of them were supposed to leave Pearl and spread out into the planet’s forests in search of cortiglow extract, there didn’t need to be many permanent accommodations. Lia knew that would change with time. People would find it difficult to manage in these isolated and rough conditions and would drift back to the settlement when their dreams of quick profit disappeared. Some would leave the planet, but some would stay and construct private dwellings. That was just one of the many logistical hurdles their team would have to regulate. Lia’s body ached, and her mind whirled thinking of all she needed to do.
    Moca’s eyes brightened, and she rubbed her hands together. “In any case, we need to keep lines of communication open with the scientists and residents. Create good relationships with them before the deluge of settlers arrive. I’m going to have a dinner party tomorrow night with any Pearlites who’ll come. It should be a good way to meet people. It’s hard to believe no one has stopped by to say hello.” Moca blinked and shook her head slowly at this flabbergasting reality. It seemed as if normal human curiosity would’ve resulted in a least a few drop-in visitors by now.
    “I’ll schedule the dinner with Claude. I think he’ll have the kitchens set up by then. How would you like me to invite people?” Lia added a whole new to-do list to her queue of responsibilities. Tables, chairs, plates, napkins, food, so much to organize.
    “Check with our community liaison. If you can get him to say a word or two.”
    * * * *
    “So what are these newbies like, Tor?” Joli leaned her short frame against Colan’s favorite table at the back of her establishment. She ran a bar, small kitchen, and the settlement drop office out of a long narrow building which took up most of one side of the main street of Pearl, if you cared to call the unpaved and uneven mess outside a street. Joli’s place was the only spot in town for liquor, food, or to pick up shipments from the outside. She held a monopoly on the human need for socialization and entertainment on Gamaliel. This made her very interested in what was going on with the new settlers.
    “They’re people. Their clothes are in good shape.”
    Joli laughed at his attempt at humor. She was generous like that. It helped business. She pushed back her untidy braid of greying hair and propped a veined hand on one hip. “Give them a few months, and they’ll look as patched together as we do. Are they sticklers? Am I going to have to hide my brews from them?”
    Colan considered as he took his first sip of ale. It happened to be unlicensed and untaxed beer straight from Joli’s keg behind the bar. “Wouldn’t hurt to be cautious at first.”
    Joli nodded, swiped at the table with a cloth, and then toddled off to check on other customers, her curiosity eased for the moment. Colan had no doubt she’d be back as soon as something else popped into her head. Wayde and Rob entered the bar and nodded at Colan. The two gnarly shellers wandered over to the table and peered at him as if he had the answer to a vital question.
    “They’re here then?” Wayde ground out, his voice as rough as gravel. The two men spent most of their time wandering the forest, searching for mineralized egg casings and wing covers from native flivver creatures. The iridescent and unique little bits were popular with jewelry makers across the galaxy. If you were lucky, you could make a living at it, but neither Rob nor Wayde were especially lucky, which is probably why they’d ended up on Gamaliel in the first place.
    “They’re here,” Colan agreed and wondered how many other Pearlites were going to hover over his table while he waited for his