“So the gangs took you up on your offer? All of them?” Sharron asked.

  “Not all of them, but most. It’s enough support that I start the school, without w about one of the angs fug around. Hopefully, in time, they’ll see the advantage of cooperation, and approach me as well,” I replied as I set up the mass refigurator to start building the fabricators. Turns out, not only was a css 0 pattern cheap, but it was a hell of a lot better than the one Dante and I pulled out of the shelter. I nning to produe fabricator a day, and use the rest of the time to produce struaterials for the building.

  “You think the gangs will all keep their end of the bargain?”

  “Fuo. I expect that, within hours, one of them is either going to try and move, take apart, or reprogram the fabricators. As soon as they do, the mae will brick itself, and I’ll either have to reset or rebuild it.” With a final poke, I finished programming the mae, a to work.

  “I meant, do you think they’ll all let the kiddies through without any issues?” Sharron crified.

  I turo her, brushed off my hands, and shrugged. “Probably. They never really had any reason to stop them before, and now that they’ve accepted the deal, they have iive to let the little ohrough. If they do start hassling people, I’ll just shut down their maes for a little while.”

  “And you think that’ll keep them in line?” Sharron asked.

  “Not pletely, but I don’t think it’ll take long for the fabricators to bee essential to daily life in those areas. The Neon Scorpions made tacts topside, and were making money selling fug screws from the one we pulled out of the shelter wreckage. I imagi wouldn’t take long for the others to start produg things, finding a niche. I’m sure the threat of having that stable i off will keep them in line.” I paused for a moment, sidering the situation. “At least, somewhat. There’ll still be skirmishes and fights over territory, I just hope they’ll settle down a bit.”

  “That’s a very optimistic way of looking at things. Especially for you,” Sharron said, looking at me suspiciously.

  “Hey! Just because the living ditions down here suck, that doesn’t mean I like it.” I sighed. “Maybe nothing will improve after starting the school, and installing the fabricators, but if that’s the case, I’ll try something else. There are a lot of people here that deserve better than living in plete destitution, and giving them even the smallest ce of esg that life is worth it.”

  “I get it. You want to give back to the unity.” She smiled, “When will you start rolling these things out?”

  “Once I have enough for all the gangs, so in a week or two. I don’t want to risk handing them out early, and giving the impression that I favor one gang over another.”

  “Makes sense,” Sharron replied with a nod. “So, what’s ?”

  I paused, and looked around at all my equipment and troops. For what began as a pletely empty space, the Shelter was really starting to fill up with my equipment, troops and various projects. “I… don’t know,” I replied after a minute. “I have a bunch of projects, but most of them require time to e to fruition. So… I don’t know.” I turo her, “What are you w on?”

  “I have a couple things. I o che with the Family, and I’m pnning to do some upgrades, but nothing important.” She looked at me, a small smirk on her lips, “Nothing I’d need help with, if that’s what you’re thinking. You little workaholic.”

  “Fine,” I grumbled, “I’m sure I find something else to do. Py with the kids, do school pnning, world domination, something.”

  “World domination? Really?” Sharron asked with a smile.

  “I have the troops for it,” I replied with a pout, “and I was having trouble ing up with projects.”

  “Right. Well, maybe stick with the kids for now, and only move on to world domination when you’ve run out of other ideas.” She turned, and started heading back to her RV. “I o head to the Family’s headquarters now, if I want to get there before the meeting starts. I’ll see you in a couple hours.”

  I waved, half heartedly, as she climbed into her vehicle and drove away. I took o look around the garage, trying to decide if there was anything else that needed my attention, before deg to head bato the residence.

  Eddie and Isabelle were sitting at the table, pying some sort of game with a square board and pstic pieces. An was sitting on the couch, reading. “Hey kiddos, whatcha doing?” I asked, as I sat at the table besides Isabelle.

  “Pying checkers,” Eddie replied, with an annoyed grunt. “At least we would be, if Issi would stop cheating.”

  “I’m not cheating! You’re cheating!” The little girl shot back. “The queen move wherever she wants!”

  “I keep telling you, there is no queen, horse, or pointy guys in checkers. Just regur pieces, and double stacked pieces if you make it across the board. I know you enjoyed pying that game with Sharron a couple days ago, but that doesn’t mean you just make things up.”

  “Your face is making things up!” Isabelle retorted, pg her frog plushie oable, theing her on it. I chuckled at the sight of the frog propping up the little girl’s head, topped by a froggy hood. “Professington told me this is how you py Chess!”

  “We’re pying Checkers. It’s different!” Eddie retorted. He paused briefly, before focussing on Issi again. “Why has the professor been teag you games?” He asked.

  “I asked, games are fun. He only agreed to do it after I finished all my csses, and homework. I worked hard for it,” the little girl decred proudly.

  “Yes, yes you did,” I said, reag over and patting her on the head. Once I was done, I gnced down at the board. “How about you two agree on which game yoing to py, before you start ime. It’s easier that way.” Isabelle nodded excitedly, but Eddie just frowned. Who knows how long he’d been trying to teach Issi.

  “Where’s Jane?” I asked, while Issi made another, supposedly, illegal move.

  “Studying!” Issi replied iement. She bounced so hard, that she shook the table, dislodged the pieces, sending them skipping across the board. As soon as she realized what she’d done, she looked at Eddie with puppy-dog eyes. “Sorry.”

  “It’s fihe boy replied with a sigh. “We’ll just start again, it’ll be easier.”

  While Eddie ig up the pieces, I turowards Isabelle. “What is Jaudying?” I asked.

  The little girl cocked her head to the side. “Teachering?” she said, although I wasn’t sure if that was a question or an answer.

  “And why is she doing that?”

  “Because I want to help,” Jane replied from behind me. I turned, and found her slowly ing down the hallway, tablet in hand.

  “With the school?” I asked. “What about the kids?”

  “They look after themselves, for the most part, and both An and the frog…”

  “Sir Froggington!” Isabelle corrected, without looking up from the board.

  “Sir Froggington, are here to watch the kids.” Jane said, as she sat down across from me. “You’re doing a lot for the unity, and I want to help too. If that’s ok.”

  I shrugged, “Sure… I was just going to get some eag bots ahem ha, but I’m sure if you participate you’ll be able to make things go smoother.”

  “I have no idea how you be so thoughtful one minute, and pletely ignorant the . You were just going to leave everything up to the bots?” Jane asked.

  “Look, I’ve learned over the st few weeks that the bots are smarter than I am. Better to leave it to the professionals,” I replied.

  “I’m not even surprised anymore…” Jane said quietly, shaking her head. “Sir Froggington has been instrug me on seling, a, so I help the kids decide what kind of job they’d like iure. Apparently the bots aren’t great at that sort of thing.”

  “This lot didn’t have any issues with it,” I pointed out.

  “Because they talked about it with me and An,” Jane replied.

  I paused, and looked at her, slightly surprised. “Oh… well, if you could help the other kids, that would be helpful too.” I probably should have known that fact before now, I guess I’d been a little more distant from the goings on of the family than I realized.

  “If you want to do something different, go for it!” I told her, “We always get someone, or something to watch the kids while you’re out. That goes for you too,” I said, throwing a napkin at the back of An’s head. He didn’t even flinch.

  Jane rexed a little, and smiled. “Thank you. I’d never sidered doing anything like this, until you suggested opening this school of yours, and now that it’s being a reality I think it’s important. Thanks for supp me.”

  I stood up, walked behind her chair, and threw my arms around her neck. Something I could only do when she was seated. “No problem,” I told her, “That’s what family’s for.”