Ford's Rise - L. Ann Marie
Prologue
Web
I walk out of my bright white igloo house smiling while I look around. Alder is so fucking funny and smart. He said, “Igloos in desert is a challenge to impossible.” It’s definitely that, I think it’s more because of how fast he got it all done. The Brother is a wiz at scheduling.
My house is set up higher, like all the outer igloos, with ten steps to the front door. Garren and Michael are to the right of my walkway across the street. Alexia will be to the left, next door to my brothers. Just the thought of them has my eyes burning and throat tight. I’m so glad Garren likes working here and Michael is close to him. They decided last week that they were living together. I hoped they’d live in my house, but Garren says they’re grown and will live like the Brothers and Alex. Since I’m his brother too, I don’t get why it’s okay to live with Michael but not me.
Turning from the smaller igloos I look at our perimeter. The school/craft building, kitchen, great room and Ops are all bigger oblong igloos set at exact directions, north, south, east and west. There’s twenty feet in between every outer circle building and a hundred feet with sensors to the five-foot wall that has guns and more sensors pointed out into the desert.
Juan and Maddox built printers to print the buildings while they had Alpha-Bits printing almost everything to go in them. I don’t know how Alder keeps track of everything while on Ops and adding more kids to our mix. I love that he can. He’s so smart.
“Web!”
My head turns toward Anton. “Anton!” I yell back with a smile.
He’s on a gator that makes very little sound. It has the BSC/Phoenix rocker logo on it. They’re unbelievable with the little details not being missed on anything. “I get you to chopper. I work too.” He stops at the end of the walkway.
“I need to check on Garren and Michael at Alder’s. I’m off today.”
They left at five, excited about helping the Bravo Alpha-Bit house today. More kids are coming.
He nods with his cute little smile and head nodding fast. “First Phoenix. New Alpha-Bits fly to Alder Bravo house too. Doc say you fly. Some sick.”
Fuck. They don’t need more sick kids. They have more kids than I do right now and don’t need them all exposed to shit. Walking down the stairs, I get to him on the gator hoping whatever the sick is doesn’t spread. “Let’s go, Brother. The Rs are at the nursery today with Aris.”
He pulls away fast and I hold the hell on. “Yeah, he off. You like house?”
Giving myself time to think about that, I ask him, “Do you like yours?” So far, all the As love their houses. Gregor, Franz, the Ms and the Ps do too. Freedom and Ranger keep the Rs at night, but they have a house waiting for them when they’re ready. The J’s are staying together until they’re ready to move to their own houses.
They really are like little igloo houses here. Alder’s igloos are bigger to hold bigger groups. Here they’re just sleeping quarters and bathrooms with their little consoles. Jacques and Jose are tiny, so they fit comfortably in a single. I’m so fucking proud of them all.
“Love my house. Room for only me, good. I paint.”
I look at him as he speeds down the road taking the long way to the chopper pads. “You painted? It wasn’t finished?” It looked finished to me. He stops at his house and I laugh. “Looks good, Brother.” It’s got lashes around the window. The Cheshire Cat grin is cute right across the front. “It’s so you, Anton.”
He nods. “I like. Akai say no paint Bravo house.”
We’re speeding to the chopper pads again. “You’re sharing with the Phoenix As and would need Alder to agree.”
He shakes his head. “My house my way.” He slows, taking the road on the side of Ops.
The smart car hub is busy today. It takes minutes to get to the Phoenix office from here. Chopper is quicker, but not by much.
“I’ve got no problem with it, Brother. You should be happy to live how you want. I love the smile on your house. It fits your personality.” Before I get off the gator, I kiss his head. “I love who you are.”
His tears and big smile have me kissing his head again. “Thanks, Web. I like my house. You like