Free Family Law 2: The Long Voyage of the Little Fleet by Mackey Chandler Page A

They were pretty sure they knew the numbers one through twelve, but not zero or more than twelve. They knew the name of a fruit that grew on a low bush and the irksome word Teen, which might mean God, or be a title of nobility, or just an expression of allegiance, completely abstract and not attached to any person or group smaller than the nation. They were pretty sure it was one big worldwide nation and single political or philosophical party or church. The few who favored a religion were bothered there didn't appear any building for assembly in any of the towns. What sort of church didn't hold meetings? Or at least conduct sacrifices atop big pyramids. But there were no theaters, sports stadiums or playing fields either.
    "Something is bothering me," Thor announced the morning they intended to shoot their greeting video.
    "The whole place is creeping me out," Lee admitted. "What did you notice now?"
    "There aren't any cattle. They must be vegetarians, or only raise something small like rabbits or chickens. Our photos have good enough resolution I think we'd have seen anything as big as a pig. You certainly couldn't hide cattle or horses. There are no pastures or feedlots. Have the computer scan, with particular attention to the wild area left like the far east side of the smaller continent. See if there are any wild animals left in the undeveloped areas."
    "Vegetarians suggests they choose to eat the grain we see them raise as their principal food. They may actually be obligate herbivores," Gordon theorized.
    "Maybe. Not a single sentient race we've found has been though," Lee reminded them.
    The scan showed deer sized animals, that kept to the wooded areas, never in the open plains and on the far coast some sort of analog to a seal or walrus. In the civilized area there was nothing. Not even in what appeared to be managed wood lots. Every meter was groomed and managed and allotted down to the smallest area. There wasn't any place left for what you'd class as wild. Gordon wondered if they even had weeds, or had managed to eradicate them too. He didn't think he'd like that sort of world.
    Their mapping complete, the warships abandoned the lower orbit and positioned themselves near the geostationary satellite the natives had directly over the big city. Gordon kept thinking in terms of capital and firmly reminded himself that was an unfounded assumption. The Sharp Claws and Retribution were now at the same level as the DSE's, some ten degrees between them in orbit. Everyone felt safer higher. Even though they hadn't seen a rocket lift from the world. The few satellites showed they had the tech.
    * * *
    Lee was dressed casually for the video, as she usually liked. Sturdy pants, a soft loose top and a vest with pockets over it all. Full face spex, but at full transparency so her face wasn't hidden. She had on a holster with a hypervelocity pistol and magazine carriers, as well as the fancy dagger Gordon gave her. She still liked the lighter six millimeter size and she wore her favorite gold Byzantine necklace from Earth of gold and platinum. She wore her voyage rings and the prominent front earring with an emerald that declared she was a discoverer of a living world. Like most she wore a small pad computer on her belt without any thought to its being there. She wore the black band of the Little Fleet around her left wrist, tied in a fancy knot like gift wrapping.
    Gordon wore his fur and a Sam Brown belt with proportionally large pistol holstered on the supported side. He wore a fancy engraved bronze ax on the other side tucked in the belt without holster. His hand computer was clipped on his belt and he had a black silk ascot knotted around his neck. His voyage rigs were prominent, the front ring showing both a blue and a green stone, declaring he was a discoverer of both a water world and a living world. Not many wore any stones, much less two.
    Ha-bob-bob-brie wore a gold wire necklace with his voyage rings slung on it. He