Milliways Again

[her_imperial_radiance]

It lurks. Oh how it lurks.

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[prima_sequentem]

Libby laughs.

"Bella, this is Elspeth, who I told you about, and Jacob, who I didn't. Elspeth's father's mother was almost certainly an alternate version of me; did I not mention that? I guess we had other things on our minds."

[self_composed]

"You did not mention that," Bella says. "You did not mention that at all. Who is your dad?" At this time, Bella does not see children as a particularly likely part of her future. They're not ruled out, but they're not a priority.

[her_imperial_radiance]

"Well," says Elspeth, "his name is Edward, but I really doubt you have one. For one thing, we think this is your version of his mom and as far as I know she hasn't had any kids. For another, if you had him born when my world did, he probably died in 1918, because my dad only lasted beyond that due to turning into a vampire."

[prima_sequentem]

"Although just to complicate matters, if I ever have a son now I am probably going to name him Edward."

[her_imperial_radiance]

Elspeth laaaaaaughs. "But I bet - um, should I call you Bella, or Mama, or what? - I bet she's not going to marry him and have a me."

[self_composed]

"That does seem thoroughly unlikely. Let's go with 'Bella'. I'm nobody's mama, at this time," Bella says. "And if I ever have a daughter at this point I probably won't name her Elspeth. That would be confusing."

[prima_sequentem]

"Bella has an empire now," Libby says cheerfully. "And it's the most fun I've had in years."

[her_imperial_radiance]

"Oh, congratulations! How's it going? I bet you didn't call it the Golden Empire, that's kind of a theme name that only makes sense with vampires involved," Elspeth says.

[self_composed]

"Empire of the Stars," Bella says. "I'm colonizing not-Earth locations and sprucing them up nice and inviting people to move in, rather than attempting direct takeover. What does gold have to do with vampires?"

[her_imperial_radiance]

"Vampires who eat people," says Elspeth, "have red eyes. Vampires who eat animals, or the lovely advanced synthetics they have here that we haven't invented yet, have gold eyes."

[self_composed]

"I can see building a theme around that, assuming vampires eating humans was a major problem," Bella says. "You have brown eyes. They look like mine."

[her_imperial_radiance]

"I'm a half-vampire," Elspeth says. "Female vampires can't have biological children, but Mama had plenty of warning and she's smart, so she got some eggs taken out before she turned, and got a friend to carry me for her."

[prima_sequentem]

"Has there been any progress on analyzing the stuff you brought back last time?" inquires Libby.

[her_imperial_radiance]

"R&D's working on it," Elspeth says. "So far they know... it's carbonated." She shrugs. "I really doubt that's an essential feature, that's just what the bar gave me." She explains to Bella, "Blood substitutes. Major research interest for us."

[self_composed]

"I'd imagine. I don't have that problem," says Bella. "Are drinks just free here? If not, can I pay for them in imperial asters?"

[prima_sequentem]

"They're not, and I would love to know the answer to that question," says Libby.

[self_composed]

Bella looks around and fails to see a bartender. "How... does this work?"

[prima_sequentem]

"The Bar is magic," says Libby, pointing. "And sentient, and female. You ask her for things and she gives them to you, within fairly reasonable constraints. There is a magical tab board that may or may not be visible at any given moment, which records how much you owe. I've never actually seen somebody get collected on, but I like to pay it off once in a while anyway."

[self_composed]

"Can she," Bella says, "answer questions, such as 'can I pay in imperial asters'?"

[prima_sequentem]

"Yes she can!"

[her_imperial_radiance]

"She gives out napkins," Elspeth says. "Sometimes they have writing on them. The writing is what she has to say. Just go up to the bar and ask."

[self_composed]

"Hello, Bar," Bella says, walking up to an empty space at the bar. "Can I buy a virgin piña colada in imperial asters?" Come to think of it she's not even sure if the bank system extends here. Can she check her balance? Yes: it's zero, because she's still just making asters exist on an as-needed basis. Can she make more? Yes, she can.

The beverage and a napkin slide up to her. The napkin reads in pretty, ladylike handwriting, Why, I don't see why not.

"Thanks," says Bella, making the Bar an account so she can pay off her tab later. That'll be fun to explain to Mary.

[prima_sequentem]

"Well, that's convenient," says Libby.

[self_composed]

"Quite," Bella agrees.

[her_imperial_radiance]

"The Golden Empire doesn't have its own currency," says Elspeth. "We just work in the currencies that already exist on Earth. It contributes that we moved into a power vacuum after removing the previous vampire rulers."