The next morning, Rafael was up early. He showered, got dressed, and shaved. He shaved the old-fashioned way, with a straight razor, a single sharp edge that could be sharpened on a strop. He intended for Ri Ja to be as close to self-sufficient from day one as possible. That meant limiting the use of licensable alien technologies as much as possible. As a matter of planetary policy, Rafael had actually banned a number of products that carried royalty obligations to the Galactic Union. One of these was the personal grooming laser. A small system that was installed ona wall like a bathroom mirror that had a small, low-powered laser system that could target the user's facial hair and gently burn it away without irritating the skin at all. The shave was closer, even on the second day after a shave, than any razor blade could match. Better yet, it took about three seconds of total time as the user presented one side of their face and then the other. An add-on license fee enabled it to provide a full basic hair-cut. For advanced styling, physical manipulation of the hair was required through a separate product. A basic trim or buzz-cut though, could be done in seconds with just the base unit. The royalty was the equivalent of a few pennies per shave, btu it was symbolic of the independence that Rafael wanted for Ri Ja.

Earth products, like disposable razors, were another matter entirely. They were not paid for in Galactic Credits, they were purchased with Earth currency from standard suppliers back on the home planet. Because Earth was using it's proprietary ULIT system to move them to the colony from Earth, the UEC waived the transport fee entirely. Timothy wanted to encourage the purchase of standard manufacture Earth products like razors, to support jobs on the home planet until the economy was fully transitioned to the new model.

Rafael finished his shave and cleaned and dried his razor. Thinking about the new economic model where no one had to work, he shook his head. He did not share Timothy Bailey's view that humans, freed of the requirement to work to earn a living would pursue artistic, scientific and humanitarian efforts. Licensing fees from both Earth Products and eventually from the UEC's galactic licensing system would make every Earth citizen wealthy beyond the dreams of even the richest billionaires on the planet today. They would have a life of luxury, with unlimited access to the universe's ultimate technologies, foods, an entertainments, and almost anything they could imagine. With the 'Holodeck' simulators as the Bailey's insisted on calling them, the imagination itself was the limit of what was possible. He could wrestle a Tyrannosaurus Rex. Or transform into King Kong and fight Godzilla on the volcanic peak of a tropical island. The simulators could tap directly into his neural inputs and make every sensation seem perfectly real.

Rafael's own experience told him that the vast majority of people would just lose themselves in the unlimited indulgence. They could eat like gluttons and the technology wold keep them healthy for a thousand years or more. The man who could find a new licensable vice, could siphon their wealth away and amass virtually unlimited resources. Even then, though, to what end? What difference did more matter, when everyone could have everything?

He could imagine even someone as goal driven as himself, being driven insane with the boredom of excess, without goals. Without a means to differentiate himself from the common masses. That was a problem for another day. Today, he was the leader of the first human extraterrestrial colony. Ri Ja was home. His home, for the foreseeable future. He had some vague notions about setting himself up as as a figurehead god of sorts, with everyone worshipping him as the founder and provider, but that notion was starting to ring hollow, even in his own head. He needed loyalty, because the colony needed a single strong leader to keep it focused on its core mission. Even here, it would be easy for people to drift off into their own little worlds, follow their own individual interests and missions instead of focusing on the colony as a whole.

That was his job, to keep the herd healthy and walking together toward the greener pastures instead of scattering. At least here, the herd was small enough to be manageable and was all starting out in the same direction. Timothy's job on Earth, Rafael thought, was much more difficult. There the herd was already scattered and different 'shepherds' were trying to keep it separated, actively fighting any effort to unify the herd. Many of the shepherds were just wolves, farming the herd as a source of metaphorical meat.

People like Maribel, he smiled at the thought, Maribel the Saint and her relatives, the Baileys, on the other hand, were true shepherds who seemed to care more about the herd's well-being than their own, willing to sacrifice their entire lives for the goal of leading the herd to best fields for each coming season.

He scowled at his face in the mirror. He was getting lost in sentimentality and idle daydreams. There was work to do. Maribel was just rising, she had two fruit bowls, on a tray with steaming mugs of coffee. His black, hers with cream. He smiled at her thoughtfulness. He would forget about breakfast entirely as he had so many times back on Earth in the old days, when he had been so focused on building an empire. It was good to allow himself some relaxation. It helped keep his brain working at peak efficiency.

He sat down on the edge of the bed beside Maribel. "Thank you, my love. I sometimes think I would starve myself to death without you." He lifted the coffee and sipped, savoring the dark, bitter taste, just at the edge of being too hot to drink. The flavor, itself, seemed to sharpen his senses, before the caffeine had a chance to do its work.

"Well, you have other things to worry about. My biggest worry is you. As long as you take care of the colony, I will take care of my poor, little Rafi. A man can't survive on power alone."

Rafael shrugged, "Perhaps not, but it will sustain him and drive him toward the resources he needs to survive when other men falter."

Maribel shook her head, but she had a tender smile. "One day, you'll realize that your over-whelming desire for power is just your way of taking care of people, trying to make sure that no one else suffers the lack of control you felt as a child when the soldiers took your parents."

Rafael's mood darkened as he recalled the horror of that day, so long ago. It was literally a world away now, but he felt it like a pebble in his shoe. A sharp reminder that he felt with every step forward. A pain that tried to stop him from walking, from running toward his goals. A pain that he refused to let limit his forward motion, btu always a pain that he couldn't outrun. He drained the last of his coffee.

Maribe must have seen the change in his mood. "I'm sorry, Rafi," she said, lifting a hand to his cheek, "I didn't mean to bring up painful memories." Her hand slid down to his neck and she pulled him in for a kiss.

The painful memory faded away, as he was lost in the sensation of her lips against his. The gentle pressure of her hand on the back of his neck, holding him close to her. Whatever events had led to this very moment, he thought… would he go back and change them if it meant this kiss would never happen? It was a supremely selfish thought, he knew, btu he wasn't sure what he would do, given that choice.

The kiss ended, either an moment or an eternity later. He smiled. "What would I do without you, Maribel?"

"What would I do without you?" She countered, "We are made for each other." Neither of them realized how very true those words were in her case at least. She had literally been made from the framework of Susan Bailey's personality just to keep Rafael in check, to guide him as he guided his herd. Susan had seen some spark, some part of his personality that she thought was worth saving, under the forgetfulness of her cover persona, she had even fallen in love with him, with his passion for life, the way he took control and steered his own fate.

Now, that part of Susan was a key component of Maribel's personality. It wasn't her entire persona, of course, she had other goals, desires and motivations. Her personality was arguable as rich and varied as anyone', but she was hopelessly in love.

For that matter, Rafael was just as hopelessly in love, though it was an almost foreign emotion for him. He was not accustomed to caring about people. He had always thought himself incapable of caring about others, but here it was. Something he had pushed so far aside that he had forgotten it even existed. Now, Maribel seemed like perhaps the single most important thing in his entire life.

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