“Yes, so bring that hundred men from the coast down… here… alright?” Riley ordered.
“Alright, Riley. And then this group will go up here?”
“Yes, the shipbuilders will build ships, Heng… because they’re shipbuilders…”
“Wow the salt is real.”
Riley smiled at the modern expression creeping its way into the ancient language. “Ha! Wow, never thought I’d hear a two thousand year old man say that.”
“Never thought I’d learn the truth about the universe from a man who won’t be born for two thousand years. Anyway, Riley, I am sure that the laborers will have the apartments built within the month, since we’ve got your nanites working on the stonecutting.”
“I love those things.”
“Alright, so now that we’ve got these five thousand people set and in the process of organization, what’s next?” Heng asked.
“I go back to the Middle Kingdom. I bring back even more families.”
“And who’ll govern in your place?”
“You will.” Riley said with a smile.
“Ah, I figured as much. Well when are you leaving?”
“The very second the sailors are ready and the supplies restocked.”
“So today?”
“Today.”
Back on the sea, Riley despaired. He had to leave his wonderful San Francisco Bay for this endless ocean. The trip to California was far more happy, because he could only imagine what life would be like once California was his, but now he left it for weeks, to gather as many men as possible. His main ship the Rylonian Freedom was followed by five smaller yet still significant vessels. Their silk sails bloomed and their hulls creaked and shifted. The compartments ensured they wouldn’t sink, but still, cannons were put onto the decks in case of attack. Luckily no pirates attacked on their way past Japan and into the East China Sea and then into the Yellow Sea. He landed in the docks of Le’an, the largest port province in the empire, and met with the officials.
Over the next three weeks he recruited families from all across the Middle Kingdom, including mercenaries, after almost a month he left once again, this time with seven thousand new people to colonize with. He also ensured that he told other families about the greatness of the Eastern Land, California, even if he wasn’t able to take them, that way when he or other sailors returned they’d be willing to leave. Soon there would be tens of thousands of people all across California. The last meetings with the local chieftains had gone well, and already Riley had scribes documenting their languages and cultures, so soon it wouldn’t matter that 60% of them would die from disease, he would try to save as many as possible, of course, and then assimilate them, but his success in this plan would rely on his ability to convince the chieftains that he is peaceful and wants nothing but to save their people.
Eh, whatever, time to build a city.