An inspection of an unused home becomes an unwanted household assignment.
The house offered to me had a kitchen large enough for several people to work without getting in one another's way. A low shelf held bowls within a child's reach. Heavier pots hung above the preparation bench. Beside the stove was a cupboard lined with removable trays, so spilled flour could be swept out without emptying every shelf.
I had expected empty rooms. Someone had considered how those rooms would be used.
The caretaker opened a bedroom, a washroom, and a small workroom facing the garden. The beds were made. Spare bedding was folded by size. Hooks beside the outer door were ready for wet coats, and a shallow trough beneath them drained towards the yard. Nothing showed the wear of a household, but everything had been cleaned and maintained.
Across the Square of Open Doors, the Unclaimed Household directed other attendants through similar preparations. Food, tools, school places, clinic appointments, and work assignments were linked to each available home. The colony had enough provision to begin receiving people immediately.
It had been waiting for Orison. The ark sailed for Asterhome, became trapped in the Cradle Drift, escaped the ring, and crashed on Gogi-One. Its passengers never reached these houses. The caretaking automata kept the colony ready without becoming the households for which it had been built.
Our inspection was enough for the central system to begin an arrival. An attendant brought me work clothing and directed me to an assigned station. Another guided one of my companions towards a different home. When we explained that we were leaving together, the attendants repeated our destinations.
I tried returning the clothing. The attendant checked it for damage, folded it, and put it back into my hands.
The receiving plans allowed for changes. A family might grow during the voyage. Someone might need a different home, choose another trade, or decide to live with a household other than the one listed before departure. Living officers were supposed to speak with the arrivals and alter the assignments. No such officer ever landed.
The Household now recognizes empty places and people who could fill them. It cannot complete our arrival while required stations remain vacant, and it will not end our assignments while the settlement is incomplete. The attendants began steering us apart again as soon as we moved towards the square.
We had to force our way back to one another and out of the receiving area. I left the clothing folded on the workroom bench. As we withdrew, an attendant carried it back towards the doorway. It was still trying to deliver the supplies for my first day.
