It’s Not Easy Making Money In the Apocalypse - It’s Not Easy Making Money In the Apocalypse – V5 - Chapter 3

“Not interested.” He shrugged.

I’d like to say this was the guy with the BBQ insects, but this was the fifth place I had visited that was selling food.

“Seriously? Why?” I demanded, a dejected look on my face.

Their answers had been extremely direct, and every attempt I made to try to get them interested in what I had to sell failed. The last guy had even brought out a security robot and threatened to shoot me if I didn’t leave immediately. I had thought this would be a rather simple process, but I hadn’t even managed to open a can or get them to taste it. On the second guy, I had opened a can and put it under his face, and he had slapped it away and caused the contents to end up on the floor. I knew that the can was only fifty cents in my world, but I felt some emotional pain from that one as I thought of the crystals I had failed to earn.

“Look, kid.” The guy seemed to have noticed my expression and relaxed slightly. “I don’t know you at all. Have you ever heard the wasteland motto about bullets?”

“Bullets and people are the cheapest things in the wasteland,” I repeated the words I had heard a hundred times.

However, food was one of the most valuable things, which was why I thought that I would be able to make money easily. In every other place I had visited, I had managed to earn crystals easily. Was it because I was hiding my Perco? I had made sure upon entering the city that my Perco wasn’t seen by anyone. I thought that it was best that way, but was it keeping me from selling things now?

“Well, do you know what the most expensive thing in the wasteland is?”

I blinked and answered based on the direction my mind was already going. “Uh, food?”

He shook his head. “No, trust.”

“Trust?”

“I don’t know you and I don’t trust you. Who knows where your food comes from? For all I know, it’s laced with addictive drugs or comes from humans or a highly radioactive plant. You’re known here, obviously, so you probably aren’t aware, but Twin Elms follows the rules tightly. If you don’t follow the rules, you’re no longer allowed in Twin Elms. Even if you only do it through ignorance or mistake, it doesn’t matter. You commit the crime, you pay the cost. You can imagine why those of us who make our careers here are such sticklers for the rules.”

I was starting to understand. It seemed like there were many ways suppliers could hoodwink a restaurant into selling food. There might even be factions who would intentionally try to bring food in that was dangerous, like raiders or the Syndicate looking to weaken the infrastructure of the city by making the citizens ill. How could they have such heavy security at the gates, but then have restrictions on items being brought in? Technically, since the stuff I was bringing in wasn’t going through the hands of the security forces, it could be considered smuggling.

Any restaurant that bought from me would be accepting the responsibility and danger that came with it. If I was selling fresh meat made out of Wastelanders, they’d lose their restaurant. In my world, the FDA regulated everything and there were even inspectors that visited these places regularly. In this world, the reputation of a place meant everything and a restaurant owner was responsible for anything.

I let out a low breath. “Alright, how do I earn trust?”

“It usually takes time and familiarity. Be a customer for a while, interact with people and the city at large.”

“I don’t have time… or money.” I coughed.

He chuckled. “I see, then, there is another option.”

I leaned closer. “What is it?”

He grinned. “You could do favors. We’re usually stuck in the shop all day, but we do need things done.”

“You mean, like a quest?”

He laughed. “Nothing so grand. There are things everyone needs though, and if you do them a favor, they might be willing to buy a limited supply of your goods and give you a chance.”

I looked up into the muggy sky and shook my head. This world did seem like a video game sometimes. If I wasn’t walking through underground dungeons for rare weapons or doing scavenger runs on buildings, I was going on quests. The mayor put me on a similar quest when I went to the Rink. Was this a right of passage for any newcomer to a territory? I didn’t want to try to battle a raider group like the Bling again though. Thinking about them also reminded me of Keira, and I found myself wondering how she was doing.

I finally lowered my head back down. “I don’t have a lot of time. Do you have a que- ah… favor that you need doing?”

With a hearty laugh, he slapped my shoulder. “That’s the spirit! As it is, I do have something I want. I’ll even pay you to get it.”

“What is it?”

“Well, if you notice, I sell crab soup.” He gestured to the pot boiling on his atomic stove. “The crab is pretty cheap. That’s because they’re as tall as a man. You get a lot of crap meat from the sucker. The problem is the crab can taste gamey. That’s why I cook it with a plant to cover it up. Unfortunately, I’ve been running low and the last few trade caravans haven’t carried any. I sent out one of my employees to get him, but he returned without them… and by them, I mean his legs and the spices.”

“Without his legs?” My eyes widened.

“Ai… the plant grows in the same place as the crabs. Kind of ironic. You don’t have to face the crabs, but I would like ten of those plants. Well, if you can get more, I’d pay you, but ten will tide me over. If you can sneak in there and snatch them, I can continue to make my soup.”

I rubbed my forehead. “I don’t have the time…”

“Ah… it’s not far away. It’s only two blocks north of Twin Elms, Riddick’s Pond. The round journey will only take you three hours.” He grinned. “If you can make it back in one piece.”

I considered his offer carefully. There were probably other unseen dangers heading to Riddick’s Pond. I didn’t look forward to running into a crab the size of a man either. If I spoke to one of the other restaurants and asked to do them favors, what were the chances of getting an easier favor? To that point, this had been the most receptive to my presence. I considered contacting Raven and ordering her group to do it while I waited in safety, but I wasn’t that bold, especially when she was still a bit angry I left them outside.

“What’s the plant look like?” I asked suspiciously.

“Haha… it’s very distinct. You’ll find it easy. It grows in the water, and you can find the leaves on the surface. Be careful though, as it’s when you’re reaching over the water that they like to poke up their claws and snip. That’s how my last employee lost his legs. Just pull out some of the plants and bring them here. I wish I could grow it in the city, but it only grows under the murky waters of that pond.”

He took out a sheet of paper and then showed it to me. As soon as I saw it, I felt immediate recognition.

“This is seaweed.”

“Huh? It ain’t no sea… and I’d hardly call that stuff a weed! The crabs like it because it protects their young from predation, not that they need protection when the big crabs are walking around. Look, are you interested or not?”

I licked my lips. This was an event I had been hoping for. Something someone wanted or needed for their business that was difficult to get in their world but extremely easy to get in my world. It turned out that he cooked seaweed into his soup. I didn’t know why seaweed remained rather normal while all of the other plants turned to mush. I thought I recalled that seaweed was a type of algae, not a plant at all. Plus, perhaps this water had protected it. Could I go to my world and buy some seaweed, bypassing this entire fetch quest? I had to give it an honest try, didn’t I?”

“I’ll need some payment upfront.” I declared.

“What? You don’t seem to get how this works…”

I coughed. “I mean, just a few crystals. I’d need to pay a fee just to reenter the city, right? What is the point of leaving only to not be able to reenter? How would that help anyone?”

He frowned for a moment, but I could see the interest in his eyes. It was clear that he was doubtful that I’d be able to make the journey, but a few small crystals were nothing to him. I needed them if I was going to make a round trip to my world. I was that low on crystals, which was part of the reason I was so desperate now. I should have just begged Tom for a loan when I had the chance.

“Fine… but I expect you back tonight.” He declared, taking a few crystals from behind his counter and putting them down. “I’m giving you a lot of trust here already, so don’t disappoint me.”

“I won’t!” I declared, grabbing the crystals and nodding my head. “You won’t regret this!”

Before he could say anything else or doubt himself, I turned and walked away. I didn’t go far though. I looked around until I could find an alley no one was walking near. I made sure no one was looking and ducked into it. After waiting a few minutes to make sure I was in a secure spot, I lifted the Perco confidently.

“World Travel!”