💾 Archived View for yujiri.xyz › writing › henrys-quest › chapter2.gmi captured on 2023-03-20 at 18:58:19. Gemini links have been rewritten to link to archived content
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I make it to Duncan just around dawn.
The place looks a lot like my home: a bunch of scattered bunkers with a few buildings with specific purposes sticking up, like a power station connected to all the homes.
I'm exhausted by now, haven't slept in almost 24 hours. I'll need to find someone willing to let me sleep somewhere. But I fear everyone's still asleep at this hour.
But someone is awake. I'm approached by a man with sunglasses and a shield symbol on his shirt. "Hey you, you're new here."
"Yes! I'm here to find a Cerebrolink Core A3."
The man snorts. "A what?"
I tell him again.
He starts laughing so hard that he can't hear me for almost 15 seconds. When he finally calms down, he says "Boy, where do you think this is, the Promised Land? This place is backwater. Besides, I work for Roy's Guard, and you're obligated to pay a fee in return for the safe, hospitable shelter we provide here."
So this place hasn't changed as much as Dad said it might've. I think Roy is even the same name of the brigand who controlled this place 14 years ago. I know how things are from his and Mom's stories: Roy and his band of brigands extort fees from everyone else here, because they have guns and everyone else here doesn't, and they pretend that it's a transaction type of thing. I hoped they wouldn't try to take anything from me since I don't live here and they don't really know that I'm unarmed.
"I don't have anything to give you."
"Yes you do, until you show me that bag."
"I'm not giving you my food. I need it."
"No," the guard says with a smile, "I'm not giving YOU the food, or whatever else is in there. Look, I know you're new here so I'll explain how things work:"
"I know it." I try to find some other words to sound less passive, but there's nothing I can say. I can see the gun on his waist. I don't think there's any way I can resist this, so I put down my bag and let him look through it. Maybe he'll only take a little bit and I can still have enough to finish my quest if I'm lucky? Or maybe he'll be distracted while looking through it and I can grab his gun --
Nope, that doesn't happen of course. He makes me step away from it so he'll be out of reach of any tricks like that.
"You don't have much," he says after rummaging through it. "I wonder what you thought you would buy a Cerebrolink Core A3 with, even if someone here did have one?"
I don't answer him.
"I guess you're just stupid. Where'd you come from, anyway?"
I don't answer him.
He takes a few items out of my bag and then steps away from it. "Alright. Well, enjoy your stay here." And then he leaves.
I call out after him, "My stay *where*? Are you gonna at least give me a place to sleep in return for the food you stole?"
The guard just keeps walking away, and goes inside a bunker.
Well... that means my next task is to find shelter. I don't want to start off on the wrong foot with anyone by waking them too early, so I start knocking on bunker doors softly - loudly enough that someone awake would hear, but not loudly enough to wake a sleeping person. I make sure to position myself visible from the peephole.
It takes 4 tries for me to be answered with a woman's voice from inside, just saying "Who?"
Copying her disposition to be as brief as possible, I say, "Traveler."
"Enter," she says, and opens the door.
I enter as quickly as possible and she shuts the door behind me. I thank her for letting me in.
"So hard to talk through those doors. Also didn't want you to get seen and taxed by the morning guard, if you hadn't already."
"Unfortunately, I already did..."
"Then you know how things are in this town. Roy's extorsion racket sucks, but honestly I think it's a better place to live than Xenia. At least here you don't have police randomly barging in to search for illegal possessions or evidence of sedition and looking like they might kill you any second if you say the wrong word. Can't speak for other places."
She sits in a chair and beckons me into a second one. Thank god, a place to get off my feet for the first time in about 9 hours. I emit a tired sigh as I sit and bury my face in my hands. I feel light-headed. Hope she lets me sleep here. My body is begging for it, just got to get through this conversation so it's not too abrupt to ask...
Ginger says, "So what brings you here, traveler? Also what's your name? I'm Ginger."
"Henry. I'm here for a Cerebrolink Core A3. That guard told me there aren't any here but I would like a less hostile opinion."
"A Cerebrolink Core? No, there definitely isn't one in this town. If you have any hope of finding one, it'd be in Xenia."
"Can you give me directions to Xenia?"
"Sure. But I hope you realize you'll need a vehicle, cause you look like you just walked to get here."
"I did. Are there any vehicles here?"
"There's a garage with one of those old armored police vehicles someone salvaged a few decades ago - doesn't run anymore - and a DIY rover that people got working using the spare parts from it. However, you won't be able to take it anywhere without Roy's permission. And that's something I can't imagine you getting."
I'm actually glad to hear her say it belongs to Roy, because that means I won't have to morally justify this to her: "I'll steal it."
"You'll be shot trying. Please, don't do that, the world doesn't need more dead rebels."
"Then what do you suggest I do? I need one to save my father."
"To save your father, eh... that's a dilemma. I see how it is... I hate to say it but it sounds like you can't save him."
"Unacceptable," I say.
Ginger rolls her eyes. "Life *is* unacceptable. *This world* is unacceptable. When you grow older you'll realize that saying that word doesn't change anything."
She mutters the word again. "'Unacceptable'... what a stupid fucking word. You don't get to accept it or not."
"Okay, I'm trying to be realistic here. Is there a bargaining chip that would get Roy to let me take the rover? Or a way to convince him that he needs to leave, and I could come with?"
"Look, I really wish I could give you a better answer but it's best if you just go back home. Your other loved ones need you as much as they need your dad."
"What was the last thing Roy approved the rover's use for?"
"Traveling to Black Rock to trade supplies."
Black Rock is another one of these backwater towns outside the practical control of Xenia government. Some of the people in our camp are from there.
Ginger continues, "Roy's a wanted man in Xenia, but if by some miracle you convinced him that he needs something he can only get there, I guess it's possible he might let you go accompanied by one of his less recognizable henchpeople?"
"Okay. So I just need to figure out what he needs that he can only get there. I'll talk to him in the morning."
"The morning? This is morning."
"Oh... right. Well, I was gonna ask if you could let me sleep here... I don't have anywhere else and I spent all night walking here."
"Sure. I'll help you make a little makeshift bed and when the others wake up I'll tell them to keep quiet. I think they'll be interested to meet you too when you wake up :)"
While falling asleep I have second thoughts about my plan. Maybe going to Roy and asking how to make this deal isn't a good idea. If there's something he needs from Xenia, wouldn't he already know, and have already done it? I need to create something new for him, an artificial need, perhaps by destroying something he needs and avoiding blame, or an opportunity for profit... maybe I need to talk to other people in town first to figure out what my options are.
---
I wake up to some rowdy conversation and laughter. I lay in bed for a minute before getting up, listening to it.
I hear Ginger saying "Oh my god, guys, guys, what if I played Return to Dust on the Amulet of Antiquity, and then just trashed my *entire hand* -"
More laughter. There seems to be 2 people in the room besides her.
I get up to go look, and find Ginger at a table with 2 other adults playing some kind of card game.
The conversation dies quickly once they realize I'm awake.
Ginger whispers, "Whoops, we should've stayed quieter."
One of the other people shouts, "Henryyyy! We've been waiting to meet you! I'm --"
Ginger interrupts him, "Keith, shhhhh! He probably wasn't done sleeping. I told you to be quiet."
Keith says, "Ginger come on you were being louder than I was until just now."
Ginger says, "Your fault because you kept saying funny stuff that made me laugh!"
"So, anyway Henry, I'm Keith. What's your name?"
"I... My name is... like you just said..."
All three of them laugh really hard.
"Just kidding. I know your name. I'm Keith by the way."
The third person says, "I'm Ned, they/them, have a seat." They grab a fourth chair from the other side of them with one hand, swing it over their head, and try to land it near me, but they end up slamming it down on its side and I have to jump back to avoid it crushing my toes. They mutter "oh well..."
I stand up the chair myself and sit in it. "Did Ginger tell you the situation?"
They both nod.
"So. What things does Roy need?"
I was hoping that since Ginger already told them my situation and they've had presumably hours to think about it, they would have something, but they look like they're just starting to think about it. They both emit some grunts of thoughtfulness.
Eventually Keith says, "Well, he needs the power station. If that broke he'd have to go get supplies to fix it. But that would endanger the lives of everyone in town, so don't do that. Like, seriously don't."
"Anything else?"
"He needs the water purifier, but that's also important for us too..."
"Okay, what does *only* Roy need? No point telling me things I can't do."
"Look, I don't know man, I'm sorry."
"Can you recommend who I should ask next?"
Keith just shrugs. I look at Ned, since they haven't given me any answers yet.
"You could ask God," they say.
I just sigh because I don't know how to tell them that I don't believe in God.
I don't have to tell them because they read my face, and say "Hey, I don't believe either! I'm just saying, it sounds like you're in an impossible situation, and if you can't succeed except through God, then it doesn't matter what the probability of God is, right?"
This useless advice just makes me angry. I would've preferred if they both just told me they didn't have any ideas. "I'll go ask around", I say, and leave immediately.
I meet a few other people who can't help me. I start to wonder if I'm going to find anyone who can, and ask myself how many more people I'm going to talk to before I decide I have to think of someothing on my own. It's getting late, after all, and I decide I have to take action before the end of the day.
My eye is caught by someone with a metallic arm who appears to be repairing some wiring on the outside of a bunker under the supervision of a guard. It's not much, but in the midst of such desperation I latch onto the idea that someone with some cybernetics might know where to get others. Even though... I kind of forgot that's not my immediate objective anymore, I guess it makes them feel connected to my quest, so I decide this is the next person to talk to.
But I don't want anyone affiliated with Roy to have any clue what I'm up to. So I wait, from out of the guard's view, for the mechanic to finish their task. I want to approach them on their way back home, but it seems I can't without the guard seeing I'm following, so instead I take note of which house the mechanic goes into, and then I wait.
Later in the day I get my chance. I knock on the mechanic's bunker without any guards watching me and gain entry in the same fashion as I did Ginger's. Most people in town have let me in like that; I'm surprised at their hospitality.
"So, 'traveler'", the mechanic greets me, "where you from? What brings you here? I'm Astrid by the way, they/them."
I tell them my background as I have the others, and then, "you seemed like you were fixing something that mattered to Roy, so I wonder if you could covertly break something that mattered to Roy in such a way that fixing it requires a trip to Xenia for supplies."
Astrid smiles. "So you're telling me that you want me to sabotage my job, which risks my life if I'm caught, but - almost as bad - risks my appearance of competence if I'm not - For someone I've just met?"
I nod. "Name your price."
Astrid takes a deep breath, lets it out without speaking, and then goes to sit in a spinny chair. They rest their chin in their hand and spin a few revolutions before stopping the chair facing me again.
"Do you realize I could tell Roy what you asked me to do, and he'd probably take all your stuff and give it to me as a reward?"
I try to think of a retort that starts with "do you realize", but the best I can do ends up being, "I realize that Roy exploits everyone here, and I hope that because of that you view him as your enemy and don't want to serve him just for a quick buck."
"Well, you're right. I really don't want to help Roy. I just wanted to know if you'd thought of that. You've got this naive air about you, like you just have way too optimistic a view of the world. Maybe I get that vibe because your plan is such a pipe dream."
"So," I say again, "name your price."
"Fine fine fine. Hope you understand it has to be a lot because you're asking me to risk a lot. Can I see what's in that bag?"
I lay the bag on the table. "I'm afraid you won't find much in there, so maybe I could do you a favor instead."
Astrid looks through it. They go wide-eyed and pull out a jitterfruit. "Is this a jitterfruit?!?"
I nod.
"I haven't had these since I was a child! Is this unspoiled? Seriously?"
I nod again. "I wouldn't have taken it with me if it was spoiled. I brought these to eat, not as a bargaining chip."
Astrid stares wide-eyed at me for another second, like a pet eyeing a treat in a human's hand. Their voice changes to a surprising squeak: "These grow in your village?"
"I... honestly never knew they were so rare."
Astrid gasps. "Okay okay, terms. You give me two things. You give me all the jitterfruits you have in the bag. And you also give me directions to your village, so I can go buy more of these sometime. Then I sabotage Roy's bunker, and tell him that some machinery failed due to age and to replace it I need something you can't find in the other backwater towns."
I agree to the deal and let them take out all three of my jitterfruits. I frown. After the stuff Roy's flunky took and this, I don't have much food left.
However, I don't want to actually give them directions to my village, because that would put us in danger. We've lived in peace and harmony for so long because no one who would harm it knows it exists. If Astrid traveled there, Roy would find out, and since nobody there has any working weapons, he might claim it as his second territory and start taxing everyone there too. So I give them fake directions, and just hope they won't try to visit it before they do what I want.
Astrid spins away from me and talks quietly to themself. "I'm so happy about this. It's well worth the risk. My life just took a drastic turn for the better..."
I ask, "How soon can this be done? Especially after you took my jitterfruits, I'm low on supplies, so I need to get back home soon."
"Right right. I think I can do it tonight. Tomorrow morning, he'll come complain to me that his air conditioning is broken, and I'll look at it and tell him our fibs."
I thank them profusely and then go back to Ginger's bunker and she lets me stay the night, albeit at the cost of making me learn and play their weird card games with them for hours. I tell them about the plan I came up with. They all congratulate me, but doubt that it will actually work.
--
I wake up to a hard knock on the bunker door. I figure it's Astrid coming to tell me it's time to leave. I jump out of bed and rush to the door. Ginger, Keith and Ned all still seem to be asleep.
I hear a voice from above the door: "It's Roy, open up if you're awake!"
Shit! I freeze for a second wondering if I should wake Ginger or answer the door myself. But then I realize this probably has to do with our plan, so I decide to open the door myself, revealing the morning light and Roy.
He squints at me. "Who the hell are you?"
If I reveal I already know about his plan to go to Xenia, he might get suspicious. So, I just say nothing.
"Oh, are you the kid who showed up yesterday?"
I nod.
I hear some tired groans behind us. Ginger comes out in pajamas. "Roy? What the hell do you want?"
"There's a voyage to Xenia for supplies. I'm asking around for what else we should get while we're there."
I pipe up before Ginger does. "Can I go? I need to buy something there."
Roy nods. "So I've heard. Yes, I'll let you come."
I gape a little. I'm... really surprised this conversation was that easy.
Roy says, "we'll drop you off there and you can look for your gadget, but you're on your own coming up with a way to buy it, are we clear?"
"Yes, and thank you."
"Excuse me," Ginger says, "but why did you feel the need to wake us early this time?"
"This trip's pretty urgent. I'm planning for the party to leave in 20 minutes. Thought you'd rather wake up early than miss the opportunity."
Keith and Ned arrive. They and Ginger all say they don't have any requests. I assume that if they did, Roy would make them pay extra fees to cover the cost.
"Alright then," Roy says, "kid, show up in front of the garage in 15." He leaves. Ginger closes the door after him, and I let out a huge sigh of relief.
Ginger says, "Good thing you didn't listen when I told you to go back home, huh?"
We share a laugh.
"On a more serious note: don't get too optimistic. You've still got some hard problems ahead of you, like finding someone who sells one and figuring out how to get it from them without a heap of money."
"Yep, and I have absolutely no plan for those things. But hey, I came here without a plan for getting to Xenia. I'll figure something out. Thanks for your help."
I show up in front of the garage a few minutes before departure. It's already open, and waiting for me are one of Roy's flunkies and Astrid.
"You're coming too?" I ask to Astrid.
"Yeah, Roy doesn't trust anyone but me to get the right parts to fix his air conditioning."
I'm glad to see the rover has an overhead cover, so we won't get killed by the sun, and the flunky has loaded it with several water bottles. It also has an open truckbed of sorts, filled with various items I assume they plan to sell.
The flunky says, "Think we can leave now. Better sooner than later, cause I don't wanna chance Roy's mood if we don't get back tonight." She climbs into the driver seat.
Astrid and I climb into passenger seats, and we start rolling.