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You want more? Fine.

Volume 2 Bonus Content:

Eugene Hall strode through the entertainment district of Rencia. No matter how many times he came here, he was still amazed by how such luxuries existed in the middle of an Apocalypse. Everyone was depressed about what happened since The Day of the Apocalypse. This place, with its malls, theatres, restaurants, and arcades, tried to cheer them up. Thanks to automation in manufacturing, a significant part of the city’s functioning didn’t require human intervention. However, in the end, humans are always needed for work to be done. This meant that everyone not working due to their moods was a problem in the long term. The government was smart to predict this problem when it designed the city, by including entertainment centers such as this. Since there weren’t exactly brands for luxury goods anymore, and food was being rationed, the government wanted a way for people to spend money. Only when they spend it, do they realize they need more. Thus, entertainment was a great solution to the problem. Those who worked hard could forget their problems for some time here, and those who didn’t work at all wouldn’t even get their food rations. How effective this would be, only time could tell.

Right now, Eugene had just had some fun at the bowling alley. He was in a merry mood. He was about to return home, feeling slightly guilty at being spoiled enough to enjoy this stuff at a time like this.

Eugene had always been lucky. Examples of his insane luck include him landing his job as a well-paid accountant at the government, his recent streak of personal records at the bowling alley, and overall having an enjoyable life. The most important one was his getting into this city. It was all too good to be true.

Just as he was about to reminisce about how he’d gotten here, a scream prevented his anecdote from being recounted. He followed the voice to a woman being held hostage by an obese middle-aged man. Oh, shoot!

Another person arrived at the scene, now. “What’s going on?” they asked.

“I don’t know,” Eugene replied. “I just got here, same as you.”

And a second person joined them. “What’s going on?” the second person asked.

“I don’t know,” Eugene repeated. Why do people think I know?!?

“I’ll tell you what’s going on!” The captor yelled. “I have this lady hostage. Now, you there,” he pointed to Eugene, “are going to go get some authorities of this city. I don’t care if it’s the police or even the darn President. I want them to come here without any weapons, and preferably with a bag full of money. Dollars… or even food ration cards are fine.”

I have to make a decision! I knew my luck was too good to be true! It has really completely turned around! Now, what do I do? Eugene thought, worried, scared, and hesitant. By now, a crowd had gathered around the scene like moths around a lightbulb. Where the heck did all these people appear from?!? I thought this place was empty! Now he was under pressure.

“Should I actually run and go get the police?” he asked the two that had appeared earlier. He wanted some approval from others to make sure he was not making a wrong decision. He had never been in a situation even remotely similar to this one.

“What good would that do?” one said. “They haven’t been trained yet. They wouldn’t be able to handle the situation better than any of us.”

I should have thought of that! Then what am I supposed to do?!? The captor was staring at him expectantly.

“It wouldn’t hurt,” said the second person. “Go. We’ll keep him distracted until then.”

Eugene sprinted away, cursing the city’s lack of communication devices. He hoped that in the meanwhile, the others would somehow be able to handle the situation. He really didn’t want to be involved as much as possible. But now that he was, he felt the responsibility to follow through and get the police.

Eugene didn’t know where the nearest police station would be in this city. He had to ask anyone he saw if they knew where it was. He ran around asking people. They, being depressed, gave some short or reluctant answers.

No one cares about your feelings right now! Someone’s life is on the line!

By the time he finally encountered some officers, he was out of breath.

“Entertainment center… Man holding woman hostage… Wants to speak to police…” he managed to say, pointing in the direction from which he came.

The police, on which he’d just dumped the burden, were now anxious. They had no idea how to handle this situation. But that was their problem now. Eugene just had to take them to the scene.

When they arrived, the large crowd that had gathered was starting to disperse with a mix of satisfied and gleeful faces.

“What happened?” Eugene asked one of the two guys from before.

“Oh! You finally came. The problem is solved now. Some kid came and got the old guy to let the hostage go. He’s no longer a problem.”

What?!?

“He also gave a speech that lifted up our spirits, including the criminal’s. I’m sorry you missed it.” He gave Eugene a look of pity.

Now, Eugene was curious. What could possibly have happened? He looked at the kid being referred to. He was an average teenager. This kid seriously dealt with the situation on his own? What could he have done? Is he some sort of expert on negotiation?

Eugene wasn’t sure whether to be happy that he didn’t have any more responsibility of taking care of the situation, or sad that he missed its resolution. But one thing was clear to him: he couldn’t trust his luck anymore. That, and he’ll stop going outside as much.

General Information:

This section contains information not related to the story, such as fun facts about things mentioned in the story.

Fiat Currency:

Fiat money is a government-issued currency that is not backed by any tangible object, such as gold, but by the government that has issued it. The worth of the currency is backed by the government and by the acceptance of it in trade, rather than by its actual value. Most modern currencies are fiat. For example, the United States Dollar, the Euro, or any other ‘paper’ currency. It gives the government power, however, to inflate its value by printing more of it. This allows the government to make money to use in case of emergencies when it lacks money by diluting the value of the citizens’ money. The Federal Reserve is a private company that has the power to print this money and control its flow in the economy. It works with the U.S. government. China is viewed to have had the first fiat currency, in the 11th century. It started as a practice of giving out paper notes saying that one person owed a certain amount of money to another so that they did not need to carry around the coins. Search up information about inflation and the Gold Standard.

Maglev:

Magnetic levitation is a technology used for trains where two strong magnets are used—one on the track and another on the train—to push the train off the ground and ‘levitate’. Because there is no friction involved, movement becomes easier. This makes the train slightly more energy-efficient (air resistance still applies) and significantly faster. Such trains can reach 310 mph. Advantages: Less expensive to maintain due to lack of wheels to wear out, less probability of derailment, no air pollution caused by the train. These trains are in operation in Japan, South Korea, and China.

Jet packs:

Jetpacks were developed widely starting in the 1960s when Bell Labs, a large research company owned then by the American Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T). (Bell labs developed many things we know today. Look them up!) Various designs were developed over the years involving turbojet engines (using flame-based thrust like in this story), turbines (using wind-based thrust by rotating fans), water propellants, and using various fuels. Jetpack development has been slow due to its price and lack of potential consumers. One entity that is interested in the technology is the military, just like in this story. A limitation of the jetpack is the lack of fuel for propellant. It runs out in a matter of a few dozen minutes of air time. Perhaps this problem can be solved in the future through a better fuel like in this story’s case, or the future could be hydro jets, which use high-pressure water as a propellant.

Nuclear bombs:

The last century saw a major rise in deadly nuclear weapons. These can have devastating effects on the area they were used on decades after they were set off. Another moral dilemma is the involvement of innocent civilians in a fight between governments. Supporters of nuclear weapons emphasize that they are necessary to show a country’s power and therefore prevent war. But when power is held by a government, the result of whether it will actually be used is obscurant. Thus, it is a hot topic of debate. Much can be found about nuclear weapons on the internet, but a good starting point may be this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3RzNEzJyzo