milliways_bar | (no subject)

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Since the desalination plant mission and the fall of the Gene Worm, Alyx has split her time between poring over the intel from the Combine's computers and poring over the fragments of the Borealis's computer system. She's only taking a break because her eyes won't focus properly anymore.

When Milliways shows up instead of her bunk, she doesn't fight it. She just makes a beeline for the couch and sags down into it.

The last three days feel like they've lasted three months.

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"That looks familiar," says a dry voice. "How long have they kept you locked up in the lab?"

"I dunno," Alyx mumbles, running her hands over her face. "What day is it?"

"Couldn't tell you. Might be September sometime, might be October- I honestly can't remember the last time I looked at a calendar," says Arcade. "It sounds like you've had it harder than me regardless."

Alyx grunts noncommittally. "That depends on what you've been doing."

"Formula comparisons involving xander root and various secondary components that might be usable alternatives to broc flower in stimpaks," Arcade says. "I haven't been able to completely eliminate the psychoactive problem just yet, so I thought I'd take a stab at alternatives. No joy so far, of course. On the other hand I may have reinvented tequila."

"...well, that's something," says Alyx after a moment of owlish blinking.

"It's more progress than I've actually managed to make at my official job," says Arcade with a sigh. "At least I've produced something that acts the way it's supposed to, using the materials available to us. I'm not really sure what use it'll be to the Followers, but there you have it."

"Better than nothing," says Alyx. "Meanwhile I'm still trying to get the ship's teleporter up and running again..."

"Still?" says Arcade. "I'm sorry, I've lost track of how long it's been since we last spoke."

"...like three days, from my point of view? Pretty sure it's been longer here."

"Considerably," says Arcade. "And at home. I've been in the lab at least two days, maybe more." He shakes his head. "I'll never get used to this place's distortion of time. Never."

"Honestly, Doc, I'm not sure this is a place you can get used to."

"Good to know. I'll look into increasing my recreational drinking and reading budgets in anticipation of having to compensate for this place more," Arcade says. "Then again, considering that the alternatives back home are at best dens of iniquity and at worst wretched hives of scum and villainy, I suppose I can get used to the bizarre."

"God, don't talk to me about alcohol," groans Alyx. "I really want a fuckin' drink right now but I can't have any until the twins are born..."

"That, I'm afraid, I can't help you with," says Arcade. "I can recommend a few sodas if you wanted to try anything different as a distraction, but even I have to admit that's just not the same."

"These wouldn't be the sodas with radioactive isotopes in them, would they?"

"No, no. Not to my knowledge, anyway," says Arcade. "I was thinking more of the local sarsaparilla brew. I'm not sure exactly what's in it, but it's not like it's Nuka-Cola Quartz or Victory or something."

"In that case, I guess I'll give it a shot," says Alyx with a shrug.

Arcade nods and taps the bartop twice. The bottle that appears is labeled SUNSET SARSAPARILLA, and the stuff inside is a light golden brown. It smells- and tastes- rather like root beer, assuming Alyx has ever had that particular experience.

"Check the inside of the cap," Arcade advises. "There's people in the Mojave who collect the ones with stars printed on them. I don't know why, but it seems to be a fashion."

"Nothing," says Alyx after checking. "You want the cap anyway? We don't use them for currency on my world."

"Sure," says Arcade, holding out one hand. "Out of curiosity, what do you use? The NCR used to be on the gold standard, but ever since their mines were destroyed they've had to use paper and count on people viewing them as stable enough to be able to back it."

"We're strictly on the barter system, at least as far as I know."

"Uh huh," says Arcade a little doubtfully. "And how's that working out for you?"

"Well, it's a little early to tell yet, I think," Alyx admits. "We aren't even through with the Combine yet."

"Ah. Fair enough," says Arcade. "Barter works better internally for small groups anyway. Just... try to make sure that whatever you set up after all's said and done and the smoke clears, it's built on a solid economic foundation, okay? There's been too many well-meaning revolutions laid low by winning the war and failing to adequately plan the peace."

"If I had any idea how to do that," says Alyx dryly, "believe me, I would."

"My apologies. I didn't mean to press quite like that," Arcade says. "That's... more or less a hobby of mine, economics and the like- that, and when you spend enough time hanging around the other Followers, you can't help but want to get involved in building things back up. Even if you're no good at it yourself."

"Well, if you've got any advice, I sure could use it..."

"Well," says Arcade, "for one thing, I should probably start with telling you about the life and career of Tandi, the second and best-known president of the New California Republic. I personally don't care for the kind of heavy-handed bureaucracy the NCR's become now, but when it was just getting started it was another story. It takes a lot to go from a single small farming village that almost gets wiped out by radscorpions and build it all the way up to the largest settlement in the entire Southwest, starting with opening trade relations with the neighbors..."

He may go on for some time. She did, after all, make amazing use of extremely limited resources.

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