It's Not Easy Making Money in the Apocalypse

"So, this is it." I muttered to myself as I looked around the wide lobby that made up the building.

The entire bottom floor was a wide-open space. There were various displays, but most of them had been graffitied and vandalized to the point it was impossible to see what they were originally there for. Large sheets of fabric were hung up to create makeshift rooms. These were how acolytes were able to maintain privacy.

As for why anyone wanted to be in here, I could hear the hum of air, and when I passed by a vent, cool filtered air struck me. It was almost a surreal experience. After spending so many days in the apocalypse, circulated air was almost not a thing. I continued to walk around. I found a vendor shop for acolytes, although it was open more consistently than the outdoor one, and even contained a schedule of business hours.

Meanwhile, in the back, I found rows of conference rooms. These were the bedrooms of the more respected acolytes. For a newbie like me, I just had to look around and find something empty. I went from makeshift room to makeshift room. I'd end up seeing men who were in the process of enjoying a woman. Most of these were the personal girls of these men, and not the ones part of the red-light district. They were universally far better quality than the women out there. Other rooms contained people doing drugs or about to do drugs.

One or two cursed me when I peeked at them. I was just about to give up looking when I felt my arm grabbed. I was just about to swing a punch when I noticed the guy grabbing me didn't seem to have any ill intention.

"Try that one." He pointed to a flap a few yards away. "That guy died a few weeks ago on a botched raid."

I nodded. "Thanks."

As I walked over to the flap and opened it, I could see that it had once been occupied, but scavengers had already run through it and ripped out anything that had value. There was only some trash, leftover needles, and discarded pieces of underwear left over.

"Only lieutenants get maids, so you'll need to pick it up yourself." The guy had followed me, looking into the room over my shoulder.

"I'll keep that into advisement," I responded.

"Are you new?" He asked.

I glanced over at him. "I just became an acolyte, yes."

He looked both ways and then he pushed me into the room. I naturally prepared to bring out a knife, but he held up his hands to show he had no weapon.

"I work for Lieutenant Riker. He's looking to record a few loyal acolytes."

"No, thank you," I responded. "I'm not planning on staying as an acolyte long."

He raised an eyebrow. "You want lieutenant rank?"

"That's the plan," I stated calmly.

"Then it's even better you talk to Riker." He declared. "He's also got ambitions."

"Ambitions?" I asked.

He chuckled. "You have to realize that the Cock and Balls power structure is a bit strange. Marsh seems to have all the power, and everyone else lives in fear."

"Those sound like the words of mutiny," I responded coldly.

His face panicked for a second. "I'm just saying what everyone already knows! Don't think you can rat Riker out either! This is between me and you. His plans go beyond this place. I'm just saying he'll need all the lieutenants he can get. He might be willing to help you ascend the ranks… as long as you're willing to help him."

I wasn't mistaken in what he was suggesting, but I also didn't know if this was some kind of loyalty test. Marsh seemed like a paranoid guy, so I wouldn't doubt he'd do something like that. On the other hand, a lieutenant helping me raise my rank would be the quickest way. Furthermore, when it came to falling from Marsh's grace, it would be just as quick.

"I'm loyal to Marsh," I responded, meeting his eyes carefully. "However, if an opportunity did come for me to become a lieutenant, I wouldn't say no."

"Say no more." He let out a laugh. "As long as we all recognize we live in a community. We help each other out. That's what it means to be in a clan, right?"

"Right," I responded.

He nodded and then left my little room. I proceeded to start trying to clean it. I had acquired a broom from my time running the brothel and started sweeping everything out. As I was sweeping, I noticed a piece of paper on the floor. I carefully picked it up, realizing it had writing on it.

Allknowing is available at a nearby college currently held by Dragon's Claw forces. If you're interested in obtaining a few doses, meet us in room 128 at dusk.

This note must have been left by the guy trying to recruit me. He decided to share a little information in hopes of getting me interested. I hated to admit that he succeeded. I had obtained some Allmighty and Allgility. These were drugs that increased your stats. They could make you stronger, faster, or even smarter.

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I had only gotten a dose of Allmighty, but Jeri could make Allgility. Her biggest limitation had been supplies. I was still chasing down supplies. Since trade at the bazaar was still slow, I had looked at my world for supplies. While I had some luck finding the ingredients for the easier drugs, I had yet to find a real-world equivalent to some of allgility's ingredients.

Allknowing, though, could make someone smarter. I never saw myself as dumb, although my 6S put me at average. If I could increase my intelligence even a point though, it might be worth it. It would force me to put myself in danger though. I had promised myself I'd stop doing dangerous things. I had set up the brothel exactly because I didn't want to go out and risk my life. Yet, if I wanted to meet my goals here, I saw no way of proceeding forward without a little bit of risk.

In the end, I couldn't pass up at least hearing them out. I waited until the sun was going down. There were windows at the top of the building that allowed us to keep track of the day. When it started getting dark, I left my little room. No one had bothered me since I entered it. It seemed like acolytes mostly just kept to their own devices unless a lieutenant came to them with orders.

I found room 128 and knocked. Some were muttering behind the door and then it opened. I was a bit surprised. I had thought they would have some kind of security, not that I was given a code. Yet, I saw the familiar face of the acolyte from earlier.

"You came." He smiled.

A man with dark hair and wide-brimmed glasses who wore a green coat that looked like it was swapped off of a military gave me an intense look. "Is this the new guy?"

"I just came for the allknowing," I responded.

He glanced at the acolyte who approached me earlier. "You said you wanted more people!"

"The allknowing is important to my plans. I don't know how many are in the cache."

"What plans?" I asked.

He looked up at me. "That's not something I trust you enough to know. Rather, what skills do you bring? Why should we trust a pimp like you?"

"Pimp? You know my origins?"

"Of course, I investigate any new acolytes. You're the one who tamed the red-light district. The people in my employ don't waste their lives away simping over whores."

"They just waste away doing drugs then?" I offered.

He snorted. "When drugs can be used to facilitate a mission, we use them. Allknowing is just a drug in the end, but you wouldn't hesitate to take that into your veins, would you?"

He wasn't wrong. I coughed awkwardly.

"You want to know why I'm useful?" I pulled my sleeve up.

He made a hiss. "A perco!"

A few of the other men in the room gasped.

The man who invited me's eyes widened. "You have a Perco and you didn't tell anybody?"

"I told you guys," I responded. "You now have a secret I don't want to be known. Are we cool?"

The man looked at me intently and then nodded. "The name is Riker. Other than Marsh, I hold the most power in Cock and Balls. For that reason, it'd be dangerous aligning yourself with me."

"Don't tell him that!" The other guy cried out.

"It's fine, Daf, I think we have an understanding." The man named Riker gave me a nod.

I nodded back, hiding my Perco once again. "Are you hoping that with enough intelligence, you can outthink Marsh?"

"Do you have something against Marsh?" The other man asked.

"I want to get on that third floor," I responded. "For that, I need to be a lieutenant."

"The third floor is Marsh's domain." He responded. "I lost a lot of good men to that floor of his."

"Then, you want up there too," I responded, raising my wrist. "With this, I can help both of us."

He stared silently into space for a moment and then looked my way. "If you wish to survive on level 3, you need six smarts."

"Huh?"

"It's the… required amount." He explained. "There is a machine up there, anyone lower than six smarts has their brain fried. That's what happened to the lieutenants before. Marsh recently learned this… and so did I! The difference is… I happen to know where I can get more allknowing."

"The school."

He nodded. "He'd do anything for those allknowing, and so I want to get them first!'