When she had still been in the hospital Yukiko was afraid she wouldn't be able to get to the shopping district that weekend. It was an irrational fear. She knew how badly she'd strained her body and experience told her how long it would take to recover from it. The doctors, if anything, had been over cautious in their vigilance.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOAoy948vLb
They finally released her last night, just as the sun was touching the horizon. Well, not really. That was a bit too romanticized, but she did pause once she left the building to watch the sunset, which was close enough. It was a breathtaking sight. She had only been in DMA for a week so far, but she had also traveled for a month to get here. During that entire time she hadn't gotten used to seeing it. 148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFwTNheQlL2
After the cataclysm what had once been called New York was deserted, most of the buildings left to rot, as the city became uninhabitable. Approximately three percent of the city's population still lived when the death toll finally stabilized, scattered throughout the area in small villages. Of an original population of nearly ten million only about two hundred and seventy thousand lived. While the percentage that survived is less than half of the rest of the continent, the total life left at the end was enormous, relatively speaking. 148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxoqcMpnTkR
At the end of the Second Dark Age some of the surrounding villages returned to the city of their ancestors. The destruction from time was worse than what was left of Old Tucson, which was considered a complete loss. That didn't stop them from trying. They used their still developing understanding of magic, and adjustments to old technology, to begin repairs. 148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKTLNJ5ociI
The island of Manhattan had been chosen as the starting area for two reasons: even dilapidated the ports were usable for trade with the rest of the coast with little repair, and the same waters made it defensible from threats. All of the bridges had collapsed and the tunnels were flooded. 148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV2uw6bzNv7
There hadn't been enough people to populate the entire island of course. They started by using the most inhabitable neighborhoods, and over time allowed the population to grow into it. Even to this day there was more space than was needed.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeKqCkIBJ1n
That hadn't stopped her family from appropriating one of the tall sky scrapers when they had grown to dominance. Her grandfather had thought of it as a symbol of their power. Nearly half of their earnings each year went into restoring the building, stabilizing it structurally, and adding strength to the damaged foundation. 148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwn3e5BSNJr
By the time Yukiko had been born the upper floors, which had been the emphasis, were complete. She had grown up knowing the sunset from that perspective. Several of the tallest sky scrapers had fallen from neglect, so she knew that the majestic cityscape was half of what it had been. That knowledge left her in awe of what the world must have once been like.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHwuen4OLYn
These sunsets though... These were different. No buildings obstructed them, only nature. She especially loved watching them in the desert. Beautiful, yet desolate and alone. She felt a kinship with it. 148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSiSthmaXyd
When she returned to her room, Alisha had been waiting and was unusually chatty, even by her standards. For the most part Yukiko simply tuned it out, placing her school books away on the shelf next to her desk, and throwing her homework into her backpack. She made a mental note to speak with her teachers after each class to be sure her grades were in good standing after her absence. It had only been a couple of days at the beginning of the semester, but you could never be too careful.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSp6ZGCQlte
She did ask Alisha one thing, since she was in such a talkative mood. One of the things that had surprised her when she first got to Davis-Monthan was the shop windows. While big enough to show a few mannequins, they were not the large picture windows she was used too in Manhattan that allowed people to see virtually the entire shop within.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9sjPSLl0Ea
Alisha was very happy to explain that in the desert it was more efficient to build with brick. The ingredients were plentiful and inexpensive. During the summer it took in the cool of the night and cooled the interior during the day. During the winter it absorbed the heat of the day to keep the buildings warmer at night. Naturally more conventional means to heat and cool a building were used as well, but it helped.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtQllDLVWwt
If the profits were good enough a shop might expend the extra cash that heating a less insulated building would cost. Most of the students at DMA didn't have much money however, so the shop owners maximized their efficiency. Besides, with so few shops to choose from the lack of exposure wasn't going to hurt them much.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpWkTvxSgzV
When Yukiko woke up Saturday morning her roommate surprised her by insisting she was going to join her on her shopping trip. Yukiko didn't argue the point. She would need the help anyways. 148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4t1UPoluZb
They had sparred a little beforehand, which she had noticed a new ferocity from Alisha. Even as out of touch with the low borns as she was, it wasn't hard to understand why. The investigation had turned up no results thus far. All of the potential suspects had alibies that included classes and drills, neither of which could be counterfeited. 148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEsG9MH9wg8
Carole's release wasn't going to be until tonight. Like they had with her, the doctors were being overly causious and holding her until they were sure she had fully recovered. What had her admitted was unusual and the docs were out of their depth. With communication to other cities being so limited they had no access to expert opinions farther than New Tucson, and that city was only twice as large as Davis-Monthan and with fewer combatants. Their hospital was smaller than the academy's.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2agSzkSWa9
That delay in her release was why Yukiko had assumed Alisha would rather be at her sister's side today. She didn't get it, but now that they'd washed the sweat off from their workout and were heading out the auburn beauty was all smiles. Yukiko wasn't good at reading the lower class, but she was trying to tell if all she was seeing was a mask. If that was the case she was failing at finding any cracks to see behind it.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5KoSOJ3Bfi
Aside from the single road the rest of the school was nothing but sidewalks and bike paths. In the campus area it was more sidewalk than bike paths, but in the trade area it was the other way around and the bike paths were wider with two lanes, almost like a road. The extra size was so three wheeled bikes and bikes with trailers could be used for transporting larger purchases back to the dorms.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXcPyxtq66Y
Yukiko knew today was going to be a large purchase day for her. Normally she'd simply have her servants bring the purchases to her room, but of course that wasn't possible. Instead she resolved to do it on her own, just as she had with every other aspect of her current life. 148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEJjO1F8trA
Next to the main sidewalk leading into the shopping district was a coin operated cart machine. Carts didn't carry as much as the bikes, but it had the advantage of being able to get inside most shops. 148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaiPaVhseUt
She paused for a moment, looking at the coin slot in confusion. "What's up?" came the perky question of her roommate.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoJJetFcCYP
"Um..." She blushed slightly, nearly unnoticeable on her dark Asian skin, realizing she'd used such an unintelligent word, but feeling even less intelligent not being able to understand such a simple device. "I'm not used to your currency." She looked at the slot again, begging for it to release it's knowledge somehow. "None of my coins seem to match."148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡouroOPvVUt
She didn't look behind her, but Yukiko knew her roommate was smirking. It wasn't any sixth sense or spell that gave her that knowledge. She simply knew. "Well let me see what you have, and we'll figure it out."148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfptqJNjeqt
Being autonomous units, most cities had their own form of currency. If two cities were physically close enough they may share that currency, but it wasn't likely. More likely they kept exchange rates with local cities. Sometimes this was a hard limit, sometimes it could be bargained. It varied from city to city.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTKhYjQAz6i
When on a long trip, such as her's had been getting here, travelers would normally enter a new city and exchange their current currency for the currency for the next city. This allowed the money to return to the original city without needing to be transported, and it allowed for the traveler to only need to exchange their coin every other city.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0EiDdrxAWr
Her bodyguards had dealt with such issues however. It hadn't occurred to her that she would need to know what the money she had was worth relative to Manhatan currency.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz7gb6srqJ0
With this at least she was willing to trust her roommate. Pulling out a hand full of coins she put them in Alisha's hands. The shocked expression on Alisha told Yukiko it was a lot.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgfYjKJaE4X
"This coin," She pointed at the smallest one, "Would buy every cart in the machine, plus the machine itself." She looked over the rest of the coins. The small coin was the most plentiful, but eventually she pointed at the largest one. "This one... With this one you could probably buy Instinct." At Yukiko's blank look, she elaborated "the most expensive restraint on campus."148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFYRcjqjvta
There was no doubt, Alisha was trembling slightly. "It's a trillennial coin. I've only seen pictures of one. It's used mainly by banks to transfer large sums with minimal exposure. I don't think any of the shops will accept it. They'll think it's a counterfeit. Not that they would have anything good enough to warrant that much money."148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrSpUZfUyqB
Looking up at Yukiko there was new understanding in her eyes. "We really are on different levels, aren't we." It was a statement, not a question. With a shake of her head Alisha pulled herself together. "Well, this leads to an interesting problem. If you're making big purchases a fifty centenial," she indicated the small coin, "will be okay I think. Anything larger won't do. We'll need to get them broken up."148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCPh2WtADAA
Taking a quick look around, Alisha handed her several of the larger coins. "Don't show these to anyone else. Only break them up if you run out of the rest." Alisha's amusement made it clear she didn't think that was going to happen... ever. "If you do be ready for a wait. The'll hold them to verify it isn't a fake from the bank it's drawn off of. Unless it's the one here that'll probably take at least a week."148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9zoqcbHIs1
It never really occurred that she had quite that much money, relatively speaking. Her father had given her enough to travel on with extra to get some clothes and redecorate her room when she got here. In her world it would have been tight. In this world she wasn't the richest person on campus, she was richer than the rest of the campus combined.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy0XovB4gY0
That was only a guess of course, but a good one she thought. After all, that was only one handful of what was in her pocket. She had at least twenty more of the large coin that had freaked out Alisha.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGRqLcfGBns
It never really registered that Alisha had told her what to do. Not suggested or advised, but told her not to show the coins. Later she would tell herself that she'd been too amused by the red-head's shock to take it seriously. That reason would never feel right however.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd3JNXe10tf
The names of the coins seemed odd to her. "Why are the coins named after anniversaries?" Well, trillenial wasn't the name of one, but the inspiration behind it was clear.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9cKiJ01mS0
"Don't know, to be honest. Just always has been. New Tucson, DMA, and Sierra Vista all share currency, but I'm not sure which one came up with it. It goes like this though: Ten Annuals is equal to one Decennial. Ten Decennials is the same as a Centenial, and ten of those is a Millenial. After that whoever came up with it ran out of anniversaries, so started making them up a bit. Billenials are a hundred Millenials, and Trillenials are a hundred of them. I don't think they've ever come up with a higher level than that."148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy8XlR3jSkd
With that setup probably zillenials, Yukiko reasoned as she followed the pattern, if they ever had enough money in the area to warrant that level, which I doubt.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDIoF3p99eV
"Having numbers won't be the same as understanding their value. You will need to show me around and be certain the shop keepers don't cheat me," she told Alisha with a bit of her entitled position coming out subconsciously. "In the mean time where do we go to change my money into smaller denominations?"148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxISSiBCenn
"A bank, but I'm not sure where one is." Alisha shook her head once. "I'm only mildly familiar with the shopping district. I visited it once when I came here two years ago, and that's it."148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsNYE5MGL5l
There had to be at least one somewhere on campus. Banks were essential when a monetary system existed. "It has to be somewhere among the shops. We will make our way around until we find it," Yukiko said, once again taking up the leadership role due to her. "We can do some shopping on the way, provided we find a shop with large enough of a selection to warrant the use of a fifty centennial."148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtBZqw3jfVn
"Not likely," Alisha supplied, as she used a bit of her coins to pay for a cart.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjgg2mjVxED
A half hour later they found the bank. During that time the area became cluttered with students, eager to purchase things for their new rooms, for their classes, and for their leisure on the first weekend of the new semester. 148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT7ZJnghIBV
Yukiko continued to have a superior attitude. Alisha figured being in a position to use her coins had something to do with how intense it had gotten since reaching the strip. It was like how she became authoritative in a garage or machine shop. A person's demeanor normally was set by what you did or who you were with. In the garage Alisha was the authority and she knew it. Shopping was the area Yukiko owned without question. 148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUSoo1XnTTp
She saved Carole's life, Alisha reminded herself again, holding in her temper by the barest of measures when told to go to a shop they had passed already and pick up a pair of boots Yukiko had refused earlier. The speed that she turned around wasn't to complete the order quickly. It was to hide the three deep breaths she had to take to calm herself. 148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd0Im0hBSDq
I hope I'm not setting a pattern in place, she told herself on the trip back, worried that Yukiko would become accustomed to treating her like this. At least she paid me back for the cart, with "proper interest" as she put it, and when we ran out of space in that cart she didn't have me return to our room to drop it off and come back. She seems quiet content to be pushing the second one.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdicMbZ3D9a
She hadn't been paying attention to the time, so was a bit surprised when she returned to find Yukiko sitting at a table outside one of the small restaurants that were spaced between shops. The two carts were mysteriously absent. 148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt8aHTlam5n
"Take your seat. I have gone ahead and paid for you to eat whatever is on the menu. It's my thanks for helping me today." She managed to sound both truly thankful and completely imperious at the same time. Alisha decided that Yukiko was trying to treat her normally. She was failing, but the effort was appreciated. 148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIRAqg2FBSq
"Take your time. I paid for a couple of valets to bring our items back to our room. They should be back in a half hour."148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpX2GTKEjoK
Alisha had no reservations of ordering anything on the menu regardless of the price. A Trillenial! That still got her. They weren't from different levels, or different worlds. They were galaxies apart. This little meal was about as expensive for her as stick of bubblegum was to Alisha.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU6FNNRcEA9
As she waited for her order Yukiko continued talking. "There was a waitress handing out samples while I waited for you. It was surprisingly good so I ordered one and asked for the owner. As it turns out he's also the chef, which I gave him my sincere compliments. This made it easy for me to express some dishes I would like that were not on his menu. He doesn't know how to make them, but I paid for him to study and learn them. He seemed happy with the amount I negotiated."148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0opMSzVKnO
With a tad of apprehension Alisha asked, "and how much was that?"148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq3hdGiVrfR
"Just a millennial."148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFtvmxkLA5n
It was as expected. Despite being the daughter of a high valued business man she had no understanding of money. 148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhw7y7DVoHP
"He was happy enough with the deal to give us a month of meals as a bonus."148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgPS5G3ayxm
Sigh. That still wasn't close to the worth of learning a few recipes. 148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoOrAbzPISp
"Some of the spices he's going to need aren't in stock, so I will need to wait a month before I can start ordering, but it will give him enough time to learn." Yukiko actually sounded satisfied. It was something she hadn't been since that morning.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwCmLIoj7tD
With the shopping paused for the moment, Yukiko started to sound a bit less like she owned the school while they talked. When Allisha's sausage pizza was delivered she had to agree it was perfectly done, though the dishes Yukiko had outlined were an entirely different class of cuisine. In fact she wasn't sure she'd ever had rice before. She'd heard of curry, but even a small amount made the price of a ten pound bag of coffee seem cheap. 148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbnaEDAcocd
Rather than have the owner pay the up front costs, Yukiko had already paid for the ingredients in advance, and this time the negotiated price was reasonable. 148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ9vcgC5ykW
By the time they finished eating (Yukiko seemed entranced by the taste of a pizza, like she'd never had one before) the carts were returned as promised. The shopping crowd had reached its peak. There was barely enough room to push their carts. Alisha noticed a change in the demeanor of the shop keepers though. They were more reverent to Yukiko, serving her before anyone else regardless of how busy they were. Obviously word had spread. 148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMm2pUrgYTj
The superior tone remained bearable after lunch, at least towards her, which allowed Alisha to relax some. Yukiko was still dissatisfied with every article of clothing she came across, which was the majority of what she had looked at. She was being very verbal about her satisfaction level. 148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0j8GHMjRRa
The shop keepers were very keen on finding out exactly what she was looking for. As soon as they could get their hands on some Alisha knew they were all going to have at least one piece of clothing that matched what Yukiko wanted. 148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTnkaYu0lpX
By herself Yukiko was going to stimulate the local economy beyond any previous expectations. That is provided she purchased any of the undoubtedly expensive clothing the shops would be getting specifically for her. 148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3nrFchTebn
Yukiko chuckled under her breath when they came near the end of the strip. "You thought I paid too much for the cook's lessons, didn't you?" Alisha nodded. "I'm not sure how much I overpaid him, but I knew I had. You saw the results, didn't you?"148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbpwpR85Cqj
Understanding dawned. "In a month you're going to have your pick of the clothing you want."148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTSFRNJuLL2
"And I'm going to buy all of it, even if it's trash, because the next batch will be even better then."148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrLML3Yez8b
Following the money trail Alisha continued with the next event that would happen. "That amount of influx money will reduce the prices of the rest of what they sell, won't it?"148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdroJrROI3w
"Yes. Not only will they not need as much money because of my purchases, but the caravans they are distributing to will drop the price for them in order to get more business for the large priced items."148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjamkBZs1bt
Maybe Yukiko wasn't as useless at money as she thought. "You realize you just made yourself a target for every student who wants something, right?" Alisha said with amusement.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoVVvkTP2vZ
There was an unexpected sadness that came to Yukiko's eyes with those words. "I'm used to that."148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlF6bCaOyVo
Any of her remaining anger towards her roommate was washed away by those words as a new understanding came to Alisha.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ674u2Gu2TH
The one shop she had wanted to look at was at the end of the strip, right before the road left campus . It sold wonderful tools, both powered and not. She didn't have the money or space to get any of them but she would enjoy the time looking at them. She had talked to the owner the first year she had come here, and she knew he would enjoy seeing her again because she appreciated and understood the value and quality of his merchandise. 148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJgyIdmmnZY
She didn't point it out though. Instead they walked passed it and then headed back towards home. She was afraid if they had gone in Yukiko would have insisted on buying her at least one tool as another thank you, and she couldn't allow that. She would be sure she was never one of the people who tried to use her. She already felt guilty for the pizza.148Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ82EAfzpHC1
and then Add to home screen.