10 AM District 0, Government Educational Services [16]
Val strolled brusquely out of the Bar [12], a woman on a mission, and headed straight towards the Government Educational Services building [16]. This modular unit was similar in construction to the Bar (and most buildings in the Colony), but about double its size and surrounded by a fence that clearly marked the limits of Government Property. “My tax dollars are hard at work” she thought.
Inside, Val found the community education center she expected. There was everything from K-12 classes to adult education to a community meeting room … and there was a public access computer. What Val had not anticipated was the complete technical incompetence and indifference of the Fine Arts centric staff that ran the Education center in the Colony. It was not really a consolation to be invited to a poetry support meeting at 6 PM this evening to help Val release her inner voice. The computer here was older than Val and the connection speed was bordering on non-extant. The man that invited Val to the poetry suggested that the Government Social Services Building [20] might have a better public computer … they have a Rehabilitation program.
10:30 AM Government Social Services [20]
It was a long walk. Val passed a Garden Supply Center [18] with a fenced outdoor sales area and a tall modular metal structure and LOTS of modular, metal houses … plus a few Pressurized Tents that served as residences. She was almost back to the Grav Transport Landing Area when she finally arrived at the last two buildings in town … Government Social Services [20] and a clubhouse for a rental community [26]. Val entered Social Services.
At first, her complete lack of bureaucratic experience [no Admin-0] hampered Val at negotiating the highly structured (anal retentive) bureaucracy, but these people were helpful … if sticklers for ID and paperwork. Val found herself sitting in a small room with a computer that was everything she could have hoped for. It was brand new and state-of-the-art [TL 11]. The entire desktop was a supercritical liquid that felt like a solid, but could be reconfigured and reshaped to locate controls where and how the user desired. The “screen” was a #D holographic display that tracked eye movement and seemed to anticipate her thoughts. For a moment Val was in Programmer heaven. Then she face-planted right into “Big Brother’s” protective wall. As a Government System, this particular Computer was monitored at LAW LEVEL 9. She could access any “safe” data at lightning speed … but anything that might really be USEFUL was always on the other side of the wall. Frustrated, she soon left.
11 AM Clubhouse [26]
Standing outside yet another carefully fenced Government facility, paid for by HER FAMILY tax dollars, and completely USELESS to her, personally. Val noticed a sign on the Clubhouse [26] that piqued her curiosity.
Val stepped inside the 9-meter square prefabricated building that ultimately revealed itself to be a combination Clubhouse, Office and Manager’s Residence for a sort of “Bed and Breakfast”. The interior was clean and cozy, if a little too “lodge” for her personal taste. However, Val discovered from a sign mounted to the wall near a desk that they rented rooms by the day, week or month with rates running from Cr 2-4 per day to Cr 30-60 per month … with Breakfast included.
Mark, the man that ran the place, was just sitting in a chair working on word-puzzles on a handheld electronic Tablet when Val entered. He didn’t jump up and hover over her - as clerks are prone to do - but merely smiled, offered a simple “Greetings, welcome to our B&B. Help yourself to some fresh muffins and let me know if you have any questions.” before returning to his tablet.
Val sensed some sort of incongruity in the clerk. There was something out of place about the man. It was nothing she could place a finger on, and it was not a sense of danger … but Val knew people and her instincts were telling her something was ‘off’. Val also realized that come sunset, she had no place to sleep and would need a room SOMEWHERE … at least for a night.
