“The slaves are on there way.” I finished, my fingers taping on the table. “So, how have things been going here?”

  The girls hadn’t reacted much as I explained my situation to each of them. They had mostly just taken everything in stride, nodding or asking questions at the appropriate time. I hadn’t gone in depth about what happened at the hospital, although just in case an issue arose with the Revenant or Raven mentioned something, I gave a very brief overview. It seemed like what I considered a life-or-death situation was merely another week in the apocalypse for the likes of Wastelanders.

  “The bazaar has started to pick up a little bit of traffic, but only a little,” Katarina reported. “We’ve only made a little bit of money, not enough to support the mouths we’re currently feeding.”

  “Those mouths are what keep this place running. My people assume almost all of the risk, protecting the perimeter while inviting potential dangers right up to our most vulnerable.” Red explained in a tone of voice that suggested she might have had this conversation with Katarina before. “Enough food and supplies to feed our people are not asking for too much.”

  “Your people have been stealing supplies! For every meal they report, they hide two more. Once you’ve stolen enough from Ascension, do you plan to make your escape with our supplies?” Katarina asked, her face scowling.

  “I’ve already explained those are isolated events and the missing supplies were returned.” Red sighed. “Besides, the majority of us wouldn’t dare leave while so many of ours are in slave collars.”

  “Slave collars may work on you and a few men with loyal attitudes, but can you say that none of your raiders will just leave if the opportunity presents itself?”

  “I can’t speak for everyone,” Red responded icily. “Although I’ve already made my loyalties known. If you think my words aren’t enough, then I’d be willing to offer Master my body.”

  “Oh, you’d like that, wouldn’t you…”

  “It’s not important!” I cut in, causing both women to suddenly turn to me. “Uh… I mean, whether we make money or not. At the moment, I do not have a shortage of supplies. I will bring more as we need them.”

  By the end of my statement, I felt a bit weak under those two stares. Red broke into a flirtatious smile, while Katarina scowled. However, they both sat back down. Katarina crossed her arms fitfully.

  “So, you trust her then?” Katarina demanded.

  “It’s not a matter of trusting her. The raiders all believe fiercely in their autonomy and freedom. They gave that freedom up temporarily for the safety and food we could provide. We’ve recently failed to keep them safe, and food is only a motivator as long as they remember hunger. That’s why we can’t waste time arguing about petty squabbles. We’re all in this together, so let’s come up with some plans rather than fight.”

  “Not bad.” Red pursed her lips.

  “It’s not like I don’t understand.” Katarina pouted. “However, do you have any ideas?”

  “First off, I want to reduce the stock the girls have out there. If we’re not even seeing the numbers to justify it, there is no reason they need to have a large stock. After that, make them responsible for that stock. In short, when they check the stock out of our inventory, they are responsible for it. If they lose it, they will have the loss deducted from their daily allotments.”

  “Punishing them when something happens out of their control…” Red began.

  I held up my hand. “We can put in a clause that in the event of a raid, they won’t be held accountable for lost product. However, what they take out at the beginning of the day should be the same that they put back in, and if it isn’t, it’s on them.”

  “I think… I think I’ll be able to convince them to accept these conditions.” Red didn’t sound certain.

  “Well, medicine goes down better with honey.” I cleared my throat. “We’ll add a boon for them too. For every successful sale, they will get to keep a bit of the proceeds, or the resource equivalent of those proceeds.”

  “They keep the profits?” Red’s eyes widened.

  “Some of them, 20%.” I declared. “That should encourage them to work a little harder at getting sales as well. In the meantime, the trade routes we’re establishing between the Rink and Twin Elms will become a major source of money for us. As long as that’s going, it won’t matter if the bazaar is successful.”

  “If you’re planning on trading with the other settlements nearby, is there even a need for the bazaar?” Katarina asked. “It’s nothing but a security risk.”

  “Yes, the bazaar still must continue.” I nodded assertively. “It’s not necessarily about the profits, but about creating a message. We’re a part of the city, a static fixture that anyone can benefit from.”

  “I’m not sure I understand…” Katarina made a face.

  “They used to say something back where I came from.” Riley suddenly spoke up. “A seller without a store is just a stranger with something worth taking.”

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  “I’m not sure the sage advice of a slaver is what we need here.” Katarina glared at her as well.

  “All I’m saying is that a man on the road has no presence.” Riley leaned back in her chair, unaffected by Katarina. “Traders move like the wind. It may be a profitable life, but it is a fleeting one. You’re but a ghost in the eyes of the people around you. If Mr. Daniel’s goal isn’t pure profit, but to influence the very nature of Argos City, then he has to build his place. Only when someone digs can their roots take hold.”

  “This intellectual mumbo-jumbo gives me a headache.” Red sighed.

  “You haven’t been here very long. You don’t know Daniel.” Katarina snapped.

  “Kate,” I spoke up, causing the girls to look my way. “It’s okay. Riley might have traded in people, but she was still fundamentally a merchant. She’s right. My plans go beyond making a quick buck. I want to create a safe place in Argos City. Hell, I’d even make all of Argos City safe if I could.”

  “R-really now…” Katarina looked away, a slightly embarrassed expression on her face.

  “That’s ambitious.” Red broke in after a moment. “Every settlement leader and raider chief has dreamed about conquering Argos city. They’ve all failed to conquer any more than a small slice of the city.”

  “Perhaps, that was why they failed,” I responded slowly. “They saw the city as a place to conquer.”

  “What else is it?” Red asked.

  I hadn’t expected our conversation to end up in this direction. I had been thinking about it for some time, and I had come to realize that Argos city was just too dangerous. The recent three deaths only confirmed my belief that things needed to change. Even if I succeeded in becoming a billionaire in my world and could live a life of luxury, and that was a big if, I still had to come to this world. There were people here I cared about and people here whom I owed a lot.

  The only thing I could do to repay them was to use my particular assets to improve their lives. I wanted to give them… no… I would give them a life of safety and comfort. I’d make sure they didn’t need to worry about going hungry or being the food of some mutant creature. I could give them that much. However, having those thoughts and having a plan were two different things, and I didn’t want to fill their heads with dreams that even I didn’t know how I could complete.

  I shook my head. “We’re getting off-topic here. I’m concerned about the reports. Anyone else?”

  Jeri leaned forward. “My lab is up and running. Under Red’s… insistence, I have taken on two lab assistants from her people. They have steady hands and decent minds. With time, they’ll be an asset. That is if you can keep them from running off once they have the knowledge they want.”

  That was a big concern in the wasteland, and one of the reasons important trade skills weren’t taught more readily. Useful skills from hacking to pharmacological to medicinal were desired by every party, and many people would pay top dollar for someone who was even moderately passable as a tradesman. Other than having a Perco, nothing else made a person nearly as valuable. The result was that there were rather few truly skilled. Most would learn just enough to get by and then they’d run off to make their fortune with whoever paid top dollar.

  As Jeri trained them, their temptation to run off and make money would grow. I tapped my fingers for a second and then nodded to myself.

  “Create a ranking system. As they find themselves able to complete harder tasks, increase their rank, and subsequently their wages. Generously increase their income at every level they get. Make sure they’re aware they will never get better benefits no matter where else they go.”

  “A ranking system…” Jeri responded. “Yes, I suppose that could work. Some time ago, I thought something like that should exist. I’m annoyed my laboratory prowess is often compared to some drug junky doing basic garage chemistry.”

  “Good, we’ll do that. Is there anything else?

  “I’ve continued to produce medicine since you originally put me to work. As you requested, some of my time is wasted producing drugs for the Dragon’s Claw.” She made a face at that. “However, I have a few batches of Regen X. I’ve also noticed that you seem to use it recklessly, so I made Healing Balm as well. It will increase healing at a more localized level. It can alleviate muscle soreness, but nothing deeper than that. We also have a steady supply of RadZ and Rad-B-Gone. Are you sure you don’t wish to sell any of it?”

  I shook my head. “We need all of the medicine we can. Yes, I know… the drugs. The Dragon’s Claw will be taking drugs either way. I’d rather that get them from a safe source and use them safely rather than buy them from a third party, trading away our supplies and possibly even introducing us to danger.”

  People who didn’t have their drug addictions met could be a liability. It was better to be their provider than to be their obstacle. After all, I wasn’t running a charity here. This was all just business.