The Gaming Outpost

The metropolis of Vin Neisumull sits at the juncture of the Granita River and the Yarsi Ocean. The Granita is passable along one or the other of its numerous branches up to eight hundred miles into the heartland of the biggest grain-producing plains, ore-producing stony hills, and trade net producing large lakes in the world, in this universe. In order not to make money in Vin Neisumull, you have to be trying hard to fail.

So, when Scott Cooper, arrived in that universe via way of scriff versing, he made his way downriver, only stopping to get local clothes and change some rubies to local currency. Once, in town, he looked about, and approved the energy and lively nightlife, and so went down to the nearest real estate office he could find. Once he got a young woman’s attention, he made it clear he was a serious client, and had some high standards he wanted met.

J’inanan of House Torkret too him around to a dozen places, and he agreed on the fourth. Not being a jerk, he did not invite her out to a drink, but did ask her for some advice on where to buy some items.

The first thing he did was go by the local wolfhouse, where barely domesticated wolves stood in for the dogs in other universes. In this reality, no one had discovered the almost infinite variability of the Dog Kind, of a creature whose genetics included fox, coyote, wolf, Great Dane, and Chihuahua. But after meeting a young mother, he talked to her, and to the surprise of the attendant, the mother gave him three of her children without fuss. It was almost like the stranger could communicate with the wolf mother, the attendant thought, but then dismissed the thought as ridiculous. Still, he found it hard to concentrate on his magazine for the rest of his shift as he remembered the way the three pups had obediently trailed after the man without need of cage, or muzzle.

Being cautious, the man bought a shotgun, and a pistol from a local gun store, and put down the money for the gun license, which cost more than the weapons themselves. Being even more cautious, he unpacked his other weapons, and did not mention them to the local authorities. Now he had an alibi if he had to use his outword weapons to kill someone.

The floor joist people came the next day, and began installing I-beams in the floor, and some in the ceiling. When the neighbor below him, came along with several other neighbors, he offered them fresh-baked cookies, and a free week’s stay at the local resort in town. That plus his goofy smile, got him past that hurdle.

He also talked to the man behind him, an artist, and offered him a larger studio if the man would discreetly sell his lease to Scott. The artist was amenable, and so Scott had people knock out the walls and double the size of the already spacious fifth floor apartment.

The apartment was now invisibly walled in, and semi-illegally huge.

Floor specialist brought in a very hard wood, tan, that looked much like oak, but was far harder because plastic had been injected into it. White drywalls went up, and the space seemed sterile, but peaceful.

An internal designer came by, and made some changes of shapes so that not each room was the same shape as the other, and added a couple low walls with railings the same color as the floor. Now, it looked light and airy.

Meanwhile, Scott had been going through the local art galleries, aided by his new artist friend. He picked out a dozen pieces based mainly on what he liked. Rugs and couches, chairs and tables came next. A drafting table went up in a corner of the sunroom, and a special made kickbag went up in the corner of the great hall.

The bedroom was done in olive and forest green against white. The kitchen was sunshine yellow and yellow clay brown against white. The great room was just white with touches of black like the fireplace.

Scott hired an emergency evac team to put in a spiral chute that he could glide down in an emergency to the ground. He also had them put in one for the family below him who had a very cute little girl, four years old, and one for the family across and above him who had two rowdy little boys and one quiet little girl. Scott had a soft spot for kids, and he knew if there was a fire he would have to rescue them so it would make his rescue glideway useless unless he got them one too. It also had the side effects of getting the rest of the residents to get theirs, and making Scott well-beloved in the apartment building which he knew he might find useful later.

Three weeks after he arrived, he had a magician come in to cast protections about the place. While most of the folk in this universe did not believe in magic, Scott knew there was just enough to do some serious damage in the hands of an ill-minded practitioner.

That done, he bowed and gave thanks for finding a place of refuge in the nigh-infinite mulitiverse, and he began to make calls advertising his services as a bodyguard. After all, he might be versed out at any time, and he might have to have the funds to do this all over again in another timeline.

And now, he finally got to use his apartment. He dressed in his gi and trousers, and began taking practice kicks at the bag. Soon, he was wheeling in the air, and hitting the bag for over a thousand pounds of force per square inch.

Then he turned on his cybernetics, and really let fly. The bag finally moved a bit, but the I-beam holding it in the ceiling moved not at all.

Shortly thereafter the doorbell rang. It was Mrs. Lantley.

“Uh, Scott, uh, I really hate to bother you, but you’re making a lot of noise.”

Scott slapped his forehead. He had forgotten to order sound-muffling pads in the walls of the great room. If it was not one thing, it was another.

“Ah, Mrs. Lantley, I was planning on having a party, housewarming, and making some more noise…”

“Ah.” She said regrettfully not willing to block him from this, but not happy either.

“I wonder if you could come?”

So late that night, the neighbours, the real estate girl and several of her friends from the office, a bunch of artists, and some deceptively polite and very beefy men in business suits all sat and talked and met people who lived in the same city, but a whole different world. Scott thought it an excellent party. He hoped it would be the first of many.

The next day, the sound dampeners were installed in the walls. And a few bodyguards who had been to the party as guests were wondering why Scott had a three thousand pound kicking bag, but no one asked him why which is just as well as Scott did not lie that convincingly. But he did have a wheel kick that could flip a small car on its side.