“Move outside! Make way! Keep moving! No questions, just move out!” The guard announced over and over again as Sam, Jen, Slim, Tamako, and other travelers moved from the receiving teleportation pad in the The Shop, to out the door, and into Domino Hill.

As Jen, Sam, Tamako, and Slim left the shop, Jen messaged, “Let’s push through the crowd and get to the side of the street and make some space. I want to listen in to the sound waves and gossip around her for a few minutes before we move out.”

Sam replied, “Sounds good boss…wait, look how long The Shop line is. We’ll look more natural if we wait in the line while you eavesdrop. Plus look at all the guards making sure no one in the line starts any trouble.

Jen nodded, and said, “Agreed, let’s go there.”

On their way to the end of the line, Slim messaged all of them as he headed the other direction towards a side street, “I must go and inspect my City, and graciously accept the gifts of my subjects.”

Jen rolled her eyes, and messaged him as he ran off, “Take care, don’t be a stranger.”

*****

The guard marking the location at the end of The Shop line said to them and the other recent additions to the line, with a monotone bored voice, “From this point the wait is about three hours. The System has marked everything in the shop above its normal prices by 150%. Teleportation out of the City is marked up by 300% until after the Oracle Quest is over. Jen started to ask the guard a question, when she noticed the guard hold up a finger for silence, then the guard droned on, “The line is long because even though The Shop is only paying 90% of its’ normal fees for merchandise, the local shops and merchants are no longer buying common merchandise or loot items. Additionally, many of our wealthy citizens and guests that are using The Shop’s teleportation are required to wait in the line like everyone else. Furthermore, there are many newcomers in the line that are waiting to purchase the Oracle Quest from The Shop. Last, No! I can’t help you find a place to stay for the night. Go out the South gate and rent a spot on the Cities’ Camping Decks or Deck Towers.” After the guard finished the long explanation, he simply glared at everyone daring them to ask a question.

Jen chuckled to herself as she thought of all the security guards she’d seen give that same look. She simply nodded, and replied, “Thanks,” sensing the guard was the type that would take pleasure in refusing to answer any additional questions. Jen then looped her arm through Sam’s to keep her orientated. Unlike Earth, The Seven Decks didn’t give a damn whether you were male or female, or about your sexual orientation, but Jen looped her arm through Sam’s, to keep her physically orientated, instead of Tamako’s, because Tamako was the best fighter and she needed her arms free if anything were to happen.

Jen shut down her meditation and other multi-focuses that she was running in order to direct all her mana into her psych skill. The only multi-focus she kept running was her mana filter and cleaning. Sam and Jen were aware that their filtering both decreased the potential power behind their mana and the speed in which they were able to absorb mana. Even so, they decided to continue this method of filtering after watching the growth in Tamako skills after she began filtering her mana. Jen and Sam theorized the purity of their mana is what continued to promote the growth in their mana-powered abilities. Of course, the problem they faced even with continuing to open new mana channels, was having enough of their “weaker”, but purer mana to support all of their abilities. Unfortunately, using her AI to help interface with her psych skill, drained even more mana out of her mana pool, but her AI allowed her to process exponentially more data gathered by her psych skill. The power management of her skills and mana was driving her crazy.

Within a few moments Jen expanded her senses out to almost 100 yards. Within this area she was able to eavesdrop on conversations, identify any active enchantments or wards, and get the general sense of the emotions of those around her. Within the zone of her psych influence, she was basically like a cell phone tower. She didn’t explain all the boring stuff to Tamako or Sam, but the soundwave devices people used like the cell phones back on Earth, were actually sending signals similar to radio waves that travelled at the speed of light and originated from all over the city. However, people’s voices still only travelled using actual soundwaves, and those diminished drastically with distance. Prior to using her AI, she was only able to pick and choose the soundwave conversations she intercepted. She would listen for a few seconds to see if there was anything interesting, and if not, intercept a different group’s soundwave conversation, and so on. However, with her AI, she could process hundreds of the soundwave conversations simultaneously, while quickly filtering out all the useless ones.

Jen heard a group ahead of them gossiping about Bot Battle City, and she linked Sam and Tamako’s AIs into the conversation.

A chunky short man said, “It’s a relief being in Domino Hill where Lady Domino controls everything with an iron grip. She doesn’t take shit from the guilds, nobles, thieves, or anyone! Bot City is tearing itself apart right now, and their Lord isn’t able to put a stop to it.”

The large flabby man in barbarian gear asked, “What do you mean? I was just in Bot City a couple of months ago, and everything was fine.”

The short man explained, “Well, it’s crazy now! The tracking elves and the Stone Guild are posturing and may start fighting any day. A couple of the Arc Guild officers were looking for the new dungeon entrance and were jumped by some vampires. The Arc Guild is now hunting down and killing every vampire in the City, which rumor has it, is upsetting the City Lord because he had some hidden side deal with the vamps over there. On top of all that, some caravan traders were caught kidnapping some people, which included family members of several of the Bot Battle City legacy guilds, and those guilds are taking some heads and rampaging through the caravans looking for any other slaves. All in all, it’s a shit show right now.”

The Barbarian man commented, “Glad it’s not our problem!”

The short man snorted in frustration, and replied, “Of course it’s our problem! Why do you think Domino Hill is bursting at the seams?” Without waiting for the Barbarian to answer, he said, “Bot City’s wealthy are coming here to stay safe and take vacations, and anyone else in Bot City is trying to scrape enough money to teleport or catch a caravan here to get some work during the Quest. The property manager out at Deck towers told me they are going to be out of rooms by tonight or tomorrow for sure, and Lady Domino isn’t going to allow migration into the City once the housing is maxed out. Anyone else that arrives will be forced to camp on the outskirts past the City’s safety.”

Jen brought in her psych skill to a range that was easy for her to manage, and said, “We need to go now and get a room in the Deck Towers.”

As Sam and Tamako started following Jen toward the South Gate, Sam asked, “O.K., but since we were already waiting in the line, why didn’t we wait to turn in the Eight-Ball bounty, before getting a room?”

Jen started walking faster, and explained, “I intercepted a lot of conversations, and from what I gathered, the City is probably going to be out of rooms in the next hour or two. Let’s activate our forgetmenot charms and get moving.”

*****

Tamako reclined on the bed in the efficiency apartment, which consisted of one bed, a couch, and nothing else, and said, “By the Seven Decks that was a lot of paperwork!”

Sam nodded, and replied, “Just glad the Boss took care of most of it.”

Jen flopped down on the bed next to Tamako, and sighed, “We cut it close, even getting this place.”

Sam sat on the couch, closed his eyes, and grumbled, “This Lady Domino sure as hell wants to track everything anyone does. It’s like Nazi Germany where you have to carry papers everywhere.”

Tamako knew it was an Earth reference, and asked, “What’s Nazi Germany?”

Jen replied, “It was a socialist fascist country that controlled everything its citizens did and killed anyone that got out of line. This Lady Domino is kind of similar, but different. From what I’ve learned everyone is treated equally under the law. Noble, guild-leader, farmer… break the law, and Lady Domino’s forces will track you down and punish you.”

Tamako replied, “It appears that Lady Domino’s favorite punishment for almost every crime is death. This is the safest city I’ve ever visited.”

Sam turned and laid down on the couch getting settled for a nap, and commented, “Yea, that works well for us, but people will still remember what they see and learn in this City when we run into them in other cities. Anyway, bedtime for me! Tomorrow I’ll get a shower pan, curtain, and seat to set up a private bathroom in the corner. I’m too old to be sharing outhouse facilities with hundreds of people.”

*****

“Good afternoon, I’m Sam, and I would like to submit a few items for the auction,” Sam said to the clerk in the auction house. After asking around, Sam found out there was only one auction house in the city, and Lady Domino controlled it. She didn’t run it, but she did control it. Sam found it interesting how she allowed free enterprise by preventing any group from manipulating the market to create monopolies. It was said that Domino Hill was the richest city in the Second Deck even though Lady Domino had the lowest tax rates.

The clerk was a studious employ of the city, and like all the well-paid city employees, he took his job seriously. Even so, he appreciated it when people were civil when asking questions. The slender man replied, “Hello Mr. Sam, my name is Card. To submit items for auctions, you can enter the trading hall on your left and list your items with any of the licensed merchants. Alternatively, you can fill out the paperwork and obtain a merchant's license for listing your items and those of others. It usually takes three to four weeks to get registered and licensed. If you would like to know more about licensing, I can schedule you an appointment with ShellBall in the licensing department.” Card laughed good naturedly as he noticed Sam’s eyes widen in terror after hearing about the registration and licensing department, then said, “I guess getting licensed doesn’t interest you.”

“No, not at all!” replied Sam with a chuckle of his own, then he asked, “Any recommendations on one of the licensed merchants?”

Card replied, “Sorry Mr. Sam, but City employees are not allowed to comment or recommend any particular licensed merchant over another. Even though Lady Domino will not allow any of them to steal from you, they certainly do not all have the same ability or passion to get you the best deal.”

Sam nodded his head in thought as he asked, “Are any of your licensed merchants, also members of the Merchant Guild?”

“Yes, they actually have a guild-wide license that allows any of their members to represent you. You’ll find their office near the Auction Shop at the end of the trading hall. Good luck!”

Sam was reaching for a few silvers, and replied, “Thanks! Can I give you a tip for being so helpful?”

“Not allowed Mr. Sam, but I appreciate the thought. I can tell you're new to Domino City, but I think you’ll find it a great place to do business and stay, even if it is a little crowded right now. Good luck!”

Sam waived and said, “Thanks Card,” as he headed into the Traders’ Hall to find the Merchants Guild representative.

When Sam walked through the hallway, he looked around thinking about how it reminded him of the conference centers on Earth with all the product representatives everywhere selling items. He was surprised it wasn’t too crowded, but then he noticed the prices on most of the items being sold, as well as the expensive clothing of most of the patrons. Fortunately, it was immediately apparent where the Auction Shop was located at the far end of the hall. There was a teleport center surrounded by at least 50 podiums, almost completely filled with merchants actively doing business. Some of them had some type of haze around the podium and the person using it, so you couldn't see what they were doing. As Sam neared the Auction Shop, he spotted the Merchants Guild logo on a large booth. Their booth even had a small office attached to the backside of it for private meetings.

Sam walked up to the Merchant Guild’s booth and said to a woman that was looking down at a list, “Good afternoon. I’m Sam and a friend of mine in Bot City is with the Merchants Guild, and I thought I would check in here to see if you were interested in selling some goods of mine.”

The greasy-haired woman looked up excited, but then her face turned to a sneer as she noticed the worn travelling clothes and simple armor Sam was wearing, and said, “I’m not taking anymore clients today. Unless you want to spend 2 gold to call your “friend” in Bot City, you’ll need to find someone at another booth to help you.”

Sam wanted to slap the sneer off the face of the woman, but was momentarily stunned to learn that he could somehow call someone in another city, so he gave the woman a “fuck you” smile, placed 2 gold on the counter, and said, “Here, now show me how to call Melvin in Bot City.”

The greasy, bitchy woman flinched when she heard the name “Melvin”. Everyone in the guild had heard the gossip about the ugly man that actually won a quest, and how it rewarded him with stunning good looks. He was supposedly so good-looking, the guild placed him on the gnome trading floor, and he’d been mesmerizing the gnomes, while making a fortune in trades for the guild. She was a low-level guild member stuck taking walk-ups in the trading hall, so she bit back a retort, and swept the 2 gold into her purse, and said in a bitchy bored voice, “Follow me to the podium and we’ll see if Master Melvin will take your call. It would be unwise for anyone to waste his time if they weren’t truly a ‘friend”.

Sam could immediately understand why Lady Domnio would cut off anyone’s arm for starting a fight, because he deeply wanted to drop a log on the woman’s head.

When they arrived at one of the trade podiums, the woman selected several options that Sam had never seen before. She then activated her soundwave and said, “This is ‘bitch’ from Domino Hill, a Mr. Sam claims to be a friend of Master Melvin’s and would like to discuss business. Please connect me with him.”

Sam didn’t actually hear what the name of the woman was, but he was sure it was “bitch”, a few minutes later Sam noticed Bitch’s eyes widen as she turned the podium over to Sam and explained how to connect his soundwave.

Sam linked his soundwave and said, “Hey Melvin, this is Sam. I’m over in Dominio Hill.”

Melvin replied, “Before you say anything else, is our guild representative still next to you?”

“Yes.”

“Thank her for her help, and tell her we’ve got it from here.”

Once the lady turned walking and sulking back to her booth, Sam said, “O.K. she’s gone…”

“Hang on,” interrupted Melvin. “I don’t want to be presumptuous, but if you just spent 2 gold to contact me, I’m guessing it’s about something important. It’ll cost me 50 silver to activate a privacy setting under my merchant account, just give me a minute.”

Sam watched the podium’s “screen” as Melvin selected the option for sound and visual distortion, and then before Melvin had a chance to pay, Sam placed his ring to the podium paying the 50 silver.”

“Damnit Sam! I owe you. You have to let me return your favors somehow,” replied Melvin.

“I’m hoping you can do just that. I have some enchanted items that I want to auction off here in Domino Hill, and I was hoping you could give me a reference.”

“Sam, I want to be careful not to step on any toes. Who were you using to auction items here in Bot City, it might be proper for them to get any referral fee?”

“I don’t think that’s an issue. I was working with Crapshoot. She’s with the Highland Guild, and she was auctioning the items off for us.”

“Wait…working with her? Are you an enchanter as well as a healer?” asked Melvin in confusion.

“I do whatever is needed, but I’ve had some success with enchanting.”

“So… you and Crapshoot were enchanting items together in Bot City and she was auctioning them off for you?”

“Yea, I wanted to stay anonymous, and she agreed to auction the goods for us. What’s wrong with Crapshoot? Do you think she was stealing from me?”

Melvin replied, “The Seven Decks NO, she definitely would not have stolen or cheated you. I suspect she did her very best to get you both the best prices. However, her dumpster fire of a personality probably cost you a lot of gold.”

Sam sighed in relief, having for a second thought he misjudged Crapshoot’s character, then said, “It’s an auction, what does her personality have to do with the final bid price.”

Melvin replied in surprise, “That’s one type of auction, but there are numerous methods of auctioning or selling off goods. Anyway what is The Shop offering to purchase your goods for in Domino Hill?”

“I’m not sure, The Shop line was too long the other day when I arrived, so I didn’t get to check the price.”

Melvin replied, “No problem. You’re in the Trading Hall and I have access to check the Domino Hill Shop Prices for you, if you like?

Sam was thrilled not to have to go wait in The Shop line later, and said, “Absolutely! Let’s do that.”

Melvin explained, “Just place your ring to the podium, and I will be able to price everything out.”

Sam placed his ring to the podium, and Melvin said, “Great, I’ll have it done in…YOU! WHAT! HOW! OH, THE SEVEN DECKS!” and then Melvin just stopped talking all together.

Melvin’s response worried the crap out of Sam, and when he went silent, Sam finally said, “Melvin! What’s wrong!?”

Melvin was expecting to see a few enchanted items worth 50 to 60 gold total. Instead, he saw that Sam owned the largest storage ring he’d ever heard of in the second decks, carried over 75 enchanted items, including weapons, armor, tools, and other strange inventions, and carried a bounty slip for EIGHT BALL! Melvin had to physically focus on calming himself down, and replied, “I’m teleporting to your location. I’ll be there in less than 10 minutes. PROMISE ME SAM, that you won’t go anywhere until I arrive. We need to have a conversation in person!”

“What about the teleportation fee?” asked Sam.

“Please Sam! Not another word until I get there.”

Sam was surprised at Melvin’s response, but agreed, “O.K. See you in a few minutes.”