“Hey, what are you so willy-nilly keeping yourself silent? Are you not enjoying this food I chose?” Ellie mumbles as she munches on roll of dough filled with meat, cabbage, and some sauce.
“Ah? No. No. I like this thing called Kebab. I never had something like this before.” William replies to a seated Ellie before him. She forced him into a packed restaurant in the Central District called Peace Kebab. To William's satisfaction, it has an outside seating area, where they are sitting at the moment.
“It is cheap, for only 2 credits, while this can be cut in half, and eaten for two meals. 1 credit each.”
“I still don't get the whole thing about credits, but it sounds strange to value food with money. It is a basic human need,” he argues.
“I know. I grew up in this, so it is normal for me. Take this kebab, for example.” Ellie shows the 10 inches longs stick as proof.
“Everything in this is farmed within the Federation. We butchered meat on farms and process the wheat into flour. Then the floor is processed into thin round circles to wrap around the whole package. Everything inside is work put into the economy, so it makes sense to give some credits back for this. It is a basic principle of the nation.” Ellie asserts through the sheer willingness to explain it as dumb as possible.
Her reasoning is simple. The farms and agricultural fields are not located on this island, but in other parts, further outside of the Central Island.
“I see... It is like the past, isn't it? We, as humans, used money like this prior to the Dark Age.”
“Yes. They worked and still work. It makes people work, while the government can get an idea about what people need, and act upon their needs.”
“That really sounds way too complicated for me... How about some simple explanation of credits? I remember you showed to me the Exhibition about past economics. Although that was so boring. I don't remember much from that.” William asks while taking another deep bite at the kebab stick, that is arm's wide.
“I feel like I am lecturing you even after getting out of the Library... Ah.. whatever.” She sights to herself but still chose to comply since she got to this position of her own factors. She doesn't want to state her try to get to know William better.
“Credits. They are basic rewards for any kind of work on a weekly basis, or monthly basis depending on the work or job. Credits are part of the military, library, or any sort of company within the Federation. Because of them, the companies and people are making sense out of their own businesses and goods.”
“How many credits are usually within those jobs?” William asks while keeping munching on the meal.
“Hmmm... I don't know the full numbers, but it should be from 20 to 50 credits for factory workers and farmers. The Enginist, Machinists, professors, teachers, and so on, have higher salaries because of the requirement of the job. It could be around 60 to up to 200 credits, but I could be mistaken.”
“All for a week?”
“I suppose. It is not some general knowledge. It is some details I know from the work department, and job offers I see from time to time.”
“I see. What about your salary?” William asks in naked curiosity.
“You... You are quite blatant with this question. Some people would take offense to this, but not me. Hmph. I make about 100 credits a week!” Ellie says while puffing her chest in importance.
“Is that a lot?”
“It is!”
“I have no idea how one would use this money...”
“Just the rent of my flat is 50 credits for the Federation! So I am going with the remaining 50, a week.” Ellie explains with a serious tone since it involves her prideful accomplishment while still 17 years old.
She already lives alone, since she can afford it.
“I guess that sounds impressive. I never thought the credits are used everywhere, but it sounds simple when you explain it like that. One has to take care of their own credits, so they would not starve while working, and not taking care of everything, because they could buy the basic needs... Hmmm. Sounds not that bad.” William blurts out the explaining blurb for himself.
“That is a source of Capitalism while remaining a steady flow of limited credits. The Federation makes it work, and that is all that matters.” Ellie says while forcing her way through the ending half of the kebab stick.
Sause drips from her mouth, as the juices from the meat make quite a mess on her face.
“You are dirty.” William chuckles as he offers her a handkerchief provided by the shop.
A bit embarrassed, she took it without hesitation and make herself clean, while reminding herself of her inner manners. It has been a while since she ate with someone.
“It is not so bad... spending time with someone interested in talking to each other.” She thought to herself, as she calms down.
After finishing halfway through her meal, Ellie keeps the other half for a morning snack. William is still a bit off from finishing the entire meal since his hungry stomach has to be refilled after the whole day. He plans to eat it all.
“That was blissful.” William cheers, as he cleans his own face as well after demolishing the whole 2 credit meal.
This is quite a messy meal to his standards, but very flavourful and satisfying. Ellie explained to him what a kebab is as they left the library. There is thick a lump of chicken meat, cut to thin slices while undergoing an ordeal called marinade beforehand. A flavourful culinary term that adds flavor to the meal for a couple of hours in a sauce.
This one marinade, in particular, is from milk and a mixture of many spices that are farmed in this region.
A little spicy, flavourful, and tender, this meal is a delicacy that William finds quite impressive. He even paid for Ellie's meal after her protest. She gave up with a flustered expression, what William assumes to be an action to make him pay.
He has less than 80 credits for the 6 weeks, so he should be sporadic. Although the biggest issue with the roof over his head is gone, the meals could be expensive if one is eating often. In this case, William is used to not eating very often since working Outside. Although that caused him to be thinner-looking than one would guess.
Still, he has built some muscles through his work on farms, taking care of animals, and so on. He is not too shabby in any regard, but at the same time, it is a hard cry from the situation of the military men. Those guys are built differently from an Outsider. They are machines to kill, protect, and follow their convictions with orders.
“What do you want now?” Ellie asks with satisfaction on her face after eating her fill.
“I don't know... You tell me what is important to know within the Federation.”
“Important... Hmmm. I suppose I can show you that! It is nighttime after all already.” Ellie decides on something while keeping him in the mist about her idea. She grabs his hand and drags him into the distant South-north neighborhood.
William follows in a helpless manner while questioning her idea while being dragged by her. He did not get it, this clueless brat.
All of sudden, as they reach the end of the long stride of buildings, a new view opens up. One which is not obscured by the buildings. A distant moon, already hanging beneath the watery horizon. A sandy beach, with no buildings around.
“This is the beach.”
“I know what this is called like. Canada has some lakes with them, but nothing like this, the sand, and everything... How pretty.” William assumes that his definition of the beach is not as correct as he guessed.
It is that he has never seen a proper beach before. An oceanic view, with a sky of stars everywhere he glances.
“Yes. This is quite a pretty place at night. A breeze of the ocean, while the night is quite calm today.” Ellie agrees with him and pushes him further to the sandy parts of the beach.
“This is one of the few beaches here. You can rest here, swim in the ocean, or anything.”
“For fun, I assume?”
“Of course. There is no work here, you know...” Ellie says in disapproval of his question.
William takes off his shoes and approaches the sight in front of him. Walking to the front, the minuscule sand, which feels not comforting, nor unpleasant, surrounds his feet.
Soon enough, a small wave of the ocean waves the sand around his feet away as he approaches the ocean.
His mind is a total blank for a couple of moments. He cherishes this moment for as long as he deems it worth it.
Only a couple of waves feel enough, but a figure appears on the right side of him. Ellie took her shoes as well and approaches the small tide of waves as well.
“This is fine, is it not?” she asks while quenching her right fist in unknown thoughts. She wants to say or do something, but she is not accustomed to this at all.
“I guess it is too early for me. He is equally clueless as me... but... I don't know...” she scowls inside, as her current situation is once again her own fault.
“I like this. I feel this is one of a kind place...”
“I guess... there are some places out there that are still left untouched. Some islands, untouched by people before the Dark age, should have been left with no damage. There could be some, which could even become the same paradise as the Federation.”
“Places of safety... I read about them today...”
“Yea, you have been alone on the 6th floor. I could not guide you at all, while Sir Kaufman kept you for himself. Had he...”
“... he did nothing to me if you ask that. He even gave me this card back.” William continues with her sentence and shows a card in the sky.
“This is my ticket to a beginning. I don't know what sort of life I will have, but I can only start from here, don't you think?” William asks, not knowing even why. It felt right... to decide in this place.
“You are a Walker. They can decide that themselves.” Ellie replies while keeping the remaining words in her throat. His world will be different from hers, but she could accompany him, or even watch from a distance if she is brave enough. At least that is what she thinks is right.
She has not told him anything that night.
Spending a few moments in the starry and calm breeze of the ocean is all it takes to restore some of the mental drains on William. He feels relaxed after this experience. Even though, he could get some sleep right now.
Ellie is not ready to share any of her feelings. Whatever they are, she waits for more time to pass. They part away, with a waving figure of Ellie, that disappears into the city's streets. William is thankful for her help, and the whole premise of her lectures is impactful for his beginning. He couldn't even imagine what it would be like if he did not have Ellie by his side.
Signing in acceptance of fate, he walks to Luke's home, where a new person is awaiting him.