I flashed a peace sign to the nonplussed Polizei bots on my way out, not bothering to stop and answer their inquiries about the status of the invasive entity. Let those useless programs go find out for themselves.

I headed straight for the nearest MAR station, as fast as I could limp. There I paid my 10 Crypt and boarded the Platinum Line back to the MAR Master Terminal. After waiting my turn, I approached the secondary Task Assignment Board and cashed in my bounty.

[Task Complete: Remove Jiangshi from Elysian Spires Financial District

Assigned to: Volunteer 01001110 01101111 01100010 01101111 01100100 01111001.

Task Completion Award: 2,000 Crypt

Bonus Award: 2,000 Crypt

Would you like to receive payment?]

I eagerly watched as my paltry sum of 60 Crypt inflated to 4,060. Immediately my imagination filled with all the things I could buy. But as I minimized the completed task on the large-paneled bounty board, something caught my attention.

The minotaur bounty, from before. It was listed again. I could have sworn some other Volunteer had snatched it up. What did that mean? I selected the task to open it on the screen.

[Task Assignment: Remove Minotaur from Grand Central Park in Eden West

One {uncommon} Minotaur has been detected in the hedge maze within Grand Central Park in Eden West.

Task Completion Award: 3,000 Crypt

Do you accept this Task?]

It was the exact same task. Did the minotaur respawn? Or had the Volunteer failed the mission? Maybe even died in the process.

Eden West. I wasn’t far. I would have to take the Platinum Line to the Gold Line, a 40 Crypt round trip, plus an eventual 10 Crypt for the Diamond Line back to The Commons. But geographically, whatever that meant in a metaverse, I was not far. Metagraphically?

My leg was injured. My Essence was down, my Energy sucked off by a Chinese vampire. And I only had a single bullet left.

But there was no time limit listed on this task. No bonus for a speedy resolution.

Sure, why not. I’ll accept the task. The only thing better than 4,000 Crypt was 7,000 Crypt.

[Task Assigned - Remove Minotaur from Grand Central Park in Eden West]

A hedge maze.

I stepped away from the bounty board to make room for others. Then I heard a drumming sound from high above. Looking up at the arched, windowed ceilings of this large concourse, I saw pinkish ripples and spatters backdropped by a dark sky.

It was raining. Instinctively I wanted to seek shelter. I knew this rain. Freezing and burning. Flooding and drowning. But as I looked about, nobody else seemed particularly concerned. Citizens stopped in their tracks and sat down on benches or at small tables throughout the hub. Volunteers likewise waited or took seats away from the Citizens, patiently watching the rain beat against the panes far overhead.

A diminutive man with a pencil mustache and trenchcoat, with a throwing knife bandolier around his chest and throwing knife holsters strapped around each thigh, leaned nonchalantly against a nearby wall, checking his nails. Clearly not a Citizen.

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

▶ Excuse me.

He raised an eyebrow and looked in my direction but said nothing, resuming his inspection of his fingernails.

▶ The rain. The Cycle’s about to change, isn’t it? Why isn’t anybody seeking shelter?

Annoyed by my persistence in establishing communication, he straightened up and adjusted his bandolier.

“The Master Terminal is odin of the few places completely shielded from the rain. Gotta keep the trains running on raz, you know.”

▶ Right. Good to know. Thank you.

He started to walk away.

▶ So just wait it out, then? Wait for the rain to clear?

“Do what you like, droogie. You won’t get any benefits of the reset though just hanging about. Need a mesto to crash? Purgatory’s ‘cross the way. 100 Crypt per Cycle if you like.”

The small figure pointed past the Task Assignment Boards, across the long open hall, to a doorway. It was on the opposite side of the concourse as the cubic storage lockers. The door simply had the emblem of halo, and a sign on the wall that read: No Citizens Beyond This Point.

Curious, I crossed over to investigate. The door was firmly shut and locked, but I noticed a sensor subtly recessed in the wall. Scanning my Volunteer ID, I heard a click and I pushed the door open.

Inside, a series of narrow sleeping capsules lined one wall, similar to the ones in the Residential Towers but more compact. I surmised this was a sort of hostel for Volunteers on the go.

To one side was a cramped bar with a couple stools and a small seating area. A tall, hairless person with an exceptionally dark and rich skin tone distributed pre-packaged drinks from behind the bar. On the other side of the tight space were two large vendor panels: one hawking salves and medicaments, the other specializing in ammunition.

“Welcome to Purgatory.”

It was the bartender, speaking with a neutral but deep timbre in an untraceable accent.

“Drink. Rest. Basic items.”

▶ 100 Crypt per Cycle?

I pointed to the sleep capsules.

“That’s correct. Choose any one that is free.”

Not ideal, but I was a long way from home and needed to restore my Energy and Essence. I nodded to the bartender, or whatever role this person held. First I wanted to see what was available at the ammunition kiosk.

Scrolling through the options on the screen I found individual .32 caliber cartridges for sale at 20 Crypt per bullet. That was expensive! I also found some basic accessories. There were belt slide ammo carriers, ammo pouches, ammo belts, and a variety of holsters. I didn’t currently have a belt to attach a belt slide carrier onto, so I wasn’t interested in that particular option.

[Accessory: Revolver Ammunition Pouch

Cost: 500 Crypt

Frequency: Basic

Details: Snap top canvas pouch. Holds up to six cartridges, loose or attached to a speed load strip. Can be attached to your belt or kept in your pocket. Speed load strip sold separately.

Size: 10 metabytes]

[Accessory: Ammunition Belt

Cost: 800 Crypt

Frequency: Basic

Details: Standard black belt with twelve loops for individually securing cartridges in .22, .38/.357 or .44/.45 caliber.

Size: 10 metabytes]

[Accessory: Ambidextrous Revolver Shoulder Holster with Pouch

Cost: 1000 Crypt

Frequency: Basic

Details: A cross harness vertical shoulder holster with speed-loader pouch. Good for concealing a small or medium sized revolver. Adjustable for right-handed or left-handed users. Pouch holds up to six cartridges with speed load strip included.

Size: 20 metabytes]

Hmmm. It didn’t look like my 5% discount would apply here. This wasn’t the Armory. Also, the prices were rather high. Maybe they were charging extra because they could. No competition this far from The Commons. Convenience fee. Monopoly. Captive pricing. All that garbage.

I definitely needed to at least replace my four spent cartridges. I also recognized that my snubnosed revolver only held five rounds, while larger ones typically held six.

But all this could wait. I would sleep on it.

I located an empty sleep capsule, scanned my code, and paid the 100 Crypt. Wincing as I put pressure on my injured leg, I crawled inside what was essentially a fluorescent coffin.

And the rain continued to fall.