“Did you know they have something called an arcade here?” Tsukiko looked at James as she got out of bed. She stretched her body out, the nodes along her back glinting in the low light.

“If you recall, I was rather busy,” James said jokingly.

“Yes, you explained that to me at least twenty times,” Tsukiko answered. “But if you want to mask your ignorance behind a facade be my guest.”

“Gotta show you my best self at all times,” James said as he stood from the bed.

“Too late for that,” Tsukiko replied. “Seriously, though. Did you know about this arcade thing?”

“No, what is it?” James asked.

“Games of chance and skill, apparently,” Tsukiko said. “Honestly it just sounds like a fancy word for casino.”

“Sounds boring,” James said.

“They certainly tried to make it interesting,” Tsukiko said. “There were a lot of lights and upbeat sounds. It was like those clubs in that show White Maiden. None of the dancing though.”

James remembered that show and the subsequent dancing craze that followed in Tower Ten. For a while the shopkeepers at the market district had tried placing various colored glass over their store lights. The craze had died down after the next show came, however.

“You want to check it out?” James asked. “Nadia won’t be back for another three weeks or so.”

“Perhaps,” Tsukiko said.

That was as good as a yes for James. He sashayed over to his love and spun her around in his arms. “We’ll win every game in that arcade and make everyone inside jealous.”

Tsukiko glared. “You do that and I’m making you sleep outside.”

James laughed. “Very well. We’ll only win one game.”

“Mmhmm,” Tsukiko said, unbelieving.

After a quick shower and change James was ready to go. Tsukiko entered the shower afterward. As the water ran, James idly flicked through his handheld. The device had a number of applications, from storing his credits to messaging others. He wished he could at least message Nadia, but the technology that let him message inside the megacity only worked on the functional floors.

The handheld buzzed as a message notification appeared. It was Garret, surprisingly. James hadn’t expected the lanky man to message after the whole gang debacle. Though that was mostly because James didn’t expect anyone but Nadia to talk to him. People in this city weren’t nearly as amicable as those in Tower Ten.

Listen, are you still able to help me with the whole selling XP chips thing? The message said.

James messaged back a yes.

Great! So like you said, a new gang moved in. I remembered the talk we had about selling through the gang and that you’d be some protection. Do you have time to meet?

James made a face.

“What’s wrong?” Tsukiko asked. “You’re making that conflicted face again.”

James looked over. “I told you about Garret, right?”

“Lanky guy, constantly scared out of his mind? Yeah I remember.”

“Hey now, I wasn’t that harsh,” James said.

“What about him?” Tsukiko asked.

“Well, I offered to help be a middleman between him and the gang, help keep things civil while he gives them an offer and protect him if things get sour.”

“Mediator is the word you’re looking for,” Tsukiko said.

“Wait then what’s a middleman?” James asked.

“A go-between that deals between a mechanic and like the store owner,” Tsukiko said.

“That sounds suspiciously like a mediator,” James said.

“There’s a subtle difference. I don’t expect you to understand,” Tsukiko said with mock arrogance.

“Hey now, I’m a bigshot cultivator,” James laughed. “You can’t talk down to me like that.”

She chuckled. “So you’re going to be a mediator for this guy and a gang? Why?”

“Why not?” James answered back.

Tsukiko rolled her eyes. “You don’t spontaneously help people. I know you. You make friends, get close, and only after years of building trust do you start offering help for free.”

“I’m turning over a new leaf,” James said.

“Uh-huh.” Tsukiko gave him a look.

James relented. “Alright, I helped him because I remembered what it was like having to tiptoe around the gangs back at the tower and wanted to help out.”

Tsukiko waited, her arms crossed.

James explained Garret’s XP chips and his entrepreneurial spirit. “He reminded me of me when I was starting out. And then I guess I offered to help him because he looked like he would collapse if there wasn’t someone looking out for him.”

“And now it’s cutting into our date time,” Tsukiko said.

“Yeah…” James said. “Want me to say no?”

“Did you already say yes?” Tsukiko asked pointedly.

“You got me,” James answered. “But this isn’t the first time I’ve backed out of a deal.”

Tsukiko walked to the door, slipping her shoes on. “No, let’s meet this Garret.”

“Wait, together?” James stood to follow. “No way. You have no clue how dangerous—“

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

“And you are, in fact, terrible at business,” Tsukiko said. “Great at saving, and seeing opportunity, sure, but terrible at business.”

She held the door open for him. “Mostly because your risk assessment is terrible.”

“Must be why I’m dating you,” James joked.

“And I must be dating you because I have a thing for fools,” Tsukiko said.

James walked out, letting Tsukiko close the door. “It’s because I’m an attractive fool that you’re dating me.”

“Think what you want,” Tsukiko said, but James saw her slight smile.

The two made their way out of the Archimedes branch building and toward the lot where Nadia had left her vehicle. She had keyed the vehicle to open for James before she left, and made sure he knew how to operate it.

“If you ever require a quick getaway,” she had said. “Or if you would like to tour the city. Public transportation is available floor to floor, but quality varies.”

The chrome doors opened and both passengers entered. James placed his handheld on the dock inside and entered the coordinates. From there it was a matter of waiting, which James was never good at. His leg bounced as they traveled across the city toward the grand elevator.

“I still can’t believe how big this place is,” Tsukiko said, looking down at the myriad of buildings.

“No kidding,” James said. “You know, I never did get a good look at the outside. Wasn’t exactly conscious when I came in.”

“It was like someone grabbed as many buildings as they could and squeezed them together,” Tsukiko said. “And it kept getting bigger as I approached. When one building ended another was right there to take its place.”

“Nadia said the floors weren’t planned,” James added. “That people just kept building until each area was separate.”

“Makes sense,” Tsukiko said. She pointed to a cluster of gray concrete in the distance. “No builder in the world would want to create a monstrosity like that.”

James agreed.

“The craziest thing, though,” Tsukiko said, “wasn’t the megacity.”

“No?” James asked.

“It was the jungle outside of it,” Tsukiko said. “I couldn’t see the bottom. It was just treetop after treetop. I never thought plants could get so large.”

Nadia’s flying vehicle pulled into an elevator cube, cutting off the world for a short while as they traveled down the floors. James sat in comfortable silence with Tsukiko, wondering how large the trees had to be to amaze his girlfriend.

—

Garret met them in the same pub James had saved the man in. He was already waiting at a table, a plate of fried potato wedges dredged in fake cheese sauce in front of him. A portion of the wedges were already gone, sucked into the man’s skinny frame.

He looked a bit better than before, James thought. Probably because there weren’t thugs beating the life out of him. His clothes seemed better as well, less torn scraps and more baggy bunches of cloth. James waved once Garret looked up.

“You made it!” Garret said excitedly. “Wasn’t sure you would show.”

He saw Tsukiko. “Who’s this?”

“Tsukiko,” she answered. “I’ll be James’s business partner in this venture.”

“Oh wow you’re going all out,” Garret said. “You thinking of making this more than a side gig? I mean, I figured you wanted it to be a side gig considering you were learning cultivation and whatnot.”

Garret shoveled some potatoes into his mouth, chewing faster than was healthy. He swallowed. “Right, you guys want anything? I don’t mind paying.”

“I’m alright, thank you,” Tsukiko said with her best customer service voice. James almost winced. He could tell Tsukiko did not like Garret.

James tried to move the conversation along. “You said a new gang moved in?”

“Yeah,” Garret said between potatoes. “They call themselves the Coiled Cranes. Word on the street is they’ll deal anything as long as it makes money. Should be good for us then, yeah?”

“Depends,” James said. “You know where their boss is?”

“No, but that shouldn’t matter right?” Garret asked.

“Better to deal with the one in charge,” Tsukiko said. “If you go to a grunt they might try and steal your business. Or worse.”

Garret choked on a fry. “What?”

“A gang’s leadership runs on a variety of things,” Tsukiko explained. “Sometimes its honor, other times strength, but its all lawless. If they get a chance to get ahead of you they’ll take it.”

“It’s why you build up your own team,” James said. “Work together with others. Back at the tower all the couriers had an agreement. If a gang got one of ours we wouldn’t run for them anymore.”

“Wouldn’t they just use their guys then?” Garret asked.

“We were neutral,” James said. “If a ganger ferried something they’d probably have to fight half the tower to keep their goods.”

“But this isn’t the tower,” Garret said. “No way things work the same here.”

James shrugged. “Maybe not, but the people here don’t seem all that different from the ones back home. Maybe a bit pettier.”

“That’s because you never dealt with the agriscientists,” Tsukiko said. “Trust me, they can be plenty petty.”

“So we talk to the boss as a united front,” Garret said. “Then what?”

“Make them a deal,” James said.

Tsukiko rolled her eyes. “It’s more complicated then that.”

“That’s what it boils down to,” James said.

“Problem is I don’t know where the boss is,” Garret said.

“You know people on the streets here?” James asked.

“Not really,” Garret said. He looked uncomfortable again.

“Oh, just spit it out,” Tsukiko said.

“Hey,” James warned.

“What? I’m not about to beat around the bush,” Tsukiko said. “Everything he’s done screams this is his first time out on the streets.”

“We don’t need to know his story though,” James said.

Tsukiko waved a hand dismissively. “Maybe not, but all he has to do is say something vague instead of hesitating between telling us or not.” She looked over to Garret. “So, you haven’t been selling long and have no clue how things work. Are you going to tell us why or not?”

“Do I have to?” Garret asked.

“No,” James answered. “Tsukiko just wants you to admit that you’re new at this so we can work things out.”

Tsukiko nodded.

“Then I’d rather not talk about what happened,” Garret said. “But yes, I’m new at this.”

“Okay, glad we cleared the air,” Tsukiko said. “Now, continuing business. We have to find the boss if we want an in selling. You said the Coiled Cranes sell just about anything. Do they do anything else?”

“Um…” Garret trailed.

Tsukiko counted on her fingers. “Do they hold underground fights? Do they own casinos? Do they take bets on sports?”

“Oh, they own a few arcades,” Garret said. “Is that good?”

“It’s a start,” James asked. “Which arcades?”

Garret opened his handheld and messaged James the coordinates.

“Which of these is the biggest?” Tsukiko asked.

“The one in the gemstone district,” Garret answered. “Lots of workers coming off shifts go there for drinks and stuff.”

“Safe to say they own the entire area then,” James said. “That’s good. We can work with that.”

“We certainly can,” Tsukiko said. “Let’s go.”

“Hold on, we should make the plan first,” James said.

“Not until we see the area,” Tsukiko said. “Besides, you still owe me a date.”

“Sure, I’m going to bring you to a gang hotspot for a date,” James answered sarcastically. “Best boyfriend ever, that’s me.”

“Glad you agree,” Tsukiko said. She stood.

“You’re trying to get back at me for something,” James said as he followed. “You don’t go into danger like this.”

“I’m turning over a new leaf,” the woman said. James missed the playfulness in her voice. He was too concerned over her sudden insistence on entering a gang’s shopping area.

“I knew you were upset about this.” James walked up beside his girlfriend, leaving Garret scrambling to pay before his new companions left the building.

“I’m not upset about this,” Tsukiko said.

“Yes you are,” James said. “You’re upset because you wanted to spend time with me and now we can’t.”

She stopped and placed a finger on his chest. “No, I only wanted to tease you. Don’t worry, I won’t go into that den of scum and villainy.”

“You better not,” James said.

“James,” Tsukiko said matter-of-factly. “When have you ever known me to take a risk?”

James stopped. “Never.”

She patted his cheek. “Right. Don’t worry. I’ll make sure to wait with the car ready for when you junk it up.”

“Oh? Are we betting on that?” James asked.

“If I win, we’re going on a date to the most expensive place you know,” Tsukiko said.

“And if I win I’m going to take you out shopping for all the clothes,” James said with a laugh.

Tsukiko hit him. “Don’t you dare. That amber necklace was already more than enough.”

“Too late, we’ve made the bet,” James said. “No take backs.”

Tsukiko crossed her arms. “Fine. Then I amend my bet. You’ll take me out to the most expensive place you know, and the money you would want to spend on me for the next month has to be spent on yourself.”

“Oh, come on you can’t change the bet,” James argued.

“Why, scared you’ll lose?” Tsukiko asked.

“Oh, it’s on,” James said.

“What’s on?” Garret asked.

Tsukiko jumped and skittered behind James, causing him to laugh. She slapped his back, embarrassed.

“Sorry,” James said. “Couldn’t stop the laugh. It was involuntary I swear.” He looked to Garret. “Come on, Garret, let’s get you some business partners.”

The three walked back to Nadia’s vehicle. A moment after they left another vehicle took to the air, following the trio as they traversed the floor.