You sent me extra! We're doing pretty good. I don't even have to get more work right away like this.

Good. We should be able to send more, too; I told the blues we were keeping in touch with you so we can ask about how to do the robot rollout, we can call it a consulting job.

Sneaky.

A little bit, yeah. Anyway, we don't know what kind of budget we're going to have once we're working, yet, so don't make any long-term plans, but do figure out how much you'll need in order to be comfortable, we'll want to know.

She sends a little chart of wages she could expect to pull at various red jobs.

She sends back a chart with consulting salaries for other castes.

Not that that's what I asked, anyway.

I don't super wanna explain to the social worker why I have new shoes but I guess I wouldn't have to spend it.

Wow. I don't even know what to say to that.

...why?

Why would they even ask that?

In case I stole the money or something.

Shoes aren't that expensive.

I know, but we usually take ones that were thrown out, and it'll be especially fishy if I have a baby and the social worker knows I didn't buy a credit before they were marked up for resale.

I suppose that makes sense. It's still pretty awful, though.

Social workers suck.

Yeah.

It seems like all the reasons Deskyl hates slavery are problems for you, too. I don't know what she's going to do about that but I bet she'll do something.

She hates specific things about it?

Yeah. She wants people to have lives that they like, that suit them; sometimes that just isn't possible, if there aren't enough resources to go around or someone wants or needs something that doesn't exist or whatever, but with slavery, and here, it would be possible, except there are people making it impossible.

They could be nicer but they can't let us just go places and touch stuff.

They could let you buy shoes without giving you trouble about it, though. And make sure you get paid, and let you take time off of work for things like everyone else.

Individual vacation time we can do, we just have to make sure somebody shows up.

I guess that's not as bad as it could be.

It varies. I think Rivik's supposed to be worst.

I'll look them up. Later, not right now.

Tapa seems bad enough, anyway. Even if it's not the worst place.

It's not great anywhere. I think Voans are supposedly happier. In general but including reds. Maybe less now that there's the war.