"...I cannot say I understand, but I will trust that you are more knowledgeable of this particular topic." Ashilynn passes to the large floor-to-ceiling window and opens the door out to her balcony, glancing over her shoulder at Eva again. "Would you like to sit outside?"

Eva smiles. "I'm fine with anywhere comfortable. Sorry if I seemed a bit panicky, but XK-class events aren't anything to mess around with."

"Have you ever experienced anything such as that?" Ashilynn steps outside. It's mid-afternoon at the moment, and there's a pleasant breeze blowing over the balcony, with hills visible beyond. The elven matriarch approaches a wooden chair lined with cushions and takes a seat in it, looking to Eva. "What would such an event entail?"

Eva takes the seat across from Ashilynn. 

"Destruction or hostile, negative transformation of the entire universe. Either of which is in a fashion beyond the corporation's ability to reverse. And yes, I've seen it happen. Once."

"You truly do deal with scales larger than I have ever had to consider." Ashilynn smiles. "I imagine that we are safe for the moment, however."

"Yes, now that everything more complex than a steam engine has been permanently decommissioned. Not a huge issue: matter is cheap." 

Ashilynn peers at Eva curiously. "Perhaps you can explain that to me. I can't imagine how it must be so cheap."

Eva holds out her cupped hands, and a fist-sized gold sphere drops into her palms. 

"I repeat: matter is cheap." 

She grins.

Ashilynn cants her head as she peers at the sphere. "...But, why?" She looks back up at Eva, a curious smile on her lips. "You cannot mean to say that there is no method to it. There is always some process. What can you create? How do you do it? Is it only elements, or can you create more complicated substances?"

"To be frank, I just transported an existing gold sphere I had on hand. A little piece of stage magic for effect. But for some people in the OTC? It really is as simple as that. They can make things just by wishing them into existence."

Eva sets the sphere down with a heavy thunk. "As for how that works, I don't know: they come from worlds with much different physics than yours or mine." 

Ashilynn nods. "Then...is it simply that you have so much of it that it does not matter to lose some comparatively small amount such as that?"

"Yes. Practically anything physical is replaceable by the OTC with enough effort: that's why we trade using rather more abstract currencies." 

"I see." Ashilynn smiles, leaning forward. "What sorts of currencies do you use on an interuniversal level, then?"

"We have more than a few. Takkarash, Ka, Udi, Dyne, Buddhitanka, Izikiel, Chron, Cernnous, and of course our own Oifilei Trade Currency. The first seven incarnate pain, lifespan, desires, fatigue, knowledge, victories, and vital time: the last two are special cases." 

"Then I suppose it is...somewhat more abstract? Or..." Ashilynn trails off, then briskly shakes her head. "No, you must have mechanisms by which you make it tangible."

"Why yes. I'm actually wearing one right now." 

She tugs at her collar, and pulls out a fine black chain, studded with tiny blossoms and stubby thorns. 

"This is a Takkarash minting kit: it inflicts pain on the user, and generates physical Takkarash coins in the process. Would you like to try it?"

"...Perhaps one other than pain?" Ashilynn gives another smile, though there is seemingly a more weary quality to it now.

"Which would you prefer?"

"Desires or knowledge, perhaps."

"What desire or knowledge would you like to offer up?"

"Can you explain how this process works before I select this?"

"Basically, you pay for the coin with the desire, knowledge, etc. Not all are worth the same, of course. If you want a gentle one, Dyne is probably the nicest coin for beginners. We could mint a tenth of a Dyne, and you'd feel it, but it wouldn't make you exhausted."

"What is the conversion rate, if I may ask?"

"Between what and what? I can't very well give you the entire table of conversions off the top of my head."

"For Dyne."