"Oh. That makes sense. And—are you okay, living alone? I expect you're living alone?"

Nod. "Yeah. Lots better."

"I prefer living with people. I like being around people, I'm a very... very people person."

Nod.

"I have, the hearing, have to be very far away to sound alone."

"Oh, yikes, yeah, that makes sense. You been sleeping alright?"

"Mmhmm. Used to it."

He nods. "Orientation has a... special course for people who are, um, adversely affected, mentally, by the echoing process. Like, traumatized and such. But they're usually overflowing with people, and other than that I don't know if they'd do anything about you? You seem to be coping fine."

"Mm."

"...useful?"

"You mean you're useful so that's alright or?"

"No - orientation. Sounds like you, want me to go. Dunno why."

"Oh. No, it may not be—I mean, the use of Orientation is that they get you a job, and teach you the things most people from Earth want to learn but wouldn't think to ask, and find you a place to live, and give you an official ID. They're not particularly good at any of those things but they're the only ones who do it."

Nod. "Think I'll, be okay."

"Yeah, I think so, too. You seem to be pretty resourceful."

Nod.

"Do appreciate, food, though. I don't like, needing to steal it."

"Oh you've been stealing it? That's... probably not good, I should figure out a way to get you more food more often."

She nods. "Back in, New York... there was enough, safe stuff in dumpsters, I almost never, needed to steal. Here, there's, much less."

"Yeah, a lot of our resources come from... well, echoed stuff. We don't have an ocean, for instance. There's farms and stuff in the Outlands but it all starts on Earth."

She nods.

"Wonder if I can... figure out, a way to work."

"With your hearing... you probably could, actually, find something. Maybe even something that lets you telecommute, even though you wouldn't be technically working on a computer or something."

Nod. "Yeah."

"When I, figure out the internet, I'll look."

"Do you have a computer, where you're living? Or—oh, wait I brought you that cracker, right, that should work."

She nods. "And library, wifi. I'll - be okay."

"Ooh libraries, yeah. Not a lot of people go to those; afraid to go out."

"Noticed that. Dunno why, you?"

"Afraid of the Sideways, of Picassos, of buildings going cubist—everyone who can afford it lives in the 'burbs and telecommutes."