He shakes his head.

She doesn't question it. "And you've already said you don't know your country of origin. Shall I just put today down for your date of displacement?"

"Yeah."

"Alright. Here's some informational material - basically, the UDF is obligated to provide for your most basic material needs. Food, water, warmth. We are not obligated to give you much beyond that, though we try to do so especially to those who are cooperative and helpful as an incentive, and you can be detained or kicked out if you engage in criminal activity."

"Got it. I'll do my best on the 'cooperative and helpful' front."

"Great! I'll have to hand you off to Kevin now, he'll assign you a tent and a meal line, alright?"

"Sure, thanks!"

Kevin is a lot less cheerful, and a lot less buff than Sabella. He looks sort of - worn down. "Hey... New arrival. I'm Kevin. Well... let's go see the supply office and get your tent."

"All right," he says agreeably.

They go to the supply office. There's a line.

Mr. Everett is given two sets of very plain clothes, one pressed tin cup/bowl combo, half a bar of soap, twenty one meal tickets, a thin pillow, and a cheap cloth-and-wooden-sticks tent.

Kevin shows him to an empty spot about two tents wide, marked off by disturbed dirt. At least it has grass growing, only somewhat anemically. "Well, here you go. You probably want to get to the job office some time tomorrow... And I should probably show you the washup and the meal lines."

"Yeah, sounds good."

He is going to be so helpful and cooperative. These people look like they need it.

Kevin shows him the washup which contains toilets, sinks, and showers in reasonable privacy from each other. Hot water status: An hour a day. There is always a line. The meal line is very efficient and lets you choose between two or three options a day, for example, beans and rice versus seasoned bread with nuts on the side.

"You could go to the job office now if you like. I'm headed back that way."

...

There's no magic here. No sign of anyone having prayed for anything. It wouldn't take many prayers to improve this place considerably.

He'd better not bring it up until he knows more.

"Thanks, I'd like that. Might as well get started as soon as possible."

"Okay."

Kevin is just kind of boring, probably. Quiet and subdued.

...This guy in the job office is not quiet and subdued.

"No, I want to hear you say it! You will be the best damn woodcutter in your entire section."

"I... Sure."

"Say it, say it! Get excited. You're strong, you've got a good swing, and you know how to split logs without making splinters. Wood is handy, people need it! Take pride even in little things."

"I guess..."

"Saaaaaay iiiiiit!"

"I'm- I'm going to be the best woodcutter in my section."

"Great! Now, take this form to the office on your right. They'll introduce you to the schedules and everything else and get you your axe!"

"...Does everyone get to be the best woodcutter in their section?" he wonders.

"It helps that the sections are kind of small! And not everyone is best at woodcutting. Hello, Kevin, newcomer, I'm Sauhol Jorgensen."

"Valentine Everett! Nice to meet you!"

"Likewise. Now, I'm assuming you're looking for something to do if you managed to get Kevin to bring you here?"

Kevin is now wandering off somewhere.

"Yep! What kind of stuff to do is there?"

"There's a demand for just about everything, to be honest. Physical labor like woodcutting or doing laundry. Trade skills like sewing, cooking, plumbing, carpentry, candlemaking, couriers, smiths, butchers, chemists. if you can read and write quickly you can be a clerk - we have few enough of those - factories and labs have places for clever newcomers sometimes. All sorts."

"I'm all right at sewing, I can read and write pretty fast but I don't know how fast I'd need to be..."

"If you've been doing it enough to form the opinion that you might be fast, you probably are."

"Guess I'll be a clerk, then."

"Well, let me talk about what they do so you're sure."

Clerks deal with inventories, schedules, and so on. Coordinating people, distributing supplies, communicating with the UDF about developments in the Neuroi War...

"If I try it and find out I can't stand dealing with inventories and schedules, I can always come back and try sewing instead, right?"