Online banking: Exists, but the ones that aren't obvious scams require you to open an account in person first. Cryptocurrencies are a thing though and serve several similar functions. Web work: There aren't any convenient central portals or Uber or whatever. Seems to mostly work via hobbyist site connections- Some people sell code debugging, or pentesting, or freelance engineering work, or a bunch of other random online services. But it seems hard to break into from zero reputation without being present and insightful on the relevant forums for a while.

Also, something weird is up with the internet. Rete can eventually figure out that there's - Some sort of pseudo-VR-chatroom-simulated-space-metaverse situation going on, that many people are using instead of just web browsers? And interacting with that VR-space seems necessary to have any 'cred' as a computer person.

Rete can establish a forum presence and pick all the low-hanging fruit of being helpful and constructive and not getting sucked into the politics containment channels... the problem with rep in hobbyist and professional circles is that she does not, in point of fact, know anything. She's a Tinker, not an engineer. They're different things. A Tinker is basically playing an engineer on TV with all of the faster turnaround time, paper-thin technobabble, and cartoonishly exaggerated efficacy that implies, and it doesn't let her talk like a real engineer. She can do work but she cannot talk shop convincingly.

Is there such a thing as free web hosting such that she can establish herself by giving something away? (At some point she's going to be taxing Rete's onboard computing power, but not yet.)

FREE web hosting? Lol. Lmao.

Uuuuuuugh. Can she get a free email address or no.

Free email addresses, at least, are still a thing.

Great. Is lorica@whateverthefreeemailprovideris.com available?

lorica@ipcpublicnightcity.net is available.

Keen, and -

- oh hold up Rete has looked into this cryptocurrency thing. Decentralized minting! Amazing. She is going to code it a mining skill. Probably in the morning she will be the proud owner of a batch of coins.

There's gunfire on the street below her in the middle of the night. Seven shots, and ambulance sirens a few minutes later.

That is not relevant to Lorica's journey, and therefore Rete does not let it through her helmet while she sleeps.

She has some cryptocurrency in the morning. That and her free email suffices to get an online wallet associated with one of the crypto exchanges- Probably legit enough to use for a day or two without getting suckered- And she has $306.38, after transaction fees, if she chooses this route.

It has to go in a wallet, she can't just use it raw? - in order to get a hot shower, change of clothes, and breakfast, will she want it in this form or another?

She can keep the cryptocoins raw, but if she wants to convert it to Eurodollars, at least signing up for a wallet is necessary.

Rete can pretend to be a credit card/pay-by-phone chip, it would work to get her stuff.

She doesn't trust these exchanges as far as she can throw them in shirtsleeves, so Rete will be dolled up as a payment chip. What does her budget look like against purveyors of breakfast/shower/clothes?

Well, there's buck-a-slice pizza, but it technically does not qualify as "food", so as to avoid certain regulations. More ordinary fast food is like $20-30 for a breakfast. Or "Budget Meal" bars for $4. Thrift store clothes range at about $80-150 for a complete outfit depending on how picky she is, or budget retail clothes places for more like $250. Though this does include everything- Underwear, socks, shoes and a bag and a jacket. She could probably access a shower at a pay-per-entry gym for $10, otherwise it'd be a motel room for more like $75.

She is so not picky about clothes. Breakfast first, though, she has been coasting for a while on one (1) taquito. Is this place otherwise Mexican influenced, is she looking at a huevos rancheros situation? She will also take French toast. Or eggs Benedict. Or a bagel. She's hungry.

The Mexican influence is thinner on the ground here, but she can get a Mexican place! Or Pancake Palace has pancakes and French toast and scrambled eggs and ""bacon"" (-flavored SCOP).

Pancake Palace sounds perfect. She will go there and have French toast and scrambled eggs but she is not currently in the mood to experiment with SCOP.

Pancake Palace's tired-looking servers and cooks have no problem with a hungry paying customer in heavy armor. She might as well be wearing jeans and a T-shirt, as far as they react to it.

She is wearing jeans and a t-shirt also! And after breakfast she will go get a new set of jeans and t-shirt (or whatever's on sale) so she has something to change into post shower.

The cheapest combo is: Long black skirt, JOHNNY SILVERHAND! graphic tee. Johnny Silverhand appears to be a singer.

Okay she's a little picky. The skirt won't go well under the armor. She will take the band t-shirt but she needs pants.

Pants are findable.

Great. Are gym showers private?

This one's is at least semi-private. Plastic booths with hard plastic doors and more floor space than is strictly needed to shower and a bench.