That's so considerate of him. "I'll eat animal products but I like to be very sure of where they come from," he tells Roland.

"More power to you. That kind of proclivity is a bit of a luxury for most."

"Yeah, I'm not judging, but maybe enough cabbages'll help a little."

"Cabbages have to come from somewhere, though."

"Fancy that. Why is there so much pent up demand for produce? Do farms not work anymore?"

"Well, it's called the badlands for a reason. So not really."

"What's wrong with 'em? Radioactive? Irrigation fuckup?"

"Dust Bowl two point oh, almost no rain or water, and all the topsoil's gone now. The nearest viable farmland out west is in Mississippi, Texas, Manitoba, or Montana, so."

"Wow. Think I could make a killing selling topsoil in bulk?"

"To one of the big agri-corps, maybe. Which wouldn't really solve the problem, I kinda feel."

"What would?"

"Miracle? The triumphant return of Abraham Lincoln and John Brown?" Shrug. "I'm just saying I get the feeling that anywhere that suddenly becomes decent farmland ends up with multiple countries standing off over it, maybe unless it's right close. Turn bits of former Indiana green again, and Ohio will keep them. I'm not exactly up on my geopolitics though."

"Golly. I'm surprised there's not more evidence of famine in that case."

"You haven't been to the old city core, I take it? Or Riverside? And there's also a difference between food, and good food."

"I haven't been to many places! What would you recommend, for getting a sense of the city?"

"Most of it by population is about like this." He gestures vaguely. "Either 'the slums' just generally or the Projects, the four arcology towers. Hive of humanity in the Projects. Then there's Gamble Street Market. Then there's the different districts of slums- Mason, Oldtown, Westville, Greenwood, and so on. The dump, and the airport. So uhh... Where to go? Tour the slums some, see Gamble Street, visit the dump and the airport. Maybe go to Interstate - party spot - Glance at the PZs, and if you're feeling bold try the Projects, Riverside, the old city core, or Bordertown outside of Tower's perimeter. That should be a pretty good overview.

"Quite a tour. I'll try to make time."

"If you want to really know a place you gotta put in the effort. A city's a big place."

"I haven't lived in one for most of my life."

"Figured it was something. You can kind of tell something's up."

"Order up!"

The chef serves him a bowl of ramen. Salty broth, noodles and carrots and lettuce and more mysterious ingedients too. It smells pretty good.

”ありがとうございます！” Food he didn't make himself and can eat in front of people who saw it made in a normal way! Score. Om nom nom.

It's a new taste! The broth in particular is new. Heavy on the salt, heavy on the umami, almost to the point where it tastes dry and overdone, but somehow in a good way. It contrasts with the milder noodles and the veggies. There's some sort of bitter in there- Garlicky, perhaps, but it's a good bitter. The carrot chunks are sweet and just firm enough to crunch slightly. The noodles are firm but absorbent, absolutely full of the heavy broth flavor, and mild at the core. There seems to be eggplant, water chestnuts, and celery in there, along with chunks of what must be tofu but is a lot firmer than most tofu.

Roland lets him eat in peace, sipping at tea and texting someone.

"いいんです！” Cam tells the chef.

The chef nods back and makes an 'OK' sign with a grin, before turning to attend the other woks. The front of the noodle bar is busy- Lots of people ordering and waiting, then going away with their food.

Oh, it's a takeout place? Is his bowl disposable?