To Make It In New Reno

I spent the next hour or two with Sophia and slowly came off the Jet. I drank water trying to sober up and she took a hit herself. She got higher and things got clearer for me. I ended up telling her a lot about myself and the past couple months. She seemed pretty eager to get rid of me at first, but during our conversation it was clear that she was cool with me. As things got clearer, I began wondering how I could get some extra cash for clothes just to get into the Shark Club. Sophia joked that if I wasn't hired by her brother, Miss Kitty might have some work for me.

Sophia said, "Miss Kitty's been looking for a fit young 'ethnic' lookin guy for a while."

Despite the jokes, I remembered what Detective Paul said about Jet in New Reno and easily planned out a quick way to get money. My idea was only reinforced by how Sophia described the people of this city…

I had yet to really see New Reno, but I began to piece together everything I heard about the place from my late friends of the trail and the prostitute whose bed I'd been unconscious in. New Reno was a completely lawless town full of junkies, drunks, and thugs. Shops and chem pushers were generally under the protection of one family or another, but everyone else was fair game. I knew from my coma that I couldn't take on any thugs, but junkies and drunks were plentiful and typically easy pickings. If I was going to make it in a crime city, I'd have to become a criminal myself. So, with the outline of a plan in place and Sophia strung out on the bed; I left into the streets of New Reno ready for a new start or a new life.

I saw the famous "Miss Kitty" in the lobby of the Cat's Paw and had a brief chat thanking her for taking care of me. She was a super pretty middle aged blonde woman with a tight black skirt who was busy assigning horny wastelanders to different rooms, but she stopped what she was doing to see how the unconscious wastelander she dragged off the street was faring. She did tell me that I was only a couple days away from getting tossed into the alley, but she was happy to see I pulled through. She really did seem to have a soft spot for victims of the street. The beautiful woman gave me a wink and a smile saying to "Hurry back sometime" and I was out of there.

The streets were packed, and the sun was low again preparing to make way for the night. I immediately played the "Broke Junkie" and walked through an alley stumbling over my feet around herds of destitute people. I pretended to pass out by collapsing onto the ground and moments later I felt shaking hands going through my pockets. The junkies disappointingly walked away empty handed and I watched the swarm of degenerates stumble by. From the ground, I opened an eye and saw one person dart his head side to side and then discreetly take a hit of Jet. I waited a few minutes for the drug to hit the squatter and then I made my move.

I got up when I knew the guy was looking at me and spastically freaked out as I rose to my feet. I threw myself into the wall next to him and slid down to sit with him, huffing and puffing while looking all directions.

The junkie said high as a kite, "Whoa Man? I thought you were dead!?"

I made my hands shake and explained to him that I WAS dead, and I came back to life after riding a giant brahmin through a black hole in outer space. The junkie's eyes were wide as he believed every word I told him. I said some nonsense about how the "Space Brahmin" wanted him to give me all his Jet and cash or he would die in a cosmic explosion! The junkie handed me a full Jet inhaler and a half one discreetly, even the two gold coins in his ripped trousers.

He said, "Give this to the Space Brahmin Overlord! I don't want to die in a space explosion!"

I nodded and thanked him for saving his own life. As I put the inhalers in my pocket, he said, "Make sure nobody sees you with them, Space Brahmin or no, junkies will stab you if you pass out or die again!"

I looked around to see a bunch of strung out people and patrolling groups of miscreants looking for a body to loot. The unspoken rule in the alleys was that if you got drugs on you and you pass out, you'll probably get stabbed... For some reason.

So, with the two Jet inhalers, I left the alley stepping over the bodies of people either passed out, convulsing, or even dead. Stepping onto the main street, I found a trader from a caravan selling odds and ends on the sidewalk and stepped up. Just what I needed. The trader had a trunk full of miscellaneous clothing along with other trash, but I found a perfect pair of rough boots, a padded jacket and a long leather satchel that was common to wastelanders. I didn't know how expensive Jet was in New Reno, but my late guard friends always complained about the prices of it in other towns like Redding.

The man told me how much the gear was and I responded, "Throw in 200 bucks and I'll give you a full Jet inhaler." The merchant looked around suspiciously and said to show him. I placed it on the table lifting my hand to reveal it and he agreed.

He leaned in and whispered, "This shit might get me stabbed tonight, but I'm gonna fucking party!" and I was just happy to not be walking barefoot anymore.

Apparently, the trader must have been new to New Reno because I later learned that Jet on the street went for an average of $30-$60, so I way overcharged him (I suppose fortune was smiling on me). As I threw on my new boots and jacket, I thought just how lucky the miners at Redding were to have a steady supply of Jet. Then I remembered how often miners died…

Anyway, fully dressed in average waster apparel, and with a little cash in the old pockets, I was ready to "Interview" with Sophia's brother Tuco. I walked under the arch and when I did the sky was dark enough for the New Reno lights to flicker on. The streets started to shine bright, illuminating crowds of people and large buildings while the dark parts of town continued to be illuminated by the glow of flames in trashcans. I saw a large sign on the structure to my right flashily displaying, "Desperado" and remembered to stay clear of that place. Through a passing crowd of wasters going about their business, I saw black suited muscle men standing by the doors to the casino. I knew it was unlikely the "Mordinos" would recognize me, but I still hid my face and jumped into a crowd.

I passed many lit buildings with drunken people stumbling out of them. There were cheap motels next to casinos, little shops, dark drug dens, men with suitcases posted on street corners usually accompanied by suited thugs or heavily armored mercenaries, and women in lingerie praying on the drunk or high. I saw suited thugs walking in groups through the crowds of wasteland "tourists" and avoided the black suits out of instinct, but then noticed more large men in blue suits walk casually by the others. I remembered that "Blue Suits" marked "Bishop's men" and the further north I walked, the more of them I started seeing. I wondered in those moments why the opposing suits didn't fight each other since I learned each "Family" had their own colors. There was a lot I had yet to learn about New Reno.

Past the Reno Archway and Desperado Casino, I came upon a lit restored building with a large golden sign above it called "Golden Globes." I would find out later what went on in that place, but I was stricken at how amazing this city was. Walking onward, I saw a building across the street from the Golden Globes that was a huge facility with a large crowd waiting to get in called, "The Jungle Gym." When I read the marquee sign that announced a fight between two names I'd never heard of, I thought of Sophia's directions.

I pulled out Sophia's map and saw that the Shark Club was just north of the gym, with the entrance being on the northeast corner of 2nd Street. Lowering the map and looking north of the Jungle Gym, I saw a building strewn in blue neon lights and a large sign displaying the words, "Shark Club." I was almost there.

I approached the place through crowds of tourists, and dealers shouted things like "Jagged Jimmy J's pure and clean Jet! Get it while I got it Muthufuckas!"

Being firmly in the "Bishop" side of town, I began feeling like I was amongst allies even though I had zero interactions with them what so ever.

Getting closer to the blue neon around the Shark Club, I wondered exactly what I would say to "Mr. Tuco Juan Nina Pinta Santa- Somethinerother" but soon enough; there I was, standing in front of a large neon entryway to Shark Club on 2nd Street. Tourists pushed past me towards the entrance and blue suited thugs stared me down under the brims of white fedoras. I walked up to the humongous man who stood between two large glass doors and casually rested a large submachinegun on his shoulder. He stared me down as I approached, and I felt the eyes of all the other thugs on me.

The giant man looked at me suspiciously for a moment as my mind fumbled for what to say when he said emotionlessly, "Welcome to the Shark Club… What do you want?"

I looked at the thug's eyes that were almost two feet above my own and said, "I'm here to see, Tuco."

He of course said, "Tuco who?"

I actually had to awkwardly unfold my paper to read the name, "…Tuco... Uhh… Benedicto Pacifico Juan Maria Ramirez?"

The thug said nonchalantly, "I know the guy. Who's asking?"

I said as tough as I could, "I'm a Specialist, just rolled into town and heard he's looking for a set of reliable hands."

The thug focused on my face, noticing its still fairly bruised state. He asked, "What happened to your face?"

I'm not sure why I said this, but I'm sure it added to the strange context I painted later in this chat, "Fists can do a lot of damage on the receiving end, or give a lot of pleasure on the giving end; as is my usual specialty."

The towering man looked me over with a raised eyebrow and went "uh-huh?" before asking sternly, "Who sent you?"

I said, "Tuco's sister, Sophia…"

Unfolding the paper again, "... Sophia Benedicto Pacific-..." I cut myself off when I caught the giant's face (Really just winded from the name).

He stood expressionless for a second. Then a sinister smile crept slowly across his face before asking, "Sophia? From the Cat's Paw?"

I nodded but said very seriously, "Yep, Sophia spent the past few days taking care of me. She said to have a chat with her brother since we hit it off so well and I'm looking for work."

The towering thug paused for another moment before saying, "Let me get this straight… You just spent the past few days with Tuco's sister at the Cat's Paw and wanna ask him for a job to make use of your Specialties?"

I was too busy trying to keep up the "Big Bad Wasteland Mercenary" act to connect two and two. So, I responded, "I was unconscious for most of that time, but she took GREAT care of me… Yeah, Sophia spoke very highly of her brother during the brief time I was awake and said he might make good use of my… Expertise. I have a certain set of skills that Sophia should be fairly familiar with after I told her what I did before really enjoying her company..."

The suited giant had an astounded look on his face and I stupidly thought, "So far so good."

For some reason, I couldn't truly understand what I just told the thug and the context I set up. If you hadn't figured this out yet: Sophia was a prostitute at "The Cat's Paw" (A Brothel) and I was trying to get her brother to "Make use of my Expertise" after getting "Taken care of" by her for DAYS. When I referred to my "Set of skills" Sophia was "Familiar with" I was talking about my role in the merc crew as a marksman that I told her about... Not to mention that bit about "Fists and pleasure" that I inexplicably said.

I don't know why I wasn't more up front; I suppose I wanted to come off as a professional who didn't want to get into details about his abilities, adding to the intrigue. Thinking about it now, I can only imagine the bizarre sexual experience the thug was thinking about that involved me being unconscious while using my expertise, and how a woman would recommend it to her own BROTHER.

So, the thug let out a laugh of disbelief, but when he saw the seriousness in my face he changed tune and said, "Say no more, right this way." I however was too stupid to see what I was getting into or clear up what I was trying to say.

I simply nodded and said, "Lead on" still not noticing the man smiling and holding back laughter.