Hello for the third time,

This chapter will be slightly longer and will be concerned with Haymitch's job as a mentor. I am trying a little more dialogue, tell me how it is working, please.

Thank you for reading. Please review.

Sincerely,

Draco Ranger

Please note that I don't own any of the characters, the story, or any other thing that I don't own. Somewhat self-explanatory, really.

The Rich and the Rockets

As I leave the building to go meet the Ramjet, I reflect on what I learned from the botanist...

"...apparently all the plants on the island store water. There is simply no other way for them to survive." The botanist had said.

"Have you told anybody else this!? Do they know about it!?" I practically shouted at the expert.

"Relax, you're the first person to figure this out. I can make it so that it stays that way..."

Ahh... the corruption of the Capitol City. If you can't bribe someone, they are obviously holding out for more money. This is the one place that Effie is useful.

"Effie! This man wishes to be paid for services rendered!" I call over to her, still holding that loaf of toast. I still don't know how she got that...

As I walked off, I heard the beginnings of the negotiations. The poor man obviously didn't know what he was in for. In previous Games, experts had agreed to keep quiet just to get her to be quiet. In addition, my overt performance would force the rest of the Mentors to pay a fortune to try to weasel out the shred of information, which they would probably figure out on their own anyway.

The streets are deserted, virtually everyone are indoors watching the Games. You can easily tell when a blow is struck as screams filter through open windows and doors. Hurrying to my destination, I am buffeted by shouting. The map appears to force fights much more frequently and the crowds are happy. Bloodthirsty freaks, but I digress.

Public transportation is still running, thanks to the Avox slaves and computers. I get onto a high-speed rail going towards the spaceport. The spaceport is a relatively unused transportation depot as there are no practical spacecraft. The reason it exists is because the ultra-rich, such as Maximilian, the guy I was talking to earlier, like a private place to store space capable vehicles that rich and normal people can't afford or have any reason to use. The government allows it because it gives them a place to launch satellites and scientists into space. So everybody is happy, the ultra-rich get new toys, the rich get a new thing to want, the normal people get satellite TV and ultra-def pictures of the Games, and everybody else is to starving or to beaten to care... and I get to meet a eccentric recluse on his island fortress, half way around the globe, in 20 minutes or less. Thus is progress.

Within a 10 minutes of boarding, I tip the supervising Avox and disembark into a vast underground reinforced concrete building. When I say vast, I mean VAST. The structure was designed to house several million people in the case of a nuclear war, and had the resources to do so. Giant water filtration machines, hospitals that were capable of operating solely by computer, and assembly machines that turn iron and plastic water bottles into guns. All this was ripped out and put into the Nut, a military complex run by the Capitol. Now it is filled with missile containing silos that give the ramjets the necessary thrust to start.

...And, apparently, a knock off sunglasses store, because as everybody knows the super rich are super rich because they only buy five as sunglasses... Sorry there, I believe an explanation of the Capitol money system is in order. It is related to the cost of standard bullets and weapons, in the same way money used to be based on gold. The cheapest unit of money, the as, is worth one .22 caliber bullet or 5 cents in ancient 2012 dollars. The Aureus is the most expensive and is worth a hovercraft or about 50 million ancient 2012 dollars. There is a range of currency and many specialist ways of converting the values, which will be explained as necessary. Just to put it in relation, one Aureus can feed, provide water, and clothe a village for a year.

Sorry about that tangent, but the sales person gave me a sudden recollection of Effie, and I do not believe that I could stand dealing with her at this point. Back to the spaceport...

"Hello sir, how may I help you today?" The salesperson appears to double as the receptionist.

"Hi, I'm looking for Maximilian's ramjet." I reply, waiting for the inevitable questions about where I'm going and other unnecessary chitchat.

Unexpectedly, she just points to one of the silos and turns to a cleverly hidden video screen. For once the Hunger Games make my life easier. Who would have thought it? Enjoying this small victory over the universe, I stroll over to the indicated silo. Once I am there, I enter the jet, suit up, and strap myself in for takeoff. Did I mention what a ramjet is? Oh, I didn't, sorry... Basically it is a plane is launched by missile into orbit, then flies off at 4000 mph. It can circle the globe in six hours, and is freakishly expensive to operate, costing almost a Aureus a year in maintenance alone. I even need to get into a G-suit to prevent me from getting crushed by the acceleration, that's how fast I am going.

So, 20 minutes heart stopping minutes, and some unfortunately unused airsickness bags, later (because I can't vomit when any shred of bile is being shoved down my windpipe by a couple hundred pounds of force) I arrive at one of the most isolated areas in the world. A volcano fortress in the middle of the ocean, run by craz-, I mean, eccentric multi-billionaire, and I'm walking through the front door. The things I do for my Tribunes...

"Haymitch! So good to see you!" a voice rings out as I cross the threshold of the volcano fortress, through two 15 foot thick blast doors with automatic sentries trained on my face, "At least metaphorically speaking!"

"Good to see you Max, I hope you are in good health." I reply. Maximilian has a crippling fear of open spaces, women, germs, crowds, women, and anything he does not control, like women. Naturally, he bought an island with a dormant volcano and constructed a biohazard room in reverse. Nothing can get in without his express permission and he is very exclusive. But, he is rich, and I need a lot of money right now, so I need to put up with his insanity until I can secure enough for a tap. He has a particular issue with women.

"I am much better now that I remembered to allow hydrogen sulfide out! Thank you for asking!" He rarely speaks in less than a shout. "Now, let's get down to business! As you well know I am one of the richest people in the world. I have always desired to have more money!" He also reiterates all information leading up to deal, to avoid confusion. "You, Haymitch, sent me a message which contained information that could get me money in the future if I could give you some now! You are in charge of two tribunes, one of which just died." Uhh... News to me, wonder what happened... "but is currently being resuscitated by one of the alliance that you presumably set up to try to help them survive and let one of them win. You apparently need more money in order to be able to buy a non food item on the first day," Due to how the rules work you can buy a feast on the first day for almost nothing, but manufactured goods cost more now than at any other point. "So... how did I do?"

"Almost perfectly, Maximilian." I state, leaning back at the megaphone assisted onslaught, finally discovering where his voice is coming from. He changes the speaker and hides it in different places each time someone visits him. To the extent of my knowledge he has never been seen by another human. "You just forgot subject matter of the email." He was speaking from a particularly large sentry gun, aimed at waist height. Max doesn't like people outside his control, and will remind them at every point of how much power he has.

"Come now, you have known me long enough, call me Max!" Don't let his enthusiasm fool you. I have never met a more vicious and ruthless businessman. "Ahh, right, the email! So how can I get more money?" he screeches excitedly.

He honestly doesn't care about money, he has more than he can use. His entire personality is a facade over a cold-hearted killer. "Money guarantee first." I calmly reply.

"Fine. I will pay whatever is necessary to get Katniss out alive." His cover slips in his intentness, his calm attitude underlining how important this is. "We need her as a symbol."

"Agreed, Katniss is going to kill herself to protect Peeta and make him win. I have the plans in place to prevent this from happening, but I need the money so they won't die in the first 92 hours." I desperately reply, tipping my cards. Even if he knows why Katniss is so important, he still needs to make the decision as his persona, to give him a cover.

A few seconds pass...

"Fine, I will give you the money and go the bookies. You owe me one. "He finally replies.

Elated, I respond "Thank you, sir. And may I complement you one your fortress?"

Quietly he says, "Yes, you may. Now get out."

Mission accomplished. Now I only need to get back on the vomit rocket, go back to Effie, deal with Katniss's insanity, get other people to give me money, and live without alcohol until this is over... Damn, I need a drink.

Next chapter done, and day one is nearly compete. Also, this is the first chapter that tries to delve deeper into the Capitol. I will try to get the next one up as soon as possible. And if you didn't like it, or you did, or you didn't have a opinion, please review and I will make changes. Thank you for the support, my current reviewers.

Thank you for reading,

Draco Ranger