three

Deeter Zor was bored. His third day on this empty planet. Nothing to do, little to eat. He'd wanted to stay longer, but he couldn't. He felt like he was losing his mind. Mostly he walked and talked to himself. He wasn't even using the diary, just talking out loud for no reason. Thinking out loud. Mostly about Anect. He definitely didn't want to record those thoughts.

It was time to move on, he decided. He reviewed his diary, and his money. He still had too much cash from the first planet he'd landed on, so he decided to return there just long enough to exchange it for gems again, and do likewise on other planets he'd been on. Then he'd go to a new planet back in Sector C. He'd been avoiding sector C after he learned that it was Klammet's sector, but it seemed not to matter much now.

"Jewelry store on Apsa," he muttered, and was soon in an alley. He quickly finished the transactions and moved on. He had money from fourteen other worlds to get rid of, but it went quickly enough. He skipped Bellus, where he'd been recently captured, so he still had that money. Time enough for that. He figured doing this every three months would work, and hopefully would confuse Them as well.

After concluding the last transaction, he found a spot to be alone and took out his map. Sector C. He tried to pick a planet not very close to Klammet, but then thought better of it. "Something near this planet that's no more than Steel age," he decided, and took out the diamonds. He walked through the portal and looked at what he could.

Which wasn't much, as it was night. He normally arrived in inhabited areas at night - not practical for the jewelry sales, but useful now. He could just make out a light in the distance. Probably not that far, probably candles. He walked toward it, and it appeared to be a tavern. He relaxed a bit. He loved taverns. He could talk to some locals, have food and ale, and a warm enough place to sleep.

He entered the tavern as surreptitiously as he could. The people looked mostly like him except darker, which was to be expected. The seeded planets were all the same seed, after all. The tables closest to the door went quiet. He knew he would always look like a stranger, but at least the translator would keep him from seeming too foreign. And the benefit about pre-steam worlds, everyone strange was assumed to be a foreigner.

He sat at a deserted table. The serving wench brought him ale. "Would you be wanting a meal as well?"

"Please, that would suit me well."

He stared at the girl, as most of the other solo patrons did. His current lifestyle had forced him to grow up quickly, but attractive women definitely made him feel every bit of nineteen. He smiled at her when she came back with a bowl of stew. He pulled out a few gems and asked, "Is there any room upstairs?"

She nodded. "I'll fetch Triv for you."

He watched her go back through the kitchens, then heard a loud roar and felt the table shudder beneath him. He trembled and turned to the large man bellowing at him.

"GET AWAY FROM MY TABLE, WIMP!" he repeated, pulling an axe out and brandishing it.

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