2 'Kolkata's nuisance'
It was been a while indeed since i have left that job and moved into working as an assistant of an antique dealer in Kolkata, where i am fairly un-distinguished from the type of life I had been living as a reknowned but 'un-sung' base raider.
For me, The talent of geomancy and knowledge of the geology, can easily make me an expert in the Kolkata's academy, but lacking any certification by the DIAC*, i can't even dare to budge my head up there.
Well, it's more better for me here.
A funny thing is, the place at which I'm working from a year has such noobie base raiders flocking-in with there low grade stuff, makes me laugh.
They even expect to get a third of 10 Ducats, by trying to sell a mere broken sword of the 2340s, which is almost worthless for the antique dealers here.
But, well- those brats sometime really bring a little bit rare stuff from the Dark ages, but even after getting the credits, they have very little luck to have it being spent by them.
Yes, they are robbed or killed brutally by the goons.
This is 2413 AD, everything is like this.
Either survive the wrath of life, or die for the best.
But, I have heard things weren't always like this.
Instead of the present mechanical farms and synthesized stuffs, it was the time when the food was grown in the wide open fields, on which now lie dead the vast scraplands and artificial synthesizers in the name of farms.
The City of Kolkata, which I now see to be 70% under the bay of bengal, is no longer the city it was when I was alive a hundred years ago- at a time, it was the Indo-Chinese Goverment's Capitol city; when India's Delhi and China's Beijing city were occupied by the Alien Invaders, where they founded their own 'continental governates' which were enough powerful in enslaving is earthians for three centuries from now.
In the old days, I remember Kolkata being the crown of the Asian Resistance, having the same prominance as of the Vizag city and Shanghai.
But, now... after Delhi and Beijing being liberated by our brave soldiers, Kolkata has been started to see its downfall, as it was heard to have seen in the 1900s, About six centuries ago.
Though, nor in this life or in my previous- I could have said that was the brightest, but if I ignore the books I saw in the Old basement of something called 'Victoria Memorial', it is nice for the people who have been trampled by the hard war fought in the lands far from here.
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'Heh, looks like I have reached to my office now!'-I blabbered standing before a lit up shop-like metal cubicle, which was known as one of the best broker's house in Kolkata.
Well, my work isn't on the floor, it's in the basement, where my boss sends down the artifacts to validate and evaluate, which is too easy for me to do, so as to make the money near to a 50 Ducat mark, which is enough for me- who is the only one person left in his doomed family.
My boss, Tai Tsung, a merchant from Fuzhou, who has just shifted here in Kolkata, continuing his antique business.
As far to now, he is very nice to me- and I don't know why, but he had just let me work in his shop as an Evaluator, despite he having a better eye and knowledge of the rare stuffs.
The pay I get is very average, but understandable as the work I do is nothing than what I had my hands in previously.
Afterall-
How much I can expect from someone to give me just for sitting and taking a look on the old stuff with more than home-like comfort.
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"Raiden! Raiden?", a voice pierced the storming thoughts forming a shield around my senses.
It was Niloy.
Afterall- who can be so shrill other than him to shout in the 'silence hours' of the morning.
"Shhh! Speak slowly. Do you want that Military police warn us again?",I spoke teaching-ly reaching out to him.
"Heh! It's 7 already. The hours are already over."- Niloy said, showing the watch on his arms.
The area we work in, is a Military-protected Trade sector, meaning we have to follow the rules set up by the Military sectoral Lord of the place. Though I personally know him because of my profession, he is a bit very strict on his work; quite a bit very upright in the time of returning corruption in the Kolkata's sectors.
The silence hours of 11 to 7 are basically for the Rich residential sector next to our sector- which often complaints of the noise coming from the busy tunnels and alleys of the overcrowded Trade sector.
Well, My friendship with that Military lord saves us from the wrath of the strict law, but if Niloy remains so un-restrained and keeps taking the laws as fun, even my friend can't save him from a nuisance. Well, for now at least- he has kept a sense in his actions, but...heh, I would just let it be what it is right now.
I am his brother.
I will save him anyways.
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Niloy and I, opened the cranky door of the shop; and while Niloy went to clean and open the place, i buzzed my boss from the basement as he told us to wake him up when we arrive.
Well, cutting out the unnecessary clutter between our sleepy boss and his stuffy voice, he told us he will be soon here.
Being clear about his arrival, i started fixing a broken piece of Sagittarian lock from 2300s so as to get it enough for selling at a 30 Ducat minimum rate.
Well, i sometimes do this. I know fixing things, and maybe better than a novice. But, if doing this can get me some extra bonus, it is worth.
Nowadays, even 100 Ducats is not enough to live in a metropolitan city like Kolkata, given I work in a place very rich people have links to.
In my old days in Shanghai, where I worked at the Yangshan harbour as a Liuentenent of the Military Gaurds- I had enough links and money to get over the survival in the midst of the War-torn Earth.
The survival, which didn't lasted long.
