Flo

  The little wolf cat barked loudly and curiously stuck its head out of the bag. Then the little creature tilted its head and whined.

  "I think so too." Flo stood in the middle of his destroyed shop. Everything was wet, or at least damp. A good part of his goods were mixed up, some of it no longer saleable. Fortunately, the water had not reached the higher-lying goods, unless the water had torn down the old cupboards. Chairs had been knocked down and Flo didn't even want to know what was going on in his private living area.

  A foul smell was in the air.

  Garbage had been carried into the rooms by the masses of water.

  "Silverpaw? We may have a problem!"

  "Mew?"

  "I agree." Flo took the animal child out of the hanging bag and put it on the wet floor. Silverpaw immediately protested and used its cws to climb up Flo's trouser leg. Finally, the wolf cat sat on his shoulders.

  "MEW!"

  "Ouch", Flo grumbled. "Ouch. That's just water... Your cws are sharper than you think. Ouch."

  Silverpaw barked proudly. The animal's sounds sounded strange. Always a mixture of cat, dog, wolf, and cheetah. But distorted and spooky. Flo patted the creature's head, then tried to pull his bag over his head without pushing the animal child off his shoulders. In vain. Finally, he first put the animal child and then the bag on the counter.

  Flo took the Minnie box out of his bag, pced it next to Silverpaw, and opened the fp. Not a second ter, the little fairy climbed out of the jewelry box. The projection flickered as usual.

  "Flo?" She looked around. Her gaze wandered over the picture of destruction. "You have to clean up."

  "Really?" Flo climbed onto the counter, let his legs dangle, and took Silverpaw on his p.

  "Certainly. And... My sensors say it stinks pathetic", Minnie confirmed. She remained unimpressed by his sarcasm.

  "It will stink even more if I don't start to clean quickly... Where should I start?"

  "I could help you?" Minnie suggested.

  "How?"

  "Mew?", Silverpaw also asked and let his belly be stroked blissfully.

  Minnie looked at her own flickering, holographic figure. "Your objection is understandable."

  "And the tragic thing is, who wants to buy expensive goods now? Not everything here is unselble, but no one will have the money." Flo patted his bag. "I hope the soldier comes back. Without the money from this sale, I'm done! I have to see exactly how much of my goods are still usable. Nuts and bolts, nails... These are things that are needed now. But who here has the money to pay them? Now? People will want everything for free. I would be a monster if I demanded money."

  "Hm." Minnie nodded. "That's probably true. Almost."

  Flo raised his eyebrows. "Almost?"

  "As soon as Burgstadt reaches the isnd, repairs will begin. Especially the residents of Level 3 need immediate help. Levels 4, 5, and 6 are hardly affected by major damage. However, Burgstadt has suffered major damage in the engine room. Currently, emergency power is used, which is only sufficient for the bare necessities. They will try to temporarily distribute the popution of Level 3 to the other cities. If this is possible. But the chances are slim."

  "Oh yes?" Slim chances.

  "Yes." Minnie nodded. "The exact procedure is still being pnned, but an overpopution problem was already reported by the other cities some time ago. Mina hasn't given me any more information yet. The exact damage is currently being determined. In addition, there are possible losses at Level 1. An aid package will come for Level 3. Since there are already pns to relocate some of the city's residents in the future, this disaster comes at just the right time."

  "The right time?" Flo frowned. "What do you mean?"

  "More cities and vilges are to be built. This will relieve the capitals. Resettlements are also pnned for Burgstadt. Level 3 may be completely relocated. The freed-up Level is considered for the growing popution on Levels 4 and 5. But this has not yet been decided."

  "Minnie?"

  "Yes?"

  "Are you telling me... for the time being secret and unpublished information?"

  "Yes. The popution will be informed. At the moment, it is too early. Mass panic and uprisings must be prevented."

  "Oh." Flo didn't know how to react to that. He sat in the middle of the chaos, he heard the inhabitants of the Levek compin, he heard the first ones clean up, and at the same time, the AI passed on confidential information to him. "Relocate? Really?"

  "New vilges and fortified towns are being built. That's the pn. The capitals are suffering from overpopution. This increases the risk of disease outbreaks, epidemics... Especially in the lowest residential Levels. Resettlement is necessary. And unavoidable. I don't know more yet."

  "That means I might have to start over one way or another? Start anew?" Flo got sick. "I don't want to live outside of Burgstadt. There, attacks by monsters are the order of the day. The outside world is not safe. The death rate is high. Everyone knows that. Daily attacks!"

  "You're exaggerating!" Minnie contradicted him in her usual monotonous child's voice. "They are not. Admittedly, attacks are common there, but not daily."

  "This is my home."

  "It is not yet clear who will be resettled. Whether all or only a part."

  "I don't want to!" Flo hugged Silverpaw. The animal child meowed in arm and licked his hands. Flo felt childish, maybe he was. "I want to stay here. Even if I lost everything here!"

  "Good." Minnie nodded. She looked at the destroyed shop again, then looked at Flo and nodded again. "I'm passing this on to Mina."

  "What?"

  "Don't worry. I take care of everything. Either Burgstadt or... Would you like a job in the seat of government?"

  "Excuse me?" Perplexed, Flo stared at the fairy. Silverpaw began to purr and pressed herself against him.

  "Mew."

  Flo scratched the wolfcat's head. He couldn't believe his ears. "Minnie?"

  The AI continued unimpressed. She paid no attention to his questions. "The seat of government is one of the safest pces. However, that could be difficult... But there, you will earn the needed money to rebuild your shop and possibly move to Level 4. Like this, you won’t be affected by any resettlement."

  "What?"

  "Unless you want to stay there... Hm... I have to calcute the possibilities! I do what I can. And fluffball has to accompany you, of course!" Minnie's hologram disappeared. She left Flo speechless.

  "Did she mean it?" he asked Silverpaw. The animal child purred all the louder. "Work in the seat of government? As what? Clean the ruler's toilet?"

  With his hair color, they would never let him do anything else. It was said that 'mutants' were not allowed as employees there. And he didn't have the right skills for anything of importance either.

  sasi