After being given all his stuff back by one of the men who escorted him back to the entrance of The Guild's area Adam decided it was finally time to get some rest. It was already pretty late. Not yet night, but past dinner time. So once more he headed for The Layover.
The Delta was certainly cheaper and more scenic as it had windows that overlooked the tarmac whereas The Layover had no windows in the room he rented, but the amenities were better, the room was bigger, and it was closer to the rest of the most active parts of Midway. He had more than enough capital to afford the slight upcharge.
He paid for another 2 days at The Layover, even getting 2 more Layover Packages. It was convenient to be able to use the washer/drier when he wanted.
After shelling out 300 caps for the room, he took a nice long shower washing off all the blood and grime. Once more Adam contemplated his way of life. By now he understood he really did have marketable skills, he didn't need to leave the city and put himself in danger to make money, even if it was lucrative. He could sell his skills as a mechanic and make a living here, in Midway. Money might be a bit tight but certainly he would live fine, especially if he got some odd jobs done on the side. This wouldn't be the worst life he could live.
But even now he knew that wouldn't be the kind of life he wanted to live. It seemed too… droll. Too uninteresting. Somehow, trying to live his life from before the world ended, with a stable job seemed not to sit with him. Maybe it was because he was a clone?
Adam had only spent a little time thinking about it, but he still got that adrenaline rush when he was in a fight, when he was out exploring. Even when up against the aberrations in the vault, even as his heart pounded, even as he was scared, he was having the time of his life. It made him feel alive. He hadn't felt this way in his old memories so maybe it was an effect of being an Omega Type 2 clone? A byproduct of their attempts to create a perfect human? One could only guess, but he had a feeling these emotions might be artificially generated by his new body… his new mind. However regardless of whether the feelings were real or manufactured he would not deny them. There was no reason. He may not be the original Adam Baxter, but he still was Adam Baxter. So for him, that would be enough.
Random idle thoughts aside, Adam decided to spend the rest of the day in his room. He finally decided to try the Room Service that he got as an added bonus for paying for the Layover package. He found a little notepad full of options he could fill out on his room's desk. According to the paper all he had to do was fill out his request for the type of food, then use the magnet next to the pad to pin the paper to the exterior of the door alongside his food voucher. Extra fees will be applied to the meal when the concierge arrives to deliver the food.
He was wealthy enough to decide it was worth a try. He was tired, especially mentally, after the events of the day, so letting someone else do the leaving for him seemed like a good option, even if it cost a premium.
Adam filled out the paper, indicating he wanted a hearty meat dish today, along with purified water and then pinned it to the exterior of the door and went about his business. He decided to relax, play some music from Ray's radio station, and read his new book.
Ray was talking today about some rumors floating around the area, about the horseman, about notable figures, and plenty of other things. What caught Adam's attention, however, was the fact that Ray talked about the attack on Naper. How 'A handful of brave defenders took to the streets to fight off a brazen raider attack and then followed them back to their base where they wiped them all out'. As minor as it was he was being spoken about on the radio! Adam had never been famous before so it was quite surprising to hear about something he had taken part in being on the news.
Of course he had served in the war, but it was so desensitizing that it felt like another world. He was just a cog in the machine there, there was no feeling of fame even when people talked about battles he was in. Even though this too was just a battle, he felt a bit of pride as Ray spoke about him and the other's deeds in beating back the raiders. Interestingly though Ray didn't have all the details right, like saying the raider base was built into a batting cage center, not a bowling alley, or that they had a Sentry Bot on their side. Truly if they had a sentry bot they would have taken far more casualties. But the most interesting thing was that there was no mention of Mira. Probably for the best though, she would probably prefer to be left out of the news altogether after what she went through.
A little more time passed and there was a knock at his door.
"Room service!" A voice from behind the door called out. Adam walked over and opened the door. It was a hotel worker holding a tray with his request, a plate of thick meat covered in some sort of brown sauce, a small bowl of french fries, an even smaller bowl of lettuce, perhaps more used as garnish, and then his water.
"Thank you." Adam smiled as he took the tray out of the man's hands.
"The fee is 15 caps for the water, and 20 for the service sir." he said as he waited patiently to be paid. Adam looked down at his hands holding the tray and then chuckled.
"Alright, let me just put the food down first." He said as he turned to put the tray down as he said, leaving the door open as he did.
He walked back over to the door and handed the worker 40 caps after he put the tray down.
"The 5 extra is your tip." He smiled. The worker smiled back.
"Thank you sir! I hope you enjoy your meal!" He said before he turned to walk back down the hall and Adam shut the door behind him. With a fee of 20 caps, without even considering he'd feel obliged to tip them, this was truly not worth it. For 20 caps he could buy the meal itself, he didn't need to have someone go get it for him. But he truly was swimming in caps at the moment, it was okay to splurge a little. In fact, he had a plan for exactly that tomorrow.
But for now he ate. His food was the right texture, springy, and flavorful. Just what he needed after a long mission.