For Rent

Chapter 3: Housing Starts

The next day, which is considerably shorter than on Earth, the two wake up, and they take turns going to the waste closet. After that is done, they go to work, but Karine is confused by the project management interface.

"Here's the deal: a first tranche of one hundred and fifteen thousand talas is due for our debt repayment in two days. To pay down our debts, we were forced to sell all our blueprints at a fraction of the price we bought them for, and we must make do with the one courtesy blueprint from the government. On the plus side, the Senate gave us fifty thousand talas in seed money" Billerica instructs her. "And a project management system"

Billerica installs the project management system on the computer used by the previous project manager, as well as his own. And, of course, connects the construction bots as well as the camera drone and their materials inventory account at their authorized supplier to their system.

I wonder how much debt Wonderlic had if not even selling off blueprints and terminating leases was enough to avoid being on a creditor proposal, Karine starts thinking, while she wants to ensure she understands how each tab on the project management interface works. Of which there are five: lots, money and goals, construction bots, materials and blueprints. And, of course, an aerial view of the neighborhood, with lots clearly marked on the interface. This feels far too much like a video game interface, and an indie one at that. However, it doesn't feel like a horror game at all, unlike the world I'm stuck in.

"Boss, this is a brand-new system to me" Karine laments. "All I'm seeing here is..."

"I'll go watch the Senate's videos on the system with you; it's new to me as well. However, you don't have permission to input goals and deadlines into the system..."

As the pair watch the Senate's videos on the HCP project management system, she realizes their first contract is about building a few more housing units in another village in the swamp. I might be wondering how much these houses are worth in this village, and whether they will fetch the HCP-mandated prices. On Earth, that sort of location is almost worthless. It also makes me wonder what's taxed on this world. And even what their Senate even is in the first place.

"I guess, time to make the first housing start!" Karine feels like she has a better idea of what to do.

"Not so fast! I still need to connect the lots to the HCP system so that, when the housing start begins, it will look for prospective tenants whose leases begin upon completion of the unit" Billerica stops her. "However, I don't think the time is right for you to understand our leasing practices beyond us not collecting security deposits"

"Can I then make the first housing start on this project?"

"Yes, of course. Keep in mind, however, that our preexisting inventory of construction materials won't get you very far!"

With the push of a button, she orders two construction bots to build bungalows along the village's main street. The bungalow being built appears rather blocky by Taladuan standards but reminds Karine of some of the older bungalows she encountered in her insolvency work on Earth, complete with a pyramidal roof.

The first two bots are busy building bungalows using built-in molecular 3D printers and transforming the construction materials into buildings. As soon as the foundations are laid, the system puts these houses as available for rental upon delivery.

"So we are to supply six housing units to this village, but I don't want Wonderlic to rely only on the sale of new builds. I also want us to have some units for renting. However, I don't expect much from this village, and, suffice to say that we will need more contracts..."

"And to make the homes we keep for renting more appealing for potential tenants, too" Karine comments. "The faster we can pay down the debt, the sooner I can return home!"