Hauntingly Beautiful Girls

"This Is How They Get You (Part 5)"

"The pitchmen made themselves successful lives.

They did not forget what injustice felt like. The new place became less harsh, but still had much of the culture.

Goods were meant to be SOLD to people. Industrial commercialization grew very quickly.

It was not too long before automation did the work and there were no jobs. If you had money, it was good.

If you did not have money, you got a bare living in a bleak place away from prosperous areas.

Most support went to mothers with children, but not families.

Innovation provided search devices. Most information on the devices was on what you ought to buy.

Men got the least aid for their lives.

At a time when labor pay per hour was in the tens of dollars, people would accept 0.17 dollars per hour to do work on the devices.

That price reflected an implicit promise. You might get a real job if you do well. People would work for very little on a hope for a real job.

This was a time when 'the professional shopper' became a trend.

They offered men some money to go to a store and buy goods. Then come back the device and report the experience. It was actually a miserable deal. They got food to eat, but also got a tax bill for income.

The trend grew slowly. The tasks became more elaborate. How does the store staff deal with irregular customers? Perform these five actions when you buy the items.

The shoppers could feel pride in a job done well and hoped a more regular job would be the reward.

It all changed one summer.

Professional shoppers were all given complex shopping tasks. Perhaps twenty minutes for purchase. Shoppers lined out the doors.

Only at the shops near supported housing, not in prosperous areas.

Owners and managers could be observed pleading. 'Please stop this. You are being tricked.'

Some months after that event, corporate reports showed reduced incomes for those stores. A merger happened, and those stores were closed.

It took longer to find an open store. You had to pay to even get there.

Mothers with children were significantly scolding to the men that had been a part of the terrible day of shopping. There had been no increase to buy food and getting to open stores was more difficult and expensive.

Many men simply left the supported housing.

Long trails of hopeful men could be seen walking to the [space ports]. There was work if you were fit.

You could become an [asteroid] miner."