Chapter 15 - 15

Words : 1803 Updated : Sep 10th, 2025

Chuck went on to describe the prices of all the things Adam had brought back. Some of it was worth way more than he was expecting, being quoted at 150 to 250 caps for the fusion core location and vendor depending. But some of it was worth way less than he had hoped. But Chuck didn't stop there, he went on to tell Adam that if he was to head out looking for things in the wasteland, he should be on the lookout for adhesives, things with focus crystals, screws, military circuit boards, gold and silver, and a few other odds and ends. Just to help lighten his pack from picking up junk. But as is Adam had made a very lucrative first run. "So, let me tell you the score 'ere." He said as he pulled out a cap and pulled out a pink slip of paper. "So, 'ere body uses caps. That's the universal standard, no one ain't gonna look at you funny if you are using caps to buy things." Chuck began. "But carrying 'round large amounts of caps all the time is cumbersome, and, in big cities, it can be downright dangerous, it's like asking to get mugged." He chuckled. "So I don't know how folk do things outside of this area… well I do, but that's not the point here… 'round here a lot of us use vouchers." He shows Adam the pink slip. "If you are gonna be making a lot of trades in town it's more convenient to use a voucher than carryin' 'round hundreds of caps. It's safer too, the downside is you can't use a voucher outside of town. If you brought this to a shop in Midway they'd laugh you right out, but I know that they got a similar system in Midway too, 'specially for big purchases." Chuck opened the heavy metal black box with a small key he had at his hip and showed Adam a number of vouchers of various colors, all stacked neatly. "Not every town does this but us and midway do." He continues as he closes the box again, locking it. "So long as you trade within the town it's good." He grins. "In Midway they're backed by the merchants guild but here, me, Greg, and Mandy are the only people that own true shops 'round here so we are what backs it." He puts the pink slip back down on the counter. "We copied the system from Midway, it's real convenient, I say." "So…" Chuck started once more with emphasis. "With that said, I'm willing to buy this fusion core for 150 caps here and now, I can get them ready for ya, or I can give you vouchers worth 200. And it'll be a similar situation for the rest of the stuff." Adam is left to ponder for a moment. So it seemed, in theory, that in-town trade was best handled with vouchers. But if he left, using caps was still the best choice. "But why won't they accept the vouchers from here at Midway?" Adam asked, confused why there was a disconnect in the money system. "Cause they don't know if we are dead or alive." He laughed. "If you were to show up with a brahmin full of vouchers from here and they were to go 'round accepting it only to find out Naper is gone, god forbid, then all those caps disappear. See, the only real value it's got is because me, Greg, 'nd Mandy will accept the vouchers in exchange for caps when needed. As I said, just a cleaner way rather than using caps all the time. 'Sides, keeps the money in town by incentivizing it to be spent here, and it's easier to keep track of too." He smiled. "What's stopping someone from forging them?" Adam asked, now curious. "Me." Chuck grinned cockily before he chuckled. "Technically nothing, but the town is small enough 'ere that all the vouchers are accounted for, besides we don't just hand these out to anyone who walks through the gate, so we'd notice if someone tried to scam us. We are just too local and tight knit for that to fly." "And what about Midway? How do they prevent their vouchers from being forged?" Adam asked, now just wanting answers to all his questions in the same way he asked a ton about bottle caps. Chuck leaned back a bit as he thought. "Well… truth be told, nothin'. Well, 'sides the fact they are hard to fake." He chuckled and then got serious. "But The Guild in Midway don't take kindly to people steppin' on their toes, so I doubt it'd fly." He shook his head looking far more serious than he had seen him. "But you don't need to worry nothing about that." He said choosing to change gears again. "So… Do we have a deal? Adam paused for a moment, considering his options before he nodded. "Yes, I can agree to that." He said with a pause. "I needed to get a room from the Inn Anyway and at 50 caps a night the vouchers alone will cover the bill for four nights." "Good." Chuck smiled widely as he handed Adam two pink vouchers for 100 caps each. Adam took them and began to study them for a moment as Chuck pulled the Fusion Core off the counter and placed it on the floor next to him. The vouchers seemed to be made of a sturdy colored paper with a stamped value on it, and in the corner of the voucher had the signature of the three merchants in town, other than that it was fairly simple. "Town can never have too many fusion cores on hand, I can reimburse myself from the town's coffers tomorrow for it." He laughed and then looked at the rest of the stuff. "Good news or bad news first." He asked Adam after he was done looking at the vouchers. "Uhhh… bad news?" Adam returned, confused. "Well, I told you the motors you brought are a good decent value as a find, but honestly. I don't need them." He said with a somber tone. "I'm runnin' a business and nobody in town is going to come in and ask for this many motors. I buy these from you imma take a hit I won't be able to recover from for a while, 'less I go back to Midway, but I just got back yesterday. Wasn't looking to leave again so soon." He shrugged. "I'll buy 5 off you, they are good and handy to have around but I don't need that many." Damn, Adam had hoped he could have hit a goldmine with the motors, but honestly what Chuck was saying made sense. He didn't need a ton of a single thing, he ran a general store by the looks of it, he needed a variety, this meant he couldn't just offload all the random junk he found while out scavenging he needed to think about who he was selling to. It was a shame, he would have to put some of the motors back into his bag… or trash them, he was unsure, luckily they were not too sizable so he could keep them for the time without too much worry. "On that same point…" Chuck began to separate some of the random stuff Adam had found, but not specifically noted, at the movie theater and the woman's place. "I don't need none of this neither." He said calmly as he pushed it all aside. "But then I got the good news." He said as he looked at the pile of other things, books, watch, comic, the Nuka Cola, and a curio or two. "These I'll buy off ya for a good price. 'Specially this." He said, holding up the gold watch. "Gold always sells, 'specially when it's a timepiece." He turns the dial on the side and it seems to flick to life, starting to tell time again. "Nuclear powered too, ain't never gonna die, this is a good find." He noted aloud as he set it back down. "All in all I'll give ya… another hundred fifty in vouchers, or hundred twenty in caps" Adam paused again. "You said that I can exchange vouchers whenever I want for caps?" "Sure can!" He grinned. Adam was about to agree and then got an impish smile on his face before asking further. "What's stopping me from accepting the vouchers and then immediately turning them in for the extra caps from you?" He asked with a cheeky tone. Chuck frowned. "Me for one. 'Sides, this only works on trust. I don't hand out vouchers to people I dun know. I'm offering you these 'cause I'm putting my trust in you, see?" Chuck said with a very unamused and serious tone. He did not find this line of thought funny in the slightest. Adam quickly backpedaled. "I'm sorry, I was just joking." He said, putting his hands up in mock surrender, his tone apologetic. "I was not serious about that, I was just playing." Chuck nodded. "No worries." He said, still a bit serious but the edge was gone. "Just wantcha to understand I'm not messing." Adam nodded. "Alright I'll do that trade in vouchers too then, the 150 caps, and when I eventually take a trek I'll swap them all out." "Fine by me." Chuck said as he pulled out two vouchers again, this time with a green voucher with a 50 on it. "You got a place in mind to head to?" He asked curiously as he handed them over. "Well I am curious about this Midway I keep hearing about, and I got my own goals in mind so I'm not planning on sticking around forever. But it won't be tomorrow at least. Probably not for at least a few days." He chuckled. "I need some time to get myself ready for the trek." Chuck nodded and then looked at Adam's pip-boy. "That thing's got a map right? Lend me your arm for a second, I'll do you a favor and mark Midway on your map for you." Adam obliged, offering Chuck his arm with the pip-boy, Chuck found the location and made a little mark on the map for Adam. "Regardless when you go, stay safe out there. It can be dangerous even between towns." Chuck warned. "Don't worry, I will." He smiled. "Thanks Chuck, for everything."

Chapter 15 - 15

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