Girl's Gotta Eat
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Homestead is a ruined world. The entire population wouldn't fill an Imperial cruiser's low berths. They barely survive by mining the ruins for old technology. Salvagers don't live long¸ falling prey to dangerous mutated fauna¸ grit storms¸ or just plain starving to death. You learn to survive¸ or Homestead kills you. Pac is a survivor¸ and she works alone¸ salvaging what she can¸ trading it for food¸ and often going hungry. Then off-world strangers offer her a job. They need a guide into the wastes¸ someone to show them where she found a high-tech artifact. They offer enough to keep her eating for a year¸ but her father said never to trust strangers. Pac judges the payoff worth the risk¸ and finds her father's lessons well-founded. Homestead is a deadly world¸ and shiny high-tech gear will fetch a fine price. After all¸ a girl's gotta eat. This story comes in Mobi¸ ePub and PDF formats.