Chapters
Nathan Crowe, who insisted we call him "Nate", is a freight driver with the Denver Woodwork Company. We hadn't scheduled a meeting with him but we struck up a conversation at a fuel station in the outskirts of Chicago and he had plenty of interesting things to tell us about life in the Federation of Free States.
I drive, geez, I dunno how many miles a year. Yeah, we still use miles instead of kilometers in the Fed. Heh, not like folks around my neck of the woods are big on change. What they are big on is key lime pie. Denver Woodwork pays me a loogie's worth every month to haul their crap but the truth is that I can only afford my illustrious lifestyle thanks to the good people of Milwaukee Metro and Parish and their appetite for genuine key lime pie. My route runs to a lot of the richie rich parts of the NAR, so I usually pick up a couple dozen pies while I'm down there and stick 'em on ice. When I get back to the north end, I sell each pie with about a 200% markup. And yeah, they'll pay that. I'm actually one of the cheaper pie guys around. Don't miss something 'til it's gone, right?
I've heard of luxury items coming into the Federation illegally through the freights. Is it also true that other products, drugs for instance, come in the same way?
Hold hold hold up, man. No one ever said anything about drugs. Did you hear me say anything about drugs?
I didn't mean to upset you. I can omit your name, blur your face if you wish.
Nah, it's okay. Just warn me before you go into that stuff. I could lose my license. I run a big enough risk with the pies. I mean, the militias usually don't give a damn about meringue or anything, but they can still bust you for ignoring import tax. I've heard of tons of guys who got put away for crazy shit just because the border guard decided to be a prick about some stashed toys or something.
Moving on, then. How does your arrangement with Denver Woodworks operate?
Pretty simple, actually. I own my rig and they pay me per mile plus fuel (after delivery, of course) to move their products. There's almost no market for the stuff in the Fed, so I do a lot of international travel.
Why is it such an export-heavy business?
If you can find a guy who can sell a wood table made in Denver to a guy who makes the same wood table in Boise... well, he probably lives in the RNE and makes enough money on government contracts. Seriously, I don't how much longer this can go on. I'm staying afloat because of pie but most folks in the Fed are just making stuff. And it's not stuff that brings in a lot of cash, either. All the guns, computers, medicine... it's all made in other countries. Hell, if it weren't for Texas I don't know what would happen to the auto industry. They aren't exactly begging for SUV's in New York City. So, they make tables and pillows and toilets and stuff, trying to just not go broke. Hey, talk to a collective worker and you'll get a sunnier picture. But me? There's a reason I'm driving a truck instead of working the steel mill in Iowa City like everyone else back home. Sperm to worm, same damn job. No thanks.
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