January 20th 2015:

Tuesday nights council meeting of the Directors of the Domain starts with the subject of the missing mailmen. Although there is some communication via radio between the various communities around Sydney Bay, the majority of the communications are handled by a monthly courier run. The couriers use fast cars (usually 3) to ensure that at least one vehicle gets through. Important messages are sent in triplicate. This is the first time in 10 years none of the three mail vehicles made it back.

The second order of business is how to best utilize their new guests, the Astronauts? The council votes unanimously that its time that they receive Ration Books and start being integrated into their social economic system; in other words, if they are going to stay, they need to become productive members of their society. At the very least the work will let them earn some RPs (Ration Points, the Domain's Barter System) to use while they are in town even if they decide not to stay. In other words its time for the Astronauts to start paying for their food and lodgings.

The obvious answer to send them on the mail run to the Enclave and back. Payment is 300 RPs for each vehicle sent. They have until Sunday the 25th to return or they begin docking their pay by 50 RPs a day for being over due.