Darkness.  Cool temperatures.  A network of long, winding caves of seemingly-endless variation, constantly-shifting.  Even when she'd doubled back, the route had been different than she remembered.  It hadn't taken Rho very long at all to recognize that she'd stumbled into the Netherworld.  And then, quite abruptly, she'd stumbled onto an exit and, owing to the lack of bright lights and people with loudspeakers and shiny badges waiting for her at it, had very quickly deduced that it was safe to leave the caves behind and see just where and when she'd wound up.<br/><br/>At first glance, it seemed to be little different than the seedier areas of 2056.  Dirty, crowded, dangerous enough for anyone walking around alone at night, let alone a 16-year-old girl such as herself...  The various cars and other internal-combustion-driven vehicles going around the streets were the first major difference she noticed, however, and then when she passed by that noodle cart and got a whiff of that chicken broth...  Ohhhh yes, they didn't just have food like that being sold on the street in her home era.<br/><br/>So this was...  What, 1996 or so?  At least, that was the highest number on the various newspapers and other scraps littering the streets.  Some sixty-odd years in the past, and with somebody else in control, keeping those Buro goons from being able to move around freely...  Yes, this place would work nicely.  She could go into hiding here, complete her training, build some alliances and make her own bid for power, go back to the future and overthrow that corrupt regime...<br/><br/>...And, her rumbling stomach reminded her, she could also get some real, decent food at low low prices.  Well, as soon as she got her hands on some money, anyway.<br/><br/>-----<br/><br/>Half an hour later, watching as the street punk who'd thought her an easy target went running off, Rho knelt down and picked up his wallet, then tucked her gun back into her jacket again.  Ahhhh, inspiring mortal terror was so easy when you could pull off that 'I'm a creepy little girl with a deadly weapon' schtick...  Opening up his wallet, she began rifling through it to see how much she'd scored.<br/><br/>...<br/><br/>"Right.  I know nothing of contemporary currency values."  She muttered, taking out all the bills within and then ditching the wallet on the ground.  Folding them up, she stashed the money away in her jacket, as well, and started looking around.  She'd just have to find somewhere with a menu she could order off of, so that she could compare what she had with the prices on the menu.<br/><br/>That place on the corner looked pretty good.  'The Eating Counter', eh?  Yeah, she could probably pick up some nice food, there.  Maybe she could rob a few more people and get a nice room for the night, too...