"It takes about a week's worth of gathering to buy a small house," Colin confirms. "More for special amenities and the like. But all things considered, that's not too bad."

He smirks as he watches the gears turn in Rob's head. "Simply, it provides hope," Colin says. "Without the monument, I'm guessing that half the people here would have given up months ago. As for me... well, I don't like to put my life in the hands of one device. I'm working to build facilities and equipment that meet my standards. The monument is handy, though. It's shaved years off of my timetable already."