DATALOG 112
MONEY IN THE DESOLATION

The city of Khan-Uul thrums with life in the shadow of the Prime cloning facility, a stark contrast to the desolate wastes that stretch beyond its walls. Here, in this unlikely oasis of commerce, the economic heart of the post-Collapse world beats with a fierce determination.

At the center of Khan-Uul's economic ecosystem stands the Khan-Uul mint, a fortress-like structure where the Sukh, the most widely accepted currency of the desolated world, is born. The mint's imposing façade belies the constant activity within, where clone workers labor tirelessly in sweltering heat. The air is thick with the acrid tang of molten metal and the rhythmic clanging of machinery, a cacophony that never truly ceases.

Overseeing this vital operation is Khatun Bōrte, Master of the Mint and de facto ruler of Khan-Uul. Her face, young but marked with the telltale scars of her violent ascension to power, is a common sight throughout the city. The office of mayor exists in name only; real authority flows from the mint, backed by the tacit approval of the Prime AI.

The Sukh's journey from Khan-Uul to the far reaches of the known world is a testament to the resilience of human commerce in the face of devastation. Each day, a steady stream of trade caravans enters and exits the city gates, their wagons laden with goods when they arrive and their purses filled with freshly minted Sukh when they leave. These caravans, guarded by battle-hardened mercenaries, are the lifeblood of the post-Collapse economy.

As they travel westward towards the irradiated mud lands of what was once Europe, the Sukh begins its circulation. In ramshackle markets and fortified trading posts, the coins change hands countless times. They pay for salvaged tech, ammunition, and precious clean water. They buy passage on treacherous routes and bribe warlords for safe conduct.

Southward from the mud lands, the caravans brave the unforgiving deserts, where the Sukh finds its way into the coffers of nomadic tribes aboard their huge mechanical walking settlements, and the treasuries of isolated oasis city-states. In the Mediterranean, maritime traders accept the Sukh, knowing its value will hold in ports across the shrunken sea. To the south-east, the coin's journey is no less perilous. It passes through the hands of clone soldiers in the endless war zones of the green hell, and into the pockets of traders in the cities up and down the Jade Domain’s coastline. 

The Prime AI, in its inscrutable wisdom, recognizes the Sukh's importance in maintaining a semblance of economic order. Khan-Uul enjoys a measure of protection uncommon in the wasteland, with Prime Guards a constant presence in its streets. Their watchful eyes serve as both reassurance and warning – a reminder that the city's fate is inexorably tied to the will of the AI overlord.

In this crucible of commerce and intrigue, Khan-Uul stands as a testament to humanity's enduring drive to create systems of value and exchange, even in the face of near-total annihilation. The Sukh, forged in the heart of this unlikely city, carries with it the weight of a civilization struggling to rebuild from the ashes of the old world.