America: The Daily Intel
The West Coast, bathed in its free air, greeted me with a brutal awakening. One moment, my world was familiar; the next, I was an 'urban explorer' – a homeless man – cast onto the unforgiving streets.
I opened my eyes to nothing. No dog, no identity, no tent – not even shoes on my feet. Just beach shorts and the harsh concrete beneath. My only stroke of luck: the Daily Intelligence System, inexplicably tied to my phone, a lifeline in this new, desperate existence.
The messages flashed:
[Daily Intelligence:] The club at 134th Watson Street has a trove of recyclable cans and transparent beverage bottles in the green trash can in the alley.
[Daily Intelligence:] There are unfinished hamburgers, 7 flowers, and an unopened bottle of Pinot Noir in the red trash can at 96th Street.
[Daily Intelligence:] Your neighbor Jesse has a scratch card worth $5,000 in his tent!
[Daily Intelligence:] Mike's Scrap Collection Station sells a 1976 GMC Hiking RV, parked in the suburbs for 20 years, for a low price of $200. Details: Someone at Old Pick's Auto Repair Shop can repair it.
Shit! This wasn't life; it was a goddamn scavenging game. From the raw, unforgiving streets of America, Alan resolved to play the game – and fight for a better tomorrow.