▁to ▁be ▁the ▁Si rian ' s ▁guide ▁to ▁Earth ▁culture ▁and ▁history , ▁and ▁is ▁paid ▁hands om ely ▁for ▁it . ▁Unfortunately ▁Ad ne ▁and ▁the ▁others ▁sh un ▁him ▁for ▁working ▁for ▁the ▁al ien . ▁ ▁The ▁Si rian ▁asks ▁many ▁questions ▁about ▁seem ingly ▁arbitrary ▁topics ▁of ▁human ▁history . ▁When ▁For r ester ▁fails ▁to ▁respond ▁to ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁Si rian ' s ▁requests ▁in ▁time , ▁he ▁is ▁prompt ly ▁fired ▁by ▁the ▁Si rian . ▁ ▁He ▁then ▁takes ▁a ▁high - pay ing ▁job ▁which ▁is ▁an ▁apparent ▁s ine c ure , ▁watching ▁over ▁some ▁mach in ery , ▁until ▁he ▁lear ns ▁that ▁all ▁the ▁previous ▁hold ers ▁of ▁the ▁post ▁are ▁in ▁cry op res ervation ▁after ▁being ▁bl asted ▁with ▁radiation . ▁Again st ▁the ▁warnings ▁of ▁the ▁Jo ym aker , ▁he ▁qu its ▁in ▁the ▁middle ▁of ▁a ▁shift . ▁In ▁this ▁time , ▁this ▁is ▁a ▁huge ▁error , ▁and ▁all ▁his ▁funds ▁are ▁taken ▁in ▁fin es . ▁He ▁is ▁reduced ▁to ▁nothing , ▁and ▁forced ▁to ▁live ▁with ▁all ▁the ▁other ▁b ums ▁on ▁Sk id ▁Row . ▁ ▁The ▁existence ▁is ▁actually ▁quite ▁comfortable . ▁Nob ody ▁can ▁afford ▁a ▁Jo ym aker , ▁but ▁rich ▁people ▁pass ▁through ▁dol ing ▁out ▁money ▁to ▁ 2 6 th ▁century ▁pan hand lers , ▁and ▁there ▁are ▁c ash - only ▁e ating ▁places ▁with ▁coin - oper ated ▁Jo ym akers ▁at ▁the