“Want to make 50 creds on the side?”, asshole customer number 26 said.

“I don’t do skin work sir.” maybe a bit too much sarcasm on the “sir” as I reached for the empty plate and cup of water.

Ping, customer 26 is paid and has tipped 2.5 credits to your account.

Ping, bus table and move to customer 27 to refill their water.

A tip?! Fuck that’s rare these days. I look at asshole customer number 26 again and cock an eyebrow. He’s old, gray hair, wrinkles, bad skin, so obviously not loaded enough to just be swinging 52.5 credits around. His face shows a bit of concern, maybe even a bit nervous.

“Just a courier job. I have to catch a flight and can’t stay to do it.”,

his voice isn’t exactly smooth. He taps a small black cylinder on the table. Drugs maybe? Nah, that’s too much money for anything in that quantity. Hardly illegal these days anyway with any desktop fab able to supply all of San Francisco in the summer of 1969 without breaking a sweat.

 Ping, custom 27 is waiting.

“Send me the details, I’ll be right back.”,

I scurry the dishes to the bus bot and grab a carafe for asshole customer 27.

Ping,

“Requirements: Wait in the Barrac Coffee Bar until 22:14, confirm recipient auth, attached auth, confirm with attached image, deliver cylinder and leave. Do not talk to recipient.”

Almost overfilled asshole customer 27’s water, that’s too easy. There is still a transport at 22:35 to the old bridge arcology. Holy holiday.

“K sir, I’ll do it.”,

asshole customer 26 look relieved.

“Just accept this cookie to confirm location/time and wait. And thank you, this will fix a real problem for me.”,

he slides the cylinder over.

Ping, cookie contract, accept?  Ack.

… 22:13 Barrac Coffee Bar:

Well at least the coffee was good and I’ve met a dozen new folks who work here since I left my shift at 20:00. Totally caught up on all my social networks early, even started up some conversations with old friends. 2 hours is a long time to waste, and nothing in the contract about what happens if the time runs out. Asian lady never showed. Well it would have been nice.

22:14

  Ping, anonymous deposit accepted 50cr.  

Color me surprised.

22:45

Fuck it’s dark at the transport station. Smoke is thick over the south side of the archology, illuminated as just the glow of flames in darkness by some sort of action over there. Probably just crusaders again. Gunshots echo in the distance but too far away to be worried about. Hustle in the wide plasticrete arcology entrance and into the only working inner transport pod. Surprisingly the arc is pretty absent of people, just surrounded by the graffiti, trash and decay. It’s always a little jolting to go from a pristine corporate center to the arc.

Finally in my little cube I pull out the cylinder. What the fuck is this thing? Can I pawn it? I place it in the little safe next to the sink and pull out the pallet bed.

Ping, transfer to rent account 40cr.  
Ping, accepted.  
Ping, order one extra large nutrimeal pizza and six genuine Ceres Light Beer.  
Ping, transfer accepted 0.5cr, 
  delivery in 15 minutes 
    (warning, fab delivery times may vary due to violence alerts in the area).  

Rent is paid for 2 months, I have food for the next day, and the first hard drink I didn’t have to flirt for in weeks. 2 things I don’t have to worry about and one thing I can finally just enjoy alone. I wonder what that gunfire and burning was all about further down the arcology…