Returning to Carlo with the debt.

"Gave the fucker two weeks?"

"Yeah," I say to Carlo as I slide him the credits. Carlo sighs and slides a small but noticeable amount back to me. I remember when I had money. Real money, but pocket it all the same.

"I'd have given him a week."

"If he don't got it, take it out on his girlfriend again. Not my problem. I did what you asked."

"Right, right. Which means I gotta follow through with what I said. And lucky for you, I did. There's a train-ship taking people off planet. You get on that, you're solid."

"And how do I do that?"

Carlo smiles and slides me a ticket. That has the name "Smith Joe," on it. And a really bad picture of what I think is supposed to be me. I raise my brow at him and Carlo just shrugs.

"Trust me."