Gambler by S.J. Bryant

reported in the last week, and only a
small portion ever gets reported, and an even smaller number than
that make it to the Cloud."
    "Yeah." Nova hung her head at the news. It
didn't help her with the casino case. "I don't suppose you've
picked up on any useful information for me through the Cloud?"
    "Afraid not, Nothing at all."
    Nova slammed her fist on the control panel.
"Why couldn't it just be a simple in and out case? Why do I have to
be stuck on this god forsaken planet?"
    "You could just leave the job," Tanguin
suggested, turning to look at Nova.
    "You know I can't do that. Giving up on a
job this early looks bad."
    "I know, but I thought one of us should at
least mention the possibility."
    Nova nodded. "I should let you get back to
work, let me know as soon as you hear anything."
    "Over and out," Tanguin said, saluting Nova
with two of her fingers.

CHAPTER NINE
    That night, Nova paced through the dark
alleys of Tabryn. The address she wanted was in the outer reaches
of Inner Tabryn — not quite in the slums, but too close for
comfort. Zodac Xion lived in an upper-story apartment in a grey
building with bars on some of the windows. The tall building
crowded amongst many other identical structures, and the thin
streets below were unlit.
    Nova stepped from shadow to shadow, keeping
in the dark behind buildings and large bins as she approached the
cold metal stairs which led up the side of Zodac's building. She
climbed the stairs, careful to avoid the gaping holes where some of
the metal had been cut away. The night was filled with the distant
sound of sirens and the much closer sounds of the outer city.
Breaking glass and the occasional yell echoed from nearby
apartments. Nova ignored it all.
    Zodac's apartment was silent. He would be
working at the casino until late, so Nova intended to make the most
of his absence. The window of his apartment sat to the side of the
staircase on the sixth floor. Nova climbed up onto the metal
railing and from there stretched out against the wall. Her fingers
crawled along the bricks until they encountered the open space
which was Zodac's window. She placed her foot on the sill and leapt
from the railing into the broken window. She rolled across the
floor and jumped to her feet, knife in hand.
    Silence filled the room. She allowed her
eyes to adjust to the darkness until she could make out the lumps
of furniture and the piles of clothing scattered across the floor.
She gripped the glowball at her waist and it cast a soft light over
the room.
    The single couch was frayed; the stuffing
pouring out of the cushion. A ragged rug covered in stains softened
Nova's footsteps, while a small food generator sat to the side. It
looked as though it hadn't been used for some time. She scanned the
room and took note of a few cheap ornaments scattered about the
place.
    She sauntered through a gaping doorway and
into the bedroom. The stink of sweat and filth filled her nostrils
and made her choke. She covered her face with her sleeve, her eyes
watering, and wasn't surprised to see more empty bottles scattered
across the floor. Stray needles and syringes lay about the room,
forcing her to watch where she placed her feet and hands.
    A part of her was impressed that Zodac was
still going to work. Clearly, he was lost deep inside the
addiction. Most people would have given up on work, and most other
things, by this stage.
    Nova kicked a stray bottle and it bounced
against the far wall. The room looked just like Caila's had towards
the end. A lump formed in her throat and she clenched her jaw to
stop the tears, taking a deep breath through her nose to shake away
the memories.
    An old screen covered part of the far wall,
and compared to the rest of the apartment it was in excellent
condition. It was a simple system that would usually require a scan
of Zodac's chip in order to operate. Thanks to Tanguin, Nova had an
override device that cut straight through the computer's security
system.
    "One new message,"