Joshua Bailies sat on the twenty third floor of Bailies Financial Services.  He was sprawled on his plastic chair, looking around the office.  No one in the Senior Accounting Department would make eye contact with him.  Joshua pretended to use the computer for a bit, because the others seemed to be getting annoyed.
    A high pitched ringing sound burst forth from the speakers on the computer.  A window showed up, announcing "Incoming Message Received".  Joshua checked his watch.  It was 14:27.  He tried to think which Mail Shuttle would have arrived at this time.  Isn't two thirty Ameristation Two he wondered.  He was even more confused.  He could not think of a single person he knew in that slum.
    He told the computer to open the file.
    "Dear Mr. Joshua Bailies;"
    "You are Requested to be in presence at the reading of the will Of Mr. Daryl  Singer.  The reading will take place April 23 at 10:00.  Please be at 3408, 471 street, level 8, Ameristation two, at this time.  If you are unable to attend, please contact us as soon as possible to make other arrangements"
    "Gradius Richards"
    "Will Executor"
    Joshua had only meet Singer once or twice.  The man was some kind of Mercenary who had done some work for Joshua's father.  While the old man Had not liked Singer, Joshua did not have a problem with him.  He just could not figure out why he was in the man's will.
    Joshua told the computer to dial up his father's office on the 37th floor.  The call opened, but the screen stayed black.  His father had turned off his vid, so the conversation could only be audio.
    "What?" came the angry answer.  Mr. Bailies was usually calmer, and did not yell into the phone before he knew who he was talking too.  Something must be wrong.
    "Hey, Daddy," said Joshua.  He was kind of fun when he was angry.
    "Joshua.  What's going on." It sounded like an accusation.
    "Nothing," he replied, not letting the old man phase him. "Are you busy?"
    "No.  Why?"
    "I just wanted to tell you I'm going on a little vacation soon."
    "Oh really?  Where to?" He was obviously nervous about the response.
    "Ameristation Two."
    "Why the hell are you going there?"
    "I got an E Mail saying I'm in Daryl Signer's Will."
    "You stay away from anything to do with that scum."
    "Fine. I'm just going on a holiday to Ameristation Two, not for the will reading."
    "You're not fooling anyone." He sounded tired.  He had been in too many of these sort of arguments with his son.
    "I don't know what you're talking about.  I'm just going on a vacation."
    "If you disobey me, you won't by in my will anymore.  Just think about that!"
    "Alright Dad."
    "Just stay away from Singer."
    "Hey, Dad, you want to catch lunch?"
    "Sorry.  I'm too busy."
    "But you just said you weren't... Never mind."
    "Alright.  Have a Nice day dad.  Kisses."
    "good-bye."

********************************************************
    In his office on the Thirty Seventh floor, Mr. Bailies closed the phone program.  He glanced at the monitor on his desk, looking at the e-mail his son had received.  "It's so vague.  They could be getting him out there for anything!"
    "I don't think there's anything sinister about it, sir.  Signer had a habit of doing eccentric things where money was concerned." Jack tried to calm his boss down.  Mr. Bailies portly bulk shifted in the syn-leather chair.
    "I'm just worried.  What if this is a kidnapping plot?  Luring him somewhere where they can hide out?  I'm not going to be able to stop that little bastard if he gets it in his mind to go, and the more I tell him not to, the more he'll want to.  I just don't want anything to happen to him."  He turned to Jack.  Jack hoped he never got like this with Becky.
    "If you want, I can go with him, look after him.  I'll get him to use an alias too, so none knows what he's worth."  Jack could look after him, too.  He was six feet tall and a bit over two hundred and twenty pounds, most of which was at least once muscle.  He was hired as a body guard, but he had a class three bounty hunting license, allowing him to be heavily armed and armored.  He did not look like a warrior, though.  His recently acquired bulk, bald head, and oriental heritage made him look more like an old statue of Buddha.
    "Alright," Decided Mr. Bailies.  "See if you can get him to let you go with him."

**********************************************************
    Joshua headed down to the Cafeteria.  Cafeteria was a bit of a misleading name, for Bailies Financial Services actually had an in building restaurant that served real, if cloned, food.  Waitresses in high fashion tops, which clung suggestively, and short skirts served the metal tables.  The room had big windows and high powerful floodlights.  It was very much Mr. Bailies style.
    Joshua ignored the girls and looked around at the customers.  Finally he found what he was looking for. He walked up to a table, and placed his hands on the chair of the cute red headed intern he had chosen.
    "Hey, Can I have you number, hun?"  The young man turned around, shocked.  Then he realized that this was the younger Bailies.
    He considered the consequences of his refusal, and he finally says "Sure."  He scribbled onto a napkin and hands it to Joshua, looking around to see if anyone saw what just happened.
    "Thank you," Joshua smiled.
    "Stop pestering the interns," admonished a friendly voice from behind Joshua.  Turning, he found himself face to face with Jack Kohlman.  Although Jack had been his Father's bodyguard for years, Joshua thought of him more like an uncle, or a second father.  The kind of Father they had in vids, who understood, and listened, and gave a damn what happened to you.
    "Oh, hey Jack.  How goes it."
    "Well, you got your dad steaming mad."
    "Ooopps," Joshua smiled, not too worried.  "I know.  The old bastard said he's going to write me out of his will."
    "He doesn't mean that."
    Joshua leaned in, and whispered right into Jack's ear. "He'd better not, or I'll have to... Do Away with him before he changes his will."  Joshua laughed.
    Jack joined him.  After he regained his composure, he explained, "He just doesn't want you to get hurt, and that's harder to do somewhere rough like AS 2"
    "You wanna do lunch?" Asked Joshua.
    "Sure" he replied, heading towards one of the tables.  A waitress heads out with a couple of menus.  Due to the speed cloned food goes bad, the food changed every week.  Jack did not even glance at the menu, and attempted to order a few items that have been pulled.  Finally he settled on a roast beef sandwich with fries and a beer.  Joshua ordered a tossed salad and a diet Pepsi.  they made some small talk while the waited for the food to arrive.
    Soon the waitress set their meals in front of them.  Joshua reached a hand across the table, to steal some fries.  Before he reached, Jack grabbed his hand at the wrist.  "Just a couple," Joshua smiled. "I'm trying to watch my weight."
    "You want fries, you order them, kid." Jack's face was entirely serious, as though the fate of the world depended on him eating everything on his plate.
    "I like it when you grab me," Joshua deflected, moving the conversation somewhere safer.
    "You're a scary little man, sometime," laughed Jack, releasing his wrist.
    "What do you know about Daryl Signer," Joshua said between bites of salad.
    Jack Paled a little.  "I remember him.  He was a real professional.  Good at what he did.  Too bad he..." Jack stopped suddenly, knowing he had said to much.
    "What too bad?" Asked Joshua, excited like he had stumbled onto a conspiracy.  "What?"
    "Too bad he passed on," Jack spoke more to his beer than Joshua.
    "Yeah," Joshua felt a wave of disappointment.  He already knew that.  "Was he rich?"
    "Well, he did have his own ship, and to buy one, it takes millions."
    Joshua quickly finished his salad.  "Hey, I have to go.  I need to go shopping.  I'm sure daddy won't mind if I skip out for a while."
    "You aren't planning on sneaking of to Ameristation, are you?" Jack's voice was loaded with genuine concern.
    "I'm not sure on that one yet." He smiled impishly.  "It is filthy."
    Jack did not even flinch towards a smile.  "Tell me if you do go.  You might have trouble," Jack searched for the words, "Blending in."
    Joshua got up.  "Alright, you big stud," he slapped Jack on the shoulder as he walked out.
    "Get the hell out of here, Punk," he turns his attention back to the beer.
    Joshua was still chuckling as he left the building and got into his car.  He drove through the crowded streets until he reached the park.  A few trees poked there way through holes in the concrete.  A statue of some forgotten diplomat stood in the centre of the park.  Against it leaned a man in a Black trench coat and clinging High Fashion clothes.  His face was shallow from years of drug abuse, and the muscles that showed through the clothing were probably prosthetics.  His greasy brown hair clung to the sides of his face.
    Joshua walked towards the man.  He perked up as Joshua approached and Flicked the cigarette but from his mouth.  "How much do you need," said the man known only as Dealer.
    "About Six Hundred worth." Joshua said, after some quick math in his head.  Dealer reached into an inside pocket of his trench coat and pulled out what appeared to be a cred-stick.  They both knew it was hollow and filled with white powder.  If you pressed it just right in the proper places, you could get to that powder.
    "Thanks," Joshua smiled as he turned to rush back to his car.  Suddenly he felt the sharp smack of Dealer's hand on his ass.  He turned and looked dealer up and down.  "Mmmmmm, what you doin' tonight?"
    "That depends," he smiles, raises an eyebrow, and nods towards his car.
    Moments later, Joshua and Dealer where in the back seat of the car as it drove itself automatically through the streets.  The dried chapped lips of dealer searched their way over the back of Joshua's neck as Joshua ran a tube from his nose down a line of the white powder.  His eye's rolled back in his head, Joshua turned and redirected Dealer's head.  The worst parts of the world just began to fade away.

**********************************************

    Hours later, Joshua stumbled into his apartment building.  He dialed up Jack.  The image came up on the screen, accompanied by the sound of a baby crying.  A small bundle wrapped in green rests in Jacks arms.  "Hello," he beams.
    "Hello.  Who is that?" Joshua tried to concentrate.
    "This is Becky.  She lives with her mother, so I never get to see her."
    "Anyway big guy, I was just phoning to tell you that I have decided to go and see what I got in Signer's will."
    "Sometimes you're the dumbest person I know.  Alright.  I'll get the time off and come with you.  Wouldn't want you getting hurt, kid."
    "Will you?  That is so sweet.  I might leave early, though."
    "As long as you don't leave tonight, I'll be going with you."  He turns to the baby in his arms.  "Tonight is Becca-Becky's night!" He plays with the baby, but it continues to wail.
    "I'll leave you two alone then.  Goodnight, Jake."
    Jack eye's turn kind of sad, but Joshua does not notice. "'Night kid."  Jack turned off the vid screen.  He turned to Becky.  "Don't You turn out like that, okay."  She stopped crying for an instant. 1