He took the elevator to his room on the 18th floor of his Residence Unit and settled down on the single easy chair. He opened his computer and checked his email. Mostly junk, but one email was from the Job Bureau. His annual raise was due and this must be the notice. Only three percent, but with the way prices were soaring, every credit counted.

He opened the file. The Job Bureau logo and motto popped up 'JOBS FOR ALL, ANELA WORKS. He scanned the message. Dear Mr. Joss Wellman, blah, blah. We regret to inform you your yearly raise is denied. Production is lowered, blah, blah. The worker's tax is raised two percent. Blah, blah.

Joss reread the email again. He didn't get his raise, for the second year, and taxes were up. He calculated swiftly. Prices were up eighteen and a half percent overall, so he was down twenty and a half percent, not including the loss of a raise. Something was going on.

At 7:30, Joss lowered the blackout curtains that would give his room a semblance of night, turned on a nightlight, and left for the Falling Star. He'd eaten a meager, tasteless meal, and showered, not wanting to drink on an empty stomach, or smell of waste.

Renny had claimed a table when Joss entered the bar. He waved at his best friend and stopped by the bar to buy a lager. "Half glass of lager, Gabi," he said.

"Dark or light, handsome?" Gabi Oregon, the voluptuous bartender, asked.

"Dark, beautiful." The price was up by fifteen percent. Here on out, it would be Anela Lite Beer, which Renny described as 'cheap but at least its drinkable.'

"Another price increase," he said. "Yeah," she said, leaning forward so her tight, low-cut blouse was right before him. "Boss complains they've cut back liquor production by 27%."

"Whoa, that's not going to be popular."

"My percentage of sales is down, even though prices have gone up." Bartending could be lucrative, as bartenders got a percentage of sales. She held a glass under a tap and filled it, with very little foam. Some bartenders poured more foam and less drink to encourage more sales. She put the dark brew on a coaster by him and added a bowl of the delicious, expensive arroz crackers, and smiled, her wise, kind smile.

He suddenly missed her, her quiet voice, easy-going nature, and companionship. Not mention they were good in bed together. "I haven't seen you the last few months. What have you been up to?"

She lowered her eyes and said, "Working at the Palomino."

"Oh," said Joss. The Palomino was named after a first world animal that had not been imported to Anela. The Palomino was an expensive restaurant and bar that featured topless waitresses in the Mustang Lounge, naked mermaids and mermen swimming in the Deep Blue Sea and the rarest foods and liquors available on Anula, and pretty much anything legal you could pay for. He'd never been through the doors. "Good money. Very good money. The most."

"Yeah." She looked at him, and looked away, shyly. "My family needs credits for something important."

"I hope you made what you need." He wondered if her parents or sister were sick. If one of them had a major illness, it should be covered by workmen's insurance. Per the raise-denying Job Bureau.

Gabi nodded. "Have you hooked up yet?"

"No." He waited.

"I'm off at ten. Would you like to go to my room? I have some bourbon from the Palomino, and a real beef steak. Six ounces, but I could cook for us."

Joss stared. He'd had steak twice in his life. Once, when he graduated from Upper School and was admitted to the Engineering School at Uni, and once when he received a second-class engineering degree upon graduation.

"Sure. You know I'd come without steak." But steak was a bonus.

"I know," Gabi said softly, "There's no one else I'd rather share it with."

Joss nodded. "I'll meet you at the employee's door at ten."

Gabi smiled. "Come back for a refill."

He shook his head. "Too expensive."

She laughed. "Who said anything about paying? Employee discount."

Two women called her over, and she went to take their orders.

Joss sat down opposite Renny, and placed the crackers on the table. Renny had been joined by a young woman, perhaps twenty or twenty-one. She was beautiful, petite, slim and shapely, with dark eyes and blonde hair. She smiled at him flirtatiously.

"Hi, I'm Delia." She held out her hand. He shook it carefully, while she looked him with appreciation.

"I'm Joss. You're new here."

"That's right. I moved here last week from Moriko City."

"All the way from the Capitol of the Hill District? For school?"

Delia pouted. "Job. I worked at the Government Library but jobs were cut last month. I was offered a job at the Spaceport so here I came." She shrugged and took a deep swallow of her wine."

"Laid off?"

"Cutbacks. A lot of people weren't offered jobs and went on the dole. My job at the Spaceport doesn't pay as much, but it beats no job."

Joss nodded. Certainly does, he thought, remembering the letter telling him he'd not get a raise.

"I share a room with a guy I knew at the Library who's in the same situation as me. We're at the Youth Residences until we can get individual rooms. Prices are almost as high here as in Moriko and we're forty-nine kilometers from there. You'd think the country would be cheaper."

"We not quite country. Lot of farming and orchards. There's a lot of industry too, plus the Spaceport and the University."

She smiled happily at him, and he realized she was already a little drunk. She finished the last of her wine.

"What are you drinking?" he asked. She obviously preferred him to Renny, something Renny took in stride. His friend was casually checking out possible nightmates and some women were responding. Tonight, he longed for Gabi, whom he'd known since Uni.

"Ochoa White," she said. He got up and motioned Renny to follow him to the bar.

"Ochoa White," he told Gabi. She poured him a chilled glass and went to another customer.

"I'm hooking up with Gabi tonight," he said. "Sorry, but as beautiful as Delia is, I'll stick with Gabi."

"No problem. I'll take her home with me if she wants. Or she can go on her way." Renny examined Gabi. "She's a looker, and makes good coin here. I wonder why you two haven't thought of living together."

"Fees, fees and more fees. Neither of us has a family or child license, and neither of us is forty. Friends with benefits. It works." Joss watched Gabi smile as she handed an older man a rum and coke. He leered back and gave her a good tip. He checked the time: 8:49.

"Yeah, you just missed first class engineer and grad school." Renny shook his head. "Must have been a prime class. You're hardly ever wrong with numbers or engineering. Since you took over managing our recycling center, we've been first every year."

And yet no raise, Joss thought.

Joss handed Delia her drink and sat down. Renny said, "Joss is meeting an old friend later."

"Ok," said Delia. She put a few crackers in her mouth. She crunched and swallowed. "Arroz Crackers are the best," she said. She ate another. "Want to dance?"

They moved to the dance floor as a new song played. The lights changed colors, and blinked on and off. Renny picked up a brunette sitting alone and joined them. Joss wondered if Renny would mind not being Delia's first choice. He thought not. Renny was pragmatic. Delia shimmered to the music, and looked over at Renny and the brunette. "I'm going to have a good time tonight," she said.

After a few dances they returned to their table where Renny sat alone. The brunette had retreated to her table, where a couple of Uni professors joined her. Renny ordered appetizers; frog legs and tater wedges, inexpensive but tasty, and generous proportions, which they ate with their drinks.

"What's to do here in Hemmler City?" Delia asked, rubbing Renny's arm. She smiled at him.

"Oh, the Falling Star or other bars," said Renny. "Uni has soccer games, and events. Lake Largo has swimming, fishing, and boating."

"Is there a public pool?" she asked, brightening.

"One, but you must book a year in advance. There's a pool at Uni, but it's restricted to people who study or work there or are in the Government."

"Blasted town," Delia hissed.

"Delia swims like a fish," Renny said. "She told me one of the perks of the job at the Capitol Library was she got to use the government pools. Sorry, Delia, my room has a bathtub, if you'd like to splash in the tub." She leaned over until her nose was almost touching his. "I'd like that."

About nine-thirty, Joss went to the men's room. Renny followed him. They chose urinals and relieved themselves. "Joss, do you mind if Delia and I leave now? I don't want her so drunk all she does is sleep."

"I don't mind. Don't you have SoberUps?"

"Only one, and I'm taking it. She won't have any. The pharmacy was out."

When they sat down, Delia moved to Renny's lap. She nibbled on the last frog leg, and put the bones down. Joss's mind flicked automatically to recycling bones, then he shook his head. He wanted to forget work and everything but Gabi tonight.

Delia kissed Joss on the lips before they left. "Some other night." He nodded and Renny led her away. Joss got his refill and another bowl of crackers and killed time at the table until almost ten.