Drops of Corruption by Jason M. Hardy

Author:Jason M. Hardy
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub, pdf
Tags: Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction, General
ISBN: 9780451460837
Publisher: RoC
Published: 2006-01-15T07:00:00+00:00

15

Naturally, he checked NewsNet first. It wasn’t the top story of the day, but it was there, read by an earnest young man who lowered his voice to show that he thought it was a serious item.

"Chaos at the Gates Casino last night, as a reputed mobster and a mysterious con man accused the casino of shifty dealing. The mobster, Murson Kader, an alleged associate of the Finnigan crime family, lost over twenty thousand nuyen at the casino, only to accuse a dealer of cheating on behalf of another player. Though Kader and his associate, a man only identified at this point as ‘Mr. Miller,’ claimed to have trideo proof of the cheating, that proof turned out to be doctored. When his evidence was questioned, Kader flew into a rage, inciting a brawl that spread across the casino and claimed one life. The deceased, a SINless man known only as Alex, is believed to be the man who won most of Kader’s twenty thousand nuyen at the poker table.

"Lone Star Security Services, in conjunction with Gates Casino management, is working to develop an appropriate response to the situation, including determining what charges to file against Kader. The case is complicated by the fact that the credsticks Kader used to gamble at the casino were counterfeit. Mr. Miller remains at large, and Lone Star has provided the following mock-up of his appearance."

An image that looked vaguely like Bannickburn’s disguise from the previous night appeared on the screen. Bannickburn squinted at it, then smiled. His brain seemed surrounded by a gauzy cloud, and he had trouble summoning the motivation to do more than switch between the nets. Detoxifying (he preferred that term to the more colloquial "coming down") was never easy.

He switched to INN. He had to wait to see the coverage he wanted, but when it came, it was most gratifying.

"We’ve just heard from Liselle Byatt, security chief of Gates Casino, announcing a lifetime ban on Murson Kader from all Gates Casino properties, both in reality and on the Matrix. Byatt also hinted that this is only the beginning of the punishment the casino will seek, though Mr. Kader’s extensive contacts may limit the casino’s actions against him."

Beautiful, Bannickburn thought. All quite beautiful. Report after report alleged—which, to the public, was as good as a statement of fact—that Kader was a liar playing with counterfeit money. And now he was banned from Gates for life.

This was enough, but Bannickburn wanted more. "What’s the Matrix buzz?"

Jackie blinked several times, trying to focus her eyes, but she was too involved in the Matrix. Her expression stayed slightly dazed. "These people are savvy. Most of them know Kader wouldn’t show up with counterfeit credsticks. They figure he was duped, not crooked." Then she smiled. "But they don’t care much. Just about everyone’s happy to see him take a hit, even if no one thinks he’s going to be off the streets for any real length of time. There’s absolutely no interest—well, except from Kader and a few Finnigan goons—in finding this Miller character.

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