Harriet smiled. "I see Bernie's math lessons are paying off, then."
"There's so much money!" Alice grinned at her, her eyes shining with excitement. "I can help a bunch of foster kids, or fix up that school where I gave my speech!"
Teresa snorted. "As long as I get my fifty percent, you can waste your half however you want."
"Before you two go on a spending spree, you do realise this money belongs to the Navy?" said Harriet. "Their stamps and logos are all over the boxes."
"Harriet, it's been sitting here for years!" protested Alice. "Anyway, they won't miss it. All this cash wouldn't pay for a single missile."
"Which part of 'we're Peace Force, we uphold the law' are you having trouble with?" asked Harriet softly.
"My uncle died for this money," said Alice stubbornly. "Where was the Navy then, eh?"
"You can't keep it."
Suddenly there was a gun in Teresa's hand. "I don't want to spoil your little fantasy, but if you think I'm giving up my share—"
"Teresa!" protested Alice.
"Okay, you give your half back," said Teresa. "Tell them it's all you found, if you want to be a do-gooder. Me, I learned long ago to take whatever I can get my hands on."
"Put the gun away," said Harriet quietly.
"I don't think so, copper." Teresa grabbed a dozen credit tiles with her free hand. "This is going to set me up for life. No more scrimping for fuel, taking dodgy little jobs to pay for repairs. I can buy a really nice place with this, get a few robots and…" Her voice tailed off as she noticed something, and she held the credit tiles up for a closer look. Then, Alice and Harriet forgotten, she dug into the box, spilling credit tiles onto the floor. "No, no, no!" she breathed.
"What is it?" demanded Alice.
"I bet they're fake," said Harriet.
"It's worse than that," said Teresa desperately. "They're stamped!"
"What does that mean?" asked Alice.
Teresa tossed her a tile, and Alice saw what it meant. The tile bore the Imperial Navy's seal on both sides, with the words 'Internal use only' printed underneath. For a split second she wondered if they could sand the markings off, but the seal was etched deep into the surface. "So they're stamped. But what does it mean?" she demanded.
"The Navy use these things aboard ships, in their bases … everywhere," said Teresa dully. "Vending machines, canteens, bonuses, bounties, you name it. It stops their people running off and spending all their cash on booze … or worse. Plus the Navy gets to charge double for everything."
"But surely we can exchange it for the real stuff?"
"Oh sure, for a fraction of its value. It's not even currency!" Teresa swept the box onto the floor, scattering credit tiles. "We'd be lucky to get twenty grand for the whole lot on the black market."
"But … my uncle! He—"
"He may not have realised. Probably popped the lid on a box, saw all the cash and decided to steal it on the spot."
"And Smith?" asked Harriet.
"He's got plenty of black market contacts. It's probably worth a a hundred grand to him, certainly enough to chase it as hard as he did."
"Oh well," said Harriet. "I guess you won't object to giving it back then."
"No!" said Alice. "It can't all be marked. Teresa, give me your cutter!"
Teresa shrugged and handed it over, but Alice's hopes faded as she cut open box after box, grabbing handfuls of tiles from each and inspecting them feverishly. They were all marked, every single one. "It's worthless," she muttered at last, devastated. To have so much within her grasp, only to see it slip away, was unbearable. And her stupid uncle, with his grand scheme to set her up for life. It had cost him his life, and ruined hers, for nothing!
"Not quite worthless," said Teresa.
"What, you still want half?" snorted Harriet.
"No," said Teresa. "I'm taking it all." And with that she raised her weapon, aiming it directly at Harriet's chest.
"Oh, come on," growled Harriet. "You're not going to risk arrest over this silly little haul, are you?"
"I'm not risking anything," said Teresa. "Kneel down, hands behind your heads. I'll make it quick."
"Teresa, it's not enough to kill for," said Harriet urgently.
Teresa gave her a nasty smile. "It wouldn't be the first time."
"Take all of it!" said Alice. "I don't care about the money."
"Yeah, and have the cops on my tail for the next few years? No thanks."
"We won't tell anyone. Right, Harriet?"
Teresa raised the gun. "This way I know you won't talk. Now, on your knees."
"Teresa, your ship is all over the spaceport logs," said Harriet quietly. "When they find our bodies, they'll work it out. You'll never get away."
"You're forgetting this storage unit has a DNA lock," said Teresa, with a grin.
Harriet glanced towards the roller door. "What do you mean?"
"After I've emptied this place, I'll lock you in … and then I'll cut the lock." Teresa spread her fingers. "Pffft. Atoms, the pair of you."
Alice's face turned pale. "You wouldn't do it!"
"Sure I will."
"Bernie knows where we are. And she knows you're with us."
"Yeah, but I'll pay Bernie a little visit before I leave this miserable little system for good. I've had plenty of practice covering my tracks." Teresa gestured with the gun. "Now get on your knees. I won't ask again."
"Teresa, I'm begging you," said Harriet. "You and I don't get along, but what about Alice? What did she ever do to you?"
"Apart from getting in the way, you mean?"
"She's just a kid," said Harriet, a pleading note in her voice. "Don't do this!"
Teresa raised the gun, her face expressionless, and Alice realised she had one final chance to save them both. If she jumped Teresa right now, she'd get
