Her hand trailed down to her hip, fingers resting tentatively on her volt gun.  Who did this tosser think he was?  She felt her jaw tighten.  She had never been the patient type, and this man was testing its limits.  Joey was no street thug.  Thief?  Yes.  Robber?  Sometimes.  She liked to shoot things, yes, but she didn’t want to shoot things that shot back.  She was cheap like that, and the shopkeeper was displaying far too much confidence for anyone that might be otherwise unarmed.  There were several scenarios playing in her mind.  Shoot him, take the money, take the HexTech as well, and dart him before he could alert anyone.  No.  Just dart him.  Take her keep.  No.  Take the original offer.  No, no, no.<br/><br/>His last question really got her attention.  This time she finally made eye contact, and she even considered explaining her situation.  She thought about telling him her mother could die of the Curse any day now.  She thought about telling him<span style="font-style: italic">precisely</span>what it was worth to a filthy northerner like herself.  She wasn’t going to play off of pity, however, and doubted he had it, anyway.  Joey’s lids hardened into a sharp glower.<br/><br/>“That’s not your business,” she declared harshly, tossing the core back inside her bag and zipping it shut with all the embodiment of her displeasure.  She tore off the Voxel and set it onto his counter with an audible click.  “If you don’t want them, that’s your loss.  I’m wasting my time here.”<br/><br/>She spun on the heel of her boot and exited the shop, sparing no glances back.  She knew she could find a place to be rid of these, but she would either need to do it quickly- before word spread- or wait long enough for the local pawn shops to forget about the incident, in which case they could be sold safely.  The problem with waiting was that she wasn’t certain how long she could last on what she did manage to walk away with.<br/><br/>The streets were more populated now.  The “Good morning!” broadcast was running as it normally did by this time.  The local headlines were streamed alongside the weather planned for the day, which was almost always kept at room temperature.  She tried to avoid looking up, however, knowing she would see the report on the aggro she’d initiated in Sorelli’s.  Thankfully there was not a description on her- not yet, anyhow- but she knew that they wouldn’t have had time for a proper investigation since it hadn’t been much more than an hour ago.  Instead, there were some advert reels populating the dome now with sales information and news on the latest augments to hit the fashion market.  Joey still couldn’t believe that dying your skin a minty colour was popular now.<br/><br/>She travelled to the east end of the dome, where the chemist was located.  He would just be opening his doors now, and with any luck, there wouldn’t be a long queue already formed for his services.  She was lucky today.  There were only three waiting.<br/><br/>“Ah, Ms. Thane,” the chemist greeted her.  The man was a bastard.  She didn’t like him much at all, and he knew it, but they both attempted to remain civil for business sake.  “Come for the usual dosage?”  She nodded curtly, digging into her pack for his payment.  The man’s long, black whiskers seemed to curl into a grin of their own right as he peered down at her from behind his little glass window.  “I’m afraid I must inform you, with recent events occurring with my sources, as I’m certain you’ve heard about, I’ve had to raise the price for it.”  Joey’s grip on the small wad of cash in her hand almost faltered and scattered it all into the light breeze.<br/><br/>“By how much?” she asked warily.<br/><br/>“Five hundred credits,” the man returned casually.  Joey’s fist came plunging into the glass, startling the man behind it.<br/><br/>“That’s twice as much!!” she barked.  The chemist gave her a cruel smile.<br/><br/>“It’s been doubled, to reflect the increase in my demand.  Darling, I’ve got to make a living somehow, and I can’t practically give this all away.  You northerners are an ill lot, I hope you understand!”  She wanted to wring his neck.  If it weren’t for his lot keeping all of the proper care to themselves, they would have had the right treatments by now.  She knew there were ways to properly gear up and prevent the radiation from spreading, but it was all hidden among the people who didn’t even need it.  This man was selfish.  She slammed the cash down on his counter, sliding it into the little slot as she snarled at him.  The chemist counted it out, a pleased grin pulling at his lips as he finished.<br/><br/>“Excellent, Ms. Thane, it’ll be ready in an hour!”  He pulled down the steel curtain behind his window without another word.  Joey turned and paced the street a few times before falling into a bench nearby.  Her head fell into her hands.  Sometimes it felt like the whole dome wanted to make it impossible to survive.  She didn’t want to be a criminal, but she also didn’t know how to do anything else.  There was nobody out there to hire her.  She had no education, no prospects, and certainly no bright future.  And it seemed every week the climb was even steeper.<br/><br/>A stray cat wandered out from under the bench, brushing against her bare legs with its dry and bristly fur.  Joey moved her hands to peer down at it, noting its missing eye and its ugly, skeletal frame.  There were patches of fur missing, where its skin had been peeled away and there were small bumps where something might emerge later.  Maybe another head.  She’d seen it happen.  It mewled pathetically at her.<br/><br/>“I’m sorry.  I haven’t got any food for you,” she murmured, petting its head, which it seemed to appreciate none-the-less.  Its broken little purr resonated loudly from its chest.  How could it be so happy?  The creature looked like it might fall over and die at any moment.  It settled to lay on top of her boots, where it preened at its claws contently.  Joey smiled gently at it.<br/><br/>The smooth sound of engines passed by the little corner she waited in, a parade of perhaps three authorities.  Their lights flashed the telltale red and blue, announcing they were on their way to official business.  She watched them going south toward the market, and reasoned they would be the ones investigating Sorelli’s.  The man would have a difficult time remembering her face, and it was unlikely they had a scan on her merchandise just yet.  They didn’t slow down as they passed, so that was evidence enough she was safe for now.<br/><br/>The only one who would know was that shopkeeper at Discount Tech, and she regretted not darting him.  He would sell her out.  She knew he would.  Joey would have to get rid of these things quickly.  She sifted into her pockets, pulling out a handmirror.  She slid her finger along the top of her image, and her hair began to slowly change hue until it was a platinum blonde.  Pink was definitely going to be a part of his description.  The least she could do was buy a little more time.