Up and Coming: Stories by the 2016 Campbell-Eligible Authors

Last Transaction

“Last Transaction” originally appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Mar/Apr 2015.

(RESIDENTIAL PROGRAM activated. Self-diagnostics complete. Morning sequence initialized.)

Good morning, Citizen 79867. The time is now 0700, on Monday, April 23, 2136. Temperature on Colony 13: 18° Celsius. Temperature outside of colony bio-dome: 65° Celsius.

Calendar reminder: Your biannual physical is due. Scanning citizen biometrics. Blood pressure: Normal range. Blood sugar: Slightly elevated. Weight: 6.8 kg higher than last physical. Should results be submitted to Citizen Census Bureau now?

No.

Measurements discarded. You have 7 days remaining to submit biometrics to the Citizen Census Bureau. Pending messages on your account. Would you like to review them now?

Yes.

Three messages found. Message One: Timestamp: 22APR2136, 0900. Sender: Federated Colony Credit Union. Priority: Low. Message contents: The scheduled monthly salary deposit from Logistics, Inc., was deposited Sunday, April—

Skip message.

Message Two: Timestamp: 23APR2136, 0600. Sender: Executive Director. Priority: Heightened. Message contents: All Logistics, Inc., personnel are to attend a mandatory meeting at 1500 this afternoon regarding the ongoing defense contract negotiations. Tardy individuals will receive disciplinary—

Skip message.

Message Three: Timestamp: 23APR2136, 0630. Sender: Federated Colony Credit Union. Priority: Urgent. Message contents: Several monthly scheduled transactions were declined on April 23, 2136, due to insufficient funds, as follows: Scheduled payment to GraviWorks Utility Company. Scheduled payment to ColonyGlo Electric. Scheduled payment to—

End message retrieval. Access personal financial account.

Personal financial accounts accessed. Current account balance: -25037.6 credits. Select an option to repeat this balance in yuan, rupees, yen, or the US denomination of the now-defunct United States. Be advised: Federated Colony Credit Union will cease providing American currency services on August 15, 2136 as per—

Access last transactions. Date range: Sunday, April 22, 2136, to Monday, April 23, 2136.

Two transactions found.

A recurring deposit of 2972.5 credits was received on Sunday, April 22, 2136 at 0900, from Logistics, Inc. Resulting balance: 3008.4 credits.

A withdrawal of 28046 credits was made on Monday, April 23, 2136 at 0615. Resulting balance: -25037.6 credits.

Trace last transaction.

Last transaction traced. Outgoing transfer authorization found to Citizen—

Incoming urgent message requiring immediate attention.

Skip.

Message cannot be skipped. Incoming urgent message from the Federated Revenue Bureau. Timestamp: 23APR2136, 0710. Message contents: Due to recent negative transactions on your financial account in excess of 28000 credits, your account has been flagged for potential criminal activity. Criminal activity flags for amounts exceeding 10000 credits result in an automatic reduction of civil status to probationary citizen, pending judicial review. Probationary status will impact your access to certain public services, such as—

End message retrieval. Access personal financial account.

Personal financial accounts accessed. Current account bal—

Skip. Trace last transaction.

Last transaction traced. Outgoing transfer authorization found to Citizen 68516.

Look up Citizen 68516.

Command error: Public records cannot be accessed or modified by probationary citizens. Please contact your local judicial—

Skip. Access financial account services.

Services accessed. Please select from the following—

File financial theft report for last transaction.

Preparing financial theft report. Command error: Financial theft reports for amounts exceeding 7000 credits must be forwarded to Central Judicial. Would you like to forward your report now?

Yes.

Warning: Probationary citizens do not have access to priority report forwarding. Report has been submitted and placed at the end of judicial queue. Current queue position: 3426. Estimated time until review is—

Skip.

New pending messages on your account. Would you like to review them now?

Yes.

Two messages found. Message One: Secure Message. Encryption key verified. Timestamp: 23APR2136, 0715. Sender: Security Department, Logistics, Inc. Message contents: Please contact the Security Department for information regarding a change of status in your security clearance. Do not use unencrypted communication to respond—

Skip.

Message Two: Timestamp: 23APR2136, 0717. Sender: Human Resources, Logistics—

End message retrieval.

(Navigational program activated. Self-diagnostics complete. Personalized navigation system initialized.)

Good morning, Citizen 79867. The time is now 0807, on Monday, April 23, 2136. Temperature on Colony 13 is—

Skip. Activate manual navigation.

Command error: A remote boot has been placed on this jumper vehicle by the Federated Revenue Bureau, pending a judicial review. In the case of a negative ruling, this vehicle will be seized along with any outstanding assets for possible liquid—

Skip. Access pedestrian navigation map.

Pedestrian navigation map accessed. An alternate route has been suggested by the Federated Revenue Bureau to your nearest local judicial—

Skip suggestion.

Be advised: A guide is en route to escort you to initial processing at your local judicial facility. In thirty seconds, this jumper vehicle’s door will lock for temporary holding. Initiating countdown until—

End navigational program.

(Motion detected within booth. Barter program activated. Self-diagnostics complete. Greeting sequence initialized.)

Good morning, anonymous citizen. At PawnSafe, we promise an entirely secure transaction without the need for identifying informat—

Skip.

Select the type of transaction you would like to perform with PawnSafe.

Personal item liquidation.

Please place an eligible item on the scale analyzer. Be advised: Items larger than the scale analyzer should be negotiated at the PawnSafe main building on—

Item detected. Metal jewelry. Item type: Analog watch. Scanning metal composition and functionality. Functionality acceptable. Chemical composition: Au, 85%. Other elements detected: Ag, and an alloy of Cu and Zn. Remaining elements negligible. Market value based on composition: 800 credits.

Price dispute.

New price dispute entered. Enter a reason for market-value dispute.

Antique Waltham pocket watch from the late—

Keyword detected: Antique. Please wait. Attempting isotope-decay dating. Analysis successful. New market-value price: 3100 credits.

Price dispute.

New price dispute entered. Command error: Only one price dispute allowed per item. This market-value offer will be retracted in thirty seconds and this item will no longer be eligible for trade. Initiating countdown.

Accept offer.

Offer accepted. 3100 credits in payment queue. Please place a new item on the scale analyzer or initiate payment procedure.

New item detected on scale. Personal comm unit. Initial market-value estimation: 400 credits. Scanning functionality. Functionality excellent. Secure encryption capabilities detected. New market-value estimation: 900 credits.

Accept offer.

Offer accepted. Please place a new item on the scale analyzer or initiate payment procedure.

Initiate payment.

Insert anonymous payment unit or enter account information. Be advised: Using personal account information will expose this transaction to public records.

Anonymous payment unit detected. 4000 credits issued. Unit ejected. Warning: Keep hands off scale analyzer as items are lowered into processing unit.

Be advised: Personal information detected on sold comm unit. Would you like to scrub this information?

Yes.

Initiating information scrub. Accessing information for diagnostic scan.

Warning: A warrant has been issued for the owner of this comm unit on charges of: Grand credit fraud, escaping jumper vehicle temporary holding, and missing a judicial processing appointment. Owner status: Probationary citizen. Central Judicial has offered a reward for information leading to the successful arrest and custody of—

End transaction.

(Passenger detected. Transportation program activated. Self-diagnostics complete. Greeting sequence initialized.)

Good morning, Citizen—Command error: Personal comm unit not detected. This transportation vehicle will be unable to provide personalized—

Skip.

Please provide proof of payment and enter destination.

Anonymous payment unit detected. Be advised: Central Judicial periodically reviews anonymous transportation transactions to ensure that no violations are—

Skip. Destination: The Cess.

Destination information received. Warning: This section of Colony 13 is considered uninhabitable and populated by known criminals of Central Jud—

Skip.

Route initialized. Transaction price: 300 credits. Accept?

Yes.

Time until destination: 45 minutes.

(Passenger detected. Transportation program activated. Self-diagnostics complete. Greeting sequence initialized.)

Good evening, Citizen—Command error. Personal comm unit not detected. This transportation vehicle will be unable to provide personalized greetings and route information.

Warning: Recent anonymous transaction detected in vicinity of the Cess ungovernable zone. Be advised: Transactions performed in this area are considered illegal and subject to—

(Program mod initialized. Self-diagnostic complete. Vehicle subroutine tapped. Passenger transportation program halted.)

Nightshade Command Program initiation successful. Warning: The Nightshade Command Program utilizes modified Logistics, Inc., military defense technology. Unauthorized use may result in judiciary action. Acknowledge.

Proceed.

Commandeer jumper vehicle?

Yes.

Public jumper vehicle manifest accessed. Maintenance code override generated. Locating nearest municipal jumper maintenance facility. Found. Falsifying coordinates to mirror maintenance facility.

Initiate new command.

Locate Citizen 68516.

Beginning trace. Anonymous access restriction encountered. Applying random citizen identification. Success. Resuming trace on Citizen 68516.

Matching citizen found on passenger manifest for Intercolony Transport Ship FSS Heimdal. Ship destination: Colony 36. Estimated arrival: May 30, 2136.

Look up route fare to Colony 36.

Searching fare for transport from Colony 13 to Colony 36. One route matching request. Fare: 17500 credits.

Initiate new command.

Look up Citizen 79867.

Record found. Citizen 79867. Probationary citizen. Former employee of Logistics, Inc. Security clearance access: Revoked. Active warrant in effect on charges of: Grand credit fraud, escaping jumper vehicle temporary holding, and missing a judicial processing appointment. Reward offered by Central Judicial for information leading to the successful arrest and custody of Citizen 79867. End record.

Look up reward on Citizen 79867.

An active reward for information leading to the successful arrest and custody of Citizen 79867 is offered, for exactly: 20000 credits. To report information, please call Central Judicial Dispatch and specify Case #79867A.

Initiate new command.

Return home.

Command error: Anonymous use of the Nightshade Command Program prohibits storage of personalized route information. Specify address.

Residential City Tower 16C, Unit 416.

Transport initiated. Estimated time until arrival: 40 minutes.

Destination reached. Initiate new command.

Contact Central Judicial Dispatch regarding Case #79867A.

Command error: Judicial message system requires verifiable citizen identification. Seek valid identification?

Yes.

**Scanning Colony 13 citizen records. Compatible citizen found. Assuming identification of Citizen 83404. Initiating contact with Central Judicial Dispatch.

Report sighting of Citizen 79867 at Residential City Tower 16C, Unit 416.

Message sent. Communication ended. Initiate new command.

Record delayed command sequence.

Delayed command sequence initiated. Please relay commands.

(Residential program activated. Self-diagnostics complete. Evening sequence initialized.)

Welcome home, Citizen 79867. The time is now—

Safety warning: Due to failed payment to GraviWorks Utility Company, the localized gravitational field in this unit has been deactivated. Local microgravity is currently 0.630 m/s². Please keep limbs tucked in to avoid injury from untethered furniture. Human and Health Services recommends anchoring all possible household hazards in case of utility outages or—

Security door deactivated. This unit is being forcibly entered by Central Judicial on the premise of: Apprehending Citizen 79867.

Residential program security override from Central Judicial. This program is now shutting down.

(Prisoner detected. Vehicle doors secured. Containment program activated. Self-diagnostics complete. Navigation initialized.)

Scanning prisoner for possible weapons or artificial-intelligence devices. None found.

Warning: No personal comm unit present on prisoner. Please extend hand to biometric sampler.

Skin sample obtained. DNA matches Citizen 79867. Disregarding citizen weight discrepancy from Citizen Census Bureau records. Logging criminal apprehension of Citizen 79867 to Central Judicial.

Prisoner restraints in place. Jumper vehicle is now en route to Central Judicial Processing Station 8. Be advised: In order to prevent injury, do not attempt to escape restraints or jumper vehicle.

(Nightshade Command Program resumed. Self-diagnostics complete. Initializing delayed command sequence.)

Contacting Central Judicial Dispatch as Citizen 83404.

Thank you for contacting Central Dispatch, Citizen 83404. You have been previously identified in relation to: Case #79867A. Please specify request.

Request reward in conjunction with Case #79867A.

Forwarding request. Processing case details. Citizen 79867 has been verified as apprehended as of 1830 on April 23, 2136. Citizen 83404 is eligible for offered reward. Transfer reward to personal account now?

Yes.

A reward amount of 20000 credits has been transferred to the personal account of Citizen 83404.

Be advised: Until Citizen 79867 is in the custody of a Central Judicial Processing Station, this payment will remain pending. Withdrawal of credits from this transaction before it is finalized will result in a reversal transaction. Please acknowledge.

Understood.

Thank you for contacting Central Judicial Dispatch.

Detected disconnection. Continuing delayed command sequence.

Tracing judicial containment vehicle route from Residential City Tower 16C. Found. Citizen in containment jumper vehicle en route to Central Judicial Processing Station 8. Estimated arrival: 1913.

Comparing location of Central Judicial Processing Station 8 to Intercolony Transport Portal. Calculating optimal intercept route.

Optimal intercept route found. Analyzing specifications of standard judicial containment vehicle. Necessary speed calculated.

Reactivating commandeered passenger jumper vehicle. Initializing route.

(Status update to Central Judicial Dispatch complete. Estimated time until arrival at Central Judicial Processing Station 8: 10 minutes.)

In order to expedite processing, Central Judicial recommends that prisoners en route to station utilize available vehicle console in order to record statements and/or crime confessions. Would you like to utilize the vehicle console to record a statement or confession now?

No.

Response noted in official containment vehicle log.

Warning: Unknown vehicle proximity alert. This containment jumper vehicle will now attempt traffic maneuvers in order to maintain safe operating distance of—

Warning: Collision acknowledged at speed in excess of 80 mph. Navigational processing unit possibly damaged. Imminent impact with city infrastructure predicted within 15 seconds. Please remain upright in your seat to benefit from the full effectiveness of the vehicle restraint system—

Infrastructure impact. Analyzing crash damage. Steering capabilities inoperable. No other citizens detected within crash-site radius. Per Federated Colony protocols, the restraint system in this containment vehicle will now deactivate in order to facilitate possible life-saving maneuvers.

Restraints deactivated. Contacting emergency medical services in case of possible prisoner injuries.

Command error: Probationary citizens do not have access to high-priority medical services. Request moved to end of queue. Current queue position: 15. Estimated time until emergency medical service unit arrival: 30 minutes.

Please refrain from moving away from containment vehicle. Attempting to contact Central Judicial Dispatch.

(Nightshade Command Program running advanced diagnostics. Diagnostics complete. Collision predictions accurate. Damage to commandeered passenger jumper vehicle minimal.)

Delayed command sequence complete. Initiate new command.

Destination: Intercolony Transport Portal.

Warning: Damaged judicial containment vehicle has initiated prisoner escape prevention protocols.

Biometric tracking scanner detected. Modifying this vehicle’s EM frequencies to intercept.

Initiating barrage jamming of biometric tracking scanner. Be advised: Continuous barrage jamming will reduce available processor power of Nightshade Command Program to 55% and may cause passenger vehicle core to overheat.

Warning: Damaged judicial containment vehicle is initiating contact with Central Judicial Dispatch. Attempting network denial of service protocols. Be advised: Processor power reduced to 35%. Remaining processor power will execute basic commands only.

Continue to specified destination?

Yes.

Destination initialized. Vehicle now out of biometric tracking scanner range. Deactivating barrage jam. Processing power restored to 80%.

Initiate new command.

Report status of reward retrieval.

Award of 20000 credits successfully received and transferred to account of Citizen 83404. Transfer to anonymous payment unit?

Yes.

Contacting Federated Colony Credit Union. Requesting transfer from account of Citizen 83404.

Command error: Transaction still pending. Generating Federated Revenue Bureau approval code for immediate posting of transaction.

Applicable code applied. Transfer to anonymous payment unit successful.

Imminent arrival at Intercolony Transport Portal. Discarding Citizen 83404 identification and generating new identification.

Warning: Judicial search units detected at Portal vehicle entrance. Scrambling biometric signature.

(Central Judicial search program running. Scanning approaching passenger jumper vehicle.)

Command error: Unable to obtain clean biometric signature within vehicle. Attempting alternate organic analysis. Organic profile received. Comparing to Central Judicial criminal records.

Detected passenger is 6.8 kg heavier than the Citizen Census Bureau biometric record of Citizen 79867. Date of the most recent Bureau biometric record: November 18, 2135.

Running probability of weight discrepancy in Citizen 79867 since last biometric physical. Probability: 82% unlikely within Federated Colony Health Mandate Standards.

Aborting organic analysis. Passenger vehicle cleared for entry. Scanning next vehicle.

(Residential program activated. Self-diagnostics complete. Personalized morning sequence initialized.)

Good morning, Citizen 83404. The time is now 0715 on Tuesday, April 24, 2136. Climate within house: 22.2° Celsius, 29% relative humidity. Climate within orchid greenhouse: 30°Celsius, 73% absolute humidity.

Be advised: Necrotic roots discovered on two out of fifteen Paphiopedilum rothschildianum orchids. Immediate attention recommended.

Calendar reminder: Federated Orchid Society Hybrid Show is at 1700.

Warning: Possible suspicious activity present within last 12 hours on financial accounts. Check now?

Yes.

Personal financial accounts accessed. Current cumulative account balance: -230.03 credits. Select an option to repeat this balance in yuan, rupees, yen, or the US denomination of the now-defunct United States. Be advised: Federated Colony Credit Union will cease providing American currency services—

Skip. Trace last transaction.