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can’t be too careful. More subtle than a blaster, too.”
    I thought about it. I hadn’t really considered myself a knife-type person, but his point about subtle was a good one. “I don’t have a lot of places to hold a blade.”
    “I have just the thing. Top of the line. Only problem is the cops will take it if they find it on you.” Emir disappeared into a back room and reemerged with a flat, black stick the length of my index finger. He handed it to me.
    “Close your hand on it.” I closed my hand around the flat stick and it puffed up, allowing me to grip it easily. The surface of the device felt like the handgrip of the blaster Emir had just shown me. It was comfortable and would be difficult to drop.
    “Flick it away from your body, but don’t drop it. You can’t imagine how many people throw this the first time I show it to them.”
    I flicked my wrist away from my body, not sure what might occur. A small glowing line, the length of my hand, extended from the end of the device. Emir put an apple on the table.
    “Sweep through it, but try not to hit my table,” he said.
    I did as he asked and when the apple moved only slightly, I felt just a small amount of pressure. Emir picked up the top of the apple and took a bite out of it. The blade had cut the apple neatly in half. I couldn’t imagine what it would do to my arm if I missed. Emir must have suspected my concern.
    “It won’t cut you or your clothing. For that matter it won’t cut someone you are touching. Give it a little harder flick, but do it away from everything.”
    I did as he bade and the blue light grew to nearly two-thirds of a meter. I was holding an extremely thin sword.
    “Is this legal?”
    “Not strictly speaking, so you should be careful.” He handed two small squares to me. “Give these to Kathryne.” He put the blaster pistol back in its box. “Remember. If these weapons don’t work out for you, I have many more choices. Emir either has it or can get it. Swipe?” Emir gestured to his payment terminal. I saw the total of twenty-four hundred m-creds. It was going to be an expensive day.
    My next stop was Ballance Electronics. I got help from a young woman and found a nice matte silver device that rested behind my ear and could telescope out in front of my eye to provide a HUD. The unit had a much higher quality display than my suit. I hoped it wouldn't cause as much eye strain. It was another six hundred m-creds, but I liked the way it fit. I could barely feel it on my ear, although I kept thinking something was brushing against my cheek as I walked. I would get used to it.
    I still had an hour to kill and couldn't go back to Kathryne’s without getting my hair fixed. She was right, it was in terrible shape. Some of the shine had started to return with regular nutrition, but it was still a mess with dry, split ends. I found a cluster of hair boutiques several blocks away and followed a pair of well dressed women into an upbeat shop. Several young men and women worked steadily on their clientele. The thin man who greeted me, was taller than me and dressed in tight fitting jeans and a loose black shirt.
    “Are you here to make an appointment?” His smile was friendly but his message was clear, no open seats today.
    “I’m in big trouble. I have a date tonight and I just arrived on Mars. I can’t be seen like this.” I caused my face to flush and willed tears to my eyes. Drama would be necessary.
    “Oh, you poor dear, maybe we can squeeze you in. Let me check.”
    I reached out to him and gently touched his forearm. “You are so kind.”
    “As it turns out, I was just scheduled to go on break. Follow me. What did you say your name was? My name is Sam but they call me Sunny.” I wondered if he would stop for a breath.
    “Lena,” I replied.
    “Pretty name.” He gave me a gentle push into a chair and spun it around, then ran his hands through my hair. “Lena, girl, you are a wreck. What have you done to your hair?