Near  Baltimore was a concrete building. Sparse windows, three storeys, in the middle of a commercial park. When Derek saw it his older brother pointed it out. "Did you know that's a secret government building?"

Derek didn't believe. Although he liked the idea of it. So he asked for more details.

"It's...

The chances were slim. Considered impossible actually. To guess an  ethereum or  bitcoin address' private key. You could just guess numbers... because that's all a  private key was. And if you got the right one then the  Blockchain gave you access as though you were the rightful owner. Because to...

"Why's this son of a gun drive all that way?"

"Mexican food."

"What?"

"Chipotle."

"Keith. You know that ain't damn Mexican food."

"Whatever. I don't care if  Chipotle is Mexican or not. Look at this."

"What am I looking at?"

Keith pointed to the bottom right corner of the dashboard and began to explain.

----

Dave never thought he'd...

Sitting at the  Chipotle was Dave. The cook. He was nursing a bowl of chicken, beans, and rice. Coincidence that he was here.

"Hi, Dave."

"Oh. Max. Hi."

"You live around here?" Max asked slow. Raising his pitch so Dave didn't feel obligated to answer.

"Nah. Just the nearest Chipotle. Can you believe it?"

"I...

"What's up with you. Are you okay?"

Keith usually was nonchalant about these performance reviews. He'd been through enough of them now that they didn't affect him. But this time he wanted something. He'd been holding off on asking the whole meeting. Now it was almost over.

He'd learned the name of...

Max Lambert hated eating at the diner after his shift. After sizzling bacon, frying toast, and wiping sweat dripping off his forehead so it didn't get into the customers' hash, the last thing he wanted at 7PM was to spend another minute at the diner. Even if the meal was...

Chris shaved for the first time in five days. On earth he shaved everyday. Clean shaven was the way. He didn't look good in a beard. His was patchy. Looked like pubes. Unlike Keith who could grow a majestic beard. Cal was clean shaven. But Chris didn't know whether that...

Max Lambert got to work at 12. His boss kept trying to pay him more to get in before the morning shift, but Max wanted to sleep in and putter around at home rather than use his mornings at work. Plus the other cook had the morning well covered. Dave....

She heard the news from Sarah from HR.

"Your mom is ill."

She knew the facts. They couldn't get her down there. It was easy getting people up. Getting people back to earth. Harder. Sarah didn't need to spell it out. Marianna's mom would probably be dead before they could get her...

The man walked into the  cafe thinking about his kids. They would be the age now where they would hang out at these places. If only he could talk to them. But he couldn't. He didn't have the time anymore.

It was a crazy deal. Years ago. He had asked another...