This is a story entry for the
750 Word Project 2024
Turk was at his wits end.
Relegated to his tiny room by base security for instigating a tiny little bar fight, he secretly hoped this would be the violation that got him sent home.
One month into a three year contract on a Martian Mining colony and he was climbing the walls with boredom and sexual frustration. Back on Earth, where he had worked the waste fields, there was at least a thriving and legal prostitution sector a man could go to if he needed to get off. Management on Mars was so cheap they wouldn't even supply kleenex.
So acting up seemed like the only way out for Turk. He was a decent enough worker, and he knew that screwing up on the job was out of the question, so insubordination was the only way to go. His sector manager Lt. Grimble hated his guts for this and always warned that he'd break the young man some day.
Days later, it was in the chow line that Turk was approached by a colleague known affectionately as "Professor", who offered a possible solution.
While holding no formal education, the North German nationalist was a biotech wizard with a reputation for creating patches for Com-Screens that allowed folks to stream broadcasts from back home, including porn. The thing was, the Professor had to come to you, it was an unspoken rule that soliciting his talents was forbidden.
So when Turk found the small old man tugging at his shirtsleeve, he was overjoyed with the prospect of what may come.
The professor nervously looked about before thrusting a card into Turk's pocket, muttering CX-90 and darting off into the cafeteria kitchen. Turk waited until he was alone with his lunch before he examined the card. Unlike others he had seen in his day to day work, this chip card had two rows of lights, eight on both sides. The notch out of the bottom indicated that it was some sort of access card which thrilled Turk to no end. He sped through his food and bolted for the nearest lift, repeating the designation CX-90 under his breath so he wouldn't forget.