The blue slip of paper was cold beneath Julian Vance’s fingers.
On the wooden counter of Register 1, beneath the clear plastic sleeve, the faded purple carbon ink of Store Credit Slip Number Zero seemed to pulse with faint violet static. The underlying nineteen ninety-six debt was thirty years old, and the blue carbon voucher Julian had issued six months ago was creased along its perforated edges, stamped with the original four-digit store code.
STARLIGHT MART #04 -- STORE CREDIT VOUCHER #00.
CUSTOMER: TENDER-BEARER 00.
ORIGINAL CREDIT: $0.45.
CURRENT REMAINING BALANCE: $0.45.
STATUS: ACTIVE / DEFERRED.
Across the sales floor, Thomas Vance groaned through his paper teeth.
