Tides of Green

Christine Daee returned once more to her squalid apartment.

Well, it was hers until the end of the month, but no longer.

There was a certain irony to that -- after trying so hard to find an honest job, she had just killed her employer and his boss, and was now back to looking for work.

If only I hadn't spent all that money on that black-market equipment.

But if I hadn't, I might not have survived.

She ate a humble meal of soup and toast, again, and prepared to sleep through the day.

Perhaps, if she showed up for work, she'd still get paid, until they decided to raze the warehouse.

Probably do it with me inside.

So, no paycheck.

And an entire company is about to fold. Just listed in the junior exchange, too. Bet those investors are going to be upset, although there might be some ready to finish a short-sell maneuver.

Shame I didn't do the same.

Do the same.

Christine dressed, grabbed her purse, and ran for the local library.

Yes, the company was listed. The price had been low but stable for the past several months.

It would probably take a day or two before the stocks started to tumble.

She registered for an online brokerage account, made some calls, picked up the small stashes she had scattered around, pawned some of her hard-bought gear, maxed out the cards she had in other names, and by day's end had collected just enough to meet the minimum purchase.

And she entered her order. Sell 1000 shares she didn't own.

The sale took place the start of business the following day.

She sat in the library, glued to the monitor, watching the stocks rise and fall. And fall. And fall.

At last, she could bear it no longer, and typed the command to re-buy the shares, to cover her short position.

The next five minutes were an agonizing wait.

The company was declared bankrupt.

She had sold the shares for three times what she re-bought them for.

She had made a profit.

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