Qylar scoffed. “Yes, it’s legal.”
Kenji growled. “Qylar… this is all starting to make me feel very uncomfortable.”
Qylar put down the towel and pulled Kenji closer.
“You’re not allowed to work through no fault of your own. How are you supposed to live?”
“This is more than I need to live.”
“Then use what you need and nothing more. Just because it’s there doesn’t mean you use it all at once. It’s a cushion, to allow you to be less anxious about the future.”
“But whose is it?”
“Mine.”
“You don’t work either,” Kenji barked. “You keep declaring yourself a servant, so how didyouget it?”
Qylar sighed. “We needed money to survive and repair our ship we crash landed in. Fortunately, Cryss’s grandfather had left him the townhouse and some money, but it wasn’t going to go far and we had no idea how long we’d be here. I created an algorithm that predicted which stocks to purchase and when—and also when to sell them—from the various stock exchanges here on Earth. Cryss used a large share of his grandfather’s money and then shared the profits from of our first big sale, most of which we both reinvested. The money grew. It covers our living expenses and has allowed us comfort. I took some from my account and moved it to yours, so you have money to spend when you need something.”
“This is way more than spending money.” Kenji shook his head. “I’ve lived a life without, and I know how scary it can be. Knowing there are so many people suffering…” He waved a hand around the house. “While this kind of luxury exists, it makes me uncomfortable. I’ve tried to roll with it, but, this just pushes it way over the line.”
Qylar eyed him. “Is there something I can do to help make you more comfortable?”
“How much of the money that you make goes to help those in need?”
“We donate and volunteer often. I’ve told you that. We will continue helping those in need whenever we can. But you know we’re limited in what we do here.”
“Do more. Donate more.Reallyhelp people who need it. That’s how you can make me more comfortable with this.”
“You know we can’t. The Embass?—”
“The Embassy seems like an easy excuse to do nothing. You skirt the rules when you want. Hell, I’m sure using an algorithm to buy and sell stocks is totally against their rules, isn’t it?”
“It is,” Qylar murmured.
“But you did it, didn’t you?”
“We had expenses… and couldn’t get jobs. What else was I supposed to do?”
“And they can’t see what you’ve done?”
Qylar scoffed. “I found a little loophole in their system which hides this account from the Embassy. They haven’t noticed anything yet and hopefully won’t.”
“I want you to find a way to cover your tracks again and do something meaningful with what you’ve made.”
“We give as much as we can without alerting our watchers.”
Kenji scoffed. “There is real suffering in this world. A worldyouchoose to call home because you can’t bear your own. You have the luxury of leaping to a new world. Do you know how many people here would love that same ability? I want you to help those people in a real way…” He looked at his phone. “Or I can’t do this. I can’t be a part of your world.”
“Skirting the rules for small things is one thing. Donating large sums will be noticed.”
“Find another loophole,” Kenji snapped. “Or a way to donate a million small sums. Whatever it is you need to do.”
“You make it seem as if that’s simple. I don’t even know how long this loophole we have now will last.”
“And if they find it? What happens to you?”
“We’d be kicked off this planet never to return,” Qylar replied. “Pay a massive fine to the Embassy. Be publicly shamed in front of everyone in the system.”
