Warning. The story contains mature content that may not be appropriate for listeners under 13.

The State Park. Escape Pod, episode 721.

Hustle.

By Derek Bowden. And then. And the Hello and welcome to Escape Pod, your weekly Science Fiction Podcast. I'm Phoebe Barton, your host for this episode. I'm an associate editor here to Skate Pod and I'm happy to bring you something new for your years today.

Our story this week is Hustle by Derek Bowden. This is an Escape Pot Original.

Derek Bowden's fiction has appeared in numerous venues including Daily Science fiction, flash fiction online, and compelling science

fiction.

He is a writer, a software developer, an adventurer, and a proud graduate of the Clarion West class of 2019.

He currently calls Boston his home,

although he's lived in 14 cities spanning 4 continents.

He is owned by 2 cats and one iron-willed daughter.

Find him at Derek Bowden.com. Mer Lafferty is the co-editor of Escape Pod and the author of Solo, a Star Wars story, the Hugo and

Nebula nominated novel Six Wakes, the Shamblin Guide series, and several self-pub novels and novellas, including the award-winning

Afterlife series. She is the host of the Hugo winning podcast Ditch Diggers,

and a long-running, I should be writing.

She is the recipient of the John Campbell Award

for Best New Writer, the Manly Wade Wellman Award,

the Best Fancast Hugo Award, and joined the Podcast Hall of Fame in 2015, its inaugural year.

Now, get ready to go hunting for that next gig because it's story time. Hustle by Derek Bowden

I'm all stems and grands as I kick open the door to the West Precinct, strung out bounty dangling from my headlock like a slab of vat beef with a fohawk.

Inside, it's the regular bullshit. A row of five tellers, one for each of the bounty at networks, a half dozen grill streaked

auto cuff stations, four janitors, one cop. Everyone's hustling, of course.

...