Asimov’s Science Fiction, January/February 2026
This science fiction heist story follows Cliff Holter, a freelance problem-solver hired by criminal Julius De Yulius to intercept a thief named Trent Arblebey. The tale unfolds on a desert planet where Trent has just completed an exhausting climb up a three-hundred-fifty-meter ladder from Julius’s underground bunker, carrying sixteen million in stolen bonds in an anti-gravity Persephone’s Wish bag.
Cliff has been waiting at the surface, reading a book under a palm tree, when Trent emerges from the hole. The scrawny twenty-six-year-old appears weak and dehydrated, vomiting after drinking water too quickly. Trent has a mysterious “ruined hand” that seems to have limited his opportunities and pushed him toward crime. He has a wealthy marine biologist lover named Molly who lives in a mansion on a coral atoll, unaware of his criminal activities.
As Cliff questions Trent, Julius arrives in a fancy Larline aircraft, carrying a Schlengler 190 weapon. Cliff quickly realizes he’s walked into a trap—this isn’t a simple retrieval job but an elaborate double-cross. Julius and Trent are working together to frame Cliff as the fall guy, likely because Julius owes money to the dangerous Ramira crime family and is trying to hide assets while appearing innocent.
When Julius threatens Cliff with his weapon, Cliff uses Trent as a human shield and sabotages the anti-gravity bag’s control system with his hidden nano-carbon blade. This sends Trent floating uncontrollably skyward, screaming as he rises. Julius attempts to shoot down the bag to recover the bonds while Trent slowly suffocates in the thinning atmosphere.
A fight ensues between Cliff and Julius. Cliff manages to disarm Julius of the Schlengler, but Julius cleverly retrieves Cliff’s own booby-trapped singleshot weapon and tosses it down the shaft. During the struggle, Cliff throws his chair at Julius, who stumbles backward and falls down the three-hundred-fifty-meter hole to his death—whether it was truly that deep or the advertised thirty-two meters doesn’t matter anymore.
Cliff commandeers Julius’s aircraft and flies up to rescue the grateful, terrified Trent, who is still rising with the malfunctioning bag. After pulling Trent aboard with a tow line, Cliff proposes splitting the bonds fifty-fifty. He plans to inform the Ramiras about Julius’s death, allowing them to claim whatever remains in the vault, which should satisfy their debt. Trent will finally have enough money to repair his damaged hand.
The story ends with Cliff flying toward Hornlbie, the planet’s largest city, where he can convert the bonds into usable currency. Despite his newfound wealth, Cliff reflects that he’ll still need to find more work—a man like him needs to stay occupied. The tale combines elements of crime noir with science fiction world-building, featuring interstellar travel, advanced technology, and the timeless themes of double-crosses, survival instincts, and unexpected partnerships forged in desperate circumstances.
