Light Speed Is Not a Speed
Novelette 8,910 words Recommended by 2 award/anthology sources
"The young rag-smasher halts on a terrace. He chases his breath, gazing down on the waterfront. Even from this distance, the bustle lends him an odd calm. Brisk trade means things are running. No one’s starving, not even beggars. Down there, people incorporate and sell shares. Down there it’s civilized. Murderers are sued after they’re found innocent."
Content warnings 1
violence
Quasar links out; the story lives on Clarkesworld, where the author gets the click.