Void Dogs
Fantasy Space Opera
July 28, 2009
July 27, 2009
100: Word Bombs
“Hold on,” Dick said. “Adams… tell the twins to drop the bombs.”
“Bombs?” Lilliana repeated.
“I determined it would be easier fighting in than out, so I undertook to arrange for the powers that be to have other things to worry about on our way out,” Dick said.
“Aren’t you worried you’ll have a hard time getting out?” Lilliana asked Nick.
“No, don’t worry,” Nick said. “These are slow-burning fuses… we’re taking a page from your playbook.”
“Thank you for visiting Mount Charles,” the cashier told Nick Bradley as she transferred the meager balance of his credits. “Can I interest you in a discount suite?”
“No, thank you,” he said. “Honestly, I’d love to stay a few more hours, but I kind of just want to get out while I still can.”
The cashier laughed a mischievous, unofficially sanctioned laugh. “Probably a good call,” she said. “Mount Charles encourages you to gamble responsibly. Would you like to talk to an associate about setting up a regular pre-set daily limit for the remainder of your stay? We can arrange to put the credits into an account now.”
“Oh, no, it’s not… it’s just, I heard that the waterpark was put under medical quarantine,” Nick said. “I kind of want to get out before it spreads here.”
“Dihydrogen Monexcitement World has its own self-contained biosphere with its own water and air filtration systems,” the cashier said, reciting words from a scrawl across her eye lenses. “The situation in there, while inconvenient for our guests, is not in danger of inconveniencing anyone within the Mount Charles Casino or any of our other fine entertainment and shopping establishments.”
“Yeah, I’ve heard that,” Nick said. “I’ve also heard that The Meadows is locked down and armed guards are turning people away from it.” He picked up his credit transfer slip. “Well, thanks all the same.”
He turned and headed for the exit, leaving the cashier looking worried and puzzled beneath her standard-issue smile. She had just opened her mouth for her greeting when the next man in line said, “What was he saying about The Meadows being quarantined, too?”
In a busy clothing boutique a short ways away from one of the exits of the mall, Nick Bradley lingered near a rack of expensive leather jackets made from the duplicated hides of several celebrities of the past few centuries. He caught a sales associate’s eye and shuffled towards her a little nervously as he approached.
“Yes, can I help you find something?” the associate asked.
“Yeah, um… I’m supposed to be meeting my co-clone here so I can see how these new jackets would look,” he said. “But I’m not sure how quick I can get here… do you have any idea how much longer you’ll be open?”
“Oh, certainly, sir… we’re open twenty-eight hours a day, six days a week. And if you’re a cloner, you’ll be interested to know that the entire Celebrity Skin line is buy one, get one half off. We know how popular that brand is with…”
“Well, yeah, I know you don’t normally close,” Nick said. “But they’ve already closed the waterpark and the Meadows, and I’ve heard that Mount Charles or Atlanticity might be next. I really wanted to get some jackets, but I don’t want to risk exposure… have they announced an emergency closing schedule for the shops, or are they just going to keep the mall open until the first signs show up here?”
“Signs?” the associate repeated.
“You know, I don’t need jackets that badly,” Nick said. “Thanks for your time, and you know, good luck.”