Christopher Chase stared at the tiny clock in the computer's taskbar. 8:45 PM. "I'm the last one again," he said aloud, the sound of his voice echoing through the old factory building. Chris regularly worked late; it was just part of the job. At the age of nineteen, with only a high school education, he felt lucky to have the job at all. Still, being a full time support technician, aside from his role as an unofficial and underpaid junior programmer, gave new meaning to the phrase "low man on the totem pole." He was more like the guy who waited on the park bench across the street from the totem pole, praying for the day they decided to make it just one face taller. That would only help him if the three guys on the bench with him would quit or drop dead before that day ever came.

This was a spamfic, really, in 2003 when I wrote it, just something I had to get out of my system. Now, though... Have you read your EULA lately?

They're back, just in time....

Carl could not believe his luck. The fabled Spells-R-Us store, right in his own mall!

SRU: The Mousepad

by Lainie Lee

as told to
Andy Hollis and Jaye Michael

Chapter Twenty-One -- Code Pink

Chapter Eighteen -- A Well Heeled Spy

Igor Batinoff was a small man; small of body, small of stature and small of mind. While he was still a young man, his size was not the result of immaturity.

A low hum, and bright white light flooding through his basement window, woke McKenzie from a deep sleep. Igor's barking didn't help any either. He blinked against the light for a moment, listened to the throbbing hum outside and then rolled over to go back to sleep. At that point he noticed that the mattress was further away than it should have been. He was floating-about six inches off the bed.