Chapter 2

Poll results:

Phil tries to save Norm: 0 votes

Phil gives up and goes home: 0 votes

Phil follows Norm and the burly men to see where they go: 10 votes

Sole is introduced as a character and killed by a fat male robot sex slave: 1 vote

The fat male robot sex slave is Blicero. Blicero expends all oil and lubricants killing Sole and dies: 1 vote

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Author's note: Some of you may have noticed that I’ve changed the update days to Monday and Thursday instead of Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I figured this would give people more time to read and vote. *I* noticed that people seemed squeamish to vote for options they felt would not lead to plot progression. I assure you, dear readers, that all ways lead to plot progression even… sigh… sex slave robot murder. I would not post a poll with options that would lead to the end unless I was ready for the story to end, in which case all poll options lead to the end. If it seems like one option or another will not lead to plot progression, that just means it’s more of a challenge for me… and maybe more fun for you. >>>>

Phil felt his microblaster in his jacket pocket. For something like this, he would have preferred to be more heavily armed but he had neither expected nor wanted to get involved. However, he could not ignore Norm being kidnapped. If Norm was captured or killed before he could make a deal and acquire a weapon for the FEA, then the FEA would surely hire somebody else. Norm’s replacement might be smarter and Phil’s agency might not be able to find him before another portal was blown.

He followed at a safe distance of about 4 meters and tried to look like an innocent window shopper as he tailed the men through the street crowd. It was difficult to maintain the pace the thugs were keeping. There were tables everywhere topped with an assortment of usually stolen but sometimes just fake wares. Aggressive hookers latched themselves on to any and all unescorted males. Get too close to either and Phil knew he could lose his fifth wallet in two weeks. Finally, he watched as they shoved Norm into a bridal shop. Phil felt a cool hand touch his backside.

“Hey, honey, I’ll do things to you that your girlfriend can’t even pronounce.”

“Perfect.” Phil grabbed some bills out of his back pocket and shoved them into the hooker’s hand. “There’s more if you don’t screw this up. Just play along.” He dragged her into the bridal shop. Norm was nowhere to be seen, likely being held in a back room Phil supposed. He walked the prostitute over to a nearby rack. “Hey, sweety. How about this one? You would sure look hotter than the bridesmaids in this!”

She sized him up for a moment. She was uncannily good-looking for a streetwalker but there was something a bit… off about her eyes. “Oh. Oh, uh, yeah. Well, if that bitch Mel is gonna hoist her tits up like a fuckin’ hoochie and show off to the whole fuckin’ congregation I should probably wear something that shows a lot of skin like this, yeah.” Phil cringed for a moment at her vulgar performance which she seemed very proud of and snuck a glance at the tired-looking alien clerk behind the counter. She was reading something and hadn’t seemed to notice. Phil needed to find a way through to the back room. He grabbed the dress off the rack.

“Here you go. Can I watch you try it on?”

“Sure thing but if you mean that you want me to blow you that’s going to be another-“

“NO, honey! Haha. Not in public. I just want to see how the dress looks on you.”

She rolled her eyes. “All right.” He dragged her and the dress into a fitting room. The clerk continued reading. “Okay, so you want me to take my clothes off then?”

“Do whatever the hell you want just don’t walk out of the changing room.” She looked confused. Phil climbed up onto the chair and tried to listen through the air vent at the top of the wall. He could barely hear voices arguing. Suddenly, the dressing room door banged open. Phil felt a hard object hit him in the head and something warm trickle down the back of his neck. The prostitute screamed.

When he woke up, he found himself lying on a concrete floor. Norm stood over him. “You think you’re pretty fucking clever, don’t you Philip?” He heard squirming to his right. He turned his head and saw the prostitute in the arms the larger of the burly men who had abducted Norm. She was trying to escape but he was more than a match for her. Phil felt his pocket. The microblaster was missing. Norm laughed.

“You’re going to tell us which agency you work for, Phil. You’re going to tell us, or…” the large man grabbed the prostitute by the neck. “Bad things will happen.”