Page 153 of Nearly Roadkill
A Public Safety Announcement
from
the U.S. Federal Bureau of Census and Statistics
in cooperation with your local service provider and Allied Consumer Industries
Subject: Net Strike Rumors
Reports verify that the source of the alleged “Scratch and Winc Strike Document” is in reality a teenaged drug dealer
“… trying to have some fun.”
The United States government strongly urges all citizens to IGNORE talk of a Net Strike. It is a bad practical joke.
Please LEAVE the RALLY Website NOW
and enjoy your time on the Net.
We are working to ensure this sort of mischief does not reoccur.
REPEAT: Talk of a “Strike” is all a practical joke.
One by one, hundreds of people have begun leaving The Rally.
At the same time, Budge’s virus, the infamous Typhoid Mary, zeros in on Scratch, Winc, and Toobe. Budge and Shelly are watching the virus and celebrating.
Around this time, the SysOp cryptically writes: “Time to enable the StickyBomb.”
“Uh-oh, handsome, we may have started celebrating too soon.”
“How’s that?” Budge looks up warily.
“That SysOp thingy is also taking out your hackers!”
“What? You mean, like zapping them off the Internet?!”
“Looks like it.”
“Okay okay, not worth it, we don’t need a war with this SysOp.”
He thinks for a minute.
“Can we tweak the Mary thing to just disable Scratch, Winc, and Toobe’s computers, and not fry them?”
“Sure thing, Walls,” Shelly says, and her red fingernails fly over the keyboard. “There.” She sits back, satisfied.
“Thanks, Shel.”
“No problem, Walls,” comes the reply.
END JABBA NARRATIVE ENTRY
GWYNYTH DIARY ENTRY
I’m having a little fun with the brave lieutenant. Poor dear. As soon as theDISABLEDbutton is selected, a message from that sly ol’ SysOp pops up:
To:Ms. Budge
