"FWLS15" - читать интересную книгу автора (A Future We'd Like to See)

"My point is that this is all wrong!" I continued, ignoring
the goon. "I thought I was on a typical mission."

"My dear Smith, you must keep an open mind about such
things!" laughed 7333. "After all, some people are more
civilized than your normal brain-bashing psychotic."

"Millions and millions of viewers will be watching this,
though," I protested. "They're not gonna have open minds.
People want HV a certain way."

"If you cannot accept reality, you ought to just go wait by
the shuttle," 7333 sighed.

"Oh no," I taunted. "I'm not leaving THAT easily. I've got
a job to do, and even if it means turning in a plot where the
lead hero has tea with the supervillain or something silly like
that, I'm gonna do it!"

*

"More tea?" the supervillain asked.

"Surely," accepted 7333.

"One lump or two."

"Shouldn't you be pounding a few lumps into this guy?" I
suggested, trying to steer the weirdness of tonight's excursion
to more suitable levels.

"You'll have to excuse Mr. Smith here," 7333 laughed. "He
seems to think that every villain fits the accepted role of
maniacal dictator."

The villain didn't fit it at all, in fact. He was a short,
nebbishy little man that twitched a lot and whined about his
inner child and how he felt about things.

"I really feel this is nice, those guys from the colony
sending out a real NSSA to get Candy back," the villain squeaked
in that annoying, high pitched voice of his. "It's a good touch.
It makes me feel more wanted, like I mean something."

"You do realize I'll have to take her back," 7333 reminded,
stirring his tea.

"Well, I dunno," the villain twitched. "I mean, that guy
who runs the place wasn't real nice to me. He reminded me of my
Dad, who used to call me a bad boy and... well... my therapist