# thanks to miscalculations in hypercorporate paper pushing fellow researcher dr orloff is now free roaming in the high desert plain anyone aware of their precise current whereabouts should immediately contact loftleader industries internal biosynth sec dept the lost rat of keeping a lizard by stone age queens now plays in the background on a tinny wall mounted lab radio flick the holotelevision into standby for a while sitting aimless in the rocking chair before forcing oneself to get up and limp into the kitchen area to scavenge through mostly empty cupboards for dinner pickings are slim another solitary meal of boiled potatoes old tinned salted broccoli and a warm can of beer with the single word beer on the label except for a dead cat turning bright orange with fuzz in the far corner of the room the refrigerator is also empty and unfulfilled even the book shelves look desperately in need of company there's a need to fast develop coping skills and a distaste for solitude since one hasn't left these dusty motel grounds in weeks and has no plans of doing so in the 80's themed near future after dinner a tall brown alcoholic shot is poured and a decision made to make the call it's been over three months since you spoke and your hoping they're wondering what's happened to you or maybe they've figured you've have had a change of heart and haven't fallen into a giant hole in the local spacetime continuum making sure the misery faced janitor's not around you scramble up on the low flat roof to adjust the micro satellite dish you quietly epoxied to one far corner of the apartment block last month nobody noticed because they were too busy getting distracted by the everyday mundane connecting the smart laptop recently reappropriated from a heavily armored amazones delivery droid last month you load up basic software and dial the number for your laboratory back at base the phone rings twelve times before they pick up a familiar tv voice in the background a distracted hello you chat for an hour about things which only appear to not matter long term adult emotions the conversation ends yeah take care now keep in touch when you get better we can both reinitialize the intense sci fi action adventure beckoning us forth all our desperate suburban nowhere lives if only we can break out of this temporary down cycle the holotv switches itself on to channel zero // [[republic of bob contents | imaginary pastime republic of bob]]