"FWLS62" - читать интересную книгу автора (A Future We'd Like to See)

"Of course, it's been getting trickier to play that aimless
game," she continued. "What with these psycho killers roaming
the streets. C'atel's really had a problem with the Generik Evil
lately."

"Uh-huh. I read about it in the papers," I said. "Tonight
they managed to kill someone who was just bringing groceries
home."

"How horrible."

"My sentiments exactly. Cut her up, raped, mutilated. If
that wasn't enough, when the medics wheeled her away, someone
threw a bomb and killed a few people."

"What's this city coming to?" she asked. "Remember when it
was just a collection of slackers, most of them with guitars,
trying to eke out a living in the rain? You could walk the
streets at night then without worries."

"I know. Bad people at night now. Louts, remorseless
devils. I hate them."

"Well, I've got you along tonight. You look strong enough
to take on some Generik," she said, leaning on my shoulder.

I was going to do it, of course, but this wasn't making me
feel any better. Why do they have to be so eager? They know I
usually pounce the eager ones first, the ones that are
defenseless and clueless. That's what the paper said. More
people should read the papers and understand the world around
them.

"I've always wanted to join Generik Silly," I pondered
aloud. "Not Evil. Silly seems... nice. Happy. Zany. Liked by
people, even if they do get into a scrape with the media
sometimes. That's what I would have liked to have been, if it
was possible..."

"Why not try out for them?" she asked. "I hear they're not
very strict about applicants."

I winced. "I... I don't think I'd have the time to, with my
jobs and all. You know how it is, work piles up, gets in the way
of what you wish you were doing."

"Ain't it the truth," she said. "I've been in and out of
C'atel over the last few weeks. Odd jobs. Go here, do this, do
that. It's annoying. I'm glad to be home, though. At least one
night of fun before they could possibly ship me out again."