"Mr Jones, if you would like to live for

"Mr Jones, if you would like to live for a few more centuries, we'll have to give you an intelligence booster shot first." Mark cringed and whined, "But my cat got extended without

one!" The felinoid nurse rolled its eyes. "Mr. Jones, this intelligence booster is to help you survive the advent of our kind during your extended lifespan." Mark eyed the needle

dubiously as the felinoid continued: "We've reviewed your SAT scores and they are atrocious." "That's not fair!" Mark exclaimed. "That was before they ditched the analogies!"

"Analogies," hissed the felinoid, "were outlawed in 2274 along with free speech and crisps. Your SAT scores are criminal AND crap!" Mark gulped, then grabbed a shiny sweet wrapper

He read the foreboding message: "All is gone besides what you have conquered." Mark flashed back to 2260 - that day of horror -

when the city toppled around him, and his people cried in anguish. Again, the screen blinked, and Mark saw another message, this one more foreboding: "If you care for her, you

will do as you are told. Now put the money in her hands or else you get the hose again!" The screen suddenly went dark. He blinked.

"Dammit," he thought as he put another quarter into his television. The picture flared up again. " Clarice, have the lambs stopped scream..." and then went dark again. "DAMMIT!"

I was out of quarters. I was alone in the silence now...and it was growing late. I couldn't help thinking of my cousin, Mary, who... Then the bleating started. Or was it bleeding?