SW10/PRECOG/HCC: So How's the Pizza?

[Scott Eiler]

The alien killing machine raised his paddle against the panda 
nature-avatar.  The paddle held Engines of Reality.

Energy burst forth...

...

On another level of reality, the Writer put his picture of the panda and 
the killing machine away, as the waitress delivered his pizza.  But then 
the phone rang.

"Hello.  Yr whel hz a brkn axl."

"Hello?  I can't hear you."

"Yr wheel haz a brkn xl."

"Excuse me..."  The man holding the phone plugged his ear and walked out 
the restaurant door to the parking lot.  "Let's try that again.  I 
thought I heard you say my wheel has a broken axle."

"Ys it ds."

"Yes, you say?"

"Ys.  Bt we cn rpar it."

"Excuse me, did you say you *repair* the axles of broken bicycle wheels?"

"Thts rite."

"Is that really best if the wheel's that broken?"

"Lt me chk..."

"Arrggh!"

... Ten minutes later, the Writer returned to his restaurant seat and 
*finally* ate his pizza.

The waitress came by.  "So, how was the pizza?"

"Cold.  But not your fault."

...

An hour later, the Writer reclaimed his vehicle from the bicycle shop 
and went home.

But there was still unfinished business with a panda, a paddle, and a 
killing machine.

---

Author's Note:  This is what we call a True Story.  Also a Coming 
Attraction.  Also a High Concept Challenge, as it happens.

Be assured, the bicycle is fine for now.  Though it's amazing it got as 
far as the pizza place if the axle was broken.  I thought it just needed 
a spoke replaced at the convenient nearby bike shop...  Anyway, nothing 
was harmed in the production of this story, except maybe the pizza.

-- 
(signed) Scott Eiler  8{D> -------- http://www.eilertech.com/ ---------

When you *are* the leader... whatever goes wrong... whether you did it
or not... *you* are held responsible. - Barack Obama

I know. - Archie Andrews

- from Archie #617, March 2011, scripted by Alex Simmons.