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He said, "Where you been? I’ve been walking around for two hours"

"Tiht after you"

"That’s always your excuse"

I said, "At least it’s cooler here"

"No nets here, though" He was right, the naked riely ineffective sentries He said, "This one’s regulation but a couple of those other goals are bent on the ri in this world"

There was a tinkling sound fro We both turned A bone-thin wos stulass jar at us that crashed twenty feet short on the paveer aiht at us

"Y-y-y-you!!" she screeched "Unstained! Unstained! How!?!?" Her left ared stu was suddenly cut short when four beings I can only describe as soely with clubs They hauled her unconscious body into the sky We watched theed a look, then shot free throws to see ould start with the ball

John won We played for a bit but the game wasn’t that much fun It was the wind That steady, rotten wind that blew constantly fro and an insectile shrieking noise; it drove every outside shot off the mark by a couple of inches Soon we both abandoned three-point shots, which brought the gaht advantage gave hi hia little running hook under the baseline John’s hands were quick, swatting the shot away The ball went bouncing off the court

"Hey!" John shouted after it "Toss it back!"

I turned to see who he was shouting at There, by the ball, was hovering what looked vaguely like one of those wet/dry Shopvacs they sell at Sears It made no sound I could only presuh it lacked any kind of eyes or robotic facial features we add to our ive the array of probes in front of it that were aimed at the two of us, sensors of so doesn’t have any kind of ball-handling appendages You’re going to have to go after it"

John turned on ot it last tiet it together At the ball site we noticed the droid was still there, taking its silent measurements or whatever To our surprise, it spoke

"Identification please"

John smiled "Assey Cocklord"

It turned to "

"Identification not on database Please state your habitation sector"

John: "Your Ass"

Me: "The suburbs west of Your Ass"

"Sector not on database Please report to your nearest quarantine facility Failure to report within thirtychattering back there It was et ame

Suddenly, fro sound, like a car running on a flat tire I looked up at it and John took the opportunity to steal the ball froain utilized his genetic ability to dunk a basketball

"Booyah!" he said, arms in the air "Dunk off a steal! I done dominated you in two universes, bitch!"

I was sick of basketball My gaed for the courts of rew louder I grabbed the ball and sat down on it, using it as a stool

John said, "Coo back to Hot World I bet it’s not even seventy out here"

"Nah," I said I noticed an old, tiround, headline in three-inch-tall letters: "PHENOMENON CONTINUES AROUND SOUTH POLE, PRESIDENT URGES CALM"