Advanact's
Adventures in Cartoonland
The Adventures of William Anderson, Computer Scientist
THE YEAR: Sometime Real Soon
After years of development, testing day had finally arrived. William had booked off a month's vacation to be the first to explore the worlds of the algorithmic virtual reality entertainment simulator; a contraption that promised to provide Bill with millions of dollars in royalties and a life of leisure if it succeeded and an eternity of lawsuits if a fatal bug should pass through to the end-product. Unlike previous models, which provided users with a virtual world through primitive 'eye phones' and physical feedback body suits, this device actually tapped into the central nervous system through an electronic interface skull cap replacing a person's real-world senses with the computer's simulated ones.
The signals from this cap had been designed to override the nervous system and paralyze the body into a comatose state. Once the participant had been neutralized, the mind would be fed the images, tastes, sights and sounds of their new fantasy world in response to the client's actions. What the computer generated, the person would see, feel, taste and hear just as they would in the real world. For all intents and purposes the person would BE in their own fantasy world; they would LIVE the adventure!
After the first few tests, another advantage had been discovered: relative time passed between 10 and 20 times faster for a person 'under the hat' than in the real world. This would mean that for every 15 hours or so that a person explored their fantasy world, only one hour of actual time would pass on the 'outside'. For the first time in history, computers would literally save time for a user of the system.
With this device, an eight hour work day could be condensed into an hour, committee meetings would only take up minutes of your time, and a lunch break could be spun into an entire day off! This device promised to revolutionize communications and travel, enable people to interact in computer generated simulations of boardrooms, laboratories and classrooms to share ideas and explore parts of the world known only through storybooks.
It was also gonna be loads 'o' fun.
William had moved the apparatus to a local hospital for this first experiment. For the month he lived in the world 'under the hat', he would be fed intravenously and cared for like a coma patient while he explored his worlds. For more than a year (his time), William would wander through the dozen-odd places he had simulated and explore the system's ingenuity. And it really would be exploring! The magic of the algorithmic simulator was its ability to piece together bits of known story from its database of culture and theory to create a new world in which a person could interact.
While a person could set up the parameters for their adventure, they would have no way of knowing just how the system had interpreted the rules. You wanted a murder mystery? Blam! You had one, but didn't have a clue who the characters were or whodunnit. Want an adventure game? Poof! You're in it...go forth and discover.
Lying back on the bed, William readied himself for the trip to the 'other side'.
"Man," he muttered, "this trip had better be as much fun I've set it to be. After all that work I need a nice, simple, mindless vacation.." Bill let the nurse insert his I.V., took a deep breath and flipped the switch... Darkness.
When he opened his eyes, the first thing William saw was a castle in the clouds floating atop a meadow of pink humanoid bunny rabbits, working in a field to harvest their carrot crop. He was in Cartoonland, a conglomeration of all the animated films, shorts and television shows that had ever been made; processed through his system to create a new world of fantasy. And now he was a character in his own cartoon adventure.
"Wow," Bill whispered from under a low whistle, "I can't believe how real this is! Dammit! It works! I'm gonna be rich!".
Standing up from the giant purple mushroom that made his bed, he checked over his person. It seemed as though the system had interpreted his wishes perfectly and created the wear-free comfortable jeans and cotton shirt that he had specified.
"Something's wrong here", he thought, "Ah! The jeans are blue all right, but the shirt's pink with blue stripes. Ah well, I can fix that in a jiffy." And with that thought he reached to his wrist-mounted override system; which was a small computer generated by the algorithmic processor to enable Bill to control his surroundings. He specified a grey shirt and, poof, he was wearing one.
"Faaaaaantastic.", he whispered, as he specified some illusionary food, "Everything's real. Everything *gulp* tastes and feels better than it should! This is gonna be great!" and with a last swallow of his green eggs and ham, Bill hopped off the soft, green rock that had made his dining chair and sauntered through the meadow on the spongy, green grass of his new home. Without a care in the world, he looked about and decided that he might as well head towards the cartoon mountains in the far distance. It looked as though it might take a week to reach them and who knew what adventures might pop up along the way. Singing flowers and laughing rabbits popping up to join him along his walk, it seemed as though the goal of Cartoonland, to be a happy, joyous place where everyone had fun, was a success!
For the next hour, Bill marveled at the sights of Cartoonland. Watching birds build Tudor homes in the maples, fish chatting it up with the frogs and field mice and fluttering pixies who added their giggles to the mix. Roaming about at random, followed by a small marching-band of elves, Bill decided at last to rest and jogged to a nearby meadow.
As soon as he veered towards the peaceful clearing, his escort of elves bolted into the surrounding brush. Puzzled by their sudden departure, Bill examined the area for signs of danger but found none. "Ah well, all the better to find a quiet place in the forest," he thought. "Now, that boulder by the brook seems to be an ideal resting spot..." and he continued on his way.
Laying back against the rock to watch the cloud-castles go by, Bill specified a drink and some snacks on his wrist-computer and settled in for a nap. Life here was just too good.
*giggle*
"Hmmm?" thought Bill, "What was that?"
Then he heard it again. A deep, sensuous, female giggle coming from somewhere near his resting rock. Curious, he stood up and walked around the boulder to investigate.
"*giggle* ... Well", said the same, deep contralto voice, behind him now. "Well, what do we have here?"
Bill spun about to see who was following him and gasped in shock at his pursuer. Standing, if you could call that crouch a stand, a mere ten paces behind him was a cartoon octopus twice his height. All eight tentacles writhing about the ground like snakes with each a mind their own.
His breath caught in a moment of panic before he took his bearings and remembered his location. He was in Cartoonland, after all, and the one thing he made damn sure of before he went 'under the hat' of the algorithmic world simulator was that everything would be harmless. He couldn't even grow hungry or thirsty; food was just a luxury to be savoured. Fright was an option if he wanted the raciness of an adventure but he would never feel a pain stronger than a gentle slap and certainly his body in the real world would never feel a moment's stress; nothing would ever change out there. Heck, he was set for a year-long tour, maybe more, and if things ever grew too tough, or too dull, he could shut the whole thing down and escape back to the 'outside' with a command from his wrist unit.
"*giggle*," said the octopus, "and who might you be, you darling little man?"
More sure of himself, Bill examined his pursuer. A light pink in color, the body of the octopus stood a full twelve feet above the ground. Feminine blue eyes looked out from under long lashes and thick, sensuous red lips smiled back at his grin.
"Why, I'm William Anderson. I made this world and everything in it, and now I'm here to explore."
"Billy! Oh, what a precious name," the octopus giggled, batting her eyes and twisting her arms into the shape of bows beside her head, "Oh, and such a funny boy too! *giggle* So you made the world, did you? How sweet..." The octopus tittered some more and peered out from between her tentacles.
"This is astounding", thought Bill, "this thing definitely doesn't obey any laws of biology or physics I know, and I sure as hell didn't set any sea-creatures to be roaming the meadow. The processor really can invent worlds at whim!
"Who knows what I might run into next. No suction cups on the arms of this critter, no beak underneath the head either, just eight soft, pink arms and a great, round head, wrinkle free too! The computer must have invented it all."
Curious, Bill asked, "And who are you? What do you do around here?"
"Why, I'm Suzy. *giggle*... I make sure that everyone's happy when they come to Merry Meadow. *giggle* ... That's what the girls and I call this place."
The possibility of a problem clicked in the back of Bill's head, but he couldn't quite place his finger on what it might be. "Ah, well," he thought, "Ignore it for now. I might as well get into the spirit of things."
Suzy giggled some more and batted her eyes at Bill, caressing each of her arms within the others as she smiled. Amused by the antics of the giant beast, Bill half laughed his reply, "And how do you make people happy, Suzy?"
"Why, I make them giggle and laugh and smile. Oh, you're such a brave little boy to be coming to Merry Meadow all by yourself. Most of our forest friends hide when they see us coming."
Bill's bad feeling began to grow stronger. A little nervous, he asked, "Wh-why would they hide from you Suzy?"
"*giggle* ... Oh, Billy. You look so frightened!" Touching the tip of a tentacle to the edge of her smirking lips, the octopus cooed, "You wouldn't happen to be a ticklish little boy now, would you?"
And then Bill saw the problem. While he would never feel pain in this world, he sure as hell could be tickled, and being captured in the grasp of a giant, tickling octopus would put a major kink in his plans for an easy vacation. At this, the first sign of trouble, Bill reached for his wrist-com to shut down the simulation.
"Uh, uuhhh, uuuuhhhhh," taunted Suzy, as an arm wrapped about his wrist "Don't be a naughty boy now. Momma spank."
Bill tried to break free from the tentacle, but the strength of the monster was too great. With ease, Suzy wrapped his legs and arms in her firm grasp and lifted Bill off his feet. Distracting him with a gentle tickle to his ribs, Suzy used the pencil-thin tips of her arms to remove the computer from his wrist. Bill was helpless.
"No!" he yelled, "Give that back!"
"Now, now," Suzy scolded, as she swung the tiny computer in front of Bill's face "I don't think you're in any position to be making demands here young man." And with that, she tossed the computer in the air, where it was quickly snatched away by a passing bird. Bill felt his hope fading as he watched the tiny creature fly off towards the distant mountains, clutching his only hope of rescue in its talons.
"No!" Bill cried again, "Please, please, get that back. I'll do anything!"
"Now, now, poor baby," cooed Suzy as she twisted her tentacles into a rocking cradle, "don't you worry your pretty head. Your little machine's going to live in the mountains now. I'm sure the birdie will love to trade it with one of his friends for some seeds or raisins. It'll have a good home now, I promise."
Bill knew he was in trouble. Without the wrist-com, he had no defense and couldn't communicate with the outside world, which meant he would have to spend at least a year and a half trapped in Cartoonland until the simulation shut down at the predetermined maximum time!
He had to talk his way out of this but fast!
"Suzy," Bill reasoned, in as calm a voice as he could muster, "with that little machine I can control anything in this world. I can build you anything you want and make all of your dreams come true! Merry Meadow can be as big as you want and as happy as you would like it. I can make a whole field of laughing flowers for you if you want, or a giant giggling feather that tickled anyone who walked by. Just bring me back my wrist-com and I'll make you happier than you ever dreamed!"
"Oh, Billy!" the octopus squealed, as she wrapped her tentacles about him in a cuddly hug, "That's the sweetest, most precious thing any boy has ever said to me." She pulled him towards her, "Give me a kiss you beautiful little man." and with that, Suzy made a dining-tray sized pucker and covered Bill's entire face with her affection.
Bill smiled from under the tentacles restraining his shoulders. "I'm glad you feel that way Suzy. Now, why don't you put me down so we can find that communicator and make you the happiest octopus ever!"
"*giggle* Oh, you silly, silly little boy," Suzy tut-tutted as she caressed Bill's face with the tip of an arm, "I don't need any of those things. All I want in this world is to make little boys like you happy. Now, let's take a look at that precious little tummy of yours..."
"But I, mmmmrrrph!" Bill's reply was cut short by a soft, pink tentacle covering his mouth. Gently, his arms were pinned to his sides and his body firmly cuddled into an enclosing tunnel of flesh. Lying before the head of the giant beast, Bill could feel the tentacles parting to expose his lower chest. In Suzy's practiced arms it took little time before the buttons on Bill's shirt were undone and his skin was bared to the warm, summery air.
"Hmmmmm. This is my favourite part of the tickle. *giggle* The little boy's anticipation of what's to come." Suzy wiggled a tentacle-tip in front of Bill's face. "Tell me, precious, "she purred, " Where could I find your most ticklish spot, hmm? Maybe on your ribs, or under your arms *giggle* ... could it be your belly-button, hmm? Or maybe those cute, little wiggly feet *giggle*. Oh! We'll explore them all until you're just an adorable little ball of giggles!"
Bill struggled, but it was no use. Although he could breathe, Suzy had him wrapped tight enough that there was no hope of escape. "Mmmmmrrrrrruuumph!" Bill cried, as he shook his head from side to side.
"Oh? What's that? You think it's your tummy? *giggle* ... Well, let's see if you're right...", Bill saw the tips of two wiggling tentacles drift towards his midsection.
"Mmmmmmrrrrrph! Mmmmmmmmrrrph!"
"*giggle* Oh, you're so adorable!" tittered Suzy. "Cootchie, cootchie, coo! Who has a ticklish little tummy now, hmm? Does my little boy? Hmm? Does he? Does he?"
Bill could feel the two, warm fingers poking at his sides. He jumped as they began to wiggle.
"Oh! He does! Billy does have a ticklish little tummy! *giggle* ... Tickle, tickle, tickle. Cootchie, coo. Oh! Look at him wiggle. Look at that little belly wiggle! *giggle* Kitchy, kitchy. Kitchy, kitchy koooooo..."
"Mmmmmmmph! Mmmph mmmph mmmph mm m m m m mmmmmmmmm! M!MMMMMMMMMMMPPPPPPPPPPPPPPHHHHHHHHHH!" Bill could hardly stand the tickling sensations. With only two tentacles wiggling beneath his ribs, the octopus already had him in helpless laughter. Trapped in her warm, cocooning embrace, Bill could do nothing but struggle in a hopeless attempt to escape.
"Oh you squirmy, squirmy little boy! Cootchie, coo! Kitchy, kitchy. *giggle* ... What a ticklish little tummy you have! *giggle* ... Tickle tickle tickletickletickletickletickletickletickletickle!"
"MM MMMM mm mm m m m m mmmmmm m m MMMMMM!!! MMRRRRR RRRRRRPP PPPPHHH HHHHH! MMMMMRPPH!!!!! MMRPH!! mrp mrp mrp m m m m m m m mm MMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMRPPPPPPHhhhhh!!!!!"
Pursing her lips, the octopus lifted Bill to a reclining position before her and wiggled her six other tentacles in anticipation. Eyes twinkling, Suzy continued to taunt her prey.
"Oh! You're so helpless! Such a helpless little tickly boy, aren't you? *giggle* ... aren't you now? Aren't you just my helpless little tickly boy *giggle* .. C'mon, tell me now. Tell me you're my helpless little tickly boy."
"Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmrrrrrrrrpppppppppppppphhhhhhh!"
"*giggle* ... What's that? Hmm? You want a new tickle? Well *giggle* ... How about that cute little bouncy belly-button of yours, hmm? Hmmm? *giggle* ..." Bill watched in dread as another wiggling tentacle descended to tease his midsection.
"mmmm m m m m m mmmm mMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMRRRPH!"
"Oh, and it's such a tiny little one too!", cooed Suzy. "I wonder if my little finger-tip can fit inside. *giggle* ... Oh! Oh! It does! It does fit inside my little tickly boy's button! Cootchie, coo! Gitsie gitsee goo! Tickle tickle tickle...."
"mm m mmmmmMMMMMMMMMM", Bill was near tears with the addition of this new torment. Squirming and wriggling in her cuddling arms, Bill was helpless to resist the tickling caresses.
"What a widdle dawwing," she taunted, "What a dawwing widdle boy! Oh! Lessee his widdle manly chest! *giggle* ... Let's take off that shirt and see those sweet little ribs. How many do you have Billy? Hmm? *giggle* ...". Parting her coils, the octopus bared the remainder of her captive's chest. Clenching Bill's waist, shoulders, arms and legs in a cuddling embrace, the creature continued to tease his belly with her feathery caress.
Desperate to keep his ribs free from the torment Suzy planned, Bill struggled frantically to break free. Shaking his head and begging for mercy from under the muffling tentacle, Bill knew that worse was yet to come.
"MMMPH! MMMMPH! mm mm mm mmm mmmm MMMMMMMMPPPHHHH H H HHH HH H HH H H! MMMRRRPH! MMRRPPHHHH!! M M M M Mm m m m m m "
"Why, what's that?! *giggle* You don't know how many ribs you have?!?! Oh, my! Well, mummy will count them for you then..." And with that, Suzy lifted Bill's arms above his head, removed his shirt and sent two more wiggling tentacles towards the spread-eagled man.
Kneading the bottom of his ribcage, Suzy began to count. "*giggle* Ooooooone ... Twoooooo ... kitchie, kitchie ... Threeeeeee, Cootchie Cootchie, cooooo ... Fooo .. uh ... *giggle* .. Oh, you made me loose count! You naughty little boy!" Pursing her lips, Suzy wiggled a scolding tentacle before her face, "Just for that young William, I'll tickle one of those cute fuzzy armpits too! You bad little boy!" And as the sixth tentacle began to wiggle beneath the arm of her hysterical prey, the octopus began to count again.
"Oooooonnnnneee ... Twooooooooo ... Threeeeeeeeee .. *giggle* ...Who's a good boy, Billy hmmm? ... Foooooooooour ... Fiiiiiiiiiive ... *giggle*... Siiiiiiiiix ... Who's mummy's good little ticklish baby boy! *giggle* ... Seeeeeevvvvveeeeennn ... Eeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaiiigght ... Oh! What a good widdle boy! I can count your widdle wiggling wibs! Wiggle, wiggle. Kitchy, kitchie koooooo... Niiiiiiiiiinnnne.... Giggle for mummy now, giggle for mummy you tickly widdle boy *giggle*... that's a goooooood baby!"
Bill was in tears. With the tips of six tentacles attacking his ribs, belly and armpit, he was helpless in muffled, hysterical laughter. With what little conscious thought remained, the man began to dread the other torments yet to come.
"Oh! You're such a good little boy!" the octopus squealed in delight. "I'll bet you want another tickle, hmmm? Hmmm? *giggle* ... Well, Suzy still has two more giggly, wriggly tentacles to tease you with! Where will mummy put them, hmm? Where, where, where ... *giggle* ... not ribs ... not tummy ... not widdle belly *giggle* .. Oh! I know! Mummy's boy needs another wriggly, giggly, tickly armpit! Cootchie, kitchie, coooo!" and another tentacle snaked towards the defenceless man.
"m
MMPH!
mm
MMMPH!
mmm
MMMMMPPPHH!!!
m m m mmmmmmmmmmmmm
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMPPPPPPPPPHHH!!!!!"
Convinced that he was already at his maximum ticklable state, Bill was astounded to find that the gentle stroking of this seventh tentacle pushed him closer yet to the edge of sanity. "Oh god!" he prayed, "please let me pass out! Please, please, please!!!!" But this tickle monster knew the limits of her toys and always kept them from the peace of that escape. Varying her attacks and wriggling her tentacles in practiced caresses, Suzy could keep a tickle-toy laughing for days on end.
"*giggle*"
The final arm descended towards the squirming man. "Now, where, oh, where can my eighth little arm go? *giggle* ... on your widdle tummy? ... No, we already have three wiggly arms there ... Oh! On your wiggly widdle wibs! *giggle* ... Oh, dear, no room there either ... widdle armpits ... widdle wibs ... widdle tummy ... Hmmm ...Oh! You still have your pants on, you naughty little boy! *giggle* ... What are you hiding from mummy, hmmmm?"
Firmly pressing his legs together, Suzy wrapped Bill's ankles tight and began to unbutton his jeans. Cuddling his hips in a firm, fleshy embrace, Suzy gently massaged the waist of the man's pants and began to pull the cloth down towards his ankles.
"Now let's see what you were hiding ... Oh! ... *giggle* ... You naughty widdle baby boy! You really are a happy man now! *giggle* ... Just to teach you to be a good, happy widdle boy, I'll save that tickly tickly ticklyticklyticklyticklytickly toy to the very last!", fondling Bill's groin through his cotton briefs, Suzy continued to pull his jeans down to his ankles.
"MMPRHRRHHHH!!! MMMPPPPHH!!!!
MM
MMM
MMMMMMMMMPPPPHHHH H H HH H H!!!!"
"*giggle* ... Oh, don't you worry your widdle wiggly head. Suzy'll find another place to tickle you. Hmm, now where on these legs would be the most giggly, wiggly spot to cootchie my helpless little boy, hmm? *giggle* ... on your widdle thighs ... Kitchie, kitchie koo! *giggle* ... Cootchie cootchie! Oh! You're such a happy widdle boy, Billy! ... *giggle* ... How about your widdle calves ... Gitsie gitsie goooooo! Cootchie cootchie ... *giggle* ... and those widdle knees ... Oh! You're such a widdle squirmer today! Kootchie kootchie! C'mon, giggle for Suzy ... giggle for mummy you widdle ticklish boy *giggle* ... " With all eight arms tormenting the helpless man, the octopus continued to taunt
"Oh, no! No more widdle wiggly arms to tickle my widdle boy with!" Suzy gasped in mock panic, "Whatever shall we do!?!"
"MMMMMMPPPH! MMMPH! MM mMM mm m m mMMMM!MM!MM!MMMM!!!
PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP!!! HHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!
MMMM
MM
MMMM
MMMMMMMMMM
MMPPPHH!!!!!" Bill begged for mercy from beneath the muffling tentacle but it was no use. He was just the tickle-toy of this giant monster and had no hope of escape from her giggly torments. His only chance was that she would eventually tire of this game and hunt down another ticklish captive. But Suzy wasn't about to stop just yet...
"
"Hmmmmm, how about... Oh! I know *giggle* ... I can buzz your widdle belly with my widdle wips!" And with that, Suzy sent tentacle number three drifting down from Bill's belly and towards his second defenceless kneecap. With her prey frantically shaking his head from side to side, the octopus lifted him towards her pouting lips and began to coo, "Bzzzzz, bzzzzzz, bzzzzzzzz *giggle* ... you'd better run Billy, my buzzing lips are gonna getcha! They're gonna getcha! Bzzzz, bzzzz, bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz! *giggle* ... my fat widdle wips are gonna getcha! bzzzzzzzzz!! Mummy's gonna give her little Billy a belly buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!"
"MMMMMRRRPH!!!! mMMMMMPRRRRPPPHH!!! MMMMPPRRRRPPHH!!! MMMPRRRPH!" Bill struggled, but it was no use. Suzy's giant lips kissed his belly and began to buzz in earnest.
"MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMRRR RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRPPPPPPPP PPPPPPPPPHHHHHHHHH HHHHHHHHHH!!!!! Mppp Mppp Mpp Mpppppp MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR RRRRRRPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Bill was frantic. With eight arms bringing him to a state of hysteria, the addition of the octopus' taunting, vibrating lips had pushed him over the edge. With tummy, kneecaps, rips, armpits and legs all receiving the practiced caress of his tickle mistress, the tickle toy finally lost control.
"Oh! *giggle* ... Oh, my!" Suzy exclaimed in mock concern, pulling her wiggling arms from the man's body. "Did my widdle boy wet his widdle pants? Hmm? Did he?"
"mrph hmm", Bill nodded in sheepish exhaustion from beneath the octopus' soft, muffling arm.
Weaving her tentacles into a cradle for the limp man, Suzy lay Bill before her and pulled his sodden briefs to the jeans crumpled at his ankles. Wrapping him in a gentle cocoon of pink flesh, Suzy began to massage the body of her exhausted captive.
"Oh yessssss, doesn't that feel good Billy? My arms can stroke all of your body at once, from your soft little bum to the tips of your little fingers." Gently kissing and intimately fondling her pet, Suzy cooed, "Doesn't that feel good my precious, widdle boy?"
"mmmmm...", nodding his head from beneath the loving wrap, the man moaned his agreement.
"Gooooood baby. Now, you just go to sleep and rest up for your next playtime. There's nothing like a snuggly little nap after a wiggly game of tickles. *giggle* ... Oh, the girls are going to love you! So cute, so soft and such a ticklish little boy too!"
"hmmmmm...", Bill moaned some more and tried to stay awake but found the gentle command of the octopus too inviting to deny. Slowly, despite his best efforts, William's eyes began to close.
"Gooooood baby. What a good little boy you are. Go to sleep Billy, mummy will take you home." Pivoting her body under the eight, well-muscled arms, Suzy turned towards a path in the cartoon forest and began to carry her captive away from Merry Meadow.
As her coils rolled beneath her, the creature began to rock Bill's cradle of caresses and hummed a soft lullaby. Looking fondly over her new pet, the octopus cooed "Sleep, little boy, sleeeeeeeeep. By the time you're awake, you'll be in your new home. Hussssssssssshhhhhhhhhhh. Hussssssssssshhhhhhhh"
On the edge of consciousness, Bill directed his remaining energy towards a plan of escape but knew there would be none. Without his wrist computer, he would remain the captive of this tickle monster and her friends for the better part of two years unless he could find another way... but what? He had to get that computer back, some way, some how... but sleep was overcoming him.
"Husssssshhhhhhhhhh. Hussssssssshhhhhhhh. Sleep little boy... sleeeeeeeeep. Suzy will take care of everything. Sleeeeeeeep..."
Having entered into a land of computer created cartoons only hours before, William Anderson now understood that his plight was quite real. Struggling vainly in one last attempt to escape from the octopus' intimately caressing embrace, the helpless man squirmed, yawned and fell asleep.