Mall Purchase Night

"What now?" says Astra. Together, the two of them have found a comfy sofa to sit on while they sip refreshment. Astra has recovered somewhat from her earlier shock, but still goggles every time some strange being steps out of a book aisle and walks by.

"I assume we wait. In--" Fred looks at the sign. "Ten minutes and 3 seconds, this place stops at the...Multiversal Mall. Whatever in heaven's name that is."

Astra takes a cautious sip of her Mochachino and raises an eyebrow. "So what do we do when we get there?"

"The proprietor of this establishment tells me that the store appears there every couple of hours. So it's not as if we can't return if we need to. Or, we can stay here for a while..."

"Excuse me, but would either of you intelligent-looking humans happen to work here?" calls a reedy voice. At their feet, what looks like an oversized cockroach on a small skateboard looks at them earnestly. "I am trying to find a book on creche-preparation for my bondmate--she is expecting our first clutch, you see, and I have been looking for hours..." it pipes.

Fred forced himself to stop staring and close his mouth. He looked over at Astra.

She was staring down at the creature with eyes that looked ready to fall from her head. "Whah--wha--" she stammered. Fred mentally slapped himself back to lucidity. Courtesy, idiot! he snapped at himself.

"Ummm...you can check with him," Fred finally says, and points to Scott Chen a few dozen meters away. "He might know."

The insectoid creature dipped its head, presumably in gratitude

"I did not see him before! My eternal gratitude!" it--he?--piped. It touched a control of some sort and the board trundled off towards the counter.

Astra goggled. "What...what WAS that thing?"

"A worried father, apparently," said Fred. "I think you can get down now."

"Oh..." she noticed that she was sitting on the back of back of the sofa for the first time.

A bell tolls through the store, signalling the arrival at the--mall. Whatever that was. Fred stood and offered Astra his hand. "Well, my dear--shall we go?"

"Come back soon!" calls Scott after them as they leave through the front exit, still carrying their coffees, and enter the cavernernous Multiversal Mall.

1. They stop at the first bookstore they see for guidebooks and information.
2. Oh, look--there's a multiuniversal outfitters! Good place to stop for maps, equipment and supplies!
3. A sign on a storefront reads "Isher Weapons, Alfred van Vogt, Proprietor: The Right To Bear Arms Is The Right To Be Free." They decide to check it out.
4. They wander through the mall to see what what a multiversal shopping concourse has to offer.
5. They hit a restaurant to discuss what to do next.
6. Seconds after leaving the store, they're attacked.

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