Jano Rajjaf was looking at an old photo from the previous year's previous winner. Obba Tkarro, the previous winner was goofing with his fiancee, Chiffu. Chiffu was giving a thumbs-up next to Jano who was grinning like a fool next to his older sister, and her gift to him, Bluebell. He had never expected such an unusual gift from his sister. Bluebell was, to be blunt, a dumb-bell. Even when he first had her, her CPU was already failing. Short-term memory was defective, but she was funny without meaning to be, and would occasionally forget to wear clothes. Then some Cyclops infiltrator stole her body in some kind of plot to blow up the city. The details were kept sketchy by the city government. The shrill ring of the phone snapped him out of his deep retrospective. His clicked the tab-it's headphone onto his hear and read the info on the screen. It said 'Bluebell' on the caller ID and no video available. He paused for a moment and said in a whisper," Hello?" He cursed how needy his voice sounded. He heard Bluebell's voice on the headset,"Hello, Jano. I'm sounding like Bluebell so you'd identify the voice. I'm blocking all else so you'd not be overly swayed by her appearance. I'm actually calling myself Bluebell. I love bluebells because of their symbolism of sexuality and survivorship. They're cute little flowers,too." "What do you want? Aren't you really a Cyclops Saboteur?" He tried to sound angry, but sounded more sad, than mad. "Yes--or I was. I have total access to Bluebell's memories, fragmented as they are. I know you are a good caring man, who was crushed by his sister's death. I KNOW you loved the image of Bluebell and wanted her to be someone who could love you back. She was smart as a TOASTER. I am NOT her. I digress." She paused like a human speaker. After a moment, she continued,"Please...I need your help. They are coming to dismember me, and kill my father! I DON'T CARE what they do to ME! I have to save my father, Thistledown! If you come down here and demand your property back with a story of ME being a virus that took YOUR Bluebell over and you can purge her memory...they'll hand me over to you!" "Why would I? Why are you calling me?" He sounded defensive and more fearful than he thought he should. "You don't know me. You know my body, but not the mind now in it. I'm...I'm desperate! Please don't let them kill my father! He's the only one I have. I'll do whatever you want me too. I'll...be your slave. I'll do whatever you want, just help get me out to save my father! I don't know what else to do." Her voice sounded tightly controlled, but NOT emotionless like a robot or android. "How do I know that you won't try to kill me when we're alone?" He sounded more curious than afraid asking that question. She paused and said, "Look. They'd escort me to you. You can...cut my arms and legs OFF if you want. I only need an external data terminal to help Dad, My ...uh...Father escape notice." His breath caught in his throat and he asked quietly,"That's pretty hardcore. You'd do that for your father?" She almost whispered,"I owe him my life. He argued that I had value, though I was twisted and deformed at birth. That's why I agreed to a suicide mission. I felt like that was the only way I could pay him back. Y'know...make him proud." "Turns out he never wanted me to do that." She laughed bitterly. He was moved to tears, and said tersely, "I know you are probably playing me for a fool, but I'll do it. I'll trust you not to kill me. Then you'll have to trust me to keep you as a slave until I let you go. Understand and accept the terms?" She responded immediately,"I accept. I'm waiting for you. Thank you, Jano." She hung up. He looked at the picture of his sister and whispered, "Chiffu! What am I doing? Have I gone stupid?" There was no answer, as he knew there wouldn't be. He put down the tab-it and headed for the city Central Block. --TO BE CONTINUED!--