The Ecstasy of Tral-Gothica Read Online Free PDF Page A

letting you down.” And with that, Jenny kissed her on the
forehead and after giving the domestic robot instructions as to how
she was to treat Stella, she left. Stella spent the rest of the day
watching the call-all, a much larger version than the small ones
that people used. Finally, Stella turned to the domestic robot
whose name was Fifi.
    “I want to see the city.” Stella
said.
    Fifi answered. “There are many ways
to see the city, Miss Stella.”
    “Don’t call me Miss Stella. Just
call me Stella.”
    “Yes, Miss Stella.”
    “Didn’t I just...never mind, forget
it. I think I need to go shopping.”
    “Miss Jenny has provided you with an
account. Where would you like to go?”
    “I don’t really know. They all look
so amazing. Where does my aunt go shopping?”
    “Your aunt enjoys many places, but
she has a passion for Izods.”
    “Hmm? Let’s go there, I need a few
things so I won’t look so backwards.” There was a real cultural
clash between rural and urban Tral-Gothica.
    The two, headed on out and Stella
managed to find a few things that looked good on her. After that
minor transformation, Stella became interested in seeing what a
city night club was like. Fifi didn’t want to take her to any,
something about having received specific instructions from
Jenny.
    Stella said, “Aunt Jenny isn’t here!
It is you and me, the night life, the excitement.”
    Fifi uttered, “Miss Stella, you
don’t know your way around the city. It can be fun, if you are used
to it, it can be very dangerous, if you are not. And you are
not...”
    “If you don’t want to go with me
then just go back home. I’m fine. I can find my way back to Aunt
Jenny’s.”
    “I can’t do that. I have orders to
watch over you. To keep you out of harm’s way.”
    Stella approached the robot. “Well,
I order you to go back to Aunt Jenny’s apartment. I’ll be
fine.”
    The robot stood there for a long
moment, as if it were trying to resolve the conflict it was now
presented with. It knew that Jenny’s commands were paramount,
however, Stella’s orders were more immediate. Fifi struggled to
figure out how to carry out both of them at the same time. Orders
that she had to obey, but conflicted to the point, then finally,
Fifi resorted to default. The robot simply walked away out of
Stella’s sight.
    And with that, Stella was glad,
after all, she was not a little girl, she was a young woman.
Capable of making her own decisions. She caught an aircab and asked
to be taken to the nearest and best nightclub. She ended up a
Garrio’s, one of the hottest upscale clubs in the upper
eastside.
    Once she went through all the
bullshit to get inside, the ambiance was striking. The music
pounded, the press of the people was something that Stella had
never experienced. She managed to find a spot at the
bar.
    “What will you have?” came a rather
flamboyant robot bartender.
    She studied the machine for a
moment, the said, “I’ll take something really light. Not too
strong.”
    “Like what?” the machine stared at
her.
    “I’m not sure...” she
responded.
    Just then, a tall and extremely
handsome man cut in, “She’ll take what I’m having.” The robot
acknowledged the order and started on it. The young man fixed his
eyes on her confidently and said, “I’m Markus...”
    Stella didn’t say anything for a
moment, then responded. “Oh, I’m sorry, I’m Stella.”
    “Nice to meet you
Stella.”
    “Thanks.”
    “You are new here?”
    “Er. Yes. How did you...”
    “Know? You just seemed a little out
of place. Most of the people who go here, already know what they
are going to order when they sit at the bar. You seemed shocked
when the bartender asked you what you wanted.” He smiled at her. He
was very good looking and Stella found herself being extremely
attracted to him. Gosh, he smelled so good too.
    “So, you want to find a table?”
Markus asked her, as he grabbed her finished drink.
    “Er. Sure. Sure, I’ll just