* * * * *
Voyeurman whispered as loudly as he dared.
"Are you getting this, Scott?
"Yeah, Vee. I see it. I just don't believe it."
"Me, either. It's like Liz Anderson went to a Kaminoan beauty parlor, or something!"
"More like somebody has seen one too many re-runs of 'Number 12 Looks Just Like You.' "
"This is not Film Studies 101, gentlemen!" admonished Sarah: "We have a global crisis to manage. Remember?"
"You're quite right, dear," Scott replied: "Vee! Any sign of which console has the satellite controls?"
"I think it's this one."
His cellular vidphone shifted point-of-view. So, that all the personnel in the G.T.S. control room could now see what looked like DVD players stacked floor to ceiling to the right of a radar screen.
Sarah looked behind her: "Well?"
Samantha the super-witch moved closer, and nodded.
"Yep! Those are tulpa-disc players, alright. Find some way to destroy them, and the magic holograms of those GTS-goddesses will vanish. Reverting the game players back to normal."
"Failing that," muttered Scott: "...we'll have to find some way to blow up that TV satellite above Alice Springs."
* * * * *
As it happens, Ray Venn was contemplating that same thing as he and Deborah Miller-Law finally arrived at the Northern Territory town in question. Hefting the club-like molecular disruptor in his left hand, he wondered:
"If I grow to my maximum height, do you think the disruptor beam will be proportionately big enough to reach Earth orbit?"
Deborah squinted in puzzlement: "How the frig would I know? Do I look like Steven Hawking to you?"
Ray half-smiled as he opened his mouth to good-naturedly retort. But, all thought of doing so instantly vanished when he saw HER materialize. An exotic beauty with long, raven-black hair; dark brown eyes; and a golden-brown complexion. In addition, she was scantily-clad in a pink sequined bra and a matching, translucent skirt (slit thigh-high on both sides).
She basically resembled how Jeannie Nelson would have looked if she had been played by Selma Hayek, instead of Barbara Eden.
"Hello, Ray. Long time/no see."
He looked the new arrival up and down: "I see you've changed your ensemble."
She smiled: "I'm a mini-phagic belly dancer, now."
Deborah frowned: "Do you two know each other?"
Ray's reply was semi-sarcastic: "Shame on you, Deb! How could you forget? This is Aetor Bigla's other ex-girlfriend; Ms. Zavia Laryngea!"
tbc