Phone Call

By Adrian Tullberg

Amy lowered the receiver of the cordless phone down, and looked at her husband. "Rory?"

"Hmm?"

"Did you let the Doctor play on your game console ... thingie when he was here for Christmas?"

"Yeah. You know what happens if you don't keep him occupied."

Amy looked at the plasma widescreen that would not turn off. "If the TV showed lottery results from the future instead of the past, I wouldn't have minded. Can you check what game he played?"

Rory was already accessing the file menu. "According to the 'Saved' files it's GrandTheft Auto. Wouldn't have thought that was his kind of thing ..."

Amy nodded, putting the receiver back on her ear. "Open where he last saved, would you?"

"Okay ... ah ..."

Amy rolled her eyes. "What did he do."

"Finish the game."

"Not worth an 'ah'."

"Without killing anyone."

Amy didn't play much video games as a rule, but knew that was something of an accomplishment. "Oh."

Rory delved further into the game. "Every crime syndicate and operator are now out of business."

"Hmm."

"The ... the prostitutes are all gone ..."

"Huh?"

Rory turned towards his wife, growing panic in his eyes. "Amy, all the prostitutes are now working in offices!"

"There's an 'ah'."

"Well, except one who's won a reality show and is now selling a workout video ... how did you know this?"

Amy brandished the phone. "Because the CEO of the video game company is on the phone begging us how we did this ..." Amy put the phone back to her ear "... hang on mate, what was that word again? ... without a mod."

"Amy, it's not the CEO."

"Rory? Telemarketers don't sound like they're going to soil a ten thousand pound suit any second." Amy stopped, listened. "Yes you do, mate. And when you say; it's spread ..."

Rory made a curious squawking noise. "Amy? My character's been arrested!"

Amy looked at the very accurate courtroom setting where Rory was watching hundreds of hours of progress being used as admissible evidence."Husband of mine, just how many prostitutes did you murder ...?"