ALAN FOSTER - the mocking program

From beneath her bed, from the bathroom, from under the closet door, more wugs appeared. Dozens more. The range of shapes and sizes was breathtaking. No two were alike. It was almost as if they were experimenting with themselves, searching for an ideal structure, trying to find the best way to be whatever it was they were. She could understand that. In many ways, she had embarked on the same kind of journey. Whirring and buzzing and humming softly to themselves, they climbed up onto the window seat, and onto her.

Evolving together they might be, she reflected, but there was no disputing who was the more ticklish. Covered in curious wugs, she began to giggle, then to laugh.

She wondered what that nice federale Angel Cardenas would have thought of it.

El Fin

Expressions

"Hoh"-Strip exclamation. Variant of "Whoa!"

"Como se happening?"-combination of Sp. "What is" English "

To the opto"-to take something to the max(imum)

"What's skewed?"-what's wrong?

"Verdad" -truth; it's for sure. From Sp. for "truth"

"Faz"-fabulous, great, wonderful

"Andale!" -go! Get going! From the Sp.

Note: In the slang of the Strip, many Spanish verbs are "spanged" by having their original suffixes anglicized. To wit, solicitar (to solicit or request) adds the Eng. -ed and -ing, instead of the usual Sp. endings. As in "he solicitared (something)" or "he was solicitaring."

abla-to talk or say something. From Sp. hablar, to talk

ambulate-to go, move

arribed-arrived; to arrive. From Sp. arribar, to arrive

boney-to scavenge someone's bones and marrow

bungo-used like "nez"

canyon-to cut deeply

carny-to assail a citizen with advertisements

coge-to fuck. From Mex. Slang coger, to fuck

cogit-to create, make, invent. From Eng. Cogitate

cojone-to make something tougher. From Sp. cojones, balls

coz-to make use of. As in "to cozy up to something"

dock-to get somebody (as in archaic "put them in the dock"-only worse)

drac-to scavenge someone's blood

expiate-to kill

eyedee-to identify someone, something

facilit-to take it easy, relax. From Eng. facile Sp. facil, easy

facture-to make or manufacture something

flash-to show advertisements

mess-to send a message; communicate

mickey-to customize something; esp. by the Disony entertainment multinat

nez-to screw up or mess up

pop-to open

portage-to carry

rainbow-to change color

respirate-to extort, usually money

romp-to ruin. From Eng. to romp Sp. romper, to destroy

roto-to steal; to mug someone

sabe -to know. From the Sp.

shrewd-to speak or perceive shrewdly

shunt-synonym of ambulate

skip-to take or drag

skrag-to beat someone up bad

slag-to lead someone on; to tease. Also, to melt something

snak-to catch, intercept something

solicitar-to solicit, request. From the Sp.

somber-to say or speak somberly

vape-to kill

vete-to hang out with someone

vitalize-to make or create or bring something into existence

volubate-to talk, speak. From Eng. Voluble

waft-to go away; tell someone to get lost

whirligig-to pass something along

agro-aggression. An aggressive person. From N. Zealand slang

antisoc-an antisocial person, criminal element

baggerag-a low-class mugger

Big Box, the-contemporary equivalent of the old, historic Internet

biosurge-a surgeon with advanced mechanical handling skills

Bonezone-a dangerous, lawless area

boxes-linked computers. Intranets to infranets to the Big Box itself

buitrees-from Sp. buitre, vulture

burley-especially messy or nasty garbage; junk. From Aust. Slang

cerebro-brains; brainy

chameleon-a highly sensitive, sensor-equipped device that fits over the face and is capable of mimicking another person's facial features.

c hica -a chick, a girl. From Sp. Slang

chieflado-the head of a ninloco gang. From Eng. chief Sp. chiflado, crazy

chingaroon-a real tough fucker. From Sp. chingaron (a tough fucker) and the vinegaroon, an especially ugly desert arachnid

diopter-a modern helicopter

chopwire-a pocket-sized weapon for delivering a paralyzing electrical charge

cleanie-a solid, upstanding, middle-class citizen

codo-a condominium

comm-a telephone or other communications device

colorcrawl-a glowing, neonlike, kinetic wall dйcor

comercio -a shop or business. From the Sp. crunch-computing power

culo-asshole. From Sp. Slang

desal-desalinated seawater

dinkum-the truth; for real. From Aust. slang fair dinkum

Disony-the giant Disney-Sony entertainment multinat

disruptor-a device for discharging a powerful electromagnetic pulse

drool-a snitch

drongo-a bum, loser, bad guy. From Aust. Slang

durable -tough guy; from Eng. durable and Sp. duro, tough

eeLancer-a freelance technology expert

federale-from Sp. for cop, policeman

fedoco-a disparaging term for a federale

fejoada-a spicy Brazilian dish

feleon-a real nasty bad guy. From Eng. felon Mex. slang feon, an ugly sucker

feral (a)-an unregistered resident of the nether regions of the Strip

flashman-a PR specialist. May be either sex

flicker-a gun that fires hypodermic shells; invisible to most weapons detectors

frac-an anti-personnel grenade

gazehaze-rumors

gengineering-genetic engineering, often for cosmetic reasons

giggilo-comb, of giggle and gigolo

gloomer-a sextel featuring hard sex

goofac-(juvie slang) a doofus

gordo -Sp. Fat

gram-a computer program

hangle-a detailed discussion. From Eng. haggle and hang

hardzine-a printed newspaper, magazine, brochure, etc.

homber-from original Sp. hombre, but pronounced as Eng. A guy, a male

huevos -"balls." From Sp., literally "eggs"

husher-a device that enhances silence by canceling out other sounds

induction tube-a maglev mass transportation system common throughout North America

infovoid-the usable three-dimensional area of an open, active box

integral-intact, whole, undamaged, unharmed

juice-any kind of drug

keiretsu-a huge industrial-commercial combine. From the Japanese

kims-kilometers

kosh-as in "kosher cash." Legitimate money

krilliabase-food made from krill

lepero-From Mex. slang lepero, leper; a foul-mouthed, obscene creep

Madison ejector-a device for foisting multiple, alterable ads on a helpless public

macrolice-a large police file

maquiladora-an old border (Strip) manufacturing plant

masalsa-country-style north Mexican music. From Mex. salsa, a type of music, and masa, a corn flour used in the making of tortillas

mataro(a)-assassin. From Sp. matar, to kill

medoggle-specialized hitech goggles for use by medical personnel meroin-a synthetic opiate

mierde -shit. From the Sp.

miragoo-a mirage tattoo

molly-a mollysphere. A spherical hard drive suspended in a magnetic field that is read by a laser as it rotates. The integrated laser not only reads information stored on the surface, but can change focus, thus enabling it to read from many multiple layers within, as if reading information imprinted on the concentric layers of an onion.