"Go for it, guys!" Jayne Eye-Catcher shouted to Peter the Ace and Panman as they played 'Insane Monster Massacre' on the holographic video game system in the Blenheim's entertainment room.

Jayne Eye-Catcher, Tara, and the cyborgised Justin watched as the heavily armoured virtual characters in the centre of the room stomped through a post-holocaust wasteland, blowing away bizarre and grotesque creatures in true arcade fashion. Bloodied guts flew everywhere as the two bounty hunters pounded missiles, energy beams and various other projectiles into the hordes of hideous beasts that charged at them through the rubble and ruins of 'Reading City'. They where approaching the end of level guardian with every power-up available. This would be digital carnage of incredible proportions.

"Here we go!" Peter the Ace said as the two galactic heroes positioned their characters on top of a mound of smouldering corpses.

The soundtrack changed to doom-ridden music as a massive, mammoth, metal shrouded mutant dropped from the darkness above and landed in front of them with a bone shaking crunch.

"Die!" Panman screamed. He pressed as many fire buttons as he could find. All of his character's weapons unleashed their power in satisfying unison, shedding some of the guardian's armour.

Peter the Ace's character ran around behind the giant freak, avoiding beams and missiles that emanated from its blackened eyes. He returned fire with great accuracy, shedding several layers of flesh from the creature's back and arms. It howled digitally.

The expert pounding continued for several tense minutes as Peter the Ace and Panman hammered home every kind of missile and beam available into the mutant's burning frame. The huge spread of destruction that the brutal fiend was venting was ineffective against the superior reflexes of the two famous bounty hunters, who dodged and deflected everything that was thrown at them.

"It's weakening!" Panman shouted above the explosive sound effects that pounded out from the surround speakers.

The creature was looking in a bad way. Many of its thick bones were exposed.

"Go for the heart." Peter the Ace said, avoiding a barrage of laser fire. "I'll take out the head!"

The two first-class bounty hunters began to lay into their targets. With a myriad of colourful blasts, the mammoth mutant exploded in a very nuclear way. A gratifying amount of charred body parts splattered all around. The music became jovial.

Some words faded into view. ‘LeVeL FoUr HuNdReD aNd SiXtY tWo CoMpLeTeD’.

Everyone cheered loudly. Peter the Ace operated the game's controls.

‘GaMe PoSiTiOn SaVeD’.

This game was standard bounty hunter issue and contained over one thousand fiendish levels of exponentially increasing difficulty. Peter the Ace and Panman had been playing it, level by level, for over a year. No other bounty hunter had ever got beyond level two hundred and seventy. Peter the Ace and Panman were the most awesome holo-gamers ever known.

"What a phenomenal team you are!" Tara said with admiration.

"Too right we are!" Panman said, laying back in his leather bound recliner.

"How did you both get so good?" Jayne Eye-Catcher asked.

"Dedication, determination, and natural ability!" Peter the Ace answered, getting to his feet. "But you yourself are an excellent player."

"Yes, but I have only reached level two hundred and sixty seven."

"When you become totally at one with the entire universe, like Panman and me, you will supersede your wildest fantasies."

"I don't know about that." Jayne Eye-Catcher replied. "I have some pretty exotic fantasies!"

"I know!" Peter the Ace said, smiling broadly.

"How do you know about Jayne Eye-Catcher's fantasies?" Justin asked in a curious and mechanical way.

"I know many things."

"Oh, right." Justin said, disappointed at the lack of detail in the answer.

"Right." Panman said jumping to his feet with augmented agility. "I'm going to see how Lew Brain Ache's doing."

"Good idea." Peter the Ace said. "It's a shame that you had to lock him in a detention cell."

"He was becoming annoyingly violent and sordid, I had to knock him senseless." Panman said walking towards the door. "He should regain consciousness soon."

Panman left the room.

"We’ll be arriving at the Palace of Amino in a few hours." Peter the Ace announced. "Tara, I suggest that you get some sleep. Justin, you'd better recharge."

Tara walked erotically out of the room closely followed by the servo-covered Justin.

"Jayne?" Peter the Ace said quietly.

"Yes?"

"How about some coffee in my lavish quarters?"

"Absolutely!"