14.5.03

Hello. My name is Nightshift Ben. Some of you may remember my ramblings from a little earlier this year, but for those unacquainted with me, I'll treat you to a brief introduction. As my title implies, I staff Ben during the dark hours, when he's asleep, so that the two operators who staff the body during the day can have a little R&R. Normally my duties are restricted to making sure Ben gets a decent amount of exercise during the night, and that his hair is fixed in a suitably flamboyant fashion in time for when he wakes. This I enjoy, as it lets me express my creative nature.

But occasionally Ben has to work overnight, and as the day boys charge extra for every hour they work between midnight and six, I get set loose on the internet site of a major world broadcaster.

I'd also like to take advantage of this opportunity to dispel a few myths about the body you know as Ben, and the first revelation is that he is an addict. Since downloading a version of Tetris for his mobile phone, he just can't get enough, especially now he's getting close to the magic 200 mark. For many of his waking hours, his mind's eye is filled with images of geometric shapes falling into place to better prepare him for the next assault on his target. The adrenaline rush on Tuesday night as he notched up a mighty score of 192 - just one more than his previous high score, but still one nearer the next goal - was quite intoxicating and even had me feeling a high. And the fact he no longer has a double-figure score on his high score board is actually a matter of pride. If this continues much longer, we may have to perform an intervention.

However, if there's anything you'd like me to tell you about the Ben you think you know, the inside info you think he's been hiding, just drop me a line. I'll be here until Friday morning, so get your questions in quick and I'll do my best to answer all I can before the day boys resume control.

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