The flight is pretty uneventful. You decided to route yourself through Milwaukee, because you found out when you went to GenCon one year that they've got this giant used book store IN THE FREAKING AIRPORT! You don't find much this time (a couple of Heinleins and a Cherryh), but you get to talking to the clerk (you get into an argument about the term 'sci-fi' which he hates with a snobbish passion). He says he's never been to BIGCON, but if you like a con with plenty of women, you need to go to WisCon in Madison.
BIGCON's hotel is pretty near the airport, so you take the bus there and check in early. You unpack, head for the registration desk and sign in. Your roommate hasn't picked up his packet yet. He's a guy from Nebraska you've met at a couple of previous BIGCONs, who had the misfortune to be named William J. Wannaker. Yep, everybody calls him Willie, but they don't usually add the 'Wonka' part. He's a cliche: the frail little guy with glasses who lives vicariously in his books, comics and games. (Who are you to talk? You're the dorky guy with glasses who lives in his books, comics and games.) You've always suspected Willie might be gay, but who cares? He's never come on to you, and the cubicle farm gig doesn't pay enough to make a room of your own an affordable proposition. You have some favorite comics and writers in common, and saving money on a room means more money for the Huckster's Room.
That's your next stop, of course: the heart of BIGCON (for you, at least). As you head for that chamber of delights, you notice that the gender ratio is better than it used to be. Even better, it seems like you're seeing more unattached women, as opposed to the kind who are obviously here with their boyfriend/brother/father. As you're looking at a dealer's collection of vintage HERBIE back issues, you get into a conversation with a slender blonde chick who also admires the Fat Fury. After passing up the dealer's prices (outside your range of affordability), you ask her if she's seen the Hospitality Suite yet. She (her badge name is 'Mina') says 'No,' and the two of you set off in quest of munchies.
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