The crowd says "Aww!" as Sparks dances, and then roar their approval as Sunny shimmies around the dance floor.
Both are tossed Strawberry Machine Cake T-shirts by the DJ. "Great dancing!" he calls.
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"Hira?" Diwata's bot says from the ceiling.
Clomp, clomp
"Of course I've heard of him. He's my neighbor here. His security consulting is supposed to be among the best!" Then, Diwata's face scowls. "But he's not had time for me, and even was a bit rude. Too busy with some other project. He probably won't want to talk to you, either. Would you like to see his picture? So grumpy, and not even in SMC gear! He wouldn't even talk to me about his favorite band members!"
"So that's Hira, huh? Well, can't say I'm surprised. He does look like one grumpy sumbi-," Chikasa's attention is drawn away from the image of Lanzio as he sees several of his crewmates in the center of a dance circle, gesticulating and writhing wildly. "Now what in the world are they doin'? This ain't no time for dancin', we got work to do!"
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Buster looks up at the crowd surrounding him, stunned and terrified. Flashbacks of figures looming over him and chanting, taunting him fill his head. He feels a tightness in his chest, and lava hot anger flowing from his torso into his face.
Something bumps into him hard from behind, pushing him off balance. He can see it is the face of a laughing lashunta child. Horrified and confused, he looks down and sees that his fingers are gripping the haft of his assault hammer so tightly that he can see the knuckles are white under the scarred pink skin of his hands. He lets go of the weapon handle in horror, and the hammer falls back safely into its leather sheath.
It's just dancing, Buster. They're just kids. Get it together!
Buster begins to dance, stiffly at first, but then more naturally. He whips his tail back and forth as he moves in a slow circular motion towards the edge of the dance floor.
Sebrir and Buster turn out to be surprisingly good dancers, with Sebrir getting lots of whistles and Buster receiving a call out of "Ysoki power!" from Diwata. You all manage to dance your way out of the crowd, bearing Strawberry Machine Cake T-shirts tossed at you by the D.J.
Diwata texts you 750 credits as a thank you for the engineering mods, and also sends you her invitation for lunch. Looking at the map, the address is back down the hallway that you came down, heading spinward to go deeper into the asteroid.
As you trudge back, you find yourself in the middle of a sea of about 50 hot pink young skittermanders -- along with a pair of bored looking vesk teens. The skittermanders swarm around you and start enthusiastically shaking your hands. "Hello nufriends!" they pipe up. "Can we help you?" They ooh and ahh at Sebrir's costume, Sunny's headdress, and the various SMC t-shirts people are wearing. "We're hear to listen to Strawberry Machine Cake and help!"
"Whatever," a vesk teen mutters, sotto voce so that you are sure to hear it. She readjusts her dark sunglasses. "I'm too old for SMC."
Then the background music stops, mid-song, the fans stop working, and the lights go out. Half the crowd shrieks, and then it all slowly starts up again, but the lights keep strobing a bit. "Is that intentional?" one of the skittermanders asks, looking confused.
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"Hey, you have the coolest shades!", Sparks tells the Vesk, and tosses her the Strawberry Machine Cake T-shirt she got from the DJ: "Put that on, because no one is too old to... DANCE DANCE DANCE!"
And Sparks starts dancing, trying to get the Vesk teen to join in, motioning the skittermanders to move their bodies: "How many thumbs can you guys snap?!"
Sparks stops when the power drops, and then looks around when it starts back erratically, her little nose and whiskers twitching as she tries to figure out what is going on.
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Buster takes the vesk teen at his word and nods curtly at the teenager walks by.
Buster shakes a few hands with the skittermander crowd, but quickly becomes irritated with their relentless enthusiasm and energy.
"Ya, want to help? Can ya' look down the barrel of my reaction cannon here and see if I got all the carbon cleaned outta it? No, no, give that back! No, don't put yer eye there! That's a real a gun, ya' goob! Ya' never put yer face into fronta a weapon. Where's ya' survival instincts? I was just jokin', jeesh."
I don't know if they're stupid or secret geniuses. No wonder the Vesk gave up on tryin' to conquer them.
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Skittermanders? And they are all the same color? That isn’t normal.
Familiar with their ways, Mikkazuki just sighs and shakes the offered hands.
Always make sure you have some sort of task to give a skittermander. If you don’t, someone else will! She is just about to speak when the power goes out.
Well, it looks like the universe has a task for them. Best not interfere...
As if comes back, she says in Vesk “I doubt that is normal. Would you like to help us find out what caused it?”
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"Now lookie here, young'un," Chikasa says in a scolding voice with his skinny little claw wagging at the vesk teen, "You know as well as anybody that there are a lotta folk out there what love Strawberry Machine Cake just as much as you, but they couldn't afford ta be here for the show. So you quit yer belly-achin' and pretendin' t' be too old t' enjoy yerself. Besides, if I'm old enough t' enjoy myself, then you certainly are! Now put on that t-shirt and dance, boy!"
Just then, the power kicks off, then comes back on, Chikasa's ears perk up, and he begins searching around for some clue as to what might have caused the outage, as well as to see if there are any serious lingering effects of the lapse in power.
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“Someone drew way too much power too fast, and the generators or power couplings couldn’t handle it.” Mikkazuki replies. “We would need to find out how localized it is.”
So we are probably looking at a power generator better than a Starship PCU.
After a moments thought, she adds “I suppose something like a lot of electrovores getting into the wiring could also cause it.”
Looking to the skittermanders, she asks “Do you know anyone who you could contact on station, see how widespread the outage was?”
Meanwhile, she checks the local infosphere chatter, expecting a lot of people asking what happened. Just the volume of chatter will give an indication of how widespread it was.
The skittermanders shout, after they finish inspecting all of Buster's weaponry. They rush out of the area in a dozen different directions, looking for the cause of the issue!
"Oops, we promised to watch after them!" one of the vesk teens yells, as she chases after the skittermanders.
★--- ★ --- ★ --- ★
Meanwhile, the sound is back, but the lights keep strobing at weird times. Mikka's computer check tells her that the power outage was all over Songbird Station, and the rest of you realize that a power outage that big might indicate a problem with one of the station's generators.
Meanwhile, you see a Korasha lashunta, dressed up head to toe in Strawberry Machine Cake gear, approaching you! "Did you see where all the skittermander and vesk kids went? I was going to give them a tour before the show!"
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As the skittermanders scatter, Mikkazuki yells “”
When the Lashunta shows up asking about them, She explains “They will likely be back here soon. They were going to help us find out what happened to the generators.”
Pointing up to the lights, she adds “If the online chatter is to be believed, the brownout and flickering lights are station wide.”
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"Now lookie here, young'un," Chikasa says in a scolding voice with his skinny little claw wagging at the vesk teen, "You know as well as anybody that there are a lotta folk out there what love Strawberry Machine Cake just as much as you, but they couldn't afford ta be here for the show. So you quit yer belly-achin' and pretendin' t' be too old t' enjoy yerself. Besides, if I'm old enough t' enjoy myself, then you certainly are! Now put on that t-shirt and dance, boy!"
Buster smiles as he sees the old Ysoki scold the hulky teenager.
Buster whispers to his compatriots conspiratorially. "We might be able to take advantage of these black outs. We could figure out when the next one's gonna happen, then quick rush in and grab 'em. We could stuff the gubber in onna the sound equipment crates and wheel 'em back to the ship for a little interrogation."
When the Lashunta shows up asking about them, She explains “They will likely be back here soon. They were going to help us find out what happened to the generators. ”Pointing up to the lights, she adds “If the online chatter is to be believed, the brownout and flickering lights are station wide.”
"Oh, that sounds like them!" Burgundy laughs.
"OMG Burgundy Bear! It's you! How did you find so many pink Skittermanders?"
"I didn't. They all decided to dye their fur for the concert, and boy that was a mess! Don't tell anyone, but my day job involves working in the Veskarium. With all of these skittermanders and vesk kids wanting to attend the concert, I figured that I could combine both my loves. But I'm being rude." Burgundy introduces herself. "I'm a blogger of SMC news, and have an almost complete collection of SMC gear. Just missing one thing, and I am hoping that someone at the concert will help me out with that!"
"I'm looking for a physical copy of the pressing of Star Sugar Heartlove!!! Preferably more than one, if it's available! I have some amazing SMC gear to trade for it, because most of my collection I have in extras." Burgundy says, earnestly. "When it released, I missed out because I was recovering from a medical procedure, and then I couldn't find a copy anywhere!"
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"Oh my dear Burgundy, it's beyond an honor to meet you. Do forgive my disguise, I was trying to keep a low profile, but for you I'll make an exception."
Sebrir pulls his mask aside and winks. "I am Sebrir Feedbringer, very much at your service. I have heard that we share a very large contingent of viewers (though you command more of the male 18-26 group, understandably..) I happen to have a copy of the album right here, and I would be happy to part with it for a few small items and a selfie-vid!"
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"My medical procedure? Er... Well... I kinda got intercepting ears so that I could hear better gossip, and force soles so that I could dance over a crowd, and a spinal adjustment both for better posture, but also to be able to carry more of my gear..." Burgundy admits to Mikka.
At all the offers of physical copies, Burgundy Bear claps. "I can trade you my official strawberry dress up holoskin for it!" She pulls out a pink and red glittery holoskin. "I could even add a Strawberry Idol harrow deck to the deal!" She turns to Sparks. "I would love to dance, dance, dance!"
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“That is a lot of augmentations to get all at the same time! I do hope they work well for you.”
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When Burgundy Bear mentions what they have, Mikkazuki really isn’t sure what to say. She tentatively asks “Why would someone want a holoskin that makes them look like a giant strawberry?”
I wonder what a harrow deck is...maybe some sort of Tri-D projector?
Burgundy laughs. "Not like a giant strawberry! It's preprogrammed with ALL the band's outfits, or you could just use it as a normal holoskin, if you wanted."
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»I am sure they adapted the spine reinforcement to imitate your natural perfect posture! But, if I may ask, have your new ears heard who the parents of Noodles, Slyther and Tangle are?
Sparks checks Burgundy’s feet out: »Such a great way to dance like floating on air! By the way, what do you think of my white fur: could I dye it all in a cool strawberry color? »
"Noodles, Slyther and Tangle?" Burgundy looks surprised and purses her lips.
"Did Tsuchi-ko finally admit her maternity leave of a few years ago? She asked me to keep it quiet, or lose all interview privileges with the band... I have been sitting on that story for so long it's been agony!"
Burgundy pulls out some hot pink dye and offers it to Sparks. "I can put it in my aerosol pump and spray it on you, or you can goop it on with gloves if you prefer."
She claps her hands as Sebrir offers the trade. "Thankyouthankyouthankyou!"
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"No, no, she said nothing. We spent time with the girls, and the clues led us to understand. But, if you want... you can say we knew, or whatever, if it can help you publish your scoop?!"
Sparks jumps up and down, and she spins around so Burgundy's aerosol gets her entire body.
"Good-bye white, welcome !"
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At mention of the kids, Mikkazuki shakes her head no. "We met the three young ones, but no one was willing to say who their parents were. I guess you need to continue to keep that a secret."
Fortunately I'm a lot better than you at keeping secrets.
"Since it excites you that much, yes I'll trade you my physical album. Seems there is a lot I don't know about the band. Is there a good library chip that has their music and more about them?" As she speaks, she gets out the physical album.
"I hope you don't mind if I keep a digital copy, I've used their music on a first contact mission and it really helped."
"We'll keep it secret then." Burgundy sighs. "I don't want the band mad at me!" She smiles at Sparks. "Pink becomes you!"
★--- ★ --- ★ --- ★
You keep walking along the hall, grooving to the tunes...
♫ Do you ever feel like you're out of charge
Drifting through the void
Wanting to start again?
Do you ever feel like your laser's dead
Space gobs on your head
One blow from caving in?
Do you ever feel there's no signal here
All alone, kinda queer
And no one seems to hear a thing?
Do you know that there's still a charge for you
'Cause there's a spark in you
You just gotta ignite the light
And let it shine
Just own the night
Bioluminesce
Show your joy and effervesce
Show em that your battery's full
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"
As you shoot across the -- ♫
...then the song just stops, and the lights start strobing again. A few minutes of silence later, the music starts again, but it's a different tune.
★--- ★ --- ★ --- ★
Meanwhile, ahead of you stands a beleaguered-looking human Songbird Station security officer who is attempting to check everyone's deadly weapons for the concert. "Er... Do you want to check your deadly weapons here? Please?
Two obviously well-armed lashuntas stand in front of Officer Wilson. "DOOOOD! These are totally STAGE PROPS!" One of them points to a little strawberry sticker on his heavy weapon and laughs.
The officer's lips quiver, and then he sighs. "Like I could bloody detain you anyway. Go on through." Then he shakes his head. "This job bites."
He looks up hopefully as you approach. "Er, I'm Officer Wilson. Do you have deadly weapons to declare?"
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Chikasa looks up at the lashuntas with their "props".
"Props my foot," he pipes up, but poor Officer Wilson is already waving them through. "You get a lot of folks like that?" he asks the officer as he presents his tactical baton for inspection. "It's just this for me."
"Yeah, this happens all the time." Officer Wilson says, glumly. "Songbird Station has a massive magical field that prevents lethal damage within the auditorium, making my job nothing more than a legal formality. They gave me no authority to detain anyone. People lie to me all damn day! I want to be of use, you know?"
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Sparks twirls around, in a blur of pink: "I am Sparks. I am a deadly weapon!"
But she has no equipment, gear, or clothes, so she just shows her open paws and smiles at the overwhelmed Officer Wilson:
"♫ Do you ever feel like you're out of charge
Drifting through the void
Wanting to start again?
Do you know that there's still a charge for you
'Cause there's a... SPARKS FOR YOU!"
She winks at him and whispers: "You can detain me if you want..."
★--- ★ --- ★ --- ★
Officer Wilson looks down at the hot pink ysoki and blushes. "You're a deadly weapon?' and then looks up at Mikka. "Now you as a deadly weapon I believe." He raises an eyebrow. "And those other weapons you're carrying? Are they props?"
Officer Wilson lets Sparks right past him with a shrug.
The robot takes out the tactical pike it is carrying and sets the fusion to non-lethal.
The weapon starts humming a pleasant tune that blends with the music in the area.
The robot then puts the weapon away again.
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"Do I need to leave this here with you, young man" Chikasa asks, holding his tactical baton out for Officer Wilson, "Or can I take it in with me? I'm old and frail, ya see, and don't really have much chance of doin' any real harm with it, but I do want to respect the safety of my fellow concert-goers."