It's a quiet day on Absalom station, and the lounge speakers are playing androsynth collective Astrowerk's latest hit I don't like you boyfriend:
I don't like your boyfriend
I don't like his bulging chest
What is the need for muscle
Hydraulics are the best
I don't like your boyfriend
His head is full of meat
When it comes to computations
he doesn't have the speed
I don't like you boyfriend
As anyone can see
I most of all don't like that
Your boyfriend isn't me
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Morela is browsing at Infinity 21. She is a female Damaya Lashunta, wearing the blue and white raiment of a priestess of Desna. A tiny ball of blue light appears over her right shoulder, shedding a gentle glow.
She pauses for a moment near a rack of handbags, and listens to the song. ”A lovelorn android”, she muses. ”How sad”
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A drow woman in a formal corporate suit only sometimes breaks away from several phones at once, constantly bursting with calls and texts. Perhaps she doesn't even notice the melody in the background...
From the scraps of words you understand that she is negotiating the promotion of certain artists to various shows, organizing staged filming, looking for cameramen for a documentary about one of her clients, and so on. Also you understand that in addition to working in Starfinders, she remains a manager in the House Misraria from the planet Aposte. A quick search allows you to establish that this House specializes in the production of any kind of content with themes of eroticism and violence. Dozens of channels belonging to this house on the adult video hosting StarHab form an almost complete monopoly in this sector, the recently released virtual game "Succubus: Ascension" shows good sales, and regular streams with scenes of violence and murders from the operations of various elite units are especially popular among the youth of paramilitary cultures, like the Vesk Empire. Regarding the latter, your new companion is a producer for of several Starfinders, such as a black metal singer and a Nocticula soldier-priestess Yarameh or a Triaxian Battle Flower Sataya who broke away from her old troupe. Videos with combat scenes of these Starfinders can be found very easily on the web, and monetization through subscription may make this business profitable.
Eventually she turns off her phone and turns her attention to the other agents of the Society with her. Greetings. Shari Misraria of House Misraria. Here is my business card. The phone rings again. Oh, I need to answer I've been waiting for this one. In general, if you have talents and you want to be a star, let's chat about it later. Hello, yes...
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We should do that. Maybe there are opportunities for my friend Rani. She's an halfling acrobat and escape artist. Currently she's finishing up a modern day interpretation of the Perils of Pauline and I'm negotiating her role as a mermaid in an upcoming children's show.
She examines the business card while waiting for Shari finishes her call. Hmmm. So what sort of clientele do you manage. And if you need help with your accounts and tax returns, I'll be only too happy to help.
She holds out her own business card. Bordle. Commercial and Private Accountant. Tax Returns a specialty
She is a short Brennari female currently dressed in casual clothing.
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Chip, a halfling, sits in the corner doing a final readiness inspection on his drone, Checker. He's vaguely singing along with the music, but really just softly hitting the occasional word. "...boyfriend ...meat ...computation..."
Checker dances to the tune.
Poorly.
It's more of a vaguely-rhythmic wobble.
As is becoming traditional, Chip finds some of his assigned companions intimidating, particularly the drow woman. How can she be doing all of that all the time? It's just too much!
"Relax..." he mutters to himself, "you're still new at this. They were too, once. Probably."
He always feels more confident once things get going. Except that time a drugged-up shobhad jumped on top of him and stabbed him. That was a very un-confident 10 seconds.
But this'll be fine. It's a concert! He likes concerts.
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Trying to listen to Bordle and the phone at the same time, she nods absently to brennari and answers yes-yes into the phone no less absently. Nevertheless, you see how with her free hand in the second phone she makes a note "Rani, halfling, mermaid - to clarify the details later." She accepts a business card, nods impressed (or pretends - but it looks very convincing anyway) and puts it in her card holder.
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AlrigghI will open you the old fashioned way! a bull headed humanoid swings an axe in front of themselves as he stumbles through a suddenly open doorway. He regains his balance and stows the axe inside the faux leather jacket and other not quite mismatched pieces of a freebooter set of armour and he looks round and takes in the music. He begins to bob his head and stops and then repeats Meat? Do we have to listen to this carnivore drivel?
He takes a calming breath and then looks round nods at the halfling and then heads over to the drow and the brennari and bows his head in greeting I am Kareeda hunter of carnivores who have broken the rules of civilized society. I am not suire I am quite your kind of client Lady Shari Misraria but I do what i can. And a good accountant is of great value. He takes the proffered cards
The group exchanges niceties and business cards, bound together by the fate that brought them here. Or rather, the invite from Zigvizix and Celia that brought them here. Zigvizix and Celia are the leaders of the advocates and dataphiles factions, and they have asked the group to attend a meeting at a recently renovated wing of the Lorespire Complex that serves as the headquarters for the Advocates faction.
The group is received in
Get up! Get up! Get up and grab a plate
a comfortable lounge with colorful fu..
A layer of cream A layer of fruit
..rniture where Ziggy and
A layer of happy A layer of good
Celita are already present. Bla...
Just don't eat the cherry The cherry is fake!
...ringly loud sugarpop music by the famous band
Stand up and enjoy STRAWBERRY MACHINE CAKE
Strawberry Machine Cake blasts through the room’s speakers.
Ziggy and Celia are dancing, looking joyful. When the group arrives, Ziggy turns down the music and Celia gives a curt nod.
“Welcome!” Ziggy exclaims. “Come in! Make yourself comfortable! Sorry about the music, I’m so excited for today.
“Allow me to explain,” Celita cuts in. “Today, the Starfinder Society is hosting the inaugural event at the newly repurposed and renamed Ruby Theater. The event is a battle of the bands judged by several famous and well-respected musicians, including Tsuchi-ko from Strawberry Machine Cake.”
At this name, Ziggy squeals and claps their hands in glee. Celita smiles at Ziggy fondly, then continues. “This battle of the bands serves the dual purpose of fundraising for those displaced by the Drift Crisis and raising the spirits of our fellow Pact Worlds citizens. It’s an opportunity for the Starfinder Society to give back to our community. Additionally, given the scandals recently unearthed concerning my predecessor’s illicit activities, it’s vital to show the public we intend to make amends for what Historia-Prime did under the Society’s watch.”
“This is where you come in,” Ziggy says. “We’d like a team of Starfinders to work security for the event.” Ziggy’s antennae droop slightly. “I’m very sorry to have to ask you to work the event instead of enjoying it, but I’ll make sure you have complimentary tickets to the next one! You’ll be able to hear the music no matter where you are in the venue, so hopefully you won’t miss too much. The work should be easy—just helping with setup and making sure the fans don’t get too rowdy. Other than that, you should be able to enjoy the show.”
“Try to keep the judges happy,” Celita adds. “They’ve volunteered their time for a generous cause and their fame is the main drawing point for the event.”
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As the music stops and Ziggy and Celia start the breifing a dark purple furred Skittermander in heavy armor and several weapons comes around the corner and into the room at great speed on 4 of his six arms. He comes to a stop just shy of running into a chair and sits down in it gently, panting a bit.
Once Celita finishes he waits a few seconds, turns to the Halfling near him and says, "Sorry, late. Me miss anything? I'm Zint! Nice to meet you!"
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Bordle had recently joined the Advocates and, it is highly likely she was keeping their books or at least, helping to do so. She looked surprised to see Celita actually dancing.
At the mention of the Star Sugar Heartlove, she literally squeees, just about at the same time Ziggy squeals.
Hey. At least I don't have to pay for this one she exclaims cheerfully. And Rani's friend, Gunnz, is going to be SOOOOO jealous. She's a REALLY big fan. Plays their music while flying a Pegasus class ship.
So, who's judging? she says as she sends a text message to her best friend and partner, hoping that she's not still stuck on the Master of Stars
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"'Security' sounds a lot like 'complimentary ticket' already, to me," says Chip, "unless we're expecting trouble. Security at an event like that usually doesn't do all that much after the event has started, do they? Unless something goes badly wrong."
He drums his fingers idly on the back of his drone, eying its doshko held menacingly at the ready. Too menacing and ready? He doesn't want it to scare people, but Checker isn't really built to draw a weapon, so if it's not ready then it's not--"Hang on. Are we expecting trouble?"
It's a little embarrassing to choose something from a movie soundtrack, especially a musical that was marketed primarily for kids, but "Take Your Shot" from "Lem and Gimble" is a masterful work of musical and lyrical storytelling, and the shockingly good vocals and passionate performance from the two romantic leads marks it--look, there's a reason it's on the charts, okay? Chip is hardly the only fan.
And Chip's third choice is the thing with the cherries by Strawberry Marine Cake. He's excited to work with them and he has definitely always been their biggest fan. He's absolutely not trying to sneakily look up their names on his mini computer while they're not looking.
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Shari finally puts down all the phones and nods. Well, my managerial abilities could have been applied in a different way, but that's okay.
In any case, I will be able to study the structure of security systems at big concerts from the inside. Such knowledge will be useful to me in the future. Someday I will do such events myself.
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Morela’s brow furrows a bit. ”This is a security detail, but we need to keep the judges happy?”, she asks. ”Are we guarding the judges? Is this more of a hospitality function?”
She doesn’t follow the contemporary hits, preferring the New Age stylings of Corona Borealis and Runelight Serenade. She does, however, enjoy the electrofunk of Zapogee.
The judges are Lita Starr, Tsuchi-ko from Strawberry Machine Cake, Lynthia from Abysshead, and K1ng Ch0rd. Celia explains. They are all names that ring with a degree of recognition. The event is hosted by Radat Sendu from Zo!’s network.”
Most of the bands participating are local,” Celita explains further. “However, there are also several bands from elsewhere that became stranded because of the Drift Crisis.
D-D-D-Domakayo! a loud jingle plays out of nowhere
Zigvigix then says Yes, just keep the judges happy. Drinks and snacks would work, but they'll tell you what they need. We're not expecting any trouble, but this event is important for the community. Nobody would want to sabotage all the amazing artists that will be there, would they?”
“That being said,” Celita cautions, “be prepared for anything. You should be aware of how these things go.”
Zint knows that Tsuchi-ko is Strawberry Machine Cake’s cobra-headed bass player. She believes that to spread joy is a musician’s highest calling and is known to mentor talented but little-known musicians who have a reputation for kindness and charity. It’s commonly known that she adores cupcakes (which she swallows whole) but is a horrible baker. K1ng Ch0rd is a technorapper with a decades-long career in the music industry. He’s never seen in public without his iconic vidscreen helmet, which serves to keep his private and public lives separate.
Morela finds some additional info on the other judges: The sugarpop icon Lita Starr sang with several bands, including Angel Melody, Lita and the Cutie Mephits, and Glint before launching her very successful solo career. Lynthia is the lead guitarist and backup vocalist for the agrosynch metal band Abysshead. It’s rumored that she once poisoned a (now ex-) lover.
Morela finds all the info on the host: Radat Sendu is an elebrian jiang-shi vampire. He’s famous for hosting variety shows and pulling cruel and dangerous “pranks” on performers, a tendency that is popular with Eoxian audiences. Some sources allege that the reason Lita Starr’s worked with so many bands is that her diva tendencies drove them to walk away. It’s rumored Tsuchi-ko has a vast stuffed animal collection and is a combat-trained mech pilot. Finally, stories from Apostae recently reached Absalom Station about Abysshead attempting to summon a demon during one of their shows.
The Ruby Theater is located in Sparks, an industrial neighborhood in Absalom Station’s Spike district. Sparks is home to countless engineering bays, custom tech shops, and starship component manufacturers. It’s an incredibly noisy neighborhood, and its citizens have been hit hard by the Drift Crisis, with overcrowding and unemployment commonplace.
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The Ruby Theater is abuzz with activity. While the show won’t begin for hours, fans wait in line outside the theater, crowding the streets of Sparks and watching the bands and crew going in and out of the building with curiosity. On a digital street sign, bright red letters proclaim “Star Sugar Superstar!!! TONIGHT!!!”
The group is greeted by a yawning human security guard Uuaaaah the guard yawns, you must be the starfinder group, let me check the guest list. It says here... Zint... Shari... Kareeda! the guard makes a point in pronouncing the '!' clearly. Morela, Bordle and.. Chip?
Well, come on it, I'm sure there's plenty of places you can help. Don't ask me, I'm just a security guard... The lobby is here, the arena is over there, there's service areas, catwalks, backstage... I'm sure you find all of that easily enough...
Just after entering the theater, the group is now in the lobby.
The front lobby includes the public entrances, a large open space for visitors to mingle and purchase tickets, concessions counters for purchasing food and beverages, booths that sell merchandise and signed autographs of the various performers, and public washrooms.
There's a grumbling dwarf shouting at an android Berish, yer addle-coved nincompoop. T was nary a second ago that I fortold ye to repair the ticketing machine. Dost thou brain rot? Ist there a circuitry malfunctioning? The dwarf points to a number of entrance gates, that seem to be having a malfunction. The android look a bit stressed out.
The dwarf then turn to the group You - what skills mechanical or digital do you posses?
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I am Kareeda!. Someone with all the technical skills an exclamation point at the end of their name suggests.[b] Kareeda! answers the dwarf [b]I do have some people skills as personnel departments like to term them. I have to say Berish may well respond better to simple reuests rather than berating them. I do hope you were not soliciting who has the skills to repair the ticketing machine. Although I am sure Chip here could help Berish if Berish requires any aid
Karreda!then scans the lobby for any tables machines that look like they may be knocked over by some one of larger size and not too fine motor control
On the contrary the dwarf say I require assistance indeed. I suffer not this machine be unfixed by showtime
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A shadow of surprise passes over the face of the drow businesswoman when she realizes that she has to do engineering work... Oh, I think I'm getting a call again. Shari looks at the phone, although no one has heard the vibration - but maybe it's because there is a lot of work going on and it's quite noisy? Guys, please sort it out without me. Five minutes literally. And she steps aside to talk on the phone.
Plans thwarted! the dwarf shouts in frustration is there no apt mechanic among thee? The dwarf looks at the other members of the group. Also, where did this dwarf learn common? Must have been quite an old book he was learning from.
The entry lobby is a loud hubbub of noise, including some distinct noise of a very reverberating bass guitar.
Chip tinkers with the ticketing machine, and manage to get unjam the virtual paper. It's mind-boggling to have a paper-jam in a paperless system, but Corporate cost-cutting measure lead to these things. At any rate, the machine is working again, leading to a very pleased dwarf. Gratulations, dear assistant. T was nary a forthminute before you bested this goblin. Three cheers to you!
Drawing closer is the base-thumping notes or very recognizable sugar-pop riffs. Playing is none other than Tsuchi-ko (see slides), the cobra-headed bass player, spreading joy.
There's no cupcakes she sings (slightly out of tune, she isn't the singer after all) while plunking notes
The cupcakes were a lie
The baker got the delivery wrong
And hung us out to dry
No cupcakes...
Who will get me cupcakes now?
I wanted a full tower!
Can someone get them here for me?
Is that within your power?
She stops and gives a big cobra-eyed wink () to the group, and cheekily looks at a cred-stick she is candidly holding in her off-hand. Fifty three cupcakes, (absolutely no brown ones), can you get those? Yes? Neat!
Neat! Tsuchi-ko says, and hands the group a - rather long - list of dietary requirements... gluten free, lactose intolerant, mercy deprived, mush-only (there's apparently a ghibrani staff member). Faleen compiled these, she is brilliant! She thought of everyone on the staff, she even remembered that Liraeus doesn't like tomato, and that Uku can't eat anything yellow. Preeeetty goood, huh? Everybody is working so hard, so they'll be happy to see a big tower of cupcakes!