Chapter Seven
Selena watched the two pods make their way north, on their way to a battleground hovering a record one hundred ninety-eight feet above the original streets of Los Angeles. She floated in for a closer look at Planet's Guide, which took the appearence of a gigantic auditorium with space right next to the stage for a mosh pit.
A large armored pod floated in from the southeast, and she watched it drop off a tall man in a suit with long gray hair. The man instantly got on his zap-pad and started chewing out various people who left him messages, and when he finished that, he put Proto Zoa on the transmission line.
"Zoa, baby," he said slowly, brightly, as if he'd been in a good mood all day.
"What do you want, Lester?" Proto Zoa snapped.
"Nice to see you're on your way over."
"You attacked Zenon, and I want to know why."
"Look, Zoa, it just needed to be done."
"You're going to end up dead, and I'm telling the police force that's after you exactly where you are as soon as I'm done with you."
"And what are they going to do to me? They can't prove I illegally cloned your girlfriend."
"We can, and you can bet we will."
"What power do you have over me, Proto Zoa?"
"It's not about the power I have over you. It's about justice."
"Forget justice. It hasn't gotten anything done for any of us, and you know it."
"Don't talk to me about the fallacies of justice."
"What are you gonna do to stop me?"
"What are you going to do to stop us?"
"It's not me that's gonna stop you. As soon as you get here, you're gonna get the shock of your life, and so's your girlfriend."
"Actually, we're pretty sure we know what you're up to, Lester. Don't think you're going to trick us."
"You never know. I might just have another trick up my sleeve. Be ready."
Lester hung up and walked around the concert hall as Selena watched from the rafters. Other staff members buzzed throughout Planet's Guide, getting ready for Proto Zoa's show the next day. He, for his part, hopped up on stage and set to pacing, his hands loosely clasped behind his back.
He was definitely a man on a mission.
ZZZ
"Lester?" Zenon asked, and Proto Zoa nodded. "What does he want?"
"I still don't know, but he did mention a huge surprise we were in for when we get to Los Angeles and Planet's Guide."
"Well, let's surprise him in return."
"That's actually a good idea. Now, I've got to contact a certain police squad about a certain cloning incident."
"Go ahead, and sweat minor. It's all gonna be fine."
Proto Zoa managed, after about seven attempts, to get in touch with the leader of the squadron on the manhunt for Lester Randcaster. He relayed Lester's present location to the investigator, and the conversation was over fairly quickly.
"All business major with the police, huh?"
"The more you cooperate, the less they suspect you if you get in trouble."
"Until they catch you in a lie major."
"Good point."
He reached over and touched her arm again, and she rested her hand on his, still managing to keep up with Nebula and Margie. "What time do you want me to be there?"
"Five in the afternoon would be just lovely. I'm supposed to meet my band by then anyway."
"Okay, sounds good." She peered out past the pod in front of her and spotted a massive floating structure with lights which read 'Planet's Guide'. "We're here." She turned on her zap-pad and zapped Nebula's pod. "You know where we can find a hotel?" she asked.
"Does Zoa know of one?" Nebula asked.
"Actually, I do, and it's on me," Proto Zoa said.
"Is he serious?"
"Yes, I am. After all, it's the least I can do."
"Okay, you lead us," Margie said.
Proto Zoa gave Zenon directions, and the ruddy pod belonging to Nebula and also transporting Margie slipped in behind them. They parked at another massive floating structure, this one several stories tall, and Proto Zoa helped Zenon out of the pod. They walked in with Margie and Nebula as a foursome, and he did all the talking, which turned out to be to their benefit, and Proto Zoa led them up to their rooms.
ZZZ
Proto Zoa collapsed onto his bed and rubbed his eyes. Zenon sat on the other bed, watching him and chewing her lip a little. She eventually decided to lay back on her bed in her own right and stare up at the ceiling.
Her eyes drifted closed, and she saw images of a girl with her exact height, dress, and features, right down to the smallest of details. Her clone attacked her, and she fought back with equal ferocity, but she was bested within five seconds, and the clone shoved her into the wall, knocking the wind out of her.
She sat up, in a cold sweat, and she glanced over at Proto Zoa, who was still passed out asleep. She got out of her bed and slipped into his bed right beside him, closing her eyes.
