NOTE: This next segment was osupposed to be a chapter of about 4 to 5k words. I just wanted to take David into Amanda's world and show how it affects him. But when I started imagining the environment, the people and the technology, not to mention the bands and the concert, (which was really fun to write) it took on a life of its own, and I wound up at almost 10k words. When I decided to try and cut it down a bit I wound up adding to it instead! I wrapped up at almost 12k words. So I found a reasonable place to split and made two chapters instead of one. I have been at this all week, editing and adding an cutting and changing names and people, and trying to close all my loose ends. If I try to read it again I'll loose my freekin mind! lol. So any typos or conflicting plot points you encounter will have to be fixed later. Feel free to point them out to me. Thanx for reading. - Pz
Alive
Book 2
Pt5
1
David paced back and forth before his console, scrutinizing his image in the multiple windows on his monitor.. His new pants were a sheer dark blue cloth, which hugged his hips, then ballooned a little around his thighs and tapered to grip tight at the top of his black boots. The boots were glossy black, and appeared to be made for hiking. But they were made of a material too light for that purpose. Their numerous straps were superfluous, as were the shiny silver tabs for the laces they did not need. They were stylistic and completely impractical. But they were pretty comfortable, and looked pretty cool. David would admit that.
His shirt fit his body like a satiny blue second skin, accentuating his budding muscularity. His charcoal grey coat, made of simulated leather, balanced the trim fit of the clothing, but caused his shoulders to appear a bit larger than they really were. Perhaps that was the purpose, David guessed.
His pants however, hugged his butt a little more snugly than he was comfortable with. He was starting to understand the purpose behind that too.
Amanda had helped him pick out the suit the day before, just after they'd downloaded their concert tickets on a sub-net site run by a friend of hers named Ice. They'd burned the information into tiny discs and then she'd guided him through the various sites that carried trendy fashion lines.
"This is nice," David said, stopping on a site that carried retro style jeans and shirts. The clothes were casual. Unpretentious. Anonymous. But Amanda had just rolled her eyes and uttered guttural noises in her throat. She'd bumped him aside and taken over the search.
"This is what you need, Mister Bookworm," she said as a page loaded on the screen. David twisted a brow at the outfits hovering in his monitor. They were glossy and chic. Alluring. Provocative. Not his style at all.
"Kind of flashy, aren't they?" he'd said.
"It's the look," Amanda had insisted.
"And they're expensive," David replied, checking the tag price.
The girl had responded by clasping her hands to her temples and tugging her braids in frustration.
"You're rich!" she screamed.
"Okok," David said in surrender.
He still didn't understand how she managed such sway over him, but he'd obidiantly scanned his frame with a wand and uploaded his measurements. Then he hit 'send' and went through the security procedures for having his items delivered by courier. Because of where he lived, there'd be no way to keep his purchase a secret.
But Dad had wanted him to seek out new 'colors' anyway, had he? Be careful what you wish for.
This morning Alfred had brought the delivery up from the mailroom, and Amanda had waited beyond David's door as he put them on. Now, looking at the way the outfit clung to his body, David was having second thoughts. He actually felt pretty stupid, but didn't want to insult her choices.
She was sitting on the edge of his bed now, toying with the remote for his RC; making the ailerons flex and retract while David pondered a diplomatic way to tell her he'd changed his mind about the suit. The concert was hours away, and he knew she'd berate him for dressing how he really wanted; in his own ragged but comfortable jeans and shirt.
"How fast can this thing go," she asked distractedly, toggling the RC controls so that its small thrusters flipped back and forth.
David ignored the question.
"These pants are a bit tight around the butt," he complained.
"That's the idea, d'uh!" Amanda replied, without looking up. Of course she would say that, David thought. She was dressed in a matching suit. Hers was pink, however, and adorned with glittering sequins on her chest and thighs, that matched the sprinkles of sparkle on her cheeks. But she was a girl, and could get away with such things.
Amanda finally put the remote down and looked at David with a patronizing expression on her annoyingly cute face.
"But of course you can always go in your jeans and t-shirt, and those dirty beat up runners if you prefer," she said. "Just don't expect anyone to talk to you…. anyone important, that is."
David had learned to tolerate her jabs. He'd come to realize it was just her way. Probably the way of her friends too. But then, it wasn't really so much different than the way Sy's crew had communicated; the taunting and verbal jousts that dominated their conversations. Especially The Wiz Kid. And he'd grown used to her, hadn't he?
"So much ado about clothing," he said, frowning at his image in the monitor.
Amanda rolled her eyes, a gesture that David was getting tired of; and seemed about to make some snarky response. But she surprised him by dropping the patronizing look and taking on a serious tone.
"I'm starting to understand you, David Hobby," she said, crossing her arms and tilting her head to the side, eying him like he was a troublesome child. "To you everything is like a math problem. You're always trying to dissect the world down to the least common dominator so you can solve the equation, or squeeze it in one of those little theories you come up with. But people aren't theories, or birds… or robots! Mister Bookworm!"
David considered her words for a moment.
"Fair enough," he said. "But it just seems so superficial… all this focus on appearances. There's more to life than what meets the eye, you know."
Amanda jumped up and thrust a scolding finger in David's face.
"Your clothes make a statement," she said. "They either say 'G'uh! I'm David Hobby, but so what? It's ok to ignore me, because I do.'" She donned a goofy expression; bowing her legs and wobbling around like a clown. Then she straightened her back and began to strut boldly.
"Or they can say, "Yo-yo-yo, Hobby's in da house! That's right ya'll, it's the David Hobby! Ignore me at your peril, because I am that one!'"
Amanda morphed back to her usual petite, irritating self and sat down. She tapped her braids back into place and commenced playing with his RC again.
"It your choice," she said, as if she didn't care either way.
It was David's turn to roll his eyes. He considered pointing out that he was trying to make 'his choice' yesterday, when she'd taken over the search. But he didn't want to argue.
"That one?" he repeated, shaking his head. "I don't know which one that one is, but he's surely not this one."
"Oh, have some fun for a change," Amanda said. "What you got to lose?"
David clucked his tongue and looked at himself in the monitor. He cocked his hips and tried a swagger, the way he'd seen her do. But he stopped when he realized how comical he looked.
"It's just not me, Amanda," he said, laughing. "It not my style."
"Style?" Amanda yelled in disbelief. "What style, Bookworm? You got no style!"
She jumped up suddenly and began bouncing up and down to some inaudible rhythm; flexing her back and bobbing her head; her braids flailing wildly. David moved away, to keep from being hit as she thrust her fists into the air, screaming:
"Chaka-chaka-Chaka-chaka!
Chaka-chaka-Chaka-chaka
Cha-cha-cha-cha-cha!"…
She repeated the chant in time with her rhythmic thrusts. Her pretty face twisted into a grimace of either pain or pleasure, David could not tell which. He sighed and suppressed a laugh.
"Amanda, what the hell are you-"
But his words were cut off when she turned and bumped her rear hard against him, knocking him off balance. He corrected himself and stepped out of her line of fire.
"Chaka-chaka! Chaka-chaka!…" she went on, bouncing around the room as David watched, perplexed. Finally she landed her feet hard on the floor; crouching in a low, wide stance, like some untamed creature; hands clasped to her thighs and lips twisted into a feral snarl.
"Flesh Riiiiiite!"
Amanda screamed in a banshee whine, eyes closed and head back, like a wild, young wolflette howling at the moon. She stopped suddenly, chest heaving, face flush from exertion, staring at David with an almost maniacal look in her eyes.
"Get it?" she said.
David was dazzled and lost for words. She was… beautiful!
A knock came suddenly from the door, breaking David from whatever trance Amanda had put him in.
"Sir," said a muffled voice beyond, "Is everything ok?"
"Uh…I'm fine Alfred," David called out. "Just… just playing some new music," he lied.
Amanda cupped her hands over her mouth and started snickering. After a moment David joined in and the two quickly fell to their knees in laughter. When their humor was spent, she reached out and grabbed him by the shoulder.
"You're young! You're rich! You're sexy!" she said. "Don't waste it!"
Sexy?
David had never thought of himself that way before. He stood and looked at himself in the monitor. A sly grin broke slowly on his face. He did look rather 'sexy', didn't he?
This was definitely a new color.
"Ok," David said, his grin blooming into a knowing smile. "I get it."
When Amanda started bouncing up and down again, David joined in; hesitantly at first, feeling a little foolish. Then his blood started flowing and he fell full into the rhythm, copying her movements and echoing the ritual chant at the top of his lungs. He had no idea what the words meant, but knew it really didn't matter. It felt good! And as he danced, it became clear why the clothes were made so sheer and form fitting.
They were for the young. They were for the bold. They were for the sexy!
"Chaka-chaka! Chaka-chaka!" the teenagers screamed, laughing and bouncing around the room like mad men. But there was nothing mad about them. They were just typical teenagers, dancing off the frustrations of adolescing in a troubled world.
Teddy rose from the place near the silent 500, where David had started keeping it so Amanda would not realize who it really belonged to. The Supertoy walked to the edge of the couch, twisting its brows and scratching its head as it watched the two Orga teens perform their strange ritual. After a minute or two Teddy went to sit back down, resigned to the fact it would never understand their species.
2
The moment Ariel cleared the restricted zone, and raced beyond the Torch and Cybertronics' array of security towers, Amanda's pod started singing. It sang in her voice, or a precise simulation of her voice; reciting a litany of short messages in time to a pumping rhythmic background.
"Jazzy says 'wazzup!'
Zee wants a call back
Five messages from Frills,
Ice says he'll meet at the show…"
The phone continued that way for a minute, rapping off a string of names, letting Amanda know who had called while she'd been unavailable and, if the message was short enough, what they'd wanted.
David hadn't seen that function before.
"Cool," he said, leaning over to listen to the program and study the small holographic images hovering over the pod; avatars of the people who had tried to contact her "How many musical variations does it have?" he asked, intrigued by the improvised freestyle program and wondering what kind of processing it used.
"Shhh," Amanda hissed, raising a hand for silence. She turned off the speaker and the avatars disappeared as she placed the pod to her ear.
David clucked his tongue and pressed back into his seat. Lex, the security Mecha Dad had provided, a non-descript but tough looking S-250 in casual dark clothing and shaded glasses, was sitting in the front beside Ariel. It craned its head to see what Amanda was doing on her pod. She had already been told that there'd be no images of David sent to anyone. She had reluctantly agreed, but the Mecha had determined a high probability that she could break tat trust.
When Lex was satisfied that she wasn't up to mischief, it nodded at David. David winked, to acknowledge all was fine, and turned to gaze out the copter window.
The last thin trace of daylight was surrendering to the night. Beneath its faint purple glow, a fine coat of twinkling lights hugged the horizon.
The Inland. Where the Bright Flock played.
The night hadn't even begun yet, and David was already having reservations.
Amanda's crazy dance in his room had relaxed him about the 'event'. (He kept telling himself that it wasn't a date.) But his feet were growing cold again. He had lived through slaughters, had been interrogated by secret police; he'd been captured by a gang of bandits, had run their gauntlet and narrowly escaped from more than one life threatening situation.
So what was it about going to hang out with a bunch of flashy self-consumed teenagers that made him so nervous?
Perhaps it was the fact that his clothes were so sheer that he felt naked? ("Aren't those a little tight around the rear?" his Father had joked when seeing them off.) Or maybe it was because the little braid Amanda had tied at the back of his hair seemed a bit feminine? ("But it's cute!" she'd insisted when he'd complained. "You should let your hair grow out!")
Most likely it was that he was breaking out of his 'cocoon' as Dad has put it; entering unexplored terrain, yet again. Had he grown so used to his routine, that new experiences now scared him. And what was it that scared him? Rejection? Why would he be worried about being rejected by a bunch of people he'd never even met?
Even after five years of being 'alive' David was just beginning to understand the complexity of human emotions.
"Jazzy!" Amanda said in a sing-song voice. David realized she was talking with someone on her pod. "What's your twenty, girl?" she said, and waited a moment as whomever she was talking to responded. "Yeah, we're on the way," Amanda said. She listened a moment more and then said, "Well, you can tell Ice I'll be there when I get there and if he doesn't like that he can go grip off!"
Then she turned and winked at David.
"And anyway, you'll never guess who I'm with," Amanda said into the pod.
The security Mecha leaned over the seat and shook its head. Amanda scowled and stuck her tongue out at the bot. But she obeyed.
She looked at David again, and seemed to be considering something.
"Let's just call him… "
David held up a threatening fist; silently mouthing the words: 'No Bookworm!'
Amanda giggled.
"Call him Blue," she said.
David shrugged and sat back. It was strange, but it would do.
"And he's the cutest nerd you'll ever see!" she added, laughing.
David set his face in his hand moaned. What was he getting himself into now?
3
The Nexus Plaza finally came into view, a sprawling complex built atop the head of a mount that had once had been the location of an exclusive community, noted for its scenic view. But the waters had risen and the mount was now an island bearing a entertainment center that glowed brightly in night.
Airborne traffic was scant, but on the ground below, David could see the clustered headlights of cruisers trailing off for what seemed miles. Far to the south, the colorful towers of Rouge City were blinking and flashing on the black horizon. But there were no images of scantly clad prostitutes floating over The Nexus Plaza, nor were any lasciviously designed buildings exposing their bodies for the crowds. This was a place for teens. And while the kids themselves would not have objected to such prurient displays, their parents were another matter.
Floating marquees carried advertisements for bands and holos, clothing stores and coffee shops. High over a large circular structure in the center of the plaza, a floating sign spun and gyrated. It read:
"Tonight at Nexus 1:
Flesh Rite!
with special guests
Daphne & The Simple Son.
Doors open 8:30 pm"
"Woo-hoo" Amanda yelled, grabbing David's hand and bouncing around in her seat. Lex glanced back, but said nothing. David nodded, to signal everything was fine, and the bot turned around.
"Is he going to be a pest all night?" Amanda said in a stage whisper loud enough for the Mecha to hear.
"It's his job," David said. "Don't worry. He's not going inside to concert with us."
"Small favors," Amanda sighed.
A flood of music suddenly erupted over the copter com. Nexus security had noticed their approach.
"Welcome to the Nexus Plaza," said a warm female voice. "Please log in or register your business." It wanted to know who was flying into their parking bay, and why.
Due to legal limits on childbirth, with rare exception, every teen here would be an only child. So security was very tight. Adults with no children, or any business reason to be at the plaza, were refused entry. Even adults who didn't try to enter the facility, but loitered too close nearby, would arouse suspicion.
Ariel entered a code in the dash of the copter. There was a quick musical interlude and then the voice returned.
"Welcome, Mister Holt," the voice said cheerfully "We hope you enjoy tonight's special presentation, 'Flesh Rite'. Door open in thirty-five minutes. Please proceed to the Exclusive Parking Bay indicated in your monitor."
Ariel wouldn't need the monitor, of course. The directions had already been uploaded into his head.
"Um… Mister Holt?" Amanda said.
"Dad's traveling alias," David explained as Ariel began to descend.
4
There were about a dozen other copters spread about the parking bay. Their pilots, if Mecha, were standing attentively by their craft, while the few Orga pilots lounged in the copter carriage, reading or watching something on their pod. No cabs or shuttles were allowed in this section. These were private copters, the ones bearing the rich and famous, or children of the politically connected.
Only one of the copters sported an insignia; a white, sketch type logo of a large oval with a smiling, mustached man in its center. The rest were anonymous, including the one David arrived in, and bore nothing that would indicate who they belonged to. Nor who they carried. Kidnappings for ransom had once been a major concern, long ago when the world economy had started its decline. They were rare now, but not rare enough to risk drawing too much attention.
Getting out was David's first obstacle. He had noticed a group of kids passing by, heading slowly towards an elevator at the edge of the parking bay. He wanted to give them time to exit, certain that when he jumped out they'd see him and laugh at his clothing. So he pretended to be having problems with his seat harness while Amanda leaned against the copter door, sighing and eying him impatiently. Even Ariel glanced over his shoulder after a minute, wondering why David was having such difficulty with a device he'd used many times before. When Lex offered to assist, David suddenly figured it out and stepped into the stark lights.
'Here we go,' he thought.
A few of the kids did glance in his direction, but none of them laughed. They just whispered to the others, who also looked over. David could see that their clothing was as at least as wild as his, but he still felt awkward in their gaze.
Amanda noticed his discomfort.
"Oh, don't go all mamas-boy on me," she whispered. "They're just wondering who you are. Probably think your some child star or something."
A mischievous grin grew on her face.
"Quick," she said, giggling, "turn away like you're trying to avoid them. That'll start some gossip."
David joined in on the prank, lowering his head and turning his back on the group of kids. Sure enough, they started moving slower, craning their heads or walking backward, trying to see what young luminary might have arrived. But Lex didn't appreciate the joke and placed itself between David and the passing group. The Mecha crossed his its arms and clenched its jaws. The gawkers quickly got the message and moved on.
"Please, don't do that," Lex said to Amanda.
But she just started laughing, and David couldn't help but join in.
"You're so bad," he said. But he felt encouraged. He wasn't excited about drawing so much attention, but at least it wouldn't be the negative kind.
"Did you lock your pod, sir?" Lex said to David.
"Oh, yeah," David said. He pulled it from his pocket made sure access was blocked. Lex would be logged in, so it would know where David was at all times. But David didn't want anyone wearing 'googs', or virtual glasses, to be able to read his identity. There were restrictions on the devices, especially at big venues that catered to teens; and Nexus Security screen new arrivals for such things. But technology like that was hard to control.
"Done," David said, slipping the pod back into his pocket.
"I'll be trailing," Lex said. "You know the signal if anything goes wrong."
"Cmon," Amanda said, grabbing David by the hand. "I want you to meet my crew."
Her hand felt good in his, small, soft and warm. But then she tugged him hard, pulling him along as she began running, and David forgot the brief delight of her touch.
The young couple raced for the plaza with the security bot walking fast a dozen or so yards behind them. Ariel stood at attention by the copter. It would wait on stand-by, until their return.
5
They took an elevator down to a second passageway that wound around the structure and emptied near the general parking bay. This was designed to allow people who'd arrived in the exclusive bay, to slip into the general crowd unnoticed. Then they could enter the plaza without everyone knowing they might be someone special. Many young celebrities and children of celebrities, traveled incognito, and preferred to not be harassed by fans.
As they moved into the mad press of teenagers rushing up from general parking and the tram drop off points, David's tension eased. Nobody gave him a second look. And he could easily see why. He was plain in comparison with most of the crowd.
There were kids in tights and kids in costumes, kids with fluorescent make up and glowing tattoos painted on their faces. Some had had even dressed up like characters from their favorite holos or games. A few of them appeared to be naked at first glance; their bodies painted in elaborate designs. Then David realized their clothing was just so form fitting that it was hard to tell the difference.
What had he been worried about?
There were a few kids dressed in the manner he had desired; simple jeans and t-shirts or black slacks with plain, retro button ups. But they were the ones who actually stood out, being so few. Here, the extravagant was the normal.
Along the passageway walls stood patient, watchful Mecha, clad in dark, trim fitting uniforms with a insignia on the chest: a small white 'N" imposed in the corner of a large 'X'. It looked like some kind of math equation.
'Nexus', David guessed. They were probably scanners, checking the crowd for any illegal devices. Even as he thought this one of the guards reached out and caught a boy by the collar. The kid turned, an angry glare on his face. But the Mecha just pointed back down the hall.
"You'll have to leave those in your car, sir," it said loudly, to complete with the din of the crowd. The boy struggled, but finally relented when the kids around him complained that he was slowing the line. He turned and headed back, to leave whatever it was he carried in whatever vehicle he had arrived.
But why only Mecha Security? David wondered. Robots couldn't hurt an Orga. There were severe consequences for even striking a human. Especially a child. David guessed that if a kid got violent, or if a fight broke out, the bots would probably just hold the offenders until Orga guards, or police, showed up. It was a logical system. Mecha had a hell of a grip.
But the crowd was actually pretty orderly considering their age and excitement.
A few rowdy boys, clad in black and bearing savage looking tats on their arms, were pushing and shoving their way through the passage. They were mocking and taunting the others as they made their way. But no one seemed perturbed by the obnoxious behavior. They ignored it, like it was business as usual, and let the boys pass.
This strange Bright Flock in their restless swarms, thought David. These are the ones I should be studying.
A tug on his hand broke David from his thoughts. The crowd ahead had cleared and Amanda was pulling him on, racing towards the plaza. David looked back to make sure his bodyguard was still with them. Lex was having a hard time in the onslaught of teenagers, but still in David's line of sight. And even if he lost them, Lex could hone in on David pod.
Once beyond the passageway the crowd dispersed, headed for their various destinations. The plaza was huge, encircled by a line of brightly lit stores and eateries; game zones and small clubs with flashing marquees or gyrating holographs floating outside their doors. Groups of kids gathered in their separate cliques; eating or talking or whispering about the other kids.
A few of the dark clad Mecha guards strolled around the crowd. And small glowing orbs floated about the groups, stopping here and there and then moving on. These were advertisements, David realized. How clever! A few of the orbs raced away after the kids it had stopped near jeered loudly, or threw punches at it.
In the center of it all, stood the auditorium where they were headed. The Nexus One. There were probably other smaller venues where lesser-known artists performed, but this was the main attraction. A huge hologram floated above the entrance, displaying music videos by the bands that were performing that night. David recognized one of the scenes from something he'd seen online.
When they were clear of the mob in the passageway, Amanda let go of his hand and pulled her pod from her pocket. She turned on her viewer and said "Jazzy". The pod made the connection, and a girl with wild green hair and luminous makeup appeared on the small screen
"Where the heck are you," Amanda said.
"Staring at you," Jazzy replied. Amanda looked up and scanned the plaza.
"There they are!" she said, pointing at a distant cluster of kids gathered near an outcrop of stylistic tables where they were eating and talking. She grabbed David's hand and they were off again.
6
Amanda's 'crew' was as much of a spectacle as everyone else here. They all looked to be around the same age, but they were tall and short, fat and thin, and various races and nationalities. It did appear though, that they shopped at the same trendy stores, used the same dye in their hair and paint on their faces.
"Hey, Mandy-girl!" said one of them, a tall feline boy with long violet-tinted hair and a large kiss painted high on one cheek.
"Frill!" Amanda said, giving him a real kiss on his painted one. She hugged him quickly and moved on to the others. They rose from their conversations and meals and greeted her with quick hugs and pecks on her face.
"Where you been!" they said, and "Why ain't you returned my calls, girl" and "How's life at the end of the world?"
"Boring!" Amanda cried, at the last question. "But at least I'm getting my homework done for a change. There's nothing else to do!"
David stood at the edge of the crowd, feeling out of place, as Amanda made her rounds. It was clear that this was her element. She was like different person, talking rapidly, her face animated and laughter falling easily from her mouth. He'd never seen her like this before. But how could he have? She didn't belong so far from the center of things. She was one of them. He was just passing through. He looked at his feet, feeling silly for thinking that he might actually fit in.
"And you must be Blue," someone said.
David looked up to see a girl with her hand on her hips, looking him up and down. Gold skinned and heavy set with slightly Asian features, she was clad in a loose robe-like dress, adorned with colorful prints of what appear to be dancing people. Her green-tinted hair shot up in stylish curls over her head and her make-up gave off a soft luminance.
"Mmm-hmm" the girl said, as if she was eying a sumptuous meal. "Mandy was right. You are cute."
David had no idea how to react to this. He shrugged and waved, hoping that his blushing wasn't too obvious.
"And he's mine!" Amanda yelled from the table where she was standing, talking to a dark sinned boy with a fiery blonde mane of hair. She crossed her arms and took a menacing pose. But there was humor in her voice and the kids around her laughed.
Jazzy waved a flippant dismissal at Amanda and turned her attention back to the cute new kid.
"The quiet type, eh?" she said to David. "I sure wish Shooter was more like that. He don't know when to talk and when to shut up, and when he does talk, I can't figure out what the hell he's sayin'!"
The boy named Shooter, a tall pale kid, with the faint remnants of acne on his face, looked up from a gathering of kids at the table. He spoke in a precociously deep voice.
"You don't need to be the one talkin' about talkin' when talkin's not due, Jazz," he said.
"You see what I mean?" Jazzy said, incredulous. "Now, did that make any kind of sense at all?"
David laughed, but only because he knew he was supposed to. He still felt out of place.
"Ignore her," Shooter said. "She'll make you crazy." He gestured that David should come and sit. "You're safer over here with us!"
David complied. The boys moved aside to make space for him as he sat at the table, and Amanda made introductions all around. David nodded and smiled and shook hands with the few that were offered. They greeted him with disinterested glances, and a few quick compliments on his clothing. No one seemed to have last names. They used strange nics like Zipper and Scoot, Cluk and Henny, Shooter and Tiff, Mimi and Lalo, and a dozen other odd names and painted faces that David knew he would never remember.
When introductions were complete, they went back their lattes and the conversations. David listened, trying to follow as they spoke about sports he didn't watch, holos he'd never seen, games he didn't play and bands he'd never heard. The bands had names like "Glamaniacs" and "Choot Galore" and "Metalicious".
The last one made David laugh aloud. A few others joined him and he started feeling like he belonged here. At least for tonight.
"Where's Ice" Jazzy said to Amanda.
Amanda looked around as if there was something she'd lost.
"Oops! I must have dropped his leash," she snipped.
Jazzy shot her a dark look.
A couple of the crew snickered at the mention of the name. Jazzy glared in their direction.
"Don't laugh," Jazzy complained. "Ice is sweet." But this only brought more chuckles. "Oh, you all are so mean," Jazzy said.
"He's ok," Shooter said. "But he's not really one of us. We all know here's only one reason he comes around."
"Hey, what was that noise?" Amanda said suddenly, cocking her ear to the wind. "Was that a change of subject in the air?"
Everybody got the message and the conversations changed direction.
David had no idea what was going on and decided not to ask.
"So, what're you into," said the boy named Zee. He was the dark skinned boy Amanda had been talking to earlier, the one with the crazy blonde hair.
It took a moment for David to realize Zee was talking to him. He hesitated, remembering that Lex said he shouldn't mention anything that might indicate who his father was.
"Well, a little of everything I guess," David said. "Music. Reading. I tinker with programming a little. And I fly."
"Fly?"
"Uh, my RC," David said quickly. He knew he shouldn't mention that he had his own Stratocruiser. It might draw more questions that he should answer. "I have a 1/4 scale amphibicopter," he explained.
"Ka," Zee said, impressed.
"So you can talk," Jazzy said. "You got a nice voice too. You should talk more often."
Zee waved her off.
"Let the man alone," he said. Then he turned to David. "By the way, if you're going to the show tonight, make sure you watch for spiders. There's a crew out, playin' their little hustles around the entrance."
"Spiders?" David said. "You mean data-bugs? Snoopers?"
"Yeah, I mean bugs," Zee said. "And these new ones are sneaky. They don't just stick to your sleeve. They crawl all up in your clothes, looking for stuff you forgot to encrypt."
"Thanks for the warning," David said. But he was wondering how they got in here. There'd be no way Sy would have tried to get get past security like this…. unless there was someone on the inside! David decided not to speak his mind.
Amanda turned to him and put her hand out.
"Give me the tickets," she said. "And don't let anyone get too close to you before we get inside."
David couldn't tell her he already knew all the routines, that he'd used them himself years ago, just trying to stay alive. So he took the tiny discs from his coat pocket and handed them over.
Then he looked away quickly as she pulled the top of her shirt out, and slipped them into her bra. The rest of the boys acted like they didn't even care.
"Oh, ain't he polite!" Jazzy laughed. "You know how to pick 'em, Mandy-girl," she said, winking at David.
"We're gonna be late," Amanda said, rising and pulling David to his feet. "You guys coming," she said to her friends.
"Later," Scooter said. "That first band is a bit on the sleepy side, if ya know what I mean." There were a few grunts of agreement from the others.
"Then see you inside." Amanda said. She blew them all a kiss and started walking away.
"Ain't you waitin' for Ice?" Jazzy said.
Amanda stopped. She turned slowly and cocked her head, a dark expression on her face. It was her "serious' expression. David had already seen it a few times since he'd known her.
"And why should I?" she said. "Is there some rule that I overlooked?"
Jazzy crossed her arms and frowned, eying Amanda with a stern expression. David could tell their friendship went way back. And nobody fought quite like old friends.
"Maybe we should just go, Amanda" he said, trying to head off whatever was coming about whoever Ice was. But neither of the girls was listening to him.
"Why you always got to punish that man," Jazzy said. "He's been so nice to you. Got you tickets to the show and all."
"First off, he's not a man, he's a boy," Amanda replied testily. "And second, Ice just saved the tickets for me. He didn't give them to me. Dav… uh, Blue and I paid for them with our own money. And last, I'm not being mean. I just don't feel like dealing with one of his little tantrums tonight. And you know what I'm talking about."
"Yes, I do," Jazzy snapped, "And I also know why he gets that way! So don't act all innocent, Miss Mandy!"
Something suddenly occurred to David. Was this whole thing with 'Ice' really about him?
He faced Amanda and spoke softly.
"Is this 'Ice' guy going to be trouble? Is he like… your boyfriend or something?" he said. The idea that Amanda was seeing someone made David feel strangely upset. But he'd rather avoid a fight on his first … 'concert'. (He still didn't want to call it a date)
But Amanda just waved the question way.
"No and no," she said, "and now we got to go!" She grabbed David by the hand and started walking again.
"Aww look at the all the cute little Shinys! Don't they just make you wanna puke!"
Everybodys attention was drawn to the voice. They turned to see a group of rowdy kids, like the ones David had seen in the passageway; the black clad boys who had been shoving their way through the crowd. There were about ten of them standing atop nearby tables, sneering at Amanda's friends. A tall kid in front of the group was flipping the bird and making hand gestures over other parts of his body.
"Is that Ice?" David whispered.
Amanda sighed.
"No," she said "They're just a bunch of dumb CJs out to cause trouble."
"CJs?"
"Crash Jammers," Amanda explained. "They just losers. Ignore them."
Zee and Shooter rose, and started walking towards the boys. The looks on their faces suggested that this was nothing new and they weren't intimidated.
"Wazzup punks?" Zee said. "Getting ready to bite off more than you can chew? Again?"
"Shiny freaks of nature!" shouted one the CJs.
"Bring it, you transie dirtbags," said one of Amanda's crew; the one named Frill. He was thin and vaguely girlish, but something in his expression said he knew how to take care of himself. More of Amanda friends rose and soon the groups of boys were shouting taunts and threats at one another.
This was something else David wanted to understand; this tribal proclivity among his fellow Orga. What drove it? And from whence did it come?
But again he was broken from his philosophical pondering by Amanda. She started pulling him away from the brewing fight.
"Nothin's going to happen," she said, "They'll just talk a bunch of crap and then security will show up and kick them all out, and we don't want to be around when that happens or we'll miss the show. Now c'mon!"
One of the CJs noticed the two leaving. He separated from his gang and hopped on a table that David and Amanda were passing.
"Yeah, run, you Shiny wuss!" the boy said, throwing his arms out in challenge.
David stopped. He didn't mean to. He knew it was all just talk, and it would have been easy enough for him to keep going. But he didn't.
Even as he felt himself yank his hand from Amanda's grasp, saw her confusion as he gently pushed her aside, and turned to face the taunting Crash boy; even as he felt his body relax and knees bend slightly so he could position quickly if the boy jumped; David mind's was analyzing, in detail, the peculiarity of his own actions.
"Was that intended for me," he said in a calm voice.
"I don't see any other Shiny wusses around," the boy said.
Amanda groaned.
"You're going to make us late!" she said angrily.
"Don't worry," David replied, "This won't take long."
He approached the jeering Crash Jammer, feeling that strange disconnect that came over him whenever violence was in the air.
"You just made a major miscalculation," David said
(cont…)