Chapter 3: The Council
Just like the day before, morning arrives in Sweet Dance City. One by one, the idols wake up and get ready for another day of entertaining the guests who came to see them. The sun is shining bright and not a cloud in the sky. A perfect day to be an idol in the city.
The tropical sun shines through Conrad's window and wakes him up gently. He sits up and stretches. He then yawns while rubbing his blonde hair. After looking out his window, he smiles as another clear warm day has arrived in the city of idols. He grabs his notebook and gets ready for the day. As he gets dressed, he checks his notes and plans his day. He will be quite busy today and he can't wait to get started to meet the fans who will come to see him later.
He walks out of his room yawning. In the hall, he finds Magali sitting at the computer looking through her profile. There is a look of determination as she scrolls through the website inspecting everything with a fine tooth comb. He curiously walks up to her and greets, "good morning. What are you doing?"
"Oh, good morning Conrad. I'm just taking a closer look at my Profile and seeing what else they've publish about me. I can't believe how much information is on here. And there seems to be an app that I found out about yesterday in my class. It feels crazy that there's so little privacy we have, and everyone is just okay with it."
As she continues to explore her profile, she notices a link to another website. She clicks on the link and sees that it takes her to a social media site. "DanceTube? What is this," she asked.
"You can't be serious. How did you live all this time and not hear of DanceTube?"
"Well excuse me for not being up to date with this kind of stuff. When your dad is a Super Idol, he tends to keep you too busy for social media. So what is this site all about?"
"DanceTube is a social media site where the Sweet Dance Society uploads videos of all our performances for those who can't attend them live. It also introduces new fans to the city and encourages people to come visit us. It's quite generous if you ask me."
Curious to find out what sort of videos they uploaded of her; she clicks play. "Oh hey, look at this! It's the video of my entrance exam! I had no idea that they recorded that."
"Yep. And look at all the views you got. Not surprising since you are the daughter of a super idol."
"And I have a lot of comments. I wonder what they are saying about me."
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," warned Conrad.
His warning came just a moment too late as Magali had already opened the comment section. She gasps in horror as she sees the things people are saying. Most of the comments are negative, while others are malicious.
"What the hell is this dance routine," asked one of the comments.
"Her outfit is stupid! Did she fish that out of a dumpster?"
"This is Julian's kid? He must be quite disappointed to have a daughter like her. She may as well be a stripper."
"She's cute! I'd hit that!"
"This is quite a letdown. I expected more from the daughter of a Super Idol."
"She still became an idol? I guess they'll let anyone in these days."
The shock of the comments paralyzes her. As she goes down, the comments only get worse. Soon enough, Conrad does her a favor and closes the comment section and allows her to calm down.
"Rule number one of the internet. Never read the comments. You'll get nothing good from it. Just humanity's worst thoughts all piled up in one place," said Conrad.
"Oh my god, why are people so nasty?"
"No idea. But as long as I can tell, it's always been like this. Try not to be scared. The comments are mean, but nobody got hurt by simply ignoring them."
"Oh, I wasn't scared. I may be a girl, but my dad made sure I can defend myself. I studied martial arts for a couple of years back at home, and I am pretty good at it." to prove what she's saying, she takes a step back to demonstrate her martial arts skills. She throws a few quick jabs, then a couple of round house kicks. They all nearly hit Conrad, but she is able to hold back enough to show she is in full control of her moves.
Conrad claps cheerfully as he says, "that's pretty good, impressive! Too bad none of that will help you here in the city."
"Really? Why not?"
"Article eight of Sweet Dance book of laws state that Idols and guests are not allowed to commit any acts of violence within the city boundaries. This is also known as the 'Violence Free Article'. Even slapping anyone could get you exiled from the city."
"Exile? What does that mean?"
It means that you will be blacklisted and removed from the city boundaries. Once exiled, you will never be allowed to return to Sweet Dance City."
Magali gasps as she remembers her encounter with the police officer the day he arrived. "So that is what that cop meant when he said that he would make sure I'll never be able to step foot in the city again. I had no idea how strict these laws are. I should take some time to learn them."
After thinking for a while longer, she gasps again and asks, "wait, is every performance recorded and put on DanceTube?
Conrad nods, "yup! Every performance ever recorded was uploaded for anyone to watch," answered Conrad.
"Even my dad's?"
"Of course! I watched all his performances. I learned all his moved and mixed them with my own. That's how I even tried to learn the crab swipe, but its too hard to do without a personal trainer."
Magali quickly rushes back to the computer and accesses the Sweet Dance website. As she searches for Katrina Artisan, she says, "if my dad's performances are up on DanceTube, then my mom's must be there too! Let's see what I find." Once she hits enter, nothing comes up. "Huh? Where's my mom's profile? And her performances?"
"Try searching again using her maiden name," answered Conrad.
She nods and searches again using Katrina Vincent. This time she is able to find her profile, but no information is there. "Well, that's weird. Why is my mom's profile blank? And there isn't even a single link to any videos of her performances."
"Oh right. I forgot that she passed away. Sorry about that. Once an idol passes away, their profile is cleared, and all recordings are then removed from DanceTube. They do that to respect the memory of the deceased, but they do keep the profile up to show that they were idols at some point."
She sighs sadly after hearing the news. "I guess I won't be able to see her perform. I was really excited to see how she performed on stage. I guess there's no way for that to happen now."
"Don't you have her memorial drive?"
Magali turns around and faces Conrad, "memorial drive? What's that?"
"A memorial drive is a special disk that holds all the recordings of a deceased idol. They are only given to family members of the idols. They are super high tech and very encrypted. If I remember correctly, nobody can make a copy of a memorial drive. Not even the best hackers got even close. I'm really surprised that you don't have one of your mother."
"Wow, that's neat! Where can I get one?"
Conrad thinks for a moment, "memorial drives are kinda new and I assume your mom passed away before they were invented. But I'm sure that they can still make them for older idols. They always give them out to family as soon as an idol passes away. Why not ask the council if they can make you one?"
"The council?"
"I'm sure you heard of them. They are the leaders of Sweet Dance City. A group of twelve people who run everything within the city borders. Most people know them by their code names which are based on the twelve constellations of the zodiac. You did meet four of them during your entrance exam."
She thinks back to her entrance exam and remembers the four older idols who judged all the idols that day. She remembers them as Aries, Taurus, Libra, and Virgo. She had no idea that these four idols were members of the council at the time. "Wow, those were the leaders of the whole Sweet Dance society? And I can just walk up to them and ask for my mom's memorial drive?"
"Yeah. In fact, you can ask them for anything as long as it's reasonable. Their job is to keep the idols of the cities safe and happy as long as we keep it within the laws of Sweet Dance."
"Wow, that's great! How do I meet them?"
"You can make an appointment at the council building. Come on, let's go together!"
After getting ready for the day, Conrad and Magali take a bus headed to the north part of the city to find the council building. Once they arrive, Magali gasps at the sheer size of the building. While all the main buildings around the city are huge, the council building dwarfs anything she has seen yet. The size of the building feels intimidating as she wonders what sort of business goes on inside.
Conrad explains to Magali all the political business that the council building handles as they walk toward it. He also explains that many older and successful idols get jobs within the building to support the next generation of idols. She looks around and see so many idols of different age groups walking in and out handling all types of business. Magali wonders if she will need to visit this place often now that she knows this place exists.
Inside the building, Magali and Conrad speaks to the secretary to make an appointment to appear before the council. The secretary has an opening in three days and pencils her in. Now that the appointment is handled, they need to return to the crew building and wait. Conrad then goes off to his meet and greet, while Magali takes this day to explore the city and get used to life in it.
The next day, Magali attends her trainee class. During break time, Magali asks her classmates about the council and should she be worried about meeting them. Lanna and Dessie both reassure her that the council are very reasonable and are willing to help the idols with their problems. They explain to her what to expect and share stories about their experience when visiting the council. Magali lets out a breath of relief knowing that the council will be on her side and help her find what she is looking for.
The day that Magali will meet the council arrives quickly. She wanted Conrad to go with her before the council, but he tells her that she must stand before them alone. As she takes the bus, her heart beats nervously the closer she gets to the council building. Even though she knows that the council exists for her benefit, meeting the leaders of the city is still intimidating. Almost like meeting her bosses for the first time. Even so, her drive to obtain her mother's memories of her time in Sweet Dance City keeps her going.
Inside the council building, she checks in with the secretary and is allowed in. After walking past the security guards, she walks down a long hallway. The secretary instructs her that the room too meet with the council is at the end of the hall. She gets goosebumps as she walks down the hall towards the room. Everything is quiet and she can only hear her own footsteps. On each side of the hallway are doors that she imagines must lead to many offices where people work in. These rooms have no windows, which makes her feel even more nervous. She asks herself what sort of business the people who work in the building do?
At the end of the hallway, Magali finds an enormous double door. The door feels daunting to look at, like the doors of a final boss in a video game. A sign hangs on the side of the door that reads, "Hall of the Council". She stands before the doors for a minute to gain the courage to walk in. After a final deep breath, she grabs the handle and pushes the door open. She takes a look inside, then gasps at the marvel and wonder inside.
The walls of the council are pitch black, but the room is filled with bright lights. As she walks in, she sees many twinkling lights that reminds her of the stars in the night sky. Pillars with bright spiked balls line the path towards a pillar before a huge desk. At the desk sits twelve idols. She has no idea why the council is so obsessed with the stars or the constellations, but the many decorations are nothing less than beautiful.
The twelve idols are seated and waits patiently for Magali to stand before the podium. She takes another deep breath before positioning herself in front of the podium. As she takes a good look at the council, she notices that the four idols who served as her judges during the entrance exam are there. The other idols are also wearing colorful idol costumes just like anyone else in the city. They all appear older than most other idols ranging from their mid-thirties to their fifties.
"Welcome to the Hall of the Council. Please state your name," said the idol in brown.
"My name," asked Magali in a confused tone. "I thought you all already know who I am? Some of you were at my entrance exam."
Aries speaks, "it is true that we do know the names of all idols that roam in our city. However, it is customary that you still must state your name every time to appear before the council to make a request. It's the way idols show respect to the council."
Magali frowns but complies, "my name is Magali Anna Artisan."
"Welcome Idol Magali. Since this is our first official meeting in the Hall of the Council, allow us to introduce ourselves and the roles we play in our city," said the idol in brown.
Aries, an idol in pink stands, "I am Aries, the overseer. As the ram and the hawk, I oversee the everyday activities of the idols in the city."
Taurus, a male idol in pink stands, "I am Taurus the bull. I am head of law enforcement and security around the city. With my horns of honor, I keep our idols safe!"
A female idol in blue stands up full of energy and excitement, "hi! I am Gemini, leader of the twins brigade. I am head of education and training for idols and their children! It is nice to meet you!"
A male idol dressed in a violet outfit takes a stand, "Greetings. I am Cancer the crab. I am head of healthcare and medical records in the city. I keep our idols healthy and fit for their performances."
A beautiful woman dressed in white stands, "I am Leo the lion. Like the lions in the savanna, I manage the international affairs of our sister locations."
Virgo stands up and says, "I am Virgo, I represent the virgin maiden. I manage the relationships within the city and resolve domestic disputes."
An elegantly dressed woman stands, "I am Libra. I manage the profiles of all the idols around the world. Pleased to meet you."
A silver man wearing silver goat horns stands, "I am Capricorn. I handle legal affairs and protect Sweet Dance reputation on social media."
A beautiful woman in an aqua blue dress stands, "I am Aquarius of the flowing water. I make sure all idols have nutritious food and fresh drinking water."
Another woman wearing a dress with fish scales stands, "I am Pisces. I oversee the environmental impact our society has on the planet."
Finally, the man in brown stands up and announces, "and I am Scorpio. I manage the financial matters of the city and leader of the council."
After the council members have announced themselves, they all take a seat. Scorpio then says, "so tell us daughter of the Super Idol Julian Artisan, how can the council serve you?"
"Umm well. . . I was told that when an idol passes away, their performances that were recorded are stored in something called a memorial drive and given to family. Is that true?"
"It is," answered Scorpio.
"I was hoping that I can get one of my mother's, Katrina Artisan."
Scorpio looks to his side and asks, "what says you Libra?"
Libra opens her laptop and checks the information. "I'm afraid that we cannot grant this request."
"Really? Why not?"
"Only one copy of each drive may be distributed to each family. The Artisans already own a copy of Katrina's memorial drive. Our records state that Julian owns the only copy in existence. If you wish to see the contents of your mother's memorial drive, you must obtain it from him."
Magali is in shock. "My dad has it? But I never seen him with something like that. What if he doesn't have it anymore, can I request a new copy then?"
"I'm afraid not. The reason memorial drives were created in the first place is to prevent them from being sold in the black market. Before these drives were invented, copies of the recordings would be duplicated and sold on the internet. To protect the memories of the deceased, memorial drives are now highly encrypted and impossible to duplicate. Families are then left in charge of protecting the legacy of our idols. But if the drives are lost or destroyed, the memories of the idol are then lost forever. I am truly sorry, but the society only did this to protect the dignity of the idols under our care. I hope you understand."
"Is there anything else the council can do for you," asked Scorpio.
Magali remains quiet for a moment before answering, "no, I guess not."
"Then let us conclude our meeting. Have a great day Idol Magali, I hope we will meet again soon."
She frowns with disappointment. Remembering how strict the city can get with their laws and regulations, she knows there is not much she can do about their decision. The only thing she can do is return back to the crew hall empty handed.
The bus ride back to the crew hall is quiet and depressing for Magali. As she rests her head against the window, she looks at the other idols living their happy lives around the city. She came to this city to learn more about her mother, but now she feels like she's only chasing ghosts. Now she will need to ask her father about the memorial drive, but she feels scared to do so. If he still has it, why has she never seen it before? What if he no longer has it and her memories are lost forever? She asked her father countless times about her mother, but he always has a hard time talking about her. Magali's only option left is trying to live as an idol in the city as her mother did before.
Back at the crew hall, Magali explains what happened at the council meeting. "Wow, so Julian already has it? That should make things easy, just ask him to send it to you," suggested Conrad.
"I don't know if I want to. . ," answered Magali. She then walks to the window and stares off into the setting sun. She places her hand on the warm glass and says, "If dad still has it, why have I not seen it? My dad shuts down when I ask him about my mom. It would be easy to just show me what was on that drive. I'm just scared that he may have lost it. If that's the case, what do I do then?"
Conrad approaches her and says, "then find another way. Your mother was a Super Idol too, I'm sure she left many things behind other than the memorial drive. Besides, if you never ask your dad about the memorial drive, then it's as good as lost anyway. I think you should ask your dad about the drive. Even if he doesn't have it, at least you'll know."
She takes a moment to think about his advice, then nods. She may agree with him, but asking will be the hardest thing she will do. She wants nothing more than to learn about her mother, but she could never rely on her father. If she learns that Julian lost the drive, it will feel like she died all over again.
Magali sits on the balcony watching the horizon take the sun away once again. She keeps reminding herself of her goal in the city; to find clues about her mother who passed away the day she was born. But she finds herself asking herself some pretty tough questions. Now that she is in the city of idols, what will she do once she finds those clues? What will she do if she doesn't? She is now forced to face the idea that she has no plan on what to do with her life. For as long as she can remember, this has been her mission. She hopes that coming back to where she was born was not a mistake.
As the gentle breeze caresses her skin, she takes a refreshing deep breath. Sitting on the balcony after a long day in Sweet Dance City has become a habit she enjoys. Watching other idols below concluding their day is comforting. She then takes this moment to reflect on what she learned and plans on what to do next.
Her cell phone rings as she looks down at the idols returning to the crew hall. She checks the caller ID and sees that it's her father calling again. She answers the phone and says, "hey dad, what's up?"
"Nothing much, I just wanted to see how you are doing. I remembered you mentioning that you were going to see the council today. How did it go?"
"I admit that meeting the council made me nervous. They don't seem like bad people once I met with them. They do seem to care about the city and the idols who live here."
"That's good to hear. By the way, you never did tell me why you wanted to see them in the first place. Is everything okay? Nothing happened over there that made you want to meet them?"
She sighs. She doesn't want to tell him that she is looking for her mother's memorial drive because it might upset him. She now knows that he has the only copy in existence. She should ask him about it, but the answer might upset her. Why has he never mentioned it before? What if he doesn't have it anymore? Even worse, what if he does? There are so many questions she has for him, and she is not prepared to hear the answers just yet. She will ask him, but now is not the time. Instead of asking, she decides to wait until she is ready.
"No reason really. I just decided that I wanted to introduce myself and meet the people who run the city," she answered.
"I see. . . Well if you do need anything, my phone is always available to you. I love you."
"I love you too dad. I have to go now, but I'll call tomorrow. Okay?"
After saying their goodbyes, Magali hangs up and goes to her room. She smiles as she lays on her bed and says to herself, "I know you're out there mom. I hope you're watching because I'm going to be the best idol that I can be and make you proud."