Sky Parlor: A NOVEL

by Stephen Perkins

“Very well gentlemen,” he declared, “At the very moment the breeder female’s bio-algorithmic holo-chip readings indicate she has been seeded by her saint co-explorer, I want her swiftly brought here to begin the bio-transfer and incubation process,” Zoe instructed. “It is time our new vision began to prosper. Gentlemen,” he said, thrusting forth his chin; a defiant bulwark against dissension. “The future is upon us.”

  *

  Columbia Prep School (Office of the Executive Principal)

  Though Lucius was beginning to enjoy his newfound celebrity among not just his fellow students, but among those of seemingly everyone in Columbia, he still found the entire experience fraught with surrealism – why had a single physical act, he began to wonder, something simple as kicking a ball through idle goal posts, won such an exponentially greater degree of notoriety than his academic accomplishments in science and physics – what did this say about the nature of most breeders? Odder still – although upon deeper consideration perhaps it wasn’t so surprising – he noticed Boudica’s face freeze over with a withering and narrow-eyed gaze whenever one of the varsity cheerleaders, those who never bothered with him before now, began showering him with their flirtatious attentions.

  “Excuse me girls,” she interrupted the slew of bubbly varsity cheerleaders as they surrounded him in the hall on his way to science class, “but you wouldn’t want Columbia’s new varsity football hero to be late for science lab, would you?”

  “Don’t worry Boudica,” he tried to reassure her during class in Mister Kaiser’s science lab that afternoon. “I know very soon, they’ll go right back to ignoring me, but you’ll still be here when I’m no longer the star of the varsity squad.”

  “I don’t really care about them or whether you’re a varsity star, Lucius,” she replied, looking up from the turning textbook pages reflected from her floating holo-screen. “It’s just that, well,” she added, casting away an errant shock of her wild red mane fallen over her eye, “You haven’t asked me to my senior prom yet – you were going to ask me, weren’t you, Lucius?”

  Lucius felt as if his limbs were transforming into some odd, jelly-like substance. He sensed the vibrant glow of her emerald eyes broadcasting intense anticipation.

  “Well, I uh,” he started to stammer, “I’m only a freshman and until now, I never really thought about it but – yeah, I’d be honored Boudica. And I think Bobby was right and, well; I’ve always considered – you’re the most attractive, and smartest of the all the girls here at Columbia Prep – so yeah,” Lucius halted to search for what he had been led to believe were the customary words among breeders, “would you be my date to the prom?”

  Lucius noticed a contented, angelic sheen spread over her pale, freckled skin.

  “I therefore humbly accept your offer,” she replied, “and you know the senior prom is scheduled in just one week’s time, which means that very soon, you’re going to have to go with me to the fashion apparel shop at MU-21 to help pick out my dress and corsage – I’ll bet you didn’t even know that pink was my favorite color, did you?”

  Lucius thought about what he had just agreed to, and though he had never really considered the sociological significance of the event known as ‘the prom’, he began – consistent with his usual meticulously analytical nature – to surmise the true purpose of this end of the school year social gathering for the graduating seniors was some sort of social conditioning and mating ritual for the breeders. Did this invitation to ‘the prom’ mean that Boudica wished for their relationship to go beyond the boundaries of mere friendship, he wondered?

  “No, you never told me that, Boudica,” he admitted, “but I think you’d look even more attractive in pink.”

  “Well, I can’t very well go to the prom dressed in sack cloth, Lucius,” she replied, amused at what she perceived to be Lucius’s naivete. “But this does mean you’ll have to color coordinate the formal dress you’re going to choose.”

  Lucius’s mind clouded with confusion, and he began to involuntarily bite at his lower lip.

  “Wait, you mean, I’m going to have to wear…?”

  “Trust me Lucius, buddy,” they both turned their attentions to the interjecting deep voice. “though I’m certain Boudica will look stunning in her prom dress,” a chuckling Bobby said, giving Lucius’s shoulder a friendly pat, “but if you’re wearing pink – well, maybe not so much, huh?”

  “Hey, I’m sorry and I couldn’t help but overhear, but I think you guys are all going to be tickled pink when you hear what has just happened,” interjected their science instructor, Mister Kaiser.

  “What’s the big surprise, Mister Kaiser,” Bobby enquired. “Did our science project win some kind of award or what?”

  Mister Kaiser straightened his bean pole frame while a sly grin snaked across his moon shaped face.

  “I’ve been told that has something to do with it, guys,” he revealed, “but I’ve been told this concerns something straight out of this world,” he winked. “Anyway, I’ve also been told I shouldn’t say anything specific until our executive principal has a chance to personally deliver this very special message on behalf of the sustainability council and the president himself – in fact,” Kaiser added, “right now, he’s waiting in his office with a representative from SAGAN and wants to see each of you in his office as soon as class ends this afternoon.”

  Though Kaiser had taken pains to appear cryptic, Bobby very well surmised what he was referring to.

  “Well now, isn’t that something guys,” an animated Bobby said. “With all this talk on ZEN news about Alderman Starr going into space, even someone like me – barely passing science – can sure figure out what’s about to happen here,” Bobby added while his eyes beamed like quasars. “Just imagine Boudica, you’re going to get to spend some time with me on another planet – how about that? I mean, out of everyone in Sky Parlor, how many people even get a special chance like this?”

  “Don’t get any funny ideas,” Boudica chirped, “or I’ll take special care to make sure there’ll be one less person in Sky Parlor, Bobby.”

  Hurrying to the executive principal’s office with a brisk gait, the trio of wide-eyed students were greeted by a youthful but officious representative from SAGAN named Harlan.

  “Allow me to be the first to congratulate each of you on being awarded this prestigious honor,” said the principal as he leaned his enormous girth over the transparent glass-like surface of his holo-desk. “This is Harlan Romaine, SAGAN’s Assistant Director of Public Awareness and Outreach Enrichment.” The principal nodded toward the scarecrow thin SAGAN official. “He’s here to brief you on everything you’re going to need to know before you’re teleported beyond this world to embark upon what I’m certain shall be the memory of a lifetime.”

  While their faces illuminated like bright suns and their limbs felt shocked with a vibrant current, the trio of students exchanged awed glances.

  “Good afternoon,” the lanky SAGAN official greeted. “I’m happy to confirm that each of you have hereby been approved – pending the final results of a formally requisite and complete medical examination and then each of your official signatures to a series of important confidentiality agreements – by SAGAN’s board of governors, the president, his sustainability council and by Doctor Zoe, SAGAN’s executive director, to participate in this exciting journey to Enceladus.”

  “This is all very exciting, Mister Romaine,” Boudica said, “but have our parents been made aware of what’s going on?”

  “Yes,” the scarecrow thin SAGAN administrator’s lips moved in robotic concert. “They’ve just now been informed and from all reports seemed rather excited. However,” Lucius noticed the man blink as his lips shaped a convincing grin, “they’ve also been informed not to say anything until a more official announcement has been made.”

  Lucius traded glances with Boudica, and he found himself stricken with a distinct impression regarding the SAGAN administrator:

  He blinked…is someth
ing, not right?

  “This is truly an unprecedented and thoroughly exciting moment in the history of this educational facility,” each of the students heard the corpulent executive principal murmur in a proud timbre, “and each of your names,” Lucius saw a disingenuous grin spackled underneath the pasty flesh of his wiggling jowls, “will be echoed into posterity, perhaps even made into legend.”

  “Wow,” Bobby exclaimed, “did you hear that guys? Our names are going down in history. Well, if my mom and dad already know about this, I’m ready to go, Mister Romaine – let’s get this show on the road!”

  Like a chaotic wind portending a storm, Lucius felt increasing suspicion brewing within his brain along with apprehension’s queer sensation crawling upon his skin like some grotesque insect. Warily, he observed the executive principal’s doubled chin affirmatively nod as the cold gray fisheyes of the rail-thin SAGAN administrator blinked with greater frequency beneath his wire rimmed spectacles.

  Lucius then noticed the executive principal’s jowls twitch as extending forth his fat hand, his narrowed eyes focused on the holo-chip embedded just beneath his palm’s soft layer of skin glowing bright red.

  “I’m afraid I’ve just received an urgent message, Bobby,” the principal cleared his phlegmy throat before the grave message seeped from between his barracuda teeth. “It’s about your father,” he informed.

  Discolored rolls of lizard-textured skin stretching across the principal’s neck squirmed like hosts of overfed worms.

  “If you’ll just step outside the office, there is someone waiting to quickly escort you now to the nearest teleportal.”

  Lucius and Boudica noticed the bright sheen dwindle from Bobby’s eyes.

  “My father? – but I don’t understand,” he again exclaimed, sounding as if he been wounded. “Is he okay, I mean, there’s nothing wrong here, right? Doesn’t he want me to go on this trip with my friends?”

  “Just step outside the office, Bobby,” the principal’s voice wobbled in a brittle tone of warming reassurance. “Everything will be explained to you.”

  The office’s holo-door melted away and a frowning Bobby shrugged his wide shoulders.

  “Hey, guys,” he said to his two friends, “I’ll see you later.” His smile returned, flashing his ivory teeth. “Just think – we’re going to another world together. That’s something no one could ever have imagined; the dream of a lifetime.”

  “Lucius and Boudica,” the principal said, “Mister Romaine will now escort you to SAGAN headquarters in Sardinia, for official quarantine.”

  “Quarantine…but…” Lucius stammered.

  Considering the gravity of what they were about to undertake, Boudica sensed some god-like hand had pulled away the floor of the principal’s office from underneath her very feet and, she felt as if she were about to plunge into a bottomless void.

  “The mission is scheduled to launch tonight from the grounds of SAGAN’s Grand Forum and both the president’s Sustainability Council and SAGAN’s Board of Governors are expecting capacity live attendance from all over Sky Parlor,” Romaine jiggled his rubbery lips to inform. “But before then, you shall each undergo your mission briefings after your official and thorough medical examinations have been completed – this way please, I’m afraid there isn’t any time to waste,” the administrator pointed a pencil slim finger towards the principal office’s rear holo-door.

  With halting steps, Bobby proceeded down hall outside the principal’s office to discover Chief Icarus Blythe and a pair of praetorian troopers, both menacing and armed expectantly waiting.

  “If you’ll just come with us, Bobby,” Icarus said adding a sympathetic grin, “we’ll escort you to the nearest teleportal.”

  Bobby’s features pinched together as if his entire face had been assaulted by a pair of ruthless calipers.

  “But I don’t understand,” he began to protest, “I mean, is everything okay with my father?”

  “Just come with us, please,” Icarus replied while laying a reassuring hand on Bobby’s slumping shoulder.

  A gust of cool wind feathered the strands of his blonde hair while Bobby stood dwarfed by the towering teleportal’s midnight black monolith blotting out the sky and the rays of the sun. Followed by Chief Blythe and his hulking troopers, he stepped into the yawning dark void dotted with spangled stars of light. Within the startling swiftness of mere seconds, he felt the odd sensation of being pulled apart and reassembled by hordes of busied hands and then, engulfed by the gloaming of an ocean’s deepest void, he fell into a deep sleep.

  With his eyes glazed over and with his dizzied mind spun by confusion’s merciless carousel, he slowly awoke.

  As his mind struggled to focus in fierce combat against a persistent daze lingering like thick wafts of smoke, his gasping lungs heaved and fought for breath through the streams of blood gushing from his gaping mouth. He felt the vicious attack of sharp razors upon his lacerated flesh. His mouth gaped wider to attempt to scream only to discover his thoughts immersed with the notion he had fallen into dire peril and even if he could, there was no one present to hear or to offer rescue.

  I’m drowning, came his final thought.

  As he felt himself slipping away, though somehow managing to muster his last vestiges of waning strength, his desperate hands grasped for ballast but there was nothing but a constricting envelope of pitiless darkness. Before his lungs collapsed and succumbed to the tides of immersive crimson, he sensed the silhouette of a hideous figure lurking, watching him with amusement while his naked body thrashed against the dwindling prospect of survival.

  Ulysses tipped the goblet of fresh libation toward his parting lips. Swallowing the contents of the goblet in one gulp, he closed his eyes. Rapture overcame his senses, relishing the adrenochrome that slithered like a wild snake through his enlivened veins. As he swirled his lively tongue around the rim of the goblet, Ulysses decided that – considering after all the centuries he had returned to the physical and material plain time and again – this premiere elixir drawn from the dying but prime specimen of youth before him was perhaps the sweetest had ever moistened his palette yet.

  18

  Trade and Transportation Commission Panel Hearing

  With a special pass provided by Alderman Starr and, while ensconced as the lone passenger inside the exclusive monorail normally designated for only those officials on route to the city’s trade and transportation building, Michael Lee Tepper began to reflect upon what occurred before he departed from Columbia’s food packaging and production plant that afternoon.

  As the dove white monorail softly hummed while speeding along the slim track, a stark realization conjured in his mind – either he or Alderman Starr were now placed in a precarious position – struck like a merciless sledge: What if something does happen to me…or my family?

  “We’re well aware of your unfortunate decision Mister Tepper,” he recalled facing the plant manager in his office and hearing the gong of his baritone pitched monotone, “and though for many years you’ve served us as an efficient and well-respected manager at our plant, I would sincerely advise against this decision of yours to testify before the commission this afternoon at the request of Alderman Starr.”

  “I’m just curious,” Tepper drew a smile, remembering his response to the plant manager’s thinly veiled threat. “What if I go ahead and testify and tell the truth about what I know is going on inside the plant’s production facilities – what then, huh?”

  The plant manager’s liver hued amphibian lips at first pursed and then, as a severe frown spread above the excess of flesh slopping over his chin, Tepper recalled observing the manager wagging his finger as if he were disciplining a wayward child.

  “That would be truly unfortunate Mister Tepper,” the manager warned, “and such inadvisable determination on your part could compromise both your position here at the plant and perhaps even your family.”

  Tepper recalled rising from his chair before the plant manager�
�s desk and with his fists clenched, chose to respond – unlike, he imagined, the cowed majority in Sky Parlor – with decisive strength rather than cowardly surrender.

  “Don’t involve my family in this,” he replied, recalling how he began to shake his fist at the retiring manager. “They’re innocent and they’ve got nothing to do with this. And let me tell you another thing, if anything happens to them – I’ll know why, and I’ll know who is responsible. Maybe you’re forgetting,” Tepper’s smile grew more luminous as he recalled having the final word before turning to leave the manager’s office, “but I’m an auxiliary praetorian trooper who also happens to be a marksman with the pair of licensed disrupters I’ve got stowed away at home – so mark my words, if you have anyone try anything, you’d better advise them not to miss. And if they do miss, not only will I get them, but I think you will want to think about going into hiding wherever you think I can’t find you.”

  Tepper noticed the chip glowing from the palm of his hand. Activating his holo-screen, he watched the stunning alert reported by ZEN news.

  “For several weeks now, everyone in Sky Parlor has been hearing and getting very excited about SAGAN’s new mission to Enceladus, one of Saturn’s moons. But now, official’s from SAGAN have just announced that Bobby Lee Tepper, the star quarterback of Columbia Prep’s championship Eagles, has now been the first of a total of five youthful citizens – chosen from among Sky Parlor’s best and brightest for this special and historic mission – to have been teleported to this strange new world far away in our own Milky Way Galaxy. SAGAN officials say that due to his great physical and leadership attributes, Tepper was the first to have been teleported to set up the temporary camp sites on the surface of Enceladus that – complete with supplies of ample food packages, instruments and equipment with which to extract and analyze soil and rock samples – for one weeks-time before returning to Sky Parlor, will house all five of SAGAN’s explorers. Among these are Columbia’s new Alderman Desmond Starr who, in addition to three more young SAGAN explorers, are scheduled to join Tepper on the surface of Saturn’s inhabitable moon this evening. These intrepid explorers will be teleported to Enceladus before thousands of spectators from SAGAN’s Grand Forum in Sardinia tonight as part of a very special broadcast, streamed live right here on ZEN news. Join us here at ZEN news, tonight at eight, for this historic space mission that surely no one will want to miss.”