- How exactly did he persuade Stromak to let you guys go? - Ray posed a question once again.
- In much the same way; no physical altercation whatsoever. - Tyler answered.
Oliver was losing his patience:
- How long is this going to last?
- Just one more question: did they give you a deadline?
- Eh, what do you mean by "deadline", Ray? - Tyler asked.
- For your assignment.
- Ah, that. Not really.
- Alright, it doesn't matter that much. Go back there and do whatever he wants you to do, then apply some pressure on him and save my son. That should be a part of your agenda right now. Bring him home. Now go!
The brothers stormed outside and flew to New Hope HQ. Ray turned his attention to his wife and the parents of Tyler and Garret:
- In case anyone asks any of you anything about Ronnie, you don't... know... ANYTHING! You understand? No information about him until he's home in one piece! I'll have to sound like a military, but I believe it's necessary: that is an order.
- Macy, calm down. - Julia approached her. - I know we can't go out there and bring him back home, but if we can do this for him, we will. We're with you on this - do not worry.
***
Ashlynn reluctantly followed The Gossip Crew into the shopping mall:
- Why? Why do you want me to spend more money?
- OK, a few things here. You aren't spending any money here - we're doing that. Also, you're going to need some new threads. - said Sharon.
- That's going to be nothing more than a waste of money! Are you aware of the prices here? They're astronomical! - Ashlynn said.
- She hasn't heard of discounts. - Zoey said to Abigail and she giggled.
- You haven't seen what I have in my wardrobe at home. You're going to waste my time here.
Zoey objected:
- You haven't seen nor tried any clothes and yet you jump to conclusions. Why are you doing this to yourself? You can't tell what the outcome of this shopping trip is going to be.
- Oh, the outcome is certain, Zoey: she's going to walk out with something as seductive as a nightie. - Sharon said.
- I'm not going to the party in a night-gown! - Ashlynn misheard Sharon and the Gossip Crew laughed their ears off. The first store was in their sights. Abigail grabbed Ashlynn and dragged her inside. The hangers and mannequins were adorned with all sorts of women's wear of cotton and silk - skirts, shirts, knee-high socks, jeans: anything a woman wants for her wardrobe. Abigail discovered the knee-high socks and declared:
- Ooh, knee-high socks! She will look sassy in them. - Abigail said.
- But they have to be appropriately combined with the rest of the outfit. Hold them. What do you think of this? - Sharon held a yellow dress.
- Aw no. Combined with the socks, she's going to look like a bee. - Zoey disagreed on the combination.
Ashlynn was feeling uncomfortable and did not say a word. Her stubbornness was insufficient and eventually she gave up. She didn't have enough arguments against the purchase of new clothes.
- "Alright, I'll just go with it. I have yet to tell mum about the party... ugh..." - she thought. - "I'm worthless."
- Hey, sleepy head! Try this on for size! - Zoey was holding a green skirt with purple stripes. - What do you think?
- It's... isn't it too flashy? - said Ashlynn.
- No! It's wonderful! Try it. Changing room's over there. - Abigail urged Ashlynn.
- I found a poncho! - Sharon said. - This looks very fashionable. You should try it, Ash. It will really open you out.
Ashlynn walked out wearing the green skirt. Abigail really liked her in it, but she felt that something was missing:
- What do you say we add a scarf? - she said to Zoey and Sharon.
- Bad idea; too many layers. Where are those socks you found, Abi? - Sharon asked.
- Here they are.
Those socks were cat-themed. Some may perceive them as childish, but Sharon saw beyond the obvious. Such socks could be used as an aphrodisiac, a tool to attract the opposite sex. History remembers The Gossip Crew using such fashion items to their own advantage, much like many other women across the globe. Zoey received jewellery from a middle-aged after spending many nights having copious amounts of alcohol and unhinged sex, while Sharon repeatedly sold her body one summer to a Wall Street banker who, as expected, was wallowing in money. This is largely the reason she was able to afford the Mercedes convertible she drives. Her parents only know that she's been saving for a car for a few years and that during the summer, in which she slept with the banker, Sharon was working at a hotel and a bar both at the same time. Naturally, she lied about having earned enough money just from the summer jobs.
- Come on, we wanna see those socks wrap those legs! We want you to seduce the drunk asses at the party. - Sharon was getting impatient.
And there she was, wearing green, purple and black.
- Perfect. - said Abigail. - No need to try anything else.
***
On their way to New Hope HQ, Garret and Tyler tried to rehearse a potential scenario between themselves and Stromak; in other words, what they were going to say to him. Garret wanted him to tackle the duties of a speaker, while he supported him occasionally with verbal approval. Tyler did not like giving speeches, sadly.
- Why would you not talk instead of me? You have a far more representative voice. You're from London, I'm from KFC.
- And that somehow means I'll do better?
- Not necessarily, but you'll certainly be more convincing.
- I've never been good at speeches, mate.
- Alright, we'll figure something out on the spot. But what should we tell him and how do we say it? How do we convey the thought?
- I propose cautiousness, because our "glorious" commander is very stubborn and unstable. The moment he becomes obnoxious and refuses to let us , we become cynical, put pressure on him and give us access to reinforcements, so we can save Ronnie.
- Sound good on paper, though I'm not sure we will be able to bend Stromak. He doesn't look like someone who can be swayed easily. I say we get there and see what's what.
- Good idea.
And so they reached the headquarters. The brothers immediately headed to the command room, where Sable, Stromak and the scientists who greeted them at the stadium were waiting. The scientists were leaning over the vebrills Garret brought back from the Overlord's ship.
- Ah, you're here. Wonderful. You have no idea how much these little stones can help us.
- I'm really sorry I have to rudely interrupt you like this, but I don't know how to pronounce your names and I can tell we will be seeing each other on a daily basis. - Tyler said.
- Kalhun. - he said. - And her name is Harmon.
- Can we move on, because there are more pressing matters? - Stromak rudely interrupted Tyler. - What do they need to know, Kalhun?
- These stones, as I'm sure you already know, contain energy. It can be harnessed and used to power a variety of engines, weapons, facilities and many other types of technological apparel. Vebrills used to be very common, but once Ren'ul Furot rose to power, he seized most of the vebrill mines and it became increasingly risky for us to mine them for New Hope's needs. Currently we are using xetils, which too provide energy, though that energy is insufficient. Once we received the vebrills, we conducted a few experiments and figured out that they can be combined with xetils and increase the resulting energy output.
- Sounds great on paper, but... is there some sort of a catch, though? It sounds too good to be true. - Garret said.
- Yes, there is; the energy output is very great and it has to be controlled. We are currently working on electronic energy dampers to remedy this issue and minimize the chances of a potential explosion. Our biggest issues...
- Make the explanations shorter, Kalhun. - Stromak said curtly.
- We need to know as much as possible about this. We're a part of New Hope, after all...
right? - Garret said.
Sable nodded in approval, while Stromak looked away in disgust. Kalhun continued:
- The ones you brought seemed unusual. A member of our research team believes that the specimens are impure or tampered with. We will most certainly need more of them in order to see if there is any difference.
- OK, here's my gripe with this. You claim that there's excess energy when these are combined with the other ones, correct? - said Tyler.
- True. - Kalhun answered.
- Well, instead of dampening the energy, why not transfer it somewhere else for other needs or simply store it for future use? - Tyler asked.
- We have no clue if that is possible. However, we could invest some resources into development of smaller generators or batteries for emergency uses. - said Kalhun.
- You'll go here. - Stromak brought up a map and pointed at it. - The NGC 3603 star cluster. Harmon, Kalhun and the rest of their team will join you to accelerate the search and mining process. Any questions?
- Um, yes, as a matter of fact. - Tyler spoke up. - Do you have any idea where exactly we need to look?
- Within the cluster. Did I not explain in enough details?
- What I meant was: do you know which planet in particular do we have to fly to?
- We aren't entirely certain, but we have pinpointed a specific location within the cluster where vebrills can be found.
- Ah, alright. And another thing: will this take too long and have you come up with a rescue plan for Ronnie?
A brief silence followed. The commander was getting annoyed:
- I'm still working on a plan. Are you quite done with the questions?
- You never really commenced compiling a plan. - Sable made a revelation.
- You should be silent, Sable. It's for the benefit of everyone.
- More like your own benefit; by not doing anything and not assembling any infantry for the purpose of devising a plan for saving Ankonian and then coming out with the nonsensical excuse that it's just too risky. Then you'll change your mind and...
- I SAID YOU SHOULD BE SILENT! - Stromak roared out.
The subsequent silence filled the room. Stromak suffocated it by saying:
- I'll have to speak to you afterwards, Sable. In private.
He then addressed the brothers:
- What are you two staring at? I've assigned you a task, now carry it out!
With that the boys and the scientists rapidly left the command room. Garret had had enough of Stromak's yelling. He felt relief when he heard Kalhun's voice when he asked if he and Tyler wanted further information in relation to the vebrills. Garret happily agreed and smothered his ears in Kalhun's vocal chords.
- The vebrills can be directly mined. They exist the way you saw them in the Overlord's domain, so we won't have to waste time separating them from ore. Normally the mines are not guarded, so we should not encounter any competition.
- When we reach the star... pile. - Garret said.
- Cluster. - said Kalhun and continued: - We have some special equipment for the task. Not to worry; we will instruct you on how to use it properly.
Garret was full of hope. He was never really enthusiastic about any type of travel, but he was always interested in what lay on the other side, what happens when one makes steps towards the mist.
***
Ashlynn stared at the house. It looked like a mess, taken straight out of an American Pie film - young boys and girls consuming gallons of alcohol, some rolling on the front lawn, some walking on the roof with the danger of falling down and breaking a bone, others jumping into the swimming pool in the backyard. There was a car parked in front of the garage with the stereo blaring and young people overflowing from it. Within the spirit of the party, the car was full of empty bottles, spilled potato chip bags and horny girls and boys.
- Oooh, they've already warmed up! I'll bet the bedrooms are full, too. It would be such a shame for you, Ash. - Sharon said.
- We need to find our host, so he can tell us... Hey Clyde! There he is! Is there a fridge, so we can chill this beer?
- No, but there's a freezer. Come with me; it's in the basement.
Ashlynn felt even more uncomfortable. The second she stepped inside the house, she was bombarded with even more hedonism and lechery. This time around the bombardment was thicker. She could barely make her way through the crowd of people towards the basement. But even the basement wasn't spared from the plight of the party, because there were other young people engaging in activities worthy of being a part of a pornographic compilation. Clyde dissipated them angrily and quickly put the beer in the freezer on top of the vodka, after which he asked The Gossip Crew why they were late. Zoey said:
- Why do you think we're late? The party is on fire, everybody's having fun - why are you complaining?
- Yeah! Why? We had to dress up our new best friend. - Abigail pointed at Ashlynn.
- Ah, I see. Hm, not bad. Is she single? - Clyde said.
- I... - before Ashlynn could utter a word, Sharon intervened:
- Yes, single and wild. Where are the horny guys around here? Are there enough of them drunk out of their minds?
- Nah, but a lot of them are tipsy, so it should be piss easy for you to reel them in. Come on, I'll introduce you to them.
Before Ashlynn could utter a single syllable of protest, she was led back upstairs.
- You could easily find some new dicks here. There's plenty of choice here, honey. Just say what you have to say; they won't care that much about it. - Clyde explained. He wasn't that interested in her, but he was interested in her well-being, in her mood being appropriate for the party and the guests. The looks of some of the boys at the party were rather tempting to Ashlynn. Sharon noticed her sweeping the living room with her gaze and couldn't help but glee at the sight:
- So? Have you made your choice? You know that all men are easy. Just go for it, use some cheap words and soon enough they'll be begging to shove it inside you. Come on, stop being so stuck up. I know you secretly want to be railed, don't hide it!
- Shut up! Quit shouting. You're so annoying with this. Can't you just let ME make the choice? It's hard to pick one of them and you keep telling me I'm not putting enough effort. - with these words Ashlynn wanted to decrease the pressure caused by the Gossip Crew, so she could relax. So she could breathe in the spirit of the party and see if and how far her curiosity would take her. At the same time, on the polar opposite, she was anxious, because of Ronnie's absence and his plausible anger in case she was tempted into cheating on him.
- "Ronnie, why aren't you here with me? Hm, the guy in the pink and white shirt is ogling me. He's not too bad. No, no! Why am I... The guy with the shades... I wonder if... Oh, he's already got company. She's glued to him."
Meanwhile Clyde and the Gossip Crew walked to the backyard, where the swimming pool was full of even more people. Abigail was curious about the noise and possible complaints from the neighbours. Even though Sharon and Zoey would not express concerns over a racket being an inconvenience to the rest of the neighbourhood, Clyde explained that the neighbouring houses were empty and that their owners were out of town for the evening, just to let them be completely aware that they can wreak as much havoc as their hearts wanted, be as immoral and lewd as they can be without being arrested by the police on any account. This led to the one question Zoey was dying to ask:
- Is there any... you know... white powder?
- Huh? Ehm... well...
Clyde's eyes shot around the backyard to make sure nobody else was listening:
- All I got right now is a pound of weed and some ecstasy. My guy was going to deliver the stuff earlier, but it's been... 3 hours now. Nigga must have pissed off some rednecks again. Damn fucker loves doing that shit. You want some ex? The party is just about to hit the next level, mofo! - he became ecstatic with those last words and yelled out loud:
- You hoes and mofos want some ex? I got the stuff, just say the word!
Understandably the answer was constructed from shrieks and growls, because of which the partygoers began to carry a resemblance to wild animals. Clyde zipped past everyone and upon retrieving the 17 zip-lock bags of the drug from a safe located in his bedroom, he commenced distributing them among the now hungry for a sense of lightness party animals. They quickly tore them to pieces and the pills spread around like a venereal disease, while the bags fell to the floor. Rather unsurprisingly none of the pills were left on the ground. Amazingly, not a single one of them ended their existence crushed to dust. Thus the party entered its next phase; a phase Clyde declared, much like any run-of-the-mill DJ, "dirty sex dance time". This is the time of the party where the ingested alcohol, coupled with the overall mood, the conversations beforehand and the drugs led to nearly everyone grabbing someone from the opposite or the same sex and engaging in sexual intercourse. Strangest of all, there were homosexuals there who didn't shy away from groping each other. Ashlynn folded herself and began hyperventilating at the sight of so many people losing their clothes and morals.
At that precise moment the drug dealer marched through the front door. His name was Nathan Yoder and he was just as eager to party as anyone else. While trying to find Clyde, his eyes locked on to Ashlynn, who was trying her best to go inside the house and avoid the prospect of being dragged into an orgy with Zoey, Sharon and Abigail. The dealer quickly realised that she was confused and did not know what to do, so he used this opportunity to drag her to bed. His last relationship ended disastrously and he recently had a quarrel with his mother, followed by one with his sister.
- "Oh, you're not going anywhere... You're mine tonight!" - Nathan said to himself and slowly navigated his way forward. He then approached her and asked:
- Do you know where Clyde is? I need to talk to him.
- I don't know. He must be in the backyard. Who are you?
- His friend. Nathan - nice to meet you.
The following silence was short. In it Ashlynn was desperately trying to find a safe spot for herself.
The Immortal Trinity: Inheritance Page 19