Jonny and Reena took no notice as they walked, leaving Hadder with his questions and childish wonder. A short time later, the Monarch Trees ceased on their right, and a large brick building came into view, simple but with impressive classical stonework. A fountain in the front of the building demanded Hadder's attention as he passed. A nude marble man scooped water from the basin into an ornate pot and turned counter-clockwise, pouring the liquid into the open, waiting mouths of marble heads that lined the circumference of the fountain. Bowl emptied, the decorative man bent low and repeated. Hadder followed his friends past the fountain, shivering as he felt its cold gaze penetrate his thin shirt and send an icy shard into his heart.
Exhaling as he entered The Medici, Hadder became aware that he had been holding his breath as he walked through the building's courtyard.
As usual, Jonny stole Hadder from his dark thoughts. "Welcome to The Medici, old chap. You can order food from almost any manikin in Station, but nothing quite matches the sheer options and ambiance that this place provides. Isn't that right, Reena, love?"
"He's gonna love it. Come on, I'm starving."
Crossing under the archway that framed The Medici's large front doors, Hadder entered an impressive hall, the center of which was filled with long dining tables and a smattering of more personal round tables. The hall's sides registered like any cafeteria in the Before, counter upon counter of food with manikins attending each station.
Starting on their left, they grabbed crystalline trays from the corner and began to investigate the offerings. Holding onto the tray at first, Hadder soon saw that this was unnecessary, as Jonny and Reena had released theirs, which glided effortlessly in front of their two users, shifting to accommodate their movements.
Hadder was floored by the quantity and apparent quality of the food provided. Rare prime rib sat across from lobster bisque, which lay only two dishes away from whole roasted chicken. Hadder's stomach roared to life, reminding him loudly that it had been more than a day since he had eaten, and years since he had eaten properly.
Reena took half a roasted chicken alongside seasoned rice, asparagus, and a beautiful fruit medley, comprised of several fruits he did not recognize. Jonny went a heartier route, selecting a cream pasta topped with a cornucopia of seafood. Hadder's appetite demanded variety, so he piled a sirloin steak, French fries, and cream spinach alongside a lobster tail, clam chowder, and mini creme brûlée. No one seemed put off by his gluttony.
Despite The Medici's general fullness, Jonny, Reena, and Hadder were able to secure a personal table in the corner, each of them receiving greetings from around the hall as they made towards their seats. As they sat, Jonny commented, "You were a big hit last night, Hadder, old chap." He leaned conspiratorially. "There's good buzz surrounding you, which should swell your prospects."
Hadder screwed his face in confusion. "Prospects for what?"
Jonny fell back, no longer in tryst-mode. "For having fun, next-level fun, old boy! People are gonna want to spend time with you - people of repute, with access to some of Station's more restricted events."
"I don't understand. I didn't do anything spectacular last night."
Reena put her hand on his own, tried to explain. "Station is a crazy place, Hadder. Beautiful and exhilarating and orgasmic - yes. But it's also crazy, especially given the makeup of its residency."
"Current company excluded I'll assume, love," cut in Jonny. Reena ignored him and continued.
"None of us would have blamed you if you had lost it last night."
"Lost it, how?"
"I don't know. Maybe throw up all over yourself. I mean, these aren't run of the mill drugs we're doing here. Maybe act like a madman, trying to fight some and fuck others. Maybe run down the thoroughfare screaming, curling up in the fetal position at the bottom of a Monarch Tree. But you didn't do any of those things. You handled yourself but still gave in completely to the experience. That took a lot of us a long time to accomplish."
Jonny took it from there. "People noticed, Hadder. It didn't look it, but everyone at The Soiree had their eye on you, waiting for reactions, hoping to judge a misstep and declare you a square or a lush or a nutter or a Weep or even a spy for Rott. But you didn't give it to them, did you, old chap. You had a damn fine showing, and lord knows Reena and I didn't make it easy on you."
"Deep end of the pool and all that," said Reena.
"Anyway, there's good buzz among those who matter that there's a new resident worth knowing. You must have had a good showing with Helen and Nestra as well, you old dog! They've been singing your praises since early this Solay."
Hadder felt the blood rush to his face and looked embarrassedly at Reena, who smiled like only she should could, silently letting him know that not only was she not bothered by his time with other women, but she was legitimately happy for him.
They ate in peace for the next several minutes before the questions that had been mounting in Hadder could no longer go unasked. "About Helen and Nestra, and all the other residents I see. How does everyone look so perfect or get these body modifications? Honestly, it looks like most of Station has altered itself. How?"
Jonny stopped eating, but Reena continued to pick at her chicken. "Well, there it is! We've been waiting for you to ask us about this, old chap, and by god did you make it a long time. See! This is why people like you, even when you have no clue what's going on, you don't let that deter you. You keep going forward. That's a very rare trait, and one that is truly valued in Station."
"Thanks. But to my question?"
"Of course, of course. Mister Albany Rott, our mysterious benefactor, in his quest to make Station a true Xanadu, established Elevation Centers around the city. At these…clinics, if you will, cosmetic operations only limited by the imagination can be performed by highly skilled manikins using technology never seen in the Before."
"But why?"
Jonny struggled with a response, so Reena answered for him. "Remember, Marlin, why we're all here. We either hated where we were in the Before, or we hated who we were in the Before. For some people, the change in scenery is enough. For many others, the person in the mirror also needs to change, or the same baggage that plagued them in the Before will continue to weigh them down here."
Jonny added, "Station is about eliminating barriers to happiness, Hadder. Job got you down? Nobody works in Station. Family responsibility killing you? There is no family nor responsibility in Station. Unhappy with the way you look? Elevations will fix whatever you dislike about yourself. Feeling unable to truly express yourself? In Station, any image you want to project can be made real, no matter how bizarre or extreme."
"So, are there no limits to what can be done? I met a woman with wings, a man with three eyes, and had sex with two cat women. Is nothing off-limits or beyond the clinics’ abilities?"
"I'm not sure there's anything beyond their abilities. We've seen some pretty extreme Elevations, haven't we, love? But there is one rule that's been in effect for a while."
"And what's that?"
Jonny and Reena looked at each other uncomfortably. "No Elevations are to be executed that would be used as weapons or to harm another,” recited Reena.
"Who would want to hurt people with Elevations?"
Jonny grimaced but responded. "You know, Hadder, some people are always going to want to destroy rather than build. Station gives them tools to better themselves, and all they see are engines of destruction. Life is no longer about living to them; it's about crushing the world that so deeply wounded them. Station's clinics, while extraordinary, don't have the technology to heal those scars."
Reena interjected. "Before the One Rule was in place, many got Elevations and used them to hurt others. They were eventually banished across the Skirt, which was created as a makeshift border, and the One Rule was created."
"And, thus, problem solved, old chap! Let those ruinous twats shadowbox in misery on the other side of the Skirt while we live, truly live, over here!"
/> Hadder thought for a moment. "I could barely make out the Skirt when I was on the Perch with Miles. I didn't see any walls or fences, just a swath of open land. What's to keep those from across the Skirt…"
"Risers," stated Jonny. "They're called Risers as we've banished them to Station's eastern side."
"Well, what's to keep the Risers from just walking over?"
"That's the Caesars' job, old chap."
The image of a colossus with blue skin towering over him flashed across Hadder's mind. "Those giant freaks?" a shocked Hadder asked.
Reena giggled. "I see Marlin has met a Caesar. Don't worry, they're here for our protection. Mister Rott created them, first merely to act as Station's police force. You know, just keep the true wildings in check or break up the odd fracas. Now, they're not only responsible for tossing serial offenders over to the Risers, but they also guard the Skirt, making sure no one crosses it without proper authority. Without them, Marlin, our lifestyles wouldn't be possible."
"Trust me, old chap, despite their imposing appearances, they're a top-notch crew to have around should shit go sideways."
"Are they manikins?"
"Oh no," answered Reena. "No one knows where they came from or how Mister Rott created them. But the Caesars have minds of their own and can be quite sharp when needed. Not automatons like the manikins."
"So, they have souls?"
"I didn't say that."
Another thought struck Hadder. "Miles said there are eleven Caesars."
"That's right," agreed Jonny.
"But there were originally twelve. What happened to the Caesar that's no longer here?"
Jonny and Reena shared another fearful look. Reena looked down at the remnants of her chicken. Jonny mustered the courage to answer. "His name was Claud, probably the most personable of the Caesars. He was found at the edge of the Lethe River, his heart ripped from his giant chest. There are rumors of all kinds, of course, but most believe it was some disagreement between Caesars that led to battle. If you've seen a Caesar pissed off, then you'd understand the validity of this theory."
Reena looked up finally. "Can we change the subject, please? I get sad when I think about what happened to poor Claud."
"Of course, sweet Reena. Well, Hadder, old chap, I think that's enough question-answer for now. More things will be revealed in due course and through experience, not mere explanation." Jonny rose from his seat, showing that it was time to leave. A quartet of men who looked exactly like The Beatles was waiting patiently for Hadder's trio to free up the table. Hadder hadn't taken two steps before a glume manikin moved in quickly to clear and wipe down the table for the new guests.
The three friends stepped out into the relative warmth of the large Idol Moon, Hadder keeping his eyes from the unnerving animated fountain. "So what do we do now?" asked Hadder to no one in particular.
Jonny moved and put his arms around both Reena and Hadder. "Now? Now we do whatever we want. First things first, let's get a proper drink. I think Steam Dreams should do nicely. Reena?"
Reena nodded in agreement.
"No, I mean, what do we do here, Jonny?"
"You're going to have to let that go, Hadder. The idea that the day has to have purpose and structure was left in the Before. We can do anything, everything, or nothing. No one will judge us in any case. Right now, dear Reena Song and I usually meet for a drink to clear the head, laugh about the previous Haela, and plan."
"Plan what?"
Jonny laughed as they began to walk together. "Plan the next Haela, of course. Where will we go? What do we want to wear? Who do we want to be?
And most importantly, who do we want to go with? And lucky for you, Hadder, that last question has already been answered, old chap. You want to know what now? Now we do our best to make this next Haela the best one ever!"
"And get ready to fucking party again!" yelled Reena into the Solay night air.
"Well said, my dear," said Jonny VV, a big smile dominating his face. Feeling the excitement of his two friends as they walked, Hadder couldn't help but feel eager for the next Haela. If this was to be Marlin Hadder's new lot in life, spending the day to maximize the night, so be it.
The Before was totally bereft of joy. Hadder was going to make damn sure that his time in Station would be defined by non-stop euphoria. His revenge on a world that so brutally forced him out.
CHAPTER 9
The next few weeks passed in a blur. Or was it months? Days flew by faster than Hadder could comprehend, powered by strong drink and other chemically enhanced substances. Solay slid into Haela, which torpedoed back into Solay with no end to the cycle insight.
Solays were spent recovering from the previous Haela's festivities, assisted by copious amounts of Number 1, aka the Cure. This elixir was standard across all Bars, so Jonny, Reena, Hadder, and a rotating cast of characters would meet up at any number of places around mid-Solay to lick their wounds and exchange stories.
Not all Bars, especially those in the Celebration Cluster, were open during Solay, so the group often traveled across western Station in search of that Solay's watering hole. This presented Hadder with opportunities to explore Station, visiting other clusters, and observing how those outside the Celebration Cluster carved out lives in Station.
Bored one day, Hadder's usual trio dragged new friend Goldie, a twenty-something who only wore gold-colored clothing, stating that the gear, coupled with his extensive collection of gold jewelry and bleached hair, made his tan skin sing, to the Weep. Thinking the trip a gaff to kill time, the quartet left the Cluster soon after arriving, hearts a little heavier from the sob stories they were inundated with upon arrival.
Drinking away the Solay in the New Age Cluster, however, turned out to be good fun. While the residents there didn't use Elevations much to improve their looks, the crystals and gemstones that most had implanted across their faces and bodies certainly created an interesting effect. While neither Jonny, Reena, nor Hadder thought much of the philosophies and practices of the Cluster residents, their passion for life was contagious, and everyone always left the Cluster a bit happier and a great deal higher.
The Gaming Cluster was always a favorite, a group of buildings where residents congregated to play traditional sports like basketball and tennis while also trying out Station-only creations like Moonball and Space Discus. Drinking games also permeated the Cluster, with extensive variations of Beer Pong, Flip Cup, and Quarters. For many residents, a Solay in the Gaming Cluster assured that the Haela would be spent passed out in the nearest living quarters.
When sufficient Number 1 had been consumed to heal all wounds, the trio would begin discussing the upcoming Haela. Where were they going to go? Who did they want to meet? What were the appropriate clothes for the evening?
While Jonny VV and Reena Song created entirely new ensembles for each Haela, Hadder reserved this for only specific parties and occasions. Exceedingly comfortable in his gray pants, black shirt, and high tops, Hadder would often get a light jacket made, designed by Reena, to switch up his look, sometimes copping a new pair of shoes to match the top.
If Solays were for recovery, creation, and relaxation, Haelas were only for one thing - pushing the limits of revelry, into and past decadence. Some Haelas saw a return to The Soiree Noire, where no two nights were the same as party themes never repeated. While Hadder no longer needed to be with Jonny and Reena to catch Monty's eye and gain invitation, the Mod continued to throw suspicious looks Hadder's way like darts.
At The Legged Fish, the Bar's interior was built to look like one long beach line, complete with an artificial ocean, allowing everyone to show off their Elevated physiques in small bathing suits. Hadder mentioned his concern for drugged-out residents drowning in the false sea and was blown away when Reena told him that it was not water, but a water-like substitute that allowed for breathing, that filled the Bar. For the remainder of the Haela, Hadder was under the machine-induced waves, gliding with groups of residents. Together, they
investigated iridescent coral reefs that hummed with Station life, including bright seahorses, glowing schools of purplish fish, and peaceful eels whose gentle bites sent pulses racing faster than the purest cocaine. Several bars were anchored to the fake ocean's floor, with pinkish dolphins more than happy to whisk residents from one counter to another, where long tubes crewed by manikins were presented to serve underwater beverages.
Other Bars were less distinct, offering experiences that ran together with countless others. The places, however, were only one element of the Haela. Alongside the drugs that were consumed, the residents that one met and spent time with defined the evening. Several Haelas found Hadder waking up next to Reena Song, her soft skin hugging his own like a life vest. Upon rising, Reena never made the encounters awkward, playfully getting dressed and stating where to meet later before quietly exiting their short-term living quarters.
Jonny VV's assertion that Hadder would be a wanted man after his initial successful Haela proved prophetic. Each Haela, regardless of Bar or Cluster, Hadder was bombarded with offers of exotic narcotics, late-Haela trysts, and exclusive experiences. Invite-only parties at enigmatic Bars ratcheted up the drug use and introduced Hadder to even more extreme residents with insatiable appetites.
Helen and Nestra guided Hadder to a Bar called The Gloaming, where naked residents paraded around in pitch blackness, with only psychoactive, glow-in-the-dark stickers placed between partygoers' eyes to guide hands, mouths, and tongues. Benny took Hadder to Gearworks, where the floors, walls, and ceilings twisted and turned at a deliberate pace, intensifying any visuals the resident was enjoying.
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