Station

by Jarrett Brandon Early

  The final level, reached via cascading steps on either side of the second mini-level, was the money shot. An enormous dance floor dominated the majority of the space, with cozy booths lining both sides and couches acting as backstops. As Hadder slowly raised his eyes, however, he saw what really separated The Royal Jelly from other Bars. A magnificent stage stood six feet above the dance floor, ornate wood trim work present to enhance and legitimize any performance. Looking up and around, Hadder saw that the second and third main floors were comprised of balconies that overlooked both the stage and revelers beneath.

  "So, what do you think," Hadder heard Lilly ask him from behind.

  "It's great," replied Hadder honestly. There was a warmth to the Bar, similar to Cranesman on a much larger scale. "What kind of shows get put on here?"

  Lilly joined him to more closely admire the stage. "Anything, really. Obviously music concerts, but we also have plays, dance performances, talent showcases, whatever. If a resident wants to do something, is in good standing with Royal, and is willing to take it seriously, the stage is theirs. Which reminds me, you need to meet Royal. This way."

  Lilly returned Hadder to the ground level and guided him to the first bar facing the main entrance. Sitting at the bar, holding a half-empty glass of amber liquid, was a distinguished-looking man in his late fifties or early sixties. He had a full head of thick silver hair that grazed his shoulders and a matching mustache that marked him as a man's man. Although thin, sinewy muscles could be easily made out beneath bell-bottomed jeans and white t-shirt. With leather bracelets and an army of charms and trinkets around his neck, the man looked to be playing the role of aging rock star between gigs.

  "Marlin Hadder, please meet Royal Winters, proprietor of this lovely establishment and one of the original Keys of Station."

  "Don't lump me in with those other human wraiths. What're drinking?" was Royal's informal introduction.

  "I'll have whatever you're having. What is that, a Number 8?"

  "It's beer, Marlin Hadder. Just beer."

  Hadder chuckled nervously as Royal's blue eyes took him in, the weight of his judgment making it hard to relax. "Sorry, it's just I haven't even seen a beer in ages. That sounds perfect, thanks."

  Instead of summoning a manikin, Royal rose and jumped the counter of the bar, snatching up a glass with a trained hand and filling it from a tap.

  Royal spoke as he poured. "You know, extremeness has its place, is a necessary component to many things - entertainment, revolution, art, to name a few." He handed the beer to Hadder. "But I don't want or need it first thing in the fucking Solay. Most Solays, I don't need it at all. Often, I just want a fucking beer. Now don't get me wrong, I, too, dabble in Station's various concoctions, they can really hit the spot on occasion. But for my money, nothing says friends, family, good conversation, honest art, and toe-tapping music like the originals - beer, whiskey, tequila, vodka."

  "Oh Royal, you do like your speeches," said Lilly, who had lowered herself into the closest seating area. "I'll take one as well. Please."

  Royal continued as he fulfilled Lilly's request. "I don't see any wild Elevations on you, Hadder. Frightened of a little change, are we?"

  Hadder thought about it as he drank. The cold beer went down smoothly, and Hadder smiled admiringly at the glass; he had forgotten how refreshing and straightforward beer could be. "It's not that. I guess it's just something I haven't really given much thought to. There's a lot of things in my life I wanted different. An Elevation wouldn't address any of those things."

  Royal hopped back over the bar. He cuffed Hadder behind the neck in a fatherly manner. "Fucking A. That tells me that you were running from something that happened to you, but not yourself. That's good. There may be hope for you yet." He released Hadder and moved to join Lilly, taking the armchair across from her. "And you've found the most captivating woman in Station, so bonus points for you, new boy."

  Hadder looked to the empty bar before sitting down in the love seat next to Lilly. "Where's your manikin, Royal?"

  "I got a few roaming around here somewhere, probably cleaning up after fixed guests like Lilly here."

  "But none are handling the bar."

  Royal gave a stern look. "That's my job. Some of us are uncomfortable doing nothing all day. I like the work, I like the camaraderie, and I like all the gossip I receive. I might get one of the manikins to help out if we get too busy, or I gotta take a dump or play, but for the most part, it's just me and whoever else wants to man the bars. I mean, who really wants to be waited on by a wind-up toy? Fucking impersonal if you ask me."

  "So no other Elevations for you beyond the obvious ones?"

  "What obvious ones," Royal asked, sounding offending.

  "That thick head of hair and that beautiful mustache, Royal. That ain't normal."

  Royal laughed. "You sonavabitch, my daddy gave me these, not some dead-eyed sex doll with a scalpel. Lilly, get this fucking guy out of my bar!" They all shared in a laugh. "You're alright, Hadder. But hell, if Lilly's bringing you to me, then I already knew that. But seriously, for a new resident, you're ok in my book."

  "Wish your fellow Keys felt the same way."

  "Some of them gave you a hard time?"

  "Mostly just hard looks and words. But some worse things, too."

  "I'm not surprised. Your appearance here could mean a lot of things, many of which are unappealing to those decrepit psychopaths who are more Elevation than human at this point."

  "What possibly could I mean for them, though?"

  Royal shrugged. "An end to the status quo. An end to their fiefdoms. Hell, maybe an end to whole goddam city."

  Hadder was lost as to how his arrival could usher in such change, but he accepted it blindly and pushed on. "And this doesn't scare you, Royal."

  "Nothing scares me anymore. All of us here have lived two lives, and that's one more than everyone else gets, and two more than many of us deserve. You being here portents something, but that something is out of your control. Chess pieces are being moved by the Gods, Hadder. Let's just enjoy the board while we're here."

  "Cheers to that," Lilly and Hadder said together.

  "More beers. And some goddam music! Where are my manners?"

  In response to Royal's request, Hadder filled both Lilly and Royal in on his escapades of the last months, coyly leaving out most of his sexual activities given Lilly's presence. Lilly nodded her head in understanding through most of it, stating that most everyone goes through a "kid in a candy store" phase upon arrival. "Some find their way out it," she said, "Many don't."

  Lilly reacted much differently than expected when Hadder shared who he had been with most of that time. "Oh, I love Reena Song so much. It's a shame she can't get out of that party rut. She was a nurse, you know? Like a really quality one. She worked in the burn unit of a major hospital. Poor thing saw so much pain and suffering, remaining strong. But when a foster mom soaked her three mentally ill children in a tub of gasoline before lighting them on fire, something broke inside her. She stayed with those children around the clock, listening to their confused little wails and cries, watching as one by one each succumbed to their burns after ten lives' worth of pain. Many Solays I held her head in my lap as she cried. I hope she finds something other than sex and drugs that will keep the specter of those kids from haunting her, I really do."

  Royal grew especially angry after hearing of Hadder's visit to Inferno. "Your friends should have made sure you stayed away from there!" Royal said, shaking his head in anger. When Hadder spoke about Jackie Crone and her wicked deception, Royal spat on the ground, echoing Glen's reaction to the vile woman. Royal thought on the story for a moment before providing his take. "Just as I thought, your existence has the Keys really shaken. Fear is a powerful weapon, and Jackie Crone wields it like a samurai. They want you scared of the Before, terrified of the pain that it can bring you, hoping that you seek refuge in the endless cycle of the Celebration Cluster. But it sounds like her plan b
ackfired, drove you from that murky world, made you realize something of critical importance. That says a lot about you, Hadder."

  Lilly added, "You wanted desperately to share, Marlin. To mourn and cope and move forward. You can't do that in the Celebration Cluster. Everyone is too busy hiding."

  The rest of the Solay passed by in a blink, as is often the case when good company engages in enjoyable conversation eased by classic alcohol. They went outside, beers in hand, to sit in the clearing, basking in the light of the Solay as they spoke about music, movies, love, and loss. Hadder was struck by how easily both Royal and Lilly spoke of the Before, comfortably inserting pieces of their previous lives into the talks. Royal often referenced his wife, who had died of brain cancer, leaving a hole that the studio musician filled with heroin. Lilly joked about her struggling singing career, becoming serious when speaking of her mother's overbearing control over her young life, a mother who saw her own fame and fortune reflected in the eyes of her innocent child.

  As Solay began to near Haela, Hadder noticed more and more residents beginning to enter The Royal Jelly. Royal saw this, too, and rose from soft grass. "I better get in there, y'all. It looks like we got some thirsty residents this evening. Pleasure speaking with you, Hadder. I don't know what your being here means, but I know I'm happy for the new company. See you both in there."

  Lilly and Hadder watched Royal walk back into the establishment that partially bore his name. "Good guy, huh," prompted Lilly.

  "Yeah, he is. What's going on at the Bar? Residents have been piling in for the last hour or so."

  "What's going on? Music, Hadder. Music is what's going on. Get up, lazybones. I'm calling first dance right now."

  Lilly pulled Hadder up quickly, showcasing impressive strength for one so small. Hand-in-hand, they joined the throng of residents gleefully passing between The Royal Jelly's golden guardian bees, happy to be entering a world where drugs, alcohol, and sex took a backseat to the fellowship of music.

  Hours later, The Royal Jelly was a hive of activity and music. Every seat in the house was taken, but that didn't stop groups from welcoming others over, sharing in old school beer and smoke. Royal was a whirlwind, dishing out drinks, stories, and advice in equal parts. Although all the residents here were also reasonably attractive, they didn't have the overwrought look of the Celebration Cluster regulars, those that always did too much, those that always acted extra. Hadder felt relaxed in an environment where everyone's raison d'etre was not to one-up the person next to you, but to share real stories with real friends.

  While most residents in The Royal Jelly had gone subtle with Elevations, extreme exceptions were as readily accepted by the group as a kooky aunt. Lilly pointed out one young man, pale and slight, with an abnormal bulge in his slim khaki pants. "Poor Theo. The boy went and Elevated his junk to a ridiculous level. Little did he know that most girls here Elevate their love boxes, as well - making them smaller. Now the guy just walks with a loaded shotgun and nowhere to shoot it."

  "Why doesn't he just get it reversed? It seems like they can do anything at the Elevation Centers."

  "He could. But everyone calls him Theo the Cock now, sometimes just The Cock. I think he likes that."

  Residents like Theo were seen now and then, escapees from the dangerous Elevation addiction. A woman with obviously extended legs danced erotically in a booth by the stage. A short man with impossibly inflated muscles tried to join her, but his oversized frame prevented him from moving correctly. He ended up merely flailing his arms next to her, frightening everyone around. Lilly and Hadder laughed at the comical scene.

  Lilly mentioned that many residents who found their way to this sanctuary had some of their more apparent Elevations reverted, having grown more comfortable in the skin in which they arrived at the city.

  Hadder was digesting this information, looking over the crowd, when there was a change in the musical acts. An excellent band that sounded exactly like The Doors, complete with its own Jim Morrison clone, was exiting the stage, and a lone figure was approaching the microphone as musicians in the background traded out instruments. Hadder's eyes widened in recognition as he saw Miles move to the forefront of the stage. "Holy shit, that's Miles!"

  "You know Miles," asked Lilly.

  "Yeah, I guess he was sent to orientate me to the city. Show me the ropes."

  "I can't imagine a worse choice for that."

  "Yeah, he was pretty shit."

  "Well, he's not shit at this. Listen."

  Hadder knew something special was coming when the crowd, comprised of hundreds of intense conversations, joyous invitations, and loud expressions of gaiety, immediately went silent as Miles took the mic. Miles quietly thanked everyone before he began. Before he sent Hadder back to his childhood.

  Miles started with a heart-wrenching take on Sam Cooke's "A Change is Gonna Come," following that with Otis Redding's "Try a Little Tenderness," and concluding with "Georgia on My Mind" by Ray Charles. Hadder stood transfixed, teleported back to when he was a child, his mother cleaning the house as this same music played in the background, filling the home with warmth and affection.

  Lilly saw the music's effect on Hadder and put her arm around his shoulders. "There is one area where they don't skimp on the Elevations here," she whispered, respectful of the extraordinary performance taking place. "When it comes to music and performing, we'll do whatever it takes to reach the next level. Miles was an exceptional musician in the Before. Now, he's a god."

  Hadder couldn't disagree, losing himself in Miles's powerful voice and exceptional showmanship. Gone was the distant, unsociable man that he met so many Solays ago, replaced by a person who held the emotions of a thousand residents in the palm of his hands. Hadder sipped his beer, closed his eyes, and relinquished himself to the music, opening them only after "Georgia," adding his applause to the appreciative whistles and screams of the rest of the audience.

  As he clapped, Hadder looked around but saw no sign of Lilly. Just as he was about to return to Royal for another drink, perhaps something with a bit more kick, Hadder spotted her walking from behind the stage curtain to join Miles, a second microphone in her hand. If the crowd had been loud before, it absolutely exploded at the sight of Lilly Sistine taking the stage. With a small, familiar nod to Miles, the musicians began again, and she and Miles broke into "Endless Love," another song that reminded Hadder of a simpler time. For the next four minutes, "Endless Love" no longer belonged to Diana Ross and Lionel Ritchie, but was in the ownership of Lilly Sistine and Miles, who injected the song with a steroid cocktail before releasing it onto an enraptured group of residents.

  Lilly sought Hadder out in the crowd and smiled as she sang, and from that moment on, they were the only two people in the Bar, her serenade making him smile dumbly like a dog who was getting his belly rubbed. Two days in and Hadder knew, was as sure as that morning in the hospital when he held that little bundle and stared into wide eyes trying to come to grips with the world. Hadder knew he was in love.

  Lilly and Miles finished their duet to more raucous applause, and Miles exited the stage, leaving Lilly alone. Lilly Sistine didn’t just continue the show, she intensified it, showing incredible range as she bounced from Tina Turner's "What's Love Got to Do with It" to Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time" to Madonna's "Live to Tell." By the time Lilly concluded with Whitney Houston's "I Have Nothing," Hadder was drunk, partially from the Number 9 he had ordered, but mainly from the whirlwind feelings of love, admiration, and respect for Lilly Sistine that he was trying unsuccessfully to wrangle.

  She found Hadder on the entrance level, away from the stage, sitting alone on a leather love seat. "Well," she asked, falling into place next to him, cigarette dangling between her thin fingers.

  "It was the most incredible thing I've ever heard." He felt stupid as the words fell out, unable to fully express the complex emotions he was experiencing.

  "Thanks," she said between puffs, putting the cigarette to Hadder's lips wh
en she finished. "But it's all bullshit, you know. I've had three Elevations on my vocal cords. But it's not like I'm trying to take credit for something; I just love singing and having fun. Miss Turner doesn't ever have to worry about me."

  "It's not bullshit, Lilly. You're amazing."

  She waved him away, not understanding the depth of his meaning. "What's that, a Number 9? I could use one of those."

  The following hours were among the most fun that Hadder could remember. Lilly and Hadder bounced between groups, engaging in conversations that traversed topics, many touching on the Before, including friends and families from those previous lives. While Royal and a few volunteer residents handled the bars, manikins walked around offering food on trays, the perfect complement to good drink and better company.

  Lilly and Hadder grew closer as the Haela deepened, her hand on his thigh here, his hand brushing hair behind her ear there. Group conversations slowly deteriorated into just the two of them, speaking almost nose to nose to hear each other over the background noise. Speaking naturally transitioned into dancing, Hadder twirling Lilly as a synthwave band played on stage, the singer killing saxophone solos when not belting out lively lyrics. Hadder and Lilly spun together, the world outside of them becoming an insignificant blur.