ALTERNATE TALES OF THE STAR FORCE

STAR BLAZERS—BLACK NIGHTS

A Short by: Frederick P. Kopetz

PART ONE: CLUB NIGHTS

 

I. A NIGHT AT VICTORIA’S

 

Planet Earth

 

The Tokyo Megalopolis

June 8, 2223 : 2100 Hours Space-time

Aurora Forrester was still in college at the University of Colorado at Boulder. She was now twenty going on twenty-one, and she was a stunning young lady with honey-blonde hair that grew down to her waist.

Even though she was fulfilling her World Service by being in ROTC at the university, she was on a period of summer break in the Tokyo Megalopolis living in her parents’ apartment for the summer, not that far from her big sister’s house.

Nova Wildstar, Aurora’s older sister, was now a mother and doctor who was a very youthful-looking forty-five. Youthful-looking enough that Nova could still turn heads, even though she had been married to Admiral Derek Wildstar now for the past twenty-two years.

Aurora’s major at college was music. She was hoping to be a professional musician and arranger. Her mother supported her in this, because this had been one of her mother’s career hopes for her older sister before she had joined the Star Force many years ago.

Tonight, in Victoria’s, which was a jazz club in the Megalopolis, Aurora had her first professional gig. And, she was very nervous.

Aurora wore a long off-white gown that bared her shoulders and made her look very pretty. She wore a matching simulated-leather necklace and sandals in brown with the gown and she looked gorgeous.

Nova, her sister, was there with her husband that night to accompany Aurora as her pianist. Nova wore a black off-the-shoulder dress that came down to just above her knees. With the dress, she wore gold bracelets and black patent sandals. Derek was there with her in a dark suit, and he looked very professional.

Finally, Aurora cleared her throat and said, “Nova…I think I’m ready.”

“Good,” Nova replied. “Let’s go out, then, shall we?”

Nova and Aurora came out as the MC announced them, and the crowd applauded while they took a bow. Then, Nova sat down behind the piano, and began to play as Aurora began to sing an old number, “Turn Back, O Man,” from the old musical Godspell.

When she was done with that number, she did a solo of “Nowhere Fast”, from an ancient movie called Streets of Fire. Then, after doing a contemporary piece, Aurora finished off with “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”, on which she played the guitar while her sister continued to play the piano.

Then, the applause came again. Nova retired to the wings, watching with some concern as Aurora accepted a bouquet of flowers from the proprietor, and a small envelope. Then, she bowed and accepted a kiss from the club owner, and then ran towards Nova as her heels clicked urgently on the stage.

“Did he pay us?” asked Nova.

“Yes, I’m sure he said it was in the envelope,” said Aurora in breathless tones.

Katrina Savela, their manager, came out in a white dress and black boots and said, “Aurora. Did he pay you and Nova what was promised in the contract?”

“He promised us a thousand credits; five hundred each,” said Nova. “Aurora, what’s in the envelope?”

Aurora looked. “Three hundred.”

“What?” said Nova.

“He said he’d give us the rest if you and I showed up in his office later on…alone,” said Aurora breathlessly.

“Alone,” mocked Derek Wildstar as he showed up. “Like hell you two are going to be alone later,” he snapped.

“I agree with you, for once,” said Katrina as she remembered a similar scummy scene that went back several years to her past. “No, Wildstar. Our songbird and our piano girl won’t be alone. I am coming with them.”

“Let’s go see that Charlie fellow…now,” said Derek.

Katrina grinned at Wildstar and nodded. Nova finally nodded, and, then, Aurora said, “Let’s go. But I hope this won’t be…too unpleasant…”

“It depends upon how unpleasant Charlie wants to make it,” said Katrina in a slow purr as she cracked her knuckles.

“I said…you two were supposed to be alone!” snapped Charlie Delgado, the proprietor of the club, as he sat at his desk surrounded by Derek, Nova, Katrina, and Aurora.

“This is what it comes down to,” snapped Katrina. “Ve signed a contract! You owe Miss Forrester three hundred and fifty and you owe Mrs. Wildstar three hundred and fifty. I don’t like it when my clients go unpaid.”

“I…well…because they’re so beautiful…I wanted some time alone after the show, to talk…with Miss Forrester…”

“Is that why that couch is there?” snapped Nova. “To allow you to screw around with my sister?”

“And, with you, Mrs. Wildstar…”

Derek grabbed Charlie by the shirt. “You know, you’re talking about a married woman here? I don’t care how attractive she looks…she’s not for you!”

“Who said anything about that?” gasped Delgado. “All right! Savela! Open that envelope on my desk! Your money is in there!”

“Now we are talking,” said Katrina as she motioned Wildstar aside and slapped Delgado across the face.

“What the hell was that for?” said Delgado.

“That was for thinking what you were thinking,” snapped Katrina as she took her money. “Aurora, there’s yours…Nova…there’s yours!”

“You’ll never work in this town again, Forrester!” snapped Delgado as they left.

“We’ll see about that,” said Katrina. “We’ll see…”

Katrina slammed the door shut, and Charlie wiped his brow. Then, he dialed a number. After reaching the party he wanted, he said, “Hey, Bruno. This is Charlie. I think I have a job for ya…and I want it done within a week. I think a nosy songbird needs to be shut up…permanently….”

TO BE CONTINUED….