Running on Fumes Pt. 01

On the ground level, the bars encircled the room and were thronged with thirsty revelers. Many-armed bar-droids mixed whatever concoctions were ordered by customers and waiters via voice id and e-mail. Credits were ticked off by state of the art bank coms. It was utter confusion.

The second level was reserved for the more serious diners. Mega-credits were spent on average cuisine by businessmen and tourists every day of the week.

The third level was less legitimate. One half of the circle was a private club with erotic dancers, both interactive and non-interactive. The other half of the circle was for sensual pleasure. There were whirlpools and saunas and massage rooms. There was also a very active trade in licensed prostitution.

Only a few club members had access to the forth level. Expensive pleasure drugs were mixed with marginally legal virtual reality programs for simulated 'rides of your life' or death. Many members came to simulate what was believed to be the feeling of death. There was even a program where you lived a simulated life trying for heaven. Most players lost and experienced the drug and electro induced agony and terror of falling into hell's abyss. Winners were bathed in golden light and dosed with a rare extract of 'Feel Good' and 'Erotica'

The lighting on the ground floor, where Kimmi's group gathered was dim, and changed colors every 90 seconds. Heat and noise emanated from the kitchen which was at the back of the globe

They were given a table near the center of the room where they had a great view of the dance floor. Their backs were to the main entrance.

"This place is way cool" said Jade. I'm going to eat, drink, be merry and, hopefully, get lucky. I gotta go make myself more presentable. Angie, Kimmi, you're with me.

The women shoved their way through the crowd to the ladies rest room. It was messy and smelly, but had what was necessary.

"Look," Jade said, "there's a machine selling disposable dance dresses. Let's do it up right!"

Kimmi looked at the selections warily. She didn't know what to wear. She wasn't here to pick up a stranger or impress her co-workers.

"I think I'll pass," she said. But then she saw a deep blue spider's silk tango gown. It was strapless, floor length, with a slit up the left leg almost to the hip. "That's fierce" she said in awe. I have to have it."

She clicked her credits and the dress slid out of the machine. It had matching slippers. and wicked gloves. It smelled like a summer night.

"Oh my God. Look at this dress Jade."

"Yeah, cool. But look what I got. This is so hot...." Jade was in another world getting dressed and putting on make up.

Kimmi slid into the dress and felt like another woman. Mysterious. A woman of mist and moonlight. She laughed out loud with pleasure.

"Wow," Angie said. "Look at you. I've never seen you look so fabulous. Let me do your hair and make up."

"What do you have in mind?"

"I'll make you into a moon lit seraph."

"You'd need magic to accomplish that, Angie," Kimmi said, laughing

"You never know when or where you will encounter magic. So don't laugh. Just let me do a couple little things with your face.... Hmmm, here, and here. Your eyes. Keep still! You'll mess it up. Yes, a little star dust here and there. Now, your hair... Yes, it has many colors of the moon. I'll just put it into a nice circlet around the back of your head. I'll leave a few tendrils out. Oh, and you can wear my moon stone." Angie took the ring she always wore on her left index finger and slid a thick hunk of hair through it. It dangled down from the top of the circlet. The moonstone, which was as large as a robin's egg glowed in the dim stinky washroom.

"No, Angie, I can't take your ring. You never take it off. Why are you doing this?"

"I don't know. It just feels right. Its okay, you can give it back to me when we leave. And now I must dress myself.

Angie selected a Phoenix costume. It matched her fiery disposition perfectly. She was every shade of fire -- white, blue, green, orange red. The feathers were bejeweled with faux diamonds and rubies which looked like tear drops and blood. She was so beautiful it almost hurt to look at her.

Jade was an enchantress in a sharp green body suit. Bewitching, like a lancet of jade. The women looked at each other with new respect.

"And they say clothes don't make the maiden," Kimmi said in a hushed tone. "Let's go see what our men are up to."

"Them?" Jade said with a laugh. "We're going to knock their ever-loving socks off. They won't know what hit them."

"That's the truth," said Angie.

"Hey you two," Kimmi said, "say cheese," she snapped a picture as they mugged for the camera. She slipped the camera into her purse.

Jade went first into the throng. Time seemed to slow down as they walked. Jade cut through the crowd like a knife. Next came Angie, the bird of fire. Kimmi walked out last, cool as a winter night and glowing with moonbeams. Their walk to the table was slow, sensual. Heads turned. Conversations paused.

Porter, Wilson and Dave had already started the happy process of getting drunk. They had ordered shooters and downed two a piece while gazing almost memorized at the dance floor. They did look kind of frumpy sitting there from the women's perspective. But you take what you can get, Kimmi thought. She pulled out the camera one more time and snapped a picture of the men gazing at the dance floor. And anyway, I shouldn't be thinking of them at all. I have Alex.

"Excuse me, gentlemen," Jade said in a velvety voice, "are these seats taken?"

Dave pulled himself away from the dance floor and peered up at Jade. He didn't recognize her. "I'm sorry, I mean, I really am sorry, but we are waiting for some friends," he stammered as he devoured Jade with his eyes.

"Dave, you ass hole, it's me, Jade."

"Oh my God, what did you do to yourself? You look... unbelievable."

"I'll take that as a compliment. May I sit down?"

"Yes, yes, of course." He jumped out of his chair to help Jade into the chair next to him. Then he got a look at the other two women. "Jesus Christ, what planet have I landed on? I want to make this my home!

Laughing, Angie and Kimmi took the two other vacant seats. Wilson and Porter were still staring at the dancers.

Guys," he said to Wilson and Porter, poking Porter in the ribs, "Look what just landed at our table.

Wilson and Porter turned. Their jaws dropped.

"What in the world?" said Wilson. "We've been working with these women for how long and we missed this potential? Lord have mercy. There's none so blind as will not see. Ladies, you take my breath away."

"Pretty words," Kimmi said. "Would you care to entertain us this evening? I'm getting awful hungry. And what? No drinks? Maybe we came to the wrong table." Kimmi teased.

"Yes" said Angie. "Maybe we should shop around, come up with something a little more, how shall I put this? elegant."

"Oh, no you don't," Wilson said. He grabbed Angie's hand and brought it to his lips. "You came with us, you'll stay with us. He turned her hand over and kissed her palm. "We can be just as elegant as you like. " He let go of her hand and pulled up the electronic drink menu. Now, ladies, what would you like to drink? Crystal champagne? Or something wicked? Tequila? No. Rum. There is a very special rum. If they have it. It's almost like opium."

He scanned the drink list and found what he was looking for. "This will set us back a lot of credits, but hellfire, you only live once, right?"

Porter agreed. Dave looked dubious but pulled out his credit chit. "I'm going to live to regret this, I'm sure. But what the hell. Here's to Krowe Pan-global and the women they didn't know they had. He added his credits to the counter. Eight minutes later a waiter arrived with a black bottle and six glasses.

"A fine choice you've made gentlemen. This bottle has been waiting for you for many years. "He opened it and poured out a small portion into each man's glass.

"Sexism at its finest," Kimmi quipped. But she was impressed with the way the waiter cradled the bottle. He held it like a sacred vessel. This must be some primo liquor. I wonder how much it cost? No. I don't want to know.

"Madam, if you were paying for the bottle, I would present it to you. I'm not a sexist." He sniffed.

Wilson picked up his glass. Dave and Porter followed suit. They sipped slowly.

"Unbelievable!"

"Superb" said Porter

"Well, it's a cut or so above bathtub gin," Dave quipped.

"What's bathtub gin? Porter asked.

"Poisonous liquor made centuries ago in bathtubs when liquor was illegal."

"Liquor, illegal? How barbaric."

"Didn't you go to high school and learn all that history," Wilson asked.

"No. I was home schooled. We stuck to the essentials, you know, getting up to speed for the labor code."

"You missed a lot of interesting stuff."

"Seems like we ended up in the same boat though, didn't we for all your fancy learning?" Porter pointed out while he poured out glasses of rum for the group.

"You got that right."

Dave intervened. "Okay, to what shall we toast?"

"New horizons," said Angie

"Good times and beautiful women," said Porter

"To Krowe Industries getting what it fucking well deserves," said Wilson

"To lasting friendships," Kimmi offered.

They clicked glasses and drank.

Kimmi was astounded. The rum tasted like nectar from the Gods. It was so smooth drinking it was like a kiss. And potent! Kimmi was already wobbly from the pain killer. After two toasts she was flying. It was time to dance!

Kimmi grabbed Porter, who was likewise feeling no pain, and ushered him to the nearest wind tunnel. They were blown up onto the dance floor and landed in a heap, laughing hilariously. She moved with ease and grace learned from years of modern dance classes. Porter tried, but he couldn't keep up with Kimmi. She swayed and twirled and undulated. Her eyes were closed. She felt the music through to her soul. Almost in a trance, she moved along the floor. The music slowed. It became velvety, sensual. A hand was placed on her shoulder. She opened her eyes and looked up. She was dancing with a stranger. He was, lithe, powerful. He moved like a martial artist. They moved together. The tango dress worked magic. His thighs against her thighs, his breath in her hair. She was in his arms. Their torsos meshed. It was sex on the dance floor. Nothing less than hot, sultry sex.

Kimmi was fully aroused. She gazed into his obsidian eyes. He pulled her tighter. "Who are you?" she whispered.

"Shh," he said. They danced. It was warm on the dance floor. Blue and red strobe lights were flashing. The music was hot and erotic. Kimmi took measure of the man in her arms. He was tall, with golden skin, and thick black hair matching his almond shaped eyes. He was long and lean and she felt him harden against her thigh. He moved with assurance and purpose. His scent set her pulse wild. She leaned into him. She felt she would follow him to the nearest star if he asked her.

Suddenly the music stopped. There was loud popping and flashes of light, fire, all over the ground floor. The dance floor shivered and shook, and the strobe light burst into flame. The overhead sprinklers came on. All was smoke and confusion. There were screams and cries. A stampede. More fire. "Get down," the man shouted. He pushed her to the floor. He grabbed a table and put it on top of her. "Stay there," he said in a hard, tense voice. "I'm Simon, Simon Delacroix. I'll be back"

The rest of the dancers were screaming and pushing and shoving, trying to do... what? They didn't know what to do. The down stairs was a war zone. Should they try to help? Go down and get killed? Stay and get killed?

Simon had no time for the dancers. He jumped off the dance floor and headed for the back door. There was a fire hose in a cabinet next to the kitchen. He grabbed it, and started shouting orders to the kitchen workers. "Cut off the gas lines, now!! Get those fire hoses out!!" he shouted as he turned to wield the heavy hose. Water burst out of the nozzle. Simon pulled on the hose and ran back into the bar area. He crouched down and took aim. The fierce blast of water took the primary shooter out. He aimed again and dowsed a couple of other shooters. His night manager jumped in with another hose. The remaining shooters must have figured they'd done their task. They took off running into the night.

The outside mall's security alarm finally kicked in. Shit. Some help those Keystone Cops will be, Simon thought angrily. How the hell did this happen?

The carnage was unbelievable. The entire event took less than five minutes. Everyone who was on the ground floor was dead or dying. Fire guns had destroyed the entire ground floor. The air was thick with smoke and steam and soot. It looked like a scene from Dante's Inferno. He remembered stories of the September day years ago when Manhattan's Twin Trade Towers were destroyed. That had been the event that set off the first of the upheavals. This is what it must have been like. God. No one could have survived this. How many people? he wondered. Fifty? Seventy five? God. Why? he raged in anguish.

Simon crouched down and put his head in his hands. He wanted to scream out his pain and rage for what had been done. But that would be pointless. Vengeance. Ah yes he wanted vengeance, but even more he wanted justice. And he wanted to ease the pain of the victims. He looked around to see if there was any thing he could do, any way to help.

Dancers were jumping off the dance floor and running around, crying, looking for friends, associates, trying to help. People started to pour down from the upper levels to see what all the fuss was about and were horrified by what they found. A doctor was setting up a triage, of sorts for the injured. Sirens shrilled and became still as rescue vehicles and police arrived on the scene. Simon felt helpless. There was nothing he could do here.

The girl! he thought suddenly. Is the girl alright? I hope so. There is something about her. Lord but she can dance. And that dress! Her eyes are blue like a summer sky. The emergency teams can handle things down here. I should find her.

Simon wadded through the horror and found his way to the dance floor. The air tubes were off line so he had to pull himself up using brute strength to get over the railing. He flopped down on the floor breathing hard. There were still a few dancers sitting on the floor, too traumatized to jump down into the fray below. And there in the corner, curled in a ball with the table over her head sat Kimmi.

Simon walked over to her and sat down. He put his hand on her arm and she jumped.

"No, its okay, it's over. Do you here me? It's over."

"Simon? Is it really okay? She uncurled and looked into his eyes. The bleakness there frightened and saddened her. "No, I have a feeling its never really going to be okay again. Shit." She started to cry.

"What happened down there?" she asked through her sobs. "All I know is what I saw before you threw me down. And then what I heard, and smelled. Oh dear God, the smell. I'll never get rid of it. I never smelled death before. That's what it is, isn't it?"

"Yes," Simon said gently. "Death. Some shooters burst in with flame guns. I don't know who or why, but I'm going to find out and they will pay."

"Why? You were just a dancer, a customer, right?"

"No. This is my place. My establishment. My responsibility. Christ."

"You're kidding. You own this place?"

"Why so surprised?"

"Well, you dance so well. I didn't think an owner would... but that's ridiculous, of course you should enjoy what you create. That's the whole point, isn't it?"

"Part of the point, anyway. There's also the money."

"Yes, there's the money. But you do, ah, did enjoy this place."

"I greatly enjoyed dancing with you. It was like dancing with moonlight. Who are you anyway?"

"I'm no one, really."

"You have a name."

"Yes. It's Kimmi, Kimmi Riasco."

"How did you happen to come to my club tonight Kimmi Riasco?"

"It's a long, sad story. Oh my God, my friends! Simon, I came here with five friends. Four of them were on the ground floor when it happened. I have to find them. And Porter. I was dancing with him when you took over. At least I think I was. I was pretty out of it. Did you see Porter?

"No. You were dancing alone when I joined you."

"Alone? Oh God, I really was high. I took this pain killer this afternoon. For a migraine. I should never have mixed it with alcohol."

"Well you were lucky to be on the dance floor when the fire bombing started. That high of yours saved your life."

"No. I would have been okay. I would have gotten out. Like they did. They did. I'm sure of it. I've got to go look for them now. Will you help me?" Kimmi said desperately.

"Kimmi, listen to me, Simon said quietly. "They didn't get out. No one did. I was down there. I saw it. It was .... " he shuddered, "Hell. Simply hell. A battle field. I tried to stop it but I wasn't in time. It was a brutal, murderous, meaningless slaughter."

"Oh Christ," Kimmi swore. "This can't be happening. What the hell. Let's go into town and celebrate getting laid off from our jobs they said. They wanted to have a big going away party. Boy what a send-off they got, huh? I should have talked them out of it. I told them that Philly was dangerous, .but did they listen? No. I should have stopped them." Kimmi started to cry again.

"It's not your fault, Kimmi. It just happened."

"But I should have been with them down there, not up on the floor dancing with you. And now I'm alive and they're dead. I should be dead, too. We were in it together."

"Stop it. That's ridiculous. Your friends would be glad to know you survived."

"No they wouldn't. They'd be mad as spit."

"Think about it Kimmi, if you had died and one of them survived would you be mad at them? You wouldn't be, would you?"

"No," Kimmi said with a sigh. "I guess not. You're right. But it still feels so God damn wrong to be sitting here untouched while they're down there... Oh God, I think I'm going to be sick. Is there a bathroom up here? Please?"

"No bathroom. Stay put Kimmi. Put your head between your knees and breathe deeply. I'll be right back."

Simon ran to the far side of the floor where there was a waste unit. He pulled it out of the wall and brought it over to Kimmi.

"Here, lean into this. If you have to let go, let go. It'll do you good." He stood behind her and put one hand on her forehead. He supported her stomach with the other hand. Kimmi took a deep breath, and then it all came up at once. She heaved helplessly into the unit while Simon held her and comforted her. It was over quickly. Kimmi sank down to the floor in a sitting position. Simon sat down beside her.

"Better?"

"Some. Thank you. You missed you calling. You should have been a nurse."

"I'm versatile. Actually, I had a little sister who used to get stomach upsets in the middle of the night. Watching you made me a little home sick."

"Yeah," Kimmi snorted with laughter, "with an emphasis on the sick. Where is home, any way? You have an interesting accent." He had a deep, velvety voice with a hint of Britain and a hint of something exotic which Kimmi couldn't identify.

"Trinidad. I'm glad to see you haven't lost your sense of humor."

"Yeah, this is really funny. Tonight was going to be our last hurrah before reality of unemployment set in. We were going to drink ourselves senseless and then say fuck you to Krowe Pan-global. Well, I guess they won't be looking at the net's job postings in the morning. And I'll be at work, all alone in my cubicle, with my boss, who didn't, by the way, get the axe, telling me to use my leave time to recover during my last two weeks at work. But I won't do that, damn it. I'm going to work every last fucking minute in honor of my gang. At least Krowe will have to pay my salary until the end. I guess Krowe will be paying for their funerals. That was one of the perks of the job. Work 'til you die and Krowe picks up the funeral bill. Thank God they were all still employees tonight. Otherwise their families would have been stuck with the bill.