Moonshine - 2. Chapter 2: The Galactic Mall

MoonShine

Chapter Two: The Galactic Mall

Travel in any direction, go as far and as fast as technology and deep pockets can take you and there you will find The Galactic Mall. Simply because there are one thousand and two Galactic Malls. Oh they have local names, everyone of them, but they are all small artificial minimoons. Larger than a Sub Station, but much smaller than a Warrior, Moon Class; a military vanguard station. The Galactic Mall is really a gigantic metropolis. Millions of beings live and work there, both natural and synthetic. The heart of every Galactic is of course its Mall. The business and financial markets. The manufacturing and production districts. The research and discovery centers. The creative and visual arts pavilions. The performing arts theatres and concert halls. The fashion and trend think tanks. The publishing and porn syndicates. The agricultural and husbandry agrarian industries. The hotel and tourism scams. The military branches. The secret spy and assassin cartels both private and military. And let us not forget personnel. Tourists, immigrants, specialists, laborers, craftsmen, artists, pleasure slaves and etc. You name it and it is there in the Mall. The Galactic Mall is the life line and support backup for a system of fifty worlds. The Galactic Mall follows a four year course, visiting each world for fours weeks. It’s mission to bring the greatest of the galaxy to all. And every four years, the Mall is updated with the latest and brightest for the next tour of worlds.

Eddie had been lucky. He had won the Mall lottery. It secured him a position on the Mall. He wanted to see the galaxy, at least his small section of it. So far he had seen a single men’s dormitory, a small one bedroom apartment, a park surrounding the Moonstone Gallery and his place of employment ‘A Real Book.’ But still it was better than being on world back home. He got his position because he had taken the time to learn to read the old fashion way.

The Shopping District. The pulse of the heart of the Mall. Junk and Stuff. Second Hand. Thrift. Wholesale. Mass Market. Contractor. Black Market. Retail. Avante Garde, Haute Couture. A market for every blessed thing under the sun in every imaginable price bracket.

Eddie sat at a table in the food court in the Moonstone Gallery, a part of the Shopping District in the very middle of the Greater Mall. Aboard the MoonShine, Galactic Mall 1002. He was waiting for his best friend Felix Orbit. He had met Felix his first day aboard. The worst day of my life and the best day of my life is the same day. Well the most fascinating day of my life at least. I wonder if this is it. One grand out of the ordinary day and then a life time of the same old same old. I certainly never had a day anything like this before, except the day I won the lottery. I wonder if it has marked me. Maybe my destiny changed today. Maybe my life will be a story told for a thousand years. Yeah you wish vacuum mush for a brain.

Where is Felix anyway, I’m starving. I bet he is up to his usual tricks. I keep telling him not to tease those cadets. He was doing that the day I first saw him. One day they are going to catch Felix and he is going to walk funny for a month. After all its not illegal to have sex with a pleasure synthetic, even if he says no. As long as the fee is paid in full everything goes. But some how Felix teases and gets away. As far as I know he has a few high end clients that keep his quota paid. And he always has credit and lives well. But still if he were hurt… here he comes. About moonfucking time.

Just look at Felix, what a boss stud. Flowing hair, a rich luscious auburn, tied in a top knot and pony tail with two brands at his ears. His eyebrows are black and his eyes are green/orange. And he just looks wicked. Because he is wicked. He is wearing a pair of jodpur breeks and a ‘V’ body cling, chest vest and toe sandals. Until this morning I thought Felix was the perfect guy. Now I know there are two of them.

“Space Bud, I’ve been hearing about it all morning and you were there.” Felix flipped a chair and sat in it backwards and rested his arms on the back rest. “You actually saw a Moe. Not only that you saw it regress to its dormant stasis. In the store where you work. What are the odds on that? Have you heard the latest? An independent pirate network has hacked the security web and they are going to broadcast the deed free to any and all as a freedom of the press protest. So heed the prompt from your ear wick. You don’t want to miss it. It’s going to be lived my millions. I can’t wait. What’ya want to eat?”

I ordered a double patty roach burger with maggot fries and a banana juice health drink. What? Mankind finally found a use for them in space. Felix sucked on a polycarbon substitute marked chocolate favored. He did sneak a few of my fries. It would be dangerous if any one saw him eat organic. Only top level synthetics could eat for real and they were few and far between and ungodly expensive. Felix could kiss his freedom and not to mention his pretty butt goodbye if anyone knew.

About half way thru our meal the wick prompt signaled and I gave my okay. In the space of two seconds I relived my morning. Except this time I could see myself. Oh my god.

Felix was laughing. He looked at me and impersonated a jackass. I’ve never seen a real jackass before but I was sure Felix was one. I knew why he was laughing, I had seen it to. The déjà vu stream show it clearly. I was mooning over the Moe. My eyes were glued to him. They were all over the man. And you could see I was a bonemaker. They did a close up. Complete with diagram and calculated dimensions.

“Eddie. The Moe doesn’t know how close he came to being devoured, one more second and you would have pounced. The poor Moe would have been speared and poked and probed silly. No wonder he regressed, it was his only escape from your evil minded clutches. Just think millions have relived this drama. Just think of all those who will fear your presence. Just think of all the ones who will crave your presence. I bet ‘Real Book‘ does a booming business tomorrow.”

“Shut up Felix.”

“Eddie. You used to look at me like that. It‘s cute and charming and innocent. I miss it. Why don‘t you do it anymore?”

“I still think that way. I have just learned to hide it.” Because the asshole doesn’t look at me like that.