Twinks in Space: Destination Unknown - Part One - 19. Chapter 19 - The Periwinkle Pickle

“This is not what I expected,” Phentrom said to Lyoth with a giggle.

The front gate leading into the Periwinkle Pickle was an enormous mouth with shimmering luscious red lips and a huge tongue extending forward. The two men stepped on to the pink walkway with Stawren and Fonith, and the group entered the mouth.

They found themselves in a sprawling outdoor pavilion, and there was so much to see that the overstimulation caused them all to remain silent for a moment as they observed their surroundings. To one side, people were riding in a cart shaped like a huge penis as it zoomed along a twisty and curvy track. There was a food vendor selling fried dough breasts with the option of jam or sweet cream filling. Several games encouraged people to Try to Throw a Ring on a Pecker or Bob for Boobs or Fill the Balloon and Win a Prize!

Phentrom stepped up to the balloon booth. “Oh, my goodness!”

People were using squirt gun hoses to try and spray water into a target designed to look like female genitalia, which caused a balloon above the target to fill with air.

The mandroid blushed.

All around them, genitalia was being celebrated, and many people with their clones at the park were naked. They walked around the fairgrounds without a trace of shame. Women were naked. Men were naked. Also present were many people of different alien species with the multiple extra genders that were normal for them. Women with penises and men with breasts meandered around with androgynous individuals whose gender was not clear even though they were naked. Everyone and everything was beautiful.

“I love it,” Phentrom whispered with shining eyes. “I love it here.”

Fonith stepped up to him and agreed, “So do I.” She looked at the others. “Shall we wander as a group, or go off on our own?”

“I definitely want to ride the dick-coaster!” Lyoth said with a cackle.

“I’m in,” Stawren agreed.

“Let’s all ride it!” Phentrom encouraged Fonith.

The quartet got in line and a few minutes later, they were being strapped into the penis-shaped cart with quite a few other riders. They were seated right at its head. The track began to click as the huge cock was pulled up and up and up to the summit of the first drop. As soon as it stopped clicking and started to roll forward under the force of gravity, Stawren screamed and Phentrom squealed.

The penis rocketed down and took a sharp turn at the bottom of the drop. It zigzagged along its path before spiraling in a corkscrew toward the ground and pausing at the bottom of a second hill.

The mechanics of the track again latched to the penis and began to pull it up with the same click-clack noise. As it got to the top, Lyoth kissed Phentrom’s cheek, and everyone whooped and hollered as the penis raced down the other side of the hill. At the bottom it did a quick barrel-roll somersault that took them completely upside down for a split second. Then the penis swerved around a final corner and returned to its starting point.

The four of them climbed out with the other people who were enjoying the penis ride, and they headed into the park.

“After that, I’d like something sweet,” Stawren declared. “Any of you three want a snack?”

“I think I’m going to head to the peepshow booths,” Fonith commented.

“That sounds like fun,” Phentrom agreed. He turned to his beloved. “What do you want to do?”

Lyoth smiled. “Why don’t we just walk around and see what strikes our fancy?” The two men hooked arms and the group headed in three different directions.

Stawren stepped up to the fried dough vendor. “I’d love to try one of your breasts,” she said with a slightly embarrassed snicker.

“Comin’ right up! Filling?”

“Would it be possible for me to get cream and jam-filled?”

“You got it. Which fruit?”

Stawren studied the list of options. “Oh, dizzy drop berry, please,” she ordered.

The vendor handed her the breast.

It looked delicious and Stawren took a bite.

A short way down the amusement park’s main thoroughfare, Fonith entered a building with a large sign that read Lookie-Lou’s. She peeked into a few booths, and when she saw what she liked in one of them, she entered.

Two women in lingerie were kissing and caressing each other on a purple velvet sofa. They were curvaceous and gorgeous.

Fonith planted herself in one of the empty chairs and enjoyed the show.

Outside under the bright sun, Phentrom and Lyoth walked arm in arm.

A sign for something called the Spectacular Spectacle caught their eye. It was very colorful and music was thumping from its direction.

Lyoth gave Phentrom a sideways smirk. “Should we?” he asked.

“Shouldn’t we?” the mandroid replied.

The two men entered and made a realization.

“Oh, it’s like Her Majesty’s Hole!”

Men dressed as divas were in the middle of a lip-synching competition. One performer was finishing, and everyone at the Spectacular Spectacle erupted in applause. She left the stage and another of her glamour sisters took the spotlight. She was a large man with a beard, and her gown was sequined for the stars. She absolutely glittered.

A song began that neither Lyoth nor Phentrom recognized, and when the queen started lip-synching, the men realized the lyrics were in a language they did not know. She was dramatic and flamboyant, and she was talented. Even though it was not her own song and she was not actually singing, her lips were perfectly synced with the vocals on the track, and she put on an extraordinary performance.

Phentrom and Lyoth watched several more men as women pretending to sing, and they loved every minute of it.

After a while, Lyoth noticed that his communicator had an alert. A message from Fonith informed him that she and Stawren had reconvened and made their way to a cocktail lounge for a beverage.

Lyoth and Phentrom joined them and ordered drinks. Phentrom got a cocky custard cream, and Lyoth ordered a shot of locally made aphrodisiac alcohol called boingo.

The quartet stayed at the park until the sun started to set, enjoying all the penis paraphernalia and displayed genitalia that the park had to offer. Then they headed back to the tavern where Fonith had booked their rooms.

They ordered a hearty meal and several more drinks, and the four of them made an early night of it. They woke up well-rested and got themselves some breakfast.

As they finished, Stawren made a recommendation. “Since we need to wait until after lunch to go back to the mechanic, do you three want to go shopping? Yesterday at the Periwinkle Pickle, I heard people talking about a shopping district on the riverfront.”

Fonith perked up at Stawren’s words. “The riverfront is fabulous! It’s a little ways away, in a different part of the city, but I’d be happy to head over there.”

“Let’s do it,” Phentrom agreed.

As they made their way through the city, the quartet passed a rather rowdy tavern, and a man came stumbling out and bumped into Lyoth.

“Excuse me,” Lyoth said for the drunkard, sidestepping him and ready to continue on his way, but the man grabbed Lyoth’s arm and spun him around.

“Who d’you think ya are, knockin’ into me like that?” He balled his fist and swung it at Lyoth.

Lyoth leaned back to dodge the strike. The man’s over-swing caused him to stumble, and Lyoth gave him a gentle push that sent him sprawling.

“Shall we,” Lyoth said waving in the direction they had been going.

The drunk pushed himself up and roared, “Get over here, you miffball!”

Lyoth scrunched up his face. The insult meant nothing to him, and he repeated himself to his companions, “Shall we?” but the man pulled a dagger from its sheath at his belt, and Lyoth’s jaw set.

The man rushed him and thrust forward with his wicked knife. Lyoth leaned sideways and grabbed his wrist, twisting it behind his back and causing him to drop his blade to the concrete.

Another man came stumbling out of the bar and cried, “Please, don’t hurt him! He doesn’t mean to be like this! He’s just had too much. He’s my boyfriend.”

Lyoth released the man’s wrist and picked up the dagger. “I’m keeping this,” he stated, and he snatched its sheath from the man’s belt.

The two drunk men wrapped their arms around each other and began to shamble down the street together.

“Well that was an exciting way to start the morning,” Fonith commented. “Onward to the riverfront?”

Before any of them could see the water, they could hear it. The shops where Stawren wanted to go were positioned at a narrow rocky section of the river that roiled with rapids.

Fonith spent most of the morning outside enjoying the waterfront, while Stawren, Phentrom, and Lyoth checked out one shop after another. When they decided it was time for lunch, they showed Fonith their purchases.

Stawren had found a hooded cloak in midnight purple with iridescent lining. She also came across a weapons shop and picked up a pack of specialized arrowheads.

Even though it was a lovely warm temperature in the City, Phentrom bought a new sweater, a lovely multicolored scarf, and a knit hat with a tassel.

Lyoth did not buy anything but enjoyed his time browsing with Stawren and Phentrom.

After lunch, the group returned to check on the Cometskipper.

“Almost done!” Tilthon called out in delight when she saw Fonith. “I’ve already installed the new rod, and we are just reassembling a few components that we needed to take apart in order to get at the problems, but my baby’s feeling good!” She patted the outside of the cavitation engine.

“I say again, you are a goddess!” Fonith stated with a smile.

“We’ll be done in less than an hour,” Tilthon informed her.

An hour later, the Cometskipper was leaving the atmosphere above the City and entering the blackness of space.

Fonith activated the cavitation engine, and she was very satisfied when her screen read 10.9 light speed.

“Don’t worry, baby,” she said, giving the interior of her ship an affectionate rub, “we won’t push it yet.” She punched in some data and turned to the other three. “Looks like we’ve got almost 16 hours of travel time before we get to where we’re going. I think I’m just going to head to my chambers and get a little sleep in my own bed. Make yourselves at home.”

The next 16 hours were uneventful, but when the Cometskipper exited hyperspace in the region that they expected to be completely empty, the four of them were shocked by what they saw.

“Oh gods…” Lyoth whispered.

Space was at war.