Moonshine - 5. Chapter 5: Fame and Riches

MoonShine

Chapter Five: Fame and Riches

It was the day of the party. It had been a long time since he had been to a party. His folks gave him a small party when he won the job lottery. He had a birthday party with his friends when he turned sixteen. Do bonding rites or death rite ceremonies count as parties? What about family get-togethers, holidays and community events? Eddie had no idea what to expect, it was definitely outside his experience. But this is what I wanted isn’t it. Get away from home and discover new things. Have a shot at more, be more.

Eddie arrived at work to find a line twice as long as yesterday’s. He had to be escorted by security to get in the store. ‘This is so spacefucked.’ Felix was also there deep in discussion with Mr. Spacemanson. ‘Unh?’ It seems Real Book was now the sole distributor and supplier of the ‘poster’. ‘What was that?’ Original bootleg copies were now collector items: 250 credits clean, 500 credits burned, 1000 credits burned and autographed. ‘Spaceshit.’ All numbered and certified. Felix’s bootleg run was one thousand copies. Felix had held back twenty posters numbered two thru twenty-one for special presentation, a personalized message added for 2500 credits. (Eddie was in possession of the first copy.) Corporate had bought the rights of distribution and a mass market production spacepact for a run of one hundred million posters. Potential earnings for O & M Enterprises thirty million credits. O & M was Orbit and Moon. ‘Get the fuck out of space.’ Felix and Mr. Spacemanson had negotiated the entire deal in forty-five minutes and five thousand corporate posters had been delivered for immediate sell, at 25 credits each. The first 250 copies awaited Eddie’s burn. They were already purchased at a premium. After this contractual burning Eddie was free to burn, sign or inscribe as he pleased. If a second poster was demanded, Corporate had first right to deal. ‘Wick, replay the last five minutes and check my perception of reality.’

Even after taxes Eddie and Felix were multi-millionaires. On paper anyway. Only five million credits of the potential earnings were on deposit as yet, but that would change over the next few days as orders came in. Eddie could go home a made man with everything he could wish or hope for. ‘My whole future has changed. So why does it feel like I have jumped from one orbit to another and nothing has changed. I’m still just in orbit.’

Mr. Spacemanson, oh Sid, was saying something about endorsements and personal appearances and interviews and a vid offer and contracts. He was now our public relations manager/agent. He had gone to school to do this. It was his dream. Couldn’t get his foot in the door, so Real Book. He would work his tail off for us for ten percent. The big boys would charge twenty-five and jack us around… Eddie fainted.

Temporary Restraint Initiated. Emergency Protocol.

Protective Welfare Mandated.

Regroup and Reset.

Stability, Composure, Confidence, Competence.

Overrides.

Monitor.

This was the first time Eddie’s Emergency System had ever kicked in. In space, panic could mean instant death. The public welfare demanded safeguards. Every individual was override implanted. Eddie was told he needed some calm and quiet and something to do with his hands. He was set up in the back room burning the special 250 order. He was given a avocado health juice as a pick me up. It took him an hour. He was then seated at a table at the end of a long line of customers. He felt just fine. He could deal… with anything. The first in line was the kid from yesterday. “You promised?” Eddie burned and autographed all three posters. He added a personal message to the third: ’To Benjamin, my friend, love Eddie.’ He called security to escort Ben safely from the area, the kid was carrying three posters valued at 4500 credits. The second customer was the lady from yesterday, the ball cruncher. Neither said a word. She had a bootleg original. Eddie burned and signed it, then looked the lady in the eye. Then wrote Franklin a personal message. ‘All the luck in the world Frankie, I know you will deserve it. Eddie.’ “No charge,” he said. “It’s the least you could do,” was her reply. Eddie felt his balls shiver. The rest of the line were customers with corporate posters wanting a burn for an additional 50 credits. They were all happy with their luck and fortunate investment. After all how many posters could Eddie burn, certainly not 100,000,000, most of which were being sold on forty nine other worlds. Almost all the customers were recording with their wicks for their personal memory file.

At five o’clock the space rock arrived. “Mr. Moon, I am Comet Clive, your security for the evening. All is as it should be. Your instructions, Sir?” This was creepy and fun, like being an animated villain ordering his minion around.

“Hey Comet, nice to meet you, call me Eddie. I’m supposed to meet my date in the food court in ten minutes.” So, can’t a villain have manners.

“I await your pleasure, sir.”

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As Eddie approached the food court he saw his dates for the evening. A date could be a couple or a threesome, even a foursome; perfectly respectable. A fivesome was pushing it and a sixsome was laughed at. A sevensome was just vulgar. An eightsome could get you arrested some places. Felix was seated at one table and David was seated two tables away. Eddie had told Felix to expect David. Felix was doing nothing at all not even looking at David. But David looked ready to explode. Felix was up to his old tricks. He could just stand somewhere and do nothing. But the person he was focused on would be a hive of suppressed arousal.

Felix saw Eddie first. “Dear one, you didn’t tell me your friend was a cadet, he is precious. A gift for me?” Felix was performing. The question was, for David or for Eddie?

“Eddie, you didn’t tell me your friend was the ‘Felix‘. He is well know by all the cadets. He is the biggest cock tease in the galaxy. He drives us all crazy and he… He doesn’t play nice with others.” David wasn’t acting, he was fighting mad.

“David, dear, I am not a tease. You can kiss my cock anytime, anywhere. How about now?” Felix cocked his hip the slightest bit, but it was a slap to David.

“Enough!” It was going to be that way was it? A pissing contest all night. Mine is better and bigger. My top trumps your top. Eddie remembered the lady from this morning the ball cruncher, the most domineering bitch in existence and she did it all with a stare and a word. Eddie pulled out all the stops and recreated her in his best impersonation. He gave it his all. “Look at me when I’m talking.” Eddie reached out with his mind and twisted two dicks, hard. Suddenly, two hard faces were staring him down. “Don‘t take that attitude we me, either of you.” Twist and squeeze. “There is only one way tonight and it‘s my way.” Twist and grip harder. “We are three friends tonight.” Twist and slap. “You will treat each other like you would treat me.” Twist and pinch. “Clear.” Twist and pinch harder. “I don’t want to repeat this lesson. Agreed?” The finale, ball squeeze.

“Felix do you want to go to this party or not?” Eddie asked sweetly.

“Yes.” A stunned Felix said.

“Then for tonight you will treat David as a friend. David the same goes for you. Agreed?” Just as sweetly.

“Yes.” A perplexed David agreed.

“Then shake hands and share spit because we have an appointment to keep. Comet show us the way, please.” And off they went to see about a new set of clothes.

“Very well done, Sir.” Comet could smile, go figure.