ART!

amarafox did a sketch of me, in mouse form, playing Carcassone. :)

The Second Gig - "Too Old to Rock and Roll, but not Too Young to DIE"

The band left New Provo with no scheduled gig to go to. Their general plan was to simply make their way from refuel point to refuel point, until they arrived at the Battle of the Bands. Things did not work out quite as planned.

Their first stop is a frontier tourist trap, the space colony known as Boomtown 13. This station serves as a sort of civilized gateway to the outer planets, and offers “Frontier Feel and Core World Comfort.” In short, it’s sort of a Wild West-themed casino resort.

As their ship flies closer, the crew is amazed to hear an audio broadcast of one of their own songs, albeit heavily processed and produced, with backup vocals. The DJ returns to the air and mentions that this is the new hit from “Blood, Love, and Rhetoric, an up and coming group of real, live frontier girls that are keeping it real on the Rim.”

Further investigation reveals that the individual bank accounts of each band member have gone up considerably in the previous few days, ever since their gig at “Mohammad's Radio”, with more going in every hour. The pattern of deposits seems consistent with airplay royalties, with a small sum being paid every time one of their songs is played on the air.


_{"Ah'm just SO happy to meet y'all!"}

The ship docks and catsarah heads out to sort out the fees and such. The first person she meets is a bright and brittle woman in her late 40s, named Jenny Hooks. Ms. Hooks (attired in a western-themed jumpsuit and equipped with pearl-handled six guns) is the Director of Hospitality and Security for the station. She is there to perform a cargo inspection, but when she learns the identity of the players she switches to her Hospitality Director persona.

She faces a dilemma, it seems. The station is hosting a concert by aging Coreworld rock superstar Randy Rutter, who has unexpectedly announced a year-long tour of the frontier. However, his opening act, a local electronic group known as Tom Swift and his Electric Rifles, has not shown up. Would Blood, Love, and Rhetoric like to fill in?


_{"I'm a Cool Hunter. I Hunt Cool. I haven't found any, yet."}

The band agrees to do so, and they are all immediately given cocktail vouchers and the keys to a Junior Executive Suite. While redeeming the former, anidada and sassy_fae run into Mr. Burn, a self-described “Cool Hunter” from the Core Worlds. He informs them that he’s heard their songs, and encourages them to sign a formal recording contract with his corporate sponsor. They refuse, and he leaves, while warning them to be careful at the Battle of the Bands.


_{Kyra Schwann: Dumb as a post, but twice as deadly.}

nottheterritory, meanwhile, has a brush his past. While walking down a crowded corridor, he spots a rather tall and beefy woman whom he knows as Kyra Schwann. She is an unsubtle Alliance agent, and they crossed swords during the War of Reunification. nottheterritory trails her to the residence deck, and watches as Schwann checks out the door of a room near the band’s suite.

Shortly after, the band is summoned to a press conference. A small knot of media is present for the concert, including one or two Core World reporters. The band answers a couple of questions, and then the doors to the hall are thrown open by a loud, tall, swaggering man with a tiny Korean girl on his arm. This is Randy Rutter, rock and roll dinosaur. Rutter seems to have been drinking. He is in high spirits at first, but is quickly angered by a Core World reporter (from New Tiger Beat Magazine) who asks him if his hasty tour of the Frontier was inspired by “certain allegations that have recently been made against you by underage fans.”


_{"Doo doo dee doo dee doo! (HEY!) Doo doo dee doo! Barow! Brarrow! Zebrow!"}

Rutter flies into a rage, and refuses to answer the question. He then demands to know who the players are, and when told they are his opening act, he launches into an obscenity-strewn rant about he expects better than a bunch of no-name, no-talent, flash-in-the-pan birds to open for him. Then he exits, angrily, while Jenny Hooks tries to salvage things. Rutter’s rant is quickly broadcast throughout the ‘verse, and the players get some free publicity.

Despite the negative press (or because of it), the concert is a sell-out, with a mix of aging Rutter fans and cynical young LOLlernauts hoping to see Rutter self-destruct. Happily, everything goes right. Blood, Love, and Rhetoric play a brilliant set, and the good vibes of the audience fill lead singer velvetpage with positive feedback. When Rutter comes on (with his all holographic AI band) he is gracious and complimentary, and he gives an amazing performance. Following the show, he is jubilant, claiming this is first step to climbing back on top the ziggurat of fame. The players go out to celebrate.


_{I made a M*A*S*H joke.}

When they return to their room, they hear shouts and screams down the hall. nottheterritory emerges to investigate, and runs into Rutter’s young friend. She is Nehi (dressed always in purple…) and she seems to be in a panic. nottheterritory sends Nehi into the band’s suite, and peers into Rutter’s room. Rutter is dead, apparently stabbed through the neck.

Jenny Hooks and her security team soon show up, but in the interval, the players loose track of Nehi. They answer a few questions and decide to leave the station. Before they can reach their ship, they’re arrested by an apologetic Hooks, under suspicion of murder. The players find themselves sitting on padded benches in a security room designed to look like an Old West jail crossed with a steakhouse, complete with yellowed “Wanted” posters and longhorn skulls.

News of the arrest is leaked to the media, and the band becomes front page news around the ‘verse….