This story is fiction.  Actually, the setting of an artificial world in Space and the year being 2109 should have been enough to clue you in about that.

I don't care how old are.  I don't care how young you are.  However, the law does care, so if you are too young, go away (or at least try not to get caught).

If this story is against the law where you live, then like the young folk, go away.  Or at least...

Anzu James: Naked in Orbit, Part 13 (Saturday, Holly-Kon)

(sex, drugs, and rock n� roll)

I�m sparring with Botilda, and I�m beating her.� Badly.� I can tell she isn�t really trying.

Then I�m sparring with Bret.� I didn�t even know he knew veegeewushu.� But he does, and he�s good.� But I find I�m beating him even worse than Botilda.� It�s like he�s throwing the match.

And then it�s back to Botilda, and I know she�s throwing the match, and worse than she has to.� I suddenly realize that each is trying to get beaten worse than the other.� What the hell?

I woke up.� It was at least seven o�clock; I could tell by the light coming through my curtains.� But it wasn�t nine yet, because my clock was set to go off at nine.� Maybe I should get up now, and have a head start on the day.

At the exact moment I thought of this, the clock started singing to me.� There was a bit of introductory music, and then:

�Who can say,

Where the road goes,

Where the day flows,

Only time.

And who can say,

If your love grows,

As your heart chose,

Only time.�

I turned it off.� Then I turned it back on.� This song was beautiful, but the lyrics bothered me.� Also, this song was utterly different than anything else I�d woken up to this week.� The singer, Enya, sounded nothing like what I would have expected.

When it was over, I headed into the bathroom.� I did my business, showered, and freshened the shave.� Stubble wouldn�t be attractive, so I would have to shave today, tomorrow, and Monday morning.� If I wanted to grow it back I needed to do it when I could keep my bald pussy behind cloth until it was a furry pussy again. �In fact, I might want to shave it again later today; I�d noticed a bit of stubble last night.� I was going to be dancing around strobes tonight, and I wanted to look good.� I took my sweet time about it, because I wasn�t supposed to meet Botilda and Rashida until eleven.

I took a headache pill, not the one I usually take but one that wouldn�t interact with anything later, and started memorizing my list.� There were about two dozen names altogether, though I already knew sixteen of them.� So it didn�t take me as long as you might think to put sixteen names I knew and eight I didn�t together into a list.� When I was sure I had it down, I went down to breakfast.

�Hey,� Mom called out, �You figured out how to do your lights?�

�Lights!�� How could I have forgotten?� I called up the Program counselor, and got an automated system.� Fortunately, today�s automated systems can actually help you when you call in.� It still took nearly ten minutes to resolve my question where I�m sure a live human being could have handled it in three, but as Susan kept reminding me, human intelligence is more than processing speed.� It hadn�t taken this long to confirm that the Program was going to be in effect at the Constellation, and that yes, it still applied to me while attending the con there.

�Lighting issue for tonight�s dance: solved,� I told Mom, and Dad rolled his eyes.� Hey, with the way people danced in the 2080s, he�s got nothing to complain about the way my generation does it.

Since breakfast was so late, and since Mom and Dad had already eaten, I just had a Granny Smith apple and some iced tea.� I recited my list, twice, and found that I had to check it.� Both times.� Ah well, so I�d have to practice a little on the david over to the Constellation.� Half an hour should be long enough, if Botilda and Rashida will either keep quiet or let me practice on them.

Just before eleven, I headed out the door, with Mom asking me to take it easy with the psychtives.� I always do, so I don�t know what she�s so worried about.� I met up with the other two girls at Perpetual Pizza Pi, because that�s where Botilda�s bicycle was, and oh by the way mine too.� With what they were wearing, they were likely to draw as much attention as I would.

Rashida was wearing a long white dress and had her blond hair done up in a style that would have been fashionable in the Fifties.� The Ninteen Fifties.� It wasn�t hard to place her as Marilyn Monroe in The Seven Year Itch, 1955.� Of course, the dark skin didn�t match Marilyn, nor to be nitpicky did the golden hair (Marilyn had been platinum in TSYI).� I have to say, though: she�s got the figure for it.

Botilda was even more conspicuous.� Her already fair skin was whitened, her black hair arraigned above her head in a sort of frizzy beehive, with white hair starting at each temple and going in a wave to the top.� She had stitches where her face joined her neck, around each ear, and as she waved I saw that she had them on her wrists as well.� What she was wearing looked like a combination of a mummy�s wrappings and a bed sheet.� Even today, many would recognize her as the Bride of Frankenstein, from the 1935 film of the same name.� Elsa Lanchester, who played both the Bride and Mary Shelly in the picture, wasn�t Chinese, but with all the whitening and hair and stitches it hardly mattered.� Like Lanchester, in make-up Botilda was both ghastly and yet strangely attractive.

�Hey,� Rashida yelled, �check this out.�

The blonde girl smiled big and exclaimed, in a not-too-bad imitation of the original, �Oh! do you feel the breeze from the subway?� Isn�t it delicious?�� At this point her dress began to rise and swirl about her knees and thighs, as if blown upward by a breeze.

�My quote�s a little easier,� Botilda chuckled, turning her head to the side and looking up.� �AAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!�

Rashida and I chuckled at that.� The three of us had watched Bride just last month.

�So who are you supposed to be?� my girlfriend added, looking me over with undisguised lust.

�Give me half of the trip to study,� I requested, �and then ask me again.�

With that, we were off to the axis where we would catch the david to the Constellation, the Space hotel where the con was being held.

I called it a hotel for you, but we call it a ship and really it is more like a cruise ship than a land-locked hotel.� It was a lot smaller than a habitat, but a whole lot bigger than anything put into Space in your time.� With seven hundred suites, it�s far from the biggest hotel ship, but it was big enough for Holly-Con, which generally has about nine thousand attendees, most of whom do not stay overnight.� Botilda and I were staying overnight: another Sapphic weekend.� Rashida would return home any time from eleven tonight to two in the morning, depending on whether she wanted to go to the rave.� I suspected she would dance, though.

There was the bike ride up towards the axis, the whole tilting thing with Coriolis, and the flying dismount.� From there we continued to walk, passing one of the spokes on the way.� Spokes don�t show inside Mendocino, except where you come across an entry.� These spokes connect the Ag Rings to the main habitat.� Since they are connected at the 38� point, you could only get to the rings themselves by entering an elevator, of which the five metre diameter spoke contained four.� I suddenly had a wild idea and, checking my cell, I saw that we had time.

�I want to visit Ring Five,� I announced.� They both looked at me like I had lost my mind, and I probably had, with what I had in mind.� But they agreed and we were soon descending to the Ag Rings.� Not more than a minute after that, we were standing at the entrance to Ring Five Park.

The twelve Ag Rings are separated from the main habitat, but are attached to it.� These rotate with the habitat and are the same distance from the axis, and they thus have the same �gravity� as Mendocino proper.� The whole separation thing is to keep any pathogen which originates or evolves in the rings from moving into the habitat, and to keep any nasties from the habitat from moving into the rings.� In fact, this is one reason the rings are separated from each other: to contain possible pathogens.� This also makes it easy to maintain separate climates in the different rings, which is useful for making sure everything is always in season.

Or, in the case of Ring Five, for having a winter park attached to a tropical habitat.� Now of course there�s High Vail and other dedicated winter wonderland resort habitats; we have a vacation home in High Vail.� But it takes at least three hours to get from Mendocino Island to High Vail, and Ring Five is attached to Mendocino.� So if you want a winter vacation, yeah, go to a dedicated winter wonderland resort habitat.� If you just suddenly get a crazy idea that needs snow and you�re strapped for time, go to Ring Five.

�Hello, Program girl,� the attendant chirped.� She was my age, and so I knew that this was just a weekend job.� Teens get stuck with the jobs that pay almost nothing but either can�t be automated or customers just like a human face to look at.� And to tell the truth, most simple jobs are automated.� Teens don�t flip burgers at McDonald�s anymore, though they do greet customers.

�So,� she continued, �are you here looking for an excuse to get dressed, or to run naked in the snow?�

�Run naked in the snow,� I answered.

Rashida whipped her head around and stared at me.� Botilda laughed out loud.

�I knew it!�

I had to ask the attendant a question.� �So, do a lot of Program participants come here to run naked in the snow?�

�Yeah,� she answered, �but you always get a few who realize that nobody�s gotten around to banning them from Ring Five, and of course they are allowed to wear protective equipment, and here than means the whole bod.�

�By the way,� she added, �I�ve gotten used to seeing naked Program kids here, but I never expected to meet the Bride of Frankenstein and� who are you?� I know I�ve seen you someplace.�

�Marilyn Monroe,� Rashida stated, in her passable imitation.� Then she demonstrated her dress.

�Cool,� the attendant smiled.� �Now, we�re not allowed to let the nekkid chick stay in the cold for more than five minutes, so enjoy.� And enjoy the con too.� Maybe I�ll go some day.�

As she spoke she was swinging open the door that led into the entrance chamber.� This was a toned-down version of the airlocks which we use to get into Space.� It didn�t have to be vacuum-safe, it just had to keep the cold air in and the warm air out.� I believe they were already in use in your time for restaurants and such.

The three of us stepped in, and I did put on a pair of snow boots.� Cold air is one thing; direct foot/snow contact is another.� I don�t really know why I wanted to do this, but I did.� Standing at the doorway, I looked at the fluffy white snow, with all the tracks in it.� I looked at the pine trees, with the branches frosted with white.

As I swung the door open, the cold air hit me with a shock.� It had been a bit cool for my liking in the entrance chamber, but this was biting.� We walked in and I took a couple of deep breaths, and could feel them all the way down into my lungs.� My nipples hardened up so much it actually hurt a little.� I hadn�t been aware that I was a bit moist between the legs, but as soon as that cold breeze hit the moist skin, I was aware of it, all right.� Well, I was going to do this or I wasn�t.

I did.� I ran fast and felt snowflakes landing on my goose-bumped flesh.� They melted away, and I felt the chill of the air more than before.� I probably didn�t run more than twenty metres when I turned around, waved at my friends, and sprinted back to them.

But just before I got there, I pulled off the boots, fell back, and shrieked as the entire back of my body came into contact with the snow.� As Botilda and Rashida gaped in disbelief, I moved my arms and legs, making a snow angel.� I giggled and squealed as snow fell across my tits, and shrieked as more snow bunched up in my crotch.� Bbbrrrrr!!

When I stood up and rejoined the other two women, I was shivering.� I picked up the boots and jogged back to the chamber, and heard a few cheers from other park-goers.� I returned the boots to the attendant, th-th-th-thanked her, and she directed me to what she called a �hot air shower.�

I knew about these machines: they were used when somebody at Ring Five Park became chilled and needed to be brought back up to normal body temperature.� They were similar to the hot air blowers that are used in restrooms to dry hands.� In fact, those were already in use back in your day.� The hot air showers were located in a locker room, because to be effective the person being warmed up had to be nude.� Well, no need for such privacy when the chilled person is a Program participant!� Nope, the new hot air shower was right in the entrance chamber, where the nude warmee could be seen by all.� The attendant told me that these had been put in place last month, when it became obvious that nude snow runs were going to be a permanent addition to Mendocino life.

�You,� Botilda announced as I stepped onto the grating, �are one crazy messed up little girl!�

�I, I, I�m hardly a little g, g, g, girl!� I stammered, giving my boobs a Desdemona shimmy for emphasis.� A clump of snow fell off the left one and splatted on the grate.� They laughed at me, but then I was laughing too.

Then the hot air started.� It was gentle, not a blast, and hotter than outside.� I thought maybe it only seemed that way, since I was so cold, but since then I�ve looked it up and these things are above body temperature, about 40�.� That�s Celsius, not Fahrenheit; it was about 104� Fahrenheit.� See, I was nice enough to convert for you.� This makes sense, actually, since the whole point is to get the body to a regular temperature.

I shivered and giggled for the first couple of minutes.� The air would blow upward from the floor, and a minute later is would blow down from the ceiling.� This went on for five minutes, and then I felt warm again.

�Would you like some hot cocoa?� the attendant asked.� �The local shop is offering them free to Program kids, and they�re thinking of doing the same for former ones if they�ll pose for a pic, for ads I mean.� But you don�t have to do that, since it�s your week.�

�Yes, thanks,� I told her.� �I wanna warm up on the inside.� The Constellation�s gonna be air-conditioned for people with clothes on.�

I was a little worried about the Constellation.� Running in the snow for two minutes is one thing, but ten hour of air-conditioning?� Buildings in Mendocino aren�t kept that cool, because everybody wears light, cool clothing, as you would expect in a tropical climate.

As Botilda, Rashida and I walked back to the spoke I drank the hot liquid as fast as I could without burning myself.� Just before stepping back outside I took a last throat-burning gulp and put the cup into the trash can that was provided.

It sure felt good to get back out into the sunlight.� I soaked up the warmth reflected into Mendocino by our mirrors.� I had one last shiver when we got to the axis and floated into the concourse.� We were at the North Pole, on the opposite side of the habitat from the Rubenstein Sports Complex, which is (duh) at the South Pole.

Botilda checked her cell and assured us that we were traveling in the right direction.� We pulled ourselves along the handrails and soared across to the line of people already boarding the david.

It�s only as I type this that I realize that it would seem exotic to you.� We�re so used to this sort of zero-G thing that we don�t give it any more thought than you give to the fact that you move your legs a different way when you climb stairs than when you are walking a level floor.

So finally, we were aboard the david.� Technically, we were aboard the commutesphere.� The david is what propels the commutesphere.� What you have, basically, is a ten metre sphere with seating, cargo nets, and life-support inside.� There was even a tiny little restroom, which nobody used unless they had to.� The sphere has some little attitude-control jets, but no big rocket engine for propulsion.� In fact, it has no propulsion of its own, getting all of its velocity from the david.

And what�s a david?� Well, it is basically an electric motor attached to the radiation shield, with a strong cable.� The cable is attached to the commutesphere.� The electric motor whirls it up to speed, and at the precise computer-controlled moment, the commutesphere is released, and goes zipping out into space as if thrown from a giant sling-shot.� No, not �as if� thrown from a giant sling-shot; it IS thrown from a giant sling-shot.

Sling-shots and giants naturally suggest the Bible story of the shepherd boy who, armed only with a sling, slew a giant and later became a king.� The shepherd/king was named David, and so what flings commutespheres like so many stones is called a david, though officially it is known as a �rotary kinetic launcher.�� I don�t think I�ve ever actually heard it called that, though.

During the spin-up we were subjected one and a half Gs, which isn�t bad for a little while when you�re lying on your back.� After a little more than a minute of that, we were moving at the one thousand Km per hour that is standard for this form of transportation, and let go at the perfect moment.� Suddenly we were weightless again.� In less than two minutes the thirty passengers had gone from zero G to 1.5 G and back to zero G.� Even life long residents of Space sometimes feel a bit sick with that sort of thing, and tourists from Earth and Mars are notorious for throwing up time after time.� It usually didn�t bother me, but this time I had a moment when I thought I was going to hurl.� I didn�t, but it was a close thing.� It was probably because I�d just shoved a quarter-litre of hot cocoa into my stomach, and then there was the temperature shock from my snow run, and the excitement of going to Holly-Kon.� And, to be honest, I was still a little nervous about how many people were going to see me naked.

Which reminded me that I needed to study my list again.� I called it up on my cell and my friends were able to hold it down enough so I could actually learn something.� The trip took half an hour, and I was chatting with them like always when we got to the Constellation.

I thought about calling up the outside view on my cell; it�s always exciting to watch the approach, and to see the david ready to sling off one commutesphere just as it catches you.� This is necessary so that kinetic energy coming in matches kinetic energy going out.� Otherwise the Constellation could be rotated out of its proper alignment.� It�s always a little scary for me.� The thought is always there: what if we miss?� Of course that hasn�t happened in about nine years, and even then it wasn�t any huge disaster; it just meant that the cummutesphere kept on going and a fueled ship had to go and fetch it at a high cost in propellant.� Still, watching the approach always gives me butterflies, and considering my reaction to launch, I decided against watching.

We were suddenly at 1.5 G again, and were slowly reeled in and slowed down.� I had a moment of queasiness, but was in no danger of barfing.� We floated into the concourse, and I felt like I was where I belonged.� There were Chicago gangsters and Confederate soldiers and bikers in leather jackets.

Darth Vader drifted over towards us and boarded the elevator to the main level.� We had to hear his heavy mechanical breathing all the way down, and Rashida and I couldn�t help giggling.

As soon as the doors opened and we were out, Vader turned to us.� �I recognize the Bride of Frankenstein and Marilyn Monroe,� he said, in that deep echoing voice, �but who are you supposed to be?�

Time for my list.

�I�m Haley Mills in Child Bride,� I announced, �and Shirley Temple in Curly Top.� I�m Brooke Shields in Pretty Baby.� I�m Olivia Hussey in Romeo & Juliet, Jenny Agutter in Walkabout.� I�m Kate Maberly in The Secret Garden.� I�m Olivia D�Abo in Bolero, Melanie Griffith in Night Moves, Tatum O�Neal in Circle of Two and Daniella Edmund in Alien 3.� I�m Mischa Barton in Lawn Dogs and Thora Birch in American Beauty.�

�Most impressive,� the fanboy-as-Sith-Lord nodded, �but Obi-Wan never told you what happened to Shirley Temple.�

I tried unsuccessfully to keep the grin off of my face.� Botilda was chuckling out loud, and Rashida just stood there looking confused.

�He told me enough!� I accused.� �He told me that YOU killed her!�

�No!� the Dark Lord exclaimed, drawing his light sabre and igniting it, �*I* am Shirley Temple!�

�NNOOOOO!!!!!�

I fell to my knees and buried my face in my hands.� There were several onlookers by now, and they all laughed.� Several wanted pictures with Vader, the Bride, Marilyn, and me.� I found that I was much more comfortable posing for pictures and just with being seen in general, now that it was a con thing.

�OK,� Rashida asked after that group dispersed and we were walking along the main lobby, �I�ve, like, heard of Star Wars, right, and I recognized, you know, Death Vader, but what was, I mean, that whole �NNOOOOO!� thing?�

�It�s DARTH Vader,� Botilda corrected, �not DEATH Vader.� And you really don�t know anything about the Skywalker family tree?�

�Should I?� Skywalker�s the hero, I know that.�

Botilda and I grinned at each other.

�We�re buying you the saga before we leave this con,� Botilda promised her, and I nodded.

Another few people wanted pictures, and one of them was dressed as Marilyn too, only she was wearing the red dress from Niagara.� Then Frankenstein�s Monster wanted a pic with his Bride.

After that we took a few pics of our own, and that went well.� Rashida took one of Botilda and me, and we posed so that it looked like she was �menacing� me.

�You know,� the lovely Melanesian girl said after that, �we should get some �party favors� for tonight�s rave and then get some lunch.�

Well, at least now I was sure she would be dancing with us.

�Absolutely,� I agreed, �except can we get lunch first?� We can place an order and pick out the fun stuffs while we wait.� I haven�t had anything today but an apple and that hot cocoa.�

Since food and psychtives are generally sold in the same place or very near to each other, there was no objection, and we were soon seated at a table awaiting lunch while we looked over our psychedelic options.

There was a good selection: X3, PLeaSe-D, Waski, and Mesk.� These are chemical descendants of, respectively, MDMA (Ecstasy), LSD (Acid), DMT/MAOI (ayahuasca), and mescaline.� For the �natural is better� crowd, there were psilocybin mushrooms, salvia divinorum, peyote (active ingredient: mescaline), and of course that old standby marijuana.

I�ve found that plants have a fuzzier, mellower feel to them, but I prefer the quick onset of the synthetics, and synthetics also have a quick fall-off.� When the trip or buzz or roll is over, it�s over.� The natural stuff may be mellower, but the after-effects are something I generally prefer to avoid.

Since psychoactive drugs have been legal (though regulated) in most of Space since before Mendocino was founded, the chemists have had a lot of time to tweak the molecules until most of the negative effects were eliminated or minimized and the pleasant effects were enhanced.� The naturals, well.� They could be bred to be milder, or faster, or to have fewer side effects, but breeding is less effective (and takes a lot longer) than tweaking molecules.

One of the regulations was that only psychtives which had been certified as not physically addictive could be sold to those between the ages of fifteen and twenty-one.� All of the fun stuffs I�ve mentioned were in that category.� Of course, that doesn�t mean that teenagers can�t get the addictive stuff, but really, when so many psychedelics are available all nice and legal, why bother?

Alcohol and tobacco have been legal forever, brief periods of Prohibition excepted, but tobacco is addictive and thus illegal to sell to anybody under twenty-one.

For tonight, I bought two X3, which really enhances the rave experience.� Botilda bought a couple of X3 herself, but also got a Choco-Weed Bar.� If she wanted the effects by dance time, she�d better eat it soon.� The only way to get the effects of natural marijuana quickly is to smoke it, and though we�d both tried that a couple years ago, we just couldn�t stand the smoke.� Same with salvia: have to smoke it to get the effects quickly, though it�s faster than most chewables.� We decided right there and then: if you want the buzz fast, take a pill.

I was a bit surprised when Rashida bought one each of X3 and PleaS-D, along with a psilocybin mushroom.� Of course, a little X3 fifteen minutes before the PleaS-D was supposed to guarantee a good trip, but why you even wanted to mix �shrooms into that I can�t imagine.

The food arrived and we dug in.� Botilda had a barbecue pork chop with shrimp and broken black rice, Rashida got Wiener schnitzel with a slice of lemon, a German potato salad, and a sourdough roll with lingonberry jam.� I had molasses duck salad with corn bread and a hummus made with leek and chive.� The Wiener schnitzel looked and smelled great, and I decided to get it tomorrow.� After we were done eating, we sat around for a few minutes drinking our coffee and talking about our plans for the rest of the day.� I drink my coffee with cream and brown sugar, Botilda likes it black, and Rashida had hazelnet, honey, and whole milk.

Botilda did eat her marijuana-enhanced chocolate bar, or rather she nibbled on it while we looked at old movies for sale, many of them on ancient MBS or even DVD format.� I was more interested in some of the biographies, like one I saw about Cecil B. DeMille.� This one included interviews with grandchildren and footage that was considered old when you, my dear ancestors, were born.

I�ve often wondered what kind of movie DeMille would have made about Breakout, had he lived to see it.� Human beings first moving into Space in large numbers, triumphs and tragedies and heroes and villains galore; now that�s a DeMille picture!

More costumes, more pictures, including one of me standing with one foot on King Kong, my face contorted in a savage yell of victory as he lay on the floor.� There was one of the Bride pointing to one of my boobs, and the person taking a pic of that told us he would add a caption saying, �Forget the brains, I like these!�� Then somebody wanted Marilyn and the Bride to stand next to each other, and with some effort Botilda got her bed-sheet dress to look like it was doing the same �blowing upward� thing that Rashida�s really was.

Botilda and I attended a panel on the early use of sound, followed by another on the early uses of three-dimensional imagery, mostly using glasses of two different colors.� I�m always amazed at what could be done before filmmakers had access either to computers or Space travel.� While the results aren�t always convincing to people who have known these things since birth, it�s still impressive just what could be done.

Rashida wasn�t that interested in the panels, so she went off to watch Star Wars, Episode IV: A New Hope.� It took a while for us to convince her that she really should start with Ep IV, but she finally relented and walked off, her cute butt swiveling in a way that a sex goddess of the 1950s would respect.

After the panels Botilda and I separated, agreeing to meet at our suite in another two hours.� A quick call to Rashida and she was agreed.� Where either of them went next I wouldn�t know until then, but I headed for the Dealers� Room.� This took up as large an area as the Planets Ballroom, where the concert and rave were going to be.� I bought three documentaries, lots of music, and several posters, all to be mailed to my place.� I also got my body lights for tonight, along with the glue I�d need to use with them, and then got some homers and fireflies for good measure.

And I posed for pictures.� LOTS of pictures.� I repeated my list so many times that I know I�ve now got it memorized for life.� I�ll be a hundred years old, and still able to say, �I�m Haley Mills in Child Bride and Shirley Temple in Curly Top.� I�m Brooke Shields in��

Well, I knew a naked woman at Holly-Kon would draw attention.� In fact, I don�t think I�d seen one here before, or a guy either, for that matter.� Was I the first Program participant to attend?� Had nobody else had her Program week when Holly-Kon was on?� Or maybe they lived in communities where you could dress outside of school.� I actually went to the administration office and asked them, and it turns out that I am indeed the first Program participant at Holly-Kon, or at least the first to participate while here.

Well.� Sort of makes up for not being the first to do a nude snow run.� I couldn�t wait to tell Botilda.

Ah, yes, Botilda.� I had seen something I wanted to get for her.� I was able to find it again, and bought it.� I had it wrapped and carried it with me, instead of sending it to my apartment or hers.� She would be so tickled to see it that I wanted to give it to her tonight.� I picked up a little something for Rashida too, but she�d understand that I made a bigger effort to get just the right thing for my lover.� It was so nice not having to keep that a secret anymore.

I joined in a quick discussion panel about subversive undertones in It�s a Wonderful Life, and then just wandered about for another fifteen minutes or so before heading up to the suite.� I arrived and got inside just ahead of Botilda, and so was able to have the gift in hand.� I held it behind my back and smiled at her as she came drifting in.� Without looking at me, she headed straight for the beds.� Actually, the �beds� in these zero-G suites were nothing more than sleeping bags that could be attached to a surface.

�Don�t know why they have them separated,� she muttered, detaching one of them from the wall.� �We�re just gonna zip them together later on anyway.� I asked them to have it that way, but no.�

�Well you�re real cheerful,� and I wrinkled my nose at her.

�Sorry,� she sighed, �It�s just that I was all set to get a bit of movie memorabilia that I�ve been waiting three months for, that I thought nobody else would want, and when I get to the right booth, somebody�s bought it already.�

�This bit of memorabilia,� I asked, �it wouldn�t happen to��

�If you only knew the power of the Dark Side!�

It was Rashida, of course, and her Darth Vader voice wasn�t nearly as good as her Marilyn Monroe voice.� Then again, to see a dark-skinned Marilyn Monroe hovering in the doorway with her fist raised in the air and talking about the Dark Side of the Force was an experience I won�t soon forget.

The three of us chatted and made our plans for the night.� Rashida was going to go ahead and attend a panel with me, while Botilda was going to take part in an auction for, you guessed it, movie memorabilia.� We would meet up at the Falling Comet for supper.� After that, I was probably going to check out the concert, after which would be the rave.� Rashida wanted to try some of the ancient video games: Tomb Raider, or even older stuff like Donkey Kong or maybe Space Invaders.� Botilda thought maybe she�d hit a few panels of her own.

That we would meet here in the suite before heading for the rave was something we agreed on from the start.� Once inside the Planets Ballroom, it would be hard to find anybody.

So with that we were headed out, and I hadn�t even given either of them their gifts.� Oh well, over supper then.

The panel was about Cold War paranoia and its influence on popular film in the Fifties through the Eighties.� It was fascinating to me, but I think Rashida was bored.� She enjoyed some of this old stuff, and she liked to learn things about it and the world it grew out of, but she was never going to be a real �scholar� of it like Botilda and I were.� Then again, when you knew as much about pseudocrystalline chemistry as that woman did, you didn�t have to have some obscure hobby to exercise your brain.� Frankly, I�m not even sure what pseudocrystalline chemistry is.

We got to the Falling Comet to find Botilda cooing over the object she�d just dropped more moolah on than I was planning to spend the whole con.� It was an old but still serviceable knife, a wicked thing that looked like it could be used to murder a gorilla.

�And why, I mean, what makes it, like, worth so much?� Rashida asked, turning it over nervously.

�This,� the lovely Orin said in awed tones, �is the actual knife Johnny Weissmuller used in 1943�s Tarzan Triumphs.�

�Oh I remember that one,� I cried, holding the weapon up next to my face before quoting: �Now, Tarzan make war!�

�That�s the one,� she smiled as I handed it back to her.� She put the vicious looking thing back in its box.

�Well,� I grinned, �This makes the little thing I got you all the better.�� I put the envelope on the table and slid it over to her.

She looked at it a bit suspiciously, but then opened it and gasped.

�This is it!� she shouted.� Several people looked at her, and she dropped her voice back down to a normal level.� �This is what I was going to buy, but somebody else got to it first.� So it was you!�

��Fraid so,� I confessed as she took the object out of the box and handed it to Rashida, who wasn�t so unscholarly about old movies as to not know that a photograph of Maureen O'Sullivan as Tarzan�s mate Jane was a pretty big deal, but when she noticed it was actually signed by the actress, she looked at me rather sharply.

�Don�t worry,� I told her, �There were lots of these made.� They�re starting to get rare now, more than a hundred and seventy years later, but there isn�t that much demand for 1930�s Tarzan stuff.� Only something like that knife is going to be really expensive.�

It was actually the most expensive item I�d bought this whole week, inside or outside of the con, but still, it was nothing like the cost of that knife.

�Well,� Botilda purred, �I got a little something for you, too.� Hope it�s OK.�

What she slid towards me was a box, and I had no idea what it contained that would make her say �hope it�s OK.�� I opened the box, and didn�t know what it was.� When I took it out, it was a rectangular piece of red cloth with white markings on it.� It looked somehow familiar�

�Maybe it wasn�t the right thing to get you.�

�Dorothy Lamour!� I cried.� Last year I�d been almost obsessed with her.� Then I�d almost forgotten her.

�It�s a replica of what she wore in some of her movies,� Botilda continued.� �I thought about waiting �till Monday to give it to you, since you can�t wear it �till then.� I�m sorry, I should�ve wait��

�No no,� I interrupted her, �no no no no no.� This is WHAT I�m wearing Monday.�

�Huh?�

�When I go into Takahashi�s office Monday,� I explained, �I�ll be carrying this instead of my towel.� When he tells me to get dressed, I�ll tie this on and be dressed.� If I wear it Moorea style, it�ll be within the dress code.�

�What about panties?� she asked.� �Don�t you have to wear panties?�

�Miyuki didn�t,� I pointed out, �but I�ll just make sure to have a pair waiting for me.� I might have a strapless bra too, but really, I don�t need one.�

�I�d noticed,� she murmured, her eyes gliding over my body yet again.� I shivered, and it had nothing to do with the Constellation�s air-conditioning.� That woman doesn�t even have to do anything to get me hot; just knowing she�s thinking about me �that way� is enough.

I folded the cloth rectangle up and put it back in the box.� It was a perfect replica of the sarong Lamour made famous in 1936�s The Jungle Princess, which isn�t much of a movie but it did make her famous.� She went on to do some much better films, and although she wore a sarong in less than a third of them, she was always known as �The Sarong Girl.�� I spent most of Summer Break last year perfecting the art of sarong-wearing, which really is an art.� I hadn�t really �perfected� it, though, and only feel confident about three or four ways of wearing one.� But I think those ways make for some pretty outfits.

Botilda slid another box towards Rashida.� �I got something for you too.�

Rashida seemed a bit at a loss.� �Oh, um, like, thanks.�

She opened the box and her face lit up.� �You got me Star Wars!�

�It�s just the first trilogy,� Botilda let her know.� �If you want the other six feature films, the three TV shows, and the various video games, documentaries, and merchandise, you�ll have to get them yourself.�

�Well,� I put in, �you won�t have to get all of it yourself,� and I slid another box across the table.

�Oh.� Well, like, thanks, you know?�� She opened the box and grinned again.� �I didn�t, you know, like, I didn�t know that, that is, I didn�t know anybody made anything like, you know, like this.�

She showed it to Botilda, who read the title aloud: �A Long Time Ago � Star Wars One Hundred Years Later.�

�Theatrically released May 25th, 2077,� I told the lovely black blonde, �Exactly one hundred years after the release of the movie.� Oscar winner for Best Documentary.� Did better on MBS than in theaters.�

�I, I,� Rashida started, �I didn�t, I mean, it�s that I, you know, I didn�t, like, get you anything, right?� So like, I didn�t know, you know, that like, I mean, that I should, that is, I didn�t think that, I mean, I would�ve, you know, right?�

�Hey,� Botilda soothed her, �calm down.� You didn�t know we did this gift thing, and we didn�t tell you.� That�s because you don�t do it your first time.� When you pop your con-cherry, you only receive gifts.� Any year after that, you exchange.� Got it?�

�I guess, that is, yeah.� So if I, like, I come here with you next, you know, year, then I�d, like, get you both something too, right?�

�Like, yes,� I assured her, and Botilda added, �So like, it�s OK, you know?�� All three of us chuckled a bit.

Our food arrived, and we dug in.� Everybody knows that if you�re going to be on psychtives while raving, you need to eat a light meal that�s high in protein and vitamins, but low on fats and sugar.� You should eat some complex carbs earlier in the day, and we�d done that.� Now, we had turkey sandwiches on thin slices of toasted rye bread with dark greens.� We also had a small glass of ice water and for desert there was pomegranate sorbet, made without added sugar.� All portions were small, as we could always eat again later if we needed to.

That we all ate the same thing isn�t surprising, since we were making a point of it being our first rave the three of us were attending together.� Botilda and I had been to plenty, of course, and Botilda and Rashida had been to a few without me, and I�d been to one with Rashida when Botilda couldn�t make it.� But this was our first con together, first rave together, and first psychedelic trip together, so we all ate the same thing and solemnly took the pills: first an X3 with the sandwiches, then at desert another X3 for Botilda and me while Rashida took her PLeaSe-D.� I learned that she had eaten her �shroom just before we�d gotten together for dinner.� She wasn�t feeling anything yet, but Botilda was starting to buzz from the marijuana, and it showed.� When she had added a chocolate chip cookie to her desert and finished off my spinach, I knew the weed was working on her.� She realized it too, and giggled.� Actually, she giggled more than usual over dinner, but I knew the high would be stronger when we hit the dance space.

Then it was off to the concert with me.� The band was Martha�s Igloo, and they had a good sound, even though they were really a knock-off of Quinn the Pirate.� But QtP is good, so MI is pretty good too.� The real QtP would have demanded too much money, but when you get big, you can do that.

The music was already started when I entered the Planets Ballroom, which would be used later for the rave.� Right now, it was the largest single room the Constellation had under full-G.� I immediately started nodding my head and tapping my feet to �Cherry, Apple� just before they moved into �Diamond Pie.�� These songs had nothing to do with movies, past or present, but then the concert never did.� Usually, there would be a cover of some movie song thrown in, usually from either the 1960s or 80s, and sometimes a rocking take on the theme from Star Wars or from Rocky.� But mostly, each band did their own stuff.

Which was fine with me.� I like almost any movie theme, as part of the movie.� I didn�t want to listen to a ninety minute medley done by some band that would rather promote its own work.� Occasionally, a hit would make its premier at a con.� As far as I know, this has only happened once for Holly-Kon in the over forty years that it�s been running, but several bands have gotten their start playing the convention circuit.

The next song was a cover of Flightless Bird�s �Mr. Moon, Mr. Madness,� and I wished Botilda could�ve heard it, because it�s one of those songs that sound better when you�re stoned.� Still, it had been eleven years since Flightless Bird had hit the charts with it, so maybe it was time for somebody else to have a hit with it.

Eight or twelve songs later, something happened that took me by surprise, but it shouldn�t have.� Instead of a new song starting up, the lead singer, Martha, addressed the crowd.� I should point out that �Martha� is a big hairy man with a lot of muscles and long hair.

�I understand we have a Program girl here tonight,� he shouted out.� Immediately, the spotlight hit me.� Everybody turned to stare, and even some of the people I would have thought would have seen me already seemed to notice me for the first time.

The truth is, I�d forgotten all about being naked.� I was at Holly-Kon, I was starting to feel the first tingling of the X3, and I was at a concert.� I wasn�t thinking about what I was wearing, or rather what I wasn�t.

But I was sure thinking about it now.� Well, what to do?� I waved to Martha, and he motioned for me to approach the stage.� Again, what was I supposed to do?� I went up to the stage and walked up the stairs when asked to.� All this time, the spotlight and several thousand eyes were on me.� I took a bow and tried not to shake.

Martha smiled at me and asked, �What�s your name, beautiful?�

�An- An- An�� I stammered.� This wouldn�t do.� I took a deep breath and thought to myself, �You look like an angel.� An angel doesn�t have to be afraid of anything.�

�Anzu James,� I shouted out, �from Mendocino Island.�

The crowd cheered, and I could feel myself blushing all the way down to my stone-stiff nipples (and no, it wasn�t cold).� Martha�s eyes went big, and he started whispering with the drummer.� What now?

�There�s a new song we�re gonna have on our next album,� Martha announced, �and we weren�t gonna do it tonight.� Nope, just wait for the new album to drop.�

There were a few �awww!� from the audience, and a few cheers and some �let�s hear it!�� Martha held up his hand, and the room went quiet.

�But for this lovely naked schoolgirl from MENDOCINO, we�re gonna do it now!�

There was enough cheering that the band had to wait for the noise to die down before playing.� Martha started making his guitar scream, sounding more like Jimi Hendrix from the Woodstock movie than anything else.� When he started singing, I couldn�t believe what I was hearing:

�Teeny-bopper,

My teenage lover,

I caught your waves last night,

It sent my mind to wondering,

You�re such a groove,

Please don�t move,

Please stay in my love-house by the river.

Fast-talkin� guys,

With strange red eyes,

Have put things in your head and start your mind to wondering,

I love you so,

Please don�t go,

Please stay here with me in Mendocino.

Mendocino, Mendocino,

Where life�s such a groove you blow your mind in the morning,

We used to walk,

Through the park,

Make love along the way in Mendocino.�

 

It went on like that, and it didn�t get any less embarrassing.� All the time, the spotlight was on me, and Martha was singing right to me.� Worse yet, by the time the song was over the whole crowd was singing along to the chorus: ��Make love along the way in Mendocino.�

They were all singing about making love� TO ME!� And there I stood, all naked and trembly in front of every last one of them.� They all looked pretty good, too, but that might have been the X3.

The song ended with the drumbone solo every band these days thinks a song has to have, and then the chorus once more, the last line repeated once.� The applause was deafening.

�Thanks for being such a good sport,� Martha told me, and handed me something.� I was kind of hustled off the stage by security, though they weren�t mean or anything, just kind of brisk.� I was back on the floor and the next song had started before I realized what I held: the next Martha�s Igloo album, �Martha, You�re a Fine Boy.�� It was still in it�s packaging, and it was signed by the entire band.

Music is seldom bought in hard copy anymore, and it was only when an album was signed by the band that it was considered worth having in that form.� But when it was signed, that was something, and could even be worth money if the band made it big later.� And this album wasn�t even released yet.

A lot of people wanted to stand next to me, and they kind of fell into a pattern of a different small group centered on me for each new song.� This went on for the next hour, concluded with a shrieking electronic rendition of, sure enough, Rocky.� I could feel the sound in my bones, the vibrations on my skin.� Yep, X3.

And then the concert was over.� For the next hour the Planets Ballroom would be closed, and then it would re-open for the rave.� We all spilled out of the room, and every time somebody would bump against me, it felt so good.� Even the rumble of voices sounded cool.

I was all sunshine and songbirds by the time I got to the suite.�

And here begins a whole new phase of Saturday�s adventures, so I�m going to go ahead and make it two chapters.� Really, it would be just too long otherwise.

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