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FANTASYTASTIC!

GALAXY TOUR ADVENTURES - "The Grand Residency" - 82

The ode to the desert city went down as well as can be expected. Nobody laughed, except a couple of mildly intoxicated academics. They would have seen the humour in a patch of paint drying tonight, so their judgement carried no great weight. But they helped the rest of the crowd to sort of appreciate the piece as an artistic quirk delivered by rock stars in a sudden jolt of amusing arrogance.
   Zana quickly switched guitars and gears and got the show back into familiar territory, and did so with all the professionalism they could muster. Because they'd just had their minds blown. Something weird was seriously afoot around the Grand Galactica. Kind of a space-time continuum thing with a dollop of quantum physics on top, or under. Wherever.
   Fadda Bing alive!? This impossible news had their minds reeling. Keeping the performance running after that started to sink in took feats of concentration.
   The Bandroids sensed something was up. The robot band covered any slight distraction on the part of the girls with added showmanship and enthusiasm. Ensuring that the Blonde Plutoz show package held all the way to the final blackout and curtains.
   The crowd roared for more. Behind the curtains the girls stared at each other, not knowing what to say or think. Mister Wizzbipp hurried back onto the stage and confirmed the news.
   "It's absolutely true! He sent me down here to escort you up immediately!"
   "What? Now!?" Zana asked, brushing through her hair.
   "Yes, now!"
   "Seeing as he's been dead for a bit, he can jolly well be patient enough to wait till we finish our encore!" said Rivqua, doing things to her costume that defied logic, topping it all for the final song.
   Five minutes later the crowd roared once again, until the house lights came on. The recorded announcer wished everybody a good night, best of luck over in the casino and see you all tomorrow when the Blonde Plutoz will be back onstage again for another great show here at the Grand Galactica.
   The girls left the stage before the curtain hit the floor. The elevator seemed slower than usual.
   "You saw him with your own eyes did you?" Zana asked.
   "Yessir ma'am," said Mister Wizzbipp, hands clasped over his toolbelt.
   "Look like he always did?"
   The stagehand nodded. He seemed as perplexed, and quite nervous.
   "We never saw him alive, you see," Rivqua said.
   "Sometimes it's hard to tell the difference, I know. Especially around here."
   Zana looked at Rivqua. "How do we break something like this to the detective inspector?"
   "Both his heads are so bored that nothing fazes him anymore."
   "He'll go, 'Welcome to Toss Vague-Ass.' "
   The elevator pinged and slowed and stopped, and they stepped out. And over there he stood, saying something to the robot secretary.
   He turned and grinned. "Ah! The Blonde Plutoz! Great show tonight! Step inside!"
   It really was him! Fadda Bing! The girls had to gasp. This was sensory overload, perception trauma, disbelief detonation!
   The door closed behind Rivqua and Zana and Fadda Bing sat down behind his desk. He looked very much like himself. They'd only seen him in a very un-alive state, but it was him alright. He was scanning some papers before him, rapped a bit on a keyboard. His smile, or whatever it was, gradually dropped.
   "I- I don't think we've actually met," tried Rivqua, "Sir."
   "We're glad you're looking so well," said Zana.
   "Could be we laboured under a misapprehension, earlier," said Rivqua. "When we first came here. You weren't looking quite as well as you do now."
   "You looked totally dead," said Zana.
   "So you'll understand if we're a little discombobulated," went on Rivqua.
   Zana glanced at her sister with a quiet snarl, "You pull out a cracker like that at a time like this?"
   Fadda Bing looked up and spoke up.
   "I have to tell you, you're fired."
   "What!?" The girls gaped in shock. "What do you mean fired!? Luffy Bing said-! And he's your brother by the way! We met him! Both dead and alive!"
   "Well, he's more dead now than alive, isn't he? And now I'm in charge."
   "But how did you-!?"
   "That's not for you to concern yourselves with."
   "You were dead! Poisoned! Smoke came out of your-!"
   "Yes yes, but you know what they say, you can't keep a good man down."
   "Well you can't keep a good band down either! We've got a load of gigs to do in this place! And we were promised a pay rise! That's got to be in your documents there somewhere!" Rivqua gestured furiously.
   "Yes, I'm glad you brought that up. You see, unfortunately, that fact is, you're fired. As of tonight. Leave your account number and I'll transfer your pay for the shows you have done. Your room must be vacated by noon tomorrow. Goodbye."