**Aurora nods in April’s direction,
and she and Libby exit the repair shop and make their way into the
main area of the mall. A seemingly endless crystalline walkway
extends out as far as the eye can see, and the walls on either side
of it are lined with shops of every shape and size. Dance music and
flashing lights beckon the shopper, and each vibrantly lit
advertisement seems to be more extravagant the one before it.
Casinos, clothes shops, entertainment booths, replica monuments, and
fake plants give the impression of a futuristic Las Vegas. Libby
surveys her surroundings in awe as Aurora scrolls through the
shopping list contained on the palm pilot**
AURORA: (ranting off) Oh, you think that’s funny, huh? Well, aren’t you the little comedian. I mean seriously, what do you think; I’m made of money?
LIBBY: Huh? What are you talkin’ ‘bout, girl?
AURORA: (flashing the palm pilot screen at Libby) Neutron! He put down “X500 Chemical Analysis Kit” on the shopping list. Do you have any idea how much those things cost?
LIBBY: Uh…to tell you the truth, I have no idea what that even is.
AURORA: Oh, well let me tell you, it doesn’t come cheap. Just the sodium rhodanate ore itself costs…
LIBBY: Uh girl, I really don’t need to know.
**Aurora scrolls further down the shopping list, then huffs in exasperation**
AURORA: (throwing up her hands) And look at this! Someone wrote down “man-eating hamster with five heads”. Honestly…
LIBBY: Uh-huh. My guess would be Sheen.
AURORA: And “foot fungus cream”? What the…
LIBBY: That would be Carl.
AURORA: Ugh. You know what, let’s ditch the virtual shopping list and do things the old fashioned way, what do you say?
LIBBY: (breaking into a huge grin) All right, that’s the Cindy I know an’ love! We’ll show these future people we’re still the queens of shoppin’!
**Aurora stares at Libby for a moment, then suddenly breaks out into a huge grin and begins talking very quickly**
AURORA: Oh! Oh! I’ve got it Libs. I know just what we should do while we’re here! I’ve been meaning to buy you kids space suits, and this is just the place to do it. After all, your current outfits don’t offer much protection from cosmic radiation…not to mention that they’re SERIOUSLY outdated fashion-wise…so why don’t you help me pick out some new ones? We can put on our own little fashion show. Ha ha! I can’t wait to see Neutron in a full length Radiation suit!
**Aurora stifles a giggle, and then grabs Libby by the hand and practically drags her into a shop labeled “Supernova”. The flashing pink doors slide closed behind them, and they find themselves in a jungle of merchandise—racks upon racks of identically sized suits, but with no two alike in color and design**
LIBBY: Wow.
AURORA: (letting out a sigh of satisfaction) Well, this looks like as good a place as any to start looking. I’m sure they’ve got tons of stylish clothing that’ll be reasonably priced. And if not I can always…
**Aurora’s words seem to fade away as Libby watches her dart about the shop, gesturing at various price signs and outfit designs. Her childlike enthusiasm stands in stark contrast to her cold, expressionless silver mask. Libby looks at the ground, a deep sadness suddenly gripping her entire body**
LIBBY: (quietly) Aurora?
AURORA: Mm hmm?
LIBBY: Aurora…why…why do you wear that mask all the time?
**Aurora is silent for a long moment. She turns her face away, then she slowly wraps her arms around herself as if to shield her body from a sudden draft of cold air**
AURORA: All people wear masks Libby. Mine just happens to be real.
**Libby shifts uncomfortably, and Aurora tilts her head to the side, as if deep in thought**
AURORA: It’s a complicated thing, Libby. The mask…it’s more than just something I wear. It’s symbolic. The mask dehumanizes me; it makes me larger than life. It shields my vulnerability. When you look at a mask, Libby, what do you see? The answer is nothing…you see no emotions, and no weaknesses. In my line of work, you can’t afford an Achilles' heel. The only way to survive is to block out your emotions. Besides, if I ever saw him, face-to-face, I just…I don’t want him to see me. It makes it too personal, Libby. And I can’t deal with that anymore.
**Libby considers for a moment**
LIBBY: Well, maybe you could take it off for a while, just while you’re around me. It doesn’t hafta be forever, you know. I mean…won’t it be hard to get a good look at these outfits with that big ol’ mask hangin’ over your eyes? And besides, it’s not like you could make any face I haven’t seen already!
**Aurora stands silent for a moment, then hesitantly reaches for her mask**
LIBBY: Go on! Nobody will mind.
**She pulls it off, and Libby breaks into a smile**
LIBBY: There we go! Now, I think I spotted the perfect outfit for my girl Cindy. What do you think?
**Libby pulls a suit off the rack and displays it proudly. The garment consists of dark chrome fabric embroidered with swirling celestial designs. As Libby turns the outfit over in her hands, the light catches shades of sapphire, aquamarine, and acid green**
AURORA: Mmm, perfect, it’ll match her eyes!
LIBBY: So, should we ask the manager to get it in her size, or what?
AURORA: Oh, you don’t have to worry about that. These space suits are one-size fits all…they automatically adjust to your body shape for a perfect fit. Speaking of a perfect fit, I think Neutron should definitely go with this one.
**Aurora lifts a deep blue ensemble from behind a row of others. The brilliant color is unbroken except for a narrow strip of silver that forms the point of a triangle across the chest, and two metal cuffs above each wrist**
LIBBY: Mmm-hmm! That is FINE! An’ like you always said girl, clothes make the man!
**Aurora stands silent for a minute, then bursts out into laughter**
AURORA: Ah, Libby. It’s good to finally spend time with you after all these years. I’d almost forgotten what it felt like to be happy…but enough of that! Let’s hurry up and pay for these, then try a few other stores and see what we can find!
LIBBY: You got it, girl!
**As Libby and Aurora scurry off to continue their search, Sheen and Carl have found their way to the food court and are sitting at a metallic oval table, scrutinizing the digitally displayed menu**
CARL: Um, Sheen…have you ever heard of "Tep-luck Ticks" before?
SHEEN: I'm still trying to figure out what "Phlonker Muffins" and "Pinto Scales" are. Jeez, you'd think they'd have pictures of the food or something.
CARL: Hmmm, I wonder if they sell hypoallergenic food substitutes...
WAITRESS: (impatiently) Can I take your order?
**Sheen and Carl give a little jump, and turn to see a very tall alien woman beside their table. Her green hair squiggles with snakelike movement as her six arms move in all directions**
SHEEN: Wow! Check it out Carl, it's an alien freak! Hey Lady, can I get your autograph?
**The woman stares at them through half-lidded eyes, clearly not impressed with Sheen's comment**
WAITRESS: From where I'm standing sir, YOU'RE the alien freak. I happen to be from the planet that owns this establishment.
SHEEN: (scratching his head) Oh.
WAITRESS: Now, may I please take your order?
SHEEN: I guess I'll take…um…
**Sheen closes his eyes, then points at random to an item on the menu**
SHEEN: (squinting) Fludgecake, please!
**The woman grabs a notepad with one hand, scribbles down notes with another, reaches behind her for a tray, flicks some buttons on a dispenser of some kind, and produces a large lump of furry orange jelly, all within ten seconds**
SHEEN: Wow, that was quick!
WAITRESS: (rolling her eyes) You've clearly never been to a modern restaurant.
CARL: Please, Miss Alien Lady, do you sell Plutonian Gut Chunks here?
WAITRESS: But of course!
**She whips out a plate heaped high with the chunky material, and Carl begins wolfing it down. Sheen pokes his food, and it twitches and scurries to the far side of the plate**
SHEEN: Whoa, hello! Jeez, is it so much to ask to have them KILL my food before they serve it to me? I want already dead food!
**He pummels it with his fist, and after some initial resistance the creature gives a little shriek, then lies still. Sheen shoves the whole thing into his mouth**
WAITRESS: (tapping her pen on the table) Payment method, please.
SHEEN: (juices dripping down his mouth) Huh?
WAITRESS: (impatiently) PAY-MENT METH-OD. How do you intend to pay for your meal?
SHEEN: Uh, put it on my tab?
WAITRESS: You mean…you want to buy it on credit? Under whose name?
CARL: (piping in) Aurora's name!
WAITRESS: (eyes widening) Aurora? As in...Aurora Vortex?
SHEEN: Ya…that's the one. You know, about yay tall, with a bad attitude and seriously smokin' outfit.
WAITRESS: Please forgive my previous comments, sir. I had no idea you knew Aurora. Don't worry about the expense for your meal...it's on the house.
**She scurries away**
SHEEN: (shrugging) That was easy.
**The boys mow through the rest of the food, then slump down onto their chairs, rubbing their overstuffed bellies in satisfaction. As Sheen picks pieces of food out from between his teeth, a shadow falls over the table**
AURORA: (dryly) I see you had no trouble at all finding the food court.
CARL: Libby? Aurora?
SHEEN: Hey babes! Wow, we were just talking about you!
AURORA: (raising an eyebrow) Great. I'm not sure whether to be flattered or concerned.
LIBBY: So guys, are ya havin' fun? What did you have for lunch?
SHEEN: I'm not exactly sure. Kind of tasted like…sushi mixed with ice cream.
LIBBY: (wrinkling her nose) Eeew! Sheen, ya didn't have to tell me that.
CARL: What have you girls been up to?
LIBBY: Shoppin' galore! We've picked out outfits for me, Cindy, Jimmy, and Sheen so far.
SHEEN: Awesome! Does mine have Ultralord on it?
LIBBY: Sure does, Sheen. Aurora an' me had to special order the Ultralord decal, but we got it. You'd be surprised what they sell in this place.
AURORA: You're lucky Libby talked me into it, ultrafreak. I was gonna get a flowery unicorn suit just to tick you off.
CARL: What about me? Do I get a suit too?
AURORA: (breaking into a mischievous smile) Why, of course, Carl. In fact, I just thought of the PERFECT outfit for you.
CARL: Ah, gee, thanks!
AURORA: Come on, Libs. Let's finish shopping and get out of this dump. Besides, I just thought of an amazing look for Carl.
**Aurora gives a cruel laugh as the two of them disappear into the mall. Sheen looks at Carl**
SHEEN: I didn't like the sound of that laugh, dude. It was like the "I'm going to do something really evil" laugh my little sister uses when she puts Vaseline in the milk jug.
CARL: (anxiously) Oh…you think so?
SHEEN: Ah well, it's all good. Besides, what's the worst they can do?
**Meanwhile, as Sheen and Carl digest their meals in the food court, Cindy and Jimmy are back in the repair shop, struggling to fix the ship with the help of the alien mechanics. Flint hangs over Jimmy’s shoulder, fidgeting restlessly as Jimmy tightens the bolt on a newly welded section of fuselage. Beads of sweat drip down Jimmy’s forehead as Flint’s eyes flicker uneasily from side to side**
FLINT: P-please h-hurry, my esteemed h-human. If the Gorlock comes back and sees you d-doing our work, there’ll be hell to p-pay.
JIMMY: (wiping his face) I’m working on it, but this metallic alloy isn’t very malleable. Does it contain traces of Carbonium, by any chance?
FLINT: Hmm, yes. A very intelligent d-deduction. Y-you certainly are a s-smart one.
**Jimmy straightens up and grimaces as he rubs the small of his back**
CINDY: Getting tired?
**She hands him a towel, and he gladly accepts it. He wipes his forehead, and she glares at Flint and his two assistants**
CINDY: You know, it sure would be nice if you mechanics actually did the work we’re PAYING you to do!
JIMMY: Don’t worry about it, Cindy. I’m actually enjoying myself a lot. Besides, if I left it up to these characters they’d use thumbtacks and rubber bands to put the ship together.
**Cindy laughs, then shoots a cruel smile at Flint, whose face turns a sickly green. Lunkus stares at her dumbly, then scratches his greasy head**
LUNKUS: Lunkus no understand. If you no need us, we why stay here?
BRONK: Me bored and tired. Sleep now please.
FLINT: Y-Yes, my m-men are correct. If we’re no longer n-needed… can w-we take a b-break?
**There is a moment of silence**
APRIL: HEY! What did you just say?
**Flint’s sharp intake of air is clearly audible, and every head in the shop swivels at the sound. April stands in the doorway of the Desperado, lording over the scene with commanding authority. She marches down the ramp-way and assails the mechanics with an intense stare**
APRIL: (seething) Take a break? You’re asking to take a break after the boy has done all your work? Why aren’t YOU fixing the ship, lowlife? I thought I was paying you to work, you worthless scum!
**She draws her blaster weapon and plants the barrel square between Flint’s beady eyes**
APRIL: Do I make myself clear?
FLINT: (frantically scrambling) Y-yes-yes ma’am, we’ll g-get back t-to w-work a-at once!
**Flint, Bronk, and Lunkus immediately redouble their efforts, and with a satisfied smile April disappears back into the Desperado. As soon as she is out of sight, a gray, slimy alien scuttles out from the shadows and taps Flint on the shoulder**
SKLEEM: (whispering) Flint, why do you let the Gorlock woman push you around? You should refuse to fix her ship after the way she’s treated us!
FLINT: You d-don’t understand, Skleem. You don’t say “no” to a Gorlock. B-besides, these people are the rebels. They’re g-going to save us from the dictator. Sometimes it is better t-to turn a blind eye to the actions of one criminal if it can help get rid of someone e-even worse.
SKLEEM: (hissing) Excuses! You’re nothing but a bloody coward.
**A previously unseen mechanic joins them from behind the silhouette of another wreck, his fiery red eyes and a beautiful lean body burning in the smoky light of the shop**
MECHANIC: (sneering) Don’t talk about things you don’t understand, Skleem! I’d rather put up with the insults of an ornery woman than find myself meeting up with the dictator again. Tell me Skleem, have you ever seen him face to face? Have you seen eyes that burn like the Diablo, cold but with an eerie inner light? My entire family was swallowed in the fires of his conquest. Homes burning, sky the color of blood…some images just can’t be scorched from the memory.
**Other voices join in from around the garage, and Jimmy and Cindy listen on uneasily**
VOICES: That brute attacked my homeworld…
VOICES: …My entire family, I lost everything in the attacks…
VOICES: My best friend disappeared in the battle against him…
VOICES: How could anyone be so heartless?
**The shouts and calls build in pitch until they escalate to a wild trilling, as if fifty wild animals had been loosed in the shop**
VOICES: Disgusting humans! I hate them all…
VOICES: Down with the dictator!
VOICES: …May he suffer as we have suffered!
VOICES: …Soon the day will come when our people are avenged…
MECHANIC: (in a loud voice) Yes! Thank the gods of all our worlds that the rebels are close to a breakthrough! Soon enough we will be rid of that despot forever, and then the whole galaxy will have cause to celebrate!
**Jimmy taps Cindy on the shoulder, and she whips around to face him. His eyes glow with solemn brightness, and he motions for her to follow him. After shooting a wary glance in both directions, she tiptoes after him. They creep around to the far side of the Desperado, and as soon as the alien mechanics are out of sight Jimmy falls down on all fours and crawls into the small crack between the ship’s underbelly and the concrete floor. Cindy sidles in next to him, coughing on the dust**
CINDY: (fidgeting in the cramped space) What’s the big idea Neutron? Why are we under here?
JIMMY: (face cast in shadow) Did you hear all the stuff that those mechanics have been saying…about all the horrible things that I’ve done in this universe? It’s awful…
CINDY: Jimmy, you have to get it through your head. The dictator isn’t YOU. You’ve got to stop beating yourself up over it.
JIMMY: Actually, I’m not. That’s not it at all. It just that…something occurred to me back there. All those aliens are desperate for revenge…and from what I can deduce they expect a great battle. But Cindy, what will we accomplish if we DO plan a large-scale attack on my alternate self? Even if we succeed (which seems unlikely at this point), there will be a massive loss of life. War means death, Cindy. I don’t want to see any more people die. So I’ve been thinking…and I think there’s another way.
CINDY: What do you mean, ‘another way’? What can we possibly do?
JIMMY: Well, I’ve been formulating an idea. I’ll admit it’s a little unorthodox, and will probably make a lot of people very angry, especially if they’re looking for revenge. But Cindy…it could save thousands of lives.
CINDY: Well, what is it? Tell me already!
JIMMY: I can’t tell you in here, because one of the mechanics might hear me.
**He stares at her for a moment, then lays a hand on hers**
JIMMY: But promise me…promise me you’ll defend me when I tell Aurora my idea. Even if it seems crazy at first, I need you on my side. She’ll listen to you.
**Cindy stares at him blankly**
JIMMY: Please Cindy…
**There is a moment of breathless silence as they slowly pull their hands apart, then Flint pokes his head under the ship. Both kids jump in surprise and smack their heads against the bottom**
FLINT: W-what are you two doing under there? Are y-you conducting some s-sort of h-human courtship ritual?
JIMMY: (rubbing his head) W-what? Eeewww, disgusting!
CINDY: With HIM?! No way!
**Cindy shoves him to prove her point, and he shoves her back. She jumps up in anger, only to bang her head against the bottom of the ship again. She staggers, and shower of dust cascades down. When the powder clears, Cindy has fallen onto a confused and dust-caked Jimmy. They stare at each other in surprise for a moment before April’s face appears beside them**
APRIL: OK you two, let’s get back to…WHOA….hey…!
**April covers her eyes with one clawed hand**
APRIL: Sorry, I had no idea you two were…
CINDY: (shouting) Ewww!
JIMMY: It’s not what it looks like! Get off me!
**Scowling, he pushes her off and crawls out into the open. She follows, her arms crossed tightly and her face squeezed into an angry pout. Jimmy snatches the towel he used previously and wipes the dust off his face, then tosses the towel at Flint**
JIMMY: (whirling away from Cindy) Let’s
just finish the repairs and get out of here.