Ensemble

by D. B. Goodin

  A shriek of feedback emanated. The Goth Queen approached the group, who had stopped fighting.

  “What’s the meaning of this? We are not murderers, we don’t want to kill him, let alone attack our own members,” the Goth Queen said.

  Nigel checked on Mister K, who was unconscious. “He has a weak pulse. This man needs a doctor.”

  “Is anyone here a doctor? This man needs medical attention,” the Goth Queen pleaded.

  A man in his mid-twenties stood up. “I’m only a med student, but I have some experience treating patients. I haven’t started my residency yet.”

  The Goth Queen waved him over. The student ordered the group to bring something to carry Mister K on. He also asked for a well-lit area to be cleared. Moments later, two people brought over a sheet and some poles, which they used to fashion a stretcher.

  “Bring him to the studio—the doctor can work on him there,” the Goth Queen ordered.

  They carried Mister K offstage and down a hallway.

  “That could have gone better,” Alice said as she approached the Goth Queen once the room had calmed down.

  “It went perfectly,” Scotty said.

  “How do you figure?” Nigel asked.

  “Nige!” the Goth Queen said as she gave Nigel a hug before Scotty could reply.

  Wait—how does Mr. Watson know her? Alice wondered.

  “Are you okay?” Simon asked Alice.

  “Yeah, I will be,” Alice said, wincing as she touched her face. “Thanks for trying to help.”

  Simon gave Alice a smile, then said, “I don’t like it when . . . someone I like gets hurt.”

  Alice shrugged off Simon’s affections. “So, how did you catch the infamous Mister K?” she asked.

  “After we spoke, I was able to hack one of Mister K’s security sensors. He had a separate network for his security system, but I could hack the sensor. Then I found an undocumented zero-day exploit on his router. Once I did that, I was in. From there, I found incriminating evidence, including photos taken from his surveillance system,” Nigel said.

  “We need to examine this,” Simon interjected as he dangled a cracked visor. “This belongs to our hacker friend.”

  “Wait, Nigel, how do you know the Goth Queen?” Alice asked.

  “I’ve known Grace since she was a little girl. I used to work for her parents. A few years ago, she hired me to replace the security system at the club. Looks like it needs an overhaul, if Mister K was able to find us,” Nigel said.

  The med student entered the stage.

  “How is he?” Alice asked.

  He shook his head.

  “Is he . . . dead?”

  “I’m afraid so,” the med student said.

  “This complicates things!” Nigel said.

  “Nothing has changed!” the Goth Queen said. “Scotty, get Barry over here to clean up this mess. It’s his fault, because he was in charge of physical security. Nigel, I need another security audit. We need to find out how he got into the club. Alice, come with me—we need to make plans.”

  Alice looked around the theater. Most of the people were still present; the altercation had not changed their minds.

  “I’m not sure that I’m comfortable covering up a murder!” Alice insisted.

  The Goth Queen gave Alice a wicked smile. “It’s not a cover-up. He was old and frail. The people just overreacted . . . yeah, that’s right.”

  That bastard made my life miserable—I’m glad he’s gone. Alice felt a pang of guilt thinking this.

  The Goth Queen ascended the stairs, and several people followed her to the upstairs bar. “This will be our war room,” she said once everyone had assembled there. “The club will not be open to the public until after the E-Bomb goes off. The planning starts now.”

  “What do you want me to do, Queenie?” Mr. Wash said as he approached.

  “I have a special job for you, Stephen. Since the audience will be human, I need you to make something special. We need to make the listeners feel anxious or contemptuous about the performance. Can you do that?” the Goth Queen asked.

  Mr. Wash considered this for a moment, then said, “Yes, I believe I can.”

  The Goth Queen’s club was abuzz with activity, conversation, and excitement. The next month would be busy, but Alice would make it work.

  Hours later, Alice was thinking of going home to get some rest when the Goth Queen approached her.

  “I’m sad I have to close my club, but it seems necessary for what we must accomplish.”

  “I hope you can reopen later in the summer,” Alice said.

  “If all goes as planned, I think we will be able to open a few weeks after the event—”

  “Strange-man alert,” the burly man said, interrupting them as he ran toward the entrance of the club.

  Alice gave the Goth Queen a look, then followed the burly man. Him and a group of people had surrounded a tall man wearing a cowboy hat at the club’s entrance. He was dressed in a white suit and was holding his hands high.

  The burly man who had led the assault on Mister K grabbed the older man.

  “Don’t harm him!” the Goth Queen said.

  In a matter of seconds, Alice felt more people gather around. The entire club must be assembled!

  “I’m here to see the Queen,” the cowboy said.

  “Who are you?” Barry asked, pointing a boney finger into the cowboy’s chest.

  “My name is Walt Scruthers, and I’m a friend.”

  “Let him go, I know him,” the Goth Queen said.

  “Are you sure, Queenie?” Barry asked.

  “I’m sure. Now let’s show our friend some hospitality.”

  The Goth Queen sat at a nearby table, and Walt took a seat next to her.

  “Alice, please join us,” the Goth Queen said. Alice took a seat as well. “Walt, meet our newest Emissary of the Purists, Alice Parsons.”

  “Nice to make your acquaintance, young lady,” Walt said.

  “I can’t place your accent—where are you from?” Alice asked.

  “I’m from Nashville, Tennessee. Otherwise known as the music capital of the world,” Walt said.

  “I was expecting you much earlier. What kept you?” the Goth Queen asked.

  “I had to make sure I lost the MuseFam goons that have been following me around the city the past couple of days. I put a message into the dead drop near St. Pierre’s Restaurant when I arrived two days ago. When I didn’t hear from you, I contacted Donato. He told me to come here alone. I noticed a tail, and shook them before arriving.”

  “A tail? Are you a spy?” Alice interrupted.

  “No, I’m from the South, but I know how to spot a tail. I knew they would follow me after my altercation with Brenton Morris early this morning.”

  “MuseFam?” Alice said as she narrowed her eyes.

  “Not a fan of Mr. Morris?” Walt asked.

  “You can say that,” Alice said.

  Walt explained the events and outcome of his meeting with Brenton Morris.

  “When I realized that Brenton Morris had outmaneuvered me, I wandered through the city. A stroll through Central Park cleared my head long enough to remember Donato, my Purist contact in the city.”

  “How many Purists are there?” Alice asked.

  “We are everywhere,” the Goth Queen said. “I’m the leader of the Purists in the northeast, while Walt is the leader in the south. We have other contacts in Hollywood, California, New Chicago, and The Den—formally known as Denver—and I also have some new cities to vet,” the Goth Queen said.

  “My biggest worry is that Brenton will assimilate all the music in our catalog,” Walt said.

  “The situation in New York isn’t much better,” Alice said.

  “Yes—Queenie filled me in earlier. It’s just a matter of time before we have the same problem in Nashville. The original ServU Robotics models are getting replaced with the newer MuseFam models. We also have an instrument shortage.”

  �
�Elias is working with MuseFam, who keeps funneling money into his makeshift church in Pasture’s Field. Elias’s mission to shut down the largest manufactures of musical instruments in the United States has me worried,” the Goth Queen said.

  “When I visited Elias’s tent with Charlie a few weeks ago, he was keen on obtaining handcrafted musical instruments,” Alice said.

  “Sounds like Elias has a screw loose,” Walt said.

  “You don’t know the half of it.”

  The Goth Queen filled Walt in on the plan to plant the E-Bomb at MuseFam Hall. Walt had a stoic look, but he waited until she was finished.

  “Who will set off this E-Bomb? I hope it’s not Scotty,” Walt said.

  “I thought Scotty was the expert on this thing,” Alice said.

  “Scotty has trouble focusing on projects sometimes. When he starts a new project, he’s consumed with it—until he’s not,” Walt said.

  “He will complete this one. We’re committed,” the Goth Queen said.

  Walt gave the Goth Queen a skeptical look. “Well, he better.”

  Alice yawned. “Sorry—it’s late, and I’m exhausted. I’d better be getting home. I have to find a new place to live—stat.”

  “It was great meeting you, Alice, and good luck as Emissary. If you ever find yourself in Nashville, please call me,” Walt said as he handed her his business card.

  Alice took the small card; it had Walt’s name and contact information written in embossed lettering. She didn’t think anyone used these anymore.

  “It was a pleasure, sir,” Alice said, smiling.

  “You can always stay here Alice,” the Goth Queen said. “I have an extra room in the basement. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s yours if you want it.”

  “Thank you. I have to get back to my cat Alfred now, but I’ll consider it.,” Alice said as she left.

  8

  Four Weeks Later

  Central Park, Saturday, July 4th, 12:03 p.m.

  One hour fifty-seven minutes before the CityWide Concert

  Alice stepped out of the auto taxi at the corner of 59th Street and Fifth Avenue.

  “Alice, MuseFam Hall is over nine blocks away—why are you stopping here?” Doris asked.

  “Need to pick up some supplies. Doris, open the file labeled ‘tutelage’ and display its contents—no verbal communication regarding this file, please.”

  Doris opened the file and displayed the information on Alice’s visor. It was an overlay designed to show the drop and to provide instruction on getting to it. Her first stop was just minutes away.

  “The concert starts at two, Alice. You have less than two hours to get this done,” Doris reminded her.

  “Yes, I know.”

  “Good, because your walking past the entrance of the drop.”

  Alice double backed and entered the Central Park Zoo; Scotty had stashed a workman’s uniform there. She had a key that would grant access to the locker where it was hidden; she just needed to find it, and it was inside the zoo. She pulled out an envelope that contained an old-school paper ticket that would grant her access; Scotty had instructed her not to lose it, since it granted lifetime access to the zoo. After she showed the ticket to the guard, she was in. The visor updated the map and showed the shortest path to the pickup area.

  The only problem was that the zoo was so busy she had to dodge her way past the endless supply of zoo patrons. She got to the location on the map marked “pickup area,” but she couldn’t see any lockers.

  “Doris, do you see them?” she asked.

  “See what? You said no verbal communications—”

  “Locker location?” Alice interrupted Doris.

  Doris showed the correct location; it appeared to be behind a restroom next to a gift shop. Alice made her way there and discovered the lockers hidden behind a water fountain and several vending machines. After navigating the swarm of patrons waiting for an icy drink, she found the correct locker.

  A few seconds later, she was carrying a backpack. She opened the bag and saw a bright orange uniform and some tools. She also noticed an identification card with her picture on it; Alice reminded herself to thank Simon for his help in creating the badge later. Her visor updated with the next location. It looked like it was at the edge of the zoo.

  Scotty’s treasure map led Alice to an area that resembled a service area behind some fake parallel walls. If Alice hadn’t had the map, she wouldn’t have found it. A smell of rotten eggs and decaying fruit assaulted her nose. She noticed two large dumpsters, a maintenance shack, and a golf cart, but nothing else. Her eyes watered from the smell.

  “What the hell am I supposed to do here?” Alice said.

  “Read the file again,” Doris said.

  The file instructed her to drive the cart to the service area of MuseFam Hall. An expanded map of the area and directions appeared on her visor. Alice’s visor chirped. It was Scotty.

  “Hey, Alice, are you at the venue?”

  “Where have you been?” Alice asked.

  Scotty said nothing for a long moment.

  “Sorry—still having issues from my accident,” Scotty said.

  “If you hadn’t gotten your leg crushed when installing this dammed E-Bomb, I wouldn’t be here,” Alice said resentfully.

  I’m so out of my comfort zone.

  “Let’s just focus on getting you to the venue on time,” Scotty continued. “Get into the golf cart; they tape the keys just below the driver’s seat.”

  Alice took a seat on the cart, grabbed the keys, and started it. Then she heard something; someone was approaching. She caught a glimpse of a man overdressed for summer.

  Is he wearing a trench coat?

  Alice felt something push against the cart but couldn’t see what it was.

  “You don’t have time getting to MuseFam Hall the long way. Just floor it!” Scotty said.

  Alice did just that. She almost fell out of the cart as she rounded the first corner. The golf cart’s wheels raised a little during the next turn. She glanced at the map; she was nearly at MuseFam Hall.

  “Hey, slow down, Speedy!” Doris said.

  “These service roads save a lot of time,” Alice said as she leaned into a curve.

  “Alice, slow down, you’re going to miss the next turn,” Scotty said.

  “MuseFam Hall is in front of us,” Alice blurted.

  “Put on the uniform before reaching the service entrance,” Scotty instructed. “Did you forget that MuseFam Hall will have extra security today?”

  Get your shit together, Alice!

  Alice turned into a small area that resembled a small parking area with a compact building made of concrete; it was a public restroom. Alice changed into the hideous-looking uniform. It was a tight fit, but she wiggled herself into it.

  She got back in the golf cart and drove to the rear entrance of MuseFam Hall without incident.

  Moments later, she was driving up to the service entrance. She parked the cart on the side entrance that had a sign that read: Golf Cart Parking Only.

  Then she put on the hat that accompanied the uniform—it was orange to match the rest of her uniform—and stepped through a door. She found herself on a walkway near the parking lot of MuseFam Hall. The main building was at least fifty yards away and security guards were patrolling. She tried to go back the way she came, but the door was locked.

  “Guys, I think I made a wrong turn,” Alice said nervously. “How do I get back to the service area?”

  “Try using the badge that Simon provided,” Scotty said.

  “How do I do that? I see no access panel or card reader here.”

  “Hold on, let me check the blueprints.”

  After what seemed like an eternity, Scotty informed her that the door was not part of the primary security system that the badge controlled, and she would need to enter from the front side of the venue.

  Two men in uniforms stood before a maintenance entrance. Alice had a badge, but she was nervous enough witho
ut interacting with some guards.

  Here goes nothing!

  She followed a path leading to the front entrance of the music hall. The maintenance entrance was about halfway up that ramp. Several vendors had set up carts along this path to sell food, souvenirs, and other trinkets. A light breeze carried the smell of hotdogs, falafels, and other foods she couldn’t recognize. Her stomach rumbled.

  Alice stopped when she noticed another guard stop to talk with the two guarding the maintenance area. She froze. The smell of hotdogs was stronger than ever. Now that her account was available, she decided to fulfill the basic need of all humans and headed to the hotdog stand. She glanced at the clock on her visor: 1:31p.m.

  I have time.

  She waited in line for less than a minute at the hotdog cart. A man in his late twenties asked for her order.

  “I will have a JoeyDog and some water,” Alice said. She studied the vendor more closely.

  He looks familiar. Where do I know him from?

  “Is your name Joey?” she asked.

  “Yeah—what gave that away?” Joey said, chuckling as he prepared her hotdog.

  Alice paid for her lunch using some credit chips not tied to her account.

  “You do seem familiar. Don’t I know you from somewhere?” Joey asked.

  “I don’t think so!”

  Over her shoulder, Alice noticed that one guard was leaving.

  Good, two guards left, but at least that’s something.

  “I’m great with faces,” Joey said. “I know I’ve seen you before. It will come to me. Take care, miss.”

  As Alice finished the hotdog, she remembered the altercation on 30th Street. A man had come to her rescue from a kidnapping.

  It was Joey! I should thank him later.

  Alice made her way over to the guards.

  “Where are you, Alice?” Scotty asked.

  “I’m heading to the entrance now—there are guards nearby,” Alice said in a small voice she didn’t recognize—she was shaking.

  “Alice, you sound nervous. Take some deep breaths before you approach the guards. Remember your story—apply your pretext as we discussed,” Scotty said.

  Alice walked through the maintenance area like she belonged there. At first, guards didn’t seem to notice her.