Pax Galactica - A Space Opera

Chapter 5 - A Stately Pleasure Dome

Decker booked passage on the first starship that would take him on short notice. There was a constant flow of traffic between the three rings so it was simply a matter of finding someone leaving soon with an open slot. He was able to do so with his brain implant while he was using the toilet.

He ended up getting a space on one of the massive Xanadu-class leisure transports. This one was called the H.C.S. Social Butterfly. The ship was really an interstellar party that moved between the three rings, and occasionally some of the outer colonies, taking on new parties and dropping off old ones. It never stayed in one place for very long so Decker was lucky to catch it just as it was about to leave for Eridani Ring.

Decker took an underground maglev all the way down to the exterior side of the ring. From there he was able to hop on a shuttle to the Social Butterfly itself.

Although technically it could be described as a single unbroken party, what was really going on inside the Social Butterfly was more like hundreds of smaller highly specific parties all bleeding into one another at the borders in strange ways.

Decker make his way awkwardly out of the dance party occurring in the shuttle bay, through the costume party as it slowly morphed into a sexless S&M orgy the deeper you went, and into the medieval feast. He was hungry so the medieval feast thing sounded like the least asinine of all the potential activities the ship had beamed into his brain when he came aboard.

Everyone, or almost everyone Decker started to look for any outliers, was dressed in goofy looking costumes. Decker was getting the stink-eye over his lack of one from a bunch of people when he sat down. He supposed the emphasis around here was more on the medieval rather than the feast. He might care more about being polite after he had eaten.

"You know there's an autotailor right over there," said a man in a earth brown tunic and a bycrocket, pointing at the room's only anachronism in the far corner.

"I bet there is," said Decker, looking over the beautiful spread of food on the table for a giant drumstick. He was not disappointed. The table was set with all kinds of gluttonous excesses, all period accurate down to the micro-organisms. He grabbed a greasy drumstick.

"Spoilsport," the bycrocketed man sneered.

"I'll try and live down the shame of not dressing like a bayard," said Decker, between chews.

The people around him moved further down the table, grumbling, leaving Decker isolated at his end of the table. That suited him just fine.

Decker found himself some mead, which he didn't know what was, and some really sub-par bread. He was looking for any decent looking vegetables when a woman sat down beside him.

There was a lot of space at the table thanks to the deliberate shunning Decker was under so she was intentionally sitting close to him. She was wearing a minimalist blue period dress and a cloak fastened with a purple jester cap pin. She smiled. She had a very attractive smile, which went well with the very attractive rest of her.

"Hello there Sam Decker," she said.

"Have we met?" asked Decker.

"I knew it," the woman said. "I saw you from across the table. You're the Deathracer who blew a hoverpod at the 11th Centauri Ring Chalice. Sam Decker."

"I also won the 5th, 8th and 9th Ring Chalices," said Decker. "Nobody ever talks about that."

"I didn't mean to offend. I thought it was an amazing performance. That kind of thing is what Deathracing is all about. It was the most Deathracing moment in all of Deathracing. I can't tell you how excited it got me. "

"What your name?" asked Decker.

"I'm sorry, it's Usagi Helios," said the woman, who was apparently called Usagi.

"Nice to meet you Usagi."

"Nice to meet you, Sam Decker," said Usagi, obviously still getting a thrill out of saying his name.

"How about just Sam?" asked Decker.

"Sam it is," said Usagi.

Sam took a sip of his mead, and Usagi mirrored the action.

"So, uh, I've heard some other things about you. Sam," said Usagi.

"Is that so?" asked Decker.

"I heard on the feeds that you defeated a peace bond against the guy who beat you in the 11th. I heard you beat him so badly they had to clone him a new body."

"I broke his nose. They didn't even take him the to hospital."

"And the peace bond?"

"That part's true."

Usagi lowered her voice and leaned in conspiratorially so Sam could hear her.

"That's really hot Sam," she said.

"Oh yeah?" asked Decker. He was smiling but he wished he had thought of something better to say.

Usagi ran her fingers along Decker's arm.

"Listen, I know someone who is also just begging for a beating. A walking talking pulp looking for a fist. So I was thinking maybe you can help me out with that. That could be fun for everyone."

"Not for the person you want beat," said Decker.

Usagi giggled.

"No," she agreed, "not him."

Decker sighed. She really was attractive.

"I don't know what the feeds say but I had very specific personal reasons for both of the beatings I delivered, both pre- and post- peace bond. Which, by the way, were to the same person. I'm not some bloodthirsty attack dog you can just sic on your enemies."

"I never said you were an attack dog," said Usagi. "I just thought maybe you could do me a favor."

She leaned into his shoulder.

"That there could be a mutual *exchange* of favors," she whispered.

"Why do you even want this person beat up?" asked Decker.

"Why should that matter?" asked Usagi.

"Okay we're done here," said Decker, getting up.

"What did I say?" asked Usagi.

"You're barking up the wrong tree, Usagi," said Decker. "I'm not the man you're looking for."

He started to walk away.

"Oh don't be like that Sam," Usagi called after him. "Come on. It'll be fun!"

Decker walked through the feast until it slowly blended into a full on masquerade ball. He realized he probably should have picked a different direction.