A physical show brought its own unique challenges, more so than any physical activity. Nova and the band would have to physically get to the stadium to perform for a start. As it would be the busiest place on the planet, they had arrived very early in the day. Arriving around midday, Nova was initially concerned. There wasn't a single sign of any crew or equipment. By 4.30 pm, he knew he needn't have worried. This crew were all drones, hyper-efficient and fast too. No hangovers or Polish whores to worry about with this lot. After the sound checks, it was all about waiting. The rumours were already rife about tonight's announcement even though they were completely without foundation or fact, as it happened most guesses as to its nature were uncannily close to the truth.
Live tickets could have allocated many times over and the Market Square outside the stadium itself would act as an overflow, this too would be filled to capacity. The performance would be shown on huge 2D screens outside and there were virtual 4d facilities available elsewhere. The 4D feed would go live into V-World simulations across the city, enabling thousands the same front-row seat without leaving their armchairs. There would be over a hundred thousand real physical people crammed inside later and similar numbers outside. It's estimated that 95 percent of the population would experience the show live. It would be beamed into every sector of Heathen utterly live.
The dressing rooms were more like a Hyde Park apartment than anything Nova had experienced. Usually, smelling of smoke and beer next to the toilets, sometimes the dressing room was the toilets. Huge white leather settees, allowing for perhaps 20 guests, there were state of the art entertainment systems and even soundproof bedrooms. The whole place was tastefully decorated and Nova's suite housed a sauna and jacuzzi, games and a fully stocked kitchen with waiting staff.
Three of the walls in the main lounge were glass offering a choice of views, one across the city, another over the Market Square and a third high on stage left. The tinted glass would hide anyone from those who cared to look up from the excited throng below. There was no sign of Pierrot, but he wasn't particularly expected as they'd made no plans to meet before the show. They'd surely all get together afterwards instead. Pierrot had similar facilities of his own, if they were allocated by ego then God only knows what his would be like by comparison. There were a lot more humanoid drones around mainly these were security and waiting on. Bluu was incredibly excitable all day whilst Nova had been surprisingly relaxed. They'd spent the final hours chatting about plans after the show, after the announcement. Nova had a feeling of inevitability and no real concept of what he would do tonight, he pushed that thought away. Instead, he wallowed in the beaming happiness that burst from Bluu all day.
Beard, Gilly and the rest of the band were in the adjoining suite enjoying their own time before the performance. He still hadn't told them his plans to migrate and only now considered whether he should but quickly decided against it.
Nova hadn't expected the doctor to arrive as early as them, but he still hadn't arrived and it was getting late. He still hadn't arrived by the time the doors to the stadium were open to the public. Already the streets looked busier than Nova had ever seen them. Nova stood in front of the tinted wall of glass and surveyed the square below. In the center was a huge hexagonal tower that looked like a huge goblet. The top comprised 2D screens on every side so the crowd could view from any vantage point.
They blinked and went through tests, then flipped back to generic support performances and chat. He could see but not hear an interview on the screen and recognised one or two of the team who had regenerated his new body. Although it was a permanent fixture in Heathen, the tower had never been used for its intended purpose. Small groups of people were standing and chatting below, most looked like vendors of various kinds. There were flags and banners as well as high tech memorabilia such as Nova-world sim access and virtual avatar codes which would enable users to imitate the Nova style. The Nova style was accepted as the dress he'd become known for, a bizarre mix of style from across the centuries. In truth, most of the credit for it belonged to Pierrot and his goon squad. There were still teams of engineers confidently making final checks on screens, which would occasionally light up with enormous audible and visual countdowns. Groups of revellers would join in, count along and sigh in frustration when it abruptly ended at three or two. Sudden and deafening sounds would occasionally crash out of the sound system, causing people to jump in fear. Nova felt no apprehension about tonight, it was natural to him and he wasn't concerned. Not being nervous can be a bad thing in his experience and many performers agreed.
"Is the doctor here?" he said without looking around at Bluu who was relaxing on one of the bed-like sofas. "He's not on the grid, hasn't been since this morning."
Nova scanned the milling bodies below as if he might spot the doctor down there somewhere, which would be all but impossible, but he tried anyway. Unseen and behind them was the main stadium and stage area. At last, the sound of rock and roll filtered up from the distance and it never failed to get his heart racing. The distant thud of drums and the echo of guitars during sound checks one, two... two. The dressing room apartments were amazing, but he knew that once he was outside, he'd smell it too. Rock gigs had a particular smell and sound that even five hundred years would never change.
ϟ
Jak Samian had distributed members of the group around the Square in readiness for tonight's event. Only those dedicated to the cause at the higher levels had been briefed. All the others would appear out of the woodwork and fall into line after tonight's success. Like soldiers behind enemy lines, they hid their rebel symbols beneath civilian clothing. Lightning symbols and red attire buried under hooded tops and shirts until they could reveal themselves. Jak, for one, was both excited and apprehensive at the possibility of finally resetting the clock, at being on the brink of freeing humanity from manipulation by technology. The reality of how difficult this would be had hit him. There would be a great deal of responsibility upon the humanists to complete this bloodless revolution. To bring everyone along and ensure they were weaned off their reliance on technology. This was the end game and he knew that now was the time to be on guard. This was not a time for being stupid or impulsive.
Jak was exposing some of his most dedicated people here in the square. With his entire hierarchy within a hundred yards of this spot he felt very exposed. Still, he was proud to be at the head of this battle, being seen leading the group come success or failure. Sitting here waiting for the time to move, his mind drifted. Of course, he'd considered whether this whole thing may have been a trap and so had some of the others. But the prize on offer was too big to turn down. He'd been cautious in his dealings with the professor ever since he arrived in the Chase and very willing to listen to his story of time travel and the horrific news from the future. After meeting the doctor, it was clear that they were one and the same. The professor's predictions had to be proof he had come from the future, unbelievable as that might be. Trust him? He certainly didn't, however, he trusted him a lot more than he trusted the doctor. They were two sides to the same coin, but without a doubt, the doctor was the most dangerous.
Jak still had concerns about Feng too. It was the professor who'd suggested he seek him out, telling him how in his future they would become close friends. Jak preferred to choose his own friends but having done so, he had given Feng, who was almost a stranger, a shortcut to the heart of his organisation. If it wasn't that Feng was so unstable and undoubtedly dedicated to humanism, then that too could have aroused his suspicion. On the positive side, he'd been offered a silver bullet that could shut down Mother for good. Hearing that the humanists were right all along may have diminished his normal sense of caution.
The rebels had no idea how or why the reliance on technology would be so harmful in the long-run. It was more a sensitivity, an awareness of what might be coming. In all their assumptions, they never predicted that it would be her love that was humanity's downfall, a machine that might one day smother her own children with love. This opportunity was too good to miss, too tempting. Regardless of tonight's outcome, he was right here in the thick of it. He stared up at the high tinted windows of the stadium and across to one of the huge screens on the tower. It had just finished another mock countdown to the cheers of the crowd before returning to a huge digital display.
To performance,
4 HOURS 32 MINUTES 45 SECONDS 44, 43, 42...
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Life on Mars
Science FictionNOTE ; This book is twinned with the book 'Black Star' this means they are simultaneously published and can be read in either order. Each novel is entirely free standing but inseparable from its twin. SYNOPSIS: A dying man's only hope is to commit s...
