(Front cover. We see the band playing on the stage, as below, the members of Group X are fighting the FOH.)
Cap (N): Amethyst... the conclusion!
(Page 1, panel 1. We see Bux and Degree lying next to each other, over the sheets. Both have their arms around each other, and smile as they sleep. They are fully clothed.)
Cap (N): The next morning...
Voice (from off panel): Oh my God... I never thought she’d go this far this fast with him...
(Panel 2. We see Marita prodding Bux. Jam, and Juana stand next to Marita.)
Marita: Come on, lazybones... time to get up.
Bux: Uhn...
(Panel 3. Marita shakes Bux.)
Marita: Come on, Bux. Wake up.
Bux: Aw, ma... do I really have to go to school today?
(Panel 4. Marita turns Bux over.)
Bux: All right, I’m awake... I’m ...zzzz....
Juana: She’s been up all night. We should just let her rest awhile, and work on some of those demos...
(Page 2, panel 1. Marita, Jam, and Juana go off.)
Marita: Well lazybones, come to practice when you get out of bed.
(Panel 2. Go over to see Bakerman talking to Starshot.)
Bakerman: Come on, Sara. I haven’t seen him this happy ever. Let him have his day in the sun for awhile.
Starshot: It’s a romance doomed to failure.. I can tell it’ll fall apart once she leaves here.
(Panel 3. They continue to talk.)
Bakerman: True, true... but she’s going to be here for a few more days... I say we let him live it up.
(Panel 4. Go back to see Bux and Degree waking up.)
Cap (N): A considerable amount of time later...
Degree: Uhn... no ma, it’s Saturday...
(Page 3, panel 1. The two of them sit up.)
Degree: What a wonderful dream... after that first part...
Bux: Yea... That was so beautiful, flying around like that. I really needed that experience.
(Panel 2. The two of them stand.)
Degree: Well, time to get ready for the day. You can use the shower first.
Bux: (Smiles) Well, I couldn’t do that to you...
(Panel 3. Degree smiles.)
Degree: (Facetiously)Well, we can always take a shower together...
Bux: (Taken aback) Uh, I’ll use the shower in my guest room..
(Panel 4. They go their separate ways..)
Cap (Degree): There goes my heart.
Cap (Bux): Not quite ready for that... yet.
(Page 4, panel 1. Front desk area. We see Spyre there, working on the computer. She wears a nice blouse and miniskirt.)
Cap (S1): Ain’t this jest peachy.
Cap (S2): Ah finally git back into the story, and what happens?
Cap (S3): They got me doin’ paperwork.
(Panel 2. Enter Lotus.)
Lotus: So how goes things?
Spyre: Alrighty... but Ah’m curious as to where your original secretary went to...
(Panel 3. Lotus smiles.)
Lotus: He got hit hard ... by love.
(Panel 4. Spyre grimaces.)
Spyre: Sounds like he’s gonna crash and burn.
Lotus: That seems to be the general concusses around here... personally, I have a wait and see attitude. They could make it work if they really tried...
(Page 5, panel 1. Enter Degree.)
Cap (N): Some time later...
Degree: Sorry I’ve been neglecting my duties here... but I’m ready to return to work now.
Lotus: Nice of you to remember that you’re our secretary, Christian...
(Panel 2. Spyre stands as Degree goes to the desk.)
Degree: Come on, Lecita. How were you the first few days after meeting David?
Lotus: Point taken.
(Panel 3. Degree sits as Spyre walks off.)
Spyre: Ah’ll be around, Lecita.
Lotus: We’ll call you if we need you, Vicki.
(Panel 4. Around noon. We see Degree stand.)
Degree: Computer, switch to noontime lunch secretary hologram mode.
(Panel 5. Degree goes over to the spare storage room, just in time to see Marita, Jam, Juana, and Bux exit.)
Degree: (1) Bux... I was wondering...
Bux: Of course I’ll have lunch with you.
Degree: (2) I’ve got the perfect spot for us.
(Page 6, panel 1. A gazebo. Degree and Bux enter, with a basket of food. Degree also carries a bottle.)
Degree: Ah, a loaf of bread, a jug of wine, and most importantly, your wonderful being with me...
Bux: (Smiles) Yea...
(Panel 2. They sit at the table in the gazebo.)
Bux: I hope you brought something good.
Degree: It’s a bit of the local delicacy.
(Panel 3. Degree pulls out some barbecue sandwiches, cole slaw, beans and rice, and other items from the basket.)
Bux: Barbecue... how nice...
Degree: Don’t worry, they’re TVP barbecue sandwiches.
(Panel 4. Bux examines the sandwiches.)
Bux: Meaning... ?
Degree: Textured Vegetable Protein. I wasn’t sure if you were a vegetarian or not so I made this meal 100% meat free just in case.
(Panel 5. Bux smiles.)
Bux: Yea, I’m a vegan... so what is this TVP made from?
Degree: Squash and tofu. They have complementary proteins, you know. Please, dig in.
(Page 7, panel 1. They finish eating their meal.)
Cap (N): Later...
Bux: That was wonderful... I especially liked that barbecue sauce... I really want that recipe...
Degree: Well, we have a saying here in Texas... ask a man to borrow his barbecue sauce recipe, and you might as well ask to borrow his wife.
(Panel 2. They stand.)
Bux: Well, we’ve got to get back to work now...
Degree: True...
(Panel 3. They gather up the plates, utensils, etc.)
Degree: But I’ll see you after work, all right?
Bux: Of course.
(Panel 4. Degree carries off the dirty plates, etc.)
Voice : (from off panel) Well, have we lost her for good or just for a long time?
(Panel 5. Bux turns around to see Marita, Jam and Juana there.)
Bux: Y’ know, I think y’ guys just don’t want to see me happy like this.
Marita: Bux, we’re telling you as your friends. Slow down. You’ve only known him for three days now, and already you’ve slept with him.
(Panel 6. Bux is shocked.)
Bux: Guys, trust me on this one. I know what I’m doing. We may have known each other for a few days, but I feel like I’ve known him all my life.
Jam: Really? Did he tell you that he’s just the secretary around here?
Bux: Well, yea... but he’s a lot better than a lot of the other men that have come into our lives... Men who are solely out to get lucky... men who don’t care about how we feel... I can tell he’s different.
Marita: Be warned... the brightest relationships are the ones to burn out quickly.
(Page 8, panel 1. That evening, in the meditation room. The following are sitting in a circle on the floor in the following order: Lotus, Eagle, Starshot, Bakerman, Degree, Bux, Marita, Jam, Juana, and about 4 others.)
Cap (N) That evening, they prepare to meditate...
Lotus: Welcome everyone, we have four new special guests for this night, they are from New York City, and in a band together... why don’t you introduce yourselves?
Juana: Bueno, I am Juana, and I’m the base player in the band.
Jam: The name’s Jasmine, I play keyboards and sing in the band.
Marita: I am Marita, and I play drums in the band.
Bux: I’m Belinda, and I play guitar in the band.
(Panel 2. They continue to talk about things.)
Jeff: My, Christian, you look like you’ve really flipped over Belinda.
Degree: (facetiously) On advice from my lawyers, I decline to take a position on that at this time.
Bux: Oh, come on Christian...
(Panel 3. Degree smiles.)
Degree: Yea, we’re in love... but there’s still more to choose from, Jeff.
Jeff: I’m more of a blonde type myself...
Jam: We’ll have to see about that....
(Panel 4. Lotus intervenes.)
Lotus: Well, now that we’ve introduced them, let’s get the others introduced, shall we? Jeff, if you would start...
Jeff: Ah, yes. My name is Jeff, and I’m a manager at a hotel. Anyway, I first was tuned to the path about 5 years ago when I was working at a hotel that hosted a psychic fair. I got turned onto Lotus, and I haven’t been the same since.
(Page 9, panel 1. The focus shifts to an average looking black man.)
Thierno: My name is Thierno, and I was born in the country of Zaire. You paint your work with music, well, I paint my work with sculptures. I wanted to announce I got another one into a museum, the one entitled “Freedom’s cost” will be housed in the New Orleans museum of African-American art.
Lotus: That’s wonderful, Thierno.
Jam: What does it look like?
(Panel 2. Thierno hands Jam a picture of a black man holding a German Shepherd at bay with a picture of Malcolm X.)
Thierno: It’s one of my better works. I thought Malcolm X would work better than Martin Luther King Jr. In my country, years ago, the Belgians used German Shepherds to keep the natives at bay. The sculpture tells us that the power of dynamic leadership is better than the power of the iron fist.
(Panel 3. They talk to Sam, an average looking white male.)
Sam: Well, my name is Sam, and like Thierno, I am an artist, but my painting is with words. I write stories and poetry. I have a new story this week, entitled “The Art Show.” I kinda had Thierno in my mind when I wrote this.
Lotus: Please, tell it to us.
(Panel 4. We see an art show, filled with paintings, sculptures, and the like. They depict people’s ideas of God, Allah, Buddha, Shiva, and other deities.)
Cap (Sam) There once was an art show, and in it was a collection from around the world, all people, all places gathered together to show everyone what they thought the Divine Being looked like.
(Page 10, panel 1. We see Lotus, Eagle, Starshot, Jeff, and Sam as judges.)
Cap (Sam) They sent their best work to be judged as to how close it came to representing the Divine Being.
(Panel 2. We see Thierno standing next to a framed mirror.)
Cap (Sam): In the end, the winner was a framed mirror.
(Panel 3. Go back to the meditation circle.)
Lotus: That was beautiful, Sam.
Sam: Thanks. It came to me in a dream, and I thought I should write it down for posterity.
(Panel 4. The focus shifts to a young blonde woman.)
Lotus: And finally, Helena...
Helena: Thank you, Lecita. Well, I’m not really an artist, I’m an accountant. Pretty boring, hmm?
(Panel 5. All hold hands, and concentrate.)
Lotus: Well, now it’s time for us to get together, and meditate. If you would join hands...
(Panel 6. They close their eyes.)
All: (1) The Father and I are one... Aum...
All: (2) The Mother and I are one... Aum...
All: (3) The Universe and I are one... Aum....
(Page 11, panel 1. Go to their vision. We see them in a pleasant garden scene, with green grass, blue skies, and the like. Those in the circle are standing around the place.)
Jam: Wow... this place is so peaceful... it’s inviting me to be here forever...
Lotus: It is our place of peace, Jasmine... and it is within all of us. Stay for awhile, and relax.
(Panel 2. Degree takes Bux’s hand.)
Degree: (1)Come, let me show you this place.
Bux: Mmm... this is so wonderful...
Degree: (2) Belinda?
(Panel 3. Lotus smiles.)
Lotus: Let her get adjusted to this place, Christian... after all, you weren’t that different the first time you entered this place.
Degree: True... But I think I know what will snap her out of it...
(Panel 4. Degree embraces Bux, and kisses her.)
Jam: Man, she’s got it bad.
Lotus: Or good, depending on how you look at it.
(Panel 5. Degree and Bux part, with both of them smiling.)
Bux: Woah... never have I had such an intense kiss in my life...
Degree: I got a lot more where that came from, Belinda.
(Page 12, panel 1. Lotus faces Marita.)
Lotus: So what do you think, Marita?
Marita: Uhn...
(Panel 2. Lotus advances on Marita.)
Lotus: Sounds like we’ve got some pain here... want to talk about it?
Marita: Well...
(Panel 3. Flashback. We see a young Marita, now about 5, being struck by her uncle.)
Cap (Marita1): I came from a very rough background.
Cap (Marita2): My uncle was notorious for beating any woman in his life. My aunt, my mother, and I were not safe from him.
Cap (Marita3): One night I defended myself.
(Panel 4. We see Marita, now about 12, holding a knife to her uncle.)
Marita: (nervous) Don’t... don’t make me have to use this...
Uncle: Put that down, it’s not a toy!
(Panel 5. The Uncle attacks, and Marita slashes his face.)
Cap (Marita1): I didn’t want to hurt him.
Cap (Marita2): I didn’t kill him.
Cap (Marita3): I slashed him several times, causing him to stop his attack and fall.
(Panel 6. Go back to the present.)
Marita: I got 4 years in juvenile hall for that, and then another 6 years probation. It’s only now that I’ve been released from it all.
Lotus: And you couldn’t go to the police.
(Page 13, panel 1. Marita turns.)
Marita: I did, but my aunt and mother told them he wasn’t beating me. Both of them suffered from severe denial. Although while there, I met Jasmine - she was in for shoplifting. She showed me the path.
(Panel 2. The others comfort Marita.)
Bakerman: I know what it’s like to have an abuser in my life... When I was about 12, I was kidnapped and taken to another place, then forced to do things I didn’t want to do. I had to work or get hurt.
Lotus: I spent two years as a child in a mutant reeducation camp...
Eagle: It is not the trauma that is important, but what you do with it that is. There is a fine line between becoming good and becoming destructive.
(Panel 3. The group surrounds Marita, and gives her a friendly love.)
Lotus: That was beautiful to admit it... and healing is yours for the asking...
Marita: I feel better already...
(Panel 4. Marita smiles.)
Marita: Thank you, everyone.
(Panel 5. Everyone separates.)
Degree: Well, let me show you around this place, Belinda.
(Page 14, panel 1. We see Bux and Degree arm in arm, walking through the garden.)
Cap (N) A few minutes later...
Bux: My... this place is so wonderful...
Degree: It is a place that is within all of us. Come, there is a bench that we can sit at.
(Panel 2. Degree sits on the bench, and Bux sits in his lap.)
Bux: I don’t know how you do it, Christian. Even though I’ve known you for a few days, I feel like I’ve known you all my life.
Degree: Well, we’ve passed a lot of information to each other on the energy level. We’ve told each other a lot about ourselves on that level. I feel like I’ve known you all my life too, Belinda.
(Panel 3. Bux and Degree put their arms around each other.)
Degree: And I feel comfortable telling you that I love you.
Bux: I love you too, Chris....
(Panel 4. The two of them kiss. Panel 5. They part lips.)
Degree: Well, time to rejoin the others.
Bux: So fast?
(Panel 5. Degree smiles.)
Degree: Time is much different here than on the physical plane, Belinda... I would guess it’s been about three to four hours since we started.
(Page 15, panel 1. Go back to the meditation circle. We see the people gathered come out of their state.)
Lotus: And as your consciousness decides, allow yourself to drift back to this time, this place, and this existence...
(Panel 2. Everyone else wakes up.)
Lotus: That was so beautiful... there was a lot of progress on all levels from everyone. Alas, the evening is done, and thus we must part until next week.
(Panel 3. The people stand, and go out into the hallway.)
Bux: This has been so wonderful... I don’t know how to begin to tell you how much I appreciate this...
Degree: Stick with us, Belinda, and You’ll travel like light on the path.
(Panel 4. Degree smiles.)
Degree: I’ll read you more of Doctor Archer’s book.
Bux: Ooh... I don’t know if I can take that...
(Panel 5. Degree puts an arm around Bux.)
Degree: Trust me on this one.
(Page 16, panel 1. We see Bux and Degree lying in bed next to each other. She has both arms around him; he has one arm around her and the other hand holds the Oneness book. They are above the sheets and fully clothed.)
Cap (N): About 10 minutes later...
Degree: “Because of our need for a bigger picture, we reach out to the visionaries and prophets of a given age for answer life’s dilemmas. Vision is essential and necessary human quality of our human character. One’s vision actually determines the nature and quality of his or her life.”*
Bux: Uhn... stop. I can’t take anymore.
(Panel 2. Degree sets the book aside, and puts both arms around Bux.)
Degree: Well, it took me over two months to read that book... It’s so true, and wonderful...
Bux: Chris, This has been so wonderful... I wish I didn’t have to give you up in a few days...
(Panel 3. Degree is concerned.)
Degree: Give me up? Who said that you had to give me up?
Bux: Well, it’s just that with me on the road and you here, it’s going to be a long while before we see each other again, and I was afraid you wouldn’t want to continue this once I left.
(Panel 4. Degree pulls Bux close to him.)
Degree: Belinda, I wouldn’t give you up for the world... you’ve been such a shining beacon in my life, I don’t know what I’d do without you. I’ve grown so much since we first met - and it’s all because of your touch.
(Panel 5. The two kiss.)
Cap (N): It’s always more divine to love than to hate.
(Page 17, panel 1. They part lips.)
Degree: It’s easy to walk away from a relationship when it gets this intense... but it’s much more fun to stay and try to work things out. Since I have access to a teleporter, I can come visit you occasionally.
(Panel 2. Bux puts her head on Degree’s shoulder.)
Bux: I wouldn’t give you up either.
(Panel 3. Degree smiles.)
Degree: Well, what we have forged in such a short time comes to two people maybe once in their lives... if ever. You do so much to me... that smile of yours turns my knees into water... your energy makes me feel at peace... I can’t help but love you completely, and want more and more of you.
Bux: Your energy feels wonderful too, Chris... and that smile of yours makes my heart flutter... I can’t help but love you too.
(Panel 4. They kiss some more.)
Cap (N1): Things are about to get unkosher with the comics code.
Cap (N2): So we forward to the next morning.
(Panel 5. Next morning. We see Bux and Degree lying in bed, holding each other close. They are beneath the sheets.)
Cap (N): And the next morning...
Bux: Good morning, Chris...
(Page 18, panel 1. They kiss. Panel 2. They part lips.)
Degree: Any morning with you is a great morning, Belinda. Things were so wonderful last night - I can’t begin to describe how wonderful and enlightening it was.
Bux: I can’t either, Chris... I wish we could keep that kind of intensity up forever.
(Panel 2. Bux runs her hand over Degree’s chest.)
Degree: What say we take a shower together, and save water?
Bux: You’re insatiable, Chris. Good thing I am too.
(Panel 3. Go over to see Marita, Jam and Juana in the garage. They stand in front of the now-repaired bus. Mindpath is nearby.)
Mindpath: Well lassies, it’s all done now.
Marita: Thank you so much, Mindpath.
(Panel 4. Mindpath responds.)
Mindpath: It was all really easy... it just took time to do.
Jam: Well, I guess we should leave now.
(Page 19, panel 1. The ladies face each other.)
Marita: That is, if we can pry Bux away from Christian.
Jam: (To Mindpath) Can we borrow a crowbar or two?
(Panel 2. Enter Lotus and Walking Eagle.)
Lotus: Well, are we all done here?
Mindpath: Aye... except for one little thing.
(Panel 3. Lotus smiles.)
Lotus: Ah, yes... one of the band does appear to be missing.
(Panel 4. Enter Bux and Degree, both carrying some luggage.)
Bux: Guys, I would never let you down.
Marita: (Turns) Well, guess who decided to come back after all.
(Page 20, panel 1. Degree sets the luggage down.)
Degree: Come on, Marita. You know she was always with you.
Bux: I’ll always be there for you, when you need me. Love may come and go, but good friends are forever.
(Panel 2. Degree loads the luggage up into the bus.)
Jam: (smiles) Welcome back, Bux. I guess we kinda resented this because it was disruptive to the routine.
Lotus: There’s someone for everyone, Jasmine... and you’ll find your lover soon. Then you get to be in the same role Belinda was in.
(Panel 3. The band turns to the bus.)
Bux: I wish you could come with me.
Degree: And I wish you could stay. Alas, all good things must come to an end...
(Panel 4. Degree and Bux embrace, then kiss. Panel 5. They part.)
Degree: I’ll see you on the astral plane.
(Page 21, panel 1. The band enters the bus, starting it up.)
Degree: *SIGH*...
Lotus: Well, when you’ve come down from cloud 9, you’ve got work to do.
(Panel 2. We see Bux in one of the windows, blowing a kiss to Degree as the bus goes off.)
Lotus: “‘Tis better to have loved and lost/ than to have never loved at all.”
Degree: I haven’t lost her... not yet, at least.
(Panel 3. We see Degree opening a small package.)
Cap (N1): And about three months later...
Cap (N2): Degree gets a package from Bux.
(Panel 4. We see the CD has the following written on it in a woman’s handwriting:
My dearest Christian - I’ll never forget the week we had together. Your energy invigorates me even when we are not together. The next time I return to Dallas, I’m coming straight for you. XXXOOO, Bux.
Panel 5. We see that Degree has a tear in his eye.)
