B Y:   J A M A N D E B

PART I

CHAPTER ONE: LOOKING FOR WORK
How four unemployed musicians came to Zarkon.

A beat-up, green ship bounced across the galaxy.  Inside, a tall, young man in a green wool cap was at the controls.  “Kurt?” he called, “Are you awake yet?”  A strange figure with swanky blond hair entered the room, but the first didn’t turn around.  “Put some clothes on Kurt.”  Kurt frowned, yawned and pulled thin, orange coveralls and boots over himself.  The synthetic fabric instantly clung to his bare skin.  The other man leaned over and pinched him awake.  Kurt jumped, rubbed his backside, and sat in the co-pilot seat.

Another sleepy boy entered the cockpit.  “Hey Davy, You sleep well?” asked the pilot.  “Sure Nez,” Davy muttered.  “Where we going today?”  “I dunno.  Check the map.”  Davy pushed a button on the wall and a screen lit up.  “The next planet is Zarkon,” he said.

“Surface area: 1500 sq. mi.  Population: 2.9 thousand  Economy...”
“Never mind that! Give me the important details.”
“Clubs: 250  Bars: 115  Male to female ratio 1:3”
“That’s more like it.  Lots of work and lots of chicks.”

Davy sat down by the panel.  He always enjoyed teasing Nez.  The pilot had only two goals in life: finding work and finding girls.  Davy understood why, Nez being from Woolhat.  The planet was terribly small (one got to the other side of it by taking a taxi, which was also how Nez used to make a living) and there weren’t a lot of females.  Once a Woolhat man got married, he was allowed to put a ball on top of his hat.  Then buttons were added for each child that came afterwards.  One could find out a lot about him just by looking at his hat.  Nez, obviously a childless bachlor, had left several years before in search of a bride and had been traveling around the galaxy ever since.  In the process, he met the three other young men, much like himself, who also wanted to get off their home planets and start traveling.  Eventually, they got the brilliant idea to start a band.

Getting bored, Davy got up and went into the corridor.  “Mick?” he asked, pounding on a door, “Are you getting up Mick?”  The door flew open and a fellow with a bubble-pipe and fake moustache leaned out and said, “Oh ho! I’m Sherlock Holmes and I’m looking for a murderer.  You seen him?”  Davy shook his head.  “Well if you do, tell him I’ll be in my office.”  With that, Mick closed the door.  “You’ve been reading again!” Davy yelled.  Mick loved acting out the classics.  Davy entered the room and found his buddy, hanging upside-down over the side of the bed, with his nose buried in The Hounds of the Baskervilles.  “At least take off the moustache,” Davy said.  “It’s getting in your face.”

Mick did a somersault off the bed and put away the pipe, book, and moustache.  Still wearing pyjamas, he followed Davy into the cockpit.  No one  was ever surprized by Mick’s behavior...Mick was from Zaphobrox.  Everyone knows that anyone from there is bound to have a screw loose upstairs.  Parties are constant, marriage is non-existent, and the inhabitants get intoxicated by listening to fast music.  It was no wonder that when Nez showed up, Mick stowed away on his ship.

The four lounged around the cockpit as Zarkon came into view.  They landed the small ship next to a promising looking clubhouse and started looking for a job.  A small blond girl walked up to them and asked in a robotic voice, “Welcome to the Star de Gogh Gogh.  How can I help you?”  “They make androids a lot better looking these days don’t they?” Davy wispered to Kurt.  “We’d like to speak to the manager,” said Nez.  “What can I do for you boys?” asked a large man from behind the robot.  “Well,” said Nez.  “We’re the Star Collectors and we’d like to...”

“Say no more!  I’ve heard of your group!  It’d be an honor to have you play here.  What’s your price?”
“Well, experienced musicians like us never work for less than fifty dollars a night.”
“Fifteen.”
“Sold!”
“Okay. You’ll play here tonight at six and tomorrow at seven-thirty.”

The first gig was the same as many others...Nez on electro-static guitar, Kurt on hammonzi-85 keyboards, Mick on his amplified-ogo2000 drumset, and Davy on...tamborine. When they had almost finished playing, the manager came out and informed the audience that the last number would include a performance by an Exozoid dancer.  The band had no knowledge of this before, but started playing.  A beautiful woman waltzed out from behind Mick and onto the stage.  Her flowing pink gown flew about in rhythm with the music, and her long, curly, black hair flew about her hypnotic face.  When the music was finished, she bowed to the audience, blew a kiss to Mick, and disappeared behind a curtain.  The band collected their wages and carried out their equipment.  Nez gathered up the money, guitar and keyboards, Davy had the drumset on his back and a tambourine in his fist, and Kurt slung a petrified Mick over his shoulder.  Exozoid women are some of the most desireable in the universe and to have one notice you at all...let’s just say, it doesn’t happen often to the common man.

And so the Star Collectors continued their career, which was just about to take off.

CHAPTER TWO: THE STAR COLLECTOR

How Judi and Diane lost some cargo.

Diane straightened up the laboratory as the black streamlined ship was docking outside.  The intercom came on and a voice said, “Starship Delta V is ready to report.”  “How was it Judi?” Diane asked into the microphone.  “Got a whole slew of the stuff,” said Judi.  “I’ll be out in about fifteen minutes.  Then we can head on over to the club.”  “Hurry,” said Diane, “They’re using the screen tonight.”

Half an hour later, the two girls locked up the laboratory and headed across the street.  They sat down and were waited on by the pretty, blond android.  “I can’t wait to see how it looks,” Diane said.  “I don’t get it,” said Judi.  “Star collecting is a life-threatening business and what do you do with the stuff?  You use it for cheap entertainment.”  “We’ve discussed this before,” Diane told her.  “I had to make sure I could work with it before I do the BIG project.  Besides, the Star Collectors are performing.”

“Huh?  Oh, the band.  So?”
“I hear they’re really good.”
“Good performers...or good looking?”
“Well...I’ve heard both.  We don’t have a lot of guys here.  This is an opportunity.  Don’t look at me like that.  You could use a man in your life too, ya know.”
“Bite me.”

Before Diane could retaliate, the curtains opened.  The band was placed in front of a large, colorful screen.  When the music started, the colors moved, flowed, blended, faded, brightened, and even enhanced the music.  The result was a psychadelic light show behind the quartet.  When the Exozoid dancer came out for the last number, the lights and colors moved around her.  The show was impressive and got a standing ovation.  “Too bad they’re leaving tonight,” said Diane.  “I thought you said it was an opportunity,” Judi sneered.  “It was,” Diane sighed, looking at the program.  “I thought they were playing tomorrow too, but they played yesterday.  Maybe they’ll come back.”  “Come on,” said Judi as she pulled her comrade out into the lot.  “Oh great,” said Diane.  “I hate it when that happens.  They should have law here.  They do on Centura.” The black streamlined ship was gone.  “Diane,” said Judi, “We’re gonna have to take it back.”  “Why?” asked Diane.  “We have five of them.  It’s not a big deal.”  “Diane,” Judi whispered, “I forgot to unload it.”  “JUDI DAXENPORTZ! HOW COULD YOU!?” Diane yelled.  Next to where their ship had been, was a beaten green ship with a parking violation.
 CHAPTER THREE: MISTAKES

How Mick became a guinea pig.

Don’t start thinking that the four young men were petty thieves.  It was common practice at that time and space to take another person’s ship if you were stupid enough to get a parking ticket.  Tickets could cost you enough to buy several spaceships, and no one ever paid them.  So when Nez noticed his mistake, the band loaded up their equipment on the closest vehicle and took off.  They had done this several times before and joked about the ships they had before.

“Remember the Morkonite ship,” laughed Davy.  “It was so ugly, you’d have to call in an interior decorator if you wanted to condemn it.”  “We got rid of that one pretty quick,” said Nez.  “It would help if you didn’t keep getting parking tickets,” Davy joked.

“Well none of YOU ever offered to fly this thing.”
“None of us know how.  You’re the taxi driver.”
“This is somewhat different from a taxi.  Is Mick alright?”

They looked at Mick, who was walking about in a daze.  He hadn’t said a word all day.  “It was the Exozoid,” Davy said.  “That’ll do it to anybody.”  “Great,” said Nez.  “Now we have two of them.”  He didn’t notice Kurt glaring at him from the co-pilot seat.  None of them knew why Kurt never talked, just that he was one of the greatest musicians they had ever heard.  He had joined Nez, Mick, and Davy when they stopped on his home planet, Tvorkz.  The only rare trait of Tvorkians is the fact that they can only wear one layer of clothing at any given time due to incredibly sensitive skin.  Being voiceless on the other hand, was a unique mystery that came with Kurt...Not even his parents knew how he lost the ability at the age of five.  Kurt was used to comments made in front of him, especially since he wasn’t noticed much anyway, so he ignored Nez completely.  Besides, the hail light had come on.

“Judi Daxenportz to Delta V...come in Delta V,” said the message.  “This is Delta V,” said Nez, realizing that this ship actually had a name.  “Sorry,” said the voice.  “But we forgot to unload our vessel and would like to beam aboard to get our cargo.  You can keep the ship, we just need our cargo, over.”  “Sure thing,” said Nez, relieved that he didn’t have to give up the ship which was the first decent one he had taken for a long time.  The transporter was in the back of the cockpit and they turned around to find two girls beaming up.  One was short, well figured, and wore a short white labcoat.  She carried a notepad and wore glasses which she pushed back along with her thick, wavy brown hair.  The other was tall and lean with short frizzy hair, pointed ears, and sharp, gray eyes.  “Hello,” said the first.  “I’m Diane.”  “Pleased to meet ya,” said Nez.  “I’m Nez.  Sorry about the cargo.”  “Judi will get it,” said Diane.  “No one’s touched it right?”  “We don’t even know what it is,” said Nez.  “Hey!” yelled a voice from the other room.  “What’s this stuff?”  Judi made a beeline for the storeroom but was too late.  Mick had touched the box that held the precious cargo.  He floated to the ceiling, his face was changing colors and his fuzzy hair was shooting off sparks.  “Wow,” said Mick.  “That looks like stardust.”  “IT IS STARDUST YOU DUMBUTT!” yelled Judi.  “Oh my,” said Diane, who entered with the others.  “No one knows what effect it would have on a person.  We’ll have to get him back to the laboratory.  I may have to post-pone my other project.”  “What!?” asked Judi.  “You’ll have to delay the BIG project to do experiments with the dummy?”  “IT can wait,” wispered Diane.  “Who knows if this guy will even live.”  “I see what you mean,” said Judi.  “Transport him directly to the lab and tell the pilot to land this thing.”  This wasn’t nessessary, for as soon as Nez saw what kind of state Mick was in, he turned the ship around and was about to port...in a legal dock this time.

Mick was transported to a containment field in the laboratory.  The others entered and looked at the floating boy.  His face was fading from a dark purple to a lighter green.  “At least his face isn’t purple,” said Davy.  “I thought it was blue,” said Nez.  “No matter,” said Diane.  “I’ll go get the doctor.”  “Oh no,” said Judi.  “I can’t stand that guy.”  “I heard that,” said a tall bald man who walked in.  “How’d you get here so fast?” asked Diane.  “I came in to get some documents I forgot this afternoon,” said the man.  “Then I noticed that this strange creature was being beamed down.  Now what is going on here Diane?”

The first thing they had to do was give Mick a radiation bath.  Judi instructed him to go through a door into another room.  There was a chute there in which he was to put his contaminated clothing.  Next, he had to get into bath, which was rather difficult for the flying boy, so he finally had to use a sponge to rub the stuff over his body.

“What’s all that for?” asked Nez.  “It’ll clean off some of the radiation,” said Judi.  “I have to do it everytime I come back from star collecting.”  “So you’re a real star collector?” asked Davy.  “Of course,” said Judi.  “How else do you explain my ship?”  They had to agree to that.  Only a star collector’s ship would have raw stardust in the storeroom.
 CHAPTER FOUR: SPECAIL EFFECTS

How Mick continued to be a guinea pig.

“So you’re a star collector,” said Nez.  Judi nodded.  He looked at Diane and said, “And you’re a...?” “Scientist,” finished Diane.  “I do experiments with stardust.”  “And I guess he’s a doctor.”  “I’m a highly certified Radiation Specialist,” said the doctor.  “Dr. Washburn make’s sure I don’t get sick from being around stardust all the time,” said Judi. “That’s all.  Enough about us, who are you guys?”

“Well,” said Nez.  “We’re a group, the Star Collectors, and...”  “You are?!” said Diane.  “Oh Wow!  I didn’t recognize you.  We watched you perform last night.”  “I don’t see how anybody would pay attention to us with that screen,” said Davy.  “That thing was pretty impressive.  The manager just told us that it was built by some crazy people trying to show off.”  “I built it,” snarled Diane.  “Oh,” said Davy.  “Like I said, it was pretty impressive.”  Diane smiled, glad that someone appreciated her work.  “Not to be rude,” said Judi, “But don’t he say nothin’?”  “Not that we know of,” said Nez, looking at Kurt.  “He’s always been like that.  But he plays some killer keyboards.”  “How did you guys get together?” asked Diane.  “It’s a long story,” said Nez.  “But I guess we have time.”

He told them of how he began on Woolhat as the Official Taxi Driver.  Once he turned 21, he upgraded his yellow taxi into a red starship and took off in search of adventure. (Nez never told any girls about his real quest.)  When he stopped at Zaphobrox, he met Mick who stowed away on his ship just to get away from the crazy place.  Since Nez had been playing guitar in various clubs for a living, Mick offered to be a drummer for him, even though he didn’t know how.  So they bought a drumset and took off again.  Some time later, they landed on Lancapool, and heard a young boy singing.  Nez never could sing well and Mick was too busy trying to learn his new instrument, so Davy was hired.  It didn’t matter that all he could play was a green tamborine, his good looks secured an audience, at least of females.  Finally, they decided to go to Tvorkz and Mick learned to play the drums from a master.  In exchange, they had to listen to the instructor’s son and let him join the group.  Kurt proved himself and got the job.  They still believed that his father was trying to get rid of him. Kurt was not highly regarded and even looked down upon by his own family.

“So that’s how we got together,” said Nez.  “Interesting,” said the doctor.  At that moment the intercom came on with Mick’s voice saying, “How do you work this thing?  Oh, wow.  Is it on?  Hey Nez?  Davy?”  “We can hear ya Mick,” Nez said into the microphone Diane had handed him.  “I’m all dressed.  What do I do now?” Mick asked.  Nez handed the microphone to Judi who gave Mick further instructions.  Finally, he floated into his own containment field.  His face was back to its normal color and he didn’t float up so high.  The doctor started medical tests and awhile later gave a report.

“It seems to me,” he said.  “That he has his own gravitational field, which explains the...um..floating.  As for the other readings, they are quite unusual, but I can’t determine anything without something to compare them to.”  “Which means?” asked Nez, confused.  “We need his original health records,” said Dr. Washburn.  “And if he’s from, ugh, Zaphobrox, it’s highly unlikely he has any.”  “Sure he does,” said Nez.  “He took everything with him when he snuck on my ship.  Like he’d leave that stuff behind.”  “Well,” said the doctor.  “Where are they?”  Nez thought a bit and sighed, “They’re on our original ship.  I left that one on Centura.”  “Centura?” asked Diane.  “That’s where I’m from.  What did it look like?”  “It was red,” said Nez.  “With The Woolhat Taxi Co. printed on the side of it.” “My uncle works for a ship company on Centura,” she said.  “He probably knows where it is.  But it’s late now.  We can call him tomorrow.”

The next morning they made quick call to Diane’s Uncle Nabob and they learned that the starship was sold to the Harlod’s Used Vehicle Lot on Zarkon, which wasn’t far from where they were, so they went across the street to the club.  “I don’t get it,” said Davy.  “Why are we going here first?”  “We have to borrow Alizza,” said Diane as they entered the club.  “Hey Marzi!  You here?”  The Exozoid half walked, half danced into the empty club.  She was wearing a plain white bathrobe but was just as beautiful as ever.  “Diane!  Darlink,” she said.  “How nize to zee you.”  “We need a favor,” said Diane. “Can we borrow Alizza for a while?” “Ov courze,” said Marzi.  “But vy?”  “We’ll show you,” said Diane.  “Fine,” Marzi said and she snapped her fingers.  The pretty blond android walked up and said, “What is it miss?”  “You will be helping Miz Diane for a vile `k?”  “Yes miss,” said the robot.

With that they returned to the lab and opened Mick’s containment field.  “He’ll have to come with us,” said Diane.  “We need you to...keep him down to earth.”  “My,” said Marzi, who had changed clothes and joined them.  “Vat happened to you?”  Mick just stared.  “He touched the stardust,” said Judi.  “Don’t ask.”  “We need to get their ship from Harold,” said Diane.  “It has his medical records on it.”  “I zee,” said Marzi.  A synthetic leash was tied to Mick’s foot and Alizza held the other end.  “None of us should do it,” explained Diane.  “We might get pulled off into space.  A robot should work though.”

CHAPTER FIVE: VISONS AND DREAMS

How the guinea pig became a crystal ball.

They made their way to Harold’s lot and found the ship.  “That’s it,” said Nez.  “Only Woolhat ship in the lot.”  “Well,” said Harold, who noticed Nez’s hat.  “I can safely assume it’s yours and give you a reasonable discount.”  “Excuse me buddy,” said Nez.  “But I built this thing.”  As the others walked off to discuss the purchase of the ship, Alizza, Mick, Marzi, and the doctor went aboard.  “That one’s it,” said Mick.  “The yellow disc.  My mother had it made as a joke when I was born.  I kept it as a momento since it was the only sensible thing she ever did.”  Dr. Washburn inserted it and read Micks medical history.  “Fascinating,” he said.  “I never read one of these from a Zaphobrox.”  He had a containment field put up in the medical lab and started comparing the readings.  The others came in as Diane was saying, “At least you got somewhat of a discount.”  “Yeah,” said Davy.  “Thirty-five bucks.  You can get a raxxon for that.”  “I built this ship from a taxi!” said Nez.  “I just didn’t want to pay a $1500 parking ticket!”  “Hey Kurt!” said Mick.  “Come here, quick!”  A little puzzled, Kurt stepped forward just as an old surveillance camera broke loose and crashed to the floor, barely missing him.  “Wow!” said Davy.  “That was close.”  Diane stared at Mick and asked, “How did you do that?”  “I dunno,” said Mick.  “It was like I blacked out.  And I saw a camera falling.  And when I looked up, Kurt was standing under it, so I told him to move.”  “A vison,” said Diane.  “Of the future.  This is getting serious.”

Once back at the lab, they discussed this new discovery.  “Seeing into the future can be useful,” said Judi.  “Kurt could have been hurt.”  “Hey,” said Davy.  “That rhymes.”  “But it can be dangerous,” said Diane.  “It may have harmful effects on his brain.”  “It’s done something,” said the doctor, looking at Mick’s brain scan.  “His brain waves aren’t in sinc with the space/time continueum.  “What does that mean?” asked Nez.  “Our brains monitor what is happening right now,” said the doctor.  “His is monitoring what will happen...in different intervals.  He could predict what will happen in five minutes or five days.  It’s jumping all over the place.”  “Is that why my head hurts?” asked Mick.  Everyone looked at him and Diane gave him some Zaxprin.  “Hey, where did Judi go?” asked Marzi.  “She’s star collecting again,” said Diane.  “She’ll be back before lunchtime.”  “Ow!” said Mick.  “Ow!”  “What is it?” asked Diane.  Mick was quiet for a while, his eyes shut tight, then he opened them and screemed.  “Was it another vison?” asked Diane.  “What did you see?”  “That ship,” said Mick.  “The black one.  It was by a bright light.  There was something small, moving around next to it.  A flare shot out from the light, AND ATE THE SHIP!”  Mick let out a long breath, “It’s Judi ain’t it?  She’s gonna get killed!”  Diane started to panic.  “Where’s Kurt?” asked Nez.  “He was here just a second ago.”  “Diane,” said the doctor, looking at a survielance monitor.  “Some nut just grabbed a solo-jetpack and space suit.”  “Kurt?” asked Davy.  “Must be,” said Nez.  “What is he doing?”  The doctor had covered the monitor with his hands.  “You need not see,” he said.  “He put on the suit and took off.”  The next hour or so was spent in a worried silence.  It was broken by the sound of someone outside.  The intercom came on and said, “Judi Daxenportz reporting.  I’m alright Diane.”

“I guess Mick saw it?” Judi said to Kurt.  He nodded and looked around.  Judi had put the glowing box of stardust onto a conveyor belt and led him to another room with an intercom microphone.  After telling the others of her safety, she started pealing off the bulky spacesuit.  Underneath she had on a tight tank-top and shorts.  Kurt had taken off the helmet and jet-pack and blushed when he realized what he was supposed to do next.  Judi put everything down a chute and looked at him.  “You’re Tvorkian aren’t you?”  He nodded.  “I’ll go first,” she said, going into another room.  “You’ll need to soak in here for fifteen minutes.  Some clothes will be waiting for you when you get out.”  Once the door closed, Kurt waited for the intercom to come on and tell him that the bath was free before he took off the suit, put it down the chute, and timidly went in.

“It was amazing,” Judi told Diane.  “I was doing my spacewalk when some crazy guy grabbed me and turned his jetpack to ludicrous-turbo.  I thought I was being kidnapped when I saw a solar flare shoot out and envelop my ship.  Luckily, I wasn’t attached to it this time cuz I was trying to get closer to the star.”  “I wonder how Kurt knew what to do.” Davy said.  Nez shrugged, “I never could figure him out.  It’s like a sixth sense or something.”  Kurt walked in, running a comb through his hair.  “I guess I should thank you,” said Judi.  Kurt shook his head and pointed up at Mick.  “Hey man,” said Mick.  “I just told you what I saw.  You were the one who reacted.”  With that, Kurt turned a deep red.

 CHAPTER SIX: STOLEN STARDUST

How they learned about the evil Wizard Glix.

After that, Diane was put in charge of writing down any predictions that Mick would have.  Most were small and came to be in minutes, but one in particular was rather puzzling.

“So tell me about it.” Diane said.
“Do I have to?” Mick asked.
“The doctor can’t come up with a treatment if you don’t.”
“Promise you won’t get mad.”
“Shee whiz.  I won’t get mad alright?”
“Okay, I saw Nez...”
“And?”
“He was in this strange place, wearing this funny looking black and white uniform.”
“Hmmmmm...”
“And you were with him...”
“What were we doing?”
“Uh...you were sitting on his lap.”
“Oh?”
“And he was kissing you.”
“I...see.”
“Not just friendly stuff either...you guys were really making out!”
“I get the picture.”
“I don’t.”

With that Diane put down the notepad.  “Don’t worry about it,” she told him.  “And don’t tell anyone else about it.”  “You said you wouldn’t get mad,” said Mick.  “I’m not mad,” she said walking out of the room.  “Not at you.”

One night, Mick floated about asleep in the air when he woke up with a start.  “Was it a vision?” he asked himself.  “Or was that a dream?”  He looked around but didn’t see anybody.  “Oh well,” he thought.  “I can tell them about it in the morning.”  Just then he heard something.  The noise came from the storeroom where the stardust was kept.  Mick noticed a figure in black slinking back and forth through the dark lab.  “I best keep quiet,” he thought.  “It might notice me.  How can I get Diane in here?”  He looked at the sensor that monitored his pulse and relayed his health to the apartments next door.  He took this and quietly turned it off.  “She’ll come running for sure,” Mick thought, “If she thinks I’m dead.”

Just as he planned, Diane came bursting into the lab.  This was a mistake.  The black robber noticed the girl rushing in and his accomplices grabbed her.  She was ushered out kicking in her nightshirt.  “Boy am I stupid,” thought Mick.  “Not only do they have the stardust, they’ve got Diane.  What else can I do?”  By now the robbers had taken off with the goods and the hostage.  Mick looked around.  “Monitor,” he thought, “Used that.  Extra clothes, boots, toothbrush, drumset, comb...drumset, amplifier, drumsticks, earplugs.  Ahhhh.”  Mick hooked the amplifiers to the ogo2000, grabbed the sticks and put in the earplugs.  “I always wanted to do this,” he grinned as he turned the bass booster volume knob all the way up.

Kurt, Davy, and Nez all jumped out of their beds on the ship with a booming in their ears.  Kurt slipped on his orange coveralls and with hands over his ears, he ran with the others across the street among the various neighbors to find the source of the booming noise.  Alizza the android was the only one without covered ears.  She just turned down her hearing circuits.  She walked up to the door and, finding it open, walked in.  The first thing she did was take down the containment field and unplug the amplifier.  “Boy,” said Mick taking out the earplugs.  “Am I glad to see you.”  “What?” asked the robot, turning up her hearing circuts.  “What is going on?”  Judi, the three guys, and the doctor rushed in.  “I told the crowd to leave,” said Dr. Washburn.  “And I demand an explanation.”

Mick told them what happened and also his dream.  “I saw a big gray circle thing,” he said.  “And a man was behind a desk in the middle of it.  A big fat guy with a cigar and behind him was...”  “A large poster with the picture of a nuclear bomb,” Judi finished.  “Yeah,” said Mick.  “How did you...?”  “Never mind,” said Judi.  “I’ll explain on the way.  Come on.”  Mick was walked by Alizza onto the red ship with the others and they took off.

“There,” said Judi, pointing at the screen.  “Is that it?”  “Yes,” said Mick.  “What is it?”  “It’s a space station,” said Judi, putting the ship in orbit.  “Wizard Glix headquarters.”  “Who’s that?” asked Davy.  “The fat man with a cigar,” Judi explained.  “He tried to get me to work for him once, but I flat out refused.  He wants to use stardust in a new weapon of his, modeled after the nuclear bomb.  If he succeeds, it’ll be powerful enough to destroy an entire system of planets.  I guess there weren’t any star collectors willing to do the dirty work, so he takes my stuff.”  “So what do we do?” asked Davy.  Judi sighed, “We’re gonna have to go in and get it.  Nez, you and Kurt will have to find Diane.  Davy, Alizza, and I will go after the stardust.  Doc, you watch us on the monitor and beam us out if we need it.”
 CHAPTER SEVEN: PROPHECIES FULFILLED

How everything came to pass.

The monitor split so Mick and the doctor could watch them both.  Nez and Kurt had no trouble swiping the guards uniforms from a couple of guys sleeping on duty.  They then noticed a noise coming from the closet.  Dr. Washburn carefully opened it and out tumbled Marzi.  "Zorry," she explained, "I couldn't help it.  I just had to come.  You couldn't take my vandroid and not me now could you?  Vhy does he vook at me vike dat?"  All Mick could say was, "You're wearing my shirt."  "Oh yez," she laughed, "Eez diz von yourz?  You don't vant me ztoavaying in my nightgown do you?  Dey your pantz too?  Muzt be."

She waltzed over to the monitor.  "So ve keep an eye on your friendz no?"  Mick didn't answer.  He was changing color again and his head was pounding.  "What is it?" the doctor asked, "A vision?  What do you see?"  "Judi," Mick said, "She and the girl android get captured."  "Too vate," Marzi said pointing to the screen.  Davy escaped but the girls were taken away.  Judi was taken to Glix first.  "So sorry," he grinned, "I won't need your services now."  "You'll never get away with this!" Judi yelled, "I nearly got killed getting that stuff!"  "Spunky isn't she," smiled the Wizard eyeing the girl, "I should have fun with her."  Judi hadn't bothered to change out of the tight tank-top and short shorts that she normally slept in.  "Touch me and you die!" the girl warned.  "Take her to the brig," Glix ordered.

 Nez and Kurt pretended to be on duty and were about to break out Diane when the guards with Alizza showed up and locked her in a robot-proof cell.  They didn't leave until more guards showed up with Judi.  When they all left, Nez whispered to Kurt, "I'll get Diane, You get Judi.”  Kurt pointed towards Alizza.  "It's just an android," Nez said, "Not a person. Now get."  He released Diane with the keys from his black and white uniform.  She had recognized him when he started whispering to Kurt.  "Okay Mick," Nez said, "Beam her out." (the cells of a brig are always transport-proof) Marzi beamed a protesting Diane onto the ship.

 Diane didn't bother to ask why Marzi was there.  She was too worried about Mick, who was floating around and moaning like an old wooden house during a storm.  "What is it?" asked Diane, "What do you see?"  "DAVY!" Mick yelled, "OH NO!  NOT POOR DAVY!"  "Vat about Davy?" Marzi asked.  "HIS HAND!  HIS POOR HAND!" Mick screamed.  "What about his hand?" Diane demanded.  "DAVY GETS HIS HAND BLOWN OFF!" Mick yelled.  Suddenly he fell limp and he floated closer to the ground.

  "Oh dear," said the doctor, "He's a lot worse.  I need to apply the treatment I've been working on.  Only one problem."  "Vat's dat?" Marzi asked.  "Before I treat him," he explained, "Everything he has prophesised must come to pass."  Diane looked at her list.  "There's only two more," she said, "Beam me down."  "Why?" asked the doctor.  "I’m going to help them, besides, if these are to come true, I'll need to find Nez anyway."

 Meanwhile, Judi got herself out of her cell with a skeleton key which she kept down her shirt and almost killed Kurt in the process.  "What are you doing here?" she asked after realizing it was him.  He grinned and Judi sighed, "Oh well, You can help me now.  Nice outfit."  Kurt scoweled as they doubled back.  They found Davy but he refused to go with them.  "I have to get Alizza,” he said.  “Go on without me.”  The two of them figured Davy could take care of himself and went after the stardust.

 Back in the brig, Diane beamed down next to Nez just as he was going to sneak out and help the others with the stardust.  "What are you doing back here?" he demanded.  Before she could answer, some guards started coming.  Nez pulled Diane into a cell.  "What are we gonna do?" he asked her, "I can't lock you in here again."  "Why not?" she asked.  "Cuz I lost the key," he admitted.  As the guards came closer, he sat on the bench, pulled her onto his lap, and kissed her.  He stopped just long enough to say, "It's only acting," and then proceeded to kiss her some more.  The guards passed by and figured it was just another guy taking advantage of the prisoner.  Diane got off of Nez when they were gone.  "They're gone," she said, "Let's go."  They were going to but they bumped into Davy.

 "Not you too," Nez said, "What are you doing here?"  "I gotta get that girl robot," said Davy.  "Why?" asked Nez, "She's just an android."  "I don't care," Davy said pushing by them, "I have to save her."  "You can't get into the cell," Diane yelled after him.  "Leave him," said Nez, "We need to find Kurt and Judi."

 Davy found Alizza but Diane was right.  There was no way he could get into the cell.  Marzi watched with much interest and then remembered something.  "I zaw dat Judi pull a key out ov her zirt," she said to herself.  She rummaged through the closet and found another of Judi's shirts among Kurt's clothes.  "I don't know vhy he's got dis but oh vell."  There was indeed another key in the shirt which she beamed down to Davy.  "What's this?" he wondered as the key dropped out of nowhere.  He tried it in the lock.  "Hey," he said, "It works!"  Alizza had been watching him but said nothing.  "Come on," he said, "We've got to get out of here."  They got out of the cell only to come across two guards.  One of them yelled, "Hey!  He's stealing the android!"  The other fired his gun at Alizza.  "NO!" yelled Davy and he put his hand in front of her.  It was hit just as they were beamed out.

 CHAPTER EIGHT: CONCLUSIONS

How the guinea pig was released and the robot restored.

After Marzi beamed the others aboard, they ran to the sick bay pushing her into the transporter.  She never did understand transporters and it beamed her to the station.  The guards found her before she realized where she was and took her to Glix.  "Ah," he said, "She'll be good for target practice."  They strapped her to a large panel in front of an even larger ray-gun.  The stardust box was on top of it.

Judi and Kurt didn't even know she was there until Kurt heard her.  "The box is on top of the gun," said the distant voice, "get it before they fire."  He recognized it.  Not having a voice made his ears very powerful and Kurt heard the message clearly.  Nez arrived to help Kurt and Judi fight off the guards.  Diane grabbed some gloves so she could get the box but not before the gun was charged.

Nez and Diane teleported out as Judi and Kurt took the stardust ran off to the shuttle bay for a means of escape.  They did not realize that Glix had already gotten enough of the stardust to test his weapon.  Marzi closed her eyes and waited for it to be over.  She heard the gun go off but at the same time it felt like she was being released.  Then she felt like she was flying and someone was holding her hand.  "I am dead no?" she asked herself, "Ez dis heaven?"  She opened her eyes.

She was back in the ship.  Everyone was there but Judi and Kurt.  Davy was passed out on the table.  Alizza was standing next to him.  Diane and Nez were staring at Marzi.  The doctor walked up with a tricorder.  "Don't worry," he said cheerfully, "Not only has the treatment been successful, but the gravitational field has decreased.  It seems that it has rubbed off.  But never do that again.  It could have had terrible results."  "It would have been worse if I didn't," Mick told him, "She would have been a crispy critter."

Only now did Marzi realize that she was indeed, floating.  Not only that, but Mick was holding her hand.  They were in the containment field but not as close to the ceiling as Mick was before.

Everyone's attention soon left them and went to Davy, who was starting to wake up.  He took one look at his hand, or what was left of it, and nearly fainted again.  "Now," said the doctor, "It's no use if you keep fainting."  "My hand is gone," Davy cried, "It was blown off.  The whole thing blew up.  Right off of my wrist."  "Calm down," said the doctor, "It stopped bleeding and you're perfectly alright."  "I'm the best tambourine player in the universe," Davy said lying down, "And I only got one hand."

The doctor ignored him and started to examine Alizza.  "What're you looking at her for?" Nez asked, "She's just a robot."  "Are you sure about that?" the doctor asked, "Seems to me that she's only part android."  Everyone looked at Alizza.  She had the same blank stare that she always had.  "I do not understand," she said in her monotone robotic voice, "I am not all mechanical?"  "No," said the doctor, "In fact you are more flesh than machine.  Someone has tampered with you quite a bit.  Your right arm and hand are robotic but your left is not.  See?"  He took a metal casing off of her left hand.  "This just made it stronger," he explained, "Your left leg and foot are completely robotic also."  He continue to examine her.  "I told you," Davy said to Nez, "I knew there was something about her.  I knew she was more than just a robot."  "Okay, okay," Nez admitted, "You don't have to point your finger."  "Don't add insult to injury," Davy said.

The doctor then lifted Alizza's blond hair away from her neck.  "What is this?" he asked as he pulled out a small disk, "Ah, a memory block.  Someone didn't want her to know she was human."  Everyone looked in unison and asked, "Human?"  "Oh yes," the doctor said, "Did I not tell you that.  She is definitely a human.  Are your memories coming back now?"  Alizza's harsh robotic stare softened.  "I remember," she said.  Her voice was no longer monotone and robotic but soft and gentle like a young girl.  "I remember running through a feild," she said, "A man was there... Daddy...and a pretty lady...Mommy...a big storm comes up...I fall into a ravine...Daddy tries to save me...he falls in too...Mommy falls in after him...I hang on...Mommy and Daddy are gone."  Tears started to swell up in her eyes.  "I fall," she continues, "Someone catches me...he takes me to a ship...my body is broken apart...he makes me a robot."

Alizza said no more but broke down sobbing.  Davy sat down next to her and put his hand-less arm around her shoulders.  With his one hand he wiped her tears away as she looked up at him.

"Facinating," the doctor said, "This chip has a memory, voice and hormone block.  She looks twelve even though she's eighteen.  She's at least six years older than she looks.”  He then took the artificial casing that was on her left hand and held it up to Davy's left wrist.  "Hey," Davy said, "Do you think?"  "I'll have to adjust it," said the doctor, "But it should work."

 As it all turns out, Davy got his hand replaced with a much stronger one and was once more, the best tamborine player in the universe.  Mick was cured from having visions and got special elevator shoes so he could walk like ordinary people but also float around.  The Star Collectors would continue to play at the Star de Gogh Gogh for some time and people would come from miles around to see the flying drummer.  Alizza still lived with Marzi, who's feet do not touch the ground to this day, and learned the basics  of being a woman and Diane and Judi finally got to work on the big project mentioned earlier. It would be some time before anyone found out what it was and by then, the trouble would have already started, but that’s another story.

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