So, once they had made
their decision it was left to Malena to make all the arrangements and they
spent the following two weeks suppressing their excitement.
During their time in
the Eikon Cluster They had heard a lot about Clarissoss, but they had never
been, in fact the closest they had got was the capital, Rendon.
After spending two days on Eirkos at the agrarian settlement of
Montrose they said their goodbyes and leaving Pulsat, Vanzyl and Bagg, they boarded
the Stroller for the drive back to Cranack.
When they got back Malena remotely opened the ramp on the Tornado.
“Alright everyone, get aboard” Merri said to the crew “next stop
Clarissoss”
Once disembarked from the Stroller they all walked up the ramp and
then Merri drove up the ramp into the cargo hold.
Ten minutes later the Tornado lifted off and headed towards Eikon
Major.
After what seemed like
an eternity, which was in fact marginally quicker than usual, Merri entered the
atmosphere of Eikon Major, with her piloting, and Malena in the co-pilot seat
and she used the Tornado’s four vertical take-off jumper engines and landed
softly on the apron at the Rendon Space Port.
Once they had shut
down all the Tornados systems and secured the ship they left the space port and
boarded the shuttle to the resort.
Clarissoss was
originally a family-oriented leisure resort geared more towards children, but
it wasn’t different enough from all the other similar attractions to pull in
enough visitors, so the owners closed the traditional loss-making family resort
and opened something that targeted adults, and offered a wide range of
entertainment, not all of which were entirely legal.
But over the years
Clarissoss evolved into the premier resort in the system.
The diminutive
Princess Asti Alegionaris was beside herself with excitement, and her Ivory
skin tingled with delight, and her silver eyes sparkled, when she saw where
they were staying.
The Galileo Hotel was
located between the Casino district and the Sports complex and adjoined the Spa
center which offered, fitness classes, gym, rock sauna, infra-red sauna, aroma
steam room, ice fountain, drench showers, Jacuzzi, a Romanesque pool,
Reflexology, Raki, facials, scalp massage, hand massage, Manicure and Pedicure,
and that was only the tradition array of services that originated on Earth but
there was also an extensive catalogue of practices and treatments from other
systems including her own home world of Gouveia in the Dania system, and she
hadn’t had any of those for a very long time, but she was soon going to rectify
that, and then she would have a full range of beauty treatments and put some
life back into her platinum hair.
Her huge fellow
Gouveian Parse Sacrod, contrasted immensely from Asti, apart from the ivory
skin.
He stood 6 foot 8
high, broad and powerfully built, with short curly hair the colour of burnished
steel, and mercury coloured eyes, and he had no interest in relaxing or being
pampered, so he headed straight for the sports area.
Merri, Malena and the
Skeets wanted some adrenalin fueled fun, and although Shiyne would also enjoy
that, she and Terrell also enjoyed the cultural Center in Rendon, where
museums, art galleries, sculptures and antiquities, so they did alternate days.
One day Terrell would
join Shiyne and the others for whatever nerve tingling event Merri and the
others came up with and the next day they would get the shuttle into Rendon for
a day of cultural pursuits.
But at the end of each
day they would all go out and eat together and exchange tales about their days,
followed by drinking and dancing.
In addition to the
gambling, pampering, partying, clubling and catering for the sport obsessed,
Clarissoss had also become a very popular venue for the sin seekers, but the
visitors in pursuit of seedier activities found that they were to be found
hidden away from more sensitive eyes, but although the Tornado crew were far
from sensitive, they had no interest in that part of the resort.
After ten days none of
the crew were showing any sign of slowing down but they had begun to tire of
the usual restaurants that they had been frequenting so on night ten they were
going to a very up market place, which even had a dress code.
So, it was decided
that they would dress in posh frocks and dinner suits and would meet downstairs
in the bar.
Merri was still
getting ready when Parse left their room as he had broken a cufflink and needed
another set, so he went downstairs to the Hotels Plaza and bought some new
ones, he didn’t dress up much since joining the Tornado so when he did he
wanted to do it properly.
He quickly chose a set
he was happy with and the girl in the shop put them in his cuffs for him and
then he ambled slowly across the plaza to the bar where they were all to meet,
which was when he caught sight of Merri, but she wasn’t wearing the beautiful
green dress she’d had on when he left the room, instead she had on a figure
hugging top, leather trousers and knee high boots, and although she still
looked gorgeous he was a little disappointed.
He picked up the pace
and followed her and caught up with her halfway between the door and the bar.
“Hey, why did you
change?” he said touching her arm “you looked stunning in that dress”
In response she turned
around to face him
“Whoa steady on big
fella” she said “No touching”
“Oh” he exclaimed when
he looked at the familiar face possessed with someone else’s eyes
“Sorry, I thought you
were someone else” he said meekly “you are the spitting image of her”
“Seriously? Is that
the best you’ve got, I’m the spitting image of a girl you once went out with?”
“No, you’re the
spitting image of the girl I’m going out with now, and she’s… standing over
there”
She craned her neck to
see this remarkable double but as she was a foot shorter than the big Gouveian
she couldn’t see her.
“Of course, she is”
she remarked and then he smiled and said
“Very funny Malena,
you got me, morphing into Merri”
“Who the hell is
Malena?” The doppelganger asked
“I am” she said as she
appeared and then Merri joined the group and she did a double take, looking
firstly at Mal then at her double and then Mal again before saying
“What the…? You’ve got
my face, and my eyes and my hair,
And you dress like me,
who the hell are you?”
She demanded
“I like your boots by
the way”
“Thanks, I got them on
Androsin Prime” she replied
“I’m Dwynwen”
“She’s even got a sing
songy name like you Merri” Asti said as she joined the group along with the
Skeets, Shiyne and Terrell
“So, what’s your name
then?” Dwyn asked
“Merionwen Strong” she
replied
“No that’s my name”
Dwyn replied
“I thought you said
your name was Dwynwen?” Merri asked
“It is, Dwynwen
Strong”
There was a full
minute of total silence as the two redheads took in the new information and
then the pair said in unison
“I need a drink”
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