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Chapter 9

Meanwhile, Somewhere in the Collundrome Asteroid City...

HeartBeeps stood nestled in a block of well-lit shops. A large display windows fronted the building. Animated mannequins featured outlandish outfits, fashioned with glaring fabrics, plastics, and metal. Holographic displays behind the glass flashed up a parade of clothing for seemingly every alien body type, one after the other, like a carnival of gaudy vanity.

Butch led the others into the department store. Creatures from across the universe perused the stock. HeartBeeps carried something tragically shishi for all shapes and walks of creatures. There was a section for Slorracks, for Knacks from the planet Punge, for the glowing creatures of the Xthlth system. They carried elongated clothing with more than two sleeves. They carried squat robes, multicolored with two neck openings. They carried kinetic clothing with undulating appendages and electronic buzzers.

After a bit of browsing, Twana spotted a sign that read, Welcome Earthlings, to the Collundrome. She led the others through racks and racks of clothing to the human apparel department. “I don’t know what we’re doing here,” she said to Butch as he began to browse the stock. “We need to get Bieber in front of Arrowheart.”

“Arrowheart won’t pay us any attention unless we look the part.”

“We don’t have money, DePechio cut us off.”

“I have money,” Mindee Lee said, taking a credit chip out of her little purse. “Don’t worry about a thing.”

The four of them shopped for the better part of an hour. The girls tried on outfit after outfit, but Butch insisted on final say in what would and wouldn’t be right for the situation. In the end, they walked out with an entire wardrobe of clothing, all flashy and glitzy, gold and red with plastic and metal accessories.

Butch used a map in his welcome packet to find their rooms. They made their way through the streets, lugging their bags and boxes along. Once they reached the hotel, a brightly lit beacon of a building, its inner sanctum loud and flashy with casinos and street level shopping, they found their rooms and laid out their new outfits across their beds.

“We’re going to look like a circus,” Twana said.

“Or pop stars, or actors, or talent managers,” Butch said. “Trust me, we need to look the part or we don’t have a chance.”

Butch went through the girls’ and Bieber’s outfits and picked out the best of them. The four of them changed.

As they exited the hotel, Twana didn’t realize how badly they hadn’t fit in before souping up their wardrobes. It seemed everyone dressed in splashy color, all kitschied up like peacocks.

Of the four of them, Bieber looked the most conservative. Butch had selected something from the business department, posh enough that he would fit in, but subdued enough not to be Bieber. He wore a new pair of sunglasses and a stylish hat. But there was no hiding his good looks from occasional human teenage girls, wearing their, I’ll always have Bieber fever, tee shirts. The clone still drew glances.

“Butchie, you’re a genius. There’s no way Arrowheart won’t listen to us now,” Twana said.

“He’s a high roller, sis. It’s not going to be that simple. But there is one thing for sure. I don’t want to try this on an empty stomach. Lets find something to eat, then we’ll go see Arrowheart.”