Interlude V

Sharris strode into the backstage area of the EMBG and frowned. The scaffolds holding assorted lights were empty of anything else and had been shoved to the edges of the tent. The stage floor was pulled back, revealing bare dirt tilled to a soft powder, and the tables and bar were raised up with a sturdy barricade between them and the arena. A less-intense railing separated backstage from the ring, and a wide path connected the open ground to the back wall. The drone of patrons clouded the air.

A lone, short woman leaned on a rake, inspecting the prepared floor. In the harsh lighting that focused on the arena, her teal skin had an uneven texture. Her blue-green hair was shot through with gold and black.

Sharris bent to pass beneath the bottom rail, dropped to the dirt, and crossed to the woman.

"Quise." Sharris adjusted her axe in its harness. "Have you seen Kit?"

"Not today." Quise pulled her thick hair into a messy ponytail, wrapping it with efficient twists of a stretchy band from her wrist, and revealed a small band of smooth skin at her nape. "She's usually programming the overhead lights before our set. Did you try paging her?"

"Uh, yeah." Sharris winced. "About that."

"What?"

"Mikhail was up in the booth just now."

Quise's eyes shut, and she muttered something unintelligible under her breath.

"Comms are down and all the pre-programmed sets are wiped. Didn't you hear the local station feeding through the speakers?" Sharris pointed at the large black pole-mounted speaker pointing toward the bar's dining area.

"I thought someone was running a spoof-track again." Quise scrubbed a hand across her face. "Damn it, I'll need to get with the twins to re-work our show. We're on in, like, 15."

"Kit could probably get everything back online that fast." Sharris grimaced. "If I can find her. Maybe we can drop the overheads down and switch in some torches in place of the holographics?"

"Tidus can't handle that; he doesn't mind travel, but if the show's off, he won't perform." Quise narrowed her eyes and stared into the distance. "Auron might be up to it. He's almost settled from transit." She groaned and rested her head against the rake. "Except he's not prepped, since he was supposed to be off tonight."

"Go tend your bulls," Sharris laughed, "and get the twins up to speed on the changes. I'll get the torches ready and have the boyos do… something… to keep the peeps busy for a bit."

"Serves 'em right for not keeping Mikhail out of the booth." Quise twirled the rake like a baton. "Give us 30 to reset."