Punk rock dating chapters 54-58

Punk rock dating chapter 54: Shattered Nerves, Chattering Typewriters...

Getaway Sex:

2007 , New York City:

Marie and Dorothy:

Blur of sidewalks. Adrenaline. Heaving lungs beating hearts.

"I think we lost them," Dorothy stopped and panted, "I gotta go now! Meeting up with you was a mistake..."

"What the hell is going on?" Marie demanded to know.

"It's not about you...They don't care about you! It's me they want!"

Dorothy had heard that explanation in a poorly written movie some time ago.

"We're about a block away from my apartment. We'll hide there..." Marie insisted.

"Believe it or not it wasn't my intention to drag you into this..."

"Looks to be a little late for that..."

Marie tipped the drained doorman and crawled up the belly of the stairs to the pristine pale of room 222. Test tube maids scrubbed ivory statues of white folks nobody's ever heard of. There were no photos of close family friends, only paintings of wigged gentlemen who have been corpses for a couple of centuries now. Art that nobody could possibly notice, let alone care about. An antiseptic vase stood alone. And of course no TV...When Marie was bored she either did a little bit of writing or looked down on someone...

"Judging by the digs I'd guess your book has done quite well..."

"I'm satisfied with its performance.." Marie affirmed. "Now, who were those people chasing us...and why did they drug us?"

"Drug us? Oh you mean Bill and his friends...Well, it's a little complicated...They think I owe them some money or something...a royalty dispute...yea...You know how it is...being in the
'Business' and all..."

My daughter was a better liar than I... but that's not saying much.

"I see," Marie eye seed. She didn't really understand but she didn't want to appear ignorant. "Should we call the cops?"

"Nahhh, " Nahhed Dorothy, kicking back in a Louis the XVth chair (hopefully Lou wasn't expecting it back anytime soon), "Bill's small time... Don't let him scare you. Every so often he comes around and I just have Security scare him off. He's all talk..."

"I see," Marie pretended to see again, popping the cork off the bottle of Dom Perignon.

She handed the hissing flute to Dorothy. The champagne fizzed in the back of her throat as she shot the drink like it was an especially fiery vintage of Wild Turkey.

"Another?" Marie offered.

Dorothy nodded her head "Yes" wildly and passed the glass back to Marie.

"Are you married? Do you have anyone at home?" Marie took a seat directly across from Dorothy, "I mean...I don't want you to stay home alone, what if this 'Bill' comes back for you..."

"Oh, he won't , " Dorothy took this generous portion of champagne in one shot also, "But I don't want you mixed up in my... complicated life...but, it's so lonely...not getting 'mixed-up' with people..."

You'll find I'm already well 'Mixed up," Marie licked her lips, the thought of a dangerous one night stand only grew more appetizing with each glass of booze.

"I don't...I mean...I'm not...a..." Dorothy explained as Marie slinked closer.

And it was true...Dorothy wasn't...but that night she was.

That night as Marie lied sleeping, Dorothy slipped the slippery grip of silk sheets and quietly dressed herself. She took a deep dark bottle of Chateau Margaux from the cellar and swam silently into the small hours....

The next morning Marie woke up alone. She felt only a little remorse, which was always a turn on and sat at her laptop, the chattering keys stuttering the opening line, "Christine loved being lonely, her reflection disagreed...."



Tomorrow we join Dorothy again for another round of office billiards...


Punk rock dating chapter 55: The Corporate Death Sentence...

Hey, Poison:

After leaving Marie's highrise, Dorothy went back home and finished the bottle of wine alone, took a quick shower, got dressed and came directly to work...40 minutes late as usual.

Mr. Karlov immediately pointed out Dorothy's unsuccessful attempt to sneak into the daily meeting, "See everyone, This is the kind of SHIT I'm talking about..."

Dorothy's doe eyes widened in the headlights...

"I don't get it!" Karlov bellowed. "Tell me, how do you not show up for work AND get your job done? I think everyone here would be interested in how you execute this delicate balancing act?"
Dorothy was mute. Her eyes darted back and forth nervously.

"Oh yea.. YOU DON'T!!!!!"

An exploding mountain of papers and coffee mugs flew across the room as Mr. Karlov angrily swept the meeting table with his mighty arm...

"NO ONE DOES! USELESS! USELESS USELESS! EVERYONE IS USELESS!!!! GET OUTTA HERE!"

Mr. Karlov amended his outburst in a more conversational tone, "Oh, and I'd like to remind you next week we're gonna start culling the herd... If you don't do what we ask, your job will be relocated...instead of standing in front of the Mr. Coffee all day you're going to standing in the unemployment line."

"Will the company pay for moving expenses," asked Marty.

"Oh, I'll help you move," Mr. Karlov offered as he kicked Marty swiftly in the ass.

The crestfallen employees shambled onto the main office floor with the thoughtless "why-do-I-go-on" demeanor of crumbling zombies.

Employment, the coldest grave of them all.

The fluorescent lights repeatedly punched Dorothy in the eyes.

"Have too much fun last night?" inquired Marty.

"Yea...I guess I did."

"I know I can smell it..."

Dorothy looked at Marty, offended.

"Booze. Booze, I mean. Jesus, Dorothy..."

"Yea, I went out drinking with a...girlfriend. Didn't get back until pretty late."

"See?" Karlov interrupted, " This is what I mean! Everyone just standing around playing grab-ass when they should be working! I'm sure that's why Mr. E is calling you into his office, Dorothy!"

"Mr E? He... he wants to talk to me?"

"What am I talking to a wall?" Karlov yelled increduously. "Hello, wall! Have you seen Dorothy around? Mr. E would like to speak to her!"

Mr. E was head of Artemis, not just the publishing division, but the entire multinational conglomerate. He was only spoken of in frightened whispers. No one had ever seen him or talked to him. He was a big business bogeyman...The poor souls that were called in to meet with him were never seen again.

Dorothy, after much hesitation (She stopped at the drinking fountain at least a half dozen times, a brief pit stop in the ladies room to throw up) finally made her way to the dim office at the end of the distant hall...

"You wanted to see me, sir?" asked Dorothy, opening the groaning door...

Dorothy nearly fainted at the sight of the (now) three-headed beast that stood before her.

"It's been awhile Dorothy," snarled Escorpion, "But trust me, I have been watching you very closely in the 23 years since last we met..."



Join us in 24 hours as Dorothy and Escorpion catch up on old times and swap fondue recipes...oh, it's gonna be tasty....


Punk rock dating chapter 56: The One Sided Conversation...

The Finer Points of Gunpoint Negotiation:

Escorpion's antler's were especially pointy on this fine morning. "I take it you have already surmised my reason for calling you in here, Dorothy..."

"To discuss the new Clement Allsworth manuscript?" she guessed facetiously.

"Professor Patina's final project. I know you're familiar with it."

Dorothy cast her gaze at the "World's Greatest Grandpa" mug on Mr. E's desk.

"Patina died when I was very young...same as my Father and Mother...to this day I still don't know exactly what it was he did. Was he some kind of Ambassador?"

"I'd appreciate it if you did not lie right to my faces...you know he was an agent of LIBRA,"

"I...I" Dorothy stammered.

"Silence for now!" Barked Escorpion, suddenly sitting upright in his office chair (it really was a poor substitute for his usual throne). "I know your parents died when you were young... I still grieve when I think about what happened. I think Orion was perhaps the greatest agent in the Zodiac Family..."

"So why did you kill him?"

"Silence, I said!" Escorpion relaxed a little again. "I've even had my E.S.Pies scanning your mind for information... "

Dorothy became very tense.

"They have found nothing, " Escorpion admitted , "I do believe you are ignorant of Professor Patina's experiment. You are a small, unambitious girl...the opposite of your great parents...I did not believe that at first. That's why I've been following you since Orion's funeral...Keeping you close...

"I've never involved myself in my Father's business."

Escorpion thought about this for a moment while he played with the Newton's cradle on his desk (really...no executive office is complete without a Newton's Cradle clacking away the stress).

"This may seem hard to accept..." he sighed, "but I did not personally want Orion dead! We tried to reason with him! Let him know that project 54 was a poor idea that could only end in the destruction of Earth! He would not accept this...Like your Mother, I cannot stand by and let Orion destroy everything that is precious to me..."

Dorothy stood in silence...

"I know you don't trust me, I apologize that we attempted to hijack your mind...At the time SCORPIO was still relatively young...inexperienced...We believed the stakes were too high...We...we had to act...I am deeply sorry about the methods we used, young Dorothy."

Escorpion's mood seemed to lighten, "That is why I am here to offer you a promotion within the company. As we speak I am having Karlov forcibly removed from the building...effective immediately you are now president of Artemis publishing..."

"I..I appreciate..."

"There is more...True, you have not yet proven yourself but I do recognize your infinite potential... I am offering you a position of power in the House of SCORPIO... the three thousand members we have are the elite of the elite...People who decide each morning which way the world is going to turn... you would be a fool to turn this down..."

Dorothy made a vain attempt to fix her broken hair...



Join us tomorrow as Dorothy stands in even MORE silence...


Punk rock dating chapter 57: The Second Temptation of Dorothy....

Never Hurts to Read Both Sides of the Story:

Dorothy herself couldn't believe the words she was mouthing, it felt as if someone else were speaking with her tongue. Maybe the E.S.Pies had once again gained control of her mind...This felt different though...None of that weighty sensation in the orbitofrontal cortex that's normally associated with intrusive psychic procedures... This felt an awful lot like that pesky spaghetti-sauce stain on your soul...Betrayal.

Betrayal against everything her Father stood for. Betrayal against everything she was taught about right or wrong. It felt like she was playing dress-up in her Mother's closet...

She must admit she also felt the irresistible tug of curiosity... The same curiosity that drew her to Marie and her bed...

Dorothy had never been drawn to another woman before...she usually dated those pseudo-intellectual guys...y'know those foreign film types...and I don't mean Godzilla movies...

...God, this felt good...

"You are a wise girl," Escorpion smiled three smiles, "Just like your Mother...I have never met a more beautiful woman in my life than Bernadette. Her loss saddens me more than the demise of Orion..."

"I'm in charge here, right?" Dorothy asked.

"Indeed! Artemis Publishing is yours. You crack the whip...Your servants come grovelling..."

This was very appealing. Dorothy had been beaten down by authority all her life...She was the one to take the abuse when petty bosses and delusional managers felt like crushing a fragile human spirit...A malevolent smile spread rapidly across her lips as she imagined squashing those spineless slugs beneath her stiletto heel...

"No! Tell security to keep Karlov... I think he would make a good coffee boy..." smiled Dorothy .

"Yes, of course he would..I don't know why I didn't think of that," Escorpion grinned wickedly from ear-to-ear-to-ear-to-ear-to-ear-to-ear.

Dorothy thought to herself she would only treat her old enemies in this unpleasant manner. She would be different with her friends that worked there...Until one of them forgot to smile at her, talked trash behind her back, didn't invite her to a party, or some other perceived slight...

Escorpio pulled a file from the drawer of his desk...

"Your first mission, young Dorothy is to meet the head of the House of CAPRICORN. He is an unpleasant little egoist named Aigipan... We have sent our best ambassadors to negotiate peace but he alienates each one... I think you might be able to charm him, however..."

Dorothy eyed the file, it contained the time and location of the meeting.

"Where do I find him?"

"His band Aegocerus is playing at the Lofty Circle bar... He's expecting just another SCORPIO ambassador...I doubt he'll be expecting you..."

Dorothy's heart beat faster and faster... How exciting! This must be what it was like for her Father. Being part of a powerful secret society, receiving important missions in exotic places... Too bad she hardly knew her Father... He was always gone...

She left work that night, bug zapper nerves sparking... Long legs and pencil skirt cutting the choppy concrete waters of the wet, black sidewalks...

She looked at the card in her hand. The Lofty Circle was an unassuming dive right across the street from the Roundabout Theatre Company.

Dorothy's head hummed with perceived importance and fear...

...what if Escorpion knew?

What if he knew Dorothy did know all the secrets of Project: Binary Brain Tree...

...Better to keep her enemies close...No doubt this was also SCORPIO's plan...

Still, she wanted to live the life of a secret agent...what if Escorpion and her Mother were correct?

What if I was a terrorist? She had to see this through and find the truth.

There were two ways this could end...

1. She would find out that I really was a madman in addition to being an absent Father and she would join SCORPIO and usher in a new age of prosperity...

...or...

2. She would see SCORPIO for the evil organization that it really is and bring them down from within...

but neither option bothered her that much now, she was just going to close her eyes and enjoy the ride...

She had arrived at the Lofty Circle, an old neighborhood bar that had grown gracefully into what could only be described as a burgeoning pile of rubble and rat-shit.

Still the doorman turned away the unfashionable and slovenly.

"SCORPIO business," she announced to the Doorman.

The doorman wiped the sweat from his brow and nodded his head, "Y-yes..We have b-been expecting you Ma'am... Come right in, drinks are on us of course..."

Dorothy bit her lip as she watched couples choking each passionately to the music that pounded, an intoxicating blend of Ramones-style punk and Neopagan folk...

Moustachioed moon men in S&M gear sank mysterious syringes into sleeping children...

Patent leather Nazi bombshells whispered sexual fantasies of genocide into the wanting ears of teenage junk-gropers...

A girl licked her red lips as she strangled the life out of a glassy eyed starlet, she continued to recite lyrics in her death rattle... the dead girl is reborn as a Tibetan holy man millions of miles away...

Dorothy made her way to the bar, the bartender cut his wrists lovingly, "How may I serve you in the final moments of my life?"

"A White Russian, please?"

"Enjoy it..." the bartender urged Dorothy, "For it is the last drink I serve to this parched world..."

He handed the drink to Dorothy. Dorothy forgot to tip.

She sauntered into the crowd and stood next to a newlywed couple photographing a fresh crime scene on the dancefloor. She bobbed her head to the decadent music...

"What's the name of the band?" Marie asked the couple.

"They're called Aegocerus..."

Dorothy closed her eyes and welcomed the knives...



Join us tomorrow as Aegocerus succumb to the crowd's demand to play "Freebird"...


Punk rock dating chapter 58: Descend Spiral Visitor...

All-ages Show:

Aegocerus finished their set in hail and fire, mingled with blood and stepped off the stage to cash in their drink tickets....

"Hey, I really liked your music," she said, approaching their vocalist (an elfin, water-faced cross-dresser).

"Thank you...," the singer replied, helping himself to the bar (the bartender was a touch too dead to be serving drinks at this point...)

"I'm Dorothy," Dorothy I'm Dorothy-ed.

"Aigipan," Aigipan Aigipanned.

"I was sent here by the House of SCORPIO..."

Aigipan's eyes grew.

"Escorpion sent me here to negotiate a truce between our houses..."

"I know my reputation may indicate otherwise but I do not associate with murderers..."

"Then what do you call this?" Dorothy gestured toward the crowd, now engaged in an orgy of death. The newly wed couple beheading each other, a business man devoured a schoolgirl, the schoolgirl's severed head, still wide-awake gnawed on the ankles of her best friend.

"This?" laughed Aigipan, "This is a Deathbar... What did you expect?"

"D-deathbar?" Dorothy stuttered.

"Yes. This is all illusion. See that black booth?"
Aigipan pointed to a balcony with heavily tinted windows.
"Up there is the telepathic projector... See, none of us are actually here talking! As soon as we walked through the door, the doorman actually led us to that closet..."

Aigipan pointed toward a closet...

Dorothy could not bring herself to look at it...

"In that closet is where our physical bodies actually are! The telepathic projector burrows into your limbic system and projects your deepest darkest fantasies into this room...Usually these dark fantasies consist of murder or some type of shameful, violent sex... Sometimes both! That's why it's called a Deathbar...."

Dorothy was both disgusted and turned on.

"You mean...I'm imagining this?"

"We all are! All our thoughts are connected...We get to act out our violent urges here, and the beautiful thing is no one gets harmed! Once the projectionist turns off the machine we're all going to wake up in the same shape that we arrived... Healthy, whole, and purged..."

"My God...it's seems so real...Y-your band..."

"It's just a projection also... We're not really that good...but the songs in my head..."

"They're beautiful..." said Dorothy in hushed awe.

"Yes! Beautiful...And people get to hear them exactly as I envisioned them! That's why I come here, actually...but I find it very hard to believe you do not know of the psychic projector..."

"No...honestly..."

"And SCORPIO sent you?" Aigipan shook his head in disbelief. "I apologize, Dorothy, it's nothing personal...the psychic projector is an object of much desire...."

Dorothy looked around at the nubile bodies covered in gore...She looked back at Aigipan's porcelain face.

"Aigipan?"

"Yes, Dorothy?"

"May I kill you?"

"It would be my pleasure..."

Dorothy picked up her salad fork and plunged it deep into Aigipan's neck, she took a bite out of his head and ripped out his beating heart to have for dessert...

Then suddenly she was standing in an empty room with 300 other strangers...

"Closing time," the bartender announced, once again joining the realm of the living...

"What are you doing later tonight?" Aigipan smiled at Dorothy...



Join us tomorrow as Dorothy remodels the Houses of SCORPIO and CAPRICORN...