"You've gone too far this time." The old man said to Simon as he was walking on the cracks on the pavement. He was trying to pass him on the sidewalk, but Simon would not budge. Soon, the old man, fondly referred to as Mr Bones, was able to pass the ever steady LeBon. Cursing snidely under his breath as he passed him by, Mr Bones hurried his way back home.
"Some people feed on other people's troubles," Simon said softly to himself. He wondered how people like Bones could survive in life without getting hit!
Across the way, Simon saw his friend, John, looking forlorn as he was standing on the corner of Main Street. Simon decided to go see what was troubling his friend. John looks up to see Simon approaching and smiles.
"I knew this was a big mistake." John says to Simon. Simon looked at him, confused as to what John was trying to tell him. "There's a fine line drawing my senses together, and I think it's about to break!" John mutters to a confused LeBon.
"Well," Simon replies, "I'm on a ride and I want to get off, but they won't slow down the roundabout!"
John turns around at that moment and spies Rio walking around the corner. He starts to run after her, leaving an even more confused Simon behind. Simon turns around to see Nick sitting on the curb across the street. He runs to see him. Nick is alone, wondering what happened to everyone. He had called John earlier, but there was no answer on the telephone. He knew that something was wrong, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Something was brewing, and it wasn't good.
Andy and Roger join Simon and Nick on this somewhat busy sidewalk. They all wonder what to do about John. He's been acting strange these days. Nick is sure that John has slipped through the cracks in the pavement. Some laugh at his theory, but Nick stays focused on it.
Planet Earth has been consumed by Girls On Film, and it is getting a little strange in the neighborhood. The four Wild Boys decide to act fast and find John. They hurry across the street and start their journey...
The men come across an old burnt down building. It was called Happyland, a night club. The men questioned what went on there.
"The club had no door, the club had no fire exit, only five came out alive...the sin is that 89 died." Simon said to his friends. He remembered the Daily News reviews of the landlord's life. It found six thousand code violations.
They stop and realize what might have happened to John. The silent Roger stood next to the old building and could hear something coming from inside the charred walls. He stands with his ear against the wall and listens...
"If I listen close, I can hear them singers..." Roger says.
The men looked at Roger in awe. Finally, the ever quiet one spoke! Simon stopped and thought about what Roger had said and realized that John had been put under the spell of the Union of the Snake! He knew that something needed to be done quickly before they lose him for good.
John is running on the sand, trying to catch up with Rio. He calls out her name, and she stops suddenly and laughs at him. He watches her as she walks to Tiger! Tiger! and pets the animal on the head. He purrs and Rio laughs again and runs away, with the animal in tow. John tries to catch up with her, but is unable to. He sits on the beach, wondering what to do next.
Simon, Nick, Andy and Roger are looking at the old building, knowing that there must be a passage to the inside. As Roger is still listening to the music, his weight pushes the wall to reveal a hidden passage. "Notorious-ly done, mate!" Simon exclaims. Feeling good about his discovery, Roger starts to open up more to his friends...
The four men enter cautiously into the building. The air inside is stale and damp. The further they go, they notice inscriptions on the walls.
"Looks like a figure of a child." Nick murmers while running his fingers on the old and dried paint.
"The reflex is in charge of finding treasures in the dark..." Nick reads out loud the writing on the walls.
"Look at this one," Simon says, "...And watching over lucky clover..." He turns to Nick, "Isn't that bizarre?" Simon says, feeling oddly amused. As the two men are looking at the walls around them, Andy has stopped by another passageway in front of them.
"Guys, you need to see this." Andy says. The men walk over to where he is and turn to see an opening in the wall. It is a room filled with Silva Halos and paintings of the Midnight Sun.
"You've been decorating in here, Nick?" Simon laughs.
"Naw, I would have gone with green..." Nick chuckles.
Suddenly there is a loud noise that echoes through the passageway, and as the men turn to see what it is, a Big Thing falls and crashes to the floor.
"Get it up!" Simon yells.
"Get it out!" Nick exclaims.
"Get it in time!" Roger howls.
John is walking on the streets of the Union, showing Rio's picture to everyone that passes. "Have you seen this woman? Her name is Rio, and she dances on the sand...you know, just like that river twisting through a dusty land?" Noone is able to help him. Just before he is about to give up his search, and old man, a gypsy, walks up to him.
"My son," The old man says while John stands there, staring at him.
"Come with me...I have a story to tell you." As the men start walking slowly, the old man begins his tale.
"Every day I wake up in this room, and I don't know where I come from, where I'm going to. Then I hear this voice...'Senhora musa da paz, me abrace me carrega. No teu andor dormir no, colo da or amiga, arrasa! A tua mao desenhou i sonho na areia. Agora, entrega de vez meu rumo Evida...' " John is perplexed by the old man's wisdom. They are following a path to a small village inside the Union. The gypsy continues, "From where I stand the truth is in black and white, alone we live and die, we love and fight. Breath after breath we carry this mortal coil. Safe for tomorrow." The men stop at the fountain in the middle of the road.
"But, what does all this mean?" John asks.
The old man smiles at him, baring gums, showing his age. "Just remember what I said, 'breath after breath we carry this mortal coil' That is all you need to know." He turns from John and walks away. John is left standing alone at the fountain, trying to figure out what that meant. He looks up to ask the man a question, but he is nowhere in sight!
"What is happening to me?" John asks out loud, while running his fingers through his hair. He realizes at that point that his fedora must have fallen off his head while chasing Rio on the beach. "Damn! Gotta get a new hat..." he mutters to himself. He looks around him, and notices that the scenery had changed. The air is musky and a fog is settling in. There is an eeriesound in the air, and he is starting to feel very uneasy. What is going on here? Where am I? I need to get out of this place!
The Wild Boys had finally removed the Big Thing from the pathway. Roger was starting to talk frantically to the others, which was a miracle each time it had happened. If only John was around to hear the bloke speak, he would really be amazed. Simon is now leading the group down the hall, and suddenly stops. Holding his arms out to his side, he whispers, "The Union of the Snake is on the climb..."
"Where?" Nick asks.
"Moving up, it's gonna race, it's gonna break through the borderline!" He says with fear masked in his voice. He is definitely worried about what might be in store for them. He turns to face his friends. "We need to stick together here, noone gets separated from us!" The group nods in agreement, and they move on
Just twenty feet ahead, there is an opening in the darkness, and a bright light is shining through. Dust and smoot are seen floating through the air as the light catches it. The scents are changing the closer they get to it. They realize that they had not eaten in hours, and can smell the aromas of food coming closer to them.
"I am so hungry, I feel like I have been Buried in the Sand for years." Andy says.
"I am Hungry Like the Wolf!" Roger exclaims.
The crew make their way down the steps to the Union, looking for two things, John and food.
John is now hurriedly advancing towards the docks. There is an old shack next to the marina. He has a feeling that Rio might be near. Before he can reach the marina, he hears a woman's laugh ring out in the air. "Rio!" He yells. Nothing. Silence. He runs to a boat docked nearby. He notices the vessel's name painted on the side,'Nightboat', and quickly boards the ship. Behind him, Rio stands silently waiting for him to notice her.
John is on the Nightboat, watching the waves crash against the hull. The wind blows lightly, dragging a familiar scent toward him. He knows that she is there. He can sense it! He turns and sees Rio looking at him from across the deck. He stands to face her.
"Why did you let me run when you knew I'd fall for the gaping hole where your heart should be?" He asks her with a slight note of anger in his voice.
"You shudder when the wind blows." Rio says, lightheartedly.
"Was I chasing after rainbows? One thing for sure, you never answered when I called." John says to her. Rio looks down at her feet and starts to kick the floor, like a child would do when looking for a new lie to tell their parents.
"Yes, I did, you just didn't hear me." She says softly.
"Liar!" John yells sharply. "Couldn't cut me deeper with a knife if you tried. Just take a look before you run off and hide, at your victim." He says angrily. He stands there for a moment, motionless, waiting for a response. Rio looks up for a moment, and smiles at him as if nothing is wrong.
"That's it." John says. He realizes that he has been tricked. He turns to the side of the Nightboat and climbs on top of the rail. "You need to be Undergoing Treatment!" He comments as he jumps into the water and swims toward shore, leaving a laughing Rio standing on the boat.
The Wild Boys had finally found some food to eat. They had been looking for John for hours, and all of that work had taken a toll on their energy. They stopped in a small cafe to rest. The place was called Madazzaland. Inside, there were Electric Barbarellas as waitstaff. The atmosphere was busy, with Union members running about. There was an Election Day poster on the wall. Simon had noticed it immediately.
"Look at that!" he says. The men look at the poster, and are surprised to see that old Mr. Bones was running for re-election for the president of the Union of the Snake!
"And I just thought he was just another bore who believes he's a superpower." Simon says, disgusted. A caption on the bottom of the poster had Mr. Bones' slogan, "Boys, I'll get you more, but you have to pay me by the hour."
"I always knew that there was something odd about that man." Nick says in disbelief.
As John swims To The Shore, he is thinking of the times he had shared with Rio. One conversation is stuck in his mind. It was two years earlier, soon after he had realized that he was under her spell. They were walking on the beach when Rio looked at him.
"I follow you, I wait for you. You know there's no escape from me." She took his hand and squeezed it tightly.
"Who do you need, who do you love when you come undone?" She asked him. He looked at her and replied, "If you're tired of searching, this is where it ends."
John could never understand what Rio really wanted out of him. She was always trying to confuse him at every chance. Sometimes, he thought of her as a Fallen Angel, but now he knows that she was just a Nasty Ho. Soon he reached the shore. Soaken wet, he walks quickly from the beach to find a place to dry off.
Simon and the rest of the guys had long since finished eating. They headed out to the busiest part of the Union. Simon was now interested in seeing what Mr. Bones was doing down there. Was he the Snake? All he knew is that he definitely fits the part. This underground city is something that noone needs to know about, and Simon knows that he will have to do something about it.
Nick stops at a small pathway leading from the road. "Simon, guys, maybe we should go here." For some reason, Nick could feel that John would be found if that path was taken. The men followed Nick as he led the way. The further they walked, the more desolate the area became. Soon, they could see a small marina up ahead.
"He's here, I know it!" Nick said with determination.
"Let's hurry, then!" Simon said.
The men started running towards the marina. There was a small shack next to the main building. It looked as if someone might be in there. They could see a sillhouette in the window.
"Anyone out there?" Simon asked nervously.
The door to the shack opened slowly, and a figure of a man appeared.
"Hello, I'm alive." It was John's voice, slightly tinged with humor. The men ran up to him, happy to finally find him. John was back to his old self again, smiling and acting as if he hadn't a care in the world. Simon filled him in on the situation with Mr. Bones, and John told them of his freedom from Rio. They now knew that they had a new mission...to stop Mr. Bones.
John looked at Simon in disbelief after learning about Mr. Bones' second life. The thought of him as the President of the Union was hideous. He knew that he had to do something about it an stop him from doing any harm. The Union is not the nicest place in the world. You can literally get lost here, and may not be able to come back to the real world.
The men started to the main plaza of the Union. It was going to be a hard task to complete, but they knew that they would do it. John looked at Simon, and as if he had read his thougths, Simon spoke, "Now is the time to come out, come out of the Shadows."
The main plaza was enormous. It had stone sculptures of a woman surrounded by snakes, holding a large basket, encircling the plaza. The Union members were surrounding the area, awaiting to see their leader make an announcement. Everyone was in a particular uniform, all dressed in black clothing with an insignia of a snake on the sleeve. The Wild Boys realized that if they wanted to get close to Bones, they needed to look the part. Simon noticed some men over in a dark corner. They had obviously been drinking heavily, so they were an easy target.
"I think I found us some clothes, men. " Simon smiled, nudging John's arm. John looked at their intended targets and smiled.
"Let's hurry, we don't have that much time." John says.
The men quickly walked towards the men, and joined in on their drunken conversation.
"You know Khanada, she was working for the Skin Trade...got a date with her next week." One of the men was loudly proclaiming as the group howled with laughter.
"Khanada?" Simon asked, looking as if he were about to fall over. He was acting as if he had been drinking for a while in order to fit in. "I went out with her once, she's a hot ticket." He laughs loudly.
John looks at Simon, knowing what he was doing and plays along with him. "Oh yeah, I remember you telling me about that. She was the one who did that thing..." John says, faking a drunken state.
The man at the table stands up to face Simon, curious of what the two newcomers were talking about.
"What thing? Is there something I should know?" The man asked.
"Oh, nothing..." John shrugs.
"Nothing important." Simon adds in.
"No, I want to know. What thing?" The man insists. Simon looks at John and smiles.
"This-" Simon punches the man square in the nose and knocks him out cold. In the meantime, the other men jump from their seats and start to fight with the rest of the Wild Boys. Soon, one by one, the drunken men are knocked out by the others. They drag their bodies behind the wall nearby and change into their uniforms.
"They'll be out for a while," Simon says, while dusting off his uniform.
"Geez, when was the lst time this bloke had a bath?" Andy asks while picking at his clothing.
"I don't know about yours, but this guy doesn't know how to take his to the cleaners." Roger says in disgust.
John looks at Roger in shock, pointing his finger at him, trying to get a word out of his mouth.
"He-" John tries to speak.
"It's been happening ever since we came in here." Simon whispers to John. John cracks a smile and scratches his head in amazement.
The men dust off and rejoin the growing group of Union members at the main plaza. There's a hush in the crowd as three officers walk out of the main doors to the palace. They walk up to a podium and salute the crowd. The union members return the salute, placing their fists on their chests. The Wild Boys quickly observe this and mimic them, making sure that they are not caught. The officers stand aside as the main doors open to the sound of trumpets.
"This looks like a bad scene that was cut from Ben Hur..." Nick whispers to John, who tries not to smile or laugh at Nick's odd sense of humor.
The doors open, and other officials walk out followed by a procession of women. They are all dressed in white. The women take their places by the officials, as the music stops. Everyone in the crowd yells, "Snake!" in unison, and then he appears. Mr. Bones.
"It has come to my attention that there are some non-members in our midst this evening." Bellowed old Mr. Bones. The crowd starts to get uneasy while listening to their leader's words. Simon glances at a worried Nick. He knows the only way to stop Bones from doing any harm is for the men to sneak into the fortress. but, how? Simon wonders to himself.
"I want these outsiders found and brought to me!" Bones orders his subjects. The crowd starts to yell and cheer loudly. The men are afraid that they will be found out.
"I know who they are, El Presidente!" A familiar woman's voice rings out over the crowd. John knows this voice. It's Rio's. He looks fervishly to find her in the crowd.
"Show yourself, lady!" Bones oreders. Suddenly, Rio makes her way to the steps where a curious Mr. Bones is waiting for her response. John looks in horror, knowing that she will give them up in a minute. "Tell me what you know." Bones asks.
Rio turns to the crowd and smiles, when Simon gets an idea.
"She's the intruder! She's one of them! I saw her with them today!" Simon shouts through the crowd. The Union Members start murmering in hushed excitement. John looks at Simon and goes along with him.
"I saw her with them too!" John announces. Mr. Bones looks perplexed. He is interested in what these men have to say about Rio.
"If that is so, then you will be needed in the palace to answer some questions." Bones announces. Nick nudges Simon's arm. "What in the bloody hell are you doing? Do you want to get us killed?" Nick whispers rapidly.
"Don't worry, mate, I know what I am doing here." Simon whispers to him, trying to calm Nick's nerves. The men make their way to Mr. Bones and are motioned to walk into the palace, following some guardsmen. They follow them into the main entrance and are led to a small room down the hall. Inside the room are ten chairs and a large, wooden table with carvings of a snake in the middle. The walls are bare and lights are dim. Nick is certain that they have walked straight into a trap. Simon, however, is not worried. They are instructed to sit down, and the guards leave them in the room, locking the door behind them. Simon looks at a worried Nick.
"You think this place is bugged?" He asks him.
"Why are you asking me?" Nick says sarcastically.
"Because you are the bloody electronic's wizard, why else?" Simon says with a bit of irritation in his voice.
Nick looks over the room. "The corners of the walls are smooth, with no cracks. There is nothing on the ceiling, nothing under the table. The door has no openings. It just looks like a holding cell, if you ask me." He glances at John. "A place to hold the prisoners awaiting death...noone cares about thier last words if they are already condemned." Nick's voice is filled with dread. His mood is dreary. Nick is angry and upset. He secretly feels misled by John, thinking if John had not been so obsessed with Rio this would not be happening. It's almost like a betrayal to him. John can sense the anger brewing beneath Nick's skin, but is without words. How or what can he say to him to make him relax? John only hopes that Simon didn't make a mistake outside.
After an hour of waiting, the men are wondering if they had been found out. They are all sitting at the table, without saying a word to each other the entire time. Each man is deep in his own thoughts. Simon is thinking he made a huge mistake. Andy is thinking what will happen to them once those doors open. NIck is thinking that he has lived his life for others way too long. John is still thinking about Rio, and the betrayal she made. Roger is thinking that he would rather not be here for much longer. Soon, there is a noise behind the door. A guard unlocks the door, and Nick is sure that they won't be alive for much longer. The door opens and Mr. Bones is standing in the doorway, looking over his informants. Funny, he thinks to himself, I don't remember these men. He wonders if they might have been sworn in while he was away. There were so many newcomers during that time, and he had never been able to meet all of them. Maybe these five men were some of them.
Simon and the others stand at attention while Bones walked into the room. He motions for them to sit down. He walks slowly around the table, observing each one of them. He notices how distant the tall one is.
"Gentleman, I have a proposition for you, but it will cost you. " Bones announces to the group. The men look at each other, and silently agree that they will do whatever this man asks for them.
"There is someone I want eliminated, and you five are going to do it for me."
Bones starts to tell the Wild Boys of his plan. The men are staring intently at him, wondering just who he wants for them to kill.
"There is a band that has done nothing but start trouble for me. They must be eliminated."
Simon looks at him, and out of curiosity, asks, "Who are they? Why do you want them dead?"
Bones grins slyly. "They are known as Duran Duran, and they know the secret of the Union."
The men try to hide their shock and surprise. Simon hides it well and stands.
"Just tell us how, and we will do it for you, Sire." he says confidently.
Bones starts to walk around the table slowly, and begins to explain how the men will do this task.
"I have devised a time tunnel. It is a masterpiece, if you ask me. I want for you men to go to the year 1978 and kill these men before they are discovered. Back then, they were playing in an old dive. I have the time and place programmed, all you have to do is go there and do what I want for you to do." He stops behind John, who is nervous.
"When do we go?" Simon asks.
"Immediately, the sooner the better. I want this done now." Bones says. He motions to the guards to open the door. "These men will take you to the chamber, so you can change into some more appropriate clothing."
The men stand and follow the guards down the hallway. John looks like he is about to get sick, but Simon quickly makes a joke out of it. "Don't worry, mate, I know it has been a while since you have knocked off anyone." He slaps John on the back and laughs out loud, followed by Nick and Andy. John looks at Simon, hiding his fears, and laughs as well.
"I know, it's just the last one was so sloppy." John adds.
The men are led into a chamber where five outfits from the New Romantic era are hanging on a clothing rack. Nick silently feels ill, thinking that he is going to wear that clothing again. The guards leave them alone so that they can change.
"Do I have to wear this shit again?" Nick asks, disgustedly.
"We have to, otherwise they will know who we are." Roger says.
"I don't know if I can fit into this like I used to." Simon says while taking the clothing off the rack. "I think I might have gained a bit of weight since then.." He laughs.
"That is actually a good thing, Simon. We might not be recognized that way." Nick says while pulling the old, white frilly shirt from the hanger.
"Shit, as long as my hair is not dyed white again." Andy shrugs, while changing his pants. The men laugh out loud, breaking the nervous energy that has filled the air since this all started.
Before long, they are all dressed in the clothes, and are at odds with themselves. Some of the clothing does not fit like they used to, and it's obvious Simon feels like a sardine in the leather pants that he is wearing. They motion to the guards that they are ready, and are let out of the room. One by one, they walk out, feeling silly. The only one who looks good is Nick. Seems that he hasn't changed much in the past six years. They are met by Bones and his assistant. Bones has changed into a white lab coat, and is smiling at the men.
"I guess you will do. We don't have time for a tailor to come in to make any alterations." He says, noticing Simon's apparent pudge problem. He motions for the men to follow him to the corner of the lab. They notice a large dome with a door, made completely of steele.
"This is my masterpiece." Bones announces proudly. "You will travel in this." He smiles at the men, thinking how funny the one looks in those leather pants. God that must be uncomfortable. He thinks to himself.
"How does it work?" Nick asks.
Bones leads them into the dome. There is a panel on the wall with a display that is lit up. Lights are flashing on the display, with a numeric code. Nick observes this, hoping that he can change anything if he needs to.
"When I signal to you through that window, I want you to push this button." He points to a small black button on the panel next to the display. Nick nods his head in agreement.
"Well, we are ready when you are, just one thing, though. How do you want us to approach them?" Simon asks.
"I have this programmed to land you in an alley next to a nightclub where they are scheduled to play. It's simple. I want you to go into the dressing room, find them, kill them and then take their places on stage and make fools of yourselves. I take it you don't know how to play any instruments?" Bones asks.
"I tried the trumpet when I was a kid, wasn't very good at it." Simon says with a laugh. Bones smiles at him. "Good. That is what I want. Five men who can not play anything. Once you ahve been booed off stage, the band will be history." He laughs in a loud, evil tone. "Well, let's get started." He says excitedly. "Once you are back, we will discuss a very profitable future here in the Union." He says while leading the men back into the dome.
"But don't come back until they are dead." He says before closing the door.
Once the door was closed, Nick hurriedly tries to break the code on the panel. He has his own ideas in store. John notices what he is doing.
"Do you want to get us killed here and now? Christ! What are you doing, man?" John asks frantically.
Nick is quickly breaking the code and changing the destination. He is deeply in thought and doesn't hear John pleading with him. Within a couple of minutes, he has everything changed. He smiles at himself through the reflection on the display, knowing that he has fooled Bones. Soon, Bones signals through the window, prompting Nick to push the button. Nick turns to the four men standing behind him and smiles. He then turns to the display, his hand slowly pushing the little black button. There is a rumbling noise, and the dome begins to vibrate violently. The men all fall to the floor of the machine. Smoke starts to come out from under the machine, and a bright light flashes, filling the entire lab and almost blinding anyonewho looked at it. Within a flash of a second, the dome is gone, leaving Bones and his accomplises astonished at what they had just witnessed.
The rumbling and shaking went on for what seemed an eternity, but it was actually less than a minute. Once it stopped, the men were all on their backs in the vessel. Nick shook his head in disbelief, wondering if his plan worked. He noticed that Simon and the rest of the men were passed out on the floor. He slowly managed to pull himself up from the floor and looked each of them over for any visible injuries. John had what seemed to be a slight bump on his forehead, and Simon had a small cut on his temple. It was all superficial injuries, which was good. At least noone seemed seriously hurt. Nick shook Andy, but he was in a deep sleep. Strange, I am the only one here awake. Nick looked around the vessel to see if he could tell where they ended up.
There was no signs of damage to the vessel, which was also a good thing, since they would need it to get back to 1984. He stood to his feet and made his way to the window. There was darkness everywhere. Where are we? He turned the door handle and with a little force, was able to open it. He stepped out into a warehouse filled with old crates and boxes. The air was damp and stale. He looked up to see the sun desperately trying to shine through the windows. As he looked at his watch, he realized that wherever they were, it should be the same time of day. 7:43 am...Wherever we are it is morning, and I really need some sleep. He looks at the ground and sees something on the floor. A pencil. He pulls his wallet from his pants pocket and finds a receipt and quickly scribbles a note for the others.
He takes the note and gently slips it into Simon's hand. Simon does not stir. Nick turns to the door and leaves the warehouse. Before anyone could see him, he tries to alter his appearance. He rips the frilled edges from the front of his shirt, rolls up the sleeves, and untucks the pants from the boots he is wearing. Not totally chic, but this will have to do.
Once he has left the warehouse, he realized that he is somewhere in the back alleys of London. He remembers this place for some reason. Maybe there was a club here that they played back in the old days. He is sure of it. He walks down the deserted alleys, hoping he can figure out where he was. Soon, he approached a busier street. As he looked around, he is shocked and amazed at what he has found. There are diferent cars on the streets,nothing like he has ever seen before. One passes him slowly and he notices the word, 'integra', on the back of it. Never heard of that one! He looks across the street to see a McDonald's. There are kids running around with their parents. Everyone is dressed so differently. All of the men are wearing all types of hair styles, most of them cropped shortly. Noone is wearing anything that looks normal to Nick, in fact, they are all dressed quite boring. On the window of the McDonald's, he notices a poster saying something about meteors hitting the earth. Oh my God! What is about to happen here?
Nick moves on, walking quickly and trying not to be noticed. He is sure that a fan might recognize him, and he knows that could stir up some trouble. He doesn't want to be found out. He also wants to find some clothing that will suit him better than the shit he has on now. He finds a store called the Gap, and decides to go in. Everything in there is so dull and drab. All of the same colors, and it looks as if there is no designated sections for men or women's clothing. A perky, young teenaged girl runs up to him.
"Hi, and welcome to the Gap. Would you like some help today?" She asks in a nauseating voice. He looks at her, and tries to force a smile.
"I would like something different. Do you have anything taht I might like, that isn't so this?" He gestures to his outfit, and she tries not to laugh at him.
"Yes, sir, I think we do. Come this way." The young lady leads him to an area that is filled with all types of khaki pants and t-shirts. Nick has never seen this many shades of tan in one area in his entire life. The girl helps him pick out a few items for him to try on, and he reluctantly tries on the clothes. Denim, I abhore denim. He ends up wearing some faded denim pants and a baggy shirt with the store's logo on the front. I look like a pansy in this shite! He goes up to the counter to pay for his clothing. As he is waiting for the girl to ring him up, he notices a familiar voice on the telly. It's Simon! But, he has never heard this song before. He looks up at the television to see Simon wearing some horrible silver pants. Then it happens, Nick sees himself. Is that me? Oh, my, I have done it. I did what I thought I did...I am in the future. The young girl notices him looking at the tv screen, and takes a second look at her customer. She drops the sales tags and covers her mouth with her hands. Nick notices this, and is concerned.
"Are you ok, miss?" he asks.
"It's...it's...you, you are him. Oh my Gawd, I don't believe it's you!" She starts to shake and giggle, realizing that she has a famous customer in her presence. Nick notices this, and quickly tries to cover.
"No, miss, you have me mistaken for someone else. Really, I am not him. I get this all the time." He says to her, while she is grinning widely at him. Suddenly, she realizes that he must be telling the truth, and smiles.
"Oh, well, that is cool in a way. At least you look like him. I can tell all my friends that a Nick Rhodes look-alike came into my store today." She holds out her hand. "That will be 15 pounds, sir."
Fifteen pounds, for this shit? Things have changed... Nick gives the girl the money. He keeps glancing at the telly, wondering whey he died his hair so blonde.
"So what are they up to these days now?" He asks, pointing to the screen. She hands him the receipt and change.
"I don't really keep up with them these days. Not since the Big Thing album. I do know that Nick lives in a penthouse just three blocks from here. I heard that from one of the girls who work here. Just up the street." She looks at Nick, still finding it hard to believe how much he looks like the guy on tv.
"Really? Where?" He asks, jokingly. She takes the receipt and writes the address down and hands it back to him. "You should go knock on his door and let him see how much you look like him." She says, laughing.
He smiles back at her, "Well, thanks for the help today. I appreciate it."
"No problem, uh, what's your name?" She asks.
"James." He says, thinking quickly.
He walks out of the store, and looks at the reciept. She had written the address down for him, and underneath that, she had written, Missy, I work here on weekends. Come see me sometime. He smiles at the paper, and continues on down the street.
It took less than ten minutes to get to the penthouse. A guard stood at a desk inside the lobby as Nick walked in.
"Morning, Mr. Rhodes." The man says, catching him off guard momentarily. He smiles at the old man, hoping that he is not supposed to know his name.
"Shall I buzz you up?" He asks. He knows that Mr. Rhodes sometimes forgets to bring his keys with him.
"Oh, yes, please do." Nick says.
"Going incognito this morning?" The man chuckles.
Nick remembers that he is wearing his not so usual clothing.
"Yes, sir, I thought I would slum it today." He laughs.
"It becomes you, sir. Just remember to take off the hair piece before you go on your rounds today." He says politely.
What hairpiece? This is my real hair! The nerve of him! I have lost my hair now?
Nick walks into the elevator and waits until he reaches the top floor. Soon, the buzzer goes off, and the door opens. He finds a large penthouse filled with artwork. All of the furniture is cream colored, and there are plants filling the room. The entire north wall is made of windows, and there is a large balcony that surrounds the wall. Everything is spotless, and there are framed gold records on one wall next to the fireplace. He wonders if he, meaning the other Nick, is in here. He doesn't realize until then that he hasn't looked at the sales receipt for the date. He quickly pulls the reciept out of his pocket and looks at it. April 25, 1998. I have jumped 14 years in just a few seconds!
As he starts to walk around in the penthouse, he hears something coming from a room down the hallway. It sounds like a man's voice talking on the phone. He slowly walks towards the hall, hoping that he won't scare the daylights out of himself. He stops just before he enters the room. The man on the phone is seemingly upset.
"What do you mean you don't want to have her this weekend?" He says in anger.
"Well, remember that she still hasn't forgiven you for the episode last month. Oh, fine, then be that way. Yeah..." He hangs up the phone. "Nice talking to you too..." he says quietly.
Nick is peering into the room from around the corner. He sees himself sitting at the counte. Actually, he hasn't aged too badly. In fact, he thinks he looks pretty good for 36 years. The older Nick turns to the coffee pot and pours another cup. He senses that there is someone in the room with him.
"Tatjiana, is that you?" He asks with a grin. At that moment, the younger Nick sneezes, and doesn't have a chance from stopping it. The older Nick turns quickly, and sees a head bolt to the other side of the door.
"Who's there?" He asks firmly. "Show yourself to me, or I will call the police."
Nick slowly starts to walk into sight. "You won't like what you are about to see." He says slowly.
As he appears in the doorway, the Older Nick stops in silence. He looks at this man who bears an uncanny resemblance to him. He is at a loss for words, so he just stands there and looks at him in disbelief.
"I know what you are thinking." The younger Nick says to him. "Because I am thinking the same thing."
The older Nick realizes that this must be some sick fan trying to play a joke on him, and picks up the phone. The younger Nick notices this and reaches out for the reciever.
"No! Please don't do that! I am not who you think I am!" The younger Nick says to him.
"Who are you?" The older Nick asks.
"I am you." The younger Nick replies.
The phone drops to the floor as the two Nicks stand face to face in shock.
The two Nicks look at each other, silently, for what seemed to be forever. The present day Nick decided to break the monotony. He is confused as hell and can't figure out why he is standing in front of himself. He knows that this can bot be real, and he must have just bumped his head. That's it. He is not really experiencing this. This is just a dream. He has to convince himself of that. He turns to the intruder and smiles.
"So, tell me Nick, how did you get here?" He asks in a jokingly manner. "Did you take the bus, or did Scotty just beam you down here?" He cracks a smile, but the man sitting in front of his nose doesn't laugh. The past-day Nick doesn't find any humor in the moment.
"No, actually, I came here in a vessel. I know you don't believe me, but it is true." He says.
The present-day Nick looks him over for a minute. He is not sure to believe him or not, so he decides to let him tell his story. He tells him about the Union, John disappearing into thin air and to only show up again. He tells him about Mr. Bones, which actually triggers a memory long put away in the present-day Nick's mind. He remembers the old coot that used to torment him as a young lad while growing up in Birmingham. As the story unfolds, the present-day Nick starts to realise that this is actually happening. If he had been passed out, he would have been awake by now. He picks up the phone and dials up Simon.
"Do you think he will believe this?" The past-day Nick asks.
"With all of the things that have happened before in the past? This will be candy to him." The present-day Nick laughs.
The phone rings three times until Simon sluggishly answers the phone. "Uhello..." Simon sleepily says over the line.
"Wake up, sunshine..." Nick taunts over the phone.
"Nick, you know what bloody time it is?" Simon growls into the reciever.
"Yes, I know, you don't like to be unearthed until after three, but I have a situation here that needs your attention." Nick says. At that moment, Simon sits up in the bed, suddenly awake and alert.
"Something wrong?" Simon asks.
Nick looks at the younger version of himself, which is deeply involved in a magazine, "You can say that. Hurry over here, this is very important."
"Have some coffee ready for me, I'll be over shortly." Simon says and hangs up the phone.
"He's coming over. " the present-day Nick says after hanging up the phone. He notices that the younger Nick is looking at that horrible write-up on the band in the Sun.
"We paid fans to come to our shows?" the younger Nick asks in disbelief. "I didn't think we would ever get that desperate!"
The present-day Nick laughs at the naive younger version of himself. "That was a bunch of lies that the Sun just loves to linger in. We were doing a shoot for a movie. The extras were the ones being paid. Nothing really horrible, believe me...er, what should we call each other to avoid complete confusion?" the present-day Nick asks, noticing that this could get confusing.
"I guess, call me James?" the younger Nick says.
"Ok, James, and I'll still be Nick." Nick says.
The two men sat and talked about everything that has happened in their "lives" in the past fifteen years. Nick informed James of the divorce between him and JulieAnne, and the fact that they have a daughter. James was enticed by the news of being a father, but not so happy about the divorce.
"What's she like? Our daughter?" James asked Nick.
"Absolutely wonderful. She was the best thing that ever came out of the relationship. Right now is too early, of course, for you to meet her, but in time...I'm sure you can." Nick said carefully.
"I understand that. She's obviously too young to understand what is going on here." James said.
Simon takes less than an hour to get to Nick's penthouse. All along the way, he wonders what in the hell is going on that he would have to drag himself out of bed to go across town. He had a late night and was hoping to sleep during the morning. He and Yas are on the outs, and he didn't want to deal with another arguement. He figured that going to Nick's would be a good excuse to get out of the house. And you can call me if you want to stay with me at your liberty...
He makes his way to the entrance of the lobby. He sees an old familiar face smiling at him.
"Morning Mr. Peterson." Simon smiles at the security guard.
"Morning Mr. LeBon." Mr. Peterson smiles back, tipping his hat. "Are the children and lady faring well?" He asks warmly, like a grandfather would to his grandson.
"Very well, thank you. Amber starred in her first school play last evening. She was wonderful." Simon beamed.
"Ahh, an actress, I see. What play, might I ask?" Mr. Peterson asked.
"Romeo and Juliet. She was a jewel." Simon said.
"And was she the star?" Mr. Peterson asked.
"Well, no, she played Juliet's mother. But, she was great at it." Simon laughed.
"Well, tell the Lady Capulet that I am very proud of her." Mr. Peterson smiled.
"I will do just that." Simon replied. "Thank you, Mr. Peterson." He said while the older gentleman tips his hat once more and closes the elevator door. The elevator reaches the top floor and the buzzer sounds. Simon steps into Nick's penthouse. He takes off his jacket and hangs it in the closet.
"Ok, Nick, I'm here. What's the big emergen..." His voice trails off as the two Nicks emerge from the hallway. He does a double take at them, and realises that he is not seeing double. Nick can see that his friend is about to pass out. He rushes up to Simon and takes his arm. He leads him into the sitting room and lets him sit on the couch. Simon sits there with a look of shock on his face. After a few minutes of babbling incoherently, he finally comes to.
"What in the bloody 'ell is going on 'ere?" He asks, his voice high and scratchy.
"Long story short? He is me, and I am him..." Nick says. "I know it sounds crazy, but I believe everything that he has to say." James hands a glass of water to Simon, who takes it quickly.
"Oh, shite...I knew all those 'harmless' drugs that I took in the 70's would catch up to me sooner or later..." Simon said wearily.