Station, стр. 26
The three friends stepped out into the relativewarmth of the large Idol Moon, Hadder keeping his eyes from theunnerving animated fountain. "So what do we do now?" asked Hadderto no one in particular.
Jonny moved and put his arms around both Reena andHadder. "Now? Now we do whatever we want. First things first, let'sget a proper drink. I think Steam Dreams should do nicely.Reena?"
Reena nodded in agreement.
"No, I mean, what do we do here, Jonny?"
"You're going to have to let that go, Hadder. Theidea that the day has to have purpose and structure was left in theBefore. We can do anything, everything, or nothing. No one willjudge us in any case. Right now, dear Reena Song and I usually meetfor a drink to clear the head, laugh about the previous Haela, andplan."
"Plan what?"
Jonny laughed as they began to walk together. "Planthe next Haela, of course. Where will we go? What do we want towear? Who do we want to be?
And most importantly, who do we want to gowith? And lucky for you, Hadder, that last question has alreadybeen answered, old chap. You want to know what now? Now we do ourbest to make this next Haela the best one ever!"
"And get ready to fucking party again!" yelled Reenainto the Solay night air.
"Well said, my dear," said Jonny VV, a big smiledominating his face. Feeling the excitement of his two friends asthey walked, Hadder couldn't help but feel eager for the nextHaela. If this was to be Marlin Hadder's new lot in life, spendingthe day to maximize the night, so be it.
The Before was totally bereft of joy. Hadder wasgoing to make damn sure that his time in Station would be definedby non-stop euphoria. His revenge on a world that so brutallyforced him out.
CHAPTER 9
The next few weeks passed in a blur. Or was it months?Days flew by faster than Hadder could comprehend, powered by strongdrink and other chemically enhanced substances. Solay slid intoHaela, which torpedoed back into Solay with no end to the cycleinsight.
Solays were spent recovering from the previousHaela's festivities, assisted by copious amounts of Number 1, akathe Cure. This elixir was standard across all Bars, so Jonny,Reena, Hadder, and a rotating cast of characters would meet up atany number of places around mid-Solay to lick their wounds andexchange stories.
Not all Bars, especially those in the CelebrationCluster, were open during Solay, so the group often traveled acrosswestern Station in search of that Solay's watering hole. Thispresented Hadder with opportunities to explore Station, visitingother clusters, and observing how those outside the CelebrationCluster carved out lives in Station.
Bored one day, Hadder's usual trio dragged newfriend Goldie, a twenty-something who only wore gold-coloredclothing, stating that the gear, coupled with his extensivecollection of gold jewelry and bleached hair, made his tan skinsing, to the Weep. Thinking the trip a gaff to kill time, thequartet left the Cluster soon after arriving, hearts a littleheavier from the sob stories they were inundated with uponarrival.
Drinking away the Solay in the New Age Cluster,however, turned out to be good fun. While the residents theredidn't use Elevations much to improve their looks, the crystals andgemstones that most had implanted across their faces and bodiescertainly created an interesting effect. While neither Jonny,Reena, nor Hadder thought much of the philosophies and practices ofthe Cluster residents, their passion for life was contagious, andeveryone always left the Cluster a bit happier and a great dealhigher.
The Gaming Cluster was always a favorite, a group ofbuildings where residents congregated to play traditional sportslike basketball and tennis while also trying out Station-onlycreations like Moonball and Space Discus. Drinking games alsopermeated the Cluster, with extensive variations of Beer Pong, FlipCup, and Quarters. For many residents, a Solay in the GamingCluster assured that the Haela would be spent passed out in thenearest living quarters.
When sufficient Number 1 had been consumed to healall wounds, the trio would begin discussing the upcoming Haela.Where were they going to go? Who did they want to meet? What werethe appropriate clothes for the evening?
While Jonny VV and Reena Song created entirely newensembles for each Haela, Hadder reserved this for only specificparties and occasions. Exceedingly comfortable in his gray pants,black shirt, and high tops, Hadder would often get a light jacketmade, designed by Reena, to switch up his look, sometimes copping anew pair of shoes to match the top.
If Solays were for recovery, creation, andrelaxation, Haelas were only for one thing - pushing the limits ofrevelry, into and past decadence. Some Haelas saw a return toThe Soiree Noire, where no two nights were the same as partythemes never repeated. While Hadder no longer needed to be withJonny and Reena to catch Monty's eye and gain invitation, the Modcontinued to throw suspicious looks Hadder's way like darts.
At The Legged Fish, the Bar's interior wasbuilt to look like one long beach line, complete with an artificialocean, allowing everyone to show off their Elevated physiques insmall bathing suits. Hadder mentioned his concern for drugged-outresidents drowning in the false sea and was blown away when Reenatold him that it was not water, but a water-like substitute thatallowed for breathing, that filled the Bar. For the remainder ofthe Haela, Hadder was under the machine-induced waves, gliding withgroups of residents. Together, they investigated iridescent coralreefs that hummed with Station life, including bright seahorses,glowing schools of purplish fish, and peaceful eels whose gentlebites sent pulses racing faster than the purest cocaine. Severalbars were anchored to the fake ocean's floor, with pinkish dolphinsmore than happy to whisk residents from one counter to another,where long tubes crewed by manikins were presented to serveunderwater beverages.
Other Bars were less distinct, offering experiencesthat ran together with countless others. The places, however, wereonly one element of the Haela. Alongside the drugs that wereconsumed, the residents that one met and spent time with definedthe evening. Several Haelas found Hadder waking up next to ReenaSong, her soft skin hugging his own like a life vest. Upon rising,Reena never made the encounters awkward, playfully getting dressedand stating where to meet later before quietly exiting theirshort-term living