LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 22: CHAPTER22(SEASON2)
(Jax, Mist, Senka and Sanya arrive at a city. The city os booming with business as people are busy trading their goods. Each building is tall. There are a bunch of guards who have red tattoos walk past them holding their long metallic staffs. Right around the horizon is a castle.)
SANYA
Welcome to the city of Screen.
SENKA
The place is booming with people.
SANYA
Well, that’s because everyone here is a trader. They sell metal and drugs like spice.
JAX
Spice exists here.
SANYA
Yeah it does.
MIST
With this much people, one can get lost. What is this spice you people are talking about?
JAX
You don’t know what spice is.
SENKA
Spice is a drug that makes people take as a stimulant. It makes one to go to cloud nine. And also it can increase your sex drive. Because it’s quite addictive, the IPD declared it illegal.
JAX
But most space pirates would smuggle them from one planet to the next. And it goes from red to brown. And it originated from my home planet, Mandarin.
(A man who’s busy smoking some spice on a cigar walks towards them.)
MAN
You sure know your stuff, kiddo.
JAX
Who’re you?
MAN NAMED TIC
Me. my name is Tic.
(He takes a puff of the drug.)
TIC
Oh! Thar felt good.
(Senka slaps the cigar away.)
SENKA
Don’t take it. It’s bad for you.
TIC
Hahahaha! That’s what my wife used to say. Sanya, are these your friends?
SANYA
They’re travelers from beyond the skies.
JAX
Actually, we’re space pirates.
TIC
Yeah, I do know that. My eyes and nose can tell who’s a pirate and who’s not a pirate. For example, my white haired friend here is a pirate but for the pink haired girl that slapped my cigar away is not a pirate.
SENKA
Well, I belonged to the IPD but right now I’m a space pirate.
SANYA
Please don’t arrest me.
SENKA
I won’t.
JAX
So, old man. Who lives in that castle?
TIC
That’s where the Keeper lives.
MIST
The Keeper?
TIC
He’s the ruler of this planet known as Junkie screens.
SENKA
Well, he should do something about the streets. It’s quite dirty and smelly here.
TIC
That guy only thinks about partying and women.
SANYA
Tic! Don’t say such things! You might be sent to the Gulag. Remember, the walls have ears.
JAX
What’s the Gulag?
SANYA
It’s a place where prisoners are forced to fight each other to the death for entertainment.
JAX
That sounds cool. I want to go there.
SANYA
No, it’s not! It’s a horrifying place. Once you’re sent there, there’s no hope or freedom. My father was taken there and he never came back.
JAX
I’m sorry.
MIST
Sorry for your loss.
SENKA
…
SANYA
It’s okay.
(Some red tattooed guards pass by.)
JAX
Oh, it’s those guys.
SENKA
Who’re they?
TIC
They’re the Keeper’s personal guards. Their job is to abduct people and sent them to the Gulag. They’re called the Kept.
SENKA
It seems like they’re looking for somebody.
TIC
You guys better hide.
SANYA
This way.
(Sanya hides them.)
KEPT GUARD 1
We’re looking for some travelers who’re not from this world, have you seen them anywhere?
TIC
Nope. Is there a problem?
KEPT GUARD 2
The Keeper sensed them arriving in this planet. If you find them or seen them. Report them to me.
JAX
{That keeper guy must’ve an advanced Omniscient Kama for being able to sense us arriving here.}
MIST
{What does that Keeper guy want from us?}
SENKA
{To send us to the Gulag}
JAX
{So exciting}
SANYA
{Does the Gulag excite you, Jax?}
(The guards have left.)
TIC
You can come out now.
JAX
That was a close one.
(Meanwhile, in the castle, some up beat hip hop music is being played as a man wearing a Hawaiian plays some good music. There are some women in bikinis having their good time on the pool as they toss a beach ball around. There’s some good steak being roasted on a barbeque stand.)
MAN WHO’S KNOWN AS THE KEEPER
Let’s make some noise!
MEN & WOMEN
Oooh!
(The Keeper then takes a sip of some cocktail.)
KEEPER
I heard that we got visitors from beyond the sky.
(An octopus alien agrees with him.)
OCTOPI
Yes, your Greatness.
KEEPER
What spaceship did they come with?
OCTOPI
The Genshin.
(The Keeper’s eyes turn into money.)
KEEPER
Mwahahahahaha! Now that sounds like good money.
[To be continued]