Synthe Gridd's Story

Synthe Gridd folded close her writing tablet and packed up. It was about time for her to depart for tour. She would miss these quieter times- sitting in a cafe, writing music the old way.

She paid her bill and left a hefty tip, slipping out before anyone realized who was sitting at that table.

Synthe Gridd took a step back as the two person waterbike pulled into the spot where she was waiting.

"You ready to rock?" Asked the driver, face concealed by a bubble-style helmet in reflective silver. They tossed one to Synth. She caught it and jammed it over her fiery hair.

"Let's roll," Synthe chirped back as she mounted the back of the waterbike. The two jet over the water and to the small space-faring vessel parked off-shore. The waterbike was parked and lifted, them still atop it.

"Do you know where your first show is?" Asked the driver, making small talk with the intergalactic music celebrity.

"Terra - then we're off to Aberash," Synth shouted back over the whirr of the lift bringing them up into the ship from below.

"Nice! Think we'll catch the Hunt?" The driver was happy to hear they would be going to Aberash. Witnessing a Hunt match was high on their bucket list.

"Oh, I plan on it," Synth replied with sincerity. With a loud and resounding click, the lift finished it's process. The two smoothly disembarked and made their way to the bridge of the ship.

The small ship booted up and took off from the harbor, exiting the atmosphere with a twinkle.

A few minutes before the fleet arrived, a sleek private vessel slid into the private docking area reserved for celebrities and the elite who could afford it.

Synthe Gridd strut casually down the stairs leading from her vessel to the ground. She was glad to not have to worry about paparazzi back here in the private docking station. Someone in a gunmetal flight suit with light blue embellishments offered her a bottle of water. She took it graciously and gave them thanks.

Her first show was in a few days on Terra, the planet below this asteroid station. The label had decided to put her up here for most of the days leading up to the show at her request. Terra was great and all, but she had grown fond of the quiet of the not-city after her writer's retreat.

"So," she turned to the person who had been discreetly following her. They wore a metallic bubble helmet and what looked almost like a wet suit. Despite their chunky boots they were remarkable soft in the step.

"It's not the penthouse, but we have a suite on the almost top floor. How there's a top floor in an asteroid, Sol only knows," Synth chuckled at her own joke.

"Were you going to pop-up at Club 47?" The person with her asked.

"No, god no! I don't know," Synth remembered the executives mentioning something about a grand opening of a club, as well as the hotel. She was more interested in relaxation. Her company, on the other hand...

"Would be a total vibe," they remarked to Synth, but didn't press it. Chances are Synth would get bored and wind up at the club, behind the decks, doing her thing.

Three security officials interrupted their journey on to the airlocks.

"Ma'am,... er," One of them addressed Synth and Company, "We've received notice that this station may need to undergo lockdown for an undetermined amount of time within the next," they checked their digital watch, "Twenty or so minutes. All incoming, ah, patrons of Blue Heaven are advised to depart if such a lockdown would cause an inconvenience."

Synth Gridd frowned. She just got here, what in the heck was going on? The official seemed to read her expression.

"It's unclear if the lockdown will proceed, however-" With a small wave and a smile, Synth silenced the official. She had already calculated that it would cause more stress to stay than to go down to, blegh, Terra.

"Granpaix?" She turned to her associate an asked with a shrug. They nodded and went to turn, then stopped. Synth couldn't read minds, but she knew what they were thinking and said, "Go on, check out the bathroom sinks. Two minutes!"

Synth's companion rushed off to the bathrooms. Synth cracked the water bottle and drained it. They weren't even on Terra yet and already, Terranesque Nonsense. Oh well.

Carmen Dellevon was good at sneaking. Her cloak hood lowered once again, she kept to the shadows and watched the ships coming and going. Mostly coming, which was a shame. Until...

"Ma'am?" A burly security official waited for her attention. She met him with her eyes and graciously smiled.

"We've received notice that this station may need to undergo lockdown for an undetermined amount of time..." The security guard began, but Carmen had tuned him out on the word 'lockdown'. SHIT! She thought to herself. I've been had!

"...routine procedural test," the official continued. Carmen's heart fluttered. She had to get out of here. Carmen tried to stay calm as she looked around for a ship- any ship. Any public ship. Hell, she'd sneak onto a private ship if she had to.

There it was. Carmen spotted the sleek vessel. It was painted as if it were wearing giant chunky headphones. The stairs were down. The door was open. There was nobody on guard.

"Thank you, sir," Carmen said to the official. He dismissed himself with a nod. He had more people to notify. Carmen was over by the painted vessel in an instant. Nobody said anything as she made her way up the stairs. Nobody was at the door to stop her. It seemed, for all intents and purposes, empty. Carmen found a seemingly unoccupied room and settled in.

Synthe Gridd met up with her associate right outside the bathroom.

"You ready?" She asked, flicking a pair of cool blue holographic sunglasses down over her eyes. She had bought them off of one of the working girls in the flight suits, who of course was a super fan. Synth insisted on giving the girl bits- along with the autograph that the fan had initially propsed.

"Make someone's day?" The companion in the silver helmet asked, jerking a thumb to the giddily distracted group of girls trying not to ogle the celebrity.

"Yeah," Synth had already started walking towards their ship.

"Well at least you got something done," Synth's associate joked as the two of them made their way up the ramp. They head straight for the bridge, where the pilot had already received notice that they were to immediately depart. With the press of a few buttons and the pulling of a lever the spacecraft painted with big headphones taxi'd to the exit. Everyone checked their harnesses.

"To Terra," Synth sighed. At least Granpaix was pretty.

Carmen Dellevon felt the ship she was on starting to taxi. She scanned the room, quickly spotting the launch seat discreetly folded into the wall. With quick work Carmen was buckled in. Her heart was racing. She didn't care where they were going- as long as it was as far as you could get from here.

The sleek private space shuttle painted with giant headphones docked in the private section of Granpaix Portespate - otherwise known as the Granpaix Spaceport. The entire bay was built from carved stone blocks in gleaming white. Columns stretched to the ceiling in the corners of the antechamber leading out of the rounded bay. It was quiet in here aside from the whirrs and clanks of the settling ship.

The label had requested discretion. Synthe was happy to see there wasn't a small party of delegates to greet them. Just an officer in the pale green uniform of the Granpaix law enforcement standing discreetly by the exit.

"Is it just me, or is the gravity more than it was last time?" Synthe commented to her companion. Her lime green jumpsuit was a stark contrast to the person who followed her's was. They looked ready to go diving under the sea.

"Nah, you just hate it here," They responded, giving Synthe a soft elbow in the side.

"Fair," Synthe shrugged back, "A sunrise set to kickoff the tour isn't exactly my favorite, but tradition is tradition."

The two completed their trip down the ramp. Guess it was time to check into...where were they put up again?

Synthe Gridd made way with her companion down Paix Main. It was lined with tall buildings made from marble blocks. Balconies wrought from iron, carved from stone, and sung from tree jut out over the wide street. Despite being a stone cobbled road it was remarkably smooth- and glittered where the light of Sol above bounced off.

The city bustled with folks of all type. Every now and again Synthe checked her phone to make sure she was going the right way.

Synthe Gridd glanced at La Note Haute & figured they'd need to stop in later. It looked cute in there, and she didn't remember that type of shop being her on her last visit. Last time she was on Granpaix, everything was illegal. Everything. She had played at a rave that had almost gotten busted - thankfully, her label had paid off someone and they'd been good.

The hotel was her priority. Synthe and her companion exchanged a nod and continued on.

Synthe Gridd double-checked the email and let out a low whistle. If this was where they were being put up, Synthe would get the opportunity to throw one hell of a party.

"Chateau de Bleu- woop di doo," She jabbed her companion in the ribs with the jest, "Why have a penthouse when you could have a whole tower?"

"Wait, what?" Her companion asked, a bit shocked but all the more satisfied.

Synthe Gridd was greeted by an attendant wearing all white with the hotel's signature blue embroidering a songbird into the lapel. They let Synthe know that all of her arrangements had been taken care of, which she knew. They notified her that her luggage had already arrived via skydrone from the Portespace, which she also knew. Synthe was patient as the attendant joyfully relayed that she had the entire north tower to herself; she knew that already, too.

The accomodations came with a private chef, the attendant continued, which Synthe didn't know. They asked if she had any requests.

"Grilled cheeses," Synthe grinned, "& Hill Frost- Method Scarlet!"

Her companion shook their head. She loved that gross red fizzy drink. It was so sugar-loaded, too! Before they could scoff, the attendant turned to them and asked what they'd like prepared.

"Green bean casserole?" The silver helmeted companion doubted they had it, but was pleasantly surprised when the attendant nodded and departed to fulfill the requests. Alright!

Synthe Gridd slinked into an armored limousine, dressed to the 9s in futuristic clubwear.

It was show time.

Finn Harra gave his ticket to the person collecting them and shuffled with the crowd towards the main amphitheater. It was dark, but at least the aisle ways were lit. He made his way to the pit and grinned at the people on either side of him. They too wore denim jackets with Luxxor patches.

"Glad you made it!" One of them quipped and elbowed Finn.

"Yeah, job almost had me screwed," Finn said back and pointed to the stage as the lights began to dim. It was happening!

The Granpaix Musipal was a cathedral for sound, a vast theatre celebrating music. Its architecture was a marvel to behold for citizens of Granpaix and beyond. The whole place seemed almost carved from white sparkling stone. As the sun began to rise, the bricks would seem to glimmer and dance. Right now, thought, it was dark. The bricks were dark. The place was filling up to the brim.

It was not time for the sun to rise, not just yet. Synthe Gridd had arrived via limo two hours before Sol was set to breach the horizon. Beyond the backstage, the audience settled into their spots. Like a charged electrical current, the excitement began to bubble over. It was then the lights out in the amphitheater began to dim.

It was showtime.

In the heart of the Granpaix Musipal, three figures took the center of the raised stage. The entire amphitheater pitched into total darkness. The crowd roared as the lights swept around them from the stage like the hand of a great clock, shifting through all the colors of the rainbow.

It landed, a bright spotlight, on Synthe Gridd- center stage. The crowd went wild.

Synthe Gridd, EDM DJ extroadinaire, stood flanked by DJ Invasion and DJ Boompaix. She wore a futuristic ensemble that shimmered like liquid lime under the spotlights. Her hair, an electrifying shade of orange, shot up from the center of her head in a massive mohawk. A line of glowing wire was weaved around the spikes of her hair, pulsing light up from her skull and out to the sky. She held out her arms to either side and tilted her head back, basking in the glory. After a moment she moved one hand to the headphones positioned over her ears, and raised the other hand jazzy to the sky. The crowd elevated their noise, joining together in a single note before collapsing back into the chaos of a packed amphitheater.

The spotlight was joined by another on her left, highlighting first DJ Invasion. DJ Invasion was dressed in their classic slick black jumpsuit that looked like oil made into fabric. Their face was obscured with a big boxy helmet, with a digital screen where the eyes should be. It scrolled one word across over and over, in a red pixelated style, INVASION. They moved their arms like a robot, then pointed an imaginary gun at the sky. DJ Invasion pretended to shoot, the audience clapping with every faux shot DJ Invasion took - all ten of them. DJ Invasion gave the crowd a salute and stood in the pose.

To their right was DJ Boompaix- who received their own spotlight a beat after DJ Invasion's salute. She too wore a helmet, modeled to look like a cloud made out of disco balls, and wore a skimpy ensemble dripping with green crystals. Her outfit was inspired by the Luxlands, and a scattered whistle rose from the crowd has the light swept across her and she raised her arms high. With a twirl of her wrist the whistles oscillated, and beneath the mask DJ Boompaix grinned. She splayed out her fingers and the whistles came to a stop.

The Musipal was again pitched into darkness. The crowd hushed.

After a full measure - which felt like an infinity, the enormous LED screen behind the three crackled to life, as if it was exploding bulb by bulb. This was just an illusion- after a moment the whole screen turned green. The stage and the crowd were washed in the red light, and the three DJs were gone. The screen began to pulse between green and black, joined by a siren, fog spilling from what looked like the center of the screen- another illusion, this was the DJ Booth. Synthe Gridd could be seen as an electric green outline, her clothes and glasses and accessories glowing against the dark of the booth.

After a moment, the show began. A single note reverberated the entire Granpaix Musipal. The LED screen had a green line going across it, a pulse, that danced to match the beat of the building song. The music began to layer over itself, electronic sounds in more minor notes than major, an ominous beat going faster and harder until suddenly, the beat dropped.

The crowd erupted.
The people danced as if they were possessed, the bass dictating the beat of their hearts and the shape of their limbs.
The music banged throughout the Musipal and spilled onto the streets of Granpaix.

Synthe Gridd grinned up on stage. The stadium was beginning to turn purple as Sol breached the horizon. What a show!

Finn Harra popped something special & danced the morning away. As Sol breached the horizon, the light of the Granpaix Musipal turned purple. The beautiful white stones began to glimmer. Sparkles of light danced around the rim of the amphitheater. The music of Synthe Gridd didn't echo- it emanated. The acoustics in this place were perfect for a reason.

For not the first time Finn Harra was proud to be a citizen of Therrier-Paix, of the Luxlands, and have access to a place like Granpaix. Sure, the morning song bit got old if you liked the quiet- but if you were a community type of folk (like his parents were) this was the perfect spot.

Finn grabbed the hand of the chick next to him and twirled, grinning wide. The bass fueled the hearts of the dancers as the morning was brought in on a wave of electronica.

Sol finally breached the horizon and sat as a glittering ball on the edge of Granpaix Musipal. The light mixer adjusted the settings along with the music of performer Synthe Gridd, letting off the fog machines at the perfect moments to really enhance that purple that was coming through. White pinpricks projected across the walls from within. The sparkle of the bricks was enhanced. Beams of white light swept the crowd and centered on Sol. From viewers below, it might look like Sol and the Musipal itself were engaged in a transfer of white hot energy.

This was just an illusion, but still the crowd went wild. Some still remembered the green beam and searched the light for a verdant hue. None would appear, so they quickly dropped the past to keep dancing in the moment.

Synthe Gridd cued up the last song in the hour long set. It was a funky type of beat meant to segue perfectly into the next set- DJ Invasion. She was feeling the ecstasy of the morning, and wasn't anymore unhappy by playing the earliest set of her life. This was awesome!

The crowd roared when the song ended and the stage went black- well, as black as it could in the broad daylight of the morning. In a quick minute Synthe had descended to the back stage. She grinned and high five'd her best friend, making a goofy face in their reflective helmet before falling into an embrace.

"That was sick!" They said to Synthe and squeezed her tight.

"Hell yeah!" Synthe responded and broke the embrace. A boom echoed the entire Musipal.

"Sounds like Invasion is goin' on?" They started down the hall.

"Yeah, we'll have plenty of time to spectate their sets. Shared tour and all, remember?" Synthe responded.

"Read my mind," The best friend said back and looped their elbow around Synthe's, "Breakfast?"

"Read my mind!" Synthe echoed and winked. The two made their way through the backstage of the Granpaix Musipal on the hunt for food, while their on-site hired tech crew packed everything away. It sure did feel good to spend label money on menial tasks after years of the opposite!

The concession stand wasn't open yet, the pair realized. Ah, well. They could either wait for the intermission or find some food elsewhere. DJ Invasion's set pumped on, and Synthe decided she was hungrier than she had realized. The two popped into the private transport and requested the best spot for brunch this side of town.