Just A Dream...

A Gabor Legacy
 

Chapter Four: The Reaction

"I don't believe it!"
Copper stared at her boyfriend in abject shot. "Blade's dead? but..."
"It's true, Copper." Aaron Pelligrini, Nancy's elder brother nodded his head. "Mom just told me. There was some kind of incident in San Diego and some nutter shot him. He died instantly."
"Wow." Copper fell silent for a moment, digesting the news. Then, "Why?"
"Perhaps he jilted one too many girls." Aaron said dryly. He had had little love for Blade after the late performer's casual treatment of the younger Pelligrini.
"Having an overactive social life is not a reason to kill someone." Copper objected. "Ooh, it's creepy, thinking that some madman is on the loose, taking potshots at celebrities like this."
"More likely it was a personal attack on Blade himself." Aaron assured her. "In any case, the San Diego police department are hunting for the person responsible and it'll probably all be cleared up there. The guy was in full view of the crowd but so far noone seems able to give a clear description other than the fact he was caucasian and wearing shades. Still, police are clever. I guess they'll get him."
"What's going on?"
Sylva descended upon them at that moment, her expression one of confusion. "I heard some crazy rumour...do you guys know what the deal is? Cynthia says there's been a shooting in San Diego and that Blade's been killed...is it true?"
"Apparently so." Aaron nodded his head. "You should know by now, Syl, that if Cynthia tells you something, then she's usually right."
"If you say so, Aaron." Cynthia herself lounged in the doorway. Impish, playful and startlingly pretty, only Copper and Aaron knew that she was actually no more than a solid hologram projected by a highly advanced computer. Synergy had once been the driving force behind Jem and the Holograms, but these days warped circuitry had made her long for her own freedom and identity, and with Aaron's help she had mastered the art of projecting fully 3-dimensional holograms which could both touch and be touched. These days Synergy the mainframe devoted most of her runtime to projecting Cynthia and in terms of mind and feelings the two were often entirely amalgamated, allowing Synergy to sample the life that she had so long wanted to be a part of.
It had been thanks to the mainframe's recent linking to the internet that Synergy had acquired the information so fast, and she had hurriedly projected her 3D form in order to convey the news to her friends.
"It's horrible." Copper shivered. "Don't you think so? One minute you're alive and the next, bam! You don't exist. Cyn, you don't think there's any chance that the guy who did this is simply out to get music stars, do you?"
"I think not." Cynthia looked amused. "The trajectory of the bullets is indicative of the likelihood that Blade himself was the sole intended recipient of the assault."
"Now what are you talking about?" Sylva demanded. "Speak English, Cynthia! What do you mean?"
"That there seems little doubt from the report I heard that Blade and Blade alone was the target of the attack." Cynthia explained. "I do not believe that you girls are in any danger, Syl."
"Well, that's something, at least." Copper frowned. "Where are Nancy and Topaz?"
"Swimming. They don't know yet." Sylva replied.
"I think we ought to wait a while before we break it to Nancy - find out all the facts." Aaron suggested.
"Why? She isn't in love with him any more, and it'd take her mind off Dean." Sylva objected.
"Dean?" Cynthia looked startled. "Nancy is an item with Dean?"
"No, she isn't." Sylva shook her head. "But only because Nancy's such a screwball and clams up at the first sign that a guy might be interested in her."
"The whole world will know by teatime and we'll be asked about it when we go on television tomorrow night." Copper sighed. "Nancy has to be told, Aaron - what if she found out live on national TV? We can't not tell her."
"She's a big kid now, Aaron. She doesn't need protecting." Sylva agreed.
Aaron shrugged.
"All right." he replied. "I see your point about the television show. Copper, you'd better tell her. She's closest to you."
"I will." Copper nodded.
"There's something else which I believe none of you have considered." Cynthia observed.
"What's that?" Sylva looked surprised.
"Blade was not alone when it happened. Sirena too was there - it must have been a shock for her too. All the data I have managed to...um...find suggests that they were a couple."
"Sirena has no feelings." Sylva snorted.
"No, Cynnie's right." Copper frowned. "Whether they were in love or not, it must've been one hell of a shock for her. I'd not wish my worst enemy dead, let alone someone I worked so closely with."
"Mom said that Sirena had not been seen since the attack happened." Aaron said. "She was very grim about it all and talked about stepping up security on you girls. Apparently Sirena's hiding out from the press somewhere in San Diego - location undisclosed - and she hasn't made a public statement yet."
"More publicity for Sirena. Great." Sylva groaned.
"Syl, don't be so selfish." Copper scolded. "She might be our biggest rival but she's still a human being and she still deserves our compassion."
"Barely human." Sylva grimaced. "I'm sorry, I can't feel anything for her. If it was one of us who had been shot dead she'd just laugh, anyway. And if you ask me Blade deserved it. People are always sickeningly nice to people who've just died, even if they hated them during their lives and it's so false. I hate that. Blade was a creep and still is a creep. I'm not a bit sorry he's dead."
"Don't say that when the press is around, Syl." Copper warned her.
"I'm not going to lie!"
"Then hold your tongue." Aaron advised. "Jewel don't need bad publicity out of this. In any case, I agree with Copper. He might've been a jerk but noone deserves to be murdered."
"Who's been murdered?" Topaz, her golden hair dripping from the pool joined the group, Nancy not far behind her. "Why all the grim faces?"
"Blade's been shot in San Diego." Copper said slowly, then, "Nancy...are you allright? I know you liked him once."
"I'm fine. Why shouldn't I be?" Nancy shrugged. "He had it coming to him one of these days."
"You think he deserved it too, huh?"
"No-o-o...I just don't care an awful lot either way." Nancy raised a smile. "Don't worry about me, Copper. Blade's nothing to me now."
 
 

PART SIX: A GABOR LEGACY
Prologue: Twenty One Years Ago
Chapter One: Sirena And Blade
Chapter Two: Nancy's Heart
Chapter Three: Coup D'Etat
Chapter Four: The Reaction
Chapter Five: Nancy Finds Out
Chapter Six: Dilemma
Chapter Seven: Facing Phyllis
Chapter Eight: Scandal!
Chapter Nine: An Unexpected Shock
Chapter Ten: A Revelation
Chapter Eleven: Harvey Takes A Hand
Chapter Twelve: Sirena vs Pizzazz
Chapter Thirteen: Settling Rory
Chapter Fourteen: At Misfit Music
Epilogue: A New Beginning

JEWELFIC MAIN PAGE:
Copper, Nancy, Sylvie, Anna, Blade, Sirena, Topaz, Aaron, Sophie, Justin, Elliot, Rosita, Luis and any other characters in this fiction which do not appear in the animated Jem series are copyrighted to me (E.A Woolley) as of January 2002 <unless otherwise specified> and are not to be reproduced without permission ANYWHERE. Jetta, Pizzazz, Stormer, Roxy, Raya and all other original Jem characters are the copyright of Hasbro Inc, Sunbow, Christy Marx and the other writers of the Jem series.