Chapter Seven: The Holograms
"This stuff is brilliant." Nancy spread out the sheets of manuscript
on the floor around her. "Cynthia, your printer rocks. These are so easy
to follow, it's gonna be a piece of cake!"
"Should we check what songs the Holograms wanna do before we choose
any?" Copper asked. Nancy nodded.
"Yes." She agreed. "But I wanna play around with a couple of these
anyway. This one has a really neat guitar line."
"Which one's that?" Cynthia paused, peering over Nancy's shoulder.
Then she grinned. "Yes. Aja was one of the finest lead guitarists in the
business, back then. She was well up to the challenge."
"Of course she was." Sylva said. "She's my aunt, after all." She sat
down on the floor, picking up one of the pieces of manuscript. "Wow. complex."
"Don't mess up the order!" Nancy exclaimed, grabbing it back. "You
wanna play the song backwards?"
"Don't fight." Topaz chided. "We're working together, okay?"
"Topaz is right." Copper agreed. "This is gonna be the best show ever
put on in Los Angeles."
"I'll go with that." Sylva nodded.
Nancy scooped up a second bunch of papers.
"Cynnie, how does this one go?" She asked. "I can't focus on the notes,
there's too much noise."
Cynthia took the paper, flicking through it.
"It all depends..." she murmured. "On the mood I'm in."
An impish smile crossed her face at this, and she slipped her watch
off her wrist, setting it down on the table. Before their eyes the room
dimmed, and a shimmer of lights flickered around them. Mesmerised, the
four girls watched Cynthia's features morph into Jem's. Music began to
play seemingly from nowhere, and 'Jem', well into her part now, seemed
to pluck a microphone out of the air, beginning to sing.
"I know it!" Copper exclaimed. "I do! Mama used to play the record...It
all depends on the mood I'm wearing, it all depends on the mood I'm in..."
"I can be beautiful...or Jerrica Benton..." 'Jem' grinned mischievously
at her audience. "It all depends on the mood I'm in."
The music came to an abrupt stop at this point, as did the light show,
and, Cynthia once more, the hologram retrieved her watch.
"Those are so not the real lyrics." Sylva put her hands on her hips.
"C'mon, Cynnie, what'd she really sing?"
"Beautiful or truly outrageous." Nancy read over the score. "Gee, how
eighties."
"Well, the Holograms were eighties." Copper pointed out. "So I guess
they can be excused."
"It's a bit nice for me." Nancy admitted. "I mean, it's a good song...but..."
"But you're a Misfit at heart." Topaz grinned. "We know, Nance."
"Growing up round who I did, how could I be anything else?" Nancy responded
with a shrug. "If we're gonna play Hologram numbers, though...I vote we
pick a few with a strong beat I can adapt around."
"Sure, works for me." Sylva shrugged. "I reckon we should let Cynnie
pick 'em. She knows them better than we do."
"Perhaps so." Cynthia nodded. "But first you must find out what Aja
and Kimber and the others wish to do. In fact, I might go over to see Kimber
now - it has been a long while since we spoke face to face. Copper, will
you come with me?"
"Sure, but you're going like that?" Copper looked doubtful.
"Well, at least to travel." Cynthia nodded. "This concert is a big
flashback for me, and I want to be involved...I want my old friends to
know I'm involved. After all, what are the Holograms without Synergy?"
"Not much." Copper conceded. "Alright then, let's go."
"Well, if we're done with our band meeting, I'm going shopping. I have
to find something to wear for this show." Sylva decided. "Topaz, Nancy,
you coming?"
"Shopping with you?" Nancy raised an eyebrow.
"Well, looks like Syl's back to feeling like herself, anyway." Topaz
dimpled. "Count me in, Syl."
"Oh, okay, I'm coming." Nancy looked resigned, getting to her feet.
"But not for hours, okay? I'm seeing Dean tonight."
"Hm, then we'll find you something for your date too." A wicked look
crossed Sylva's face. "Come on, let's go!"
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Copper!"
Carmen swung open the door of the Jacqui Benton House, eying her daughter
with some surprise. "What are you doing here!"
"Cyn and I came to talk to Kimber - and you too - about the concert."
Copper explained. "Cynthia...um...well, she works with Aaron producing
Jewel's stage show. She's very good."
"Oh!" Carmen looked startled, then her expression became troubled.
Slowly she let them in. "I am afraid, Copper, we have hit a stumbling block."
"What's up?" Copper frowned. "Is Aja still not keen to play?"
"It isn't that. She and Kimber spoke on the phone an hour ago and I
think Kimber convinced her to do it." Carmen shook her head. "It's worse.
Kimber can't find many of the Holograms' manuscripts...she's very afraid
Jerrica has them at Starlight Music's archive. She's found only two or
three so far and we've been looking all morning."
"Oh, is that all." Copper dimpled. "Mama, we have copies of all of
the Hologram songs, that's not a problem."
"You have scores?" Carmen was taken aback. Copper nodded.
"Yes...Nancy's been playing with them." She agreed.
"But...how? From where?"
"Cynthia." Copper shrugged. Cynthia smiled.
"You need not worry." She agreed. "I can provide you with copies of
whichever songs you wish to perform."
"I don't understand." Carmen looked bemused, leading them into the
messy living room which was filled with half-full boxes and a frantic looking
Kimber. "I don't see how you can have them..."
"What's this?" Kimber glanced up.
"Copper says she has copies of all of our songs in score form." Carmen
replied.
"You do? But how on earth? Did you go to Jerrica?" Kimber stared.
"No...we went to Synergy." Copper closed the door carefully.
"Synergy!" Kimber's eyes almost dropped out of her head. "Oh! I'd forgotten...I
mean, well, I knew she was still operating, of course, but...how did you
find her?"
"They found me." Cynthia said softly, and carefully she morphed her
features into that of the Synergy Kimber and Carmen knew well. "I
am Synergy...as ever at your service, Kimber."
"Synergy..." Kimber gazed at the figure, awestruck. Then, "Outrageous!
But how are you projecting?"
"Through my watch. Aaron updated my projection units, since the location
of the Jemstar earrings is unknown." Synergy replied. "He helped me to
gain some freedom...I can now touch and be touched, you know, without too
great a drain on my resources. Cynthia was created so that I could enjoy
myself without being oddly regarded...I hope I did not frighten you."
"No...startled me but didn't scare me." Kimber dimpled. She put her
hands to her neck, pulling her necklace out from beneath her jumper. "As
for the Jemstar earrings, I can account for one of them. The other one
went into the river when Jerrica plotted Jem's suicide hoax...but I found
this one when clearing stuff of mine from the Starlight Mansion and I decided
to keep it. It's old and the circuits have corroded, but it's a piece of
Dad...of you...and of the Holograms' happy days, so I put it on a chain.
I wear it always."
"You didn't forget me then." Synergy seemed to be touched by this.
"Of course I didn't. How could I forget a friend like you? You don't
know how glad I am to see you." Kimber hugged the hologram impulsively.
"And it's outrageous, I totally forgot you had the songs stored in your
memory banks! How could I forget that? Man, I'm such a flake sometimes!"
Synergy laughed.
"You never change." She said affectionately. "I am glad of it...not
like your sister."
"Jerrica was wrong to abandon you." Kimber said firmly. "And I'm sorry
she did. Will you help us with our show? I mean, we don't have Jem, of
course...but if you could..."
"I would be delighted and honoured to assist the Holograms." Synergy
nodded her head. "It will be like old times."
"Great." Carmen smiled. "Then our problem, it is solved."
"Sure seems that way." Kimber grinned. "I was dreading having to make
a grovelling phonecall to Starlight Music to see if I could sweettalk my
sister into giving me the scripts...at least now I don't have to do that!"
"Tell me which songs you wish to perform and I will make sure you have
hard copies of the scores." Synergy promised. She re-adjusted herself into
her Cynthia form, and smiled. "It would not be right to have a concert
like this and the Holograms not play."
"Too true." Kimber nodded, then hugged the hologram again. "Ooh, I
can't wait!"
REUNITED: PART ONE
Chapter One: Copper's Idea
Chapter Two: Tackling Sylvina
Chapter Three: I'm Okay
Chapter Four: Preparations
Chapter Five: The Stingers
Chapter Six: Cynthia to the Rescue
Chapter Seven: The Holograms
Chapter Eight: Jack and Courtenay
Chapter Nine: Phoebe Asche
Chapter Ten: Copper
Chapter Eleven: Unrest