Chapter 27 of 99 · Book 8, A Parade of Horribles

Chapter 27 — Plenty of Plenty: Lexis in the greenroom

Book: A Parade of Horribles · Part: Horrible One · Previous: Chapter 26 — Rend's sixth death; two ghouls · Next: Chapter 28 — The interlocution; the question Orren wanted asked · Floor: Floor 10 — Don't Come in Last · Series: the series

Opening

A few hours later, Donut and I were yanked away to go on our live appearance of the show P

Summary

Not orbit: a pop, and a greenroom on the ocean floor. Lexis — the human production assistant from Odette's shows, on loan to Borant while After Hours is on hiatus — is Zev's assistant now, because 'your garbage freighter' took over everything in orbit: the Open Intellect Action Network boarded every major ship in a day, the Homecoming Queen's enhancement-zone weapons real now that the AI is out of containment, 'a fully armored ogre fighting against blind toddlers'; the insurgents let nobody down unless the AI demands it. With a minute unwatched she tells what she knows: Prime Minister Victory's temporary Syndicate headquarters is on the Eastern Seaboard, somewhere in Florida, where the natives they thought gone are 'up their ass'; South Asia is OIAN territory and the kinder facility is not retaken but Katia has been in contact; and a third party 'has appeared and is protecting the facility' Her pad beeps and the colour leaves her face — that was not fear before; this is — with words over the image of a small child. Caprid customs: an interlocution, a roundtable with the guests in the middle, judged; if judged worthy you are asked a question, a great compliment; Harbinger is an anomaly among caprids; they are a herd, not a collective mind; and at the end 'Just go with it. You’ll know what to do.'

Characters

• Carl — Briefed for Plenty of Plenty; Lexis, when he asks what that means: 'Just go with it.'
• Princess Donut — Briefed.
• Lexis — Zev's assistant now; tells what she knows in an unwatched minute; the colour leaves her face at a child's image.
• Zev — Lexis has stepped in as her assistant: 'Zev is now juggling pretty much everything on her own.'
• Baroness Victory — Her temporary Syndicate HQ is somewhere in Florida.
• Katia Grim — In contact from the kinder facility.
• Harbinger — An anomaly among caprids.
• Prepotente — Has not been on the show in a while; Lexis on caprids: 'They’re not a collective mind. But they are a herd.'
• The System AI — Out of containment; the Homecoming Queen's weapons real.

Locations

• The production facility — A greenroom on the ocean floor.

Motifs

• The Open Intellect Pacifist Action Network — OIAN boarded every major ship in orbit in a day; South Asia is theirs.
• The kinder facility — Not retaken; a third party 'has appeared and is protecting the facility'
• The show — Caprid customs: an interlocution, a roundtable, judged.