2.25 The Power of Love

        For the the Invitees, it was the last night in Fina before their exciting trip to Atlan for the Farewell Celebration. Suitcases were packed for the two week stay in the big city and the energy was ultra electric at the Green Serpent. Word of the Soloha had spread fast, in just a few short days demand for the exciting new drug had grown exponentially through the university town. Josh didn't have to scan the room for attention anymore, he could see the heads turning from every corner of the bar as he made his way to his favorite perch for a drink. His fall over Karen? No one remembered that now, now they remembered him for the Soloha, he had the hottest gig in town.

         There was no escape at the bar, the endless string of wanna-have's were lining up wherever he went, throwing gold beads at him, lust at him, offering him more than he was asking, every way he turned. He couldn't even go to the washroom without being hit up, he was selling out before the night was out.

         Nolan jogged up the steps of the Green Serpent and wove his way through the packed dance hall in search of Josh, he wasn’t hard to find, only hard to get to. He had to hold back a smile to see the success, it was almost too good to be true. Torus was right, the Soloha would be a huge hit... Perhaps Atalon was right too, it was because this was The Time...

         Goddesses gasped every time the god of Desire showed up at the Green Serpent, and the Soloha only animated their desire even more, he too was a celebrity, but unlike Josh, he hated it.

         "Your Honor" the group chimed, fanning their blushing faces in unison.

         "Excuse me" He had to politely push his way through, reminding himself he wasn’t here to stay. 

        "Hey Nolan, glad you could make it!" Josh welcomed him into the fold, offering him the pipe. 

        But Nolan wasn't here to party. "We gotta go, there's been an emergency in Lochia and Doctor Seton needs you at the Lab. ASAP."

         "WHAT?" Josh stood up, he didn’t need to be resuscitated from any mind-altering substances, his jacket was on already. Emergencies were opportunities, Atalon was right, this was The Time, they were simply raining down upon him now.

         "Please forgive me, but you’ll all need to excuse me…" Josh bowed to his fans. "I must go, the gods need my help tonight. I'll see you all tomorrow at the Farewell Celebration! Muah!"

         As the gods hurried out the club into the cool crisp night outside, Josh couldn’t wait to ask.

         "What’s the emergency?"

         "Sorry, can't say. It’s Classified."

         The friends rode the train in silence, equally pre-occupied with all that had befallen them of late. Nolan counted the gold beads in Josh's purse, there was plenty proof to prove Torus was right… The success of the Soloha was incredible, it was much more lucrative than he had imagined, it was just a miracle they had enough supply. Josh’s new celebrity status was interesting, he hadn't foreseen that development, either.

         "I think we ought to recruit a few aribu to help you with the Farewell Celebration."

         "Oh?" Josh was all ears.

         "We'll have two weeks to market the product before the New Empire, two weeks to establish our customer base without any restrictions in place. Find a couple of merchants we can trust, I want you to be the middle-man, I don't want you to be the only bull's eye out there... We need to spread this thing a little thin."

         Josh liked the sound of it, Nolan was smarter than he looked, it was almost like a promotion already.

         "And remember, don't bring my name into it, as far as you know, I don't really approve of Soloha. If anyone finds out it's coming from me, the whole thing will get shut down. Guaranteed. You know I'm the Fall Guy here."

          

         Josh studied his handsome friend in the dim light of the tunnel as they trundled down the tracks, pondering his own personal ambitions for the New Empire. Fall Guy? Nolan was a perfect 10. His flaxen hair urged to be touched, his face begged to be caressed, he was more than a friend in high places, Nolan had a trace of the Original Serpent DNA, he was perhaps one of the finest Gen II’s available for designing a new slave race. And he had absolutely no idea.

         He returned his gaze to the sandstone walls, flying by like the sands of time, fantasizing about the day he would eclipse Dr Malodon, one day he would be the Great Gen Designer of the Atlan Empire, then there would be fame, fortune and everything that went with it for him in the New Empire. He knew where Malodon had gone wrong, Malodon hadn’t understood the Power of Love. He could surpass Malodon because he could, he had the talent, the right DNA at his fingertips, he just needed the chance.