Chapter Text
This was fun and the interview hadn't even started yet. The fun part was catching up with so many close friends. It had seemed an age since we had all sat down together. We all had so many things going on that just being together was rare.
Our receptionist, Delta, had set up a room for us with lounge chairs arranged in a circle with a small coffee table beside each. Also a larger table in the center with a beautiful morning tea.
We were all still chatting as we all settled down to this very informal interview.
Delta came in with a 'Truly Outrageous' tote bag and ordered "Phones! And whatever other electronic devices you have." Which somehow sounded more like a threat with her Australian accent.
I didn't think twice about it. I was used to Delta ordering me around, and dropped my phone into the bag. I didn't always understand why Delta did things the way she did, but I had discovered it was always for a good reason.
Other phones and tablets got collected. Until Kimber.
"Oi Kimber!"
"What?"
"Phone!"
"Why? I need it to check my messages."
"Exactly."
Kimber gave her a blank look.
"What kind of reunion will this be if your head is bent over your phone? Give it up and enjoy the moment."
"Better give it up Kimber," said Danse. "I have learnt arguing with a Kret is pointless."
"But she's an 'Arnurna'." Which was Delta's Surname.
"Close enough," added Aja. "Give up the phone Kimber. Delta will just stand there until you do. You won't win."
Kimber looked around the room, but when she saw that no one was going to argue her case she reluctantly dropped her phone in the bag.
Delta gave us a nod. "Have a pleasant morning ladies," with that she left the room and shut the door.
"Time to get down to business," stated Shana. "We are somewhat unique in our enterprise. Women, friends, sisters, who run a multimillion dollar company together. That is inspiration alone for a special edition of the 'Gazer."
'Star Gazer' was Shana's baby. Born from the need of a mature magazine for music, entertainment and fashion that didn't dissolve into gossip and paparazzi photos. Such as its closest rival 'Cool Trash'. The 'Gazer took pride in truth and the beauty of the arts.
"When I suggested this to Jerrica, she naturally wanted all of us to be equally involved."
"That's right," I said. "I couldn't have done any of this myself. This enterprise isn't just one star, but a wonderful Constellation."
"Well, that answers my first question," grinned China. Who was Shana's senior journalist. "Why did you rename 'Starlight Music' to 'Constellation'?"
"Starlight, is still going strong. Thank you very much," said Kimber who was the head of that particular 'star'. "Starlight Music is still the flagship of what we started. We are thriving and our artists are some of the biggest names on the planet. We take pride in looking after our new names as well. We truly are family."
"Yes 'Constellation' came from the fact we are growing," I explained. "Not because something dwindled and needed to be replaced by something else. We are now Beyond Starlight 'Gazer being one of them."
"Starling," said Aja, who was joint principal with Jane Wright. "Our school of the arts. There are so many creative youth out there who need encouragement, but cannot lose touch with the basics of their education. Just because you can sing, doesn't mean you get to pass on learning geography. I'm proud to say Starling does both!
I'm very lucky that Jane has the same vision that I do. I look after the entertainment side and she makes sure that all the academic lessons are done. All the students know its academic before entertainment. Not all of them are happy about it, but too bad."
"There has been another major change in your life?" asked China.
Aja looked confused. "There has?"
Shana poked her in the arm, "You have two of them. Small and giggle a lot!"
"Oh I have twins!" she exclaimed as Shana shook her head. "Yes! I have two small humans. Azure and Cobalt."
"You are not the only one who has children."
"I have two sons," said Kimber. "My husband adopted them. So when we married, they became mine."
""I have Khari," said Shana. "Apple of my eye."
"Between Khari and the 'Gazer, do you still do your fashion designing?" asked China.
"I do. Not as much as I used to. It's still my creative outlet. As much as I love the magazine, that's work. Fashion is a passion. I helped with Kimber's wedding. That was a lot of fun."
"That was an event and a half!" Aja said. "I'm still recovering and I wasn't even the bride!"
Kimber giggled.
"Raya, what have you been up to?" She was the next on China's list.
"I've taken up acting and have several projects going in that area and I own a café called 'Moco Loco'."
"And what is your 'star' in this constellation?"
"I'm head of the 'Starlight Foundation'. It's located at the old Starlight Drive Inn sight. It's a beautiful location. I have my nursery there too."
The Foundation has a lot of programs under it. One being 'Haven House'," I said.
"And what is Haven House?" China was well aware of the institution. The question was for the article.
Danse spoke up. She wasn't a hologram, but she was one of our best friends. As our oldest friends, she and Video had been told the secret of Synergy and had taken the revelation in their stride.
"Haven House has grown since I first started volunteering there. That came about because someone planted a bomb that destroyed the property and took lives..." Danse's eyes glazed over. It was still very raw for her.
To give her a space to breathe. I gave an explanation. "We are friends with Sharayah K Anderson. The world famous fantasy writer. She had on a whim, purchased an old hotel and Resort. Apart from her family it was empty. So the night Haven was destroyed Sharayah opened her home."
"It was only meant to be temporary," continued Danse. "But it worked out so well. The Resort became the new Haven House. It gave us the opportunity to become so much more. We were once, just for runaways. Now it's for all young people, who for whatever reason, cannot live at home.
I and my staff look after the children. Sharayah and her staff look after the building."
"Haven House has been a great asset to us," I smiled at Danse. "Our lives at Starlight House have moved on that we can no longer take in children, so having Haven as a partner that we can support carries on our tradition of looking out for the next generation."
"And speaking of moving on, there are also two new additions to this Starlight family," said China. "Who is Jessica James?"
"That would be me. Jessica James-Benton. But only the selected few know that last bit."
Who would ever have guessed I had a twin sister? I thought. But not so long ago that's just exactly who became part of my and Kimber's life. A sister!
"Just to clarify," said Jessica. "I'm not a Hologram."
"Although you and Jerrica are twins, You are not identical."
"Nope", Jessica said in her New Zealand accent. "I apparently take after our father. Dark hair and blind as a bat without my glasses."
"What do you do for Starlight?"
I didn't know I was adopted or more accurately 'Stolen'. But that's a story for another day. But growing up in New Zealand. I got into puppets and ventriloquism. As in socks and entertaining the neighbourhood. I started making my own puppets. Eventually I got a job at the SFX company 'The Fiction Factory' there I ventured into animatronics. Then I became a director over all aspects of SFX.
Then I had a problem with my fiancee who turned violent. I fled to the U.S. I found my family. And the rest as they say, is history."
"I didn't know you were a ventriloquist," I said.
"You didn't ask," Jessica replied without moving her lips.
"It was Rio who first realized that you were a Benton wasn't it?" said Shana.
Kimber nodded. "He is the best qualified to know a Benton when he sees one."
I smiled," Jessica now runs our special effects department. And I must say the effects are special."
"Music is an audio medium," explained Jessica. "I make it visual!"
"There is however a new Hologram," China prompted. "Kachina."
We all turned and smiled at our newest edition. Kachina was a native American with yellow hair. "Remind us of your story Kachina," I said.
"I was born in America, well obviously. But my parents moved to London when I was quite young. Went to school, grew up, studied and became a lawyer. But I was also in a band called 'Rose-Fire'. Playing in the band paid for law school. I did sing, but not the lead.
Our lead got throat cancer and we came here for our final goodbye tour. I took over the lead vocals. A special goodbye song was written. I sang most of it, but our lead had a few lines. You could hear her voice crack and our hearts broke with it.
The rest of our band were now married and ready to move on to other things. I was the only one who had nowhere to go. But that night somebody happened to be in the audience."
"It was fate," I said. "I heard her sing and knew she was the addition to our band we didn't know we needed."
"She's one of us," said Aja.
"I haven't been here long, but I already have a new family. I'm looking forward to new musical adventures and learning about my heritage."
Suddenly Kachina beamed. "I have a new job! You are looking at the newest associate to "Rachel Pallas."
"Isn't she the District Attorney?" asked Aja
"The very same."
"Oh Kachina!" I exclaimed. "That's wonderful."
"Yeah, That is good news," said Shana. "We might need a lawyer."
All the Holograms said in unison, "Eric Raymond!"
"How many times has he tried to take Starlight away from us?" Shana mused.
"I've lost count," said Kimber. "The man is a menace!"
"He even rose from the dead to haunt us," Aja stated. "Pizzazz should have done a better job of it when she pushed him out the window!"
"Anybody know what those two are up to?" Asked Raya
"I don't think I've seen them since they crashed the wedding," said Shana
"They are both obnoxious!" Added Aja
"Jetta is still running her night club, 'The Royal Rumble," said Kimber. "She's also vice 'President of 'Misfits Music'."
"Kimber, do you actually know what's going on over there?" I guess Aja asked because Kimber would best know her rival.
Kimber shrugged, "We're keeping tabs. But not all the Misfits are horrible, Stomer is nice."
"Doesn't she go by 'Storm' now?" asked Kachina.
"What's the difference?" asked Aja.
"Roxy doesn't seem as bad as she used to be either," Danse spoke up. " She lives on a Haven property. We don't see that much of her, but no complaints either."
"Sean Harrison lives at Haven too. Not full time," explained Jessica. "His home base is still England."
"Our Jessica has a thing for our Sean," teased Kachina.
"Why not? Nobody else was using him."
"He lives in a unit at 'Wild Haven'." Clarified Danse. "Its mostly for our older Haveners. Who can be on their own to find their feet to enter the real world. But Sean has one too. As he is good friends with the Krets. He is the only one who understands cricket. It makes perfect sense. Trust me."
"Say Danse," asked Aja. "Any news from Video?"
Video was currently in Morvonia with her boyfriend Ryan on a rescue mission otherwise I'm sure she would have been with us today.
She's staying at the palace with Queen Adrianna. I don't know much more than that. Obviously she can't say too much about what is happening there. But she has told me that the palace has inspired her to make plans for the apartment building that she owns."
"That rundown old place?" asked Jessica.
"It's not as bad as it used to be. The old landlord was useless.Since Video bought him out the place has improved immensely."
"Well," I remarked. "If a palace is an inspiration, I doubt it will be rundown for long."
I picked up my teaspoon and tapped the side of my cup. The bell sound brought everyone to attention. "Now that we have established what our 'Stars' are. I have an idea that I would like to present to you for your approval. We are women of dreams and hard work with the support we have for each other. This will be more than just an article for Stargazer magazine, but I hope a worldwide movement. A mentoring program for girls and young women. We have so many enterprises with just us as examples. Imagine what we could do if we could teach and encourage others to do what we do do successfully."
"That's a wonderful idea," said Raya. "One of the things I loved about Starlight was that it was socially conscious. Now Constellation is taking that on in s bigger and more embracing way."
"Always knew you were going to take over the world Jerrica," said Aja. "Happy to help."
"So what are we going to call this?" Asked Jessica.
"As it is our baby, I thought that I would leave it up to you. Any ideas."
As it was a feminine program ideas started from the names of Goddess, but we quickly realised that there were none that strictly fitted the idea. We then moved on to gemstones and flowers, but nothing seemed to work.until Raya spoke up
"It seems to me we are not looking at this properly. This isn't one thing that fits together perfectly. It is many different things that fit together. A mosaic."
And that was it! "Perfect!"
There was a knock on the door and Delta poked her head in. "Your husband is here to see you Kimber. Is it safe to send him in?"
Kimber grinned, "of course!"
And in came Rio..