Noumena's latest is intense and charged — the kind of thing that rewires you as it plays. The new substance he's working with is dub plasma: once it hits the bloodstream, it starts doing strange and wonderful things to the mind. A heavy kick, surgically precise percussion and clearly defined track structures push the edges of what you thought you were hearing.
.
"Professor Spacelunch, at your service. And this is my friend and partner Cat. Please, Suzie, sit down."
"Thank you. You were having quite a lively conversation. Some scientific discussion, perhaps?"
"If only. A close friend of ours has gone missing."
Everyone exchanged glances. Either the guest hadn't expected to hear something like that, or the one who had let it slip was now embarrassed by his own impulsive candour. Suzie's eyes darted around the room before settling on a point straight ahead. Confusion and a hint of unease crept into her voice.
"You're… serious?"
"Couldn't be more so."
"I am sorry, do you need any help? I could reach out to people at the Archives Bureau where I was a senior officer for quite some time. Perhaps we could dig something up."
The offer sounded convincing enough, but the backstory behind the whole affair was likely to raise a lot of questions, especially from a stranger. Cat suddenly stood up, walked towards the exit and, without turning around, called Spacelunch over. The Professor caught up and pulled his paw. They stood face to face, as if the duel of arguments was about to turn into something more physical. Suzie wasn't looking in their direction, though the distance as it was would still allow her to overhear their exchange. Both stepped a little further away and spoke in low voices.
"Doc, don't you think we should be a bit more focused on finding Melvin? And why did you tell everything to a complete stranger? I don't like this girl."
"Hey, I know it looks odd, but you heard where she used to work."
"So what? How exactly are you planning to bring her up to speed? Are you going to tell her someone stole our slug?"
Although flashbacks of the doppelgänger affair still gnawed at their memory from time to time and the pain of mistrust tangled with guilt over it, they accepted the new challenge that lay ahead, one that called for solidarity and forgiveness. The conversation ended with a firm handshake, ready to resume in the presence of their new ally.
