![[Image] by Dave Hine](tao_moto.gif)
Writer : Myra Hancock
Beyond the universe between existence and non-existence, two non-entities are having a chat over a non-existent metaphorical garden fence.
"So what do you think his chances are of pulling off this deal?"
"Slim. He's relying on us for the time of birth, date and the lot
- can you believe it?"
"No! How can he seriously think we can fix that?
"I couldn't resist it"
"Well, he'll soon find out when the baby doesn't arrive. How are you going to explain that?"
"I 'll think of something. I'll blow his mind with some universal karmic theory he's never heard of" This sends ripples of amusement through their non-existent bodies
Sopalco,
meanwhile, is giving the party of the year. The Skypalace cruises a thousand feet above the city of
Vengkok. From a distance there is a faint tinkling of glass, music and laughter Strips of glass segments thirty feet long trail from the glass base. Like a giant glass lantern, the mansion-size Skypalace makes an impressive sight. People are clustered on roof tops waving as it slowly passes overhead. Revellers wave from the glass walls on every tier. There is a warm gold glow of light on each floor which radiates out and lights up the night sky. The laser lights refract off glass buildings and the whole thing is reflected in the calm water below. The New Century celebrations have sure started early - or maybe these crazy people have something else to celebrate.
Inside, the heat is tropical. Dinner is being served on the upper tier, while on the tier below people are mingling and enjoying the view from soft little chairs. In the hub of it all, on the bottom layer, the see-through dancefloor is packed. Huge branches sprayed in bright colours give the dancefloor the appearance of a dancing forest. This year you are either wearing half a tree - more rare than gold and the rarer the tree, the more you score- or a small gold crown covered in jewels or you just do not exist. There is the occasional, inevitable antler fight as dancers get carried away with the rhythm but nothing mars the festive atmosphere.
Over in a brightly lit corner a sword dance takes place, much to the amusement of the excited onlookers. Above the melee a huge portrait of a beautiful young dancer looks down on it all.
On closer inspection the 'swords' turn out to be stick-like micro-cameras and the colourful melee is a combination of camera crews from around the world and girls desperate for a share of the limelight. At the centre of all this, radiating cool from his position of superiority, sits Sopalco.
Sopalco reigns supreme when he is the centre of attention. The girls clamour and gaze at their idol adoringly. The TV crews climb all over each other to get the best angle. Sopaclo laps it all up, his blood cools.
Someone throws out a question: "Mr Sopalco how does it feel to have landed the New Century Baby deal with World Network TV?"
His adrenaline rises, he chooses the camera from the largest network with hawk-like precision and he's
off: "I never had any doubt we 'd secure the deal. From the outset I knew we had the best contender for the Baby of the Century. As the world watches my son grow up to be the most famous person in the universe..." (CLICK)
You don't think about me do you! It's me who has to face people after you have come out with all that NINGCHIT. You've got my photograph up there as if I'm some Goddess and you're talking about
the baby as if it's LUCKY! 0h, if I was there, I'd like to knock you right off that chair!"
Tao is so mad she feels like smashing something but resists the temptation to throw the remote control at the monitor.
"I wish I'd never put it on, I should have known!"
Tao mutters to herself as she climbs off the bed. She puts her hand under her swollen belly for support and pushes herself up from the bed with care. There's a knock at the door and a buzz as the door opens. Tao turns round to see her psychologist.
"Is everything alright?"
"Fine." Tao turns back as the door closes again "Can't I even shout at my husband on TV in private?"
She stands up and wraps her pink velvet gown closer. The white fur edging gives her a doll-like appearance as she stands at the window gazing up at the sky. She watches the Skypalace in the distance cruising over the rooftops She presses a button to open the window so she can hear the tinkling glass and sighs as she looks at the ancient temples slowly being swallowed by the sea. To her they Look like jewel-encrusted cakes sinking into a puddle.
She feels a wave of calm slowly ease through her body. The old temples always had that effect on her. What would she do when they finally disappeared? It did not matter that the glass and steel skymansions would also be lost. These could be replaced But the temples: something irreplaceable is being lost with them. She had tried to explain this to Sopalco but he did not understand. She had the 'Team' and, as far as he was concerned, that was all she needed. Sopalco had hired them and over the last few months Tao had grown tired of their constant presence. She had hardly been able to cough without one of them rushing in to offer assistance. Sopalco was only trying to do the best by her, she knew that, he did no want anything to go wrong. But the masseuse, the dietician, the nurse and the mid-wife - between them they were quietly driving her nuts.
Tao is so lost in her own thoughts that she does not notice how close the Skypalace is getting. The music gets louder and louder and Tao can see the people sat at the windows waving to the revellers on the roof. Everyone loves the Skypalace. Those who do not want to come out and watch from the rooftops view it on their TV monitors instead.
Tao stands to one side as the palace passed overhead, careful not to be seen. If their address were to be known they would never be left in peace. Tao looks down at her velvet-covered bump and gives it a reassuring stroke. "Soon, Baby, only two more days to go..."
Another knock at the door, a buzz, the door slides back and a large nurse hustles in. "Time for your tests, Ms De Moto:"
"Okay, okay." Tao climbs back onto the bed and rolls up her sleeve. The nurse clamps a small metal box round Tao's wrist. She sets a few buttons and sits back to wait. The box whirls as it collects, selects and analyses the data; pulse, bloodpressure and temperature.
"All normal," the nurse announces. "Can't much fun for you - stuck at home with all that going on. We're all watching it next door. It looks so glamorous!"
Tao manages a smile, 'I'd rather be on my own, well, just the two us that is."
Tao waits till the nurse has gone then whispers to the bump: "Don't think I'm missing the party on your account. I wouldn't have gone anyway - with all those girls competing to take Sopalco off me right under nose? Ningchance."
Another knock at the door. This member of the 'team' is actually a welcome sight. The dietician walks with a red drink in a glass.
'Is that all?"
'It's not a good idea to be eating something just now. It's a vitamin drink I made myself with red fruit..."
'..from five continents." Tao finishes the sentence herself she knows it so well.
As soon as the dietician is gone, Tao reaches for the phone. 'It's like being back at the I.T.C. Police Centre!" She thinks nostalgically back to her days at the correction centre with Lula and Inga. As she dials she wonders out loud: 'I wish Lula was here with me now, I could do with a good laugh about old times. Oh hello... is that the Flying Pasta Palace?" Tao orders something to eat, sits back and picks up the remote.
"Let's go shopping!" (Click) Tao kneels up and clicks to the shopping channel: Bodymedia. She is just getting comfortable, plumping up the tassled pillows, then the interphone screen starts flashing. Sopalco's face appears on the screen.
"Tao, did you watch the party?" He waits for a reply. Tao is taken by surprise at first and all she can do is to look at him with her mouth open. "Tao, what is it?"
"Sopalco, you made me jump. I'd forgotten you'd fixed up the link..." She covers her face with her hands. "I was just shopping..."
"Tao, why are you covering your face?" Sopalco is beginning to get annoyed.
Tao comes right out with it. "I couldn't watch it Sopalco. You were just too much!" She peeps through her fingers to see if he's angry.
He is smiling. 'I can't help getting excited. Listen I'm leaving soon. We'll eat together when I get in we can talk, okay?"
Tao purses her lips and blows Sopalco a kiss."I love you Sopalco, even if you are a materialistic pig!"
'I love you too Tao."
The screen goes blank. Tao falls back on the pillows exhausted. "He thought I was joking. Only one thing for it. Back to Bodymedia."
Tao swings back into action with the remote and goes shopping with a vengeance. (Click)A long list appears from which Tao select footwear (click) coats (click) fabric (click)a sub-list. appears: African, European Sector, East Sector (Click) Back to Menu. Babywear. That's more like it. (Click)Design Your Own Range...Tao sits forward and gets really into it. She designs some fluorescent orange sets with black flashing stars all over. An all-in-one for every different season, varying shaped hats and some jumpers and vests.
"Sopalco will hate them." This thought gives Tao great pleasure. "And we'll order the lot in black as well.. with fluorescent pink stars." She presses the 'order confirmed' button (Click) and giggles to herself. Stretching out on the bed.
This is how Sopalco finds her when he eventually comes home. Seeing she is fast asleep he starts to tiptoe round the bed carrying a large black lacquer box. Seeing a figure appear at the window, paranoia gets the better of him and he totally freaks out. He reaches for his gun, dropping the lacquer box "Hold it right there pal!"
Tao wakes up in the middle of all this chaos and shouts at Sopalco: "Don't shoot him! It's only the flying pastaman!" The guy drops out of sight.
Sopalco lowers his gun and puts his other hand to his face, covering his eyes. "I thought he'd come for the baby...I'm sorry, Tao." He sits on the bed and Tao kisses his ears. They're freezing. "That was our supper, I ordered it for when you
Sopalco sighs and replaces the gun in his silk jacket. "But Wwhat's doing coming round to this window. The dietician should be dealing all with this in the kitchen. What do you think I hired her for?"Tao lowers her head. "She doesn't know ordered it. She'd never let me eat pasta! Don't be angry with me, Sopalco. I just get sick of eating all this fresh stuff from undiscovered universes all the time."
Sopalco looks at the black lacquer box lying up ended on the floor. "Oh dear."
"'Not salad?"
'I asked the chef to prepare it specially...."
"...because it's good for the baby. But what about me! As soon as this baby's born I'm going to eat nothing but dried food and drink nothing but quartza!"
"So you don't want it?""I'm starving! I'll eat anything!" Tao reaches over and opens the box. Inside what was five carefully presented salads is now one huge mixed.
"There two forks in there somewhere," Sopalco calls from the adjoining bathroom.
Tao pokes around through the different coloured vegetables and finds two birds sculptured from a carrot and roses sculptured from swede. "Oh Sopalco! These are lovely - we can't eat them!"
Sopalco pokes a wet head from the bathroom doorway. "I thought they'd cheer you up."
He watches her as she holds them up to the light and then hunts for more. She really is like a child in her innocence. Sopalco would like her to remain that way for ever but he knows once the baby is born everything will change. Sopalco turns up the power of the waterjets and immerses himself in shower once again. He must not let negative thoughts cloud his night of glory.
As he appears, his hair tied up in a topknot with small twig and a dragon design towel around his waist, his mind is clear and he thinks only of relaxing with Tao and telling her all about deal. They sit cross-egged facing each other and eat the salad.
"You haven't mentioned the party, Tao. Was I that bad? I thought I came over rather well orange silk suit was definitely the right choice."
Tao looks up and puts down her fork. "I'm happy about this deal at all, Sopalco."
Sopalco looks at her face carefully to see how serious she is. It is enough for him to put down his fork and listen.
Tao continues: "I don't like the idea of him be filmed all his life
"It's only once a week..."
"But how's it going to affect him. ..and US with cameras everywhere?"
"Tao, listen..."
"No, you listen. What did you mean by 'the contender'? How could you talk like that. If you used 'beauty and brains,' angle I'll never be able to show my face again."
She seems to have had her say, so, reassured, Sopalco goes on to explain "Don't worry about that WE speak that language in my field. Confidence, Tao that what it's all about."
That's not 'confidence', it's 'arrogance'."
"Tao, this is the biggest deal I've ever pulled off- Our baby will be the richest child in the universe. Not to mention the most famous. No dealer could ask for a better start in life..."
"Dealer...I'm, going to teach him to trade as soon as he can speak." "And what if he to become a dancer ?"
"A dancer! No Son of mine is going to be dancer! There's no money in it."
"Money, money, money! That's all you ever think about, isn't it?"
"Well, Tao, come January the first at precisely 12:01am, you and I are going to be very rich indeed whether you like it or not."
Tao gets off the bed and glares back in anger at Sopalco.
"SO! That was the idea was it? You get me to have your baby, come trailing half way to Venus to persuade me... supposedly because you love me... and in the end I agree because I actually did love you...and all the time it's just been a set-up. Right from the start.. for Sopalco's BIGGEST DEAL EVER! You're despicable Sopalco." Tao trails off and starts to cry, despite herself.Sopalco gets off the bed and walks towards her
"Tao, don't be crazy...it wasn't like that, I swear! I only thought of the scheme a month ago. That's one of the reasons I was so pleased with myself for clinching the deal so quickly." He tries to put his arms round her. She pushes him away.
"Get OFF me! Don't come near me Sopalco."
"Tao, LISTEN to me will you! I love you...
"LIAR! You'd say anything just to keep your bastard deal going. There's a lot of money at stake, Sopalco. Think quick. What are you going to do?"
Sopalco starts to get dressed. he pulls on a large shirt black suit and looks for a shirt. "Where are you GOING?" "Out!" Sopalco is angry now. "Just don't expect me to be here when you get back!"
Sopalco looks back and points his finger at her. He says in a low tone: "You'd better be! Sit down on the bed, switch on the monitor and WAIT!"
Tao stands there her mouth wide open as Sopalco slams out. Her little face is covered in tear-stains and make-up. She doesn't know whether to cry or throw something. Her hormones are completely up the wall. This baby-bearing lark has certainly taken its toll. She opts for sitting on the bed and watching the TV. She feels kind of blank. She stares at the screen in a kind of daze, not really taking anything in.
She watches a history channel and looks glaciers melting. There is a knock at the door and the psychologist and the nurse bundle in. Tao turns on them
"Get lost, will you, I want to be left alone."They look at each other unsure of what to do. Tao makes their decision easier and looks set to go in total hysteria. She rises to her feet and SHRIEKS at the top of her voice: 'I SAID GET OUT!"
This has all been too much for Tao and she throws herself at the big tassled pillows in despair as sobs uncontrollably.
"We interrupt this programme to bring you a newsflash."Tao stops sobbing.
"...here in the studio is Mr Sopalco himself. I hear you have an announcement to make about the Baby of the Century deal."
"Yes I do. The deal is off. That is all I have to say." "But Mr Sopalco, this would have made you one of the richest men in the universe!" Tao turns round and stares at the screen in utter amazement.
"I've no further comment to make. I have to go home now."
Tao cannot believe what she has heard.
WOW! She throws handfuls of' the colourful salad into the air squealing: "he loves me! he loves me!" She kisses the screen even though Sopalco's image has long since disappeared. Back beyond the universe the two non-entities cannot wait to ripple back to their metaphorical fence "See the look on his face when she tumbled him!."
Originally Published in 2000AD yearbook 1992.
with Art by Dave Hine. Series Index
Forbidden Fruit, 26 episodes, progs 723-740 and 742-749. Story by Myra
Hancock, art by Dave Hine
Whatever Happened to Tao de Moto, 1994 Winter Special. Story and art by Tim
Bollard