Madame Crixtopet's

Gypsy and Calvo had to hurry to keep up with Sparks, for his age the scrawny old engineer set an incredible pace as he scurried through the tunnels of Port Morgan. After twisting and turning through numerous passages and several trips on turbolifts, Calvo had lost all sense of direction and had no idea where in the orbital city they now were. At last Sparks shouted back that they were nearly there and they entered a wide thouroughfare, dimly lit with red neon lighting. Numerous side tunnels led off from the main passageway. Regularly spaced doors were set in both walls of the passage and Calvo realised from the layout that this section of the city had once been a luxury passenger vessel. The new inhabitants however had made some modifications to what had once been passenger cabins, beside each of the doors were full length windows. Behind each of the windows were women, or in some cases young men and aliens of indeterminate sex offering sexual services to passers by.

"Old Sparks told you 'e'd see you clear to safe 'arbour." Sparks cackled. "The place we wants is just up the next left turn."

Around the corner was a short passage ending in a canopied set of double doors, a pair of large aliens stood armed guard outside. Calvo recognised the species as Mattalites, a violent powerfully built race often employed as muscle or bodyguards. An illuminated sign above the doors declared that this was "Madame Crixtopet's alien exotica private lounge.."

" 'Ere we is shipmates." Sparks announced, beaming. "A regular 'aven, weapons checked at the door and an 'ighly trained security team to keep the riff raff from bothering us."

Calvo wondered idly exactly what sort of standards the brothel used to judge riff raff if they had Sparks as an apparently regular customer. Evidently though the doormen did know him and the two hulking aliens greeted the old man deferentially by name as they approached.

"These 'ere is me good mates, 'Andsome and Gypsy." Sparks told the security guards. "They're the salt of the fucking earth they are and anything they wants is on me. Madame Crix can knock their bill off what she owes me."

The Mattalites accepted what Sparks had said without question and after surrendering their firearms they were allowed entrance to the brothel. Inside was a well lit, spacious reception. Tasteful decor and comfortable seating in the form of couches and reclining armchairs were arranged about the room and a small bar was situated in one corner with a smartly dressed Mattalite serving as barman. Partially dressed females of diverse alien species smiled at them in invitation from the couches and chairs as they crossed the room to the bar. One woman crossed the room to join them, smiling broadly. Unlike the other women she was fully dressed and appeared to be considerably older, to Calvo and Gypsy's surprise she swept up and embraced Sparks in affectionate welcome.

"Archibald !, what a pleasure it is to see you again." The alien madame gushed. "And you've brought some of your colleagues. I am your host, Madame Crixtopet. Any friend of Archibald's is more than welcome here."

"Archibald?" Gypsy spluttered, bursting into merry laughter.

Sparks scowled at the piratess and led the Madame off to one side and conversed with her in hushed tones. Gypsy was laughing so hard her unfettered breasts shook, making the gold rings through her ruddy nipples swing. She slapped the bar with her palm to summon the barman.

"Two mugs of Arcturian rum." She ordered after suppressing her mirth, and slid one across to Calvo when they were poured.

"Well Handsome, it seems Archibald...." Gypsy erupted into fresh peals of laughter and had to pause for them to subside before continuing. "Sparks has more taste than I would have ever imagined."

"It's a pity we only have a couple of hours until we have to head back." She observed as she leant back against the bar and studied the scantily dressed aliens with obvious relish. "Have you seen any that takes your fancy?"

Calvo perused the exotic whores. A dozen different species were represented, half of which he'd never seen before. He picked up a drink tube from a holder on the bar and sucked at his rum. With so many to choose from he wondered which he should pick.