Europe / Britain / London (Royal Albert Hall): March 12th, 1993.
Inside of the royal albert hall you could still hear the sound of the audience clapping and cheering even though the curtains had already closed like a giant red mouth swallowing the stage whole after witnessing something it knew damn well it was not supposed to experience for free.
The orchestra members were still seated with stunned looks on their faces, some gripping their instruments like they had just survived a war and others wiping sweat from their foreheads as if they had been forced to run behind a car moving at full speed.
Backstage, if you were to look closely, you could see a very beautiful chocolate skinned woman walking down the hallway with a calm look on her face, her white and silver gown trailing behind her like spilled moonlight and her diamonds shining underneath the backstage lights like the whole building owed her money.
That woman was me.
(Crystalline's POV)
"AHHHHHHHHHHH." Said the entire audience loudly
"CRYSTAL." Said a fan loudly.
"CRYSTAL. I LOVE YOU." Said a fan loudly.
"CRYSTAL." Said a fan loudly.
The audience was still screaming my name.
I sighed while walking down the backstage hallway with my microphone still in my right hand and said calmly "I really do be putting my whole pussy into these performances."
"Not that I have one anymore" I thought with a snicker.
The hallway was absolutely silent.
Emma almost tripped.
Edward adjusted his throat behind me.
Selena, who was walking on my left side with a cup of tea in her hand and a robe around her shoulders like she was the rich auntie of a crime family, looked at me with a deadpan face and said "You couldn't wait until we got in the dressing room to say that."
I looked at her and said calmly with a chuckle "I could have, but where is the fun in that."
Selena rolled her eyes and said while throwing slight water from her hands at me with her eyes rolling back in a possessed way as she swayed back and forth "Lord help this child, may she return to this life normal and…"
"God has ignored me since birth." I said while waving at a group of stage workers who looked like they wanted to clap but were too scared to move.
Emma adjusted her folder against her chest and said softly "Ma'am, that performance was extremely successful. The reporters are already trying to get comments and the london press is calling tonight a coronation."
I paused for a moment and looked at emma and said calmly "A coronation."
"Yes ma'am." Said emma with a nod and serious look on her face.
I smiled slightly and said "Hiw very cute. They finally learned how to spell warning."
The hallway was silent again.
Edward looked down the hallway and said calmly "Ma'am, there is someone coming."
I looked forward and seen a skinny pale man in a stiff suit walking towards us with a face that looked like it had never experienced seasoning before.
The man stopped in front of us and bowed slightly.
"Ms knowles, Her majesty would like to speak with you privately." Said the stiff looking man.
The hallway went silent.
I stared at him for a moment and asked calmly "With who present."
"Only you, ma'am." Said the man with a confused look on his face.
I looked at emma.
Emma looked at me.
Selena took a sip of her tea.
Edward's eyes narrowed slightly.
I looked back at the man and said with a kind smile "No."
The man's face froze.
"I beg your pardon." Asked the man carefully.
"I said no. Emma comes with me." I said calmly while still smiling.
The man looked like he wanted to argue but also looked like he enjoyed living.
"Her majesty requested a private audience." Said the man again, trying to hold onto whatever little authority his boney body had.
I stepped closer and said softly with a smile "And I requested my assistant. You see how requests work. We all have them."
The man's throat moved as he swallowed.
Before he could speak again, a calm voice came from behind him "That will be acceptable."
The hallway went even more silent.
Queen elizabeth stood there in a pale blue outfit with white gloves on and a calm face that looked like it had been personally trained by centuries of people refusing to show emotion in public.
The stiff man immediately stepped aside.
Everyone lowered their heads slightly.
I gave a small respectful curtsy, not too low and not too deep because I was not about to snap my spine in half after carrying this whole concert on my back.
"Your majesty." I said calmly.
"Ms knowles." Said queen elizabeth calmly.
The hallway was absolutely silent.
Elizabeth's eyes moved over me for a single moment, not in the way messy people stare, but in the way powerful people measure something they are deciding whether to admire or watch carefully.
"That was a memorable performance." Said elizabeth calmly.
I smiled slightly and said "Thank you, your majesty."
The silence stretched for a moment.
Elizabeth looked past me at the still roaring audience behind the curtains and said "You have a unusual talent for making a room listen."
I looked at her and said calmly "Rooms listen when they are given no choice."
The stiff man looked like he wanted to faint.
Selena coughed into her tea like she was trying not to laugh.
Elizabeth looked at me for a moment longer and said "Indeed."
The atmosphere became heavy, almost like the royal albert hall itself leaned in to hear what was about to be said next.
Elizabeth took one small step closer and said calmly "Favors given inside royal halls are never forgotten, ms knowles."
I stared at her.
Elizabeth stared back.
The hallway was absolutely silent.
I smiled and said calmly "Then I will be sure not to forget it, your majesty."
"Good." Said elizabeth with a nod.
The room felt like a whole chessboard had just been placed between us, only neither of us had reached for the first piece yet.
Elizabeth looked at emma briefly and then back at me.
"London will speak of this night by morning." Said elizabeth calmly.
"Then london has good taste in who to speak of your majesty." I said calmly.
The corner of her mouth moved slightly.
Not a smile.
Barely even a reaction.
But it was there.
"Enjoy the rest of your evening, ms knowles." Said elizabeth calmly.
"You too, your majesty." I said calmly with another small curtsy.
Queen elizabeth turned and left with the stiff man following her so quickly you would think his bones had wheels attached to them.
"You better hope you live past 96 in this life to have this favor repaid" I thought while looking back at selena.
The hallway stayed silent until she disappeared around the corner.
Selena slowly leaned towards me and whispered loudly "That woman just threatened you with manners."
I looked at her and said "I know."
Emma looked at me with a worried face and asked "Are you concerned ma'am."
I started walking again and said calmly "Emma, I have been threatened by killers, billionaires, secret societies, police, racist old men, doctors, the government and my own menstrual cycle. A royal warning with good posture is not enough to move my edges especially when it will die on september 8, 2022."
Selena snorted into her tea.
Edward adjusted his throat and said calmly "Still, we should be careful."
I glanced at him and said "Edward, I am always careful."
The hallway was silent.
Selena looked at emma.
Emma looked at edward.
Edward looked away.
I rolled my eyes and said "Don't start."
TIMESKIP: A couple minutes later.
Inside of my dressing room you could see me sitting in front of the vanity mirror with my heels off and both of my feet resting on a pillow while emma stood in front of me with her black folder open and selena sat in the corner eating tiny sandwiches off a silver tray like she had not just watched me basically politically flirt with the queen of england.
"Ma'am, the first wave of press reports are coming in already." Said emma calmly while looking down at the folder.
I took one earring off and asked "And…"
"American outlets are calling tonight your london coronation. British outlets are calling it a cultural takeover. A french magazine called you a dangerous diva of empire." Said emma with a laugh.
I paused and slowly looked at her.
"That french magazine ate this one." I said calmly.
Emma was silent and blinked.
"What dose that mean." Asked emma confusedly.
"It means they got taste, continue." I said while taking off the other earring.
Emma nodded confusedly for a moment and and said slowly "There is also movement among the guests. Several investors tied to project star fish left before your medley ended. Jonathan samwell left early. Adam king stayed for the entire concert."
I looked at her through the mirror and said calmly "Of course adam stayed. That man watches people like a snake watching a church service pay off politicians to avoid taxes."
Selena nodded while chewing and said "I don't trust nobody who smiles too much in church. I find it weird how a pastor can be In famous hollywood."
I looked at her and said "You smile when you scam people."
Selena shrugged and said "Exactly. That's why I said it."
^KNOCK* *KNOCK*
The dressing room door opened and one of edward's men stepped inside with a black envelope in his hand.
"Ma'am, this was left for you by a private courier." Said the guard.
Edward took it from him first and examined it carefully before handing it to me.
I opened the envelope and pulled out a black card with gold lettering.
A woman who can make a royal hall clap on command is more dangerous than a woman with a gun.
The dressing room was silent.
I stared at the card for a moment and chuckled softly.
Selena leaned over and asked "Who sent that."
"Adam." I said calmly.
Selena stared at me.
"Is he flirting or threatening." Asked selena with confusion.
I sat the card on the vanity and said "Both."
Selena nodded and said "That's how most ugly situations start."
I smiled slightly and looked at myself in the mirror while thinking "Adam king. You are either going to be very useful or very dead. We shall see"
(Alfred Samwell's POV)
*CRASH*
The whiskey glass shattered against the wall.
Inside of alfred samwell's private office in london you could see the old man standing in front of a large television with a ugly look on his face while the royal albert hall broadcast replayed on the screen.
The room was dark except for the glow of the television and the lights of london through the windows behind him.
On the screen, crystalline alina knowles stood in the middle of the stage with both arms spread wide while the entire royal albert hall stood up clapping and cheering like she had just been crowned by god personally.
Alfred's right eye twitched and said coldly "Turn it off."
A servant near the television immediately turned it off.
The room went silent.
Jonathan samwell stood near the fireplace with his arms crossed and a serious look on his face while staring at the blank television screen.
"She did well." Said jonathan calmly.
The room became absolutely silent.
Alfred slowly turned his head towards his son and asked softly "What did you say."
Jonathan looked at him and said "She did well. Lying about it would be useless."
Alfred stared at him.
Jonathan did not look away.
Alfred smiled slowly and said with a laugh "She sang songs in a pretty dress and made fools clap. That is not power."
Jonathan's jaw tightened slightly and said "No. She stood in a royal hall and made old money look old."
The office froze.
Alfred's hand slowly clenched and said calmly "You should be careful with your words, boy."
Jonathan took a step forward and said "You should be careful with her."
The room was silent again.
Alfred looked at him with a cold smile and said "Do not tell me what I should be careful of."
"You tried to embarrass her. Instead she made herself harder to touch. Father that alone is failure enough to slap you in the face and learn from it." Said jonathan calmly with his eyes squinting.
Alfred slammed his fist on the desk.
*BAM*
"She is a black girl with money and a microphone." Said alfred loudly with veins appearing on his forehead.
Jonathan's eyes narrowed and he asked calmly "Then why are you sweating."
The room went completely silent.
The servant standing by the television looked like he wanted to melt into the wall and die quietly.
Alfred stared at jonathan for a long moment.
Then he laughed.
Low.
Ugly.
Unstable.
"Hahaha…you are correct about one thing. She is becoming inconvenient." Said alfred while getting up form his desk and walking toward the window and looking down at the city.
Jonathan said nothing.
Alfred continued while stroking his beard "Public affection is armor. Fame is a shield. Wealth is a fortress. She is building all three around herself."
Jonathan watched him carefully.
Alfred looked at his reflection in the glass and said softly "Killing her now would make noise. Ruining her would take time. Exposing her would require patience."
Jonathan adjusted his throat and asked calmly "Then what do you plan to do."
Alfred smiled at his reflection.
LI will not strike her first." Said alfred calmly.
Jonathan's face changed slightly.
"Then who." Asked jonathan with his eyes squinting more.
Alfred slowly looked back over his shoulder and said with a low voice "The people she loves are softer than she is."
The office went cold.
Jonathan stared at him for a moment and said "That would be a mistake."
Alfred turned around fully and said "A mistake is letting a woman like that walk into rooms she should have never known existed in the first place."
"Father." Said jonathan calmly with his jaw slightly clenching with a vein appearing.
Alfred's eyes darkened and said "Do not father me."
The office was silent.
Jonathan looked at him for a moment and asked "Is this about power or pride."
Alfred smiled.
"Power is pride with money behind it." Said alfred calmly.
Jonathan looked disgusted but said nothing.
Alfred grabbed the remote and turned the television back on.
The screen showed me singing with my head tilted up, diamond jewelry shining and the audience standing.
Alfred stared at my face on the screen and said lowly "Smile while they love you, little devil. Love makes people careless."
(Adam King's POV)
Inside of a luxerious hotel suite in london you could see a handsome mexican man sitting in a chair with his left leg crossed over the right with a glass of red wine in his right hand and the royal albert hall broadcast paused on the television screen in front of him.
The paused image was of me standing in the middle of the stage with both of my arms spread widely, the white and silver gown shining under the lights like heaven had decided to wear a threat.
Adam king smiled.
It was not a kind smile.
It was the type of smile a man gives when he sees a weapon and already imagines where he will point it.
"A woman who can make a royal hall clap on command is more dangerous than a woman with a gun." Said adam calmly while taking a sip of his wine.
A man in a black suit stood by the door with his hands behind his back and asked with both of his eyes lifeless "Should we proceed with the invitation sir."
"Yes." Said adam calmly.
The man nodded.
"And alfred samwell." Asked the man with a dead emotionless tone.
Adam refilled his glass and looked back at the screen and said with a gentle smile "Alfred is becoming emotional."
The man was silent.
"Emotional men bleed secrets, money and pride in that exact order." Said adam while taking a sip from the glass.
The man nodded again and said "Do you believe ms knowles can be controlled."
Adam chuckled softly and said flatly "No."
The man looked confused and asked "Then why invite her."
Adam leaned back in his chair and said calmly "Because people who cannot be controlled are useful when pointed in the right direction."
The room was silent.
Adam watched the frozen image of me on the screen and said "Crystalline is vain, greedy, arrogant, violent, emotional and sentimental."
The man stayed silent.
Adam smiled wider and said "That makes her honest. She knows what she is. Men like alfred lie to themselves. That is why she is more dangerous than him."
The room remained silent.
Adam took another sip of wine and said "Project star fish has outgrown the men who built it. If they continue moving carelessly, the whole thing will rot."
"And ms knowles." Asked the man with his dead eyes squinting.
Adam's eyes darkened slightly and said calmly "She will either clean the rot or become part of it."
The man nodded slowly.
Adam lifted his glass toward the paused screen and said with a smile "Welcome to the room, crystal."
(Jonathan Samwell's POV)
Inside of a black car driving through the streets of london you could see jonathan samwell sitting in the backseat with a heavy look on his face while jasmine brown sat beside him with her arms crossed and her eyes staring out the window.
The city lights passed over their faces like ghosts with expensive taste.
The car was silent for awhile.
"You watched the whole performance." Asked jasmine calmly.
Jonathan looked out the window and said "Most of it."
Jasmine turned her head slightly and asked "And…"
Jonathan sighed and said "She is not what my father thinks she is."
Jasmine laughed softly but there was nothing funny in it.
"My cousin has never been what anybody thinks she is." Said jasmine with a sigh.
The car went silent again.
Jonathan looked at her and asked "Are you afraid of her."
Jasmine did not answer immediately and said with her fingers tightened around her purse "Yes."
Jonathan looked surprised.
"Not because she is rich. Not because she is famous. Not because she kills people. I am afraid of crystalline because when she decides something is necessary, she stops caring how ugly it gets." Said jasmine while looking out the window.
The car was silent.
Jonathan looked down at his hands.
Jasmine turned to him fully and said "That kind of person can protect you and destroy you with the same hands."
Jonathan stared at her for a long moment and said calmly and quietly "My father plans to go after her family."
Jasmine's face changed instantly and asked very sharply "What."
Jonathan closed his eyes and said "He said love makes people careless."
Jasmine stared at him like he had just spit on the floor between them and said coldly "And you were going to sit in this car and tell me that like it was weather."
Jonathan opened his eyes and said "If I warn her, I expose us."
Jasmine leaned closer and said "And if you do not warn her, people die."
Jonathan was silent.
Jasmine's eyes were cold and wet at the same time as she said "You can sell children to monsters, sleep with monsters, shake hands with monsters and still tell yourself that survival made you do it, but do not sit beside me and pretend silence is neutral."
The car became deathly quiet.
Jonathan's jaw tightened.
Jasmine looked away from him and said "I am tired of surviving like a coward."
Jonathan stared at her for a long moment and he looked out the window and said quietly "I will send a message."
Jasmine did not look back at him.
"Good." Said jasmine with a nod.
The car kept moving through london, but for the first time jonathan felt like the road beneath him had started cracking.
(Unknown POV)
Inside of a massive underground chamber you could see rows and rows of glass tubes stretching down the length of the room like the inside of a monster that had learned how to build science.
The chamber was cold.
Not normal cold.
Not winter cold.
It was the kind of cold that made the air feel dead, sterile and wrong.
Inside each glass tube floated a person.
Men.
Women.
Children.
Old.
Young.
Different races.
Different bodies.
Different faces.
All suspended in thick colored liquid while wires and needles went into their skin and machines hummed softly around them like the room was trying to sing a lullaby to the dead.
A scientist in a white coat sat at a control desk with tired eyes and a cup of black coffee beside him. On the small television near the monitor, the royal albert hall broadcast was playing quietly.
He was not supposed to be watching.
But down here, surrounded by floating bodies and machines that measured suffering in numbers, even a concert felt like proof that the world above still existed.
On the screen, crystalline alina knowles stood onstage in white and silver.
Inside the largest tube at the center of the chamber floated a brown skinned girl no older than twelve.
Her hair drifted around her face in dark red liquid.
Her eyes were open.
Not blinking.
Just watching nothing.
The scientist looked down at his clipboard and muttered "Subject 001 stable. Neural response low. Sedation maintaining."
The television played on.
Crystal's voice could be heard through the small speaker.
The girl's finger twitched.
The scientist did not notice.
The girl's hand twitched harder.
*BEEP*
The scientist looked up from the clipboard.
A blue artificial cube formed face appeared on a big screen and said "Detecting subject 001: Neural activity increased."
"What…" Said the scientist muttering with a frown as he stood up.
On the television, crystal continued singing.
The girl's eyes moved.
Slowly.
For the first time in weeks.
They turned toward the television.
The scientist's face went pale.
*BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP*
"Detecting subject 001: Memory activity spike." Said the artificial face on the big screen
The scientist ran to the control panel and started pressing buttons.
"Increase sedation." Said the scientist loudly.
The red liquid inside the tube darkened slightly.
The girl's body jerked.
Her mouth opened and bubbles rushed upward.
The scientist grabbed the phone on the wall and said quickly "Control, I need assistance in chamber seven. Subject 001 is responding abnormally."
The monitor screamed.
*BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP*
"Detecting subject 001: Consciousness retention unstable." Said the artificial voice out of nowhere.
The scientist looked at the television and then back at the girl.
The girl slowly lifted her hand inside the tube and pressed her palm against the glass.
The scientist froze.
Her finger moved weakly against the inside of the tube.
One letter.
Then another.
Then another.
H.
E.
R.
The scientist's breathing stopped.
The machine voice echoed across the chamber.
"Detecting subject 001 response abnormal." Said the artificial voice out of nowhere.
The girl stared through the glass.
Not at the scientist.
Not at the room.
At the television.
At crystalline.
The scientist slowly backed away from the tube with a terrified look on his face and said with a whisper "What the hell are you."
The girl's eyes stayed open.
Watching.
Remembering.
Waiting.
…
THE END…