Pipp smiled as the last note faded out. "And that's a wrap, guys!" she said. "Thanks for your help!"
"Not a problem," said the lead technician.
Pipp began disconnecting the cables that linked her to machinery hidden both above the stage and in the backstage area. "So, any changes to the plan?"
"Based on the data from the equipment we should probably slow down the cable rig slightly. I've also reworked the harness so that I can disconnect cables in case something goes wrong. There's no reason to think anything will go wrong as this kit's pretty reliable, but still better safe than sorry."
Pipp nodded. "That's great! I'll be back 90 minutes before the booked concert start so we can get everything checked over."
"No problem," the technician replied. "See you then!"
Pipp smiled as she headed offstage and checked her watch. She had a few hours to kill. Which was plenty of time for a bath and a quick stream for her followers. After all, they needed to know when to watch, right?
Pipp found that a bath was both a great way to unwind and to relax her muscles. She didn't want to strain anything, after all.
She got dressed, pulling on the dress she would be wearing for tonight's performance. It was a white sleeveless number with a yellow puffed skirt that would complement the light effects well. She also had time for a short stream.
The equipment was all set up, so Pipp simply hit the start button. "Good afternoon, Pippsqueaks!"
"Good afternoon, Pipp!" said a chorus of voices from the speakers. These were her fans, dubbed 'Pippsqueaks'.
"So great to see you all today! As I'm sure you all know I'm performing tonight in Swanage, and for those who cannot make the event in person we'll be streaming the event. The link will be posted here later. I'll be debuting my new song later- it's very close to my heart, but not as close as you guys!"
She paused. "OK, love you all so much, but I've gotta go now. See you later! Pipp Pipp Hooray!"
"Pipp Pipp Hooray!" came the reply as the stream ended.
Pipp sighed as she popped the phone down. "My diction could use some work. Right, need to check Sophie, check in with mom, and get to the stage." She walked out of the room. "Red lorry, yellow lorry, led lolly, lel- no, still not quite right."
Pipp headed out of the house and towards the engine depot where the Swanage Railway's diesels were kept. "Hello!" Sophie said, as she entered.
"How are you, Sophie?" Pipp asked, as she quickly checked her over.
"Pretty good, all things considered," the diesel replied. "Aren't you dressed a bit, well, formally for maintenance?"
"Oh no, this is just a visual inspection," Pipp replied. "Besides, I'm performing later tonight and need to look my best. And what better way than to look your best than wear something you like?"
Just then, her phone buzzed. Pipp took it out of her bag and took a look.
We have some unexpected visitors, so I have treated them to dinner at the Bridge Street Cafe. I'll be there if you want to speak to me.
Best of luck for the concert tonight.
Mother.
"Ooh!" Pipp squealed. "I love meeting new people!" She completed the inspection and headed towards the door.
"Have fun!" Sophie called. "Hopefully Charles won't do anything silly."
"He'll probably be too busy complaining about speed limits!" Pipp replied, as she exited the door. "So put your hands up high-!"
It didn't take Pipp long to find the Bridge Street Cafe. She'd lost track of the number of times she'd been here. She knew this town like the back of her hand, having lived all but the first few days of her life here. She pushed open the door and looked around.
"Good evening, Pipp," said the doorman. "If you are looking for Her Ladyship, she is over there next to the stairs for the Water Closet."
"Thanks! Totes helpful!" Pipp replied, and bounced through the room between tables, letting the beat of the music guide her movements.
At last she reached the table and spoke up to attract their attention. "Hi mom! Brought some friends?"
Lady Haven glanced up from her menu and smiled upon seeing her daughter. "Hello darling. How did it go?"
Pipp quickly figured out her mother was speaking about the practice. "The practice? Oh, it went great. We should be good to go tonight."
She also noticed Zipp, who looked like she wanted the ground to swallow her up. Pipp knew why; that was one of her dresses her sister was wearing. And Zipp had the nerve to call her a drama queen!
There was no opportunity to say anything else before Pipp spotted Zipp pulling a familiar trick. When Lady Haven's attention was distracted, Zipp took a glass of water and intentionally spilled it on herself. This was an old trick Pipp knew well. Zipp had historically used it to get out of wearing a dress.
Lady Haven, however, didn't notice. Until Zipp spoke.
"Oh bother!"
The attention of everybody else was raised, such as the three new people at the table.
"I need to get this cleaned up," Zipp said, before vanishing down the steps. Nobody else noticed, but she shot Pipp a death glare, the implications of which were obvious.
"We'll see if she's OK," one of the girls said, and both of them went down the stairs.
Lady Haven sighed. "Oh well, never mind. Accidents happen. Best of luck for tonight, my dear."
"Thanks mom!" Pipp replied. "I'd best get my stage makeup done. Those lights can be really bright!"
"I don't understand how you can step out onto stage so fearlessly every night. I get dreadful stage fright!"
"Truth be told, I do too. I find the best way to counter is to stop thinking about the music and start feeling it."
A while later, Lady Haven was making her final preparations for attending the concert. Of course she wanted to support her children in their various pursuits. What mother wouldn't? She made some slight adjustments to the gown she was wearing. "I'm not convinced now a hoopskirt was the best choice," she said to nobody in particular.
Just then, there was a knock on the door. "Enter!"
Zipp pushed open the door. "Mom, can we talk?"
"Of course!" Lady Haven replied, indicating to a chair. "If anything, we don't talk enough!" Her eyes widened in confusion at how Zipp was dressed, having exchanged the dress from earlier for her normal clothing. "You're cutting it a bit tight, Zara. You'll need to get dressed and have your makeup applied if you want to be at the concert on time." She stopped upon realising her error. "Sorry, Zipp. I didn't mean to use that name."
"It's OK," Zipp replied. "As for the dress, I don't find it very comfortable."
"Neither do I find a corset particularly comfortable, but sometimes we must sacrifice our personal preferences for the sake of things greater than ourselves." Lady Haven sighed. "This is something you'll need to understand for when you become Duchess."
Zipp visibly flinched when she said this. "Yeah. I don't particularly like thinking about that day."
"It's unlikely to be any time soon, Zipp. I am in my early fifties, after all. Now, what was it you wanted to talk about?"
Zipp was straight to the point. "Mom, can I skip the concert?"
It took Lady Haven a few seconds to process the request. "Why? Don't you want to support your sister?"
Zipp stammered for a moment. "That came out wrong. What I meant was I'd like to help out backstage."
Lady Haven's face softened. "Of course you can. Was that all?"
Zipp sighed. "I know I keep putting off the whole preparation thing and all that, but the truth is... I'm not ready. I don't really know who I am or where I belong in this world. How can I help others when I don't even know myself?"
Lady Haven took a seat next to her daughter, popping her skirt out of shape to avoid any embarrasment. "I think that's true of all of us. We're always learning who we are and how we fit in."
"Even adults?"
"Especially adults. When I succeeded your grandfather I was unsure about how well I'd do, or what sort of challenges I'd face. With life, we need to do our best in a given situation. That's all that matters. If you do your best, the world won't judge you for it."
Zipp nodded. "Thanks mom. I'd best get ready. I think I'll just reuse the one from earlier if that's OK. And I'll ask Thunder to put these ones backstage- a gown's not exactly practical for backstage work, if you know what I mean."
"That's reasonable," Lady Haven replied. "I just ask you accompany me in the car as far as the box."
"Of course." Zipp slipped out of the door just as Pipp entered.
"Everything OK?" Pipp asked.
"Yes, dear. Zipp would like to help out backstage tonight. I think she's still very self-conscious about how she appears in public, that's all."
Pipp nodded. "That's great! I know she prefers rock to pop, but an extra pair of hands backstage will be great!" She headed away as Argyle arrived.
"Good evening, your ladyship," he said. "I'm here to return the clothes we borrowed."
"Thank you," Lady Haven replied, as she got up. "I have an offer for you. Za- sorry, I mean Zipp wishes to help out backstage tonight. As a result, we have a spare seat in the Duchy Box. I am hereby extending the invitation to you."
Argyle looked a bit surprised. "That's very kind of you, your ladyship."
"Please, call me Elizabeth. There is no need for such formality amongst friends."
The Bentley pulled up at the arrival site, with a red carpet having already been laid out for the new arrivals. Zipp was closest to the door, and pulled it open to reveal a long line of flashing camera lenses. "Whoa. They really laid on the camera crews tonight."
"I was informed local press would be out in force," Lady Haven replied. "Thank you for dropping us off, Zoom."
"No problem, ma'am," Zoom replied. "When should I return to pick you up?"
"I shall notify you when such a thing is required."
"Of course," Zoom nodded. "Good luck, your Ladyship."
Zipp was there to assist her mother out of the car, and the pair walked forward down the red carpet to the blaring of cameras and loud techno music blasting from some speakers.
"I'm not sure the music really works," Lady Haven said. "Remember to smile!"
Just then, the music stopped, and a voice began to speak over a microphone. "And now, ladies and gentlement, arriving at the concert site, please welcome the Duchess of Dorset and Lady Zara Storm!"
An incredibly elaborate fanfare, complete with trumpets and drums began to sound as they made their way forward.
"This isn't the usual fanfare," Zipp said.
Lady Haven shook her head. "I think I know who's behind this. I shall be having a word with your father when we get back after the concert."
After reaching the backstage entrance, the pair parted ways. Zipp darted in through the doors and slid into a spare changing room, finding her usual clothes in there. She changed quickly, and then dipped back out to the door. She threw it open to ensure Sunny and Izzy could enter later and left it unlocked, before sneaking off towards the depot to prepare Charles for action.
Pipp stepped forward as the lights began to swivel around on the stage.
"Alright Pipp, you're up," radioed the stage manager. Pipp was wearing a concealed headset which allowed her to communicate with the stage crew. "How's the harness holding up?"
"Pretty good so far," Pipp replied. "Just need a second to get my microphone set."
"Understood."
Pipp adjusted her microphone, and then called out to the assembled audience. "Good evening, world! How are we doing tonight?"
There was a loud roar from the crowd, indicating people excited for a spectacular concert.
"That's great to hear. As I promised you all, I'll be debuting my new single tonight. It's called Glowin' Up. Hit it!"
The sound crew heard this, and most of the lights switched off, partly to conceal the wiring.
The stage manager got back on the line. "And we are go in three, two, one... launch. Effects powering up now."
The backing audio kicked in as Pipp took her cue.
"Used to care what they'd say, let 'em into my brain/
But I found a new way (ooh-ooh-ooh)!
Every time I fall down, I pick it up like rebound/
Gotta get through somehow-
The lighting began to build to reveal a shimmering effect from behind Pipp's position, showing what appeared to be... wings?
"We don't fly like we used to/
we take what we've been through/
And we can feel brand new! (ooh-ooh-ooh)
I know I am a fighter/
I feel the fire
I'm shining brighter!" (ooh-ooh-ooh)
Just as the music built for the start of the chorus, the stage manager radioed. "Starting harness... now!"
And on the word 'light' on the next verse, the cabling pulled back quite dramatically, timed with the effects wings flapping downwards to create the illusion of flight. Pipp glided gracefully around the stage, interacting with a variety of elements that were both physical props and projected elements.
"We got the light, we're comin' in stronger, we're in it together/
If you want it, it's all inside your mind!
We got the light, won't wait any longer, we'll get it together/
If you want it, then you can paint the sky!" (hey!)
Just as the chorus came to an end, there was a sudden issue. The lights began to cut out. "Huh?"
"I'm bringing the cables to a stop," the stage manager said. "I'm encountering some fault lights with the equipment."
"OK," Pipp replied, noticing the effects shutting off.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we apologise for the interruption. We have encountered some slight technical difficulties, and hope to have resolved them shortly."
Over in the Duchy Box, Argyle leaned over to Lady Haven. "Is this normal?"
"No," Lady Haven replied. "Something's wrong."
She would proven to be correct almost immediately. The lighting came back in- but then the other equipment went haywire. Pipp was erratically dragged about through the air like a ragdoll, her screams being broadcast over the speaker system.
"Shut the speakers off!" the stage manager shouted. "Pipp, I'm disconnecting cables one and two."
The mechanical breakers triggered, and the first set of cabled disconnected, retracting into the ceiling with a bang.
This seemed to have no effect. In fact, it only seemed to make the problem worse. Pipp was now being flung in circles by the malfunctioning equipment. She could only assume this was what astronaut training felt like.
Moments later, a man in a green uniform appeared on stage. "There you are Su... he trailed off. "Wait a moment. This isn't the backstage exit!"
Seconds later, he got a boot to the face for his troubles, which sent him flying. "You are in violation of flying safety codes!" he shouted, as he tried to get back up.
"Pipp, I'm going to disconnect cables three and four. That should get the equipment back under control!" the stage manager said.
"Whatever you do, hurry! I'm gonna be sick!"
Cables three and four disconnected and retracted into the ceiling. The problems became noticably less violent.
"Come on! Come on! Work, you piece of junk!"
This was of no consolation to Pipp, who was still being hurled around erratically.
"Cut power to the machine! That will trigger the automatic safety mode!"
Seconds later, the cables pulled up sharply, and began to lift before stopping altogether.
"Automatic safety mode engaged. Ninety seconds until release."
This was of little consolation to the teen connected to the wiring. Owing to the way the machine had stopped, she was suspended upside down, looking back in a mixture of confusion and fright as an equally baffled crowd.
"What just happened?" asked a voice from the crowd.
One figure, however, was having none of it. The lights suddenly revealed a figure making her way across the field to the stage. "Pipp!"
"Your ladyship, you are not permitted to cross this section of the field!" said a security guard.
"I don't care!" Lady Haven replied. "That is my daughter who's in danger, and I am not leaving her hanging!"
It took a few moments for an engineer to get backstage and free up the equipment, which allowed them to lower Pipp to Earth. A doctor finished checking her over for any injuries. "No major injuries, I'm glad to report," she said. "Some very minor bruising, but she'll be physically fine."
Pipp was now a sobbing wreck as her mother comforted her. "It's all ruined!" she sobbed. "I feel so humiliated!"
"Everything will be OK," Lady Haven said calmly, as she held Pipp in her arms. "Nobody is laughing at you. It was all a terrible accident. Though I must ask what on Earth Zipp was doing to fail to notice such a failure."
"About that, your ladyship," said a guard. "We have the security footage here. It seems the problem was caused by a collision."
The three went into another room to watch the footage. They saw Zipp vanish, the two girls from the cafe enter, go into Pipp's dressing room and steal a tiara, go back the other way, get confronted by the man in green (who then smashed into the machine), and then the footage stopped.
"Those two... stole from me?" Pipp whimpered. "All that was to cover a heist?"
"Perhaps I trust too easily," Lady Haven said. "We must confront them."
"Allow me," Argyle said, who had entered the room. "I'll talk sense into them."
"Which way were they going?"
"Three engines were spotted heading away towards Norden," said another guard.
"That's the end of the line," Pipp said. "I can take you there!"
"Thank you," Argyle said. "I imagine you want to say something as well."
Pipp nodded. "I intend to give Zipp a piece of my mind." She then glanced to Lady Haven. "Are you gonna press charges?"
"No," Lady Haven replied. "For a very simple reason. I can easily replace a bit of stolen jewellery. But I cannot replace you."