Party

<snip>
As they near the garbage ball, Jack springs with an idea. "What if we mix Christmas and Halloween themes?"
"Haven't you already done enough?" Yeldarb exclaims.
"It's just that, we need to go through the party and get to the other side. You wouldn't have made it without these disguises. It's all about blending in." Jack replies.
"Lead the way, your expert skeletoness."
<snip>

“A fucking party!?” Cass clattered, bad-temperedly, alongside Jade near the back of the group, heels click-clacking.

“That's what he said”

“This is idiocy! - Why the fuck are we going along with this?”

“To save the rest of the crew” Jay called back “We've been through this before”

“Yeah, but...” Cass gestured helplessly, the silver, star-tipped wand she held in one hand, sending a shower of sparkles cascading through the air “We don't have to go along with this – There are ways and means.
“We could take a Starbug around the other side of the garbage ball and blast our way through to the core with bazookoids" she continued "We don't have to dance to Skellington's tune”

“You know?” Jack sighed, up at the front of the group “You are getting to be a real spoilsport”

Wheeling around, he stalked back towards Cass, who shrank back as he loomed over her.

“Parties are fun” he said, menacingly, before casting his pitiless black gaze around the others “You will enjoy yourselves.
“Besides” he straightened and beamed broadly at everyone “It'll take ages to blast your way through to the core. The party is the most direct route”

“Fucks sake” Cass grumbled as soon as Jack had resumed leading the way, with Yeldarb, hot on his heels behind him “I can't believe we're going to a party”

“At least you're dressed for it”

Cass turned to regard the man who had just spoken with, with no little disdain “And you are?”

“Joribel – Joribel Oouga” he gave her a lopsided grin “Health and Safety; although I'm dressed as a dangerous paedophile from the twenty first century at the moment – You'll have to excuse me”

“Why do you even know about ancient paedophiles?”

“What? - Oh, no no” Joribel said hurriedly, alarmed at what he thought she was implying “It's not like that. I like useless facts and trivia – It's an interest of mine” he winced “Trivia, that is...
“For example:” he continued, distantly aware that he was gabbling, but unable to stop himself “Did you know that the Altairian Vampire Moth exudes a highly addictive drug, that keeps you coming back for more, when it bites you?
"Or that Gleebles have no sense of taste? - Their fashions are widely renowned as the worst in the galaxy”

Recognising the look on Cassandra's face, Jade slid an arm around her friend “There, you see?” she gave her a squeeze “Useless trivia”

“No lollygagging” Jack trilled, hurrying onwards “Keep up at the back”

“And besides” Jade continued “Joribel's right – You do look like you're dressed for a party”

“You're kidding me, right?”

“Well...” Jade flustered “The tiara's nice and you look amazing in that little silver dress”

Cass scowled “It's these fucking wings that I'm more concerned about” she stretched and flexed her back, inexpertly unfurling four shimmering dragonfly wings “These had better not be a permanent thing”

Jade eyed them apprehensively, unsure of what to say. They had sprouted from between Cassandra's shoulders, not long after they had been enveloped in Finklestein's gas, and as far as she could tell, they were still growing.

“What's not to like about them” Joribel grinned “They look great; so does the dress - You make a great fairy”

Cass was just about to tell him what he could do with that opinion, when Jack called a halt outside one of the blast doors, set in the wall of the corridor they were in.

“We've come a very long way, deep down into the industrial bowels of this ship” he said in a low voice, clasping and unclasping his bony hands, excitedly before him “The journey has been tiring and possibly even harrowing for some; but I hope you'll find it was well worth while
“Ladies and gentlemen,” he reached forward and hauled the blast door open with a theatrical flourish “I give you La Fiesta de los Muertos... with a Christmas twist!”

Screams emanated from within

“...Fuck” Cass managed, her mouth suddenly dry.

<tag>
How bad is it?

Who is screaming and why?

Do we do anything to stop whatever's going on in there?
</tag>