Pulling into the parking lot, Mina got to observe the Rocketstar Ranch up close and personal. An enormous mansion built into the rocky mountain, it combined 19th century western architecture with space elements like laser turrets and an towering red and white rocket protruding from the roof. In fancy cursive, the rocket was labeled Rocketstar Ranch.

"Wowie zowie!" Mina exclaimed. "This is a real space western!"

Turning off the engine in his jalopy, Raven emerged and walked up beside her. "Well time to saddle up space cowgirl, we got a crime scene to investigate!"

***

The duo stepped inside. After Mina had the chance to gawk at the alien green carpets that lined the wide hallway, they approached the front desk. A secretary sat wearing a hairband with alien antennas springing off it. Informing the secretary who they were, they received day passes and directions to studio 66 where Venus Warrior from Mars was being filmed.

Overwhelmed with excitement, Mina charged down the hallway on her business heels, muttering "ohmygoshohmygosh!"

Raven strolled casually with a grin. "This is the fastest and straightest I've ever seen you walk on your heels, kiddo."

Mina looked back as she continues to speed in her heels."Not even impractical shoes will keep me from seeing the legendary set! Star was breathing on it after all!"

"You're gonna need to take some deep breaths in a second," Raven cawed, but Mina didn't listen. She burst through the doors labeled '66' and when she did, she couldn't believe what she saw.

Instead of a starry background, asteroids and space stations, there was metal beams, harnesses, and an enormous green screen. "Wuh…" Mina muttered. "Where's Sector Z? Where's the cosmic infiniteness of space?"

A nasally whiny voice filled the air. "You never heard of a green screen, lady?"

Mina turned to face a spotty, freckly weedy teenager wearing glasses. He sported an Admiral Spork from Space Voyager jersey and baggy black pants with chains on them. There was a satchel slung around his shoulder and he clutched a laser sword in the other. His hair was long and greasy and his boils made Mina think of an inedible pizza.

He lifted his hands in a perfect triangle over his head.

Mina grinned sheepishly and did it too.

"Zounds!" the nerdy male exclaimed, his eyes wide behind his glasses. "Did you just…?"

"The Zork Imperial salute?" Mina asked. "Of course! It's only fitting being in the room where Venus Warrior is filmed."

The nerd gasped so hard, he had to pull his inhaler out of his pocket. "A cute member of the female species that likes Venus Warrior?! Somebody pinch me!"

Suddenly, the geek screamed, "owch!" as a finger actually pinched him. Raven grinned as the nerd held his arm in pain.

"When I said somebody," the nerd exclaimed. "I meant the cute chick…" he wiggled his eyebrows. "On the bum."

Mina's eye twitched before she spoke. "Umm who are you? Are you a staff member on this set?"

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

"Maybe he's the donut boy," Raven snarked.

The geeky individual grabbed so hard at the lanyard around his neck that he nearly choked himself. "I am Nick Beard. The winner of the Intergalactic Pizzapocket Sweepstakes!"

When Mina and Raven gave him incredulous expressions, Nick proudly stated, "Anyone who finds a moon rock inside their Pizzapocket wins a week long trip to visit Rocketstar Ranch. You also get to meet the cast of Venus Warrior from Mars!"

Nick leaned in close to Mina's face, his breath causing her eyes to water. "One fateful day, I bit into my Pizzapocket and now I have a tooth filling and a sector to call my crib for the week!"

"But," Raven muttered. "Don't you care that there was a murder on this set?"

Nick Beard took his shirt and blew into it. He made a sound that sounded like an elephant playing a trombone.

"Yes…" he sniffed. "My hero…the great Admiral Spork, played by none other than Dirk Lord was brutally murdered! Even if Spork was said to have six hearts in his alien chest, it is clear as an actor he only had one!"

Mina patted the grieving Nick Beard on the shoulder. "There there. I'm new to the space fandom, but I really thought Dirk was a master of campy acting. He even gives my mentor Raven a run for his money!"

"A woman of fine taste," Nick Beard said, wiping his eyes. "I shall engrave your face in the hard drive I call my brain!"

"You do that," Mina said, and she turned to Raven. "Uh, let's go investigate now. It's getting a bit stinky here."

Raven nodded and the two headed over to table where several members of the police stood. Sitting upon the table lay two baggies. Odd looking guns were sealed inside. The guns were lime green with yellow spheres on top of them.

When one of the cops turned around, Raven whimpered. "Oh no! Mina, run as fast as you can!"

He turned to sprint, but the female cop seized him by the collar and pulled him in close. "You're not going anywhere Slackttorney," she lectured in a stern and husky voice. "Stop in the name of O'Law!"

Mina looked up and squeaked too. Dressed in a navy blue officers' uniform was a woman of indistinct age. Her shoulders were touched by the swooped bob of a bushy brunette hair style. Her irises were dark, but gleaming and she wore a perplexed expression on her heavily made-up face. Despite graduating with honors at the legal academy, Mina literally had no idea how old this woman was and getting it wrong could mean certain death!

"Chief Rita O'Law!" Mina cried, as the strong officer managed to capture an escaping Raven. "What are you doing here?"

"Hmm," O'Law said, causally shrugging a shoulder while strangling Raven with her other hand. "This is a crime scene. I am a police officer. Those two concepts seem to be tangibly related."

"Lemme go! Lemme go!" Raven shouted. "Unhand me, strong arm of the O'Law!"

Heeding his request, O'Law released him, causing him to trip and fall flat on his face. Rita smiled catlike and raised her penciled eyebrows at Mina.

"I see, Mr. Lazy Lawyer is training you terribly, Miss Attorney. Especially if you cannot draw simple connections."

Mina helped a grumbling Raven to his feet. She put her hands on her hips to reprimand Law, but the towering officer did not flinch. Mina had not been around at the time to see Rita and Raven date, ("a lawfully enforced romance" as Raven called it) but judging by how he acted in front of her, Mina had a good feeling who wore the pants.

"Look," Raven squawked. "We can fight til the cows come home. Though at this point, I'd rather have a cow at my home than you! But you need to tell us…have you found any evidence of note?"

O'Law spread her hands out to the table. "We've already recovered the murder weapons."

Mina stared at the guns. "Hmm do they have finger prints on them? I'm sure that can give something away."

"The only strange thing…" Rita said "is that Dirk Lord's finger prints are on both guns. Yes…even the murder weapon."

Mina's eyes widened. "Susy. She said very susy!"

"But…" the chief said, a smile curling on her lips. "You're going to lose your second case, Miss Attorney. Mr. Justice has already found the perfect witness. He was there and had a front row seat to the whole murder!"

"What the huh?!" Mina exclaimed. "He has?"

"Hey! Nerdface!" Rita shouted and she blew a whistle.

Nick Beard waddled over to her. "Yes m'lady?"

Rita laughed her sadist laugh. "Meet Star Skye's attorney for tomorrow!"

Suddenly, Nick Beard flushed bright pink like a pimply peach. "You're that she beast's attorney?!"

"Er..yeah…" Mina said. "Hi again!"

Nick Beard stomped as hard as he could on the ground. He raised his gloved fists in front of Mina like he was ready to grab her and throttle her. "That muscular troll killed my hero right in front of me. Admiral Spork, an intergalactic legend is gone because of her. I will see it that she rots in jail to infinity and beyond!"