‘Good morning to ya, welcome to Disco, don’t be alarmed…head for the diner, buddy.’
His mind snaps back to the now to see someone walking past him. A man in blue jeans and a checked shirt smiling and giving a thumbs-up as he heads across the road. ‘Diner…you hear me, buddy? Straight on down the road aways and see Allie…’ the man stops alongside a pick-up, opening the driver’s door and clambering in while gesturing for Bear to keep going.
He closes the door before Bear can reply, gunning the engine that coughs, sputters and fires up with the sort of throaty growl one would expect from a pick-up in a small American town driven by a guy in blue jeans and checked shirt.
Bear looks round, taking in the other people nearby so similar in appearance. Blue jeans and checked shirts, blue jeans and t-shirts. Women in denim skirts or floral summer dresses. Men with baseball caps, some in cowboy hats but they suit this place, only adding to the visual display. Men and women talking and going about their business, waving and calling out to one another. An entirely natural scene. Organic and normal but jarring and displacing at the same time.
‘Well, hello there,’ a female voice says, making Bear turn to see a deeply tanned woman with big brown hair and a big smile walking towards him. A floral button-up dress with the top buttons undone showing a wrinkled mahogany chest.
‘Now, don’t you be alarmed, sugar,’ she reaches his side, pulling a sad face and rubbing his arm. ‘This is Discovery and there ain’t nothing to be alarmed about. Y’all just come with me to the diner and we’ll get you a drink. You just went through something called the circuit…’ she nods at him, talking as though to a child but looking him up and down with a wolfish eye. ‘Say, your mentor should be with you?’ she plucks the front of his coveralls out, reading the embroidered patch. ‘Roshi,’ she spits the word with a foul look. ‘Damn bitch…you had Roshi didn’t you, honey? Woman? Yay big, talks like a crack-whore on acid?’ she asks, rolling her eyes and offering him a manicured and very tanned hand. ‘I’m Tammy, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.’
‘Thank you…’
‘Oh, my, you’re British,’ she says with delight, fanning her face as though suddenly flushed but she stops and frowns, staring harder. ‘Are you British?’
‘Er…I’m not sure…’
‘Oh, now, oh, yes, you are British, sugar. Damn Roshi, damn bitch…y’all come with Tammy now and we’ll get you to Allie…’
She loops her arm through his, hip bumping gently while smiling with very white teeth framed in her very tanned face.
‘This is Discovery,’ she drawls, waving her free hand about as they walk on. ‘This is where we all live and work but it’s not all work. Bear is a strange name now,’ she says, glancing sideways at him. ‘Damn Roshi. Anyways, y’all will find everything you need here in our little slice of paradise and we’ll take good care of you so don’t you fret none…they’ll go through it all with you in orientation but I’ll be happy as anything to show you around, when your settled that is, say tonight? I could come see you…’
‘Er…’
‘Aw, just you relax, sugar and let us take care of everything. Tammy’ll get you feeling right on at home sure as anything. Not that you remember your home, but don’t you fret about that…’
She steers him towards a plate glass window etched with Discovery Diner in flowing script then bustles ahead through the open door to an interior that is exactly how he thinks a diner in small-town America should look, not that he can ever remember seeing one.
Red cushioned bench seats and chairs against chrome tables and walls in cream and pale blues. Retro, twee and clean with a long counter running down the left side of the interior behind which stand shiny coffee machines and stacks of white ceramic mugs. The place looks empty save for one table at the back with three people sitting in silence.
‘Oh, now looky look,’ Tammy says in glee, holding his hand in a vice-like grip as though worried he’ll runoff. ‘Y’all got some new friends.’
A woman in a white blouse with a black apron tied about her waist walks from the counter carrying a tray and lifting her head in greeting. ‘Hey there, I’m Allie,’ she says, holding a hand out to Bear with a glance at his embroidered patch and a smile less hungry.
‘This is Bear,’ Tammy says proudly, presenting her find. ‘Roshi’s,’ she adds darkly, glowering at Allie. ‘Damn, bitch just left him wondering about like a little lost sheep.’
‘It’s nice to meet you, Bear,’ Allie says, shaking his hand. High cheekbones, blue eyes and blond hair tied back. Late thirties, maybe older but she looks tired and strained. ‘Thank you, Tammy. I can…’
‘He’s British,’ Tammy cuts in, moving closer into his side. ‘Just the most amazing accent…’
‘We’ve got plenty of Brits here, Tammy,’ Allie says through her smile. ‘I’m British.’
‘Oh, y’all don’t sound like Bear here,’ Tammy simpers, winking at Bear. ‘Say? When did Roshi get back on the circuit?’
‘The Old Lady ordered her,’ Allie says, cutting in with an air of diplomacy. ‘Pete told me.’
‘Well, damn that little bitch but she shouldn’t be leaving newbies walking about on their lonesome.’
‘Thank you, Tammy,’ Allie says, ramping up the diplomacy. ‘I’ll take him now and…’
‘I can stay and help.’
‘I’ll be fine but thank you so much,’ Allie says firmly. ‘Bear, you come with me…’ she stops to look at Tammy’s hand still clamped on his. Tammy grins. Allie waits. Bear looks from one to the other.
‘Well, now,’ Tammy says through a wide forced smile, finally letting go. ‘Be seeing you later, Bear,’ she adds in a whispery deep voice, widening her eyes at him.
‘Bye, Tammy,’ Allie says, not looking back. She walks him down the empty diner to the table at the back. ‘That’s Tammy,’ she says quietly. ‘Just say no…and keep saying no.’
‘No?’ Bear asks.
‘No,’ Allie says then pauses in step. ‘Unless you want to of course…’
She reaches the table and guides him into the last remaining space on a cushioned bench seat next to a black woman in blue coveralls opposite two white men also in blue coveralls.
‘Everything will be okay,’ Allie says calmly, looking at them each in turn. ‘You all look so terrified,’ she adds, then frowns lightly at Bear. ‘You not so much,’ she murmurs. ‘Chat, say hi…’ she waves a hand at them and walks off as all four track her motion, two of them turning in their seats to watch her going behind the counter and out of sight before slowly twisting back to face forward.
Silence reigns. A deep awkward silence of four people in blue coveralls trying to snatch discrete glances without being seen to be looking while their hands rest on the tabletop inert and stationary.
‘Here we go,’ Allie says. She lowers a tray on the table loaded with a full jug of coffee, empty mugs, milk, sugar and spoons. ‘Help yourselves…food won’t be too long.’
The arrival of the tray changes the dynamics, bringing a communal thing they can look at and focus on while really using the distraction as an opportunity to glance properly at each other.
Bear studies the man opposite him. White, big-boned and solid with an embroidered patch that reads I am James.
Bear looks right to see the other two doing the same thing, reading each other’s patches and takes in the man next to James. A white guy with wide eyes, a shocked expression and I am Thomas on his embroidered patch.
Then the awkward bit comes. The bit where James and Thomas need to shift and turn to see each other’s patches, doing it with polite nods and turning more than they have to for the ease of the other.
Bear glances at the woman next to him and leans forward to see her patch as she does the same, crumpling her own coverall. Bear smiles and pulls back then both turn with over-motion to present their chests to the other.
‘Bear,’ the woman says, reading his patch.
‘Zara,’ Bear says, reading he
r patch.
They all shuffle to face forward again as Allie tuts to herself in the kitchen, peering through the gap in the door. ‘Gonna be a long day.’
Silence reigns again until Zara leans forward an inch. ‘Smells so nice,’ she says, inhaling the aroma. ‘I recognise it but…cannot remember a bloody thing…’ she speaks in a British accent that Bear recognises to be London without knowing how.
‘Did you…’ Thomas speaks out then stops, his eyes wide and his expression shocked. ‘Er…the sky into the ocean?’ he motions falling with his hand as he speaks.
‘Yes,’ James says.
‘Me too,’ Zara says quickly. ‘And the cliff…’ she motions up with her hand.
Thomas sounds American. James speaks in clear English but with a trace accent.
‘It’s called the circuit,’ Zara says, making all three look at her. ‘My mentor told me…Pete…he’s French.’
‘Oh,’ Thomas says. ‘I had a guy called Jacob.’
‘Larry,’ James says when they look at him.
‘Er,’ Bear clears his throat, ‘Roshi.’
‘Roshi?’ Zara asks.
‘Yes, Roshi.’
‘That’s a nice name,’ Zara says.
‘HELP YOURSELF TO THE COFFEE BEFORE IT GETS COLD,’ Allie shouts from the kitchen, still spying on them through the gap.
They look at the tray on the table, at the four mugs, the milk, the sugar and the full coffee pot.
Zara looks across at Thomas then over to James and finally turns to look at Bear, ‘shall I do it?’
‘Er,’ Bear says. ‘Sure…’
‘Okay, Zara,’ James says.
‘Thanks,’ Thomas says.
Zara tries reaching for the coffee pot then stands on realising she can’t reach, prompting a polite shuffle from Bear, James and Thomas who all try and help at the same time, getting in each other’s way ‘I’ll do it,’ Zara says. They pull back to watch as she pours the dark liquid into the mugs. ‘Milk?’ she asks Thomas.
He stares at her then at the mug. ‘I don’t know.’
Silence.
‘Try it,’ Zara says.
‘I’ll try it,’ Thomas says, picking the mug up to sip and wincing at the heat. ‘I guess I could try some milk.’
‘James?’ Zara asks, ‘milk?’
James watches Thomas add milk to his coffee then taste it again. ‘Is it better?’ he asks.
‘Much better,’ Thomas says.
‘I’d like milk, please,’ James says to Zara.
‘I might try some sugar,’ Thomas says, eyeing the sugar pot and the spoon poking out of it.
‘Yeah?’ James asks him as though this is the most daring thing he has ever heard.
‘Milk?’ Zara asks Bear.
He thinks back to the coffee shop in New York with Roshi. They had lattes which are made with milk. ‘Yes, please,’ he says, guessing they didn’t get taken to the coffee shop in New York.
‘What’s it like?’ James asks Thomas as he sips his coffee now with milk and sugar.
‘Nice,’ Thomas says.
‘Can I have sugar, please?’ James asks Zara who gives him a look before sliding the sugar pot in front of him.
‘You sound British,’ Zara says to Bear. ‘I think I’m British.’
‘Jacob said I’m probably American,’ Thomas says.
‘What about you?’ Zara asks James.
‘Larry said he wasn’t sure what I am,’ James says.
Zara squints at her black coffee then at James’s mug, ‘did you put milk and sugar in? Can I try it?’
‘Sure,’ Thomas says, offering her his mug.
‘Urgh,’ she says, pulling a face after taking a sip.
‘I’ve only got milk,’ Bear says, offering her his mug.
She takes a sip from his mug, thinks hard then sips her own and thinks hard again. ‘Milk,’ she decides. ‘But no sugar.’
She sits down and the silence that was before comes back but it’s heavier now from the absence of the conversation they just had. Seemingly awkward too and Bear guesses each is locked in their thoughts of the things they faced and did while delving into their souls and hearts as they search for something to cling to, something to say who they are and why they are here, to give reason and cause, to give purpose and explanation.
‘I like coffee,’ James says.
‘Me too,’ Thomas says.
‘It’s nice,’ Zara adds her voice to the general agreement on coffee.
‘Okay,’ Allie calls out, carrying another bigger tray from the kitchen. She slides the tray onto the table filled with quarter cut sandwiches in white and brown bread. Four plates stacked up and a pile of pure white napkins.
‘Okay, so these ones are all cheese, nothing strong though, just cheddar. Those are chicken in mayo. Those are just salad, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber. None of you know what you like or don’t like yet but the best way is to just dive in and find out. One thing that is very clear in Disco is that most allergies appear to come from perceptions. We’ve only got one person here allergic to anything and that was only after he saw someone else almost die from eating crab in a restaurant in Naples…use a plate, James.’
‘Shorry,’ he says with a mouthful, grabbing a plate.
‘Eat,’ Allie says, motioning to the other three. ‘Your mentors have told you not to question anything and to wait, right?’
Three of them nod while Bear blinks with a cheese sandwich half in his mouth.
‘That’s done for a reason, so you’re not overwhelmed with information too soon. Everyone here has been through the circuit, the same as you…’
Bear stares at Allie in surprise, then round at the other three wondering how they and someone like Tammy could learn to kill twenty-one men between the seven-sided room and the French doors, but then he guesses if they just keep resetting eventually anyone should be able to get through it. Mind you, Tammy really didn’t look that capable.
‘You went through it?’ Zara asks.
‘Yes, I did. Larry and Pete did it the same time as me actually,’ Allie replies.
‘What is this place?’ Zara asks.
‘This is Discovery,’ Allie replies.
‘I know that…I mean…where are we?’ Zara asks.
‘Which state?’ Thomas asks.
‘State?’ James asks.
‘In America, which state?’ Thomas asks again.
‘Are we in America?’ James asks.
‘Seriously dude?’ Thomas asks, blinking at him.
‘What?’ James asks.
‘We’re not in America,’ Allie says.
‘Australia?’ Zara asks.
‘We’re not in any country,’ Allie says.
‘We’re in a toaster,’ Bear mumbles.
‘What?’ Allie asks.
‘Nothing,’ he says quickly.
‘Why didn’t we die?’ Thomas asks. ‘And this is definitely America,’ he adds.
‘It’s not America,’ Allie says. ‘And you didn’t die because…’
‘Why did you say a toaster?’ Zara asks, cutting in to look at Bear.
‘Okay. This isn’t a country or a physical place,’ Allie says quickly. ‘This is a computer-generated environment…’
Three people stop eating to stare in shock as Bear carries on chewing, earning another look from Allie.
‘Our bodies are alive somewhere, but we don’t know where. We’re part of a very powerful system that has created this town for a specific reason which you will learn later …’
‘That film,’ Thomas says, clicking his fingers.
‘Oh, I know it,’ Zara says, looking from Thomas to Allie.
‘It’s not any film,’ Allie says.
‘What film?’ James asks.
‘Seriously dude?’ Thomas asks. ‘The one with the guy who wakes up in the spaceship thing after eating the green pill.’
‘He didn’t eat a green pill,’ Zara says.
‘He did. He had the green pill and woke up in the spac
eship.’
‘He had the red pill and went down a rabbit hole,’ Zara says.
‘Rabbit hole?’ James asks. ‘Did you have a rabbit hole on your circuit?’ he looks to Allie with an expression of instant worry. ‘Did I miss one?’
‘Listen,’ Allie says, getting their attention. ‘This isn’t like any movie…’
‘What about that…’ Thomas starts to say.
‘Or book,’ Allie cuts in. ‘Or comic…or song, or anything and even if you had seen a movie, book or comic that was exactly the same I wouldn’t know what it was…which will come clear later. Do you know what AI means?’
‘Er…’ James says slowly.
‘AI means artificial intelligence,’ Allie says, bringing their focus back again while Bear wonders how much Roshi told him that the others haven’t heard yet. ‘An artificial intelligence system has brought you from wherever you are to be in this world. Going through the circuit is the only way to get here. We don’t know how the…’
‘I didn’t like dying,’ James says with a heavy sigh. ‘Hurts.’
‘Right yes, yes it does,’ Allie says. ‘We don’t how it all started. Only that the AI manifests as someone we call…’
‘The Old Lady,’ Bear says.
‘The what?’ Zara asks.
‘Bloody Roshi,’ Allie snaps under her breath. ‘The AI manifests as someone we call the Old Lady…’
‘Have you been here before?’ Zara asks Bear.
‘No,’ Bear replies.
‘He hasn’t,’ Allie says.
‘How did he know about the old woman then?’
‘Old Lady,’ Allie says. ‘He had a different mentor that…let’s just move on. Did you each die?’
‘Dying hurts,’ James says again.
‘Yes, it does but you reset right?’ Allie asks. ‘If you die here in Discovery you will also reset but let me make this very clear…we do not allow people to die here. If you die and reset you will be punished, if someone causes you to die, they will be punished exactly the same as in the real world. No murders, no suicides, no manslaughter or death through negligence. All crimes here are investigated and dealt with by the sheriff and the Old Lady’s will – that life here should be as normal as possible – is absolute. Do you all understand?’
A Town Called Discovery Page 7