TELLY sits in a taqueria, tapping his fingers on the table, watching the door. Students and professors from the nearby college wait in line. The radio plays Complicated by April Lapine.
The door opens, but it isn’t her. She said she had purple hair.
The narrator goes to the kitchen and stares into the fridge, looking for something. Anything.
CLAIRE: That’s what’s so amazing about the writing. When they’re on the beach, eating the chicken wing, that’s Montauk. That’s where the Philadelphia Experiment began, back in the 80s.
STAN: What can I get for you?
CLAIRE: I’ll get a veggie bowl, black beans and…
The radio turns to American Idiot.
The door opens, and it is her. His future wife, he doesn’t think. TELLY is atypically calm. He knows what he’s gonna say.
TELLY [voice over] Joe DiMaggio has nothing on you, you’re a world class writer. She’s just a waitress in beauty school. You got this.
“MEGAN” (not her real name, but we don’t know this yet. Pay attention.): WHAT PART OF I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN DONT YOU UNDER—
The building next door suddenly explodes, as the mini moon that was allegedly hovering in the night sky, according to Facebook, smashed into the block. Bye bye Burren.
[ed] Look, I know you can’t talk to me, but this chapter *might* legit need my services. It’s really going off the rails. The agents still don’t get that TELLY in 2023 is trying to hire the ex-Seal as a hitman to do a fake job on the real target (DUNCAN). All I’m saying is—
ROBIN: Shut up!! Have a carrot.
———
ROSE escorts the zip-tied GROBAN onto the gang plank of the Nautilus, a steel grey class C commercial starship. A line of tired commuters, many from China, others from ports on all 9 continents, shuffles onto the shuttle.
ROSE: Once we’re in Miami, we can take those off, but you’re under USS Navy jurisdiction until we land. That gives us about 40 minutes. If you tell us what we need to hear, this could go a lot better for you.
GROBAN: I’ll do whatever you say. (Snickers)
ROSE (stone faced): You know most of the provinces. We know you only recently came into the valence of the Party. I know what it’s like to grow up moving around like that.
GROBAN does not respond.
[soft voice]: His anterior cingulate is fluctuating. He’s thinking of his mother. Reel him in. But don’t trigger him. Floribama represents a lot of fear and pain for him, remember.
ROSE: Do you have bad dreams? Do you wish you could leap all the way back to the —
GROBAN: I live a nightmare. You could never imagine.
ROSE: I don’t know. I can imagine quite a lot. And look, I’m not just here to interrogate you for the USS government. Okay? I can be a friend if you let me. We want to align, not fight. Let the suits in orbit worry about the factions and deuterium tariffs.
GROBAN looks skeptical but is silent.
Ursa Minor drifts past the café’s 50 meter window, the sound of orchestral strings playing some old tune from the 1900s, about white rabbits but there are no lyrics.
GROBAN: I… first learned of the work being done when I was from…
ROSE: I see. (Long beat) and when you’re from… oh I know this song. Isn’t it lovely?
GROBAN does not take the bait. He turns to see the curve of the Northern Continent rising in the West, suddenly ablaze with golden fingers of God, the sun cresting above the distant horizon.
ROSE: We have all the time in the world. But. Touchdown in less than 4, so it’s now or never…
GROBAN solemnly turns to her.
GROBAN: Rosebud.
ROSE’s eyebrows lift slightly, and she smiles.