Chapter 12 - Plan

   Joe showed up early for lunch, but only ordered coffee and a light snack. He casually mentioned to the waitress, that he was meeting a friend for lunch. So, he might wait and have dinner a little later with his buddy. Ben showed up a little early, but closer to the appointed time.

   "Ben. Glad you made it."

   "Carp. Didn't think I'd see you, but hey."

   Joe grinned.

   "What. I call myself a buddy, and I weasel out of a dinner bet? Not my style."

   "All right. You know? Hope you don't take too much offense, I just peruse the... dinner menu... thinking side dishes, too. Maybe? Dessert. A milkshake in your budget?"

   Joe stared ahead, sipping his coffee, a little grin.

   "Sure. Tell you what, Ben. Win, lose, or draw? I'm throwing in the dinner anyways. Hell, lunch too. Get something that won't ruin your dinner, okay?"

   Ben wagged his head and got a little something.

   Joe was watching the time overtly. He pointed at the clock on the wall.

   "I know, buddy. I'm waiting with bells on."

   A news feed was on, but turned down low. Joe leaned over casually.

   "Ben? Don't take this personal, but... just humor me. Do yourself a favor, don't have your drink in your hand. I been there. I already got the T shirt."

   Ben smiled gently and held his iced tea glass out, like a toast. He dramatically set it down in a big, slow arc to rest on the counter of the diner. Held his palms up and out.

   Joe saw the time.

   "Couple minutes either way. Any time now."

   The anomaly being up there, and this being the shuttle run airport that serviced it? It was locally even bigger news than it was for anywhere else. Joe didn't smile or gloat when it happened. On cue. Ben's shocked, ashen face was clear to see. People in the diner, all workers in and around this business, were yelling to turn the news feed up on the big screen up on the wall. The waitress knew big local news when she saw it, and ran over to comply.

   "You're seeing a live feed, of what has come to be known as the anomaly. The short clips you see, before going back to the longer one? Is showing you the size change of the mysterious square object that no one can put their finger on, as to what it really is. Where it came from is a mystery, and what it does while its here, if it ever goes and if so where to? Anyone's guess. This is Gina Carloni? Live at the Hubble 16 ground control station."

   "Thanks, Gina. We have a physicist here, from the international astronomer's association, here to explain some of what's being discussed, as to possible explanations surrounding the anomaly. Doctor Becker."

   "Thanks for having me. There's been a lot of speculation about what a fourth dimension object really is, and what it isn't. Thought to be a purely theoretical object, certain phenomenon, particularly the probes disappearances? Is what led to this possible explanation. Now, let me try to explain, in layman's terms as best I can? As to---"

   People were discussing it around them.

   "Hey. At least it didn't do any crazy shit. It just gets bigger or smaller now and then."

   "You just know that's some secret military shit, there's no two ways about it."

   "I'm telling you? That's some kind of alien shit."

   The waitress noticed Ben.

   "Ben. Ben!"

   "Huh? Oh."

   "You okay? You look like you saw a ghost. You all right?"

   "Oh. Yeah. Just... iced tea went down wrong. Got it in my nose."

   Joe casually got the waitress's attention since she was close.

   "Ma'am? Fix Ben here up with... we were thinking maybe early dinner."

   Joe helped him order up. He went with steak and side dishes dinner. Joe got him talked into the milkshake and everything. Grinning the whole time he did it. Ben slowly calmed down and ate slowly. One wary eye on "Carp" as he claimed his friends called him. Ben finally whispered harshly over when they were out of earshot.

   "How in the hell, did y---"

   Joe grinned, and waved him off casually.

   "Not here. I'll get us a drink or two. When you get done eating, relaxing, maybe a slice of cake or pie. On me. We'll talk over a drink. Later."

   "But---"

   "Like I said. I been in your shoes. Just... take your time. Relax. We'll talk later. Okay?"

   Ben just nodded along. Sort of in a mild daze. Joe? Remembered this feeling well. It hadn't been that long ago, that was him.

   After a couple hours eating and some more iced tea, Ben slowly recovered a little. He did keep furrowing his brow at his new friend Carp, though. Honestly, how could he not. He had Ben lead the two of them to what he suggested, a quiet out of the way bar, not some crowded deal. When they were seated in the far corner at a small table, Ben finally started speaking.

   "Are you going to tell me what's really going on? This is some ... military, CIA project... right?"

   Joe shook his head.

   "Wish it was. I already gave you my story. I said? I would provide extraordinary proof, because I knew I had an extraordinary story."

   "You... really undersold the whole thing. How do you stay so calm, about all of---"

   Joe waved his hand gently. Friendly, not dismissive.

   "I keep telling you. I'm over, the whole... you can get used to anything."

   "Well? You definitely earned your G ride, I'll tell you that. My fly buddies? Get a blow-job. Me? Christ."

   "Might I make a proposal. Given... a certain, shall we call it... a realignment, of our belief and trust issues."

   "Go ahead."

   "Ben. I sympathize with your story. Really. You have no idea. I... don't have any miracle cure for you. I wish I did. I'm just a regular guy like you, I just got... like I told you. This just happened, and I'm caught up in it now."

   "My gut says? This is getting somewhere. You want something."

   "I do. Its not a want, though. Its a need."

   "What do you..."

   "Maybe, we can help each other out. I mean, we each have... unique needs. You, for instance. You? Have your... delicate situation. You want something, and you need it to have just the right situation. To... make things right. Keep them right. However you put that. I have a girl. I can imagine being married, and we had a kid. I... completely respect your... position on that."

   Ben nodded.

   "I'm listening. I only promised a joyride, but. Can't hurt to listen."

   "I got to thinking. You? Talked about... the guys at the end of the retro action movie. You know, the medals, the ticker-tape parade."

   "Yeah."

   "Well. I can obviously control the anomaly. That much is obvious. Whatever else you believe, or don't or can't believe? I understand its hard to swallow. But... that much? Is now a given."

   Ben thought about it.

   "You called it. Then, it happened. Gotta give you that one."

   "So. You? Want out of your... situation. You want it to end before it gets started. Because you said you know what you face."

   "Saw it young? No way in hell. That? Is a fate worse then death. They come and prolong it, as long as they can. They'd put a horse out of its misery? They're gonna do the opposite to me. Not saying the horse don't deserve mercy? Where's mine. You gotta believe me. Being set on fire would be better. It'd be over quick, it probably wouldn't hurt as much, for as long."

   "What if. You could... satisfy your wish. And? Become the hero that stopped the scary thing in the night sky, at the same time. I mean, imagine it this way. Not only do you get what you need? Your memory. The hero? That gave his life, to put a stop to it."

   Recognition dawned on his face.

   "Oh. You mean..."

   He pointed up and out of where they sat. To the ceiling, which meant the sky and the anomaly.

   Joe nodded.

   "Its obvious. I control it. I proved it."

   "What do you want. I feel like I'm making a deal with the devil here. It'll sound good, but you gotta watch the fine print on those things."

   "The devil? Wants to gain, or to hurt. I'm only trying to help. Essentially? I just want my G ride."

   "How does that... get me..."

   "I read up some on the little shuttles they designed for these runs, recently. There's little tiny... pods. If there would be a problem up there? You can float in a pod, they can come and get you easy. Like... a raft in the ocean for the pilot goes down. Same idea."

   "Yeah."

   "I'm assuming, you can put the pod where you want it."

   "Yeah. I'm guessing you saw the safety films. In zero G? Whatever velocity and direction I put you out in? You in your pod, get to keep that velocity and direction. Its to send you over to the nearest station. The... beacon? Is automatic."

   "That pod. I'm in it. Guess where I want you to send me, though."

   Ben furrowed his brow.

   "No. You..."

   "Yes. You know the probes disappeared. Everyone does. I know where they go. That? Is where I need to go."

   "And... you shut the thing off. Looks like... I ignored orders to keep away from it, and..."

   "Would you not be the big hero?"

   "Uh... I guess I would be, but. And not that playing the hero doesn't sound appealing, but... I'd be a very alive hero. Which, unlike most people? Is... the worst thing, for me. Not to mention? You, are committing suicide. You know that, right? Those probes are... gone. You? would be gone too."

   "Observation. Two probes disappeared. Conclusion? They got destroyed. I know where I'll go."

   "I'd call you crazy, but..."

   "Certain recent situations, force you to re-think the whole notion of my alleged insanity."

   Ben grinned.

   "You know. Any real hero? Stands up, and gives his life for everyone. Everyone knows that's in every other retro action flick."

   "What are you saying."

   "Pod? Nope. I fly us right into that son of a bitch. If you're shutting it off, right? My last fly is coming soon anyways. This? If you're going out anyways? Why not go out big."

   "Oh. I just need to hitch a ride, and it ain't to across town. Hmm."

   Ben shook his head, looking down idly at his drink he hadn't barely touched.

   "You know how the... grim reaper comes for you?"

   "Yeah."

   "I see him walking up to me, slowly. Its inevitable. I know I'm going to die. Soon. At this point? I'm not worried about dying. I'm worried about how it happens. I got three choices."

   "Mm."

   "One. I... I've seen it. You go down to skin and bones. Slow. Takes a long time. Skin and bones? Isn't a phrase. You can't stand. You can't sit. You can't lay, but you do. With nothing but see-through skin over your skeleton? Its painful just on that note. Then? The real fun starts. You start to slowly get sores. They can't heal, your body is shutting down, piece by piece. Like... a car coughing its last gasp. The sores? You get more, and they all get bigger. They infect, you can't fight it, you're immune system is shit the bed."

   Joe looked down as he iterated what he had seen. What he knew he faced coming.

   "And? That ain't the only shit the bed, goes on. You lay there? In a goddamn diaper. Like a baby, can't go potty. Sores from that. Infections from that. Feeding tube. But the amusement park is just getting going, buddy. Your flesh, what little you have. Ever so slowly, begins to literally rot off. You ever smell a raw steak left out for weeks? That's you. Alive. The people taking care of you? My wife and kid will puke from the smell of me. Trying to keep their shit together for me. Near the end? You bleed from everywhere. Imagine watery blood coming from your eyes, nose, mouth, ears, bellybutton, ass... and even your dick bleeds some. You actually fart out of your cock. You're a pile of rotting skin over a skeleton, you look hideous. People puke taking care of you. You're a rotting corpse? And you're still alive yet."

   Joe looked down and said nothing.

   "Carp? I don't want that. Am I afraid? Hell yes. I'm terrified. This ain't a coward taking the easy way out. This... its a mercy killing. They shoot you full of morphine? You're in and out. You touch your pecker, waxed on morphine. Like a baby does. I don't want a year or more of that? To be how my kid and my wife remember me, and I sure don't want it for me."

   "And on top of it? The medical care? They get your house, and everything you have. Its a racket. That's for my wife and kid."

   "So? That's option one. No. Door number two? Up front, I grant myself mercy. Problem. They won't pay out on life insurance. You gotta... Christ, its like trying to get away with murder, except its yourself. I fuck that up? Nope. You know insurance companies. They analyze the computer. If they see that steering wheel jerk, with no obstruction in front of it? They don't have to pay out. I can't shoot myself, same deal. I want mercy, I don't feel like I'm stealing, to make sure I get what I got and paid for, to give to my wife and kid."

   "Now. Joe. I won't lie to you. Way I see it? Its suicide to... go into that... thing. For me? Not only do I get the deed done... my wife and kid, get a memory of me, that... I was some kind of hero? Carp. You're my new best friend. You just promise me, that thing closes after we go in and disappear? I can't wait."

   "Ben? I don't have your... situation. I plan on living, after I go through."

   "What is it you think, is on the other side."

   "I told you. You either forgot, or you think I'm lying, or... you believe I'm crazy. I'm not offended by any of those things."

   "I know. You think you're going to... the other end of the universe, to meet your... alien buddies. Not making fun of you, just..."

   "Its fine. Small point? Its not the end of the universe. Its... technically and all? The next universe over, in that direction."

   "See, you tell this all, like its normal and you just had a class on this. Christ, don't that beat all. How big is our universe, anyways."

   "Ballpark it 20 billion years ago, the big bang. So, from the center to any edge of a big sphere, in any direction from that center point? 20 billion light years. And expanding."

   "Wow. A big, giant, ball... and its 20 billion light years across. Ain't that something. And its where we live."

   "Actually? Side to side of a ball, is technically the diameter. The center to edge? Is the radius, and that's the 20 billion light years and expanding. End to end? Is 40 billion light years or thereabouts."

   "And... you're going, so you say, to... the next one over?"

   "There's quite a significant but random distance, from one universe ball, to the next. But yes. In whatever direction, I'm going to the next one over."

   "And, I mean I can't believe I'm even listening to this, but... being polite and all, you being the one doing me the hugest favor in the world and all. How long do you plan on this? I mean, if light took 20 billion years to get to the edge, and its more than that to the next one..."

   "Traveling time, as you think of it? Should be... not very long. Not quite instantaneous, but... a very short trip. In practical terms? A few seconds aside, it'll be pretty much like we enter the anomaly, we disappear? And basically all but reappear... there."

   "You make this all sound so... rational. Keep it up. How fast will we be traveling?"

   "Hmm. Light travels at 186 thousand miles per second. We're going to smoke that putt putt speed, like one of your fastest jet fighters coming by with scram jets on full afterburners, blowing past a tricycle. There's some losses, but... somewhere in the neighborhood of over 34 billion miles per second. So... a couple, several seconds. Due to the nature of time dilation? We will technically, arrive before we start. And no. I don't expect that to make any sense to you, but. Why lie."

   "And... you say, we end up. Seconds later. In, basically the universe next door, after we cross the big empty lot between properties."

   "Essentially? Yes."

   "You... and with a straight face. You're serious."

   "Completely."

   "And... assuming I buy into this.. we end up where? Or, what's there. That you're planning on."

   "We come out, in that other solar system. Expected. I guess, think of it like that tube at the water park. Mom's standing in the water at the bottom, waiting to take you out for ice cream, basically."

   "Cause your alien buddies have ice cream."

   "I don't know details like that? But... planets, orbiting some star. When I say they're light years ahead of us as a race? That's... not just a phrase."

   "Okay, okay. Let me sum this up. I? Need to check out. But, I gotta do it the right way, to make it worth it to see my wife and kid taken care of as best I can. I mean, honestly? This sounds... but you know how it sounds. I plan on... you know what I'm planning on."

   "Go ahead. I take no offense. You think I'm mad as a hatter."

   "I do, can't help it. But... being practical. You? Get a G ride. Instead of a pod shot into... that thing. Baby, I'm gonna treat you to full thrust, maximum speed, right into that bitch. I expect to be... gone. You can close that thing, seen you make it dance for you. On command. So? You close it after we go, I leave a touching note so it ain't too hard to figure out that I, you know, did it for everyone. I get my memory to leave my kid and wife I like. Now... if this all happens? Which I know it don't, but..."

   "Go on."

   "If this is what you say. You're telling me, with a straight face. We'll be in my craft. Me piloting it. And... we will be going 34 billion miles per second. Traveling to another universe. Man, I know it ain't happening, but... if it did? I get to be the fastest pilot, ever. I take the longest trip? Ever. I get to see, things no person ever saw, and will never see."

   "We should."

   "I mean, you give a carrot to a horse, right before you pop him behind the ear. He's all happy with his carrot, he's happy and just goes. I mean, this is a hell of a carrot. I don't believe it? But... I'll be smiling, looking at this for a carrot... when I get my mercy I deserve."

   "I know this sounds horrible, but... my apologies, that you live? God, how that sounds."

   "Oh. If its like this? Pilot's wet dream. I'm the fastest, the farthest pilot ever. I get to see... some kind of incredible shit. I mean, if its like that? What a way to go. And... remember. I died saving everyone from the scary black square, right? When things, you know... start? Over there. I can... handle things myself. With no fear, of... disrupting my wife and kid getting what I made for them. I mean, what can those people do to me, for jumping off a cliff? Nothing."

   "Wow. You're taking this... awful well. I think."

   "I get mercy. Great memory to leave the wife and kid. If this is true? I'm the greatest test pilot, ever. I get to see... amazing stuff. What. When I'm getting close to no longer able to stand up? I'll just... handle it. With a smile on my face. No matter which way it all goes? I'm happy. Man. I'm gonna start working on what kind of note I leave behind. Oh... when do we have to go? I have time to... you know. Last trip to the park, or whatever. I'm not saying the words goodbye to them, but... you know. You on a schedule?"

   "Not really. If you wanna suggest a schedule? Feel free. I'm flexible. I just need my ride. If you wanna go with? I'll just show up with you as a plus one. They can deal with it. I mean, look on the bright side. If they don't like I brought you? The hell they gonna do to teach you a lesson. Kill you? Whatever."

   "Hell. If I could have figured out a fool proof, guaranteed life insurance preserving method? I'd have jumped on it already. Couple days would do me, couple weeks? I mean, the longer time I spend doing that, the more I risk acting funny around them, and I don't wanna do that... if you know what I mean..."

   "Whatever time you require to set your affairs in order."

   "My affairs? Are already in order. Anything I ever wanted to say to the wife? Or done with her? I've done it, more than once these last several months. Trust me. Anything I ever wanted to tell my kid? I had months to plan it and do it. I mean, I was ready to leave yesterday."

   "I'm... glad you... Christ, I don't know what to say in a situation like this."

   "I know. I'd say, weirdest shit you ever heard come out of somebody's mouth... but..."

   "No, no. I blow it out the water, I get that. No offense."

   "How about you. You... have anything you wanna do?"

   "Guess I'm like you. I already did it."

   "What's your time frame like then. Hey, you're the one doing me the favors, really."

   "Oh. When my money for food runs out? Like to be gone by then, I guess."

   "What were your plans if you didn't find me?"

   "Go back home, act like I took a little trip. Save up some more money, guess come back next summer, take another crack at it. Hopefully have a better idea how to get what I wanted. But? Here I am."

   "And your debit card says..."

   "Food and motels were killing me, running around trying. Stuff's expensive around here. Two weeks?"

   "Around then. Hey. You wanna come stay with me? Won't cost you anything."

   "Oh. No, you should enjoy all the time you can with... its your family."

   "Well? At least come stay the last weekend. And hey."

   "What."

   "You? You get the hero treatment for your memory you leave behind, too."

   "I really hadn't thought of it, but... I guess so."

   "Hot damn. Lets have at least one drink, to toast my success. Or, our success."

   Wow, Joe thought. Ben? Was a happy man. His quiet, long face was beaming. Joe figured, now that's love. Happy to finally find a way to kill himself in just the right fashion, to spare his family any kind of... disturbance from it. All thoughts about them, and their comfort. Not a lick of worrying about his own fate.

   Joe realized they were very much alike. No wonder he had recognized the face and mannerisms of him when he met him at the pilot's diner.

   Joe had honestly not figured on exactly how he was going to get into a pod and get shoved through the anomaly. It was probably something he was going to have to come and try again and again, until he got it right. It was his plan, anyways. But now?

   Ben was a gift from god.