Day 14 | Communicator To All

[ofpastnpresent]

[Rat-a-tat-tat. A-rat-a-tat-tat.

Click click click.

Rat-a-ta-ta-ta. Rat-a-ta-TA!

There's someone drumming over the comm channel.]

Comments

[a_h5n1]

Goddamn that's irritating. You do realize that you're broadcasting over something I can't throw against a wall, right? Otherwise I might.

[ofpastnpresent]

Why yes!

[A rolling beat on the snare.]

It's been so dour lately. We felt like the carnival needed some cheer.

[a_h5n1]

[ You can almost hear the eye-roll in his sigh. ] Well, no s*** it's dour. There's no sun and it's full of prisoners. And you need a lot more instruments to make a marching band.

[ofpastnpresent]

You can see the sun if you want. You only need ride on the...

[Druuuuuummm ROLLLLLLLLLLL!]

The magnificent and thrilling, exciting and stupendous Dawn Coaster! A rush of adrenaline and a ray of sunshine in every ride!

We have all the instruments we need. We just lack the people to play them.

Iiiiiiiiiis that the sound of a volunteer?

[a_h5n1]

That's not the same as actually having sun. You shouldn't have to ride a death trap to get a glimpse of natural light.

[ He snickers. ] Hell no. But maybe you can strap them all together and become a one-man band. Or two-man. Or however many of you there are.

[ofpastnpresent]

We tried that once.

Oh, boy, what a mess that was!

Carnie didn't like it at all.

That was a bad day...

[a_h5n1]

Boo hoo. I applaud you for trying, though. And way to ignore my argument.

[ofpastnpresent]

It's not a death trap. Have you died on it Wesley? No, Salis, I haven't died on it.

Perfectly safe, see! And I'm sure on days when the gates are open, there's plenty of sun outside!

Just be back by curfew if you go out. Punishments are bad business.

[a_h5n1]

[ There's a brief moment of paranoia as Wes thinks that they know his name, but he realizes fairly quickly that that's not the case. ]

Oh, well, in that case it must be fine. I had assumed that you died on it. Yesterday there was definitely a roof. I looked. And my brother said that before that one it was a spaceship. So. It's not that easy, apparently.

And so I've heard. I'm not getting tied up here.

[ofpastnpresent]

[Rat-a-ta-ta!!]

But there were windows, right? You can see the sun through windows.

A spaceship? How exciting! Why didn't we go out when we were there?

[a_h5n1]

[ A little, annoyed hiss slips out at the drumming. ]

In the spaceship? I have no idea. I wasn't there. But that's still not the same. It's like you're saying that a guy in a prison cell should be fine with the amount of sun he gets through the bars.

No clue. Not my problem.

[ofpastnpresent]

What's the sun really like? I dunno, a giant burning ball of gas isn't something you really want to walk on the wide side with.

[Ba-dum-tish!]

[a_h5n1]

First guy, was that actually a question? Second guy, hah hah, funny. You're a drummer, an incompetent one-man band and a comedian.

[ofpastnpresent]

I'm more capable than you make me sound. [Someone might be pouting.]

He needed a lead-in! I provided. [Consider that two people pouting.]

[a_h5n1]

B+ for teamwork and apparent mind-reading, then. Much better than the joke. And I'm sure you are, guy two.

[ofpastnpresent]

[AWWWWWWWWWW YEAAAAAAH THE MOST HAPPY DRUM BEAT EVER.]

Thank you, thank you! Feel free to drop by our booth if ever you need more entertainment!