Desert Skies - Chapter 4 - A Place of Great Importance

Episode Date: August 22, 2022

A traveler arrives from the Physical Plane. Her name is Shirley Edwards, and she's full of surprises. What is her connection to Desert Skies? Join Club 86 Visit our Merch Store Join the Discord Visit our Website Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the best listening experience, headphones are recommended. Gosh darned this coffee maker the heck. Mack, why are you still working on that? Let's just request a new one. No, no way. I'm not going to let this machine get the better of me. What kind of mechanic? I can't even fix one goddamn coffee maker.

The kind of mechanic that works on cars, not coffee machines. You're the mechanic, not the appliance repair, Nick. Maybe you're right, I don't know. I just wish there was more I could do around here. Skylarks almost never need repairs, just like maintenance most of the time. You and Cash, you both have important jobs. And here I am, losing to a coffee maker. Sometimes I feel like I was meant for more than just being eye candy.

What in the world are you talking about? You're a huge help. Maybe there's not a lot of need in terms of mechanic work. But think about everything else you do around here. Yeah, like what? Well, for one thing, nobody else at Desert Skies is able to understand the coyotes like you. It's called active listening. It's also called weird as hell.

But it's also very... Very cool and very helpful. And that's not all. You keep things light around here. Travelers love you. Remember when you and What's His Name talked about the Buick Skylark for hours? Oh yeah, his name was Bill Mitchell. That's right.

He was so nervous when he got here. But when the time came, he was more than ready to hit the road. Cash register? Yes, attendant. How may I be of service? Mack's feeling like he's not contributing around here. Tell him why he's wrong. Oh, he is very wrong. He often carries the heavy inventory shipments that arrive in the trunks of incoming Skylarks. And with relative ease, I might add. That's right. Look at my noodle arms, Mac. I couldn't carry all those boxes.

Huh, I guess your arms are a little noodley. And the mechanic has the ability to make me laugh. which shouldn't be even remotely possible, technically speaking. Really? I've never heard you laugh. That's because I mute myself. Why? Because the sound of my laugh would be disturbing to human ears. I was never programmed to make a laughing sound,

and the sound I would make would hardly resemble a human. Hey, I'd like to hear that. Really? Absolutely, yes. Well, if you wish, mechanic, tell me a joke. Okay, I've been working on one. What do you call it when Tandy really focuses on something? What?

He's paying attendant-chin. Wow. Hey, I like it. Really? What did you think, attendant? Well, I... I mean... Oh, hey, a traveler.

Better get back to work. Let's get ready, Mac. Clean up your tools from the coffee machine and put the out-of-order sign back on. I'll get the music started. Cash, be ready to request the Traveler bio. Yes, attended. Okay, here they come. Welcome to Desert Skies, Traveler.

Your journey through the physical plane has come to an end. But we are so glad you're here. And I know what you're thinking. Where is... This place. Right. This place. Desert Skies is actually located on the astral plane.

It's different, but somehow the same. Yeah, the astral plane and the physical plane are similar in a number of ways, and they are... But it shouldn't be here. No. Oh, no, this place has been empty for ages. I'm sorry, I'm confused. So am I, young man. I don't suppose you could offer an old lady a drink.

We don't really have alcohol here. Aside from what Mack makes, and I wouldn't recommend trying it. What's wrong with Mac's shack juice? A number of things. Perhaps a cup of coffee, then. Coffee maker's actually out of order at the moment. Can't seem to figure it out. What? This one here? Let me take a look. Oh my. It's just like I remember. What's going on with it?

I don't know. Water's not getting hot for some reason. Let me pop this open. See here? The power to the tank heater was loose. We just pop that back on and... And it's good as new. We'll all be. Were you an appliance repair person on the physical plane? I think we're jumping ahead of ourselves, Mac. We haven't even told her... I'm sorry. Your name?

Shirley. Shirley, you should know that you are... Dead? Oh, I know. Not a surprise. In fact, a welcome development. I don't even feel my arthritis. here. As for your question, no, I wasn't an appliance repair person. Then how'd you know how to fix

one of these? Oh, you had to know how to make little repairs like that when your gas station was so far away from civilization. Otherwise, it'd take days for someone to come out and fix it. You worked at a gas station? I did. What was it like? Take the look around. You're standing in it. I'm sorry. What did you say? I think she's saying she's been here before. Come on, Tandy. Weren't you paying attention?

Ah! What do you think, Mack? I don't know what to think. It's weird, Tendi. She knew how to fix that exact coffee maker, like I know how to change a fuse on a 1986 Buick Skylark. She had to have worked with that one. one before. But that coffee maker doesn't exist on the physical plane. At least I don't think it does. Maybe it does. Maybe it doesn't. Maybe it does and doesn't at the same time. Like Cash says. The astral plane and the physical plane occupy the same space at the same time. So maybe there is

a gas station just like this one on the physical plane? You really think that's possible? Only one way to find out. It's an acronym. It's an acronym. Pardon the interruption, Cash. Ma'am, I have a few questions for you. I'll answer what I can, young man. Now, you're sure you worked at this gas station.

Yes. I think. I mean, I don't know. Almost everything is. exactly like I remember it, but it's all just a little off. Some things are very different, like we didn't have this fancy robot you got here. Our cash register couldn't talk and was made out of bronze, for example. It was a Remington. Sounds lovely. Oh, it was, but so are you. We also didn't have your impressive selection of microwavable burritos, or a microwave at that.

Still, it's very much the spitting image of my parents' gas station. Perhaps the gas station you remember was similar in design, one of many. Impossible. Why is that? Because it was one of a kind. One of a kind? It was. My daddy designed it.

My daddy built it. See, when I was a little girl... Hold that thought. Cash, play flashback music. We lived in South Carolina, a small place called Georgetown. My mama was a teacher. My daddy worked at the paper mill. Life was easy. We were happy, but things changed one afternoon. I came home after school one day. Normally I'd get home before my parents. My daddy shift didn't end until seven and my mama would stay late at the school, grading papers. But when I got home, he was there.

Your father? Uh-huh. He was sitting at the table drawing a picture I asked what he was doing but he never looked up he just kept getting away I piqued over his shoulder and guess what I saw he was designing a new type of airplane

that's a very strange guess but no he was drawn a gas station this gas station I asked him why and he said he didn't know It was something he had to do I said That's just a gas station and he said No, not just a gas station

A place of great importance Place of great importance That was all he said Nothing else When Mama came home I could hear them yelling They never fought But this time they were fighting hard I sat at the top of the stairs

and listened. I heard him tell her that he'd had a vision, that he had to build it, that it was his destiny, that it was our destiny. My mama kept saying that didn't make no sense. She was right. It didn't. But he was adamant. Eventually, she must have gave up because the next day He quit his job at the paper mill and put the house up for sale. Not long after that, we were headed west. And then he built it. Built it just like the one in the picture, down to the very last detail.

Spent every cent we had on supplies. We had to live in a small airstream out back. And I tell you what? It's hard to describe, but as soon as he finished hammering the last nail, I felt it. I think my mama did too. Felt what? That this was, in fact, a place of great importance. We believed it.

Our passion for it grew as strong as my daddies. To me, this place felt like magic. I never wanted to leave. And it felt like that until the day my father died. I was already a grown woman and getting older every day, but I couldn't leave until he died. Then everything changed. That's when my mama decided to sell it. But nobody wanted an old gas station, so she sold the land it was on instead.

Whoever bought it never did anything with this station. It's just a shell now. Less than that. More like ruins. At least it was the last time I drove by it, and that was some time ago. And yet, here it is. I'm sitting in it. The prime mover works in mysterious ways.

I don't know what that means, but I'll take your word for it. If this is anything, it is mysterious. Shirley, what's your last name? Edwards. Cash, can you run a traveler body? Requesting now, attendant. We might have some answers soon, surely. That would be nice.

While we're waiting, do you mind if I take a look in the basement? Of course. Follow me. Uh, Mac, we don't have a basement. Cash, we don't have a basement, right? Not that I'm aware of, attendant. Oh, yeah. Sorry, ma'am. We don't have a basement.

Well, that's odd. Do you mind if we take a look outside regardless? Sure. No harm in looking. You coming, Tendi? You go ahead. I'm going to read over this bio. How about you, Cash? No legs, mechanic. That's right. Okay, Miss Edwards. Let's see what we can find.

All right, let's take a look here. Shirley Edwards. Only child of Martha and Dale Edwards. One second, Cash. I'm trying to find the part where he has the vision about the gas station. Attendant. Hang on, I think I found it. Attendant. What?

I'm certain she's telling the truth. How do you know that? Because Dale Edwards, husband of Martha, father of Shirley, was the former attendant of Desert Skies. No way. Yes, way. I thought you were unable to access information related to Desert Sky's staff. I'm unable to access information related to current Desert Sky's staff. When the former attendant resigned, his memory of the physical plane was restored, and his traveler bio was declassified.

Danny, get your noodle arms out here and help me. Can it wait, Mac? You are not going to want to wait. Come on. Before you go, attendant, I just wish to advise that you do not disclose to Miss Edwards that her father is still present in the astral plane. We would be putting her in grave danger if she were to attempt to find him. gosh that's sad but you're right i won't say anything what are you two talking about uh nothing let's go mac what did you need help with long bendy twizzlers candy keeps the fun going keep the

the fun going. Well, surely thinks she knows where the basement is. I'll see it when I believe it. Where does she think it is? She thinks the door is under the ice machine. For reals? Well, let's move it. You all right, Tandy?

I'm fine. Just a little out of breath. Alright, if you're sure. Let's keep going. I'm going. Oh my God. She was right. How could we not know this was here?

I don't know. Let's open it up. It's probably full gold. Which we need because... I don't know. It's pretty. Surely before we open this up, any idea what we can expect to find down there? Not exactly sure. My daddy usually kept the door to the basement under lock and key.

When I'd ask him what he was doing down there, he'd say he wasn't sure. He just knew he had to do it. Forgive me for saying this, but it sounds like your dad was most likely a serial killer. Anyways, one day he stopped going down there. Whatever it was, he said it was done. and he never told us what it was or let us see it. But curiosity was killing this little cat, so one day I stole his key ring and snuck inside.

What did you find? Just an empty room. With a wooden box in the middle. A box? Yep. A strange one, too. It was tall, taller than me, and shaped like a rectangle, mostly. It had a big hole on the side,

and I leaned over to peer inside. What was in it? Nothing. It was completely empty. Before I could get my hat out of the box, my daddy found me, and let me tell you, he was mad, said that box was a box of great importance.

It scared me enough that I never went back, back down, not even after his funeral. That door there hasn't been opened a single time since. Did he ever say what it was for? No, but I don't think he could have. I honestly don't think he knew what the box was for, just that it was important. Let's open this thing up.

Let me go first in case there's a monster I have to fight. Don't come down just yet, Tandy, it's dark in here. Let me see if I can find a light switch. Here we go. Holy shit. Oh my God. Is that a... Oh yeah.

That, my friend, is an arcade game. Astral Adventures. Sounds like fun. Well, I'll be... That whole time, this is what he was building. At least the shape makes sense now, but... That means he was building a box for video games, long before video games were even invented. Mysterious ways.

Come on, Tendi. Let's get this thing upstairs and plug it. it in. Mack, after that ice machine. I don't know if I can. It's not gonna kill you. Something else I already did that. Fine.

Let's do this. Oh, yeah. Mac and Tendi playing video games. Probably not cash because she doesn't have thumbs. Stop it, Mac. Tendy is grumpy because he's not very strong. I better stop singing because he's gritting his team. All right, let's get this plugged in.

It says insert token one. That's weird. Shouldn't it say one token? Not token one. Are you serious? We don't have any money, Tandy. Gosh, dang it. We finally get some entertainment around here

that isn't a square-dance and tarantula king and it costs money. And we'll never get none. Neither. They can't take it with them when they go, Tandy, which means they can't give it to us when they get here. It doesn't say it takes money, young man. It says it takes a token. Excuse me, ma'am, but technicalities aside, we don't got any tokens here either. You know, my family never had a lot. We barely broke even on the gas station, so when my daddy died, That's all he left us.

Except for as he lied in that hospital bed and what would be his last hour, he asked for his billfold. And tucked inside it was a small, smooth brass coin. He placed it in my hand. He didn't say anything on it, so I asked him what it was, and like so many things before, he said. He didn't know, but that it was something of great importance. He said that one day I would know what to do with it I had put it in this locket And have carried it around my neck

Ever since But we can't take your... No, no, listen I don't think it ever really belonged to me In fact Now I'm certain of it I was just keeping it safe Until I could deliver it to its rightful owners

I think I was holding on to it for the two of you. Here. You says token one. Put it in the machine, young man. Are you sure? I've waited a long time to find out what this is. Put it in the goddamn machine. Do the honors, Mac.

Okay. Here we go. Welcome Warrior. Now's the time. embark on your campaign. Use your cunning strength and mind to save the astral plane. Choose your character. There's only two options. Who should I be? Mac. This one's kind of short and chubby, but he's got an awesome beard. Mac. This one's taller, but he don't look strong at all. Look at those noodle arms. Mac. What? You don't see it? See what? They're not characters, Mac.

they're us what in the fuck greetings this is this is Jared Carter the creator of Desert Skies we're four chapters in if you're listening to this

then I'm assuming you're in it for the long haul. I'm glad you're here. You've helped this show to become more successful in its first four episodes than I anticipated or could have imagined. Thank you. There's two things you can do to help others discover this story. Follow and review this show wherever you listen. I cherish your reviews like Mack cherishes embarrassing childhood memories.

Thank you again for listening and spending some time in this week. weird little world with me. We'll be back in a couple weeks. Until then, safe travels. One stars One star reviews Join Negative Nancy and Chatbot aboard the space window

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