3,304
edits
Changes
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
→Synopsis
[[File:The Lower Depths.png|thumb|left|''JOHNNY: Test. Test. One. One. One. Three. Fifty. Lamentation. La — men — ta — tion.'']]
[[Junebug and Johnny]] speed by the tree on their motorcycle. After some discussion, they decide to stop and help in hopes of gaining an audience at their performance to which they are running late. The two fix the truck's engine, and Conway, Shannon, and Ezra agree to accompany the musicians to a tavern, [[The Lower Depths]] tavern to watch their performance. At the bar, Junebug and Johnny sing the song "[[Too Late to Love You]]," as the roof of the bar seemingly disappears to reveal the full moon overhead. After their performance, the bartender, [[Harry Esperanza]], admits he cannot pay them, left with nothing but an I.O.U. from the [[Hard Times Distillery]] who traded his customers' debt for whiskey and the events in ''[[The Entertainment]]''. Harry suggests they head to the distillery to claim their payment, but notes that they must take the {{ZeroLink}} to get there. After hearing Conway is searching for [[Dogwood Drive]] as well, Harry confirms that heading to the {{Zero}} is their best course of action. Junebug and Johnny decide to accompany the trio, and Harry gives them directions: tune the radio until they hear something "familiar but ''strange''," and immediately turn around when it cuts out. Together, the group sets out in search of the {{Zero}}. Tuning their radio to a station that sounds like horses running, they drive until they see a team of horses standing in the middle of the darkened highway, and immediately appear on the {{Zero}}. [[File:Too Late to Love You.png|thumb|right|''HARRY: WellAnother love came by, and stole my heart away. I wish that's just the ... dammit, I was trying to tell you twocould take it back, I canbut it't pay! They cleaned me out. I've got nothing left but a G.D. I.O.U. from the distillerys too late.'']]
Driving on the {{Zero}}, the group comes across a large chamber dominated by a rock spire, known as the [[Hall of the Mountain King]]. Johnny waits outside with Conway's dog while the others ascent the summit. Climbing up the path, Conway, Shannon, Ezra, and Junebug find various types of vintage computers in large piles, many in states of disrepair, surrounding a tall, burning fire of discarded electronics. They come across a old man named [[Donald]] who appears fixated on a grand project – his life's work – named [[XANADU]], involving an old computer growing black mold inside, along with a piece of software and artificial intelligence designed as a simulation of his life's missed opportunities from long ago. He invites the group to take a look. Walking around the cavern, the group meets [[Amy]], [[Roberta]], [[Andrew]], Donald's former research assistants who helped work on the project, now in ruins. The group turns on [[XANADU]], but the text is garbled, unable to be read, and the audio distorted. Shannon attempts to use a portable degausser on the system, and they are able to make out the name "Lula" before the program crashes.
