Season 01 - Episode 12

‘you can’t know’

“I'm doing this, Ul,” snaps Ak. He turns and stomps across his spacious lounge.

“Ak, please,” pleads his agent. Ul's head and shoulders appear larger than life on Ak's enormous vidscreen. “I'll take care of it. Please! Be patient!”

“Patient?!” snarls Ak. He stops at a tall bookcase and searches the shelves, irritated and jumpy. “They know everything, Ul. They know everything and they can prove it. They're going to ruin me.”

“Not necessarily,” Ul whines. “Everyone has a price, AK. Just give me a chance to negotiate with them, that's what you pay me for. I'm sure we can buy them off. No-one has to know.”

“Not this lot. They made it very clear they're not interested in money. They're...” Ak pauses as if the final word tastes foul. “Political.”

“Ok, ok,” says Ul desperately. “Even so, we can find a better way than this. Look, worst case scenario, they out you, there's a scandal. So what? You weather the storm, drop out of sight for a bit then stage a comeback. A heartfelt apology, a few choked back tears, throw in some personal issues...”

“What personal issues?” asks Ak over his shoulder, finding the books he is looking for and snatching them from their places.

“It doesn't matter,” says Ul. “We'll work that out later. Seriously, comebacks are a chance to reinvent yourself and everyone loves a redemption story. You could end up better off than you were before. This might end up being the best thing that ever happened to you!”

“Oh piss off!” snaps Ak, stomping back across the room. He violently inserts the books into a bulging rucksack which fills a large, luxurious armchair. “You can't spin this, alright? I'm The Levels' most famous explorer, 'The Most Travelled Human of All Time', a literal, living legend. Only I've never actually been anywhere. There's no coming back from that, Ul. They'll fucking crucify me!”

“Ok, alright, sure, but even if that's true...” Ul gabbles.

“It is,” says Ak, tearing open a drawer and rifling through it.

“Fine,” says Ul breathlessly. “Even if that's true, suicide is not the answer Ak!”

“It's not suicide, Ul,” says Ak, snatching up a torch and batteries. He strides back to the bag and shoves these in too. “I'm just going to actually do what I've claimed to have done a hundred times. How hard can it be?”

“Ak,” says Ul, suddenly grim. “Listen to me. You don't know what it's like out there. You can't know. Cults are taking over entire neighbourhoods. The EnFo's are raiding The Scapes. It's a war zone out there!”

“You're being hysterical, Ul,” says Ak. “I may not have ever done this for real, but in order to maintain the pretence of it, I have actually had to learn a thing or two you know. I'm not completely useless.”

“Please, Ak,” Ul tries again. “You're one of my oldest friends...”

“And your biggest source of income,” says Ak, forcing a large water bottle into a side pocket.

“That too,” Ul acknowledges. “Don't do this, for both our sakes.”

“I'll call you when I get back,” says Ak, turning to face the vidscreen. “And seriously, don't worry so much. I know what I'm doing.”

Ak shuts off the vidscreen before Ul can respond and takes a final look around the room. Satisfied, he ignores the butterflies building in his stomach and approaches the bag. For the first time in his life he is about to set off on a journey like those that have made him famous.

It is time for him to rise and finally become the man he has spent so long pretending to be. He turns his back on the bag and squats, slipping his arms through the straps. He strains and wheezes and attempts to stand.

The bag doesn't move.

©  a d a m   b y f i e l d , not to be reproduced in any form without written permission