07: A Face in a Crowd

Official Description: Melody grows frustrated. Dan tries to explain his situation to Tanya. And a man who can't see faces tries to exist in the world.

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[BRIEF BURST OF MUSIC—TWANGY GUITAR, THEN TAPE DISTORTION.]

[TAPE BEING PUT INTO TAPE PLAYER. TAPE BEGINS TO PLAY.]

[FOOTSTEPS.] Melody Pendras. May 17th. 12:14. Audio of 2nd floor hallway. [SILENCE, THEN SIGHS.] No song.

[DAN SIGHS AS WELL. HE FAST-FORWARDS THROUGH THE TAPE.]

[TAPE STATIC.]

[FOOTSTEPS.] Melody Pendras. June 3rd. 14:50. Audio of 7th floor hallway. [SILENCE, SIGHS AGAIN.] No song.

[DAN GROANS AND FAST-FORWARDS THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THIS TAPE AS WELL.]

Melody Pendras. June 16th. 16:33. Audio of lobby.

[DAN MAKES ANOTHER FRUSTRATED NOISE AND BEGINS TO FAST-FORWARD, BUT SUDDENLY STOPS.]

[THERE’S THE SOUND OF FAINT, FAR-OFF MUSIC. MELODY BEGINS TO RUN TOWARDS IT. THE MUSIC GROWS LOUDER AND LOUDER, BUT IT’S NOT THE EXPECTED GUITAR—INSTEAD, IT’S AGGRESSIVELY 90’S. A DOOR OPENS.]

[OVER THE NOISE.] New boombox. You still trying to get the song on tape?

Guessed it in one.

Yeah, prob not gonna happen. The music’s weird like that. Good luck, though.

Thank you.

Oh, and Victor’s hanging over by the Duane-Reade, so if you don’t want to ruin your tape…

[SLIGHT CHUCKLE.] Thanks for letting me know.

[FOOTSTEPS, DOOR CLOSING. MELODY SIGHS DEEPLY.]

[DAN SIGHS DEEPLY.]

No song.

[TAPE ENDS.]

[GROANS.] How long’s it been, Ratty? How long has it been? Ratty? Y-you listening to me?

[SQUEAKS.]

[SIGH.] You’re right, Ratty. It’s been a really long time. Too long. Too, too, too, too, too long. [PAUSE.] Wanna watch a movie? I know we’ve seen Burden of Dreams a couple of times, but I think my Herzog impression could use some work, so—no. I could cook something for you. Ratty? We’ve still got a lot of peaches. So many peaches. [CHUCKLES RUEFULLY.] Or we could… [SIGHS.] Ratty, what do you wanna do?

[BEAT.]

C’mon, Ratty, I’m pretending you’re my conscience, the least you could do is give me something.

[SQUEAKS.]

[WEARILY.] There you go. And you’re completely right. I know I should call Tanya. I know, okay? [FUMBLING WITH PHONE.] I know I know I know.

[SQUEAKS.]

[IPHONE RINGING AND THEN BEING PICKED UP.]

Dan? Dan! A-are you alright?

Of course I am, why wouldn’t I be? Just, you know, calling to check up.

It’s been… ages. No calls, no texts. I must have left you 60 messages at this point.

48.

[A PAUSE.]

I’m sorry. I saw the messages, then I felt bad for not calling, and then I felt even worse as they all piled up, and I didn’t know what I would say. And then it became this whole thing. Sorry, it’s just my stupid habit. I was really busy with work. So, anyway, how’s it going? What are you up to?

Unbelievable. Completely unbelievable. You don’t even have an excuse!

Tanya, why are you worried? You knew I was going to eventually get back to you. I’m not gonna to just leave without explanation. Come on, remember that one time I almost said I love you? That was something, right? [PAUSE.] That was weird of me to say. I-I apologize.

Oh my god. Dan, who are you? Please just… what happened?

[PAUSE.]

I’ve been listening to the tapes.

That’s.. really what this is all about? Dan, have you talked to your parents? Maybe—I don’t know, tell your boss you need a little break? Something?

No! No, no, no, Tanya, my job is very important. I don’t expect you to understand, but it is. And let’s—let’s just talk, alright? Like normal. How’s work going?

No! Please, what’s—what’s your boss’ name? I’ll call him up for you, alright? You’re really scaring me, Dan. I tried to call your company but they said there was nothing they could… I even talked to your shitty friends. Dan, just let me help you, alright?

Okay, I think you need to understand the gravity of what I’m doing here.

Dan…

No, no no no, I’m going to play you one of the tapes. It’ll be—it’ll be something that’s not too disturbing, just a bit strange, to show you what I’m dealing with. What I’m beginning to understand.

[FOOTSTEPS.]

Dan. I don’t want to listen to the tapes.

Please, Tanya, just listen to one. Just one. For me. I promise you’ll understand after listening. Everything will become clear.

[OPENING UP TAPE LIBRARY, RUMMAGING THROUGH TAPES.]

Not this… not—ah, perfect. A little introduction to Visser.

[FOOTSTEPS, RUSTLING.]

Visser?

You’ll see. [HE PUTS THE TAPE INTO THE TAPE RECORDER.]

[THE TAPE BEGINS TO PLAY.]

Melody Pendras. July 23rd, 17:13. 6th floor. Could you tell me your name?

[SLIGHTLY OFF-MIC.] Craig Simmons.

Could you talk into the microphone, Craig? Just look at me and you should be alright.

[SIGHS HEAVILY.] Uh, yeah, alright.

Craig, let’s start at the beginning. When did you move to Visser?

[ANOTHER SIGH.] No, no, no, cut the bullshit. I don’t have the time.

Mr. Simmons—?

Ask me about the faces so I can do what I need to do.

Alright, I won’t keep you. Tell me about your… unique relationship with faces.

[SIGHS.] How many people do you see a day? 100? 500? 1,000?

[PAUSE.]

I’m not sure... I guess it depends on the day?

I work at Grand Central, at one of the ticket booths. Last time I counted I saw one thousand eight hundred and forty five. I have to get a good look at them, you know? A really good look, like, 15 seconds continuous. It only works if I get a good look, or I’d just stand by the clock and look at everyone. Wouldn’t even be an issue. I’m trying to get my average up to 2,000, try not to get so many repeats. I’ve been trying to get a job at an airport. More tourists, less business travelers. Lots of the same people ride the train. It’s a loop for them, salespeople and marketers.

Why do you feel the need to see so many faces, Craig?

It’s random. I-it doesn’t matter how long I spend with another person. I don’t know the reasoning behind it. No idea. [SIGH.] For the first few months, I tried to figure it out, logic my way through it. Useless.

Okay, I-I’m dancing around it. I realize that. Okay, okay. Every day, one of the faces disappears. It becomes… blank. Like old stones in a river. Worn out.

Can you tell me more about what the faces look like?

Flesh masks. No features, no eyes, no nose, no mouth, nothing. Just the color of their skin. And it’s all just a little blurry. [SIGHS.] I don’t know, it’s—it’s difficult to talk about.

And how do you feel when you see one of these faces?

Creeped out! I-it’s creepy, right, someone without a face. But, like, I can’t let it bother me. I’ve just got to treat them like normal. They are normal. At first—at first I thought it was, like, some alien shit. Have you—have you seen They Live?

Sorry.

Well, Rowdy Roddy Piper, the main character, he can see aliens, you know? With magic sunglasses. And they appear like these gross skeletons. At first I thought that’s what it was, like I was finally seeing the aliens. But then I talked to them, you know? And—and they weren’t aliens, just normal people. It wasn’t them. It was me. Because why would it always be one? Out of everyone I see in a day, it’s always one new person.

Have you ever had someone you were close to lose their face?

[SIGHS.] This was around a year and a half after it had all started. So I-I had it down, mostly. Got the job at Grand Central, which gave me a lot of new faces. I was seeing less and less of them. But one day I got sick—vomiting, fever, the whole deal. I tried to get out of the apartment, but, well, my girlfriend said I needed to stay in. She was taking care of me. I should have gone out, seen some other people, but… I was sick. The relationship didn’t last, afterwards.

What was it like?

I-I.. I don’t… I could still read her mood from the tone of her voice. And we could still kiss, I could still feel her lips, even though… I-I don’t want to get too, like, specific, but… imagine having sex with someone with no face. I couldn’t—she could tell something was wrong. It didn’t last long after that.

Have you considered moving from Visser?

[CHUCKLES.] You think it’s all about Visser, don’t you?

...I have a suspicion.

I mean, you’re right. But I’ve tried to leave, even—even gotten an apartment down in Queens! But the face thing—it comes with me. It’s in me now. No point in leaving, right?

You could still—

[CUTS HER OFF, LAUGHING.] And move back to Florida? [SERIOUS FOR A MOMENT.] You’ve been trying to hear the song, right? Get it on tape?

Yes.

Good luck. You’re trying to get to the bottom of something that’s beyond anything. We’re ants trying to understand the face of a god.

Trust me, it’s best to just keep your head down, try and figure out the rules, and... hope it doesn’t fuck up your life too much. I’ve carved out a bit of… well, something, for me. It’s okay.

Can you tell me anything about the song?

I can hum it for you if you’d like. I-I hear it off and on, mostly when I’m about to fall asleep.

I would appreciate that.

[HE BEGINS TO HUM. IT’S A SIMPLE MELODY, BUT ALMOST HAUNTING.]

[AFTER JUST A FEW NOTES, HE CUTS HIMSELF OFF, CHUCKLING SELF-CONSCIOUSLY.] It d—it doesn’t get it across, but there it is. Remind you of anything?

Almost. No.

Best to just live with it. A-and Visser’s fine, all things considered. A fair amount of faceless, but that mostly has gone away since I started working at the Terminal. Mostly.

[A PAUSE.]

Craig… what does my face look like to you?

[PAUSE.]

Like nothing, Melody. Like absolutely nothing. [SIGHS.] I should get going. I need to see more people.

[THE TAPE ENDS.]

You see, Tanya? Do you understand? Do you understand the magnitude of my work now?

Dan.. please. I think you need to get help.

Did this mean nothing to you? Craig wasn’t seeing faces! He heard the song! He hummed it! There is something—powerful in these tapes. You feel it, don’t you? You have to feel it.

[SIGHS.] That man should have gone to a psychiatrist. There’s a thing called face blindness, I read something in the New Yorker about that.

I know, I know, but he could see some faces. The faceless were—

This person obviously needs help. I don’t know what to say, but I think you’re seeing things that aren’t there.. Dan, are you okay?

[LOUDLY, CUTTING HER OFF.] No! [A BEAT.] Alright, it just wasn’t the best tape! You’ll need to hear more. Maybe the.. cult one, that’ll show you, you’ll understand then.

[BACKGROUND MOVEMENT AND RUSTLING AS DAN SEARCHES FOR THE TAPE.]

Dan… I hope you get help. And I want you to get better. Maybe… please don’t call me again, Dan.

[SHE HANGS UP.]

No! No no no no—

[DAN SHOUTS IN FRUSTRATION.]

[THE PHONE RINGS AGAIN. IT’S AN UNFAMILIAR RINGTONE THIS TIME.]

Who—who is this?

Dan, I’m really glad we’ve got a chance to talk. It’s been far too long.

[PAUSE.] Hello Mr. Davenport.

Hey Dan. Just wanted to let you know that I’ve been really impressed by your work lately. Really impressed. I know it’s a lot to ask, but you’ve been chugging along like a trooper. Great stuff, great stuff.

Thank you.

I feel like we’re on the same page right now. Like [WHITELY] compadres. We both understand how important this work we’re doing is, don’t we?

Yes.

And I know this work is stressful, I really do, being cooped up all alone there.

I’ve been managing.

I know you have, I really know you have. But, heh, I didn’t call you just to pat your back. The thing is, as we go down to the home stretch, bottom of the seventh, it’s really important that we keep our eyes on the prize. And that means following the protocols, Dan.

I—

It’s my understanding that you played a tape for a civilian?

How did you—?

The contract you signed was really specific, Dan, and there’s a reason it was so specific. People aren’t going to understand these tapes. Dan, you’re a special case. There’s no telling what people will do when they hear them.

You… it’s the recorder, isn’t it? Have y—have you been listening?

Dan, I’d like to talk like adults here, but you’re making that difficult.

[SHELL-SHOCKED AND DEFEATED.] You have… you have.

[IRRITABLY.] Of course we’ve been listening, Dan; we want to make sure you’re doing the best job you possibly can!

But—but you told me...

Dan, just listen to me for a couple seconds. We’re all on the same page, remember? Yes, we’re listening to you to make absolutely sure you’re not violating the protocols. And it’s a good thing we did! Who knows, next time you could play a tape for someone who actually cares about what’s going on here! We can’t let anything affect the work we’re doing, and to make sure of that, we need to operate from a base of trust. That trust is just enhanced when we’re able to verify that you’re doing your job. Are we on the same page, Dan?

I-I think we are.

Dan, we’re getting so close to finishing this. Don’t you want to hear the end of the story? Let’s not get sloppy when we’re nearing the finish line. Also, and I really hate to say this because I really do trust you, but if you happen to violate any of our protocols again—and remember, turning the recorder off is definitely against protocols—we’ll be forced to take legal action against you for breaking contract. But that shouldn’t be an issue. Right, Dan?

No.

Good stuff, good stuff. Always a blast talking with you, Dan. Buh-bye now.

[DAVENPORT HANGS UP. A PAUSE.]

[DAN YELLS. HE STARTS KICKING THINGS, KNOCKING THINGS OVER, ETC. MORE FRUSTRATED YELLING. THE SOUND OF BROKEN STUFF FALLING TO THE GROUND.]

[THE VISSER SONG BEGINS TO PLAY, VERY FAINTLY. DAN NOTICES AND FALLS SILENT, LISTENING.]

What the—

[FOOTSTEPS. THE VISSER SONG GROWS IN VOLUME AND CLARITY AS DAN GETS CLOSER TO THE TAPE. HE BEGINS TO RUMMAGE THROUGH THE TAPE LIBRARY.]

Where does it want me to…

[HIS HAND BRUSHES AGAINST A FAKE BACK IN THE SHELF.] Is it…

[HE BEGINS TO RIP UP THE FAKE WALL AND PULLS OUT A TAPE.] It’s… a tape, but… wow.

[FOOTSTEPS. THE MUSIC SLOWLY FADES AWAY TO ALMOST NOTHING.] Alright…

[THE TAPE IS PUT INTO THE TAPE PLAYER AND BEGINS TO PLAY. THE MUSIC FADES FOR GOOD.]

[A PAUSE.]

I know this probably isn’t a good time to end the episode, but with… [SIGHS] what’s contained on the tape, I thought it was best to split it in two. Easier that way. We’re getting close to the end. Like always, if you know anything about where Dan is or what’s happened to him, please, email me at archive81podcast@gmail.com, and if you don’t, well, we have a Patreon page that helps keep this podcast running. If you can donate, please do. We’re also on Facebook, Twitter, all that stuff. Thanks.

[END OF EPISODE SEVEN.]

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