The Smell of Tea

The Interview

When we got outside a large white capsule like the ones I saw earlier were in front of us. 

"Come on", said Winfrey. She walked towards the capsule. The capsule had no visible entrance so when she looked like she was about to run right into it, she passed through. When she got in a window appeared and she waved at me to beckon me in. 

I walked towards the capsule and instinctively put my hands out in front of me to prevent any crashes if I for some reason did not pass through.  my hands did indeed pass through. It like I was pushing my hands through a layer of cool water. It felt sort of nice actually. So without hesitation after that, I just walked right in.  Inside were squashy white couches that you were supposed to sit on and a little rubber rope that hung around the whole capsule. For some reason I automatically knew that this was the line we pulled when we arrived. I think I might have seen the idea somewhere. In the human world probably. I sat down on a seat next to a window because I did not want to miss a thing. And all of a sudden, the capsule rose. The next thing I knew, we were attached to one of those thick cables and were zooming along at a high speed. 

"So where exactly are we going?"

"To the city hall. It's not far.  Now I suspect that you are trying to paper up the awkward silence when really you want to look out the window and see everything that's there, so go right ahead."

So, I did. And it was amazing. There were people strolling along meadows and the streets weren't cluttered up like the human's streets. Occasionally there would be a structure that I didn't get a clear view of but children were playing on it. Looking out there, at these Wurnets and their peaceful lives, I thought, maybe it wouldn't be so bad to no regain my memory. I'd have this wonderful life in this wonderful world. 

Suddenly, we arrived. The council's building was this huge, white, brick shaped building. The transportation capsule, which I later learned was called a Trans Pill, stopped in front of a platform that lead to the entrance. Winfrey got up and walked towards the empty spot on the wall that now read  "Exit Here". She went out the same way as before and I followed. As soon as we were on the platform, the Trans Pill zoomed way to places unknown. Meanwhile, I had to deal with my own zooming to places unknown. Winfrey said "Let's go", and off she went. When we stepped inside, there was a large white living room. In the back of this room were four desks, each with a Wurnet with different colored hair sitting at them. Winfrey approached one with light orange hair. Each desk had a thin floating screen off to the side.

"We're here for a Code S interview", she said.

The lady replied in a soft Southern accent. "For whom?"

"Case number unknown."

"Okay, now hold on one second dear."

Then she tapped the floating screen a few times and read something.

"Alrighty then, here you are. Just have a seat right there awhile I call an escort."

So we sat down. I must have looked scared because Winfrey said, "Don't worry dear, it's just an interview. Nothing's going to happen okay?"

"Okay. What does case number unknown mean?"

"It means you are not yet a citizen. A registered one at least."

Then the orange haired lady called me. "Miss Lillian? Please follow Max here and gestured to a tall wiry guy with glasses, electric blue hair and a lab coat. 

"Miss Lillian please come right this way", he said to me. To Winfrey, he said "Sorry but you can't come." Winfrey looked like she was about to protest but then decided against it. Then she gave me a thumbs up and walked back to the couch. Max led me through a pair of white doors which swung easily. They sure liked swinging doors here. Max was a little ways ahead of me and then he said, "Miss Lillian please try to catch up, we don't want to be late because of your lack of height." I immediately didn't like him. He seemed haughty and had an air of condescension. 

He led me through a hall that was just as pristine and white as the the waiting room(?). There were multiple doors and staircases along the hallway but we didn't stop at any of them. After a while, he stopped abruptly and I nearly bumped into him. He stood in front of a device net to a door and typed something into it. Then the door opened and he went inside gesturing for me to follow. Inside was strange looking machine that looked was basically a conveyor belt leading inside a strange box shaped thing with tubes and pipes and dials attached to it and coming out the other side. It was kind of predictable what they were about to do. (If you didn't know, they were going to scan me.)"Miss Lillian please step onto this side of the conveyor belt. We will scan you and your interview will then take place inside."

Nervously  now, I stepped onto the conveyor belt. After I had done so, metal chair appeared in front of me. "Take a seat", said Max. I took a seat. Then Max went over to center of the box and pressed a button and the conveyor belt lurched forward. I was almost flung from my seat. Max looked surprised and immediately started to take notes. As the conveyor belt headed towards the box, it opened up like a waterfall parting. Inside the box was nothing but the belt, the chair, me, and on the wall, a screen which was blank. Then a green light filled the room and a female voice said, "Scan complete." From outside, Max said, "Now, Lillian, tell me the first thing you see on the screen."

"There's nothing on the screen it's all black."

There was a silence. "What? That can't be. It can't possibly be blank. It's been running perfectly for years."

"Well that doesn't mean it won't break."

"Well since I can't go in, you're stuck unless the screen turns on. Hang on Miss, I'll get help." He said all this rather calmly. He wasn't worried at all. Then footsteps. He must have left the room.

At this, I started to panic. He seemed like the bad-guy type. What if he told Winfrey that something had gone horribly wrong and I was dead?! I needed o fix the screen. I calmed down almost immediately when I gave myself this command. I looked around the screen for any openings so that I could see the inside. Nothing. It appeared to be one smooth device. At this point, I started looking around the area and Before I knew it, I had found a little white button neatly camouflaged in the top right corner of the box. I pressed it. Then a whirring noise came from the screen The side of it had popped out revealing a complex network of multi-colored wires.

Conveniently, on the side that came out, there was a tiny pair of pliers. Maybe this was, part of the interview? Worry about it later, I told myself. I took the pliers and instinctively used it to not cut the wires but part them so that I could see the circuit. One I saw the circuit the problem was clear. A large gunk of hair was clogging up the system. And the hair was... Soapy? Gross. 

I used the pliers to grab the hair thing out of the circuit, but here's the thing. It was stuck. So I had to look for other means of removing it. I considered taking out the whole circuit.Then I remembered. I don't know why this particular thought was kept out of all the memories that I lost but I knew. The hair wasn't hair and the soap wasn't soap. It was a special wire called "Fiberia". Fiberia had been made so that it was nearly impossible to break or take out. The gunk of "hair" was meant to be there. 

Then where was the problem? I reached into the corner button and was about to push it. But then, I noticed something. There was something shiny next to the button. It was a line or wire of some sort. I followed it and found that it led to somewhere on the outside of the box. I pulled it and then the screen flashed on with the number 1000. Then the conveyor belt moved and I rushed back to my seat. Outside, Max was looking at the side of the box with a dazed expression.

"Uhh, Max?"

"Huh? Oh right, Come right this way."

(Sorry this chapter's not very interesting. At least, I don't think it is.)