The Field of Dreams faded away like water receding from the shore. Before Halley could figure out what was going on, he stood on a street corner in the middle of town.
"Hi!"
Halley jumped and spun around, finding Solano standing there with his hands in his pockets.
"Glad you could make it!"
"You two have got to stop doing that."
Solano laughed.
"Why? It's fun!" he exclaimed. "Come along, come along, let's get moving."
He started down the sidewalk, with Halley struggling to keep up behind him.
"Why are we in town?" Halley asked. "Luno and I were in an entirely different world."
Solano finally slowed down when he realized Halley was essentially running next to him.
"Sometimes Luno likes to overcomplicate things." he answered. "But his work is complicated. He's the fireman and the conductor."
"Jeez."
"He does not mind! If he did, he would not have continued doing it for thousands of years!"
"What about you?"
"I am the engineer! I drive the locomotives. My secondary task is to coordinate all of the train consists and keep everything orderly in the yard!"
"Huh."
"A lot of work goes into railroading! But our plans for you are far simpler."
"So I hear." Halley said. "Where are we going?"
"Oh! Yes! I did not answer your first question!" Solano chirped. "We are here because of the simplicity! Our destination is the diner on the next street corner!"
"The diner?"
"I enjoy their sandwiches!"
"I didn't think you guys needed to eat."
"We do not! I do it for fun! But Luno does not have fun in the same way. So he does not. You are welcome to do as you please!"
"How are you two so different but still, like, the same?"
"We have a higher understanding of each other than most people do with anyone else!"
"How's that?"
"Eclipsus!"
"Eclipsus?"
"The combination of Luno and myself! We join our minds and bodies together to create Eclipsus! That is how we are able to be the same despite our differences!" Solano answered. "You will meet Eclipsus someday."
"You...can fuse together? Like, become an entire whole ass other person?"
"Yes! It is quite fun! Luno enjoys getting to smile and I enjoy seeing the world in a logical way!"
"...He thinks and you feel."
"Precisely!"
"I guess that explains a lot about you two." Halley said. "Like why he had a philosophical discussion with me and you're taking me to lunch."
"Yes!" Solano exclaimed. "You are understanding! Luno and I knew you would!"
The two of them reached the diner and sat down at the bar. They each ordered their food, and Halley rested his chin on his palm as he watched Solano try to stack the coffee creamer cups in front of them.
"So...why were you trying to see the comet?" Halley asked. Solano's concentration didn't break.
"We hadn't ever seen it before! Not intentionally!" he answered, not taking his eyes off his stack. "Luno and I do not get holidays often. This one has been fun, though!"
"That's good, I guess. Can't imagine what's so fun about being here when you can be anywhere else in the universe. Or in other universes."
"As I said before, Halley! Simplicity! Why go to some fifth dimensional world and surf waves of photons when we can simply come here? Fifth dimensional diners don't have sandwiches with all the fixings!"
"I'd hate to be a fifth dimensional being, then."
When their food arrived, Solano didn't hesitate to dig in. Halley picked at his food absentmindedly.
"I still can't believe you're here. And real. A bigass steam engine that travels the universe? That's absurd!"
"But that's the good part! Nothing is ever normal, Halley! Life is so much more fun when you accept the absurdity of it all and take it in stride!" Solano answered. "Think about it! The strangest day of all would be the day nothing strange happens!"
"Huh. Never thought about it like that."
"That's what Luno and I are here for! We are changing your perspective, your worldview! Opening your mind to the broadness of the universe! You cannot expect to work for us if you won't let new ideas in!" Solano set his sandwich down. "You always look so sad, you know."
"I do?"
"Yes! But that is okay. I'd like to help! And I am! In fact, I have a joke!"
"Let's hear it."
"Luno rather likes this one!" Solano said. "A train driver crashes his train and kills a bunch of people."
"That's...not very funny."
"I am not finished!"
"Alright."
"The authorities decide to give him the death penalty via electric chair. When asked what he wished for his last meal to be, the man said he wanted three bananas. Later on, when they attempted to execute him, he lived. Thinking it was divine intervention, they let him free! The man returned to service and crashed another train. Electing to execute him with the electric chair again, the authorities once again asked what he wished his final meal to be. The man once again said he wanted three bananas, and when they tried to execute him, he lived once again! So they let him go." Solano rambled. "The man returns to service and crashes yet another train, and when the authorities choose to execute him again, they deny him the bananas he requests. He is put in the electric chair and lives again!"
Halley raised an eyebrow. Solano could hardly get to the punchline without giggling.
"He simply was not a good conductor!"
Halley snorted.
"That was pretty good."
"Thank you!"
"I've got one."
"Oh?"
"There's a train leaving its platform, and one last person is running toward it." Halley said. "A passenger looking from one of the windows tells him, 'You're not going to catch it. Wait for the next one.' The man running after the train says, 'I have to catch it! I'm the driver!'"
Solano laughed. Halley couldn't help but smile.
"I must tell that one to Luno! He would love it!"
"Didn't know he knew what a joke is."
"Of course he does! Do not let appearances fool you!" Solano answered, then quickly finished the rest of his sandwich, standing up from the bar and rummaging around in his pockets. "I've got a train to catch! We will see you later!"
He left coins in a currency Halley was certain were from a country that didn't even exist anymore, then walked out.
Halley watched the waitress chase after him, then turned back to his own food.
Nothing is ever normal.
