Conversation · Alice

"10-4. Anything else for you, sir? Over."

"That's all for now." (End call with the 41st.)

"Roger that. 10-10. Over and out." With those words the cabin becomes silent again, the radio-microphone resting on its hook.

"Roger that. 10-10. Over and out." The static ends with a loud click, then everything is silent in the cabin.

"10-18, 10-20? Over."

"Uh, can you repeat that?"

"10-18, 10-20? Over."

"Please just talk human to me. These numbers mean nothing to me."

"State your message, sir. Over."

"Hi, this is... me here, I work at your station."

"10-4, what's your status? Over."

"It's not good."

"My status? I, uh..."

"10-2, 10-5. This is 41st, come in! Over."

She sighs. "Right... please hold."

"10-4, come in..." He hesitates. "...Fire walker. Over."

"Just a moment, officer..."

"10-4, come in, officer! Over."

"Ask him..." The speaker succumbs to laughter. "Ask him to check his hand -- the one without a wine bottle -- I bet that's where his badge is!"

The tall ginger on his right still has tears of laughter in his eyes. "Yeah, Mack's right, this was some gnarly shit there. I mean, before he started begging for money -- it was... "

The tall ginger on his right still has tears of laughter in his eyes. "Yeah, Mack's right, that was some gnarly shit there..."

"It's officer Dick...." he tries to speak through laughter, "... Mullen from the bestseller 'Dick Mullen and the Lost Identity.'"

Suddenly he interjects: "Yeah, Mullen was fucked alright. Sounded fucking drunk to me."