Seller: We’re really already halfway through with this, aren’t we?
Greenwood: Well, of course. What I didn’t expect was such silentness…
Cal: You mean silence?… Anyway…
Cal: And for you of all people to start the conversation, not that I’m losing enthusiasm, but I’m assuming you know where you’re going, don’t you Mr. Sell?
Seller: I should know, yet something about knowing exactly where we are, and feeling so confident about our objective doesn’t feel right.
Greenwood: And you’d have the right to feel that. Have you ever grown up without a clock, or weather forecast?
Seller: Can’t say I have.
Greenwood: Well, you learn in those conditions to source that information from the shadows, becoming sensitive to gusts of wind to know the direction of something your eyes can’t inform you of yet.
Seller: In other words, all you rely on is intuition.
Greenwood: Intuition based on nature’s objective truth.
Cal: Hm, and yet, it’s nighttime. In a barren desert no less. I can’t quite grasp the faintest idea of what you two feel is off right now.
Greenwood: Aside from us walking alone in the desert towards a supposed destination? The sky.
[Footsteps come to a halt]
Greenwood: On a night like this, far from any city, the sky usually glows. There’s no light pollution, of course.
[Greenwood points into the distance]
Greenwood: Do you see that?
Cal: It’s exactly as it should be.
Greenwood: And what’s in the way of it?
Seller: Nothing at all.
Greenwood: When we stopped at a local town to gather supplies before setting out here, I stumbled upon a 3D printed map of this area. It looks exactly the same as on a flat piece of paper, where we are I mean, the color of the dark orange desert sand was evenly spread. Same texture and everything.
[Greenwood takes back his arm from a pointing position and scratches the back of his head in confusion]
Greenwood: I’m thinking, it’s not by coincidence that the artist decided to purposely add large hills in his design.
Cal: Well, the likelihood of it being accurate near a small town like that where the locals decide what gets sold is much greater than the chances of it being an exaggeration with no foundation based on reality.
Seller: Meaning… hold on, either we’re not where we think we are, or-
Cal: Something, or someone, has the potential to have erased those hills from existence. That’s what both of you seem to be suggesting. I say it’s illogical, we’re obviously lost, we can retrace our steps and try again from the start. If any trouble does come up, we can deal with it from there.
Greenwood: You know, I’d prefer to be lost. Because it should be obvious wind can’t do that. You don’t need to be raised in the wilderness to know.
Cal: Great, so while you two figure out whatever absurdity caused this confusion, I’ll just-
[Cal turns around in refutal]
Cal: -retrace our… footsteps…
Greenwood: What’s the hold-up?
Cal: The floor beneath us… it’s as if a slate has been wiped clean. The only sign of our setting out here has been erased. Meaning if anyone were to come looking for us, there’d be no reasonable way of finding us.
Greenwood: Hey now let’s not be so pessimistic, it might’ve been a couple of strong winds, nothing more. Some of our footsteps must be around somewhere.
Seller: Strong winds huh… Over many years that’d cause mountains to corrode, it’d just depend on the accuracy and date of the model, assuming our location is the same. This is the most perfect horizon I’ve ever seen, though, almost feels like I can see the nebulas with my own eyes. Dark purple… I’m sensing what isn’t there. To go from the sand dune equivalent of a mountain range to this in… wait, when was the model made, Greenwood?
Greenwood: I believe it was earlier this year…
[Seller takes a defensive stance]
Seller: Everyone, prepare yourselves. Whatever is here wants us to fall for whatever this place is, might as well not even be on Earth anymore.
Cal: This is far too non-threatening to believe, but I guess I should be appreciating the silence we did get while it lasted.
Greenwood: I never complained, but seems like soon we’ll be missing that small break… So what next strongman?
Seller: The one mistake our enemy made was creating something too perfect to believe. It leads to us learning something very important, whoever it is, can’t confront us directly. If they could, we would’ve been wiped out before realizing any of this.
Cal: Would it also be safe to assume they’re not alone then? How draining.
Seller: That’s the problem, we don’t exactly know our enemy, or their precise location. Just the fact that we must remain on guard. Do not trust at first glance.
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