2030_ The Real Story of What Happens to America - Albert Brooks [35]
If people needed to get going in a hurry, they could charge their cars with the ultrafast electrical pumps, but that cost more, like premium gas. So most people opted for the cheaper thirty-minute slow charge, and they had to have something to do while they waited. Why not munch burgers and fries? It was a perfect fit. The people who came up with the Charge N’ Eat also tried to bring back drive-in movies, but that idea went nowhere.
“I think we’re lost,” Kathy said.
“Who gets lost anymore? The car knows where we are.”
“Screw the car; have you ever been anywhere near here before?”
Brian looked out the window. It was farmland that seemed to grow nothing. All of a sudden his navigation voice told him he was on private roads and it could no longer confirm his location. “Shit.”
“I told you.”
“She never gets lost.”
“What are we looking for?”
“A church. Or something that looks like a church. Supposedly the town is very small.”
At that moment the navigation came back to life and informed him he had three miles to go. “See!” Brian was so proud of his car. “She never gets lost.”
After another ten minutes they drove through a one-stoplight town and, sure enough, there was a building that looked like a church, but it also looked as if no one had gone there for years. It had a stained-glass window that was broken and boarded up. Kathy had never seen that before. She’d always assumed that stained glass was never left broken, that that would be almost sacrilegious, but obviously she was wrong. There were a few cars parked outside, along with several motorcycles. Kathy was thoroughly confused.
“Who told you about this?”
“This guy.”
“What guy?”
“A guy who works in security.”
“What do mean, security?”
“He’s a bouncer, but he’s a nice guy. Really smart.”
“Jesus,” Kathy said. “You met a guy in a fucking bar?”
“He’s a nice guy. I was telling him about your dad and he suggested I come to this meeting.”
“Why are you telling bouncers about my dad?”
“You’re making too much of this. This guy is in the same situation as you. Paying off his mother’s health care. He bounces to make extra money.”
Before Kathy could say anything else, two motorcycles roared up behind them and the biggest guy she had ever seen recognized Brian. He yelled, “Hey, man!”
“Hey, Louie. I came.”
“I wish I’d cum!” Louie laughed at his dirty joke.
Louie was basically a skinhead. About six-five, 290 pounds, quickly running out of any more room for tattoos. They had perfected laser treatment that could remove tattoos and leave the skin looking normal, but what they found was that most people who had their tattoos removed eventually put a new one in its place. Louie had the words FUCK YOU tattooed on his right forearm. He had it removed, but a year later he added MOTHERFUCKER. He always kicked himself when he realized he only had to remove the YOU. By just adding MOTHER and ER he could have saved three thousand dollars. This was the guy Brian called really smart.
They all walked in together. There were about thirty-five people standing around getting high and talking a mile a minute. Kathy, who was no prude when it came to altered states, didn’t feel comfortable enough to lose control tonight. When she looked around the room, she had mixed feelings. Part of her felt that Brian was an idiot to get talked into something that he knew nothing about, and the other part was drawn to these people like a magnet. There was something all of them had in common. The anger.
A blond-haired guy stood up. He looked to be in his early thirties. Kathy couldn’t help but stare; he was gorgeous. Six foot two inches. Two hundred pounds. He looked like a poster boy for being in shape. And a handsome face. Not movie-star handsome, more like Olympic-ski-team handsome. He introduced himself. “Hey, everybody, my name is Max. I’m originally from Maine. I’ve lived here for three years and I’m bored out of my fucking mind.” Everyone laughed. “I think we all