no flow. No skills.”
“But you do?”
The other man laughed like he knew something Jason didn’t.
“I gots mad skills. One song, main. We talkin’ Diddy-money. We talkin’ Rocca-money. One song man. All it takes. Change my life. Change the world main, you know?”
“There’s a few ways to change the world…” Jason had his arms pushed through the bars, resting them on the cold steel “…maybe you shouldn’t be putting all your eggs in that one basket, huh?”
“Don’t be a hater, main.”
“I’m not being—Look, I’m just saying.”
“Don’t deny the dream, main.”
“Hey, believe me: I hope it happens for you, really .” Jason stared forlornly at the rock walls in the passageway. “Change the world and everything.”
“Yeah, well…” The other man didn’t sound convinced.
“No, really, I do.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Yeah, but, you know, you gotta get out of here first.”
“I’m meanin’ to.”
Jason lowered his head and sighed, closing his eyes. He wondered if No Rain had changed Shannon Hoon’s life. He imagined it had landed Blind Melon on no shortage of one-hit wonders lists. He didn’t even know the names of the other guys in the band. He felt a strange pang of guilt over this.
“Jason.”
He looked up. His arms were stretched out on the table before him, shackled at the wrists. He was back in the small room.
“Jason, it is important that you pay attention to me. Focus.”
Dr. Kaku was seated across from him at the table. The looming giant stood cloaked in the dark.
“I am going to show you another photograph today.”
Jason studied the table. There were three items on it. A manila folder, a carved mahogany box, and a legal pad with a pen. No revolver. Kaku opened the manila folder and extracted a single, wallet-sized headshot, placing it on the table in front of Jason.
“You know this person?”
Jason recognized the photograph immediately.
“How long—” he was livid and saw no point in hiding it “—how long have you been watching me?”
“Perhaps you forgot our little brocard governing enquiries, mmmm ?”
“Fuck you. Answer me.”
The giant moved forward.
“And fuck you! Come on then!”
A gesture from Kaku returned the enforcer to the shadows.
“If you would know,” the doctor folded his hands on the table, “We have been interested in you for quite some time, Jason.”
“This guy fucking with me?” Jason asked the room. “He serious?”
“Who is this, Jason?” Kaku tapped the picture.
“You are serious.” He glared at the doctor. “You know who the fuck that is, you motherfucker. That’s me. In ninth grade.”
“ Ahhh …” Kaku smiled, rubbing his palms together. “You say that’s you when you were in ninth grade. But, Jason—think now: do you remember taking that picture?”
“What?”
“Do you remember the room you sat in? The set up of the camera and lights? Tell me, Jason: was it a man or a woman who released the shutter?”
“You…” Jason peered at Kaku, his gaze simmering.
“Do you recall what shoes you wore?”
“You’re…”
“I trust the answers are no ,” Kaku flicked an index finger in the air, “ no ,” he flicked it again, “and nein .” He flicked the finger a third time, looking extremely self-satisfied.
“You’re demented.”
“I believe you misunderstand,” the doctor sounded concerned. “This is not about my mental well-being, Jason. And if you cannot recollect the answers to these simple questions, how then in fact do you know that this —” Kaku stabbed his rigid index finger on top of the photograph “—was you?”
“It’s me because I know it’s fucking me. It’s from my year book.”
“Do you remember sitting for the picture?”
“It’s me .”
“Do you remember?”
“ Yes ! No.”
“The timescape is nothing if not a slippery slope, Jason.” Kaku sat back in his chair. “Believe me, I know. I market in probabilities. Though we are aware of the passage
“But you do?”
The other man laughed like he knew something Jason didn’t.
“I gots mad skills. One song, main. We talkin’ Diddy-money. We talkin’ Rocca-money. One song man. All it takes. Change my life. Change the world main, you know?”
“There’s a few ways to change the world…” Jason had his arms pushed through the bars, resting them on the cold steel “…maybe you shouldn’t be putting all your eggs in that one basket, huh?”
“Don’t be a hater, main.”
“I’m not being—Look, I’m just saying.”
“Don’t deny the dream, main.”
“Hey, believe me: I hope it happens for you, really .” Jason stared forlornly at the rock walls in the passageway. “Change the world and everything.”
“Yeah, well…” The other man didn’t sound convinced.
“No, really, I do.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Yeah, but, you know, you gotta get out of here first.”
“I’m meanin’ to.”
Jason lowered his head and sighed, closing his eyes. He wondered if No Rain had changed Shannon Hoon’s life. He imagined it had landed Blind Melon on no shortage of one-hit wonders lists. He didn’t even know the names of the other guys in the band. He felt a strange pang of guilt over this.
“Jason.”
He looked up. His arms were stretched out on the table before him, shackled at the wrists. He was back in the small room.
“Jason, it is important that you pay attention to me. Focus.”
Dr. Kaku was seated across from him at the table. The looming giant stood cloaked in the dark.
“I am going to show you another photograph today.”
Jason studied the table. There were three items on it. A manila folder, a carved mahogany box, and a legal pad with a pen. No revolver. Kaku opened the manila folder and extracted a single, wallet-sized headshot, placing it on the table in front of Jason.
“You know this person?”
Jason recognized the photograph immediately.
“How long—” he was livid and saw no point in hiding it “—how long have you been watching me?”
“Perhaps you forgot our little brocard governing enquiries, mmmm ?”
“Fuck you. Answer me.”
The giant moved forward.
“And fuck you! Come on then!”
A gesture from Kaku returned the enforcer to the shadows.
“If you would know,” the doctor folded his hands on the table, “We have been interested in you for quite some time, Jason.”
“This guy fucking with me?” Jason asked the room. “He serious?”
“Who is this, Jason?” Kaku tapped the picture.
“You are serious.” He glared at the doctor. “You know who the fuck that is, you motherfucker. That’s me. In ninth grade.”
“ Ahhh …” Kaku smiled, rubbing his palms together. “You say that’s you when you were in ninth grade. But, Jason—think now: do you remember taking that picture?”
“What?”
“Do you remember the room you sat in? The set up of the camera and lights? Tell me, Jason: was it a man or a woman who released the shutter?”
“You…” Jason peered at Kaku, his gaze simmering.
“Do you recall what shoes you wore?”
“You’re…”
“I trust the answers are no ,” Kaku flicked an index finger in the air, “ no ,” he flicked it again, “and nein .” He flicked the finger a third time, looking extremely self-satisfied.
“You’re demented.”
“I believe you misunderstand,” the doctor sounded concerned. “This is not about my mental well-being, Jason. And if you cannot recollect the answers to these simple questions, how then in fact do you know that this —” Kaku stabbed his rigid index finger on top of the photograph “—was you?”
“It’s me because I know it’s fucking me. It’s from my year book.”
“Do you remember sitting for the picture?”
“It’s me .”
“Do you remember?”
“ Yes ! No.”
“The timescape is nothing if not a slippery slope, Jason.” Kaku sat back in his chair. “Believe me, I know. I market in probabilities. Though we are aware of the passage
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