Episode 21

The Mutual Broadcasting System brings you another episode of Life in Hyperion, now at a new time!

Today's episode: "The Streets of This Time", Part 9

Last week, Cy had a busy week, with hosting the law relations show and giving advice to Phil, who has won a date with his crush, Officer Grace. Meanwhile, Conrad dealt with an illiness and won, and Thomas tried to confront his past and ends up in jail. As we begin this week, Cy and Conrad are about to do their Friday show...

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The Friday show for Cy and Conrad is an unusual one for them, with Cy's cigar.
As Barry leaves the studio, Cy puffs cigar smoke in his face.
"Don't smoke those in my presence." says Barry.
"You don't have any presence." says Cy.
Cy and Conrad then take their seats and begin their show.
"Hello again, people, this is Cy Scott talking, and welcome to the Cy & Conrad Show." says Cy.
"I'm Conrad Harris, the second half of the title." says Conrad.
"Yes, and as the Friday work day begins, comfort yourself with the fact that today
is the day you get paid." says Cy.
"Payday is a big day of the week." says Conrad.
"And considering that you've been not working two days this week, maybe your payday won't be as big." says Cy.
"Watch it, Cy." says Conrad.
Cy then speaks into the mike, "People of Hyperion. Today is Friday. For some, as stated before, it means payday, and, as also stated before, we're among those payday people. For others, it's a chance to find romance and I say to these people, good luck. Love is a wondeful thing and it can overcome anything thrown at it."
"Are you sure?" asks Conrad.
"Oh, yeah. Throughout history, love has united and, in some cases, divided
people from all walks of life. I would now like to play a song about love, about how it
conquers all. Gram Parsons' 'A Song for You'." says Cy.
As Cy plays the song, Phil can feel his own love for Officer Grace grow more than
it has, with a special lock to keep it in. Sometime later, Polly and a guy move their way into the room where the jail cells are located.
There are two separate cells in the room. Both are marked with letters, Cell A and Cell B. Eddie, a 34-year-old black male with a purple button shirt and tan dress pants that was brought in this morning, is in Cell A, along with the sleeping Thomas, as Polly and the guy enter the room.
Polly, with her guitar case in hand, soon sets it down on a metal desk and opens up the case to reveal an old six-string guitar. Polly soon takes it out and begins to strum it as she sits down on the metal desk. The man does the same with a fiddle.
"Good morning." says Polly.
"Good morning. Are you gonna sing for us?" asks Eddie.
"You bet I am." says Polly.
"Is that your job here?" asks Eddie.
"I'm usually the janitor, but today, I'm the entertainment." says Polly.
"I get to join hew today." says the man.
"You better sound good." says Eddie.
"You don't me very well." says Polly.
"I guess the only friend I have at this moment is you, the janitor." says Eddie.
"You have Thomas over there." says Polly, pointing to him, laying down on the cell bunk.
"He's asleep, and no help to me." says Eddie.
"I don't know if I am." says Polly.
"My name is Eddie." says Eddie.
"My name is Ewmew." says the man.
"Polly's my name." says Polly.
"Well, Polly, can I talk to you?" asks Eddie.
"What's it about?" asks Polly.
"Suppose someone comes on to you and you get the idea they love you, only to deny it the next time they see you." says Eddie.
"I wouldn't know." says Polly.
"I bet you wouldn't." says Eddie as his mind returns him to the night of the party.
Various people are engaged in party activities, including Mrs. Berner, who's partaking of a cocktail.
"I think you pushing it with the cocktails." says Dr. Berner, a 51-year-old with graying hair, wearing a checkered coat, black tie, and black dress pants.
"Don't tell me how to drink." says Mrs. Berner.
"I'm not." says Dr. Berner.
"Then let me have some fun." says Mrs. Berner as she walks away.
Mrs. Berner roams around the room a bit, looking at those in attendance. She then spies Eddie, keeping to himself next to a potted plant. Mrs. Berner makes her way over to Eddie and the potted plant.
"Hello there, Eddie." says Mrs. Berner.
"Mrs. Berner. Nice to see you." says Eddie.
"Call me Bea." says Mrs. Berner.
"Okay... Bea." says Eddie.
"You know, Eddie, I've kinda had my eye on you for awhile." says Mrs. Berner.
"You have?" says Eddie.
"I think you're kinda cute." says Mrs. Berner.
"You do?" says Eddie.
"You seem nice to me, unlike my husband." says Mrs. Berner.
"Your husband is a nice man." says Eddie.
"He only cares about his work. I'm just his arm candy." says Mrs. Berner.
"Don't say that." says Eddie.
"It's true. I've had my eye on you for a while." says Mrs. Berner.
"Really?" says Eddie.
"Yes, and I feel a certain connection to you." says Mrs. Berner.
"Well, I guess I could say the same, if just a little." says Eddie.
"I wish I could divorce my husband and marry you." says Mrs. Berner.
"Then why don't you?" asks Eddie.
"Because he feels he owns me. I don't feel safe if I tried." says Mrs. Berner.
"I would protect you." says Eddie.
"Thanks, Eddie." says Mrs. Berner as she starts to wander off, back into the mass
of those at the party.
"I still can't see it." says Eddie, his mind returning to the present.
"Maybe she will." says Polly as she continues to strum her guitar.
Polly and Elmer then launch into a redition of "Sing Me Back Home". Her singing and his fiddle playing are enough to stir Thomas from his slumber. As his ears tune in the sound, he looks around and spies Polly through the bars.
"You can sing?" asks Thomas.
"That I can." says Polly as he enters the bridge.
"I never knew you could sing." says Thomas.
"Neither did I." says Eddie.
"Who are you?" asks Thomas.
"I'm Eddie." says Eddie.
"A cellmate?" asks Thomas.
"For awhile." says Eddie.
"Get use to it." says Thomas as Polly continues to sing.

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Tomorrow, Officer Grace and Phil go out on their date, and are observed by a very noteworthy person, in his mind, at least.

Join us, won't you?
Yours truly, John Maxwell.

This is the Mutual Broadcasting System.
"The feeling's always Mutual"