"If I pay close attention..." "I can feel outer space pulling at us." "One way to fight the pull of the vacuum... is to create your own." "The chaos deepens in coastal areas worldwide." "Flooding along coastal Florida, California, China, Taiwan," "Japan and Southeast Asia has submerged entire cities." "Displaced refugees numbers in the tens of thousands." "Activists crowded the streets near UN headquarters today as major industrialized nations meet for the fourth time to discuss global warming initiatives." "Again, one of the few countries not participating is the United States, consistent with the current administration's refusal to ratify the Kyoto protocol." "This is the Diablo Valley Authority with bulletins for your area." "We're issuing an air quality alert for Thursday and Friday, so remember to wear protective masks when exercising outside." "If you need a new one go to your nearest gas station, police station, or library." "Replacement masks are six dollars." "The worst isn't over yet so remember to keep conserving gas and potable water to help out our friends on the coast." "Conserve hard, stay safe, neighbors, and don't forget to watch for the solar eclipse today at 1:45..." "Emergencies only." "Buy yourself a pizza pocket, OK?" "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes." "And death will be no more, nor will there be sorrow or crying or pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." "There are armed conflicts in the Balkans, Iraq, Korea," "Russia, Mexico, Colombia, Israel, and Peru." "Can anyone tell me one thing that happened in the world today?" "Jenny?" "The mayor was caught drunk driving." "I had a fight with my mom." "I tripped her." "All right, settle." "Sources from Chinese Central Space say female astronaut," "Xian Wei Ming, stationed on the recently launched Chinese space telescope, has been reporting sights of asymmetrical swelling and solar flaring from her sun observations." "Several hours after Central Space authorities refused to confirm Xian's observations," "Xian reportedly changed trajectory of her spacecraft to a direct path to meet with the sun and expended all remaining fuels to break earth's orbit." "Earlier today, a 12 year-old Palestinian girl was run down by an Israeli tank at Hebron..." "Yes." "There was an eclipse." "I know sweetie, but it's not an emergency." "You didn't look at it, did you?" " No." " 'Cuz you'll go blind." "Bye." "Your Mom lets you walk home alone?" "Hi, Wendell." "You want a ride back?" "Off work already?" "Yeah, they let me go home early." "So, umm..." "How are things between you and Scott?" "Dude, quiet down." "Oh, come on." "He's a good kid." "Aren't you, Tim?" "Yup." "Hey!" "You're home early." "Yeah." "I need a nap." "You're going out?" "What do you want to be one day?" "I don't know..." "Sorry you're just dating a dumb jock who only wants to go whitewater rafting." "He's been practicing baptisms with his dad all day." "Scott!" "Pam's here." "Do you want some lunch?" "What took you so long?" "You need to quit smoking." "You need a double-headed dragon dildo." "I did quit." "I can smell it on your clothes." "I quit two hours ago." "Diablo Valley Animal Control has issued a warning for all residents to keep their pets inside." "And in Fresno today, Centron employee, Roderick Kent, shot and dismembered his wife and two children, then severed his own head with a chainsaw." "Kent had just been maimed..." "Sorry - just been named" "Centron Employee of the Month for his efforts..." "Folks are saying these incidents are omens." "Any little thing and it's a sign the world's gonna end." "Totally paranoid, huh?" "We've been killing each other off since day one." "We don't stop because we don't want to." "Everyone keeps working, going to the gym, going to ball games." "How could the world end?" "Some people think the sun will swell up into a red giant and burn up all the planets." "And some people expect a sort of Antichrist, who comes along pretending to be all nice, and making everyone believe in him." "Then he tries to corrupt people so they won't get into heaven." "But eventually he's overthrown by God in a rain of comets and good triumphs over evil, et cetera, et cetera." "Silly." "Ow." "You just imagine it's not there, as if it never happened." "Like turning back time." "Look at it..." "and say hello." "Hello." "OK." "Now close your eyes, concentrate... and say goodbye." "Bye." "Own it." "Bye." "Yeah, well." "Never worked for me either." "Drink your juice, OK?" "Bye." "So what's new, college boy?" "I had sex for the first time." "With that Jonah guy?" "No..." "Me and my goldfish." "Of course, me and that Jonah guy." "That's really great." "That's really cool." "We had sex sex." "Mm hmm..." "Anal sex." " Yeah, I know." " OK." "I figured." "I didn't know if you knew." "I don't know what else you guys would be having." "So how was it?" "Incredible." "I don't know." "I may really be in love this time." "It didn't hurt?" "No." "Well..." "Yeah, it did initially, but then that kind of fed into the pleasure/pain thing." "You just have to use a lot of lube." "Dinner time." "Let's not leave." "I have to." "Anyway, you really should try it some time - anal sex." "Call me!" "We are very, very blessed, dear Lord, to have this wonderful, wonderful family." "So for that we thank you, and for the food you placed in front of us, prepared by my lovely wife, which we eat in your name, O Lord." " Amen." " Amen." "I like to have sex with men." "Did you hear what I said?" "Should anyone be blamed for becoming bored?" "Yeah." "He's black." "We really should make more black friends." "And his name is Jonah." "Maybe another outreach meeting." "It is so hard to get blacks to come into our church." "It isn't hard to find one to come inside me." "Boredom leads to restlessness, restlessness to recklessness." "And recklessness puts all of us in harm's way." "I read in U.S. News and World Report that the anus is chockfull with ecoli bacteria." "We used a condom." "Condoms provide excellent protection against diseases." "We should put one over our house." "Richard, didn't you mention a Jonah in your sermon last month?" "He was swallowed by a whale." "A very large fish." "You should try it sometime - anal sex." "Heart." "My heart is broken." "Heart." "Scissors." "Put down the scissors." "Scissors." "Genocide." "Avoid genocide." "Did you study for this?" "No." "Why not?" "I don't know." "I'm going to call your mom, OK?" "She's not home until 7 o'clock sometimes." "What about your dad?" "He's not with us anymore." "When did he pass away?" "He just said bye." "He's not really dead." "It's only three weeks after I turn 18 that Timothy Wu files his last official flight plan and takes off west into the sun." "For a year we wondered where he went." "Now we don't care what happens to him." "Last night a 67-year-old fisherman dumped 40 tons of toxic waste into Catalina Bay." "Arresting officers mention he was speaking incoherently about killing off the jellyfish that in recent years have choked what was once a vibrant fishing industry." "This one of a string of desperate acts we've seen in depressed fishing communities which have dwindled as the population of jellyfish has exploded as a result of rising sea temperatures." "Exhale, inhale." "One more time for me." "Inhale, exhale." "Oh, shit!" "Officer, haven't you ever been distracted?" "No, ma'am." "Bullshit!" "I just think Timothy needs a more stable home environment to foster his growth potential." "Why don't you just bring some fucking dinner over then?" "Well..." "Kids need food to grow too, Mr. Robertson." "I'm just trying..." "I really need some alone time or I will literally die." "Don't talk to your teachers about our personal life, OK?" "Take Timmy with you to work tonight." "Take him to work?" "It's just one night..." "Please." "I can watch him." "I need you to watch me." "But who cares about what I need." "Mom, it's not that I don't care." "It's just that if I take Tim to work they're gonna be pissed off if I show up with..." "How long does it take to mop a hangar?" "It's not like you're going to school to do something with your life..." "Nobody wants what's good for them at the right time." "You miss your moment, and you find yourself... stuck with..." "Fine, I'll take him." "If we stress you out so bad why'd you even have us?" "Well, Pam..." "Your father... " "Well, don't just stare at it!" "Relax." "Mom!" "Sorry..." "Just clean it up." "That's really loud." "Please stop." "Why?" "Because..." "It's loud." "Tim!" "Don't make me come up there." "What did you say?" "Dad said it..." ""Don't make me come up there"." "Do you miss him?" "Should I tell you it wasn't your fault?" "'Cuz it wasn't." "I didn't know you washed airplanes." "Well... they get dirty." "Whose fault is it?" "Do you believe in heaven?" "Yes." "Dad did too." "I don't know..." "I guess he was just ready for something new." "Do you like Wendell?" "He's funny." "Funny like a clown?" "Funny like the President." "I like that one." "Only for a second, OK?" "Romeo Delta..." "Timmy, Oakland center." "Go ahead." "Pammy, 628 Romeo Delta..." "Experiencing heavy turbulence, requesting niner point five." "Sorry..." "Remain in current altitude due to traffic." "Dammit!" "Oh, no, a bird!" "Aaaaaahhhhhh!" "What I'm saying is that while, yes, you did draw very nice cotton fields, you also could diversify your subject matter?" "Like maybe draw a boat." "Or an Underground Railroad?" "Or just a railroad." "That's pretty." "Good." "What's that supposed to be anyway?" "A waterfall." "Looks like a cool alternate reality." "You know what I mean?" "OK." "Sorry to mess things up at home for you." "It's all good." "Do you want to come over on Saturday?" "We're having a barbecue." "Cool." "Are you sure your mom..." "She said to invite two guests." "Oh, we gotta get this." "Yeah, we need salsa too." "Mild or hot?" "Hot." "Speaking of hot, you look good today." "What?" "Come on." "Are you seriously one of those people who can't accept a compliment without accusing someone of sexual harassment?" "No." "I just don't like being compared to a condiment." "Oh..." "Well." "Where did you find that?" "That's a project your daddy and I started when Pam was really young." "We were all addicted to sunsets." "We even took some from your dad's plane." "I thought he took this with him." "Your mom really cares about you, you know?" "She never once regretted having you instead of finishing med school." "You ever thought about tracking down your dad?" "You have us all figured out." "No, I don't." "But I do want to help." "It's blank." "Timothy and I were talking..." "I got the impression you needed flying lessons." "Flying's for prick-waxing jerk-offs." "No need to be redundant." "Stop!" "Shit..." "Sorry." "No stars to guide us." "Another marine creature, armed with a mass of stinging cells, can be found sailing the warm oceans of the world..." "Zay... jee." "Zayyyy... jee." "Zai-Jian." "Zai-Jian" " Later, alligator..." "Your dad could've taught you more..." "If he wasn't such a space case." "The bluebottle jelly, or Portuguese Man O' War, is actually a symbiotic colony of four specialized animals." "One polyp fills up with gas to become afloat, enabling the bluebottles to stay close to the surface for feeding." "During the capture the chamber will shift in buoyancy to accommodate the weight of large prey..." "~#XX" "I'm a whale!" "My project explores the relentless relationship between the body and the self." "What do our bodies ask of us?" "Who are we without our bodies?" "Are these shells here to keep us separate from one another eternally?" "So, yeah, my installments explore these ideas by consolidating flint, barbed wire and live turkeys." "Oh, that's really quite typical... topical." "Isn't it?" "Totally." "That's amazing." "Off to the loo." "Down the hall." "So, Jonah, I had no idea you were Timothy's teacher and Scott's..." "Small world, huh?" "Can I get you anything?" "Ro" " Sham" " Bo!" "Ro" " Sham" " Bo!" "That's stupid." "Bombs are for psychos." " Shut up!" " No!" "Pacifier." "You mean pacifist." "Pacifist." "Why must people focus on the darkness in the world... when all most people want to do is achieve some kind of... some kind of peace?" "So..." "Wendell is, um..." "Thank you." "Yes, he's quite a catch!" "He's a little..." "Well, is he a student?" "No." "He's an assistant manager at Sports Lodge." "Great!" "Isn't it amazing when people see your inner beauty?" "It floors me every time!" "Swarms of Cessnas every day, since they grounded all the big planes." "So how long have you and Saura been going at it?" "Let me say that a little differently..." "About five weeks." "Hmm... not too long!" "So, is Timothy doing OK?" "He's sophisticated for his age group." "He just doesn't seem to study at home a lot." "Yeah, well..." "Mom's real busy, you know." "Oh, I know." "Skippy put up a good fight though, more than most collies would." "In the end it's really just your own self-interest that's keeping them alive." "I'm just saying college is actually a great way to make new connections." "I truly think connectivity is the only surefire way to a decent career - or lifestyle, for that matter." "I mean, a solid network of connectivity..." "Well, what's the point?" "I mean everything is hell anyway, right?" "It's easy for you to say that." "I mean in your life, you have so much freedom - the way you live." "Millions of kids would die for the opportunity that you have." "I just think that you're taking it for granted because it is within your grasp." "I mean just sitting here talking to you, you seem like a pretty smart girl." "Well, millions of kids are dying for our opportunities." "I just don't think everything is hell." "Jell-o, anyone?" "Do you want Jell-o?" "I don't eat Jell-o." "You dropped your chair." "Pam is so pretty." "She's so wonderfully exotic." "She's so lucky." "I wonder if she realizes it." "We certainly don't want her flying off any more roofs." "She's much better now." "You told me about the 3.8 GPA." "That's great." "Pity college is so expensive." "Yeah, pity about your dog dying too." "That must have been really ruffff." "Do you know where the tofu dogs are?" "Try the freezer." "You seem agitated." "I'm wonderfully exotic." "Anything I can do?" "It's OK." "It's all right." "I just wanna disappear." "You make me want to disappear." "You're wasting our power." "For months after Dad flew off" "Mom had this recurring nightmare..." "Again and again she'd wake us up right before sunrise, saying that the sun had reached its half-life and had turned into a jellyfish that was devouring the ocean." "Every creature in the sea knew they were doomed if they stayed in the water, but outside of it they'd suffocate." "Made so sick and sightless by their own terror... many destroyed themselves in anguish." "But even in their most futile of moments they seemed to sense something in us worth saving, and they wouldn't take us with them... even when we asked them to." "Even when their stories scared us half to death... they were beautiful to me." "When she met Wendell... her stories stopped." "She didn't have to dream anymore." "400 thousand activists and area residents gathered in Slovenia today to celebrate the demolition of the last existing nuclear power plant on the European continent." "Demands for environmental action from ordinary American citizens continues to grow, however, as politicians and celebrities continue to sound the call..." "Don't watch this." "Don't look." "Scott and Mr. Robertson were holding hands." "Well, that's fine, but they're gonna go through some hard times." "How come?" "Because... they like hanging with boys more than they like girls." "I like boys more than girls." "That's different, sweetness." "What do you think about on your good days?" "You know, your daydreams?" "I just want peace, you know." "There are things I haven't told you about... that I'll tell you some time." "I really fucked up." "What?" "I kissed him." "You serious?" "Yup." "Why?" "'Cuz I'm a fuck-up." "I guess I should go..." "I'm fucking sad right now." "So?" "I'm depressed." "You're the only clear... exciting thing in my life, basically." "I just feel like everyone else is corrupt." "I hope it's not anyone we know." "You can't fight me!" "I'm Jesus!" "Yeah, well, I'm God!" "I'm your Dad!" "You look depressed." "Did I do something wrong?" "No." "Good." "What?" "Does he make you feel special?" "He stands up for you when I complain." "You complain about me too?" "Mom!" "I'm happy, OK?" "OK..." "Then I'm happy too." "Yeah?" "Sorry all about the weird stuff at the barbecue." "Sometimes adults just do weird things..." "Things that we don't mean." "We're very immature." "You're not an adult." "It's one month before he realizes he's bored of us when Dad insists on reading me to bed... which he hasn't done since I was 6." "'We can start working with time if you wish,' Chiang said," "'Till you can fly into the past and the future." "And then you will be ready'." "The day that Chiang vanished his feathers went brighter and brighter and at last turned so brilliant that no gull could look upon him." "As the days went past," "Jonathan found himself thinking time and again of the earth from which he had come." "If he had known there - just a tenth... just a hundredth - of what he knew here, how much more life would have meant." "It's nice." "When did you say that your parents are coming home?" "Monday." "They went on a retreat, some church retreat." "Excuse me..." "We're home." " Oh, my gosh!" " Hi, Mom." "When you're done I'd like a word." "Your parents called the schoolboard, Scott." "There's been a lot of complaints." "They're recommending a transfer." "It's no one's fault, :" "It's just the situation." "OK, everyone, I'm Miss Gatzert." "Mr. Robertson came down with the flu that's going around, and he left a spelling list for Friday." "I'd like you all to take out your World History books." "Have we covered The Crusades yet?" "What are you looking at?" "Are you a homo like Mr. Robertson?" "It's kind of hard to put into words what makes you fall in love with someone." "It's indescribable." "Here you go, Scout." "There has to be an event." "It's an event that marks a change in you..." "Like a nova." "A nova is when a star becomes unstable." "So it's like inside you've become a hundred times bigger." "And no one can see it, but everyone knows." "How's your sister?" "Fine." "Have you seen her and Scott kiss?" "No?" "Have you seen her taking a bath?" "I think she must be beautiful." "Explode..." "X~P~L~O~D~E." "Explode." "Silver..." "S~L~I~V~E~R..." "Silver." "Four Palestinians and one Israeli soldier were killed Thursday in the West Bank in Gaza." "A 12-year old Palestinian girl was crushed by a tank at Hebron..." "I feel sick." "Was it me?" "No." "Did Wendell say something?" "Not really." "Are you lying?" "He was just talking weird." "Weird like how?" "Like when you're eating and you're crying, and it doesn't taste good." "I know..." "I hate that." "So, Jonah called." "It looks like the school board sided with you guys." "I think it's time that we reassess things." "Reassess what?" "My rectum?" "You know, when I was very young" "I thought I could find meaning by using my time on this earth to make up for having more than others." "I failed at everything I tried." "We still rage, kill, starve." "There's only so much you can do." "At a certain point, the futility begins to eat into you." "At a certain point you have to abandon control." "You have to leave the rest to God." "I think... you think... the mere act of thinking... is your God." "I do everything for you out of love..." "There is no God." "Don't you ever..." "Don't you ever speak to him again." "If you don't get the fuck out of our house..." "I'll fucking kill you!" "Hey..." "Stop, stop, stop." "You're sick!" "You erase me and you fill me up at the same time." "I don't know what to do about it." "I need your help to figure it out, OK?" "Shoot, dammit." "I'm almost home, Tim." "Hi." "It's Saura." "I can't take your call right now, so leave a message." "I need you to help me, Pam." "I need you to..." "be an adult with me." "Grow up and help me, Pam." "You know how to get everything you want with your stupid smile." "So do you." "Get off!" "Just let go." "You need to talk to your daughter." "Mom, he's been asking Tim sick questions about me." "I just can't handle it." "I can't!" "Oh, my God." "He raped me." "Are you kidding me?" "He raped me." "Tim was here the whole time." "He knows." "Oh, my God!" "Did he?" "Did he rape her?" "No." "He doesn't even understand what you're saying!" "Where are we going?" "Away from this stupid place." "Turn fuckin' green!" "It's cold!" "Go to the car and turn the heater on." "Fuck." "You see anything?" "Not yet." "I've been meaning to give those to you in support of your cocksucking relationship." "You're special." "I'm not afraid of the world ending when we hang out." "Do you think we'll be together, hanging, when it all happens?" "We'll probably be long dead before it happens." "You never know..." "We could go at any second..." "Now." "Or... now." "Or... now." "I think we'll be together." "If it wasn't Jonah... it would be me, right?" "I don't want to lie to you." "Lie to me." "No." "Yeah." "Just kidding." "You two lived around here long?" "Yes." "It's a very safe place to live, especially if you have kids." "Everybody is so good to each other around here." "Looks like we're trapped." "Is this right?" "I think so." "I think it would be wise... to stop for the night." "I'll call a truck." "I have nothing witty to say." "Say something nice." "This is so stupid." "Are you all right, honey?" "Yes, I'm all right." "Are you hurt?" "Oh, I'm fine." "I think we should get home." "Help me, Pam." "Be an adult with me..." "Grow up and help me, Pam." "It's not as bad as I thought." "This whole experience has just reminded me of something." "Did you remember to send in our auto premium?" "I can't keep my brother out here like this." "I'm gonna stay with my parents down south." "Maybe apply to grad school." "If you leave, they win." "What about me?" "What about you?" "Zai-Jian." "Love you." "I figured it out, you know..." "Why mom had Tim so late." "She was willing to do anything to make him stay." "Didn't work." "I'm gonna not love you, OK?" "I'm gonna not be so stupid anymore." "Be an adult with me." "Grow up and help me, Pam." "When you jumped off the roof you weren't trying to die, right?" "'Cuz Mom said you were trying to die." "Well, I wasn't." "You were trying to chase Daddy's plane." "Open." "So you're telling me that she faked the whole thing?" "Is that what I'm supposed to think?" "You know that's not what I meant." "I'll go get my stuff." "Wait." "What?" "Let's have a drink." "My Mom said to me," ""I think we should reassess the situation. "" "I said, "Reassess what?" "My rectum?"" "This is good." "Now they can't just sweep it under the rug." "It's like it was meant to be or something." "I don't know." "I feel so close to you now." "Did you set this up?" "What up?" "Did you know your parents would find us?" "Yeah." "You know we're through, right?" "Scott?" "Oh, my God!" "He's all right!" "Where were you?" "Pam." "Weather experts say the showers should be spectacular." "Sky watchers can expect to see dozens of meteors per hour." "A meteor shower can sometimes be the brightest object in the sky, wandering through space, rogue debris left behind by a timeless comet." "The next heavenly display isn't anticipated until next December." "So don't miss out on this one, folks." "Tim!" " Eat." " Hmm?" "Eat." "Hey..." "I'm sorry." "Aren't you gonna drink your juice, buddy?" "No." "Did your crazy sister brainwash you?" "Are you attracted to stupid people?" "Because I'm pretty stupid." "It's all right." "No!" "Calm down." "Please." "Get off of her!" "Get off!" "Mom!" "What are you..." "Mom!" "Help me!" "I'm not going to hurt you." "I'm just gonna hold you here so you can't hurt me." "OK?" "Leave her alone!" "Your daughter wants me dead." "You think it's dark in here, but it's not." "The saddest thing I've ever seen is a nice woman growing old alone." "Pam's not gonna be there." "I hate you." "Actually it's kind of pathetic." "Shoot, did I scare you?" "Friends, right?" "I could use more friends." "Couldn't you?" "Mom!" "Stop!" "Say it, OK?" "Friends?" "Say it." "Say it." "Zai-Jian." "Scientists had initially discounted reports of solar anomalies made by Chinese astronaut Xian Wei Ming one month ago, but astronomers around the world are now confirming that solar flares did indeed occur last week beginning at 8 a. m." "PST on Tuesday." "A few hours later, a wave of accelerated protons hit the Chinese Space station, with all likelihood destroying the bulkhead and killing Xian." "Flaring continued with sporadic but extreme solar winds and geomagnetic storms in earth's magnetosphere." "How's the peach?" "Good." "Pam?" "Hmm?" "I think it's coming back." "That's never happened before." "Did you do that?"