Race Day 2: Arizona
At the Pixie Swallow Diner, men whistle at the waitress, Mimi Kox. She tells them that she's not on the menu and goes in the back. Mimi tells her daddy to keep them coming, and he continues cramming a human leg into a meat grinder.
As Grace drives down the highway, Arthur's stomach rumbles. Grace tells him to keep it quiet, and admits that the tank is running low. He says that he's not going to let her put another person into the engine, and Grace warns him that they're at the back of the pack again. Arthur insists that he needs to contact Chris and confirm that he's alive, and Grace warns him that no phone calls are allowed. She says that she needs to win or her sister Karma spends the rest of her life in an insane asylum. Arthur says that he's sorry about karma but figures that there must be another way, and she says that there isn't for her.
The GPS shows that the finish line is up ahead in Pixie Swallow Grace and Arthur arrive at the diner and Arthur sees rib Bone beating someone up. Grace warns him that they're watching, and points out a camera on another car. Arthur wonders where the Mayhem Party is, while a man watches them from a conference room.
Julian goes to Heart Enterprises and introduces himself to the receptionist. He explains that they asked him to come in for a meeting. The receptionist tells him to wait, and Julian takes a seat. The man sitting next to Julian, Skuttle, says that they called him in for an interview and asks Julian to feel his elevated heart rate. Skuttle heard that someone blew it and he's hoping that he gets the man's job. Julian asks who he's supposed to replace, and Skuttle admits that he doesn't know as the receptionist calls him in.
At the diner, Grace asks Mimi what's good, and she assures them that it's all good. She rattles off all of the meat that they have and says that most people order the burger. Grace and Arthur order the burger, and Arthur says that he has to piss. Once he's out of Grace's sight, he calls Chris and gets his answering machine. Arthur warns that they're in deep shit, and says that Heart Enterprises is behind everything. He tells Chris to call him back on the number and hangs up. Mimi's father Karl comes out and asks if everything is okay, and then realizes that he's holding his cleaver. He offers to shake hands and then realizes that it's covered in blood, and asks Arthur why he's there. Arthur tells him that he's sight-seeing, and Karl says that the health inspector gave them an A-1 rating a few weeks ago and they're the number 4 meat supplier in Central Arizona. Andrew quickly leaves and Karl chomps his teeth.
Chris wakes up on a table and Aki tells him that there are many of them. They couldn't replicate the glitch in their programming so they replicated her instead, Aki says that Chris' left eye is infected so he'll need his good eye to watch orientation. A film projector turns on and the film talks about Heart Recruit. The narrator talks about how heart was a small company when the fracking earthquakes began. They discovered wonders in the Scar: unstable minerals, unnatural gases, and highly questionable fuel alternatives. When the film ends, Aki tells him that he's free to explore the company headquarters and he'll discover that he belongs with them. Chris goes to the door and Aki warns him not to try and contact Arthur or he'll require behavior modification.
At the diner, Arthur loses his appetite and says that there's something wrong about the place. He finally takes a bite of his burger and admits that it's good. Fat Elvis yanks the burger out of his hand and eats it, and says that he hates cop. Grace hits Fat Elvis in the groin and knocks him to the floor, and takes his motel room key so she can take a shower.
When he wakes up, Fat Elvis goes to the bathroom. Karl's assistant Chad knocks him out, and he and Karl hang him up in the kitchen. Karl tells Chad to mop the floor, and Karl goes to work. Mimi comes in and kisses Chad briefly, and then gets some more meat from the kitchen.
Chris explores the facility and finds a puddle of water dripping up to the ceiling. A drop falls into his eyes and he winces, and sees lights flashing on a panel for the subbasement.
The Gentleman checks into his motel room and complains about the accommodations while he has sex with the Scholar. The Scholar says that he can't wait to go to Reykjavik with the Gentleman once the Gentleman wins the race. The Gentleman says that he's going alone, and the Scholar walks away, disappointed.
Grace comes out of the shower and discovers that Arthur has ordered room service. He goes to get some ketchup from the diner. The Scholar is at the diner, and says that he didn't hear the phone ring. He invites Arthur to have some coffee with him, and when Arthur refuses the Scholar figures that he's too classy for him, too. The Scholar says that he and the Gentleman are just a team for the race, and asks about Arthur and Grace. Arthur says that they're relationship is complicated, and the scholar thanks Arthur for chatting before he goes to check his car.
Arthur snags a piece of meat from a plate and eats it, and discovers a tooth in it. He hears someone moving in the kitchen and investigates. He sees blood on the floor and hides as Mimi and Karl come in. Karl says that he'll grind up a few guests for the next day's specials, and Mimi warns that that their new guests aren't average. Karl tells her to call Duane and his boys, and tell him that they've got city folks causing trouble. Mimi worries that they might get killed, and Karl figures that they'll serve the losers to the winners.
Looking around, Arthur finds Fat Elvis hung up and cut open. Back at the bathroom, he and Grace take turns vomiting up their meal after Arthur tells Grace what Karl is up to.
Justin continues waiting at Heart. He finally goes over to the receptionist and asks what job Skuttle was there for. The receptionist ignores him, and Justin sits back down.
Grace and Arthur go to their car, and Arthur warns the other drivers that cannibals are coming. They figure that he's joking, and Grace discovers that someone messed with the starter. Arthur suggests that they get the scholar to help. Duane and his boys arrive and attack the drivers.
Chris hears children laughing in the distance and follows the sound. He enters a confiscated items storage room and finds the box with his things. The battery is charged on his phone, and the receipt has Aki's lipstick kiss on it. Chris calls his voice mail and listens to Arthur's message. There are no bars on the phone, and Chris tries to get a signal.
Arthur and Grace go to the Gentleman's room and discover that the Scholar isn't there. They tell the Gentleman that his food is made of people, and the Gentleman casually spits it out Arthur figures that the scholar never made it back and they go to the kitchen. The cannibals are cutting up the drivers, and the Arthur and Grace duck back in and slam the door shut. Grace tells the Gentleman that he's coming with them because they need a lookout, and the Gentleman refuses. Arthur points out that the cannibals messed with the Gentleman's car as well and they all need the Scholar.
Skuttle comes out and tells Justin that he got the job. Justin screams and beats Skuttle to death with his case. An Aki comes down and asks what Justin is doing. When he says that he's not going to let them replace him, the CEO says that Skuttle was the new head of maintenance. Justin shrugs and Aki says that they're ready for him now.
Arthur, Grace, and the Gentleman split up and make their way past the cannibals. Rib Bone comes out and takes I what's happening, and sees a dog in the cab of Duane's truck. Furious, Rib Bone grabs Duane and says that he left his dog in the truck without cracking a window. Arthur goes into the diner while Rib Bone stabs Duane to death with his truck keys and then rescues the dog, Caligula.
As Arthur hides by the pay phone, a man comes out of the bathroom. The phone rings and Chad turns and attacks Arthur. They fight and Arthur finally strangles the man with the phone cord. Meanwhile, Mimi, Karl, and Chad are packing up the meat now that they've messed with the wrong drivers. Once Mimi leaves, Karl tells Chad to clean the floors while the Scholar lies on the floor, wrapped up.
Grace and the Gentleman enter the diner and find Chad, and Grace attacks him.
Arthur answers the phone and tells Chris that he thought he was dead. Chris explains what happened to him and says that Heart handle medical supplies, hospital, and mental facilities. Arthur asks him to look up Karma, and Chris figures that it's no coincidence that he's in a room with Blood Drive files and good cell reception. Chris tells Arthur that Aki works for Heart, and suggests that he work things from the inside and get some intel from Aki. Arthur disagrees, and Chris finds a file on Karma. She's at Kane Hill Hospital, and she had needle marks on her arms. Arthur has to go and hangs up.
Aki takes Justin to a conference room and says that letting Arthur onto the Blood Drive was an error. Justin insists that it's an unpredictable narrative opportunity, and asks why they summoned him. he asks to talk to the Old Man, and Aki says that Justin isn't worthy of his attention. When he starts to go, Aki orders him to sit down and tells him that he doesn't see the big picture. The Heart executives are considering going to broadcast soon. Justin warns that the government would shut them down, but Aki figures that the world might be ready to embrace the race. They would show it around the planet, but figure that Justin isn't ready for the spotlight. Aki says that they were going to have Justin killed, but after the show in the lobby, they've reconsidered. They want blood, and Aki tells Justin to get his racers back on the road. Justin smiles and agrees, and assures her that it will be the bloodiest Blood Drive in history. Aki tells him to sit down because they have a few notes.
Grace fights Chad after he knocks a rack over on the Gentleman, and Arthur and Mimi come in. Arthur shoves her into a freezer and slams the door shut for her own protection, and then hits Chad over the head with a frying pan. Karl comes at him with a cleaver, and Arthur tells Grace to free the scholar. Chad wakes up and attacks Arthur, and Karl locks Grace in his van. The Scholar hugs the Gentleman, and tells him that it's time to get on the road.
As Chad advances on Arthur, he slips on the blood and falls into a meat grinder. Karl runs to the van and drives off. Arthur's implant activates as Grace gets further away, and he and grace both feel the pain. The cop gets into Grace's car and tries to start it up. The Scholar goes over, thanks Arthur for saving him, and fixes the starter despite the Gentleman's orders to stop. When he can't start the car on his own, the Scholar has Arthur get out and touches the battery contacts, and uses him to jumpstart the car. The cop drives off and the Gentleman is furious that the Scholar helped another racer. The Scholar kisses him, and the Gentleman, shocked, slaps him.
Arthur drives down the highway after the van. Meanwhile, grace grabs a meat hook and tries to pry the back doors open. Arthur pulls in front of the truck and brakes, and Karl brakes the van to a halt. He grabs a cleaver and goes after Arthur, who punches him unconscious and opens the van. Grace gets out and Arthur puts Karl under arrest. He insists that he found a substitute for meat, and they're all just part of the food chain. Grace jams a pair of meat hooks into Carl's head and says that they all have to eat.
Chris returns to the lab and Aki asks what he thought of Heart. He says that he wants to stay and takes Aki's hand, and she asks him to describe his thought processed in 50 characters or less. Chris says that he thinks he can do more good in heart, and Aki cuts him out, thanks him for taking the survey, and welcomes him to Heart. She says that he's entitled to one free body modification and Heart can heal his eye. Chris sits on the table and Aki points out that he contacted Arthur. They have to perform some behavior modifications first, and triggers manacles to hold Chris down.
Grace feeds Karl into the engine and then takes off her clothes to rinse off the blood. Arthur looks at the phot of her and Karma, and tells Grace that Heart owns Kane Hill. He figures that it's not a random connection and they're all getting played. The racers drive by and Arthur says that they have to get back into the race. She checks the map and points out that the next day the race will take them within 30 miles of Kane Hill. They agree to take a detour and drive off.
Written by Gadfly on Jun 22, 2017