Wind blew the two limp flags away from the pole that they dangled from, but not enough to fully display the bright insignia of the New United States of America and the company logo of the establishment they were hung out in front of, which was an emblem made up of a beach ball, a boat, and a palm tree on an island. For the last ten years, they have been untouched and flown at half-mast to honor some tragic event that by this point no one really cared to remember due to the flux of new information and disasters that had taken place since.
Plain-Man, for instance, passed them by without even a single conscious thought about the flagpole and the indications the gesture represented, and instead proceeded through the sliding double doors into the large building. He did read the huge sign that hung above the entrance, which read ‘Sail and Sun Club”, making sure he was at the right location for his mission. He had heard about this place growing up, but since he wasn’t a member and didn’t know anyone that was a member, he had never been. It was supposed to be a sort of luxury club for the more well off citizens who lived in the vicinity and offered access to gyms and pools and spas, and even a lake. The residents whose houses were lakeside could take their boats across the water to the club and wouldn’t have to check in with the front desk, unlike what Plain-Man was doing.
“Uh, excuse me,” Plain-Man tried to get the attention of the clerk, who was a middle aged woman who had her eyes down at her tablet for almost five minutes now.
She looked up through her square framed glasses and lifted her eyebrows.
“Can I help you?”
“Yeah, I’m here on a Quick! mission to locate an old man who went missing on your premises about twenty minutes ago, so I’ll be in need of access to your club.”
The front desk clerk stood up from her chair and studied Plain-Man for a good half a minute like somewhere on his body the truth would manifest his intent.
“I don’t know about that.” she replied, eyes down now, back at her tablet, “We haven’t heard anything about any missing person. And we’re the ones who are responsible for all incidents that take place on this facility.”
“It’s possible the member didn’t report it in and instead just went to me. Hold on–”
Plain-Man took out his phone and glanced at the details of his mission.
[Quick! App update: Mission Location – Sail and Sun Club – Description: Missing Old Man–see Susie T. for more details on request]
“A woman named Susie T. sent out the request. She must be a member of the club, probably around here somewhere.”
“Do you have her last name so I can look her up?”
“No, they only show an initial.” Plain-Man held out his phone screen for her to see.
“Well, I don’t see how I can give you access unless you have direct permission from a member. You’re going to have to wait until she comes up and-“
“Plain-Man, is that you?” a new voice joined the conversation.
Suddenly a woman wearing a sun hat, sunglasses, bikini top, and a maxi skirt entered the lobby from the hall.
Plain-Man had a sense he knew this woman from somewhere, but couldn’t exactly recall.
“Remember me? On the bus? The Purple Morphs? You saved me…”
After a few more seconds, finally “Oh! You’re… Kelly R., now I remember. How’s it going?”
“Good! It’s great seeing you again! I was hoping to run into you one of these days...” She reached out and pinched his right bicep real quick while putting down her drink on the counter of the front desk. The woman clerk gave her look and slightly coughed.
“What brings you to the Sail and Sun Club?” Kelly asked, taking off her sunglasses.
“Well, I’m on a mission right now, but I’m having trouble getting onto the property–“
“Oh, that’s no problem. I can just sign you in as a guest and get you in.”
“Really? That would help a lot… Thanks Kelly.”
“Yeah, it’s no problem at all, especially after what you did for me. I was just coming up here to settle my membership fees anyways.”
She turned to the front desk clerk.
“Hi, I would like to sign in one guest please.” Kelly R. said with a smile.
The lady working the desk glanced at her and then Plain-Man, and remained silent for the rest of the transaction.
“Thank you, I really appreciate it.” Plain-Man said to Kelly R. as they walked together down the pathway that led to all the pools.
“Of course. It’s nothing compared to what you did for me. It’s funny, I always sort of dreamed after that day on the bus I would have you come over my house and make dinner for you to show my gratitude… Maybe we can make that happen so–”
Just then, another woman’s voice was heard shouting from the pools Plain-Man’s name and got his attention.
“Well, it was nice seeing. I’ll let you get on with your heroing.” She smiled warmly at Plain-Man and rubbed his shoulder affectionately right before heading off in the opposite direction.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
The woman who called our hero over was poolside, lounging on her stomach, stretched out on a fully extended foldable patio recliner, tanning her already tawny body. She brought her sunglasses down slightly to the tip of her nose and got up to her elbows, looking up at Plain-Man while still lying down.
“You’re here for the old man, right?”
“That’s right, Miss.”
“Okay, good. That’s my grandfather, Steve Baker. He’s been gone for almost an hour now, I think.”
“Where was the last time you saw him?”
“He said he was going to spend some time in the sauna, but when I sent someone to go check on him, he wasn’t there.”
“Okay. Does he have any distinguishing features that I can use to identify him?”
The young lady sniggered for a second and looked down. “Well, recently he’s taken up wearing this old pilot’s helmet from when he was young, so you can definitely recognize him from that… If not, just look for the really old man who looks completely and utterly confused.”
“Alright, I’ll go check out the sauna first, and if he isn’t there, maybe I’ll ask around.”
“Okay, sounds good,” the tanning woman said, almost indifferently. She rested her head down on her arms, “I’m sure he’ll be fine, he couldn’t have gone off too far. I guess the worst thing that could happen is if he fell into the lake, but…” And left it at.
In order to gain access to the sauna, Plain-Man had to enter the lower level of the club where a large studio room with wooden floors was hosting a zoomba class that stood in between. The dancing ladies, who came in all sorts of shapes, sizes, and ages, all immediately were in an uproar when a masked man intruded onto their sacred dancing space and began clamoring for him to leave before they would continue.
Plain-Man rushed to the other side, dodging thrown water bottles and soaking wet sweat towels and medicine balls, and finally made it to the underground hall. There he found three doors, one male, one female, and one other. He skipped the ladies one because he knew better, and cautiously pushed open the ‘other’ door, but no one was inside. Next, opening the men’s sauna room, he found three persons, all old men, but still not old enough to be Susie’s grandfather the way she implied. But he stepped in just to make sure.
“You lost?” one of the old men asked.
“No, can’t you see he’s wearing all those layers because he wants to get a good sweat on. I told you this place is mild.”
The third one laughed, saying “No, this guy’s one of those masked freaks you see running around, doing stuff for people.”
“I’m looking for an older gentleman named Steve Baker, any of you wouldn’t happen to see him?”
“Oh, Ol’ Steven? No, can’t say I’ve seen him today. How about you go check over lakeside by the docks. He usually over there, watching the fishermen.”
Plain-Man quickly thanked him and rushed out.
Lakeside, he could only think to himself, that isn’t good.
Reentering the zoomba room, he was again pelted by miscellaneous objects by the women, though not as much as before because he sprinted across more hastily this time, taking them by surprise.
He passed by Steven Baker’s granddaughter on the way to the lake and informed her he did not see her grandfather and that he was going to check lakeside. She agreed, remaining in the same place and continued to lounge in the sun. Plain-Man passed by the tennis courts where a few games were being played and robot instructors instructed their students. The lake was huge and extended well beyond all the other club amenities and docked boats. He came to a quiet curve where a half-dozen people, mostly men, stood just at the edge of the water, all with fishing-poles in their hands, except for one.
“Uh, excuse me,” Plain-Man said, once near, “any of you happen to a ‘Steven Baker’ by any chance?”
The man who was closest sipped at the can he was holding in a one hand while the guy next to him abruptly yanked his pole up.
“Hey, I think I got one!”
Sure enough, the man wound up his reel and brought up a wriggling fake fish that wiggled its body in the air.
“That’s the third one you caught this hour, Jim. I swear, I would bet you got one of those magnetic hook on or something…” the older gentleman next to him complained.
Plain-Man walked around to others and was about to ask them when he noticed the one man who wasn’t carrying a fishing pole seemed to be particularly old, and, was wearing a brown cap with goggles and flaps coming down at the sides.
“Mr. Baker, is that you?”
The old man seemed to not hear him or understand him at first and stared out onto the glistening water with a vacant smile on his face until finally noticing Plain-Man.
“Denis? Is that you?”
“No, my name is Plain-Man. Your granddaughter said she was looking for you and–“
“Say, did you say you’re a plane man? You know, I sure love planes…”
“Well, actually, it’s not that kind of plane but more of a flat–“
“Denis, did I ever tell you about the time when I was boy I received my very first flying lesson?”
“Can’t say that you have…” Plain-Man said, trying to figure out a way to get the old man back to the pools.
“A long time ago, when the air base was still open and was offering lessons to civilians, my father took me in to get instructions. It was always my dream to be up in the sky like the jets that flew over our house each day and my parents knew I wouldn’t be happy until my dream finally came true. The memory of being a fourteen year boy up there with only my flight instructor in one of those old T-28 Trojan planes still sends tingles down my spine. I even got to take over controls midflight, on my very first time.”
“That’s very interesting Mr. Baker… how about we go see your granddaughter and–“
“Well, afterwards, after I had taken my lessons and got certified, my father took me aside and informed me about something having to do with my instructor. He said ‘son, I don’t know how to tell you this, but your instructor, Airman Schwarz, well, I don’t want you seeing him again.’ And I asked him why not… Well, it turns out my flight instructor, who was actually a real nice guy, used to live in Germany during the war. You know what that means, don’t you Denis?” the old man said, looking around in every direction around him.
“No…”
“That means, he was a Nazi!” Steven Bakker said in a whisper, and then chuckled woodenly.
“Oh, that’s interesting,” Plain-Man said, not knowing what else to say, “Have you told your granddaughter that story? How about we go see her and ask?”
“That’s a good idea, sonny. Let’s go see how Maggie is doing.” And with that the old man followed Plain-Man back to the pools.
After returning the old man to Ms. Baker who finally arose and thanked Plain-Man for his work, he was about to leave when suddenly, a stranger tapped him on the shoulder, wanting to speak with him.
“Hey, you said your name is Plain-Man, right?”
“That’s right.”
“My name is Peach, James Peach. Nice to meet you.”
He stuck out his hands and Plain-Man shook it, silently awaiting for the man to go on.
“You know, you seem like a real nice guy and I couldn’t help but overhear what old man Baker said to you back there by the lake. Pretty ridiculous about the whole nazi stuff, huh? I used to fly myself at that base back before the banned planes and I never heard anything about that…”
“Yeah, I guess so, I hadn’t really thought much of it.”
“Good. That sort of nonsense just needs to be ignored.”
“True.” Plain-Man said, wondering what his point was.
“Anyways, I’ll try to keep an eye on Baker from now on so he doesn’t get in anymore trouble at the club and help you guys out a little…”
“Appreciate it, sir.”
“Yeah, It’s no problem. I just want to help out. I may be getting up there in the years but I still got some fight in me. If there’s anything you ever need help with, don’t hesitate contacting me for anything. I would be happy to help.”
“Uh, thanks.”
“Sure, sure.”
Plain-Man thanked him again and then turned to head back to the club’s lobby.