SPECIAL CHAPTER
NO NAME
SCRATCH.
...
GAAFATAA was leaving.
Not SIRNA.
Not exactly.
Not BAAČ.
Not the classroom.
And definitely...
not THE AUTHOR'S room.
...
He had been told
to stop interfering.
To wait.
To focus on something else.
...
Apparently...
he was even getting
a vacation.
...
With vacation pay.
...
GAAFATAA still didn't know
where he had learned
what vacation pay was.
...
But that wasn't
his problem anymore.
...
He needed somewhere
to go.
...
Somewhere quiet.
Somewhere without
timelines.
Without paradoxes.
Without authors.
Without people saying:
"You were supposed
to notice."
...
And there was
one place.
...
A Realm
almost nobody
ever talked about.
...
Not because
it was forbidden.
...
Not because
it was dangerous.
...
Not because
it contained
some ancient secret.
The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
...
People simply...
had no reason
to talk about it.
...
Because nothing
important happened there.
...
Its name was:
NO NAME.
...
Yes.
That was actually
the name.
...
NO NAME.
THE REALM OF THE UNEMPLOYED.
...
A place
where beings
with absolutely nothing
to do
in the cosmos
somehow ended up.
...
No missions.
No wars.
No universes
to save.
No universes
to destroy.
No prophecy.
No final boss.
No chosen one.
No ancient destiny.
...
Nothing.
...
Someone was sleeping
under a tree.
...
Someone else
had been staring
at the same rock
for what appeared
to be several years.
...
Two people
were playing a game
whose rules
neither remembered.
...
Another person
was lying on the ground
doing...
absolutely nothing.
...
GAAFATAA stopped.
...
He looked around.
...
For the first time
in a very long time...
he smiled.
...
"This..."
...
A pause.
...
"...is beautiful."
...
Someone nearby
looked at him.
...
"New here?"
...
GAAFATAA:
"Temporarily."
...
"Job?"
...
"Questioner."
...
The stranger
sat up.
...
"You have a job?"
...
"Technically."
...
Several heads
turned immediately.
...
Someone whispered:
"He has employment."
...
Another:
"Why is he here?"
...
GAAFATAA:
"Vacation."
...
Silence.
...
Someone threw
a small object
at him.
...
"GET OUT."
...
GAAFATAA dodged it.
...
"WAIT."
...
"I might be replaced."
...
Silence.
...
The hostility disappeared.
...
Someone moved aside.
...
"Sit."
...
GAAFATAA sat.
...
For several seconds...
nobody spoke.
...
Then someone asked:
"So..."
...
"What happened?"
...
GAAFATAA sighed.
...
"Where do I begin?"
...
...
He told them.
...
About SEENEE.
...
About the year
SEENEE checked.
...
Not the year itself.
...
Only that SEENEE
had checked it.
...
He told them
that something
about it
made him realize
a piece
of something larger.
...
Not what.
...
Not how.
...
Not the answer.
...
Not the paradox.
...
Nothing
that wasn't already safe
to say.
...
Then...
he told them
about THE AUTHOR.
...
"I went to complain."
...
Someone nodded.
...
"Reasonable."
...
"I told him
to stop spreading
his madness
through SIRNA."
...
Another nodded.
...
"Very reasonable."
...
"And then..."
...
GAAFATAA's expression
darkened.
...
"...he told me
I was supposed
to complain."
...
Silence.
...
Someone slowly
put down their drink.
...
"What?"
...
"He knew
I would see
what SEENEE showed me."
...
"He knew
I would notice something."
...
"He knew
I would go
to him."
...
"And he knew
I would complain."
...
Someone in the back:
"That's disturbing."
...
"THANK YOU."
...
GAAFATAA stood.
...
"FINALLY."
...
"Someone understands me."
...
He continued.
...
"Then he tells me
everything I'm going through
will apparently
be worth it
because of something
waiting at the end."
...
"What?"
...
"I DON'T KNOW."
...
"Did you ask?"
...
GAAFATAA stared
at the person.
...
"I am
THE QUESTIONER."
...
"Of course I asked."
...
"And?"
...
"Nothing."
...
Several people nodded.
...
They understood.
...
GAAFATAA:
"Then I said
I wanted a vacation."
...
Someone gasped.
...
"You got one?"
...
"Apparently."
...
Another person
leaned forward.
...
"Paid?"
...
GAAFATAA smiled.
...
"Paid."
...
The entire realm
became silent.
...
Someone whispered:
"Legend."
...
GAAFATAA:
"BUT."
...
Everyone waited.
...
"He also said
he already planned
to replace me."
...
Someone:
"Permanent?"
...
"Temporary."
...
"Who?"
...
"I DON'T KNOW."
...
"Did you ask?"
...
GAAFATAA stared again.
...
The person raised
both hands.
...
"Sorry."
...
GAAFATAA sat back down.
...
"And then
he told me
to stop bothering him..."
...
"...because he needs
to focus on BAAČ."
...
Someone:
"Fair."
...
GAAFATAA immediately
turned.
...
"Whose side are you on?"
...
"No one's."
...
"Good."
...
Silence returned.
...
GAAFATAA looked around.
...
For a realm
filled with people
who had nothing to do...
it was surprisingly peaceful.
...
Maybe this vacation
wouldn't be terrible.
...
Maybe...
for once...
he could stop asking.
...
...
Three seconds passed.
...
GAAFATAA:
"Wait."
...
Everyone groaned.
...
"No, no."
...
He stood.
...
He looked around
the realm again.
...
Searching.
...
Someone sleeping.
Someone eating.
Someone doing nothing.
Someone professionally
doing even less.
...
But not
the people
he expected.
...
GAAFATAA:
"Where are they?"
...
Someone looked at him.
...
"Who?"
...
GAAFATAA frowned.
...
"My friends."
...
Silence.
...
He looked
toward the endless
quiet of NO NAME.
...
Then called out:
"THE TEMPTED?"
...
Nothing.
...
"THE ADVISOR?"
...
Nothing.
...
GAAFATAA looked around.
...
"And the others?"
...
...
No answer.
...
His smile
slowly disappeared.
...
GAAFATAA:
"Wait."
...
SCRATCH.
...
SPECIAL CHAPTER
NO NAME
THE REALM
WHERE THE UNEMPLOYED
HAVE NOTHING TO DO.
...
GAAFATAA
HAS ARRIVED.
...
HIS VACATION
HAS BEGUN.
...
BUT...
WHERE ARE
THE TEMPTED?
THE ADVISOR?
AND THE OTHERS?
...
QUESTION:
WHERE DID
HIS FRIENDS GO?
...
NO ANSWER.
SCRATCH.