17. The Warmth #4
"If only I knew just how big my world was going to get out here," Charlie quipped, garnering laughs from the entire company present. It made her feel warm, accepted, and connected to these aliens surrounding her.
This gave Charlie the chance to continue and tell them about some of Earth's other wonders, like thunderstorms, and lightning. She talked about the way the sky turned green before a tornado, almost as an omen of impending danger, and the crew fell silent listening to her.
But the next subject she decided on, one very near and dear to her own heart from Frank's influence, was baseball. She had no idea it would require a twenty-minute explanation on the structure, format, and rules of the game.
"That is the most unnecessarily complicated thing I have ever heard of," Tavi declared.
"Yeah, well, it gets better," Charlie said, leaning forward.
"So, there's this stadium in Chicago, that's a big city in the state of Illinois, called Comiskey Park.
It is the home stadium of the Chicago White Sox baseball team.
And in the summer of 1979, the people who ran the stadium had an idea for a promotion to get people to come to the game. "
"A promotion," Tavi repeated.
"Yes, but it was a promotion AGAINST something.
" Charlie held up a finger. "There's this type of music on Earth, it's called disco.
It's got a very specific sound, was used for lots of dance parties, and was very popular in the 1970s.
But by 1979, a LOT of people had decided they just hated it.
Like, passionately hated it to the point where it became an entire historical movement.
'Disco sucks' was basically a rallying cry. "
"Humans organized a movement against a type of music?" Maren asked, her Shimmer catching every word.
"Exactly. And it was still going strong up until when I got here!
But, it gets even worse. The radio station that decided to run the promotion decided that, if people were to bring a disco record to the stadium on game day, they could get in to the doubleheader for only ninety-eight cents.
Which, in American money, is not a whole lot.
You can get a sandwich for the same price. "
"Wait, wait. What's a doubleheader?" A crew member asked from the back.
"It means the team played two games in one day, one right after the other. Same field, same teams, both opponent and home team, back to back."
"That seems excessive," Maren said.
"Well, that's baseball," Charlie quipped, a soft laugh escaping.
"So, obviously, thousands and thousands of people showed up with disco records to get the deal.
In fact, it was way more than anyone expected.
The spectators took their seats in the stadium and started throwing their records like frisbees out onto the field during the first game.
Actual vinyl records sailing through the air while people were trying to play baseball on the field below. "
"They threw them while the game was happening?" Torvax asked, and Charlie could swear she saw his left eye twitch. "The efficiency of that decision is lacking."
"Severely, yes."
"That is also a security violation of considerable magnitude."
Charlie laughed, her voice going soft and sweet.
"Oh, Torvax, we haven't even gotten to the good part.
" Charlie was grinning now. "So, they do end up being able to finish the first game, even with all the vinyl records soaring about.
But then, between the two games, the promoters wheeled out a giant crate filled with all the collected disco records that people had brought in, put it right smack in center field, and blew it up. BOOM."
Charlie watched as a few crew members jumped. But then it was followed with complete silence.
"They detonated the music," Kess said after a few seconds, her voice completely flat.
"They detonated the music," Charlie repeated, enunciating each word.
"Right on the field, right where the teams were about to play a second game of baseball.
" Charlie spread her hands. "The explosion left a hole in the outfield grass, an actual crater in the ground, round and deep and just, massive.
But then, the fans in the stands saw the explosion and apparently decided that this was an invitation for all those thousands of spectators, because that's when the entire audience stormed the field. "
"They WHAT?" Tavi was on his feet.
"Stormed. The. Field." Charlie said. "Thousands of people running around on the grass, pulling up the bases from the diamond, taking a turn at sliding into home plate. They even lit some small fires to keep burning the disco vinyl records. Chicago's riot police had to come!"
At this point, most of the people were laughing heartily as Charlie continued her story.
Tavi looked like he suddenly had a vendetta against Americans souring the name of good baseball, even if he had called it illogical only minutes ago.
And Kess, well, Kess looked like she always did, so perhaps that had nothing to do with baseball.
"And that second game? The whole point of this being a doubleheader?" Charlie paused for effect. "Forfeited. They couldn't play it. The field was completely destroyed. Destroyed by disco records and human enthusiasm."
The room was quiet until Tavi sat back down in his seat, very carefully.
"Let me make sure I understand this," he said slowly.
"Your species invented a sport with a designated number of bases, specific rules about running, catching, and hitting a ball with a stick, requiring specialized protective equipment, and built many massive dedicated structures to play it in. "
"Yes," Charlie said.
"And then they blew up the playing surface with music they didn't like and rioted?"
Charlie laughed. "That is a fair summary, yes."
Tavi turned to Torvax. "I want to go to Earth."
After that, Charlie continued to talk for over an hour.
Orion sat in the corner with his stylus, recording everything, his eyes catching hers when she looked over.
He was beaming every time. This was his library, his archive, but tonight it was doing exactly what he'd always believed it could by engaging the crew in the discovery of something new.
When she finally stopped, the room actually applauded, and Charlie waved them off. Eventually, they stopped, but only minutes later against Charlie's repeated attempts to quiet the room. Then she sat down, and before she was fully relaxed, Tavi was next to her, handing her a drink.
"That was incredible," Tavi said.
"You think?" Charlie asked, taking a sip of the drink he brought her. It was cool and refreshing, and eased the slight soreness in her throat from talking so long.
"Charlie," Tavi started, leveling his eyes with Charlie. "People are smiling who I have never seen smile. Hells, you just made Torvax do Expression 7!"
Charlie looked over at Torvax by the door and watched his mouth twitch. Barely.
"I don't know what that means," Charlie said.
"It means you impressed the most unimpressible person on this ship, and his face actually showed it. That's worth more than just a mention. That's worth, like, at least three rounds of Borran's special mead in his back cold container."
There was a short pause between Charlie and Tavi, and Charlie looked down at him, seeing him vibrating with an energy that he was holding something in that he desperately wanted to talk about.
"Okay, out with it," Charlie said.