Page 79 of Tapeworld Induction

The door buzzed.

“Please, come up!”

They walked through the door, letting it close behind them with a clank, the old air in the stairwell prompting Talia to cover her nose.

“That was easy,” she said. “Is he really that gullible?”

Dylan sighed. “I wasn’t sure it would work. But I figured it had a better chance than me turning up on his doorstep asking about Isaak and tape, especially after the other night…”

Talia nodded, and they continued up the stairs.

Just like before, Sacha was waiting on the landing for them, wearing his green tool vest.

“Miss Williams, please, come…” He stopped in his tracks. “Dylan?”

“Sorry, Sacha, I didn’t want to—”

Talia rushed to shake Sacha’s hand. “Dylan is the friend who told me about your art.”

He looked sceptical, but what could he really say with Talia there? His expression shifted to a smile. “Well, I guess you’d both better come in.”

He waved them inside. The kettle was boiling, and all the random electronics and gadgets and wires looked to be in different places than last time.

“Can I interest you ladies in a tea?”

“Yes, please!” Talia said.

While Sacha was occupied in the kitchen, Talia flashed a glance at Dylan, a huge grin on her face. “You didn’t mention how gorgeous all of Sacha’s… art is!”

Dylan swallowed a chuckle. Classic Talia. “Didn’t I? Well, I guess, Sacha, maybe you should show Talia around.”

He raised his hands, disarmed, voice weak. “Of course! And thanks for arranging this, Dylan. Maybe Isaak does do a decent thing from time to time, like finding you.” He handed out the teas.

Talia wrapped her arm around his, faux-leather sleeve squeaking. He led her into a room parallel to the one with the couches where they’d taped in last time. Dylan followed.

Isaak’s on-again-off-again friend showed them his work. Abstract arrangements of all manner of mechanical contraptions, metaphors about the rampant technocratic capitalism that had led the planet to near ecological and systemic bankruptcy. While at first Dylan couldn’t tell if Talia was feigning her interest in Sacha’s work, it soon became clear her friend was really into it, and into him. Was that a coffee meet Talia just proposed? Sacha nearly spilled his tea cup.

“Sorry to interrupt…” Dylan said. Her friend gave her a sullen look. “But, Sacha, your art isn’t the only reason we’re here. I ran out of tape, can you just give me some—”

Sacha furrowed his brows, his already pink cheeks going red. “Tape? I told you, I don’t do that anymore.” He turned to Talia. “I don’t know what your friend’s talking about, Miss Williams.” He turned to her again. “Please, Dylan. Just drop it.” He sounded exasperated, trying to impress Talia while admonishing Dylan at the same time.

“Please, Sacha, call me Talia…”

His gaze ping-ponged between the two of them.

“I don’t know what happened to Isaak,” Dylan said. “He stopped replying to my texts. I want to try and find him in the Tapeworld.”

Sacha glanced at Talia.

“Don’t worry, she knows all about it. It’s fine.” She would be so fucking pissed off if he kept up the act or didn’t cooperate.

He was silent for a moment before he said, “Okay, okay! I don’t know where he is. But you can’t just tape in and hope to find him, unless… you’re going to summon him?”

Dylan nodded. “That’s the plan.”

Sacha scratched his chin, deep in thought. “I have a better idea. Let me just check this thing…” He raised his phone, jabbed his fingers at it, swiped, swiped some more. “He’s home. At least, his phone is home. I have the address.”

Her anxiety wavered, melting into hope.