Due to the continued influx of forgotten people, there’s an emergency government aid station set up to register all the forgotten people, give them the paperwork they’ll need to establish real world identities and possibly work their way towards U.S. citizenship, or to go somewhere else. It’s not the first time beings with no memory have materialized. There’s a sort of international deal thing going on for people like this. A significant portion of the forgotten people are foregoing this process and just walking straight off into the Territory, figure they’d rather deal with it’s insanity and danger than try and maneuver the legal system.
So many of them are choosing their own names, I mean, I guess anyone would want to, although there’s a random name generator thing the government provides. I met two different guys who named themselves “Bigg Field.” I guess because it’s what they could see at the time? Since they were essentially born in a big field. I hope Bigg Fields can be friends. Here’s some other new names I saw:
1. Stump Hammer
2. Undulator Jones
3. Timbeer Beefus
4. Unsure Noname
5. Tootall Sixfingers
6. Emergency Services
7. Ear Bud
8. Sebastian Empty
9. Margaret Torchwood
10. Alexis Ozark
11. Stanley Toolset
12. Chef Boytree
13. Mediumtall Tenfingers
14. Nylon Trapeze
15. Darling Deertrail
I’m glad this experience hasn’t caused Ann to transfer the Hell out of here. I ask her what it’s like actually living in the Territory, what kinds of dangers she faces on her long walks home, that sort of thing, but she seems unfazed. Here’s a list of things Ann has been attacked by commuting:
1. Sentient Tree (was able to convince tree to stop attacking by commiserating over shared fear of fire)
2. Haunted electric Volksgorgon Van (was unable to overcome bumpy and muddy terrain, ran out of electricity, was able to convince the van to give up it’s evil ways by reupholstering seats.)
3. Humongous Grubworm (while running, led grubworm to exposed roots of giant tree, it began eating the roots and then went to sleep)
4. Floating sentient crystal (told crystal about amazing employment opportunities available to floating sentient crystals in the airline industry, crystal now happily works at Hobby airport as baggage handler)
5. Giant Cartoon Chef that wanted to cook her into a stew, while singing a song about it (shot him in the eyes, blinding him, then tricked him into his own stew pot where he was drowned/boiled alive)
Ann is a force for good, I think, which is unusual and heartening to see here in this harsh environment. She seems to be drawn to this place. In fact, one thing I’ve often wondered about the Territory is whether or not the unusual types of people that come from it were formed there, or if the place itself is just like a magnet for things that don’t belong anywhere else. It could have been a very subtle effect over a long period of time that led to it being the way it is.