[Fiction] Flicker - Word of Mouth

[Vixen]

The best popcorn in the world is served at an independent movie theater in Spokane.

The secret of the Uptown's mouth-watering popcorn was something she'd learnt not to ask about. The only details she'd figured out was that they used organic white corn as the base kernels, with just enough all-natural butter, and exactly enough finely-ground salt. It lingered on the tounge long enough to be felt and no more. You could get extra condiments for it, too, and she knew which three she wanted.

They knew she was coming - she was a regular, although she'd only gone to a movie there once. She'd had the foresight to phone ahead, and to come in the rear entrance so she didn't cause a scene in the middle of the lobby.

The manager was a man used to flickering images, so he coped with her condition better than most. He smiled as she appeared. "Hello, Miss Flicker. Welcome to the Uptown."

"Hello, Mister Paulsen. How's business?"

He shrugged. "Fuckers at Moviedome trying to squeeze my ass. Fuck those fuckers. You are here for our world famous popcorn?"

"Three buckets, please. And three shakers - cheddar cheese, liver & onions, and Swiss mocha."

He nodded. "As you wish. Tyler!" He shouted at a young man behind the concession stand. "Pop like the wind!"

"Consider it popped," came the reply.

Mister Paulsen turned back to Flicker, who was examining a movie poster starring Sean "Moonshine" Phillips and the nova known publicly as the Slugger. It looked like an action movie - specifically, it looked like every other action movie ever made.

"Do you know them?" asked Mr. Paulsen.

"No - well, I met this guy, Slugger, at a function with a bunch of other novas. I don't know-him know him."

"I see. Your popcorn should be ready in a few minutes, Miss Flicker - "

"Thanks, Mister Paulsen. I really do appreciate this."

"I was wonder if I could float a suggestion your way while we wait?"

"Sure."

"I have considered marketing my particular brand of popcorn. I admit that the only reason I consider doing so is that you've told me it is the best in the world - "

"It is. Nothing else comes close."

"You flatter me and my popping machine, miss. Since you've given me such a ringing endorsement, I was wondering if you'd be interested on giving it a more... official one. In exchange for getting in on the ground floor."

Flicker smiled. She turned away from the poster. "I appreciate it."

"I sense a 'but' coming."

"But, here's the thing. Your popcorn is the best in the world because you give it your own, personal attention. If you expanded your market, you'd have to reduce it to a recipe and trust someone else to pop it right, and to stay competitive you'd have to cut corners. No more fine salt, no more natural butter. To get the money you'd have to incorporate, so you'd be beholden to a bunch of other people with money. You have a good thing here - even if Moviedome is squeezing your ass."

"The least they could do is give me a reach-around while they are fucking me in the ass. But what you say makes sense." He turned and took three buckets of popped corn into his hands. "Here you go then."

Flicker felt her tastebuds water. Impulsively she popped a few kernels into her mouth. "Ohh, a bucket of this stuff every night and I'd never need sex again..."

"That's what my wife says."

She laughed, and pulled out a hundred dollar bill. "Here, keep the change."

"You're too kind."

"I'd hate to see this place go under. Like I said - best popcorn in the world. And I've looked." She waved as she took the buckets into her arms. "See you next time."

"Try not to eat it all before you get home."

"Honest - two kernels and no more." She disappeared.

* * *

She lied - she was up to a dozen by the time she'd hit the second leg of her trip.

The best video store in the world was located on a small island off the course of New Zealand. The clerk there knew her English and was expecting Flicker as well.

While the rest of the world was connected via fiber-optic networks, running the wires out to an island was prohibitively expensive. And while the wireless OpNet would take care of that too, storms came in and disrupted the service, or at least made broadband video-on-demand services unreliable. So the video store had adapted to fill the niche, with a big screen TV In the back and a few dozen chairs for the locals to watch movies, and a full library of chips that could, if desired, be converted in a few minutes to optical disc. It didn't need a name. Everyone knew it as "the video store."

It was mid-day and quiet. She walked through the front door, hearing the slight jangle of the door chime. The clerk smiled at her. "Hello Miss Flicker! Come for a movie?"

"Yep. I'll take Storms over Sunset season four, first couple discs... Reptilicus 2: Reptile in Denial, and... let me look around for a bit."

"Up for a recommendation?"

"Oh, sure! What do you have for me?"

"Give me a second. I'll be right back." She smiled curtly and disappeared into the stock room.

Flicker looked around, randomly blinking in and out of visibility, carrying the popcorn in her arms. Outside a gentle rain was beginning to fall, that subtle kind of rain you got in this part of the world, the sky merely flirting with the storm.

There was Runaway Bride, one of Neil's favorites - and the movie adaptation of Clue, which Meghan would probably love. But there was only time for a couple tonight before Neil and Flicker went back to their respective grinds. And she was spoilt for choice, because there was a lot more selection here than simply the latest romantic comedy or nova-fueled action film. The clerk ran the place with love, and filled it with movies that inspired anything but apathy.

"Ooh. Death Notice Titan Beam 6." She plucked a case off the shelf. "Meghan will love that..."

"I smell popcorn! Going to share any?"

"... a little. I can share a bit." Flicker smiled as the clerk came back, holding a case. "What d'you have?"

"It's a documentary on Ethiopia during the terraforming."

"Really? I've seen documentaries on that - "

"Not like this, you haven't. It's just beautiful. It's by the same people who did that penguin film. Same narrator too."

"Morgan Freeman? Oh, you sold me. Done. Yes, you may have popcorn."

The clerk took a few kernels out of the bucket with the most popcorn, and popped them in her mouth. "Oh... ohhhhhh, that stuff is good."

"Best in the world. I'll take these, then, and the one you have there."

"Excellent. Did you need any drinks?"

"No, I know where they make the best bottled soft drinks in the world. There's a bottling plant in Alaska that gets it just right."

"Lucky girl. Lucky nova girl. Tell you what - call this all taken care of, if you bring me back some to drink. And some more of this popcorn. That sound good?"

"That sounds like someone who runs the best video store in the world would say." Flicker laughed a little. "And that sounds just fine."

* * *

She reappeared in her house, arms bulging with movies and cola and snacks. "I'm back," she announced.

Her roommate/friend/lover Meghan leapt from the couch, making a small thud noise as her metal feet hit the ground. "Hi sexy! What did you bring me?"

"The best tasting popcorn in the world, the freshest cola that cola can get, and - " She held up the box. "Death Notice Titan Beam 6."

"Oh, awesome! You're a princess! This one's so hard to find on the OpNet - you didn't have to go through all that just for movie night - !"

"No trouble at all." She set down the popcorn, and waved to Neil as he looked up from a thick case study.

"Hi Nova," he said. "You know - someday you'll have to tell me where you find all of these places."

"Oh, it's just someone telling someone telling me, Neil." She walked over to him and gave him a kiss. "Take it from an economics guru - word of mouth is everything."