Reminiscence

The past can haunt a man.

That's what they say.

And the past is just a series of moments.

Each one perfect.

Complete.

A bead on the necklace of time.

The past doesn't haunt us.

Wouldn't even recognize us.

If there are ghosts to be found,

it's us who haunt the past.

You lost your queen.

Care to find her again?

- Maybe another time. -

You're late.

"Late" is a construct of linear time. We don't deal in that.

And yet, we charge by the hour.

Your first appointment's already in.

Who is it?

Your old pal from the forces.

The one who never pays.

Hank.

Hey, Bannister.

How you been?

Got turfed out of the place I was crashin' at.

Land baron?

You know it.

They stealin' all the dry lands.

I've been missin' my old place.

I'd like to see Angie again.

'Course.

It used to be you couldn't go back again.

But time is no longer a one-way stream.

Memory is the boat that sails against its current.

And I'm the oarsman.

When the waters rose and war broke out,

there wasn't a lot to look forward to,

so people began looking back.

The tank started as an interrogation tool,

and since then,

nostalgia's become a way of life.

Mic.

But for Watts and me, it's a living.

Synaptic map complete. Ready for the lull.

You're going on a journey.

A journey through memory.

Your destination?

A place and time you've been before.

To reach it,

all you have to do is follow my voice.

It's summer.

Thirteen years ago.

You're in the fields behind your father's house.

You pick up the ball.

Ah.

Come on, Angie. Drop it.

Come on, drop it, Angie. Come on.

Yeah, you're a good girl.

Okay. You ready? You ready?

Go get it.

Come here, baby. Come here.

Come here, drop it.

Oh, that's a good girl. Yeah. You're such a good girl.

Come on, you ready?

- - You wanna go again?

Go get it.

Go get the ball, Angie.

I love that damn dog.

I'm cash-strapped, but I got these.

You know what baca will do if you don't get off it, right?

Well, nothin' worse than what the world's already done.

You know how it was.

You two served.

I heard you were a damn good shot.

Mm-mm. Only after a couple of drinks.

And if I aimed one man to the right.

It's not quite enough,

- but I can get you back next time. - No, it's on the house.

Thank you.

You keep putting shit on the house for your war buddies,

the roof's liable to cave in.

We'll be fine, Watts. Nostalgia never goes out of style.

Truth is, nothing is more addictive than the past.

Who wouldn't want to be reunited with a loved one?

Or relive the most meaningful moments of their life?

Look at those toes.

Can Mommy kiss the toesies?

Mommy's special girl.

But memories, even good ones, have a voracious appetite.

If you're not careful, they consume you.

Don't worry, my flower. I love you.

I'll always take care of you.

Hey, Elsa.

Here. Take it home.

You always revisit the same memory.

This way, you can watch it anytime,

instead of wasting your money on the tank every week.

Thanks.

But it's not the same.

In the reminiscence, I can feel his arms around me.

Nothing compares.

Thought you were worried about the roof caving in.

I'm tired of staring at his pasty ass.

She needs to quit being sentimental and move the hell on.

I'm headin' home.

Here. Have some.

It'll help with the pain.

You think I can't tell when you're hurting?

Well, I have the leg. What's your excuse?

I work for you.

- -

- We have another appointment? -

No.

We're closed.

I'm sorry. I know it's late.

I lost my keys on the way home from work.

I've looked for hours, but I can't find them anywhere.

Call a locksmith.

It's bad for business, but it's true.

There are certain moments that never leave you.

Like the moment I first saw her.

We can give her a quick nudge.

Thank you.

What is that for?

Protects everyone.

Ensures that we don't have you remember anything you don't want us to know.

Do you think you can find my keys?

That depends. Are they lost or forgotten?

Forgotten things can always be fished up and dusted off.

But the lost, those things people never really took much notice of

till they were gone.

They're defined by their absence.

You can't remember something that never made an impression.

Let's say the keys are misplaced.

It's your money.

Just take a seat.

Thiopental. Relaxes the neural pathways for the prompts.

It won't hurt. Just a little pinch.

Okay?

Sedative will kick in soon.

If you'd liked to get undressed, we provide modesty suits

so I can slip out while you, uh...

You're gonna see it all anyway, aren't you?

You'll have to lose those.

So, we never go over 30 volts.

You don't need much to unlock a flood of memories.

Trick is finding the right one.

Relax. It always works out fine.

Don't say "always."

"Always" makes promises it can't keep.

I'm Mae, by the way.

Nick.

Let's get this over with, shall we?

You're going on a journey. A journey through memory.

Your destination?

A place and time you've been before.

To reach it, all you have to do is follow my voice.

It's last night. The sun is setting.

You're beginning your day.

- - Ugh.

Okay.

Sunken Coast?

She decent?

Like she'd care.

There. She put the keys in her bag.

When did you next take your keys out of your purse?

She's still got 'em.

Here you go. Bye.

Reset.

Have you seen my earrings?

- Which ones? - My lucky ones. The jade?

- We got 'em. -

Reset.

Why bother? She left the keys in the dressing room.

Nick, come on, let's pull her out of the tank.

In a sec.

What the hell's wrong with her?

It seems we stood and talked

Like this before

We looked at each other In the same way then

But I can't remember where

Or when

Some things that happened

For the first time

Seem to be happening again

And so it seems

That we've met before

And laughed before

And loved before

But who knows where or