Pluribus

You're back with us!

Manousos, can you hear us? How are you feeling?

Do you remember what happened to you?

You gave us quite a scare.

The good news is that the infection is responding to antibiotics.

However, you'll probably need to stay here awhile.

You have to regain your strength.

Manousos.

We understand this is a lot to process.

But you need more time to heal. Your body, it needs rest, it needs--

I am leaving.

What do I owe?

The bill! What do I owe?

You owe us nothing.

Not you.

The real people who were here before.

The hospital. Stitches, medicine. Everything costs something!

Before The Joining,

your treatments from this particular hospital would have cost...

$8,277.53 in either Balboas or American dollars.

Balboas?

I'm in Panama?

Will you be requiring an itemized receipt?

I, Manousos Oviedo, owe this hospital $8,277.53.

Plus one ambulance.

Oh, please don't get up.

- Sorry. - Our pleasure.

- Thanks. - Uh-huh.

Thank you.

Cheers.

Oh, cheers.

It's not too sweet?

I always worry I don't add enough water.

- It's perfect. - Yeah?

'Cause I can add more if you want. Uh, water.

The O'Keeffe looks good in here.

Oh.

I was about to return that.

Oh, we think it looks wonderful right there.

I was...

...just, um, keeping it safe, really.

There's been a lot of animals roaming around here.

Wolves.

Buffalo. Buffalos.

And if they were to wander into the museums

and start rubbing up against the paintings, it's gonna be...

Yeah.

That could be problematic.

We can secure all those buildings if you like.

Great.

That would be great.

Don't want a buffalo eating the Mona Lisa .

I don't know what to talk about.

Who says we have to?

How about a board game?

- Seriously? - Mm-hmm. Could be fun.

All right.

Um...

Mmm...

So, what are we feeling?

Um...

- Bananagrams? - Ah.

No. That wouldn't be any fun.

You know all the words.

Um...

Chess. No.

Jesus, no.

Also, you're missing a white rook, remember?

But we can get you a new one.

What else we got?

Um...

Risk. Oh, world domination. That's hilarious.

Not sure why we even have that one.

Um...

What about the one you used to play with your cousins?

- Ah. - Too slow.

Are you letting me win? Or do you just suck at this?

Keep playing and you'll find out.

I have not thought about this game in years.

- Hmm. - My nana had a blue deck and a red deck,

and she used to make us put 'em all back in the right boxes before we put 'em away.

Loser has to sort.

Would you like your cousin Henry to come visit?

You haven't seen him since Christmas 2005.

It would be exactly like talking to you, right?

Then, nah.

He didn't wanna see me these past 41 days, why bother now?

So why do they call it spit?

We don't know exactly.

What do you mean? You know everything.

- Right? Spit. - Uh-huh.

We know it originated in the UK during the '80s.

There's different theories as to who named it, but no clear answer.

- Uh, ready? - Mm-hmm.

Spit.

In 1986, a man named...

- Oh! - Ha!

Wow.

It's like playing cards with fucking Google.

Is everyone back now?

Mostly. Another hour or two should do it.

Um...

Do you...

You think you guys could maybe, um, power wash that up?

Absolutely.

Thanks.

Well, uh, have a good night.

Carol, we can stick around if you like.

As long as you want.

What? No. No, no. I'm sure you have things to do.

And I've got, like, a bunch of chores, whatnot.

It just, uh, occurred to me...

...I never even thought to ask you where you live.

There's no such thing as ownership anymore.

No private property.

Wherever we hang our hat is our home.

Right, but...

I mean, where do you sleep at night?

We can show you.

Everybody sleeps together?

Mm-hmm.

Why?

It saves on electricity.

Natural gas.

It's more efficient to heat and cool one big room than hundreds of small ones.

This isn't gonna turn into the orgy scene at the end of that Matrix movie, is it?

Not unless you want it to.

We make use of spaces like this all over the world.

- Malls, churches, convention centers. - Oh.

Wait, this dog is not one of you, is it?

Definitely not.

Though he is a very good boy.

His name is Bear Jordan.

Hey. Hey, Bear.

Hey.

- I didn't realize you kept pets. - We don't.

But when an animal refuses to leave its former owner's side, we take care of them.

Bear is fond of Malcolm over there.

Would you like to stay with us tonight?

We can make you your own bed, if you'd like.

- Oh, no, no. - In private.

That's okay. I'm gonna, uh, head home.

Whatever makes you happy.

We can drive you. Or you're welcome to take our car.

I'll figure something out.

Do you mind if we lie down?

Oh. Oh... Uh, please.

We had a wonderful time with you.

We're very happy to be back.

Yeah.

Would you like us to make you breakfast?

No, no. I can manage.

I had a nice time too.

Whoa.

Hard to beat this view.

Man, I love trains.

There's just something about the sound of a train horn, you know?

- What about it? - Hmm?

Come on, I must've told some human being at some point that I love train horns.

I thought you knew everything about me.

Not this.

It is...

the loneliest sound in the world.

How do you do that?

Something to do with the body's electromagnetic field.

Our natural electric charge, so to speak.

You have one too, just unused.

So... like radio?

Sort of.

But radio transmission is like talking.

It's conscious.

Our communication is unconscious.

Homeostatic.

Like breathing.

So...

No. No.

There's still a lot we don't really understand.

Hmm.

Why do you still need trains anyway?

Food distribution.

Carol, you okay?

Oh, yeah. I'm great.

- Sorry. Carry on. - Oh.

Does this feel good to you too?

Absolutely.

So...

Like... how?

I mean, I know you're getting a massage right now,

but technically it's you giving it to yourself.

Yes.

Meanwhile, you're simultaneously giving me a massage.

- So, I mean... - That's true.

How does that work?

Does everyone feel what you're feeling right now?

Is the whole world getting a massage?

No. Not exactly.

It's kind of like...

In the last ten minutes,

there's been 1,674 deaths and 965 births.

And... Oh.