01x01 - The Flying Machine

[bunniefuu]

[singer] ♪ Here's our orb
It's slightly leaning ♪

♪ Orbiting a star ♪

- ♪ We find ways to give life meaning ♪
- [cheering, shouting]

♪ Some might seem bizarre ♪

- ♪ All we know is that we exist ♪
- [harmonizing]

♪ And it won't be for long
So it helps to put some foot-tubes on ♪

♪ Joy and sadness, courage and fear ♪

♪ Curiosity and anger
On a planet full of danger ♪

♪ And it's only getting stranger
From here ♪

[narrator] Long ago, our species decided
there could be comfort in the air.

You appear uncomfortable.

Because I am not in the air.

[narrator] And so, we ascended.

The first flying machines' passengers
were limited to two sensations.

[pilot] I may die! I may not die! Whoo!

[narrator] As flying machines became
larger and stayed in the air longer,

the range of sensations expanded.

I may never die.

I'd love some tiny snacks.

[narrator]
And so, we got even better at flying.

Juice options distract me
from my fear of perishing.

I wish I were next to the window.

Now, flying machines tend
to stay in the air,

filled with beings like you
experiencing many sensations,

including indecision, jealousy,
and even inspiration.

[narrator] Note that this flying machine
is designed to stay intact,

even if it emergency plops onto liquid.

[flight attendant]
If your seat is in the peril row,

you must help us take the machine apart.

Your reward is more leg room.

Please refer to the danger menu
in your seat pocket

for further tips on how not to die.

These safety precautions will ensure
that this flight is both comfortable

and free of fatalities.

Enjoy flying in comfort
and statistically probable survival.

[passengers chattering]

[passenger 1]
Yeah, just scoot over one. Thank you.

- [passenger 2] Whoo-hoo!
- [blows raspberry]

[passenger 3] Excuse me?

[passenger 4] There's no room.

[announcer] Your comfort supervisor will
now wheel a container through the machine

and toss a tiny snack
onto your pretend table.

- Tiny snack?
- It's so small.

Is mild poison available?

Yes, if you can prove
you've existed long enough.

That's me.

Are you flying
to the Sadlands Music Festival?

- [grunts]
- How did you know?

Well, I see my favorite band is punctured
on your limbs.

[gasps]

Oh, wow! You got all of them there.

This will be our 14th time seeing
The Four Sensations together.

Their melodies are the saddest.

Yes. We listen to them when we are sad,

and this compounds our sadness,
which makes us happy.

There's a button up here you can press
if you feel discomfort.

[discomfort button chimes]

Enjoy.

[rapid chiming]

I have many discomforts.

Start with the worst one.

I am hungry.

Plural tiny snacks.

These snacks will make me thirsty.

[drink pours]

I am also cold.

The cold air is blasting on you.
You can reduce it.

I like the air but do not want to be cold.

Have I met your expectations?

There is one more discomfort.

The star is in my eyes, and I am reluctant
to reach over this being and...

You are a great
flying machine comfort supervisor.

[scoffs] Gratitude.

[coos]

[comfort supervisor 1 sighs]
A beverage collision.

To another successful
flying machine trip.

Our job challenges and rewards us.

- It challenges us more than you.
- What?

- You're the best at comforting.
- You are equally good at it.

Thank you. [gasps]
Hey, you just comforted me.

It's what we do.

- All of us.
- [comfort supervisors cheer]

And you've never once been summoned
to corporate.

[clears throat]
You've been summoned to corporate.

[sipping]

[clicking sound]

Apologies.

It must appear that I am changing my mind
about using this pen.

[chuckles] I don't understand.

[laughs] The clicking.
It is an unconscious behavior.

[chuckles] Not anymore. [chuckles]

Which is why I stopped. [laughing]

[chuckles] Congratulations.

[both laugh]

Here's why you've been summoned.

Our data indicates you handle
your responsibilities quite well.

We have chosen to reward you
with more responsibility.

Oh. [chuckles]

Your scarf is changing color
to denote your new status.

You are now
the air comfort supervisor supervisor.

Obviously the scarf will not change
in function.

What is the scarf's function?

Well, unless your neck is cold…
[chuckles] …none.

I ride your group roll machine daily.

Oh, in case you didn't recognize me
because my scarf has changed. [chuckles]

You got a vocational upgrade?
On the flying machine?

Yes! I was a comfort supervisor,

and now
I'm a comfort supervisor supervisor.

Congratulations.

You're the boss
of the whole vehicle now, like me.

Any advice?

You know, I always tell
new group roll machine operators,

"Remember, you are also a passenger.

If there's a bump in the roll path,
we are all going to feel it together."

[passengers grunting]

I rolled over that bump intentionally
to demonstrate.

I felt that bump too.

It's like we are the same
in our capacity to feel.

- Yeah, okay.
- Wise.

Yeah, oh, great. [chuckles]

Today is one of my favorite days.

[soft music playing]

[gasps]
And now my favorite song is playing.

[gasps] Let's make everyone hear it,
regardless of their preference.

[singer] ♪ I feel like I've been crushed
Under a group roll machine ♪

♪ Is this because of love
Or maybe tainted cuisine ♪

♪ Losing you was always
My most intimate fear ♪

♪ My comfort square is covered in crumbs ♪

- ♪ And drowning in tears ♪
- ♪ Tears ♪

♪ There's crumbs and there's tears
A bunch of crumbs and they're all wet ♪

- ♪ 'Cause of tears ♪
- ♪ Tears ♪

♪ I'm chewing in my rest slab ♪

♪ To soothe me
While I'm drowning in tears ♪

- Thank you, Sadlands Music Festival.
- [audience cheering]

We are The Four Sensations.

I'm Lonely, this is Fragile,

and on the push tones,
we've got Hung Up On Their Ex.

And I'm Drum.

[chanting] Drum, Drum, Drum…

You've been an amazing audience.

Those are all the melodies we know.

- Go home!
- [audience] Aw.

[chanting]
Insincere, insincere, insincere.

[audience cheering]

You've uncovered our deception.
We do know more music.

[cheering]

One, two, three, let's cry!

Amazing crowd of beings last night.

[chuckles] Incredible.

Beings, I need to discuss a matter
with you.

I have a positive update
and a negative update.

Give us the negative update first.

And that is why I can no longer be part
of this band.

[sipping]

[exhales sharply]

We now realize the positive update
provides crucial context.

I've tumbled into love.

With my ex?

Of course not.
Bandmates before hand mates.

We actually met as young beings.
We've found each other again.

- Whoa.
- Ah.

So, you see, if I go on stage
and tell our fans I'm Lonely,

they'll sense that it's a deception.

The joy of my new union

leaves me reluctant to perform melodies
that simulate sadness.

I understand if this news causes actual,
unsimulated sadness.

We will certainly miss having you
in the band.

We're happy that you're happy.

And there will be benefits. For example,
the group can now be on time for things.

Was I the least punctual member?

You were the least predictable.

You still are. For example,

you're announcing your departure
from the band over crisscross floppers.

Uh, I regret
that I don't know how to depart.

[gasps] I will always hope
for your continued success and happiness.

You will always be in my thoughts.

I didn't bring currency for breakfast.

We have enough.

[sighs] If only we were enough.

The Three Sensations?

Observe. The lead melody-creator
of The Four Sensations,

mouth pushing a mystery being.

Mouth pushing so gratifying

that the melody creator is quitting
to focus on it exclusively.

Reactions from fans at the Sadlands
Music Festival were predictably sad.

[reporter]
Can you share your lousy feelings?

We feel devastation.

- Their music defined our relationship.
- Mmm.

I don't know how we'll continue.

- You don't?
- You do?

I... I think the orb will keep spinning.

- We're sad…
- Hmm.

…but we'll find a new favorite band.

Will we? How?

By listening to new music.

We have their faces on us.

Despite your curiosity
about the unfolding intrigue,

we will give these beings privacy
to resolve this.

Are we gonna… [stammers] …resolve this?

Resolve what, exactly?

The music that links us has ceased
to exist forever.

And you're okay with that?

There is so much music out there.

There's the Mediocre Music Fest
near my life-givers' house this week.

We could go together
and try to find a new band.

I don't want a new band.

I'm seriously confused.

There must be more to this
than just a band breaking up.

[sighs]

Is discomfort present presently?

[both] Yes.

May I have a comfort square?

Apologies. The comfort squares
are dispersed at the launch of the flight.

Tiny snack?

Okay?

A comfort square for you.

Gratitude.

Let's converse less publicly.

[lead comfort supervisor] You're permitted
to disperse comfort squares on request.

Yeah, I try to avoid running out.

I prefer to exhaust
all comfort squares every flight.

It means comfort was maximized. [chuckles]

Gratitude for the correction.

- [smacks lips]
- Are you comfortable?

- Very much.
- That means a passenger isn't.

I mean, the passengers press the button

- when they...
- When they have already felt discomfort.

Our job is to prevent that… [chuckles]
…before it occurs.

- [discomfort button chimes]
- Gratitude for the correction.

[coos]

[both laugh]

[groans] Long flight.
[chuckles, inhales sharply]

Hi, I will have my usual mild poison.

Are you ingesting mild poison here?

We usually do. [chuckles]

Um, we usually express
our work frustrations here.

And I am now your work frustration.

Accurate.

[sipping]

- You are still within hearing range.
- Mm-hmm,

it defeats the purpose of separation.

Makes sense.

Oh, I bumped.

Uh, sorry.
That one's on me there, table. [chuckles]

Ouch! Ooh, sharp little corner there.

Just gonna scooch this a little
and sit here.

Great. Great.

It would be absurd to separate
because a band separated.

Maybe the band separating
is making us rethink what we're doing.

I'm going to stay at my life-givers'
for a while.

It'll give me a chance
to cleanse my foot fabric-tubes.

I wanna keep
the commemorative beverage cylinders.

[sighs] You always loved the cylinders
and the way they contained beverages.

[door closes]

[TV clicks on]

Well, you can't do much with one.
Look at these two here.

They are perfect for each other.

I agree.
It's so sad when you break up a pair.

[clicks tongue] Oh.
That one looks especially dejected.

- [audience groans] Aw.
- [TV clicks off]

♪ Having trouble dealing
With the loss of a collaborator ♪

♪ They were a friend
So we still wanna congratulate or ♪

♪ Mention that we're happy for them
Knowing we'll be sadder later ♪

♪ 'Cause what are we without them ♪

♪ Our band is really awful without them ♪

Greetings, Sensations. Successful?

It's questionable.

Here is better news.

There are 200 beings celebrating
something or other,

and they are huge fans
of The Four Sensations

and would love to fly you out
to play or something like that.

We would first like to attempt
to be good on our own, making new songs.

I thought you just tried that and failed.

We don't need to give up

just because we failed
to instantly create a wonderful song.

[stammers] Wait.

Uh, this real feeling
of, uh, anger a-and tension…

[stammers] …this is what we need
to write our song about.

Sounds fun?

Yeah. [stammers] Use that.
One, two, three, go.

♪ We've been disassembled
Like a two-wheel foot pusher ♪

♪ If it had four wheels
And then one wheel fell off ♪

Hey! How's the new job going?

[sighs] My comfort has always derived
from the comfort of others,

but now I'm the source
of my friends' discomfort.

Mmm. You can't forget to comfort yourself.

Have you tried screaming?

My job is to prevent screams.

Aw. Try right now.

I cannot bring myself to scream
on your group roll machine. [chuckles]

[screaming]

[laughing] Oh.

Whoo! Come on. Give it a try.

Uh, don't worry, everybody.
Just screaming for comfort.

- Ah.
- Hmm. Okay, cool.

- Nice.
- Great.

Try it.

[screams]

I know you can improve on that.

[screaming]

[screaming, groans]

- Unpleasant emotions!
- [screaming, laughing] Oh!

[chuckles, inhales sharply] Oh.

See? How does that feel?

I feel like maybe I make a better
passenger than a comfort supervisor.

Aw. Don't be hard on yourself.

Loudness takes practice.

Like... [gasps] Drum!

[Fragile] ♪ Oh, no
Will my fractures start to show? ♪

♪ Can my sadness overflow? ♪

♪ Were my best days long ago? ♪

♪ Is my future filled with woe? ♪

♪ Did my happiness plateau? ♪

[inhales sharply]
♪ Will there be a tomorrow? ♪

♪ Have I lost all my cargo? ♪

[groans] Yeah.
We're, um... We're ready to give up.

This is good news to me.
And it will be to you too, I think.

It means The Sensations are getting
back on the road.

[stutters] Where's the performance?

Very, very far away.

So far away that it will cost as much
to fly there as you receive in payment.

We don't do this for profit.

Then we are all doing our jobs very well.

The Four Sensations.

You are my favorite creators
of sad sounds.

We are now The Three Sensations
and no longer capable of pleasing you.

That is confusing and regrettable.
Comfort squares?

There's no square capable
of comforting us now.

[inhales sharply, chuckles]
That was great when that happened.

[chuckles] I also loved it.

You don't need to behave differently
every time I'm near.

We accept your theory and have our own.

I used to be happy
and make everyone around me happy.

This promotion has made everything bad.

We agree.

[rumbling]

- [discomfort button chimes]
- Mild turbulence.

Prioritize passenger comfort.

Comfort squares?

- Is the flying machine dismantling?
- It is not.

- If it were, would you tell us?
- [baby crying]

We are here to ensure your comfort.

That response is vague
and I could interpret it as negative.

I have so far not deceived
and I'm moving on to other challenges.

Thank you.

The ordinary function of a flying machine

includes many increases
and decreases in altitude.

But the flying machine should only fall
at the end of a trip,

- slowly and on purpose.
- Correct.

So why is it plummeting now?

- This is unintentional.
- The machine is not doing as intended!

If there were any chance of death,

we would not be serving beverages
and snacks.

Comfort supervisors,
cease all beverage and snack service

and secure yourselves to the walls.

- I will be back.
- Oh, Lorb.

- We're attempting to comfort best we can.
- You have fulfilled that purpose.

They are clearly the least comfortable
passengers in the history of flying.

It's time for you to be comforted.

Strap in.
You have both done a perfect job.

Are you saying that to comfort us?

If I were gifted at deception,
wouldn't we still be friends?

[discomfort button chimes]

Passengers of this flight,
I am the comfort supervisor supervisor.

I oversee all the comfort
on this entire flying machine.

We are eager to see you succeed.

So am I.

This announcement is discomforting.

[sighs] Irony.

- Is that irony?
- I'm never sure.

Here's the difficult thing:

Honesty can be discomforting
and comfort can make us dishonest.

For example, I thought you were
the greatest band in the world.

- "Were"?
- Apologies for word selection.

I love my job
and I've always been good at it

because I'm good at enduring discomfort,

which is not always the right thing to do.

[passengers shouting]

All right.

Uh, I am very,
very uncomfortable right now.

The flying machine
is behaving uncontrollably.

I can either hide that discomfort
and ask you to hide your own,

or we can share it together.

Because whatever is going
to happen is going to happen to us all.

So, my suggestion is… [chuckles]
…we scream.

[passengers muttering, chattering]

No… [stutters] …it can be very comforting.

[stammers] Here. I'll do it first.

- [screaming]
- [passengers gasp]

[inhales sharply, exhales] You try it.

[passengers screaming weakly]

I think you can do better than that.
I think you are genuinely terrified.

Imagine the possibility
of everything being over.

Think about all the regrets you'd have,
and scream.

[passengers screaming]

I am particularly disappointed
in the terror expressed from this section.

These beings are supposed
to be professional expressers of emotion.

Listen to their fear. It's really sad.

Scream!

[screaming]

[grunts, screaming]

There we go, there we go. What are those?

Did you bring those instruments
for decoration or do they have a function?

Show us what you got.

[screaming]

♪ I don't wanna die ♪

♪ My blood pump is engaged
And now I'm ready to fly ♪

♪ 'Cause falling can be scary ♪

♪ But what's even worse
Is wasted potential ♪

[Hung Up On Their Ex]
♪ I believe in my potential ♪

♪ I would like to land on my feet ♪

♪ And I express this
To communicate the feeling I need ♪

♪ Because the highest form of comfort
Is to focus on your own essentials ♪

[Hung Up On Their Ex]
♪ I am feeling existential ♪

♪ Everybody's screaming now
Because we're afraid ♪

♪ But let's confront our own mortality
On some other day ♪

♪ I wanna live ♪

- ♪ I wanna live as long as possible ♪
- ♪ Let's live! ♪

♪ I wanna live
As long as I possibly can now ♪

♪ Let's live! ♪

- ♪ I wanna live as long as possible ♪
- ♪ Let's live! ♪

♪ I wanna live
As long as I possibly can now ♪

♪ Let's live! ♪

[passengers cheering]

[passengers laughing, chattering]

[passenger] Definitely not dead.

Comfort supervisors,
you are free to untether from the wall

and distribute mild poison.

Actually, give 'em
whatever poison they want.

Afterward… [sighs]

…we would like
to ingest mild poison with you.

I look forward to it.

- [Hung Up On Their Ex] ♪ I wanna live! ♪
- [Fragile] ♪ I wanna live… ♪

That is "I Don't Wanna Die,"
the number-one melody in the region.

I have here with me
newly-renamed melody creators,

The Infinite Sensations.

Beings, why the name change?

Well, there were 67 beings

on the flying machine
when we came up with our new sound.

And we realized there's a lot
of ways to feel. Sixty-seven, at least.

It hardly mattered what you said
because I'm increasing the volume.

- ["I Don't Wanna Die" playing]
- [partygoers chattering]

[music clicks off]

Greetings.
How was the Mediocre Music Fest?

It was meh.

Oh?

I would have enjoyed it if I had
been there with you.

I would have really liked that.

Is it an annual thing?

Let's find out.

[no audible dialogue]

[coos]