The Ballad of Bonaduke—
Episode 38: Operator
DETAILS: Series: The Ballad of Bonaduke, #38 Format: Kindle Vella Story Read Date: November 9, 2023
The Story So Far…
A drunken Michael Bonaduke decides to use a grift (with maybe some sort of magic/magic-like “help”) to win on a scratch-off lottery ticket so he has money to buy more to drink. He pulls off whatever he did, gets his money and some booze and stumbles off into the darkness to drink himself into oblivion so he can start again the next day. He’s hit by dark memories (probably what’s driving him to the drinking) of fire, pleading, and screaming. There’s going to be a price to pay for his grift, and he’s trying to be ready.
He’s abducted by some representatives of a mysterious group who subject him to a test—if he passes, everything will be explained to him (and hopefully the reader, too). He passes—and is brought somewhere for answers, or maybe training, or maybe another test. Time will tell (or things are going to get really annoying). Answers aren’t quick to come—but the mysteries and questions keep piling up.
Things get hairy and Bonaduke leaves and finds himself back in the neighborhood he started from. He takes refuge in a homeless encampment shortly before a police raid. He’s apprehended and finds himself an interrogation room and shortly escapes after using his grift (but with results he didn’t quite intend). He finds himself by a group of squatters who seem to have strapped a woman to a chair for reasons that can’t be good. He attempts to rescue her before he even realizes what he’s doing, and seems to have succeeded—well, the two of them got away from the group anyway—breathing but bruised. They make their way to a fast-food taco joint and Bonaduke really needs to refuel to keep going. He tries, but fails to get food because he keeps passing out. Thankfully, the clerk is the same guy from the liquor store and he both recognizes him and gives him first aid. The woman (Zero) wakes up and shows some abilities of her on as she helps them escape from her captors who’ve tracked her down. One thing leads to another—Zero and Bonaduke’s magics don’t mix well (at least until they understand what each other can do?), and they end up in a video-game race against the squatters in a tricked-out version of Eric (the clerk’s) car. Note, I said video-game race, not a video-game-style race. They’re actually in one. When dumped back into reality, he’s surrounded by bruised and broken bodies (of people and cars). And then he gets into a supernatural fight and survives…just.
What’s Operator About?
Bonaduke is in rough shape when they get him back to the apartment, collapsing before he can really do much at all. The others rush to his aid, but since doesn’t realize how much he’s injured he struggles against it. He more than struggles–he lashes out (effectively, it should be noted) when the treatment/examination hurts as much as the injuries do, or inflames them.
The others struggle to restrain him and largely have success until Myrrh enters the room, and his rage toward her fuels him to attack her with magic unlike he’s been able to before–and when that fight is over, everything fades to black.
If it weren’t for the fact that there are dozens of episodes left (with more to come), you could make the case that this was a cliffhanger. But the suspense around Michael’s continuing existence is low. The real question is…what’s the situation going to be like when he comes to?
So, what did I think about Operator?
Too often in fiction (on page or on screen) I can’t help get frustrated by the lack of communication–honestly, if someone had taken a moment to talk to Bonaduke–or to listen to him–here, things might have gone better for all involved. Maybe not, but it would’ve been nice to see some effort.
There’s a point or two that would’ve been helped with a dialogue tag, honestly. The other part that would’ve been nice is to refer to some of these old faces with more than a name–something to help those of us who haven’t thought of them in 20 episodes or so to remember who they were. None of these are significant issues, and might say more about my memory than anything.
Overall, it was good to dip my toe back into the water here–and hopefully, I get back into regular reading of it. And, most importantly, I want to see what the next episode holds.
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