Chapter 54: A Diner in the Desert

The episode opens with the diner crew reeling from the attack that nearly destroyed them. Three people—Casper, Ava, and X—threw themselves in front of a world-killing energy beam to save the diner. Così reports that the weapon has been powered down, likely because the attackers see the intervention as a malfunction on their part. But she is not optimistic about survival. "Not by any conventional wisdom," she tells Fiona. The diner is completely vulnerable. Così plans to consolidate ships and begin an assault on the homeworld. Gloria refuses to give up hope. "We don't really do conventional wisdom around here," she says.

The Return of the Radio People

Just as the crew prepares to jump, backup arrives—not ships, but voices. Zebulon and Effie Mugleway return through the radio, accompanied by Phil and Voon, a new pair of travelers from Tyler, Texas. Phil is a former Air Force test pilot who walked into the diner one day and never left. Voon is something else entirely: a towering, cloud-ringed being with no detectable technology, who speaks with careful politeness and a scientist's curiosity. The Mugleways immediately set to work cleaning up the mess in the diner. "We have lost souls to find," Zebulon says. "But first, let's all grab a broom and make room for good fortune to find us."