The Coffee Shop

Peter always needed to trek across town if he wanted to enjoy the welcoming feeling he got when visiting his favorite coffee shop. No matter the traffic conditions or the weather, he felt the trip was always worth it. The joy Peter felt when he learned the local company was opening a new shop in his neighborhood was indescribable. There would be no more sitting in traffic or hunting for a place to park. In a matter of a few short weeks, he would simply walk down the block to his new home away from home.

The special day arrived! Peter had the day off from work so he could take his time. There was no need to be the first customer through the doors. A few of the staff from the original location had transferred to the new shop, so Peter knew he would fit right in. After staring into the shop through its plate-glass window for a short time, he opened the door and sauntered in. One of the waitresses from the old location recognized him immediately and beckoned him to an empty table.

There was something odd about the place, but Peter couldn’t quite figure out what it was. The server asked him if he wanted his usual and he nodded in the affirmative. He hadn’t actually heard her say anything; it was more that he read her lips. A woman two tables over stood to leave and accidentally dropped a stack of books on the floor. Everyone in the shop reacted to the noise the books made crashing to the floor. Everyone, that is, except for Peter. He heard nothing. Somehow, Peter had suddenly gone deaf. The odd feeling he had experienced when entering was a lack of noise.

Panic washed over him as he strained to hear even the smallest rattle or the clanging of dishes in the kitchen. Dead silence was all-encompassing. Peter rose from his table and dashed for the door, leaving the waitress holding his undelivered order. The sensation of a world filled with noise washed over him as soon as he crossed the threshold and stepped into the outside world.

Baffled by what had just occurred, Peter stood on the sidewalk and stared through the large window at the people inside. They were having conversations, listening to music, or talking on their phones. None of them appeared to have lost their hearing. Unable to make sense of his phantom malady, Peter reentered the coffee shop and returned to his table. His server returned looking concerned and asked if he was all right. Unable to reply with a logical answer, he simply nodded in the affirmative. She returned moments later with his original order.

The coffee and bagel soothed his ragged nerves, and Peter’s tense body finally relaxed. It wasn’t until he tried asking for his check that the next dilemma occurred. Try as he might, no sound came from his mouth. Not a grunt or hiss or stifled groan—nothing! Panic returned in a flash. Peter waved to get his waitress’s attention. When she arrived, he mimed signing a check, which she produced immediately, and asked if everything was satisfactory. Giving her a thumbs up, Peter paid the bill and rushed for the door.

Once outside, Peter let out an exasperated sigh of relief. Just as with his hearing, his voice had returned to him. Speaking to himself out loud, he swore never to go back to that place again.

In a small room above the coffee shop, two men sat in front of a bank of screens and controls. They observed the patrons in the shop below through what looked like a security camera mounted on the ceiling. Each man wore a patch that read DARPA, Defense Advanced Research Agency.

“Well, Jack, I’d call this new sensory blocker a major success, wouldn’t you?”

“Almost, Bob, but we need to try the last blocker before reporting back to the bosses. The redhead that just walked in looks like an excellent candidate for this beam. Okay, gorgeous, time to go blind.”