The first part of a small series of short and unconnected stories based on the concept of the Uncanny Valley and the unnaturalness of the nations.
Alice Springs
November 1993
Howard O'Keefe is sure there is something off about the young man that just came in.
The lad, who appears to be in his early twenties, entered Howard's store and seems to be picking up some drinks and snacks (mostly drinks) to feed a whole town.
Howard was about to help him carry it all, but the young man didn't seem to have much trouble.
At the counter, Howard jokingly asks him how hard the lad and his friends were going to party. The young man said he was going to Uluru all by himself. Howard would have made a face at all the alcohol, but business was business.
October 1997
Once every year after that, he would see the same lad pop in, get food and drinks (which still included a disturbing amount of beer even by Australian standards) and leave onwards to Uluru.
He tells himself that he should not be surprised. Tourists passing at Alice Springs on their way to Uluru are very common regardless if they are locals or foreigners. But he can't help but feel something strange about that boy.
This time, he asks him why he chooses to go every year.
The kid pauses a bit to collect his thoughts and his eyes look fondly at something inside his head.
"It's not jus' Uluru, y'know. I try to visit every place in the country whenever I can. I see all this land an' animals an' people and I can't jus' stay in one place, mate. I love everything too much for that."
Howard can't say he was expecting that response. If it weren't for the fact that the young man said it so affectionally and with so much sincerity, he would have thought it was a joke answer.
October 2003
Like clockwork, the lad comes in. Howard still gets the creeps and he still can't pinpoint why. When both are at the counter, he finally notices something.
"You know, I've been seeing you here once a year for ten years by now, and you look exactly the same as before."
At that moment, the young man's smile fades and Howard knows he hit something.
"It's true, right mate? Like you've never aged at all."
The boy(?) quietly denies everything. He finishes paying and leaves with a small 'bye'.
Howard doesn't see him the next year. Nor the years after that.
November 2016
Australia leaves Alice Springs for his yearly vacation. Despite how horrible he feels at lying to his people, he doesn't go to Howard's store. Ever since then, he rotates places and it has worked well for him.
Back in early 2004, during one of England's Commonwealth reunions, he drunkenly told Canada about the incident. Canada took a bit of pity on him and said that he had gone through similar situations in the past, but there was nothing they could really do. Australia didn't like it, but he wasn't sure what would happen if humans knew.
Once he finishes this route, he will drive all the way to his apartment in Perth. He kind of feels bad for not explaining himself very well to Howard way back then about his travels, but it's a feeling humans can't really understand and other countries are not attached to this place, so that's why he opts to do it alone.
Many hours later, he arrives at Uluru. The earth feels familiar. The rocks turn as red a the blood on his veins. The sun embraces him.
And with that, his heart is at peace.