Cyrus dreams of an empty parking lot raised above the ground, surrounded by trees in bloom. Two figures gradually appear: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in his Lakers uniform, and Beethoven Shams, the imaginary younger brother Cyrus invented as a child and named after the 1992 family movie dog. Cyrus reflects, within the dream, that he wishes he had given Beethoven a more meaningful Iranian name like Rostam or Shahryar.

Kareem asks Beethoven what he loves, and Beethoven lists basketball, Borges, pecans, magic tricks, and Twin Peaks. The two banter and joke, circling the lot. Kareem then brings up the real-life fire that destroyed his irreplaceable jazz record collection, including his father's records, and how Lakers fans mailed him their own records in response.

Beethoven challenges the sentiment, suggesting the value lay in the stories behind the records rather than the objects, and questioning whether the fans' kindness was self-serving. Kareem counters that the records themselves mattered in a pre-internet age, and that the strangers' gestures contributed to a sense of belonging, of "amongness," that made staying alive feel worthwhile. Beethoven admits he cannot imagine wanting to stay alive.

As Beethoven quotes Ta-Nehisi Coates, Kareem points out that Beethoven is fading, his skin draining of color, his hair graying, his form merging with the scenery. Kareem remarks that he forgets Beethoven has never actually been alive. Snow falls; both silently recall a Pablo Medina line, each privately identifying as the rich man. The dream closes with a final exchange of jokes and Kareem's booming laugh shaking the sky.