1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:04,120 Thank you listeners for tuning in to this episode of the Atomless. 2 00:00:04,120 --> 00:00:08,900 Just so you know, this episode is a very special episode of the Atomless. 3 00:00:08,900 --> 00:00:15,560 It is the first part in a four part mini-series that takes place in the distant past before 4 00:00:15,560 --> 00:00:18,260 the start of the main campaign. 5 00:00:18,260 --> 00:00:24,620 This mini-series is featuring a new cast, but does feature all of the main cast in some 6 00:00:24,620 --> 00:00:29,080 way or another, and is a part of our canon story. 7 00:00:29,080 --> 00:00:34,040 Before we begin, I would like to say a special thank you to everyone who has supported us 8 00:00:34,040 --> 00:00:41,960 on Patreon, and most especially to Sunny, Noah, and Daniel for your support in making 9 00:00:41,960 --> 00:00:45,100 this show's production so great. 10 00:00:45,100 --> 00:01:03,080 Thank you for joining me for this special, and I hope you enjoy! 11 00:01:03,080 --> 00:01:09,840 The afternoons on Saga this time of year are sunny and warm, with the occasional wispy 12 00:01:09,840 --> 00:01:18,000 breeze that carries the earthy smell of vines into Artacaria City and the towns that just 13 00:01:18,000 --> 00:01:20,280 lie outside. 14 00:01:20,280 --> 00:01:25,920 The hide and seek lodge is just opening its doors for the day, while the owners and chefs 15 00:01:25,920 --> 00:01:33,600 at Comfort Cups, the local favorite lunchtime spot, is closed to prepare for the next rush. 16 00:01:33,600 --> 00:01:39,800 In the center of town there is a hush of people going about their day as usual, while a few 17 00:01:39,800 --> 00:01:48,160 miles away in the city proper machines whir with the tinkering of construction. 18 00:01:48,160 --> 00:01:59,600 Grist and Nim, you are within the center of town, just outside the city proper. 19 00:01:59,600 --> 00:02:08,800 Comfort Cups and the lodge, as well as several other shops and things about town are nearby. 20 00:02:08,800 --> 00:02:13,960 What would the two of you be up to on your average afternoon? 21 00:02:13,960 --> 00:02:18,680 At this time of day, Grist would probably be working one of several odd jobs to just 22 00:02:18,680 --> 00:02:24,560 help put money on the table and feed themselves, as well as Nim, though they're not sure at 23 00:02:24,560 --> 00:02:26,720 the stage if Nim needs to eat. 24 00:02:26,720 --> 00:02:34,760 Honestly, Nim doesn't necessarily like to eat, but I have a feeling that Grist has tried 25 00:02:34,760 --> 00:02:42,080 multiple times to get her to eat, just because it's one of those things where, due to the 26 00:02:42,080 --> 00:02:51,520 fact that she has the physical body of a child, a lot of people tend to kind of rise questions 27 00:02:51,520 --> 00:02:57,760 when they don't see Nim taking care of themselves. 28 00:02:57,760 --> 00:03:04,440 I think in that case, we probably find ourselves outside of this shabby looking apartment complex, 29 00:03:04,440 --> 00:03:08,440 maybe on the steps of it, of cracked flagstone. 30 00:03:08,440 --> 00:03:15,160 Grist is standing kind of on the porch facing you and has a little brown paper bag that 31 00:03:15,160 --> 00:03:20,640 is reeking of food, food stuff, people food stuff that they're tentatively holding out 32 00:03:20,640 --> 00:03:21,640 to you. 33 00:03:21,640 --> 00:03:28,000 As Grist stands there, we look at them and we see someone who is built like the forgotten 34 00:03:28,000 --> 00:03:31,360 shadow of a powerful hero. 35 00:03:31,360 --> 00:03:38,480 They are six foot five with these hard ribbons of muscle wrapping around their form like 36 00:03:38,480 --> 00:03:46,560 desperate armor, and they are a half-orc with this kind of colorless gray pallor of bleached 37 00:03:46,560 --> 00:03:52,480 ash kind of skin and spider webbing across their neck, across their exposed arms, across 38 00:03:52,480 --> 00:03:58,200 their hands, and even across their face are scars of a darker gray kind of like charcoal 39 00:03:58,200 --> 00:04:00,840 slashing across a bleached canvas. 40 00:04:00,840 --> 00:04:05,680 And her eyes are this pale kind of lifeless washed out shade of yellow. 41 00:04:05,680 --> 00:04:10,680 And they've got this thick shaggy mane of black hair combed in this kind of lackluster 42 00:04:10,680 --> 00:04:11,680 way. 43 00:04:11,680 --> 00:04:15,560 Like they tried to school it into a kind of discipline, but then gave up halfway through. 44 00:04:15,560 --> 00:04:19,240 And these dark strands hang in her face as she kind of towers over you and holds up this 45 00:04:19,240 --> 00:04:20,240 paper bag. 46 00:04:20,240 --> 00:04:24,400 And yeah, Grist looks like she could have been a hero. 47 00:04:24,400 --> 00:04:25,400 She's built like one. 48 00:04:25,400 --> 00:04:28,600 She's got the tenor, the timber, the cadence of a hero. 49 00:04:28,600 --> 00:04:31,680 But their skin is a little too bloodless. 50 00:04:31,680 --> 00:04:33,960 Their eyes are a little too lightless. 51 00:04:33,960 --> 00:04:38,920 There's something that's a bit hunkered, a bit withdrawn, surly about them. 52 00:04:38,920 --> 00:04:42,080 But they hold out this paper bag. 53 00:04:42,080 --> 00:04:43,080 Kids gotta eat. 54 00:04:43,080 --> 00:04:49,800 When you see NEM, you see this very short humanoid child. 55 00:04:49,800 --> 00:04:59,280 However, sprouting out of their back is these sort of black wings that have these feathers 56 00:04:59,280 --> 00:05:03,440 that kind of flutter down to the ground whenever they move. 57 00:05:03,440 --> 00:05:11,120 They haven't really figured out why they're shedding, but it's been a thing for quite 58 00:05:11,120 --> 00:05:12,120 a minute. 59 00:05:12,120 --> 00:05:13,120 It's been kind of worrisome. 60 00:05:13,120 --> 00:05:17,120 But when you look into their eyes, you don't really see irises. 61 00:05:17,120 --> 00:05:21,120 You don't see pupils, but you see galaxies. 62 00:05:21,120 --> 00:05:30,120 You see constellations and you see this depth that a child shouldn't have yet. 63 00:05:30,120 --> 00:05:35,120 And kind of flowing over their shoulders is this raven black hair that kind of like is 64 00:05:35,120 --> 00:05:38,500 in coils and spirals and whatnot. 65 00:05:38,500 --> 00:05:42,480 And their skin is like a russet brown. 66 00:05:42,480 --> 00:05:49,880 They have the demeanor of someone who has lived eons and someone who has been through 67 00:05:49,880 --> 00:05:51,960 more than they should have. 68 00:05:51,960 --> 00:05:58,840 But at the same time, though, she still has the innocence of a child and she has the innocence 69 00:05:58,840 --> 00:06:02,360 of someone who is young. 70 00:06:02,360 --> 00:06:09,280 And on her, what she's wearing basically are these kind of worn down clothes, something 71 00:06:09,280 --> 00:06:14,600 that Nim doesn't really pay attention to, and she's kind of she has this look about 72 00:06:14,600 --> 00:06:19,120 her that is worn and has been traveling. 73 00:06:19,120 --> 00:06:26,480 So she looks at the paper bag and they're like, you know, I can't stand that stuff, 74 00:06:26,480 --> 00:06:27,480 right? 75 00:06:27,480 --> 00:06:28,520 I switched it up. 76 00:06:28,520 --> 00:06:29,520 It's different. 77 00:06:29,520 --> 00:06:33,000 I believe these are what the people here call French fries. 78 00:06:33,000 --> 00:06:34,000 French fries. 79 00:06:34,000 --> 00:06:35,000 Mm hmm. 80 00:06:35,000 --> 00:06:36,000 It's very greasy. 81 00:06:36,000 --> 00:06:41,960 I believe I know what you're talking about, but remember the last time I ate grease, it 82 00:06:41,960 --> 00:06:44,200 didn't necessarily go well. 83 00:06:44,200 --> 00:06:45,200 Right. 84 00:06:45,200 --> 00:06:49,520 It's the combustion incident of last week. 85 00:06:49,520 --> 00:06:55,960 Grist slowly lowers the bag and just kind of like tucks it back into her workman's bag, 86 00:06:55,960 --> 00:07:00,200 like this kind of patchy saddle bag just by her hip and closes the flap. 87 00:07:00,200 --> 00:07:01,200 Dang it. 88 00:07:01,200 --> 00:07:03,240 Well, how about I give you some money? 89 00:07:03,240 --> 00:07:05,960 You can get what you want from the town square. 90 00:07:05,960 --> 00:07:08,240 We can meet up after work. 91 00:07:08,240 --> 00:07:16,720 And Nim takes a moment because she knows that Grist is trying their best and she nods and 92 00:07:16,720 --> 00:07:20,080 it's like, mm hmm. 93 00:07:20,080 --> 00:07:21,080 All right, kiddo. 94 00:07:21,080 --> 00:07:26,880 Remember, stay out of trouble and don't tell anyone about your past. 95 00:07:26,880 --> 00:07:29,200 I'll try my best. 96 00:07:29,200 --> 00:07:34,200 And Grist reaches into a pocket and fishes out these greasy like kind of paper bills, 97 00:07:34,200 --> 00:07:38,920 which I think is maybe I don't know what the currency is like here, but it might be unusual 98 00:07:38,920 --> 00:07:42,160 to use material money or like a bit outdated. 99 00:07:42,160 --> 00:07:43,640 Yeah, yeah. 100 00:07:43,640 --> 00:07:49,640 It's usually all electronic credits at this point in time that are, you know, kept on 101 00:07:49,640 --> 00:07:53,360 little drives that everybody carries around. 102 00:07:53,360 --> 00:07:56,920 Yeah, it's like usually writing a check at the grocery store today. 103 00:07:56,920 --> 00:07:57,920 Yep. 104 00:07:57,920 --> 00:07:58,920 Yes. 105 00:07:58,920 --> 00:08:03,760 Yeah, it would be a little outdated, but not totally unheard of. 106 00:08:03,760 --> 00:08:07,040 I think Grist insists on being paid paper money. 107 00:08:07,040 --> 00:08:09,400 Like they refuse to take digital currency. 108 00:08:09,400 --> 00:08:15,100 So they take out like actual coins and actual paper, which is like super, super archaic 109 00:08:15,100 --> 00:08:18,040 at this point, and they like fork some over to you. 110 00:08:18,040 --> 00:08:25,760 So it's my understanding that you give the money to the person that you're trying to 111 00:08:25,760 --> 00:08:27,240 buy items from, right? 112 00:08:27,240 --> 00:08:28,240 Yes. 113 00:08:28,240 --> 00:08:29,240 Yes. 114 00:08:29,240 --> 00:08:30,240 You can't just take stuff. 115 00:08:30,240 --> 00:08:33,240 Oh, well, that's kind of a bad idea. 116 00:08:33,240 --> 00:08:37,520 It's kind of happened a few times, but I can't really do anything about it now. 117 00:08:37,520 --> 00:08:38,520 Yeah, I know. 118 00:08:38,520 --> 00:08:39,520 It's okay. 119 00:08:39,520 --> 00:08:40,760 We'll just lay low. 120 00:08:40,760 --> 00:08:42,760 There's a lot of people with wings here. 121 00:08:42,760 --> 00:08:43,760 We'll blend in. 122 00:08:43,760 --> 00:08:44,760 Okay. 123 00:08:44,760 --> 00:08:45,760 All right. 124 00:08:45,760 --> 00:08:52,760 And if you and if you need anything, let me know. 125 00:08:52,760 --> 00:08:54,120 Yeah, sure. 126 00:08:54,120 --> 00:08:55,920 You'll be the first to know, kiddo. 127 00:08:55,920 --> 00:09:00,840 And Grist kind of pats you on the head in a maternalistic way almost, almost like an 128 00:09:00,840 --> 00:09:02,160 older sister, really. 129 00:09:02,160 --> 00:09:07,360 And then like rolls her shoulders back, sort of pulls herself up to her fuller six foot 130 00:09:07,360 --> 00:09:13,040 five hunkered height and like smooths down the front of her sleeveless leather vest that 131 00:09:13,040 --> 00:09:19,040 she's got on this kind of raggedy, honestly, almost a little like agrarian looking, like 132 00:09:19,040 --> 00:09:23,400 brown leather vest that looks like it was made from like actual real leather and not 133 00:09:23,400 --> 00:09:25,600 like bio engineered leather, right? 134 00:09:25,600 --> 00:09:32,520 And she's got this kind of like hard scratchy tunic underneath tucked into these like trousers 135 00:09:32,520 --> 00:09:36,640 and a belt and these top like these like thick hardy workman's boots. 136 00:09:36,640 --> 00:09:41,520 Like she's dressed down like very much like just a regular day laborer. 137 00:09:41,520 --> 00:09:47,660 She nods and she turns and she goes off to work at probably whatever big corporation 138 00:09:47,660 --> 00:09:50,300 is running a lot of things here. 139 00:09:50,300 --> 00:09:58,240 As you are heading off, you see it running kind of towards you a little bit stumbly is 140 00:09:58,240 --> 00:10:09,840 this short of stature is Soki that is sort of field mouse like an appearance, feet a 141 00:10:09,840 --> 00:10:17,820 little bit bigger than the rest of their their body proportions and their overall pants like 142 00:10:17,820 --> 00:10:20,200 kind of hang down over their feet. 143 00:10:20,200 --> 00:10:27,080 And as they're like running over to you, they sort of stumble a little bit and then catch 144 00:10:27,080 --> 00:10:29,760 themselves, pull themselves back up. 145 00:10:29,760 --> 00:10:36,560 They've got a sort of utility belt filled with different tools and things like that. 146 00:10:36,560 --> 00:10:42,600 And you know this person you've you've worked with them before you know them to go by switch 147 00:10:42,600 --> 00:10:54,560 and they sort of stumble up to you and hey hey Chris we got like a couple of other jobs 148 00:10:54,560 --> 00:10:56,960 I heard you were looking for extra work. 149 00:10:56,960 --> 00:11:00,040 You still got room on your plate. 150 00:11:00,040 --> 00:11:05,000 I always have room on my plate switch if there's money involved and if they don't mind doing 151 00:11:05,000 --> 00:11:06,000 it hard. 152 00:11:06,000 --> 00:11:12,880 Yeah, it's a little hard to find you jobs that pay in in you know the old stuff but 153 00:11:12,880 --> 00:11:19,920 luckily you know the there's a couple of people who still do any anyway the the comfort cups 154 00:11:19,920 --> 00:11:24,720 folks there you know their sheet doors broken again. 155 00:11:24,720 --> 00:11:28,960 I could fix it but I just got too many things going on. 156 00:11:28,960 --> 00:11:35,000 So you know maybe after work or something you stop by swing around and they they'd appreciate 157 00:11:35,000 --> 00:11:37,480 it they'll pay you in paper. 158 00:11:37,480 --> 00:11:41,400 Yeah sounds good I'll make sure to swing swing by after work. 159 00:11:41,400 --> 00:11:42,400 Thanks for looking out switch. 160 00:11:42,400 --> 00:11:46,840 Yeah you got it okay I really got a run off. 161 00:11:46,840 --> 00:11:47,840 Sorry. 162 00:11:47,840 --> 00:11:50,520 But everything okay you're always in a hurry. 163 00:11:50,520 --> 00:11:57,560 Oh if I sit still for too long I start to get really anxious so I got I that's all right. 164 00:11:57,560 --> 00:11:59,800 There's just too much going around. 165 00:11:59,800 --> 00:12:02,240 Yeah this place is pretty overstimulating. 166 00:12:02,240 --> 00:12:06,640 Oh yeah cool sure yes thank you. 167 00:12:06,640 --> 00:12:14,920 Okay and they run off as you had to work. 168 00:12:14,920 --> 00:12:22,160 Apex where would you be as switch is headed in your direction. 169 00:12:22,160 --> 00:12:31,200 Apex is probably leaving one of the research labs that I would say he has a deal with of 170 00:12:31,200 --> 00:12:37,240 just either like paying for some material and then like return it like make like a material 171 00:12:37,240 --> 00:12:40,520 trade like they were if they were looking for something he would give them that and 172 00:12:40,520 --> 00:12:47,960 they would probably have a isolated formula or something of the sort that he would need 173 00:12:47,960 --> 00:12:50,120 to do the work that he's trying to do. 174 00:12:50,120 --> 00:12:54,340 So like trading trading information for resources or vice versa and then just meeting up with 175 00:12:54,340 --> 00:13:00,480 one of them and then walking down the street and kind of just doing like math in his head. 176 00:13:00,480 --> 00:13:10,720 As you're doing your calculations sort of lost in those thoughts switch comes barreling 177 00:13:10,720 --> 00:13:12,720 towards you. 178 00:13:12,720 --> 00:13:17,080 Hey Apex hey. 179 00:13:17,080 --> 00:13:19,800 We how's it going today. 180 00:13:19,800 --> 00:13:23,360 It is a lovely day switch and how are you. 181 00:13:23,360 --> 00:13:24,360 I'm pretty good. 182 00:13:24,360 --> 00:13:28,800 Look there's a couple of words from inside the city. 183 00:13:28,800 --> 00:13:35,000 They're contracting a bunch out to you know the townsfolk these days and I don't know 184 00:13:35,000 --> 00:13:41,440 it's just pretty it's pretty unusual I'd say you know like they don't hire us for things. 185 00:13:41,440 --> 00:13:42,440 Is that a good idea. 186 00:13:42,440 --> 00:13:45,240 Most of you are very fleshy. 187 00:13:45,240 --> 00:13:51,080 It's true very fleshy but you know if you're looking to make coins they'll certainly take 188 00:13:51,080 --> 00:13:56,240 you there's there's a Bernie and Calico over at the lodge. 189 00:13:56,240 --> 00:14:02,320 They apparently got some contracts in the mail working for the city proper and Apex 190 00:14:02,320 --> 00:14:07,560 is wearing this like full body armor suit. 191 00:14:07,560 --> 00:14:09,540 There is a black hood. 192 00:14:09,540 --> 00:14:15,900 The mask has what almost looked to be like a painted on like sharp row of teeth on the 193 00:14:15,900 --> 00:14:20,200 front and then there's two like red circles for the eyes. 194 00:14:20,200 --> 00:14:26,920 But when switch mentions the place to go the eyes like narrow a little bit probably perceiving 195 00:14:26,920 --> 00:14:31,800 what's under the mask to relay the facial expressions on the mask. 196 00:14:31,800 --> 00:14:37,760 You seem like check his gauntlets on his wrist a little bit and then like kind of crack his 197 00:14:37,760 --> 00:14:38,760 neck. 198 00:14:38,760 --> 00:14:39,760 All right. 199 00:14:39,760 --> 00:14:46,640 Do you know if they're paying these people well. 200 00:14:46,640 --> 00:14:55,280 No not not to my understanding at least not the way that they pay you know the the the 201 00:14:55,280 --> 00:14:57,920 suits it's. 202 00:14:57,920 --> 00:15:01,560 But I mean it's still it's still money. 203 00:15:01,560 --> 00:15:02,560 That's true. 204 00:15:02,560 --> 00:15:06,440 Would you like me to go and help. 205 00:15:06,440 --> 00:15:12,240 Well I just think it'd be it'd be swell maybe you know like it also there could be some 206 00:15:12,240 --> 00:15:15,360 information that's interesting to you. 207 00:15:15,360 --> 00:15:18,720 I don't know but at the very least it could help. 208 00:15:18,720 --> 00:15:23,840 Do you think they know where to find a basilisk. 209 00:15:23,840 --> 00:15:30,640 I'm you know Calico might she's been around. 210 00:15:30,640 --> 00:15:39,560 So it's you know that I see I didn't expect you to know what that was but you're smart 211 00:15:39,560 --> 00:15:40,560 one switch. 212 00:15:40,560 --> 00:15:48,040 Well I have a lot of things to be afraid of so I tend to keep my wits about me. 213 00:15:48,040 --> 00:15:51,920 Which way am I going. 214 00:15:51,920 --> 00:16:00,720 Oh I don't down to the outskirts of town it points to like just outside the like alleyway 215 00:16:00,720 --> 00:16:06,080 you're walking down if you head straight in all the way into town you would eventually 216 00:16:06,080 --> 00:16:07,880 hit it. 217 00:16:07,880 --> 00:16:18,520 And so with that being the case because apex is the worst he like. 218 00:16:18,520 --> 00:16:28,760 Crouches down almost on all fours and then goes into a ferocious sprint and with. 219 00:16:28,760 --> 00:16:35,200 The beast blood he makes a feline leap to go as high in the air as he can and then uses 220 00:16:35,200 --> 00:16:40,760 his jet thrusters to even go further beyond and just like. 221 00:16:40,760 --> 00:16:45,360 Basically just starts a spider-man leaping from building to building as he can with no 222 00:16:45,360 --> 00:16:48,360 concept of who is disrupting or anything like that. 223 00:16:48,360 --> 00:16:50,120 Okay bye. 224 00:16:50,120 --> 00:16:56,080 And you are you are gone like a like a bullet. 225 00:16:56,080 --> 00:17:00,280 Through the sky. 226 00:17:00,280 --> 00:17:12,000 I'll kind of step into the city proper for a moment at a kind of swanky office that towers 227 00:17:12,000 --> 00:17:15,280 above the city with a view. 228 00:17:15,280 --> 00:17:25,080 Of the outskirts of town were you not so high up in the air that it was impossible to see 229 00:17:25,080 --> 00:17:30,760 you theoretically would be able to see the entire the entire town. 230 00:17:30,760 --> 00:17:40,320 Sebastian you are here for what has become a regular meeting with Merrick who is not 231 00:17:40,320 --> 00:17:50,640 someone you know a lot about personally he's a youngish human man who dresses well and 232 00:17:50,640 --> 00:17:56,720 does not have too much to say to you but in these meetings where you present what your 233 00:17:56,720 --> 00:18:03,760 ideas are and go over the logistics you have about 15 minutes with him where he will pay 234 00:18:03,760 --> 00:18:06,220 you every mind. 235 00:18:06,220 --> 00:18:16,320 So sitting in this weird hybrid of overly anxious but very confident in what they're 236 00:18:16,320 --> 00:18:29,680 about to talk about this five and a half foot large silk moth whose fur is extremely fluffy 237 00:18:29,680 --> 00:18:35,160 but has this deep brown wooded texture. 238 00:18:35,160 --> 00:18:44,160 Their wings have been almost tied to the to the back of them these half crescent moon 239 00:18:44,160 --> 00:18:52,960 shapes that almost gild their wings and there have been these tattoos of almost this like 240 00:18:52,960 --> 00:19:02,080 tapestry of what seemed like a like a medieval banner showing this like the journey of a 241 00:19:02,080 --> 00:19:08,520 family and if you look deeper is seemingly a group of families and to the point where 242 00:19:08,520 --> 00:19:14,840 it's almost this like these these tattoos of an entire city that splay across their 243 00:19:14,840 --> 00:19:23,320 back they're wearing a as as buttoned as it could be their fur on their chest kind of 244 00:19:23,320 --> 00:19:29,360 puffs this white shirt out a bit too far but they've tried to to do up this shirt without 245 00:19:29,360 --> 00:19:31,360 being super uncomfortable. 246 00:19:31,360 --> 00:19:38,920 They have one like deep black moth eye and the other one of their eyes has seemingly 247 00:19:38,920 --> 00:19:44,980 been replaced by a camera shutter. 248 00:19:44,980 --> 00:19:50,720 They have these big thick glasses one side of the glasses has been like taken out and 249 00:19:50,720 --> 00:19:57,960 the other one is glass to help see but the camera shutter eye doesn't need any help seeing 250 00:19:57,960 --> 00:19:58,960 anything. 251 00:19:58,960 --> 00:20:07,840 They have these big ears spined again like a moth they sit awkwardly on the chair and 252 00:20:07,840 --> 00:20:16,160 kind of repeating a log line to themselves they keep repeating like similar words along 253 00:20:16,160 --> 00:20:24,080 like the same topic and they're like no not that so what it's about is it's a family story 254 00:20:24,080 --> 00:20:26,600 about that. 255 00:20:26,600 --> 00:20:30,120 Sebastian yeah you're ready. 256 00:20:30,120 --> 00:20:36,680 Yeah yeah yeah I am from saga. 257 00:20:36,680 --> 00:20:43,680 I was born and raised here I love the city and I love the people and my parents are both 258 00:20:43,680 --> 00:20:52,040 from saga my grandparents are my great grandparents flew here and the old way from Nert Noir they 259 00:20:52,040 --> 00:20:57,880 were suspected from the from the hive and the queen and they sailed on a ship through 260 00:20:57,880 --> 00:21:02,920 the space in between into Asia and they and they settled here. 261 00:21:02,920 --> 00:21:11,560 I love this city and I love its people and I wanted to tell a story that is about the 262 00:21:11,560 --> 00:21:22,200 people here and that everyone is so connected and in a real communal sense even you know 263 00:21:22,200 --> 00:21:27,440 no offense but even even big corporations can't get in the way of this of this connectivity 264 00:21:27,440 --> 00:21:37,320 that everyone feels we have markets and this I want to make an experience that when people 265 00:21:37,320 --> 00:21:46,520 using the drift come into saga they can see what we're all about they can see who we are 266 00:21:46,520 --> 00:21:54,680 and how anyone is welcome we are nothing but a but a big city full of every person you 267 00:21:54,680 --> 00:22:02,120 can imagine and all of this makes us one connected people. 268 00:22:02,120 --> 00:22:09,880 I'm so proud of who we are and I put so much effort this film is so important to me it 269 00:22:09,880 --> 00:22:18,520 is so personal and it's about my family and how we came here and how we settled our roots 270 00:22:18,520 --> 00:22:26,800 yes but it is about saga it's about this planet everyone is sharing these similar experiences 271 00:22:26,800 --> 00:22:37,120 because we are so unique and we are so different it's part documentary and part non-fiction 272 00:22:37,120 --> 00:22:45,360 it is it is partly written about my great-grandfather's story and it is also interspersed with interviews 273 00:22:45,360 --> 00:22:51,600 of people from saga and why they love it here this is the biggest project I've ever taken 274 00:22:51,600 --> 00:23:03,040 and I know that I can't fund this myself but I hope that you will be able to give us the 275 00:23:03,040 --> 00:23:12,280 backing we need to tell a story that is going to connect with people for generations. 276 00:23:12,280 --> 00:23:21,560 Hey that's great stuff I mean look we're just the money guys you know that's why we 277 00:23:21,560 --> 00:23:30,920 that's why we reached out to the smart clever creatives like you yeah no we're we're we're 278 00:23:30,920 --> 00:23:37,400 just here to support you with the resources that you need obviously look it sounds great 279 00:23:37,400 --> 00:23:44,200 sounds like a beautiful project really you got me right here with that stuff about your 280 00:23:44,200 --> 00:23:54,960 great great great great great great great grandfather yes I mean I also love saga so 281 00:23:54,960 --> 00:24:04,240 truthfully I get you however many credits you need I'm gonna give you blank stick right 282 00:24:04,240 --> 00:24:09,760 you you you take whatever you need and you just make this project happen make it good 283 00:24:09,760 --> 00:24:16,400 make it whatever your dreams are I trust in you you've got that kind of spirit. 284 00:24:16,400 --> 00:24:25,560 Merrick yeah thank you so much thank you I like absolutely if there's you know if there's 285 00:24:25,560 --> 00:24:32,240 anything I can do like to like like I would absolutely be down for it I appreciate it 286 00:24:32,240 --> 00:24:35,000 thank you so much we're really gonna make something special. 287 00:24:35,000 --> 00:24:44,440 You got it yeah I I have the utmost faith in you before you run out of here though here 288 00:24:44,440 --> 00:24:54,280 and he puts a credit stick into your hand into your little little furry paws yeah look 289 00:24:54,280 --> 00:25:03,220 just as a personal favor to me it's no I don't care it sounds like your project is perfect 290 00:25:03,220 --> 00:25:05,220 as is. 291 00:25:05,220 --> 00:25:13,480 Seta unmentioned though they kind of they just want to get a beat on how the people 292 00:25:13,480 --> 00:25:23,520 of saga are feeling about you know the new project under mea ipskin the vertical plates 293 00:25:23,520 --> 00:25:31,760 just maybe just see how the people are feeling get a little get a little opinions if you 294 00:25:31,760 --> 00:25:36,400 if you would while you're filming I mean you're gonna be filming the people of saga anyway 295 00:25:36,400 --> 00:25:43,680 yeah yeah yeah I mean and whatever they have to say we want the truth right we want to 296 00:25:43,680 --> 00:25:49,760 we want to hear about that and Seta unmentioned wants the truth too yeah okay sure no that's 297 00:25:49,760 --> 00:25:54,560 that's yeah I can I can do that no problem wow you're a real team player I could see 298 00:25:54,560 --> 00:25:59,720 why you love saga so much you're like it's like working with a member of the community 299 00:25:59,720 --> 00:26:04,200 oh well you know that's that's that's what it is that's that's what this is about you 300 00:26:04,200 --> 00:26:09,880 know it's about us all working together and hey thank you so much for this this is a you 301 00:26:09,880 --> 00:26:14,080 know this script has been a thing which we've been batting around for like years and years 302 00:26:14,080 --> 00:26:19,280 so this really means a lot thank you yeah yeah you you you got it kid all right well 303 00:26:19,280 --> 00:26:25,560 happy filmmaking I'll catch you at our meeting next week all right yeah absolutely I'll see 304 00:26:25,560 --> 00:26:37,120 you there passed you emotions to a gentleman who is sat at a very very fancy very very 305 00:26:37,120 --> 00:26:48,160 glossy desk who buzzes you out the door thank you thank you and then thanks the person who 306 00:26:48,160 --> 00:26:55,720 buzzed them in and then and then leaves walks out and then waits for a moment and then as 307 00:26:55,720 --> 00:27:11,360 the door like yes yes oh okay does the hair and then like rebounds their shirt and gets 308 00:27:11,360 --> 00:27:18,040 out there little communicator and then starts starts texting texting their little like friend 309 00:27:18,040 --> 00:27:24,360 group chat of like filmmaking people of just like we got it and he's very excited about 310 00:27:24,360 --> 00:27:33,160 it there are so many futuristic gifts that get exploded into that group chat to celebrate 311 00:27:33,160 --> 00:27:42,800 your big win grist this is the overall building of setta unmentioned right now Sebastian is 312 00:27:42,800 --> 00:27:54,040 on the floor in which the multimedia company subsidiary rests but there are many others 313 00:27:54,040 --> 00:28:01,280 here and if you were headed here to work maybe a couple offices down you might have heard 314 00:28:01,280 --> 00:28:11,320 the faraway sounds of a moth celebrating yeah grist pauses she's fully scrubbing toilets 315 00:28:11,320 --> 00:28:15,760 janitor here like she's in the middle like with her rubber gloves all the way up to her 316 00:28:15,760 --> 00:28:23,880 elbows and pauses like like dozens of floors away she goes what the huh yes someone's having 317 00:28:23,880 --> 00:28:30,620 a good day at least and like goes back to scrubbing it back in the outskirts of town 318 00:28:30,620 --> 00:28:42,440 not far away from comfort cups we have the hide and seek lodge which is not made of wood 319 00:28:42,440 --> 00:28:52,580 is very much a new high tech building however the outside has been camouflaged via technology 320 00:28:52,580 --> 00:28:59,040 to look like an old-fashioned log cabin might if you were to put your hand up to touch that 321 00:28:59,040 --> 00:29:06,720 wall however it would go right through and touch the steel and metal that actually make 322 00:29:06,720 --> 00:29:14,540 the building the lodge has has just opened up for the afternoon it opens late and stays 323 00:29:14,540 --> 00:29:24,720 open late bernie and calico are are around tending to people but winston i imagine you'd 324 00:29:24,720 --> 00:29:34,960 be there uh upon opening if if i'm not mistaken oh yes i am uh winston i perfectly time my 325 00:29:34,960 --> 00:29:41,080 arrival to the lodge so that i'm not waiting i am casually strolling in through the doors 326 00:29:41,080 --> 00:29:48,000 and as i pass through the doors if you were on the inside you would see a polar bear in 327 00:29:48,000 --> 00:29:57,600 a burberry suit very well pressed very well maintained almost almost very regal demeanor 328 00:29:57,600 --> 00:30:05,000 carrying a uh a cream colored briefcase walking in doesn't need to check his wrist for the 329 00:30:05,000 --> 00:30:11,560 time but does anyway and reveals just like i don't know future rolex um equivalent and 330 00:30:11,560 --> 00:30:20,240 will walk in and as soon as the doors close the the lodge doors uh close behind the the 331 00:30:20,240 --> 00:30:28,280 regal demeanor deflates a little bit oh an audible sigh escapes i'm as close to home 332 00:30:28,280 --> 00:30:34,960 as i could possibly be right now i can relax yeah uh standing at around nine and a half 333 00:30:34,960 --> 00:30:44,240 feet tall uh a as most male polar bears are about that that that height uh will will pull 334 00:30:44,240 --> 00:30:49,980 from his suit pocket it looks like it's going to be a cigar but it's actually a beef jerky 335 00:30:49,980 --> 00:30:57,200 stick and we'll start start nibbling and gnawing at it in much in the same way that uh someone 336 00:30:57,200 --> 00:31:05,280 would a cigar um and finds a very comfortable seat by the by the hearth and will just lay 337 00:31:05,280 --> 00:31:12,440 the briefcase down unbutton the top uh button of his shirt loosen the burberry patterned 338 00:31:12,440 --> 00:31:21,920 maroon tie and allow himself to just escape for a little bit calico who is one of the 339 00:31:21,920 --> 00:31:32,760 two uh owners of the lodge also a bear more like a sun bear with a sort of golden coloring 340 00:31:32,760 --> 00:31:46,440 uh a gentle lady who wears a frilly uh pink and white dress uh that uh swishes when she 341 00:31:46,440 --> 00:31:58,080 walks uh comes up to you oh hello winston it's so good to see you again likewise calico 342 00:31:58,080 --> 00:32:05,800 it's very good to see you today how's work going are you working too hard oh you know 343 00:32:05,800 --> 00:32:16,280 work is work calico i am often working often too hard but you gotta make a living here 344 00:32:16,280 --> 00:32:23,200 in saga you know i admire the work that you do i appreciate that you love it i wish that 345 00:32:23,200 --> 00:32:30,000 one day i can do the exact same thing you do well we're not we're definitely short hands 346 00:32:30,000 --> 00:32:35,640 here you could definitely work at the lodge if you wanted to give me a few extra days 347 00:32:35,640 --> 00:32:42,560 off a month if you know what i mean but we don't pay like those fancy lawyers do so you 348 00:32:42,560 --> 00:32:52,760 you're probably better off where you are oh you know i could i would if i could if you 349 00:32:52,760 --> 00:33:01,840 would excuse me calico on the topic of work work does call oh you're such a busy bear 350 00:33:01,840 --> 00:33:11,160 i'll be back with some hot towels and she uh walks away uh gathering some some little 351 00:33:11,160 --> 00:33:19,920 goodies and passing them about to the customers at the lodge i will uh a smile and then put 352 00:33:19,920 --> 00:33:28,200 my beef jerky stick back into my pocket save that for later pull out my my phone and uh 353 00:33:28,200 --> 00:33:38,480 check the notification uh it is from maric who works for setta unmentioned uh not exactly 354 00:33:38,480 --> 00:33:46,480 someone you normally work directly with but you're uh on this present project together 355 00:33:46,480 --> 00:33:55,760 the text says the film guys coming into town is going to start asking people about how 356 00:33:55,760 --> 00:34:05,780 they feel about the mayor and the project please make sure that the terms are strict 357 00:34:05,780 --> 00:34:16,560 before they sign okay i'm going to read it roll my eyes and will respond you are you 358 00:34:16,560 --> 00:34:23,720 sure there was no one else with any expertise in film that could be on this project question 359 00:34:23,720 --> 00:34:35,760 mark respectfully of course you get back respectfully no i will uh text back where can i meet the 360 00:34:35,760 --> 00:34:48,640 them today they just send you the contact details i see that i will um respond confirmed 361 00:34:48,640 --> 00:35:00,720 heading out now and i will put my phone away tilt my head back big old bear sigh rebutton 362 00:35:00,720 --> 00:35:09,600 the tie uh the the shirt straighten the tie a little bit and slowly oh get up pick up 363 00:35:09,600 --> 00:35:18,080 the briefcase start heading out see calico on the way out and say i apologize i wish 364 00:35:18,080 --> 00:35:26,720 i could stay longer but duty calls oh of course we'll see you again soon i know we will of 365 00:35:26,720 --> 00:35:38,320 course of course is my second home good day to you calico 366 00:35:38,320 --> 00:35:44,480 and as you're getting ready to leave i believe apex you were headed here and you would make 367 00:35:44,480 --> 00:35:53,680 it around at this time uh are you going straight in or what's your what's apex's plan he'd 368 00:35:53,680 --> 00:35:58,680 be going straight in kind of curious he wants to see potentially what kind of people are 369 00:35:58,680 --> 00:36:04,120 going to be here uh and make sure that they're not just gonna take this job because they 370 00:36:04,120 --> 00:36:08,200 want money and then get in trouble like it's like ah yeah i'll go do this thing and then 371 00:36:08,200 --> 00:36:17,960 it's like six children who decide to fight a demon uh as you walk in before either winston 372 00:36:17,960 --> 00:36:24,480 gets to leave or apex has really approached anyone the tv's on the lodge which are all 373 00:36:24,480 --> 00:36:33,440 playing like a sort of idol um music uh station that's playing different tracks of of popular 374 00:36:33,440 --> 00:36:41,920 music around switches off of music and switches to a commercial the hospitality kindness and 375 00:36:41,920 --> 00:36:48,480 ingenuity of the people of saga is unmatched by anything in the expanding universe it's 376 00:36:48,480 --> 00:36:54,080 no surprise that people throughout the universe want to call our cozy plan at home let's make 377 00:36:54,080 --> 00:37:01,600 room for them and support the vertical real estate program endorsed by mayor ipskin and 378 00:37:01,600 --> 00:37:06,600 it the tv's all switched back to whatever programming they were on in the lodge it's 379 00:37:06,600 --> 00:37:16,160 back to the dulcet sounds of easy listening music i think um i feel like winston's heard 380 00:37:16,160 --> 00:37:22,800 this before i i think like he was in a bunch of the the the the meetings in the and the 381 00:37:22,800 --> 00:37:26,760 you know in the room when this was first pitched and has been through a few iterations and 382 00:37:26,760 --> 00:37:32,120 so to him it's just noise at this point he knows it's coming right so unfazed he can 383 00:37:32,120 --> 00:37:36,160 he's continuing to walk through while everyone kind of like oh this is new like like looks 384 00:37:36,160 --> 00:37:44,240 at the televisions and stuff so um we'll definitely get to the door i think as we'll 385 00:37:44,240 --> 00:37:52,120 open the door and see apex is right there oh i'm i'm quite sorry after you my friend 386 00:37:52,120 --> 00:38:01,200 how how tall is winston nine and a half feet tall i'm very tall apex is about seven and 387 00:38:01,200 --> 00:38:11,080 a half feet tall so he's not as big as you but still relatively large um there's there's 388 00:38:11,080 --> 00:38:18,160 a moment where you see like the lights on apex's eyes go from like red red to white 389 00:38:18,160 --> 00:38:26,640 and then maybe there's like a quick scan of you and not just like looking like like when 390 00:38:26,640 --> 00:38:38,880 you see something scan something out and then processing it oh interesting i i i'm fully 391 00:38:38,880 --> 00:38:44,960 holding the door open like with the with the briefcase like welcoming you into the lodge 392 00:38:44,960 --> 00:38:53,080 winston sort of you know cox and eyebrow and just is just like can i help you my friend 393 00:38:53,080 --> 00:39:00,920 i don't think so are you um involved with this establishment that is recruiting people 394 00:39:00,920 --> 00:39:06,280 for an excursion oh i don't know very much about an excursion but this establishment 395 00:39:06,280 --> 00:39:10,920 is a very fine establishment they'll take care of you for whatever you need i'll look 396 00:39:10,920 --> 00:39:16,700 over at calica and i'll wink why did you do that i'm just letting my mom the very good 397 00:39:16,700 --> 00:39:23,320 host let her know that there's a potential new patron here and to treat you kindly you 398 00:39:23,320 --> 00:39:32,520 did all that through a wink you see that calico is skirting her way over uh to you apex's 399 00:39:32,520 --> 00:39:39,200 eyes do that like narrowing thing again with the lights they go but and then he'll look 400 00:39:39,200 --> 00:39:50,840 at you and wink you you catch on pretty quick now if if you don't mind i must take my leave 401 00:39:50,840 --> 00:40:00,760 good luck happy trails and i will puzzled look and then just be on my way a storyteller 402 00:40:00,760 --> 00:40:06,960 yes can i use my blind sense scent to see if i can smell what's inside of that case 403 00:40:06,960 --> 00:40:15,680 yes yes yes you can what are you keeping your briefcase winston okay um it's future tech 404 00:40:15,680 --> 00:40:20,880 so uh it's future times so there's not very many paper things you know maybe what is with 405 00:40:20,880 --> 00:40:27,400 you people of paper in the future there's no paper they eliminate some paper there there 406 00:40:27,400 --> 00:40:32,680 is some paper let me be clear about but that you can you can smell i don't know like if 407 00:40:32,680 --> 00:40:38,360 i don't know if you can smell like a tablet you know just that i keep all my work files 408 00:40:38,360 --> 00:40:46,360 on you can smell uh some amount of beef jerky sticks uh you can smell ink and you can smell 409 00:40:46,360 --> 00:40:53,320 some documents and and and in particular uh you can pick up the chemicals of very official 410 00:40:53,320 --> 00:41:07,280 notary ink apex will remember that they're like step to the side and then kind of turned 411 00:41:07,280 --> 00:41:15,080 look at the briefcase lift his head up to you and then you you hear like coming through 412 00:41:15,080 --> 00:41:25,880 the mask a registering that this gigantic bear person is just carrying beef sticks in 413 00:41:25,880 --> 00:41:27,560 like 3033 414 00:41:27,560 --> 00:41:36,920 all right and then he like there's like he's kind of frozen because now there's this giant 415 00:41:36,920 --> 00:41:45,060 bear steak beef person behind him and then another like mrs doubtfire beef person bear 416 00:41:45,060 --> 00:41:50,160 person walking towards him and he's like what did i agree to why am i here all right sure 417 00:41:50,160 --> 00:41:57,520 let's just keep people from dying i guess hello dear welcome in welcome into the lodge 418 00:41:57,520 --> 00:42:03,240 what can i do for you you want a seat you want a chair or do you want a private booth 419 00:42:03,240 --> 00:42:11,160 what do you what do you need today a small friend of mine told me that you were gathering 420 00:42:11,160 --> 00:42:20,880 people here to look into some excursion oh oh you talked to switch huh okay yes i did 421 00:42:20,880 --> 00:42:31,600 why do you seem concerned ah wink okay it's just that we got these uh contracts left in 422 00:42:31,600 --> 00:42:39,040 our mailbox just this morning and we really it's my visor not working why are you acting 423 00:42:39,040 --> 00:42:46,640 weird the bear told me to do this winston i told you to wink at me yes i'll talk to 424 00:42:46,640 --> 00:42:57,440 him i'm a married woman uh so what you know it's it's all right though um look so we got 425 00:42:57,440 --> 00:43:07,720 these contracts and your switch's uh friend the one that apex they said you were interested 426 00:43:07,720 --> 00:43:15,240 in all of those kinds of science things so i figured i'd show you um switch seems to 427 00:43:15,240 --> 00:43:25,760 think you're pretty trustworthy and frankly i don't know who else to show lead the way 428 00:43:25,760 --> 00:43:35,520 he brings you into a a back room of the lodge an office the illusion of the log cabin feel 429 00:43:35,520 --> 00:43:44,200 is no longer present in this office it is a modern um office with a holographic computer 430 00:43:44,200 --> 00:43:56,880 screen uh on the desk and a very very confused tired disgruntled uh looking there another 431 00:43:56,880 --> 00:44:06,400 sun bear as well who is hunched over this desk swiping through a very long document 432 00:44:06,400 --> 00:44:17,960 that's going across the screen uh sorry uh calico deer who's our friend oh this is apex 433 00:44:17,960 --> 00:44:26,080 it's switches contact uh they're here to maybe look at the things and see what's going on 434 00:44:26,080 --> 00:44:34,640 here uh oh sorry oh look i look i don't i don't know what any of this means i don't 435 00:44:34,640 --> 00:44:41,600 trust the city really uh but this contract shows up at my doorstep and i'm expected to 436 00:44:41,600 --> 00:44:50,080 sign it i guess so i don't know if you got some insights couldn't hurt to look let me 437 00:44:50,080 --> 00:44:58,560 see it and it'll put out his hand scrolling through this document it's there are some 438 00:44:58,560 --> 00:45:07,320 plain things about it and some not so plain things what you're able to pick up very uh 439 00:45:07,320 --> 00:45:16,600 immediately is that this is a basic contract asking the owners of the lodge to share some 440 00:45:16,600 --> 00:45:24,240 information about their clientele with setta unmentioned which has of course a research 441 00:45:24,240 --> 00:45:33,880 subsidiary in biology and evolution the contract is asking them to share things pertaining 442 00:45:33,880 --> 00:45:42,680 to this lodge has like uh sauna and gym and things like that and as such like has some 443 00:45:42,680 --> 00:45:52,920 records on people like their physical abilities heart rates uh some very light biometrics 444 00:45:52,920 --> 00:46:00,000 and they're asking for the lodge to share that with them in return the lodge would be 445 00:46:00,000 --> 00:46:06,760 well compensated there would be provided with a privacy agreement of course only setta unmentioned 446 00:46:06,760 --> 00:46:12,440 would get a hold of this information they wouldn't share it with any advertisers or 447 00:46:12,440 --> 00:46:20,040 anything like that it's all going to research but the thing that strikes you as odd is that 448 00:46:20,040 --> 00:46:28,080 this contract seems much longer than it needs to be to convey just that information there's 449 00:46:28,080 --> 00:46:36,100 a lot of twists and turns to the language and it would be easy for something to be slipped 450 00:46:36,100 --> 00:46:45,400 in here uh to allow for loopholes and other arrangements i feel like a good person to 451 00:46:45,400 --> 00:46:53,840 speak to would be the lodge figure that actually just left what did you say his name was winston 452 00:46:53,840 --> 00:47:01,920 he seemed to be the type involved with legal situations i just got a whiff of something 453 00:47:01,920 --> 00:47:08,220 like that oh you're for sure correct he's very good with the the the legal side of things 454 00:47:08,220 --> 00:47:15,160 it's just that we take our customers relaxation time very seriously they come here to have 455 00:47:15,160 --> 00:47:20,760 a good time and and put work off their shoulders and if they come here and then all of a sudden 456 00:47:20,760 --> 00:47:26,840 i'm asking him to review these documents and things i'm kind of going against you know 457 00:47:26,840 --> 00:47:34,960 what this place is for which is to leave work outside the door but he winked at you they 458 00:47:34,960 --> 00:47:42,440 they do they wink quite often um but it's it's it's just a little a quirk of theirs 459 00:47:42,440 --> 00:47:54,440 are you married to winston oh no this is this is my husband here and he hello this may be 460 00:47:54,440 --> 00:48:00,800 awkward i'm done with this part of the conversation okay that's that's fine uh well what do you 461 00:48:00,800 --> 00:48:06,920 think should we sign it or or or what i think you should ask if you can speak to a representative 462 00:48:06,920 --> 00:48:13,920 so that they can further clarify some misunderstood notions and that you yourself would like to 463 00:48:13,920 --> 00:48:19,320 have a legal representative to make sure you are represented in the way that you would 464 00:48:19,320 --> 00:48:29,280 like to be if they fail to do so they're trying to how do you say fuck you oh not like that 465 00:48:29,280 --> 00:48:36,400 you're afraid to use the language you want uh but i it's very a little crass for my taste 466 00:48:36,400 --> 00:48:46,840 that's all um all right well we'll we'll consult with somebody that's okay uh you know just 467 00:48:46,840 --> 00:48:57,240 i don't know if we could use the help so i figured we'd we'd try what would you like 468 00:48:57,240 --> 00:49:03,760 well they're offering a significant amount of money for this info so i might might be 469 00:49:03,760 --> 00:49:10,680 concerned how badly do you need the money how much are they offering you they they're 470 00:49:10,680 --> 00:49:19,360 offering 10 000 credits at first and then there's a contracted fee for more a month 471 00:49:19,360 --> 00:49:25,160 is there a role or anything that apex could make to see how bad this would be if they 472 00:49:25,160 --> 00:49:31,040 signed it like what the repercussions could be would you would you make a sense motive 473 00:49:31,040 --> 00:49:41,040 role uh after having read this this contract it's a 21 even though the document is huge 474 00:49:41,040 --> 00:49:50,440 and would take so much time to pour through one thing that seems clear is that if they 475 00:49:50,440 --> 00:49:57,360 were to do this and provide this information and sign this contract it would be it would 476 00:49:57,360 --> 00:50:06,960 be up to set it unmentioned to ever cancel it that power and ability would not be something 477 00:50:06,960 --> 00:50:16,600 that the lodge would have capability of oh hate that uh yeah okay uh apex will mention 478 00:50:16,600 --> 00:50:21,520 that too and say that it would be better if yeah it would be better if they could convince 479 00:50:21,520 --> 00:50:27,480 a representative to come speak to them personally um and apex would be willing to come back 480 00:50:27,480 --> 00:50:33,440 around whenever that figure was coming around and like ready to have that conversation so 481 00:50:33,440 --> 00:50:41,680 that he could be a middle ground or peacekeeper if necessary uh because basically sounds like 482 00:50:41,680 --> 00:50:45,800 they're trying to strong arm them and that like they would have the full agency of like 483 00:50:45,800 --> 00:50:50,120 well this ends because we're done not because like we could drive you into the ground ruin 484 00:50:50,120 --> 00:50:59,640 your reputation and you can be like no ha ha ha nah we don't do that here oh okay i think 485 00:50:59,640 --> 00:51:07,520 i understand um thank you and if you want there's a sauna room uh with your name on 486 00:51:07,520 --> 00:51:17,480 it on the house today um thank you so much for stopping by and and uh switch uh you you 487 00:51:17,480 --> 00:51:27,160 send them my uh love i just think they're so sweet so yeah apex will uh give kailaco 488 00:51:27,160 --> 00:51:33,280 their information and it's like a private little sauna room uh so apex is gonna head 489 00:51:33,280 --> 00:51:41,560 to the sauna room turn the sauna on full blast uh takes his helmet off but in true like movie 490 00:51:41,560 --> 00:51:47,960 fashion as his helmet comes off there's fog in front of it and then you see two glowing 491 00:51:47,960 --> 00:51:57,080 eyes underneath that then blink and get covered in the sauna mist 492 00:51:57,080 --> 00:52:05,480 back in the center of town nim is there any way nim would like to have been spending the 493 00:52:05,480 --> 00:52:14,600 afternoon she for sure was just kind of walking throughout the town and uh taking everything 494 00:52:14,600 --> 00:52:23,800 in she's been here for a minute but they're still trying to get a sense of where they 495 00:52:23,800 --> 00:52:32,080 really are as far as like the climate and also the um kind of the politics of the place 496 00:52:32,080 --> 00:52:40,360 too and how things work so uh they've definitely just been walking and exploring and just things 497 00:52:40,360 --> 00:52:47,920 that i feel like chris wouldn't necessarily let them do oh and you know just as far as 498 00:52:47,920 --> 00:52:58,200 like protection goes everything seems vaguely familiar in a way the way that people walk 499 00:52:58,200 --> 00:53:05,800 with purpose to their destinations uh the way some people hold each other's hands as 500 00:53:05,800 --> 00:53:15,720 they uh as they travel things that just have this vague sense of familiarity and comfort 501 00:53:15,720 --> 00:53:23,760 far away on like the outskirts the peripherals of your awareness and your vision there is 502 00:53:23,760 --> 00:53:36,480 something akin to dread anxiety but you can't discover the source of it yet there is something 503 00:53:36,480 --> 00:53:48,360 far away that is boom vibrating almost with this sense of impending consequence and dread 504 00:53:48,360 --> 00:53:55,720 so i think nim is definitely going to kind of follow the sense to see if it gets stronger 505 00:53:55,720 --> 00:54:04,140 as they get closer to it uh as you follow this this course and you start weaving you 506 00:54:04,140 --> 00:54:11,400 notice that you're you're getting further outside of town and closer into the city noise 507 00:54:11,400 --> 00:54:21,200 goes from the low hum of people talking and working and operating about their day to something 508 00:54:21,200 --> 00:54:29,720 more loud and mechanical uh there is the whirr of different of more machines there is the 509 00:54:29,720 --> 00:54:36,040 hammering and buzzing of construction off in the distance there is just more of everything 510 00:54:36,040 --> 00:54:44,000 there's more light the thing that you notice the most as you as you get closer to the city 511 00:54:44,000 --> 00:54:55,280 and following closer to this sense of dread is the appearance of more and more of these 512 00:54:55,280 --> 00:55:04,720 big enormous electronic monitors displaying advertisement after advertisement on loop 513 00:55:04,720 --> 00:55:12,000 uh occasionally it's the one you heard before in town but it's also many others for many 514 00:55:12,000 --> 00:55:19,880 other things there's something that keeps repeating and repeating and repeating and 515 00:55:19,880 --> 00:55:32,520 it is the smallest print of funded by setta unmentioned and that is on almost all of these 516 00:55:32,520 --> 00:55:44,320 little billboards that increase as you leave the town and enter the city grist you are 517 00:55:44,320 --> 00:55:50,680 just about due to get off of work i think as grist got off work there was a period of 518 00:55:50,680 --> 00:55:55,120 time when she was like pushing her janitorial cart like down these hallways like heading 519 00:55:55,120 --> 00:56:00,280 it toward the break lounge to like store everything with the rest of the custodians when all of 520 00:56:00,280 --> 00:56:05,040 the monitors in the hall had flicked over to that commercial that we heard over the 521 00:56:05,040 --> 00:56:09,480 airwaves earlier and when that happened while grist was still alone like in these halls 522 00:56:09,480 --> 00:56:15,560 she had frozen and yanked her head to the side and stared and as the commercial played 523 00:56:15,560 --> 00:56:23,440 especially as i said drift core uh we see just like a pulsation of light flare in the 524 00:56:23,440 --> 00:56:29,160 hits of her colorless dead eyes just kind of go up for a second and like a little bit 525 00:56:29,160 --> 00:56:37,840 of what is that radiance what is that loose sense just sort of like throb for a second 526 00:56:37,840 --> 00:56:44,520 uh through the spider webbing crack like scars across her skin and like her grip tightens 527 00:56:44,520 --> 00:56:50,320 on the handle of the janitorial cart so hard that it cracks the plastic steel uh like it 528 00:56:50,320 --> 00:56:57,640 just she takes a deep breath closes her eyes and like everything just sort of like comes 529 00:56:57,640 --> 00:57:02,720 back down and that faint hum of almost sounds kind of like a tesla coil that had been building 530 00:57:02,720 --> 00:57:11,280 like goes back down and then she puts the cart back back in its stall and now as she's 531 00:57:11,280 --> 00:57:16,520 on the city streets she's got her saddlebag by her side as usual uh sort of rolling a 532 00:57:16,520 --> 00:57:21,200 shoulder out like rolling her neck out from a hard day of just on her hands and knees 533 00:57:21,200 --> 00:57:25,920 scrubbing floors and toilets uh when she i think like freezes on a street corner as 534 00:57:25,920 --> 00:57:31,200 she sees nim definitely in a part of saga that they've never been before and probably 535 00:57:31,200 --> 00:57:39,440 shouldn't be according to according to grist nim oh hello what are you doing here did something 536 00:57:39,440 --> 00:57:46,320 happen no i was just exploring is all it's dangerous out here in the city there are a 537 00:57:46,320 --> 00:57:55,560 lot more people a lot more vehicles a lot more stuff i've noticed but something caught 538 00:57:55,560 --> 00:58:03,160 my attention that was sort of in the air and i've been trying to figure out what it is 539 00:58:03,160 --> 00:58:14,840 but i can't necessarily pen paint it it wasn't grease fumes again was it no it wasn't it 540 00:58:14,840 --> 00:58:24,400 was more of a feeling the best way i can describe it is that it felt like something was pushing 541 00:58:24,400 --> 00:58:34,520 me down into the earth grist takes a poignant pause at that glances around at this packed 542 00:58:34,520 --> 00:58:38,520 street looks at all the monitors with the supplemental messages uh flashing through 543 00:58:38,520 --> 00:58:43,760 the speakers and actually holds out an arm and like toward your shoulders to like sort 544 00:58:43,760 --> 00:58:48,700 of pull you off to a more secluded area maybe like a little crevice or a nook or a cranny 545 00:58:48,700 --> 00:58:53,080 somewhere so we're not just kind of in the middle of broadway uh and we'll you know let 546 00:58:53,080 --> 00:59:03,760 you come we'll not force you yeah she'll definitely follow was this sensation this feeling have 547 00:59:03,760 --> 00:59:16,000 you ever felt it before in different capacities but this is weighted as if there's something 548 00:59:16,000 --> 00:59:31,680 deeper that's going on it was as if i couldn't move almost as if i couldn't keep going forward 549 00:59:31,680 --> 00:59:40,840 in many senses worry knots grist's brow darkens her face a contraction of shadow flits across 550 00:59:40,840 --> 00:59:47,360 her expression and she tentatively reaches out a big calloused scarred hand and like 551 00:59:47,360 --> 00:59:54,000 pauses by your face and like looks at you for permission to touch the side of your cheek 552 00:59:54,000 --> 01:00:04,480 and she places her palm against your cheekbone looking at nim at the noise at the billboards 553 01:00:04,480 --> 01:00:17,560 and within this is not magic at work this is not any sort of magical manipulation at 554 01:00:17,560 --> 01:00:30,240 work this is a different kind of power this is the kind of power that people have uh that 555 01:00:30,240 --> 01:00:45,360 people can wield whether they have magic or not this is the overwhelming amount of wealth 556 01:00:45,360 --> 01:00:54,000 and control that you see as you see the name of the company that you work for with whom 557 01:00:54,000 --> 01:01:01,960 you barely interact with people on the executive level you have not seen a person in a suit 558 01:01:01,960 --> 01:01:12,680 there face to face since the day that you were hired however these names and people 559 01:01:12,680 --> 01:01:24,800 whoever they are all operate under this one name and this one name is suddenly everywhere 560 01:01:24,800 --> 01:01:37,360 and the familiarity of that is what you recognize in nim except for nim it's chaotic and for 561 01:01:37,360 --> 01:01:50,480 you it's personal you sense how familiar that feeling is light flashing through the 562 01:01:50,480 --> 01:02:00,200 scars up their wrists like the serrated fingers of electricity uh really this deep magmatic 563 01:02:00,200 --> 01:02:05,960 red had cracked its way up her skin all the way to her fingers and even though like heat 564 01:02:05,960 --> 01:02:11,000 literally vibrates off the surface of grist's hand it doesn't hurt you at all nim as she's 565 01:02:11,000 --> 01:02:15,320 touching the side of your cheek it feels like a warm like heat pack almost uh and her eyes 566 01:02:15,320 --> 01:02:20,560 had like sort of rolled shut and her eyelids had fluttered closed but toward the end of 567 01:02:20,560 --> 01:02:26,160 that investigation you see these two bright bulbs of light flash through her eyelids like 568 01:02:26,160 --> 01:02:30,920 shining a flashlight through a thin film of flesh and then her eyes flash back open like 569 01:02:30,920 --> 01:02:36,360 the light dies down that like energetic feeling settles back down and she like almost like 570 01:02:36,360 --> 01:02:40,480 snatches her hand back as if burned and like jerks away from you a little bit which i don't 571 01:02:40,480 --> 01:02:50,760 think she's ever done before this did i hurt you no no no never i just this it's happening 572 01:02:50,760 --> 01:03:00,560 it's it's happening again it's just like in crisis just like this time she's the one that 573 01:03:00,560 --> 01:03:09,440 reaches up and puts one of her small hands on your face remember what we talked about 574 01:03:09,440 --> 01:03:18,200 when things get like this yeah you just breathe 575 01:03:18,200 --> 01:03:24,680 and on that deep ragged exhale we see like i think tendrils of smoke and heat that had 576 01:03:24,680 --> 01:03:32,520 started to coil off of her leather vest like settle back down and sizzle back down right 577 01:03:32,520 --> 01:03:46,600 right it's just him this place it's it's got its problems sure it has its ugliness yes 578 01:03:46,600 --> 01:03:57,440 but it's also so beautiful like grain 962 was like other planets in crisis and for it 579 01:03:57,440 --> 01:04:06,280 to happen again here i can't i won't i can't we can't go through it again chaos is beautiful 580 01:04:06,280 --> 01:04:15,200 in some ways but it destroys a lot i mean all that matters is that we still have each 581 01:04:15,200 --> 01:04:23,920 other and that's something that we need to focus on from the mouth of babes i suppose 582 01:04:23,920 --> 01:04:34,240 what ma always said i mean technically i'm not a child but i get what you mean right 583 01:04:34,240 --> 01:04:43,760 yeah and i'm not a older sibling i never had siblings um but nim it's always it's always 584 01:04:43,760 --> 01:04:54,060 the same culprit isn't it it was crassus core back home and here it's it's that and gris 585 01:04:54,060 --> 01:04:59,160 turns her head toward one of the huge billboards flashing the subliminal message of seda and 586 01:04:59,160 --> 01:05:03,600 mentions seda and mentions seda and mentions over and over and over again and you see a 587 01:05:03,600 --> 01:05:13,000 steely set of her jaw she just pins her gaze upon it this is a reminder though that you 588 01:05:13,000 --> 01:05:24,240 cannot carry the world's problems i'm not i just have a specific notch on my shoulder 589 01:05:24,240 --> 01:05:37,680 i need to get out i'm not going anywhere i never let you you know you're the best of 590 01:05:37,680 --> 01:05:42,980 us nim everything i do here everything we do here everything i've ever done ever since 591 01:05:42,980 --> 01:05:50,840 you know it's it's been for you and i know i know you have feelings about that you tell 592 01:05:50,840 --> 01:05:56,160 me my life is worth something you say i'm worth something and i appreciate that nim 593 01:05:56,160 --> 01:06:05,720 and when you say that um she's the best of everyone like um nim is very it's not that 594 01:06:05,720 --> 01:06:12,520 there's nothing there but she's not very expressive but for a split second there's a flash of 595 01:06:12,520 --> 01:06:23,440 something that goes across her face and they look a little confused like why did that just 596 01:06:23,440 --> 01:06:32,640 happen but then they kind of push it down and they sort of continue listening look at 597 01:06:32,640 --> 01:06:39,760 me nim i'm a dead woman walking if i can take out as many of those bastards on my way back 598 01:06:39,760 --> 01:06:49,800 down to the grave i will just don't kill yourself trying to do it right yeah but it's gonna 599 01:06:49,800 --> 01:06:54,160 take a lot more than just you know a couple of shitty guys and suits to take me down you 600 01:06:54,160 --> 01:07:01,240 don't have to worry about that you are very stubborn yes yeah paul always said my stubbornness 601 01:07:01,240 --> 01:07:12,240 is what would keep me alive i uh guess he wasn't wrong uh do um hear them feel them 602 01:07:12,240 --> 01:07:22,120 i mean at all in any way mostly when i try to sleep i do did they say anything to you 603 01:07:22,120 --> 01:07:39,960 about me no they just stand there staring nothing is really sad and i sort of see it 604 01:07:39,960 --> 01:07:52,080 as they aren't ready to say anything yet so that's why i try to be patient all right 605 01:07:52,080 --> 01:08:02,680 right yeah well if they do say anything you'll let me know right of course you have my word 606 01:08:02,680 --> 01:08:08,000 thanks nim oh i picked this up from the concession stand and she reaches into her satchel and 607 01:08:08,000 --> 01:08:15,160 pulls out uh i think it's just a bunch of grapes like on a single thing it's just a 608 01:08:15,160 --> 01:08:22,040 bunch of grapes like raw from the saddlebag it hands it over to you these are grapes yes 609 01:08:22,040 --> 01:08:27,560 it's a fruit and she rolls the word fruit around in her mouth like it's a precious candy 610 01:08:27,560 --> 01:08:35,920 interesting what what exactly does it taste like i don't know i wanted you to have all 611 01:08:35,920 --> 01:08:45,200 of it i i only have had fruit two times thank you yeah you're welcome i hope you like it 612 01:08:45,200 --> 01:08:57,400 better than the french fries i i tend to like sweeter things so i hope i like them too noted 613 01:08:57,400 --> 01:09:02,600 all right let's uh go back home i just have to fix a door something like that just some 614 01:09:02,600 --> 01:09:08,320 extra petty cash okay and she just kind of like takes one of the grapes and just like 615 01:09:08,320 --> 01:09:14,920 puts one in her mouth and she like chews it for a second and she like does like the little 616 01:09:14,920 --> 01:09:23,640 kid thing where she's like this is a weird texture but she keeps eating them as you have 617 01:09:23,640 --> 01:09:32,080 back into town uh you do see that comfort cups uh has one of those almost like you know 618 01:09:32,080 --> 01:09:39,840 uh the the the sheet metal uh that comes down around stores today but it's sort of like 619 01:09:39,840 --> 01:09:48,120 a hologram that has like a little goodbye message and like when the opening times will 620 01:09:48,120 --> 01:09:56,580 be and a sweet little preview of new soups and noodle cups recipes to come it's only 621 01:09:56,580 --> 01:10:04,920 halfway down and you can clearly see that it is askew and not functioning winston after 622 01:10:04,920 --> 01:10:12,560 you left the lodge what were you uh to have done i have the coordinate or they sent me 623 01:10:12,560 --> 01:10:17,080 the information and all the coordinates and stuff to to where uh sebastian was heading 624 01:10:17,080 --> 01:10:23,160 and so i'm heading straight there i am an efficient representative of loran loran and 625 01:10:23,160 --> 01:10:27,440 associates i want to get this done as soon as possible so i can get back to the lodge 626 01:10:27,440 --> 01:10:33,160 as you head back into town sebastian you're heading back into town after work gris and 627 01:10:33,160 --> 01:10:41,520 nim you're back in town ready to work uh for this local soup shop and apex after your time 628 01:10:41,520 --> 01:10:46,720 in the sauna where where might you be headed i think apex is actually just wandering around 629 01:10:46,720 --> 01:10:52,480 trying to think of what those people want out of calico and the company kind of just 630 01:10:52,480 --> 01:10:56,340 like sitting with his thoughts at that point because if like if you like running calculations 631 01:10:56,340 --> 01:11:01,640 and like tests uh on the side then he's kind of just wandering around to see what's going 632 01:11:01,640 --> 01:11:09,000 on at the same time well like processing for now uh because the city most things close 633 01:11:09,000 --> 01:11:15,240 in the in the early evening this laboratory this research facility definitely would be 634 01:11:15,240 --> 01:11:20,360 something that would pique your particular interests uh but it's likely that it's shut 635 01:11:20,360 --> 01:11:28,680 down for the day however it's possible that other businesses in town have gotten similar 636 01:11:28,680 --> 01:11:37,960 uh if not the same contracts if you're following that thread town is a good place to go as 637 01:11:37,960 --> 01:11:45,360 the sun goes down and you all uh arrive in your particular places around town this part 638 01:11:45,360 --> 01:11:54,600 of the neighborhood is quite alive at night uh people are out uh they don't really quite 639 01:11:54,600 --> 01:12:00,040 go back into their homes right after the work day ends uh people tend to especially while 640 01:12:00,040 --> 01:12:08,480 it is this nice out spend some time outside there are these large swats of grassy knoll 641 01:12:08,480 --> 01:12:15,000 between all of the different businesses and uh buildings about and people tend to spend 642 01:12:15,000 --> 01:12:25,120 a lot of time out here after work eating their meals outside even talking playing uh betting 643 01:12:25,120 --> 01:12:38,040 games just decompressing on the end of the day which is what you all do until next session 644 01:12:38,040 --> 01:12:42,880 this episode of the atom list is part one of an in-universe four-part special i was 645 01:12:42,880 --> 01:12:49,840 joined by gabe hicks or gabe james games on socials playing apex connie chung or by connie 646 01:12:49,840 --> 01:12:57,680 chung on socials playing brist brie or brito on socials playing nym christian or the cap 647 01:12:57,680 --> 01:13:03,480 of chris on socials playing winston and matthew ekberg or captain krail on socials playing 648 01:13:03,480 --> 01:13:09,360 sebastian we also had a special appearance by movo o'brien or movo underscore o'brien 649 01:13:09,360 --> 01:13:14,760 on socials from the principal cast of the atom list music and foley sounds were provided 650 01:13:14,760 --> 01:13:20,160 by artlist with the exception of the atomless original tracks by marty eisenberg and i'm 651 01:13:20,160 --> 01:13:25,000 dylan or super dylan on socials and i'm thrilled to be gm'ing this glimpse into the past of 652 01:13:25,000 --> 01:13:31,160 the aesir solar system and playing god in matthew's original universe as always the 653 01:13:31,160 --> 01:13:58,920 next time we fly through the atomless sea i hope you are there to fly with us