The evenings on Saga, just outside Art'Koria, are full of chatter and games and relaxing
outdoors where the earthy smells of the afternoon breeze are replaced by the smells of warm
broth and broiled meats and fried dough.
A drone bot descends upon the city streets, momentarily disrupting the city-wide decompression.
This tiny little honeybee-shaped drone whizzes by as the speakers disguised as its eyes play
the following messages to all who are outside.
Driftcore Travel has opened up the universe in ways we never thought possible.
Like the universe, Saga is expanding and we can't wait to reach new heights with your
help.
Support the expansion of our vertical real estate.
Vote for Mayor Ipskin to help Saga reach the stars.
The drone bot plays this message on repeat as it travels across the grassy knoll, up
and down the city streets, and then eventually flies up high into the sky and whirs away
back in towards the city proper.
Winston, you had a particular destination.
You were headed to the location of Sebastian, the timid filmmaker who is documenting the
wonderful, lovely, beautiful people of Saga.
Yes, I'm looking, first of all, what would Sebastian be referred to as on legal papers?
Mr. Sebastian Chek, but Chek is like C apostrophe KT.
Okay, so yeah, I am on my way to where I was told I could find Mr. Chek.
I need to check.
I need to meet with them promptly to make sure that our partnership is established for
this film before it even gets started because I am tasked with representing their benefactor.
And so you meet up in the town.
What would what would Sebastian be be up to in the early evening when Winston finds them?
Once they got all of the the funding for their like half documentary half fiction, fictionalized
telling of his family story in the morning, I think he might already be like almost guerrilla
shooting getting some people in to be like, tell me about Saga and tell me about the things
just like there's just like a couple who are just walking down his house.
So can I can I can I grab you for a for an interview real quick?
Is that OK?
And then has sets up their little camera and then it's just asking some general questions.
It's all in like he's shooting in black and white for the documentary style things with
like with like the city skyline in the background in this park.
As he's as he's asking, it's all very like it's just him.
He's shooting his own sound and stuff.
So it's just him alone on these on this with his like phone organizing the like big shoots.
But this is just he's just excited.
So it's like I just want to shoot something now.
You one of the people you grabbed off the street met is is her name a very, very short
little Sharon, who just looks sort of like sort of like a little honeybee settles in
in front of the camera a little bit awkward, a little bit timid to be asked these questions.
So you don't have to like like if if every time I ask a question, if it's OK, if you
could repeat the question back to me.
So for example, if I ask like like why are you living on Saga rather than another planet?
You would say the reason why I'm living on Saga is and then answer the question.
You could take a few minutes to answer.
I literally won't take any time any any of your time at all.
I'm just I'm shooting for a for a pseudo documentary thing that I have at the works.
So you say your name if you'd like to say your name, please.
My name is Matt.
Hi, Matt.
It's a it's a it's an honor.
My name is Sebastian.
And so how long have you have you lived on Saga the planet?
Oh, I've lived here my whole life.
Have you did your were your parents from Saga as well?
Or did they move over?
I don't know.
We've been here for ages.
Actually, before credits, I think.
Wow, that's amazing.
So what is what is something about about Saga that like resonates with you?
Like why why why here and nowhere else?
Oh, what's Saga?
What's something about Saga that resonates with me?
It's very simple to live here.
I've I've visited some of I've visited some other places when when I was able to.
And well, there's not many people on a dune and I like people.
And well, there's good people here, so I stay.
Wonderful.
That's actually that's grand.
Actually, that's perfect.
You've been you've been wonderful.
Thank you so much.
It was only it was only there's only two questions I wanted to ask.
Would you mind signing this calls out like a hard light, like small contract thing that
just allows this just this just going to.
Let you allow us to like, you know, have you be in the film?
If you don't sign it, that's OK.
We'll just like we'll be able to blow your face and voice and stuff.
This just allows like whatever the film turns into, you know, you can we can use your image.
Oh, yeah.
No, I like my face.
That's OK.
And she'll sign.
And as she walks off, Winston, you had arrived in time to witness this whole particular filming
and she will leave Sebastian as you are starting to put away the document and like start like
maybe like about to review the footage, I will.
Pad on over.
Mr. Sebastian checked, I presume.
Oh, yeah.
You are the lawyer, right?
Esquire.
Good to meet you.
Finally.
Winston, it's it's it's it's an absolute honor.
Thank you so much.
Like offer a huge part to shake and the paw hasn't has an opposable thumb as bears in
this universe have opposable thumbs.
It takes the bear paw with their mothy with like both hands and shakes it excitedly.
That was quite heartwarming, if I do say so myself.
As this is our first meeting, I think it would be best for us to sit down and discuss the
terms of our relationship.
Yeah.
OK, sure.
Now, that's that's absolutely fine.
Motion motion over to like a bench or something like or something that's nearby.
Yeah, we'll like we'll follow and not because it's still within eye shot.
Won't bother packing their stuff up.
Just like just leave it there and then walk over there.
As an associate of Loran, Loran and Associates Business, Business Law, we were hired by the
marketing company Millennium Multimedia and its holding company, said unmentioned.
I'm here to make sure that you are able to retain the funding that was granted to you
earlier today.
Perfect.
And my favorite guy to see.
Yeah, absolutely.
Sure.
How can we how can we how can I help?
How can I help you?
Like what can we do?
For the purposes of our business relationship, I will also want to let you know before I
go any further, I'm going to have to make sure we're recording every single conversation
as it pertains to your directorial business.
Perfect.
OK, sure.
Sure.
And I will from my pocket procure just a little it looks like a USB, but I press a button
and then it lights up just a soft blue and a little red dot in the middle turns on as
well.
OK, now we are recording just to make sure that everything is up to code tip top shape.
Just really quick, I want to know what your vision for this project is.
So this is a is a is a story that I've been like honing and wanting to make for four years
now.
It's the story of how my great grandfather came from Nuremberg and traveled, but without
the drift and and the struggles that he faced and traveling to Saga to settle here and then
a interspersed with with footage of him making his life here and and Saga welcoming him and
his family and and then the people on Saga and like and like why this planet means so
much to people and the fact that, you know, Sharon back on Nuremberg, we're all we all
share this like big hive mind, but but the people who left, they they broke away from
it and and it's just is kind of about that and the uniqueness that everyone shares.
And even though everyone is so different, that's what brings us together.
And that's what makes us that's that's our shared commonality is is ourselves and how
we are unique and it's going to be half documentary and it's going to be half a nonfiction retelling
of my story.
And yeah, that's that's our as you're as you're explaining this.
Winston's face just gets a little bit more like his brow gets a little bit more furrowed,
like trying to be polite and also smile like smile when when you are particularly emphatic.
But a more quizzical look starts to grow as you continue through.
And when you finish, I will I'm rubbing my my cheek and my chin and nodding along.
Sebastian, did Merrick go through the the contract with you line by line item by item?
No, we just you know, he gave me the funding and I think we talked about it briefly before.
But yeah, we like I've only I've kind of you know, I I didn't I didn't I read it a little
bit.
I skimmed it, you know.
OK, I open up my briefcase.
Let me go through this with you, because as your vision, what a modified vision it is,
I might stand in some conflict with what Millennium Multimedia and SETA Unmentioned might have
had in their vision.
They might be in some conflict and I will be here to guide you through it and navigate
all of that.
So I'll pull up my own data pad and go through line by line, like go to the parts that are
relevant and specifically point out.
All right.
So you say this is about your ancestor who came here came here via non drift travel.
Correct.
Yeah.
So here this this item over here, section forty two B.
It is the understanding that SETA Unmentioned wishes to highlight what the people of SAGA
in particular feel about the vertical real estate program hereby continuing as VREP in
the contract.
OK.
Yeah.
Yeah, no, they did.
They said they said something about me doing some work for that.
I believe Merrick told you that you are to include some of the more positive reactions
to the plate installation.
OK.
Yeah, we can.
We can work that in.
Oh, you know, it's it's not mention this.
Yeah, it's yeah, no, it's just it.
Yeah, no, we can we can make it work.
I mean, it's it's all about saga still and about, you know, people coming here because
of what what we are and what we're doing.
And yeah, absolutely.
No, we can we can we can fit that and scrolling through a little bit more.
And here it says no, you said nonfiction retelling, sort of more dramatized retelling of your
grandfather's story.
Yeah.
There are certain elements that set out on mention wishes to also include in this dramatization.
If you will carefully look at this, they want to avoid any mentions of other planets being
more hospitable than saga.
OK, yeah.
I actually I have, you know, we needed to do another another work around, you know,
like a shoot script anyway.
So that's the I can I that's something that we can we can do.
Yeah, sure.
But it's it's you know, it's I feel I feel to the film.
It's like important that, you know, in the messaging of like nerd noir is this beautiful,
like dual planets that work so well, like, you know, in like in harmony with each other.
But then, you know, the breaking from that is also a beautiful thing.
So it's like it's it's it's kind of like a neutral, you know, like it's not it's important
for the like my granddad story that that is.
I turn off the the data pad and put it back into my briefcase and close it slowly with
the soft but audible click.
Mr. Checked, I can see.
Pretty plainly that you are experiencing some discomfort with this revelation of.
What is included in the contract that you had signed for?
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, there's no no discomfort at all.
Like like, you know, I the the financials that we got.
That's so like that's incredible.
Like I appreciate it so much.
And like, I'm not I'm not uncomfortable with it at all.
That's fine.
Like I I.
Yeah, no, yeah, we can make we can we can do that.
We can make that change.
That's OK.
Yeah, sure.
OK, understood.
And I will turn off the recording.
Mr. Checked, if I may speak frankly off the record here.
This is a very, very airtight contract on the side of Millennium Multimedia.
And it's holding company.
I can understand if this is against what your vision is for your very important project
and production.
I'm merely here to make sure that you are not sued.
If things if your vision does not match with the is in conflict with the vision of the
company.
No, no, no, no, no, it's it's fine.
It's OK.
There's no no discomfort here.
Like I totally I have your I have your back like 100 percent.
And I really I you know, I really do appreciate it.
And like, you know, hey, it's all just a trim in the fat, right?
It's like things that like weren't necessary for it.
And that's why I can I can I can I can I can I can make it work.
A bit of a pained expression just quickly flashes across my face.
And we'll go, OK, if that is your wish to continue forward, I will be here to make sure
that your artistic integrity is in line with the the the vision of Seda on Unmentioned.
But if you for any reason feel discomfort, feel the in conflict, you just let me know
and I'll make sure that you are taken care of.
That is a very personal promise of mine, not any any legal sense of the matter.
Yeah, sure.
No, thank you.
I do appreciate it.
I appreciate it.
I do.
I really do.
I will admit on first blush, I have no idea what goes into filmmaking.
I was just merely assigned this case.
But hearing your vision for this, I myself am a saga native and feel very closely to
this place and want so much for your product to represent who we are.
I actually I have all my stuff set up.
Do you want to do you mind just doing like a little just like a small interview for the
documentary part?
I'm so sorry.
Legally, that would be a good idea.
Legally, that would be a conflict of interest.
Yeah, of course.
Yeah, sure.
But I'm willing to swap some stories over a drink sometime.
Yeah, I mean, you know, there's a lot that happens on this planet.
Everyone has a story.
Of course, of course.
Well, OK, if it's OK with you, I'm going to turn the recording back on.
Yeah, sure.
Absolutely.
I will hit the stick again.
And so this is where Winston Comu Esquire and please state your name.
Sebastian Kajet.
Fully realize our working relationship for the record.
Yes, I do as well.
Now, let's go get that drink.
OK.
Right. Yeah.
Do you want to grab a drink?
Sure.
And at this point, you're most welcome to interview any person that you wish.
There will be a specialist to review the interview just recorded.
This should be fine.
I didn't catch anything that might be untoward the vision of SETA Unmentioned.
Perfect. Yeah, sure.
Absolutely.
Just shoot me like their details and I can send them this.
Would you like would you like a little snack?
Yeah, I'm honestly I haven't eaten since today.
I heard I got the funding and I ran out and I've been talking to people and plan stuff.
Yeah, I actually haven't eaten today.
Do you eat synthetic meats?
Yeah, yeah.
OK, I will open up my briefcase, pull out one of the beef sticks and hand it over to you.
Thank you. Thank you so much.
It takes like a small like a sniff and then like a small like the smallest nibble.
It's like when people say they're trying something, but they really aren't.
And it's like a small bit like it's like a twig.
Like it's it's really hard.
Hmm.
OK, sure. No, great.
And then we'll like start sucking on like a lollipop almost.
Refusing to bite.
Now it's in the evening.
Storyteller, would Comfort Cups be open?
Comfort Cups is open.
Grist, you, as I described at the end of the last episode, the screen will not go up all of the way.
And so what you see is instead of inviting people in to to make their orders and gather their cups of soup, noodles and other warm comfort foods,
you see that they are taking the orders outside and then passing them under this this sheet that comes down to the customers who are there and taking them away.
That is not not the usual practice here.
Normally people are coming in and out and and getting their noodles in comfort.
I do actually if you want more food, I was like an actual meal.
I know this like great noodle shop is not just a couple of blocks from here.
If you want to go, I do love me some noodles.
Right. Sure. I'll buy.
I have all the funds.
That's not like a serious thing.
Like if I'm not allowed to do that, that's fine.
You can tell me that I'm not allowed to like buy it off as a business expense.
Okay, cool.
When I when when we come come to this to Comfort Cups,
does it look like it's the the the doorway is just jammed because of something like blocking it or something?
Can I fix this by using by just being really, really strong?
No, this is a fragile piece of equipment.
If you were to use brute strength on it, it would probably break more.
Understood.
In fact, I think Grist had been been asked to go there because of this particular issue,
because this is one of the older businesses in town and one of the very few in which they are willing to both take and pay in old money,
physical money rather than digital credits.
One of the two chefs that run this noodle shop, Jimet is outside.
Jimet being a younger isoki gentleman who's kind of tall and and very proper looking.
And he is doing like the the leaning down under and and handing out the bowls as you approach.
He's taken this up because you grist would know that the other chef kit, she's much older.
She can't be doing this type of of of leaning down.
So she's likely in the kitchen just ladling out the noodles and passing them underway.
But you can't see her at this time as she's behind the the screen that is halfway halfway open.
But Jimet is is out there.
Grist is still walking side by side next to him, standing rather protectively next to them as they approach comfort cups.
They turn to him and they say this probably won't take too long.
OK, take your time.
All right, of course. And they're probably going to try to offer me some food as well as payment.
Is there anything you would like? They have all kinds of incredible noodle ease.
No, I'm OK. I'm making my way through these grapes.
Are you sure? I know you haven't tried ramen before.
Ramen as in noodles.
Yes, new noodles. Yes, noodles.
I mean, it wouldn't hurt to try, maybe.
All right, then I will ask for a pork tonkatsu pork tonkatsu.
OK. It's very delicious.
I had it once. OK, I trust you.
Grist nods at a flicker of a smile cuts across her tusks. She turns and approaches the half shuttered shop.
Jimet, good evening.
Oh, I'm so delighted to see you.
You got our message about the screen. It's broken again.
Yes. Well, nothing a little bit of mill grease can't fix.
Well, yes, I hate to keep bothering this you with this particular issue.
It seems to be happening more and more frequently.
And well, you're the most reliable in town for certain.
Yes. Well, the new new new dolls you make are delicious. I have to pay back the favor somehow.
Well, of course, we will pay you. But also, I assume you want some food as well.
Honestly, just two bowls of your finest and that'll be all that's necessary.
I just got off from work and they paid me today. So.
Perfect. We will be paying you.
But yes, so I believe it's just there and he'll kind of point to one of two mechanisms on either side that is responsible for lowering and lifting.
And that one seems to be lit up and functioning. And the other has a sort of glitching light that is not fully functioning.
All right. And grist will approach the glitching dysfunctional one.
And I think she's like done similar odd jobs before in her past life, like the barn door might have glitched.
She had to just something a few times and like tighten a couple of screws and whatnot, put the washer back on, figure out what's wrong with it.
So she approaches and reaches into her pouch again and starts pulling out some basic tools, just like regular lesbian handyman tools, you know, like attached to her hip with a carabiner, you know, carabiner.
And she starts going at it. You're able to do this without issue.
It takes you a little bit of time to get it right. As you are working, you are seeing the cups and bowls being passed underway to the passersby.
They are not the only food location in town, certainly, but they're the oldest and certainly maybe the most beloved.
So they are certainly passing out food to most people here.
And after a while, you finally, you know, make that very last adjustment and the screen just inside the the other half of this establishment, who is mole looking like sort of closed eyes
with a little shawl wrapped around her head, who already has two cups ready packaged as to goes and ready to hand them to you as you come down from your ladder.
She approaches you and without opening those eyes, just kind of knows that you're there. And thank you so much.
Two soups. And if you if you just go to Jim it, I'll get you paid.
Oh, please don't worry about the payment. Just two two bowls is fine, kid.
I would push you on it. But truth be told, this has gotten stuck quite often recently.
And I I do. I do have to accept that offer.
Of course, of course. Anything for anything for the shop.
And as grist interacts with Kit and Jim it she takes on a kind of like almost like shy or like almost like a like a schoolboy or like a like a big powerful like farmer right who's kind of like hunched their shoulders over and is like amicously talking to their parents kind of like position that she's got her like feet pointed inward her shoulders and sort of square and hunched in.
And she's like sort of touching the tip of one tusk fiddling with it and almost like a nervous tick.
Right. Yeah, no worry. Just as long as you feed us and be more than happy to unjam that door anytime.
You know that it's my pride and joy to feed the people of this town.
Yeah. And as you know, I've never had noodles before coming here and it's it's a joy and a beautiful experience every time all the flavors.
How do you even magic?
Oh, it's just good old fashioned cooking.
That's all.
I'm just so used to bread and corn sometimes and meat the occasional egg, but mostly bread.
Well, I don't hate bread.
It's good to dunk in the broth.
Yes, yes, it is.
When we were lucky, we'd have we have soup, we have broth, some stew from leftover bones and all that.
But I'm going on.
I forget myself.
Is there anything else you need?
Any other broken things while I'm here?
A clogged sink, that sort of thing?
It was just the gate for now.
And you do need to relax.
You deserve to have nice things.
Right.
Thank you.
Hope got a line and she'll go back in now that the store is open.
Apex walking through town.
There are plenty of places that could have been hit by this same mysterious contract.
Plenty of businesses that you notice are in need of repairs, upgrades, things that would give them the incentive to sign some sort of contract offering financial help.
Your eyes to one of them, as you see a gate that has been just recently repaired, like click back into place and nearby it.
You see a being that is not a kind of flesh and blood you recognize, Nim, who stands near this building, who seems ethereal and magic in a way that storybook characters are magic.
And of course, also, they happen to be standing next to a business that does not look like it is in its tip top shape.
Looks a little bit worse for wear.
This could be a target.
Yeah, OK, I'm going to investigate.
Walk up nonchalantly with a lack of fear that Apex has and Gabe doesn't share.
And as it's like kind of like walking ahead and glancing around, he looks left, he looks right.
He's kind of trying to make a visual rendition of this place in his mind so that he has some conscious awareness of like his environment as he's moving ahead.
It's like there were people standing right there.
There was like that strange shaped rock that I don't want to trip on that's like three feet to my right.
There is that strange corner where I saw someone walk down like moments before.
So I know that there's two people down there and then heading towards this unfamiliar figure in front of him.
As you're approaching him, she is enraptured with these grapes.
They're definitely still trying to process what they are.
And unfortunately, she's kind of hit the end of the grapevine.
And there's like this tiny little piece of like a stem and there's like one little grape left.
And she like plucks it off and she's like.
And then she puts it in her mouth and then just kind of flicks the stem away and just sort of looks off, starts observing everything around her.
What were you eating, if I may ask?
They're called grapes.
And how did it taste?
Sweet.
Uh, sweet.
There was a lot of liquid.
Like a rabbit?
I wouldn't know.
Was it living when you ate it?
No, it was just an object.
All food is objects.
Yes.
Think about it this way.
An apex like kneels down.
Almost like a frog with how he's squatting so deep.
Anything that you eat is an object that you ate, is an object, an object if it's not living.
I'm curious about grapes.
I mean, in my opinion, things can still be objects after they cease to exist.
I've seen them actually in other realms.
In what?
And he leans in like three more inches.
And she kind of just...
I don't know how to exactly explain this, but when I sleep I dream of other worlds.
And I see objects in them all the time.
I see people.
I see animals.
I see things.
It honestly depends on how I'm feeling that day.
There's steam coming out between the teeth on the mask.
The way your mind has evolved is interesting.
Is it real?
I think so.
Fun.
Why are you here?
I'm with my...
friend.
Do they also see different worlds?
Not that I know of. I don't think so.
So you're...unique?
I guess so.
Is your family like you? Are you the first?
And her face kind of drops.
I don't have...a family.
I just...I just was.
I just was.
Under his voice, he very softly mumbles...
A progenitor. Interesting.
And then he'll just stand up.
I think as you're turning, if I may, Grist is coming up with two big cups of pork tonkotsu ramen and is in the middle of saying,
Nim, I got us dinner.
Who's this?
I'm Nim. Nim the progenitor. Registered.
I'm sorry, who are you?
I didn't get my name.
I was speaking to Nim. You just did. You said who are you. I do not understand this.
I didn't ask for your name. I asked who you are. What do you want with Nim?
And Grist immediately moves between the two of you.
Like very protectively, flaring her shoulders out, regarding you immediately.
This is just on her face plainly. You don't even need to scan for it. She's looking at you like you're a threat.
A name is not who you are.
I am a thinker.
Her eyes flick to your huge sharp teeth and like the steam rolling off of them.
The mask. He's wearing a helmet.
But at like the painted fangs on the mask and the steam coming off. And she's like holding the ramen sort of back like they're like double shields.
And like flaring her arms out in front of him a little bit.
Are those your grapes? They come in different shapes.
Carious Nim the Progenitor. Oh, this is the other one. Hello, other one.
They're my friend.
Is that who they are or their name?
And Nim looks up to Grist.
Who are you?
I'm no one.
Just a lost ghost.
I can fix that for you.
We are in Articoria City.
Now you are just a ghost.
Definitely one of the weirder people we've met here.
Is there anything we can help you with? Or were you just on your way?
We were talking about grapes.
We were grapes in different planes of existence and dreams and being-
Dreams? You told this person about your dreams?
Not in particular detail or anything. Just what I see sometimes.
Is that wrong? Ghost?
I don't control Nim or what they do or say.
But I do look out for them. So if you have any kind of nefarious intention, I've got my eye on you.
You are an assumptive ghost because you assume threat from a physical appearance and impression.
I have not shown you any hostility. You have simply shown potentially reasonable fear, which is a good evolutionary aspect of self-preservation.
And I take no offense to, but simply want you to be aware.
Ghost.
Grist's eyebrows nod and they blink at you. And it's very clear they understood like 50% of the words.
In what you just said, you even looking at her face, you get the sense of like, is she even literate?
She's just sort of like blinking at you like she didn't really understand any of the vocabulary and goes, yeah, up yours too.
Hmm.
I have no offices on my suit.
Everyone's got holes.
I think at this point, Sebastian and Winston, you walking over towards comfort cups.
You had reached this this area. The crowd that had formed as soon as the gate lifted up has finally started to to dwindle down. And now there's a more reasonable line outside.
The chefs are both working very, very well in tandem with each other. You can tell that the both of them have done this probably their entire adult lives.
This shop is like a breathing thing in the way that they are serving customers and cooking and just outside the shop.
A small cluster of individuals are are having a conversation that does not look hostile, but tense.
I think in mid middle of the conversation, it's just Winston talking to Sebastian.
At most, what you can do is have a depiction of an unsure opinion as long as it is sandwiched by a neutral or positive opinion of the V rep.
So that's how you would get. I recognize that fellow.
Hello. Hi. And I'll motion over to to apex. I wink at you.
Hello. Sorry. I recognize you. I just want to check in and say, how did you like the hospitality over at the hide and seek lodge?
Can I go back to that was propositioning marriage? That is very interesting. Well, sorry, I forgot to introduce myself on our first meeting.
My name is Winston Komu Esquire. That makes sense. And this is my business associate now, Sebastian Shack.
As you go to gesture to Sebastian, Sebastian is about 10 foot back, just like with a small camera filming the shop and the line and outside and like the energy of the shop.
And as you're like Sebastian, he's like, oh, it puts it away and I kind of hi, hi, hi.
How's it going? This is ghost and.
And he doesn't say names name and then looks at Chris.
Chris looks at him. We'll let him decide whether or not they want to introduce themselves.
My name is no. Well, it is good to meet you, little one.
And big one as well. Good to meet you, Nim and ghost. And I'm sorry, your name, my friend.
My name is one that's easy. I am a tax.
Well, good to meet you, a tax. We're about to go get some new to have any recommendations.
I do not believe I've been to this establishment before.
The group.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Saga is known for its McRibs, actually. Hey, you know what?
Maybe Winston heard whatever Winston needed to hear.
Well, that's how a McRib sounds quite delicious.
I'll turn over to turn back over to Sebastian and just and just say, I'm going to fall into line.
If you want to interview these wonderful people around, I believe that would be very wonderful as a representation of the saga peoples.
And I will go pad over to the line.
Hey, gang, I'm making a documentary just like about saga and its people and the city, the planet, how everyone is connected.
Do you mind doing like a short interview, asking some questions? If you do, I'll get you like I'll buy you dinner.
Gris, this entire time looks like a cornered animal. Like this is the most most amount of social interaction they've had in probably years.
They like go out of their way to avoid people.
So like this with NIM, Apex and these two brand new people, like she's kind of even though she's big, she's like kind of frozen there like a statue in her eyes are darting left to right, left to right, left to right.
And when Sebastian brings it up, she like opens her mouth to say something, the tusks gleaming and then just like snaps it shut.
Like she she's like a fish out of water, has no idea how to respond.
Don't have to, obviously, no one has to do anything.
But if you want a free meal, I can get you that.
Perfect. Grat, yeah, just step out of line for a second.
Kind of puts their camera in the middle of the air.
And then again, this hard light tripod just like shoots into the ground, holding it in place.
They like figure out the shot for a second and then like holding their hand out and focus.
OK, so whenever I ask a question, you just need to like say the question back to me and then answer.
It just makes it easier for like editing and stuff.
So first of all, what's your name?
Apex Ezekiel Calculus 1394.
Perfect. Calculus is the specification of Nevermind, that's separate.
My name is, I didn't say the question, my name is Apex Ezekiel Calculus 1934.
Perfect. Incredible.
OK, what is.
How long have you been on Saga?
Can I ask a counter question?
Yeah, absolutely.
How do you track time?
I think most people would use like old and Earth time.
That's how I think the Galactic Council uses it.
So you can just do Earth time, that's fine.
Hmm.
Twelve years.
What's your favorite thing about this planet?
What brings you here and what do you feel connects you to here?
My favorite thing about Saga is that the people here are evolutionary anomalies.
They seem to have grown less for self-preservation and more for happiness.
That entertains me.
And it makes me think.
I like to think.
I think.
It's clearly happy with the answer, Sebastian Nodson goes to turn off the camera and then just they do.
They're like, oh, the vertical expansion, building homes so more people can experience the planet.
How do you feel about that?
I feel like building more homes for more people is foolish because they're building homes before they have acclimated to feeding and giving these people the safety they need.
If you give someone a home next to a reef of sharks, you know they're going to get eaten.
Um.
Looks over toward the back of the line where Winston stands.
Yeah.
Have you ever been eaten?
Have I been eaten? No, no, no.
Hmm.
That's fair.
It makes kind of like does that like like looking up and down thing a little bit.
Yeah.
Boney, have you been afraid while being on Saga?
I mean, everyone's afraid sometimes.
That's not true.
Fear is a response that has been implanted in many, but fear is not innate.
Fear is learned.
What was your name?
Sebastian.
It's nice to meet you, Sebastian.
Uh, Grist, as soon as Apex had said the thing about the reef of sharks, had like sort of immediately jerked her head over to Apex and is looking at them in a completely different way from before, before she had been regarding them as a threat.
Now there's almost like a glimmer of respect in her eyes at what they said. Like she's, she's agreeing with what Apex is saying and kind of like cuts in crudely in the middle of social interaction with like no, has no idea about social cues or anything like that and just says,
I don't trust whatever rich people do.
So if it's rich people building that thing, I don't trust it.
Rich people taste bad.
Do you like, do you like Saga though? Do you think it's like, how long have you been here?
Three years.
Do you like it? Have you, have you, what's like, what's the thing that really resonates with you about, about the planet?
Saga, Saga is, has a lot of things inside of it.
There are cities and there are people and animals and plants all on the same planet.
And she's saying that like that's like a new and unique piece of information that she's sharing with everyone.
There's water here and earth at the same time.
I've never seen anything like that before. It's pretty.
I don't mind it here.
There are also deep, anxious feelings here.
I don't know where they come from, but they're here.
How long have you been here?
The same time as my ghost friend.
Grist. My name is Grist.
Did you, did you fly here together then?
Grist kind of shrinks back at that, like you had said something deeply insulting, even though it was just a completely normal question.
And she like looks at you, kind of glaring at you with those dead hollow eyes.
No, we did not fly here.
Have you, have you found home here?
Huh.
Saga's beautiful. It's special.
Maybe one day it can be home.
Your friend is taking a long time.
Soup is, is it not just crushed grapes made from grape animals put in bowl?
There is grape soup?
I think I've misunderstood something.
Oh.
I think, I think it would be reasonable for Winston to have, have achieved soup and come over to this.
Mind you, Winston, a disaster of an interview.
I, I, I did not over here.
I think it's, I've come with a tray of various sizes of soups and, and app, and like appies, like maybe gyoza and just, yeah.
If it, I am back.
They didn't have any McRibs. I guess they were out.
Here, I have taken it upon myself to get a little something, something for everyone here.
Here's a little one. Here's a medium one. Here's a big one.
And here's one for me and Sebastian to share with the whole like three bear situation in here.
How did the interviews go?
Yeah, we got, we got some great, we got some great stuff.
Absolutely use, use a lot of it.
So glad to hear.
Do we want to, we want to grab a, are we sat or are we stood?
So there are, there are benches and tables that are set out like outside on the grass out front of the shop.
There is also people who like make little like picnic areas out on the grass as well.
And, and there are standing tops. So there could be any number of places you could be nearby the shop.
Yeah, let's go, let's go. Let's go have a seat. Let's, let's eat.
I will look around to see if there's a chair that can suit my size.
And if there's, if there is one, I will, I will sit, but I will not, I will, I will stand if there, if I have to be seated on the ground.
I do not want to mess up the suit that was paid for by the company.
I, I want you to know that it would never occur that that comfort cups would allow for a portion of their clientele to not have seating options.
They are, Kit in particular is extremely determined to have different seating sizes here so that everyone in the neighborhood can come and eat outside.
In fact, you do notice that now that the rush has fully died down and there isn't the need for them to constantly be serving,
the two of them sit just outside the shop and sort of observe the town all eating their, the food that they've provided because that is really what they're doing this for.
This is so good.
What's the bowl made out of?
What is the what made out of?
Bowl.
Oh, it's, it's like a ceramic.
Oh, okay.
Using the evolutionist abilities, adaptive strike, I can switch parts of my body to align with certain elements, including acid.
So Apex is going to like raise his head and the mask, like the teeth part like opens up like mechanically open up by like four inches wide, and then he just pours the soup in.
And as steam comes out, you see probably what looks a bit like a green mist as he's generating acid in his mouth, and he puts the bowl in there too as
Oh my hungry fellow.
Grist immediately tries to bite her bowl like she thinks this is how you're supposed to eat it, like she like moves in and bites on the edge of the ceramic.
It's exceptionally hard and would hurt a little to do that.
Good effort.
So, tell me about yourself. What is, you know, you said you'd share some stories and what's what's your whole deal?
Like what's, how did you get into this? Have you lived here long? All that stuff.
I've spent my whole life on Saga and come to the city, Artacoria, for professional, for professional reasons, business reasons.
You see, as an uplifted bear, I am particularly skilled at processing information, and we found that it's very easy for myself to pass through legalese.
And there was a firm here that was hiring, and I signed up and I've been with the with them for about 10 years since.
Oh, is this a first like film thing? Do you do film stuff a lot?
The most I do with films is watch them.
Grist looks sideways at Sebastian as she's slurping her soup normally now just sort of.
Why are you making this film?
It's so it's kind of like half documentary and like half nonfiction about my my great grandfather coming over from Nerd Noir into it.
No, I mean, why?
This place is my home. This is a beautiful city and everyone has lived so much and done so many things.
The trip travel has just been made and we have to build a plate to house more people.
This is. There is safety here, this home, that it's everyone you meet.
Is an individual who's willing to give you the time of day and and help you out.
Look at us. Look, I've never met anyone at this table before just now and we're willing to help each other and we're all here.
That's what soccer is all about. It's about togetherness and helping and no one is better than anyone else.
No matter what your background, you can make a home here.
That's what my great granddad knew. And that's what my granddad knew.
That's what my grandmother knew. That's what my parents knew.
That's what my brothers and sisters know. That's what I know is.
This place is the greatest place in all of Yggdrasil.
It's it's home to everyone. I love it so, so much.
And I think I think it can be scary and I think that fear enraptures everyone.
But I think that fear can burn away as soon as you speak to someone.
You can go to any bar and make a new best friend. And it's it's it's the best.
I want to want to show people why it's the best.
You're telling a saga of saga. Yeah, exactly.
I want to show the saga of saga. I wipe away a tear.
Sebastian, I don't mean this in a malicious way, but I believe that is a very ignorant view of things.
How? Why? How so?
The issues that don't affect you are ones that you don't see, but there is an entire other side of saga that people neglect
because they have this view of the world that they refuse to let go of.
And because of that, people suffer and people are forgotten.
So saying all of these things about saga.
Yes, there is beauty in this world.
However, you must not neglect the bad and just how bad it is.
Aren't you being naive and assuming that's what they're doing?
If you have not seen the presentation and this is the first interaction, their joy does not belittle your grief.
In some ways it does.
That is you inflecting your desires on a stranger.
It's easier to do that on a friend.
Not necessarily.
I've been in existence for eons.
I've studied the ways of people, their interactions with each other, and specifically the empathy that comes with being people.
It's something that I have been trying to understand for years.
It's something that a lot of people lack.
Even though they want to put on a presentation of being empathetic, they truly aren't.
And I'm not saying that Sebastian, you're a bad person.
However, I think you need to think about the direction of your...
How is it called?
Film.
Your film.
But you said it yourself.
You see empathy from people all the time, all over the place.
I don't know the experience of eons, but is that not what we should focus on?
That's what's connecting us.
That is showing that people have this great empathy for each other.
It doesn't matter how much one person is suffering, or how two different people are suffering, chances are they'll probably help each other.
And yeah, you know what, you're right.
A lot of people are forgotten.
That's why I want to make this about the people of Saga and the things they go through and show and allow their stories to be told so they're not forgotten.
Their struggles still exist in the world, in the universe, but their story will be held and it will be theirs and true.
And that empathy, that's what's real.
That's what matters.
Corporations will come and go, but the ripples of kindness we show each other, that is infinite.
That lasts forever.
Winston, you get a message from Marek that says, not loving this footage so far.
We're going to need some explicitly positive statements.
Kit approaches from behind having eavesdropped, not intentionally, she's just got great ears.
And gives a little scramble to Sebastian's little furry moth tufts and is just like, I wouldn't mind talking in your documentary.
Oh, Kit, yes, I would love, I would love, I would love to have that.
So again, I'm just going to leave the table for one second.
Make sure you remember to talk positively about the V-Rep.
Well, it's whatever, you know, it's whatever view they have.
Of course, of course, of course.
Yes. Yep. Let's have an interview. Let's do it.
Grist, you got caught up in the passion of this conversation that it takes a minute for you to recognize that there's just a small pit in the center of you.
This feeling, a gut feeling.
Nim, for you, that feeling that you felt as you were approaching the noise of the city, that impending feeling that something was coming, something familiar and dreadful and chaotic.
Come back, but this time it doesn't feel so chaotic.
It feels pinpointed.
It is if you feel the next few minutes happen before they actually occur.
Just then, after Nim, you feel this happen in your heart is when you watch it happen in real time.
The drone bee from earlier in the evening comes back around and the entire town turns to pay attention to it, to watch.
As this time, the bee does not play an advertisement or anything. It simply has a scrolling bit of text that appears in like an LED sort of display that trails behind it as it makes its way through the hushed quiet town.
And what it says as it goes by on real, on watch, is that Mayor Ipsken, formerly CEO of SETA Unmentioned, re-elected.
And it goes around and around and around.
It's like it's going through the walls throughout town. The word former CEO Apex is what sticks in your craw.
It is a formality. That person likely still has that kind of power.
They're just no longer in the face.
Nim, to you, the combination of politics and the one overarching financial conglomerate was and is a foreboding gong that resonates throughout all of the many voices that are within you.
Grist, you didn't envision it before it happened, but after it does, that begins to sink in as well for you.
And Winston, you know the bullshit.
You know that the CEO, former CEO, still has power.
And Sebastian, likely doesn't mean much to you on a personal level as you turn back to continue your interview with a sweet and worried shopkeep.
Thank you for turning into this very special episode of the Atom List.
This is part two in a four part series called Saga. It takes place in the past in our main campaign's canon universe.
That campaign will be back in two more episodes with Matt back in the GM seat.
Thank you again, Matt, for letting me steal your show.
This episode of Saga featured Matthew Eckberg, aka Captain Krayle on socials playing Sebastian, Christian, aka Kappa Chris playing Winston Komu, Brie, aka Brie Doe on socials playing Nim, Gabe Hicks or Gabe James Games on socials playing Apex, and Connie Chung or Bye Connie Chung on socials playing Grist.
We also had another special appearance by Momo O'Brien, aka Momo underscore O'Brien on socials doing our advertisement.
Head to our socials if you want to see the artwork of these characters done by Andre Rivera Art, Andre Rivera dot art for their portfolio if you'd like to check it out.
And you can see that and more on our Patreon at the Atom List where you can support us and get sneak peeks early content.
Also, big supporters. Thank you so much to Daniel Neruda, Noah and Sonny420 for supporting us so much and keeping this show going.
Really appreciate you and all of the other people who have supported us on Patreon so far.