0:06

Int request created by Michael

0:08

Freiberg, a production of iHeartRadio

0:11

and Astro Media. Listen with headphones

0:13

for three D audio. Winds

0:26

approaching gale force, feed pressure,

0:29

rising sandstorm imminence.

0:39

We have to keep going. It's the last leg

0:41

of the journey. We can reach the lighthouse

0:43

at the desert end to drop off the satellite dish

0:45

by nightfall, assuming we find a way

0:47

to fix it. Either

0:51

we're completely exposed to the elements. If

0:53

we can trap in the sandstorm, we'll be defenseless

0:56

against an endless torrent of high velocity

0:58

rock and debris. Highly advise

1:00

me to immediate shelter. Storm

1:04

coming serious feeling balls.

1:08

But we're so close to reaching the seaport,

1:11

to delivering the satellite dish, to completing

1:13

the mission. I'd

1:16

find nothing more satisfying than delivering

1:18

the satellite dish and completing the agency's mission.

1:20

However, giving current conditions, continuing

1:23

onward puts us at a risk of losing everything.

1:26

The best course of action is defined it enclosure

1:28

suitable for overnight rest and resume

1:30

our journey in the morning. Once weather patterns of normalized

1:35

logo right shield

1:37

from storm.

1:40

All right, looks like there's an end

1:43

nearby. We could stay there until the storm's

1:45

passed, then pick up again tomorrow the

1:59

front desk. Let

2:01

me do the talking, real

2:05

shiny. We

2:09

welcome to the desert end, the

2:12

last inn at the end of the Azrael

2:14

Desert. How can I help

2:16

you? Three bells?

2:19

Serious? Please refrain from ringing

2:22

the bell. I'm standing right

2:24

before you. We'd

2:26

like a room for the night. I'm sorry,

2:29

no rooms available. Oh,

2:33

no rooms. But there's gonna be a sandstorm.

2:35

We need someone to stay. Unfortunately,

2:38

nothing I can do now.

2:41

If you'll excuse me, I have

2:43

guests to attend to. Please

2:45

exit out the end, no inn.

2:49

How are you crazy? You can't

2:51

send us back out there. I won't go, I won't

2:55

Please. We have nowhere else to go. You

2:57

have to help us. There

3:01

is one vacancy.

3:04

We'll take it, but it's

3:06

not n arm. Why not in

3:09

policy? Please?

3:13

If I were traveling alone, I wouldn't even bother to

3:15

ask. But my partners. Look

3:18

at them. One's all bulk and brawn out

3:20

in the sands, he'd sink like a stone, and

3:24

the other is nothing but skin and bones. He'll

3:26

blow in a light breeze. Let alone a sandstorm.

3:29

I'm aerodynamic to a fault. These

3:31

two are goners on the outside. I'm not

3:33

asking you to help me, I'm asking you to help them.

3:36

Please have a heart well,

3:40

seeing as you all have no other

3:43

option, and given how I

3:45

pitied you three from the moment you walked

3:48

inside, I suppose

3:51

I could make an exception. This

3:54

one's thank you, But

3:57

I must warn you stay

4:00

in the room at your own Read

4:04

the last guest who checked it, never

4:07

checked out, never checked

4:10

out. O

4:14

go serious sandstorm.

4:17

Remember we

4:19

appreciate the warning, but we'll take our chances

4:22

with the room, Room five o

4:25

five. And don't forget

4:28

enjoy your stay in the desert d

4:50

This is it, room

4:53

five o five. Nothing

4:56

left but go in a

5:00

Maybe the sandstorm isn't so bad. Violent

5:03

winds, low visibility, serrated

5:05

projectiles could be refreshing.

5:10

Don't be goobers. It's one night's

5:12

stay in an ordinary old room. Large

5:22

bed, closet, window,

5:25

writing desk, with various knickknacks, bookcase,

5:28

cabinets, grandfather clock, even a

5:30

fireplace. How hospitable. See

5:34

just a room. Nothing to be scared

5:37

of. On bed

5:40

chocolate it's candy. Serious,

5:42

Wait, don't eat that candy. We

5:45

should ration it. There's still the remaining

5:48

part of our journey ahead of us, and who knows if we'll

5:50

find ourselves in some dire situation in

5:52

desperate need of that chocolate decadence.

5:54

It must be preserved in case of absolute

5:56

emergency, right either, sure,

6:00

whatever, Now,

6:03

you two quit your bickering. It's

6:05

time we rest and recharge before the final stretch

6:07

of our journey. Serious,

6:12

get out of that closet. It's probably full

6:15

of dust and debris, precisely what we're

6:17

trying to avoid out in the sandstorm to begin with.

6:21

Look, what's serious? Find white

6:24

coat? Good?

6:28

If fits like you ate the sad sacket belonged

6:30

to and are now wearing their coat as a girdle,

6:34

fit's great? M did

6:39

it belong to? What

6:41

if the white coat was property of the last

6:43

guest who never checked out? Look Emblazoned

6:46

in gold thread on the coat's left breast pocket

6:48

the letter d well.

6:52

No use wasting energy trying to solve this mystery.

6:54

Besides, the beds looking pretty

6:56

comfy right about now? Left

6:59

side, right

7:02

side, I

7:05

call the bed's middle Finally,

7:12

good night's sleep. Eat

7:15

their logo serious, sandlich

7:19

Serious? Would you mind shifting over? I feel

7:22

your rather bulbous knee protruding into

7:24

my section of the bed. Serious,

7:26

no touch logo side if everything

7:29

logo touch serious side? Ah,

7:32

you too. It's one night's stay

7:34

and a big bed. Make it work.

7:37

Go to sleep. The

7:41

only thing left is to put out the

7:43

gas. Laugh on the night's day. Now

7:49

close your eyes, let the quiet

7:51

carry you off to sleep. Ninety

7:54

nine, Good

7:57

night, M

8:17

serious? What is it? What if room

8:19

haunted by ghost of last guest? Nonsense?

8:22

There's absolutely no scientific evidence

8:25

that ghosts exist. Right either, Right

8:28

now, both of you go to sleep.

8:31

M that

8:55

buzzing. I can't take it, agreed.

8:57

What's making that noise? Something

9:00

like phantom cry of glows? You

9:04

think it's a beatle?

9:09

No good beetle? Sneak to room? Wake?

9:12

Serious up? Stare with buzz?

9:18

Serious, no burner live my

9:20

legal fast? Serious?

9:24

Serious

9:35

hurt someone where

9:39

bees will go? It's landed

9:41

on the dresser by me. Serious. This

9:44

is knowing that serious?

9:48

I said, careful enough, this

9:51

is unacceptable. Where

9:57

to go? M serious?

10:02

Wide, here's

10:10

the bookcase and the books. Oh,

10:19

let's collect the books and clean up the broken shells

10:21

before we get thrown out for trash in the place. There

10:27

are some really fascinating reads. Here

10:30

the Anatomy of Melancholy,

10:35

Dialectics on the Nature of Pain.

10:39

Oh, and looky here Treatments

10:41

and trempid Nations for cognitive maladies.

10:44

All medical texts. Interesting

10:47

right, No, behind the bookcase,

10:50

there's something hidden in the wall. Serious,

10:52

help me clear a path. It's

11:04

a safe safe what's

11:07

a safe doing concealed in the wall? The

11:09

innkeeper alluded to the room being vacant

11:11

for some time. I wonder what's inside.

11:13

Could be anything like mountain

11:16

of chocolate or a rare

11:18

addition book, maybe even a treasure

11:20

of black apples, enough to buy our way

11:22

back to imperiod clot

11:29

serious break unlikely. The

11:32

safe door appears to be made of impenetrable

11:34

black stone. Logo.

11:36

Can you open it? It's

11:39

a combination lock and dial mechanism

11:41

requiring a three digit numeric code to access

11:43

two complex to solved by trial and error alone.

11:46

For now, I'm afraid it's a dead end. A

11:55

beetle A serious

11:59

no, sounds

12:02

like we'll be up for a while. I'll

12:05

get the fireplace started, by

12:08

the way, serious, Chasing after a beetle

12:11

is not the way to catch it. You have to let the

12:13

beetle come to you to

12:16

catch our intruder. All we need is a simple

12:18

box and stick contraption. I'll show you. Let's

12:22

see what's around the room. On

12:24

the desk, an ice pick and bucket. The

12:29

ice picks, rusty and covered in red

12:32

specks, shouldn't be an issue

12:34

so serious. What I need to do

12:37

is first remove the ice bucket lid and oh

12:41

there's a bottle inside Miracle

12:44

tonic herbal anesthetic for natural pain relief.

12:47

Take orally, do not exceed one droplet. It's

12:50

empty, into the trash. It goes, as

12:54

I was saying. After removing the lid, I

12:56

chased the upturned bucket on the desk,

12:59

propping it up from the inside and leaning

13:01

against the rusty ice pick,

13:04

thereby creating a small opening in one

13:06

side of the otherwise sealed bucket brim.

13:09

To complete the trap just requires

13:11

bait. Serious the

13:14

chocolate candy, Please serious

13:17

chocolate. It's essential to catch

13:19

the beetle. But I assure you it's

13:22

only a decoy, wha

13:32

a fully functional homemade box and

13:34

stick beetlecatcher. The chocolate's odor

13:36

will first lower the beetle to the desk containing

13:38

the trap. Once the beetle reaches the ice buckets

13:40

perimeter, it will proceed to crawl underneath

13:42

in an attempt to retrieve the bait. In so doing,

13:45

the beetle will inadvertently bump and trigger the

13:47

collapse of the red and ice pick, causing the bucket

13:49

to fall down and seal it within. All

13:51

we have to do now is sit back and wait.

13:56

Let's head of the bat and weight. Then. I

14:04

didn't notice it before, but there's a series of scratch

14:06

marks clawed into the wall beside the bed. Scratches

14:10

made record of the demon beetle

14:12

victims, Black fate of

14:14

Last Room Gaston. It's

14:18

probably nothing, just the scribbles as someone

14:20

who went mad passing the time during a sandstorm.

14:26

So the trap? How

14:28

long do we wait? Any moment

14:30

now, any

14:36

moment, any

14:39

moment now, Marny

14:44

moment now? How

14:48

should we pass the time? We

14:50

could discuss a fascinating study I read on the

14:52

mathematical properties of bacteria colony

14:54

growth rates found in ingrown toenails and serious

14:57

no story time

15:00

slumber? What's

15:03

a story time slumber? We stay up,

15:06

we tell story We are fun

15:11

sure? Serious story time slumber

15:14

sounds agreeable to me. Either

15:17

tell a story? How we meet that

15:20

old story again, Yes,

15:22

again again, I've

15:25

never heard it. Well, all

15:29

right, then, this

15:31

was a long time ago, back when a

15:33

young Serious no more than several years

15:35

old, was living amongst his noble clans. There

15:39

were a clan of nomadic titans who lived off

15:41

the land and found harmony in nature. Fearsome

15:44

warriors, they were believed to be able to harness the flow

15:47

of energy itself. They

15:49

struck fear into the hearts of those who crossed

15:51

them. Really much like Serious,

15:54

they were a group of gentle giants at

15:58

the time. They were crossing through the outskirts of here,

16:00

just beyond the gates of my homeland where I

16:02

grew up. What happened out there on

16:05

that faithful day I will never

16:07

forget. Without warning, out

16:09

of nowhere, a rival group of soldiers

16:11

ambushed Serious clan, a surprise

16:14

attack that lets all out war. Thinking

16:16

back, the whole thing went

16:18

by like a blur. It

16:22

was a shameful affair, a massacre.

16:26

Though Serious side fot valiantly to the end,

16:28

They're outnumbered and outmatched. Wasn't

16:31

a fair fight. Soldiers sent endless

16:34

cohord after Cohord to their death, equipped

16:37

with cannon fire, steel

16:39

armor, no matter how many soldiers they

16:41

lost, more kept coming in their place. Ultimately

16:44

they overwhelmed. The clan slaughtered

16:46

every last one of them. But not Serious

16:49

or not Serious for whatever

16:52

reason, the soldiers spared his life

16:55

a single blessing that cursed

16:57

Dayious

17:00

town, Serious town Okay after

17:02

battle clear Serious stand

17:04

alone, bloody field. Ether

17:07

come from nowhere like like beam

17:10

of light, drop everything,

17:13

Rescue Serious, Take

17:15

Serious home to Imperia, show

17:18

serious love, give

17:21

serious purpose together,

17:24

clan up, brothers, family.

17:29

Oh I wish I could have done more. Ether.

17:35

It sounds like you did everything in your power.

17:38

Besides, it's not like you're at fault,

17:41

of course not Yeah,

17:45

but who were the rival soldiers? Let's

17:48

hold you. It was all blur? And

17:51

what were you doing that day outside the gates of Imperia.

17:53

What I just find it

17:56

rather intriguing is all that the same day

17:58

Serious Is Clan was attacked, you happen

18:00

to see it all unfold from outside the gates,

18:03

And I don't remember. I

18:06

must have been harvesting crops in the high fields or

18:08

something. Still quite

18:10

the coincidence, is it? Not? Ether

18:14

saved Serious life? No

18:17

coincidence, fate

18:19

ha, only wincidence

18:22

here is Serious hand smack logo

18:24

face if keep up big a mouth?

18:31

No the

18:34

trap? Did

18:42

it catch the beetle? I'm

18:44

certain of it, but just

18:46

to make sure, I'll carefully raise one edge

18:48

of the bucket off the desk to look under it and confirm.

18:53

Okay, then no

18:57

beetle, No chocolate,

19:01

Ah dropping

19:03

a work beatles steel serious

19:05

chocolate it escape bucket, serious

19:10

swat beetles serious?

19:25

Are you okay? Haunted

19:30

floorboard trips, serious hurt,

19:32

serious knee tear, serious

19:35

white coat beetle, Get

19:37

away your knee it's bleeding?

19:40

Just scratch logo? Is there anything

19:42

around the bandage them up? I can look, but

19:45

I wouldn't count on anything in this room being sterile?

19:48

Beat crawl under bed and a coward?

19:51

See what

19:55

is that? What

19:57

beneath the bed? I

20:00

freaking just reach it? Forgot

20:04

it? Black

20:08

bag? It's

20:10

a black medical bag. There's

20:13

a golden letter d on matching the one

20:15

on serious coat. What can

20:17

side bag? We're about to find out logo.

20:21

You'll likely be more familiar with its contents. Mind

20:23

taking a look. Sure thing either scalpel,

20:28

razors, stepastoke, gauze.

20:31

This mysterious d figure. The former

20:33

occupant of Room five h five. Must

20:35

have been a doctor. Oh,

20:39

doctor, d hand

20:42

me the gauze. Serious, I'm gonna band it you

20:44

up. Make

20:48

sure to apply pressure. Are

20:53

you sure you're okay? There's a lot of blood

20:55

on the floorboard logo. Is there anything

20:57

else from the bag? We can use? M serious

21:00

strong, heal fast, blood

21:02

on floor dry already? How

21:06

is that possible unless the

21:09

floor was already like that before for

21:13

serious's knee? No? The safe? What

21:16

do you mean? The wall safe utilizes

21:19

a combination lock and dial mechanism, requiring

21:21

three digits to be entered in proper sequential order.

21:24

Behind the dial is a cylindrical spindle that

21:26

operates three parallel wheels. Each wheel

21:28

contains an internal notch belong its circumference

21:30

corresponding to the correct number in the code, with

21:32

the first wheel synchronized with the first number, and

21:34

so on. When all three digits are entered correctly,

21:37

the notches align and the safe unlocks. Notably,

21:39

as the wheels click into position, they emit a faint

21:41

but distinctive sound, normally imperceptible

21:44

to the naked ear. Using the stethoscope,

21:46

I can amplify the volume to listen in and identify

21:48

the correct numbers. That unlock the safe so

21:51

you can crack the code precisely.

21:54

How do you know all of this? Oh, it's

21:57

common knowledge to anyone within an advanced

22:00

understanding gives system security design. Now,

22:02

I'll need you to to be quiet as I listened to the turn

22:04

of the dial through the stethoscope. I'll

22:08

count out the numbers as I go, m

22:11

H five

22:22

zero, keep

22:24

it in five,

22:30

yes, five zero five,

22:32

same as the room number. Genius in its

22:35

simplicity. Now to see

22:37

what's inside the safe? What

22:40

was that? Serious? No,

22:43

don't touch the stethoscope. You

22:50

two settle down. I'll check the safe.

22:56

Ah, there's nothing in here

22:58

but a small locked chest. This is a joke,

23:01

nested safe inside safe.

23:04

Quite the elaborate ruths. I

23:06

have a feeling that inside this chest is the answer

23:09

to what happened here to doctor D before

23:12

checking out. But doctor D didn't

23:14

check out. I'm not talking about from the room.

23:17

Oh. Anyhow,

23:20

the chest requires a key to open another

23:23

dead end for now? Yeah? Serious,

23:26

how's your need doing? Okay? But story

23:29

make me feel better? Story?

23:36

Storytime slumber?

23:41

Okay, okay, story time slumber. Anyone

23:43

have a story to share? Who's next? Ether?

23:46

I'm curious to hear the story of your amulet the

23:48

eye of imperiod. Well,

23:51

that story is not that interesting and I

23:53

went already. Technically you

23:55

only provided a setup. It was serious

23:57

who told the story of how you two met, and I

24:00

really would like to learn more about it. Serious

24:02

also want to hear amulette story.

24:05

But it's story time number

24:09

all right, Fine, what

24:12

do you want to know? For starters? How

24:15

did it come into your possession? It was a

24:17

family heirloom, gifted to me by my mother on my

24:19

name day. I think, at least

24:22

that's what I remember. I was only

24:24

an infant when she passed. When

24:27

she passed down the amulet, I only

24:30

have vague memories of our short time together,

24:32

and I was told she was pregnant with me when she

24:35

began to show signs of umbre came

24:37

on suddenly after my father was taken

24:39

away sentenced to death by the

24:41

mad tyr and Akasha, who ceased control

24:44

over our homeland and mother. She she

24:48

chose to isolate herself as her condition worsens,

24:51

saw less and less of her, and eventually heard

24:53

she passed from complications soon after. It

24:56

all still feels like a bad dream, But I didn't

24:59

know everything she did, she did to protect

25:01

me final

25:04

time together. She gave me her only possession, miss

25:06

Ambulance, the Ivan period. She

25:09

told me it would watch over me. Can

25:11

you say I'm

25:14

sorry either? How

25:17

does it work? And

25:21

is what work? Your ambulant?

25:23

I'm not familiar with the mechanics. How

25:26

does it protect you? I am?

25:30

I don't know, but you must

25:32

have some idea. You've experienced

25:35

its powers, after all. When

25:38

I wear it, I fill her warmth

25:40

around my heart, and her spirit

25:42

alive and my soul and the words

25:44

from the lullaby she would saying, come back, don't

25:47

be sad, don't be blue.

25:51

I'm the bird who will worry for

25:53

you. I can't

25:55

remember how the rest of it goest, but reminds

25:58

me of the promise I made in memory of her one

26:00

day. Somehow, some

26:03

way, a free imperia from

26:05

that mad tyrants hold. But

26:08

as far as the inner workings are concerned, either

26:12

saying no, no, he no, no. The

26:17

beetle, it's by the window, sill, beetles.

26:22

Listen. If we crack open the window, there's

26:24

a chance the beetle will just fly right out and like

26:26

that free room from beetle

26:29

hole. Yes exactly, But

26:31

the sandstorm is likely at its apex, the

26:33

force from the window alone could knock us to the floor,

26:36

if not sweep us straight out into the vortex.

26:38

Opening the window now opens ourselves

26:40

up to unquantifiable levels of risk.

26:43

I know, but some risks are worth

26:46

taking. I hope you know what you're doing.

26:49

I'll tie down and secure the satellite dish pieces

26:51

so they don't blow away. Serious

26:56

scare beagles, so beatles fly out. That

26:59

leaves me to open the window on

27:04

my account one two

27:09

three, I'm

27:23

trying to get stuck. I

27:27

take it into shiner. Serious

27:34

h m

27:42

hmm, thanks

27:46

serious, serious

27:50

bird who worry for eat? Our

27:54

backs to the floor, sand

27:56

in every crevice. The room

27:58

in complete disarray. That one

28:00

about as well as expected. But at

28:03

least we survived and beetle.

28:13

That buzz would indicate that the beetle is

28:15

alive as well. Well.

28:20

This place is a total mess holm

28:22

who ever has to clean this up. The

28:26

innkeeper did do us a favor in rending

28:28

us this room. I'm not claiming it to be legally

28:30

binding, but social contract dictates

28:33

we return it in like condition. At

28:35

the very least we owe him that as good house

28:37

guests. I'll

28:40

start swipping up the sand. Serious, pile up

28:42

the broken furniture logo.

28:44

Start with getting the pillows and blanket off the ground

28:46

and back on the bed. I trust you can handle that. Of

28:49

course, what

28:54

is it? Skull? There's a skull on

28:56

the bed. It must have been under the blanket the entire

28:58

time I knew I out something. Doctor

29:02

D come back from dead to haunt us

29:05

John serious for wear white cold.

29:10

Let me take a look this

29:14

skull one with the color coded

29:16

markings and labeled sections, and probably

29:19

did belong to doctor D. It's

29:21

ceramic. Oh, it's

29:26

only an anatomical model. They really

29:28

do make them lifelike. Good

29:34

observation. Either Doctor D must

29:36

have used the ceramics skull to aid in medical

29:38

research. It appears doctor D

29:40

specialized in matters of the mind. Well,

29:44

at this rate, it'll take all night to get this place cleaned

29:47

up. We should get back to it, but first

29:50

I need a break on the bed. I am high

29:53

agreed. Logo.

29:59

You might giving us status report. Certainly

30:02

on the beatle front, we've made limited progress

30:04

as our attempts to silence its buzz have failed

30:06

and turned the room into shambles. As far

30:09

as the safe goes. We found a hidden chest

30:11

located inside the concealed wall safe behind

30:13

the bookcase, but lack the missing key to unlock

30:15

it. And Lastly, although we've uncovered

30:18

some of doctor D's belongings, including the white

30:20

coat, medical texts, black bag, and ceramic

30:22

skull, as well as encountered several peculiarities

30:25

around the room, such as the empty bottle of miracle

30:27

tonic, scratch marks on the wall, and dried

30:29

blood on the floor, we have yet to determine

30:31

what happened to doctor D or the events that unfolded

30:34

in this room. Across all avenues,

30:36

we seem to have reached a proverbial dead end.

30:38

I see no clear path forward, and sleep

30:41

eludes us. Thanks

30:44

serious idea, you do story

30:47

time slumber. I

30:52

can appreciate the interjection of levity,

30:54

but given the gravity of our situation now,

30:57

it is really not the time to distract ourselves with frivolous

30:59

activity. Our attention would be better

31:01

directed to the final segment of our journey, plotting

31:04

our safe return by reviewing the map in detail.

31:07

Not so fast, logo serious

31:11

wind, I went, it's

31:14

your turn, m logo

31:16

turn, I

31:19

mean, really, I appreciate

31:22

the gesture but I don't

31:24

have any relevant stories suitable for sharing.

31:30

Story time slumber,

31:33

I I

31:37

storytime slumber. Okay,

31:42

okay, okay, story time slumber.

31:44

I'll tell you anything I want to know. Mmmm.

31:48

Well, we've gone on a score of missions

31:50

for the agency, but still know next

31:53

to nothing about them, except

31:55

as serious can tell you very

31:58

well, but no pay enough.

32:01

This mission, however, marks

32:03

the first time we've been lucky enough

32:05

to have one of the agency's own officers

32:07

accompany us as a mandatory

32:11

escort, one of

32:13

their best and brightest. I

32:15

presume, So

32:19

tell us how'd you get

32:21

involved with the Agency? Well, there's

32:23

an easy answer to that. The information

32:26

is classified. I

32:28

mean, of course, it'd be my pleasure to recount the story.

32:32

That is, if I were privy to the

32:34

details. What are you talking about?

32:36

The information is not just classified to those outside

32:39

the agency, it's classified to me as

32:41

well. Similarly

32:43

to YouTube, The true nature of my origin

32:46

remains an enigma. I never knew

32:48

who my biological parents were or why they abandoned

32:50

me. My earliest childhood memories

32:52

stem back to the agency's headquarters, wandering

32:55

the permissible boundaries, familiarizing myself

32:57

with facility protocol, and nurturing my burgeoning

33:00

curiosity about the world through books and thought

33:02

experiments. The more I learned about

33:04

life and the Agency, the more I realized

33:06

how limited my perspective truly was. From

33:09

a young age, I tried to be a productive and contributing

33:12

member of the organization, but largely kept

33:14

to myself. It became clear that

33:16

the Agency's principal tenet of secrecy

33:18

is integral to their success. Divisions

33:21

are siloed, clearance levels strictly enforced,

33:23

and access to information restricted to a

33:25

need to know basis, unencumbered

33:27

by complex bureaucracy or restraining ideologies,

33:30

free of temptation and ego, agents

33:32

are blank slates, able to dedicate

33:35

themselves fully to their work. Confidentiality

33:37

is believed to be the cornerstone of progress, with

33:40

each individual entity unwittingly

33:42

playing a small part to advance a much greater

33:44

whole, really a microcosm

33:47

of life itself. All of

33:49

this to explain the rationale behind my ignorance

33:51

of my initial involvement with the Agency. I'm

33:53

not certain I'll ever know the details of the arrangement

33:55

made by my parents, and perhaps that's

33:58

for the best. In fact, I

34:00

don't even know what the agency's central objective

34:02

is but I'm told it has the power

34:04

to change the world, and

34:06

this ancient satellite dish for reasons

34:08

untold, is critical to their mission.

34:13

Ah And yet despite

34:16

these core operating principles, I've

34:18

spent my life trying to learn life's

34:20

secret truths, to make sense of the world and feel

34:23

connected. Our mission

34:25

has only exacerbated my desire. This

34:28

is the first time I've been tasked to lead an assignment

34:30

outside the agency's purview. With

34:33

its success, I hope to prove that their

34:35

decision to overlook my inborn deficiencies

34:37

and invest in the potential of my future, a

34:39

conclusion not foregone to my own parents, was

34:41

indeed the correct one. In spite

34:44

of the limitations, I'm grateful for the life

34:46

the agency has given me that

34:51

I was until this journey

34:53

changed my perspective by illuminating

34:55

an unknown truth, showing me

34:57

one of life's greatest wonders, something

35:00

inaccessible through books or study. Friendship.

35:06

The time we've had together has truly been

35:08

the most meaningful time of my life. Only

35:11

the knowledge that it will soon be over dulls this

35:13

blissful feeling. Though perhaps it's ephemeral

35:16

nature makes me value it even more. I'll

35:18

always consider myself lucky to have known YouTube.

35:21

After we've completed the mission and I've shown

35:23

you the path home to Imperia, I will

35:25

miss you too, dearly. I only hope

35:27

to some degree you both feel the

35:29

same Stickman

35:32

no friend of Serious or even

35:36

Oh logo family

35:39

logo Astrom Yeah, family

35:42

clan of Astrom brothers grow bigger.

35:47

Oh hug Okay,

35:52

Serious, put me down. You're

35:54

squeezing too tight. You're

35:58

jest. It's poke me

36:01

Serious, heart filled with love

36:04

boads the

36:07

cheese logo.

36:12

What is it? I

36:14

found the key to the locked chest that's inside the safe.

36:17

It was in the left breast pocket of doctor Dee's

36:19

white coat that Serious has been wearing. O

36:23

Ether take it. You should be

36:25

the one to open the chest. You've led

36:27

the way. Okay,

36:33

this is it? A locked chest from inside

36:35

the safe, Doctor Dee's final surprise.

36:38

Ready m hm inside

36:45

chest bottle A

36:48

serious Wait. There appears to be something

36:51

inside the glass bottle. Open

36:54

it. It's

36:58

a rolled up piece of parchment paper sealed

37:00

with a golden letter d wax emblem

37:02

identical to the symbols found on the white coat and

37:04

black bag. Must be a

37:07

letter Doctor D's last

37:09

words. Either open

37:11

paper, read letter. All

37:14

right, the

37:19

beetle on my head, get

37:22

it up, hit it up? Serious

37:25

of the bottle, be logo,

37:30

stay still? Are you crazy? He's

37:32

gonna hit me in the head with the last battle serious?

37:35

Here, take the letter, give me the bottle here. Remember

37:38

either let the beetle come to you, Let

37:41

the beetle come to me. Concentrate

37:45

me, don't chase the beetle. Let

37:48

the beatles come to you. Now,

38:09

got it? Serious, the beetle,

38:11

the bottle, corkid Yeah,

38:19

no, no, no, no, no, no, the letter. Let's

38:25

send the fireplace. I

38:29

guess we'll never know what happened to Doctor Dean. What

38:32

was written in the letter? A life lost

38:35

of the world forever? Either letter,

38:38

just words on paper. Stories

38:40

keep doctor D's spirit alive. And

38:44

look outside the sandstorms

38:46

ended and the stars are out. I bet

38:48

Doctor Dee's watching over us right now.

38:51

Yeah, you're right. Something

38:54

tells me everything's gonna be okay. Something

38:56

you feel in your amulet. I

38:59

just know. I guess we have each other, astrom

39:03

family, hard dude,

39:06

fight against Now

39:10

let's finally get some sleep. Introquest

39:29

created by Michael Freiberg, the production

39:32

of I Hear Radio and Astro Media

39:35

Executive produced by Michael Freiberg and

39:37

I Hear Radio co produced by

39:39

Adam Raimundo and Chelsea English. Sound

39:41

design and mixed by Dennis Denbeck. Music

39:44

by Trey Toy and James Newberry. Performances

39:47

by Matthew Brossard, Ether,

39:50

Mike Leibovitz, Serious Mike

39:52

Kaplan, Logo Lucy

39:55

Paul Umbra featuring Tom

39:57

Takar, Innkeeper director

39:59

and head writer, Michael Frebrick, Writers

40:03

Tom Delgado and Will Julian, story

40:05

editor, Chelsea English, dialogue

40:08

editor jay Anne Wang Foley,

40:11

Post Thread, full cast and crew in

40:13

the description. Find more podcasts from

40:15

my Heart Radio on the iHeartRadio app,

40:17

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts