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1:04

You are not

1:06

distracted from

1:08

your purpose. You

1:11

are waylaid by no

1:13

obstacle. You are

1:15

safely and successfully

1:18

navigating this ship

1:20

back to Mitzt.

1:22

An elevator descends

1:24

past. Then pauses.

1:26

Then returns. It

1:28

doors open. And

1:31

Mickey steps into

1:33

control. She's got

1:35

a bucket of

1:37

silverware in one

1:39

hand, borrowed from

1:42

the kitchen upstairs.

1:44

Hey, Artifice, you still coming? Cook

1:46

out some full swing. I know

1:48

you don't eat, but we'd love

1:50

to have you. Artifice is

1:53

standing next to the spare

1:55

fold light. He readjusts his

1:57

gloved hand on the glass.

2:00

casement of the bulb. Yes,

2:02

I am just reinforcing the

2:05

fold light's current intentions and

2:07

conditions as we head out

2:09

of the delta. The ferro fluid

2:12

like fold within swirls against his

2:14

touch as Mickey watches. And

2:16

with that I believe I

2:18

can now step away to

2:20

join you all for some

2:22

friendly leisure's for a time.

2:24

He and Mickey watch the

2:26

fold light for a second,

2:28

just taking in its warmth.

2:30

It's strange light. It's mesmeric

2:32

flow and swirl. Artifice.

2:35

Yes, Mickey? Thanks. For

2:38

everything. For this, for

2:40

being here. Most of

2:43

all, thanks for always

2:45

looking out for Everett.

2:47

You are most welcome.

2:50

I'm glad to be

2:52

of service. And how are

2:54

you, Mickey? Tell me of

2:57

yourself. Mickey watches the

2:59

fault light. I'm okay. I've been

3:01

really worried about Everett. She's

3:03

always had survivor's guilt, you

3:05

know, so this is hard

3:08

for her. She's been having

3:10

trouble adjusting to the scars

3:12

too, but I think she's

3:14

starting to come around on

3:17

Mickey. She looks at him,

3:19

surprised. The blank shrouded face

3:21

is just regarding her silently.

3:23

The broad, horned, mantle backlit

3:25

by the glow of the

3:28

full light and the smear

3:30

of the delta passing by

3:32

the windows outside. My question

3:34

was, how are you? Uh, I... Mickey

3:37

Fluke, you are a being of strength

3:39

and grace. Your resilience in

3:41

providing quiet support to

3:44

those you love speaks

3:46

volumes about your character

3:48

and the depth of

3:50

your compassion. You tirelessly

3:52

uplift and protect Everett in

3:55

her frequent travails, but your

3:57

well-being is no less important.

3:59

A four... support yourself

4:01

care and grant

4:03

yourself permission to

4:05

seek support when

4:07

under duress. It

4:10

is more than

4:12

deserved. Mickey's surprise

4:14

has become a slow

4:16

flattered smile. How do you

4:18

do that? Do what? Just

4:21

like laser into the core

4:23

of people? I am mother

4:25

artifice. It is what I

4:28

do. See? Do you. The

4:30

tent cookouts as well? Indeed

4:32

I do. Please lead the

4:34

way. And together they door

4:37

into the elevator and descend

4:39

toward the stagecoach hangar. The

4:41

crew is homeward bound

4:44

at last, or at

4:46

least midstward bound. Their

4:48

incredible journey has brought them

4:51

to the highest heights, the

4:53

deepest depths, and even into

4:55

the furthest reaches of the

4:58

delta. But this is their

5:00

de Numa. But coming down.

5:03

No more high heroics. No

5:05

uncharted reaches. No glamorous discoveries.

5:08

And hopefully no more existential

5:10

horrors or nightmarish deaths.

5:12

Required. Just a straight

5:14

shot back through the Delta along

5:16

the median, back to Midst. Picking

5:18

up the rest of the crew

5:20

along the way, of course. The

5:23

ship will be able to catch

5:25

up to them in no time.

5:27

Well, they be pleasantly surprised. Here

5:29

in the hangar, the entire small

5:31

crew is gathered inside the

5:34

stagecoach. Its cargo door is

5:36

open wide, admitting bright Delta

5:39

Unlight from the transparent walls.

5:41

Between the bocular haus

5:43

racks, the survival packs,

5:45

the extra supplies and

5:47

camping gear, they've created

5:49

a little clearing, almost

5:51

a campsite within the

5:53

coaches cargo hold. A chorus

5:56

of cheerful greetings arises as artifice

5:58

comes aboard with Mickey. Thoughts

6:01

have begun to turn to what's

6:03

next? The fearsome spectacles.

6:05

Not the heart-shaped ones,

6:07

but the wild and wondrous

6:10

things they've perceived. And the

6:12

metaphysical questions raised along

6:15

the way have provided

6:17

ample learnings. Everyone is

6:19

looking forward to returning

6:21

to regular life after

6:23

this wild cosmos spanning

6:25

adventure. And after that,

6:27

perhaps even more scientific. discovery.

6:30

Or at least almost everyone

6:32

is looking forward to regular

6:34

life. Thank you for joining

6:36

us, Artifice. Please make yourself

6:38

comfortable. Merlin pats an open

6:40

seat beside him here within

6:42

the stagecoach. Before continuing his

6:44

ongoing conversation with Cleophy.

6:47

But no, Cleo, I can no

6:49

more predict the ultimate decisions of

6:51

the consortium than any of the

6:53

rest of you, though if the

6:55

stakeholders at Bernhardt and Gottle have

6:57

their way... The ship will surely

7:00

launch an up-current expedition after a

7:02

refit admits. I know there's interest

7:04

in exploring the found, trying to

7:06

determine and discern the origins of

7:08

the cosmos. Oh, and I'll certainly

7:10

try to do my part to

7:13

make a persuasive case to the

7:15

ebb and reef barony to support

7:17

such an expedition. And that's not

7:19

even mentioning the storm-ravaged salvages.

7:21

You know, the sides of

7:24

the cosmos perpendicular to the

7:26

current. Cleo's eyes go

7:28

sort of unfocused. And what do you

7:30

know about this whole diplomatic mission

7:33

conversion thing, Everett asks? Are they

7:35

still thinking about doing that too?

7:37

I believe so. From what I'm

7:39

given to understand. They certainly didn't

7:41

put in a pool to help

7:43

with the scientific expedition. Now

7:45

did they? Right, exactly. And there's

7:47

so much room aboard this thing too.

7:50

Has anyone actually used the pool? I

7:52

keep forgetting it's up there. I did

7:54

bring a swimsuit. But there always seems

7:56

to be something else going on. From

7:59

what I understand... this is really

8:01

just the first of what

8:03

could possibly be a whole

8:05

fleet of dark mica vessels.

8:07

I think the ultimate intention

8:09

of the consortium is to

8:11

try and revolutionize transit to

8:13

make contact with all the

8:15

different civilizations across the cosmos

8:17

to create a easier way

8:19

to move about it, one

8:22

where we are not forced

8:24

to change ship at the

8:26

median every single time you

8:28

want to transit from. fold

8:30

on and back again.

8:32

Everett and Mickey exchange

8:34

a little look here

8:36

at the mention of

8:38

the essentially inevitable obsolescence

8:40

of their stagecoach, ever

8:43

comfortingly, quietingly, pats the

8:45

bulkhead of the stagecoach

8:47

here beside her. Don't

8:49

worry baby, we're not

8:51

going anywhere. Mickey chuckles.

8:53

That would certainly make the

8:55

Cosmos seem a lot smaller.

8:58

If everyone was... tearing around

9:00

at the same speeds we

9:02

have been since the expedition

9:04

started. But possibly more intimate

9:06

too, more friendly, more able

9:08

to communicate with one another?

9:10

Imagine being able to send

9:12

a message from way up

9:14

in the upper unfold to

9:16

the fold without having to

9:18

use some sort of relay

9:21

station or inter-relatory cable. Felix

9:23

is turning sausages on the

9:25

little grill. Hmm, aren't you

9:27

the optimistic one? Speaking of

9:29

revolutionary happenings at the bleeding

9:31

edge of unprecedented science, Merlin,

9:33

do you think becoming bocular

9:35

is going to affect your

9:37

teaching? Zila asks, enjoying a

9:39

stationary-style dog. Are you still

9:41

going to try to go

9:43

back to the classroom after

9:45

this? What's your plan? Yeah,

9:47

what is this going to

9:49

look like for Merlin One

9:51

wonders? Is he going to

9:54

be a robot professor? A

9:56

good amount of time being

9:58

in one place. To

10:00

be perfectly honest, being aboard this

10:02

ship has given me a new

10:04

perspective to be on the bleeding

10:06

edge of discovery to seek new

10:09

things, answers to the greatest fundamental

10:11

mysteries of life. Mother Artifice inclines

10:13

his head towards Merlin. And do

10:15

you seek answers to the mysteries

10:17

of your own body? Do you

10:19

harbor desire to switch places with

10:22

the biological man? Oh, well. Merlin

10:24

looks to the biological man. The

10:26

biological man, enjoying a stationary dog,

10:28

looks to Merlin, politely curious. You

10:30

would of course be welcome to

10:32

come back to any one of

10:35

the mother's lazaretos and undergo treatments.

10:37

I think you for that opportunity,

10:39

Mother Artifice, but... I don't quite

10:41

know yet what my future holds.

10:43

I'm sure some of my peers

10:45

would... probably advocate for me to

10:48

observe the riggers of academic due

10:50

process and want to study me

10:52

while I study myself, but why

10:54

not also do that year on

10:56

board this vessel going to the

10:59

very limits of the cosmos in

11:01

order to better understand our place

11:03

in it? Roffield raises an eyebrow

11:05

leaning back in a folding chair.

11:07

Can the biological man consent at

11:09

this point at this point at

11:12

this point at this point at

11:14

this point at this point at

11:16

this point at this point at

11:18

this point at this point at

11:20

this point at this point at

11:22

this point at this point at

11:25

this Where have you landed on

11:27

that, Merlin? Can he agree with

11:29

full conscious knowledge to be transfigured

11:31

back into this bocular chassis? Should

11:33

I be directing this to him?

11:35

I'm sorry. I realize this is

11:38

not very considered me. The biological

11:40

man looks to Roffield. Hmm. I

11:42

do absolutely think the biological man

11:44

should be able to make his

11:46

own choice as he is able,

11:48

but in many ways I'm not.

11:51

Just responsible for him anymore. He

11:53

and I are fundamental. mentally linked.

11:55

He is a part of me

11:57

and I am a part of

11:59

him. We don't know how long

12:02

we'll be stuck this way or

12:04

even if we can switch back.

12:06

Whether we do, if we can,

12:08

we need to figure that out

12:10

for ourselves. In the meantime, I

12:12

think, for now at least, we're

12:15

planning to stick together. Merlin gazes

12:17

politely at the biological man with

12:19

his curious rigid face. I would

12:21

prefer to remain together as well,

12:23

the biological man says. Oh, a

12:25

preference. Well, there we have it,

12:28

Rockfield says. Mickey grabs the stationary

12:30

style dog and a bun off

12:32

of the platter that Felix is

12:34

passing around. What about you? Mickey,

12:36

Everett. Do you think you'll continue

12:38

stagecoating? They exchange a speculative look.

12:41

Mickey returning to her chair beside

12:43

Everett, slinging a leg into Everett's

12:45

lap. Hmm. Just back to normal.

12:47

Keep on trucking? That sounds nice

12:49

to me, Everett says. I mean,

12:51

as long as dark mike ships

12:54

don't put us out of business.

12:56

I don't know. I like flying

12:58

the cosmos with you. She looks

13:00

at Mickey. Mickey looks back. Yeah,

13:02

I don't know I mean I

13:05

know that they've been working on

13:07

improved lifeboats for this whole thing

13:09

for you know the next phase

13:11

of the expedition It might be

13:13

that the stagecoach gets replaced with

13:15

a dark mica lifeboat That's probably

13:18

a good thing. I mean for

13:20

just safety purposes. Yeah, we were

13:22

only able to use the stagecoach

13:24

to rescue anybody wants really and

13:26

that put the poor old girl

13:28

out of commission for weeks. Well,

13:31

it's better than nothing But yeah

13:33

after this Yeah, I don't know

13:35

if we're coming back for phase

13:37

two. We'll see. We'll hear what

13:39

the consortium is to say. But

13:41

in the meantime, I think we're

13:44

just gonna keep bruising, maybe take

13:46

a little time off. We have

13:48

a friend out in Vermillion County

13:50

back on the midst. Oh, I'd

13:52

love some time off. Yeah, yeah,

13:54

add back to the farm. She

13:57

has a farm out in Vermillion

13:59

County, outside of... country outside of

14:01

stationary hill and they're probably going to

14:03

go. She lets us stay for free if

14:05

we do some gardening and take care

14:08

of the will to bees. And then

14:10

after that I think we're gonna all

14:12

smoker our way out to the dunes,

14:14

do a little camping. The dunes on

14:16

Midster, beautiful. Zila is nodding her head

14:18

along with Everett and Mickey's waxing poetic.

14:21

That sounds great you too. First thing

14:23

I'm gonna do when we get back

14:25

to Midst is... Spend a week at

14:27

least with my dad before going back

14:29

home to verger. I mean Everett, you

14:31

know, my dad, you know, he's kind

14:33

of a worrier, tends to be a

14:35

little overprotective. Justifiably, Everett says. Oh,

14:37

okay, I guess I did

14:39

have kind of a wild

14:41

childhood. Everett gives her a midst fist

14:43

bump. If you know, you know. Anyway,

14:46

I just can't wait. see him again,

14:48

let him see me, let him see

14:50

that I'm alive, tell him all about

14:52

the expedition, maybe minus some of the

14:54

more horrifying parts. Your father,

14:57

he's retired now? He keeps trying

14:59

to retire, but then he keeps

15:01

coming back, he likes having something

15:03

to do. Now he's been, uh,

15:05

running saskias. But after I'm done

15:07

visiting with him on Midst, I'm

15:09

gonna see if I can convince

15:11

him for a little trip over

15:13

to Virger. By the way, if anyone

15:15

else wants to visit. Incredible, you should

15:18

all hop aboard sometime if you've got

15:20

time if you're passing through all the

15:22

biomes. So... If you come with me,

15:24

I can take you behind the scenes

15:27

too, all the hidden corridors connecting the

15:29

different enclosures, the different biomes. Oh, I've

15:31

never had the behind the scenes tour,

15:33

for sure. That sounds delightful. Well, you

15:35

never knew the right people before.

15:37

There's no interilitary biome that quite

15:39

compares to a good terror system

15:41

though, Hambing says. After I share

15:44

all my notes with my terrorology

15:46

association, you know where I'm going?

15:48

Where? Straight down. Straight back down,

15:50

huh? Yeah, there are some terror

15:52

storms, I want to see. I

15:54

also want to see if I

15:56

can link up with folks like,

15:58

uh, what was his name? Yeah,

16:00

he seems like a really fascinating

16:02

guy. Full of wisdom, exchange a

16:04

look. Oh yeah. Yeah, I want

16:06

to cruise some of the fold

16:08

ways with maybe, I don't know,

16:11

Zorani himself, if I can find

16:13

him, that'd be great. Hmm. That

16:15

sounds fascinating to me. Yeah, he

16:17

seems like a really fascinating guy.

16:19

Full of wisdom. Everett likes this. Oh,

16:21

Hambing, if you find him or others

16:24

like him, please contact me. I'm part

16:26

of a paragliding group on Mitz. I

16:28

am trying so hard to upgrade my

16:30

glider with tips from those folks. They

16:32

can stay in the air for weeks?

16:34

Even without thermals? Please help me out.

16:37

They don't know. They don't even care

16:39

what time it is. Oh shit. Felix,

16:41

suddenly jolts out of his chair and

16:43

scurries off to the exterior window of

16:45

the hangar to check something outside. Just

16:47

checking on whether we're getting close to

16:49

where that one beached time buoy was

16:52

so we can try to grab it.

16:54

What are your plans, Felix? Still,

16:56

weighing my options. Kind of

16:58

undecided about my continued participation

17:00

as far as the hypothetical

17:02

next expedition is concerned. I

17:04

mean, on the one hand,

17:06

I'd be very excited to

17:08

discover what months might exist

17:11

near the Fount. Might be

17:13

a lot easier to engineer

17:15

than one near the Delta,

17:17

but I'm really kind of

17:19

excited on this Delta idea. Oh,

17:21

are you still interested in that? Well,

17:23

it wouldn't be cheap, and it wouldn't be

17:25

easy. So yes. You and I might

17:27

end up working together then, Roffield

17:29

says. You headed back to the

17:31

Delta afterwards? That's the plan. She

17:34

swirls a little red wine in

17:36

her glass here. Before I joined

17:38

the expedition I had recently received

17:40

word of my acceptance to a

17:43

humanitarian subgroup of the cosmological consortium

17:45

we've been working on plans and

17:47

establishing resources for future Delta rescues.

17:49

She looks around at the crew,

17:52

coolly, calmly. So my availability for

17:54

the second phase of the expedition

17:56

is, I would say, currently unknown,

17:58

possibly unlikely. My... expertise and

18:00

interest personally and professionally lies with

18:02

the Delta, not with the Fount.

18:04

But, time will tell, and I

18:06

have some excellent colleagues who are

18:09

well qualified and might join you

18:11

in the future. Cleo takes a

18:13

sip of her cocktail. One of

18:15

the very last she was able

18:17

to mix with the remnants of

18:19

Kino's fancy mixology supplies. Wow, it

18:21

sounds like even if there is

18:23

a second expedition, it would be

18:25

with a pretty different crew, potentially.

18:27

She's grappling with a pretty uncomfortable

18:29

awareness that she really doesn't want

18:31

to go back home. Death and

18:33

danger and all. She wishes the

18:35

expedition didn't have to end yet.

18:37

The ship has felt more like

18:39

home than the islet of Gilma

18:41

ever did. In a way she's

18:43

still struggling to fully accept or

18:45

articulate to herself. But she does

18:47

know. She doesn't want the voyage

18:49

to end. She's afraid of facing

18:51

normal life again, going back to

18:53

her family again. But what else

18:55

is she supposed to do? She's

18:57

not a scientist or a pilot

18:59

or a doctor or a navigator

19:01

or a fold witch like the

19:03

rest of these amazing people. Well,

19:05

this crew is definitely sticking together

19:07

for a little bit longer, Mickey

19:09

says. Both aboard now and when

19:11

we get back to Midst, drinks

19:13

at Saskies are on me. Are

19:15

you coming clear or do you

19:17

need to get off early in

19:19

order to get back to heaven

19:21

reef? Everett is sitting forward in

19:23

her chair now giving Cleo an

19:25

inquisitive look. You midst? Us? Midsed

19:27

all of us together? A little

19:30

bit? Yeah, maybe? Oh, that would

19:32

be wonderful. I was actually thinking

19:34

I might like to stay on

19:36

Midst for a while. I mean,

19:38

I barely got to see Stationery

19:40

Hill on launch day. Obviously, I'll

19:42

need to go back home at

19:44

some point. I'll be expected to

19:46

report to Aunt Nixey, you know,

19:48

the Baron of Ebin Reef. And

19:50

my cousin is throwing an engagement.

19:52

Another one. I'm Gilmuth this time.

19:54

Ever turns to me? We gotta

19:56

go. Oh, I can probably finagle

19:58

you some invitations. And you've already

20:00

met her. I'm sure she would

20:02

love it if you were there.

20:04

I'm just kidding. We're gonna be

20:06

camping. Dunes. Cleophy takes a cont-

20:08

Templative bite of a stationary-style dog

20:10

piled high with peppers and other

20:12

topics. If there is another expedition,

20:14

I think I'd like to be

20:16

part of it. But I've been

20:18

thinking I would want to be

20:20

able to contribute more. I wonder

20:22

how fast I can learn to

20:24

punch disc computing. Or botany? I

20:26

kept on my plants alive, that's

20:28

got to count for something. Maybe

20:30

I have a natural green thumb.

20:32

If you come along for a

20:34

second phase, I would assume that

20:36

Omelet's coming. Everett says. I would

20:38

presume that he will. Omelet is

20:40

the most pure being on the

20:42

entire ship. Artifice interjects. Omelet does

20:44

not think or worry and tells

20:46

himself no tales. He simply charges

20:48

about the vessel shouting. I'm not

20:50

sure what is humorous about that

20:53

that is merely factual. Yes, it

20:55

is. And it's funny. What about

20:57

you, Artifice? I mean, you were

20:59

so important to the design of

21:01

this whole vessel. I can't imagine

21:03

you could let it go anywhere

21:05

without you. I will resume my

21:07

normal duties at the Filegimer Lazzaretto,

21:09

so long as the ship's continuing

21:11

expedition remains on hiatus for the

21:13

purposes of a refit. But of

21:15

course I will return for additional

21:17

sojourns should they come to pass.

21:19

Most immediately, however, after we returned

21:21

midst... I will be taking the

21:23

granddaughter back to the deep synobium

21:25

where they reside, so that they

21:27

may undertake the final step on

21:29

their path to motherhood. Cleo's smile

21:31

becomes strangely fixed on her face

21:33

for a moment. Oh yeah, right,

21:35

of course. Speaking of which, where

21:37

is Dot? All

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Join the excitement and make every

22:18

cast count. Hey listener,

22:21

it's Zach Harper, Mina Alhassen,

22:23

and Anthony Mays of Cinephob.

22:25

You may be asking yourself,

22:27

what is Cinephob? I mean,

22:29

would you like to fill

22:32

in the people? Cinephob is

22:34

the podcast for Zach and

22:36

I watch movies that are

22:38

poorly rated on Ron Tomatoes

22:40

and try to ascertain. We're

22:42

trying to ascertain. We're trying

22:44

to ascertain. We're trying to

22:47

ascertain. We're trying to ascertain.

22:49

I've, I've... This month is...

22:51

Wow! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh!

22:53

Oh man, is what you say

22:55

that? Supercharge it! So that this

22:58

promo can remain evergreen! I feel

23:00

like explaining a little bit more.

23:02

In 60 seconds? I don't know,

23:04

maybe I don't bring attention to

23:06

it. Assuring people like, look, if

23:09

you listen, you're gonna get it.

23:11

Just give it time? That's a

23:13

good promo. Just listen to it.

23:15

Give it time. Just listen to

23:17

it. In

23:20

the sloop, at the very top of

23:22

the ship, the granddaughter is sitting

23:24

alone, sort of like they're in

23:26

a crow's nest, just watching

23:28

the horizon, wearing their

23:30

heart-shaped pink glasses, whenever it

23:32

elevators in. Oh, there you are.

23:34

You had us thinking you'd fall

23:37

on overboard or something. Trying

23:39

to keep tabs on everybody in

23:41

case weird bullshit starts happening

23:43

again. She pulls a lover in

23:45

the sloop cockpit, extruding a

23:47

speaking tube. They're in the sloop

23:50

at the top of the ship.

23:52

Dot does not respond. Everett

23:54

looks briefly annoyed. D

23:57

excludes the two and moves to

23:59

elevate. She laid her back down, but

24:01

she pauses. She heaves a heavy sigh.

24:03

Shit. Hey, uh... So I'm... I'm sorry

24:05

for how I spoke to you on

24:08

a little island. Only all... We're camping.

24:10

I was not doing so hot doing

24:12

so hot doing so hot doing so

24:14

hot doing so hot doing so hot

24:16

doing so hot doing so hot doing

24:18

so hot doing so hot doing so

24:20

hot doing so hot doing so hot

24:23

doing so hot doing so hot doing

24:25

so hot doing so hot doing so

24:27

hot doing so hot doing so hot

24:29

doing so hot doing so hot doing

24:31

so hot doing so hot doing so

24:33

hot doing so hot doing so hot

24:35

doing so hot doing so hot doing

24:38

so hot doing so hot doing so

24:40

hot doing so hot doing so hot

24:42

doing so hot doing so hot doing

24:44

so hot doing so hot doing so

24:46

hot doing so hot doing so hot

24:48

doing so hot doing so hot doing

24:51

so hot doing so hot doing so

24:53

hot doing so hot doing so hot

24:55

doing so hot doing so hot doing

24:57

so hot doing so hot doing so

24:59

hot doing so hot doing so hot

25:01

doing so hot doing so hot doing

25:03

so Dot does now turn to look

25:06

at her with what seems to be

25:08

profound tranquility, receives this information. They continue

25:10

to look out at the warped scenery

25:12

outside. Everett takes a deep breath. It's

25:14

just that I, uh... You, you're, uh...

25:16

Dot does now turn to look at

25:18

her with what seems to be profound

25:21

tranquility. Dark eyes staring neutrally through pink

25:23

hearts, and Everett's face flashes with anger

25:25

again. But then she gets a grip

25:27

on it. And then Mother Artifice ascends

25:29

eerily out of the floor. Ever shakes

25:31

herself. Anyway, yeah, sorry, it won't happen

25:33

again. And she goes. Artifice takes a

25:36

seat beside Dot in the sloop. Together,

25:38

they silently behold the warped vista of

25:40

the Delta as the ship soars homeward.

25:42

The strange, unsettling sunset retreating behind them.

25:44

A companionable silence persists for some time.

25:46

Finally, Dot speaks. Evretates me. Artifice peers

25:49

calmly at passing oily clouds. You have

25:51

created that story for yourself and have

25:53

decided that it is true You do

25:55

not know however it feels about you.

25:57

She has either violently

26:00

angry at me

26:02

that has not been

26:04

imagined Everett is not

26:06

angry at you. Everett is

26:09

angry at herself. Dot looks

26:11

to their mentor. He is

26:14

gazing straight at the horizon

26:16

ahead, veiled face blank. Why

26:18

is she directing her anger at

26:21

me, then? Artivis shakes

26:23

his head. That is something

26:25

you will have to ask her.

26:28

I have known Everett Shearwater since

26:30

she was eight years old, when

26:32

she became an occasional patient of

26:35

mine at the sequester Lazzaretto. She

26:37

is on a journey not unlike

26:39

your own in some ways, but

26:42

that is her story to relate,

26:44

not mine. Dot blinks. A

26:46

journey. Not unlike. Mine. Artifice

26:48

does not clarify. Instead,

26:50

he says. You recently did

26:52

well to relate some wisdom

26:55

of your training to

26:57

Cleophy. You articulate the

26:59

teachings adroitly. It is

27:01

gratifying to share what

27:03

I've been taught when

27:05

it can help other

27:07

people. A sign that you

27:10

will make an excellent mother.

27:12

If only you practiced your

27:15

own advice as well as

27:17

you provide it to others.

27:20

Dot turns. Artifice

27:28

slowly meaningfully

27:31

inclines his head

27:33

you may deceive others

27:35

granddaughter but you

27:38

cannot deceive me

27:40

I am artifice

27:42

mother of misdirection

27:44

of what is

27:46

hidden and withheld

27:48

and I have always seen

27:50

you for what you are

27:53

cracks, they're carefully neutral countenance

27:55

crumbling and they throw themselves

27:57

to their knees before artifice.

27:59

I'm trying, please, please, I'm trying,

28:02

please. Don't tell the cat about

28:04

this. There is no need for

28:06

groveling granddaughter. I am not chastising

28:08

you. No, it's true. I've been

28:10

lying to you to everyone. I'm

28:13

so scared, I'm sorry. Granddaughter? I

28:15

shouldn't have lied. I can't stop

28:17

the fear. I've never been able

28:19

to. Never. I'm always afraid. Or

28:21

myself of the journey I can't

28:23

stop. I'm so afraid I rule

28:26

no, I'm not ready. I panicked

28:28

in the iron when that creature

28:30

came for us. And you're right,

28:32

I lied about it. I should

28:35

never come on this expedition. I

28:37

should have stayed Xenobium in the

28:40

darkness in the silence where I

28:42

belong. I shouldn't be granddaughter. I'm

28:44

not ready. I'm not ready for

28:47

any of this. I failed to

28:49

find realization. It doesn't need to

28:51

find me. Do not presuppose your

28:54

own failure, and especially do not

28:56

impose an agenda upon realization. But

28:58

I've been looking and looking, and

29:01

I've seen so many things, but

29:03

I've not known any of them

29:05

to be realization. Or maybe I

29:08

saw it and I misjudged it.

29:10

I'm just scared that I'm doing

29:12

it wrong. That I will fail.

29:14

I can't stop thinking and thinking

29:17

about it. It's healing me a

29:19

lot. You are not in control

29:21

of this process granddaughter. Do not

29:23

try to be. Your agonies stem

29:25

from resistance, from fighting for and

29:28

against outcomes. It is normal to

29:30

feel this way. It is the

29:32

price of admission on any journey

29:34

of great discovery such as yours.

29:37

Many granddaughters have gone through this

29:39

before you and many will go

29:41

through it after you and fear

29:43

has always been and will always

29:46

be a companion. you will learn

29:48

to let go. But I am

29:50

supposed to have learned by

29:52

now. If I were a

29:54

regular daughter, maybe I can

29:57

have these trials. I

30:00

am the most senior novice in

30:02

the entire water. A

30:04

granddaughter should have

30:06

a silenced thought,

30:08

overcome emotion. And

30:11

look at me. I'm

30:14

drowning in both.

30:16

As once was I. And

30:18

I concealed it and misrepresented

30:20

it constantly just like you, desperately

30:22

lying to all of my

30:24

teachers and mentors when I was

30:26

granddaughter. When I became a

30:28

mother I chose the name Artifice

30:30

for a reason and it

30:32

is no accident that the grandmothers

30:34

connected you to me as

30:36

your final mentor during this last

30:38

phase of your training. Your

30:40

struggle is no secret to us.

30:42

Artifice is your obstacle. And

30:44

so Artifice has been made your

30:46

guide. You fear

30:49

failure. With

30:51

every fiber of my being, with a

30:53

screaming voice that haunted and tormented

30:55

me my every waking moment, insisting to

30:57

me that I deserved failure and

30:59

would meet my destruction. Why

31:02

did you lie about it?

31:04

For the same reasons you

31:06

do. Because I believed I was

31:08

flawed and inadequate. Fundamentally unworthy of my

31:10

station and that to reveal myself

31:12

to others for what I truly was

31:14

would lead to judgment, failure and

31:16

ruin. But you did

31:18

not fail. You met

31:20

your realization and you passed

31:22

the test. You became

31:24

a mother. I did. With

31:26

no small amount of unnecessary suffering.

31:29

My final mentor. Mother Trauma once spoke

31:31

to me as I am speaking

31:33

to you now as you will likely

31:35

speak one day to your own

31:37

granddaughter who travels a path of fear

31:39

as well. I don't think

31:41

I'll make it to having

31:43

my own granddaughter. I'm so sure

31:46

I'll fail. You may fail or

31:48

you may succeed but it

31:50

is unnecessary and fruitless to

31:52

abuse and doubt yourself along

31:54

the way. Let go. I've

31:56

tried and tried and

31:58

tried to... I can't. I've

32:01

never had control of thought

32:03

or feeling. I have never

32:05

known how to do this,

32:07

and I know less and

32:09

less every day. How can

32:11

I possibly find realization this

32:14

way? Let it unpass some

32:16

final test. Do not concern

32:18

yourself with a test. Realization

32:20

comes first. Realization will reveal

32:22

itself to you. It is

32:25

not a matter of if,

32:27

but when. It will find

32:29

you, find you, and you will

32:31

know it. You must let go

32:33

of all imagined outcomes. They do

32:36

not exist. What is at the

32:38

core of you is not a

32:40

curse. It is not something you

32:42

need to hide anymore. Once you

32:44

accept the journey, you will find

32:47

the way. It is inevitable. But

32:49

answer me this granddaughter, and

32:51

answer me truly. What

32:53

is it that you

32:55

fear above all else?

32:58

The consequences should you

33:00

fail to become a

33:02

mother? Or the far

33:04

greater consequences? Should you

33:07

succeed? The granddaughter

33:09

and artifice look

33:11

at each other.

33:14

Artifice is sitting

33:16

very still. It

33:18

is inevitable. He

33:21

says again. Very

33:23

quietly. Immediately. they'd both

33:25

move, elevatoring down to control where the

33:27

rest of the crew were all converging

33:30

as well. What the fuck is going

33:32

on? Behind the ship, the horizon is

33:34

warping more and more. That weird sunset

33:36

once again intensifying, growing closer, even

33:39

though they are flying away from

33:41

it. Am I seeing things? Are

33:43

my eyes malfunctioning? Did we misread

33:46

our instruments? Have we been going

33:48

the wrong way? Mickey is scrambling

33:51

at the navigation table, clawing through

33:53

maps. No, our heading is correct.

33:55

Ever is scanning the horizon

33:57

with boknoculars. No, Mickey's right.

34:00

The median, we're going the right

34:02

way, up current like we should

34:04

be. Then why is it

34:06

getting closer? An impossible foreshortening

34:09

is occurring. A freaky cosmic

34:11

Hitchcock zoom as the warping

34:13

horizon begins to flatten toward

34:15

the ship. The sunset behind,

34:18

brighter, brighter, the sky ahead,

34:20

darker, darker, darker. Great, says

34:22

Zila. Artifice is motionless in

34:24

the center of the room.

34:26

Staring out the rear windows

34:29

at the intensifying light behind.

34:31

All the ship's instruments are

34:33

going completely mad. The fold light

34:35

is bubbling, flickering. Artifice, do

34:37

something! Cleo yells, but Artifice

34:39

does not move. Dot is frozen

34:42

beside him. Mother, what's happening? Artifice

34:44

does not answer. Rockfield is rummaging

34:46

through punch disks, looking for something,

34:48

anything this, this skate, the horizon

34:51

disc, or something. Can we go

34:53

faster? Felix is urgently examining his

34:55

clocks. This better not be fucking time

34:58

travel, I fucking swear. Cleo is clutching

35:00

Onlet in her arms a futile

35:02

attempt to shield him from whatever's

35:04

happening. Merlin takes a step toward

35:06

Mother Artifice. Artifice, what if we

35:08

dote down into the folds, could

35:10

we know? Booms, Mother Artifice. There

35:12

is no escape. The sky ahead

35:15

of the ship is turning

35:17

black and not the black

35:20

of fold, something else. The

35:22

sky behind is narrowing, focusing,

35:25

converging into a hot singular

35:27

light, casting long shadows through

35:30

control. A scene like golden

35:32

hour. Impossible and unheard of

35:35

in this cosmos. I think

35:37

we know why no one

35:40

returns from the far delta.

35:42

Zila says quietly eyes

35:44

reflecting the uncanny light.

35:46

Sorry dad. Fuck that!

35:48

Everyone's at the stageco-

35:50

Artifice holds up a hand.

35:53

You cannot fight this. The struggle

35:55

was over before it began. No

35:57

one moves. The point of no-

36:00

return has already been passed. We

36:02

came to find this, and now

36:04

it has found us in return.

36:06

Artifice turns from the window.

36:08

Listen to me carefully. The

36:11

destination of this vessel and

36:13

all aboard is unavoidable, but

36:15

it need not be unprovivable.

36:18

This statement causes

36:20

understandably a commotion. What the

36:22

fuck does that mean? Cleo feels

36:24

kind of excited. She has an

36:27

excuse not to go back home yet.

36:29

She realizes that's a messed up response

36:31

to have, kind of like a kid

36:33

who doesn't want to go to school

36:35

being excited about a tornado. Comprehensive

36:37

understanding of this is not necessary.

36:40

All you need to know is

36:42

this. Neither you nor this ship

36:44

will be harmed. I will navigate

36:46

us through this. you are all

36:48

under my protection and will

36:50

be intact and unscathed

36:52

no matter what happens

36:54

how can you know

36:56

this artifice are you

36:58

sure yes he says

37:00

i am artifice nods

37:02

his shrouded head with

37:04

absolute certainty invoking

37:06

a level of

37:09

terrifying Eldrich authority

37:11

he has never

37:13

before exerted over the

37:15

crew He seems less

37:18

human than ever before.

37:20

The light that has

37:22

been taunting them ever

37:25

since they entered the

37:27

Delta resolves now into

37:29

a distinct point. A

37:32

pinprick. A single existential

37:34

pixel of searing, overwhelming,

37:36

immense inevitability. It is

37:39

small and it is

37:41

massive and it is

37:43

immeasurable. No future exists that

37:45

does not lead to it.

37:48

The granddaughter's eyes are blatantly

37:50

wide with fear. In full

37:52

view of everyone assembled, they

37:54

cannot hide it anymore. An

37:56

artifice pulls them quickly aside

37:59

kneeling down. before them and

38:01

takes their face in his

38:03

gloved hands as everything around

38:05

them, the entire rest of

38:07

the cosmos, diminishes. Your journey

38:09

to realization continues, granddaughter. You

38:12

are about to behold things

38:14

that mothers for a thousand

38:16

generations have sought but never

38:18

found. Release control. Accept the

38:21

journey. You will find the

38:23

way. And in an infinitesimal

38:25

fraction of an instant, the

38:27

pinprick expands into eternity. A

38:29

kaleidoscopic, crushing convergence. And

38:34

then, it

38:36

engulfs the land.

39:06

The dark crystal shard

39:08

of the ship is

39:10

adrift, its

39:12

crew alive. The

39:15

fold light is

39:17

off, its

39:19

filaments are dark, its

39:22

liquid amalgam of fold hovering

39:24

inert in the center of

39:26

the bulb. The

39:29

crew float weightlessly

39:31

within the control

39:33

deck. They're drifting

39:35

zero -gravity silhouettes,

39:37

limbed in a

39:39

strange, harsh, singular

39:41

light shining starkly

39:43

from outside. They

39:46

shield their eyes, taking

39:49

stock of themselves and

39:51

each other, uncomprehendingly. Relaxing

39:53

her grip on omelette,

39:55

who hangs stupefied in

39:58

the air right Cleo

40:00

looks at her freckled arms

40:02

and legs. Cleo looks at

40:04

her freckled arms, her weightless

40:07

drifting hair. There is no

40:09

bioluminescence. She is lightless. She

40:11

absorbs this information in much

40:13

the same way that you

40:16

might if you suddenly discovered

40:18

that in the blink of

40:20

an eye, all your arms

40:22

and legs were gone. There

40:24

is no opportunity for thought

40:27

or understanding. She hears herself

40:29

start to scream. beyond the

40:31

windows, a colossal

40:34

dark expanse, and

40:36

there, hovering within

40:38

that vast and

40:40

unknowable night, their

40:43

shines an object

40:46

fundamentally beyond the

40:48

crew's comprehension, never

40:51

conceived of in

40:54

their wildest science,

40:57

nor dreamt of

41:00

in their most

41:02

fantastical fairy tales.

41:05

There shines a

41:08

sun. Also, Mother

41:11

Artifice is gone.

41:13

And with that,

41:16

this concludes

41:19

season one

41:21

of On End.

41:23

But stay tuned next

41:25

week. There will be

41:27

an extra special interlude

41:29

episode with voices both

41:32

familiar and new Looking to

41:34

support the show if you're

41:36

enjoying on end. Please recommend

41:38

rate and review to help

41:40

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41:42

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41:44

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Podcast. Or if you are

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41:53

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41:55

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41:57

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42:04

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42:06

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42:15

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42:17

from the midst cosmos check out

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42:26

Dark horse.com And most of all,

42:28

thank you for listening and coming

42:30

along on this journey. We look

42:33

forward to having you with us

42:35

for On End, season 2.