919 – VAST Horizon Crossover

EPISODE 919 – VAST Horizon Crossover

 

[START OF RECORDING]

SCOOTER:        Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, friends beyond the binary, patrons, sorry about that.  I went right into the intro.  Holy moly, Scooter.  Well, what do you say we get on with the podcast that you support and make possible, patrons?  Let’s get on with the show.

 

INTRO: [INTRO MUSIC] Hey, are you up all night tossing, turning, mind racing?  Trouble getting to sleep?  Trouble staying asleep?  Well, welcome to Sleep With Me, the podcast that puts you to sleep.  We do it with a bedtime story.  Alls you need to do is get in bed, turn out the lights, and press play.  I’m gonna do the rest.  What I’m going to attempt to do is create a safe place where you could set aside whatever is keeping you awake.  It could be thoughts, things on your mind, feeling…so, things…you could be thinking about the past, present, the future, near future, other stuff.  So thoughts, feelings, anything emotionally coming up for you, physical sensations.  Like, last night, it was…I had all three last night.  Not to bring this up and make it about me, but just so that you know I can relate.  I had the last one first, then I had feelings about the sensations, then I had thoughts about my feel…about my…thoughts about my feelings and my physical sensations.

 

Then I had a debate about what to do, and then I did…here’s some things; who was the famous person that did the stages of…I wonder if there’s stages of…with sleep.  When you can’t sleep…this is, I guess, the truth; it is a little bit full of G-R-I-E-F, if that’s the correct spelling, but maybe I’ll come back to that because I do a lot of bargaining, I guess, and I feel those other feelings.  I don’t know all of them in order, but oh boy, do I have that A-word, A-N-G-E-R, too.  Bargaining…what is it?  Denial.  Oh, I’ll fall right…and then that part of me laughs.  Let me just move my pillow…let me just move over to the right, here.  I’m gonna fall right asleep.  Part of me goes muahaha.  Anyway, so whatever is keeping you awake; it could be any of that stuff.  It could be that sound effect that maybe I’ll…that voice, but that was a friendly voice.  Whatever’s keeping you awake, I’m here to take your mind off of that while you fall asleep.  I got a safe place set aside.  I smooth it, I pat it, I rub it down, I say safe place.

 

It’s all set aside for you here.  The way I do it is I send my voice across the deep, dark night.  I’m gonna use lulling, soothing, creaky, dulcet tones, pointless meanders, superfluous tangents, extra words like those, word fragments, mumbles, groans, all to take your mind off of stuff while you fall asleep.  If you’re a regular listener, I’m so glad you’re here.  We haven’t ever talked about this, these stages of sleeplessness, before.  Yet another book I’ll never write; The Scooter Story.  That would be funny.  Maybe that should be the name…if I ever do write a book, that’s what it should be called.  Written by David Sedaris .  That would be classic.  I don’t think I could…I don’t know if the split would work for me because it’d probably be like…yeah, well, he gets 90%, Scoots; you get…then we get 8%, and then you get 1%.  I’d say well, do I have to do anything?  ‘Cause then maybe that could be a deal I could be into, then.  Like, nothing for 1%?  Maybe I would think about…nah.  Well, I don’t know.

 

Anyway, where was I?  Oh, regular listeners.  I’m so glad I can be here for you and that you keep coming back and that I can help you get to sleep on a regular basis.  But let me talk to the new listeners here.  Hey, new listeners, welcome.  This podcast is very different, so I just want to introduce you to a couple ideas to help you understand what’s happening.  If you’re new, first thing to note is if you’re having feelings about this podcast that are neutral or non-neutral, that’s understandable.  Most people when they get here, they say, what is…I don’t know if people do a lot of squinting, but the emotional version of that where you say what is that over there?  See words just quite out of…you say, what is that?  I do that a lot when I’m walking my dog at night and she sees something that I don’t see, or senses something.  Usually it's a C-A-T or what she thinks is one, and I can't see it.  I say, what is that you're looking at there?  What is it?

 

‘Cause then I say well, maybe we'll cross the street or something.  The cat's probably taking a bath or something.  If it's a cat, I say…here's one…here's something…I just got a random question that came up for me, is anybody see squirrels at night?  I'm not kidding.  How did it take me my whole life to just wonder that?  Say, when was the last time you saw a squirrel at night?  You see raccoons at night, but not squirrels, huh?  I mean, there's probably a 99% chance tonight when I take her out for a walk, I'll say forty…I'll say oh, well, you just never noticed us, Scoots.  We're here.  We're enjoying the evening and we don't…we scurry during the day so we can relax our evenings away.  But yeah, we're around.  Oh, sorry, squirrels.  Okay, so I forgot…oh, so new listeners.  This podcast is very different.  That's one of the reasons you're probably having strong feelings about it.  That's why I want to tell you a couple things.  One, this podcast does not work for everybody but in the high 90% of the people it worked for that listen on a regular basis, it took two or three tries for them to get used to it.

 

Give it two or three tries and if you don't like the podcast, it doesn't mean there's anything wrong.  It just means you don't like it.  It's just a natural thing.  You say oh, no, I just don't like the show.  There's no judgment on my end if you don't like the show, either.  I hope you do and I hope it can help.  I can only tell you from experience that it takes two or three tries for most people to adjust, and some of the things you have to adjust to is one, well, creaky, dulcet tones, pointless meanders, all those things.  Second, this isn't a podcast you really listen to.  Just like not a lot of people go…like, people go bird-watching but you never hear…just because Hollywood has never glamorized it, once again, is people…you don't hear a lot of people going squirrel-watching, though I would probably…that would probably be a delightful pastime.  You'd say well, yeah, people like the birds 'cause they sing and…but if you…squirrel-watching?  You know what squirrels do most of the time; they frolic.

 

Now, they're harder to watch but oh, boy, is it worth it.  There, I just glamorized squirrel-watching.  Squirrel Watch; the podcast about squirrel-watching and things interesting to squirrel watchers.  Hey Craig, would…that's from Scriptnotes.  Then you'd say hello, my name is Craig Mazin.  I'm here in a tree, watching squirrels.  ‘Cause he usually puts a voice on every time.  Anyway, so…oh, boy.  How did we get to…oh, this is kinda…bit like…I wouldn't say it's like squirrel-watching 'cause that's something you don't really think about, right?  You say well, yeah, I watch the birds more.  I notice the squirrels but they're moving around, so I just kinda notice them on the side.  I'm barely paying attention.  You're Barely Paying Attention: The Squirrel Story.  Yep, that's how it is being a squirrel.  You don't even think we're out at night?  We are.  But yeah, you say well, I didn't notice, Scoots.  I didn't notice.  That's what a regular listener would say if we had breakfast together.

 

I'd say did you hear…did you hear the show last night?  I turned it on, yeah, Scoots.  Oh yeah, which episode was it, 'cause I'm working on episode…oh, I didn't notice, Scoots.  Whatever one was in my podcast played.  Okay.  Do you know what I was talking about?  Hm, I think you were talking about Melamet maybe, or…maybe macaroni or macramé or Melamet, or Mel Tormé.  I don't know, maybe it was Paul Anka.  I got no…Scoots, maybe it could have been Don Ho.  I don't know.  Okay, so I was either talking about macaroni or Don Ho?  Scoots, I have no idea.  I was barely listening.  You did a great job, once.  Oh, thank you so much.  It really means a lot to me.  That would be how it goes.  That would be genuine.  I'd say thanks for not listening.  This is the only podcast that that happens.  You say yeah, you don't really need to listen to him.  That would be where they'd break the wall and they'd turn to you and they'd say, this is really how [00:10:00] you use the podcast; you don't really listen to him.  It's great, the greatest thing…and he's not even really here having breakfast.

 

It's just a podcast, so I don't even have to think about it.  That's the first thing that can throw new people off.  The second thing is that I don't really put you to sleep.  There are other sleep audios out there and most of them are different than this show, but this sleep…this podcast doesn't put you to sleep; it keeps you company and then while you fall asleep…I'm here to barely entertain you and take your mind off of stuff.  I'm here to be your companion in the deep, dark night; your bore-bruh, your bore-friend, your bore-bestie, your bore-bae, your bore-sib, your bore-cuz, your bore…the bore…the borer.  I'm your bore-bud.  That's really what I'm here to be.  You don't really listen to me and you don't really fall asleep.  That's why the episodes are over an hour or right around an hour, so you have plenty of time to drift off.  But here's the other part of the bore-bud role, is I'm here to the very end so if you can't sleep or you wake up or you just…you need a little…you say, I need somebody to barely just talk to me that I can barely listen to during the day or at night.  I'm here.

 

That's what I'm here for.  Believe it or not, I'm working this whole episode, but you don't…the work I put into it, it's…I guess it's two-fold; it's there if you need it and it's there if you don't; if you need it but you don't need it.  Those are two things to know if you're a new listener.  Couple other things to know structurally…and I don't understand…I guess I keep coming back to this and I always point it out, but then people always don't get it, but maybe 'cause they skip this part.  So, the show starts off with a greeting; ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, friends beyond the binary.  I hope you know that that means that you're welcome here and that the show is built on empathy and compassion for other human beings.  Maybe not as…I'm trying to increase my squirrel-based compassion and empathy, too.  But the times I've tried to pretend to be a squirrel, they'd said Scoots, this is the last time we're gonna give you a warning.  This is our tree.  I say okay, sorry about that again.

 

I say actually, could you call…'cause my squirrel outfit's actually caught on this branch, too, and I still have a mouth…my…it's hard for me to talk to you with my cheeks full of…I don't have it full of…I have it full of nut butter so they're kinda stuck in my cheeks.  Don't do any of this; this is just imaginary, by the way.  Okay, what was I saying before I climbed up in a tree?  Barely listen…oh, structurally.  That's the greeting.  Then there's business.  The top business is not really that long, but it's usually our sponsor Helix, then Patreon, and then resources for listeners.  Then there's our intro.  Sometimes I think people think the intro and the business…I don't know.  But the intro's around twenty, twenty-five minutes of me trying to explain what the podcast is.  But that's one…that's the surface of what the intro seems like it is.  Really what the intro is, is me warming it up and cooling it down at the same time so you can ease into bed or bedtime.

 

If you become a regular listener, you'll notice oh, well, I'm gonna start Scoots before I get in bed or you know what?  I'm gonna start knitting and listen to Scoots on the couch and then get in bed, or I'm gonna do some doodling in bed, or I'm gonna do whatever, look at my macaroni or macramé or Macramé Today, one of the great publications.  Used to be made of macramé.  I don't know what that… or Melamet.  Yeah, oh, and then I'm…make sure tomorrow morning that I wake up to that Melanie and Mel Tormé podcast 'cause they're talking about Don Ho.  They have Don Ho on, so that…and they're making macaroni.  Okay, oh, what was I saying?  I don't know.  Oh, so the whole idea of the intro is that it becomes part of your bedtime routine, to ease you into bedtime and give you some distance from the day because I can't really…there's…I don't have the power to just put you to sleep.  I only have the power to slowly distract you while you fall asleep.

 

Really, I only…I can…the only thing I can do is be here and keep you company and be your bore-bud, but that's really the most important job I've ever had in my entire life, though I've had other important jobs working in a library.  This is important to you right now if it can help you.  Oh, structurally…so, that's the intro 'cause sometimes I don't…people say, what is the intro?  Why do you keep going on and on and on?  I say well, give it two or three tries.  I think you'll understand.  Then there's business after the intro but before our episode, and that's how podcast structure works.  It's just the way…I say…and that's actually the business that keeps the podcast coming out free.  Then there's our episode.  Tonight, it's a crossover episode that you heard me talk about at the top of the show for my friends Travis and Kaitlin at Fool and Scholar Productions, VAST Horizon.  This is a re-imagining of one of their episodes.

 

Then you can…you'll be like oh, wow, I gotta check this podcast out tomorrow during the day.  But for now, it'll be here to put you to sleep, a bit like a bedtime story or more or less a…I'm taking a episode of their exciting podcast and making it into a bedtime story.  Then there's thank-yous at the end.  That's the structure of the show, so you can fall asleep at any time, but usually it eases listeners into bedtime or it keeps them company as they…you know, whatever's going on.  Structure of the show, that's…oh, the reason I make the show.  The reason I make the show, like I said, I've been there, including last night.  I said, what the hey is going on?  Sometimes it just happens.  You do everything right, so you think, and then something comes up and you say what?  Why can't I fall asleep?  I had everything planned out and I did everything…you know, I did it all.  Holy…what do they call that?  Holy sleep hygiene, Robin.

 

I didn't say that last night 'cause I said what in the strong, strong words for adults only?  But because I've been there, even recently, and I know it can feel…there's a lot of feelings associated with not being able to fall asleep, and there's some primary ones.  I'm here to intersect with that or interrupt that and keep you company and take your mind off of that.  Then ideally, you can fall asleep or at least you could say okay, I got a place I can breathe, here.  ‘Cause eventually, I reached acceptance.  I say, okay…but it always is…even though I've been doing this podcast for a long time and I've been having issues with sleep my whole life, I still have to go through all those other stages most of the time.  Then I say okay, well, let me just do something different for a little while and then I'll fall asleep, or I won't, and then I'll try to figure it out tomorrow or take a nap.  Then inevitably, that usually helps.  This podcast can hopefully interrupt that cycle just because I'm outside of you and I'm here to work on your behalf.

 

Really, that's what I'm here to do.  The reason why I'm here to work on your behalf is because your sleep is important.  You deserve a good night's sleep and if I can help with that, it really gives my life purpose.  Now, I can't help…it doesn't…like I said, I can't help everybody.  I wish I did, but I hope I can help you because if you get a good night's sleep, you could be in a position to flourish and live your life more fully, and that's really a beautiful thing, almost as beautiful as if I get a place…a chance to take a little nap later today.  That's why I'm here.  That's my job and that's what's important.  Now, if you're new, yeah, like I said, give it a few tries.  It might not work for you.  It might not be your thing.  I have creaky, dulcet tones, I'm strange, and I'm not everybody's cup of tea.  But just see how it goes.  There's nothing to lose.  Give it two or three tries and then say nah, or…I mean, more and more often what happens is the people that already had strong, strong dislike are already kind of sending me stuff that's not super-nice, but if you're still here, you could try other sleep podcasts; sleepwithmepodcast.com/nothankyou or Empty Bowl or Sleep Whispers.

 

Just start there and see if there's something else out there.  Then some people find their way back.  That happens more and more often because…that's just a natural part of it for…we've had that…I'll never watch that show [00:20:00] and then you say…somebody says, have you see that?  I say, no.  Maybe I'll check it out now.  People come back to this with fresh ears where they strongly listened once, had a strong reaction, then either had something come up or someone said hey, are you sure you haven't tried that?  Have you tried not listening to that podcast?  Well, how do I do that?  You just turn it on and you kinda barely…oh, the first time I was listening and it was…Scooter's too much to handle.  You say yeah, you don't handle him; you just let him…it's kinda like you're like a sieve.  He just passes through you.  I mean, on a metaphoric…not even in a metaphor…no thank you, Scooter.  Please don't pass…no problem.  I wouldn't pass through you; pass by you, breeze by.

 

Okay, yeah, thanks Scooter.  Thanks anyway for that stuff.  Sorry I wasn't listening to you at breakfast.  Oh, that was…you're…actually, you're a figment of my imagination for the listener.  Oh, even I don't listen to you, Scoots.  Yeah, it means I'm doing my job.  That's what I'm proud…believe it or not, proud of that.  I'm proud even the figments of my imagination don't need to listen to me.  Thanks for pointing that out.  I'm glad you're here.  I really hope I can help you sleep by you…by me keeping you company and you just kinda tuning me out or barely listening.  Or if you need to, you can listen.  I'll be here.  But I appreciate you coming by.  I work really hard, I yearn and I strive.  I really hope I can help you fall asleep, and here's a couple of ways this is really how we're able to bring you this podcast for free.  Thanks.

 

Alright everybody, it's Scoots here.  I'm gonna turn the podcast over to a guest storyteller from far in the past.  You haven't heard her voice in a while.  She's gonna bring you a special crossover episode.  She's gonna be telling the bedtime tale based on Season 2, Episode 9 of VAST Horizon; The Choices We Make.  This is a podcast made by two amazing feat people; Kaitlin and Travis.  You heard me talk about it towards the beginning of the show, and it's a perfect opportunity.  They just wrapped their second season, so you could listen to this episode, then you can compare it.  You could listen to episode…you could binge through Season 1 and Season 2.  Believe me, you're gonna want to.  You could also – if you're new to the show – you could listen to this, you could listen to Episode 9, and then you could listen…like, you say okay, now I'm gonna listen to the entire first and second seasons, kind of like Episode 9 was some sort of prequel.  Say, where am I?  What's happening?  But I'd highly recommend starting at Episode 1 and just queuing it up and setting yourself up for a journey.  But without further ado, let me turn things over to the world-famous storyteller, Agatha.

 

Well, hello.  Hello, everyone.  This is Agatha and I'm here to tell you a tale…oh, how Travis and Kaitlin are such good people.  Even though I live in another world, I'm here to tell the children of my world this tale.  You're listening in, but you're special; I'm talking right to you, of course.  I was trying to have a English…Earth English accent, but I'm not very good at it, so I'll just tell the tale in my voice.  Oh, my children, this is called The Choices We Make from VAST Horizon.  I want you to slowly fade in.  You might say Agatha, where are we?  Where…?  Well, I want you to imagine; are we in outer space or where are we is a good question as you hear sounds…there's a phone call ending, an electronic phone call.  There's a beeping and then we hear footsteps and a door opens and closes.  Then the character I'd like you to think about identifying with, children, Nolira, says what's wrong?  There's something happening; she's not just asking because the door has opened and someone's there, someone named Sanjay, but she's asking me 'cause there's a thumping like a bass, a bass drum.

 

You'd say, is that a stereo system on a…what is that?  You say Agatha, how do you know of these things when the world you come…I say well, just settle in for this tale, children.  There's no questions here that can't be answered.  Yes, it's a bass sound, like a bass drum; a deep thumping but not in a consistent way, in a irregular moment.  We say well, I don't like that because it doesn't have the consistency.  Oh, but let's get back to Nolira.  She says, what's wrong?  Sanjay says, come with me.  Quickly, they leave the room they're in and as they're walking, tip-tip-tapping – they have crisp steps, the two of them – you start to hear other voices, concerned voices worrying, saying what's with that thumping?  I was trying to curl my hair.  I have to launch tomorrow morning and I'm quite grouchy now.  What is with that thumping?  There's more thumping even more powerful.  There's more and more displeasured voices when Nolira says, what is that?

 

I don't even know…is that a bass drum of a car or whatever?  You say, it's not a bass drum in a car.  Okay, it's a thumper.  It's a thumping thumper.  Something's thumping, we'll say.  Sanjay says well, we don't know yet.  Security sent us all texts saying we don't know why there's all this thumping outside.  Get down to the lobby because it's some sort of impromptu parade, but a parade saying…we think it may be…do you remember the tale of…what was that called?  The pied piper.  What would have happened if you didn't know the pied piper was up to no good?  That's what's happening here, maybe.  They're saying well, this text…that say this is a parade and we're all supposed to go along with the thumping bass vehicles and even flatbed vehicles with people playing giant kettle drums.  But he also says okay, it's in the…we're meeting everybody in the lobby.  Camilla's trying to contact Carlos right now.  Nolira says…she tries to bring things down.  Okay, it's gonna be fine.

 

Let's just wait for Carlos.  It's business as usual; nothing to be concerned about.  Everyone loves the parade, even an impromptu parade in the middle…that's inconvenient timing.  But there's more thumping, children.  Of course, the children…if you could imagine yourself there, you'd say well, I wanna follow.  There's something about that thumping.  Now that I'm out of bed, I want to follow it.  Nolira says yes, yes, you're right; it'll be fine.  Let's just stay calm and wait, stay calm and wait.  But children, if you could see her face, you'd say…you're saying one thing, Nolira, but your body and your mind and your…your body's telling me what's really on your mind.  Your face…you can't hide it, not even from Sanjay who's this doctor.  She says wait, wait, wait.  Yeah, yeah, yeah, wait.  Sanjay says, exactly.  Are you okay, doctor?  Then horns…fancy horns that go doodle-do-da-doo or stuff like that start honking.  There's more bass thumping.

 

Sanjay says doctor, do you know something about this parade?  Is there a myth we're not familiar with in this story of a pied piper?  I just wonder if those people knew the myth of the pied piper.  You could say both sides, doctor.  What would they have missed out on but also would they have not have gone?  But of course, it could have been false pied pipers.  Nolira says no, no, no, I'm okay, thank you.  It's just memories, Sanjay.  What do we know that's happening?  It's a parade, right?  Bring me back.  Yes, yes, doctor; a parade, maybe.  I don't think it's great to speculate.  We're not sure it's in a…well, I guess technically it's a line of cars and vehicles and floats, so I guess technically…but to speculate more would not be a good idea.  Yes, yes, of course.  Then we hear someone with one of those bull horns or a cone which is very good at projecting their voice, children.  No, no, no need to project your voice now.  Agatha's telling this tale.

 

Stay in your seats and [00:30:00] get comfortable as I tell you that an announcer person probably on a blow horn in this situation, or with some sort of floating technological wonder, says okay, everybody, listen up closely; we need to follow along with this parade.  It's really sweeping us up with our emotions.  Let's just orderly follow along, here.  Now, it looks like the parade is heading down…we're gonna head out these back doors single…not single file but as if you were in single file with a politeness of that single file style.  We want you to go towards Marine Street.  Now, don't bring anything along you can't carry for a long walk.  We don't know how long this parade is.  Remember, that's Marine Street, not Marine Boulevard.  Then the person puts down their blow horn and says Dr. Jiang-Antwi, please, I need to speak with you.  He's speaking to Nolira and she says well, what's going on?  Is this actually a parade?

 

He says, Carlos said there's…it's something more than a parade but we don't know what more.  There's something else going on and also, don't tell anybody this, but the thumping of the bass is not good.  The construction of these domiciles; one of the reasons we should follow this parade is that they're not prepared for dealing with this level of bass thumping.  This is unprecedented bass thumping.  Some of the bass we can't even detect because it's subsonic or something.  I don't know, doctor.  I'm not a audio doctor.  We have to…oh, by the way, I gotta talk to everybody else.  Excuse me…everybody, please move…again, I don't want to keep repeating myself.  I know we should have chosen a bit more names, but Marine Street…there's Marine Boulevard, Marine Lane.  Marine Place doesn't even go through, so please don't go down Marine Place.  Marine Square…Marine Street is what we're looking for.

 

That's where the parade…just follow the parade, I guess, and then more things…we hear more things.  People are coming out of the buildings, the chattering, the bass is thumping, some people are saying…they're already weighing in whether their feelings about pro or anti-bass, the following…oh, and then it says okay everybody…holy mackerel, who named these streets?  It's Marine Street.  Street.  Just go to the one named Street; forget the Marine part.  You want to be on a Street, not a…what are they…how many different names…?  Oh, don't worry about the Marine.  Just go down Street.  Stuff is coming out of the trees, like pine needles from the bass thumping and I don't know, people are saying I'm not sure this…my teeth feel like they're furry now from this.  Then it seems like somehow, people are pointing fingers as they do with these type of events with the pro and anti.  They say, that's her; that's the bass-maker.  Someone else says that…no, that's the…she's the pied piper, I believe.

 

This is the pied piper.  Then the authority figure says everyone stay calm, please.  Once again, please stay calm and follow to Marine Street.  Nolira says, what is going on?  Why is everybody arguing?  Is this a dream?  I don't know, doctor, but no, I'm trying to…could you just go to Marine Street, please?  Is this coordinate…is…maybe this is…I think I remember that tale of the pied piper.  If there was a pied…let me just say, Nolira, I'm an authority figure.  If there was a pied piper, I would know about it.  I have a headset on.  They would let me know.  Alls I know is I follow…I'm just following the commands coming through my headset.  It says everyone go to Marine Street, please.  Oh, now people are not walking orderly and also, people are disagreeing about the…oh, boy.  Excuse me, please.  Even I, Nolira…please, everybody, calm down.  This is a good…oh, and now the crowd…children…now, don't worry, children.  I wouldn't be telling you this tale if it didn't have a pleasant conclusion.

 

But much like you've seen when someone…you know the other classes you go to that aren't taught by me, Agatha…you know, where the teachers…the adults…authorities, they may be…let someone run away with things instead of giving children the proper space.  Everyone got very loud and it became a big thing.  But we'll fade away from that and I want you to think about the sounds of a command deck.  You say Agatha, I don't know what a command deck is.  Well, there's beeping, there's chattering, there's people working, some people working silently with…some of you children don't know necessarily how to deal with your desks, sometimes.  This is futuristic, children, so there's screens and there's lights and pleasant sounds, 'cause you have to work there all day long, so it's audibly comforting and it has a busy sound of a productive workplace.  But the commands themselves are not commanding.  They're just there in the background.

 

Some of you children…some of you when we do our plays are the stars and some of you are the chorus.  This is a chorus member who says…who's in a uniform and says captain, the private rooms…having a…you know, for time-outs, those are having audio malfunctions and we can't even audio-surveil those rooms for time-out to hear if anyone's using a…we can't hear them.  Even the extra rooms that the navigation crew are using, we can't listen in on anyone.  That's usually in case they're whispering secrets.  You said to keep an eye on number one and two, especially.  So, unless you want to send someone there in person…we can see them, we just can't hear them, captain.  Okay, captain, this is…I'm…oh, this character's kind of like a second-in-command character and you'll learn more when you listen to this whole story.  You say well, I formulated a much different vision than yours, Agatha.  I'd say good, that's good.  Your imagination…this is Theatre of the Mind, children.

 

Not what I'm doing here which you'll listen to one day.  Captain, this has happened before.  Audio malfunctions occurred when Dr. Jiang-Antwi had a previous meeting with a guest from the Bifrost.  Oh, I'm the captain and I'm…I gotta think this out and make a puffy…puff up my chest and cross my arms and show that I'm not concerned because you can't do anything…she's in a time-out.  She doesn't even have…she doesn't…we canceled the screen time and that included computers even, correct?  Correct, captain.  What would you like me to tell the security staff?  Well, I'm thinking about it.  I got my think…nothing, not for now.  Don't move someone into the forward annex yet.  Go into her room and check her room for something.  Maybe she's disrupting something.  I don't know, maybe she's got some sort of equipment.  But check it quickly 'cause whatever's going on is happening in the present time.  Yes, captain, I'm walking away now to…okay.  Okay, good work.

 

Then the captain turns to his first…second-in-command or whatever.  Graan, what do you think of this situation?  I know you have opinions on the doctor.  Yeah, plainly sir, I don't think you're capable of such a thing.  Whatever she's doing…blocking our audio listening.  I mean, before I even met her, I had assumptions about her.  That's probably not the best way to lead, but she seemed like a pinachin, what you call an oogie-boogie.  You know what I mean, captain?  Is it oogie-boogie or boogie-oogie?  I thought it was boogie-oogie.  Oogie-boogie?  I guess it's oogie-boogie.  What about the rest of the…I didn't know you were a fan of that…is it…do you consider it a musical or a film, Graan?  Okay, oogie-boogie, captain.  Well, when I saw her taken in from the Bifrost and brought here upon the Walton, she seemed small, fragile, incapable.  Granted, sir, many humans seem small to us.  Yes, yes, yes, but [00:40:00] from what we know of her work, of her ability to adapt and her actions on the Bifrost, she's very capable.

 

I know that captain and in all honesty, I loathe her for it.  Maybe bitter jealousy too, given the circumstance, but I don't believe she's doing this alone.  Well, I understand.  We have to determine a way out of this with everyone here depending on us.  I'm command, you're first…you're number one.  If we were on another ship…what do we have?  Well, I've collected the updates from our communications…our computer science and…oh, there's something dinging.  There's an announcement coming, captain.  Hello, command crew of the OTV Walton.  This announcement is to inform you of the imminent loss of forward propulsion due to the Walton being out of gas.  This will also impact the Bifrost and then the Walton.  You have thirty-seven hours and twenty-five minutes before you…because you have forward momentum.  You also don't have any fuel to slow back down and you are at a critical speed, making it improbable for you to find your way back home which won't be good for anyone on Bifrost or auxiliary vessel 743-1.

 

If I were you, I would leave the Walton evac, as they say, immediately.  Thank you and good day.  Then, children, this is not a voice that has ever come…this is some…they say wait a second, that wasn't the captain or the first in command or our general announcement voice.  The captain…surprised, but also command says do not prepare stations for evac.  Keep working here.  This is a workplace and I want to keep up that beeping and those typing sounds, right?  No whispering; I hear you whispering.  Out of gas?  Whose job is it to make sure we have enough fuel?  Well, in the end, the…you know, it ends with me.  We need to speak privately, Graan.  Yes, captain.  Now that we are in your office…how did she do that?  What does she mean, run out of fuel immediately or soon?  I'm not sure, captain.  I thought we had…according to the electronic readouts, we have plenty of fuel.  Oh no, now it's showing empty.  Video surveillance, if we look here, shows her conversing with someone else in a time-out.

 

I'm thinking that this announcement is a trick.  It was a pre-recorded announcement because she's not reacting at all.  Look at her.  Thirty-seven hours…she has us on a darn countdown clock.  Makes me want to pound my table here.  But she can't even know how much gas is on the Bifrost vessels and we've confirmed there's…she's not communicated externally?  I need to pace around and continue…children, you know when I get irritated…you've seen me pound my desk before.  I do more of a tapping instead of a pounding, like this captain, to show my displeasure.  But you know when I tap my foot, do you know how you feel?  You say oh boy, Professor Agatha's not happy with us.  We've misbehaved.  Then I usually say that after a long pause; Professor Agatha's not…anyway, back to the story.  Sorry.  Okay, tell me everything we need to know so far; anything the crew thinks is worth mentioning.  Okay, captain, I have some updates but they don't appear to create a…have any solutions to our problems.

 

I don't have the technical specs right now, but the gist is they don't have the right data.  They've been looking at what data's missing and apparently, the first slight indication that our input to the Walton no longer matched Walton's output, was this split-second sensor report from just minutes after detaching from the Bifrost.  It's possible that if the doctor is using some sort of computer malware, it could have got on our auxiliary ship during docking or she could have brought it on board by other means.  One guess is in her bionic limbs but at that point, Dr. Jiang-Antwi would be…she was sleeping.  Given a broad analysis of engine outputs or former engine outputs, engineering believes we're currently…yeah, we're not gonna be able to slow down if there's no gas.  They're looking over all the star charts to see…we are headed into a unexplored zone that no one ever goes and visits.  It's really vague and we're out of communication range or we will be permanently soon.

 

Then we won't even have communication with Technocracy.  We won't have any contact with FTS, anybody from…any of…anybody in charge.  They might even think we're not working, captain.  We got about four hours 'til that happens, but we still…communication is not even working right now because all incoming and outgoing data's just been halted.  The last successful communication or data transfer we had was that call with Captain Park.  That was at the doctor's behest.  Oh, boy.  This is confusing.  I'm thinking about everything.  Okay, well, but after we had the conversation, we logged everybody's location; correct?  Yes, yes captain, but we can't confirm the accuracy of that log.  Okay, there's someone…come in.  Somebody's ringing the doorbell.  I heard that, captain.  Yes, come in.  Then, children, another one of the chorus comes in, a different-dressed chorus member.  Captain, I got your order that you just sent out a few minutes ago.

 

We removed the prisoner and we took the person on a time-out and brought them back to their room.  Oh, what?  What do you mean?  This is irritating.  I didn't give any orders.  I've been here thinking and brainstorming.  A team was supposed to be looking…searching her room for a diary or some sort of tools or something.  Captain, I don't know what you're talking about.  I got the order and we followed through on the order quickly, just like you said, tip-top or whatever.  We didn't find anything strange.  We took her tablet out of her room.  We knew she's not to have any screen time.  Also, we went through with that release, like you said; released them from time-out and from our purview or whatever.  I don't know what purview means, captain, but off of our command, basic…here's your order.  It's signed, sealed, and delivered, and it even says ‘I'm yours.'  That's you, right, sir?  Okay, oh, my goodness, this is a forgery.  How did she even do this?

 

Because it's a digital forgery with a hologram and a thumbprint and an eye-print.  Somebody's gotta be helping her.  Okay, go back to your station please, and make sure you're working…focusing on your work.  Disregard any digital orders.  Don't take any digital orders, please.  Only in-person orders.  Physical orders face-to-face.  Face-to-face via digital hologram, sir?  No, no, no, in person, I said.  In person?  Oh, yes, sir.  Yes, sir.  Oh boy, captain, it appears the doctor's announcement was only on the command deck, according to the…what I'm hearing around the ship.  The rest of the Walton was not affected.  This message must have only been for us as a display of power.  Holy mackerel, this is…okay, so nothing in her files says she knew anything about computer programming or this high-level stuff.  You said when this started, she was sleeping.  Yes, captain.  Like I said, she could have pre-recorded a message and set it up like…remember…do you remember MP3s, captain?

 

Like, she could have said that.  She could have set that up during the rescue part.  Yeah, but she didn't know we were coming.  She didn't know we were coming to rescue her and she was sleeping when we got there.  [00:50:00] Sorry commander, I'm getting a call in to my headset.  The command crew is waiting your announcement about the evac, captain, and if we're…they really want to know if we really ran out of gas 'cause that's really not good.  They also said the backup fuel is empty.  Then they said well, if we're gonna be stuck, we won't have anything to do.  Okay, what about the comms crew?  What did they say?  Commander, they need two more hours.  Okay.  Okay, if we get nothing by then, we'll reassess and make a plan, but get every…heads of all the departments ready for a briefing 'cause we don't have any time to lose.  Okay, commander.  What would you like me to do about the doctor in her room, commander…captain; sorry.  Commander captain.  Just leave her.  It doesn't matter.

 

She's on the ship and she doesn't have any screen time.  Once we have this briefing, I'll figure stuff out.  Can you hear me sighing?  Okay, captain, let's get to work, though.  Okay, I just have to walk on the command deck and hear.  Oh boy, there's the ambiance of the typing and the beeping and the working and the focusing.  That makes me feel secure, that…and those are mechanical keyboards, right?  They don't even need power.  Well, to make the sound, they don't need the power.  Anyway, let's get to the meet…let's get this meeting going, sir.  There, we paused, children, on the command deck.  Now, I want you to think about a simple room on the Walton; a cabin, as they say.  When it's on a ship, they say it's a cabin.  There is Nolira; worrying, thinking, fretting, possibly.  Then she hears ding-dong, and it's a talking doorbell.  Can you imagine if you lived somewhere where your doorbell talked to you, children?  Who here…raise your hand if you want to live somewhere with a talking doorbell.

 

Okay, yes, Edgar; if you had a talking doorbell, I would have it say to you, do your homework in the evening.  In the morning, it would say wash…go back inside and wash your face.  Then do your homework and then go to school.  I'm just kidding, Edgar.  You're one of my favorite students.  Okay, but this doorbell said ding-dong, visitor at the door.  Nolira ignored the doorbell, and the doorbell persists.  Ding-dong.  Visitor's at the door, ma'am.  But what the doorbell could not see because it's just a machine was that she was lightly resting her eyes closed.  Not now; I'm just resting with my eyes closed.  That means I'm sleeping; I've had a long day.  Ding-dong.  Excuse me, there are visitors at the door.  Holy mackerel, these talking doorbells.  Also, I'm a two-way talking doorbell and someone wants to speak with you.  Hello, doctor.  The captain has ordered your presence on the command deck.  If you continue to dismiss us, we'll have to use stern…give you a stern talking-to to get you to come along with us, or we could try begging.

 

Ugh, okay.  Is Z.Z….that's what I call…that's what she calls her doorbell; Z.Z.  I love it.  Yes, we have a Z.Z.  This is spelled Z.Z.  But yeah, Z.Z., I know your name is not Z.Z., but anyway.  Open the door, please.  There's footsteps and the doctor says well, I'm not trying to dismiss you, commander.  I was resting.  Okay, well, why don't you come with us, doctor?  Okay, I'll come with you, then.  We have to walk the whole way, huh?  Yes.  We should walk in silence though, because it's a long walk down this hallway.  There's all those…now, they're in a ship, children, so there's other sounds.  You'd be curious to know what are they passing as they walk this long hall; a canteen to eat in?  Yes, yes, an outhouse…there would be an in-house or a bathroom, they would call it here on the ship.  I think they call it a head on a ship, I believe.  Oh, what's a ship?  Like a boat, but bigger.  Good question; that's a good question.  Then they go and they take some turns.

 

They probably take a lift which they had at one of our fairs.  It goes up and down levels before you ask the question.  Oh, is it run by horsepower?  Great question, Zeke.  No, it could…it's run by something similar, though.  Good question.  Then finally, they eventually arrive on the command deck and we hear the sweet, sweet sounds of busy, busy…not busy work; workers busy, I believe.  If there was busy work, it wouldn't be on the command deck; it would be where you can't…commander can't see you.  Captain, I'm here with your guest.  Oh, that's a stern sigh because this stunt has left me in a difficult position, doctor.  How do you even know if we're out of gas or we're just pretend out of gas?  That's one.  My whole command crew wants to know that; are we out of gas or are we out of fuel?  Are we out of gas and fuel?  What about the…what, the batteries are drained, too?  Batteries aren't charging.  Is that real or is that just because we are so dependent on digital readouts?

 

They said well, there's really…they said well, we have other readouts but they're all…we have some…I don't know, they have things that aren't digital, with the thingamajig that goes back and forth.  They're trying those.  With the fuel, they're even using a dip stick, but they said we're still…looks like we're out of fuel but we still don't know.  But I'm really curious about this.  As a commander, I have to have a bigger review which is like, oh, interesting.  Does it even matter?  Are we really out of fuel or does it seem like we are?  It does matter if we're gonna slow the ship down.  But everybody's waiting for me to make a decision.  I can't make a decision until I decide.  Oh, you're talking about that announcement; yeah, totally, yeah, that I made while I was in time-out, huh, captain?  Huh, that big announcement I made, eh?  Yeah, I'm really caught up in my thoughts so I can't pay attention to your body language there.  But I don't even know how you did it.

 

But that's not important because the clock's ticking.  We don't have power over the ship.  Pretty soon, I've been made aware that the mechanical keyboards will make a typing sound but they won't make any inputs.  That's just the start of it.  In the next thirty-two hours and two minutes…yes, captain, until we kinda reach the point of no return, as they say.  The critical point of no return.  Do you think we could speak to Captain Park again?  I don't think that's required.  Required?  No, no, no, I didn't say required; I want to speak…I just want to…but what do you want me to do?  I could give in to your demands and then it wouldn't be required.  It's a request.  But if you…do you have any additions to your demands?  A ship?  Oh, okay.  Sorry, I'm just…this is a little bit of pressure, here.  They don't teach us the…even experience didn't teach me this.  Please excuse my hopeful tangent…could you rescind your previous requests and actions and maybe we could have an amicable outcome?

 

Hm, well, it doesn't appear as I'm…I don't think I'm gonna be changing the terms laid out during our previous conversation.  But yeah, I do have something I want to add; Sanon.  Sun Sanon Onroon, the other…one of the other people on the Bifrost with me.  He didn't get a fair…he got consequences without getting a fair hearing.  I'd like you to all log an official request of some kind for his case to be reviewed and for him to get a full hearing of his peers when you get to a station or a free planet.  Oh boy, so you're interested in bettering Trennan's life [01:00:00] when we're about to run out of gas?  400,000 people.  Okay, captain, I'm trying to save people, to help people, including Sanon.  You know, there's a lot of stuff that goes on…political that we've seen here and that I'm not comfortable with.  Sanon has the right to get a full hearing from his peers.  He's not perfect; I'm not saying he's perfect.  But are you gonna log the request or not or are we gonna keep talking about it?  I will.

 

Okay, well, do it now while I can watch you visually log it.  But I can't log it; there's no communications.  It's not working.  Everything's not working.  I don't know, captain.  Why don't you try?  What the…?  It's working now.  It's beeping and lighting.  This is Captain Sarpon of the OTV Walton.  Okay, it's logged, it's logged; I unlocked it and logged it.  But we don't even know if it's going out.  It's not necessarily gonna help his case that you advocated for this when you're messing with us.  What should I tell…you remember all those…that birdseed that was on the Bifrost for all the birders and bird fans?  What should I tell them?  ‘Cause you launched all that birdseed off.  We're gonna try to recover some of it.  What do you think all those birders…what do you want me to say to them?  Captain, I'd say that they can make their own birdseed.  I didn't feel that that birdseed was high quality enough.  I tried to do the right thing for the birds and the birders, actually.  I don't know.

 

I don't know what's gonna happen.  Well, for…this just doesn't seem like there's a lot you do know.  Oh, there's an announcement coming, but you're standing here with me.  Hello, crew and guests of the OTV Walton.  This announcement is to inform you of the lack of fuel on the Bifrost and subsequently, the Walton.  Thirty-one hours now remain before we pass the critical point of forward momentum and that aligns, ironically, with the Bifrost crew.  Please prepare your stations and personal effects for evac from the Walton.  What in the what?  Wasn't that you that just made the announcement, doctor?  How are you doing this and why?  I can't really answer that, captain.  Captain, we can't permit her to do this.  We're in charge of the Walton and she's taken over.  Excuse me, I'm in charge, here.  You're countermanding my command.  We already discussed this.  Doctor Nolira, we'll begin procedures for evac, but we can't do that 'til you give control of the Walton back to me.  Okay, just wait a second, captain.

 

Can you hear those new beeps and that ringing and the bass thumping?  Do you hear that bass thumping?  Now your command tablet is beeping.  Oh, captain, everything's back.  Everything…control of everything.  Okay, figure out where we are.  Call Captain Park, get navigation to print out all possible current location data and send a message.  Oh wait, there's more beeping.  There's more beeping.  What is that beeping?  Everything's gone, captain.  She didn't even do anything.  It's gone.  She must have…she's gotta have help, captain, from Sanon Onroon or someone from the Cyron 7.  Yeah, but there's no evidence of that.  Who is helping you?  I can honestly say that no one is helping me.  I can tell you this, though; you've got thirty-two hours, captain.  I hope you can evac.  You know, doctor, the strange thing is I really think you mean that, but you're dismissed to your cabin right now.  Please release the Walton controls and we'll begin our evac.

 

Once we've launched the auxiliary vessels, we're gonna need to open up a comm with Captain Park so we can prioritize things, at least.  Thank you.  There's beeping, children, and then there's…that was…we got caught up in that story.  That was good, huh, children?  There's a beeping and there's tapping, and then there's walking as Nolira leaves the room.  We hear doors swishing and tapping and people, and then a crew member even says we don't like you, [inaudible] Nolira.  Then Nolira goes into her room; Auden.  Hello, doctor.  Sorry I raised my voice earlier at the cabin.  No need.  I knew I should have never come to see you.  Oh, the captain told you, then.  Yeah, yeah, there was a meeting.  I was there 'cause I was a…yeah, I was a representative of Cyron 7.  I don't think that we should even be talking because of your current…I don't even know what you're up to.  I mean, you really make me feel naive.  I thought better of you but maybe I was just starstruck.

 

Yeah, it does look like the evidence from my guilt is overwhelming.  Yeah, I never saw how easy it would be for someone to pretend they're something else when they're really a oogie-boogie or a boogie-oogie.  Well, that's a compliment.  Why don't you go further and say jeez, maybe I'm from Earth, one of those other legend…maybe I'm a pied piper.  How come there's no movies about the backstory of the pied piper?  But maybe there are; taking so many people along with me. But there's no way that that's true because on this ship or the next one, that I would do this all on my own.  But when I asked for help, when I go to others for help, alls I can think about is my past or by their own disbelief, and they just dismiss me.  Even out of caution or caring, I'm left to find my own solutions.  You'll have to excuse me 'cause I gotta boogie like an oogie.  Nolira starts to walk down the hall.  There's a rustling as she goes in, then they hear a voice; do you believe my actions are unkind, Nolira?

 

Nolira says, do you care what I think, Ally?  If you did, none of this would be happening.  Oh, she says you know, children, when you make that sound, sometimes it could feel good.  You groan, so groan with Nolira.  Children, there's one part of the story I'm not going to tell you; the next sequence of the story, because if you listen to it on the real VAST Horizon, you'll hear the voice of your own…the podman.  You know, talking as a little tiny role.  Listen to the real episode to hear this missing scene, and I'll close out our story now.  Now, children, we're in a spaceport or an airport or a port, you know, like when the ships come in for all of you.  It's busy, there's crowds, there's noise of working, footsteps, and then those things.  You know what they call…what I've told you tales about taxis and those kind of things.  This is in the future though, a futuristic world.  There's a driver sitting there.  Dr. Rivers, waiting for Dr. Rivers.  Nolira comes along; she says, that's me.  Which company are you with?

 

Which company?  Wonrenston Porters and Delivery, doctor.  I'm supposed to be here waiting for you.  Oh yes, yeah, thank you.  I was just being cautious.  I don't know Enlonfon or Wonrenston well.  I'm not sure how long it'll take to get to the address I sent.  It's in Gonson.  Oh, doctor, I know Gonson well.  It should only take about twenty Technocracy minutes to reach the address.  The port's outside of Wonrenston but in the right direction.  This way, and I can take your bag.  Then there's busy footsteps as they approach the vehicle.  The driver looks [01:10:00] Nolira up and down.  You look familiar, Dr. Rivers.  You remind me of someone.  There used to be this show my children watched.  It was a geologist.  She would talk about the formation of planets and volcanoes.  Go, Go, Go, Geo…Geology.  You look like you could have been on that show, like one of the guests.  Oh, that's sweet.  No, no, no.

 

It's nice to know children still watch those shows though, in fort…like real science, right?  Yeah, yeah.  Yeah anyway, I thought maybe there's tourists coming in.  There's some sort of parade been going on the past few days, coming up, too.  But you look a little bit different than a tourist here for a parade.  Are you here for work or something?  You kinda look like…you don't look like you're relaxed on vacation.  No, I'm not here for a parade.  But what I'm here for is personal, so I'd prefer to riot in silence.  I don't want to be snooty silence, like don't talk to me; I just have a lot on my mind.  Well, thanks for explaining it in that way 'cause otherwise I would have said well, excuse me.  But excuse me, Dr. Rivers, of course.  They drive along, children.  As you drift off, they drive in a floating way.  Maybe the driver's talking about…like the podman would.  Oh, there's a building there.  I know I'm not supposed to talk, but maybe you're just not supposed to listen to me.  This is Stop 71.

 

At one time, I dropped a penny here and then I forgot I dropped it.  Then two years…something like that, children.  Then the driver says, we're at your destination, Dr. Rivers.  Well, thank you.  Dr. Rivers and Nolira gets out of the car.  This is only gonna take me a few minutes, I think.  Could I pay you to wait and if I'm not back in twenty minutes, you could leave me and bill me for the time?  I can do that.  Okay, thank you.  Then Nolira takes a break and she goes up and knocks on a door.  It opens and the person says something, and then they…oh wait, sorry, I see you missed…I'm assuming you speak English.  Sorry.  Hello.  Ah, hello.  I'm Nolira.  I'm looking for Sinsin Untin.  I'm Sinsin.  Sinsin, I'm sorry; can you give me a moment?  I gotta take off my sunglasses and my hat.  I've been moving undercover.  You're Dr. Jiang-Antwi.  I'm so happy to hear of your rescue.  Come in.  We could have a drink together.  I'm here about Benan, your brother.  Yeah, we have not heard from Benan for so long.

 

We were told to assume he had moved on to another stage of existence.  Yeah, yeah.  Well, when I…yeah, let's have…let's sit down and have a drink together.  Yeah, yeah, please, come in.  Sit down; I'll get us some drinks.  Then you hear, children, the sounds of calm sitting and water being poured.  Maybe some tea, maybe some other calm beverage.  Tell me of Benan, please, doctor.  Yeah, when I was captive on the Ranwan, there was free Trennan alliance prisoners that were there.  They were sent there to help me and to translate Trenran.  Ah, yeah.  Benan could speak Trenran.  He could speak Trenran, Youngrin, Engwon, Technocracy standard.  He was even learning Italian too, and Figon, of course.  He loved to learn.  He wanted to be a doctor.  Not like you, but a medical Trennan doctor.  Yeah, yeah.  He said he was a volunteer medic.  Benan was one of the ones they sent to help me.  I'm sorry to say that it's true; he did pass on to the next stage of existence on that ship.

 

You spoke with him last of anyone.  I hope you were kind to him.  He didn't strongly [01:15:00] dislike you.  None of us do.  I know.  Yeah.  He was kind and funny and he said he was happy with his family.  Yeah.  Oh, yeah, obviously.  He gave me a little bit of hope and it went a long way.  I can't thank him enough for trying so hard.  Well, our family thanks you.  I'm so relieved and happy to hear he seemed unchanged, that he was still so much like I remember him.  We said goodbye to him some time ago.  Otherwise, I would have invited you to celebrate his life with us.  Well, yeah.  Let's just have a drink then, and you could tell me more about him.  Yes, he would like that.  Then, children, as the two of them sat and conversed and in a way that comforted one another, and said, it's okay.  Yes, we're both having strong feelings and it's not easy, but we're both beings that have strong feelings and we can share that fact and know that, well, all does not always feel well.

 

In the moments we are here together, the two of them having drinks and sharing fine memories and self-soothing, and soothing one another at the same time, children, as we teach you here.  Also know that this story still has one chapter yet to go that you should listen to right in VAST Horizon.  That's V-A-S-T H-O-R-I-Z-O-N, right in your…those…well, not you, children, because…but in another world, people listen to these things on a brick that they hold to their ear or something.  Yes, that is the end of our check-in and I encourage you to check-in more and experience some Theatre of the Mind for yourselves.  Goodnight.

 

[END OF RECORDING]

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