1 00:00:01,680 --> 00:00:03,240 Speaker 1: Calzon Media. 2 00:00:06,840 --> 00:00:11,840 Speaker 2: Book Club book Club, book Club book Club. Hello, and 3 00:00:11,920 --> 00:00:13,880 Speaker 2: welcome to the cools On Media book Club, the only 4 00:00:13,920 --> 00:00:15,520 Speaker 2: book club where you don't have to do the reading 5 00:00:15,880 --> 00:00:18,360 Speaker 2: because I do the reading for you. I'm your host, 6 00:00:18,400 --> 00:00:22,279 Speaker 2: Margaret Kiljoy, and every week I bring new stories or 7 00:00:23,160 --> 00:00:26,560 Speaker 2: story adjacent things sometimes, but this time it's stories because 8 00:00:26,720 --> 00:00:30,200 Speaker 2: this time, as you probably notice from the title, it 9 00:00:30,280 --> 00:00:34,120 Speaker 2: is part two of a novella called Hermetica by Alan Lee, 10 00:00:34,520 --> 00:00:36,920 Speaker 2: which was published by Detritus. 11 00:00:36,320 --> 00:00:39,960 Speaker 1: Books and twenty twenty one. And I'm really excited that 12 00:00:40,000 --> 00:00:44,840 Speaker 1: we got permission to run that novella here for you all. 13 00:00:46,159 --> 00:00:48,840 Speaker 1: Alan Lee is the speculative fiction pen name for Peter 14 00:00:48,920 --> 00:00:53,920 Speaker 1: Gelderlos and Peter Gelderlos for folks who aren't familiar, is 15 00:00:54,000 --> 00:00:56,240 Speaker 1: the author of a bunch of nonfiction books that you 16 00:00:56,320 --> 00:01:00,000 Speaker 1: might have read, including The Solutions Already here and How 17 00:00:59,880 --> 00:01:04,440 Speaker 1: non Violence Protects the State. If you like this story, 18 00:01:04,760 --> 00:01:09,440 Speaker 1: well you should tell Allen Lee to write more stories. 19 00:01:09,880 --> 00:01:13,560 Speaker 1: But if you want nonfiction, you can go out and 20 00:01:13,640 --> 00:01:18,000 Speaker 1: check Peter's books, and you can also check out Peter Substack, 21 00:01:18,080 --> 00:01:21,360 Speaker 1: which is Surviving Leviathan, which has a lot of different 22 00:01:21,600 --> 00:01:24,720 Speaker 1: essays and things that are good because if you like 23 00:01:25,120 --> 00:01:27,800 Speaker 1: the things that Peter says, you'll like the things that 24 00:01:28,120 --> 00:01:31,840 Speaker 1: Peter says. That seems self evident now that I say 25 00:01:31,840 --> 00:01:36,119 Speaker 1: it out loud, But what isn't self evident is what's 26 00:01:36,120 --> 00:01:38,600 Speaker 1: going to happen next. I'm going to do the thing 27 00:01:38,600 --> 00:01:41,120 Speaker 1: where I read a couple paragraphs of what had just happened, 28 00:01:41,440 --> 00:01:43,720 Speaker 1: just so that you are caught up, even though there's 29 00:01:43,760 --> 00:01:47,840 Speaker 1: going to be a scene transition. But it's a flashback 30 00:01:48,080 --> 00:01:53,840 Speaker 1: to when Days, our protagonist is taking a test. Before 31 00:01:53,880 --> 00:01:56,120 Speaker 1: the test begins, you will all go in too, configure 32 00:01:56,320 --> 00:01:59,680 Speaker 1: and set the test time back to nine twenty zero zero. 33 00:02:00,440 --> 00:02:04,520 Speaker 1: Use this override. A twelve digit passcode appeared on the 34 00:02:04,520 --> 00:02:09,000 Speaker 1: main screen that was certainly irregular, and it hardly seemed fair. 35 00:02:09,919 --> 00:02:13,200 Speaker 1: They had now lost five full minutes from their testing time, 36 00:02:13,720 --> 00:02:17,000 Speaker 1: and no one ever got through all the problems. Days 37 00:02:17,080 --> 00:02:22,639 Speaker 1: decided not to comply. Still frightened of the examiner, they 38 00:02:22,680 --> 00:02:25,720 Speaker 1: moved their fingers over the tactile so they'd blend in 39 00:02:26,000 --> 00:02:29,640 Speaker 1: with all the others. Then the test started and the 40 00:02:29,680 --> 00:02:34,920 Speaker 1: first problem appeared on everyone's screen. Okay, that's where we 41 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:38,400 Speaker 1: left it with the implication, at least I'm assuming that 42 00:02:38,880 --> 00:02:43,280 Speaker 1: the fact that they like didn't go along with what 43 00:02:43,320 --> 00:02:46,840 Speaker 1: they got told to do is like why they didn't 44 00:02:46,880 --> 00:02:50,080 Speaker 1: do well on the getting along with other people thing. 45 00:02:50,840 --> 00:02:56,120 Speaker 1: That's my assumption, all right, this is the new part. 46 00:02:56,800 --> 00:02:59,920 Speaker 1: Days was delighted to find snookums waiting at the module 47 00:03:00,480 --> 00:03:03,600 Speaker 1: when they walked up, arms full of groceries from the 48 00:03:03,600 --> 00:03:07,079 Speaker 1: supply node. Module opened up to let two of them in, 49 00:03:07,760 --> 00:03:10,560 Speaker 1: and Days gave the cat a good scratch behind the ear. 50 00:03:10,760 --> 00:03:13,240 Speaker 1: As soon as the groceries were safely atop the table. 51 00:03:14,280 --> 00:03:23,320 Speaker 1: They had gotten more than enough ingredients for dinner real tomatoes, basil, garlic, onion, mushrooms, ricotta, mozzarella, 52 00:03:23,800 --> 00:03:29,520 Speaker 1: red paste, petra beef egg sub fresh lasagna noodles. They'd 53 00:03:29,560 --> 00:03:32,399 Speaker 1: had a backlog of credit, having canceled the last week 54 00:03:32,440 --> 00:03:35,840 Speaker 1: of socials. If they weren't feeling up for a social, 55 00:03:36,320 --> 00:03:40,160 Speaker 1: they usually weren't feeling up for cooking, and emors were unlimited, 56 00:03:40,640 --> 00:03:44,920 Speaker 1: just a voice command away. Days was reputed to be 57 00:03:44,960 --> 00:03:48,400 Speaker 1: the best cook on the block. There was not much competition, 58 00:03:48,720 --> 00:03:51,320 Speaker 1: but still it was nice to be valued for something. 59 00:03:52,320 --> 00:03:55,000 Speaker 1: As long as they canceled social appointments on bad days. 60 00:03:55,440 --> 00:03:59,520 Speaker 1: Friendship with Days was a cherished commodity. The meals they 61 00:03:59,560 --> 00:04:03,720 Speaker 1: whipped up balanced their unpredictability the fact that so often 62 00:04:04,200 --> 00:04:07,680 Speaker 1: they simply did not show up. In truth, it worked 63 00:04:07,680 --> 00:04:11,000 Speaker 1: out quite well. They needed at least five days worth 64 00:04:11,040 --> 00:04:13,800 Speaker 1: of credit to get enough fresh ingredients for a good meal. 65 00:04:14,640 --> 00:04:19,360 Speaker 1: Taking on too many socials just wouldn't be tenable. Aksa 66 00:04:19,480 --> 00:04:21,800 Speaker 1: just released a new list. Shall I put it on? 67 00:04:23,480 --> 00:04:26,440 Speaker 1: Of course? Module knew that Days nearly always listened to 68 00:04:26,560 --> 00:04:30,479 Speaker 1: music while cooking and access lists were highly rated. But 69 00:04:30,560 --> 00:04:34,800 Speaker 1: today Days had a specific melody worming its way through 70 00:04:34,800 --> 00:04:41,240 Speaker 1: their brain. No put on devoric Slavonic dance one the 71 00:04:41,320 --> 00:04:47,560 Speaker 1: forty six. The orchestra erupted pleasantly through the module's walls, 72 00:04:48,160 --> 00:04:51,680 Speaker 1: and Days started on the prep, chopping the onion, mincing 73 00:04:51,720 --> 00:04:55,920 Speaker 1: half the garlic front left burner medium high, front right 74 00:04:55,960 --> 00:05:00,920 Speaker 1: burner medium. They placed two pans on the rain, dripped 75 00:05:00,960 --> 00:05:04,800 Speaker 1: in some olive oil. Next, they converted the mushroom into 76 00:05:04,800 --> 00:05:08,480 Speaker 1: thin slices. There was an autocutter built into the wall 77 00:05:08,560 --> 00:05:12,400 Speaker 1: next to the range, but Days relished the contact, the 78 00:05:12,440 --> 00:05:16,560 Speaker 1: differing textures and resistance of the vegetables, the weight, and 79 00:05:16,640 --> 00:05:20,880 Speaker 1: the inexorable finality of the knife. A simple machine that 80 00:05:20,960 --> 00:05:26,279 Speaker 1: ebedded rather than forestalled entropy. The pans were already hot. 81 00:05:26,760 --> 00:05:29,880 Speaker 1: They put the onions in one, the garlic in the other. 82 00:05:30,960 --> 00:05:35,279 Speaker 1: The violins and flutes pranced with a deceptive gayety before 83 00:05:35,320 --> 00:05:39,040 Speaker 1: the bassoons came in and the whole thing rocketed to 84 00:05:39,160 --> 00:05:43,880 Speaker 1: its frenetic finale. Who were those people clapping? It must 85 00:05:43,920 --> 00:05:47,480 Speaker 1: be a recorded concert from back on Terra. Her Medico 86 00:05:47,600 --> 00:05:50,279 Speaker 1: was big, but Days had never heard of it having 87 00:05:50,320 --> 00:05:55,000 Speaker 1: a concert hall or a full symphony orchestra module cyclolont 88 00:05:55,080 --> 00:05:59,640 Speaker 1: Slavonic dance. Seven following Days's biostats their reaction to the 89 00:05:59,680 --> 00:06:06,000 Speaker 1: previous peace current activity. Days had tried learning an instrument once, 90 00:06:06,560 --> 00:06:10,240 Speaker 1: but had little talent or perhaps a lack of consistency. 91 00:06:11,120 --> 00:06:14,680 Speaker 1: They were fascinated by music, though. One of the quirks 92 00:06:14,880 --> 00:06:18,480 Speaker 1: of NTK and the New Safety was that people tracked 93 00:06:18,480 --> 00:06:22,160 Speaker 1: for the sciences had little access to studies on history, culture, 94 00:06:22,279 --> 00:06:27,479 Speaker 1: and philosophy, basically any of the extraneous product of Terran civilization. 95 00:06:28,760 --> 00:06:32,279 Speaker 1: Perhaps the architects of Hermetica had wanted a clean break. 96 00:06:33,200 --> 00:06:36,960 Speaker 1: The Terrans had discovered thermodynamics very well, but why weigh 97 00:06:37,040 --> 00:06:39,799 Speaker 1: themselves down with all the other baggage of a self 98 00:06:39,839 --> 00:06:45,000 Speaker 1: destructive society. So they had libraries full of dismembered artifacts, 99 00:06:45,320 --> 00:06:49,920 Speaker 1: from novels to waltzes, but little about the stories behind them. 100 00:06:50,240 --> 00:06:53,000 Speaker 1: Days often found themselves wondering about the people who had 101 00:06:53,040 --> 00:06:56,640 Speaker 1: created such beautiful music. They had first gotten hooked while 102 00:06:56,680 --> 00:06:59,560 Speaker 1: studying for the aptitudes when certain kinds of music were 103 00:06:59,560 --> 00:07:04,600 Speaker 1: boosted from improving focus and retention. Really, they were only 104 00:07:04,640 --> 00:07:08,040 Speaker 1: familiar with thirty odd pieces by half a dozen composers. 105 00:07:08,560 --> 00:07:13,120 Speaker 1: Didn't understand the weird number word system for cataloging symphonies, 106 00:07:13,800 --> 00:07:18,360 Speaker 1: nor what dramatic experiences the composers were drawing on. Yet 107 00:07:18,360 --> 00:07:25,040 Speaker 1: something undeniable was there, reaching across the void to commune. 108 00:07:25,160 --> 00:07:28,320 Speaker 1: Days turned back to the task at hand. As the 109 00:07:28,360 --> 00:07:33,200 Speaker 1: melody twirled and slowed, joyous and grave, a whirlwind of 110 00:07:33,240 --> 00:07:36,760 Speaker 1: life on the precipice of despair. They scooped the petra 111 00:07:36,840 --> 00:07:39,960 Speaker 1: beef in with the garlic and shook on a generous 112 00:07:40,040 --> 00:07:43,720 Speaker 1: dusting of cayenne. It was going to be a beautiful supper. 113 00:07:45,320 --> 00:07:48,600 Speaker 1: Days stole a moment on the couch with snookums, running 114 00:07:48,600 --> 00:07:51,960 Speaker 1: their thumb between the cat's shoulder blades as it purred blissfully. 115 00:07:52,840 --> 00:07:55,560 Speaker 1: Before long, though they had to get back to the range, 116 00:07:55,800 --> 00:07:59,720 Speaker 1: stirring the beef the onions, adding the mushrooms to the onions, 117 00:08:00,080 --> 00:08:07,520 Speaker 1: salting them. Module picked the next score, Shostakovich's second Waltz. 118 00:08:08,760 --> 00:08:13,120 Speaker 1: Preheat oven to one ninety front right, burner to high front, 119 00:08:13,200 --> 00:08:18,080 Speaker 1: left off. They whipped together the rikatta and the egg. 120 00:08:18,120 --> 00:08:21,960 Speaker 1: Sub opened the red paste, boiled the oven pan, and 121 00:08:22,040 --> 00:08:24,400 Speaker 1: topped a layer of red paste with the first layer 122 00:08:24,440 --> 00:08:28,520 Speaker 1: of lasagna. The petro beef was sizzling. They turned off 123 00:08:28,600 --> 00:08:32,640 Speaker 1: the last burner and then continued layering veggie's meat and 124 00:08:32,760 --> 00:08:38,360 Speaker 1: red paste Lasagna, rikatta, lasagna mazzarella on top. When all 125 00:08:38,360 --> 00:08:43,280 Speaker 1: the layers were in place, then into the oven. Days 126 00:08:43,280 --> 00:08:46,000 Speaker 1: can make the salad later. The tomatoes would be best 127 00:08:46,000 --> 00:08:49,520 Speaker 1: if served freshly chopped. They hurried back to the couch 128 00:08:49,559 --> 00:08:53,840 Speaker 1: where Snookums was still kneading the fabric and staring at them. 129 00:08:54,160 --> 00:08:59,560 Speaker 1: Horns sounded quietly at first, then joined by trombones, strings, 130 00:08:59,760 --> 00:09:04,600 Speaker 1: wind wins. They had forgotten about the music. Module had 131 00:09:04,640 --> 00:09:09,360 Speaker 1: cycled on to the eleventh Symphony. Milty should be arriving 132 00:09:09,440 --> 00:09:14,360 Speaker 1: in an hour. Perfect timing. Snookum shifted its weight against 133 00:09:14,440 --> 00:09:17,720 Speaker 1: Dais's thigh and the two of them blissed out, carried 134 00:09:17,760 --> 00:09:22,760 Speaker 1: along by the symphony's rising emotion. Now tragic, now heroic. 135 00:09:24,080 --> 00:09:27,240 Speaker 1: Suddenly it was time to take the lasagna out, slice 136 00:09:27,240 --> 00:09:31,240 Speaker 1: the tomatoes, mince the basil and garlic. And then Milty 137 00:09:31,360 --> 00:09:34,199 Speaker 1: was there. But do you know what else is here? 138 00:09:34,920 --> 00:09:40,120 Speaker 1: That's right, the advertisers. They're here to share dinner with you. 139 00:09:40,559 --> 00:09:43,200 Speaker 1: Just imagine each one of them sitting at the table. 140 00:09:43,559 --> 00:09:47,120 Speaker 1: What conversation would they bring? You don't really have to guess, 141 00:09:47,440 --> 00:10:05,560 Speaker 1: because they'll tell you. And we're back. Milty had gone 142 00:10:05,559 --> 00:10:08,600 Speaker 1: into organic chemistry, and their work had something to do 143 00:10:08,679 --> 00:10:12,199 Speaker 1: with growing tissue samples or replacement organs that days did 144 00:10:12,240 --> 00:10:16,360 Speaker 1: not fully understand. Most of the time they worked from home, 145 00:10:16,880 --> 00:10:20,640 Speaker 1: going over lab results or conducting tests by remote, but 146 00:10:20,760 --> 00:10:22,839 Speaker 1: every now and then they got to go into campus, 147 00:10:23,160 --> 00:10:27,320 Speaker 1: some twenty blocks away. The standard block had four nodes, 148 00:10:27,920 --> 00:10:31,600 Speaker 1: one on each end of the two perpendicular streets, a 149 00:10:31,640 --> 00:10:35,920 Speaker 1: health center, a supply node, a maintenance center, and some 150 00:10:36,080 --> 00:10:40,400 Speaker 1: other workstation different for every block. Those who did not 151 00:10:40,520 --> 00:10:43,160 Speaker 1: work at either of those four stations worked from home 152 00:10:43,200 --> 00:10:46,560 Speaker 1: as much as possible. Vectors on her Medica had to 153 00:10:46,559 --> 00:10:50,520 Speaker 1: be kept to a constant minimum, but Scientific research was 154 00:10:50,559 --> 00:10:54,640 Speaker 1: a major priority on board her Medica had set out 155 00:10:54,640 --> 00:10:58,200 Speaker 1: from Terra with a solid design and trajectory towards a 156 00:10:58,200 --> 00:11:02,600 Speaker 1: cluster of star systems with a high number of promising exoplanets, 157 00:11:03,320 --> 00:11:06,800 Speaker 1: but the greater part of their mission resources were in Potentia, 158 00:11:07,480 --> 00:11:10,880 Speaker 1: the cohorts of advanced scientists who were constantly improving the 159 00:11:10,880 --> 00:11:14,720 Speaker 1: ship's propulsion, making sure life systems could function for five 160 00:11:14,800 --> 00:11:19,000 Speaker 1: hundred years with no external inputs, and augmenting their terraforming 161 00:11:19,080 --> 00:11:22,040 Speaker 1: kits to be ready for whatever the conditions were on 162 00:11:22,080 --> 00:11:26,719 Speaker 1: the exoplanet they eventually settled. None of that had ever 163 00:11:26,760 --> 00:11:32,240 Speaker 1: been done before. Laboratories were the largest spaces on the ship, 164 00:11:32,760 --> 00:11:38,040 Speaker 1: entire blocks or several adjacent blocks fitted out as scientific campuses. 165 00:11:39,280 --> 00:11:41,880 Speaker 1: Days had no idea how many there were in total, 166 00:11:42,520 --> 00:11:45,599 Speaker 1: but Milty was lucky enough to work at one of them, 167 00:11:45,800 --> 00:11:48,200 Speaker 1: and they were kind enough to only tell stories that 168 00:11:48,280 --> 00:11:52,280 Speaker 1: helped Days appreciate how large their world was without feeling 169 00:11:52,400 --> 00:11:55,679 Speaker 1: envious about being confined to such a small part of it. 170 00:11:56,920 --> 00:12:01,600 Speaker 1: Days liked Milty. After dinner, they put on a movie, 171 00:12:02,280 --> 00:12:05,479 Speaker 1: a new one that paired Humphrey Bogart and Robert Williams 172 00:12:05,480 --> 00:12:08,600 Speaker 1: in an old style Western, the first two in a 173 00:12:08,640 --> 00:12:12,680 Speaker 1: probe team to land on Mars. Days loved listening to 174 00:12:12,720 --> 00:12:18,720 Speaker 1: Milty laugh. The film was Milty's recommendation. Days had rarely 175 00:12:18,840 --> 00:12:21,840 Speaker 1: enjoyed Westerns in the past, but they cannot think of 176 00:12:21,880 --> 00:12:25,160 Speaker 1: any other new release to recommend. In the end, they 177 00:12:25,200 --> 00:12:30,040 Speaker 1: had to admit Bogart played the perfect straight, hard jawled 178 00:12:30,320 --> 00:12:34,440 Speaker 1: eyes on the mission as Williams went crazy itching at 179 00:12:34,480 --> 00:12:37,440 Speaker 1: the regolith that got inside their suit or getting in 180 00:12:37,480 --> 00:12:42,160 Speaker 1: a shouting match with the air minor Bravo. Days said, 181 00:12:42,200 --> 00:12:45,560 Speaker 1: when it was over, you liked it. Oh, I'm glad 182 00:12:46,640 --> 00:12:50,600 Speaker 1: I needed to laugh today. So I have a question, 183 00:12:51,040 --> 00:12:54,880 Speaker 1: Milty said. They knew Days loved to discuss films as 184 00:12:54,920 --> 00:12:57,520 Speaker 1: soon as they were done, and they always indulged them. 185 00:12:58,120 --> 00:13:00,880 Speaker 1: A Film Studies elective had been one of Days's favorite 186 00:13:00,880 --> 00:13:05,599 Speaker 1: courses in school, covering everything from sound engineering to narrative technique. 187 00:13:06,120 --> 00:13:08,360 Speaker 1: In introduction for those who would go on to work 188 00:13:08,360 --> 00:13:13,720 Speaker 1: in entertainment, the teacher, a kindly bearded old person, often 189 00:13:13,760 --> 00:13:17,120 Speaker 1: diverged into the long history of the craft pre exploration, 190 00:13:17,840 --> 00:13:21,320 Speaker 1: and those tangential lectures refracted through the lens of dolly 191 00:13:21,400 --> 00:13:24,600 Speaker 1: zooms and fourth walls. Were the source of much of 192 00:13:24,640 --> 00:13:31,080 Speaker 1: what Days knew about Terra. Ask away, why do they 193 00:13:31,080 --> 00:13:35,760 Speaker 1: call them Westerns? I thought West was a Terran positional reference. 194 00:13:36,320 --> 00:13:40,480 Speaker 1: It can only map onto a planetary surface relative to rotation, right, 195 00:13:41,240 --> 00:13:44,240 Speaker 1: so is it a cultural thing? I remember some Terrans 196 00:13:44,280 --> 00:13:48,640 Speaker 1: referred to themselves as Western. There was, in fact an 197 00:13:48,760 --> 00:13:52,480 Speaker 1: esoteric joke about primitives on Terra only moving in one direction, 198 00:13:53,160 --> 00:13:58,320 Speaker 1: counter to the planet's rotational spin. Days knew the answer 199 00:13:58,360 --> 00:14:01,280 Speaker 1: to this one. It was true that the protagonists of 200 00:14:01,320 --> 00:14:04,400 Speaker 1: Westerns were always pasty skinned, and the bad guys, if 201 00:14:04,440 --> 00:14:08,880 Speaker 1: there were any besides misbehaving air miners and silicate factories, 202 00:14:09,440 --> 00:14:13,520 Speaker 1: had their skin darkened or a neo Western's painted green. 203 00:14:14,320 --> 00:14:16,959 Speaker 1: As a child, Days had assumed it was in fact 204 00:14:17,000 --> 00:14:20,320 Speaker 1: the protagonists who painted their skin in some bizarre old 205 00:14:20,400 --> 00:14:24,400 Speaker 1: world status esthetic. After all, nearly all the people they 206 00:14:24,440 --> 00:14:28,080 Speaker 1: had seen with such pasty skin were Terran actors. The 207 00:14:28,120 --> 00:14:31,320 Speaker 1: film teacher, though, had explained that an old world Terra, 208 00:14:31,760 --> 00:14:36,280 Speaker 1: before the explorations began, the pasty skinned phenotype had dominated 209 00:14:36,320 --> 00:14:39,720 Speaker 1: the film industry and only cast themselves in the leading roles. 210 00:14:40,760 --> 00:14:43,640 Speaker 1: What a bizarre place Tera must have been, and what 211 00:14:43,720 --> 00:14:46,600 Speaker 1: a relief that Hermetica and all its passengers had left 212 00:14:46,680 --> 00:14:52,240 Speaker 1: Tera far behind them. Actually, there are pretty specific genre requirements. 213 00:14:52,640 --> 00:14:55,880 Speaker 1: A western is a retrospective science fiction, said in what 214 00:14:56,000 --> 00:15:00,920 Speaker 1: was considered to be a primitive or low tech frontier. Wow, 215 00:15:01,000 --> 00:15:04,520 Speaker 1: you really paid attention in class, are you kidding? I 216 00:15:04,720 --> 00:15:07,680 Speaker 1: ate that shit up all electives. Not enough focus on 217 00:15:07,720 --> 00:15:11,200 Speaker 1: the core material, they said, with a ryegrin, A sure 218 00:15:11,240 --> 00:15:15,880 Speaker 1: track to being a palliative therapist or a cleaner. Hey, days, 219 00:15:16,760 --> 00:15:19,400 Speaker 1: I would rather watch movies with you than with any 220 00:15:19,480 --> 00:15:22,840 Speaker 1: of my work colleagues, So don't stop lay more of 221 00:15:22,880 --> 00:15:27,840 Speaker 1: this knowledge on me. Retrospective science fiction. Yeah, the story 222 00:15:27,880 --> 00:15:30,120 Speaker 1: is set in a place in the past, so low 223 00:15:30,200 --> 00:15:33,800 Speaker 1: technology relative to the audience, and in a territory, though 224 00:15:33,840 --> 00:15:37,920 Speaker 1: identify as especially primitive and chaotic. Yet at the same time, 225 00:15:38,480 --> 00:15:41,200 Speaker 1: it's a territory that has been tamed and organized by 226 00:15:41,240 --> 00:15:44,000 Speaker 1: the time the people are there watching the movie, a 227 00:15:44,040 --> 00:15:46,720 Speaker 1: space that in fact might be identified as being at 228 00:15:46,720 --> 00:15:50,000 Speaker 1: the cutting edge of their technological development. See you have 229 00:15:50,080 --> 00:15:53,600 Speaker 1: Humphrey Bogart bumbling around on Mars and Terra's first attempt 230 00:15:53,640 --> 00:15:59,400 Speaker 1: at extraterrestrial inhabitation, John Wayne playing suck the caesium on 231 00:15:59,440 --> 00:16:02,600 Speaker 1: the Nevada test site. I guess the first works in 232 00:16:02,600 --> 00:16:07,200 Speaker 1: the genre would be called The Tempest or the Aonid. 233 00:16:07,760 --> 00:16:11,400 Speaker 1: By this point, Days was just riffing. Their old teacher 234 00:16:11,440 --> 00:16:15,240 Speaker 1: had mentioned the fact about John Wayne's demise, satisfaction and 235 00:16:15,280 --> 00:16:20,160 Speaker 1: bitterness waging some unexplained battle across their face. But the 236 00:16:20,200 --> 00:16:23,160 Speaker 1: literary references where connections Days had come up with in 237 00:16:23,200 --> 00:16:27,640 Speaker 1: the moment, no way to evaluate their historical validity, certainly, 238 00:16:27,680 --> 00:16:32,240 Speaker 1: no studies to cite, simply a pattern that felt right obvious. 239 00:16:32,280 --> 00:16:37,520 Speaker 1: Even so, why Western? Oh? I guess it's a coincidence, 240 00:16:37,920 --> 00:16:41,320 Speaker 1: but most of the classical or modern Westerns involved geographic 241 00:16:41,400 --> 00:16:44,960 Speaker 1: travel to the west on the planetary surface, not the 242 00:16:44,960 --> 00:16:47,400 Speaker 1: case with neo Westerns. But by that time the name 243 00:16:47,440 --> 00:16:51,960 Speaker 1: had already stuck. Feeling fully comfortable now or desirous of 244 00:16:52,000 --> 00:16:56,960 Speaker 1: more attention, Snookum's god in Days's lap, Milty hadn't mentioned 245 00:16:56,960 --> 00:17:00,440 Speaker 1: it yet, which was odd. Snookum's had been rubbed against 246 00:17:00,520 --> 00:17:03,760 Speaker 1: Dais's legs or purring on the couch between the two 247 00:17:04,119 --> 00:17:10,520 Speaker 1: for the whole movie. So this cat appeared yesterday? What cat? 248 00:17:10,880 --> 00:17:16,480 Speaker 1: Milty asked, earnestly, still smiling, Well, the cat of ad 249 00:17:16,520 --> 00:17:18,919 Speaker 1: for this is the worst ad transition I've ever done. 250 00:17:19,200 --> 00:17:21,960 Speaker 1: But imagine it was clever, and then that would be 251 00:17:21,960 --> 00:17:24,800 Speaker 1: what was happening, a clever ad transition. And if you 252 00:17:24,840 --> 00:17:26,800 Speaker 1: had cooler zone media, you would just get the clever 253 00:17:26,840 --> 00:17:30,479 Speaker 1: ad transitions. But if you don't, you also get the ads. 254 00:17:30,560 --> 00:17:34,280 Speaker 1: It's like bonus content. By not paying, you get to 255 00:17:34,320 --> 00:17:37,840 Speaker 1: listen to these ads or press forward thirty seconds like 256 00:17:38,359 --> 00:17:41,399 Speaker 1: usually four to six times until you hear the jingle 257 00:17:41,480 --> 00:17:53,919 Speaker 1: music come back in. It's really up to you and 258 00:17:54,000 --> 00:18:02,440 Speaker 1: we're back. What cat, Multi asked earnestly, still smiling. Snowcums 259 00:18:02,480 --> 00:18:08,400 Speaker 1: flicked its tail in sudden displeasure. Oh never, long story, 260 00:18:09,760 --> 00:18:15,199 Speaker 1: No tell me, Milty smiled again in encouragement. I was 261 00:18:16,040 --> 00:18:19,160 Speaker 1: days knew not to push it. People saw what they 262 00:18:19,160 --> 00:18:21,840 Speaker 1: were going to see, and most of them hated the 263 00:18:21,880 --> 00:18:25,359 Speaker 1: idea that not everyone saw the same thing. I was 264 00:18:25,400 --> 00:18:29,280 Speaker 1: thinking of applying for a companion animal. Oh that's great, 265 00:18:30,240 --> 00:18:34,240 Speaker 1: I saw one yesterday. The profile, I mean looks really cute. 266 00:18:35,359 --> 00:18:38,840 Speaker 1: Snokem's jumped off Day's lap in a huff. Milty still 267 00:18:38,840 --> 00:18:42,760 Speaker 1: didn't notice. I'm sure you'll get approved. There's not too 268 00:18:42,840 --> 00:18:45,400 Speaker 1: many on our block. You've a good record you work 269 00:18:45,440 --> 00:18:49,159 Speaker 1: in therapy. They didn't add that mental health index was 270 00:18:49,200 --> 00:18:53,000 Speaker 1: also a factor. Didn't need to. I bet you'll get 271 00:18:53,000 --> 00:18:56,440 Speaker 1: your first choice too. What's it look like the cute one? 272 00:18:57,280 --> 00:18:59,880 Speaker 1: Snookeums began scratching the side of the couch and pat 273 00:19:00,040 --> 00:19:05,160 Speaker 1: to irritation like a trouble maker. Hey do you want dessert? 274 00:19:05,840 --> 00:19:08,640 Speaker 1: Days had to change the subject fast before Milty asked 275 00:19:08,680 --> 00:19:13,960 Speaker 1: to see the profile. Milty went home after dessert Snooums 276 00:19:14,000 --> 00:19:17,200 Speaker 1: was still huffy, scratching at the wall panel as Days 277 00:19:17,240 --> 00:19:20,960 Speaker 1: put dishes in the chute. Their mood was starting to crash. 278 00:19:21,760 --> 00:19:24,760 Speaker 1: Why did socials always end up making them feel more alone? 279 00:19:25,800 --> 00:19:30,680 Speaker 1: A module put the music back on. Accusatory notes rang 280 00:19:30,720 --> 00:19:35,879 Speaker 1: out sharply Shostakovich's Symphony Number thirteen. According to the screen, 281 00:19:36,880 --> 00:19:40,600 Speaker 1: Snookums began scratching more furiously, as though it wanted to 282 00:19:40,600 --> 00:19:45,200 Speaker 1: be heard over the strings. Hey, I'm sorry, some people 283 00:19:45,280 --> 00:19:47,760 Speaker 1: just don't want to see. What was I supposed to do? 284 00:19:48,640 --> 00:19:51,800 Speaker 1: Days walked over and picked the cat up, hugging it tightly. 285 00:19:52,800 --> 00:19:56,680 Speaker 1: Snookum's forebore then resisted, and finally Days let it spring 286 00:19:56,760 --> 00:20:00,880 Speaker 1: to the floor. Hey, you did some damage here, Days 287 00:20:00,960 --> 00:20:03,920 Speaker 1: knelt down. The corner of the wall panel had actually 288 00:20:04,000 --> 00:20:07,919 Speaker 1: come loose. That wasn't good, but instead of pushing it 289 00:20:07,960 --> 00:20:11,040 Speaker 1: back into place. The module was largely self repairing, and 290 00:20:11,080 --> 00:20:13,560 Speaker 1: a little nudge to realign the panel might solve the 291 00:20:13,600 --> 00:20:18,760 Speaker 1: whole thing. Days began pulling. They had never seen what 292 00:20:18,880 --> 00:20:21,560 Speaker 1: was behind a wall panel, and at the moment, the 293 00:20:21,600 --> 00:20:25,600 Speaker 1: perfect stability of their environment felt like mockery. It was 294 00:20:25,640 --> 00:20:28,920 Speaker 1: a feeling which Days would be unable to explain, yet 295 00:20:28,960 --> 00:20:33,680 Speaker 1: at the same time was absolutely certain. The walls exuded scorn. 296 00:20:34,440 --> 00:20:38,600 Speaker 1: They condescended, they knew things they assumed Days was unable 297 00:20:38,640 --> 00:20:41,760 Speaker 1: to see, and they belittled their attempts to think freely. 298 00:20:43,359 --> 00:20:48,760 Speaker 1: Continuing may cause structural damage. It's okay, Module, I'm trying 299 00:20:48,760 --> 00:20:51,080 Speaker 1: to fix it. Actually, I need you to release this 300 00:20:51,119 --> 00:20:54,280 Speaker 1: panel so I can put it back in properly. It's misaligned. 301 00:20:55,920 --> 00:20:59,840 Speaker 1: Most systems were self regulating, and modules data certainly indicated 302 00:21:00,200 --> 00:21:04,760 Speaker 1: Days was in fact wrong, but a standard AI parameter 303 00:21:05,080 --> 00:21:08,640 Speaker 1: allowed human intervention to override system decisions in cases where 304 00:21:08,680 --> 00:21:11,600 Speaker 1: the risk only encompassed a single element and not the 305 00:21:11,640 --> 00:21:17,000 Speaker 1: whole system. Human perception, however, imprecise was open ended, and 306 00:21:17,040 --> 00:21:21,880 Speaker 1: system criteria had to come from passengers anyway, so module relented. 307 00:21:22,560 --> 00:21:26,919 Speaker 1: The wall panel came free. It was not the destructive 308 00:21:26,960 --> 00:21:30,080 Speaker 1: release Days had been hoping for, nothing like taking a 309 00:21:30,119 --> 00:21:34,280 Speaker 1: hammer to the whole structure. But on her Medica, all 310 00:21:34,359 --> 00:21:38,680 Speaker 1: forms of release were modulated through the paramount need to compromise. 311 00:21:40,080 --> 00:21:46,800 Speaker 1: The gesture's inevitable disappointment, however, evaporated immediately. Mystery took its place. 312 00:21:47,480 --> 00:21:50,520 Speaker 1: For the moment the panel came free, a sheet that 313 00:21:50,600 --> 00:21:54,560 Speaker 1: had been tucked behind it fell to the ground. Snookums 314 00:21:54,600 --> 00:21:58,080 Speaker 1: took a seat beside it, looking up at Days pointedly. 315 00:22:01,000 --> 00:22:05,040 Speaker 1: Days's hands began to tremble. Remembering their alibi, they quickly 316 00:22:05,040 --> 00:22:09,119 Speaker 1: stuck the panel back in the wall. Okay, that should 317 00:22:09,119 --> 00:22:15,000 Speaker 1: do it. Panel is aligned, and secured their mouth dry. 318 00:22:15,200 --> 00:22:18,520 Speaker 1: Days picked up the sheet off the floor. Its texture 319 00:22:18,600 --> 00:22:23,760 Speaker 1: was strange, brittle, its tones muted and dirty. It was 320 00:22:23,800 --> 00:22:27,639 Speaker 1: covered with minuscule writing on both sides. But when Days 321 00:22:27,680 --> 00:22:32,560 Speaker 1: tried to enlarge nothing happened. Had it been back there 322 00:22:32,600 --> 00:22:35,680 Speaker 1: so long it had run out of battery. They shook 323 00:22:35,680 --> 00:22:40,679 Speaker 1: it a few times and tried again. Nothing. A device 324 00:22:40,720 --> 00:22:44,480 Speaker 1: like that should be piezo electric, but maybe it was malfunctioned. 325 00:22:45,040 --> 00:22:47,400 Speaker 1: Maybe that was why it had been discarded back there. 326 00:22:48,240 --> 00:22:51,159 Speaker 1: Days stood and brought the sheet to the range. If 327 00:22:51,200 --> 00:22:54,240 Speaker 1: it had any internal circuits, even malfunctioning ones, the range 328 00:22:54,280 --> 00:22:59,320 Speaker 1: would detect them, recharge them, and if possible, repair them. Nothing. 329 00:23:00,240 --> 00:23:04,760 Speaker 1: The range did not recognize the sheet as electronic Days 330 00:23:04,800 --> 00:23:08,320 Speaker 1: looked closer, twisted an edge of it. It seemed to 331 00:23:08,320 --> 00:23:10,719 Speaker 1: be made of some kind of fiber, and not one 332 00:23:10,760 --> 00:23:14,439 Speaker 1: they were familiar with. Well, they'd have to do this 333 00:23:14,520 --> 00:23:20,119 Speaker 1: the old fashioned way. Squinting, they began to read. Along 334 00:23:20,200 --> 00:23:25,960 Speaker 1: the top there was a date June twelfth, twenty twenty three, 335 00:23:26,240 --> 00:23:32,760 Speaker 1: below a yellowing margin. An article began experts as vaccine 336 00:23:32,840 --> 00:23:39,680 Speaker 1: Hope's falter choking sickness here to stay. Dun, Dun, dun. 337 00:23:40,119 --> 00:23:43,240 Speaker 1: That's the end of part two. What does it all mean? 338 00:23:43,840 --> 00:23:48,200 Speaker 1: Why is there a presumably newspaper hidden inside the wall. 339 00:23:49,119 --> 00:23:51,600 Speaker 1: One of the reasons that I like this book is 340 00:23:51,640 --> 00:23:54,920 Speaker 1: that I have a specific fondness for generationships. I think 341 00:23:54,960 --> 00:23:57,320 Speaker 1: I first read Orphans in the Sky, which I could 342 00:23:57,320 --> 00:23:59,560 Speaker 1: not tell you the first thing about when I was 343 00:23:59,720 --> 00:24:02,720 Speaker 1: very young, and which is a book. Bey Heinlen is 344 00:24:02,720 --> 00:24:05,840 Speaker 1: a very complicated author. It's the easiest way to put 345 00:24:05,920 --> 00:24:12,400 Speaker 1: that and just this idea that since we can't assume 346 00:24:12,480 --> 00:24:15,439 Speaker 1: that we'll ever have warp speed or hyper space or 347 00:24:15,480 --> 00:24:19,400 Speaker 1: faster than light travel, that if humanity is ever going 348 00:24:19,440 --> 00:24:23,840 Speaker 1: to get to the stars, we're going to have generationships. 349 00:24:23,880 --> 00:24:26,720 Speaker 1: We're going to have ships where people live and die 350 00:24:27,680 --> 00:24:30,840 Speaker 1: and you know, have their entire lives like on these ships. 351 00:24:32,000 --> 00:24:36,200 Speaker 1: And it's always been an idea that fascinates me. It's 352 00:24:36,240 --> 00:24:38,719 Speaker 1: funny because it's like just as much science fiction feeling 353 00:24:38,840 --> 00:24:41,679 Speaker 1: is like light speed to me. But that's because we 354 00:24:41,760 --> 00:24:45,040 Speaker 1: can't even get biodomes to work here on Earth, to 355 00:24:45,119 --> 00:24:47,959 Speaker 1: my understanding. But that's because we don't try enough. I 356 00:24:48,000 --> 00:24:53,720 Speaker 1: think I think that a hermetically sealed environment, a hermetica 357 00:24:54,040 --> 00:24:57,960 Speaker 1: as it were, it's like probably possible, you know, but 358 00:24:58,040 --> 00:25:01,280 Speaker 1: we certainly haven't nailed it. I can't take people like 359 00:25:01,359 --> 00:25:03,520 Speaker 1: Elon Musk seriously. There are a million reasons I can't 360 00:25:03,520 --> 00:25:06,520 Speaker 1: take Elon Musk personally seriously. But it's why I can't 361 00:25:06,520 --> 00:25:10,120 Speaker 1: take anyone claiming to be looking at Mars expedition seriously 362 00:25:10,160 --> 00:25:12,680 Speaker 1: because the problem with getting to Mars, there's so many problems, 363 00:25:13,040 --> 00:25:15,960 Speaker 1: but it's not rocketry. The first and foremost problem is 364 00:25:17,000 --> 00:25:21,520 Speaker 1: sealed environments is biodomes, and so that's what people would 365 00:25:21,520 --> 00:25:24,080 Speaker 1: be putting their efforts into if they were actually serious 366 00:25:24,080 --> 00:25:32,960 Speaker 1: about it. Anyway, that's my rant about generationships. But join us. 367 00:25:32,960 --> 00:25:35,800 Speaker 1: Next week we get to part three of her Metica 368 00:25:35,880 --> 00:25:38,160 Speaker 1: by Alan Lee, And if you want to read more 369 00:25:38,160 --> 00:25:40,600 Speaker 1: from the author, you can do by finding the other 370 00:25:40,720 --> 00:25:44,520 Speaker 1: name they write under, Peter Gelderlos, which is G. E. L. 371 00:25:44,800 --> 00:25:51,480 Speaker 1: D R. Los. You can find him on substack Surviving Leviathan, 372 00:25:51,720 --> 00:25:54,679 Speaker 1: or you can check out many of his books. You 373 00:25:54,720 --> 00:25:56,560 Speaker 1: can probably check out all of his books, but he 374 00:25:56,600 --> 00:26:00,120 Speaker 1: has many of them. They talk about anarchism, and they 375 00:26:00,160 --> 00:26:04,600 Speaker 1: talk about history, and they talk about tactics, and they 376 00:26:04,640 --> 00:26:08,199 Speaker 1: talk about, well, the solutions are already here. Is about 377 00:26:08,240 --> 00:26:11,240 Speaker 1: how there's a lot of ways that we can deal 378 00:26:11,240 --> 00:26:13,960 Speaker 1: with climate change and things like that, and it's not 379 00:26:14,320 --> 00:26:18,280 Speaker 1: by science fiction breakthroughs, but by looking at things that 380 00:26:18,960 --> 00:26:23,240 Speaker 1: already work. Speaking of already working, I already did my 381 00:26:23,480 --> 00:26:27,120 Speaker 1: work of reading you this episode, So I'm signing off now. 382 00:26:27,200 --> 00:26:29,760 Speaker 1: This is Margaret Kiljoy. You can find me wherever you 383 00:26:29,880 --> 00:26:34,040 Speaker 1: want to, and I probably am there, but I'm also 384 00:26:34,080 --> 00:26:36,680 Speaker 1: on substack. That's where I kind of write the most 385 00:26:36,760 --> 00:26:39,240 Speaker 1: consistently right now. I also have another podcast called Cool 386 00:26:39,280 --> 00:26:42,400 Speaker 1: People Did Cool Stuff, which is a history podcast, and 387 00:26:42,560 --> 00:26:46,080 Speaker 1: I will talk to you all soon. It Could Happen 388 00:26:46,119 --> 00:26:48,480 Speaker 1: here as a production of cool Zone Media. For more 389 00:26:48,480 --> 00:26:51,560 Speaker 1: podcasts from cool Zone Media, visit our website cool zonemedia 390 00:26:51,600 --> 00:26:53,920 Speaker 1: dot com or check us out on the iHeartRadio app, 391 00:26:53,960 --> 00:26:56,680 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 392 00:26:57,080 --> 00:26:59,199 Speaker 2: You can find sources for It Could Happen Here, updated 393 00:26:59,240 --> 00:27:02,280 Speaker 2: monthly at coolzonemedia dot com slash sources. 394 00:27:02,480 --> 00:27:03,320 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening.