1 00:00:06,440 --> 00:00:11,119 Speaker 1: Introquest created by Michael Freiberg, a production of iHeartRadio and 2 00:00:11,240 --> 00:00:20,920 Speaker 1: Astro Media Listen with headphones for three D audio. Today 3 00:00:21,040 --> 00:00:24,040 Speaker 1: is another fine day out on the Azrael Desert. The 4 00:00:24,160 --> 00:00:27,880 Speaker 1: sun's shining right over the dunes, the sands sliding gracefully 5 00:00:27,920 --> 00:00:30,760 Speaker 1: beneath our feet, and the three of us taking ample 6 00:00:30,800 --> 00:00:33,600 Speaker 1: progress along the main route to the mold Layer. It's 7 00:00:33,600 --> 00:00:36,360 Speaker 1: almost as if the heat waves melting right off our backs. 8 00:00:37,400 --> 00:00:40,840 Speaker 1: And who knows what great adventures lie ahead. Run ins 9 00:00:40,920 --> 00:00:46,640 Speaker 1: with desert bandits, skirmishes with giant scorpions, shifting sands, barren 10 00:00:46,680 --> 00:00:51,360 Speaker 1: waste Land's core, even a chance encounter with umbra. Bring 11 00:00:51,400 --> 00:00:54,160 Speaker 1: it on. There's nothing the three of us together can't conquer, 12 00:00:55,640 --> 00:00:58,560 Speaker 1: and I'll have you back home an imperiod before you 13 00:00:58,600 --> 00:01:05,280 Speaker 1: can say why, what's wrong? Logo? Do you have to 14 00:01:05,400 --> 00:01:08,040 Speaker 1: narrate out loud each and every step of the way. 15 00:01:09,000 --> 00:01:11,479 Speaker 1: I was only attempting to boost group moral and improve 16 00:01:11,560 --> 00:01:15,240 Speaker 1: disposition given the intense heat wave. Maintaining a positive attitude 17 00:01:15,240 --> 00:01:18,240 Speaker 1: in times like these is critical to overcoming hardship's experience 18 00:01:18,240 --> 00:01:22,600 Speaker 1: along a lengthy and difficult mission such as ours. Yeah, well, 19 00:01:23,200 --> 00:01:25,400 Speaker 1: it's bad enough for short on supplies and running low 20 00:01:25,440 --> 00:01:27,759 Speaker 1: and water. But now serious and I have to listen 21 00:01:27,800 --> 00:01:31,119 Speaker 1: to you drone on and on while the sun beats 22 00:01:31,120 --> 00:01:33,240 Speaker 1: down on us. Do you have any idea what kind 23 00:01:33,280 --> 00:01:37,520 Speaker 1: of torture that is well? Actually, in regards to our 24 00:01:37,520 --> 00:01:40,360 Speaker 1: bleak water productosis, I believe I've come across a solution. 25 00:01:40,800 --> 00:01:43,360 Speaker 1: I've spotted an oasis on the map ahead, about a 26 00:01:43,440 --> 00:01:45,680 Speaker 1: day's worth of travel from here, and only a short 27 00:01:45,720 --> 00:01:48,440 Speaker 1: distance off the main route. Before you interjected, I was 28 00:01:48,480 --> 00:01:50,720 Speaker 1: about to suggest we had there to refill our canteens 29 00:01:50,720 --> 00:01:55,200 Speaker 1: and take respite from the desert sun. Okay, let's that 30 00:01:55,320 --> 00:01:58,680 Speaker 1: course for the oasis. In the meantime, it's vital we 31 00:01:58,760 --> 00:02:02,080 Speaker 1: can serve energy heat wave doesn't let up. I fear that, 32 00:02:02,160 --> 00:02:05,120 Speaker 1: out of all of us, you logo won't make it 33 00:02:05,160 --> 00:02:08,840 Speaker 1: through the night. How do you suggest we've asked the 34 00:02:08,840 --> 00:02:15,600 Speaker 1: time wow of silence? Yeah, yeah, a moratorium on talking, 35 00:02:16,200 --> 00:02:22,399 Speaker 1: silence for a change, at least until sundown. Okay, silence 36 00:02:22,720 --> 00:02:25,800 Speaker 1: until sundown. We can use the time to reflect on 37 00:02:25,840 --> 00:02:28,520 Speaker 1: our journey. If either of you need inspirations, just think 38 00:02:28,520 --> 00:02:30,160 Speaker 1: of the reward that awaits us at the end of 39 00:02:30,200 --> 00:02:44,440 Speaker 1: the mission. Now onward we go A reward and end 40 00:02:44,440 --> 00:02:51,400 Speaker 1: of mission imperial good, but opals funny How people think 41 00:02:51,400 --> 00:02:56,440 Speaker 1: Opal value Opal? Can we eat or drink or used 42 00:02:56,480 --> 00:03:01,640 Speaker 1: to fight Opal just shiny rock, and people trade food 43 00:03:01,880 --> 00:03:09,359 Speaker 1: water weapon for Opal ha silly Yes, sir me take 44 00:03:09,400 --> 00:03:12,880 Speaker 1: best sword yourself sword. You spend hundred hours making in 45 00:03:13,040 --> 00:03:17,120 Speaker 1: fiery pick with old hands, and here for a sword. 46 00:03:17,120 --> 00:03:24,960 Speaker 1: Take rock. Yes, rock is shiny ha if serious trade 47 00:03:25,040 --> 00:03:29,680 Speaker 1: rock for sword, serious youth sword take back rock outsmart 48 00:03:29,840 --> 00:03:35,360 Speaker 1: dumb merchant, merchant whoever rock for brain? And people look 49 00:03:35,440 --> 00:03:39,440 Speaker 1: down on serious for way he talk. Ah. People fools 50 00:03:39,640 --> 00:03:50,120 Speaker 1: value rock like Opal. Now moonbop moon pop not Opal 51 00:03:50,240 --> 00:03:59,120 Speaker 1: have value? Moon pop delicious filled with gooey bindleberry jam 52 00:03:59,200 --> 00:04:04,840 Speaker 1: mmm mmm. No one fight when half Moonbop in belly. 53 00:04:06,640 --> 00:04:19,760 Speaker 1: Everyone loved Moonbob. We're serious that moonbop ah m ah, 54 00:04:22,800 --> 00:04:27,240 Speaker 1: but Moonbop non't have value, only stupid rock half value 55 00:04:28,400 --> 00:04:31,719 Speaker 1: and foolish people honor trade with Opal because agreed to 56 00:04:31,880 --> 00:04:39,120 Speaker 1: with handshake oh and sacred handshake, join hand with strangers, 57 00:04:39,160 --> 00:04:42,680 Speaker 1: shake up and down that mean bond of kin. That 58 00:04:42,920 --> 00:04:47,920 Speaker 1: foolish as trading Opal and nature bear no shake paw 59 00:04:48,040 --> 00:04:54,440 Speaker 1: with wolf respect honor signal without words or motion, but 60 00:04:54,600 --> 00:05:01,000 Speaker 1: people know what symbol people want. Confused, create silly rules 61 00:05:01,040 --> 00:05:08,359 Speaker 1: to follow, make feel smart, murmur same how people go 62 00:05:08,480 --> 00:05:13,279 Speaker 1: live in small box and village away from nature, build 63 00:05:13,320 --> 00:05:17,320 Speaker 1: bi gate like cage to keep out world, worship gold 64 00:05:17,400 --> 00:05:20,839 Speaker 1: idol that look like self, but that no real life. 65 00:05:21,839 --> 00:05:27,640 Speaker 1: This year outside real life, they think with opals, they 66 00:05:27,720 --> 00:05:33,000 Speaker 1: buy wisdom, but they go buy true knowledge here away 67 00:05:33,040 --> 00:05:39,320 Speaker 1: from village cage, have everything we need and free sunrise, 68 00:05:40,279 --> 00:05:47,960 Speaker 1: sun fall, simple, where life meant to be only fool 69 00:05:48,120 --> 00:05:53,719 Speaker 1: challenge mother, nature, father time, and in end time and 70 00:05:53,960 --> 00:06:04,360 Speaker 1: nature make fool of all even serious go against nature, fall, 71 00:06:04,440 --> 00:06:12,159 Speaker 1: prey to illusion, worship, false spirits, Aha serious, no belonging desert, 72 00:06:12,240 --> 00:06:17,920 Speaker 1: un journey and far away land serious belong free in 73 00:06:18,040 --> 00:06:23,080 Speaker 1: open field, serious even work for Opal and Opal no 74 00:06:23,320 --> 00:06:32,440 Speaker 1: have value, all illusions. All will come to end one day. Serious, 75 00:06:32,480 --> 00:06:38,120 Speaker 1: settle and make new home, return to green lands, live 76 00:06:38,480 --> 00:06:47,480 Speaker 1: simple life outside with nature, but serious no for now 77 00:06:47,680 --> 00:06:55,200 Speaker 1: ether needs serious and serious o ether serious life and 78 00:06:55,480 --> 00:06:59,760 Speaker 1: end when journey over serious spent, share of opal on 79 00:07:00,080 --> 00:07:23,000 Speaker 1: bucketful of moonpop, moon pop, moonpopum sorry, moon pop on mind, 80 00:07:23,800 --> 00:07:27,720 Speaker 1: back to desert, silence, stare up at sky that's better. 81 00:07:29,280 --> 00:07:42,880 Speaker 1: M Finally, some overcast skies on the horizon, little cloud 82 00:07:42,880 --> 00:07:46,400 Speaker 1: cover would be welcome relief from this relentless sun. Maybe 83 00:07:46,440 --> 00:07:51,520 Speaker 1: our luck's looking up after all. That one. The puffy 84 00:07:51,600 --> 00:07:55,120 Speaker 1: v shaped cloud floating over head. The shape looks familiar, 85 00:07:55,320 --> 00:07:59,760 Speaker 1: the way it's gliding across the sky, almost lifelike. That's it, 86 00:08:00,280 --> 00:08:04,360 Speaker 1: the Phoenix, the mythical bird of regeneration and rebirth. That's 87 00:08:04,360 --> 00:08:06,600 Speaker 1: what it looks like. I can see it clearly on 88 00:08:06,680 --> 00:08:10,400 Speaker 1: the fur feathers and outstretched wings, the aquiline beak extending 89 00:08:10,440 --> 00:08:13,360 Speaker 1: from its raised head in the center. How it's sourced 90 00:08:13,400 --> 00:08:17,160 Speaker 1: seamlessly through the air, rising to reach the sun itself, 91 00:08:17,600 --> 00:08:20,520 Speaker 1: only to burn out and be born again. The cloud's 92 00:08:20,600 --> 00:08:22,960 Speaker 1: vapors even look like billowing pillars of smoke from here, 93 00:08:23,400 --> 00:08:25,440 Speaker 1: as if the ashes of the Phoenix are still burning 94 00:08:25,440 --> 00:08:29,400 Speaker 1: hot in the day's sky. And that cloud in the 95 00:08:29,440 --> 00:08:33,360 Speaker 1: distance such imposing stature. It practically rises out from the 96 00:08:33,400 --> 00:08:37,160 Speaker 1: azure and suits straight into the ozone, stretching onto heights unknown. 97 00:08:37,880 --> 00:08:40,200 Speaker 1: It's the shape of a castle's central watch towel. But 98 00:08:40,520 --> 00:08:43,800 Speaker 1: what good is that? What could one possibly be keeping 99 00:08:43,840 --> 00:08:46,640 Speaker 1: lookout for? All the way up there? Those heights unreachable 100 00:08:46,679 --> 00:08:49,800 Speaker 1: by man. Even eagles wouldn't dare. The only use of 101 00:08:49,840 --> 00:08:52,640 Speaker 1: tower that tall serves is to spy on the stars themselves. 102 00:08:54,480 --> 00:08:57,120 Speaker 1: The sad thing is, we'd build it if we couldn't 103 00:08:57,920 --> 00:09:00,000 Speaker 1: vain enough to think us equals worthy of a glimpse 104 00:09:00,120 --> 00:09:03,439 Speaker 1: their secrets. Have we learned nothing from the childish hubrists 105 00:09:03,440 --> 00:09:06,920 Speaker 1: of those who have come before us? The cycle continues. 106 00:09:07,480 --> 00:09:11,040 Speaker 1: The higher we build, the farther we fall, struck down 107 00:09:11,120 --> 00:09:13,800 Speaker 1: by the light of the stars, doomed to repeat our 108 00:09:13,840 --> 00:09:19,360 Speaker 1: inevitable fate. Come on, either, stop building castles in the sky, 109 00:09:19,440 --> 00:09:22,439 Speaker 1: get your head of the clouds for once, focus on 110 00:09:22,440 --> 00:09:26,120 Speaker 1: what's important and lies ahead. Use this time to reflect. 111 00:09:28,720 --> 00:09:30,840 Speaker 1: What is it about clouds that make us see objects 112 00:09:30,840 --> 00:09:33,839 Speaker 1: in them? Do they even have a true shape? Are 113 00:09:33,880 --> 00:09:36,400 Speaker 1: they merely blank slates upon which we project our deepest 114 00:09:36,400 --> 00:09:39,520 Speaker 1: wishes and desires, only then to see them go poof 115 00:09:39,600 --> 00:09:43,160 Speaker 1: into a puff of air? Easy, come, easy go, I guess. 116 00:09:44,040 --> 00:09:46,800 Speaker 1: The silver lining is that, at least for a moment, 117 00:09:46,880 --> 00:09:48,680 Speaker 1: we get to possess that things will never have in 118 00:09:48,720 --> 00:09:53,599 Speaker 1: this life, and better that than ever at all, that 119 00:09:54,440 --> 00:09:58,000 Speaker 1: large round one looming at the edge. It can't be 120 00:09:58,160 --> 00:10:03,400 Speaker 1: no swear air so clearly, the figure of a face, 121 00:10:03,520 --> 00:10:07,600 Speaker 1: the delicate features, soft eyes, puffy cheeks. Button knows it's 122 00:10:07,640 --> 00:10:10,240 Speaker 1: almost too perfect for this world. The face in the 123 00:10:10,240 --> 00:10:16,920 Speaker 1: cloud my mother's mother. She looks so peaceful up there, 124 00:10:17,840 --> 00:10:20,839 Speaker 1: not going anywhere, and just drifting wherever the wind takes her, 125 00:10:21,920 --> 00:10:26,880 Speaker 1: and smiling down at me from above. Why did the 126 00:10:26,920 --> 00:10:29,920 Speaker 1: stars have to take you so soon? Mom? It's just 127 00:10:30,000 --> 00:10:34,760 Speaker 1: a child. He needed you, your gentle touch, your soothing voice, 128 00:10:35,440 --> 00:10:40,400 Speaker 1: your warm compassion. How cool this world can be? First, 129 00:10:40,559 --> 00:10:43,880 Speaker 1: father slain, leaving you behind with no one by your side. 130 00:10:44,440 --> 00:10:49,240 Speaker 1: Then after childbirth, you gave your life for mine. Not 131 00:10:49,320 --> 00:10:51,480 Speaker 1: a single day passes where I don't wonder how things 132 00:10:51,559 --> 00:10:54,520 Speaker 1: might have been different only you were still here when 133 00:10:54,520 --> 00:10:56,920 Speaker 1: I was growing up. What kind of life we could 134 00:10:56,960 --> 00:10:59,760 Speaker 1: have had together, you and me in a little house 135 00:10:59,800 --> 00:11:02,640 Speaker 1: on a small plot of land. We wouldn't have had much, 136 00:11:03,080 --> 00:11:05,920 Speaker 1: but we wouldn't want for much either, And time i'd 137 00:11:05,960 --> 00:11:08,680 Speaker 1: learned to be strong like you, I'd even become a 138 00:11:08,679 --> 00:11:11,360 Speaker 1: great hunter. Every day you'd wait for me to come 139 00:11:11,400 --> 00:11:13,720 Speaker 1: home with a daily catch, and would have a big 140 00:11:13,800 --> 00:11:17,880 Speaker 1: feast to send off the night, celebrating life and giving thanks. 141 00:11:17,880 --> 00:11:21,360 Speaker 1: We had each other. Maybe instead, under your watch, I'd 142 00:11:21,360 --> 00:11:24,319 Speaker 1: become a great scholar, a man of letters. I'd make 143 00:11:24,320 --> 00:11:27,040 Speaker 1: you proud. I'd secure us room and board in an 144 00:11:27,080 --> 00:11:29,880 Speaker 1: ivory tower and some far off land, and spend my 145 00:11:29,960 --> 00:11:32,400 Speaker 1: day studying the meaning of life and learn why bad 146 00:11:32,400 --> 00:11:35,600 Speaker 1: things happen to good people. Or I'd give up the 147 00:11:35,640 --> 00:11:38,400 Speaker 1: material world altogether and become wise in the matters of 148 00:11:38,400 --> 00:11:41,280 Speaker 1: the heart and soul, and show us the true way home. 149 00:11:41,760 --> 00:11:44,440 Speaker 1: No matter how the story unfolds, we'd have our time 150 00:11:44,480 --> 00:11:50,760 Speaker 1: and the sun together as mother and son. But of 151 00:11:50,800 --> 00:11:54,040 Speaker 1: course that mad Tyr and Nakasha back home, had to 152 00:11:54,080 --> 00:11:57,280 Speaker 1: take our life away. She contended father to death, and 153 00:11:57,360 --> 00:12:01,040 Speaker 1: that killed you. Still in the room, I felt your heartbreak. 154 00:12:01,400 --> 00:12:07,120 Speaker 1: I felt umber possess you, possess us, And I'll never 155 00:12:07,160 --> 00:12:09,760 Speaker 1: forgive myself for taking from you what you could not 156 00:12:09,880 --> 00:12:20,080 Speaker 1: have yourself life. I guess I'll never know the whole truth. 157 00:12:20,840 --> 00:12:24,400 Speaker 1: Just left a piece together, tattered tales and dreams. I 158 00:12:24,480 --> 00:12:27,800 Speaker 1: guess that's for the best life of pain and suffering, 159 00:12:28,360 --> 00:12:32,200 Speaker 1: worse than peaceful death. If only there was a miracle cure, 160 00:12:32,320 --> 00:12:34,840 Speaker 1: in a way to turn back time, If only I 161 00:12:34,880 --> 00:12:37,240 Speaker 1: could start over, I'd find a way to save you 162 00:12:37,800 --> 00:12:42,160 Speaker 1: or trade your life for mine? Now while I have 163 00:12:42,280 --> 00:12:47,080 Speaker 1: left or fading memories, and this amulet the painful reminder 164 00:12:47,120 --> 00:12:51,560 Speaker 1: of what was taken from me, my mother, what took 165 00:12:51,559 --> 00:12:56,840 Speaker 1: her away Umbrah and I returned to free Imperia. Tell 166 00:12:56,880 --> 00:13:00,120 Speaker 1: me will there be anything left to save? Either way? 167 00:13:00,000 --> 00:13:04,400 Speaker 1: I'll see you soon, so tired of fighting. In the end, 168 00:13:04,720 --> 00:13:08,040 Speaker 1: I'll be the one to sing to you. Don't be sad, 169 00:13:08,600 --> 00:13:11,800 Speaker 1: don't be blue. I'm the bird who will worry for you, 170 00:13:12,920 --> 00:13:18,240 Speaker 1: and it'll carry us both to sleep. I know it's 171 00:13:18,240 --> 00:13:20,960 Speaker 1: a foolish thing to ask, but if you can somehow 172 00:13:21,040 --> 00:13:23,080 Speaker 1: hear me up there, Mom, can you send me a 173 00:13:23,120 --> 00:13:25,960 Speaker 1: sign to let me know you're listening. A single tear 174 00:13:26,040 --> 00:13:28,280 Speaker 1: drop rain down from your clouded face on this hot 175 00:13:28,360 --> 00:13:31,680 Speaker 1: day would be more than enough, some proof so I 176 00:13:31,720 --> 00:13:34,600 Speaker 1: know you're still here, watching over me from high above, 177 00:13:35,400 --> 00:13:37,800 Speaker 1: before you float away and I lose you again forever. 178 00:13:46,880 --> 00:13:55,120 Speaker 1: Are you okay? Something in my eye? I'm good, I'm good. 179 00:13:55,200 --> 00:14:11,280 Speaker 1: I'm good. Let's just keep moving. I always viewed these 180 00:14:11,280 --> 00:14:14,359 Speaker 1: travel days as a pleasant yet unfortunate drain on productivity, 181 00:14:14,760 --> 00:14:16,800 Speaker 1: But now that we've cut the idle chatter, I suppose 182 00:14:16,840 --> 00:14:19,400 Speaker 1: I'm finally free to focus my mind on more substantial matters. 183 00:14:19,640 --> 00:14:23,000 Speaker 1: Let's see where to begin. Maybe I'll remap our route 184 00:14:23,040 --> 00:14:25,920 Speaker 1: to optimize travel time based on prevailing wind patterns. By 185 00:14:25,960 --> 00:14:28,360 Speaker 1: re orienting our trajectory to travel with the winds at 186 00:14:28,360 --> 00:14:31,120 Speaker 1: our backs and eliminating trudging against headwinds, we could reduce 187 00:14:31,160 --> 00:14:33,720 Speaker 1: air friction caused by dragon saves several minutes an aggregate 188 00:14:33,720 --> 00:14:37,520 Speaker 1: travel time. On the other hand, that's rather inconsequential in 189 00:14:37,560 --> 00:14:39,840 Speaker 1: the grand scheme of things. We'll get there. While we 190 00:14:39,880 --> 00:14:46,920 Speaker 1: get there, Surely there's a cause more deserving of the 191 00:14:46,920 --> 00:14:51,560 Speaker 1: attention of my unbridled intellectual brain power. I know. Perhaps 192 00:14:51,600 --> 00:14:54,080 Speaker 1: all mo over the theorem, I've been tinkering with the 193 00:14:54,160 --> 00:14:57,960 Speaker 1: deterministic theorem of quantum mechanics. If you could isolate the 194 00:14:58,000 --> 00:15:00,720 Speaker 1: initial stage of a quantum system down to the atomic level, 195 00:15:00,920 --> 00:15:03,600 Speaker 1: then theoretically you could track the development of the system 196 00:15:03,640 --> 00:15:06,200 Speaker 1: over time. All you'd have to do is work out 197 00:15:06,240 --> 00:15:08,440 Speaker 1: the position and momentum of the atoms during the system's 198 00:15:08,480 --> 00:15:15,480 Speaker 1: initial conditions state, which is technically impossible unless you interpret 199 00:15:15,480 --> 00:15:18,320 Speaker 1: the system as a series of waves instead of particles. Then, 200 00:15:18,640 --> 00:15:21,360 Speaker 1: utilizing a wave function, you can capture the complete information 201 00:15:21,360 --> 00:15:25,840 Speaker 1: of all possible probabilistic momentum and position potentialities, effectively transforming 202 00:15:25,960 --> 00:15:29,320 Speaker 1: the probabilistic function into a model that's intrinsically deterministic. And 203 00:15:29,360 --> 00:15:32,200 Speaker 1: once you solve for the beginning and end state superpositions, 204 00:15:32,360 --> 00:15:39,400 Speaker 1: the opportunities for practical applications are endless. I'm thinking reconstitution, intensibility, teleportation, 205 00:15:39,560 --> 00:15:46,560 Speaker 1: who knows what else, eurega. But again, on the other hand, 206 00:15:47,880 --> 00:15:51,760 Speaker 1: successful implementation of these applications would require overcoming the impediments 207 00:15:51,760 --> 00:15:55,080 Speaker 1: of widespread coordination and the lobbying of key personnel, and 208 00:15:55,520 --> 00:15:58,280 Speaker 1: upon universal acceptance of my theorem, I'd be viewed as 209 00:15:58,280 --> 00:16:01,160 Speaker 1: an acclaimed pioneer in the field, expected to make countless 210 00:16:01,200 --> 00:16:04,080 Speaker 1: appearances and accept a multitude of awards. I'm not ready 211 00:16:04,120 --> 00:16:06,480 Speaker 1: for that level of commitment, at least not just yet. 212 00:16:09,000 --> 00:16:12,640 Speaker 1: There are infinite possibilities for what I can accomplish. I've 213 00:16:12,640 --> 00:16:14,880 Speaker 1: never had so much concentrated time to think and be 214 00:16:14,920 --> 00:16:17,720 Speaker 1: alone with my thoughts. I can't wait to unlease this 215 00:16:17,760 --> 00:16:21,840 Speaker 1: newfound mental energy on the world. That is, once I 216 00:16:21,840 --> 00:16:27,520 Speaker 1: identify a topic suitable for study, where to begin, something weighty, 217 00:16:28,200 --> 00:16:32,000 Speaker 1: something meaningful yet manageable, really there's nothing too big or 218 00:16:32,000 --> 00:16:34,080 Speaker 1: too small in scope, as long as it's of the 219 00:16:34,200 --> 00:16:37,680 Speaker 1: utmost importance. I bet there's some mystery that's been right 220 00:16:37,720 --> 00:16:39,760 Speaker 1: in front of us the entire time, just waiting to 221 00:16:39,760 --> 00:16:42,040 Speaker 1: be solved, that once we see it will be in 222 00:16:42,160 --> 00:16:43,920 Speaker 1: odd how we could have ever missed it in the 223 00:16:43,920 --> 00:16:48,680 Speaker 1: first place. But what could that be? I know, I'll 224 00:16:48,680 --> 00:16:51,640 Speaker 1: start by analyzing the very desert environment we've been traversing. 225 00:16:52,600 --> 00:16:55,360 Speaker 1: What's out here with us in these sands? Any moment 226 00:16:55,400 --> 00:17:02,200 Speaker 1: now it'll come to me, think logo, Think ah, what's 227 00:17:02,240 --> 00:17:06,119 Speaker 1: the use? There's nothing out here but sand, miles and 228 00:17:06,240 --> 00:17:10,000 Speaker 1: miles of insignificant sand. Who even knows where the desert 229 00:17:10,040 --> 00:17:12,919 Speaker 1: begins and where it ends, or how many grains of 230 00:17:12,960 --> 00:17:16,840 Speaker 1: sand are even in this place? Surely that number is incomputable, 231 00:17:17,520 --> 00:17:20,320 Speaker 1: though maybe if the base counting unit was larger than 232 00:17:20,359 --> 00:17:23,040 Speaker 1: a singular grain, that problem could start to be addressed. 233 00:17:23,359 --> 00:17:26,200 Speaker 1: A better inquiry than is how many handfuls of sand 234 00:17:26,320 --> 00:17:31,040 Speaker 1: is this desert comprised of. That's certainly a non inconsequential 235 00:17:31,080 --> 00:17:34,280 Speaker 1: improvement as far as solving this dilemma goes. And I 236 00:17:34,280 --> 00:17:40,760 Speaker 1: don't say that lately. They're a handful of sand much 237 00:17:40,800 --> 00:17:46,280 Speaker 1: more reasonable. Huh. It does also beg another perplexing question, 238 00:17:46,960 --> 00:17:50,480 Speaker 1: how many grains of sand make up one handful? Clearly, 239 00:17:50,520 --> 00:17:52,199 Speaker 1: the amount of sand in my hand is greater than 240 00:17:52,200 --> 00:17:55,159 Speaker 1: a singular grain, no doubt about that. The heft, shape, 241 00:17:55,160 --> 00:17:58,080 Speaker 1: and volume all make that very clear. I'd venture it's 242 00:17:58,080 --> 00:18:00,840 Speaker 1: even ten thousand times greater number than the amount of 243 00:18:00,880 --> 00:18:03,840 Speaker 1: a singular grain. But say I were to remove one 244 00:18:03,880 --> 00:18:06,480 Speaker 1: grain of sand from the pile, that leaves nine thousand, 245 00:18:06,560 --> 00:18:09,920 Speaker 1: nine hundred ninety nine grains of sand remain. Or set 246 00:18:09,960 --> 00:18:12,840 Speaker 1: another way, these nine thousand, nine hundred ninty nine grains 247 00:18:12,880 --> 00:18:16,640 Speaker 1: of sand now comprise the handful, an irrefutable deduction, now 248 00:18:16,960 --> 00:18:19,119 Speaker 1: bold as I may be. If I were to remove 249 00:18:19,200 --> 00:18:22,240 Speaker 1: a second grain from this pile, I'm left with nine thousand, 250 00:18:22,280 --> 00:18:25,200 Speaker 1: nine hundred ninety eight grains of sand, categorically still by 251 00:18:25,240 --> 00:18:29,600 Speaker 1: all counts and measures, a handful of sand. Hypothetically speaking, 252 00:18:29,680 --> 00:18:33,080 Speaker 1: and strictly, as an exercise, dare to take away one 253 00:18:33,160 --> 00:18:36,680 Speaker 1: more grain of sand, nine thousand, nine hundred ninety seven 254 00:18:36,680 --> 00:18:39,520 Speaker 1: grains now remain. If nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety 255 00:18:39,520 --> 00:18:41,320 Speaker 1: eight grains of sand were a handful, and you're removed 256 00:18:41,320 --> 00:18:43,680 Speaker 1: a single grain from the pile, no material amount of 257 00:18:43,720 --> 00:18:46,879 Speaker 1: information has been lost. Therefore, I propose that nine thousand, 258 00:18:46,960 --> 00:18:49,719 Speaker 1: nine hundred ninety seven grains must also be classified as 259 00:18:49,720 --> 00:18:53,080 Speaker 1: a handful. Deriving the base level axiom, the rule is 260 00:18:53,119 --> 00:18:56,439 Speaker 1: as simple as follows. A handful of sand minus a 261 00:18:56,440 --> 00:18:59,840 Speaker 1: single grain remains a handful of sand. Taken to its 262 00:19:00,000 --> 00:19:02,359 Speaker 1: logical extreme. If I were to keep removing grains of 263 00:19:02,400 --> 00:19:04,480 Speaker 1: sand one by one from the pile, then that must 264 00:19:04,480 --> 00:19:08,280 Speaker 1: mean a single grain of sand is equal to a handful. 265 00:19:09,400 --> 00:19:13,399 Speaker 1: How can that be? It's, by definition a logical contradiction. 266 00:19:13,680 --> 00:19:17,200 Speaker 1: The very foundation of deductive reasoning has been shattered. At 267 00:19:17,240 --> 00:19:20,560 Speaker 1: what point on an infinite continuum does one definite article 268 00:19:20,600 --> 00:19:23,560 Speaker 1: give way to another? If no single point exists, then 269 00:19:23,560 --> 00:19:28,159 Speaker 1: the ramifications are limitless. Day becomes night, past merges with future, 270 00:19:28,280 --> 00:19:31,880 Speaker 1: and life is death. Then the only conclusion that follows 271 00:19:32,080 --> 00:19:34,440 Speaker 1: is that every part of a system, at every level, 272 00:19:34,680 --> 00:19:37,920 Speaker 1: is equal to the entirety of the system itself. Consider 273 00:19:37,960 --> 00:19:41,120 Speaker 1: the implications on a cosmic level. If one can't distinguish 274 00:19:41,200 --> 00:19:43,280 Speaker 1: between a grain of sand and a handful of sand, 275 00:19:43,520 --> 00:19:46,320 Speaker 1: how can one make sense of the universe Applying the 276 00:19:46,359 --> 00:19:49,000 Speaker 1: same handful to grain principle. The universe is made up 277 00:19:49,040 --> 00:19:51,560 Speaker 1: of galaxies, which in turn are comprised of solar systems, 278 00:19:51,560 --> 00:19:54,720 Speaker 1: which themselves consists of planets that are populated by civilizations 279 00:19:54,760 --> 00:19:58,919 Speaker 1: that divide out into societies made up of people like us, 280 00:20:01,760 --> 00:20:06,040 Speaker 1: made up of us. That means we are the universe 281 00:20:06,119 --> 00:20:10,119 Speaker 1: experiencing itself. It's all here in these grains of sand. 282 00:20:10,280 --> 00:20:13,160 Speaker 1: The answer in the palm of my head. The entire 283 00:20:13,320 --> 00:20:19,480 Speaker 1: universe is nothing but a logo. Sorry, the sand in 284 00:20:19,560 --> 00:20:22,800 Speaker 1: my hand made me sneeze sand hand? What are you 285 00:20:22,880 --> 00:20:28,360 Speaker 1: talking about? The desert sandy universe of the cosmic continuum 286 00:20:29,000 --> 00:20:31,919 Speaker 1: or never mind? You should be using this time to 287 00:20:32,000 --> 00:20:35,240 Speaker 1: think and reflect. Stop playing with sand and find something 288 00:20:35,240 --> 00:20:39,159 Speaker 1: more meaningful to occupy your mind. Sure ether, I'm working 289 00:20:39,160 --> 00:20:42,000 Speaker 1: on it, and like the eye on your amulet, I'll 290 00:20:42,080 --> 00:21:00,479 Speaker 1: keep my eyes open for inspiration. My amulet, the eye 291 00:21:00,520 --> 00:21:03,920 Speaker 1: of imperiod. What do I make of it? How is 292 00:21:03,960 --> 00:21:06,240 Speaker 1: it that the one thing keeping me safe from umbra? 293 00:21:06,840 --> 00:21:09,000 Speaker 1: It's the one thing holding me back from seeing through 294 00:21:09,040 --> 00:21:12,320 Speaker 1: the lines and finding out the truth. It can't be right, 295 00:21:12,400 --> 00:21:15,080 Speaker 1: can it? How would I think that? That's crazy? Talk? 296 00:21:15,720 --> 00:21:19,480 Speaker 1: Complete another nonsense. Those words must have been umbres they 297 00:21:19,520 --> 00:21:24,000 Speaker 1: have to be serious, and Logo could read my thoughts 298 00:21:24,040 --> 00:21:26,679 Speaker 1: right now, they'd want me can find They knew how 299 00:21:26,760 --> 00:21:29,159 Speaker 1: much I longed to return to Umbers in a realm. 300 00:21:29,600 --> 00:21:32,680 Speaker 1: How learning I find her call, They'd think I'd lost 301 00:21:32,720 --> 00:21:35,800 Speaker 1: it for sure, Uther has finally gone off the deep end. 302 00:21:36,600 --> 00:21:41,720 Speaker 1: Now I must be wrong. Why does it feel so right? 303 00:21:43,040 --> 00:21:45,119 Speaker 1: How come? Every time I take off my amulet and 304 00:21:45,240 --> 00:21:47,520 Speaker 1: enter the intra, I feel like I'm on the verge 305 00:21:47,520 --> 00:21:50,800 Speaker 1: of learning some great truth, discovering an unknown insight into 306 00:21:50,840 --> 00:21:54,760 Speaker 1: our existence, and gleaning a deeper meaning of life. But 307 00:21:54,840 --> 00:21:58,320 Speaker 1: I never quite get there, do I? Sure? Sometimes I 308 00:21:58,359 --> 00:22:01,199 Speaker 1: feel close, like it's only barely out of grasp, that 309 00:22:01,240 --> 00:22:03,560 Speaker 1: if I could just reach down deep enough, I could 310 00:22:03,720 --> 00:22:06,720 Speaker 1: nearly touch it. But the end, it always slips through 311 00:22:06,720 --> 00:22:09,880 Speaker 1: my fingers and they come up short, and I'm left 312 00:22:09,960 --> 00:22:13,760 Speaker 1: chasing shadows, with no real form, void of any realization 313 00:22:13,840 --> 00:22:16,719 Speaker 1: or new awakening, with nothing to show for my troubles 314 00:22:16,720 --> 00:22:21,199 Speaker 1: but regret and disillusion, and worse, the vague feeling that 315 00:22:21,280 --> 00:22:27,760 Speaker 1: I'm slowly losing some part of me. And yet some 316 00:22:27,880 --> 00:22:33,280 Speaker 1: part of me, some crazy, twisted, messed up part of me, 317 00:22:33,960 --> 00:22:37,000 Speaker 1: knows that it's simply because I haven't gone far enough, 318 00:22:37,960 --> 00:22:41,000 Speaker 1: but I'm nowhere near the limit. I have to keep 319 00:22:41,040 --> 00:22:44,960 Speaker 1: pushing past the brink and journey into the deepest recesses 320 00:22:45,160 --> 00:22:48,400 Speaker 1: and darkest corners of my mind. And only by traversing 321 00:22:48,440 --> 00:22:50,600 Speaker 1: the depths of my soul will I one day reached 322 00:22:50,680 --> 00:22:53,359 Speaker 1: the bottom and break through to the other side, and 323 00:22:53,440 --> 00:23:00,560 Speaker 1: there will find it, that undeniable truth, finally crystallized, something 324 00:23:00,840 --> 00:23:03,600 Speaker 1: to make sense of it all, to reveal to me 325 00:23:03,680 --> 00:23:07,320 Speaker 1: my true self and make me whole and give meaning 326 00:23:07,359 --> 00:23:12,000 Speaker 1: to my life. But these days I can't shake the 327 00:23:12,080 --> 00:23:14,520 Speaker 1: feeling that I'm not going in the right direction anymore, 328 00:23:15,680 --> 00:23:18,760 Speaker 1: like I'm just a tourist in my own body, simply 329 00:23:18,800 --> 00:23:22,840 Speaker 1: passing through. I'm traveling through this desert. My mind is 330 00:23:22,880 --> 00:23:25,879 Speaker 1: flying through hyperspace, and I don't know if I'm getting 331 00:23:25,880 --> 00:23:28,080 Speaker 1: any closer to where I was heading, or if I'm 332 00:23:28,119 --> 00:23:31,800 Speaker 1: just falling further and further into this bottomless black pit 333 00:23:31,840 --> 00:23:36,040 Speaker 1: of self. And I don't know anymore if I want 334 00:23:36,119 --> 00:23:41,560 Speaker 1: to know which way is up. Maybe that's just how 335 00:23:41,600 --> 00:23:44,439 Speaker 1: the world is. There are some things we'll never know, 336 00:23:45,160 --> 00:23:47,679 Speaker 1: and though we look for answers, we're destined to always 337 00:23:47,720 --> 00:23:53,280 Speaker 1: be searching, finding nothing but endless questions and did things 338 00:23:53,320 --> 00:23:57,720 Speaker 1: get so bad? Where did I go so wrong? Why 339 00:23:57,840 --> 00:24:00,919 Speaker 1: is this happening to me? What did I do to 340 00:24:00,960 --> 00:24:04,040 Speaker 1: deserve any of this? How come this is my life? 341 00:24:05,760 --> 00:24:11,719 Speaker 1: But there's nothing there, no answer, no purpose, no meaning, 342 00:24:12,800 --> 00:24:16,399 Speaker 1: no end. On the other hand, there are things in 343 00:24:16,440 --> 00:24:19,680 Speaker 1: life we somehow intuitively know, even if we can't understand 344 00:24:19,680 --> 00:24:22,359 Speaker 1: why we know them, Like how a newborn cries at 345 00:24:22,359 --> 00:24:25,040 Speaker 1: the sight of a predators shadow despite having never seen 346 00:24:25,080 --> 00:24:31,639 Speaker 1: its face before. Fear primal, fear of the unknown, the 347 00:24:31,880 --> 00:24:37,040 Speaker 1: dark silence, oblivion of what lurks just beneath the surface. 348 00:24:37,520 --> 00:24:43,120 Speaker 1: It's instinctual. Or how about love, how an infant comes 349 00:24:43,160 --> 00:24:45,400 Speaker 1: out of the womb knowing it's safe in the arms 350 00:24:45,400 --> 00:24:48,440 Speaker 1: of its mother. We may never find answers for these 351 00:24:48,480 --> 00:24:52,199 Speaker 1: unprovable truths, but their knowledge is wisdom we already possessed 352 00:24:52,240 --> 00:24:56,240 Speaker 1: with them. Or maybe the greatest folly of some truths 353 00:24:57,000 --> 00:24:59,760 Speaker 1: is that there's no one to believe them, not even yourself. 354 00:25:00,720 --> 00:25:02,719 Speaker 1: For all I know, this journey i'm one has no end. 355 00:25:03,320 --> 00:25:06,560 Speaker 1: There won't be any milestones of growth or deeper understanding. 356 00:25:07,160 --> 00:25:10,040 Speaker 1: I hope for enlightenment, but will be left in the dark. 357 00:25:11,160 --> 00:25:13,400 Speaker 1: How can I even be so sure that any progress 358 00:25:13,400 --> 00:25:15,840 Speaker 1: I think I've made along the way isn't really just 359 00:25:15,920 --> 00:25:18,840 Speaker 1: me refusing to acknowledge that I've gone down the wrong path? 360 00:25:19,680 --> 00:25:21,480 Speaker 1: Could I accept the truth if it was right in 361 00:25:21,520 --> 00:25:24,440 Speaker 1: front of me? They call Umber the master of delusion? 362 00:25:25,040 --> 00:25:27,960 Speaker 1: But I can't tell any longer where either ends and 363 00:25:28,200 --> 00:25:33,320 Speaker 1: Umber begins. I thought I could explore Umbra's intrat free 364 00:25:33,320 --> 00:25:36,560 Speaker 1: of cost, that I had nothing to lose. But that's 365 00:25:36,560 --> 00:25:41,040 Speaker 1: not true. After all, I have been losing my sanity, 366 00:25:41,200 --> 00:25:49,399 Speaker 1: my health, my faith, myself, and now unlost. I feel 367 00:25:49,480 --> 00:25:53,000 Speaker 1: Umbra's hold over me growing stronger every day as my 368 00:25:53,119 --> 00:25:56,480 Speaker 1: descent into the interest deepens and I fall further and 369 00:25:56,640 --> 00:26:00,320 Speaker 1: further under her command. Is this the unthinkable truth kept 370 00:26:00,359 --> 00:26:04,479 Speaker 1: for myself? That I'm going mad? That maybe I've already 371 00:26:04,520 --> 00:26:07,560 Speaker 1: gone mad? But this truth has always been my destiny, 372 00:26:07,640 --> 00:26:11,520 Speaker 1: hasn't it? Since the day I struggled into existence, born 373 00:26:11,560 --> 00:26:14,480 Speaker 1: to a mother, damned by Umbra and bound to suffer 374 00:26:14,560 --> 00:26:19,840 Speaker 1: myself a tangled web. I've been mortally wounded since birth. 375 00:26:20,560 --> 00:26:22,240 Speaker 1: I'd be lying to myself if I said there was 376 00:26:22,280 --> 00:26:24,800 Speaker 1: any other way for me my whole life. I've known 377 00:26:24,880 --> 00:26:28,520 Speaker 1: it in my whole life. I feared it. It was 378 00:26:28,560 --> 00:26:30,800 Speaker 1: only a matter of time until I lost myself to 379 00:26:30,920 --> 00:26:35,200 Speaker 1: umbra completely. But I'm no longer scared of that time, 380 00:26:36,119 --> 00:26:40,399 Speaker 1: because I fear that moment may have already passed. The 381 00:26:40,440 --> 00:26:44,119 Speaker 1: others have no idea how deep I've fallen. I wonder 382 00:26:44,160 --> 00:26:47,200 Speaker 1: if I really do. For all I know, I could 383 00:26:47,240 --> 00:26:50,240 Speaker 1: be leading serious and Logo farther and farther into the 384 00:26:50,320 --> 00:26:54,080 Speaker 1: dark night of her abyss, taking him straight into her tramp. 385 00:26:55,359 --> 00:26:57,320 Speaker 1: Surely they have better sense than me and won't be 386 00:26:57,359 --> 00:27:01,520 Speaker 1: tricked so easily. Guess I won't know for sure. Well, 387 00:27:01,560 --> 00:27:05,680 Speaker 1: I I suppose the deeper and deeper you fall into umbre, 388 00:27:06,119 --> 00:27:08,400 Speaker 1: the harder it is to distinguish the truth from a lie. 389 00:27:09,680 --> 00:27:12,840 Speaker 1: That's the curse of going mad, isn't it. That's the 390 00:27:12,880 --> 00:27:16,480 Speaker 1: blessing of going mad, isn't it? You can no longer 391 00:27:16,520 --> 00:27:19,600 Speaker 1: tell just how mad you've gone, the paradox of madness. 392 00:27:19,640 --> 00:27:22,480 Speaker 1: The matter you are, the more warp your logic and 393 00:27:22,560 --> 00:27:25,560 Speaker 1: deluded your reasoning, So you convince yourself that you and 394 00:27:25,760 --> 00:27:30,040 Speaker 1: only you, are in possession of some secret, undeniable truth. 395 00:27:31,480 --> 00:27:35,320 Speaker 1: In reality, the truth couldn't be farther away, And who 396 00:27:35,320 --> 00:27:37,600 Speaker 1: can tell you you're wrong. When you're up as down, 397 00:27:37,920 --> 00:27:41,800 Speaker 1: left as right, and black as white, untenable leaps that 398 00:27:41,840 --> 00:27:45,400 Speaker 1: once required mental gymnastics to reach are now level ground. 399 00:27:46,280 --> 00:27:48,480 Speaker 1: From there, you'll ditch your old beliefs in a heartbeat 400 00:27:48,680 --> 00:27:51,720 Speaker 1: and start swearing by the impossible, like the moon is 401 00:27:51,760 --> 00:27:55,040 Speaker 1: made of cheese, or that you're already dead and the 402 00:27:55,119 --> 00:27:57,960 Speaker 1: world is controlled by a secret society of top hat 403 00:27:58,000 --> 00:28:01,840 Speaker 1: wearing gophers conspiring to dance the bung on your grave. 404 00:28:13,280 --> 00:28:23,600 Speaker 1: Don't encourage your behavior. Are but our silence agreement? I'm sorry, 405 00:28:23,880 --> 00:28:26,680 Speaker 1: you're right logo. I was overcome with a spontaneous fit 406 00:28:26,720 --> 00:28:29,360 Speaker 1: of hysteria, That's all. You won't hear another sound out 407 00:28:29,359 --> 00:28:44,440 Speaker 1: of me until dark, Promise good. There's that sound again, 408 00:28:45,280 --> 00:28:53,320 Speaker 1: the hum, a tritone interval followed by the rest of it, 409 00:28:53,360 --> 00:28:56,920 Speaker 1: our peggiated diminished chord. I've heard the sound of myriad 410 00:28:56,960 --> 00:28:59,000 Speaker 1: of times before in the desert, but on a still 411 00:28:59,040 --> 00:29:02,840 Speaker 1: afternoon like today, the hum's mooteeth most strikingly pierces through 412 00:29:02,840 --> 00:29:07,240 Speaker 1: the background clutter. What kind of entity could be responsible 413 00:29:07,240 --> 00:29:11,400 Speaker 1: for emitting this strange hum? It's impossible to place one 414 00:29:11,440 --> 00:29:14,600 Speaker 1: thing's for certain. Whatever it may be, it's not local 415 00:29:14,640 --> 00:29:22,920 Speaker 1: to the desert's natural acoustic ecology. I wonder if the 416 00:29:22,920 --> 00:29:26,800 Speaker 1: others hear it too, though it harmonizes rather well with 417 00:29:26,880 --> 00:29:29,320 Speaker 1: the external desert environment, so I wouldn't be surprised if 418 00:29:29,320 --> 00:29:33,400 Speaker 1: it's virtually imperceptible to the untrained ear. Come to think 419 00:29:33,440 --> 00:29:35,440 Speaker 1: of it, I never paid it much attention before, But 420 00:29:35,560 --> 00:29:38,400 Speaker 1: in stark contrast to how physically dreadful this desert can be, 421 00:29:38,720 --> 00:29:48,760 Speaker 1: its soundscape is actually rather comforting. Ah. Underlying this sonic 422 00:29:48,880 --> 00:29:52,120 Speaker 1: environment must be a bevy of unique sounds, each contributed 423 00:29:52,120 --> 00:29:55,840 Speaker 1: by independent actors possessing a distinct acoustic signature, that by 424 00:29:55,920 --> 00:29:59,600 Speaker 1: chance collectively come together to form this euphonious desert symphony. 425 00:30:00,200 --> 00:30:03,440 Speaker 1: I wonder if I can isolate the diverse sources responsible 426 00:30:03,440 --> 00:30:06,720 Speaker 1: for the various rhythms and harmonies. Perhaps if I fully 427 00:30:06,720 --> 00:30:13,680 Speaker 1: immersed myself in their sounds, I can localize their respective origins. AH. 428 00:30:13,720 --> 00:30:18,480 Speaker 1: The serene chirping of desert locusts their signature staccato a 429 00:30:18,560 --> 00:30:21,200 Speaker 1: love song for the ages. With his mating call, the 430 00:30:21,280 --> 00:30:23,760 Speaker 1: male attempts to court the female by rubbing his hind 431 00:30:23,840 --> 00:30:26,560 Speaker 1: legs together to produce the effect, in essence sending her 432 00:30:26,600 --> 00:30:30,040 Speaker 1: an auditory smooch from across the dunes. Judging by the 433 00:30:30,040 --> 00:30:32,560 Speaker 1: sounds intensity, there are only a few of them, present 434 00:30:32,760 --> 00:30:36,240 Speaker 1: a good sign as locusts are typically solitary insects, but 435 00:30:36,280 --> 00:30:39,680 Speaker 1: are prone to large groups swarming when agitated. For our sake, 436 00:30:39,920 --> 00:30:42,680 Speaker 1: let's hope they keep singing their sweet sounding melody. I 437 00:30:42,680 --> 00:30:47,479 Speaker 1: wonder what else is out here overhead? The dust chorus 438 00:30:47,480 --> 00:30:52,120 Speaker 1: of the sing song bat a multiphonic melody of squeaks, squawks, 439 00:30:52,120 --> 00:30:55,160 Speaker 1: and squabbles as they take flight, indicating that niffall will 440 00:30:55,200 --> 00:30:58,080 Speaker 1: soon be upon us. The bats call out an harmonic 441 00:30:58,160 --> 00:31:00,640 Speaker 1: duet as they communicate with one another. When a bat 442 00:31:00,640 --> 00:31:03,640 Speaker 1: has located a food source or identified a potential threat, 443 00:31:03,760 --> 00:31:06,960 Speaker 1: it'll alert the colony with a high pitched shrill. In turn, 444 00:31:07,280 --> 00:31:09,800 Speaker 1: the colony responds in kind to spread the news or 445 00:31:09,840 --> 00:31:12,280 Speaker 1: sound the alarm. What a special treated it be. If 446 00:31:12,320 --> 00:31:14,160 Speaker 1: only I could listen in on the sounds of their 447 00:31:14,160 --> 00:31:18,000 Speaker 1: echolocation used to navigate and hunt in the dark. Unfortunately, 448 00:31:18,360 --> 00:31:21,800 Speaker 1: it operates on a frequency just outside our auditory threshold 449 00:31:21,840 --> 00:31:28,400 Speaker 1: for hearing, so I'll have to focus my eavesdropping elsewhere. Ah, 450 00:31:28,440 --> 00:31:33,240 Speaker 1: the wind's vibrant breeze Mother nature's own call of the wild, 451 00:31:33,760 --> 00:31:36,400 Speaker 1: capable of rustling the leaves on the highest tree branch 452 00:31:36,560 --> 00:31:40,240 Speaker 1: and moving the clouds themselves with one mighty breath. No 453 00:31:40,240 --> 00:31:43,160 Speaker 1: noise from a mere creature can match the ethereal beauty 454 00:31:43,160 --> 00:31:48,160 Speaker 1: of her soul and what range. In an instant, the 455 00:31:48,200 --> 00:31:51,240 Speaker 1: wind's temperament turns from the gentle whisper of an airy 456 00:31:51,320 --> 00:31:54,760 Speaker 1: zephyr floating down from up above to the guttural roar 457 00:31:54,800 --> 00:32:00,000 Speaker 1: of a merciless gale forcefully swirling a fierce desert sandstorm. 458 00:32:00,160 --> 00:32:04,840 Speaker 1: She remained calm while we walk her dunes, and finally, 459 00:32:05,280 --> 00:32:08,000 Speaker 1: the missing piece of the puzzle, the sound of the 460 00:32:08,040 --> 00:32:12,240 Speaker 1: shifting sands beneath our feet, a constant deep crunch caused 461 00:32:12,240 --> 00:32:15,120 Speaker 1: by the movement of our boots, our own contribution to 462 00:32:15,160 --> 00:32:18,880 Speaker 1: the complex acoustic ecology. With each step we take, we 463 00:32:18,960 --> 00:32:25,560 Speaker 1: shape the very desert soundscape, reaching our ears In truth, 464 00:32:26,320 --> 00:32:29,520 Speaker 1: analyzing its component pieces does nothing to demystify the desert 465 00:32:29,520 --> 00:32:32,480 Speaker 1: symphony I'm hearing. How is it possible that each voice 466 00:32:32,680 --> 00:32:37,160 Speaker 1: operating independently sings a unique tune with respect to tone, pitch, volume, 467 00:32:37,160 --> 00:32:40,320 Speaker 1: and duration that not only minimizes acoustic interference with other 468 00:32:40,360 --> 00:32:45,720 Speaker 1: nearby vocalists, but seamlessly harmonizes in sonic union. It almost 469 00:32:45,760 --> 00:32:50,200 Speaker 1: seems too perfect, as if the entire thing has been 470 00:32:50,200 --> 00:32:54,840 Speaker 1: coordinated by some omniscient composer, maybe decoded at a lower level. 471 00:32:55,040 --> 00:32:58,600 Speaker 1: The notes in these sounds carry some deeper message beyond 472 00:32:58,600 --> 00:33:01,200 Speaker 1: the pleasant nature of their melodies. If I could find 473 00:33:01,200 --> 00:33:04,240 Speaker 1: a way to decipher these seemingly random groupings of notes, 474 00:33:04,480 --> 00:33:07,640 Speaker 1: perhaps I'd unveil a hidden language of sorts. After all, 475 00:33:07,800 --> 00:33:11,360 Speaker 1: what we perceive as sound is really just vibrations traveling 476 00:33:11,360 --> 00:33:14,520 Speaker 1: through the air and acoustic waves. Hypothetically, I wonder if 477 00:33:14,560 --> 00:33:16,600 Speaker 1: you were to map the shape of the waves whether 478 00:33:16,640 --> 00:33:19,720 Speaker 1: you could start to understand the information contained within. Then, 479 00:33:19,960 --> 00:33:22,560 Speaker 1: with a powerful enough converter, it might be possible to 480 00:33:22,640 --> 00:33:24,640 Speaker 1: use the sound waves to develop a common tongue and 481 00:33:24,680 --> 00:33:28,240 Speaker 1: even converse with the environment itself, not unlike how a 482 00:33:28,280 --> 00:33:30,840 Speaker 1: satellite dish receives and transmits information in the form of 483 00:33:30,840 --> 00:33:37,840 Speaker 1: electromagnetic waves the satellite dish. Funny, how ether and serious 484 00:33:37,960 --> 00:33:40,440 Speaker 1: don't even know what a satellite dish is. Yet that's 485 00:33:40,440 --> 00:33:44,440 Speaker 1: what they've been hired to retrieve, or is that why 486 00:33:44,480 --> 00:33:47,400 Speaker 1: they've been hired to retrieve it? I wonder what plans 487 00:33:47,400 --> 00:33:50,080 Speaker 1: the agency has for the satellite dish. Who might they 488 00:33:50,120 --> 00:33:53,920 Speaker 1: be trying to communicate with? Logo? Where are you going 489 00:33:53,960 --> 00:33:56,600 Speaker 1: with this? You know that information is classified for a reason. 490 00:33:59,400 --> 00:34:02,280 Speaker 1: Life would be so much easier if only everyone had 491 00:34:02,320 --> 00:34:05,520 Speaker 1: antennas in their head and all communication was conducted through 492 00:34:05,560 --> 00:34:10,680 Speaker 1: direct broadcast, with no figurative expressions or colloquialisms to obscure language. 493 00:34:10,800 --> 00:34:14,399 Speaker 1: We'd be left with clearly transmitted messages. Maybe then people 494 00:34:14,440 --> 00:34:22,880 Speaker 1: would finally understand me and I in turn them. The 495 00:34:22,960 --> 00:34:25,799 Speaker 1: irony is some of the most important things in life 496 00:34:25,840 --> 00:34:28,759 Speaker 1: can't even be expressed in words. They have to be 497 00:34:28,800 --> 00:34:34,000 Speaker 1: experienced to be understood. Something I'm still learning, like the 498 00:34:34,080 --> 00:34:36,440 Speaker 1: relief you get from the first drop of water on 499 00:34:36,440 --> 00:34:39,840 Speaker 1: a hot desert day, or the sense of wonder that 500 00:34:39,920 --> 00:34:44,280 Speaker 1: washes over you and taking in a sunset, or that warm, 501 00:34:44,480 --> 00:34:47,360 Speaker 1: fuzzy sensation you feel after a tough day traveling in 502 00:34:47,400 --> 00:34:50,680 Speaker 1: the dunes, knowing you'll be okay because your friends are 503 00:34:50,719 --> 00:35:05,200 Speaker 1: by your side. There it is again, the hum shoha 504 00:35:05,440 --> 00:35:13,160 Speaker 1: ha um, the hum catchy tune, isn't it h hum 505 00:35:14,160 --> 00:35:29,399 Speaker 1: m h nothing? Carry on walking ah h h Armadillo 506 00:35:29,520 --> 00:35:35,719 Speaker 1: desert skull poor little fellow, not even armored shell enough 507 00:35:35,760 --> 00:35:41,400 Speaker 1: to survive desert element. But Serious no weep for fallen friend. 508 00:35:42,520 --> 00:35:47,120 Speaker 1: This not end of path for animal Armadillo passed from 509 00:35:47,160 --> 00:35:54,440 Speaker 1: physical realm to spirit world. Everything has spirit, not just people, 510 00:35:54,520 --> 00:36:00,359 Speaker 1: an animal, tree, rock, river, All have life force, make 511 00:36:00,480 --> 00:36:05,680 Speaker 1: up world's soul hum and all die. One day ev'n 512 00:36:05,800 --> 00:36:09,920 Speaker 1: ancient river like great snake, reach stage when it starting 513 00:36:09,960 --> 00:36:15,480 Speaker 1: to slow. Come day when river carry last rock, tributary 514 00:36:15,560 --> 00:36:21,800 Speaker 1: pay last offering and water reach ocean. Final time, River's 515 00:36:21,840 --> 00:36:25,560 Speaker 1: bed turn'd to muddy grave as water run dry and 516 00:36:26,040 --> 00:36:31,319 Speaker 1: river complete cycle of life. Soon fertile soil near river 517 00:36:31,440 --> 00:36:36,840 Speaker 1: turn barren, and roots of plants begin to rot. Where 518 00:36:36,840 --> 00:36:42,560 Speaker 1: once was life now is death. Where once have water 519 00:36:43,040 --> 00:36:49,480 Speaker 1: now hath drought. But this not end of path. One 520 00:36:49,560 --> 00:36:53,840 Speaker 1: day heavy rain come and from dry channel now stream 521 00:36:54,040 --> 00:36:59,040 Speaker 1: borne flow through valleys and canyons, River current come back 522 00:36:59,080 --> 00:37:03,359 Speaker 1: in arms of old carry on life for next generation. 523 00:37:08,320 --> 00:37:12,640 Speaker 1: Serious No. Even though Serious Clan no longer here in 524 00:37:12,719 --> 00:37:19,160 Speaker 1: physical realm, with Serious Clan spirit live on, Serious feel 525 00:37:19,239 --> 00:37:25,760 Speaker 1: Clan energy around him. Big chazooka hot headed warrior in clan, 526 00:37:26,360 --> 00:37:29,600 Speaker 1: now live on a soul of mount fumus in homeland, 527 00:37:30,120 --> 00:37:35,480 Speaker 1: ready to erupt as volcano Noble Jedessa healer to ill 528 00:37:36,719 --> 00:37:41,320 Speaker 1: her soul among waterfalls. If energy and life to fallen, 529 00:37:42,760 --> 00:37:48,400 Speaker 1: Vdias grand Seer, knowledge and way of stars and spirits. 530 00:37:48,719 --> 00:37:54,120 Speaker 1: Now keep watch above as great Cloud. Clan spirits live 531 00:37:54,200 --> 00:37:58,160 Speaker 1: on in all of nature in rays of light, shine 532 00:37:58,239 --> 00:38:05,840 Speaker 1: down on Sirious attacked and guide. One day when Serious 533 00:38:05,960 --> 00:38:11,320 Speaker 1: grow old gray with many years, Serious to return to land. 534 00:38:12,320 --> 00:38:16,720 Speaker 1: Serious body break down, make soil fertile for new growth. 535 00:38:17,640 --> 00:38:22,560 Speaker 1: Under dirt where Sirius lay nourish seedlet and young saplings 536 00:38:22,560 --> 00:38:27,920 Speaker 1: sprout from ground. After many season, sapling grow into strong 537 00:38:28,160 --> 00:38:32,239 Speaker 1: wise elder tree. Number of rings in thick trunk and 538 00:38:32,360 --> 00:38:37,719 Speaker 1: branches that touch clouds. Trees, big leaves give shade to 539 00:38:37,880 --> 00:38:43,600 Speaker 1: tired creatures searching rest trees. Flowers bloom fruit to feed 540 00:38:43,640 --> 00:38:49,400 Speaker 1: creatures hungry bellies. In time, give rise to rich lands, 541 00:38:49,960 --> 00:38:54,279 Speaker 1: nurture new life. Serious soul live on through tree a 542 00:38:54,560 --> 00:39:03,479 Speaker 1: spirit of forest, like ancestors before. When Serious cross into 543 00:39:03,560 --> 00:39:11,080 Speaker 1: spirit world, Serious reunite with clan's people. They're together again 544 00:39:11,160 --> 00:39:15,920 Speaker 1: at last. Serious joint arms of brothers and sisters and 545 00:39:16,120 --> 00:39:24,760 Speaker 1: rejoice in cycle of life. But Serious soul no belonged 546 00:39:24,800 --> 00:39:29,480 Speaker 1: to a spirit world. While Serious alive here in physical 547 00:39:29,520 --> 00:39:35,279 Speaker 1: realm Ether logo needs serious and here sunrise to sundown 548 00:39:35,840 --> 00:39:48,680 Speaker 1: Ether logo Our serious clan serious either serious is howling 549 00:39:48,680 --> 00:39:50,800 Speaker 1: of the sunset? Does that mean our vowe sis is 550 00:39:50,800 --> 00:40:00,400 Speaker 1: officially over? Think so think so help ring on the 551 00:40:00,560 --> 00:40:27,080 Speaker 1: night cloud tear cycle of lion precipitation. Finally, I'll get 552 00:40:27,080 --> 00:40:34,719 Speaker 1: out my rain injured. Up ahead, There's a cave where 553 00:40:34,719 --> 00:40:36,919 Speaker 1: we can keep dry for the night. Come on last 554 00:40:36,960 --> 00:40:54,960 Speaker 1: one Bear Roger Wood pop rainfall at sunset. Wow, you 555 00:40:55,080 --> 00:41:16,200 Speaker 1: heard me? You're still here. InterQuest created by Michael Freiberg, 556 00:41:16,560 --> 00:41:20,520 Speaker 1: a production of iHeart Radio and Astro Media Executive produced 557 00:41:20,560 --> 00:41:24,160 Speaker 1: by Michael Freiberg and I Hear Radio. Co produced by 558 00:41:24,160 --> 00:41:27,799 Speaker 1: Adam Raimundo and Chelsea English. Sound design and mixed by 559 00:41:27,840 --> 00:41:33,680 Speaker 1: Dennis Denbeck. Music by Trey Toy. Performances by Matthew Brissard, Ether, 560 00:41:34,320 --> 00:41:40,960 Speaker 1: Mike Leibovitz, Serious Mike Kaplan Logo, Lucy poul Umbra, Director 561 00:41:40,960 --> 00:41:46,080 Speaker 1: and head writer Michael Freiberg, Writers Tom Delgado and Will Julian, 562 00:41:46,719 --> 00:41:52,400 Speaker 1: Story editor Chelsea English dialogue editor jay Anne Wang. Additional 563 00:41:52,480 --> 00:41:57,600 Speaker 1: music Matthew Blanca Foley Post. Read fullcast and crew in 564 00:41:57,680 --> 00:42:00,719 Speaker 1: the description. 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