1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:03,840 Speaker 1: Hey, lead the listeners tag here. Last season on Lethal Lit, 2 00:00:04,240 --> 00:00:07,240 Speaker 1: you might remember I came to Hollow Falls on a 3 00:00:07,320 --> 00:00:11,880 Speaker 1: mission clearing my aunt Best's name and making sure justice 4 00:00:12,000 --> 00:00:15,960 Speaker 1: was finally served. But I hadn't counted on a rash 5 00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:19,840 Speaker 1: of new murders tearing apart the town. My mission put 6 00:00:19,960 --> 00:00:24,480 Speaker 1: myself and my friends in danger. Though it wasn't all bad, 7 00:00:24,920 --> 00:00:28,920 Speaker 1: I'm going to be realty tig I like you, but 8 00:00:29,000 --> 00:00:32,280 Speaker 1: now all signs point to a new serial killer in 9 00:00:32,320 --> 00:00:36,240 Speaker 1: Hollow Falls. If this game is just starting, you better 10 00:00:36,280 --> 00:00:41,559 Speaker 1: believe I'm gonna win. I'm tig Torres, and this is 11 00:00:41,640 --> 00:00:44,720 Speaker 1: Lethal Lit. Catch up on season one of the hit 12 00:00:44,800 --> 00:00:48,280 Speaker 1: murder mystery podcast Lethal Lit, a tig Torre's mystery out now, 13 00:00:48,520 --> 00:00:50,840 Speaker 1: and then tune in for all new thrills in season two, 14 00:00:51,080 --> 00:00:54,400 Speaker 1: dropping weekly starting February nine. Subscribe now to never miss 15 00:00:54,400 --> 00:00:56,480 Speaker 1: an episode. Listen to Leave the Lit on the I 16 00:00:56,560 --> 00:00:59,840 Speaker 1: Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 17 00:01:01,120 --> 00:01:04,560 Speaker 1: Here's to the great American settlers. The millions of you 18 00:01:04,640 --> 00:01:08,160 Speaker 1: has settled for unsatisfying jobs because they pay the bills. 19 00:01:08,640 --> 00:01:11,240 Speaker 1: Of course, there is something else you could do if 20 00:01:11,240 --> 00:01:15,319 Speaker 1: you've got something to say, startup podcast was Spreaker from 21 00:01:15,319 --> 00:01:18,960 Speaker 1: my Heart and unleash your creative freedom, maybe even earn 22 00:01:19,080 --> 00:01:21,720 Speaker 1: enough money to one day tell your old bus hey, 23 00:01:21,800 --> 00:01:26,840 Speaker 1: I'm no settler, I'm an explorer. Spreaker dot Com sp 24 00:01:27,280 --> 00:01:31,240 Speaker 1: r e a k e r HS salon over today. 25 00:01:32,200 --> 00:01:34,880 Speaker 1: When P. T. Barnum's Great American Museum burned to the 26 00:01:34,920 --> 00:01:37,960 Speaker 1: ground in eighteen sixty five, what rose from its ashes 27 00:01:38,040 --> 00:01:41,640 Speaker 1: would change the world? Welcome to Grim and Mild Presents, 28 00:01:41,920 --> 00:01:45,680 Speaker 1: an ongoing journey into the strange, the unusual, and the fascinating. 29 00:01:46,120 --> 00:01:48,840 Speaker 1: In our inaugural season will give you a backstage tour 30 00:01:48,920 --> 00:01:52,640 Speaker 1: of the complex and unusual artifact that is the American 31 00:01:52,720 --> 00:01:55,880 Speaker 1: side Show. Listen to Grim and Mile Presents now on 32 00:01:55,920 --> 00:01:59,000 Speaker 1: the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you 33 00:01:59,200 --> 00:02:08,880 Speaker 1: listen to podcast. Chapter three, Sasha the drone gun rotated 34 00:02:08,919 --> 00:02:11,720 Speaker 1: on its axis and brought a new, slightly different chunk 35 00:02:11,760 --> 00:02:14,760 Speaker 1: of city escape into view. The world was a dull, 36 00:02:14,800 --> 00:02:17,520 Speaker 1: gray green color through the lens of the weapon's camera. 37 00:02:18,120 --> 00:02:21,120 Speaker 1: Once again, there were no humans in sight. That was 38 00:02:21,160 --> 00:02:23,720 Speaker 1: the norm, but Sasha still logged in for her scheduled 39 00:02:23,760 --> 00:02:27,080 Speaker 1: gun time every day. Her parents would have been mortified 40 00:02:27,120 --> 00:02:29,040 Speaker 1: if they had known how she was spending her few 41 00:02:29,080 --> 00:02:32,240 Speaker 1: hours of free time, but she had a good VPN, 42 00:02:32,639 --> 00:02:34,320 Speaker 1: or at least it was good enough to hide her 43 00:02:34,360 --> 00:02:38,160 Speaker 1: activity from her non tech savvy elders. She doubted they'd 44 00:02:38,160 --> 00:02:41,160 Speaker 1: ever suspect her of something like this. Sasha was a 45 00:02:41,200 --> 00:02:44,600 Speaker 1: good student. Her grades guaranteed her admission to the American 46 00:02:44,720 --> 00:02:47,239 Speaker 1: University in d C. At one point, she'd had a 47 00:02:47,240 --> 00:02:50,360 Speaker 1: shot at being her high school's valedictorian and maybe of 48 00:02:50,400 --> 00:02:54,160 Speaker 1: gaining admission to Stanford. But then she discovered the true 49 00:02:54,200 --> 00:02:58,040 Speaker 1: Gospel and given herself to Christ. Her grades were still good, 50 00:02:58,200 --> 00:03:01,000 Speaker 1: but probably not good enough to earn her in educational 51 00:03:01,080 --> 00:03:04,400 Speaker 1: visa to the California Republic. The extra time the old 52 00:03:04,440 --> 00:03:07,120 Speaker 1: heir had dedicated to school was now spent glued to 53 00:03:07,160 --> 00:03:10,400 Speaker 1: a gun camp, browsing live feeds from various Christian militias, 54 00:03:10,440 --> 00:03:13,200 Speaker 1: and reading everything she could from the few pastors brave 55 00:03:13,320 --> 00:03:16,160 Speaker 1: enough to preach the word. The new herd didn't want 56 00:03:16,160 --> 00:03:18,760 Speaker 1: to go to school near San Francisco, capital of what 57 00:03:18,800 --> 00:03:22,680 Speaker 1: Pastor Mike had called the world's most sinful nation. Sasha 58 00:03:22,760 --> 00:03:25,079 Speaker 1: didn't even really want to go to college in d C. 59 00:03:25,800 --> 00:03:29,239 Speaker 1: What was the point? Sash her dad called from the kitchen, 60 00:03:29,520 --> 00:03:33,320 Speaker 1: dinners on cheese Enchilada's. There was still nothing in her 61 00:03:33,360 --> 00:03:35,720 Speaker 1: line of sight. For the eleventh month in a row, 62 00:03:35,800 --> 00:03:38,520 Speaker 1: she was spending sixty five am fed dollars for the 63 00:03:38,600 --> 00:03:41,000 Speaker 1: privilege of staring through a camera at nothing for a 64 00:03:41,000 --> 00:03:43,760 Speaker 1: half hour a day. Sasha had been warned about this 65 00:03:43,800 --> 00:03:46,520 Speaker 1: when she'd signed up to support the Woodlands Martyrs Brigade. 66 00:03:46,880 --> 00:03:49,720 Speaker 1: Their drone guns didn't see much action. The front had 67 00:03:49,720 --> 00:03:52,680 Speaker 1: been stable for the last year. Rumors said the number 68 00:03:52,680 --> 00:03:55,040 Speaker 1: of backers had even gotten to fire during their turn 69 00:03:55,200 --> 00:03:57,840 Speaker 1: was under a dozen. Sasha had hoped she'd be a 70 00:03:57,840 --> 00:04:01,600 Speaker 1: special case. Something moved. Just as she thought about killing 71 00:04:01,640 --> 00:04:04,680 Speaker 1: the app and going downstairs, something moved across her drones 72 00:04:04,720 --> 00:04:07,800 Speaker 1: field of vision. It happened again, and Sasha realized that 73 00:04:07,840 --> 00:04:11,520 Speaker 1: the somethings were armored soldiers sprinting past her weapon. She 74 00:04:11,640 --> 00:04:14,160 Speaker 1: locked the drone on one and for the first time ever, 75 00:04:14,320 --> 00:04:18,680 Speaker 1: selected the fire approval button. A second went by, then another, 76 00:04:19,040 --> 00:04:22,479 Speaker 1: and then a red box replaced her firing redicule. Target 77 00:04:22,480 --> 00:04:26,800 Speaker 1: declined friendly fire. Sasha her mother called up in that 78 00:04:26,920 --> 00:04:29,800 Speaker 1: grating voice that mint she was almost frustrated enough to 79 00:04:29,839 --> 00:04:33,679 Speaker 1: start yelling get down here. She stared at the box 80 00:04:33,720 --> 00:04:37,560 Speaker 1: for another long moment. Friendly fire. That made sense as 81 00:04:37,560 --> 00:04:40,159 Speaker 1: she belatedly realized the men had been rushing out of 82 00:04:40,279 --> 00:04:43,880 Speaker 1: territory occupied by the martyrs. Good thing, they check up 83 00:04:43,880 --> 00:04:46,760 Speaker 1: on us before we pull the trigger. Her heart pounded 84 00:04:46,760 --> 00:04:49,000 Speaker 1: a little at the thought of killing the wrong soldier, 85 00:04:49,400 --> 00:04:52,359 Speaker 1: but at the same time she noticed something odd. The 86 00:04:52,400 --> 00:04:55,400 Speaker 1: men were still coming. They rushed past the drone camera 87 00:04:55,440 --> 00:04:59,240 Speaker 1: in waves ten feet apart, ducking low and hefting heavy weapons. 88 00:04:59,560 --> 00:05:01,560 Speaker 1: She must to have watched at least a hundred of 89 00:05:01,600 --> 00:05:05,680 Speaker 1: them pass before she realized what this meant. A new offensive. 90 00:05:05,880 --> 00:05:09,920 Speaker 1: Oh God, dial Alexander, she told her deck. A calm 91 00:05:09,960 --> 00:05:12,600 Speaker 1: window popped up about six inches in front of her hand, 92 00:05:12,880 --> 00:05:15,160 Speaker 1: to the left of the large drone control screen that 93 00:05:15,240 --> 00:05:17,960 Speaker 1: hovered above her. Anyone without a deck would have just 94 00:05:18,040 --> 00:05:20,600 Speaker 1: seen a seventeen year old girl lying on her bed 95 00:05:20,680 --> 00:05:23,560 Speaker 1: and poking at the air, but Sasha saw the space 96 00:05:23,560 --> 00:05:26,200 Speaker 1: in front of her as a giant screen curved around 97 00:05:26,200 --> 00:05:29,160 Speaker 1: her body. She opened another window and flung it up 98 00:05:29,160 --> 00:05:31,960 Speaker 1: on her right side. It was populated with links to 99 00:05:32,000 --> 00:05:35,520 Speaker 1: the camera feeds of all the personalities she followed, most 100 00:05:35,560 --> 00:05:38,080 Speaker 1: of them were located somewhere in the Republic of Texas, 101 00:05:38,360 --> 00:05:40,760 Speaker 1: and more than half of the feeds were dark. It 102 00:05:40,839 --> 00:05:43,520 Speaker 1: was hard to tell just what was happening on the others. 103 00:05:44,040 --> 00:05:46,920 Speaker 1: Sasha decided she'd get a faster update on the situation 104 00:05:47,000 --> 00:05:50,240 Speaker 1: through her news aggregator. She reduced the other windows and 105 00:05:50,320 --> 00:05:53,000 Speaker 1: shifted them to her periphery. Then she opened a new 106 00:05:53,000 --> 00:05:55,800 Speaker 1: window and waited a half second for her curated news 107 00:05:55,800 --> 00:05:59,359 Speaker 1: feed to populate. Her deck kept ringing Alexander while she 108 00:05:59,400 --> 00:06:03,440 Speaker 1: scanned the lines. Reports of explosions across the Dallas Front, 109 00:06:03,800 --> 00:06:08,960 Speaker 1: Texas extremist advance into stf Republic territory. Reports from Dallas 110 00:06:09,000 --> 00:06:12,640 Speaker 1: suggested a new offensive by Heavenly Kingdom. A half dozen 111 00:06:12,720 --> 00:06:17,000 Speaker 1: rings later, Alexander picked up Sasha. He asked. His voice 112 00:06:17,000 --> 00:06:19,760 Speaker 1: sounded distant. There was noise on the line. After a 113 00:06:19,760 --> 00:06:22,200 Speaker 1: second or so, Sasha heard a boom and then a 114 00:06:22,240 --> 00:06:25,880 Speaker 1: strange crackling sound that had to be gunfire. It didn't 115 00:06:25,920 --> 00:06:28,000 Speaker 1: sound like it did in the movies, or even in 116 00:06:28,040 --> 00:06:31,240 Speaker 1: the few VR shooters she'd played. Sasha's heart had started 117 00:06:31,279 --> 00:06:34,640 Speaker 1: to pound by the time she responded, yes, Alexander, I 118 00:06:34,720 --> 00:06:37,040 Speaker 1: was just on my drone and it looks like something's happening. 119 00:06:37,120 --> 00:06:40,440 Speaker 1: The media saying it's another offensive. They're right for once, 120 00:06:40,520 --> 00:06:43,400 Speaker 1: said Alexander, and they're still wrong at the same time. 121 00:06:43,720 --> 00:06:46,520 Speaker 1: This is something new, Sasha. I'm sorry I couldn't tell 122 00:06:46,520 --> 00:06:49,640 Speaker 1: you before, but it'll all be clear soon. Is this 123 00:06:49,760 --> 00:06:54,160 Speaker 1: just the martyrs Brigade? He smiled, and Sasha's face went red. No, Sasha, 124 00:06:54,520 --> 00:06:57,000 Speaker 1: something wonderful is Are you near the front? Are you 125 00:06:57,040 --> 00:07:00,200 Speaker 1: part of the fighting? Sasha interrupted. She'd never have done 126 00:07:00,200 --> 00:07:02,839 Speaker 1: that normally, but she could hear what sounded like gunfire 127 00:07:02,880 --> 00:07:05,919 Speaker 1: over his line, and Sasha was scared. I'm with the 128 00:07:05,960 --> 00:07:08,920 Speaker 1: second wave, he said the tracks. I'm moving us into 129 00:07:08,960 --> 00:07:12,600 Speaker 1: position now. I'll probably have to Whatever else he'd been 130 00:07:12,600 --> 00:07:15,280 Speaker 1: about to say was cut short as all of Sasha's 131 00:07:15,320 --> 00:07:18,640 Speaker 1: deck apps closed at once. Her digital world was replaced 132 00:07:18,640 --> 00:07:25,000 Speaker 1: by a red box that read parental lockdown. Come to dinner, Sasha, mom. 133 00:07:25,080 --> 00:07:27,680 Speaker 1: She screamed down the stairs as her eyes welled up 134 00:07:27,680 --> 00:07:30,920 Speaker 1: with tears at the unfairness of it all. Alexander, the 135 00:07:31,000 --> 00:07:33,640 Speaker 1: man she was pretty sure she loved, was going into 136 00:07:33,680 --> 00:07:36,520 Speaker 1: battle for the first time. He was fighting right now 137 00:07:36,560 --> 00:07:39,600 Speaker 1: to re establish the rule of God on Earth. I 138 00:07:39,600 --> 00:07:41,920 Speaker 1: should have read him a poem, or said something beautiful 139 00:07:41,960 --> 00:07:44,040 Speaker 1: and stirring, something about how my love for him was 140 00:07:44,080 --> 00:07:47,280 Speaker 1: as everlasting as God's own love. It should have been 141 00:07:47,320 --> 00:07:50,200 Speaker 1: a powerful moment, but her heretic horror of a mother 142 00:07:50,280 --> 00:07:55,440 Speaker 1: had ruined it for Inchillada's Sasha stormed downstairs, ripe with fury, 143 00:07:55,520 --> 00:07:58,320 Speaker 1: but unable to vent it. Her parents couldn't know she'd 144 00:07:58,360 --> 00:08:01,120 Speaker 1: been giving money to a militant group. They wouldn't have 145 00:08:01,160 --> 00:08:03,280 Speaker 1: to drop in on her talking to Alexander to know 146 00:08:03,360 --> 00:08:06,239 Speaker 1: what she had planned. Six kids from her high school 147 00:08:06,240 --> 00:08:08,440 Speaker 1: had already left for the Republic of Texas to fight 148 00:08:08,480 --> 00:08:11,280 Speaker 1: in one militia or another. It was a problem across 149 00:08:11,320 --> 00:08:15,680 Speaker 1: the American Federation, but here in Virginia, parents were particularly wary. 150 00:08:16,160 --> 00:08:18,600 Speaker 1: The border of the United Christian States was just an 151 00:08:18,600 --> 00:08:21,800 Speaker 1: hour's drive from her front door. Ratlines in the u 152 00:08:21,840 --> 00:08:24,680 Speaker 1: c S brought thousands of young volunteers yearly from the 153 00:08:24,720 --> 00:08:27,720 Speaker 1: heart of corporate America to the various militia groups that 154 00:08:27,760 --> 00:08:31,720 Speaker 1: battled across Texas. Sasha Marian, what did we interrupt that 155 00:08:31,760 --> 00:08:35,160 Speaker 1: was so important? You had to yell, I was praying, mother. 156 00:08:35,760 --> 00:08:38,880 Speaker 1: It wasn't really a lie. Pastor Mike had said that 157 00:08:38,960 --> 00:08:41,480 Speaker 1: every deed done in support of the heavenly kingdom was 158 00:08:41,520 --> 00:08:45,559 Speaker 1: an act of prayer. Gwendolen Marian frowned back at her daughter. 159 00:08:46,040 --> 00:08:48,800 Speaker 1: She was a stern woman with a broad Germanic face 160 00:08:48,880 --> 00:08:51,600 Speaker 1: and dirty blonde hair pulled back into a severe bun. 161 00:08:51,920 --> 00:08:54,600 Speaker 1: Faint crow's feet trickled out from her eyes, but those 162 00:08:54,640 --> 00:08:58,760 Speaker 1: were from choice rather than times formerly inevitable March. Gwendolen 163 00:08:58,840 --> 00:09:02,000 Speaker 1: was the chief of surgery and Annapolis General Hospital. She'd 164 00:09:02,040 --> 00:09:05,160 Speaker 1: been taking juven treatment since she was twenty. She'd only 165 00:09:05,200 --> 00:09:07,600 Speaker 1: decided to let the crow's feed through once Sasha had 166 00:09:07,600 --> 00:09:11,520 Speaker 1: turned seventeen. You can pray as much as you want, honey, 167 00:09:11,600 --> 00:09:14,360 Speaker 1: but right now it's dinner time, and this is something 168 00:09:14,400 --> 00:09:19,520 Speaker 1: we do as a family. Sasha thought juven was unnatural, heretical. 169 00:09:20,080 --> 00:09:22,720 Speaker 1: God had created each human to age a certain way. 170 00:09:23,120 --> 00:09:26,240 Speaker 1: Using science to disrupt that natural process was an act 171 00:09:26,280 --> 00:09:30,480 Speaker 1: of blasphemy. She yearned to say something cutting, hurtful in response, 172 00:09:30,760 --> 00:09:33,360 Speaker 1: but she fought it down. You don't have to obey 173 00:09:33,400 --> 00:09:35,480 Speaker 1: your father and mother if they try to keep you 174 00:09:35,520 --> 00:09:37,719 Speaker 1: out of the Kingdom of Heaven. Words from one of 175 00:09:37,760 --> 00:09:40,840 Speaker 1: Pastor Mike's weekly casts rang in her ears, but the 176 00:09:40,920 --> 00:09:44,120 Speaker 1: Lord God still calls on us to respect our parents. 177 00:09:44,760 --> 00:09:47,079 Speaker 1: He'd added that well behaved kids were the ones who 178 00:09:47,080 --> 00:09:49,480 Speaker 1: caused the least suspicion and had the best chance of 179 00:09:49,520 --> 00:09:53,319 Speaker 1: successful escape. Yes, ma'am, was all she said, as the 180 00:09:53,360 --> 00:09:56,680 Speaker 1: families settled into their chairs. Her brother Ian was just 181 00:09:56,840 --> 00:09:59,760 Speaker 1: five and unusually quiet for his age. He smiled at 182 00:09:59,760 --> 00:10:02,960 Speaker 1: her as their father told him out an enchilada, Sash. 183 00:10:02,960 --> 00:10:06,439 Speaker 1: Who's Alexander? He asked, and Sasha felt the blood run 184 00:10:06,440 --> 00:10:10,000 Speaker 1: out of her face. Their father, Tony, smiled riley at 185 00:10:10,000 --> 00:10:12,760 Speaker 1: the remark as he spooned a proportionately larger serving onto 186 00:10:12,800 --> 00:10:16,400 Speaker 1: his own plate. Alexander, Huh, maybe this means another boyfriend. 187 00:10:16,600 --> 00:10:20,480 Speaker 1: It's been what four years. Tony had opted for fewer 188 00:10:20,559 --> 00:10:24,559 Speaker 1: cosmetic juven treatments than his wife. Sasha loved her father's 189 00:10:24,600 --> 00:10:28,680 Speaker 1: receding hairline, his slight jowls, his graying hair. He was 190 00:10:29,000 --> 00:10:31,600 Speaker 1: still a heretic, but at least he wasn't a vain one. 191 00:10:32,400 --> 00:10:34,760 Speaker 1: He's not my boyfriend, dad, just a boy I talk 192 00:10:34,840 --> 00:10:38,880 Speaker 1: with sometimes, we pray together. Gwendolen rolled her eyes a little. 193 00:10:39,400 --> 00:10:43,640 Speaker 1: Such an exciting adolescence you're having, she said. Sarcasm swelled 194 00:10:43,679 --> 00:10:46,920 Speaker 1: every word. Sasha didn't rise to the bait. Her self. 195 00:10:46,960 --> 00:10:50,160 Speaker 1: Control was iron now. She wouldn't give them any cause 196 00:10:50,240 --> 00:10:53,120 Speaker 1: to worry or call the authorities. It was better even 197 00:10:53,160 --> 00:10:55,760 Speaker 1: for them to think Alexander was some boy from school. 198 00:10:56,120 --> 00:10:58,760 Speaker 1: If they thought her principles were thawing, they'd be less 199 00:10:58,760 --> 00:11:02,040 Speaker 1: likely to suspect what he had planned. The merry and 200 00:11:02,120 --> 00:11:06,080 Speaker 1: family ate companionably for several minutes. Tony talked about some 201 00:11:06,240 --> 00:11:08,800 Speaker 1: cock eyed nut who'd come into his office at Deutsche 202 00:11:08,800 --> 00:11:13,560 Speaker 1: Bank looking for a loan. He wanted three million to 203 00:11:13,600 --> 00:11:16,560 Speaker 1: get this build a blimp to take tourists from the 204 00:11:16,600 --> 00:11:20,960 Speaker 1: am Fed to Louisiana without crossing UCS territory. And I'm like, 205 00:11:21,280 --> 00:11:23,480 Speaker 1: first of all, I can name a hundred boat charters 206 00:11:23,520 --> 00:11:26,880 Speaker 1: to do the same thing. And second, Sasha tuned most 207 00:11:26,880 --> 00:11:29,240 Speaker 1: of it out and tried to focus on eating. But 208 00:11:29,320 --> 00:11:32,079 Speaker 1: knowing Alexander was out there facing death for his faith 209 00:11:32,200 --> 00:11:35,280 Speaker 1: killed any appetite she otherwise might have had. She ate 210 00:11:35,320 --> 00:11:39,160 Speaker 1: mechanically without really tasting it until her plate was almost clean. 211 00:11:39,800 --> 00:11:42,439 Speaker 1: Sasha was planning her exit when her mother spoke up 212 00:11:43,400 --> 00:11:45,640 Speaker 1: by the way. The school called today and said, you 213 00:11:45,679 --> 00:11:48,520 Speaker 1: still haven't been by to get sized for your graduation robes. 214 00:11:48,720 --> 00:11:50,840 Speaker 1: They need at least forty eight hours to print them out. 215 00:11:50,960 --> 00:11:54,760 Speaker 1: You're running out of time. Sorry, mom, she said, I 216 00:11:54,760 --> 00:11:56,480 Speaker 1: know that's important. I've just had a lot on my 217 00:11:56,559 --> 00:11:59,000 Speaker 1: mind lately. The f s T s were last week, 218 00:11:59,679 --> 00:12:02,160 Speaker 1: Sah She had gotten very good at telling her parents 219 00:12:02,240 --> 00:12:05,760 Speaker 1: what they needed to hear without actually lying. The Federation 220 00:12:05,840 --> 00:12:09,160 Speaker 1: Standardized Test had been last week, and she'd certainly had 221 00:12:09,160 --> 00:12:11,280 Speaker 1: a lot on her mind lately, But the f s 222 00:12:11,360 --> 00:12:13,719 Speaker 1: T hadn't been keeping her up at night. It was 223 00:12:13,840 --> 00:12:17,079 Speaker 1: little more than a rubber stamp for a student like Sasha. 224 00:12:17,240 --> 00:12:20,520 Speaker 1: That's okay, sweetie, Gwendolen said, I know how important your 225 00:12:20,520 --> 00:12:22,120 Speaker 1: school work is to you. I just want you to 226 00:12:22,160 --> 00:12:26,000 Speaker 1: have a fun graduation experience. That's important. There's a war 227 00:12:26,080 --> 00:12:28,400 Speaker 1: going on a few hundred miles from your door. Men 228 00:12:28,440 --> 00:12:30,880 Speaker 1: are dying for God's kingdom, and you think school matters 229 00:12:30,920 --> 00:12:33,840 Speaker 1: to me. But Sasha just smiled, told her mom she 230 00:12:33,880 --> 00:12:36,240 Speaker 1: loved her, and went back upstairs to her room. As 231 00:12:36,280 --> 00:12:39,600 Speaker 1: soon as it was politic to do so. She reactivated 232 00:12:39,600 --> 00:12:42,320 Speaker 1: her VPN and popped her deck into stealth mode, which 233 00:12:42,320 --> 00:12:45,200 Speaker 1: displayed a curated selection of websites and chat apps for 234 00:12:45,240 --> 00:12:47,840 Speaker 1: her mom and dad in case they came by. She 235 00:12:47,960 --> 00:12:50,240 Speaker 1: drew a new private window about two feet in front 236 00:12:50,280 --> 00:12:52,560 Speaker 1: of her face and split it in half between a 237 00:12:52,559 --> 00:12:55,040 Speaker 1: face calm with Alexander and a news feed full of 238 00:12:55,080 --> 00:12:59,280 Speaker 1: her favorite militia press offices. Her jaw dropped voice of 239 00:12:59,280 --> 00:13:02,520 Speaker 1: the prophets may in headline was Republic of Texas forces 240 00:13:02,559 --> 00:13:05,880 Speaker 1: clashed with martyrs. Judgment day is here, she read in 241 00:13:05,920 --> 00:13:08,200 Speaker 1: a social media post from one of her favorite sources 242 00:13:08,240 --> 00:13:10,680 Speaker 1: in the area, a twenty something mechanic who lived on 243 00:13:10,679 --> 00:13:13,520 Speaker 1: the fringe of the Republic and supported the Heavenly Kingdom. 244 00:13:13,600 --> 00:13:16,439 Speaker 1: He'd posted a picture of the governor's mansion in Plano. 245 00:13:16,520 --> 00:13:19,000 Speaker 1: It was burnt around several of the windows and riddled 246 00:13:19,000 --> 00:13:22,200 Speaker 1: with holes. Gone was the Republic's flag, replaced by a 247 00:13:22,240 --> 00:13:24,880 Speaker 1: white banner with a burning black cross in the center. 248 00:13:25,360 --> 00:13:28,600 Speaker 1: Sasha sent out another call request to Alexander and switched 249 00:13:28,640 --> 00:13:32,120 Speaker 1: over to Al Jazeera's feed to learn more. It galled 250 00:13:32,160 --> 00:13:34,560 Speaker 1: her to use a new source run by Muslims, but 251 00:13:34,679 --> 00:13:36,960 Speaker 1: she had learned from experience that Al Jazeera had the 252 00:13:37,000 --> 00:13:40,160 Speaker 1: best reporters on the ground in the Republic. They negotiated 253 00:13:40,200 --> 00:13:43,880 Speaker 1: coverage deals with several of the militia groups, including Alexander's. 254 00:13:43,920 --> 00:13:46,200 Speaker 1: The first thing she noticed was that their last article 255 00:13:46,240 --> 00:13:48,680 Speaker 1: had gone up over an hour ago, but the titles 256 00:13:48,679 --> 00:13:52,440 Speaker 1: of the foremost recent articles painted a vivid picture Republic 257 00:13:52,440 --> 00:13:57,000 Speaker 1: Capital in Galveston, burning, military coup, Republic media feeds go dark, 258 00:13:57,320 --> 00:14:01,840 Speaker 1: SDF under attack. In Dallas. Pastor Mike Donnegan announces new 259 00:14:01,840 --> 00:14:05,440 Speaker 1: offensive for Heavenly Kingdom. How could there possibly be a 260 00:14:05,440 --> 00:14:08,880 Speaker 1: new offensive against the secular forces in Dallas? The Richardson 261 00:14:08,960 --> 00:14:11,400 Speaker 1: line had been locked in a stalemate for the last year. 262 00:14:11,760 --> 00:14:14,880 Speaker 1: Alexander had told her often how outnumbered and outgunned the 263 00:14:14,920 --> 00:14:17,720 Speaker 1: martyrs of the Heavenly Kingdom were withhold on our own, 264 00:14:17,840 --> 00:14:20,640 Speaker 1: but only by the grace of God, was his usual refrain. 265 00:14:20,960 --> 00:14:24,480 Speaker 1: The idea of them advancing again on the STF seemed impossible. 266 00:14:25,080 --> 00:14:28,640 Speaker 1: Nothing is impossible with God. She could almost hear Alexander's 267 00:14:28,680 --> 00:14:31,760 Speaker 1: voice echo in her mind's ear. She glanced over at 268 00:14:31,760 --> 00:14:33,880 Speaker 1: his chat screen, but it was still just showed the 269 00:14:33,920 --> 00:14:38,400 Speaker 1: standard dialing symbol. Frustrated, Sasha brought up her militia news feed. 270 00:14:38,800 --> 00:14:41,240 Speaker 1: This was one of her most cherished possessions. It had 271 00:14:41,320 --> 00:14:43,920 Speaker 1: taken months for her to sort out the most influential 272 00:14:43,960 --> 00:14:47,120 Speaker 1: Christian militias in the area find their official spokes feeds 273 00:14:47,320 --> 00:14:50,040 Speaker 1: and cross index them based on which groups agreed with 274 00:14:50,080 --> 00:14:54,200 Speaker 1: the strict Neo Calvinist doctrine. She Alexander and Pastor Mike 275 00:14:54,280 --> 00:14:56,360 Speaker 1: all new to be the one true Word of God, 276 00:14:57,080 --> 00:14:59,480 Speaker 1: and for the first time since she had started the feed, 277 00:14:59,720 --> 00:15:02,520 Speaker 1: each in every militia she followed had posted the exact 278 00:15:02,600 --> 00:15:07,920 Speaker 1: same message, The first battle of Armageddon has begun. Sasha 279 00:15:08,000 --> 00:15:10,320 Speaker 1: was confused for a minute. She'd done her homework. She 280 00:15:10,360 --> 00:15:12,440 Speaker 1: knew the final battle of the end Times was supposed 281 00:15:12,480 --> 00:15:15,520 Speaker 1: to occur at Mount Meghito in Israel. But she thought 282 00:15:15,560 --> 00:15:18,320 Speaker 1: back to Pastor Mike's sermons. He had talked about the 283 00:15:18,360 --> 00:15:21,880 Speaker 1: battles of Armageddon many times. The coming end Times and 284 00:15:21,880 --> 00:15:24,120 Speaker 1: the central place of the Heavenly Kingdom in the world's 285 00:15:24,160 --> 00:15:27,960 Speaker 1: last Battles were constant refrains in his sermons. Sasha had 286 00:15:27,960 --> 00:15:31,160 Speaker 1: always believed the battles of Armageddon would come. She just 287 00:15:31,200 --> 00:15:34,680 Speaker 1: thought they had more time. Sasha was frustrated and a 288 00:15:34,680 --> 00:15:37,360 Speaker 1: little hurt. Alexander must have known this was in the 289 00:15:37,400 --> 00:15:40,240 Speaker 1: offing and kept it from her. She understood, of course, 290 00:15:40,280 --> 00:15:42,640 Speaker 1: but she was furious at herself for being so far 291 00:15:42,680 --> 00:15:44,480 Speaker 1: away from the action that he had been forced to 292 00:15:44,560 --> 00:15:47,480 Speaker 1: hide this from her. The first battle of Armageddon was 293 00:15:47,520 --> 00:15:50,360 Speaker 1: beginning just a few hours south of her bedroom. She 294 00:15:50,400 --> 00:15:53,360 Speaker 1: could either stay here and rot in the American Federation, 295 00:15:53,680 --> 00:15:56,640 Speaker 1: or prove God with her devotion and move there. It 296 00:15:56,720 --> 00:15:59,520 Speaker 1: didn't even seem like a choice. Really. If goodmen were 297 00:15:59,560 --> 00:16:02,200 Speaker 1: fighting in dying to restore the Kingdom of God on Earth, 298 00:16:02,480 --> 00:16:05,200 Speaker 1: it fell to her to travel there and support those men. 299 00:16:05,920 --> 00:16:09,360 Speaker 1: She thought of Alexander, his liquid green eyes, his scraggly beard, 300 00:16:09,400 --> 00:16:12,200 Speaker 1: the way his still boyish voice broke in excitement when 301 00:16:12,200 --> 00:16:14,720 Speaker 1: he lost himself in the spirit of the Lord. Her 302 00:16:14,720 --> 00:16:17,960 Speaker 1: beloved was out there right now, fighting and maybe bleeding, 303 00:16:18,000 --> 00:16:20,640 Speaker 1: to bring the truth back to the world. The least 304 00:16:20,640 --> 00:16:24,680 Speaker 1: she could do was join him. Weeks ago, Alexander had 305 00:16:24,720 --> 00:16:27,800 Speaker 1: given her the contact information for a man named Brother Andrew. 306 00:16:28,320 --> 00:16:31,240 Speaker 1: He called the other man a deliverer. Sasha knew her 307 00:16:31,240 --> 00:16:34,360 Speaker 1: parents and the AMFID authorities would have described Brother Andrew 308 00:16:34,400 --> 00:16:37,240 Speaker 1: as a people smuggler. She hadn't reached out to Brother 309 00:16:37,280 --> 00:16:39,960 Speaker 1: Andrew yet. In her fantasy, she had always waited to 310 00:16:40,000 --> 00:16:43,240 Speaker 1: graduate before escaping to the heavenly Kingdom. She was still 311 00:16:43,280 --> 00:16:45,440 Speaker 1: a few weeks shy of her eighteenth birthday and had 312 00:16:45,440 --> 00:16:47,520 Speaker 1: hoped to at least spin that with her parents before 313 00:16:47,560 --> 00:16:50,720 Speaker 1: setting off. But right now, as she scrolled through articles 314 00:16:50,720 --> 00:16:53,520 Speaker 1: about the martyr's breakthrough and immersed herself and snap bits 315 00:16:53,560 --> 00:16:57,320 Speaker 1: of cheering soldiers raising cross banners over newly captured neighborhoods, 316 00:16:57,680 --> 00:17:01,840 Speaker 1: Sasha felt a powerful anxiety over take her. She needed 317 00:17:01,920 --> 00:17:05,359 Speaker 1: to be there. There was no other option. Sasha flipped 318 00:17:05,400 --> 00:17:07,480 Speaker 1: open a window on the left side of her view space, 319 00:17:07,800 --> 00:17:10,560 Speaker 1: typed in the address she'd memorized for brother Andrew, and 320 00:17:10,600 --> 00:17:19,600 Speaker 1: sent him a message, I am ready to go. What 321 00:17:19,760 --> 00:17:23,560 Speaker 1: grows in the forest trees? Sure? No. What else grows 322 00:17:23,560 --> 00:17:27,280 Speaker 1: in the forest, Our imagination, our sense of wonder, and 323 00:17:27,320 --> 00:17:30,600 Speaker 1: our family bonds grow too, because when we disconnect from 324 00:17:30,640 --> 00:17:37,080 Speaker 1: this and connect with this, we reconnect with each other. 325 00:17:37,800 --> 00:17:40,679 Speaker 1: The forest is closer than you think. Find a forest 326 00:17:40,800 --> 00:17:44,320 Speaker 1: near you and start exploring. I discover the Forest dot Org, 327 00:17:44,640 --> 00:17:47,199 Speaker 1: brought to you by the United States Forest Service and 328 00:17:47,280 --> 00:17:51,399 Speaker 1: the AD Council the Art world. It is essentially a 329 00:17:51,720 --> 00:17:55,240 Speaker 1: money laundering business. The best fakes are still hanging off 330 00:17:55,240 --> 00:17:58,680 Speaker 1: people's walls. You know they don't even know or suspect 331 00:17:58,720 --> 00:18:02,159 Speaker 1: that their faces amount like Baldwin. And this is a 332 00:18:02,200 --> 00:18:06,560 Speaker 1: podcast about deception, greed, and forgery in the art world. 333 00:18:07,000 --> 00:18:12,840 Speaker 1: You knew the painting was fake. Um Listen to Art 334 00:18:12,880 --> 00:18:16,840 Speaker 1: Fraud starting February one on the I Heart Radio app, 335 00:18:16,880 --> 00:18:28,719 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Conquer your 336 00:18:28,720 --> 00:18:31,840 Speaker 1: New year's resolution to be more productive with the Before 337 00:18:31,920 --> 00:18:36,320 Speaker 1: Breakfast podcast. In each bite sized daily episode, time management 338 00:18:36,359 --> 00:18:39,800 Speaker 1: and productivity expert Laura vander Caam teaches you how to 339 00:18:39,840 --> 00:18:42,239 Speaker 1: make the most of your time, both at work and 340 00:18:42,400 --> 00:18:45,480 Speaker 1: at home. These are the practical suggestions you need to 341 00:18:45,600 --> 00:18:48,480 Speaker 1: get more done with your day. Just as lifting weights 342 00:18:48,560 --> 00:18:51,560 Speaker 1: keeps our body strong as we age, learning new skills 343 00:18:51,720 --> 00:18:55,160 Speaker 1: is the mental equivalent of pumping iron. Listen to Before 344 00:18:55,200 --> 00:19:04,120 Speaker 1: Breakfast wherever you get your podcasts, Chapter four. Manny Manny 345 00:19:04,160 --> 00:19:06,680 Speaker 1: woke up needing to piss and also to the sound 346 00:19:06,720 --> 00:19:09,600 Speaker 1: of explosions. He couldn't quite tell which was more to 347 00:19:09,640 --> 00:19:13,440 Speaker 1: blame for his sudden, unwelcome consciousness. His lizard brain woke 348 00:19:13,520 --> 00:19:16,280 Speaker 1: up and shouted, get the funk out of their, you asshole. 349 00:19:16,440 --> 00:19:19,600 Speaker 1: A second later, Many got to his feet, grabbed his 350 00:19:19,640 --> 00:19:23,320 Speaker 1: gear bag and looked around for the journalist. Reggie still 351 00:19:23,320 --> 00:19:26,479 Speaker 1: seemed asleep, but he stirred just as Manny started towards him, 352 00:19:26,520 --> 00:19:30,639 Speaker 1: and another thundering boom shook the world. Christ, who's that, 353 00:19:31,160 --> 00:19:34,760 Speaker 1: Reggie asked, in a slurred voice heavy with sleep. Mortars, 354 00:19:34,840 --> 00:19:38,480 Speaker 1: Manny explained, I think I heard rockets too. Shit, The 355 00:19:38,520 --> 00:19:43,080 Speaker 1: brit Eck sailed sharply. Is this bad? Manny shrugged. Those 356 00:19:43,119 --> 00:19:46,680 Speaker 1: sound like small mortars, very short range. But we're miles 357 00:19:46,680 --> 00:19:50,639 Speaker 1: behind the line. So a deafening explosion shook the world. 358 00:19:51,240 --> 00:19:54,080 Speaker 1: It was loud enough that Manny didn't even properly hear it. 359 00:19:54,440 --> 00:19:57,960 Speaker 1: He felt it hard and hot against his skin. The sheer, 360 00:19:58,000 --> 00:20:00,719 Speaker 1: impossible noise of it pulled the air from his lungs 361 00:20:00,720 --> 00:20:03,159 Speaker 1: and the thoughts from his head. The next instant, he 362 00:20:03,240 --> 00:20:05,720 Speaker 1: was flat on the ground. His eyes darted left and 363 00:20:05,800 --> 00:20:09,240 Speaker 1: right for cover. He spotted something, an artificial cave built 364 00:20:09,280 --> 00:20:11,679 Speaker 1: into a corner of the main room, perhaps a hundred 365 00:20:11,680 --> 00:20:14,600 Speaker 1: feet away. It looked like some sort of shrine or temple. 366 00:20:14,840 --> 00:20:17,360 Speaker 1: Many could see. The walls were thick with melted candles, 367 00:20:17,400 --> 00:20:20,719 Speaker 1: colorful drawings in a variety of brass cymbals. He grabbed 368 00:20:20,720 --> 00:20:23,639 Speaker 1: Reggie by the shoulder and shook hard. The other man jerked, 369 00:20:23,720 --> 00:20:27,240 Speaker 1: locked eyes with Manny and mouthed what the fixer pointed 370 00:20:27,240 --> 00:20:29,920 Speaker 1: towards the shrine, pulled himself up and sprinted towards it. 371 00:20:30,240 --> 00:20:32,560 Speaker 1: The journalists followed, and soon both men were huddled in 372 00:20:32,600 --> 00:20:35,360 Speaker 1: the little substructure, staring out at the devastation that had 373 00:20:35,400 --> 00:20:39,399 Speaker 1: overtaken the Richardson autonomous project. They could see two holes 374 00:20:39,400 --> 00:20:42,080 Speaker 1: in the roof the huge circular kitchen bar looked like 375 00:20:42,119 --> 00:20:45,639 Speaker 1: it had taken a direct hit. Beer spurted from shattered taps, 376 00:20:45,840 --> 00:20:48,199 Speaker 1: and many could see what looked like blood staining the 377 00:20:48,200 --> 00:20:51,520 Speaker 1: white oak of the bar. Counter Flames licked somewhere off 378 00:20:51,520 --> 00:20:54,000 Speaker 1: in the distance on the other side of the vast structure. 379 00:20:54,400 --> 00:20:58,080 Speaker 1: The air smelled of smoke and burning grass. More blasts 380 00:20:58,080 --> 00:21:00,439 Speaker 1: sounded in the distance, including a few that were just 381 00:21:00,560 --> 00:21:03,400 Speaker 1: too loud to be mortar fire. Now that he focused, 382 00:21:03,440 --> 00:21:06,280 Speaker 1: Manny could also hear the chatter of machine guns. It 383 00:21:06,400 --> 00:21:08,920 Speaker 1: was distant, but not nearly as distant as it should 384 00:21:08,920 --> 00:21:12,000 Speaker 1: have been. Many dug into his pocket, found where the 385 00:21:12,000 --> 00:21:15,160 Speaker 1: deck was clipped inside, and thumbed the power button. Static 386 00:21:15,200 --> 00:21:17,240 Speaker 1: flashed at the edge of his vision as his implants 387 00:21:17,240 --> 00:21:20,520 Speaker 1: started up. He nearly always ran in minimalist mode, which 388 00:21:20,520 --> 00:21:23,159 Speaker 1: gave him access to his maps and his communications sweet 389 00:21:23,280 --> 00:21:26,200 Speaker 1: and nothing else. He selected his address book and sub 390 00:21:26,320 --> 00:21:33,640 Speaker 1: vocalized his cousin's name, Alejandro. It dialed and dialed and dialed. Amen. 391 00:21:34,000 --> 00:21:36,800 Speaker 1: Reggie said, his voice oddly, calm. I think we might 392 00:21:36,840 --> 00:21:39,400 Speaker 1: need to get the funk out of here. Reggie looked 393 00:21:39,440 --> 00:21:41,600 Speaker 1: over at the bridge and then towards the flames. They 394 00:21:41,600 --> 00:21:44,000 Speaker 1: were bigger now and closer. He could see a dozen 395 00:21:44,119 --> 00:21:46,159 Speaker 1: or so men and women fighting the fire with hoses 396 00:21:46,160 --> 00:21:49,760 Speaker 1: and extinguishers. They didn't seem to be winning. Elsewhere, he 397 00:21:49,800 --> 00:21:52,480 Speaker 1: saw small groups breaking cover to run for the exits. 398 00:21:52,800 --> 00:21:55,440 Speaker 1: The sound of alarm bells echoed across the big structure. 399 00:21:55,760 --> 00:21:59,320 Speaker 1: Alejandro hadn't responded, which meant he was fighting or dead. 400 00:21:59,800 --> 00:22:02,000 Speaker 1: I Either way, Manny and Reggie would need to find 401 00:22:02,040 --> 00:22:04,879 Speaker 1: their own ride out of this mess. It had been 402 00:22:04,920 --> 00:22:07,520 Speaker 1: a while since the last mortar had landed on the complex, 403 00:22:07,560 --> 00:22:10,760 Speaker 1: and the small arms fire still sounded distant. This seemed 404 00:22:10,760 --> 00:22:12,320 Speaker 1: as good a time to make a break for it 405 00:22:12,359 --> 00:22:14,880 Speaker 1: as they were likely to get, so they ran until 406 00:22:14,920 --> 00:22:17,520 Speaker 1: they hit the nearest exit doors shoved them open. And 407 00:22:17,600 --> 00:22:22,359 Speaker 1: staggered outside into the balmy Texas night. The asphalt parking 408 00:22:22,359 --> 00:22:25,520 Speaker 1: lot outside was filled with newly minted refugees, perhaps two 409 00:22:25,600 --> 00:22:28,040 Speaker 1: hundred of them, most carried at least to go back. 410 00:22:28,320 --> 00:22:30,840 Speaker 1: A few had managed to drag out more. They were 411 00:22:30,920 --> 00:22:33,280 Speaker 1: ringed by a widening cordon of armed men and women, 412 00:22:33,520 --> 00:22:37,080 Speaker 1: fifty at the most. The militia clutched antique weapons, mostly 413 00:22:37,119 --> 00:22:39,960 Speaker 1: small arms, and stuck like glue to the Hescoe barriers 414 00:22:39,960 --> 00:22:42,800 Speaker 1: that ringed the old parking lot. Here and there, Manny 415 00:22:42,840 --> 00:22:44,879 Speaker 1: caught sight of a man with an RPG or a 416 00:22:44,960 --> 00:22:48,720 Speaker 1: light machine gun. It was a forcement for scaring off bandits. 417 00:22:49,040 --> 00:22:51,720 Speaker 1: The rockets still thudding in the distance told Manny these 418 00:22:51,720 --> 00:22:55,359 Speaker 1: men and women faced considerably more than their match. A 419 00:22:55,440 --> 00:22:58,640 Speaker 1: green blink of light caught his attention. Reggie had engaged 420 00:22:58,680 --> 00:23:02,119 Speaker 1: his lapel camera. Brit fixed him with a look that said, dude, 421 00:23:02,280 --> 00:23:04,480 Speaker 1: what did you expect me to do? Most of the 422 00:23:04,520 --> 00:23:08,000 Speaker 1: survivors were probably recording to their decks, too, but Reggie's 423 00:23:08,000 --> 00:23:11,040 Speaker 1: little camera could do considerably more. It scanned the world 424 00:23:11,040 --> 00:23:13,240 Speaker 1: around him in a three hundred and sixty degree arc. 425 00:23:13,560 --> 00:23:17,200 Speaker 1: It also recorded the journalist's own physical data, his heart rate, 426 00:23:17,520 --> 00:23:21,399 Speaker 1: his respiration, his adrenal levels. Everything he saw and felt 427 00:23:21,440 --> 00:23:24,639 Speaker 1: was being recorded for later consumption. The brit was carving 428 00:23:24,640 --> 00:23:26,920 Speaker 1: out a little slice of the war for safer parts 429 00:23:26,960 --> 00:23:30,399 Speaker 1: of the world to Binge Watch. Vehicle started to arrive. 430 00:23:30,560 --> 00:23:33,520 Speaker 1: The project's motor pool included three tracks built to carry 431 00:23:33,600 --> 00:23:37,119 Speaker 1: large groups of people in semi armored semi safety. The 432 00:23:37,160 --> 00:23:40,240 Speaker 1: commune's rapid reaction force set to work, loading children and 433 00:23:40,280 --> 00:23:43,960 Speaker 1: wounded up first. There was no panic, no hysteria, just 434 00:23:44,160 --> 00:23:48,360 Speaker 1: an exhausted efficiency that spoke of long practice. Manny saw 435 00:23:48,480 --> 00:23:52,080 Speaker 1: glassy eyes and clenched jaws, but very little open rage. 436 00:23:52,640 --> 00:23:56,240 Speaker 1: They're so very used to it, he realized. Scattered throughout 437 00:23:56,240 --> 00:23:58,960 Speaker 1: the crowd, Manny saw people whose bodies rattled with a 438 00:23:59,000 --> 00:24:01,879 Speaker 1: sort of palsied shock that artillery leaves in its wake. 439 00:24:03,040 --> 00:24:06,080 Speaker 1: Reggie just stared out at them, mouth slack. His left 440 00:24:06,160 --> 00:24:08,719 Speaker 1: knee twitched, the foot below it pumped against the ground. 441 00:24:09,119 --> 00:24:11,359 Speaker 1: Many guessed he was caught between the urge to step 442 00:24:11,400 --> 00:24:13,160 Speaker 1: out and talk to some of them and the voice 443 00:24:13,200 --> 00:24:15,000 Speaker 1: of sanity in the back of his head that knew 444 00:24:15,000 --> 00:24:17,720 Speaker 1: how tone deaf that would be. Manny put a hand 445 00:24:17,720 --> 00:24:20,680 Speaker 1: on the journalist's shoulder. We need to get the funk 446 00:24:20,680 --> 00:24:23,080 Speaker 1: out of here, and our ride is off calms, he said, 447 00:24:23,359 --> 00:24:25,119 Speaker 1: I'm going to suggest we hitch with the R A 448 00:24:25,240 --> 00:24:28,199 Speaker 1: P where their guests. They'll make room for us, but 449 00:24:28,240 --> 00:24:30,480 Speaker 1: if you'd rather drag us, I know a safe neighborhood 450 00:24:30,520 --> 00:24:33,320 Speaker 1: about six miles into the city. We could probably hire 451 00:24:33,359 --> 00:24:35,880 Speaker 1: a ride there. It looks like they're a bit short 452 00:24:35,880 --> 00:24:38,560 Speaker 1: of room, as is, said the brit Those tracks can't 453 00:24:38,600 --> 00:24:43,359 Speaker 1: hold more than people each. Many smiled a little twenty four, 454 00:24:43,640 --> 00:24:45,960 Speaker 1: but that's just if you're attached to things like seats. 455 00:24:47,560 --> 00:24:50,040 Speaker 1: Ten minutes later, Reggie and Manny clung to the hood 456 00:24:50,080 --> 00:24:52,320 Speaker 1: of the track as it barreled down the broken streets 457 00:24:52,359 --> 00:24:55,359 Speaker 1: of Ciadad de Muerta, bound for a staging area in 458 00:24:55,440 --> 00:24:58,520 Speaker 1: deep Ellum. The fighting sounded much closer by the time 459 00:24:58,560 --> 00:25:01,480 Speaker 1: they left Manny guests. The small arms fire couldn't be 460 00:25:01,480 --> 00:25:03,520 Speaker 1: more than a couple of blocks away. He and the 461 00:25:03,600 --> 00:25:06,119 Speaker 1: journalist held on with white knuckles and tried not to 462 00:25:06,200 --> 00:25:08,760 Speaker 1: linger long on what would happen if they lost their grip. 463 00:25:09,440 --> 00:25:12,320 Speaker 1: The martyrs had passed the command post the bridge, shouted 464 00:25:12,320 --> 00:25:15,240 Speaker 1: in sudden realization. His voice strained to be audible over 465 00:25:15,280 --> 00:25:17,560 Speaker 1: the roar of the engines. Holy shit, they have to 466 00:25:17,600 --> 00:25:20,800 Speaker 1: be right. Many thought about the geography for a moment. 467 00:25:20,920 --> 00:25:23,200 Speaker 1: It was possible that the martyrs had only broken through 468 00:25:23,240 --> 00:25:25,320 Speaker 1: in a few chunks of the line, but that would 469 00:25:25,359 --> 00:25:27,679 Speaker 1: mean to Shaun and the others were alive and surrounded 470 00:25:27,800 --> 00:25:32,360 Speaker 1: or fleeing. Those were the best case scenarios. I think 471 00:25:32,359 --> 00:25:35,600 Speaker 1: we might be fucked, Manny said, stunned by the realization. 472 00:25:36,040 --> 00:25:38,240 Speaker 1: For the last year, Major Clark had been his most 473 00:25:38,240 --> 00:25:41,840 Speaker 1: reliable source in the SDF. That post had seemed immovable, 474 00:25:41,960 --> 00:25:44,879 Speaker 1: impregnable for its significance in his little chunk of the world. 475 00:25:45,680 --> 00:25:48,400 Speaker 1: The tracks slowed to a stop. Parked facing them were 476 00:25:48,400 --> 00:25:52,399 Speaker 1: too smaller armored SDF tracks with swiveling cannons on their roofs. 477 00:25:52,720 --> 00:25:56,320 Speaker 1: Soldiers scurried around them. They pulled sections of thin, frosted 478 00:25:56,320 --> 00:25:59,600 Speaker 1: gray still glass barricades off the vehicles and started setting 479 00:25:59,600 --> 00:26:02,720 Speaker 1: them up to form a new defensive line. Many watched 480 00:26:02,760 --> 00:26:05,600 Speaker 1: two militia women wrestle with a large olive green case 481 00:26:05,720 --> 00:26:09,199 Speaker 1: covered in boxy cyrillic script. They prided it open, and 482 00:26:09,280 --> 00:26:11,760 Speaker 1: Manny saw a huge metal tube and what looked like 483 00:26:11,800 --> 00:26:15,000 Speaker 1: a lot of antique optical equipment. It was probably an 484 00:26:15,000 --> 00:26:17,920 Speaker 1: old wire guided missile launcher, something that had been antique 485 00:26:18,000 --> 00:26:21,600 Speaker 1: before the revolution. He'd never seen the stf use anything 486 00:26:21,640 --> 00:26:24,280 Speaker 1: that old. They had drones half this size that carried 487 00:26:24,320 --> 00:26:28,000 Speaker 1: even more firepower, had them yesterday, at least, he thought. 488 00:26:28,760 --> 00:26:31,680 Speaker 1: The track slowed to a cautious stop and hanked. Manny 489 00:26:31,760 --> 00:26:34,080 Speaker 1: glanced back at the driver. She had her hands in 490 00:26:34,119 --> 00:26:36,920 Speaker 1: the air in a universal please don't shoot us gesture. 491 00:26:37,400 --> 00:26:40,080 Speaker 1: Two of the soldiers peeled off from their efforts and approached, 492 00:26:40,119 --> 00:26:43,080 Speaker 1: weapons in hand but not aimed. The driver opened her 493 00:26:43,119 --> 00:26:45,480 Speaker 1: door and shouted something down at them. One of the 494 00:26:45,480 --> 00:26:49,960 Speaker 1: men responded and gestured vaguely downtown. Manny couldn't make out 495 00:26:50,000 --> 00:26:53,000 Speaker 1: exactly what was being said, but the driver's face contorted 496 00:26:53,000 --> 00:26:56,359 Speaker 1: in a fury that was impossible to miss. Something's fucked. 497 00:26:56,440 --> 00:26:58,680 Speaker 1: Manny said to the journalist, I think we're about to 498 00:26:58,720 --> 00:27:02,080 Speaker 1: lose our ride. Look. He pointed to the makeshift barricade 499 00:27:02,080 --> 00:27:04,240 Speaker 1: and the dozen or so soldiers who filtered past it 500 00:27:04,320 --> 00:27:06,920 Speaker 1: and towards the track. The driver yelled, and one of 501 00:27:06,960 --> 00:27:09,480 Speaker 1: the other passengers near the front started to shout. The 502 00:27:09,520 --> 00:27:12,159 Speaker 1: soldier's face remained impassive, but he put a hand on 503 00:27:12,240 --> 00:27:14,800 Speaker 1: his side arm and repeated a command Manny didn't even 504 00:27:14,800 --> 00:27:17,520 Speaker 1: need to hear. A few seconds later, a soldier with 505 00:27:17,560 --> 00:27:20,440 Speaker 1: a megaphone arrived and addressed Manny, Reggie and the new 506 00:27:20,480 --> 00:27:24,960 Speaker 1: refugees citizens, your vehicle has been requisitioned for medical use 507 00:27:25,000 --> 00:27:28,840 Speaker 1: by the SDF. Please dismount on a worldly fashion. Injured 508 00:27:28,880 --> 00:27:32,960 Speaker 1: in pregnant individuals may stay aboard. The man repeated the order, 509 00:27:33,200 --> 00:27:37,040 Speaker 1: this time in Spanish. Reggie's jaw clinched. Manny could see 510 00:27:37,080 --> 00:27:39,159 Speaker 1: fear in his eyes, but the other man just nodded 511 00:27:39,240 --> 00:27:42,000 Speaker 1: and started to climb down off the track. Manny did 512 00:27:42,040 --> 00:27:45,359 Speaker 1: the same. Not all off the tracks passengers were as compliant. 513 00:27:45,680 --> 00:27:47,400 Speaker 1: There was a lot of shouting and even a few 514 00:27:47,400 --> 00:27:50,480 Speaker 1: shoving matches between the militiamen and the passengers, but in 515 00:27:50,520 --> 00:27:54,080 Speaker 1: the end the STF got their way. Manny gathered fairly 516 00:27:54,160 --> 00:27:56,280 Speaker 1: quickly that they planned to send the civilians a mile 517 00:27:56,400 --> 00:27:59,119 Speaker 1: or so back to a holding area behind the new line. 518 00:27:59,800 --> 00:28:01,960 Speaker 1: Then at was the last sucking place in the world 519 00:28:01,960 --> 00:28:04,240 Speaker 1: he wanted to be, so he approached the officer who 520 00:28:04,240 --> 00:28:06,800 Speaker 1: had been arguing with their driver. The man had no 521 00:28:06,920 --> 00:28:09,720 Speaker 1: rank in signey on his uniform, but that wasn't unusual. 522 00:28:09,760 --> 00:28:12,560 Speaker 1: For militia. His fatigues were old U S Army issue. 523 00:28:12,800 --> 00:28:15,520 Speaker 1: His arm band identified him as part of the Citizen's Front. 524 00:28:16,000 --> 00:28:18,520 Speaker 1: Manny found that odd most of the militia at this 525 00:28:18,560 --> 00:28:20,680 Speaker 1: barricade were with Raza Front or the p p A. 526 00:28:21,240 --> 00:28:24,080 Speaker 1: This much intermixing wasn't normal. It pointed to a lot 527 00:28:24,119 --> 00:28:28,800 Speaker 1: of casualties among the stf DI scope Signor Manny started, Chico, 528 00:28:29,080 --> 00:28:32,199 Speaker 1: no ur remismo. I don't have time to debate, no Signor. 529 00:28:32,280 --> 00:28:35,600 Speaker 1: My cousin, Alejandro was with Citizens Front, ninth Battalion. He 530 00:28:35,720 --> 00:28:38,720 Speaker 1: was our ride. We were taking this journalist. Manny jerked 531 00:28:38,720 --> 00:28:41,200 Speaker 1: his head towards Reggie, who stood a few feetback, and 532 00:28:41,200 --> 00:28:43,920 Speaker 1: we got caught up in the attack. The officer nodded, 533 00:28:43,960 --> 00:28:46,920 Speaker 1: then grunted. Manny studied his face for a moment. The 534 00:28:46,920 --> 00:28:49,120 Speaker 1: man was middle aged, with a weak chin and enough 535 00:28:49,160 --> 00:28:51,280 Speaker 1: extra meat on his bones to suggest this was his 536 00:28:51,360 --> 00:28:54,560 Speaker 1: first front line duty in a while. His eyes were bloodshot, 537 00:28:54,760 --> 00:28:58,400 Speaker 1: his hands clenched, his attitude softened a bit at Alejandro's name, 538 00:28:58,680 --> 00:29:04,040 Speaker 1: Alejandro Hernandez. Yeah, he's a good man, or was? The 539 00:29:04,120 --> 00:29:07,160 Speaker 1: officer said darkly. All our front line units were wiped 540 00:29:07,160 --> 00:29:10,000 Speaker 1: out or near enough. The whole stf's been pushed all 541 00:29:10,000 --> 00:29:12,560 Speaker 1: the way back to Cidad de Mrta. If he's alive, 542 00:29:12,720 --> 00:29:16,040 Speaker 1: he's a prisoner. The man shook his head. Sorry, Chico, 543 00:29:16,240 --> 00:29:18,240 Speaker 1: there's not much I can do for you or your friend. 544 00:29:19,080 --> 00:29:20,960 Speaker 1: We need to get to Waco. I know there's a 545 00:29:21,000 --> 00:29:23,960 Speaker 1: hospital there that must be where you're sending the serious injuries. 546 00:29:24,040 --> 00:29:26,360 Speaker 1: Right Dallas doesn't have anything left with a fully are 547 00:29:27,000 --> 00:29:29,720 Speaker 1: The officer nodded, These tracks are headed to the field 548 00:29:29,760 --> 00:29:32,000 Speaker 1: Hospital in Oak Lawn, but we've got a couple of 549 00:29:32,000 --> 00:29:34,600 Speaker 1: deuce and a half sloading up at Fireba Jamenez. If 550 00:29:34,640 --> 00:29:36,840 Speaker 1: you can get there on your own, al radio ahead 551 00:29:36,840 --> 00:29:39,920 Speaker 1: and ask Major Peron if he's got space. I know Peron. 552 00:29:40,280 --> 00:29:43,440 Speaker 1: Manny almost shouted, I went to school with his nephew, Hector. 553 00:29:43,720 --> 00:29:46,400 Speaker 1: He couldn't stop himself from wincing, as he said, if 554 00:29:46,400 --> 00:29:49,400 Speaker 1: you'd give him my name, that might help. The other 555 00:29:49,440 --> 00:29:52,840 Speaker 1: man's eye cocked up in a really motherfucker look. But 556 00:29:52,920 --> 00:29:56,680 Speaker 1: then the soldier asked, and your name is Manny Sanchez. 557 00:29:57,120 --> 00:30:00,280 Speaker 1: He nodded, good luck. Then, Manny, al radio a head. 558 00:30:00,400 --> 00:30:03,200 Speaker 1: You and your friend get to the firebase. Rapido Combrende 559 00:30:03,920 --> 00:30:06,800 Speaker 1: Many nodded and turned to Reggie, We've got a ride, 560 00:30:06,960 --> 00:30:08,280 Speaker 1: but it's going to be a bit of a hike. 561 00:30:09,200 --> 00:30:11,520 Speaker 1: It was less a hike and more of a panicked jog. 562 00:30:11,960 --> 00:30:14,200 Speaker 1: The streets around them were filled with dozens of people 563 00:30:14,280 --> 00:30:17,400 Speaker 1: carrying their possessions and bags and rusted old shopping carts. 564 00:30:17,880 --> 00:30:20,640 Speaker 1: Manny had never seen Dallas this crowded. Less than a 565 00:30:20,680 --> 00:30:23,600 Speaker 1: million people still lived in the old Metroplex, but most 566 00:30:23,640 --> 00:30:25,400 Speaker 1: of them seemed to be out in the streets to 567 00:30:25,440 --> 00:30:28,959 Speaker 1: watch the world end. Sirens sounded courtesy of the city's 568 00:30:28,960 --> 00:30:31,920 Speaker 1: old civil defense system, mixed every few seconds with the 569 00:30:31,960 --> 00:30:34,640 Speaker 1: distorted voice of a woman reminding them that all motor 570 00:30:34,720 --> 00:30:38,120 Speaker 1: vehicle use was prohibited. Any civilian vehicles on the road 571 00:30:38,120 --> 00:30:41,840 Speaker 1: will be assumed hostible and targeted. The road traffic was 572 00:30:41,920 --> 00:30:44,520 Speaker 1: all military. There was less of it than Manny would 573 00:30:44,520 --> 00:30:46,800 Speaker 1: have hoped to see. In the space of a few seconds, 574 00:30:46,800 --> 00:30:49,600 Speaker 1: he watched three pairs of cougar assault vehicles race up 575 00:30:49,640 --> 00:30:52,600 Speaker 1: towards the front, carrying squads of armored troopers in their 576 00:30:52,640 --> 00:30:56,120 Speaker 1: open beds. He also saw one convoy of five anti 577 00:30:56,120 --> 00:30:58,680 Speaker 1: tank drones. Each was the size of a four door 578 00:30:58,680 --> 00:31:01,160 Speaker 1: sedan with two linked chain guns on a turret that 579 00:31:01,240 --> 00:31:04,480 Speaker 1: scanned the sky in fast jerky arcs. There was a 580 00:31:04,560 --> 00:31:06,880 Speaker 1: troubling amount of dead space on the road between the 581 00:31:06,920 --> 00:31:09,640 Speaker 1: two units. By the sound of it, the fighting had 582 00:31:09,680 --> 00:31:12,440 Speaker 1: only grown more intense throughout the morning. The crack of 583 00:31:12,480 --> 00:31:14,720 Speaker 1: small arms fire had been nearly drowned out by the 584 00:31:14,760 --> 00:31:17,320 Speaker 1: all consuming roar of close support drones in the sky 585 00:31:17,400 --> 00:31:20,520 Speaker 1: above them. The only noises to rise above that din 586 00:31:20,560 --> 00:31:23,040 Speaker 1: were the stippling bangs of mortar fire and the pop 587 00:31:23,080 --> 00:31:27,120 Speaker 1: pop popping of cluster box fire based Jemenez was about 588 00:31:27,160 --> 00:31:29,800 Speaker 1: two miles back from the new front. It was mainly 589 00:31:29,840 --> 00:31:33,800 Speaker 1: a staging area for the STFs Autonomous Artillery Division. The 590 00:31:33,880 --> 00:31:35,920 Speaker 1: a a D was made up of men and mostly 591 00:31:36,040 --> 00:31:38,760 Speaker 1: drones from all the secular militia groups active in the 592 00:31:38,840 --> 00:31:42,920 Speaker 1: Dallas area. The firebase itself wasn't well fortified. The only 593 00:31:42,960 --> 00:31:45,400 Speaker 1: physical defense was a fence topped with razor wire to 594 00:31:45,440 --> 00:31:48,360 Speaker 1: keep civilians out. That wouldn't be much of a barrier 595 00:31:48,400 --> 00:31:51,080 Speaker 1: for a determined assault. Until a couple of hours ago, 596 00:31:51,320 --> 00:31:53,360 Speaker 1: Yemenez had been far enough from the front that an 597 00:31:53,360 --> 00:31:57,240 Speaker 1: assault wasn't considered possible. After an hour of mixed jogging 598 00:31:57,240 --> 00:31:59,880 Speaker 1: and running, Manny and Reggie took a left onto park lane, 599 00:32:00,040 --> 00:32:02,720 Speaker 1: the fire base came into view. It had been built 600 00:32:02,720 --> 00:32:05,720 Speaker 1: in the bones of an old apartment complex. Several buildings 601 00:32:05,720 --> 00:32:08,280 Speaker 1: had been converted into offices and the rest left as 602 00:32:08,280 --> 00:32:11,479 Speaker 1: barracks space. The apartments were situated across the road from 603 00:32:11,480 --> 00:32:14,440 Speaker 1: a tall, very thin, parentheses shaped building that looked out 604 00:32:14,480 --> 00:32:17,640 Speaker 1: over a large field dotted with landing pads. The name 605 00:32:17,920 --> 00:32:20,760 Speaker 1: Top Golf Driving Range was still visible on the side 606 00:32:20,800 --> 00:32:23,840 Speaker 1: of the building. Several hundred militiamen were hard at work 607 00:32:23,880 --> 00:32:26,720 Speaker 1: throwing up defenses. Still, glass sheets had been set up 608 00:32:26,760 --> 00:32:29,760 Speaker 1: to screen a dozen machine gun nests. Further back, soldiers 609 00:32:29,760 --> 00:32:33,200 Speaker 1: piled sandbags in front of two howitzers. Manny and Reggie 610 00:32:33,200 --> 00:32:36,120 Speaker 1: weren't the only civilians trying to gain entrance. Fifty or 611 00:32:36,120 --> 00:32:38,240 Speaker 1: so people clustered by a checkpoint in the middle of 612 00:32:38,240 --> 00:32:40,800 Speaker 1: the road, a hundred yards ahead of the construction efforts. 613 00:32:41,480 --> 00:32:44,520 Speaker 1: The checkpoint was new, just a sandbag machine gun emplacement 614 00:32:44,560 --> 00:32:47,560 Speaker 1: manned by six fighters in powered body armor. They were 615 00:32:47,600 --> 00:32:50,840 Speaker 1: overwatched by a pair of ancient Abrams tanks positioned on 616 00:32:50,880 --> 00:32:53,440 Speaker 1: either side of the road. The soldiers in the middle 617 00:32:53,560 --> 00:32:56,600 Speaker 1: checked the documents and let the occasional civilian through they 618 00:32:56,640 --> 00:32:59,400 Speaker 1: turned most people back. There were a lot of shouts 619 00:32:59,400 --> 00:33:02,200 Speaker 1: and violent estures on the part of the civilians. While 620 00:33:02,200 --> 00:33:04,680 Speaker 1: Manny watched, one of the guards raised their rifle up 621 00:33:04,720 --> 00:33:06,800 Speaker 1: and fired it just to the left of a screaming 622 00:33:06,800 --> 00:33:10,480 Speaker 1: man's face. He recoiled in pain and fear, clutched his ears, 623 00:33:10,560 --> 00:33:14,040 Speaker 1: and staggered away from the checkpoint. The weight was only 624 00:33:14,080 --> 00:33:17,040 Speaker 1: about ten minutes, but with the thudding artillery at their back, 625 00:33:17,240 --> 00:33:19,760 Speaker 1: each of those minutes felt like an hour. But soon 626 00:33:19,760 --> 00:33:21,720 Speaker 1: they stood face to face with one of the armored 627 00:33:21,720 --> 00:33:25,120 Speaker 1: militia folks. Reggie went stiff at once, his pupils the 628 00:33:25,160 --> 00:33:27,760 Speaker 1: size of dinner plates. He had never seen powered armor 629 00:33:27,840 --> 00:33:31,240 Speaker 1: up close before. Many couldn't blame the man for being unnerved. 630 00:33:31,640 --> 00:33:34,560 Speaker 1: The reflective, bug eyed, blistic glass of the helmets and 631 00:33:34,760 --> 00:33:37,800 Speaker 1: humanly broad shoulder armor made the wearers look like Crone 632 00:33:37,800 --> 00:33:41,959 Speaker 1: and Bergie and guerrilla mantis hybrids. The shortest armored soldier 633 00:33:42,000 --> 00:33:44,440 Speaker 1: was well over seven feet tall and almost as broad 634 00:33:44,480 --> 00:33:47,480 Speaker 1: as two men. Their gender was impossible to discern, but 635 00:33:47,520 --> 00:33:50,720 Speaker 1: a feminine voice leapt from the speakers. State your business, 636 00:33:50,840 --> 00:33:52,960 Speaker 1: she said, if you're looking for shelter, you'll have to 637 00:33:52,960 --> 00:33:55,200 Speaker 1: head to North Park Center. We don't have room for you. 638 00:33:55,840 --> 00:33:58,720 Speaker 1: Am Emmanuel Sanchez Major Perune. Should have my friend and 639 00:33:58,760 --> 00:34:01,480 Speaker 1: I on your list. The woman was silent for a 640 00:34:01,480 --> 00:34:03,600 Speaker 1: little while. As she called up the list, she clucked 641 00:34:03,600 --> 00:34:05,760 Speaker 1: her tongue between her teeth, and the high fidelity mike 642 00:34:05,800 --> 00:34:07,520 Speaker 1: in her suit made it sound like she'd done it 643 00:34:07,560 --> 00:34:10,680 Speaker 1: next to his ear. Well, hell, there you are, Her 644 00:34:10,719 --> 00:34:13,719 Speaker 1: helmeted head bobbed at them. All right, you're in, come 645 00:34:13,719 --> 00:34:16,160 Speaker 1: through quick. You stop being my fuckin problem. As soon 646 00:34:16,200 --> 00:34:19,440 Speaker 1: as you're inside. They made their way towards the actual 647 00:34:19,480 --> 00:34:22,040 Speaker 1: front gate of the fire base, passing squads of militias 648 00:34:22,040 --> 00:34:24,920 Speaker 1: struggling with hescoes and setting up firing positions behind the 649 00:34:24,960 --> 00:34:28,719 Speaker 1: still glass palisade. Manny and Reggie walked past it all 650 00:34:28,760 --> 00:34:31,400 Speaker 1: and to the firebase's front gate. They were let in 651 00:34:31,480 --> 00:34:34,160 Speaker 1: without any fuss, which surprised Manny a bit, but he 652 00:34:34,200 --> 00:34:36,799 Speaker 1: wasn't about to question it. On the other side of 653 00:34:36,800 --> 00:34:39,960 Speaker 1: the gate, they found themselves adrift, unescorted, and surrounded by 654 00:34:40,000 --> 00:34:43,640 Speaker 1: pure chaos. There were other civilians inside the walls, huddled 655 00:34:43,640 --> 00:34:46,880 Speaker 1: in small groups around piles of backpacks. They sat wide 656 00:34:46,880 --> 00:34:49,520 Speaker 1: eyed and shaking and waited for whatever deliverance the st 657 00:34:49,640 --> 00:34:53,000 Speaker 1: F could provide. Soldiers rushed through the clots of humanity 658 00:34:53,000 --> 00:34:55,359 Speaker 1: in groups of two or three. Often their arms were 659 00:34:55,400 --> 00:34:58,440 Speaker 1: filled with machinery or paper, or even crates of munitions. 660 00:34:58,800 --> 00:35:02,320 Speaker 1: Everyone's eyes were fight and full of fear. For a while, 661 00:35:02,400 --> 00:35:05,320 Speaker 1: Reggie and Manny milled around with no real aim, unable 662 00:35:05,360 --> 00:35:08,000 Speaker 1: to enter any of the buildings. Manny found them an 663 00:35:08,040 --> 00:35:10,120 Speaker 1: unclaimed place to sit that looked like it would be 664 00:35:10,120 --> 00:35:12,839 Speaker 1: easy for Mr. Perune to find, and then they just 665 00:35:12,880 --> 00:35:15,799 Speaker 1: sat there. At one point, Reggie offered him a protein bar. 666 00:35:16,320 --> 00:35:18,719 Speaker 1: Manny tried to eat it, but three bites in he 667 00:35:18,760 --> 00:35:21,759 Speaker 1: accepted that his appetite just wasn't there. What do I 668 00:35:21,800 --> 00:35:24,719 Speaker 1: do if Dallas falls? He ran through his finances over 669 00:35:24,760 --> 00:35:27,719 Speaker 1: and over again, mulling over which European visas he could 670 00:35:27,760 --> 00:35:29,759 Speaker 1: afford and how long he'd be able to survive in 671 00:35:29,800 --> 00:35:32,640 Speaker 1: each country. I could make it a year, maybe eighteen months. 672 00:35:32,640 --> 00:35:35,640 Speaker 1: In Croatia, he'd been studying German for the last year. 673 00:35:35,640 --> 00:35:38,400 Speaker 1: Though I can learn Croatian any here, he tried to 674 00:35:38,440 --> 00:35:41,480 Speaker 1: convince himself. He also tried to ignore what he'd been 675 00:35:41,560 --> 00:35:43,960 Speaker 1: leaving behind. If he hopped the next flight from Austin 676 00:35:44,000 --> 00:35:46,719 Speaker 1: to the EU. He didn't want to think about Oscar's 677 00:35:46,719 --> 00:35:49,560 Speaker 1: wife and child, how they'd get by without their dad's income. 678 00:35:49,840 --> 00:35:51,719 Speaker 1: He didn't want to think about his own father or 679 00:35:51,719 --> 00:35:53,799 Speaker 1: the rest of his family and how they'd fair if 680 00:35:53,840 --> 00:35:56,719 Speaker 1: Austin fell. You can only afford to take care of 681 00:35:56,760 --> 00:36:00,359 Speaker 1: you here, Manny. It was two hours be or Major 682 00:36:00,360 --> 00:36:03,879 Speaker 1: Perne found them. The older man's skin was a deep 683 00:36:04,000 --> 00:36:06,760 Speaker 1: sunsharred brown that seemed at odds. With his narrow face 684 00:36:06,840 --> 00:36:09,279 Speaker 1: and thin wire glasses. He had the look of a 685 00:36:09,360 --> 00:36:11,840 Speaker 1: high school history teacher who had been transplanted into a 686 00:36:11,840 --> 00:36:14,759 Speaker 1: war zone. There was something drawn and strained in his 687 00:36:14,800 --> 00:36:18,600 Speaker 1: expression that spoke of deep exhaustion. His eyes were bloodshot 688 00:36:18,640 --> 00:36:22,040 Speaker 1: and his nose was swollen slightly red. Manny could remember 689 00:36:22,040 --> 00:36:24,560 Speaker 1: seeing that same face a bit younger and wearing a 690 00:36:24,600 --> 00:36:27,840 Speaker 1: T shirt rather than digiKam at a hundred different slumber parties. 691 00:36:28,400 --> 00:36:31,279 Speaker 1: Mr Perrone was Hector's dad. Mr Perrone made them kettle 692 00:36:31,320 --> 00:36:33,440 Speaker 1: corn and let them watch violent movies on the family 693 00:36:33,480 --> 00:36:38,520 Speaker 1: projector Major Perone. Manny had to remind himself he's Major Perone, 694 00:36:39,239 --> 00:36:42,919 Speaker 1: the Major favorite Manny with a sad smile. Madre di dio, 695 00:36:43,040 --> 00:36:45,560 Speaker 1: s Emmanuel, it's fucking good to see you. Have you 696 00:36:45,600 --> 00:36:48,879 Speaker 1: seen your cousin Alejandro? He was with us last night, 697 00:36:48,960 --> 00:36:52,319 Speaker 1: Manny said, before the attack. A pained look crossed the 698 00:36:52,320 --> 00:36:55,879 Speaker 1: Major's face. Okay, he nodded and forced to smile back 699 00:36:55,920 --> 00:37:00,080 Speaker 1: across his lips. I hear you boys need a ride, yeah, U, 700 00:37:00,200 --> 00:37:02,240 Speaker 1: Manny said, If you could get us back to Waco, 701 00:37:02,280 --> 00:37:04,279 Speaker 1: I have enough connections in the area to get him. 702 00:37:04,560 --> 00:37:08,279 Speaker 1: Manny nodded back to the journalist. Into Austin and what 703 00:37:08,480 --> 00:37:11,279 Speaker 1: is your name, sir, Major Perrone asked the journalist as 704 00:37:11,320 --> 00:37:15,080 Speaker 1: he extended his hand. Reggie the brit responded, thank you 705 00:37:15,160 --> 00:37:18,200 Speaker 1: so much for helping us. I'm afraid there's not much 706 00:37:18,239 --> 00:37:21,440 Speaker 1: I can do right now. The situation is still very fluid. 707 00:37:21,840 --> 00:37:24,160 Speaker 1: We've set a new defensive line running from the Lakewood 708 00:37:24,200 --> 00:37:27,000 Speaker 1: Crater to love Field. With any luck, the martyrs have 709 00:37:27,040 --> 00:37:29,279 Speaker 1: spent the bulk of their strength and will hold them there. 710 00:37:29,960 --> 00:37:33,720 Speaker 1: And if not, Reggie asked, Mr Perrone laughed and scratched 711 00:37:33,760 --> 00:37:36,520 Speaker 1: his head. Well, if the line breaks, then I'd guess 712 00:37:36,560 --> 00:37:40,040 Speaker 1: our collective pooch is screwed. We'll begin the evacuation if 713 00:37:40,040 --> 00:37:42,520 Speaker 1: it gets much worse. But right now we're still waiting 714 00:37:42,520 --> 00:37:44,640 Speaker 1: for convoys of wounded to get back through the lines. 715 00:37:45,200 --> 00:37:47,799 Speaker 1: He gestured out at the considerable amount of fenced off 716 00:37:47,800 --> 00:37:50,839 Speaker 1: open space in the firebase. This whole place is about 717 00:37:50,880 --> 00:37:53,880 Speaker 1: to be a big, open air hospital. He gave Reggie 718 00:37:53,920 --> 00:37:56,680 Speaker 1: a severe look. I won't tell you not to record them, 719 00:37:56,719 --> 00:37:59,840 Speaker 1: because quite frankly, everyone here is too busy to police that. 720 00:38:00,320 --> 00:38:02,440 Speaker 1: But I will ask that you showed tact in respect 721 00:38:02,520 --> 00:38:06,920 Speaker 1: in your documentation, of course, said Reggie, with enough sincerity 722 00:38:06,960 --> 00:38:09,920 Speaker 1: that Manny believed him. All right. He clapped Manny on 723 00:38:09,960 --> 00:38:13,439 Speaker 1: the shoulder, and after a second's pause, embraced him. Hold 724 00:38:13,480 --> 00:38:15,279 Speaker 1: on out here for a while. I'll try to send 725 00:38:15,280 --> 00:38:18,000 Speaker 1: some food in a little bit. Manny and Reggie both 726 00:38:18,000 --> 00:38:20,319 Speaker 1: thanked Major Braun, and he trundled off into the old 727 00:38:20,360 --> 00:38:22,720 Speaker 1: top golf building to do his part in co ordinating 728 00:38:22,760 --> 00:38:28,200 Speaker 1: the defense. So what now, Reggie asked, We wait, said Manny. 729 00:38:29,080 --> 00:38:32,520 Speaker 1: Three hours passed. More and more wounded men streamed into 730 00:38:32,560 --> 00:38:35,359 Speaker 1: the base, carried on stretchers and an ambulances, and in 731 00:38:35,400 --> 00:38:39,600 Speaker 1: several cases stacked like firewood on flatbed trucks. The wounded 732 00:38:39,600 --> 00:38:41,600 Speaker 1: were set up on cots and piles of blankets in 733 00:38:41,640 --> 00:38:44,600 Speaker 1: the grass, and wherever possible, in paved sections of the 734 00:38:44,680 --> 00:38:48,560 Speaker 1: driving ranger's old parking lot. Medics, far too few medics 735 00:38:48,680 --> 00:38:52,440 Speaker 1: hustled from soldier to soldier at a frantic, mannic unsustainable pace. 736 00:38:53,280 --> 00:38:55,120 Speaker 1: For a while, there was nothing to do but follow 737 00:38:55,120 --> 00:38:57,600 Speaker 1: Reggie around while he interviewed the wounded men and women 738 00:38:57,640 --> 00:39:00,680 Speaker 1: who were stable enough to talk. They all reported shock 739 00:39:00,760 --> 00:39:03,799 Speaker 1: at the speed and ferocity of the attack. Their testimonies 740 00:39:03,880 --> 00:39:06,600 Speaker 1: drove home the fact that this was something new. Tendrils 741 00:39:06,600 --> 00:39:09,000 Speaker 1: of fear crept up Manny's spine. It was all he 742 00:39:09,000 --> 00:39:12,879 Speaker 1: could do to keep moving with his journalist amen. Reggie said, 743 00:39:13,000 --> 00:39:15,480 Speaker 1: look at that fellow. He pointed to a soldier with 744 00:39:15,520 --> 00:39:18,200 Speaker 1: the top half of his head wrapped in blood soaked bandages. 745 00:39:18,840 --> 00:39:21,800 Speaker 1: Something about the man's broad and square chin looked familiar. 746 00:39:22,360 --> 00:39:24,640 Speaker 1: Isn't that one of the men we met yesterday? Reggie 747 00:39:24,680 --> 00:39:28,319 Speaker 1: asked the major. Holy sh it, Reggie was right. That 748 00:39:28,440 --> 00:39:31,480 Speaker 1: had to be de Shaun Clark. Manny ran over to him. 749 00:39:31,560 --> 00:39:33,960 Speaker 1: As he drew closer, it became clear that Deshaun was 750 00:39:34,000 --> 00:39:36,040 Speaker 1: an even worse shape than he looked at a distance. 751 00:39:36,560 --> 00:39:39,400 Speaker 1: His shirt had been ripped open, exposing a muscular chest 752 00:39:39,520 --> 00:39:43,120 Speaker 1: drenched in blood. Three white plugs of hardened Selock's wound 753 00:39:43,160 --> 00:39:46,600 Speaker 1: spray were visible across his abdomen. He'd been shot repeatedly 754 00:39:46,719 --> 00:39:48,680 Speaker 1: and had what looked like a shrapnel wound on the 755 00:39:48,680 --> 00:39:51,399 Speaker 1: side of his head. At least he's breathing, Manny thought, 756 00:39:51,920 --> 00:39:55,160 Speaker 1: Major Clark, he said, and to Manny's surprise, the warrior 757 00:39:55,200 --> 00:40:00,280 Speaker 1: poet stirred. Manny, Sweet Jesus, is that you, Deshaun asked 758 00:40:00,280 --> 00:40:03,759 Speaker 1: in a slured voice, Yes, Sir, Manny said, You know, 759 00:40:04,280 --> 00:40:06,879 Speaker 1: I was damn sure you'd been killed. Haven't had all 760 00:40:06,880 --> 00:40:08,600 Speaker 1: that much time to think about you in the last 761 00:40:08,640 --> 00:40:11,520 Speaker 1: few hours, of course, what with everyone dying and all. 762 00:40:12,040 --> 00:40:15,200 Speaker 1: I'm glad you're alive, Manny said, and he was. Major 763 00:40:15,239 --> 00:40:17,560 Speaker 1: Clark had always been good to him. Do you know 764 00:40:17,600 --> 00:40:20,520 Speaker 1: what happened to him? Eid and Colonel Milgram, Manny asked, 765 00:40:20,560 --> 00:40:24,080 Speaker 1: before the thought had fully crystallized in his mind. Major 766 00:40:24,120 --> 00:40:26,480 Speaker 1: Clark tried to lift his head and almost cried out 767 00:40:26,480 --> 00:40:29,200 Speaker 1: from the sheer agony of the movement. He didn't speak 768 00:40:29,239 --> 00:40:32,240 Speaker 1: for a few seconds. He just took deep, slow breaths, 769 00:40:32,560 --> 00:40:36,200 Speaker 1: but he started to whisper. The last sunbeam lightly falls 770 00:40:36,200 --> 00:40:39,080 Speaker 1: from the finished Sabbath on the pavement here and there 771 00:40:39,080 --> 00:40:41,840 Speaker 1: beyond it is looking down a new maid double grave. 772 00:40:42,680 --> 00:40:48,120 Speaker 1: What Manny asked, confused, Walt Actually, Major Clark laughed, winced, 773 00:40:48,120 --> 00:40:52,080 Speaker 1: and then explained, Walt Whitman, that is sorry. Imminent death 774 00:40:52,120 --> 00:40:54,759 Speaker 1: makes me go for the deep cuts. So they're dead. 775 00:40:54,800 --> 00:40:58,080 Speaker 1: Then Manny asked, Major Clark coughed, and again his lips 776 00:40:58,080 --> 00:41:02,040 Speaker 1: curled up in an agonized cringe. I think, so, he 777 00:41:02,120 --> 00:41:04,960 Speaker 1: managed to say. I think everyone from the command post 778 00:41:05,040 --> 00:41:07,360 Speaker 1: is dead. I was out grabbing a smoke when they 779 00:41:07,400 --> 00:41:10,280 Speaker 1: hit us. Came in a nowhere drone, artillery, heavy stuff. 780 00:41:10,560 --> 00:41:14,440 Speaker 1: Whole place lit up like Christmas. Two booms sounded in 781 00:41:14,480 --> 00:41:18,200 Speaker 1: the distance. Major Clark tensed up. Reggie cringed to Manny 782 00:41:18,440 --> 00:41:21,520 Speaker 1: the whole situation seemed almost too unreal to justify a 783 00:41:21,560 --> 00:41:26,239 Speaker 1: reaction like that, Major Clark said, after I grabbed who 784 00:41:26,280 --> 00:41:28,040 Speaker 1: I could and tried to save as many men as 785 00:41:28,040 --> 00:41:31,080 Speaker 1: possible fighting retreat. You know, we linked up with as 786 00:41:31,080 --> 00:41:33,200 Speaker 1: many fighters as we could, but every time we'd set 787 00:41:33,239 --> 00:41:36,280 Speaker 1: a line, they'd break through. They had so many damn drones. 788 00:41:36,480 --> 00:41:39,759 Speaker 1: I've never seen martyrs use drones like that. What do 789 00:41:39,800 --> 00:41:43,000 Speaker 1: you mean Reggie asked, well, they've always had drones, but 790 00:41:43,120 --> 00:41:46,320 Speaker 1: usually just as defensive aids for when we'd make a push. 791 00:41:46,719 --> 00:41:49,239 Speaker 1: We've got enough jammers that their hardware was no use 792 00:41:49,239 --> 00:41:52,160 Speaker 1: in our territory since none of their ship goes autonomous. 793 00:41:53,080 --> 00:41:55,400 Speaker 1: So what, the journalist asked, as he drew in a 794 00:41:55,440 --> 00:41:57,759 Speaker 1: bit closer. Do you think they've changed their minds on 795 00:41:57,800 --> 00:42:01,520 Speaker 1: autonomous drones? Or is this something else? Major Clark rolled 796 00:42:01,560 --> 00:42:03,239 Speaker 1: his head just a little. It seemed to be the 797 00:42:03,280 --> 00:42:07,120 Speaker 1: only gesture he could make without hurting himself. I don't know, kid, 798 00:42:07,200 --> 00:42:11,000 Speaker 1: he said, whatever's happening, it's totally new, and it's totally 799 00:42:11,040 --> 00:42:14,160 Speaker 1: fucked us. Major Clark was taken by another coughing fit. 800 00:42:14,480 --> 00:42:17,279 Speaker 1: This one lasted a long time. Blood bubbled up and 801 00:42:17,320 --> 00:42:19,840 Speaker 1: out from the corners of his mouth. Manny wanted to 802 00:42:19,880 --> 00:42:21,840 Speaker 1: call for a medic, but he couldn't see any of 803 00:42:21,920 --> 00:42:25,240 Speaker 1: them who weren't dealing with patients who were even worse off. Eventually, 804 00:42:25,360 --> 00:42:29,000 Speaker 1: the coughing subsided and Major Clark drifted off into unconsciousness. 805 00:42:29,719 --> 00:42:31,799 Speaker 1: They sat with him until the night fell and mister 806 00:42:31,920 --> 00:42:35,400 Speaker 1: Perrone finally came to get them. He looked exhausted and 807 00:42:35,520 --> 00:42:38,719 Speaker 1: somehow broken. His skin was sallow and so pale it 808 00:42:38,760 --> 00:42:42,200 Speaker 1: was almost yellow. His uniform was soaked with old sweat stains, 809 00:42:42,239 --> 00:42:44,279 Speaker 1: and he had two lit cigarettes in his mouth when 810 00:42:44,280 --> 00:42:47,120 Speaker 1: he found Manny and Reggie. Manny wasn't sure he'd ever 811 00:42:47,120 --> 00:42:50,120 Speaker 1: seen the older man's smoke. Mister Perrone noted his surprise. 812 00:42:50,640 --> 00:42:53,560 Speaker 1: I've taken up smoking again, he said, with a hollow laugh, 813 00:42:53,640 --> 00:42:55,640 Speaker 1: since her own expect to survive to the end of 814 00:42:55,640 --> 00:43:00,640 Speaker 1: the week. That bad Manny asked worse, shook his head 815 00:43:00,680 --> 00:43:03,080 Speaker 1: and then seemed to notice the Major, Is that d 816 00:43:03,239 --> 00:43:07,640 Speaker 1: Shawn Clark? Yes, Sir Manny said, is he He's alive 817 00:43:07,880 --> 00:43:11,120 Speaker 1: and he seems to be stable for now. Major Perrone 818 00:43:11,120 --> 00:43:14,799 Speaker 1: looked relieved. That's one spot a mercy. Then hopefully we'll 819 00:43:14,800 --> 00:43:17,480 Speaker 1: get him out in time. On that note, I've confirmed 820 00:43:17,480 --> 00:43:19,720 Speaker 1: that we've got a convoy of wounded heading out tomorrow 821 00:43:19,760 --> 00:43:22,000 Speaker 1: a m as soon as our scouts clear the route. 822 00:43:22,280 --> 00:43:24,880 Speaker 1: You'll both have a seat in that convoy. Thank you 823 00:43:25,040 --> 00:43:28,200 Speaker 1: so much, Sir Reggie started. Mr Perrone cut him off. 824 00:43:28,440 --> 00:43:31,160 Speaker 1: It's no problem, son, do your job and tell people 825 00:43:31,200 --> 00:43:34,000 Speaker 1: what's happened here. What are you going to do, Sir 826 00:43:34,400 --> 00:43:37,800 Speaker 1: Manny asked Mr Perrone looked into his eyes. He'd always 827 00:43:37,800 --> 00:43:40,480 Speaker 1: had an intense stare. His edge had been evident, even 828 00:43:40,520 --> 00:43:42,880 Speaker 1: when he'd been driving the boys to soccer practice or 829 00:43:42,920 --> 00:43:45,879 Speaker 1: taking them out for pizza. Now his eyes bored into 830 00:43:45,880 --> 00:43:48,880 Speaker 1: Manny's heart so deeply that the fixer finally understood what 831 00:43:48,920 --> 00:43:52,560 Speaker 1: that phrase meant. I'm going to die here, Emmanuel, he said, 832 00:43:52,760 --> 00:43:55,560 Speaker 1: I'm going to die here like your cousin Alajandro died here, 833 00:43:55,640 --> 00:43:57,879 Speaker 1: because it's the only thing I can do that might 834 00:43:57,920 --> 00:44:01,680 Speaker 1: protect our home. Manny felt an intense urge to look away, 835 00:44:02,000 --> 00:44:05,000 Speaker 1: to cast his eyes down, but he didn't. He held 836 00:44:05,040 --> 00:44:07,960 Speaker 1: mister Perrone's gaze and braced himself for what came next. 837 00:44:08,760 --> 00:44:12,080 Speaker 1: What about you, mister Perrone asked, What will you do 838 00:44:12,280 --> 00:44:16,040 Speaker 1: if they reach Austin? Wait? Is that on the bloody table? 839 00:44:16,239 --> 00:44:19,640 Speaker 1: Reggie interrupted. Mister Perrone paused for a moment and considered 840 00:44:19,680 --> 00:44:22,879 Speaker 1: his words. I don't know, he said, no one does. 841 00:44:23,080 --> 00:44:25,600 Speaker 1: But the martyrs just broke through it Lakewood. We won't 842 00:44:25,600 --> 00:44:28,840 Speaker 1: hold Dallas for another day. He pulled Manny into a 843 00:44:28,920 --> 00:44:31,040 Speaker 1: hug and kissed him on the cheek. When he pulled back, 844 00:44:31,080 --> 00:44:33,920 Speaker 1: he kept his hands on many shoulders. I've always been 845 00:44:33,960 --> 00:44:36,359 Speaker 1: proud of you, Emmanuel. I think that what you do here, 846 00:44:36,480 --> 00:44:39,560 Speaker 1: he nodded to Reggie, has value. But there are times 847 00:44:39,640 --> 00:44:42,480 Speaker 1: when our homelands require more of us. What are you 848 00:44:42,600 --> 00:44:46,480 Speaker 1: prepared to give for Austin Manny clinched his jaw. I 849 00:44:46,560 --> 00:44:47,960 Speaker 1: plan to be on a plane out of here in 850 00:44:47,960 --> 00:44:51,680 Speaker 1: the next twelve hours, if possible. But I don't know, sir, 851 00:44:52,120 --> 00:44:54,520 Speaker 1: is all, he said. It was hard to meet mister 852 00:44:54,600 --> 00:44:57,640 Speaker 1: Perrone's eyes. When he did, he was sure the older 853 00:44:57,640 --> 00:45:02,040 Speaker 1: man saw the guilt in them. Mr Perrone didn't say anything, though, 854 00:45:02,320 --> 00:45:04,440 Speaker 1: He just led Mannie and Reggie over to where the 855 00:45:04,480 --> 00:45:07,160 Speaker 1: convoy was assembling and slipped them a pair of m R. 856 00:45:07,200 --> 00:45:09,920 Speaker 1: E's and some bottled water. The best I can do, 857 00:45:10,120 --> 00:45:13,720 Speaker 1: he said, apologetically. He left them at the disembarkation point. 858 00:45:14,160 --> 00:45:16,439 Speaker 1: Manny's last clear sight of the man who had helped 859 00:45:16,520 --> 00:45:19,960 Speaker 1: raise him was of his slumped, sweat stained shoulders trudging 860 00:45:20,000 --> 00:45:23,560 Speaker 1: back to the fire Bass command center. They sat there 861 00:45:23,600 --> 00:45:26,799 Speaker 1: for hours, neither of them talked much. One by one, 862 00:45:26,840 --> 00:45:29,279 Speaker 1: the wounded men were loaded carefully into the assortment of 863 00:45:29,320 --> 00:45:32,280 Speaker 1: old half tracks, buses, and trailers that made up the convoy. 864 00:45:32,800 --> 00:45:34,960 Speaker 1: Once they were seated, there was another two hours of 865 00:45:35,000 --> 00:45:38,239 Speaker 1: white time before the convoy got moving. Both Reggie and 866 00:45:38,280 --> 00:45:40,759 Speaker 1: Manny found time to nap, but neither of them were 867 00:45:40,760 --> 00:45:43,720 Speaker 1: really rested when the dawn broke and the convoy set forward. 868 00:45:44,480 --> 00:45:47,200 Speaker 1: By the time the ramshackle assortment of trucks and broken 869 00:45:47,200 --> 00:45:49,400 Speaker 1: soldiers started on its way to wake O, the sound 870 00:45:49,400 --> 00:45:51,960 Speaker 1: of mortar fire was so constant it had almost become 871 00:45:52,040 --> 00:45:55,279 Speaker 1: white noise. The small arms fire wasn't as loud, but 872 00:45:55,320 --> 00:45:57,799 Speaker 1: it was also clearly much closer than it had been 873 00:45:57,840 --> 00:46:01,600 Speaker 1: when they'd arrived at Firebasimnez. As the convoy rolled out 874 00:46:01,640 --> 00:46:04,480 Speaker 1: on to the old access road that led eventually to Waco, 875 00:46:04,840 --> 00:46:07,319 Speaker 1: a flight of drones roared past them and towards the 876 00:46:07,360 --> 00:46:11,520 Speaker 1: new front line. Those aunt STF drones? Are they? Reggie asked, 877 00:46:11,560 --> 00:46:14,560 Speaker 1: without actually looking at Manny. His gaze was focused on 878 00:46:14,600 --> 00:46:16,279 Speaker 1: the two medics in the back of the truck as 879 00:46:16,280 --> 00:46:20,600 Speaker 1: they moved from soldier to soldier. No. Manny confirmed, those 880 00:46:20,640 --> 00:46:24,640 Speaker 1: are Austin's Civil Defense Forces. The brit whistled through his teeth. 881 00:46:25,480 --> 00:46:27,960 Speaker 1: So you think this means the st F ran through 882 00:46:27,960 --> 00:46:32,040 Speaker 1: their drones could be as all? Manny said. The track 883 00:46:32,120 --> 00:46:34,680 Speaker 1: and its escort lumbered through the cracked remnants of the 884 00:46:34,680 --> 00:46:39,400 Speaker 1: old highway system, the accumulated hangers on civilian vehicles piled 885 00:46:39,440 --> 00:46:43,000 Speaker 1: high with refugees. As they rolled along, The civilians stayed back, 886 00:46:43,200 --> 00:46:45,920 Speaker 1: leary of the convoy's guns but trusting in its presence 887 00:46:45,960 --> 00:46:48,960 Speaker 1: for protection. By the time the convoy finally left the 888 00:46:49,040 --> 00:46:52,080 Speaker 1: Dallas Sprawl, their tails stretched back to the horizon line. 889 00:46:53,080 --> 00:46:56,080 Speaker 1: Manny had seen similar sights before, when his parents had 890 00:46:56,080 --> 00:46:59,120 Speaker 1: fled the d f W area for Austin's relative safety. 891 00:46:59,640 --> 00:47:02,040 Speaker 1: Here in there on and in the cars behind them, 892 00:47:02,200 --> 00:47:05,280 Speaker 1: he saw small figures that had to be children, kids 893 00:47:05,280 --> 00:47:07,799 Speaker 1: like he'd been fleeing the same city he'd had to 894 00:47:07,840 --> 00:47:11,640 Speaker 1: flee for the same basic reason. Manny's stand out memory 895 00:47:11,640 --> 00:47:13,920 Speaker 1: from that time wasn't the terror of seeing a mortar 896 00:47:14,040 --> 00:47:17,080 Speaker 1: land for the first time, or anything about their flight 897 00:47:17,080 --> 00:47:19,200 Speaker 1: out of the city at all. It was from the 898 00:47:19,239 --> 00:47:22,440 Speaker 1: next day at their first refugee camp, when he saw 899 00:47:22,480 --> 00:47:24,960 Speaker 1: his father in line for their daily ration of food. 900 00:47:25,680 --> 00:47:28,560 Speaker 1: A journalist had passed by, taking the sort of pictures 901 00:47:28,560 --> 00:47:33,080 Speaker 1: Reggie's lapel camera now snapped mindlessly. Manny's dad had been crying, 902 00:47:33,400 --> 00:47:36,520 Speaker 1: ashamed that he'd needed charity, and even more ashamed to 903 00:47:36,560 --> 00:47:40,320 Speaker 1: have fled the family home. More than anything about that time, 904 00:47:40,560 --> 00:47:43,200 Speaker 1: Manny remembered how his father had hidden his face from 905 00:47:43,200 --> 00:47:46,560 Speaker 1: the photographer. The gesture had told Manny more about their 906 00:47:46,600 --> 00:47:49,040 Speaker 1: new status in the world than anything an adult had 907 00:47:49,080 --> 00:47:52,680 Speaker 1: actually said. Behind him now were cars full of mothers 908 00:47:52,680 --> 00:47:54,960 Speaker 1: and fathers and children who were about to have their 909 00:47:54,960 --> 00:47:59,239 Speaker 1: own searing experiences. Manny hated how familiar this felt to him. 910 00:47:59,480 --> 00:48:02,240 Speaker 1: He hated at for Reggie it counted as the adventure 911 00:48:02,239 --> 00:48:05,480 Speaker 1: of a lifetime. Many looked at the journalist, at the 912 00:48:05,560 --> 00:48:08,319 Speaker 1: awe and innocent excitement in his eyes, and tried to 913 00:48:08,400 --> 00:48:12,400 Speaker 1: imagine Reggie's life back home. None of the individual pieces 914 00:48:12,400 --> 00:48:14,840 Speaker 1: of that life would be new to Manny. His world 915 00:48:14,880 --> 00:48:18,600 Speaker 1: also had bars and parties, and apartment leases and term papers. 916 00:48:19,239 --> 00:48:22,160 Speaker 1: The thing he couldn't imagine was the sense of security, 917 00:48:22,680 --> 00:48:26,640 Speaker 1: living life without the constant threat of war. He'd been 918 00:48:26,760 --> 00:48:29,640 Speaker 1: so close to securing that life for himself if it 919 00:48:29,800 --> 00:48:33,560 Speaker 1: only waited six months, But they hadn't, and now Manny 920 00:48:33,640 --> 00:48:36,719 Speaker 1: had a choice to make stand and fight or run 921 00:48:36,800 --> 00:48:39,600 Speaker 1: with what he had and hoped for the best. Manny 922 00:48:39,719 --> 00:48:42,839 Speaker 1: leaned back as much as his precarious seat allowed and 923 00:48:42,920 --> 00:48:47,239 Speaker 1: stared out at the burning city that had once been Dallas. Goddamn, 924 00:48:47,400 --> 00:48:50,000 Speaker 1: he muttered to himself. I gotta get the funk out 925 00:48:50,040 --> 00:48:59,200 Speaker 1: of Texas. I'm Colleen wit Joined me the host of 926 00:48:59,239 --> 00:49:02,240 Speaker 1: Eating While per podcast. While I eat a meal created 927 00:49:02,280 --> 00:49:06,319 Speaker 1: by self made entrepreneurs, influencers, and celebrities over a meal 928 00:49:06,360 --> 00:49:08,520 Speaker 1: they once eight when they were broke. Today I have 929 00:49:08,600 --> 00:49:13,120 Speaker 1: the lovely aj Crimson, the official Princess of comfin Asia, 930 00:49:13,400 --> 00:49:16,160 Speaker 1: Kidding and Asia. This is the professor. We're here on 931 00:49:16,239 --> 00:49:19,319 Speaker 1: Eating While Broke, and today I'm gonna break down my 932 00:49:19,360 --> 00:49:21,680 Speaker 1: meal that got me through a time when I was broken. 933 00:49:22,080 --> 00:49:24,839 Speaker 1: Listen to Eating While Broke on the I Heart Radio app, 934 00:49:24,960 --> 00:49:29,200 Speaker 1: on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Adoption 935 00:49:29,239 --> 00:49:31,560 Speaker 1: of teens from foster care is a topic not enough 936 00:49:31,600 --> 00:49:33,960 Speaker 1: people know about, and we're here to change that. I'm 937 00:49:34,040 --> 00:49:37,760 Speaker 1: April Dinuity, host of the new podcast Navigating Adoption presented 938 00:49:37,760 --> 00:49:41,319 Speaker 1: by adopt us Kids. Each episode brings you compelling, real 939 00:49:41,440 --> 00:49:44,120 Speaker 1: life adoption stories told by the families that lived them, 940 00:49:44,160 --> 00:49:47,960 Speaker 1: with commentary from experts. Visit adopt us Kids dot org, 941 00:49:48,040 --> 00:49:51,800 Speaker 1: slash podcast, or subscribe to Navigating Adoption presented by adopt 942 00:49:51,880 --> 00:49:54,080 Speaker 1: us Kids, brought to you by the U. S Department 943 00:49:54,080 --> 00:49:56,880 Speaker 1: of Health, the Human Services Administration for Children and Families, 944 00:49:56,920 --> 00:49:59,760 Speaker 1: and the ACT Council. Hello and welcome to our show. 945 00:50:00,000 --> 00:50:02,040 Speaker 1: I'm Zoe de Chanelle and I'm so excited to be 946 00:50:02,120 --> 00:50:04,719 Speaker 1: joined by my friends and cast mates Hannah Simone and 947 00:50:04,800 --> 00:50:08,520 Speaker 1: Lamar and Morris to recap our hit television series New Girl. 948 00:50:08,840 --> 00:50:11,719 Speaker 1: Join us every Monday on the Welcome to Our Show podcast, 949 00:50:11,800 --> 00:50:14,280 Speaker 1: where we'll share behind the scenes stories of your favorite 950 00:50:14,320 --> 00:50:17,319 Speaker 1: New Girl episodes, revealed the truth behind the legendary game 951 00:50:17,360 --> 00:50:20,719 Speaker 1: True American, and discuss how this show got made with 952 00:50:20,760 --> 00:50:23,399 Speaker 1: the writers, guest stars, and directors who made the show 953 00:50:23,440 --> 00:50:25,880 Speaker 1: so special. Fans have been begging us to do a 954 00:50:25,920 --> 00:50:28,640 Speaker 1: New Girl recap for years, and we finally made a 955 00:50:28,640 --> 00:50:32,400 Speaker 1: podcast where we answer all your burning questions like is 956 00:50:32,440 --> 00:50:35,320 Speaker 1: there really a bear in every episode of New Girl? 957 00:50:35,719 --> 00:50:39,640 Speaker 1: Plus each week you'll hear hilarious stories like this at 958 00:50:39,640 --> 00:50:41,480 Speaker 1: the end when he says you got some schmid on 959 00:50:41,520 --> 00:50:44,400 Speaker 1: your face. I feel like I pitched that joke. I 960 00:50:44,440 --> 00:50:46,120 Speaker 1: believe that I feel like I did. I'm not on 961 00:50:46,200 --> 00:50:48,360 Speaker 1: a thousand percent I want to say that was I 962 00:50:48,440 --> 00:50:50,600 Speaker 1: tossed that one out. Listen to the Welcome to our 963 00:50:50,640 --> 00:50:54,000 Speaker 1: show podcast on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcast, 964 00:50:54,160 --> 00:51:02,880 Speaker 1: or wherever you get your podcasts. Chapter five, Rowland. Twenty 965 00:51:02,960 --> 00:51:06,000 Speaker 1: years ago, Camelback Mountain had towered over a wealthy suburb 966 00:51:06,080 --> 00:51:10,400 Speaker 1: of Phoenix, Arizona. Then had come the Civil War. Power, food, 967 00:51:10,400 --> 00:51:13,160 Speaker 1: and water shortages made the cities hundred and thirty degrees 968 00:51:13,200 --> 00:51:16,600 Speaker 1: summers insufferable for all but the hardiest or most chromed. 969 00:51:17,160 --> 00:51:20,359 Speaker 1: Millions fled for less vicious climates or simply died from 970 00:51:20,360 --> 00:51:24,680 Speaker 1: exposure and starvation. Now Phoenix was a looted, crumbling ghost, 971 00:51:25,000 --> 00:51:28,520 Speaker 1: but Camelback Mountain still hosted a version of human civilization. 972 00:51:29,560 --> 00:51:32,680 Speaker 1: Camel Toe was a city of roughly five thousand. The 973 00:51:32,760 --> 00:51:36,239 Speaker 1: name had started because the settlement's founders, homeless teens, thought 974 00:51:36,239 --> 00:51:39,319 Speaker 1: it was funny. A few hundred orphaned or abandoned kids 975 00:51:39,320 --> 00:51:42,400 Speaker 1: had settled in the McMansions clustered around the mountains, western 976 00:51:42,560 --> 00:51:46,680 Speaker 1: edge and foothills. They'd scrounged grow lamps and engines and weaponry, 977 00:51:46,719 --> 00:51:49,799 Speaker 1: and today the denizens of the tow had the strongest 978 00:51:49,880 --> 00:51:54,040 Speaker 1: city state between California and the Kingdom of Albuquerque. Rowland 979 00:51:54,400 --> 00:51:57,520 Speaker 1: was their guardian. Mind you, they'd never asked him to 980 00:51:57,520 --> 00:52:00,160 Speaker 1: guard them. The police had been doing quite well, thank 981 00:52:00,160 --> 00:52:02,040 Speaker 1: you very much. When he'd shown up and built his 982 00:52:02,040 --> 00:52:04,880 Speaker 1: shack in the middle of their only park. A delegation 983 00:52:04,920 --> 00:52:07,640 Speaker 1: of armed towins had showed up to politely e vict Rowland, 984 00:52:07,760 --> 00:52:09,840 Speaker 1: and he'd been forced to carve off their foreskins as 985 00:52:09,840 --> 00:52:13,080 Speaker 1: a show of dominance. They'd sent a single negotiator next 986 00:52:13,200 --> 00:52:16,600 Speaker 1: and worked out a thoroughly beneficial arrangement. Rowland would aid 987 00:52:16,640 --> 00:52:19,400 Speaker 1: in the city's defense in exchange for his now departed shack, 988 00:52:19,480 --> 00:52:22,360 Speaker 1: and twice a year all the narcotics he could carry 989 00:52:22,360 --> 00:52:26,320 Speaker 1: home from their harvest. It was an arrangement Rowland had enjoyed. 990 00:52:26,480 --> 00:52:28,680 Speaker 1: He was frustrated that Jim's men had forced him to 991 00:52:28,680 --> 00:52:31,359 Speaker 1: destroy his beloved hovel, but it was hard for him 992 00:52:31,400 --> 00:52:34,040 Speaker 1: to be angry all the same. The sun was out now, 993 00:52:34,200 --> 00:52:36,200 Speaker 1: and it was early enough that the day's heat had 994 00:52:36,239 --> 00:52:38,719 Speaker 1: yet to set in the great red desert, and the 995 00:52:38,760 --> 00:52:41,880 Speaker 1: carcass of Phoenix stretched out around them, and to Roland's 996 00:52:41,920 --> 00:52:45,640 Speaker 1: eyes it was all beautiful. Once Jim had called the fight, 997 00:52:45,680 --> 00:52:48,560 Speaker 1: a pair of boxy armored Hella transports had flown in 998 00:52:48,560 --> 00:52:51,640 Speaker 1: another squad of his men. They assembled a brunch spread 999 00:52:51,800 --> 00:52:55,239 Speaker 1: complete with a table and two wicker chairs. Roland hoped 1000 00:52:55,280 --> 00:52:57,440 Speaker 1: his old friend was doing this to show off and 1001 00:52:57,480 --> 00:53:01,160 Speaker 1: not planning an actual meal. The acid twisted Roland's guts 1002 00:53:01,160 --> 00:53:04,480 Speaker 1: into knots and effectively killed his appetite. He was still 1003 00:53:04,560 --> 00:53:07,200 Speaker 1: high enough that the familiar boulders around his home seemed 1004 00:53:07,200 --> 00:53:09,800 Speaker 1: to flex and wobble like great mounds of red jelly. 1005 00:53:10,640 --> 00:53:14,200 Speaker 1: Jim's face, however, was rock solid. Roland focused on it 1006 00:53:14,239 --> 00:53:16,759 Speaker 1: while the rest of the world blurred. A towel came 1007 00:53:16,760 --> 00:53:18,880 Speaker 1: into his hands, and he realized a moment later that 1008 00:53:19,000 --> 00:53:21,880 Speaker 1: Jim had handed it to him. Roland wiped the crusted 1009 00:53:21,880 --> 00:53:24,279 Speaker 1: gore from around his shoulder, where the tiny robots in 1010 00:53:24,320 --> 00:53:27,080 Speaker 1: his blood had finished reattaching his arm. It was a 1011 00:53:27,080 --> 00:53:29,920 Speaker 1: messy process that involved a lot of shuffling bad blood 1012 00:53:29,960 --> 00:53:32,960 Speaker 1: out of the skin and sludgy red globs. The globs 1013 00:53:32,960 --> 00:53:34,879 Speaker 1: looked a bit like the boulders now that he thought 1014 00:53:34,920 --> 00:53:38,360 Speaker 1: about it. Jim's merks were over by one of the aircraft, 1015 00:53:38,440 --> 00:53:40,560 Speaker 1: getting worked over by a medical team that must have 1016 00:53:40,560 --> 00:53:43,240 Speaker 1: been waiting in the wings this whole time. The acrylic 1017 00:53:43,320 --> 00:53:46,040 Speaker 1: stink of fear wafted off them from thirty feet away. 1018 00:53:46,800 --> 00:53:48,840 Speaker 1: Once the table was up and the spread was set. 1019 00:53:49,000 --> 00:53:51,399 Speaker 1: Roland and Jim sat down to watch the last rays 1020 00:53:51,440 --> 00:53:55,320 Speaker 1: of sunrise turned into boring old daylight. A lackey handed 1021 00:53:55,320 --> 00:53:58,640 Speaker 1: them both steaming mugs of coffee. Roland took his black 1022 00:53:58,680 --> 00:54:02,399 Speaker 1: and Turkish so thick was almost putting. Most humans made 1023 00:54:02,400 --> 00:54:04,880 Speaker 1: it too weak for his taste, but this cup was perfect. 1024 00:54:05,120 --> 00:54:08,319 Speaker 1: He sipped deeply, and the warbly acid lines straightened and 1025 00:54:08,360 --> 00:54:10,960 Speaker 1: grew just a little bit thicker. Took forever to teach 1026 00:54:11,000 --> 00:54:14,040 Speaker 1: him how to make it right, Jim said, having human 1027 00:54:14,160 --> 00:54:16,759 Speaker 1: orderlies is a bit of a trial. I think there's 1028 00:54:16,840 --> 00:54:19,399 Speaker 1: something about us that breaks their brains just a bit. 1029 00:54:19,719 --> 00:54:22,759 Speaker 1: Jim sipped his coffee and added, I gotta theory about that. 1030 00:54:22,880 --> 00:54:25,960 Speaker 1: By the way, Roland let out a harsh, flimmy exhalation 1031 00:54:26,040 --> 00:54:29,120 Speaker 1: that meant I don't care. Jim continued all the same, 1032 00:54:29,280 --> 00:54:32,480 Speaker 1: sipping his coffee and then launching into a spiel. My 1033 00:54:32,600 --> 00:54:35,960 Speaker 1: theory is that Homo sapiens just aren't built to acknowledge 1034 00:54:35,960 --> 00:54:39,160 Speaker 1: a higher form of life, not one that's flesh and blood, 1035 00:54:39,160 --> 00:54:42,120 Speaker 1: and staring him in the face, demanded service. I think 1036 00:54:42,160 --> 00:54:44,440 Speaker 1: deep in the human brain there's the race memory of 1037 00:54:44,480 --> 00:54:47,960 Speaker 1: running up against neander Tolls. They were bigger and stronger 1038 00:54:48,000 --> 00:54:51,239 Speaker 1: and faster than humans, but we they still wipe the 1039 00:54:51,280 --> 00:54:54,279 Speaker 1: neander Tolls out. I think humans look at us the 1040 00:54:54,320 --> 00:54:56,840 Speaker 1: same way the ancestors looked at ne and a Tolls. 1041 00:54:57,360 --> 00:55:00,279 Speaker 1: Roland grunted because that was easier than talking, and because 1042 00:55:00,320 --> 00:55:03,400 Speaker 1: he really wasn't listening. His eyes were focused on the 1043 00:55:03,400 --> 00:55:06,799 Speaker 1: shimmering surface of the coffee sober. His brain kept his 1044 00:55:06,840 --> 00:55:09,160 Speaker 1: thermal vision on a different mental track from his color 1045 00:55:09,200 --> 00:55:11,799 Speaker 1: and infra red vision. But while he was tripping, they 1046 00:55:11,840 --> 00:55:14,800 Speaker 1: all just sort of blended together into one multi tone, 1047 00:55:15,000 --> 00:55:18,959 Speaker 1: massive information. So he stared and thralled as red heat 1048 00:55:19,000 --> 00:55:21,839 Speaker 1: bled off into the white air around them. The math 1049 00:55:21,920 --> 00:55:24,640 Speaker 1: of it all was rendered as a beautiful swatch of colors, 1050 00:55:24,680 --> 00:55:27,880 Speaker 1: some of which weren't even visible to human eyes. Roland 1051 00:55:27,880 --> 00:55:30,600 Speaker 1: lost himself for a moment. If you any other man, 1052 00:55:30,680 --> 00:55:34,680 Speaker 1: I'd prick you with a sober stick right now, Jim said, clearly, irked. 1053 00:55:35,000 --> 00:55:38,800 Speaker 1: It's been a long time since someone's ignored me. Not ignoring, 1054 00:55:39,160 --> 00:55:42,000 Speaker 1: Roland managed to say. The words came out wet and mushy. 1055 00:55:42,280 --> 00:55:44,840 Speaker 1: He'd taken around to the lung, apparently, and the repair 1056 00:55:44,840 --> 00:55:47,759 Speaker 1: efforts played hell on his throat. His eyes were still 1057 00:55:47,800 --> 00:55:50,480 Speaker 1: locked on the psychedelic sprawl of color. Lifting off from 1058 00:55:50,480 --> 00:55:53,560 Speaker 1: his coffee. He had to force himself to take another sip. 1059 00:55:54,000 --> 00:55:57,279 Speaker 1: The mild stimulant surge helped him break off his perseveration, 1060 00:55:57,440 --> 00:56:01,279 Speaker 1: and he met Jim still weirdly solid gaze. Sorry, this 1061 00:56:01,440 --> 00:56:05,200 Speaker 1: coffee is more interesting than your bullshit, Roland explained. Blame 1062 00:56:05,280 --> 00:56:08,760 Speaker 1: the acid, Jim laughed. The snake tattoos on his torso 1063 00:56:08,840 --> 00:56:12,920 Speaker 1: curled and corkscrewed and simulated excitement. You know, he said. 1064 00:56:13,080 --> 00:56:16,719 Speaker 1: There's a new movement in the posthuman community started up 1065 00:56:16,719 --> 00:56:19,840 Speaker 1: in Idaho, one of the Intentional communes. They take a 1066 00:56:19,840 --> 00:56:24,200 Speaker 1: pretty strong anti narcotic policy. Apparently it distracts us from 1067 00:56:24,200 --> 00:56:27,680 Speaker 1: the impoltant work we should be doing. Fuck that, Roland said, 1068 00:56:27,880 --> 00:56:31,600 Speaker 1: and spat on the ground for emphasis. I don't disagree. 1069 00:56:31,719 --> 00:56:35,040 Speaker 1: Jim nodded and produced an enormous and very phallic blunt. 1070 00:56:35,320 --> 00:56:38,440 Speaker 1: He lit it, pulled deep, and passed it over. Roland 1071 00:56:38,440 --> 00:56:41,000 Speaker 1: took a long drag and eased into a slump as 1072 00:56:41,000 --> 00:56:44,360 Speaker 1: the t h C did its slow work, so Jim, 1073 00:56:44,760 --> 00:56:47,520 Speaker 1: Roland said. After a few more passes, once the acid 1074 00:56:47,560 --> 00:56:49,440 Speaker 1: and weed had time to push his braid into a 1075 00:56:49,440 --> 00:56:53,040 Speaker 1: hazy new equilibrium. Why are you here, Jim gave an 1076 00:56:53,040 --> 00:56:55,400 Speaker 1: eloquent shrug, popped the blunt out of his mouth, and 1077 00:56:55,480 --> 00:56:58,759 Speaker 1: stared at the curling smoke. Roland stared too, and his 1078 00:56:58,800 --> 00:57:01,319 Speaker 1: eyes was wreathed in a our truce black halo of 1079 00:57:01,320 --> 00:57:03,799 Speaker 1: heat that seemed to almost vibrate near the cherry tip. 1080 00:57:04,640 --> 00:57:09,720 Speaker 1: To catch up, Jim said, and to offer you a job. Job, 1081 00:57:10,000 --> 00:57:13,080 Speaker 1: Roland snorted, I need not your filthy lucre. Look at 1082 00:57:13,080 --> 00:57:15,680 Speaker 1: this wealth that surrounds me. He made a broad gesture 1083 00:57:15,680 --> 00:57:18,360 Speaker 1: that encompassed the remains of his novel. What could you 1084 00:57:18,400 --> 00:57:22,960 Speaker 1: possibly offer well, Jim said, For startus, I can replace 1085 00:57:22,960 --> 00:57:25,560 Speaker 1: your hot played. I think Bigsby broke it with his body, 1086 00:57:26,240 --> 00:57:28,640 Speaker 1: so I'll steal another one. Roland said, what do you 1087 00:57:28,680 --> 00:57:31,960 Speaker 1: really have? I'm gonna guess a few million won't pique 1088 00:57:31,960 --> 00:57:35,640 Speaker 1: your interest. Roland blew a fat, wet raspberry. I don't 1089 00:57:35,680 --> 00:57:38,480 Speaker 1: even care what currency you're talking about. What good old money? 1090 00:57:38,520 --> 00:57:42,280 Speaker 1: Do me? Not even Cascadian script uh, Jim asked with 1091 00:57:42,320 --> 00:57:46,280 Speaker 1: a grin Cascadia. Roland had heard the name, of course last. 1092 00:57:46,320 --> 00:57:49,520 Speaker 1: He remembered the Pacific Northwest's Premier Independence movement had been 1093 00:57:49,560 --> 00:57:53,600 Speaker 1: agitating to secede from the Coastal Pact. Is that a 1094 00:57:53,640 --> 00:57:57,120 Speaker 1: thing now as a six years ago? Jim said. He 1095 00:57:57,240 --> 00:57:59,240 Speaker 1: took a deep pull of the blunt, handed it back 1096 00:57:59,280 --> 00:58:02,120 Speaker 1: to Roland and exhaled a thick white cloud as he spoke. 1097 00:58:02,800 --> 00:58:04,960 Speaker 1: And they just finished their own civil war, So the 1098 00:58:05,040 --> 00:58:08,400 Speaker 1: value skyrocketing. You really don't get out much these days, 1099 00:58:08,440 --> 00:58:13,240 Speaker 1: do you. Roland's response was another deep gulp of his coffee. Anyway, 1100 00:58:13,480 --> 00:58:16,160 Speaker 1: Jim continued, I know you don't care for cash, but 1101 00:58:16,240 --> 00:58:18,320 Speaker 1: there is something I think you might want, and I 1102 00:58:18,360 --> 00:58:22,000 Speaker 1: can buy it back for you if you'll help me out. Wait, 1103 00:58:22,640 --> 00:58:26,440 Speaker 1: buy it back by what back? Roland recognized the snake 1104 00:58:26,480 --> 00:58:29,480 Speaker 1: man's smile on Jim's face. He had the vague sense 1105 00:58:29,520 --> 00:58:31,920 Speaker 1: that he'd seen it before enough that the sight of 1106 00:58:31,960 --> 00:58:34,440 Speaker 1: it set his hackles arise and sparked an itch in 1107 00:58:34,520 --> 00:58:37,080 Speaker 1: his left trigger finger. He took a deep hit from 1108 00:58:37,120 --> 00:58:39,840 Speaker 1: the blunt and handed it over to Jim. The other 1109 00:58:39,880 --> 00:58:41,800 Speaker 1: man took the blunt with his left hand and made 1110 00:58:41,800 --> 00:58:43,720 Speaker 1: a gun shape with the fingers of his right hand. 1111 00:58:44,080 --> 00:58:46,680 Speaker 1: He pantomimed a shot to the head. His lips made 1112 00:58:46,680 --> 00:58:51,880 Speaker 1: a barely audible pow memories. Jim said, I know you're 1113 00:58:51,920 --> 00:58:54,520 Speaker 1: only playing with half a deck. Maybe less surprised you 1114 00:58:54,560 --> 00:58:57,600 Speaker 1: remember my mug. To be honest, Jim took a final 1115 00:58:57,680 --> 00:58:59,800 Speaker 1: drag from the blunt, which was barely the length of 1116 00:58:59,800 --> 00:59:02,080 Speaker 1: a um nail now, and passed it off to Roland. 1117 00:59:02,800 --> 00:59:05,440 Speaker 1: But science, Ah, she's kept right on lurching forward the 1118 00:59:05,480 --> 00:59:07,920 Speaker 1: last ten years. There's a neuro team up at m 1119 00:59:07,920 --> 00:59:10,240 Speaker 1: I a t They reckon they've made a breakthrough al 1120 00:59:10,360 --> 00:59:13,680 Speaker 1: Zama's research. Initially, but they think they figured out how 1121 00:59:13,720 --> 00:59:16,920 Speaker 1: to straight up recover memories from damaged brain tissue. The 1122 00:59:17,000 --> 00:59:19,480 Speaker 1: attack has reversed a lot of injuries the old science 1123 00:59:19,480 --> 00:59:23,320 Speaker 1: said was permanent. Roland felt a painful, tugging sensation in 1124 00:59:23,400 --> 00:59:25,720 Speaker 1: his chest. He thought back to the woman from his 1125 00:59:25,800 --> 00:59:29,360 Speaker 1: dreams with a damascene teeth. He saw her every few weeks, 1126 00:59:29,720 --> 00:59:32,840 Speaker 1: trapped in some foggy memory or another. Her name felt 1127 00:59:32,880 --> 00:59:34,480 Speaker 1: like it was always on the tip of his tongue. 1128 00:59:34,880 --> 00:59:36,840 Speaker 1: He didn't know what she'd meant to him, but the 1129 00:59:36,920 --> 00:59:40,440 Speaker 1: thought of her twisted his heart into knots. It was maddening, 1130 00:59:40,720 --> 00:59:42,760 Speaker 1: not even knowing what she'd been to him, or he 1131 00:59:42,880 --> 00:59:46,439 Speaker 1: to her. Roland frowned, turned his head and locked eyes 1132 00:59:46,480 --> 00:59:50,080 Speaker 1: with Jim eating a bunch of fed funded school scientists. 1133 00:59:50,120 --> 00:59:52,600 Speaker 1: You're gonna help me, Roland asked. He had a strong 1134 00:59:52,680 --> 00:59:54,760 Speaker 1: feeling none of the governments on this continent or fans 1135 00:59:54,800 --> 00:59:58,320 Speaker 1: of me. Jim waved a careless hand less the issue, 1136 00:59:58,560 --> 01:00:02,200 Speaker 1: he said, those am motherfucker's a pragmatists. I've been in 1137 01:00:02,200 --> 01:00:04,320 Speaker 1: and out of the Northeast half a dozen times just 1138 01:00:04,400 --> 01:00:07,120 Speaker 1: this year. You do work they value and they ignore 1139 01:00:07,160 --> 01:00:11,080 Speaker 1: a little terrorism memories hazy, Roland said, but I know 1140 01:00:11,200 --> 01:00:14,920 Speaker 1: little is inaccurate. I think we killed a skyscraper. You 1141 01:00:14,960 --> 01:00:18,000 Speaker 1: don't remember that the Diamond Building and photo one a 1142 01:00:18,080 --> 01:00:20,919 Speaker 1: hundred and twenty floors, A rich pigs wallowing in ship. 1143 01:00:21,440 --> 01:00:24,280 Speaker 1: We slipped a bombing during an Austeritius summit led by 1144 01:00:24,280 --> 01:00:27,160 Speaker 1: the CEOs of the Big Fall, bugged the conference room 1145 01:00:27,200 --> 01:00:29,320 Speaker 1: so we could hear him scream when that first blast 1146 01:00:29,360 --> 01:00:33,440 Speaker 1: cut the support beams. It was better than sex. There 1147 01:00:33,480 --> 01:00:36,360 Speaker 1: was a peculiar joy in Jim's eyes, his chest snakes 1148 01:00:36,440 --> 01:00:42,040 Speaker 1: writhed in orgiastically. Roland felt queasy. Rowland, Jim added, the 1149 01:00:42,120 --> 01:00:46,040 Speaker 1: sons of bitches had it coming, maybe, Roland said, but 1150 01:00:46,120 --> 01:00:49,160 Speaker 1: I know we didn't just kill CEOs. I remember other times. 1151 01:00:49,600 --> 01:00:54,919 Speaker 1: Kids not kids, Jim insisted, as young enough to take 1152 01:00:55,000 --> 01:00:59,080 Speaker 1: full advantage of juven the future undying lords of capital, 1153 01:00:59,360 --> 01:01:03,200 Speaker 1: they had to go. Oh, Roland shivered. Even if they did, 1154 01:01:03,280 --> 01:01:06,720 Speaker 1: I'm sort of glad I don't remember it. Jim shrugged, 1155 01:01:06,880 --> 01:01:09,480 Speaker 1: swirled his coffee cup, and stared into it for a minute. 1156 01:01:09,800 --> 01:01:12,200 Speaker 1: If he'd been anyone else, Roland would have been able 1157 01:01:12,240 --> 01:01:14,400 Speaker 1: to read his emotions by the sense coming off of 1158 01:01:14,480 --> 01:01:17,800 Speaker 1: him and the micro expressions on his face. Most post 1159 01:01:17,880 --> 01:01:20,400 Speaker 1: humans were just as easy to read as regular humans. 1160 01:01:20,720 --> 01:01:23,280 Speaker 1: It took a mix of very specific surgeries and a 1161 01:01:23,280 --> 01:01:25,240 Speaker 1: hell of a lot of time spent in practice to 1162 01:01:25,320 --> 01:01:28,160 Speaker 1: hide anything from Roland. It said a lot that Jim 1163 01:01:28,160 --> 01:01:32,400 Speaker 1: had considered the expense worthwhile violence is the coin that 1164 01:01:32,480 --> 01:01:35,480 Speaker 1: buys the future, Jim said, there was a time when 1165 01:01:35,520 --> 01:01:38,800 Speaker 1: you explain that to me. I don't remember that conversation, 1166 01:01:39,040 --> 01:01:42,280 Speaker 1: Roland said, but it's been years since I've taken a life, 1167 01:01:42,360 --> 01:01:45,120 Speaker 1: A couple of four skins one guy's hand. Sure, sometimes 1168 01:01:45,120 --> 01:01:47,760 Speaker 1: a point needs making. I haven't killed anyone in a 1169 01:01:47,800 --> 01:01:50,240 Speaker 1: long time, though. That's why all the folks you sent 1170 01:01:50,320 --> 01:01:52,600 Speaker 1: to my door are still alive, and I mean to 1171 01:01:52,640 --> 01:01:56,240 Speaker 1: stay on the wagon. Killing's not wanted on this mission, 1172 01:01:56,400 --> 01:02:00,080 Speaker 1: Jim assured him. Just property destruction I need too, with 1173 01:02:00,160 --> 01:02:04,560 Speaker 1: three days of your unrivaled ship up fucking expertise. Roland 1174 01:02:04,560 --> 01:02:08,840 Speaker 1: flicked a suspicious eyebrow at his old friend. Property, he asked. 1175 01:02:09,280 --> 01:02:12,200 Speaker 1: Jim nodded. A couple of guys might need crippling along 1176 01:02:12,240 --> 01:02:15,840 Speaker 1: the way, but no killing. So what's this gig? Rowland 1177 01:02:15,920 --> 01:02:20,720 Speaker 1: was interested now, in spite of himself sabotage, Jim's lips 1178 01:02:20,760 --> 01:02:23,919 Speaker 1: curled up in a feral grin. Over the last few months, 1179 01:02:23,920 --> 01:02:26,760 Speaker 1: we've noticed a substantial build up among the radical Christian 1180 01:02:26,760 --> 01:02:31,400 Speaker 1: militias in north and central Texas. We Rowland asked, my 1181 01:02:31,480 --> 01:02:35,480 Speaker 1: own organization, and the am FED the Central Intelligence Agency. 1182 01:02:35,960 --> 01:02:38,520 Speaker 1: Roland couldn't help but laugh. I remember enough of the 1183 01:02:38,560 --> 01:02:41,760 Speaker 1: old days to appreciate the irony of you working with 1184 01:02:41,800 --> 01:02:45,400 Speaker 1: the CIA. Jim's head cocked just a little to the left, 1185 01:02:45,600 --> 01:02:48,320 Speaker 1: he grimaced. Roland wasn't sure, but he thought his friend 1186 01:02:48,400 --> 01:02:51,840 Speaker 1: might be a little embarrassed and defensive. Anyone who lives 1187 01:02:51,880 --> 01:02:54,440 Speaker 1: long enough becomes a hypocrite, Jim said, with a shrug. 1188 01:02:54,680 --> 01:02:57,280 Speaker 1: I'd hope to hold out longer, but their satellite coverage 1189 01:02:57,320 --> 01:03:00,480 Speaker 1: is fucking phenomenal. I'll send you the intel. He made 1190 01:03:00,480 --> 01:03:03,320 Speaker 1: a flicking gesture towards Roland with his right index finger, 1191 01:03:03,480 --> 01:03:06,240 Speaker 1: and then frowned in annoyance. You might be the last 1192 01:03:06,360 --> 01:03:09,640 Speaker 1: dark brain on this continent, you know that. Roland wasn't 1193 01:03:09,680 --> 01:03:12,600 Speaker 1: sure why he'd disconnected himself from the Internet. It seemed 1194 01:03:12,600 --> 01:03:15,160 Speaker 1: to annoy other people, but he rather enjoyed it. His 1195 01:03:15,240 --> 01:03:18,160 Speaker 1: hindbrain had absorbed peda bites of data before he'd severed 1196 01:03:18,200 --> 01:03:20,640 Speaker 1: the link, so he never found himself needing to consult 1197 01:03:20,640 --> 01:03:23,440 Speaker 1: a Wicki to remember the equations behind the Coriolis effect 1198 01:03:23,680 --> 01:03:26,720 Speaker 1: or a bullet's trajectory. You could have walked from Canada 1199 01:03:26,720 --> 01:03:29,960 Speaker 1: to Venezuela without encountering a plant or animal his distributed 1200 01:03:30,000 --> 01:03:33,960 Speaker 1: mechanical brain couldn't name. The only downside to his situation 1201 01:03:34,120 --> 01:03:36,360 Speaker 1: was that he couldn't keep up with politics or bleeding 1202 01:03:36,400 --> 01:03:40,160 Speaker 1: edge military technology. He only gleaned that sort of information 1203 01:03:40,200 --> 01:03:44,400 Speaker 1: by experience or conversation, and being a creepy godlike being 1204 01:03:44,400 --> 01:03:50,000 Speaker 1: who sometimes circumcised trespassers, Roland didn't have many conversations. One 1205 01:03:50,000 --> 01:03:52,440 Speaker 1: of Jim's aids ran up and handed Roland a paper 1206 01:03:52,480 --> 01:03:55,680 Speaker 1: thin tablet. Jim directed him through a dozen satellite images 1207 01:03:55,680 --> 01:03:59,360 Speaker 1: of what looked like vehicle and ammunition depots. Roland's hindbrain 1208 01:03:59,400 --> 01:04:03,040 Speaker 1: recognized the Dallas road systems immediately a surge of since 1209 01:04:03,080 --> 01:04:05,960 Speaker 1: memory hit him. Fire so much fire, the smell of 1210 01:04:05,960 --> 01:04:08,120 Speaker 1: it only drowned out by the intense stink of thirty 1211 01:04:08,120 --> 01:04:11,680 Speaker 1: thousand people panicking. At the same time, Roland felt bullets 1212 01:04:11,680 --> 01:04:14,000 Speaker 1: dig into his flesh. He saw hate in the eyes 1213 01:04:14,000 --> 01:04:16,480 Speaker 1: of the advancing cops, and he felt a corresponding surge 1214 01:04:16,520 --> 01:04:19,440 Speaker 1: of glee. As his brains started to pump out battle drugs. 1215 01:04:19,640 --> 01:04:22,640 Speaker 1: He squeezed his trigger. Roland shook his head, pulled his 1216 01:04:22,720 --> 01:04:26,120 Speaker 1: mind back into the present moment. Jim frowned, but didn't 1217 01:04:26,120 --> 01:04:29,320 Speaker 1: say anything. He just pointed back at the tablet. Roland 1218 01:04:29,320 --> 01:04:32,160 Speaker 1: focused again. It appeared to be a satellite image of 1219 01:04:32,200 --> 01:04:35,200 Speaker 1: a defensive line in Dallas. He noted a large number 1220 01:04:35,200 --> 01:04:39,120 Speaker 1: of military vehicles piled into several parking garages. What's going 1221 01:04:39,200 --> 01:04:42,960 Speaker 1: on here, he asked, suit carriers. Jim said, a couple 1222 01:04:43,000 --> 01:04:46,200 Speaker 1: of dozen of them. Roland shook his head. Impossible, that'd 1223 01:04:46,200 --> 01:04:49,120 Speaker 1: be enough to support what six hundred power armored fighters. 1224 01:04:49,280 --> 01:04:52,360 Speaker 1: Those are nation state numbers and other Republic of Texas 1225 01:04:52,360 --> 01:04:54,080 Speaker 1: as a ship show. But there's no way they'd let 1226 01:04:54,080 --> 01:04:56,080 Speaker 1: someone surge in militia build an army like that in 1227 01:04:56,120 --> 01:05:00,720 Speaker 1: their borders. Maybe not, Jim said, maybe so. Truth told, 1228 01:05:00,800 --> 01:05:03,280 Speaker 1: I don't care what's parked in those garages. You blow 1229 01:05:03,320 --> 01:05:06,160 Speaker 1: em up, I get paid, and you get your fancy surgery. 1230 01:05:07,240 --> 01:05:11,000 Speaker 1: Roland felt uneasy. The job itself seemed too simple. The 1231 01:05:11,160 --> 01:05:13,680 Speaker 1: killed team Jim had sent to wake Roland up probably 1232 01:05:13,680 --> 01:05:16,360 Speaker 1: could have done this job with a few reinforcements. It 1233 01:05:16,480 --> 01:05:19,480 Speaker 1: seemed weird that some nutbar extremists could get their hands 1234 01:05:19,480 --> 01:05:24,680 Speaker 1: on that many suits. Roland just didn't trust the whole situation. Jim, 1235 01:05:24,960 --> 01:05:27,800 Speaker 1: he asked, can you promise me this memory thing will work? 1236 01:05:28,080 --> 01:05:31,760 Speaker 1: Fuck no, Jim scoffed, I can't even promise you'll survive. 1237 01:05:32,040 --> 01:05:35,320 Speaker 1: This is a bleeding edge mad science operation. The infant 1238 01:05:35,360 --> 01:05:37,360 Speaker 1: is willing to break in a national law to work 1239 01:05:37,400 --> 01:05:40,200 Speaker 1: on a wanted terrorist. I'm half sure they just want 1240 01:05:40,200 --> 01:05:42,520 Speaker 1: to see what happens when they stopped poking around your skull. 1241 01:05:42,880 --> 01:05:45,160 Speaker 1: You might be makin the worst mistake of your life here, 1242 01:05:45,520 --> 01:05:47,760 Speaker 1: but at least you'll die after blowing up a bunch 1243 01:05:47,760 --> 01:05:51,680 Speaker 1: of gear owned by crystal fascist assholes. Roland considered for 1244 01:05:51,720 --> 01:05:55,160 Speaker 1: a long moment, then nod at his assent. All right, 1245 01:05:55,200 --> 01:05:58,000 Speaker 1: then you've convinced me. I'm in as long as this 1246 01:05:58,080 --> 01:06:03,120 Speaker 1: stay is a sabotage mission. No killing, no killing. Jim agreed. 1247 01:06:03,960 --> 01:06:06,479 Speaker 1: They both stared out at the vacant desert for some time. 1248 01:06:07,080 --> 01:06:09,800 Speaker 1: Roland found himself humming along to a song he couldn't 1249 01:06:09,880 --> 01:06:13,800 Speaker 1: name or even remember hearing. Jim hummed along with him. 1250 01:06:13,800 --> 01:06:16,840 Speaker 1: He put a hand on Roland's shoulder. That felt good. 1251 01:06:17,120 --> 01:06:19,400 Speaker 1: There was something about human contact that none of the 1252 01:06:19,440 --> 01:06:22,440 Speaker 1: machines in his head could replicate. They sat for a 1253 01:06:22,440 --> 01:06:27,439 Speaker 1: while longer. Then Jim squeezed Roland's shoulder and stood come 1254 01:06:27,520 --> 01:06:35,840 Speaker 1: for another peaceful wall. Then, Hey, everybody, Robert Evans here. 1255 01:06:35,880 --> 01:06:37,840 Speaker 1: I hope you just enjoyed the chapter you listen to. 1256 01:06:38,000 --> 01:06:40,240 Speaker 1: I hope you enjoyed the chapters to come. If you 1257 01:06:40,240 --> 01:06:42,720 Speaker 1: would like to read the text version of this book 1258 01:06:42,920 --> 01:06:45,280 Speaker 1: either on the web or on your e reader as 1259 01:06:45,320 --> 01:06:47,800 Speaker 1: an e pub you can find those on the website 1260 01:06:47,880 --> 01:06:51,920 Speaker 1: a t r book dot com. So again, the free 1261 01:06:51,960 --> 01:06:54,880 Speaker 1: ad free e pub and the text of every chapter 1262 01:06:55,000 --> 01:06:57,800 Speaker 1: will be on a t r book dot com. Thanks. 1263 01:06:59,000 --> 01:07:02,040 Speaker 1: Make sure to check out Champs, your number one music podcast. 1264 01:07:02,080 --> 01:07:04,800 Speaker 1: On the Black Effect Podcast Network, host n O r 1265 01:07:04,840 --> 01:07:06,640 Speaker 1: E and d J E f N sat down with 1266 01:07:06,760 --> 01:07:10,600 Speaker 1: artists and icon Yea, which Vulture called one of most 1267 01:07:10,640 --> 01:07:14,640 Speaker 1: significant interviews. I literally had to go like Danos and 1268 01:07:14,640 --> 01:07:16,320 Speaker 1: I don't want to have to be the villain. But 1269 01:07:16,400 --> 01:07:19,800 Speaker 1: when I went and did the Donda thing, he returned 1270 01:07:20,400 --> 01:07:23,440 Speaker 1: and everybody had to sit back and watch the real leader. 1271 01:07:23,720 --> 01:07:26,439 Speaker 1: Check out Drink Champs conversation with Yea and many more 1272 01:07:26,520 --> 01:07:29,160 Speaker 1: legendary artists each and every Friday on the I Heart 1273 01:07:29,280 --> 01:07:32,000 Speaker 1: Radio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you listen to your 1274 01:07:32,000 --> 01:07:39,280 Speaker 1: favorite shows. The Gangster Chronicles podcast is a weekly conversation 1275 01:07:39,320 --> 01:07:43,280 Speaker 1: that revolves around underworld and criminals and entertainers to victims, 1276 01:07:43,480 --> 01:07:46,520 Speaker 1: crime and law enforcement. We cover all facets of the game. 1277 01:07:47,040 --> 01:07:50,720 Speaker 1: Gangster Chronicles podcast doesn't glorify promote list of the activities. 1278 01:07:51,040 --> 01:07:54,240 Speaker 1: We just discussed the ramifications and repercussions of these activities. 1279 01:07:54,240 --> 01:07:56,680 Speaker 1: Because at the Wall she played gamester games. You are 1280 01:07:56,760 --> 01:08:00,600 Speaker 1: ultimately rewarded with Gangster Prizes are already was number one 1281 01:08:00,600 --> 01:08:03,920 Speaker 1: for podcast. But don't take our word forward. Find against 1282 01:08:03,960 --> 01:08:06,960 Speaker 1: the Chronicles podcast and I Aren't Radio, wherever you get 1283 01:08:07,000 --> 01:08:12,360 Speaker 1: your plodcares Hello, I'm Mini Driver And on my podcast 1284 01:08:12,480 --> 01:08:15,760 Speaker 1: Many Questions, I put together a little experiment. I asked 1285 01:08:15,840 --> 01:08:20,240 Speaker 1: trailblazers across different disciplines the same seven questions, questions about 1286 01:08:20,240 --> 01:08:22,840 Speaker 1: the inflection points in their life, what they like least 1287 01:08:22,880 --> 01:08:26,360 Speaker 1: about themselves, and what relationship has to find love for them. 1288 01:08:26,400 --> 01:08:30,479 Speaker 1: This season, I'm coming back with new trailblazers like Blondie 1289 01:08:30,560 --> 01:08:33,880 Speaker 1: vocalist Debbie Harry. I did have a revelation. It was 1290 01:08:33,920 --> 01:08:36,400 Speaker 1: at CBGBUS. As a matter of fact, I was waiting 1291 01:08:36,439 --> 01:08:39,320 Speaker 1: for the audience to give it to me, give it me. 1292 01:08:39,479 --> 01:08:42,400 Speaker 1: Then I realized that I had to make them. I 1293 01:08:42,439 --> 01:08:47,120 Speaker 1: had to command them artists and creative Juggernaut Goldie and 1294 01:08:47,160 --> 01:08:49,160 Speaker 1: I walk up to the mountain on high cop just 1295 01:08:49,439 --> 01:08:52,200 Speaker 1: being in that environment and seeing life in death in 1296 01:08:52,240 --> 01:08:55,200 Speaker 1: front of you, right in front of you. And I 1297 01:08:55,240 --> 01:08:58,120 Speaker 1: got there and scream and cry and laugh, and I 1298 01:08:58,280 --> 01:09:03,120 Speaker 1: find that being the happiest. And many more join me 1299 01:09:03,280 --> 01:09:06,559 Speaker 1: as we continue this exploration on season two of Many 1300 01:09:06,680 --> 01:09:10,080 Speaker 1: Questions on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts or 1301 01:09:10,120 --> 01:09:11,960 Speaker 1: wherever you get your favorite podcasts,