1 00:00:01,760 --> 00:00:10,000 Speaker 1: Cool Zone Media book Club, book Club, book Club, book 2 00:00:10,080 --> 00:00:16,880 Speaker 1: Club Club Club. Welcome to Coolson Media book Club, the 3 00:00:17,000 --> 00:00:21,080 Speaker 1: only book club that starts with asynchronous chanting, unless your 4 00:00:21,120 --> 00:00:23,080 Speaker 1: book club is as cool as ours. 5 00:00:23,320 --> 00:00:25,680 Speaker 2: Yeah, the New York Reviewer of Books does that, but 6 00:00:25,840 --> 00:00:28,960 Speaker 2: because they're all a bunch of fucking East Coast elites, 7 00:00:29,040 --> 00:00:32,960 Speaker 2: they don't let anyone hear their asynchronous chanting. Yeah, so 8 00:00:33,120 --> 00:00:35,600 Speaker 2: find the staff of the New York Review of Books 9 00:00:35,600 --> 00:00:38,519 Speaker 2: on the Internet and harass them at their real homes 10 00:00:38,600 --> 00:00:40,680 Speaker 2: until they send you audio of their chance. 11 00:00:41,560 --> 00:00:45,120 Speaker 1: Or go on an epic journey to find the staff 12 00:00:45,159 --> 00:00:48,080 Speaker 1: of the Book of Reviews or whatever it was, which 13 00:00:48,120 --> 00:00:50,640 Speaker 1: is an ancient artifact and not a person's job. You 14 00:00:50,720 --> 00:00:53,320 Speaker 1: have a lot of options. So, as you probably guessed, 15 00:00:53,600 --> 00:00:56,280 Speaker 1: because you all are creepily aware of the sounds of 16 00:00:56,280 --> 00:00:59,720 Speaker 1: our voices, I'm your host, Margaret Kiljoy, and my guest 17 00:00:59,760 --> 00:01:01,120 Speaker 1: today is Robert Evans. 18 00:01:01,520 --> 00:01:05,479 Speaker 2: You'r gosh darn toutin rutin right, So. 19 00:01:06,520 --> 00:01:08,520 Speaker 1: I hope you all are ready because we're starting a 20 00:01:08,560 --> 00:01:11,839 Speaker 1: whole new actual book. Today is gonna be another four parter, 21 00:01:11,920 --> 00:01:13,399 Speaker 1: which is how he started this whole thing. 22 00:01:13,680 --> 00:01:15,840 Speaker 2: That's right, we're finally doing the Bible. 23 00:01:16,440 --> 00:01:17,280 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's right. 24 00:01:17,400 --> 00:01:20,880 Speaker 2: When the Abrahamick God reached out to you a couple 25 00:01:20,959 --> 00:01:23,000 Speaker 2: of months ago saying, you know, I've got this thing 26 00:01:23,040 --> 00:01:25,040 Speaker 2: that I wrote that might fit for your book club. 27 00:01:25,160 --> 00:01:26,840 Speaker 2: You and I kind of hesitated a little, but I 28 00:01:26,840 --> 00:01:28,760 Speaker 2: think he's put in the hours at this point he 29 00:01:28,800 --> 00:01:30,120 Speaker 2: deserves a shot, you know. 30 00:01:31,040 --> 00:01:33,200 Speaker 1: You know, it's like kind of inconsistent in a lot 31 00:01:33,200 --> 00:01:36,720 Speaker 1: of places, and some of it's downright means spirited, other 32 00:01:36,800 --> 00:01:37,640 Speaker 1: parts shine. 33 00:01:37,720 --> 00:01:40,039 Speaker 2: Yeah, I think this guy, I think he's got like 34 00:01:40,080 --> 00:01:42,200 Speaker 2: a temper, right. I feel like, you know, when he's 35 00:01:42,240 --> 00:01:45,199 Speaker 2: his best self, there's some pretty good moments. But man, 36 00:01:45,240 --> 00:01:47,119 Speaker 2: he really needs to take a nap or something. 37 00:01:47,200 --> 00:01:49,960 Speaker 1: You know, we shouldn't judge people based on the worst 38 00:01:49,960 --> 00:01:53,240 Speaker 1: things they've ever done consistently over the course of millennia. 39 00:01:54,040 --> 00:01:59,440 Speaker 1: That's right, only on the best things. But no, today 40 00:01:59,640 --> 00:02:05,640 Speaker 1: we're talking about our other god, Cory Doctorow, who probably 41 00:02:05,680 --> 00:02:08,239 Speaker 1: doesn't want to be considered a deity at all. 42 00:02:08,960 --> 00:02:10,960 Speaker 2: No, but I think he might fuck up some money 43 00:02:11,000 --> 00:02:13,680 Speaker 2: changers in a temple if he got the opportunity. 44 00:02:13,080 --> 00:02:17,280 Speaker 1: He would absolutely. Corey doctor Row is one of my 45 00:02:17,320 --> 00:02:20,400 Speaker 1: favorite science fiction authors and has been for a long time. Yeah. 46 00:02:20,440 --> 00:02:21,040 Speaker 2: Absolutely. 47 00:02:21,560 --> 00:02:23,920 Speaker 1: I have yet to read a Cory Doctor book that 48 00:02:23,960 --> 00:02:25,720 Speaker 1: I didn't like, but there's a lot of them, and 49 00:02:25,760 --> 00:02:26,600 Speaker 1: I haven't read them all. 50 00:02:27,400 --> 00:02:30,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, I have not read his entire Ouvra. I've read 51 00:02:31,520 --> 00:02:33,840 Speaker 2: at least a dozen of his books, including walk Away, 52 00:02:33,840 --> 00:02:36,760 Speaker 2: which I understand this is related to. Yeah, walk Away 53 00:02:36,840 --> 00:02:38,720 Speaker 2: is one of my favorite books that I've read in 54 00:02:38,760 --> 00:02:42,160 Speaker 2: the last ten years, like top three or four, probably 55 00:02:42,240 --> 00:02:45,520 Speaker 2: somewhere in there, along with your new book, The Sapling Cage. 56 00:02:45,840 --> 00:02:50,200 Speaker 1: Oh, you mean the one that actually kickstarts tomorrow at 57 00:02:50,240 --> 00:02:53,920 Speaker 1: one pm Eastern and if you look for it by Monday, 58 00:02:54,040 --> 00:02:56,640 Speaker 1: June tenth, you will be able to back it on Kickstarter. 59 00:02:56,800 --> 00:02:58,320 Speaker 1: Is that the one that you're talking about? 60 00:02:58,600 --> 00:03:01,160 Speaker 2: Well, Margaret, to me, time is a flat circle. I 61 00:03:01,240 --> 00:03:04,359 Speaker 2: have come unstuck from time like Billy Pilgrim from another 62 00:03:04,400 --> 00:03:07,440 Speaker 2: one of my favorite books by Bonnagat, which was not 63 00:03:07,480 --> 00:03:09,440 Speaker 2: written in the last ten years, and thus I am 64 00:03:09,560 --> 00:03:12,960 Speaker 2: unable to account for when things are. But that does 65 00:03:13,040 --> 00:03:13,960 Speaker 2: sound accurate to me. 66 00:03:14,440 --> 00:03:16,640 Speaker 1: Okay, Well, it's not a lot I keep track of, 67 00:03:16,720 --> 00:03:19,320 Speaker 1: but I keep track of the fact that I just 68 00:03:19,360 --> 00:03:21,160 Speaker 1: got out of a meetum with my publisher to do 69 00:03:21,200 --> 00:03:25,239 Speaker 1: the last minute getting the Kickstarter stuff together, and I'm 70 00:03:25,240 --> 00:03:28,040 Speaker 1: excited about it. But what I want to get people 71 00:03:28,040 --> 00:03:32,640 Speaker 1: excited about is a novella, which is clearly if you 72 00:03:32,639 --> 00:03:34,720 Speaker 1: look at what I've written, my favorite form of writing, 73 00:03:34,760 --> 00:03:37,040 Speaker 1: which is basically a real short novel. 74 00:03:37,560 --> 00:03:38,720 Speaker 2: Yeah. 75 00:03:38,760 --> 00:03:41,480 Speaker 1: It's called Party Discipline and it's by Cory Doctro. 76 00:03:42,360 --> 00:03:42,840 Speaker 2: Excellent. 77 00:03:43,360 --> 00:03:46,320 Speaker 1: It was first published by Reactor, which was then called 78 00:03:46,360 --> 00:03:50,520 Speaker 1: tour dot Com in twenty seventeen on their website. This 79 00:03:50,640 --> 00:03:52,880 Speaker 1: is set in the same universe as walk Away. For 80 00:03:52,920 --> 00:03:55,960 Speaker 1: everyone who's listening. If you haven't, go read walk Away. 81 00:03:56,160 --> 00:03:59,120 Speaker 1: It's way longer than this this one short. 82 00:03:59,520 --> 00:04:01,600 Speaker 2: Is there any background we need to give the listeners 83 00:04:01,640 --> 00:04:02,600 Speaker 2: so that this will make sense? 84 00:04:03,160 --> 00:04:03,360 Speaker 3: Now? 85 00:04:03,440 --> 00:04:04,760 Speaker 1: This one it stands on its own. 86 00:04:05,320 --> 00:04:06,000 Speaker 2: Okay, cool? 87 00:04:06,080 --> 00:04:06,880 Speaker 3: Yeah? 88 00:04:07,280 --> 00:04:12,520 Speaker 1: Party Discipline by Cory Doctor. I don't remember how we 89 00:04:12,600 --> 00:04:16,200 Speaker 1: decided exactly to throw Communist Party. It had been a 90 00:04:16,240 --> 00:04:19,320 Speaker 1: running joke all through senior year, whenever the obvious divisions 91 00:04:19,320 --> 00:04:21,560 Speaker 1: between the Semizadas and the rest of us came too 92 00:04:21,600 --> 00:04:25,280 Speaker 1: close to the surface of Burbank High have fun at Stanford, 93 00:04:25,320 --> 00:04:27,280 Speaker 1: Come drink with us at the Communist parties when you're 94 00:04:27,320 --> 00:04:31,600 Speaker 1: back on break. The semi Zadas were mostly white, with 95 00:04:31,640 --> 00:04:34,719 Speaker 1: some Asians not the brown kind for spice. The non 96 00:04:34,839 --> 00:04:37,200 Speaker 1: Zadas were brown and black. And we were on our 97 00:04:37,240 --> 00:04:40,760 Speaker 1: way out out of Burbank Hi and out of Burbank too. 98 00:04:41,279 --> 00:04:44,240 Speaker 1: Our parents had lucked into lottery tickets buying houses in 99 00:04:44,279 --> 00:04:48,600 Speaker 1: Burbank back when they were only ridiculously expensive. Now they 100 00:04:48,600 --> 00:04:52,000 Speaker 1: were crazy. We'd be the last generation of brown kids 101 00:04:52,040 --> 00:04:54,839 Speaker 1: to go to Burbank High because the instant we graduated, 102 00:04:55,279 --> 00:04:57,479 Speaker 1: our parents were going to sell and use the money 103 00:04:57,480 --> 00:05:00,320 Speaker 1: to go somewhere cheaper, and the leftovers would let us. 104 00:05:00,360 --> 00:05:03,240 Speaker 1: I'll take a couple of mid range MOOCs from a 105 00:05:03,240 --> 00:05:07,360 Speaker 1: big ten university to round out our community college distanced degrees. 106 00:05:08,640 --> 00:05:12,000 Speaker 1: It was nearly time for finals May, and it was hot, 107 00:05:12,279 --> 00:05:14,520 Speaker 1: over one hundred degrees every day, and we were all 108 00:05:14,560 --> 00:05:17,800 Speaker 1: a little crazy. There were the Romeos and Juliets who 109 00:05:17,839 --> 00:05:20,880 Speaker 1: are feeling the impending tragedy of their inevitable breakup. The 110 00:05:20,960 --> 00:05:23,160 Speaker 1: kids who knew they weren't cut out for university or 111 00:05:23,200 --> 00:05:25,920 Speaker 1: couldn't afford it, had no clue what they would do next. 112 00:05:26,440 --> 00:05:28,839 Speaker 1: The ones who had kept their noses to their screens 113 00:05:28,880 --> 00:05:32,120 Speaker 1: for four years, busting their humps to get top marks 114 00:05:32,400 --> 00:05:34,720 Speaker 1: and were just now realizing that none of it mattered 115 00:05:34,720 --> 00:05:38,760 Speaker 1: for shit. And then there was me. I like to 116 00:05:38,760 --> 00:05:41,039 Speaker 1: hang out with my bestie Cherell at the back of 117 00:05:41,040 --> 00:05:43,719 Speaker 1: the portables, by the old basketball court, where there was 118 00:05:43,720 --> 00:05:46,640 Speaker 1: a gap in the CCTV coverage that the school filled 119 00:05:46,680 --> 00:05:50,080 Speaker 1: with intermittent drone flybys. It was where the vapor kids 120 00:05:50,160 --> 00:05:53,200 Speaker 1: hung out, But I wasn't one of them. Even decaf 121 00:05:53,240 --> 00:05:56,080 Speaker 1: crack wasn't my idea of a good time. I just 122 00:05:56,160 --> 00:05:58,520 Speaker 1: like to be a little off the grid, because your 123 00:05:58,560 --> 00:05:59,760 Speaker 1: business is your business. 124 00:06:00,000 --> 00:06:00,200 Speaker 3: You know. 125 00:06:01,600 --> 00:06:05,320 Speaker 1: My cousin got laid off. Cherrell's smart fingernails were infected 126 00:06:05,320 --> 00:06:08,760 Speaker 1: with ransomware, again, refusing to work on payment touch points 127 00:06:08,760 --> 00:06:12,240 Speaker 1: and blinking in seizure time. She was awkwardly trying to 128 00:06:12,279 --> 00:06:15,400 Speaker 1: patch them, pressing each one's hard reset while tapping her 129 00:06:15,400 --> 00:06:17,960 Speaker 1: phone to it. But it was a job that really 130 00:06:17,960 --> 00:06:20,440 Speaker 1: needed a third hand, and since I'd told her that 131 00:06:20,520 --> 00:06:23,880 Speaker 1: this was going to happen, I refused to help. She 132 00:06:24,000 --> 00:06:26,440 Speaker 1: was sitting against the portable wall with her knees drawn 133 00:06:26,520 --> 00:06:31,479 Speaker 1: up and her phone balanced on them. Mikhail no Antoine, 134 00:06:31,839 --> 00:06:35,080 Speaker 1: the sheet metal guy. It had been decades since Lockheed 135 00:06:35,120 --> 00:06:37,760 Speaker 1: Martin left Burbank, but there were plenty of remnants of 136 00:06:37,760 --> 00:06:40,200 Speaker 1: its glory days, including all the metal shops that had 137 00:06:40,240 --> 00:06:43,640 Speaker 1: supplied it. Antoine had worked at three or four of these, 138 00:06:43,839 --> 00:06:46,479 Speaker 1: hopping around as they got shut down. Then he'd got 139 00:06:46,520 --> 00:06:49,000 Speaker 1: a job in Encino that meant a long commute but 140 00:06:49,120 --> 00:06:52,520 Speaker 1: was supposed to be a steady check. And Robert Evans, 141 00:06:52,520 --> 00:06:54,640 Speaker 1: do you know what you can do with your steady check? 142 00:06:55,480 --> 00:06:58,200 Speaker 2: Spend it on the thing that gives us a steady check, 143 00:06:58,360 --> 00:07:01,200 Speaker 2: whoever happens to be advertised for this podcast. 144 00:07:01,320 --> 00:07:05,280 Speaker 1: At the moment, it's almost like a cyberpunk thing itself 145 00:07:05,400 --> 00:07:07,040 Speaker 1: that this is cut through that. 146 00:07:06,960 --> 00:07:09,720 Speaker 2: It's almost like we live in a cyberpunk dystopia, except 147 00:07:09,760 --> 00:07:12,600 Speaker 2: for I cannot get a move by wire system installed 148 00:07:12,640 --> 00:07:17,000 Speaker 2: in my central nervous system or titanium bone lacings, and 149 00:07:17,040 --> 00:07:20,640 Speaker 2: I'm livid about that. Not yet, not yet, not yet. 150 00:07:21,120 --> 00:07:23,360 Speaker 1: I'm sure someone will do a terrible version that play 151 00:07:23,400 --> 00:07:24,520 Speaker 1: ads inside your skull. 152 00:07:24,880 --> 00:07:27,400 Speaker 2: Yeah. I would much prefer the shadow run version where 153 00:07:27,480 --> 00:07:30,400 Speaker 2: we randomly turn into mythical creatures. But we also have 154 00:07:30,560 --> 00:07:32,880 Speaker 2: laser guns, so somebody make that happen. 155 00:07:33,080 --> 00:07:35,040 Speaker 1: It really is the best of both worlds. 156 00:07:34,800 --> 00:07:37,520 Speaker 2: It really is. I want to vote for a dragon 157 00:07:37,560 --> 00:07:40,480 Speaker 2: for president. We had so many presidents that are more 158 00:07:40,520 --> 00:07:41,679 Speaker 2: depressing than a dragon. 159 00:07:42,200 --> 00:07:44,320 Speaker 1: I know, at least it's interesting. 160 00:07:44,800 --> 00:08:07,320 Speaker 3: Yeah, like these ads, unless you skip them. 161 00:07:57,920 --> 00:08:01,840 Speaker 1: And we're back. That job seems too good to be true. 162 00:08:02,560 --> 00:08:04,360 Speaker 1: Turns out they had a five year tax holiday from 163 00:08:04,440 --> 00:08:06,680 Speaker 1: Encino and it ran out this year. If Antoine had 164 00:08:06,680 --> 00:08:08,560 Speaker 1: been smart enough to look it up, he'd have known 165 00:08:08,560 --> 00:08:11,080 Speaker 1: that they weren't going to last pass July. She got 166 00:08:11,080 --> 00:08:14,080 Speaker 1: one fingernail done, moved on to the next one. What's 167 00:08:14,080 --> 00:08:17,240 Speaker 1: happened to the factory? She got another fingernail done, then 168 00:08:17,280 --> 00:08:20,800 Speaker 1: dropped her phone. Fucky darn. I kicked it back to 169 00:08:20,840 --> 00:08:24,760 Speaker 1: her thanks. I think she wedged the phone again and 170 00:08:24,800 --> 00:08:27,480 Speaker 1: tried to reset her third nail. That they're doing it 171 00:08:27,600 --> 00:08:31,480 Speaker 1: up and out. That was when a company's tax incentives 172 00:08:31,560 --> 00:08:34,360 Speaker 1: ran out, and then the company ran out too, shutting 173 00:08:34,400 --> 00:08:38,280 Speaker 1: down an arm's length subsidiary through fast bankruptcy and leaving 174 00:08:38,320 --> 00:08:41,320 Speaker 1: its creditors. The people who worked there say to sort 175 00:08:41,360 --> 00:08:44,200 Speaker 1: out the sale of its assets. Up and outs made 176 00:08:44,240 --> 00:08:47,880 Speaker 1: sense because companies were hollow. They leased everything and contracted 177 00:08:47,920 --> 00:08:51,480 Speaker 1: everything out. The leasing companies didn't beef because they had 178 00:08:51,480 --> 00:08:53,800 Speaker 1: a sweet loophole they could take a write off on 179 00:08:53,840 --> 00:08:56,440 Speaker 1: the equipment that was based on the full replacement value, 180 00:08:56,480 --> 00:08:59,760 Speaker 1: despite having already taken depreciation and fees for the whole 181 00:08:59,800 --> 00:09:02,800 Speaker 1: time the plant had run. We'd done a CIVIX for 182 00:09:02,880 --> 00:09:05,560 Speaker 1: Business unit on it as part of the curriculum on 183 00:09:05,679 --> 00:09:10,360 Speaker 1: generally accepted accounting practices. Of course, the people who worked 184 00:09:10,360 --> 00:09:12,800 Speaker 1: there often found themselves shot out of luck when it 185 00:09:12,840 --> 00:09:15,960 Speaker 1: came to their last paycheck, and sometimes that least equipment 186 00:09:16,000 --> 00:09:18,080 Speaker 1: would walk out the door. In the days running up 187 00:09:18,160 --> 00:09:21,480 Speaker 1: to the out and up and out, I was hungry 188 00:09:21,679 --> 00:09:24,840 Speaker 1: like always. Mom didn't believe in SCOP and I didn't 189 00:09:24,840 --> 00:09:26,360 Speaker 1: want to piss her off, so I wouldn't eat out 190 00:09:26,360 --> 00:09:29,000 Speaker 1: of the vending machines at school. But that meant if 191 00:09:29,000 --> 00:09:30,960 Speaker 1: I didn't remember throw an apple in my bag, my 192 00:09:31,000 --> 00:09:34,360 Speaker 1: stomach would growl all the way to lunch. Got anything 193 00:09:34,360 --> 00:09:37,600 Speaker 1: to eat. She finished the fifth nail in her left 194 00:09:37,600 --> 00:09:39,680 Speaker 1: hand and fished in her purse and passed me some 195 00:09:39,800 --> 00:09:43,160 Speaker 1: leptin gum, which was supposed to enhance satiety and help 196 00:09:43,200 --> 00:09:45,480 Speaker 1: people like Charelle stick to the diets they had no 197 00:09:45,520 --> 00:09:48,040 Speaker 1: need to be on in the first place. I didn't 198 00:09:48,080 --> 00:09:50,760 Speaker 1: like to chew it, but my stomach was rumbling. I 199 00:09:50,840 --> 00:09:53,679 Speaker 1: unwrapped a stick and chewed it. It tasted like caramelized 200 00:09:53,679 --> 00:09:56,920 Speaker 1: hemi proteins, which is to say, cooked blood in a 201 00:09:56,960 --> 00:09:59,959 Speaker 1: good way, like a burger. Thanks to the transgenic yea 202 00:10:00,200 --> 00:10:04,160 Speaker 1: it was cultured with. My stomach stopped making noise. Maybe 203 00:10:04,200 --> 00:10:08,439 Speaker 1: it worked. Maybe it was the placebo effect. You sure 204 00:10:08,480 --> 00:10:10,480 Speaker 1: about that? Up and out? I tried not to sound 205 00:10:10,520 --> 00:10:14,680 Speaker 1: too interested. Cherrelle had a severe case of risk aversion. 206 00:10:15,720 --> 00:10:18,920 Speaker 1: Girl her side, I could have cut a thousand yards, 207 00:10:19,559 --> 00:10:21,520 Speaker 1: but I had been immune to it since ninth grade. 208 00:10:21,880 --> 00:10:26,840 Speaker 1: Come on, Charelle, just asking. It's a daydream. Communist parties 209 00:10:26,920 --> 00:10:29,760 Speaker 1: were one of my favorite daydreams to dream me and 210 00:10:29,800 --> 00:10:33,000 Speaker 1: my revolutionary comrades, and are funny Karl mark S beards, 211 00:10:33,280 --> 00:10:35,960 Speaker 1: liberating a whole factory under the noses of cops in 212 00:10:36,000 --> 00:10:39,120 Speaker 1: the town, running all those machines, and giving away free 213 00:10:39,120 --> 00:10:43,200 Speaker 1: shit until the feedstock ran out. My dream parties didn't 214 00:10:43,240 --> 00:10:46,040 Speaker 1: usually take place at a sheet metal factory. I liked 215 00:10:46,040 --> 00:10:48,120 Speaker 1: the idea of taking over a scop factory where they 216 00:10:48,160 --> 00:10:50,719 Speaker 1: made burgers or candy or ice cream, because then I 217 00:10:50,760 --> 00:10:53,559 Speaker 1: would be the person who gave everyone free candy or burgers. 218 00:10:53,960 --> 00:10:56,640 Speaker 1: Or ice cream, but I take sheet metal. This is 219 00:10:56,679 --> 00:10:59,320 Speaker 1: the only thing going. I could learn my skills there. 220 00:10:59,440 --> 00:11:01,880 Speaker 1: And also Mama wouldn't kill me for the scop thing 221 00:11:01,880 --> 00:11:06,720 Speaker 1: if she found out. Damned health food crazies, Linney. She 222 00:11:06,720 --> 00:11:08,520 Speaker 1: sounded like her own mama when she warned, but I 223 00:11:08,559 --> 00:11:10,640 Speaker 1: wasn't scared of her mama. I was scared of my mama, 224 00:11:10,880 --> 00:11:13,559 Speaker 1: and her mama sounded nothing like mine. Really, the whole 225 00:11:13,600 --> 00:11:16,240 Speaker 1: basis of our lasting friendship was my immunity to all 226 00:11:16,280 --> 00:11:19,240 Speaker 1: her secret weapons, which would otherwise burn you down in 227 00:11:19,280 --> 00:11:23,120 Speaker 1: your shoes the first time she spatted with you, it's 228 00:11:23,160 --> 00:11:26,359 Speaker 1: a daydream like. Saying it twice would make it more believable. 229 00:11:27,160 --> 00:11:28,920 Speaker 1: You're gonna ask someone else if I don't tell you, 230 00:11:28,960 --> 00:11:32,440 Speaker 1: aren't you? I didn't deign to answer. I'll hold your 231 00:11:32,440 --> 00:11:35,680 Speaker 1: phone while you do your other hand. She tried the 232 00:11:35,679 --> 00:11:38,400 Speaker 1: side eye again, then she put it away and patted 233 00:11:38,400 --> 00:11:42,319 Speaker 1: the ground next to her. Hold my phone, then go on. 234 00:11:42,320 --> 00:11:45,200 Speaker 1: Once she'd done her right thumb, she said, it'sn't up 235 00:11:45,200 --> 00:11:47,120 Speaker 1: and out. Yeah, And a lot of the workers there 236 00:11:47,120 --> 00:11:50,320 Speaker 1: aren't happy about it. Wages have been really delayed lately. 237 00:11:50,760 --> 00:11:53,520 Speaker 1: Lots of people owed a lot of back pay, especially 238 00:11:53,559 --> 00:11:56,000 Speaker 1: people who are out on sick pay. People got injured 239 00:11:56,040 --> 00:11:58,400 Speaker 1: on the job, can't go down to the payroll office 240 00:11:58,400 --> 00:12:03,560 Speaker 1: in person. O, there's talk talk. She shook her head. 241 00:12:04,200 --> 00:12:06,640 Speaker 1: You're going to make me spell it out talk. They're 242 00:12:06,679 --> 00:12:08,840 Speaker 1: going to run some shifts after the place shuts down, 243 00:12:09,080 --> 00:12:11,640 Speaker 1: sell things out the back door. Whatever they can make 244 00:12:11,679 --> 00:12:13,600 Speaker 1: back the money. They know they're going to be burned for. 245 00:12:14,280 --> 00:12:17,760 Speaker 1: In case you don't understand, Missy, that means no communist parties. 246 00:12:19,280 --> 00:12:21,480 Speaker 1: I sighed and moved her phone to the last finger. 247 00:12:22,200 --> 00:12:26,400 Speaker 1: No party, then, nope, forget a girl. Concentrate on graduating. 248 00:12:26,480 --> 00:12:30,280 Speaker 1: B students don't get scholarships. This was a running joke 249 00:12:30,320 --> 00:12:33,440 Speaker 1: between us, because A students didn't get scholarships either. I 250 00:12:33,480 --> 00:12:35,560 Speaker 1: mean they did, but at a rate you'd have to 251 00:12:35,559 --> 00:12:38,080 Speaker 1: be nuts to count on, like basing your life plan 252 00:12:38,120 --> 00:12:41,040 Speaker 1: on winning the lottery every ten years. Because there were 253 00:12:41,120 --> 00:12:44,000 Speaker 1: way way more kids with brokeass parents and sharp minds 254 00:12:44,040 --> 00:12:46,400 Speaker 1: than there were spaces left behind by the dullards who 255 00:12:46,400 --> 00:12:49,360 Speaker 1: made it into the university on quote merit and by 256 00:12:49,400 --> 00:12:53,520 Speaker 1: taking the quote no assistance required box on their applications. 257 00:12:54,679 --> 00:12:58,840 Speaker 1: I was an a student anyway. She called me that 258 00:12:59,000 --> 00:13:02,640 Speaker 1: night after mama's lights out, no phones, blackout time. My 259 00:13:02,679 --> 00:13:05,040 Speaker 1: little sister Tisha stared at me from her bed when 260 00:13:05,040 --> 00:13:08,880 Speaker 1: I took the call and mouthed, I'm telling I rolled 261 00:13:08,880 --> 00:13:12,120 Speaker 1: my eyes at her. She wouldn't tell. Titia was still 262 00:13:12,120 --> 00:13:14,640 Speaker 1: developing her low cunning, and there was plenty of stuff 263 00:13:14,679 --> 00:13:16,560 Speaker 1: i'd caught her in that she didn't want me blabbing 264 00:13:16,559 --> 00:13:22,640 Speaker 1: to mama. In retaliation, it's late, I whispered, your mama's crazy. 265 00:13:23,000 --> 00:13:26,640 Speaker 1: Cherrell's mama was strict too, but not about bedtimes. She 266 00:13:26,679 --> 00:13:28,560 Speaker 1: was an insomniac, and so were her kids, and she 267 00:13:28,640 --> 00:13:31,480 Speaker 1: taught them her coping skills of doing all their homework, showering, 268 00:13:31,520 --> 00:13:33,559 Speaker 1: laying out their clothes, and packing their lunches at two 269 00:13:33,559 --> 00:13:36,280 Speaker 1: am so they could rise twenty minutes before first bell, 270 00:13:36,640 --> 00:13:39,160 Speaker 1: pee and wash their faces and be on campus with 271 00:13:39,280 --> 00:13:43,000 Speaker 1: seconds to spare. You call me up after curfew to 272 00:13:43,040 --> 00:13:47,400 Speaker 1: tell me that. Send a text next time Antoine called us, 273 00:13:47,440 --> 00:13:52,239 Speaker 1: all thought you'd want to know. I almost said, who's Antoine? 274 00:13:52,480 --> 00:13:55,240 Speaker 1: And then I remembered her cousin, the sheet metal worker. 275 00:13:56,160 --> 00:13:59,880 Speaker 1: Oh you want to know what he said? Don't play game, Cherill. 276 00:14:00,040 --> 00:14:01,960 Speaker 1: I'm not trying to wake up my Mama Tisha staring 277 00:14:02,000 --> 00:14:05,560 Speaker 1: at me like she caught me strangling a cat too. Hi, Tisha. 278 00:14:06,000 --> 00:14:08,439 Speaker 1: It was loud enough that Tisha heard it through the earpiece. 279 00:14:08,880 --> 00:14:13,959 Speaker 1: I winced high, Cherrelle, she mouthed and grinned. She says, Hi, 280 00:14:15,160 --> 00:14:19,280 Speaker 1: Now what is it? Cherrell? Antoine called you said that. 281 00:14:20,320 --> 00:14:22,760 Speaker 1: He said, the reason the plant is shutting down so 282 00:14:22,880 --> 00:14:26,320 Speaker 1: fast isn't just about the tax credits. He said, there 283 00:14:26,320 --> 00:14:28,400 Speaker 1: was a wobbley in the shop, someone trying to get 284 00:14:28,440 --> 00:14:32,440 Speaker 1: everyone to sign a union card. Union organizing was a 285 00:14:32,440 --> 00:14:35,360 Speaker 1: fireable offense, had been since I was a little girl, 286 00:14:35,760 --> 00:14:37,920 Speaker 1: but that didn't mean it didn't happen, and if enough 287 00:14:37,920 --> 00:14:40,320 Speaker 1: of the workers signed a card, the factory wouldn't be 288 00:14:40,320 --> 00:14:43,120 Speaker 1: allowed to stop paying taxes until the California Labor Board 289 00:14:43,320 --> 00:14:47,600 Speaker 1: had completed its investigation. Antoine says the other workers are 290 00:14:47,640 --> 00:14:52,600 Speaker 1: pissed at the wobbley, not stupid at the bosses. Antoine 291 00:14:52,600 --> 00:14:55,520 Speaker 1: says that before all this, most of the employees didn't 292 00:14:55,520 --> 00:14:57,720 Speaker 1: really give a damn about the wobbley in her nonsense, 293 00:14:58,200 --> 00:15:00,480 Speaker 1: and now it's got everyone thinking, got them thinking about 294 00:15:00,480 --> 00:15:04,000 Speaker 1: making an example of the plant. They get away with 295 00:15:04,040 --> 00:15:07,640 Speaker 1: this next time, they'll be even worse, hold up, get 296 00:15:07,680 --> 00:15:12,560 Speaker 1: away with what? Just listen okay. I realized she was excited, 297 00:15:12,760 --> 00:15:17,600 Speaker 1: really excited. The wobbly got deported born in America on 298 00:15:17,640 --> 00:15:20,920 Speaker 1: everything they sent her to Guatemala. Said her parents were 299 00:15:21,000 --> 00:15:24,160 Speaker 1: undocumented when she was born here, so that makes her 300 00:15:24,200 --> 00:15:28,360 Speaker 1: an anchor baby. Everybody is pissed, Like I said, they 301 00:15:28,400 --> 00:15:30,520 Speaker 1: know it's just bullshit, an excuse to get rid of 302 00:15:30,520 --> 00:15:33,800 Speaker 1: her because she'd come sniffing around the shop. Antoine says 303 00:15:33,840 --> 00:15:35,360 Speaker 1: none of them gave a damn when she was talking 304 00:15:35,400 --> 00:15:38,080 Speaker 1: about helping them, but when she got deported for trying 305 00:15:38,600 --> 00:15:40,880 Speaker 1: out comes all this corny talk about it being on 306 00:15:41,000 --> 00:15:43,840 Speaker 1: American to shut her down. They're gonna let us have 307 00:15:43,840 --> 00:15:47,680 Speaker 1: a communist party. She made a sound between a squeal 308 00:15:47,760 --> 00:15:51,280 Speaker 1: and a cheer, and Tisha's eyes got wild. I cut 309 00:15:51,280 --> 00:15:53,360 Speaker 1: her my sternest look so she didn't jump right out 310 00:15:53,400 --> 00:15:55,040 Speaker 1: of the bed and tell Mama when she just heard. 311 00:15:55,400 --> 00:15:57,680 Speaker 1: And I realized with a sinking feeling, that I was 312 00:15:57,720 --> 00:15:59,640 Speaker 1: going to have to get my little sister involved. If 313 00:15:59,640 --> 00:16:02,640 Speaker 1: I didn't wanted to wrap me out, Mama would kill me. 314 00:16:03,800 --> 00:16:05,600 Speaker 1: The gravity of it fell down on top of me. 315 00:16:06,320 --> 00:16:09,400 Speaker 1: It was one thing to daydream about this another to planet. 316 00:16:10,120 --> 00:16:12,080 Speaker 1: I'd have to do a lot of googling. He's one 317 00:16:12,120 --> 00:16:14,440 Speaker 1: of those darknet googles that I can't even remember how 318 00:16:14,480 --> 00:16:16,400 Speaker 1: to reach, So that meant i'd have to get one 319 00:16:16,440 --> 00:16:18,920 Speaker 1: of those brainiac nerds at school to explain it again, 320 00:16:19,040 --> 00:16:21,960 Speaker 1: which meant they'd know I was looking up something forbidden, 321 00:16:22,160 --> 00:16:25,680 Speaker 1: which meant that I'd be even more exposed. And you 322 00:16:25,720 --> 00:16:28,320 Speaker 1: aren't even listening to me, are you? Line uh nu 323 00:16:28,360 --> 00:16:31,720 Speaker 1: huh no, Sorry, chill just thinking it through. Damn are 324 00:16:31,800 --> 00:16:37,120 Speaker 1: we really gonna we are? You don't get us caught first. 325 00:16:37,680 --> 00:16:40,320 Speaker 1: Antoine met us at the Froyo place off San Fernando, 326 00:16:40,680 --> 00:16:42,960 Speaker 1: the sketchy part near the dead Ikea that had been 327 00:16:43,000 --> 00:16:45,600 Speaker 1: all cut up for little market stalls that were mostly empty. 328 00:16:46,360 --> 00:16:48,440 Speaker 1: I hadn't seen him since we've been freshman and he'd 329 00:16:48,480 --> 00:16:51,280 Speaker 1: been a senior, and in the years since, he'd got 330 00:16:51,320 --> 00:16:54,560 Speaker 1: strangely grayish, his skin sagging off his face and his 331 00:16:54,640 --> 00:16:57,120 Speaker 1: hair shot with white, like he was an old man. 332 00:16:57,760 --> 00:17:00,840 Speaker 1: He looked like he hadn't been sleeping much either. He 333 00:17:00,920 --> 00:17:02,880 Speaker 1: made a sign at us, a thing with his hands 334 00:17:02,920 --> 00:17:04,879 Speaker 1: like the kids had done to pass messages around the 335 00:17:04,920 --> 00:17:08,159 Speaker 1: classroom back when we'd been kids. It took me a 336 00:17:08,200 --> 00:17:11,119 Speaker 1: second to remember that this one meant phones down, school 337 00:17:11,160 --> 00:17:14,119 Speaker 1: cops coming. I couldn't figure out what that was supposed 338 00:17:14,160 --> 00:17:16,600 Speaker 1: to mean. But Charrell got it and reached into a 339 00:17:16,680 --> 00:17:19,440 Speaker 1: purse and shut her phone down. Now I got it. 340 00:17:19,720 --> 00:17:23,280 Speaker 1: I did the same. We'd both been infected before, of course, 341 00:17:23,640 --> 00:17:26,440 Speaker 1: drive by bad wear. That let some creepy Rando spy 342 00:17:26,520 --> 00:17:29,960 Speaker 1: on us through our phones. But then we got more careful. 343 00:17:30,680 --> 00:17:33,000 Speaker 1: But he wasn't worried about Rando spying through our phone. 344 00:17:33,560 --> 00:17:37,879 Speaker 1: He was worried about cops. You think Burbank PD is 345 00:17:37,920 --> 00:17:40,040 Speaker 1: going to bother with you? I wanted to ask, but 346 00:17:40,080 --> 00:17:44,320 Speaker 1: the fact was maybe they would. Why not, once they 347 00:17:44,359 --> 00:17:46,119 Speaker 1: bought that kind of thing, why wouldn't they want to 348 00:17:46,200 --> 00:17:50,159 Speaker 1: use it every chance they got? I probably would. Damn. 349 00:17:50,359 --> 00:17:52,240 Speaker 1: He looked us up and down, not like a perf, 350 00:17:52,280 --> 00:17:55,000 Speaker 1: but like a grown up judging a little kid. You 351 00:17:55,000 --> 00:17:57,720 Speaker 1: two are so young. I don't know if this was 352 00:17:57,760 --> 00:18:01,080 Speaker 1: such a good idea. Schreelle gave him an up and 353 00:18:01,080 --> 00:18:04,679 Speaker 1: down of her own. Antwine, we're only five years younger 354 00:18:04,680 --> 00:18:08,439 Speaker 1: than you. Fool smart too. Besides, it was Linai's idea, 355 00:18:08,840 --> 00:18:13,199 Speaker 1: not yours. That was news to me far as I 356 00:18:13,240 --> 00:18:16,440 Speaker 1: knew he'd had the idea told Cherrell and she'd said, oh, 357 00:18:16,520 --> 00:18:19,000 Speaker 1: Linaise said the same thing. But the way he shook 358 00:18:19,040 --> 00:18:21,359 Speaker 1: his head, I knew it was true. He'd got the 359 00:18:21,400 --> 00:18:24,120 Speaker 1: idea from me. That made me feel pretty badass. Tell 360 00:18:24,160 --> 00:18:29,040 Speaker 1: the truth. Okay, okay, your mama will kill me though 361 00:18:30,119 --> 00:18:36,040 Speaker 1: a twine. Okay, there's he lowered his voice. Forty five 362 00:18:36,080 --> 00:18:38,199 Speaker 1: of us and one guy. He says he spoke to 363 00:18:38,240 --> 00:18:40,920 Speaker 1: a wobbly and they're pissed about what happened to that girl, 364 00:18:41,320 --> 00:18:43,920 Speaker 1: and they say they'll help. We got all skills in hands. 365 00:18:44,000 --> 00:18:45,399 Speaker 1: We need to get it running, but we don't know 366 00:18:45,400 --> 00:18:48,520 Speaker 1: how we get the word out without getting popped. Who 367 00:18:48,560 --> 00:18:51,200 Speaker 1: do you want to reach? I've been wondering about this myself. 368 00:18:51,560 --> 00:18:53,720 Speaker 1: I didn't really know much about sheet metal except it was, 369 00:18:54,000 --> 00:18:58,040 Speaker 1: you know, metal that came in sheets. What would you 370 00:18:58,040 --> 00:18:59,680 Speaker 1: do with a bunch of that stuff around the house. 371 00:19:01,000 --> 00:19:05,199 Speaker 1: We don't know either. Antoine looked anxious, more anxious. He 372 00:19:05,280 --> 00:19:08,600 Speaker 1: dry washed those big knuckled hands. We can make just 373 00:19:08,640 --> 00:19:11,080 Speaker 1: about anything we got a file for, and there's plenty 374 00:19:11,080 --> 00:19:13,920 Speaker 1: of files out there. You want a fireplace around or 375 00:19:13,960 --> 00:19:17,639 Speaker 1: a new truck, bumper. We got you covered. Don't know 376 00:19:17,720 --> 00:19:21,119 Speaker 1: many people who need a truck bumper, Chrell said, I know. 377 00:19:21,760 --> 00:19:23,960 Speaker 1: Antoine gave her a shut up look that was brotherly, 378 00:19:24,080 --> 00:19:26,440 Speaker 1: reminding me that they'd been close since they were little. 379 00:19:27,119 --> 00:19:29,399 Speaker 1: There's all kinds of toys we can make, too, little 380 00:19:29,560 --> 00:19:32,520 Speaker 1: cars and shit. He looked at us, like, you think 381 00:19:32,520 --> 00:19:35,680 Speaker 1: that'll do it. I don't think we're going to strike 382 00:19:35,760 --> 00:19:38,000 Speaker 1: terror into the hearts of the investor class by giving 383 00:19:38,000 --> 00:19:41,880 Speaker 1: away little cars. Antoine, sorry, because that was the point, right, 384 00:19:42,320 --> 00:19:45,120 Speaker 1: give us all part, give them sorrows. I hadn't really 385 00:19:45,119 --> 00:19:48,159 Speaker 1: thought about where sheet metal fit into that framework. He 386 00:19:48,200 --> 00:19:51,240 Speaker 1: shook his head. He knew it too. What were you 387 00:19:51,320 --> 00:19:55,719 Speaker 1: making Uber parts? He shrugged. Mostly for the vans, you know. 388 00:19:57,480 --> 00:19:59,520 Speaker 1: La Metro had been using the vans for most of 389 00:19:59,520 --> 00:20:01,800 Speaker 1: my life, though I could still remember when there had 390 00:20:01,800 --> 00:20:04,399 Speaker 1: been city buses before the contract went out to Uber. 391 00:20:04,960 --> 00:20:07,880 Speaker 1: The vans were boxing and indestructible, covered in some kind 392 00:20:07,880 --> 00:20:10,320 Speaker 1: of slippery treatment that you couldn't write on or mark, 393 00:20:10,640 --> 00:20:13,439 Speaker 1: which gave off a funky musty smell, like old socks 394 00:20:13,480 --> 00:20:15,960 Speaker 1: when the sun baked it. But you know what won't 395 00:20:16,040 --> 00:20:19,040 Speaker 1: give off a funky musty smell Robert. 396 00:20:18,880 --> 00:20:22,360 Speaker 2: While the Washington State Highway Patrol might that's true. Some 397 00:20:22,400 --> 00:20:25,399 Speaker 2: complaints have been made, but yeah, nothing else, no one 398 00:20:25,400 --> 00:20:26,640 Speaker 2: else who advertises for us. 399 00:20:27,320 --> 00:20:33,760 Speaker 1: We apply special cool zone media covering that anti bad smell. 400 00:20:34,000 --> 00:20:36,240 Speaker 2: And we've been told that the Chumba casino people have 401 00:20:36,359 --> 00:20:37,240 Speaker 2: excellent hygie. 402 00:20:37,640 --> 00:20:42,560 Speaker 1: So I'm always too afraid to name them by name, 403 00:20:42,600 --> 00:20:43,840 Speaker 1: but that is stuck in my head. 404 00:20:43,840 --> 00:20:46,280 Speaker 2: I have no reason to doubt the Chumba Casino people 405 00:20:46,359 --> 00:20:47,920 Speaker 2: on this, Margaret. 406 00:20:47,560 --> 00:20:48,199 Speaker 1: No, isn't it? 407 00:20:48,320 --> 00:20:48,399 Speaker 3: No? 408 00:20:48,480 --> 00:20:49,560 Speaker 1: I would never tested them. 409 00:20:49,640 --> 00:20:52,879 Speaker 2: As a general rule, casinos are known for being incredibly 410 00:20:52,920 --> 00:20:55,719 Speaker 2: good at not having you smell things that are unpleasant. 411 00:20:55,880 --> 00:20:58,720 Speaker 2: That's why you can chain smoke indoors in Vegas. 412 00:20:59,160 --> 00:21:03,200 Speaker 1: Yeah, they are known as plaices of hygiene. 413 00:21:02,640 --> 00:21:07,160 Speaker 2: Palaces of hygiene, and incredibly expensive air filtration systems. 414 00:21:10,080 --> 00:21:26,600 Speaker 1: And here's an ad for probably that, And Rebecca, I 415 00:21:26,640 --> 00:21:29,359 Speaker 1: watched the people mill around the Hawker's stalls, smelling the 416 00:21:29,400 --> 00:21:32,840 Speaker 1: Korean tacos and the papoosas cooking, and wondering whether any 417 00:21:32,840 --> 00:21:35,480 Speaker 1: of it was real food instead of scop. I'd skip 418 00:21:35,520 --> 00:21:39,440 Speaker 1: breakfast that morning, and I was hungry. The food was 419 00:21:39,480 --> 00:21:42,920 Speaker 1: probably scop, judging from the clientele, who were mostly homeless, 420 00:21:43,160 --> 00:21:45,680 Speaker 1: and Mama wouldn't approve, so I didn't eat, even though 421 00:21:45,720 --> 00:21:50,040 Speaker 1: my stomach growled. According to my science teachers, single celled 422 00:21:50,119 --> 00:21:53,719 Speaker 1: organic protein was safe and healthy. According to Mama, it 423 00:21:53,720 --> 00:21:57,320 Speaker 1: was a large scale experiment in feeding mutated bacteria to humans. 424 00:21:57,760 --> 00:21:59,960 Speaker 1: Mama liked to point out that rich people didn't need stop. 425 00:22:00,560 --> 00:22:03,280 Speaker 1: They didn't drink coffee m either, but that never stopped Mama. 426 00:22:03,920 --> 00:22:06,720 Speaker 1: She also had a lapel pin that read, a foolish 427 00:22:06,760 --> 00:22:10,959 Speaker 1: consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds. Mama is one 428 00:22:11,000 --> 00:22:15,280 Speaker 1: of a kind. The homeless were accompanied by their inevitable companions, 429 00:22:15,600 --> 00:22:19,920 Speaker 1: be lovingly tended rusting ancient shopping carts. It had been 430 00:22:20,040 --> 00:22:22,200 Speaker 1: years since it was possible to remove a shopping cart 431 00:22:22,240 --> 00:22:25,000 Speaker 1: from a grocery store without being caught, but the number 432 00:22:25,080 --> 00:22:27,320 Speaker 1: of people who used the carts as home locker and 433 00:22:27,400 --> 00:22:30,760 Speaker 1: pack mule had only grown in the years since, creating 434 00:22:30,840 --> 00:22:35,000 Speaker 1: fierce competition for the old dumb carts. These ones looked 435 00:22:35,040 --> 00:22:39,919 Speaker 1: particularly raggy. Antoine and Cherrell had kept talking while I 436 00:22:39,920 --> 00:22:43,320 Speaker 1: stared at the carts, but eventually they followed my stare. 437 00:22:43,840 --> 00:22:46,000 Speaker 1: I looked at them, and they looked back at me. 438 00:22:47,240 --> 00:22:51,800 Speaker 1: Those would be easy. Antoine sounded dismissive, so Cherrell said, 439 00:22:52,359 --> 00:22:56,119 Speaker 1: you want to make something hard or something useful. I 440 00:22:56,160 --> 00:22:59,480 Speaker 1: put my hand on his shoulder. Antoine, you make those, 441 00:22:59,760 --> 00:23:03,040 Speaker 1: You'll be making something that everyone will see every day 442 00:23:03,320 --> 00:23:09,560 Speaker 1: for years and years to come. His eyes glinted, Yeah. Yeah. 443 00:23:09,640 --> 00:23:11,720 Speaker 1: He looked at the sky for a minute. I bet 444 00:23:11,760 --> 00:23:13,800 Speaker 1: there's all kinds of ways we can improve him too. 445 00:23:14,200 --> 00:23:17,000 Speaker 1: Bet there's designs for better ones like crazy too, from 446 00:23:17,000 --> 00:23:18,040 Speaker 1: the refugee camps. 447 00:23:18,560 --> 00:23:18,760 Speaker 3: I know. 448 00:23:18,840 --> 00:23:22,159 Speaker 1: I saw him in a news clip or something that's amazing. 449 00:23:22,880 --> 00:23:24,760 Speaker 1: He grinned, and he was as handsome as he'd been 450 00:23:24,800 --> 00:23:26,639 Speaker 1: when I was a freshman and he was the captain 451 00:23:26,680 --> 00:23:29,480 Speaker 1: of the senior swim team. I told myself that the 452 00:23:29,520 --> 00:23:35,119 Speaker 1: flip flops in my stomach were hunger, not crushing. It 453 00:23:35,160 --> 00:23:37,760 Speaker 1: was only five minutes before final bell when the school 454 00:23:37,760 --> 00:23:41,480 Speaker 1: went on lockdown. We all groaned as our homeroom teacher, 455 00:23:41,760 --> 00:23:45,560 Speaker 1: mister Pizitken, sprinted to the classroom door and swung down 456 00:23:45,560 --> 00:23:47,800 Speaker 1: the bar, slapping the button that pulled oar eyed the 457 00:23:47,840 --> 00:23:51,040 Speaker 1: classroom windows, including the little one in the door itself, 458 00:23:51,560 --> 00:23:55,600 Speaker 1: plunging the room into darkness. The groan made Pizitken glare 459 00:23:55,640 --> 00:23:58,360 Speaker 1: at us with his finger on his lips. Rule one 460 00:23:58,400 --> 00:24:04,720 Speaker 1: in lockdowns, no words, rule too. Silently build a shelter 461 00:24:04,800 --> 00:24:08,960 Speaker 1: of bullet absorbing furniture, and then hunker down. Nearly everything 462 00:24:08,960 --> 00:24:11,560 Speaker 1: in the classroom was made of waxed cardboard and wasn't 463 00:24:11,560 --> 00:24:15,720 Speaker 1: about to stop any artillery, not even crossbows. Yeah, some 464 00:24:15,840 --> 00:24:19,720 Speaker 1: fools actually went on school shootings armed with crossbows. But 465 00:24:19,800 --> 00:24:22,080 Speaker 1: the room had once been a science lab and there 466 00:24:22,119 --> 00:24:23,919 Speaker 1: was a big work bench running the length of the 467 00:24:23,960 --> 00:24:27,800 Speaker 1: wall made of steel and concrete, with long plugged hookups 468 00:24:27,920 --> 00:24:32,320 Speaker 1: or burners along its length. Previous lockdown drills had established 469 00:24:32,359 --> 00:24:37,040 Speaker 1: that this was our designated shelter, so we shuffled behind it. 470 00:24:37,040 --> 00:24:39,560 Speaker 1: It's not that we weren't worried about getting shot, but 471 00:24:39,600 --> 00:24:42,439 Speaker 1: we also knew that lockdowns were nine times out of 472 00:24:42,480 --> 00:24:47,320 Speaker 1: ten hoaxes. Some fool center texts said gonna be at 473 00:24:47,320 --> 00:24:51,000 Speaker 1: school later, and it got auto corrected to guns be 474 00:24:51,160 --> 00:24:55,119 Speaker 1: at school later, and that tripped burbank SWAT's paranoid fusion 475 00:24:55,200 --> 00:24:58,440 Speaker 1: Center security AI. Then we all had to hide behind 476 00:24:58,440 --> 00:25:00,400 Speaker 1: the lab bench for half an hour while the toy 477 00:25:00,480 --> 00:25:04,639 Speaker 1: soldier squad did a sweep of the school, we hunkered 478 00:25:04,720 --> 00:25:08,080 Speaker 1: down and texted each other. The school deactivated its network 479 00:25:08,080 --> 00:25:10,800 Speaker 1: filters during lockdown so we could text status updates to 480 00:25:10,840 --> 00:25:13,359 Speaker 1: the cops or our last words to our loved ones, 481 00:25:14,320 --> 00:25:17,720 Speaker 1: and made dumb jokes. Our messages were interrupted every thirty 482 00:25:17,760 --> 00:25:20,960 Speaker 1: seconds by reminders to stay silent and vigilant broadcast on 483 00:25:21,000 --> 00:25:25,200 Speaker 1: the school's administrative emergency channel by the school Safety Office. 484 00:25:25,359 --> 00:25:28,160 Speaker 1: On top of that, there were the actual status updates, 485 00:25:28,800 --> 00:25:33,440 Speaker 1: officers en route, officers on site, North Wing sweep complete, 486 00:25:33,680 --> 00:25:37,960 Speaker 1: South Wing sweep, complete, portables sweep complete. More of this, 487 00:25:38,520 --> 00:25:42,439 Speaker 1: then all clear, All clear, All clear, followed by an 488 00:25:42,440 --> 00:25:45,640 Speaker 1: announcement out of every phone speaker in the room. Only 489 00:25:45,680 --> 00:25:47,840 Speaker 1: phones that ran the school Safety app would work on 490 00:25:47,840 --> 00:25:50,639 Speaker 1: school property, so we all ran it, But dang, it 491 00:25:50,680 --> 00:25:54,240 Speaker 1: was some creepy shit. I left the classroom thinking about 492 00:25:54,240 --> 00:25:56,240 Speaker 1: my homework and whether I was supposed to pick up 493 00:25:56,280 --> 00:25:58,480 Speaker 1: Tishae from band practice. And I was so lost in 494 00:25:58,520 --> 00:26:00,800 Speaker 1: my thoughts that I didn't noticed the guy in the 495 00:26:00,840 --> 00:26:03,320 Speaker 1: suit until he put a hand on my shoulder as 496 00:26:03,359 --> 00:26:07,520 Speaker 1: I was heading for my locker. Linney Walker just the 497 00:26:07,520 --> 00:26:09,280 Speaker 1: way he said it gave him away as a cop. 498 00:26:09,840 --> 00:26:14,320 Speaker 1: I felt my heart rate triple yes, please come with me. 499 00:26:15,119 --> 00:26:18,520 Speaker 1: He steered me to the administrative office. The secretary on 500 00:26:18,560 --> 00:26:21,480 Speaker 1: the front desk pointedly didn't stare at me as he 501 00:26:21,560 --> 00:26:25,200 Speaker 1: led me into one of the VP's offices. The first 502 00:26:25,200 --> 00:26:28,000 Speaker 1: thing I noticed was my backpack on the desk, surrounded 503 00:26:28,000 --> 00:26:31,760 Speaker 1: by its contents, and next to it Charrell's bag and 504 00:26:31,840 --> 00:26:36,000 Speaker 1: its contents too. That was when I noticed Cherrelle sitting 505 00:26:36,080 --> 00:26:39,080 Speaker 1: on a low sofa. The cop indicated the spot next 506 00:26:39,119 --> 00:26:41,159 Speaker 1: to her with a tilt of his head, and I sat. 507 00:26:41,960 --> 00:26:44,600 Speaker 1: The late afternoon sun slanting through the window caught the 508 00:26:44,680 --> 00:26:47,400 Speaker 1: huge fart of dusty air that escaped from its cushions. 509 00:26:47,440 --> 00:26:51,040 Speaker 1: When I settled in, Charrell coughed a little and caught 510 00:26:51,040 --> 00:26:57,080 Speaker 1: my eye. She looked scared, really scared. Which seems like 511 00:26:57,160 --> 00:26:59,920 Speaker 1: a good place for a cliffhanger, and therefore the place 512 00:27:00,240 --> 00:27:07,399 Speaker 1: that it ends this week. Yay. I think it's interesting 513 00:27:07,480 --> 00:27:08,960 Speaker 1: how this was written in twenty seventeen. 514 00:27:09,320 --> 00:27:12,840 Speaker 2: Yeah, I wouldn't have guessed that just from the actual pros. 515 00:27:13,000 --> 00:27:16,080 Speaker 2: But you know, it's also like a lot of the 516 00:27:16,119 --> 00:27:20,159 Speaker 2: stuff about the expansion of homelessness, like the fact that 517 00:27:20,160 --> 00:27:22,960 Speaker 2: the like shopping carts have turned into these ancestral items 518 00:27:23,000 --> 00:27:25,080 Speaker 2: as the number of people in the streets have expanded, 519 00:27:25,160 --> 00:27:30,560 Speaker 2: and you know, the kind of acceleration of mass shooting 520 00:27:30,960 --> 00:27:34,720 Speaker 2: culture and the responses to it, particularly the bit about 521 00:27:34,760 --> 00:27:39,000 Speaker 2: a kid accidentally tripping the local pds AI scanning thing 522 00:27:39,119 --> 00:27:43,560 Speaker 2: or whatever by accidentally tweeting something that sounds like gun. 523 00:27:44,480 --> 00:27:46,080 Speaker 2: I guess all of that is stuff that like, yeah, 524 00:27:46,080 --> 00:27:49,560 Speaker 2: I mean in twenty seventeen, if you're looking ahead, I 525 00:27:49,600 --> 00:27:52,520 Speaker 2: can see how Corey you know, kind of picked that 526 00:27:52,600 --> 00:27:54,800 Speaker 2: stuff out in a way that feels kind of prophetic. 527 00:27:55,040 --> 00:27:58,760 Speaker 1: But yeah, yeah. And then also the person who gets 528 00:27:58,760 --> 00:28:01,199 Speaker 1: deported for labor or organizing, you know, as like an 529 00:28:01,200 --> 00:28:03,800 Speaker 1: anchor baby or whatever is like, I mean, that's the 530 00:28:03,880 --> 00:28:06,000 Speaker 1: kind of thing that I mean, the right wing has 531 00:28:06,160 --> 00:28:08,000 Speaker 1: been on about for a long time, right, I. 532 00:28:08,040 --> 00:28:10,000 Speaker 2: Mean it happened in the twenties, right, Like you had 533 00:28:10,040 --> 00:28:14,119 Speaker 2: like wobbly as and anarchists who were like various kinds 534 00:28:14,160 --> 00:28:17,760 Speaker 2: of you know, organizers get deported under some of the 535 00:28:17,840 --> 00:28:18,760 Speaker 2: laws at that time. 536 00:28:19,840 --> 00:28:23,199 Speaker 1: Yeah. And then also just like specifically that like the 537 00:28:23,280 --> 00:28:26,399 Speaker 1: anchor baby thing, the you know, guaranteed US citizenship to 538 00:28:26,400 --> 00:28:29,040 Speaker 1: people born here is a thing that the right wing 539 00:28:29,119 --> 00:28:32,040 Speaker 1: is always howling and yelling about how they want to 540 00:28:32,040 --> 00:28:36,000 Speaker 1: get rid of and I hope that one doesn't come 541 00:28:36,000 --> 00:28:38,840 Speaker 1: out true. I hope none of this comes out true 542 00:28:38,880 --> 00:28:42,520 Speaker 1: except people throwing communist parties where they get weird three 543 00:28:42,600 --> 00:28:46,120 Speaker 1: D printers on factory level to pronount free things for people. 544 00:28:47,080 --> 00:28:50,360 Speaker 2: Yeah. I mean, I guess I would prefer kids with 545 00:28:50,440 --> 00:28:53,640 Speaker 2: crossbows to kids with ar fifteens, but not because either 546 00:28:53,760 --> 00:28:56,360 Speaker 2: is good. It's just one of them is going to 547 00:28:56,400 --> 00:28:57,320 Speaker 2: kill fewer people. 548 00:28:58,200 --> 00:29:00,800 Speaker 1: Yeah. I wonder whether that's like a you know, oh, 549 00:29:00,840 --> 00:29:02,920 Speaker 1: this is what they had access to. People will do anything, 550 00:29:03,000 --> 00:29:05,000 Speaker 1: or I wonder if at this implication that the way 551 00:29:05,040 --> 00:29:07,880 Speaker 1: that school shooters develop as like such a meme. Now 552 00:29:07,920 --> 00:29:10,719 Speaker 1: some people are just trying, like clever ways to go 553 00:29:10,800 --> 00:29:12,440 Speaker 1: be the worst kind of person. 554 00:29:13,160 --> 00:29:16,239 Speaker 2: Yeah. I think there's probably a point there about how like, 555 00:29:16,360 --> 00:29:18,960 Speaker 2: if somehow, in some inconceivable way, we got rid of 556 00:29:19,000 --> 00:29:22,760 Speaker 2: all of the guns tomorrow, mass shootings like attacks like 557 00:29:22,760 --> 00:29:24,640 Speaker 2: that are still such a part of the culture that 558 00:29:24,640 --> 00:29:26,760 Speaker 2: people would find ways to carry them out. You know, 559 00:29:26,800 --> 00:29:29,520 Speaker 2: I think they would. Yeah, Basically, anything I can imagine 560 00:29:29,600 --> 00:29:33,880 Speaker 2: is less deadly than what we currently have. But now 561 00:29:33,960 --> 00:29:37,240 Speaker 2: because it's a part of the culture, people would carry 562 00:29:37,240 --> 00:29:39,960 Speaker 2: out kinds of attacks with shit like crossbows that like, 563 00:29:40,040 --> 00:29:42,640 Speaker 2: if this hadn't developed into a meme the way it would, 564 00:29:43,080 --> 00:29:45,640 Speaker 2: they probably never would have started doing because this isn't 565 00:29:45,720 --> 00:29:48,800 Speaker 2: uniquely America. You know, Serbia's had a recent spate of 566 00:29:48,960 --> 00:29:52,200 Speaker 2: mass shootings, But like Serbia's mass shooting, I think every 567 00:29:52,240 --> 00:29:55,320 Speaker 2: country's mass shootings really are at this point patterned on 568 00:29:55,600 --> 00:29:58,360 Speaker 2: the way they work in America. So we don't need 569 00:29:58,400 --> 00:29:59,960 Speaker 2: to go into too much of a aggression on that. 570 00:30:00,040 --> 00:30:05,640 Speaker 1: Yo, American exceptionalism. We're number one. We're number one about this. 571 00:30:05,800 --> 00:30:10,000 Speaker 1: No one else is really in the running. Well, next 572 00:30:10,000 --> 00:30:14,040 Speaker 1: week we're going to find out not the conclusion, but 573 00:30:14,120 --> 00:30:17,920 Speaker 1: part two of four of Party Discipline by Cory Doctor. 574 00:30:18,080 --> 00:30:21,320 Speaker 1: But you know what else, Corey Doctro wrote, He wrote 575 00:30:21,320 --> 00:30:23,000 Speaker 1: a really sweet blurb for my book. 576 00:30:23,120 --> 00:30:23,480 Speaker 2: He did. 577 00:30:24,320 --> 00:30:25,920 Speaker 1: I wrote a book called The Sapling Cage that we 578 00:30:25,960 --> 00:30:29,360 Speaker 1: talked about beginning and Monday, June tenth, twenty twenty four. 579 00:30:29,520 --> 00:30:32,520 Speaker 1: It is available for pre order through Kickstarter. Comes out 580 00:30:32,560 --> 00:30:35,360 Speaker 1: in September, although one of the backer tiers is actually 581 00:30:35,400 --> 00:30:37,400 Speaker 1: you'll get sent a copy early because there's a couple 582 00:30:37,440 --> 00:30:41,000 Speaker 1: advanced reader copies left over. But what Corey Doctor wrote 583 00:30:41,000 --> 00:30:44,800 Speaker 1: about my book, The Sapling Cage is a cracking, first rate, 584 00:30:44,840 --> 00:30:47,760 Speaker 1: epic coming of fantasy novel where the crisis of gender 585 00:30:47,800 --> 00:30:51,560 Speaker 1: identity only heightens the stakes and suspense of a propulsive, 586 00:30:51,760 --> 00:30:55,640 Speaker 1: page turning tale. A nice blurb just to talk about 587 00:30:55,680 --> 00:30:59,800 Speaker 1: how writing is this weird thing of networking. Like I 588 00:30:59,840 --> 00:31:03,600 Speaker 1: know Corey Doctro and we met when he taught at 589 00:31:03,600 --> 00:31:08,200 Speaker 1: the Clarion West Writer's Workshop in Seattle that I went 590 00:31:08,240 --> 00:31:12,360 Speaker 1: to in twenty fifteen, And at that I had a 591 00:31:12,400 --> 00:31:15,120 Speaker 1: long conversation with him about my writing. You know, I 592 00:31:15,120 --> 00:31:16,520 Speaker 1: had a couple of books out, but I was like 593 00:31:16,520 --> 00:31:18,719 Speaker 1: still kind of just finding my feet, you know, as 594 00:31:18,760 --> 00:31:20,560 Speaker 1: a writer. One of the things that I really like 595 00:31:20,720 --> 00:31:22,840 Speaker 1: is he talked about how with science fiction and fantasy, 596 00:31:24,560 --> 00:31:27,520 Speaker 1: authors pride themselves on making sure that there's this plot, 597 00:31:27,720 --> 00:31:31,280 Speaker 1: there's this like engine that drives the story forward, and 598 00:31:31,480 --> 00:31:34,040 Speaker 1: you can talk about any ideas you want, and if 599 00:31:34,080 --> 00:31:37,720 Speaker 1: you attach it to plot, you're able to like keep 600 00:31:37,800 --> 00:31:41,600 Speaker 1: the reader engaged. In a way that has really stuck 601 00:31:41,640 --> 00:31:43,480 Speaker 1: with me and made me think about how I write. 602 00:31:43,520 --> 00:31:45,240 Speaker 1: And it's one of the reasons I like how Corey 603 00:31:45,280 --> 00:31:48,680 Speaker 1: writes so much. Right Like this story is about some 604 00:31:48,760 --> 00:31:50,920 Speaker 1: teens who want to get into some trouble, and it 605 00:31:50,960 --> 00:31:55,720 Speaker 1: also is like, here's the way that factories fuck over 606 00:31:56,200 --> 00:32:03,760 Speaker 1: poor communities, you know. Anyway, anyway, so y'all next week. 607 00:32:04,000 --> 00:32:05,720 Speaker 2: We'll be back in seven days. 608 00:32:08,120 --> 00:32:10,600 Speaker 1: It Could Happen here as a production of cool Zone Media. 609 00:32:10,680 --> 00:32:13,360 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from cool Zone Media, visit our website 610 00:32:13,400 --> 00:32:16,520 Speaker 1: coolzonemedia dot com, or check us out on the iHeartRadio app, 611 00:32:16,560 --> 00:32:19,920 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. You can 612 00:32:19,920 --> 00:32:22,640 Speaker 1: find sources for It Could Happen Here, updated monthly at 613 00:32:22,640 --> 00:32:25,920 Speaker 1: coolzonemedia dot com slash sources. Thanks for listening.