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Speaker 1: Chapter thirteen, Manny Manny woke up feeling like his mouth

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Speaker 1: was filled with cotton and his head was filled with spiders.

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Speaker 1: It took him a few long seconds to remember where

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Speaker 1: he was and what had happened to bring him here.

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Speaker 1: He activated his deck and was shocked to see that

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Speaker 1: more than a day had passed since he dropped into bed.

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Speaker 1: His first guess was that he was suffering some side

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Speaker 1: effect from Skullfucker Mike's blood. He couldn't think of any

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Speaker 1: other times he'd slept that long, although he also couldn't

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Speaker 1: think of any other times he'd survived a drone attack

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Speaker 1: and an intentional car crash in the same minute. Meret.

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Speaker 1: He cursed and then called out Reggie. He looked over

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Speaker 1: to the cot the journalist had been sleeping on. It

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Speaker 1: was dark in the little room Nana Yazi had provided.

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Speaker 1: He could see the outline of Reggie's empty cot and

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Speaker 1: not much else. The room was just one tin by

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Speaker 1: tin section of an old shipping crate. Manny knew the

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Speaker 1: only things in the room besides their cots were a

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Speaker 1: table with a built in coffee maker and a pair

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Speaker 1: of folding chairs. Manny sat up owned as every palpable

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Speaker 1: thing in his body popped and then rose to his feet.

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Speaker 1: As he stumbled to the door, his deck started to

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Speaker 1: populate with messages from friends and family back in Austin.

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Speaker 1: By the time his hand touched the knob, there were

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Speaker 1: more than fifty translucent messages hovering at the edges of

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Speaker 1: his field of vision. He blink selected a mass response template,

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Speaker 1: filled it with the names of everyone who had sent

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Speaker 1: him something, and typed out an update not dead details later.

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Speaker 1: He almost sent it, but then he noticed one of

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Speaker 1: the names, Ayisha Martinez, Oscar's wife. He could only see

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Speaker 1: the first few lines of the message without opening it,

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Speaker 1: but what he saw made it clear she was terrified

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Speaker 1: for her husband. Manny De selected her from the list

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Speaker 1: and sent the mass message off to everyone else, and

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Speaker 1: then scrolled through his messages until he found Oscar's message stack.

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Speaker 1: The other fixer still hadn't said anything, not since the

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Speaker 1: assault had begun. Many opened up Aisha's message. He tried

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Speaker 1: to read it, he really did, but his brain wouldn't

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Speaker 1: let his eyes focus on the words. His heart started

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Speaker 1: to pound, his gut curdled, and instead of reading it,

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Speaker 1: he typed her a quick response, I'm alive. I'm so sorry,

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Speaker 1: but I don't know where Oscar is or if he's

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Speaker 1: made it out, And then he typed a sentence he

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Speaker 1: knew instantly he'd regret. I will do everything I can

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Speaker 1: to find your husband. Then he sent the message and

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Speaker 1: stepped out of the room into the dying light of

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Speaker 1: the late North Texas afternoon. Rolling fuck unspooled around him.

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Speaker 1: It was crowded, or at least more crowded than it

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Speaker 1: had been yesterday. Dozens of people and non human people

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Speaker 1: were packed onto the gantry ways and into the sundry

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Speaker 1: buildings added around the rollers and up on the spires.

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Speaker 1: One building that jutted off the rear roller looked like

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Speaker 1: a carousel ride, with little rocket ships instead of horses.

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Speaker 1: It appeared to function as a spinning bar. Drunk people

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Speaker 1: rode little ships while bartenders in the middle kept them

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Speaker 1: liquored up. Someone shoved by him, a heavily chromed person

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Speaker 1: with three tails, each topped by the fully articulated and

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Speaker 1: seemingly sentient head of a cat. One of the cat

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Speaker 1: heads belched a small puff of fire at manny As

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Speaker 1: where we passed. He shook his head and squeezed his

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Speaker 1: way over to the main roller. It helped little to

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Speaker 1: pretend he was just pushing his way onto the Austin Metro.

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Speaker 1: While he walked, he noticed a message from Reggie. He

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Speaker 1: blink clicked it open and heard Reggie's voice in his

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Speaker 1: ear at the rooftop bar, drinking my way through some research.

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Speaker 1: Fund me when you wake up, I'm onto something. Of course,

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Speaker 1: Manny had already been on his way there before he'd

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Speaker 1: seen Reggie's message. That was the simple reality of British journalists.

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Speaker 1: If it was possible for one to be drinking, that's

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Speaker 1: what they'd be doing. The walk took about ten minutes.

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Speaker 1: He crossed a combination of gantry ways, staircases, and even

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Speaker 1: one webbed net. The bar was packed when he arrived,

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Speaker 1: but it was easy enough to pick out Reggie. Both

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Speaker 1: his holographic screens were up and active on the bar

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Speaker 1: top in front of them. He was seated next to

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Speaker 1: Skullfucker Mike, and they were deep in conversation when Manny

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Speaker 1: walked up. Hey, brother, Reggie said, you've been out for

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Speaker 1: a long time. Yeah, Manny said, nothing like that's ever

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Speaker 1: happened to me before. How long were you out? The

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Speaker 1: journalist thought for moment and then answered, odd. Guess like

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Speaker 1: a day he said, Mike told me that's not weird. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: the chrome man chuckled. All medicines got side effects, My

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Speaker 1: weird ass blood is no different. Y'all. Cute little humans

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Speaker 1: ain't made for it. Schoolfucker. Mike and Reggie were both

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Speaker 1: clearly drunk, and just as clearly not as drunk as

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Speaker 1: they planned to be by the end of the night.

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Speaker 1: Mike flashed a grin at Manny and offered a hug

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Speaker 1: that the fixer accepted awkwardly. Guy, it's good to see you,

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Speaker 1: Mike said, I gotta tell you, I'm kind of jealous

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Speaker 1: of your nap. I miss sleep like that with all

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Speaker 1: this chrome in me. He waved a hand vaguely over

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Speaker 1: his head. I can't get exhausted like that anymore. You

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Speaker 1: miss it when it's gone. I gotta drink like thirty

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Speaker 1: of these fucking things. Mike gestured to the half full

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Speaker 1: drink in front of him. It looked like a pina colada,

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Speaker 1: a strange incense. The odor wafted it up from it

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Speaker 1: just to pass out like a normal person. Reggie was

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Speaker 1: drinking the same thing. He offered his half full glass

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Speaker 1: to Manny, these things are the best man vodka and

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Speaker 1: opium colattas. They got a little bit of th HC

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Speaker 1: in them too. Mike at it in a high sing

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Speaker 1: song voice. Manny waved them off. I'm good, thanks, I

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Speaker 1: just woke up a minute ago. I probably shouldn't immediately

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Speaker 1: take three different drugs. Reggie and Skullfucker Mike both looked

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Speaker 1: at him like he was an alien. Weird, they said

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Speaker 1: at the exact same time. Mike laughed and Reggie looked

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Speaker 1: back at his screen as a push notification popped up

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Speaker 1: with a cheery shitting tits. He cursed Manny and skullfucker

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Speaker 1: Mike leaned into the screen. The notification was a newswire

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Speaker 1: update with a journalist who must have been embedded with

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Speaker 1: either the SDF or Austin's forces. The title said, at

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Speaker 1: all as the Heavenly Kingdom prepares for another assault, SDF

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Speaker 1: and Austin abandoned WACO. I'm not surprised they're pulling out,

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Speaker 1: Mike said. Your people are good enough fighters on a

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Speaker 1: normal day, but the SDF s built to dominate a

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Speaker 1: bunch of squabbling militias. They were never going to hold

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Speaker 1: off a sustained assault from a real army. The sleep

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Speaker 1: was fully banished. Now Manny was awake, and the gravity

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Speaker 1: of what had happened over the last few days sank

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Speaker 1: in again. Amid and de Shaun, We're probably dead, so

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Speaker 1: was Mr Perrone an Oscar. Holy shit, Holy shit? What

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Speaker 1: am I going to tell Ayesha? And then the darker,

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Speaker 1: more selfish thoughts. Am I going to have time to

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Speaker 1: fly out of Austin? How the hell did the martyrs

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Speaker 1: turn into a real fucking army overnight? He asked, with

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Speaker 1: more fear in his voice than he meant to display. Well,

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Speaker 1: Reggie said as he gestured to a series of curated

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Speaker 1: social media posts from people in and around Siadad de Muerta.

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Speaker 1: Best as we can figure, they sort of stole most

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Speaker 1: of the Republic's army. There are reports of entire units

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Speaker 1: of Republic soldiers, thousands of fight us turning at once.

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Speaker 1: He gestured to a live, updating political map of Texas.

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Speaker 1: It was a map Manny consulted regularly. The Heavenly Kingdom's

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Speaker 1: territory was outlined and read. There was a lot more

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Speaker 1: read on the map today. It seemed impossible that Sancharados,

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Speaker 1: Manny breathed, Galveston. Yeah, Reggie gave a grim nod. Fell

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Speaker 1: about ten hours ago. Heavenly kingdoms pushing into the Lake

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Speaker 1: Houston suburbs right now the holding position Nan Dallas, though

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Speaker 1: digesting the gains, still ain't gonna be long before they

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Speaker 1: hit Austin. Mike said, maybe a week, maybe two. Many

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Speaker 1: stood there for a moment. He thought about his father,

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Speaker 1: his friends. He thought about the house where he'd grown up.

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Speaker 1: In the view of Austin Sprawl from his roof, He

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Speaker 1: imagined golden cross banners flapping in the breeze above burnt

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Speaker 1: out buildings. He pictured gallows filled with people strung out

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Speaker 1: along Sixth Street. A knot of nausea started to build

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Speaker 1: in his belly. What will you do, Emmanuel? He heard

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Speaker 1: mister Perrone's voice echo in his conscience. Many shook the

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Speaker 1: dead man's words away. I need to get back home,

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Speaker 1: he insisted. Is there some way you can get me

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Speaker 1: a ride? Schofucker. Mike took a long pull from his drink.

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Speaker 1: He squinted it, Manny, and the chrombed man's eyes focused.

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Speaker 1: One iris looked a lot larger than the others. Mike

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Speaker 1: swayed a bit in his seat, but he seemed lucid mostly.

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Speaker 1: And what are you gonna do in Austin, he said,

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Speaker 1: pick up a gun and die fighting, unless you're hiding

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Speaker 1: some serious mods under that skin. I don't think your

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Speaker 1: help make a rat ship worth a difference. I know

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Speaker 1: I'm not going there to fight. I need to what

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Speaker 1: fly away, Go to fucking California. Try your luck in Europe.

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Speaker 1: Mike shook his head. You've got a chance to actually

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Speaker 1: do something. Help us get our people out of Dallas,

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Speaker 1: and we can fuck the Kingdom's advance, maybe even throw

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Speaker 1: him back. Many thought about it, sighed, and said, I

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Speaker 1: think I do need a drink, skullfucker. Mike nodded. He

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Speaker 1: pointed over to a table lined with a dozen different

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Speaker 1: beer taps. The normal stuff, self service. I recommend the

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Speaker 1: Wheat Hayes. Pretty mild, but it's good for stock humans

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Speaker 1: like yourself. Many got up, grabbed a glass from a

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Speaker 1: dispenser at the edge of the bar, and walked over

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Speaker 1: to the beer table. Each keg had a thick strip

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Speaker 1: of white tape across the front. The only details given

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Speaker 1: about each beer were vague, almost allegibly scrawled names. Many

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Speaker 1: found two labels that both looked like they might say,

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Speaker 1: wheat Hayes. He picked one at random, then headed back

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Speaker 1: to the bar and sat next to Reggie. Mike looked

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Speaker 1: impressed for some reason. Good choice, he said with a nod.

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Speaker 1: Manny took a sip. It was really good, a mild

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Speaker 1: pale ale with just a hint of sour. He leaned

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Speaker 1: in and looked at the maps and scrolling updates on

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Speaker 1: reggie screen. The journalist finished writing down a couple of

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Speaker 1: notes and shook his head. I'm really sorry, man, truly,

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Speaker 1: he gestured towards the live map. This is so fucked.

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Speaker 1: You're gonna stay here to cover the fall, Mike asked.

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Speaker 1: Reggie shook his head. He looked frustrated. Got a message

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Speaker 1: from my editor a bit ago, and they're trying to

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Speaker 1: work out an extract for me. Gonna send a team

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Speaker 1: at here to drive me west to El Paso. I

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Speaker 1: guess it's not safe to fly out of Austin right now,

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Speaker 1: so he trailed off. The three of them drank in

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Speaker 1: silence for a minute. Schoolfucker might gulp down the last

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Speaker 1: of his glass and ordered another, along with three shots

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Speaker 1: of bourbon. Manny started to turn down the shot, but

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Speaker 1: it was soon apparent that Mike wanted all three shots

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Speaker 1: for himself. He downed them all in the space of

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Speaker 1: around a second, belched loudly, and then returned to staring

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Speaker 1: at Reggie screen. Fuck, he sighed out again. Fuck it

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Speaker 1: he fuck fuck. Manny was halfway through his beer when

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Speaker 1: Donald Ferris approached. The old documentarian wore a burgundy velvet

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Speaker 1: waistcoat underneath a slightly battered but well tailored tweed jacket.

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Speaker 1: He had a glass of probable whiskey at his hand

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Speaker 1: and the soberst eyes Manny had seen that day. Hello,

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Speaker 1: the gentleman school funcker, Mike, getting caught up on the

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Speaker 1: latest catastrophes. All way yep, said Mike, how you been.

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Speaker 1: The older man shrugged and took his seat at the table.

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Speaker 1: He gulped his whiskey and looked down the table at Manny.

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Speaker 1: It was strange to see an actual old person this

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Speaker 1: close up. The creases on his forehead and around his

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Speaker 1: lips were so deep they could have been carved with

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Speaker 1: a knife. There were spots on him, a clear sign

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Speaker 1: he'd taken no juven treatments at all. His face had

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Speaker 1: a deep, craggy richness that lent every word, he said,

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Speaker 1: a certain vague majesty. Donald Ferris spoke, and Manny felt

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Speaker 1: compelled to listen. You can hope this. You know who

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Speaker 1: was stuck negotiating with the kingdom now, and they are

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Speaker 1: most recalcitrant. But the fucky quite a second, Reggie interrupted,

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Speaker 1: fuckyans really. Donald and Mike exchanged a look, then a laugh.

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Speaker 1: Donald replied, the city's not exactly famed for consistency. Almost

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Speaker 1: any collective now and you can think of would be appropriate.

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Speaker 1: He took another sip from his glass and set it

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Speaker 1: down on the bar top with a clack. Donald Ferris

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00:11:19,920 --> 00:11:22,200
Speaker 1: leaned in at that and eyed the glasses. He rotated

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Speaker 1: it around on the table. He tapped it again, smiled,

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Speaker 1: and looked back up to the group. Now, young man,

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Speaker 1: let me explain why you should go risk your life

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Speaker 1: on a daring and dangerous rescue mission. Manny grunted and

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00:11:33,480 --> 00:11:36,920
Speaker 1: shook his head reflexively defensive. I'd rather not talk about

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00:11:36,920 --> 00:11:39,480
Speaker 1: it right now, if that's cool, he said. I just

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00:11:39,520 --> 00:11:41,880
Speaker 1: woke up. This place is ridiculous, and I'm not going

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Speaker 1: to decide to go into terrible danger because some old

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Speaker 1: man gilt trips me at a bar. Suit yourself. Donald smiled,

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Speaker 1: I can't imagine how stressful this is all bidden for you.

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Speaker 1: I'm a little surprised you'd choose to trip balls at

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Speaker 1: a time like this. What do you mean, Manny asked,

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Speaker 1: with growing anxiety. That's a white haze, right, I think

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Speaker 1: Mike said it was a wheat haze, but I couldn't

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Speaker 1: really read the labels. Shit, Mike cursed, while Donald Ferris

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00:12:07,000 --> 00:12:10,959
Speaker 1: fought back a laugh. What, Manny asked, Mike should have

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00:12:11,040 --> 00:12:14,240
Speaker 1: warned you. The wheat haze is normal alcohol. The white

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Speaker 1: haze packs about two hits of the surgic diethyl acid.

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Speaker 1: Put pint be anxious, not in. Manny's gut began to

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Speaker 1: pound in pulse. He looked to skullfucker Mike, furious. What

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Speaker 1: the funk man? Mike winced, he looked genuinely rueful. I'm

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00:12:28,880 --> 00:12:31,480
Speaker 1: really sorry, he said. I'm not used to it making

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00:12:31,520 --> 00:12:33,680
Speaker 1: a difference. Most people here take two or three hits

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Speaker 1: acid with their breakfast cigarettes. Oh shit. Manny slumped forward

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00:12:37,720 --> 00:12:40,480
Speaker 1: and put his head in his hands. He started to hyperventilate.

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00:12:40,640 --> 00:12:42,920
Speaker 1: The edges of his vision blurred, and Manny couldn't tell

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Speaker 1: if that was from the drugs. Kicking in or just

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00:12:44,800 --> 00:12:47,760
Speaker 1: a consequence of his own panic. He could feel Oscar's

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Speaker 1: face hanging out just at the back of his mind,

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00:12:50,120 --> 00:12:52,520
Speaker 1: afloat on a river of guilt. He didn't want to

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Speaker 1: know what a headful of acid would do with those feelings.

254
00:12:55,520 --> 00:12:57,560
Speaker 1: I gotta get back to the room, he said, I

255
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Speaker 1: can't handle that. Donald put a hand on his shoulder.

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Speaker 1: He was stronger than Manny would have guessed. You've got

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Speaker 1: a headful of surprise, I said, boy, the last thing

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00:13:06,360 --> 00:13:08,280
Speaker 1: you need is to sit in a dock room and

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00:13:08,360 --> 00:13:12,160
Speaker 1: stew with your demons. He exchanged another look with skullfucker

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00:13:12,160 --> 00:13:15,000
Speaker 1: Mike and said, brain breakers ought to be kicking off

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Speaker 1: right now. That's the place for a man in your condition.

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00:13:18,400 --> 00:13:22,880
Speaker 1: But started Manny, what the hell is that? Reggie asked, Wait,

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00:13:23,040 --> 00:13:26,760
Speaker 1: Manny continued. Donald ignored him and replied to Reggie, it's

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Speaker 1: the best damn party on the continent, or at least

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Speaker 1: the best one humans can attend and survive. I don't

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00:13:32,679 --> 00:13:35,920
Speaker 1: really want to, Manny started. Scoffucker Mike added his hand

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Speaker 1: to Manny's shoulder. You really do trust us on this.

268
00:13:41,200 --> 00:13:44,040
Speaker 1: In the end, scofucker Mike and Donald convinced him to go.

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Speaker 1: Reggie surprisingly opted to stay at the bar and continue

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Speaker 1: his work. He said he was close to something. Manny

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00:13:51,240 --> 00:13:53,560
Speaker 1: really wished he chosen to come along. He didn't know

272
00:13:53,600 --> 00:13:56,479
Speaker 1: the journalist well, but Mike and Donald were complete strangers.

273
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Speaker 1: Manny was not looking forward to the drugs kicking in.

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00:13:59,440 --> 00:14:01,520
Speaker 1: He also was sure a giant rave room was the

275
00:14:01,520 --> 00:14:04,200
Speaker 1: best place for him to be when they did. As

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00:14:04,200 --> 00:14:06,840
Speaker 1: they approached it, many realized he'd seen the structure when

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00:14:06,880 --> 00:14:10,040
Speaker 1: they first arrived at the City of Wheels. Brain Breakers

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00:14:10,080 --> 00:14:12,360
Speaker 1: was a three story cube at the top of Rolling

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00:14:12,360 --> 00:14:15,480
Speaker 1: Fox highest gantry. The cube appeared to have been knitted

280
00:14:15,520 --> 00:14:18,760
Speaker 1: together from long strands of black metal. Multi colored light

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00:14:18,800 --> 00:14:21,040
Speaker 1: pulsed inside it and bled out through the gaps and

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00:14:21,080 --> 00:14:24,400
Speaker 1: the knitted metal of the sides. Schoolfucker Mike led them

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00:14:24,400 --> 00:14:27,280
Speaker 1: down the gantry towards the cube. There didn't appear to

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Speaker 1: be any kind of entrance. The wall on this side

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00:14:29,720 --> 00:14:32,240
Speaker 1: was the same knitted steel as every other side, but

286
00:14:32,320 --> 00:14:34,920
Speaker 1: once they reached it, Mike simply stepped into the wall.

287
00:14:35,280 --> 00:14:38,520
Speaker 1: The woven metal writhed like something alive and curled back

288
00:14:38,560 --> 00:14:41,640
Speaker 1: to admit the big post human. The metal tendrils caressed

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00:14:41,640 --> 00:14:44,960
Speaker 1: Mike's body. As he walked through, Manny flashed a questioning

290
00:14:44,960 --> 00:14:50,400
Speaker 1: look at Donald. De it feels nice, he explained Manny side,

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00:14:50,520 --> 00:14:53,920
Speaker 1: exasperated and furious. Is this whole damned city built around

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00:14:53,960 --> 00:14:58,600
Speaker 1: drugs and fondling? Yes? Donald grinned, a spidery old man grinned.

293
00:14:58,880 --> 00:15:02,440
Speaker 1: Now inside with you, many sides swallowed and walked up

294
00:15:02,480 --> 00:15:05,520
Speaker 1: to the wall. The metal, which felt surprisingly soft and warm,

295
00:15:05,760 --> 00:15:08,520
Speaker 1: slithered around him, and mother of god, it felt good.

296
00:15:08,880 --> 00:15:10,640
Speaker 1: That might have had something to do with the acid

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00:15:10,720 --> 00:15:13,400
Speaker 1: percolating in the back of his brain. The sensation was

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00:15:13,440 --> 00:15:17,080
Speaker 1: a cross between being tickled and being caressed. He was reminded,

299
00:15:17,200 --> 00:15:19,960
Speaker 1: uncomfortably of his mother's stroking his forehead when he had

300
00:15:20,000 --> 00:15:22,600
Speaker 1: a fever as a child. And then he was through.

301
00:15:23,040 --> 00:15:25,040
Speaker 1: It took him a moment to realize he was breathing

302
00:15:25,040 --> 00:15:27,960
Speaker 1: heavily and covered in cold sweat. It was then that

303
00:15:28,040 --> 00:15:30,920
Speaker 1: Manny got his first view of the interior of Brain Breakers.

304
00:15:31,360 --> 00:15:33,760
Speaker 1: It looked a little like a space station designed by

305
00:15:33,880 --> 00:15:37,120
Speaker 1: m c esher with a drunken hr Geiger as the contractor.

306
00:15:37,720 --> 00:15:40,480
Speaker 1: There were a half dozen different stages protruding at various

307
00:15:40,560 --> 00:15:43,800
Speaker 1: levels from the walls. Three of the stages were currently occupied.

308
00:15:44,080 --> 00:15:47,720
Speaker 1: One performer was an enormous, seemingly sentient xylophone that pranced

309
00:15:47,720 --> 00:15:51,160
Speaker 1: about on stage, playing itself with eight knob and arms.

310
00:15:51,520 --> 00:15:55,360
Speaker 1: Another stage held four human looking individuals. They were all naked,

311
00:15:55,520 --> 00:15:58,760
Speaker 1: and they were all fighting. Many watched and slack jawed

312
00:15:58,800 --> 00:16:01,400
Speaker 1: awe as they punched in and kicked and choked each other.

313
00:16:01,720 --> 00:16:04,640
Speaker 1: Every impact sent a chorus of warbling sounds pouring out

314
00:16:04,680 --> 00:16:07,360
Speaker 1: from speakers at the base of the stage. The longer

315
00:16:07,400 --> 00:16:11,480
Speaker 1: he listened, the more hypnotic the music seemed. The third

316
00:16:11,520 --> 00:16:13,800
Speaker 1: inhabited stage held what looked like a normal d J

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00:16:13,960 --> 00:16:17,280
Speaker 1: booth with a presumptive person behind it. Manny guessed that

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00:16:17,360 --> 00:16:19,600
Speaker 1: was the source of the bass, heavy rhythmic pounding that

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00:16:19,640 --> 00:16:22,880
Speaker 1: filled the square. The remaining stages were empty for now,

320
00:16:23,160 --> 00:16:25,240
Speaker 1: but the place was so full of sound that Manny

321
00:16:25,240 --> 00:16:28,560
Speaker 1: couldn't imagine two more acts making things any louder. It

322
00:16:28,640 --> 00:16:32,040
Speaker 1: was chaotic and confusing and a little uncomfortable, but after

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00:16:32,080 --> 00:16:34,360
Speaker 1: a few seconds, Manny started to pick up on an

324
00:16:34,360 --> 00:16:38,160
Speaker 1: overarching rhythm. All three acts were making very different music

325
00:16:38,200 --> 00:16:41,320
Speaker 1: at very different paces, but somehow it all tied together.

326
00:16:42,120 --> 00:16:44,720
Speaker 1: The inner walls of the place were covered in projection art.

327
00:16:44,920 --> 00:16:48,360
Speaker 1: Giant human sized silhouettes stalked the walls, floor, and roof.

328
00:16:48,640 --> 00:16:51,040
Speaker 1: At times, they moved so fast they looked almost like

329
00:16:51,080 --> 00:16:53,720
Speaker 1: wisps of smoke. But here and there one would stop

330
00:16:53,760 --> 00:16:55,920
Speaker 1: long enough for Manny to get a solid look. He

331
00:16:55,960 --> 00:16:59,680
Speaker 1: saw several different figures. A tall, muscular but androgynous person,

332
00:16:59,840 --> 00:17:02,880
Speaker 1: a small, lithe young woman, a broad squat man with

333
00:17:02,920 --> 00:17:06,000
Speaker 1: a bald head. They danced around each other, flittering up

334
00:17:06,040 --> 00:17:08,119
Speaker 1: and down the walls. Their pace in the nature of

335
00:17:08,160 --> 00:17:10,440
Speaker 1: their motions varied depending on the tempo and pitch of

336
00:17:10,480 --> 00:17:14,359
Speaker 1: the music nearest to them. It was mesmerizing. Manny stared

337
00:17:14,400 --> 00:17:17,040
Speaker 1: for what felt like minutes. The sensation of his body

338
00:17:17,080 --> 00:17:19,080
Speaker 1: faded away from him, and his vision tunneled in on

339
00:17:19,119 --> 00:17:22,280
Speaker 1: the dancing figures. Their dance had looked joyous and sensual

340
00:17:22,320 --> 00:17:24,760
Speaker 1: at first, but the longer he watched, the more frenetic

341
00:17:24,800 --> 00:17:27,719
Speaker 1: it seemed. The more danger he spotted in their jerking limbs,

342
00:17:27,760 --> 00:17:30,040
Speaker 1: the arc of their necks, the uncontrolled way they spun

343
00:17:30,160 --> 00:17:33,080
Speaker 1: round and into one another. Anxiety started to build in

344
00:17:33,119 --> 00:17:35,159
Speaker 1: the pit of his stomach. And then there was a

345
00:17:35,200 --> 00:17:40,000
Speaker 1: person beside him, Mike, Hey, Buddy. He grinned. The other

346
00:17:40,000 --> 00:17:42,720
Speaker 1: man's pupils were the size of dinner plates. He clenched

347
00:17:42,720 --> 00:17:45,760
Speaker 1: and ground his teeth back and forth. It o'kaiefa, put

348
00:17:45,760 --> 00:17:50,160
Speaker 1: a hand on your shoulder. Uh sure, Manny said, surprising himself.

349
00:17:50,560 --> 00:17:55,040
Speaker 1: Cool Mike smiled and did so. His hand felt supportive, comforting.

350
00:17:55,520 --> 00:17:59,040
Speaker 1: How you liken the party? Manny really wasn't sure it

351
00:17:59,119 --> 00:18:01,800
Speaker 1: was beautiful here. Now that skullfucker Mike had pulled his

352
00:18:01,840 --> 00:18:04,600
Speaker 1: attention from the dancing silhouettes, he'd started to focus more

353
00:18:04,600 --> 00:18:07,359
Speaker 1: in the crowds of people dancing and drinking and fucking

354
00:18:07,400 --> 00:18:10,359
Speaker 1: across the assorted dance floors, cuttle spaces and bar tops

355
00:18:10,400 --> 00:18:13,920
Speaker 1: of brain breakers. Most of the celebrants were visibly chromed.

356
00:18:14,080 --> 00:18:16,119
Speaker 1: He saw a woman with six arms, a couple of

357
00:18:16,160 --> 00:18:18,880
Speaker 1: things he could only describe as dick centaurs, a man

358
00:18:19,000 --> 00:18:21,080
Speaker 1: with the head of a dolphin, and countless people in

359
00:18:21,119 --> 00:18:23,960
Speaker 1: bizarre costumes built of light and fur and liquid metal.

360
00:18:24,480 --> 00:18:26,320
Speaker 1: It was hard to tell how much of this was

361
00:18:26,400 --> 00:18:28,639
Speaker 1: real and how much of it was the drugs. The

362
00:18:28,680 --> 00:18:32,080
Speaker 1: acid was hitting his head pretty damn hard. Skullfucker Mike

363
00:18:32,119 --> 00:18:35,280
Speaker 1: squeezed his shoulders and brought Manny back again. The fixer

364
00:18:35,359 --> 00:18:41,919
Speaker 1: blinked and then finally responded, it's a good, good, fucking great.

365
00:18:42,000 --> 00:18:43,600
Speaker 1: Let's get you some whippets and head over to the

366
00:18:43,640 --> 00:18:47,679
Speaker 1: fireworks table. They're about to open it up fireworks inside.

367
00:18:47,960 --> 00:18:51,320
Speaker 1: Mike laughed. It's hardly a party without explosives, brother, Just

368
00:18:51,440 --> 00:18:54,040
Speaker 1: go with it in so many did. He and Mike

369
00:18:54,119 --> 00:18:57,080
Speaker 1: did some whippets, which meshed gloriously with the acid. Then

370
00:18:57,119 --> 00:18:59,320
Speaker 1: they stood up on stumbling feet and headed over to

371
00:18:59,359 --> 00:19:02,320
Speaker 1: the fireworks table. Things seemed to be just getting started

372
00:19:02,320 --> 00:19:06,000
Speaker 1: over there. Manny inspected a few different brightly colored explosive

373
00:19:06,000 --> 00:19:08,359
Speaker 1: toys before something burst next to his ear, and he

374
00:19:08,400 --> 00:19:11,560
Speaker 1: looked up to see skullfucker Mike firing a massive Roman

375
00:19:11,600 --> 00:19:14,919
Speaker 1: candle towards the musical, punching people on the stage. The

376
00:19:15,040 --> 00:19:17,600
Speaker 1: sound of it, Holly hell, the sound it might have

377
00:19:17,640 --> 00:19:19,720
Speaker 1: been the most compelling thing his ears had ever heard.

378
00:19:20,480 --> 00:19:23,720
Speaker 1: The acid is definitely hitting hard now, Manny thought, Holy funk,

379
00:19:23,720 --> 00:19:26,400
Speaker 1: Holy funk, what is this? The rest of his night

380
00:19:26,480 --> 00:19:29,040
Speaker 1: faded into a blur of lights and music and strange,

381
00:19:29,119 --> 00:19:33,719
Speaker 1: indefinable sense memories. It was disorienting and exhilarating an equal measure.

382
00:19:34,320 --> 00:19:38,280
Speaker 1: Hours went by the acid faded, and eventually Manny found

383
00:19:38,359 --> 00:19:40,840
Speaker 1: himself on a bunch of cushions, sitting around a table

384
00:19:40,840 --> 00:19:44,200
Speaker 1: with Skullfucker Mike and other Fuccians. He couldn't remember any

385
00:19:44,200 --> 00:19:47,160
Speaker 1: of their names, but after a few minutes of relative lucidity,

386
00:19:47,280 --> 00:19:49,280
Speaker 1: Manny was able to piece together that they were all

387
00:19:49,320 --> 00:19:51,840
Speaker 1: friends of the people who had been captured. One of

388
00:19:51,840 --> 00:19:54,359
Speaker 1: the men, a bearded guy with multi jointed fingers the

389
00:19:54,440 --> 00:19:56,960
Speaker 1: length and with the rulers, reached over Manny to grab

390
00:19:57,000 --> 00:19:59,240
Speaker 1: a beer. He pulled it back, took a sip, and

391
00:19:59,280 --> 00:20:03,120
Speaker 1: settled into his seat. My favorite memory of Marigold, he said,

392
00:20:03,200 --> 00:20:05,200
Speaker 1: it's from back when we were still building this city,

393
00:20:05,400 --> 00:20:07,560
Speaker 1: right after we stole the bagger. She got a hair

394
00:20:07,680 --> 00:20:09,240
Speaker 1: up her ass that there ought to be a big

395
00:20:09,280 --> 00:20:11,920
Speaker 1: purple clubhouse at the top for folks to do cocaine

396
00:20:11,960 --> 00:20:15,160
Speaker 1: in and watch sunsets. I remember she strapped an armed

397
00:20:15,160 --> 00:20:17,440
Speaker 1: little wood to her back, grabbed a can of spray paint,

398
00:20:17,480 --> 00:20:19,719
Speaker 1: took a big rail of meth, and just started climbing

399
00:20:19,760 --> 00:20:21,439
Speaker 1: up the center spindle like she was gonna do the

400
00:20:21,440 --> 00:20:24,200
Speaker 1: whole damn job herself. She got fucking stuck two thirds

401
00:20:24,200 --> 00:20:26,080
Speaker 1: of the way up, just hanging out there with her

402
00:20:26,119 --> 00:20:29,600
Speaker 1: panties in the breeze, screaming like a scared cat. Mike laughed,

403
00:20:30,040 --> 00:20:32,439
Speaker 1: I remember that me and Topez had to climb up

404
00:20:32,440 --> 00:20:34,359
Speaker 1: in freer and then she climbed the rest of the

405
00:20:34,359 --> 00:20:38,280
Speaker 1: way up and started laying down boards. Fingerman nodded, yeah,

406
00:20:38,280 --> 00:20:40,680
Speaker 1: I remember when I climbed up there. An hour or

407
00:20:40,720 --> 00:20:43,240
Speaker 1: so later. She's all frantic and fiddling with nails and

408
00:20:43,240 --> 00:20:45,880
Speaker 1: bolts and turned to funk, but like making progress too,

409
00:20:46,200 --> 00:20:48,760
Speaker 1: And I asked her, Marigold, why are you doing this?

410
00:20:48,760 --> 00:20:51,719
Speaker 1: This ain't a one person job, and she said, I know,

411
00:20:52,080 --> 00:20:54,480
Speaker 1: but unless I start building it, it'll never be real.

412
00:20:55,520 --> 00:20:57,960
Speaker 1: There was quiet for a while. Many could feel the

413
00:20:58,000 --> 00:21:00,000
Speaker 1: pain in the pause and see it on everyone's face.

414
00:21:00,720 --> 00:21:02,800
Speaker 1: He didn't want to say anything. He was pretty sure

415
00:21:02,840 --> 00:21:07,040
Speaker 1: there was nothing worthwhile he could say. But then he spoke, anyway,

416
00:21:07,280 --> 00:21:09,320
Speaker 1: can you tell me about the others, the other two

417
00:21:09,359 --> 00:21:12,760
Speaker 1: who were captured. Another of Mike's friends, a tall black

418
00:21:12,760 --> 00:21:15,680
Speaker 1: woman in a bright blue shark Onesie nodded and replied,

419
00:21:16,320 --> 00:21:19,600
Speaker 1: Rick's a little dude, great painter and a pretty good pyrotechnician.

420
00:21:20,000 --> 00:21:21,960
Speaker 1: He's no kind of fighter, but he's got a real

421
00:21:22,080 --> 00:21:25,119
Speaker 1: sweet way about him. He puts people at ease, so

422
00:21:25,160 --> 00:21:27,000
Speaker 1: he goes out on a lot of these delegations to

423
00:21:27,000 --> 00:21:29,840
Speaker 1: be a good face for the city. Marigold is always

424
00:21:29,840 --> 00:21:33,040
Speaker 1: the main negotiator, but we sent Tulli out too. She's

425
00:21:33,200 --> 00:21:35,560
Speaker 1: newish to the city. Used to be an activist in

426
00:21:35,640 --> 00:21:39,399
Speaker 1: Albuquerque before the king took over and started boiling people.

427
00:21:39,960 --> 00:21:42,400
Speaker 1: She's a good talker. We had her studying under Mary

428
00:21:42,480 --> 00:21:43,960
Speaker 1: so she could pick up some of the load in

429
00:21:44,000 --> 00:21:49,400
Speaker 1: the future. They're all good people, Fingerman added, Marigolds saved

430
00:21:49,440 --> 00:21:52,080
Speaker 1: my life a few times back during the revolution. She

431
00:21:52,160 --> 00:21:54,560
Speaker 1: helped found this place. It started out as just a

432
00:21:54,600 --> 00:21:58,960
Speaker 1: big caravan RVs and mobile hydroponics units. She'd find isolated

433
00:21:59,000 --> 00:22:02,080
Speaker 1: communities bring him food and such. No government was much

434
00:22:02,240 --> 00:22:04,399
Speaker 1: use back then, so for a lot of folks, Mary's

435
00:22:04,400 --> 00:22:07,920
Speaker 1: caravan was the line between life and death. Yep, said

436
00:22:07,920 --> 00:22:10,919
Speaker 1: skullfucker Mike. She's the one who found topaz in me.

437
00:22:11,280 --> 00:22:14,480
Speaker 1: After the boss went missing. We were pretty lost, doing

438
00:22:14,480 --> 00:22:17,199
Speaker 1: a lot of freelance violence, but not making anything, not

439
00:22:17,320 --> 00:22:20,639
Speaker 1: building a damn thing. Marigold told us her vision for

440
00:22:20,640 --> 00:22:23,880
Speaker 1: this big, stupid city got us hooked on the idea.

441
00:22:24,280 --> 00:22:27,280
Speaker 1: Many noticed tears at the corner of Skullfucker Mike's eyes

442
00:22:27,600 --> 00:22:30,920
Speaker 1: that felt somehow wronged him. Someone so powerful and inhuman

443
00:22:31,000 --> 00:22:33,359
Speaker 1: shouldn't be able to cry and make it look so normal.

444
00:22:33,760 --> 00:22:37,440
Speaker 1: But there he was crying. And then, for the first

445
00:22:37,480 --> 00:22:40,119
Speaker 1: time in the trip, the thing Manny had most feared happened.

446
00:22:40,400 --> 00:22:43,399
Speaker 1: He thought about Oscar. He remembered a picnic he'd taken

447
00:22:43,400 --> 00:22:46,000
Speaker 1: with the Stringer, his wife, Aisha, and their two kids.

448
00:22:46,520 --> 00:22:48,480
Speaker 1: It had been a lovely spring day, one of the

449
00:22:48,520 --> 00:22:50,760
Speaker 1: dozen ish days a year in Austin where the air

450
00:22:50,800 --> 00:22:53,639
Speaker 1: felt good on your skin. They drank cheap beer and

451
00:22:53,680 --> 00:22:56,520
Speaker 1: eating hot dogs and watched the kayakers roll along the

452
00:22:56,560 --> 00:22:59,560
Speaker 1: Colorado River. I sent him out there, and now he's

453
00:22:59,600 --> 00:23:04,200
Speaker 1: probably dead. You know there's something else we share, Mike said,

454
00:23:04,400 --> 00:23:08,120
Speaker 1: his voice low and somber. We've both spent way too

455
00:23:08,200 --> 00:23:12,040
Speaker 1: much of our lives feeling helpless. Manny cocked a disbelieving

456
00:23:12,040 --> 00:23:16,000
Speaker 1: eyebrow up at Skullfucker Mike. Yeah, the chrombed Man chuckled.

457
00:23:16,480 --> 00:23:19,080
Speaker 1: I know what you're thinking, but you'd be surprised how

458
00:23:19,080 --> 00:23:23,480
Speaker 1: often the fancy hardware doesn't matter. Mike's face twitched and

459
00:23:23,560 --> 00:23:26,480
Speaker 1: more tears poured down his face. He took a deep breath,

460
00:23:26,640 --> 00:23:30,639
Speaker 1: fixed Manny with bloodshot puffy eyes, and spoke again. We

461
00:23:30,760 --> 00:23:33,480
Speaker 1: all spend a lot of life helpless, so when you

462
00:23:33,480 --> 00:23:36,160
Speaker 1: have a chance to do something to make a difference

463
00:23:36,200 --> 00:23:48,800
Speaker 1: for someone personally, I recommend you fucking take it. Manny

464
00:23:48,840 --> 00:23:51,199
Speaker 1: woke up the next day feeling out of place and

465
00:23:51,280 --> 00:23:54,720
Speaker 1: vaguely unstuck from time. He could hear Reggie snoring on

466
00:23:54,760 --> 00:23:57,359
Speaker 1: the next bed. The room was very dark and it

467
00:23:57,440 --> 00:24:00,320
Speaker 1: was impossible to tell what time it might be. Manny

468
00:24:00,359 --> 00:24:03,680
Speaker 1: thought about activating his deck, but decided against it. There

469
00:24:03,720 --> 00:24:06,760
Speaker 1: was something almost nauseating about the thought of being flooded

470
00:24:06,760 --> 00:24:09,919
Speaker 1: with the outside world right now. He stood up and

471
00:24:09,960 --> 00:24:12,760
Speaker 1: went outside to wander the spindles and gantries of rolling

472
00:24:12,800 --> 00:24:15,440
Speaker 1: Fuck for a while. At one point a man walked

473
00:24:15,480 --> 00:24:18,119
Speaker 1: by with a plateful of breakfast burritos, and so Manny

474
00:24:18,200 --> 00:24:20,879
Speaker 1: had breakfast. A little while later he found a self

475
00:24:20,880 --> 00:24:23,679
Speaker 1: served coffee house stationed next to one of the Fondle boats,

476
00:24:23,840 --> 00:24:26,399
Speaker 1: and so he had coffee. He was just starting to

477
00:24:26,400 --> 00:24:28,520
Speaker 1: think about turning on his deck and welcoming in the

478
00:24:28,520 --> 00:24:32,040
Speaker 1: world when Donald Ferris found him. Manny, my boy, I

479
00:24:32,080 --> 00:24:36,320
Speaker 1: hope your ascid hangovers not too bad, Manny shrugged. I

480
00:24:36,400 --> 00:24:39,200
Speaker 1: actually feel all right. It was a it was good

481
00:24:39,359 --> 00:24:42,360
Speaker 1: and help me sort some things out. The older man smiled.

482
00:24:42,680 --> 00:24:45,240
Speaker 1: I'm genuinely happy to hear that. There's nothing like a

483
00:24:45,280 --> 00:24:48,679
Speaker 1: headful of acid to help you see what's important. Now. Listen,

484
00:24:48,800 --> 00:24:50,880
Speaker 1: I hate to interrupt your morning, but there have been

485
00:24:50,960 --> 00:24:53,840
Speaker 1: some developments. None a Yazzie and I need to talk

486
00:24:53,880 --> 00:24:56,840
Speaker 1: to you. Manny went with him back down into the

487
00:24:56,880 --> 00:24:59,280
Speaker 1: main roller in that weird conference room where they'd met

488
00:24:59,359 --> 00:25:02,000
Speaker 1: on his first in the city. There were more people

489
00:25:02,080 --> 00:25:04,679
Speaker 1: there now. Nana Yazzi sat in the same spot at

490
00:25:04,680 --> 00:25:07,080
Speaker 1: the end of the table. Reggie was there fiddling with

491
00:25:07,119 --> 00:25:10,000
Speaker 1: one of his screens. Schuffucker Mike sat next to him,

492
00:25:10,200 --> 00:25:12,439
Speaker 1: and then at the other end of the table was

493
00:25:12,480 --> 00:25:15,919
Speaker 1: a large black dude Manny had never seen before. He

494
00:25:16,000 --> 00:25:18,320
Speaker 1: was muscular, but in the lean, wiry way of a

495
00:25:18,320 --> 00:25:22,120
Speaker 1: construction worker or a particularly swollen hobo. He had a long,

496
00:25:22,200 --> 00:25:25,359
Speaker 1: gaunt face with prominent sheet bones and an oft broken nose.

497
00:25:25,760 --> 00:25:28,720
Speaker 1: His hands were big, there was something menacing about them,

498
00:25:28,960 --> 00:25:31,440
Speaker 1: but his face was the least threatening thing in the world.

499
00:25:31,840 --> 00:25:34,800
Speaker 1: His eyes were litted, half, focused and dreamy. His jaw

500
00:25:34,920 --> 00:25:38,119
Speaker 1: was just a little slack. He had short hair, stubble really,

501
00:25:38,240 --> 00:25:42,520
Speaker 1: and a patchy six day beard. He looked stoned. Welcome, Nanny,

502
00:25:42,760 --> 00:25:46,000
Speaker 1: said Nana Yazzi. She gestured towards the big man. This

503
00:25:46,119 --> 00:25:48,920
Speaker 1: is Rowland. If you choose to help us rescue your people,

504
00:25:49,040 --> 00:25:51,760
Speaker 1: he'll be your escort into the Heavenly Kingdom and your

505
00:25:51,880 --> 00:25:55,080
Speaker 1: escape plan. Donald shut the door behind them, walked around

506
00:25:55,119 --> 00:25:57,000
Speaker 1: to the other side of the table and sat down

507
00:25:57,000 --> 00:26:00,240
Speaker 1: next to Nana Yazzi. We've tried to give you. I'm

508
00:26:00,240 --> 00:26:02,680
Speaker 1: in space on this, he said, but I'm afraid both

509
00:26:02,720 --> 00:26:05,720
Speaker 1: of those things are running out. All our intelligence suggests

510
00:26:05,720 --> 00:26:08,640
Speaker 1: the Heavenly Kingdom is very close to another roll out assault.

511
00:26:09,000 --> 00:26:11,520
Speaker 1: They'll move on Waco in four or five days. It

512
00:26:11,560 --> 00:26:14,320
Speaker 1: could be outside of Austin in a week's time. You

513
00:26:14,400 --> 00:26:16,720
Speaker 1: are free to make whatever call you want, or offer

514
00:26:16,800 --> 00:26:20,320
Speaker 1: to fly you to Austin. Still stands, Miho, said Nana Yazzi.

515
00:26:20,640 --> 00:26:23,240
Speaker 1: But I am afraid we need you to make a decision. Now,

516
00:26:24,600 --> 00:26:29,680
Speaker 1: I'll do it, Manny said. Almost everyone looked surprised. Donald coughed.

517
00:26:29,960 --> 00:26:34,040
Speaker 1: Nana Yazzi's eyes went wide. Reggie did a double take. Schoolfucker.

518
00:26:34,080 --> 00:26:37,400
Speaker 1: Mike just smiled and nodded at Manny. Roland didn't look

519
00:26:37,440 --> 00:26:39,680
Speaker 1: as if he'd been affected in any way. In fact,

520
00:26:40,119 --> 00:26:42,399
Speaker 1: Manny was pretty sure he was drumming along to some

521
00:26:42,560 --> 00:26:45,639
Speaker 1: music only he could hear. It might have been Ronnie

522
00:26:45,720 --> 00:26:52,520
Speaker 1: James Dio's Holy Diver. Hey, I'm Robert Evans. I hope

523
00:26:52,520 --> 00:26:54,560
Speaker 1: you enjoyed this chapter. I hope you enjoyed the chapters

524
00:26:54,560 --> 00:26:56,480
Speaker 1: to come. You can find the free e pub of

525
00:26:56,520 --> 00:26:58,639
Speaker 1: every chapter and eventually the whole book at a t

526
00:26:58,880 --> 00:27:02,160
Speaker 1: r book dot com, complete with illustrations. If you want

527
00:27:02,160 --> 00:27:05,040
Speaker 1: to support me in writing the sequel, you can crowdfund

528
00:27:05,040 --> 00:27:07,639
Speaker 1: me at After the Revolution the Sequel at go fund me.

529
00:27:07,760 --> 00:27:11,560
Speaker 1: Just type and go fund me after the Revolution the Sequel. Um.

530
00:27:11,600 --> 00:27:14,000
Speaker 1: I'd like my books to always be free, so I'm

531
00:27:14,040 --> 00:27:16,359
Speaker 1: just going to try to crowdfund the next one and

532
00:27:16,400 --> 00:27:18,719
Speaker 1: see how that works. So After the Revolution the Sequel

533
00:27:18,800 --> 00:27:22,200
Speaker 1: on go fund me. You can also find the community

534
00:27:22,240 --> 00:27:25,840
Speaker 1: of fans of this book online at our slash after

535
00:27:25,880 --> 00:27:29,680
Speaker 1: the Revolution on Reddit. So after the Revolution the Sequel

536
00:27:29,840 --> 00:27:32,360
Speaker 1: on go fund me and our slash after the Revolution

537
00:27:32,440 --> 00:27:34,720
Speaker 1: on Reddit. A t r book dot com for the

538
00:27:34,720 --> 00:27:35,639
Speaker 1: whole book thanks