1 00:00:05,200 --> 00:00:07,800 Speaker 1: Hey, this is Andy and Samantha and welcome to Stephane. 2 00:00:07,840 --> 00:00:18,880 Speaker 1: Never told you protection of I Heart Radio, and it 3 00:00:19,000 --> 00:00:25,280 Speaker 1: is time for another edition of Smindy Fiction. Fiction. I 4 00:00:25,320 --> 00:00:31,160 Speaker 1: like adding those effects. I love it. I love it. 5 00:00:31,560 --> 00:00:33,720 Speaker 1: I you know, this one's kind of a solitary one. 6 00:00:33,720 --> 00:00:35,240 Speaker 1: I'll talk about it more in a second. But maybe 7 00:00:35,280 --> 00:00:36,919 Speaker 1: we can get some parts for you. Maybe we can 8 00:00:36,960 --> 00:00:39,680 Speaker 1: get this one. I'm here for you, so you tell 9 00:00:39,680 --> 00:00:43,519 Speaker 1: me what you Thank you, thank you. I might need 10 00:00:43,560 --> 00:00:47,600 Speaker 1: your support because I'm actually nervous about this. Yeah, okay, 11 00:00:47,600 --> 00:00:50,840 Speaker 1: So Sminty Fiction is a once a month segment where 12 00:00:50,840 --> 00:00:53,520 Speaker 1: we read a piece of fiction and discuss So far 13 00:00:53,680 --> 00:00:55,320 Speaker 1: it has been stuff that I have written. But I 14 00:00:55,320 --> 00:00:58,240 Speaker 1: would love, Samantha, for you to contribute something or to 15 00:00:58,280 --> 00:01:01,680 Speaker 1: do something in the public domain. Yeah, it'd be cool. Yeah. 16 00:01:01,720 --> 00:01:04,959 Speaker 1: And they're more uh not always, but they are usually 17 00:01:04,959 --> 00:01:07,680 Speaker 1: more sound effects heavy, not too much, because Christina is 18 00:01:07,720 --> 00:01:10,440 Speaker 1: the best, and she's she knows like the perfect amount. 19 00:01:10,680 --> 00:01:14,120 Speaker 1: She's a pro. She is a pro. Uh and these 20 00:01:14,120 --> 00:01:18,280 Speaker 1: would not happen without her, So as always, thank you, Christina. Also, 21 00:01:19,920 --> 00:01:23,640 Speaker 1: we will be discussing in fertility throughout this, so if 22 00:01:23,640 --> 00:01:27,320 Speaker 1: that's something that's triggering for you totally understand that as well. 23 00:01:28,080 --> 00:01:30,600 Speaker 1: So we are starting something new, and this is one 24 00:01:30,640 --> 00:01:33,200 Speaker 1: of the reasons I'm a little nervous about this. A 25 00:01:33,240 --> 00:01:35,080 Speaker 1: couple of reasons, and I will break them all down. 26 00:01:35,480 --> 00:01:39,080 Speaker 1: We are embarking on a journey with this one, because 27 00:01:39,120 --> 00:01:41,160 Speaker 1: we're going to be reading a chapter a month from 28 00:01:41,160 --> 00:01:46,280 Speaker 1: a book I wrote in college called It's alternately called 29 00:01:46,360 --> 00:01:50,520 Speaker 1: Terminus Are the Depopulation Event. Terminus is like the series 30 00:01:50,600 --> 00:01:53,840 Speaker 1: name because it's the first of three. This one's called 31 00:01:53,840 --> 00:01:57,960 Speaker 1: the Depopulation Event. If the title gives you any warning, 32 00:01:58,160 --> 00:02:01,360 Speaker 1: this brings us to a very heavy content warning I'm 33 00:02:01,360 --> 00:02:05,720 Speaker 1: gonna put in here because this book I'm just gonna 34 00:02:05,800 --> 00:02:07,800 Speaker 1: spoil some of it, all right, because I don't want 35 00:02:07,800 --> 00:02:11,960 Speaker 1: anybody to get upset. Is about a virus uh and 36 00:02:12,080 --> 00:02:16,640 Speaker 1: women and people not having control over their bodies. I 37 00:02:16,680 --> 00:02:19,440 Speaker 1: often describe it as the Last of Us meets the 38 00:02:19,560 --> 00:02:26,600 Speaker 1: Road meets the Handmaid's Tail. Damn yeah, I will say, 39 00:02:27,880 --> 00:02:30,560 Speaker 1: as my voice cracks a little. I think it's more 40 00:02:30,840 --> 00:02:37,840 Speaker 1: cheery than those. The combo is a rough combo. Annie, 41 00:02:38,000 --> 00:02:41,239 Speaker 1: it's a combo. It's a rough combo. And believe me, 42 00:02:41,440 --> 00:02:45,639 Speaker 1: I asked Samantha. I was like, given what's going on, 43 00:02:46,480 --> 00:02:50,639 Speaker 1: I'm not sure that it is the best so heavy 44 00:02:50,639 --> 00:02:53,440 Speaker 1: content warning. But if you are much like Annie who 45 00:02:53,480 --> 00:02:56,560 Speaker 1: likes in the darkness of times to dwell in more 46 00:02:56,639 --> 00:03:01,320 Speaker 1: dark things, care you go here? You? Oh uh? And 47 00:03:01,680 --> 00:03:03,920 Speaker 1: I literally have two friends playing the last pilos two 48 00:03:04,040 --> 00:03:06,160 Speaker 1: right now and texting me their updates and it's bringing 49 00:03:06,200 --> 00:03:09,480 Speaker 1: me great joy. Um, so perhaps you are like me 50 00:03:09,520 --> 00:03:13,440 Speaker 1: and it does give you some relief. Um, it's definitely 51 00:03:13,480 --> 00:03:17,960 Speaker 1: got kind of removed from like by the time this 52 00:03:18,000 --> 00:03:22,960 Speaker 1: story takes place sort of too late. I don't know 53 00:03:23,000 --> 00:03:29,880 Speaker 1: if that's all right. I am messing this up. The 54 00:03:30,040 --> 00:03:34,560 Speaker 1: ending is good, so I'm definitely if you're going to 55 00:03:34,639 --> 00:03:38,080 Speaker 1: start it, stick with it correct, stick with it, Yes, 56 00:03:38,160 --> 00:03:40,560 Speaker 1: stick with it. I'm definitely digging myself a deeper hole. 57 00:03:40,560 --> 00:03:43,880 Speaker 1: I would love to hear people's reactions to this. Other chapters, 58 00:03:43,920 --> 00:03:47,040 Speaker 1: I will say, will come with additional content warnings and 59 00:03:47,080 --> 00:03:50,200 Speaker 1: perhaps different ratings. We might actually have to bump up 60 00:03:50,240 --> 00:03:54,680 Speaker 1: our everyone rating on this one. And I totally understand. 61 00:03:54,720 --> 00:03:58,360 Speaker 1: I given, yeah, everything that is going on, that is 62 00:03:58,400 --> 00:04:01,720 Speaker 1: not something you want to hear right now. Also, haven't 63 00:04:01,760 --> 00:04:04,160 Speaker 1: revisited this in a hot minute. I did kind of 64 00:04:04,160 --> 00:04:09,240 Speaker 1: revamp it probably four or five years ago. Uh. But 65 00:04:09,480 --> 00:04:11,600 Speaker 1: all that being said, I'm sure some of the terminology 66 00:04:11,640 --> 00:04:15,040 Speaker 1: needs updating, so that's going to be a group exercise. 67 00:04:15,040 --> 00:04:16,719 Speaker 1: I'm gonna try to do it as I as I 68 00:04:16,760 --> 00:04:19,279 Speaker 1: read it, but I'm sure we'll have discussions about it 69 00:04:19,279 --> 00:04:24,040 Speaker 1: because it is sort of a complicated plot. Um. One 70 00:04:24,040 --> 00:04:25,880 Speaker 1: of the reasons I was hesitant to ever share this 71 00:04:25,920 --> 00:04:28,839 Speaker 1: one was because I was worried and I believe we've 72 00:04:28,839 --> 00:04:31,960 Speaker 1: talked about this before that it would reveal some internal 73 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:36,440 Speaker 1: misogyny or that it wasn't feminist enough. So well, there 74 00:04:36,440 --> 00:04:39,920 Speaker 1: will be plenty to discuss with this story. There will 75 00:04:39,960 --> 00:04:45,200 Speaker 1: be plenty to discuss, Maridam, I'm building it up too much. 76 00:04:45,440 --> 00:04:47,800 Speaker 1: So yeah, we're gonna go chapter by chapter. We're gonna 77 00:04:47,839 --> 00:04:52,000 Speaker 1: start with the prologue, which is very exposition heavy. Um. 78 00:04:52,040 --> 00:04:55,440 Speaker 1: And this is a pretty, as I said, solitary tail, 79 00:04:56,640 --> 00:04:59,440 Speaker 1: So it might be a bit on the quieter side 80 00:04:59,440 --> 00:05:02,320 Speaker 1: actually for lot of it. But there's there's some action, 81 00:05:02,640 --> 00:05:07,039 Speaker 1: I promise, and we'll see where it goes. But this 82 00:05:07,080 --> 00:05:09,640 Speaker 1: one's gonna be a bit shorter of an episode and 83 00:05:09,680 --> 00:05:12,840 Speaker 1: sort of just setting the stage and so with all 84 00:05:12,880 --> 00:05:16,159 Speaker 1: of that, if I have not scared you away, let 85 00:05:16,240 --> 00:05:39,680 Speaker 1: us get into the prologue of the depopulation of it p. 86 00:05:39,880 --> 00:05:47,560 Speaker 1: HSB five the sterility virus sexpox population control among the 87 00:05:47,600 --> 00:05:51,400 Speaker 1: more cynical all terms for a virus that rendered those 88 00:05:51,440 --> 00:05:54,440 Speaker 1: infected unable to conceive and left marked for life with 89 00:05:54,480 --> 00:05:58,320 Speaker 1: painful sores and blistered faces, ranging from angry red to 90 00:05:58,480 --> 00:06:03,400 Speaker 1: dull purple hues, sometimes weeping a colorless pus, other times 91 00:06:03,440 --> 00:06:07,520 Speaker 1: leaking blood from sufferers who scratched too hard. HSB five's 92 00:06:07,560 --> 00:06:10,159 Speaker 1: real trick, however, a light and how quickly it caused 93 00:06:10,200 --> 00:06:14,000 Speaker 1: infertility the first time was now the only chance of 94 00:06:14,040 --> 00:06:18,880 Speaker 1: conception one and done, as they say, After that, both 95 00:06:18,920 --> 00:06:21,600 Speaker 1: men and women were sterile, and within a week sores 96 00:06:21,600 --> 00:06:24,200 Speaker 1: would appear on their faces, a permanent reminder of what 97 00:06:24,279 --> 00:06:26,880 Speaker 1: they'd done, of their inability to have a second child, 98 00:06:26,960 --> 00:06:30,720 Speaker 1: or even at first if that first attempt produced no results. 99 00:06:32,000 --> 00:06:35,680 Speaker 1: Epidemiologists could not pinpoint the origin of the virus. Why 100 00:06:35,800 --> 00:06:40,960 Speaker 1: two non infected individuals contracted HSV five. Some speculated a 101 00:06:41,040 --> 00:06:44,960 Speaker 1: latent chromosome or defect. Others theorized that pollutants in the 102 00:06:45,040 --> 00:06:47,720 Speaker 1: air or water led to the plague currently laying waste 103 00:06:47,760 --> 00:06:51,680 Speaker 1: to the world's birth rate. Perhaps infected mothers passed it 104 00:06:51,720 --> 00:06:54,320 Speaker 1: on to their children, where it remained dormant until sex. 105 00:06:56,160 --> 00:06:58,200 Speaker 1: But this led to a chicken and egg argument that 106 00:06:58,240 --> 00:07:06,640 Speaker 1: no longer mattered one transmission rate and no cure. Humanity 107 00:07:06,760 --> 00:07:13,000 Speaker 1: was dying, a slow, whimpering death. Abandoned houses, collapsing economies, 108 00:07:13,040 --> 00:07:18,040 Speaker 1: crumbling infrastructure, skeletal remains of a society that still knew hope. 109 00:07:19,000 --> 00:07:22,240 Speaker 1: A time before HSV five, when the concern was over 110 00:07:22,280 --> 00:07:26,520 Speaker 1: your population instead of depopulation. How luxurious a worry it 111 00:07:26,560 --> 00:07:31,440 Speaker 1: seems now, how affluent sex, at least in the case 112 00:07:31,480 --> 00:07:35,239 Speaker 1: of the virginal had become more science than pleasure. Government 113 00:07:35,320 --> 00:07:38,440 Speaker 1: law dictated mandatory checkups beginning at the age of sixteen, 114 00:07:38,880 --> 00:07:43,120 Speaker 1: placing those of the coveted birthing age in medical facilities 115 00:07:43,160 --> 00:07:46,960 Speaker 1: called conception centers, where a strict schedule focused on producing 116 00:07:46,960 --> 00:07:52,239 Speaker 1: the healthiest possible individual was enforced. A typical day included 117 00:07:52,240 --> 00:07:57,120 Speaker 1: at least four hours of exercising, both cardiovascular and strengthening, meditation, 118 00:07:57,240 --> 00:08:01,320 Speaker 1: and relaxation. The diet of potential wild bearers was determined 119 00:08:01,360 --> 00:08:05,640 Speaker 1: based on specific vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Nutritional analysts running 120 00:08:05,640 --> 00:08:08,880 Speaker 1: tests to ascertain the most effective meals, including portion, sizes, 121 00:08:08,920 --> 00:08:11,880 Speaker 1: and frequency, that would keep those that could produce the 122 00:08:11,920 --> 00:08:18,800 Speaker 1: most precious commodity, human child in optimum condition. Conception engineers 123 00:08:18,840 --> 00:08:22,920 Speaker 1: determined those most genetically compatible with each other, like morbid matchmakers, 124 00:08:23,240 --> 00:08:27,000 Speaker 1: determining the window where probability of conception was greatest down 125 00:08:27,040 --> 00:08:31,360 Speaker 1: to the year, month, day hour. As this mythical time approached, 126 00:08:31,480 --> 00:08:34,040 Speaker 1: prospect of parents were taught the best position for child 127 00:08:34,120 --> 00:08:39,280 Speaker 1: conception and other best case practices. Though arguments existed that 128 00:08:39,320 --> 00:08:42,439 Speaker 1: the pressure of the entire situation acted against those hoping 129 00:08:42,480 --> 00:08:47,760 Speaker 1: to conceive, those in powers saw no other options. It 130 00:08:47,800 --> 00:08:51,360 Speaker 1: worked enough, and with humanity's future in the balance, it 131 00:08:51,480 --> 00:08:56,000 Speaker 1: was in a necessity, They argued. The last thing we 132 00:08:56,040 --> 00:08:58,880 Speaker 1: need is our youth screwing around for fun and ruining 133 00:08:58,880 --> 00:09:01,280 Speaker 1: their chances that producing a child. Because they don't know 134 00:09:01,360 --> 00:09:05,320 Speaker 1: what they're doing, they would say, gels, quivering, hair graying, 135 00:09:05,600 --> 00:09:11,080 Speaker 1: fatalistic and condescending at once. When the virus first began 136 00:09:11,120 --> 00:09:14,560 Speaker 1: to spread and in its effects first understood, there was worry, 137 00:09:14,640 --> 00:09:18,280 Speaker 1: but nothing drastic. No one had the tiniest inkling that 138 00:09:18,400 --> 00:09:21,680 Speaker 1: it would spread, so quickly, that biochemists would be unable 139 00:09:21,679 --> 00:09:24,480 Speaker 1: to find a cure or even a vaccine. No one 140 00:09:24,559 --> 00:09:26,880 Speaker 1: predicted that it would not be isolated, that it would 141 00:09:26,920 --> 00:09:30,079 Speaker 1: not be contained, that science or technology or old of 142 00:09:30,120 --> 00:09:33,839 Speaker 1: ashion prayer could not solve the problem, that humanity might 143 00:09:33,880 --> 00:09:37,600 Speaker 1: in fact be slowly, steadily removed from existence by something 144 00:09:37,600 --> 00:09:42,319 Speaker 1: invisible to the naked eye, fading like a bad dream. 145 00:09:42,400 --> 00:09:45,280 Speaker 1: The birth rate plummeted from around five million a year 146 00:09:45,320 --> 00:09:48,240 Speaker 1: to just under one million in the United States. The 147 00:09:48,320 --> 00:09:52,880 Speaker 1: demographics shifted distressingly an upside down triangle, with the oldest 148 00:09:52,920 --> 00:09:55,840 Speaker 1: making up the most of the population and children making 149 00:09:55,880 --> 00:09:59,800 Speaker 1: up the smallest fraction. It was the opposite of what 150 00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:03,240 Speaker 1: population analysts wanted to see, a sharp drop off in 151 00:10:03,320 --> 00:10:07,559 Speaker 1: infants all around the globe, the smallest generation on record. 152 00:10:08,880 --> 00:10:12,960 Speaker 1: It was called the depopulation event. The use of the 153 00:10:13,000 --> 00:10:16,040 Speaker 1: word event, which implied a single instance at the beginning 154 00:10:16,040 --> 00:10:19,360 Speaker 1: and end, indicated how confident analysts were that a cure 155 00:10:19,360 --> 00:10:21,680 Speaker 1: would be found quickly, that this would be a blip 156 00:10:21,679 --> 00:10:25,400 Speaker 1: in the population chart that humanity would quickly recover from. 157 00:10:25,440 --> 00:10:28,760 Speaker 1: As the population continued to dwindle, years turned into decades 158 00:10:28,800 --> 00:10:32,040 Speaker 1: without a cure. Some scientists pointed out the inacuracy of 159 00:10:32,080 --> 00:10:36,880 Speaker 1: the term, but depopulation event stuck, whether through habit or desperation. 160 00:10:36,960 --> 00:10:40,640 Speaker 1: To believe that this would be a passing event. To 161 00:10:40,760 --> 00:10:42,960 Speaker 1: change the name was to admit that the cycle would 162 00:10:42,960 --> 00:10:46,719 Speaker 1: continue indefinitely. When the seriousness of the situation set in, 163 00:10:46,880 --> 00:10:50,679 Speaker 1: politicians moved quickly to implement sexual education classes, focusing on 164 00:10:50,720 --> 00:10:54,480 Speaker 1: the importance of abstinence, impressing upon the precious youth the 165 00:10:54,600 --> 00:10:57,280 Speaker 1: virus that awaits them should they stray, while at the 166 00:10:57,280 --> 00:10:59,800 Speaker 1: same time passing laws making sex outside of government a 167 00:11:00,040 --> 00:11:02,319 Speaker 1: rouval illegal at least for those that still had a 168 00:11:02,400 --> 00:11:06,920 Speaker 1: chance at producing a child. Instead, all those of childbearing 169 00:11:06,960 --> 00:11:10,360 Speaker 1: age would be taken to conception facilities. It was against 170 00:11:10,360 --> 00:11:12,400 Speaker 1: the law not to attend, and all able must try 171 00:11:12,440 --> 00:11:17,080 Speaker 1: to conceive. As fear spread rampantly and infection within itself, 172 00:11:17,480 --> 00:11:20,400 Speaker 1: new laws were put into place requiring hopeful parents to 173 00:11:20,440 --> 00:11:24,119 Speaker 1: fill out a petition for parenthood. Once approved, a responsible 174 00:11:24,160 --> 00:11:29,000 Speaker 1: parent application followed. If the Board for Family Preservation deemed 175 00:11:29,040 --> 00:11:32,560 Speaker 1: the advocates worthy, they proceeded to the final stage, a 176 00:11:32,559 --> 00:11:36,640 Speaker 1: series of rigorous interviews and psychological test. Only then would 177 00:11:36,640 --> 00:11:38,920 Speaker 1: a couple be trusted with the responsibility of raising a 178 00:11:39,040 --> 00:11:43,800 Speaker 1: child on the condition that they undergo inspections. Biological parents 179 00:11:43,840 --> 00:11:46,800 Speaker 1: needed to apply for this process as well. Conceiving a child. 180 00:11:46,920 --> 00:11:49,040 Speaker 1: Giving birth to a living being that shared your genes 181 00:11:49,240 --> 00:11:52,560 Speaker 1: did not guarantee that the biological parents would be allowed 182 00:11:52,600 --> 00:11:55,760 Speaker 1: to raise it. The board certainly took it into account, 183 00:11:55,800 --> 00:11:58,800 Speaker 1: but children were too limited a resource to take any chances. 184 00:11:59,280 --> 00:12:02,599 Speaker 1: Despite all all the science and careful planning behind conception, 185 00:12:03,240 --> 00:12:07,839 Speaker 1: don luck still employed a role. The most intelligent, helpful individuals, 186 00:12:07,880 --> 00:12:10,520 Speaker 1: the most promising parents, may be unable to bear children, 187 00:12:10,800 --> 00:12:13,160 Speaker 1: while those with less than desirable traits when it came 188 00:12:13,160 --> 00:12:17,040 Speaker 1: to raising a child may succeed in conceiving. The biological 189 00:12:17,240 --> 00:12:19,600 Speaker 1: were often granted visits, at the very least during the 190 00:12:19,640 --> 00:12:23,400 Speaker 1: first year for the mother to feed the child. Once weaned, 191 00:12:23,520 --> 00:12:28,400 Speaker 1: they were discarded unimportant, unable to conceive, even deemed unfit 192 00:12:28,480 --> 00:12:32,199 Speaker 1: to raise. The backlash against this had been muted and delayed, 193 00:12:32,360 --> 00:12:35,640 Speaker 1: so great was the gnawing fear and confusion, and when 194 00:12:35,679 --> 00:12:38,960 Speaker 1: it came and consisted mostly of angry words and relatively 195 00:12:39,040 --> 00:12:43,400 Speaker 1: tame protest isolated pockets of rebellion, attempts of child objection 196 00:12:43,640 --> 00:12:48,480 Speaker 1: a quickly squashed invasion of conception facility, hopeless resignation outweighed 197 00:12:48,480 --> 00:12:53,400 Speaker 1: the anger. The bottom line was this humanity was a 198 00:12:53,520 --> 00:12:56,360 Speaker 1: dying race and no one knew what to do about it. 199 00:12:57,120 --> 00:13:00,000 Speaker 1: What the government was doing was wrong, but was there 200 00:13:00,000 --> 00:13:03,320 Speaker 1: a right way to solve this? Not that anyone could see, 201 00:13:03,800 --> 00:13:06,520 Speaker 1: not if they wanted to continue to exist as a species. 202 00:13:07,480 --> 00:13:10,200 Speaker 1: Failure to conceive a child resulted in desperate need to 203 00:13:10,280 --> 00:13:15,440 Speaker 1: understand why. The Association for Restoring Our Morals or a 204 00:13:15,720 --> 00:13:19,239 Speaker 1: r m ARM or the Moral Mafia to their opponents, 205 00:13:19,720 --> 00:13:24,240 Speaker 1: came forward as an answer. Originally a friend religious group, 206 00:13:24,400 --> 00:13:27,840 Speaker 1: their prominence grew alongside the unrest. They put forward that 207 00:13:28,000 --> 00:13:33,439 Speaker 1: HSP five was God's punishment for humanity's promiscuity and decaying morality. 208 00:13:33,840 --> 00:13:36,640 Speaker 1: God would only offer his forgiveness and thus a cure 209 00:13:36,920 --> 00:13:39,800 Speaker 1: for the scored humanity brought on itself if as a 210 00:13:39,800 --> 00:13:44,679 Speaker 1: society we made amends. With no rational explanation forthcoming, more 211 00:13:44,720 --> 00:13:48,199 Speaker 1: and more turned to ARM. The government commissioned a position 212 00:13:48,360 --> 00:13:51,439 Speaker 1: entitled Religious Advisor to the State, to be appointed by 213 00:13:51,600 --> 00:13:57,720 Speaker 1: ARMS leaders. The Religious Advisor released proclamations guidelines for leading 214 00:13:57,720 --> 00:14:00,520 Speaker 1: a more and moral existence and condemned all those who 215 00:14:00,559 --> 00:14:04,240 Speaker 1: still led lives rife with sin. They took part in 216 00:14:04,280 --> 00:14:07,400 Speaker 1: the trials of those breaking conception and sex laws. Those 217 00:14:07,400 --> 00:14:10,199 Speaker 1: down guilty in these childs were publicly labeled as enemies 218 00:14:10,240 --> 00:14:14,200 Speaker 1: of humanity. Their numbers were too few for the death penalty, 219 00:14:14,400 --> 00:14:17,000 Speaker 1: which the religious advisors stress would be no less than 220 00:14:17,040 --> 00:14:20,400 Speaker 1: the guilty deserved, so those convicted were sentenced to menial 221 00:14:20,560 --> 00:14:25,480 Speaker 1: or dangerous jobs. The last remaining radio frequency broadcasted government 222 00:14:25,520 --> 00:14:29,040 Speaker 1: and our messages big speakers mounted on old telephone polls 223 00:14:29,080 --> 00:14:32,000 Speaker 1: along the highways in the cities. Most of the remaining 224 00:14:32,000 --> 00:14:34,960 Speaker 1: population have been relocated to the East Coast for ease 225 00:14:34,960 --> 00:14:38,600 Speaker 1: of control and logistics the government of the United States. 226 00:14:38,640 --> 00:14:42,000 Speaker 1: Although borders and countries had pretty much dissolved, it did 227 00:14:42,040 --> 00:14:44,920 Speaker 1: comfort many to rely on these names to hold onto 228 00:14:44,960 --> 00:14:48,280 Speaker 1: them like Talisman's still operated out of d C, and 229 00:14:48,280 --> 00:14:51,040 Speaker 1: a majority of the conception facilities were located along the 230 00:14:51,080 --> 00:14:55,640 Speaker 1: eastern seaboard. New York City, d C, Boston, Atlanta, Chicago, 231 00:14:55,680 --> 00:14:59,760 Speaker 1: and Los Angeles were the only outliers. Twenty five years 232 00:14:59,800 --> 00:15:03,120 Speaker 1: of exponential increase in infertility led the government to relocate 233 00:15:03,160 --> 00:15:07,200 Speaker 1: its constituents. A lot of grumbling resulted, but festering anxiety 234 00:15:07,280 --> 00:15:11,400 Speaker 1: fostered by abandoned houses and businesses led to a widespread acquiescence, 235 00:15:12,040 --> 00:15:16,720 Speaker 1: but there was resistance. There always is. Some did not 236 00:15:16,800 --> 00:15:19,200 Speaker 1: leave their homes, resigned to a childless life, but a 237 00:15:19,200 --> 00:15:22,600 Speaker 1: peaceful one with the death of their own design. Liberation 238 00:15:22,680 --> 00:15:25,440 Speaker 1: could be found in the loneliness to grow food, to 239 00:15:25,480 --> 00:15:28,800 Speaker 1: make what was needed, to be entirely self sufficient, to 240 00:15:28,880 --> 00:15:31,160 Speaker 1: sit in the quiet and to think, to write, to 241 00:15:31,320 --> 00:15:33,440 Speaker 1: so to paint, to do things that they couldn't have 242 00:15:33,480 --> 00:15:37,160 Speaker 1: done before because of work or social obligations. Some would 243 00:15:37,160 --> 00:15:40,880 Speaker 1: consider this living, truly living, and away humanity had not 244 00:15:40,920 --> 00:15:44,840 Speaker 1: in a long time. Weeds blanketed the land, unkempt, creeping 245 00:15:44,920 --> 00:15:48,280 Speaker 1: up buildings and street lights erupting through cracks in the concrete. 246 00:15:48,720 --> 00:15:52,920 Speaker 1: Wildlife flourished, the numbers of their greatest predator dropping more 247 00:15:52,960 --> 00:15:55,280 Speaker 1: and more. The planet was returned to them, and they 248 00:15:55,320 --> 00:15:59,640 Speaker 1: wandered dilapidated towns and empty cities, the crumbling buildings, somehow 249 00:15:59,680 --> 00:16:04,080 Speaker 1: odd an ominus now that they lacked purpose, massive gray graveyards, 250 00:16:04,160 --> 00:16:08,000 Speaker 1: the remains of a civilization. Once fast the age of 251 00:16:08,040 --> 00:16:15,520 Speaker 1: man was ending. Arm directive state sanctioned classified need to 252 00:16:15,600 --> 00:16:22,120 Speaker 1: know only outstanding case number. Tilda Nohan, aged twenty three 253 00:16:22,320 --> 00:16:27,720 Speaker 1: see attached picture. Height five five, weight one hundred nine pounds, 254 00:16:27,880 --> 00:16:33,640 Speaker 1: last known skin color white, hair color blonde, eye color brown. 255 00:16:34,280 --> 00:16:39,440 Speaker 1: Identifying features in a daughter of Cameron Nohan, Professor and 256 00:16:39,480 --> 00:16:44,240 Speaker 1: bio engineering specialist and Leona Nohan formerly Yona Phoenix, professor 257 00:16:44,240 --> 00:16:48,520 Speaker 1: conception and depression psychiatrist, aged forty and thirty six, respectively. 258 00:16:48,960 --> 00:16:53,480 Speaker 1: Exemplary parenting record see attached documents and pictures. Mother of 259 00:16:53,480 --> 00:16:58,240 Speaker 1: Madison Nohan, aged seven heightened, weight unknown based assumption on 260 00:16:58,320 --> 00:17:01,480 Speaker 1: average height and weight of seven year old away. Skin 261 00:17:01,560 --> 00:17:05,160 Speaker 1: color white, hair color light brown at aged one, eye 262 00:17:05,160 --> 00:17:11,080 Speaker 1: color hazel. Identifying features earth mark left fore arm. Mission 263 00:17:11,119 --> 00:17:15,320 Speaker 1: summary conceived outside conception center. Age of mother at time 264 00:17:15,320 --> 00:17:19,720 Speaker 1: of conception fift premature birth at Conception Center Birthing Unit 265 00:17:19,720 --> 00:17:24,119 Speaker 1: in Atlanta on September beaklongs an immune system kept in 266 00:17:24,160 --> 00:17:27,840 Speaker 1: hospital for observation for thirteen months. On day of October four, 267 00:17:28,040 --> 00:17:32,320 Speaker 1: kidnapped by Tilda Nohan. Child missing for six years. Information 268 00:17:32,359 --> 00:17:34,880 Speaker 1: suggest he remains in the custody of Tilda Nohan, who's 269 00:17:34,960 --> 00:17:39,240 Speaker 1: on the run from enforcers. Standing orders secure Madison Nohan 270 00:17:39,320 --> 00:17:42,119 Speaker 1: and ensure his safe return to conception facility in d 271 00:17:42,280 --> 00:17:46,560 Speaker 1: C post haste. The mother is expendable capture if possible, 272 00:17:46,560 --> 00:18:09,600 Speaker 1: but child is priority Priority Level one. Okay, so you 273 00:18:09,720 --> 00:18:15,399 Speaker 1: made it through. I hope you're okay. I'm really building 274 00:18:15,400 --> 00:18:17,320 Speaker 1: it up and to way too much. I have talked 275 00:18:17,359 --> 00:18:21,200 Speaker 1: about this story before on an episode I did back 276 00:18:21,200 --> 00:18:23,960 Speaker 1: when I was sort of hostless. I was it was 277 00:18:24,000 --> 00:18:26,320 Speaker 1: before Samantha and I was all alone and I was 278 00:18:26,359 --> 00:18:28,720 Speaker 1: bringing out a bunch of the guests and I brought 279 00:18:28,800 --> 00:18:31,400 Speaker 1: on Julie Douglas, who used to do stuff to blow 280 00:18:31,440 --> 00:18:35,520 Speaker 1: your mind, to talk about motherhood. She was talking about 281 00:18:35,520 --> 00:18:39,560 Speaker 1: motherhood and um specifically like horror, which we've talked about 282 00:18:39,560 --> 00:18:41,720 Speaker 1: before too. And she asked me about this because she 283 00:18:41,720 --> 00:18:43,159 Speaker 1: had heard that I wrote this, and I wrote this 284 00:18:43,200 --> 00:18:47,320 Speaker 1: to college again and it's about motherhood. And it's just 285 00:18:47,400 --> 00:18:51,840 Speaker 1: interesting to me why I this just came naturally, like 286 00:18:51,880 --> 00:18:54,560 Speaker 1: I did this for UM. We've talked about Nano Raimo, 287 00:18:55,840 --> 00:19:00,520 Speaker 1: which is a national write a novel November month. You know, UM, 288 00:19:01,440 --> 00:19:03,560 Speaker 1: you know what I'm talking about. And it just like 289 00:19:03,920 --> 00:19:06,920 Speaker 1: the the words just poured out and this is what happened, 290 00:19:07,000 --> 00:19:09,520 Speaker 1: and it was about motherhood. And I do find that 291 00:19:09,680 --> 00:19:13,200 Speaker 1: very very interesting because even at the time, I don't. 292 00:19:13,480 --> 00:19:15,439 Speaker 1: I think I had already decided I was probably not 293 00:19:15,480 --> 00:19:17,920 Speaker 1: going to have kids. And you and I have also 294 00:19:17,960 --> 00:19:21,320 Speaker 1: talked about again going back to that horror thing of 295 00:19:21,359 --> 00:19:25,439 Speaker 1: how motherhood is often portrayed in these situations as something 296 00:19:26,640 --> 00:19:29,000 Speaker 1: that is used as sort of a tool of horror, 297 00:19:29,040 --> 00:19:34,000 Speaker 1: a tool of devastation, or what have you. I think 298 00:19:34,040 --> 00:19:37,239 Speaker 1: given the conversations we've had around trauma on here and 299 00:19:37,359 --> 00:19:39,440 Speaker 1: my own trauma, which I have come a long way 300 00:19:39,480 --> 00:19:43,199 Speaker 1: and understanding since writing this, I think I have a 301 00:19:43,240 --> 00:19:47,199 Speaker 1: better idea of why I wrote it, UM, because it 302 00:19:47,280 --> 00:19:50,679 Speaker 1: is very much about protecting like a younger person, and 303 00:19:50,720 --> 00:19:53,760 Speaker 1: even I think even coming up there's a section of 304 00:19:53,800 --> 00:19:56,359 Speaker 1: like feeling not like a mother, but like an older 305 00:19:56,359 --> 00:20:00,720 Speaker 1: sister to somebody. So I think this was definitely me 306 00:20:00,880 --> 00:20:03,719 Speaker 1: trying to deal with trauma in a way that I 307 00:20:03,760 --> 00:20:08,560 Speaker 1: didn't completely understand, and I'm still trying to understand in 308 00:20:08,600 --> 00:20:13,240 Speaker 1: a lot of ways. By writing this, UM, I'm kind 309 00:20:13,240 --> 00:20:18,280 Speaker 1: of feeling that responsibility and all the societal messages around 310 00:20:18,320 --> 00:20:22,639 Speaker 1: having kids than having if you have them, to be 311 00:20:22,760 --> 00:20:24,720 Speaker 1: the perfect mother and to protect them and all of 312 00:20:24,760 --> 00:20:28,720 Speaker 1: that stuff, right, yeah. So one thing I really struggled 313 00:20:28,720 --> 00:20:32,520 Speaker 1: with when I wrote this um was that it's obviously 314 00:20:33,880 --> 00:20:39,359 Speaker 1: very uh heteronormative, and kind of the whole plot sort 315 00:20:39,400 --> 00:20:44,879 Speaker 1: of relies on it, uh, not necessarily being heteronormative, but 316 00:20:45,560 --> 00:20:50,320 Speaker 1: because of that, because the idea is once you have 317 00:20:50,520 --> 00:20:56,160 Speaker 1: like vaginal and penis sex, then you become infertile, then 318 00:20:58,119 --> 00:21:00,199 Speaker 1: I had to I struggled with, well, what does that 319 00:21:00,280 --> 00:21:02,919 Speaker 1: mean for any sex that is not that uh, and 320 00:21:03,040 --> 00:21:06,840 Speaker 1: how this virus work? And I'm not a scientist, so 321 00:21:07,160 --> 00:21:12,480 Speaker 1: I really really grappled with that, and I tried to 322 00:21:12,520 --> 00:21:15,280 Speaker 1: handle it here. I think that I could have done 323 00:21:15,280 --> 00:21:17,879 Speaker 1: a better job, and you know, maybe I'm planning on 324 00:21:18,119 --> 00:21:21,080 Speaker 1: rewriting some of this some day and making it better, 325 00:21:21,520 --> 00:21:25,040 Speaker 1: and I did. I asked one of my scientific friends 326 00:21:25,960 --> 00:21:29,760 Speaker 1: about this. Scientific friends sounds so funny. She works in 327 00:21:29,800 --> 00:21:33,280 Speaker 1: the science field, and she works specifically and like medicine, uh, 328 00:21:33,640 --> 00:21:36,760 Speaker 1: and she tried to give me some pointers. But obviously 329 00:21:36,800 --> 00:21:41,720 Speaker 1: this is a fictional worlds um, so I think if 330 00:21:41,720 --> 00:21:44,000 Speaker 1: you look at it too closely, it might fall apart. 331 00:21:44,119 --> 00:21:45,679 Speaker 1: But I just wanted to put in there that I 332 00:21:45,720 --> 00:21:48,800 Speaker 1: did grapple with that, and we also have talked to 333 00:21:48,920 --> 00:21:53,840 Speaker 1: before about how infertility has been used, especially against women, 334 00:21:53,840 --> 00:21:56,680 Speaker 1: as some kind of source of horror. For this, I 335 00:21:58,440 --> 00:22:02,000 Speaker 1: was trying specifically to make it like sort of a 336 00:22:02,040 --> 00:22:05,760 Speaker 1: pressure to have children, like an examination of that pressure 337 00:22:05,760 --> 00:22:08,119 Speaker 1: to have children or else and the or else in 338 00:22:08,160 --> 00:22:11,760 Speaker 1: this case as humanity goes extinct. Um. But I also 339 00:22:11,800 --> 00:22:14,240 Speaker 1: want to put out there that I understand that that 340 00:22:14,240 --> 00:22:17,840 Speaker 1: that messaging too can be harmful. Yeah, So as this 341 00:22:18,000 --> 00:22:22,879 Speaker 1: unfolds again, this was just the just the beginning, and 342 00:22:22,960 --> 00:22:26,439 Speaker 1: we're gonna we're gonna go through it and it's all 343 00:22:26,560 --> 00:22:30,200 Speaker 1: More will be revealed and more trauma will be revealed 344 00:22:30,400 --> 00:22:36,800 Speaker 1: and answers will come. Uh, what a strange time to 345 00:22:36,800 --> 00:22:39,800 Speaker 1: be doing this one. I hope that it was enjoyed. 346 00:22:40,240 --> 00:22:41,840 Speaker 1: I hope that you continue to enjoy it. And I 347 00:22:41,840 --> 00:22:44,320 Speaker 1: would love all listeners. I would love if you would 348 00:22:44,320 --> 00:22:47,360 Speaker 1: write in if you have theories our thoughts of what's 349 00:22:47,359 --> 00:22:49,840 Speaker 1: gonna happen, Because when you write something, you know, you're like, 350 00:22:50,200 --> 00:22:53,240 Speaker 1: is it obvious what's gonna happen? Did I put in 351 00:22:53,359 --> 00:22:57,160 Speaker 1: enough clues? Not too many clues? Like? So I would 352 00:22:57,160 --> 00:22:59,600 Speaker 1: love that. And also just a final note, I would 353 00:22:59,600 --> 00:23:01,320 Speaker 1: love to come I can talk about this someday, but 354 00:23:01,680 --> 00:23:04,840 Speaker 1: this I definitely wrote this too when young adult novels 355 00:23:04,880 --> 00:23:08,600 Speaker 1: were just leaning so hard into dystopian stuff, and a 356 00:23:08,640 --> 00:23:11,720 Speaker 1: lot of those young adult novels did have a young 357 00:23:11,960 --> 00:23:14,760 Speaker 1: woman or young girl at least the ones I was 358 00:23:14,800 --> 00:23:19,639 Speaker 1: reading um as the main character. So this was certainly 359 00:23:19,760 --> 00:23:21,800 Speaker 1: part of that, and I would love to revisit that 360 00:23:21,840 --> 00:23:25,760 Speaker 1: in a future episode. Alright, but for now, let's let's 361 00:23:26,040 --> 00:23:29,040 Speaker 1: close it out before I dig my grave deeper on this. 362 00:23:30,320 --> 00:23:33,720 Speaker 1: Uh and yes, listeners, if there are any stories in 363 00:23:33,760 --> 00:23:36,919 Speaker 1: the public domain you would like us to read for 364 00:23:36,960 --> 00:23:39,560 Speaker 1: one of these segments, that would be great. You can 365 00:23:39,640 --> 00:23:42,440 Speaker 1: send any suggestions are a way at Stephanie and Mom 366 00:23:42,480 --> 00:23:44,440 Speaker 1: stuff at I heeart meta dot com. You can find 367 00:23:44,480 --> 00:23:46,440 Speaker 1: us on Twitter, I'm most the podcast or Instagram and 368 00:23:46,480 --> 00:23:48,720 Speaker 1: stuff I Never told you thinks. It's always to our 369 00:23:48,760 --> 00:23:53,400 Speaker 1: super producer Christie Yes. Thank you, Christina Yes, and thanks 370 00:23:53,440 --> 00:23:55,119 Speaker 1: to you for listening stuff I Never told you this 371 00:23:55,160 --> 00:23:57,000 Speaker 1: production of I Heart Radio for more podcasts for my 372 00:23:57,040 --> 00:23:58,760 Speaker 1: Heart Radio. Because if you I Heart radio app, Apple 373 00:23:58,760 --> 00:24:00,720 Speaker 1: podcast or redul listen to your favorite shows.