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Hello human who loves audio content.

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I am cosmic your favorite friendly neighborhood

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www.audibletrial.com

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slash planet M. And remember, cosmic

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you.

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Now me tell you something about life on EOS 10.

0:53

What's new with First is

0:55

always expect the unexpected. space

0:57

dragon hatches from a chrysalis and telepathically

1:00

bonds with you after a few of colleagues before

1:02

being kidnapped by one armed zycathian who also

1:04

tried you. Well, you should have expected

1:06

something so unexpected. It's

1:08

the only way to survive there. Second is

1:11

if someone from House A rule is around, they

1:13

are always involved. I

1:15

can sense this is a What

1:18

do you know? How many things? You'll

1:20

have to be more specific. Tell us about your

1:22

friend the Zycathian. How

1:25

frugal snakes

1:27

come inside?

1:28

Well?

1:32

I'd hardly call him a friend,

1:34

an acquaintance. Someone met

1:36

in passing said hello

1:38

to once maybe, at a A

1:40

stranger really, to be honest. He

1:42

came on board, came straight to this deck,

1:44

straight to this section, and stayed here for 33 minutes,

1:47

before getting on a lift, heading to the promenade,

1:50

going to the arboretum, and then getting his off.

1:52

While in the infirmary, he had exactly

1:54

one visitor at 0300 hours. Circumstantial

1:58

evidence best. I'm Regarding

15:55

What

16:01

did I say? 20cc is anaprovaline!

16:04

Ow! Are you trying to get someone killed?

16:07

Ahh! What kind

16:09

of an answer is that? Look sharp, man! I

16:11

asked you a direct question!

16:13

Yeah, okay, we're all good. What the

16:15

hell was that? That guy walking by was staring

16:18

at us. I wanted to make sure we stayed in a character.

16:21

I don't think he noticed anything.

16:23

I just don't get why you're posing as the doctor and I'm

16:25

the nurse. Who's in charge here? You

16:28

are? You are? Guess you have your answer

16:31

then. NURSE! Are you stupid?

16:33

Can't you read that order? What does that say?

16:37

Ooh. Okay, they're gone. This

16:40

is a busy hallway. Maybe we should wait somewhere

16:42

else.

16:43

I wish you'd stop yelling at me. I'm playing a

16:45

doctor. I can't. Ahem.

16:48

Excuse me. Excuse me.

16:49

Hello. Fabulous day.

16:53

What's new with all of you? Dr. Jones,

16:55

novice nurse dahlias. to

16:58

third floor west. Lab two

17:00

please. Third floor west.

17:03

Thank you.

17:06

Oh hell.

17:17

Finally, what

17:20

took you so long? I had to yell at Ryan

17:22

in front of a group of passing medical students.

17:24

Took some time. Well, behold

17:27

my success. Who

17:30

the hell are they? I give you three

17:32

suspicious patients. A

17:34

former Earth Senator with two missing

17:36

toes. A Latarian basket

17:39

weaver in cobbler farm air with a missing

17:41

arm. An internet miner and

17:43

renowned philanthropist from Colossus

17:46

who now has just a bloody stub

17:49

where a foot should be. Each arrived

17:52

in the sector two days ago when he

17:54

showed up with suspicious

17:56

injuries and quite vague explanations

17:59

as

17:59

to what happened. Coincidence?

18:03

I think Lord.

18:06

Hm-hm.

18:06

Can they hear us? No! This

18:09

is an observation lab, and that is a two-way

18:11

mirror. I'm so excited.

18:13

I could almost burst. You were

18:15

able to convince someone to not only tell you who these

18:18

people were, but then you dragged them out of the rooms

18:20

and all the way up to this lab? I'm very persuasive.

18:23

I thought it was perfect for interrogation. Oh, whoa!

18:25

Hold on, wait.

18:26

I'll break them! Okay, they are already broken. Xander,

18:29

how did you do this? Dr. Dallius,

18:32

I was renowned on R and seven for

18:34

my ability to convince others

18:36

to do my bidding. There may also be

18:38

various employees of this ward and others

18:41

tied up in various closets across

18:43

the hospital. We should free them

18:45

when we're done, if you like.

18:47

Well, we're on a pretty tight schedule,

18:50

we'll see.

18:52

Perhaps even this closet. Oh my God.

18:55

Jane, maybe

18:58

I should do the questioning. Why? They've

19:00

got the info we need. I'll get it from them. Don't

19:03

you worry your giant pretty little forehead

19:05

about it. That causes wrinkles and well,

19:08

you are not getting any younger. Be

19:11

right back.

19:15

Did she get any answers? Not

19:18

immediately, no. She just went in the room and paced

19:20

in front of them, silent, staring for a good 20

19:23

minutes.

19:24

Wow. It was like watching

19:27

a maestro at work. Virtuosic

19:29

talent. I mean, finally she stopped in front

19:31

of bloody stuff, just gawking,

19:34

assessing every crevice on his face and every

19:36

blue spot along his temples. Still

19:39

inside that eye, I was tempted to cut in and tell her

19:42

to get on with it, but you know, I was kind of mesmerized.

19:45

Then she cocked her head to the side, just a centimeter,

19:47

and I slid just as far forward on

19:49

the edge of my chair.

19:51

If I'd had popcorn, it would have stopped halfway to

19:53

my mouth, you know? She started

19:55

to speak and I was holding my breath. Okay,

19:58

I'm sorry, I'm- I'm so sorry, I'll tell

20:01

you everything. Everything you wanna know. I'm just...

20:03

I'm so sorry. For God's sakes, man. Shut

20:06

up! It's just so scary. Scary

20:08

than the thing that took your foot, bloody stuff?

20:10

That's not my name! Answer me or I'll tell

20:13

anyone will ever remember about you! Oh, God,

20:15

what does that mean? Oh, she's

20:18

bluffing. She's what?

20:22

Mr. Former Earth Senator?

20:24

I'm sorry. I don't

20:27

think I heard you correctly. Did you say

20:29

she's bluffing? No. What?

20:32

What was that? No! No! No,

20:34

of course not.

20:37

Good. I didn't think so. Alright,

20:40

gentlemen. Are you all gonna get

20:42

on board the Jane train with me, or do I

20:44

have to lock that door so Dr. Dallius

20:47

can't get in here?

20:49

I'm gonna get

20:51

them into this. They're just under- Oh my god, they're- And then

20:53

they're just so big, and then when you

20:56

go into them and try to feed them, they're just like- and

20:58

then we get, you know, people come

21:00

in and they can just die, then we

21:02

have the all-ch

21:14

Where

21:25

is it? We're

21:26

expecting to receive coordinates any moment

21:28

now. It's kept secret into the last possible

21:31

moment. Oh, it's soon. Tonight.

21:35

It's tonight, but it does you little good to

21:37

know. The auction is inaccessible

21:39

without an invitation. Well,

21:44

must be my lucky day, because

21:47

I need three tickets to this auction and I just stumbled

21:49

upon three people who are suddenly

21:52

too unwell to attend!

21:54

Oh, or they will be when I'm finished with

21:57

them, if you know what I mean.

22:12

Three invitations to secret auction, check!

22:15

Now we just wait for the coordinates. Oh,

22:18

this is going so well. Frankly, I'm

22:20

shocked.

22:20

Yeah, well, the hardest part is still ahead of us.

22:23

Yeah, well, the hardest part is still ahead of us. Can

22:25

you not stop to celebrate

22:27

for even a moment?

22:29

Now go change Dr. Dalleus.

22:31

If I'm going to be seen with you among who's

22:33

who, I must insist on approving

22:36

your attire. My what?

22:38

Your formal wear, Doctor.

22:41

My formal wear? I

22:43

didn't bring any form-

22:44

Did you guys both? For the love of- By

22:47

all the moons! Go check my luggage.

22:49

The fourth smallest travel case, not the Burgundy

22:52

set, the server set. You'll find

22:54

something in there you can wear.

23:01

Can

23:03

you believe him? Goes to show you

23:05

how few formal events he's had to sneak

23:07

into on a sudden whim. I never

23:10

go anywhere without a full-length sequin

23:12

gown and sensible yet alluring shoes.

23:14

Oh, he's hopeless. I bet you

23:16

look ravishing in sequins. I

23:18

do! Yes, thank you! And yeah,

23:20

Ryan, ugh, so hopeless!

23:24

I thought about putting him down, you

23:26

know, ease his suffering. Every day

23:28

I wake up and I think, is this it? Is

23:31

this the day I kill Ryan Dallius?

23:36

Well, is it? Is it what? Is it the

23:38

day? Oh, I don't know. It's

23:41

not over yet. Hmm, I

23:43

see. No, come on!

23:46

I mean, how could I ever? Unless I

23:48

had to. Perhaps if he turned evil again.

23:50

Oh yeah, well then I'd kill him

23:52

on the spot, dance on his windpipe and all

23:54

that. Oh, make a trophy of his spies!

23:57

Yeah, that's what I meant! I-I-I

23:59

feel bad. about it.

24:03

It's the eyes, you know he's got

24:05

those eyes. Am

24:08

I right? Oh I thought I was the only one

24:10

that noticed I didn't want to say

24:12

anything.

24:13

He looks at me with those

24:15

eyes. Oh the depths of the ocean. And

24:17

I'm just powerless. And I can't even swim.

24:19

I just fall, he's got the power. I shall

24:21

be careful with him or I might Drow! Oh,

24:24

yeah! Ugh! What

24:26

were we talking about?

24:31

Yeah, I tried swimming lessons, you know. On

24:35

Ensign Quokka's advice, he said I might like

24:37

the pool in the station recreational

24:39

complex. That's what he said. But

24:41

it didn't work. I just... I

24:43

just sunk, you see, like an omelet

24:46

stone. I don't know, Ensign

24:48

Quokka. I don't know an Ensign Quokka.

24:50

And no one shall ever

24:53

know an Ensign Quokka. Ahem.

24:57

Oh my god, my god. Damn. Moon, that's

24:59

not even here. Sleep much. Yeah.

25:01

This is all I found. It smells

25:03

vaguely of spent trilithium and gimchas.

25:06

How do I look?

25:08

What is that daring

25:10

and disquieting color? Blue-ish?

25:16

I don't know. I know clothes, I live in scrubs,

25:18

I mean I know one color, white. Okay,

25:21

and occasionally red. Green,

25:23

purple. Lieutenant Barakas blood was yellow

25:26

for reasons I could never figure out, but you know he's dead

25:28

now, so I guess it doesn't matter, I guess. I

25:31

mean, I just, I just, I

25:33

say things, I mean they just come out of my mouth

25:35

and I can't stop them. From the costume

25:38

closet it's Shayla V. Levi cataloged

25:40

everything and kept spectacular records. Obsessive,

25:43

compulsive, if you ask me. Let me look.

25:46

Ah, this color is called

25:49

Baby Blue.

45:52

We're

46:00

never gonna make it. I'm open to ideas! Ha!

46:03

Really? Any ideas? Any ideas

46:05

at all? Third, fourth tier ideas,

46:07

we are all open for ideas here!

46:09

Uh, that star chart he was showing

46:11

off at the auction. Yeah? Interface, did we get

46:13

a visual of it? Indeed we did. Show

46:16

us. There, the

46:18

Larry believed he was from this proto-system

46:20

in Deep Gamma 6. Into the void? Into

46:23

the void. Oh hell yes! Laying

46:26

in the course now. We're directing secondary

46:28

power to hold polarization. Interface.

46:31

Analyze the plasma waveforms in the void's outer shell.

46:33

Maybe you can get us a smoother flight path through. On

46:35

it. What? Excuse me, what

46:37

is happening? We're

46:38

taking the dragon home! Incoming

46:41

missile.

46:42

Oh! Oh! If

46:44

we make it, that is.

46:47

I don't think I've ever talked to anyone who's

46:50

actually been inside the void.

46:52

It's a dark nebula, six light years

46:54

across at its widest point. Getting

46:57

through the outer dust cloud, it actually wasn't

46:59

as bad as I thought. And then once we were

47:01

inside, just nothing.

47:04

A handful of protostars, but beyond that, darkness.

47:08

Oh, that must have been disorienting.

47:10

Yeah, especially coupled with the fact that we were

47:12

being chased by a homicidal black market auctioneer

47:15

in a very impressive starship. For

47:17

a while, I even thought we had an advantage. I

47:20

didn't think he'd really destroy us with the dragon

47:22

on board. and

47:24

you know for most of the chase it was like he was just

47:26

a big cat batting around a mouse. You

47:29

pick that one up from Commander Johns? Yeah

47:33

well she does rub off on you. ETA?

47:37

Six minutes. Oh!

47:40

Chaw while they're just went the engine. Our ETA

47:42

is a lot longer now. Will V.S.I.F. defeated

47:45

the Magistrate

47:45

of E.S.10. I take so much in that

47:48

you know I will not have gone silently

47:50

into the- Shut up, Xander! Structural integrity

47:52

has fallen to critical levels. Oh,

47:55

structural integrity has dropped below 20%. All

47:57

right, just open a channel. Let me talk to him.

47:59

Right. We can't! We don't have a choice! Oh,

48:02

channel open! No response! Structural

48:05

integrity has dropped to seven percent? Ugh!

48:08

Abandon ship! Go! Oh my, all the moons

48:10

is there time to grab my gawl! No!

48:13

What about me? Go back into your sphere. One of

48:15

us will carry you out. Are you sure? Interverse,

48:17

I won't protect you as though you are my own kin!

48:20

Oh, well, now don't say that. Now I am really

48:22

not- I beg your pardon? How many times

48:25

have you tried to kill your own brother? Zero!

48:27

Successfully! There's no time for this

48:29

sphere now! Oh fine! Come

48:32

on!

48:33

Pod 1

48:37

is not functioning. Pod 2

48:40

is online! Get inside. You

48:42

will not have to tell me twice. See you

48:44

today!

48:47

Pod 3 online? I'll try 4. Pod 4

48:52

is not functioning. Ah, um, okay. We

48:55

can both fit. No, Ryan, really. It'll

48:57

be tight, but you'll just have to suck in that

48:59

gut of yours and Jane the life support

49:02

system can't sustain us both Yeah,

49:04

you're

49:04

right. You're right. Okay? Okay,

49:07

then get in what that's an order No, that's

49:10

that's that is getting real old real fast now You

49:12

know who I thought of those years get in the

49:14

pod Jane order yelling It

49:17

doesn't make me more likely to do it don't make

49:19

me shoot you again get in the pot I

49:22

don't even I

49:22

mean look at this thing. I don't even see

49:24

the launch controls. How do I what what right? What?

49:27

Where? They are right! Oh my god!

49:29

Even Xander figured this out! Whoa!

49:32

Hey, Ryan! Ryan, what are you doing? Let

49:34

me out of here right now! I can't do

49:36

that. I gave you an

49:38

order! Court-martial me. It's

49:41

okay. It's okay. I

49:43

couldn't leave him here alone anyway. He can

49:46

survive in space. You can't! Let me

49:48

out of here. Take care of

49:50

Xander, okay? And tell

49:52

the captain I'm sorry that I had to break my promise. He's

49:54

gonna be so mad at me. Ryan, no! Come

49:57

on! You can fit! It'll be fine,

49:59

we'll- You will breathe slow or you

50:01

can just hold your breath. You are a swimmer, Ryan.

50:05

Sorry I'm not gonna be there to see all the great things you're

50:07

gonna do. Sorry

50:09

I won't be there to get to see you step fully

50:12

into your power, I have been waiting for that.

50:13

Ryan. Please.

50:18

Thanks for being my friend. You

50:20

have no idea how much that meant to me. Ryan.

50:25

Come on, I have owed you this one. Ryan

50:27

James Dallas let me out of here right

50:29

now! Hey

50:37

it's okay it's really okay it's okay. I

50:40

know I'm scared too. I

50:42

know I know hey you

50:44

want a song? Yeah what should I

50:46

what should I sing something? There's um there's

50:48

an old old sailor song. Usually

50:51

they used to sing it on the last day of the voyage that

50:53

seems appropriate huh?

51:03

I thought I heard the

51:06

old man say, Leave

51:09

her, John, need

51:11

leave her, For

51:13

tomorrow you

51:15

will get your pay,

51:18

But it's

51:19

time for us to

51:21

leave her. Leave

51:26

her, Johnny,

51:27

leave her Oh, leave

51:31

her, Johnny, leave

51:34

her For the voyage

51:36

is long and the winds

51:39

don't blow But it's time

51:41

for us to-