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while. As you may know

2:16

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2:18

we've been in and out of studios

2:21

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2:23

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2:46

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2:48

drama about an aging courier called

2:50

Rust who is forced to go

2:52

into business with an underworld gang

2:55

lord in order to pay for

2:57

the treatment that keeps him alive.

3:00

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3:13

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3:16

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3:18

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3:21

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3:23

sound design. But don't

3:25

take my word for it, judge for

3:27

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3:29

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3:31

if you like what you hear, there

3:33

are a whopping ten seasons waiting for

3:36

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hope you enjoy episode one of

3:47

The Strata. You can learn more

3:49

about the show at thestratapodcast.com and

3:51

listen to it anywhere you listen

3:53

to podcasts. Thank you. You're

4:00

listening to the Strata, a

4:03

Beyond the Dark production. Season

4:07

1 The End of Rust

4:10

Part 1 There's

4:30

two of them following me. I know

4:33

that for sure. As

4:37

far as thugs go, they're not terrible at what

4:39

they do, but they're not as smart

4:41

as they think they are either. One

4:44

of them drags his right foot when he walks,

4:46

and I hear it echo down the alley clearest

4:48

day. The other has a

4:50

slight whistle when she breathes. Sounds

4:52

to me like one of those augments designed to

4:54

filter out pollution. Not

4:57

the most obvious giveaways I'll admit. I

5:00

cut above the usual scumbags I run

5:02

into, and in the early

5:04

days, it's the kind of thing I might have missed.

5:07

But now, with decades of experience

5:09

behind me, it's just too

5:11

easy. I

5:13

decide to make the first move. Get

5:16

this over with. Okay you

5:18

two, game's up. Get the hell

5:20

out of here before I have to come back to our feet to

5:22

live the crap out of you. Hand over the

5:24

package and we'll let you go. You'll

5:27

let me go? Oh, that's

5:30

cute. Come on old man,

5:32

don't make this hard on yourself. Old

5:35

man? Really? We

5:37

don't have all day. Put

5:40

the package on the ground and walk

5:42

away. Why don't you come and

5:44

take it instead? No one needs to

5:46

get a... just put it down.

5:48

Hmm, it's a generous offer,

5:50

but how about no? Last

5:53

chance old man, do yourself a

5:55

favor. Okay, I Think this

5:57

is gone far enough. Well

6:03

as we were, just as we say can. For

6:09

next. One teams in my side. Just me

6:12

or my niece. Ah

6:15

south. Most dogs

6:17

pair grounds that bounce off my

6:19

skin or at worst because little

6:21

Terry. But these. These.

6:23

Are full penetration. Serious.

6:25

Shit. I don't

6:27

know what pisses me off more. The. Fact

6:30

that they're using such high grade ordinance.

6:32

that sort of the repair bill with

6:34

soak. Up

6:37

your ass, Off. Ah,

7:03

That's. A The

7:06

word don't mess with

7:08

rust ever anyone who

7:10

tries is gonna. Here's

8:12

your damn package. Now What's the deal?

8:19

With. Surprised to see

8:21

he'll. Save it Sienna.

8:24

I want to know what's going on here. Slow.

8:26

To Home power. I'm not Someone

8:28

tell me what happened. I just

8:30

got jumped by some sucks. They're trying

8:33

to take the package. Outside my

8:35

place. Now. Now long way

8:37

from here, over by the harbor. Well.

8:40

That's like. What? Sleep

8:43

times this month they pay you. Have

8:45

been keeping score. And such a get

8:48

hanging around the dive like darker than. the

8:50

pick of was inducted him. Now.

8:52

Like I had a choice. Good

8:54

point. But those other ambushes.

8:57

They. Were smells and punks,

8:59

mosquitoes, Not. Like these

9:01

serious embrace. Desperate.

9:03

Times Town these low lifes see a

9:05

guy with a package. They shoot first

9:08

and ask questions later. Probably just hope

9:10

and for a lucky score. You

9:12

tell me if you knew something great.

9:14

This. Because these do came

9:16

after me for a reason. It was

9:18

the coincidence. If I find out you're

9:20

smuggling something high grade in my deliveries,

9:23

see are. Not.

9:26

Satisfied. It

9:28

is. A genuine old

9:30

school thermal rectify no hidden

9:32

saints mode sex. What Does

9:35

it? It's apart used

9:37

in a fabricator. Very specific application.

9:39

Not the kind of thing street

9:41

thugs would be interested in. Black.

9:43

Market. I will be using

9:46

you if I could pick this

9:48

up at the corner store for

9:50

the same price Rust's of course

9:52

Black Market but. Nothing

9:54

dangerous as says super this

9:56

way. They're. Okay,

10:00

Still the best courier this side of

10:02

the deadlands, Russ. Appreciate you

10:04

getting it here so fast. Think

10:06

you can sell it? Already got a

10:08

buyer here in Midtown. I'd

10:10

take even more if you could get

10:12

them. So business is good. Black

10:15

market stuff? Sure. My

10:18

legit wares? That's tougher.

10:21

Is it too much for me to ask for payment straight

10:23

up? Yeah, OK. You

10:25

got cash flow problems, Russ? Kinda. Plus,

10:28

I think I'm going to need some

10:30

of your services. The way you

10:33

limped in here, I'm surprised it took you this long to

10:35

ask. You want me to take it

10:37

out of your end of the delivery? Yeah.

10:40

As long as there's enough to cover it. Come on through.

10:42

I'll take a look. Lay

10:50

down here. Let

10:53

me... Ah! ...peel

10:55

this back hand. Holy

10:57

shit! Russ!

11:01

What have you been doing out there? They

11:04

got me a nice one. A nice one? They

11:07

shredded you. It's

11:09

right through your exoskeleton.

11:13

I told you they were serious. For a guy

11:15

whose body is 93% alloy. Not

11:17

a lot. A guy whose body is 93% alloy.

11:22

You sure get beat up a lot. What

11:25

were they using? I don't know.

11:28

Back in some serious heat. Maybe

11:30

those new frag tips. Here. Let

11:33

me dig around and see if

11:36

I can... Yeah,

11:38

here we go. It's

11:42

not a frag tip, I don't think. Something

11:46

just as nasty. Just pull

11:48

it out, will ya? Okay. Easy.

11:53

Let me just... Here.

11:57

Got it. Oh,

12:01

and here's the second one. Cute

12:05

up your chest plate real good. Can

12:08

you patch it? Lie still

12:10

for a second. That

12:13

tickles. What are you putting in there?

12:15

Stop wiggling, huh? Ugh!

12:22

There. That's

12:24

it. Just don't do

12:26

anything too strenuous, okay? Take

12:28

it easy, or you might... Like

12:30

what? It's,

12:32

uh... What is

12:34

it, see? Spit it out. There's

12:37

a lot of damage here, Rust.

12:40

Four, maybe five internals that need

12:42

to come out. So just grab

12:44

replacements from your supply and put them in. Take

12:47

it out of my end, like I told you. I

12:49

don't have these parts, Rust. I haven't been able

12:51

to source this stuff in over ten years, and

12:53

the few I had lying around are gone. You

12:56

can order parts from somewhere. No,

12:58

I can't. The places

13:00

that built these things went out of business

13:02

years ago, some of them decades ago, if

13:04

you can believe that. Come

13:06

on. You're telling me there's no market for

13:09

this stuff? There's not many people

13:11

like you out there anymore, Rust. Mechanical

13:14

body mods? Come on,

13:16

pal. That's Dark Ages stuff. Everyone

13:19

goes to bio-clinics these

13:21

days. Organic limbs, kidneys,

13:24

hearts. It's been that

13:26

way for almost a century, in case you haven't

13:28

been keeping up. Someone out there has

13:30

to have the parts. I'll find

13:32

them. Rust, I've been

13:34

telling you this for years, pal.

13:37

You're on borrowed time. You

13:40

can't keep going on like this. That

13:42

body of yours has kept you alive

13:44

for what? A hundred and

13:47

fifty years? But...

13:51

It's past. It's used by date. Even

13:54

if you find the parts today

13:56

or tomorrow, it won't be

13:58

long until you come looking for it. more. And

14:01

sooner or later, your luck is gonna

14:03

run out. So I should just go

14:05

and die somewhere? Is that it? You have to

14:08

make changes. Big changes.

14:11

Start looking at a bioclinic, maybe. What

14:14

could a flush organ's in a mechanical

14:16

body? You can't do this piecemeal. You

14:19

need a major procedure. An

14:22

overhaul. I'm guessing you can't

14:24

do that. Not a chance. But...

14:28

here. Take a look at

14:30

this joint. They might be able to help.

14:34

This address is in Highgate City. Looks

14:37

fancy. It is. But... for

14:40

now, I think it's

14:42

your only option. The

14:56

tall spires of Highgate City are like the

14:58

crown jewels of the strata. They

15:00

stretch into the night sky, intricate and

15:02

audacious, breathtaking in their scale. The

15:06

sidewalk beneath my feet is polished,

15:08

spotless, marbled with artistic motifs

15:10

that catch the eye. Passers

15:13

by wear tailored suits, the latest

15:16

fashions from off-world, glittering

15:18

jewels and vineery. They

15:20

move with a grace that isn't common

15:22

in Dacaton, or even Midtown, thanks to

15:25

body augmentation and genetic engineering. They're

15:28

almost like a different species up here. Not

15:31

the kind I usually rub shoulders with, but

15:33

not foreign to me either. A

15:35

lot of my delivery is either start or end in

15:38

these streets, so it's a place I've become used to

15:40

over the years. I

15:44

find the clinic and get inside the elevator. The

16:06

name's Rust. I have an appointment with.

16:09

Me, Dr. Vika. So

16:12

pleased to meet you. Oh, I

16:15

expected to have to wait. Not

16:17

here. We value our client's

16:19

time at Biocare. This

16:21

way, please. Mr.

16:28

Rust, if you could lie here, I'll take a

16:30

look at you. On this thing?

16:33

Oh, it looks scary, but I

16:35

assure you, you'll be fine. This

16:39

device will perform a full-body scan from

16:41

head to toe. Nothing invasive,

16:43

I promise. Okay.

16:46

All right. Just

16:57

lie still for me. There.

17:04

All done. Now I... Who

17:07

am I? Well,

17:10

that is interesting. Huh?

17:13

Well, you said on your application that

17:16

you had some mechanical augments, but this

17:18

is... extensive.

17:21

I've never seen anything like it. Never?

17:26

I mean, it looks like your

17:28

face and your brain tissue are the only

17:30

original parts of you left, along

17:32

with the small amount of blood that

17:35

gets pumped around your cranial structure by

17:37

this device in your chest. Whatever

17:40

that thing is... You don't know what it

17:42

is? What kind of doctor are you? Oh,

17:47

I'm a very good doctor. I'm

17:50

just not a good historian. And

17:53

this torso of yours is a window

17:55

into the past, that's for sure. I

17:58

have limited knowledge in this piece. particular

18:00

area, but it

18:02

looks like beautiful craftsmanship. The

18:05

alloy is so light, you're barely

18:08

heavier than a normal person, and

18:11

these rotators are quiet. I

18:14

can't even hear them when you walk. They've

18:16

lasted me well enough over the years. But

18:19

I should ask, why

18:21

did you come here today, Mr. Rust? Like

18:24

I said on my application, I need

18:26

to get myself fixed up. Well, this

18:28

is a bio clinic. You'd

18:31

be much better off looking in an antique

18:33

shop for what you need. No,

18:35

no, I need it all taken up.

18:37

A complete overhaul. Oh, my.

18:41

Well, I don't

18:44

think we've ever undertaken a procedure

18:46

quite this radical here at Biocare.

18:49

But there's no reason it can't be done. What's

18:52

involved, exactly? Well, you'd

18:55

need to be submerged in a regen tank

18:57

for several weeks, at least. Stage

19:00

one would involve stabilization of your

19:03

existing tissue before removal of your

19:07

outdated components. While

19:10

that's happening, we would grow new

19:12

bioreplacement limbs and organs. But

19:15

even after you come out of the tank,

19:17

you would be incapacitated for, well,

19:20

months. Maybe even a

19:22

year while your new body matures

19:24

into a usable state. Seriously?

19:27

There's no other way? Not

19:30

in your case, no. It's

19:32

such a shame that you've spent so long stuck

19:35

in this contraption. Contraption?

19:38

I thought you just said I was beautifully

19:40

crafted. Well, I admire your construction

19:42

in the same way I might admire

19:44

a... The

19:47

architecture of a thousand year old cathedral.

19:51

But that doesn't mean that I find it

19:53

practical or even useful. The

19:56

sign on your door says you can make people live

19:58

for hundreds of years. I'm nowhere to go. near

20:00

that and yet you're telling me I'm over the hill?

20:03

That's for clients who are part of

20:05

our organic program. The

20:07

mechanical augmentation system that you've had

20:09

installed was most likely outdated before

20:11

the paint was dry, as they

20:13

say. That

20:16

particular field never gained popularity.

20:20

It was far too problematic from the start.

20:22

Well, I happened to be an early adopter when

20:24

it came to augments. Oh,

20:26

that's unfortunate. Okay,

20:30

let's do it. How many banks am I

20:32

going to have to rob to pay for this? Banks?

20:36

Sorry, that's where they used to keep money when

20:38

I was... Forget it. How

20:41

much will the procedure cost? Well,

20:43

let's see. Seed

20:45

farming, growth package,

20:49

monitoring and evaluations, estimated

20:52

rehabilitation, and

20:55

of course, our treatment comes with guaranteed

20:57

immunity from all known strains of blood

21:00

rot, among other diseases. Yes,

21:03

that should do it. Here's

21:06

an initial estimate. That's

21:10

a lot of zeros. This

21:13

is not a trivial procedure, Mr.

21:15

Rust. I'd have to save every

21:17

penny for ten years to get close. This

21:20

body isn't going to hold out that long. I

21:23

am sorry to hear that. Well,

21:25

that's it. That's all you've got? Well,

21:28

much of the cost in this procedure comes

21:30

from profiling, building

21:33

out the complex DNA structures that are

21:35

required to grow your replacement body. We

21:39

do have a way of fast-tracking this step,

21:42

but it requires a significant donation of

21:44

tissue from someone with a similar profile.

21:47

Like who? Someone in your bloodline,

21:50

a parent or a descendant. On

21:53

your application, you stated you had no

21:55

living relatives, so I didn't

21:57

bring it up. I didn't realize it was

21:59

that. that important. Maybe

22:01

I could find someone. Uh, okay.

22:05

But it has to be a real relative. Not

22:08

someone you drag in off the street. Otherwise,

22:11

the profile won't work. You

22:14

think I'd drag someone in off the street? Well,

22:17

I... How much cheaper

22:19

would it be? The cost would be

22:22

reduced to somewhere around here. That

22:27

could be more manageable. Wonderful.

22:34

Oh, Doc. How, uh... How

22:36

much tissue do you need? Not like

22:38

a whole kidney or something, is it? It

22:41

varies from person to person, but

22:44

sometimes it can be... significant.

22:48

Gotcha. See you soon,

22:50

Doc. Inside

23:03

the van, I connect up to the grid and start

23:05

to work my way through some databases. Usually,

23:08

the only time I need to look through

23:10

this kind of system is when I'm checking

23:12

contacts for deliveries, not researching ancient family trees.

23:15

So at first, I'm a little out of my depth. Eventually,

23:19

I trace back over a hundred years, then.

23:22

That's when I see her name. Lucia.

23:29

Born... 2020. Died.

23:37

Even after all these years, I

23:39

still think about that name almost every day. But

23:42

I haven't spoken it out loud in almost a century.

23:46

I'm not even sure why. Maybe

23:49

because part of me is afraid that the very

23:51

act of invoking it will somehow throw me back

23:53

into the past. And to those horrible

23:56

last days. Okay.

24:01

This is just another

24:03

job. I need to track

24:05

down a person instead of a package.

24:08

That's all. The

24:10

next name on the list is Valentina, our

24:12

daughter. Another ghost from the

24:14

past. She moved away when

24:16

she was young, and in her later years, I

24:18

never really heard from her. Not

24:21

that I can blame her after I allowed such a rift to

24:23

grow between us. The

24:26

records say that she died in Dokkuchen 40 years

24:28

ago, but I already know that. I

24:31

still remember finding out a few months after she'd

24:33

passed. She'd never even gotten in touch

24:35

to let me know she was sick. Okay.

24:40

Don't think about that now. Don't

24:42

think about it.

24:45

Mabel. That's the next name. My

24:47

granddaughter. I only met her once

24:49

when she was little. I was already

24:52

estranged from Valentina by that stage, and

24:54

the meeting didn't go well. Voices

24:57

raised, words exchanged.

25:01

Ugh, this sucks. I

25:04

almost shut the connection right there, but I realize

25:06

there's no other way out of this. I'm

25:09

running out of time. If I don't get

25:11

this procedure, it's all over. So,

25:15

painful as it may be revisiting all

25:17

these bad memories, I have to

25:19

plow through. Ugh.

25:24

Mabel, as it turns out, died a few years

25:26

back. No details about that, but

25:28

it says she had three children. One

25:31

of them, Zoe, moved out of

25:33

Estrada and disappeared off the grid. Possibly

25:36

one off-world. I have no way

25:38

of tracking her down. The

25:40

other two, however, they're listed

25:42

in Dokkuchen, and since I have

25:44

another package to pick up down that way, I

25:47

figure I might as well check in while I'm there. Alright,

25:51

let's do this. At

26:05

the opposite end of Estrada, back down

26:08

in Dokka-Tin, it's a different world.

26:10

The air is thick with smog that never goes

26:13

away, in the streets crowded with

26:15

all sorts. Pump workers

26:17

making their way home from the late

26:19

shift, thugs loitering looking to start trouble.

26:23

Hookers with cheap body enhancements prowling for

26:25

clients, but homeless. It's

26:28

not the kind of place you wander alone,

26:30

unless you can handle yourself. And

26:33

most of these lowlifes know my face, know

26:35

not to mess with me. Just

26:38

how I like it. Rust,

26:41

how are you doing tonight? Detective

26:45

Tenekov, what a lovely

26:47

surprise. You look like you're in a

26:49

hurry. Why is that? I'm

26:53

always in a hurry. You carrying something

26:55

you shouldn't? Some kind

26:57

of contraband? You always ask me that,

26:59

and the answer is always no. Just

27:03

because I haven't caught you yet, doesn't mean

27:05

I won't. Yeah, nice talking to you,

27:07

but I gotta go. You're

27:11

not going anywhere until I say

27:13

so. Hey, watch it. Get

27:16

over there, hands against the wall. I

27:18

don't have anything. We'll see.

27:21

Why do you even bother, Tenekov? You

27:23

think you're making a difference? You're part of

27:25

a system of corruption. You cops,

27:27

you're all for sale. I'd have

27:30

more trouble buying a hot dog around here.

27:32

Who do you think I am, Rust? One

27:34

of those Highgate City rent-a-cops? I

27:36

grew up right here, on these streets. I'm

27:39

a docketon kid, and I know what it's like to have

27:41

no one on my side. I didn't

27:43

take this job to line my pockets. I did

27:45

it to change things around here. So you're gonna

27:48

take down an innocent courier making it honest living.

27:50

Is that it? Is that going to

27:52

solve your problems? It starts with people

27:54

like you, the little guys. Give

27:56

me enough time, and I'll work my way up to the

27:59

big fish, too. Wait and see.

28:02

Your mother must be very proud.

28:04

Go ahead less. we'll see if

28:06

you're still smiling when I now

28:08

you. How about male into two

28:10

thugs? He shot me last night

28:12

barely a block from here. Attempted

28:15

murder, but you haven't caught them.

28:17

did you with potus know why?

28:19

Because you were doing something illegal

28:21

at the time. Now because I

28:23

know it's a waste of time.

28:25

You talk baked any tough for

28:27

you got nothing so forth you

28:29

don't. Run things down here and you

28:32

never will is that? So listens. Can

28:34

I go now Detective Or do you

28:36

have a reason to detain me? Get

28:40

on my sites. That

29:24

favor has gone. Outside.

29:27

See this month is not the Erastus

29:30

until the last guy already. Like

29:32

know I am not collecting.

29:35

The really wants another really from

29:37

a soft i'm I'm looking for

29:39

our are you humane A is

29:42

asking. For name's rust.

29:45

Know. I mean who you work for?

29:48

This is another so downs. Listen

29:50

to i come in and that to hurt

29:52

you or take your money and I promise

29:54

I won't be long. Wherever.

30:04

I got a. Video Quickly

30:07

Now. A.

30:13

Few kids to thirty dollars.

30:16

What do you want? Exactly what's going on.

30:19

Well. As it turns out

30:21

were related. Might.

30:24

Be hard to believe related how

30:27

well I'm a just a relative

30:29

of yours. great grandfather I think.

30:33

Oh really? Now

30:35

in Iraq, a hundred years old

30:37

or something. Closer to one

30:39

fifty. But yeah, That's. The

30:41

idea is that show when

30:44

he signed. His

30:46

forget they had a family. That's.

30:49

Kind of long story. Well, unless

30:51

you come to him as and three Cats

30:53

are not one hundred percent. Know.

30:55

That's not why I'm here. So what's

30:57

the deal? Look. I

31:00

never knew your mother maple just

31:02

met once or twice. but see

31:04

my little girl Valentino who would

31:06

have been your grandmother. Seems only

31:08

since. Said. This. This. Is

31:10

Real. You really are my.

31:13

Grandfather's. Something.

31:16

Great. Grandfather Yeah, You

31:18

don't look like one of those fire clinic

31:20

freak. Not that we seem

31:22

and down here. No. I'm not.

31:25

I was an early adopter of Augmentation Tech.

31:27

Had a lot of mechanical parts and stuff

31:29

here. If you look under my shirt. You.

31:34

Stories. My house. She

31:37

was a sneaky. ah let's. See. Your.

31:40

Grandmother used to talk about me. You

31:44

guys who spent all this timing

31:46

said turning themselves into something as

31:49

freak. Six obviously. The.

31:51

Story was that you find yourself until months there

31:53

because you want to live forever. Mack

31:56

to the A Deaths. In the

31:58

family while you're at it room. the family.

32:01

Come on. You mortgaged the apartment

32:03

to pay for your body, didn't you? Right

32:06

before the crash in the 60s. That

32:08

was just bad timing. Abuela had

32:10

to move to Dokkerton. And here we are,

32:13

still stuck with no way out. Wait

32:16

a second. You can't blame me for

32:18

three generations of poverty. Is it true or

32:20

not? Listen, I didn't come here

32:22

to talk about this. I need your help.

32:25

Oh, you need my help. To

32:28

do what exactly? I need treatment,

32:31

and it's going to cost a lot of cash. You

32:33

came looking for creds? Take

32:37

a look around, mister. There's nothing here.

32:40

No, I need samples from someone in my bloodline,

32:42

that's all. It's so they can

32:44

start building me a new body. Abuela's right

32:47

about you. You're still

32:49

obsessed, even now. Even

32:51

after 150 years. I just need you to donate some

32:55

tissue. Get out. Okay, okay. You hate

32:57

me. I can see that. I'm going to flick my number across

32:59

to you so you can contact me. I don't want it. What

33:02

about, uh, you have a brother and

33:04

sister somewhere, right? So we left

33:06

the strata a long time ago. Got

33:08

out of this dump. She's gone. And

33:10

James is dead. Joined a

33:12

gang when he was just a kid. He

33:14

was shot left in an alley to bleed to

33:17

death. Oh, damn.

33:20

I'm sorry. Just

33:22

get out and

33:25

don't come back. Good

33:37

job, Rust. I

33:41

don't bother heading back to the van just yet. Instead,

33:44

I go back to trawling the grid on

33:46

my phone, looking for more options, but

33:49

I can't concentrate on anything. The

33:51

encounter with Ximena won't leave my mind and a

33:53

wave of guilt comes over me. I'd

33:56

pushed aside thoughts of my family for so long that I'd

33:59

assumed I was pregnant. that

34:01

I would never feel anything from him again. But

34:03

that clearly isn't the case. Nothing

34:06

I can do now. Not, uh... thing.

34:10

The damage is done. I

34:13

check Zoe's record again. The sister

34:15

who left town. She seems to be

34:17

my last chance now. The problem

34:19

is, she's going to be almost impossible to

34:21

track down. I don't have any

34:23

idea even where to start. I

34:26

look up and see two thugs standing outside the

34:29

door to Himea's house. The door

34:31

swings open, and the look on Himea's face is

34:33

one of anger, irritation. But it

34:35

quickly changes to fear. You

34:37

think I'm playing around, little girl?

34:40

You better pay up. I am? Shit.

34:48

No, I don't... Come

34:50

here. You

34:57

want some more? Come on, man. Let's

35:00

get out of here. What

35:04

do you think you're doing? Saving

35:06

your ass. Are you

35:08

kidding me? Those guys come

35:10

in here every week. After

35:12

they're done swapping me around a bit, they

35:15

leave me alone. I gotta

35:17

come back with guns or something. Look,

35:20

I was trying to help. Just

35:23

get out. God,

35:25

I like it. You

35:37

want to know why I did it? Why I turned

35:39

myself into this... this... thing?

35:43

Why? It was because I had to

35:45

watch the woman I loved, my

35:47

Lucia. I had to

35:49

watch her waste away to a shadow. She

35:52

would, right in front of me, eaten

35:55

from the inside by cancer, and there

35:57

was nothing I could do about it.

36:00

Look. Nobody should

36:02

have to die like that. Nobody.

36:05

And I was afraid it might happen to me, so

36:08

I started to replace things. And

36:10

then I... I couldn't

36:12

stop. Please, go.

36:15

I just need someone to understand. It's

36:17

too late for that. Way,

36:20

way too late. Now

36:23

get out. Before you make

36:25

things worse. I

36:36

make my way back toward the street, but

36:38

suddenly, it's a marathon to get there.

36:42

Every step I take is like slogging through sand.

36:45

The pain hits me in the chest harder than any

36:47

bullet, and before I know it, I'm

36:50

on my knees. Then,

36:53

the asphalt rushes up at me. Be

36:59

nice to me. Hey

37:58

style list, Wyatt Henry, Nina

38:01

Nikolich, Charlie Wilson,

38:04

Aireem Chu, CW

38:06

Gant, Ethan McCabe, and

38:08

Jared Machado, created by Mark

38:11

R. Healy, a Beyond the Dark

38:13

production. The

38:16

Fable and Falling Network, where fiction

38:19

producers flourish. Please

38:23

try to get some sleep today. I've been

38:25

trying to sleep all week. Nothing

38:28

helps. You could try sleep

38:30

sounds. No, thanks. You've had enough nightmares

38:32

for the whole... Let me

38:34

go! Come on! The medication

38:37

has nothing to do with that. I

38:39

haven't had a bad dream in ages.

38:41

Ever since your highly problematic affair in

38:43

Idaho. Oh my

38:45

god. Never stop. Nothing

38:48

happened. Nothing happened. Well,

38:51

you still haven't told me who you're bringing to

38:53

graduation. No. I

38:55

can't tell. What

38:59

if I don't want anyone else to know yet?

39:01

And it wasn't a bad dream? I

39:04

don't know. Thanks

39:14

for the pills, Will. Dreamers,

39:19

Season 2 by Broken Crown Productions.

39:22

Tune in weekly wherever you listen to podcasts.