0:04

You wake in a strange room. Your

0:08

clothes are foreign and the walls are covered

0:10

in objects from a different world. You

0:13

don't know where or when you are, or

0:16

if you're still dreaming. There

0:19

are footsteps in the hall. Jumping

0:21

up, you race out of the room and into the streets.

0:24

You have just entered The

0:27

Twilight Histories.

0:32

You have entered The

0:35

Twilight Histories, an audio

0:37

adventure that casts you as the hero.

0:41

You are about to journey to

0:43

Greenland in the late 21st century.

0:47

Now under the rule of a united Britain

0:49

and Scandinavia, the colonies

0:52

on the island are worked to death

0:54

to extract resources for

0:57

their imperial overlords. When

0:59

a major energy project ends

1:02

in catastrophe, you

1:04

are sent to investigate.

1:06

You discover something far

1:09

worse than any natural disaster.

1:11

The Depths of Thule

1:15

is written and produced by Kevin

1:17

Valbanesi. The first

1:19

part is free. There

1:22

is a bonus track in our Patreon area

1:24

if you want to hear more.

1:26

Stay tuned at the end of the show to

1:28

hear details on how you can

1:30

listen to that.

1:32

A quick word before we get started. I

1:35

was on vacation in Hawaii with

1:37

my family recently. A world

1:39

away from Greenland in the late

1:42

21st century, we were just about

1:44

to drive off to see some waterfalls.

1:48

As the kids were getting in the car, I ran

1:50

a quick search for podcasts hoping

1:52

to find some stories about Hawaii so

1:55

we'd have something to listen to.

1:57

I found this great podcast by

1:59

a local... Hawaiian who creates fantastic

2:02

mythological stories set all

2:05

over the Pacific, from New Zealand to

2:07

Japan to the Pacific Northwest.

2:10

The podcast is called Legends

2:12

of the Pacific. I picked

2:15

a few stories set in Hawaii and off

2:17

we went. And I tell you, these

2:19

stories are fantastic. The

2:21

podcaster Kamoela Kanashiro

2:24

is a great writer and he has this

2:27

deep, dramatic voice and he

2:29

mixes in sounds and music

2:31

just like a Twilight history show.

2:34

My wife thought he could be my long

2:36

lost Hawaiian brother. So

2:39

I recommend you go and check out this podcast.

2:42

It's called Legends of the Pacific.

2:45

You won't regret it. And

2:47

now on to today's show. This

2:50

is Depths of Tule

2:53

by Kevin Valbenese.

3:01

The world has many secrets.

3:05

We took to the stars, mapped

3:08

galaxies, captured the

3:10

spectral outlines of black holes, all

3:13

before we even truly understood what

3:15

lurked in the depths of our

3:17

oceans. Even

3:21

now, we uncover caverns that

3:23

never once offered shelter to a living

3:25

soul. And

3:27

the ice, well, as

3:31

far as the frigid veil still stretches,

3:33

it doubtless conceals

3:35

natural wonders from eons

3:38

long forgotten.

3:42

I must admit, I was surprised

3:45

to see your request land on

3:47

my desk. Oddly

3:49

enough, the polar reaches tend

3:52

to be for those looking for a more tropical

3:55

escape.

3:57

People quite enjoy skirting around the

3:59

legs. of Antarctic sauropods rather

4:02

than cozying up with penguins on

4:04

the icy shores. There

4:07

are the odd few chasing pyramids

4:09

and U-boat docks under the glacial

4:11

sheets, but you certainly don't

4:14

strike me as that type.

4:16

Oh, but don't worry. I

4:19

do have something that should satisfy

4:22

your particular needs.

4:25

Greenland, in the late 21st century. Powers

4:30

in Eastern Europe and a climate hellbent

4:32

on scourging any settlement north of the 50th

4:35

parallel definitely realigned the

4:37

great powers of this world. The

4:42

North Sea Empire reigned

4:44

supreme over the world's crown in

4:46

this timeline. A

4:49

desperate United Kingdom joined with

4:51

the Scandinavian powers to exploit

4:53

passageways opening up in the Arctic Circle.

4:57

Like the Tyrians and Phoenicians of old,

5:00

they established trading colonies in coves

5:03

and inlets revealed by the retreating

5:05

glaciers. And

5:08

when they were able to tap previously inaccessible

5:11

oil and natural gas deposits, well

5:15

let's just say their navy tripled in

5:18

size. But

5:21

then, slowly, the

5:24

ice returned. A

5:26

long, unending winter set in,

5:29

cutting off the laneways and stranding

5:31

the fledgling colonies. Only

5:34

those still able to extract oil

5:36

or gas were maintained, and

5:39

the great engineers of London and Stockholm

5:42

struggled to hold back the advancing

5:44

glaciers, as nature

5:46

proved itself more than a match for

5:49

human ingenuity.

5:51

In time, the unending snow

5:54

would almost completely bury the colonies,

5:57

and the ice blocked even the mightiest

5:59

of ships. from crossing the waves.

6:04

Tunnels and pipelines were the best man

6:06

could muster at this point. Those

6:09

colonies not completely abandoned or

6:11

lost were linked together under the

6:13

mounting snow and ice.

6:16

So, as long as something

6:18

could be pumped to heat homes back in the heart

6:20

of the Empire, the effort

6:22

was still worth it. As

6:25

for the condemned souls still living in those

6:27

icy islands and remote enclaves,

6:31

well,

6:32

life is a struggle, to

6:34

put it mildly. Still

6:37

interested? All

6:40

right then. If

6:42

you head over to the staging area, you'll find

6:44

clothing and equipment for your journey. Please

6:47

suit up while I finish your

6:50

orientation. We're

6:53

sending you to the most far-flung

6:56

of the North Sea Empire's colonies, the

6:58

aforementioned Greenland.

7:02

Once granted autonomy from its Danish

7:04

overlords, the island nation was

7:07

once again placed under the authority of

7:09

the Crown, and later

7:11

made an imperial territory.

7:15

A dense network of colonies and tunnels

7:17

crisscrossed the island, all

7:19

dedicated to mining rare Earth minerals

7:22

and what natural gas they can tap. But

7:25

after the long winter set in, a Greenland

7:28

has become all but isolated, and

7:31

the situation in the colonial outposts

7:34

is deteriorating.

7:38

Attempts to stabilize a precarious

7:40

energy shortage were dashed due

7:42

to an incident at the yet unfinished Bjorn

7:45

reactor and its accompanying

7:47

outpost, Tula Subsidy.

7:50

Now

7:52

resources are beginning to grow scarce,

7:55

and the people are becoming desperate.

7:59

avoid an outright revolt. The

8:02

North Sea Empire is dispatching an advanced

8:05

team to assess the damage at the

8:07

reactor and at Tula

8:09

subsidy. You will

8:11

join that team, as the eyes and

8:13

ears of the operation.

8:15

Your role will be to document the

8:18

site and prepare a report for the Imperial

8:20

authorities. I

8:23

would advise you to stick to your work, and

8:25

avoid getting involved with the rest of the team.

8:29

There is already bad blood between the Inuit

8:31

of Greenland and the Anglo-Scandinavian

8:33

colonists, but being

8:36

crammed together in the cities with little

8:38

food or water is not

8:40

helping things at all,

8:42

even among the best of colleagues.

8:47

Now then, let's have a look

8:49

at you. Very nice, very

8:53

tactical.

8:54

You might be a little warm now, but

8:57

believe me, you'll be grateful for the

8:59

lining and the layers once you touch

9:01

down in Greenland.

9:04

Go ahead and step onto the platform,

9:07

and we'll get you on your way. Hell

9:23

is often depicted as a fiery pit,

9:26

with Lucifer's envious throne perched

9:29

atop an igneous mound, ringed

9:32

by a raging torrent of magma. Deep

9:36

beneath man's unwitting feet, the

9:38

legions of the fallen delight in their

9:40

sadistic duty, flaying,

9:43

searing, and rending the damned.

9:46

But perhaps Dante had

9:49

the lowest circle right after

9:51

all. Maybe

9:54

the domain of the supreme traitor is

9:56

a gloomy frigid cage, snaring

9:59

the first

9:59

forsaken oathbreakers in its

10:02

icy grasp. As

10:05

you strain your eyes and search the endless

10:07

sea of white, you fancy

10:10

that your wandering gaze might stumble upon

10:12

the hopeless gate to those nether realms.

10:16

You've certainly been lost here long enough,

10:19

wandering the meandering corridors and tunnels,

10:22

cursing the folly that led you to this snow-besieged

10:25

prison. Help

10:28

has all but abandoned you, leaving

10:31

you with little to do but peer out

10:33

at the wintery wastes and await

10:35

a guide who might never come.

10:39

Two weeks now, you've shuffled

10:41

up from the rigid cot you call home,

10:44

and after partaking in the forsaken brew

10:46

known as the King's Cod,

10:48

you've hauled yourself up to the observation deck

10:51

and peered out the window. The

10:55

view is fluid, its

10:58

exact contours shifting and

11:00

yet dreadfully unchanging.

11:05

Snow stretches out as far as the eye can

11:07

see, perpetually disturbed

11:09

by the savage winds which sweep over

11:11

the pale expanse. If

11:14

there is a horizon, you've

11:16

never seen it, for the violent

11:18

storm is unyielding and

11:21

the powdery haze so thick

11:24

that even the sun's disc is impossible

11:26

to make out. A

11:29

few of the malfunctioning panels scattered

11:32

around the observation deck brag

11:34

about how it's exactly the same height as the

11:36

famed Step Pyramid of Djoser.

11:39

You find that fact utterly alarming,

11:42

since the snow is but a few feet away

11:44

from covering the lower parts of the panoramic

11:47

window.

11:49

Even if you can't notice it day to day,

11:52

you have no doubt this entire place could

11:54

be buried within a year or two at most. But

11:59

hopefully... You won't be sticking

12:01

around that long. Wiping

12:04

away the dust from one of the panels,

12:07

you check the time and find the

12:09

day is basically burnt. You

12:13

sigh and prepare yourself for another night

12:15

of shoveling back cheap stew in the graveyard

12:18

that currently passes for a cafeteria.

12:21

You make for the elevator in no

12:24

particular hurry. Just

12:27

then, the elevator doors slide

12:29

open, and out steps a man

12:32

easily twice your size, or

12:34

at least, your thickness. You've

12:38

seen little more than the man's shadow for

12:40

the last few weeks, as if

12:42

he had been a figment of your weary imagination

12:45

when you first materialized in the bowels

12:47

of the colony. You wonder

12:49

if you are seeing things now, because this

12:52

veritable giant is wearing the same disintegrating

12:54

cable knit sweater and ripped blue jeans

12:57

that he did when you first met him.

13:00

As you feel his hot, stale breath on

13:02

your face, you in fact

13:04

find yourself all too rooted in

13:07

reality. There

13:09

you are! I almost didn't

13:11

believe it when Johan said you'd been coming up here

13:13

so much. I don't know why you would.

13:17

You can definitely beat this view. Oh,

13:20

well, there's not much else to

13:23

do, is there? Oh,

13:26

I don't know about that. There's plenty of work

13:28

to do if we're talking about keeping this old tin

13:30

can going. Contrary

13:32

to what they might tell you in London or Oslo,

13:35

or wherever it is you're from, this

13:37

place does not run itself. I

13:40

suppose, but I feel

13:43

like I would have just been

13:45

in the way.

13:47

This time, a thick arm wraps itself around

13:49

your shoulder, and the big guy pulls

13:51

you in for a squeeze that's just a little too

13:53

tight.

13:55

You can smell a hard day's work on him,

13:57

but as you look up, his rosy chin is a little

14:00

Cheeks and glossy brown eyes make the

14:02

moment a little more bearable.

14:05

Ah, it's all good. We'll just

14:07

say that you've been saving your energy up for the

14:09

big job. Speaking

14:11

of which, you'll be happy to know that the wait

14:14

is probably over. We're

14:16

heading out tonight. If

14:19

we're lucky. You

14:21

press a button, opening the elevator

14:23

doors. You're practically swept

14:26

off your feet as he leads you into the cramped

14:28

elevator car. Sweet

14:30

relief washes over you, and

14:33

you don't even spare the bleak expanse another

14:35

glance as the elevator door slams

14:37

shut with a thud.

14:39

You reach out and press the B button at

14:41

the bottom of the display panel. The

14:44

car groans for a moment, then

14:47

begins its slow descent. For

14:50

once, you can't reach the bottom

14:52

soon enough. It's,

14:54

uh, it's Tonrack, by the way,

14:57

says the big guy, looking over at you with

14:59

his brow furrowed and his eyes narrow. Oh,

15:04

oh yeah, yeah, I knew that. He

15:07

smiles and gives you a hearty swat on the back.

15:11

Ah, you forgot. But I promise

15:13

ya, no way you'll forget it by the

15:15

end of this little escapade. You

15:18

crack a nervous laugh, which is quickly overtaken

15:20

by the bellowing hoots and haws erupting

15:23

from deep within this mountain of a man.

15:26

All you can think in that moment is

15:28

that it's gonna be a long ride down.

15:34

A few minutes later, you watch the

15:36

numbers on the display panel tick closer

15:38

and closer to the basement. Tonrack

15:41

is going on about a less than terrible spot

15:44

to grab some fish soup. Apparently,

15:46

the dish has become quite the luxury, despite

15:49

Greenland being an island surrounded by the

15:51

freezing waters of the Atlantic.

15:53

At least, in your timeline.

15:56

You guess the ice sheet has moved far enough south

15:59

that safe-hearted. The harbors to launch from have

16:01

become quite rare, and fishing

16:04

vessels quite a bit more rare

16:06

indeed. Just

16:09

a floor or two to go now, but as

16:11

you reach and climb down past the ground

16:13

floor, the elevator car

16:15

shakes. You

16:18

can hear the shaft above groaning, and

16:20

you fear that the cable will snap. Thankfully,

16:24

the elevator touches down at the basement level,

16:27

though with a bit of a thump. Not

16:31

even condescending to try the button,

16:33

Tonrak presses his thick fingers between

16:35

the two doors, and with a growl,

16:38

he

16:38

begins to pry them open until the mechanism

16:41

finds purchase and draws them back

16:43

the rest of the way. You

16:45

squeeze past Tonrak, desperate

16:48

to get on solid ground, and

16:50

for a moment, you struggle to steady your

16:52

breath. At

16:55

best, you probably dropped a foot

16:57

or two, but the sharpness of the drop

17:00

still did your innards no favors.

17:03

And now, as you're trying your best

17:06

to find equilibrium, the world

17:08

shudders and shakes again, nearly

17:11

causing you to keel over. Thankfully,

17:14

Tonrak snatches you by the waistband and

17:16

pulls you back onto your feet. The

17:20

hell is going on? He shouts

17:22

as he squats down into a steadier stance,

17:25

motioning for you to do the same. His

17:28

eyes whip around,

17:30

taking stock of the situation. But

17:33

no sooner than the tremor began, it

17:36

ceases with one final

17:38

heave. Dust

17:41

and debris rains down from the ceiling, but

17:44

nothing larger than a pebble. Are

17:47

you alright? Yeah,

17:50

I... I think so. You?

17:54

Tonrak dusts himself off and pulls a

17:56

few stones from the wiry tears in his sweater.

18:00

For the first time since you've seen him, the

18:02

warm and jolly grin gives way to a cool,

18:05

wide-eyed grimace. He

18:07

steps over and gives you a once-over,

18:10

pulling your limbs this way and that, as if he

18:12

was handling a tool he'd just dropped. I,

18:15

uh... I said

18:17

I'm good. Immediately,

18:20

his face lights up again, and he clamps

18:22

a dusty palm against the back of his head. Huh,

18:25

sorry, I, uh... I think my

18:27

brain got a little bit rattled there. You

18:30

push past Taunrack, doing your

18:32

best to look steady and stable.

18:35

Your stomach threatens to eject the lunge

18:38

that just went down poorly enough, and

18:40

so you press your hand over your mouth

18:43

just in case.

18:44

Are you sure you're okay? You

18:47

wave back, doing your best to get

18:49

the big guy off your case. Finally,

18:52

you come up upon a guardrail, and

18:54

you lean over it right away, taking

18:57

deep breaths until your gut finally

19:00

calms down. You

19:02

straighten yourself out, standing

19:04

tall, finally able to

19:07

take in your surroundings. A

19:10

dull, red glow covers everything,

19:12

and a bassy siren rings out

19:14

across the depths.

19:17

These last two weeks, you'd always

19:19

been greeted by a dim and indistinct

19:21

vista, with shadows smearing

19:24

the contours of every structure, so

19:26

that it all seemed to be in a monochromatic

19:29

smear.

19:31

But now, you see the bowels

19:33

of this thonic metropolis rendered

19:35

in detail that would inspire Florence's

19:38

poet supreme to pen a

19:40

fresh inferno.

19:43

The Ragnarslan subsidy is

19:45

a vision of necessity.

19:49

Blasted and carved out of the earth's crust,

19:52

the reinforced vaulted ceiling

19:54

holds back unimaginable pressure.

19:57

Vast columns help to bear the weight of Florence.

20:00

rock, ice and snow pressing

20:02

ever down on this sunless

20:04

refuge. Now

20:08

in the gloomy glow,

20:09

you can see the apartments built into the

20:12

side of the vast columns,

20:14

each barely wide enough at a glance

20:16

to be considered comfortable. Space

20:21

is obviously at a premium here, and

20:24

as you search the cityscape, you find

20:26

that principal concern addressed at

20:28

every corner. A dense

20:31

network of subway tracks weave throughout

20:33

the spaces between apartment blocks, no

20:36

doubt depriving the residents of lasting

20:38

peace and quiet. Vast

20:40

cable bridges stretch across the depths,

20:43

linking the largest and tallest structures

20:45

together in a veritable spider's

20:47

web.

20:49

Pipes and exhausts ring the exterior,

20:52

all snaking upward and through the rock,

20:55

no doubt to pump toxic fumes

20:57

up and away from the fragile pocket

21:00

and to replenish the very stale

21:03

air.

21:05

A central lake takes pride

21:07

of place among the dingy metallic expanses.

21:11

The waters are relatively still,

21:14

and say for one bridge facilitating

21:16

a central subway line,

21:18

the lake remains free of man-made

21:20

structures. Even

21:23

its rocky shores, enjoying several

21:25

feet of clearance before the walls

21:27

of squat apartments and walkways begin.

21:31

Up above, several gargantuan

21:33

lamps cling to the ceiling,

21:35

though their light is dim and several

21:38

have burned out.

21:41

The whole array is barely able to rival

21:43

the thousands of pitiful emergency lights

21:45

now dotting the city, and

21:47

you find it miraculous that you've even been

21:50

able to find your way around this

21:52

man-made abyss. Doubtless,

21:56

the darkness will be even more pervasive now,

21:59

since it appears that one of the lanterns has

22:01

shattered as a result of the tremor. Mmm,

22:05

we better hurry, says Tonrach. I

22:09

got a bad feeling this might change things for the job,

22:12

but we won't know until we meet the rest of the team.

22:14

He gestures down the narrow stairway

22:17

which leads into the shadowy streets below.

22:19

Your place isn't too far from your right. We'll

22:22

stop by and grab your things, just

22:24

in case. You

22:27

nod, and without further

22:29

delay, you begin

22:32

your descent. You

22:36

move among the dark and narrow streets

22:39

of Ragnar's land, clutching

22:41

the strap of your duffel bag in one hand

22:44

and a heavy pelican case in the other.

22:48

Tonrach leads the way, himself carrying

22:50

several packs and satchels, and

22:53

one big pelican case of his own. Down

22:56

here, far below the pale

22:58

warmth of the warning lights, it

23:01

is difficult to find one's way, save

23:04

for the odd LED sign flickering

23:06

in the darkness. The

23:09

alleyways and even the main road here

23:11

are so bereft of any luminance that

23:14

you think you're drifting into the midst of

23:16

a stellar void, or perhaps

23:20

towards the event horizon of a black

23:22

hole.

23:23

Even with your destination

23:25

clearly in mind, you feel as

23:27

if you're wandering aimlessly, doomed

23:30

to drag your feet in penance for

23:33

all eternity. The

23:36

denizens of Ragnar's land, those

23:39

brave enough to venture outside their miserable

23:41

homes,

23:42

look like shades lumbering on

23:44

unwittingly towards Karan's hateful

23:47

shores. They

23:49

are all dressed in long coats, hoods

23:52

drawn up, all of them well

23:55

worn and caked with dirt.

23:58

You'd think they were trotting. trying to look like spectres.

24:03

Every now and then, one of them risks

24:05

a furtive glance in your direction, revealing

24:08

pale white skin and, usually,

24:11

icy blue or green eyes.

24:15

You recall that Greenland had long been a possession

24:18

of the Danish crown, and that its

24:20

imperial successor had renewed

24:22

its colonial ambitions on the island.

24:26

You wonder at how these transplants

24:28

from Scandinavia were adjusting to the

24:30

bleak world below the surface.

24:33

What promises had coaxed them from their

24:36

hearths back in Oslo or Copenhagen,

24:38

you wonder. And

24:40

how did they feel now that their imperial

24:42

sponsors had left them to toil

24:45

for their meager sustenance in the midst

24:47

of an endless sea of white?

24:50

Using a corner, you and

24:53

Tonrach find yourself at the base of a great

24:55

stairway, flanked on either

24:57

side by escalators. Sadly,

25:01

the mechanized steps are frozen in place,

25:03

like everything else currently under alert.

25:07

You let out a deep sigh, which Tonrach

25:10

parrots, but he points up

25:12

to the top of the stairs, where a bright white light

25:14

pours out from between two large doors.

25:18

It's not quite the end of the tunnel, but it'll

25:20

do. Reaching

25:23

the top, you plop yourself down for

25:25

a moment to catch your breath, wiping

25:27

a thick sheet of sweat from your brow. Tonrach,

25:31

the big guy that he is, demonstrates

25:34

remarkable resilience, merely

25:37

leaning against the handrail and brushing

25:39

a few droplets of sweat from his wispy

25:41

mustache. Embarrassed,

25:44

you pull yourself up and hurry past

25:46

the doors, practically crossing

25:49

into another world.

25:59

surfaces, covering every wall and

26:02

angle within. As

26:05

your eyes adjust, you spy an

26:07

array of monitors hanging from the ceiling,

26:10

a dazzling display of orange, yellow,

26:12

and red characters dancing about, conveying

26:15

warnings and notices of severe delays

26:18

and cancellations. Below

26:21

the endless screens is a concourse,

26:24

comprising three levels, each

26:27

flowing down to the next by means of

26:29

lifts and escalators. There

26:32

are shops, cantinas, and kiosks

26:34

in every direction, many

26:37

locked behind thick metal gates or

26:40

simply empty, though several

26:42

are still open and are currently flooded

26:44

by a sea of angry commuters, many

26:48

of whom are hissing and cursing

26:50

about the delays. See

26:53

a good mix of Northern Europeans and

26:56

of the indigenous Inuit, all

26:58

dressed for long days at hard

27:00

jobs, and now crushing

27:03

against each other as they hunt for station

27:05

attendants in search of answers.

27:08

Tonrak presses through the crowd, leading

27:11

you down a level via the escalator, mercifully

27:15

the only one that's still working. On

27:19

your right, he leads you into one of the

27:21

few cantinas, the Mother

27:23

of the Deep, still open on the

27:25

second level, with a sizable

27:27

place fashioned in the shape of a semi-dome.

27:31

The central bar is completely bereft of

27:33

any liquor, and instead has been

27:35

retrofitted into an open kitchen.

27:38

You hear the crackle of fritters and catch

27:40

the aroma of fried fish wafting

27:42

in the air.

27:44

A small troop of Inuit women work

27:46

tirelessly behind the counter, preparing

27:48

generous cuts of seal meat and blubber

27:51

alongside mashed potatoes, heaps

27:53

of fish roe, and bowls of stew,

27:55

while others attempt to set the decor in order

27:58

after the earlier tremor.

28:01

You shake your head and curse yourself

28:03

for not exploring the city more. The

28:06

hellhole you had been frequenting was cheap

28:08

and close to the observation deck, but

28:11

this place is practically an oasis, and

28:14

at a glance, the company is

28:17

much better, though the prices

28:19

likely demand it.

28:22

You join Tonrach at the back

28:25

of the joint, near a pair of double doors

28:27

which lead to the main kitchen. As

28:30

you sit down, one of the women from behind

28:32

the counter approaches to take your order.

28:35

Tonrach plops his hand down over the menu and

28:37

shakes his head. He turns to the

28:39

woman and fires off in Greenlandic.

28:43

She taps rapidly into her tablet, and

28:45

before you know it, she's scooping up your menus

28:47

and hurrying away.

28:51

A few moments later, just as you are

28:53

finishing up your meal, a conspicuous

28:55

pair walk up to your table, both

28:58

of them hauling quite large backpacks.

29:01

One is a woman in her late forties, or

29:04

perhaps her early fifties.

29:06

It's hard to tell because of the scowl she's

29:08

wearing and the unnaturally silver cast

29:11

to her hair. The

29:13

other is a younger gentleman, barely

29:15

out of his thirties and with something of an

29:18

aloof air about him. You

29:20

also notice a large cross hanging

29:22

from his neck. Little but

29:24

still glimmering in gold. Ah,

29:29

there we are. Tonrach

29:31

stands up and offers a hand to the pair. The

29:34

younger gentleman reaches out and shakes with glee,

29:36

while the woman simply nods. Oh,

29:39

where are my manners? Me gestures

29:42

to the new arrivals. This

29:44

here is Dr. Anya Ingberg. She's

29:47

a professor of geology over at Gothenburg

29:49

University, if I remember correctly.

29:53

She nods. And this

29:55

here is Matthias Groningen. The

29:58

best security technician this side around. Ragnar's

30:00

land. He means to say

30:02

hacker, or he should say reformed

30:05

hacker and part-time shepherd

30:07

to the good lord's flock. He

30:10

crosses himself to make the point, then

30:12

bursts into laughter. Believe

30:15

me, I know, but spreading

30:17

the wisdom of the word is not so profitable

30:20

these days. Learning

30:22

to code proved much more lucrative

30:24

than Seminary ever did. You offer

30:27

a nod and a smile to the curious pair,

30:30

and then picking up her stuff, you

30:32

look around at the crowd still swarming

30:34

about, enraged at the

30:37

ongoing suspension of service. So

30:41

how are we getting to the job site? Are

30:44

we still going to the job site? I

30:47

don't think the trains are going to be running for a while.

30:50

Anya scoffs and flashes her ID

30:52

badge, which means nothing in particular

30:55

to you. Seeing that her flex

30:57

is lost on you, she sighs and

30:59

leans in, finger-pointed at you

31:01

like a scolding Sunday school teacher. We're

31:04

not just some hapless commuters. There's

31:08

work to be done, and emergency

31:11

or not, we're departing

31:13

in ten minutes, so we'd

31:16

better get a move on. You

31:23

pace about, tinkering with

31:25

one of the two drones that you've packed for

31:27

the trip. You find

31:30

this bit of retro tech charming, and

31:32

you're looking forward to taking it for a spin in

31:35

the empty halls of Tula Sub

31:37

City.

31:39

The thing almost looks like a beetle,

31:41

and you could imagine someone getting startled as

31:44

its triple-turret lenses drop down from

31:46

above or zoom out from the shadows.

31:50

Using the drone in its case, you

31:52

find yourself confronted by the awkward

31:54

monotony of the train interior.

31:58

and without

32:00

a single window to see the icy

32:03

exterior or the shadowy tunnel

32:05

passing by.

32:06

So, really, you can't even

32:09

be sure if you're moving at all. The

32:12

polished white of the interior and

32:14

the lack of even an advertisement make

32:17

this car better suited to the inmates of

32:19

an asylum than your average commuter.

32:23

Even Tonrach looks bored out of his mind,

32:26

half asleep with his big boots resting

32:28

on his pelican case. He

32:31

lets slip the odd snore before rousing

32:33

himself awake again, earning

32:36

a less than enthusiastic glance from

32:38

Anya. This

32:40

little show repeats itself three or four times

32:43

before Anya pushes her way past you and

32:45

Mateus and takes up the furthest

32:47

seat she can away from Tonrach.

32:51

The abbot shakes his head and

32:53

then returns his gaze to the pages of an old,

32:55

tattered bible just small

32:57

enough to fit in one's pocket. He

33:00

looks intensely at the impossibly small

33:03

font, squinting from behind

33:05

his thick glasses. You

33:07

glance over and find a title not

33:10

familiar to you. He's

33:12

reading the Book of Giants. He

33:15

notices you peering over and spins

33:17

the book around in his palm, offering

33:20

it to you. You

33:22

must find me a bit annoying. I

33:24

always hated people carrying on about their vinyl

33:26

records and how analog

33:28

is the way.

33:30

You take up the bible and flip it over to the table

33:32

of contents, finding it filled with

33:34

the names of texts you're sure you've never heard

33:36

of in your life.

33:38

It's the last collection of the Apocrypha and

33:40

the Schulupikrepha that the Catholic Church ever

33:42

committed to paper. Nobody

33:44

ever thought to make the entirety of the text available

33:47

online, funny enough. That

33:50

seems like a curious oversight,

33:53

you say. Sadly no. The

33:56

decade this was published in was tumultuous,

33:59

to say the least. They

34:01

never even got around to translating some of the

34:03

fragments archaeologists dug up in Aswan.

34:06

Word was they might have filled in some of the more

34:08

frustrating lacunae in the Greek apocalypse

34:11

of Peter. So sadly

34:14

it's just a few hundred of these that they printed and

34:16

bound.

34:18

Well I don't

34:20

suppose there's anything useful in here for the job we're

34:22

on now. Oh gosh no

34:24

no no no no. You just need

34:26

to pass the time down here and the fanciful

34:29

visions of hell angels and all that do

34:31

well enough at least for me.

34:34

It beats reading programming guides I'll tell

34:36

you that. You flip through

34:38

the book a bit more, a touch disappointed

34:41

by the lack of any pictures. Still

34:43

the odd bit of text you register is

34:46

enough to stir the imagination. The

34:49

ancients certainly were obsessed with the fiery

34:51

doom that awaited mankind's sinful

34:54

masses. Giving Matthias'

34:56

bible back you walk around

34:59

looking for your next distraction. You

35:01

wander over to the front of the car and on

35:04

cue a monitor drops down from the

35:06

ceiling to display your progress towards

35:08

Tula station.

35:10

You're a little over three quarters of the way which

35:13

is a relief.

35:14

But with how long it's taken you to get there already

35:17

you know the escape from boredom is still

35:19

further off than you'd like.

35:21

You consider striking up a conversation

35:23

with Anya but the energy she

35:26

exudes is palpable from across

35:28

the car.

35:29

She just sits there, arms

35:32

crossed, scowling.

35:35

For someone who according to Tonrach

35:38

is supposed to be in charge

35:39

she's not doing much to motivate her team

35:42

or even take the time to go over the mission

35:44

in detail. Tonrach's

35:47

comments about this potentially being

35:49

a long haul spoken just

35:51

as you boarded the train, bolstered

35:54

by the heaps of equipment piled up around the seats of

35:56

the car, do begin to wear on your

35:58

mind. Clearly, there's

36:00

something that your supposed leader is not

36:03

telling you about the job. But

36:05

then, you can probably just chalk that

36:07

up to poor management.

36:10

After all, she did keep you waiting weeks

36:12

for a mission that should have been an in and out, especially

36:15

given the nature of the emergency

36:17

that took place at Thule, or

36:19

at least the urgency at which the authorities

36:22

wanted this place explored.

36:24

And now with flawless timing, she's

36:27

sending you rushing over to that site

36:29

immediately after a tremor has rocked

36:31

the area.

36:33

You try your best to get a read on Anya,

36:36

but she just looks back with cold, pitiless

36:39

eyes. That's

36:41

a mistake you won't soon repeat. Even

36:44

as you turn your eyes away and pretend not to

36:46

have looked at all, you can hear her scoffing

36:48

from the other side of the car.

36:50

You consider going back to speak with the

36:52

abbot, or arousing Tonrak from

36:55

his semi-nap, but

36:57

as you do, you feel

36:59

the train shudder. You

37:01

tumble over, rolling over Tonrak's

37:04

pelican case, crashing into

37:06

your own bags. Something

37:09

solid in your bag presses up against your ribs,

37:11

causing you to gasp out in pain.

37:15

As you roll over, you feel

37:17

the train shudder again, and

37:19

this time, Mateus goes flying,

37:22

but he catches hold of a handrail and spins around,

37:25

slamming into a seat at an awkward angle.

37:28

Tonrak and Anya

37:30

likewise pop off of their seats, but

37:32

the tremor is only so strong as to toss

37:35

them a couple of feet.

37:36

Equipment spills

37:38

from the seats and bags and empties out

37:40

onto the floor, and then,

37:42

with one final massive

37:45

shudder, the lights go out

37:47

and the train comes to a sudden stop, jolting

37:51

you all forward and sending you

37:53

tumbled over the spilled goods, and

37:55

sending you tumbling over the spilled goods until

37:57

you crash and black out.

38:05

Your eyes open onto darkness,

38:08

interrupted only by the faint flicker of

38:10

fluorescent lights. You

38:13

immediately sit up, and a searing

38:15

pain in your side causes you to cry

38:17

out. You

38:20

press a hand against your side and

38:22

find the area tender. You

38:25

undo your liner and run a hand up

38:27

your shirt, drawing it back. You push aside

38:29

a pack, relieved to at least find

38:31

it dry. With

38:33

some effort, you push aside a pack

38:36

and grab hold of a handrail,

38:38

heaving yourself up and onto your

38:40

feet. As

38:42

soon as you're standing up, you can tell

38:44

that the train came to rest at an angle, with

38:47

much of the debris piled up to the right side.

38:50

The hull is largely intact, though

38:53

the monitor screens are all spiderwebs,

38:56

and a few of the handrails near you look slightly

38:58

bent out of shape. Your

39:00

companions all lay on the floor,

39:03

unconscious, crumpled over packs,

39:05

cases, and whatever else came loose

39:08

during

39:08

the initial shock. Spotting

39:11

Tonrack, you shuffle over and reach

39:13

out, intent on shaking him

39:15

awake. But as

39:18

you draw closer to your fallen friend, you

39:21

notice something just behind him. The

39:25

Pelican case that Tonrack had been

39:27

hauling around lays wide open

39:29

on the floor, its contents

39:32

in total disarray, one

39:35

in particular jutting out from its foam

39:37

insert

39:38

at an angle. It's

39:40

a bullpup assault rifle of unknown make

39:43

and model, bulky

39:45

with a thick shoulder stock and a silencer

39:47

fixed to the muzzle. Peering

39:50

closer to the case, you can see

39:52

a number of spare magazines and

39:54

a Glock laying on the foam above their

39:56

inserts. You stumble

39:58

back, tripping over the over Mateus.

40:01

The abbot wakes with a gasp, clutching

40:04

his back where your boot had just left a clear print.

40:07

He pulls himself up, giving way to

40:09

every curse under the sun. Jesus,

40:12

Maria, and all the god damn saints, can

40:14

you watch where you're going, please? You

40:17

try to calm Mateus down, but it's

40:20

too late. His furious

40:22

bellowing rouses both Anya and

40:24

Tonrak. Is, uh,

40:27

is everyone okay? Tonrak

40:29

looks right

40:29

at you, his eyes wide

40:32

with genuine concern. But

40:34

your shock must be palpable, because

40:37

the blood drains from his face, and

40:39

he whips around to see his formerly

40:41

concealed weapon. Hey,

40:43

now, let's, uh, let's

40:46

talk about this, okay? Tonrak

40:49

puts his hands up, palms facing

40:51

you in a gesture of good faith. What

40:54

kind of job are we doing exactly? You

40:57

grab Mateus by the sleeve and try to pull him back,

40:59

too.

40:59

But he shakes you off. Don't

41:03

tell me you're in on this, too, you say,

41:05

your voice trembling. Ah,

41:08

listen man, look, you're the odd one out

41:10

here. You got recommended out of nowhere

41:12

for this job. Sorry if we left

41:14

out one minor detail before we got on

41:17

sight, okay? Mateus

41:19

unzips his coat and reveals a holstered

41:21

glock of his own. You look

41:24

over at Anya, and she too reveals

41:26

a concealed weapon under her jacket. Tonrak

41:29

puts the

41:29

rifle and everything else back into the case,

41:32

snapping it shut. He stands

41:35

up and again comes forward with open

41:37

arms, with Mateus

41:40

right next to you and Anya glaring

41:42

from behind Tonrak. You don't

41:45

think it wise to make a fuss.

41:48

Tonrak places his meaty hands on

41:50

your shoulders and looks you right

41:52

in the eyes.

43:42

embedded

44:00

in the ceiling and along

44:02

the tracks. A light

44:04

layer of frost clings to every surface,

44:07

warranting caution with every step

44:10

you take. At

44:12

the very least, the platform

44:14

is sturdy and you

44:16

aren't exactly going to get lost.

44:20

The way is long and

44:22

the march is quiet. The

44:25

sound of your boots echo in the tunnel

44:28

as you trudge on, not a word

44:30

passing between any of you. All

44:33

you can do, as you follow Tonrak's

44:35

heavy steps, is keep an eye on the Pelican

44:37

case held tight in his grip.

44:40

You can't help but wonder at what sort of inspection

44:42

you're meant to undertake at Thule Subsity

44:45

or the reactor beyond it. The

44:48

thought haunts you, lingering

44:50

like a vengeful phantom, all

44:53

the way until you finally

44:55

reach the end of the line. Approaching

45:00

the end of the tunnel, you find a safety

45:02

door standing in your way, a large

45:05

circular lock guarding the

45:07

way into Thule, with its

45:09

thick, interlocking components like

45:11

the hands of a giant forestalling

45:13

the passage of all who might approach

45:15

the frigid shores of Lake Cachitis.

45:20

The door might just be a measure to prevent

45:22

a speeding train from blasting into the station,

45:25

or it could have been put in place to seal

45:28

off the catastrophe that took place

45:30

in this remote colony.

45:33

Either way, the frost-ridden

45:35

metal gives off an aura of sheer

45:37

malice, as if the old

45:40

serpent himself was coiled

45:42

up behind it. Conrad

45:45

pulls open a panel on the wall and

45:47

finds a series of levers. One

45:50

by one, he pulls them down,

45:53

fighting the build-up of ice to lock them in

45:55

place. Every

45:57

time he yanks one down, A

46:00

great clanging resounds throughout

46:02

the tunnel, and

46:04

in response, something clicks

46:06

within the gate. On

46:09

the third and final lever, the

46:11

mechanism holding the gate together unlocks

46:14

and draws back, opening

46:17

onto a darkness so thick

46:19

that it's almost material.

46:28

You hurl your drone up in the air, and

46:31

in an instant, the compact brick

46:33

unfolds, extending its arms

46:36

and immediately activating its propellers.

46:39

You tighten the wrist-mounted controller around your

46:42

arm and punch in a series of commands.

46:45

The body of the drone unleashes four

46:48

wide, intense beams of light, cutting

46:50

through the darkness and providing you your

46:53

first proper look at the interior

46:55

of Tula Station. You're

46:59

standing on a platform, quite

47:01

unfinished, but with a cool polished

47:03

stone floor and a number of

47:05

half-installed standing displays. Seating

47:09

is sparse, and the ceiling lets its guts

47:11

hang out, with cables, panels,

47:14

and signage dangling above your heads.

47:17

A pair of escalators lead up into the concourse

47:19

above, but even then, they

47:22

look frosted over and quite treacherous

47:25

to climb. Taking

47:27

a moment, Tonrak pops open

47:30

his pelican case and takes up his rifle,

47:33

fixing a flashlight to the mount under the barrel.

47:36

He also pulls a pair of goggles from his jacket,

47:39

and,

47:39

satisfied that the cracks are only at the edges

47:42

of the frame, he slides them

47:44

on and taps the side, activating

47:46

a decently powerful torch built into

47:49

the sides of the glasses. Mateus

47:52

and Anya pull their own goggles from their packs

47:54

and put them on before checking that their glocks

47:56

are in working order.

47:59

around but cannot find a pair of goggles

48:02

for yourself. Tonrach

48:04

pulls out a spare pair from his jacket and tosses

48:06

them to you. He also

48:09

offers you the pistol from before with

48:11

some urgency. Anya

48:14

and Meteus shake their heads, but Tonrach

48:17

insists, dropping the weapon into

48:19

your open palms. Okay,

48:22

look here. This is the

48:24

safety. Keep that on until

48:26

I tell ya. Not a second sooner.

48:29

Okay?

48:29

You nod and

48:32

slide the weapon into one of your jackets in her pockets.

48:35

We're here to survey the damage, alright? That's

48:38

what the boss lady says. The brief

48:41

is the same. We just don't

48:43

know if anyone else is snooping around here. Could

48:47

be the Russians, could be the Americans. Either

48:50

way, both shoot first, so

48:53

we will too.

48:56

I'm not much of a shot, I can

48:58

say. Is there

49:01

anything else I can do? Do

49:04

your job, Anya sneers.

49:07

Record everything you see. And

49:10

while you're at it, be careful

49:12

about how you're whipping that drone around. We

49:15

need clear footage, but we can't give

49:17

away our location either. I'm

49:19

sorry, but how the hell am I supposed to manage

49:22

that? I have to fly this thing high

49:24

enough for us to actually see anything. Not

49:27

to mention the camera. And well,

49:29

you know, we need to leave lights on at least

49:31

a little bit. That's

49:33

your problem, newbie. Anya

49:36

shoves past you, causing the bruise in

49:38

your side to flare up. You

49:40

groan and curse under your breath, but she

49:43

just keeps going, heading to the

49:45

escalators to assess their safety. The

49:48

ice isn't too bad. Let's

49:50

get moving. Shouldn't

49:52

you be whispering? You regret

49:54

letting those words slip between your lips.

49:56

But before Anya can come storming

49:58

back, Taunracks signals for everyone

50:00

else to get moving. He glances

50:03

back at you, shaking his head and winks

50:05

as if to say, I know.

50:09

Taking control of the drone again, you

50:11

adjust the brightness to the bare minimum, rendering

50:14

visibility good at at least ten

50:16

feet ahead of you, and you reduce the

50:18

altitude of the drone itself to roughly

50:20

five feet. Sending

50:23

the drone ahead up the ramp, you find

50:25

the landing clear, and with a thumbs

50:27

up to Taunrack, you all begin to

50:29

climb

50:29

up. Reaching the top, you

50:32

send the drone hovering along the ground until

50:34

it comes up against a low wall. You

50:38

move the drone up until it can just

50:40

peer over the wall, but you

50:42

can see nothing out there. Well,

50:47

I can't say it's clear, but it's

50:49

too dark for anyone else to spot us, or

50:51

whatever that's worth. That's

50:54

apparently good enough for Taunrack, because

50:56

he signals for everyone to advance while keeping

50:59

low. You

50:59

all take up your positions against

51:02

the wall, and cautiously peer over

51:04

the ledge, flashlights cutting

51:06

through the darkness though at no great distance,

51:09

and weapons pointed ahead. The

51:13

concourse must be vast, far

51:16

larger than that of Ragnar's Land

51:18

Station. You

51:20

can see little more than the polished floor

51:23

and the odd puddle of icy water in

51:25

every direction. Unnerved,

51:28

Taunrack motions at the drone, directing

51:30

you to send it up. You

51:33

comply, allowing it to climb higher

51:35

and higher, ascending at least fifty

51:37

feet in the air before its light reflects off

51:39

the polished steel panels at the ceiling.

51:43

Looking to Taunrack,

51:43

he signals to wait.

51:46

Then, he directs Anya and Matthias

51:48

to cover left and right respectively, while

51:51

he aims dead center.

51:52

Then he

51:54

gives you the thumbs up, and motions for

51:57

you to crank the lights. shines

52:00

like the evening's first star as

52:02

you crank the brightness. The

52:05

little machine's light bounces off the radiant

52:07

ceiling panels, giving off illumination

52:10

far surpassing what you were expecting.

52:12

A diffuse

52:15

but sufficient glow settles over the concourse,

52:17

revealing the vastness of the interior.

52:21

But without a doubt, the concourse

52:23

is at least twice as broad as any of the levels

52:26

in Ragnar's land

52:27

station. Feeling

52:29

all the more spacious for the utter lack

52:31

of anything, save for the few chairs

52:33

installed near the back. Around

52:36

the perimeter, empty spaces wait

52:38

hopelessly for merchants who will never

52:40

set up shop within their walls. It's

52:43

a void, little more than

52:45

a man-made cave. Tonrach

52:48

waits long enough for any concealed assailants

52:51

to take a potshot, and when

52:53

no soul answers the easy challenge, he

52:56

shoulders his rifle and stands up.

53:00

I think we're good. If someone's

53:02

hanging around, they aren't here. He

53:05

gives you a pat on the shoulder and points across the

53:07

room to where two sets of stairs,

53:09

each guarded by a low rail, cling

53:12

to the wall and lead up and away from

53:14

the massive pair of doors which actually lead

53:16

into the station. I've got a good

53:18

feeling the control room's up there.

53:21

If we're lucky, there might still be some power

53:23

stored somewhere. Maybe

53:25

we can get some cameras going, see if anyone's

53:27

made camp. If everything

53:29

looks

53:30

clear, maybe we can even

53:32

turn the lights on. You

53:35

all get moving, advancing

53:37

under the light of the drone. Everyone

53:40

hops over the leftmost gate except

53:42

for Tonrach who just busts the lock

53:44

and pulls it open to waltz on through. Using

53:48

the stairs, you draw the drone closer

53:50

to you, just in case you

53:52

need to send it in first.

53:54

Mateus takes up his position at the door, while

53:57

Anya prepares to open it.

54:00

On the silent count of three, Anya

54:02

forces the door open and Mateus goes in,

54:04

his Glock raised. Anya

54:07

follows him in, and then Tonrak

54:09

joins them. The all clear

54:11

comes a minute later. You

54:14

recall the drone, allowing it to

54:16

fold up in your palm and go dark.

54:18

Heading

54:21

inside, you follow the corridor past

54:24

several offices and service rooms until

54:26

you reach a long corridor midway between

54:28

the entrance you came through and the

54:31

other. You

54:33

see the light from everyone else's goggles and head

54:35

in to join them, unable to quite

54:37

make out what's at the end until you are literally

54:40

standing at the threshold to the room.

54:43

The light from your goggles reveals only

54:45

the foremost part of the room, a set

54:48

of rows which doubtless stretch on at some

54:50

distance given how far you can spot

54:52

the light from your team's equipment appearing

54:54

and disappearing behind clean, solid

54:57

lines.

54:59

These are servers in front of you. Dozens

55:02

of them, all dormant

55:04

behind their glass cases, all

55:07

feeding into a mess of cables running underneath

55:09

the transparent floor. Following

55:12

the cables, you advance down

55:15

the central walkway, reaching

55:17

the dormant brain of the station. A

55:20

control panel stretching ten

55:22

feet in either direction, replete

55:25

with switches, screens, and multiple keypads.

55:28

This interface could doubtless run an entire

55:31

city with sufficient power. You

55:34

find it almost absurd that you were able to

55:36

just walk in here, but then,

55:40

Tula was never quite finished, was

55:42

it? And the builders clearly

55:44

had not implemented security features before

55:46

the disaster struck. Mateus

55:49

holsters his pistol, cracks his

55:51

fingers, and pumps up his shoulders.

55:55

He looks like a kid in a candy shop, practically

55:58

skipping as he fetches a fallen chair. and

56:00

slides over to the main panel. It's

56:03

time to do the Lord's good work. He

56:05

runs his hands over the panel, finally

56:08

reaching a switch kept under a glass cover.

56:12

He holds his goggles up at an angle to make the

56:14

embossed text at the base of the box

56:16

legible. It reads,

56:19

Power. Moteus claps

56:21

two hands together and rubs his palms against

56:23

each other. Share your prayers, ladies

56:25

and gentlemen.

56:27

Everyone waits with bated breath, except

56:30

for Anya, who sneers at the joke.

56:33

A little deflated, Moteus pops

56:35

the cover of the switch and flicks

56:37

it without further ceremony. Let

56:40

there be... ah, forget

56:42

it. Everyone waits for

56:44

a long, drawn-out beat as the darkness

56:47

persists, and silence

56:49

saps away any hope of finishing the

56:51

mission or getting help for

56:53

that matter. Moteus

56:56

slumps over the control panel, letting

56:58

slip along, drawn-out sigh. You

57:02

can't help but reach out to offer a comforting hand,

57:04

but Tonrac beats you to it, half

57:07

pummeling the poor abbot as he claps him

57:09

on the back. Standing there awkwardly

57:11

with your hand outstretched, you glance

57:13

over at the switch and notice something Moteus

57:16

missed.

57:18

Three primary switches lay to the side

57:20

of the main power switch. All

57:22

turn to the left, and with a helpful

57:24

embossed line, indicating a connection

57:26

to the main switch.

57:29

You flick the main power back into the off position,

57:32

and then you flip the three primers.

57:35

You look over at Moteus and make the sign of the

57:37

cross ingest before flipping the main switch.

57:41

Again, a long, uncomfortable beat,

57:44

as everyone waits desperately for

57:46

something to happen. And

57:49

then, with little more than a click and

57:51

a faint hum to mark it, the

57:54

control panel lights up,

57:57

its monitors flickering to life and

57:59

giving off a dim, half-dead

58:01

glow. Well, well, well,

58:04

the Lord does work in mysterious ways.

58:08

Mateus spins around, expecting a chuckle,

58:10

but the best anyone can offer is a shrug of the shoulders.

58:14

Ah, you guys are no fun. Scowling,

58:17

he spins back around and begins to

58:19

type furiously into the main keypad, prompting

58:22

commands to fill the main monitor. The

58:25

only thing you can make sense of is a

58:27

line of code, indicating that

58:30

total power reserves are currently at 8%.

58:33

You could have guessed from the fact that barely anything

58:36

else is switched on besides the panel and

58:38

a few of the server towers, and

58:40

the depressing dimness of the monitors themselves

58:43

is a dead giveaway too. Either

58:46

way, it's doubtful that there's enough power

58:48

on hand to light up the entirety of the city,

58:51

however much of it there's actually left. At

58:54

the very least, you hope this is more

58:56

than enough energy to send out a signal for

58:59

help. Mateus enters a

59:01

few more commands and brings up a menu for

59:03

the various facility functions, schedules,

59:06

safety, intranet, security, and communications.

59:09

A pop-up message warns that one or more functions

59:12

may be compromised due to insufficient

59:14

power. Alright, Tonrak

59:17

says as he points a thick finger at the monitor.

59:20

Can you bring up the cameras? Mateus

59:22

enters the command, but he immediately gets

59:24

a warning that there is insufficient power to

59:27

turn on all the cameras.

59:29

Huh? Ah, damn it. Well,

59:32

turn on what you can. Mateus

59:35

types away furiously, and in a moment

59:37

a large monitor descends from the ceiling and

59:39

brings up an array of camera feeds,

59:42

most of which display little more than dark,

59:44

grainy images of empty rooms, corridors,

59:47

and what you think are streets or

59:49

alleyways.

59:51

Not exactly all seeing, but that's

59:54

it. Not a soul huddled

59:56

around a fire or a radiator.

59:59

Mateus points out. to a few blank spots in the camera

1:00:01

feeds, most of which have a label

1:00:03

reading reactor. Now

1:00:06

that I find strange, Mateus

1:00:09

says as he points to a series of camera feeds

1:00:11

labeled reactor core. Rather

1:00:15

than a blank feed, the video displays

1:00:17

a strange cascade of digital noise,

1:00:20

bands of pixels and artifacting

1:00:23

washing back and forth like waves

1:00:25

on a shore. There's

1:00:28

something interfering with the signal to the camera.

1:00:31

Look, look carefully. The waves

1:00:33

match, or at least their timing does.

1:00:37

But it's not perfect, they're not exact

1:00:39

duplications. Everyone

1:00:42

draws closer, trying to verify

1:00:44

what Mateus is asserting. This

1:00:47

isn't just noise. The cameras are registering

1:00:50

something. They're registering movement. I'm

1:00:53

short of it.

1:00:54

Hmm, well, looks like

1:00:56

we do have some unwanted guests after all.

1:01:00

Tomrak taps the screen. Okay,

1:01:03

now, how do we actually get

1:01:05

there? Mateus

1:01:07

closes out the camera feed and brings

1:01:09

up a map of Tula substation

1:01:12

and the city beyond it.

1:01:14

There's a clear egress from the station to

1:01:16

a yard servicing the reactor. And

1:01:19

at a glance, there's a service platform

1:01:22

you can all use to access it. Send

1:01:25

a message back to Ragnar's land. We'll

1:01:27

move on the reactor now, but I want an evacuation

1:01:30

team waiting for us when we get back. Tomrak

1:01:33

checks his rifle, then turns

1:01:36

to you with pure elation in his eyes. Finally,

1:01:40

a little bit of action, eh? Shouldering

1:01:44

his rifle, Tomrak turns around

1:01:46

and heads for the exit. He

1:01:48

looks back over his shoulder and waves for you

1:01:50

to join him. You don't

1:01:52

know why, but for

1:01:54

the first time since you've met him, his

1:01:57

warm, charming smile. turns

1:02:00

your blood to ice.

1:02:09

and

1:02:30

running a search for Twilight

1:02:32

Histories.

1:02:33

Have a browse through all the Patreon

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content until you find depths

1:02:38

of Thule, and then fast forward

1:02:40

until you find the right spot in the story. I

1:02:43

warn you, you may get distracted

1:02:46

by all the other content you see. There

1:02:48

are tons of audio adventures

1:02:51

only available to our patrons, going

1:02:53

back to 2011. So if

1:02:55

you're a fan of the Twilight Histories,

1:02:58

you will discover plenty of fantastic

1:03:00

shows to unlock, and you'll be busy

1:03:03

for a long, long time.

1:03:06

The value is there. Come

1:03:08

join us on Patreon. I'm

1:03:11

Jordan Harbour, thanks for listening to

1:03:13

the Twilight Histories. Until next time,

1:03:16

take care.