1-24 But You Can See It From There

In which Bethany takes some time for themselves in the least used and most filthy waste removal area.  

inc: The Podcast is:  
Allyson Levine as Bethany  
Raimy O. Washington as Jonas  and The End
Leah Cardenas (@leahgabrielle____) as The Announcements  
Ellis MacMillan (linktr.ee/mothscraps) as The Robo-Archivist  
Chase Guthrie Knueven as the Voices
Joe Hanson as the Voices
Katie Ploetz as the Voices and The Insectoid  

inc: The Podcast is written, produced, and edited, by Monte D. Monteleagre and Alexander Wolfe, and is a production of Wolf Mountain Workshop.  For more information, or to contact them about other projects, they can be found at montedmonteleagre.com, and writingwolfe.com, respectively. 

Find us online at incthepodcast.buzzsprout.com for links to all our social media, or connect with us directly @incthepodcast, or at incthepodcast@gmail.com.  

Emotional support for inc: The Podcast is lovingly provided by: Birdie, Rodeo, Jasper, Luna, Artemis, Hazelnut, Gwyn, Jewel, and Sakura.

New episodes every other Monday. 

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Happiness is Productivity.  
Productivity is Happiness.  

Transcript

24 - But You Can See It From There
Prologue
A series of disembodied voices take the first lines, like a group slam poetry recital. Underneath
them all is a drone made of entirely human voices.
VOICES: Success is recognition. Success is tangible progress. Success is monetary gain.
Success is reward. Success is completion. Success is meaning. Success is fulfillment. Success
is ephemeral. Success is ethereal. Success is excessive.
VOICES: Success is the thing that drives me. But remember, you can’t drive a cart with a carrot.
VOICES: Success is really the only goal I have left. But remember, when that’s finished, I have
nothing.
VOICES: Success is what I’m capable of. But remember, I have no proof of that, it’s just an
assumption I must make as something alive.
VOICES: Pick up a bottle of success today, 2 for 1, or 1 for 2!
VOICES: I’ve done a lot of them, but success is my favorite drug.
VOICES: (Calm and pleasant.) Oh I’d hurt somebody for success. I mean, I would annihilate
them. I’d hold ‘em down and chew a hole through one side of their neck and out to the other.
VOICES: If you rearrange the letters in the word “success” and then rearrange them again and
again and again until they're back to the way they were originally, it spells out the word,
“success.”
Electronic feedback whines and builds into a roll of thunder.
Scene 1
JONAS’ voice, very modified, echoes…
JONAS (VOICE): It’s…..Patricia. This was their idea.
Patricia.
Idea.
Patricia.
Idea.
It’s Patricia. This was their idea.
The feedback and tones become the rush of running water in the least used and most filthy
waste removal area. BETHANY is splashing their face. They turn off the sink.
BETHANY: I…hate…mirrors…
Glass shatters.
JONAS (VOICE): It’s…Patricia. They want you to be a part of it too…
BETHANY walks into a stall, closes it, and sits. They do that hitchy breathing thing that happens
when you’re trying not to cry.
JONAS (VOICE): We can all sit down together.
BETHANY: Stupid. Weak. Stupid. Useless. Failure. Broken piece of –
JONAS (VOICE): We can all make a plan…
BETHANY: (Softly) I can’t do this anymore -
BETHANY’s breakdown is interrupted by a lengthy fart from THE END. THE END is alternately
sober and drunk, friendly and mean, stupid and brilliant. They are the universe enjoying hurting
BETHANY however they can. They are the Genie from Aladdin but an abusive asshole.
Scene 2
THE END: Need some help?
BETHANY: Hey! Geez, what the – private breakdown here!
THE END: Whatever you say, don’t mind me. You just do you.
Silence. BETHANY controls their breathing.
THE END: Breathing a bit hard there, huh?
BETHANY: Yeah, well, take it up with Nutrition and their fiber shortage.
THE END: The shortage ended months ago, Bethany. The injections can’t help if you always
choose the meat disks.
BETHANY: Are you that stall therapist I’ve heard about? I didn’t bring the coupon…
THE END: So if it's not a breakdown, it’s a… what, a break out? Just a tough waste removal
session?
BETHANY: Those aren’t always mutually exclusive.
THE END laughs heartily and farts again.
THE END: That’s good, that’s really good, I like you, Bethany.
BETHANY: Enough to stop talking to me?
THE END: (still chuckling) It’s that sharp little attitude that keeps me coming back for more.
BETHANY: (Not amused) Look, no offense, I don’t know you, I don’t care about you, and if I had
one wish right now, it would be that you disappear.
THE END: Liar.
BETHANY: Will you- Just…everybody. All of you. Why? What good does it do you? What good
does it get you to just… All the time. Always with this crap.
THE END: I think if you had one wish it would be to make yourself disappear.
BETHANY: Wow, congratulations. You’ve twisted my words. You must be very smart. I hope that
brings you nothing but joy. Total fulfillment.
Silence.
BETHANY: Also, I’m pretty sure there’s only one stall in here, so where are you and what are
you doing, and am I gonna have to clean my boots when I leave here?
THE END: You don’t clean your boots, Bethany, that’s why they’re always wet.
(Pause)
You didn’t fill out a Working While Removing Waste Form before you came here, did you?
BETHANY: (After a tiny pause.) No. No I didn’t.
THE END: You just kinda left, didn’t you?
BETHANY: Yeah, I guess I did.
THE END: Left Jonas all alone, didn’t you?
BETHANY: Yep.
THE END: You’re worried about that, aren’t you?
BETHANY: (Almost surprised themselves) No, actually, I’m not. How do you know me and
Jonas?
THE END: Somebody might be looking for you.
BETHANY: I guess they might.
THE END: Somebody might’ve come to the General Data Acquisition and Storage Department
only to find that you’ve left your subordinate in charge of the entire office and disappeared.
BETHANY: Could happen, yeah.
THE END: You worried about that?
BETHANY: Not really, no.
THE END: But you ARE worried, aren’t you?
BETHANY: I…I don’t actually know. I don’t know what I’m feeling anymore.
THE END: But that’s what Bethany IS, that’s what Bethany DOES, Bethany worries.
BETHANY: I think…I think I might be going crazy.
THE END: (With genuine excitement) Hey! There we go, I can work with that.
BETHANY: I must be. I must just be crazy. I keep thinking, I’ve always thought, really, I just gotta
keep going. It can’t be that bad forever. I’ll just keep my head down and…and that’s just what I’ll
do. But that doesn’t work. Obviously. It’s never worked. How could it? So why do it?
THE END: What’s the alternative?
BETHANY: Um….this. I think.
THE END: (A fart as well as more laughter) I’m sorry, so sorry, that’s rude, that’s really rude of
me, there’s just something so…pitiful about you! Oh I just love it. It’s so cute.
BETHANY: Again, who are you? What kind of person just hangs out in a Waste Removal Area
and tries to play little mind games with somebody? Like, I’m sad, but you’re SAD.
THE END: Oh, my feelings! My little feelings, oh, they hurt, Bethany! I didn’t want…I never
meant to make you feel so upset. I’m not that kind of a person, you have to believe me. I’m nice.
Really! I am! I’ll prove it. You want me different, I’ll be different. What do you want me to be?
BETHANY: Somebody far away.
THE END: (With a shit-eating grin) Right away Bethany, your word is my command of course.
Somebody far away comin’ right up.
Organic noises.
Scene 3
CHADWICH: Hi little Bethy-boots, look who done got themselves all grown up and sad.
BETHANY: No.
CHADWICH: It’s been a little bit but you still love your Caregiver don’t you?
BETHANY: N-no no no, y-you’re not - no–
CHADWICH: (An asshole) Still not so good at the whole t-t-t-talking thing, huh? Figures.
BETHANY: Not real it’s not real it’s not real it’s not real –
Organic noises.
THE END: Look, don’t blame me for you not specifying. You gonna cry or just hyperventilate? I’d
suggest crying, easier on the lungs. More fun for everyone who has to be around you.
BETHANY: (Small) Stop it.
THE END: (Another big fart.) What’s that? Gotta speak up sweetie pea, there’s waste being
removed here and it’s noisy work -
BETHANY: (Defiant) I said stop it. That wasn’t real. You’re not real. At this point I might not be
real. Stop it.
THE END: There’s the fire! Oh my goodness, that was so powerful! The way you kinda raised
your voice at me while hiding from the universe in a small waste removal stall…I mean, if I was
making a dictionary and I needed a picture to go along with the word “strength”, it’s all you!
You’ve convinced me. You’re right, that was mean. My bad. Seriously, I’m sorry. Let me make it
up to you. Who do you want me to be?
BETHANY: Nobody.
THE END: Well there can’t be two of us here, that wouldn’t make any sense. C’mon, don’t spoil
the fun. It can be anybody. Jonas? You like Jonas. You say you like Jonas at least.
Organic noises.
JONAS (VOICE): (Maddeningly cheerful all the way through) Hi, Bethany! You left me alone
because you couldn’t deal with me, even though I’m literally the best version of myself that I’ve
ever been and quite possibly the only person in the universe that carries any positive feelings
for you.
I’m the best friend you’ve ever had or will ever have, and yet you’d be entirely okay with
destroying me and everything I love if it meant that the whole universe just stopped for a little bit
so you could get a handle on it.
Eventually you’re going to withdraw from me, just like you have everything else in your life,
without being able to express why. You know that will cause me to internalize even more trauma
and quite possibly negate some and/or all of the progress I’ve made as a person since coming
to this ship, but that will all be secondary to your inexplicable need to be alone.
I’ll be yet another example in your head of somebody that was pleasant to you that you felt the
need to run from because you know you don’t have the emotional capability to actually be a
good friend.
Small pause.
JONAS (VOICE): I’m Jonas. I like ferns. Bye now!
Organic noises. Pause.
THE END: Some heavy stuff there.
BETHANY: And?
THE END: Those walls are just so thick aren’t they, Bethany? Must be why you’re so kind all the
ti– oops, no, not that I guess, that’s not true, I mean, that’s why you’re so patient– oh, darn it,
no, same problem, I must’ve meant that’s why you’re so–
BETHANY: I told you to stop it.
THE END: You’re right, you’re absolutely right, that was inappropriate. That’s on me. My bad.
My bad everybody. My bad. Just look at that hastily carved vandalism right over your swollen
dorsal sack, what’s that say, Bethany?
BETHANY: “You’re taking a number two, but you’re number one.”
THE END: I think Jonas was a bad choice. Plus, you always see Jonas. There’s no fun in that,
there’s no surprise, there’s no mystery… Now Patricia on the other hand..
Organic noises.
PATRICIA (VOICE): Hey Bethany, I just wanted to let you know, conclusively, that if you were a
better person, just in general, I literally wouldn’t have had the ability to ruin you like I did for
personal gain. Plus, look at it from an outside perspective, (and I know that’s tough for you
because you really like your own view of things and you, like, literally don’t know enough people
to understand other viewpoints), but just…okay: so like, friends don’t just do that to each other
out of nowhere right?
BETHANY: Right.
PATRICIA (VOICE): And we were friends, right?
BETHANY: Yeah, I - I think so.
PATRICIA (VOICE): We were friends, right?
BETHANY: We were friends.
PATRICIA (VOICE): So at some point something must’ve happened, you must’ve done
something. Because friends don’t do that to each other. And we used to be friends. And just
think about it, Bethany, I am the one who reached out first. I might be shorter but I’m literally the
bigger person.
Organic noises.
THE END: Wow. My goodness. It is just all minor chords in here tonight, isn’t it? This is an
Alexander episode, I just know it, It’s depressing like an Alexander episode.
BETHANY: I don’t wanna do this anymore.
THE END: You ever think of how weird it is that nothing bad ever happened to Patricia for what
they did? It’s like, the universe loves balance right? So bad actions get repaid with bad actions.
And yet Patricia is fine.
So it almost seems like the universe is…you know, I hate to say it this way - it almost seems like
the universe is on Patricia’s side in this whole thing. But that’s crazy. That’s a crazy person
talking. I must be in the crazy removal location ‘cuz it’s all coming out of me…..
But then again… here we are. And Patricia…well…see that’s the thing that’s so weird, because
they’re definitely not having a breakdown in the least used and most filthy waste removal
location, are they? Because this is a really small space and I sure don’t see them here. Do you
see them here, Bethany? Point at them, if you see them here, Bethany, like it’s a cartoon for
children.
BETHANY: Why? Just, why?
THE END: Look, you’re the one that called it a breakdown. I’m just doing my thing. Chillin’ like a
villain. Doin’ some villainy while I chill-any right here next to Bethany… You know, my thing is
pretty cool now that I think about it…
BETHANY: I hate your thing and I hate you.
THE END: (Another fart) That’s understandable. It’s been heavy. It’s a tough little episode here,
but I’m not all bad. I can be nice. I’ll be so nice. Here, hold on, for real this time, I swear, hang
on, this one is a little harder -
Organic noises.
RENATA: My Gran-baby Bethany –
BETHANY: NO!
Silence.
Organic noises.
Scene 4
BETHANY: Never them.
THE END: Beth-
BETHANY: NEVER. Them. You do NOT bring Gran-Giver Renata into this. You do not say their
name, you do not use their voice, you, in fact, don’t even get to think about them. And if you try
that again, I will smash the back of my head into the wall behind me until there is so much blood
in this Waste Removal Location that it can’t help but get the attention of every custodial AI in
this sector.
THE END: (Right in everybody’s ears. Like seriously close to the mic. WAAAAY too close. And
speaking without any pauses at all. Real threatening-like.) And what if that’s exactly what I want
huh what if that’s exactly the point of all of this what if I just want you to hurt yourself and keep
hurting yourself again and again and again until by some miracle the stain of your pathetic little
existence is wiped off of this unnecessary blip in time that you call a life?
Pause.
THE END: What. Then. Bethany?
Silence.
BETHANY: (Having dissociated their way into calm) I…had a fever once.
THE END: Just once, huh?
BETHANY: Hush. I’m talking now. I had a fever once and Patricia and I were working together
and I didn’t know it but I was just crazy contagious. Like, to the point that only 6 hours into the
shift Patricia was already feeling awful too. We couldn’t even get back to the quarters after work.
I must've passed out a little while before the end of the day, and Patricia couldn’t do much and
we didn’t have enough money for medical so we just had to kinda deal with it.
It must’ve taken down Patricia too, either that or they just decided to stay with me so I wouldn’t
wake up alone, or something. Either way, we wake up the next day and there’s two scraps of
what could’ve been EBI stories on the floor. Actually more so in the doorway. It’s a miracle we
didn’t get caught. And neither of us remembered finding or making or having anything to do with
them.
THE END: Ooooo, a mystery.
BETHANY: One was an abstract collection of quotes from different beings about success and
happiness and stuff like that. It was…bitter. Angry, even. Had a dim view of the universe.
Honestly, kinda rough.
But then there was this…little thing. It might not have even been that great, or maybe just
comparing it to the other one made it shine but… Anyways. It was a transcription of the final
thoughts of this little insectoid creature that was being rapidly taken over by a rather aggressive,
invasive, and quite advanced, fungus.
A weird little trick of biology occurred at the exact moment that the main neural
connections of the insectoid met the mycelial networks of the fungus. For the tiniest moment the
insectoid creature experienced a heightened state of consciousness unlike anything its species
had ever imagined, just hundreds of levels of complexity beyond what it already had evolved to,
all within a few hundredths of a second.
THE END: Poor little thing got it’s mind blown away, huh?
BETHANY: Yeah, you’d think, right? But right before that fungus slipped over what little brain
that insectoid had, it thought to itself, in its own simple way - “It was worth waking up, to get to
see the light.”
Silence.
Scene 5
THE END: You’ve been in here a good long time.
BETHANY: Yeah.
Pause.
BETHANY: (Small) You wanna know something sad?
THE END: I already know it, but you tell me.
BETHANY: I wanna go home.
THE END: (Honestly compassionate.) Yeah. I bet you do.
BETHANY: But I can’t, can I?
THE END: Nope.
BETHANY: Because I don’t have one.
THE END: Yep.
BETHANY: That’s a shame.
THE END: Hey, look on the bright side. At least nobody saw this. You’re alone. In the least used
and most filthy waste removal location on the ship. You’re crying, and you’re hyperventilating a
little bit, you’re hallucinating from a combination of stress, detox from a series of anxiety
repressors, and various gasses from previous cleaning attempts that have happened here.
You’re locked in a stall that you’re terrified to come out of. Because then you’ll have to be alive
again. And you’re not sure you want to do that anymore.
But you will. Because the door is about to open, and Hank is going to walk in. And you’re
going to leave the stall, and you’re going to tell Hank about the little insectoid creature. And then
about the semi-domesticated stray pet, and then about the alien that got left on the moon when
your species incorporated their planet, and then about Stardust and Rocky and the comet that
hit their home. And then you’ll realize what you’re doing and you’ll awkwardly apologize and
leave quickly. And you’ll compose yourself and reenter the office. And you’ll do your best to hide
most of what you feel. Because that’s what you do. Because you're Bethany.
BETHANY: Yeah. Yeah, I guess you’re right.
THE END: Do you know my name, Bethany?
BETHANY: Yeah. Yeah, we’ve met before.
THE END: What’s my name, Bethany?
BETHANY: You’re…The End.
A final fart. A toilet flushes and the running water transforms into the human-vocal drones.
Epilogue
Once again, a chorus of disembodied voices:
VOICES: Happiness is at the core of everything our company does.
VOICES: Happiness is what we’re trying to sell.
VOICES: Happiness is something that my job allows me to share with others.
VOICES: Happiness is a small prey animal indigenous to many systems, which has traditionally
been hunted with organically sourced, farm-to-table tools.
VOICES: In order to be happy, we must let go of everything in our lives that causes us to not be
happy.
VOICES: Happiness stems from a series of chemical reactions happening in the body, which
can be turned on or off with this simple switch I’ve inserted in my patient's cornea.
VOICES: Happiness is a feeling that comes from belonging.
VOICES: Happiness is a feeling.
VOICES: Happiness.
VOICES: Feeling.
VOICES: Happiness. Feeling. Happiness. Feeling. Happiness. Feeling. Happiness. Feeling.
VOICES: Happiness, I think, is what happens when I know I belong.
The vocal drones swell and finally fade into room tone again.
JONAS: Hey, Bethany.
BETHANY: Hi, Jonas.
The room tone fades back into the drones.
INSECTOID: It was worth waking up, to get to see the light.
END