2-13 1331

In which the Mental Ennervation Colonies participate in the Second Task.  

inc: The Podcast is:

Joe Hanson as Desiree  

Edward Hoffman as Alexander  

Leah Cardenas as the Intercom  

Raimy O. Washington as Jonas  

Allyson Levine as Bethany  

Jacob Pfieffer as Nancy  

Katie Ploetz as Tomas  

Chase Guthrie Knueven as Jesse.  

inc: The Podcast is written, produced, and edited, by Monte D. Monteleagre and Alexander Wolfe, and is a production of Wolf Mountain Workshop.

Want to talk about what you heard? Join our Wolf Mountain Workshop Discord: The Caves of Wolf Mountain. You can find that here: discord.gg/DpmbR9y7az   

Want to support this show and anything else we make? Join our Patreon! You'll get access to bonus content for this show, other shows we produce, and access to exclusive roles in The Caves of Wolf Mountain that will let you ask Monte and Alexander any questions you can think of and submit albums for our twice-monthly album listening parties. You can find that here: patreon.com/WolfMountainWorkshop   

Want to know more about us and find other ways to support the show? Visit our website which has links to our social media, our merch, our patreon, our discord and probably some more stuff too. You can find that here: wolfmountainworkshop.org  

Emotional support for inc: The Podcast is lovingly provided by: Birdie, Rodeo, Jewel, Sakura, Gracie, Luna, Hazel, Kyo, Hamilton, Beau and The Slug.  

New episodes every other Monday.   

Ask yourself: how can M-E, work for me?   

———  

GRAVEN

 The world is bleak and cold in the aftermath of a dreadfully divine apocalypse known as ‘The Rise.’ Those left alive, seemingly chosen by fate, endure an unending hellish winter. GRAVEN presents the story of Adam, Abigail, and David through found audio. 

Content Warning: This show explores themes of religion and sexuality. Adult language and violence throughout. 

 Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Acast, Amazon Music, and all platforms. 

Info: https://gravenpod.carrd.co/ 

Transcript

Episode 13 - 1_3_3_1
Desiree
Alexander
Intercom
Jonas
Bethany
Nancy
Tomas
Jesse
PROLOGUE
The theme song fades into weird electronic noise. Loud, but muffled.
Desiree and Alexander have to shout a bit to be heard.
DESIREE: Hey!
ALEXANDER: Oh, hey dude, what’s up?
DESIREE: What’s going on? You’re the only person not…weirdly fighting other people, here…
ALEXANDER: I mean, if you feel left out feel free to bump into me a bit, you weird little alien
thing. What’s goin’ on?
DESIREE: I’m the alien thing? When you’re standing there like…like a…a tube with sticks
poking out of it?
ALEXANDER: Is that what I look like to you? That’s interesting. You kinda look like a big
scribble to me. But with tentacles.
DESIREE: What is this?
ALEXANDER: A conversation. This is talking.
DESIREE: No, all of this.
ALEXANDER: Oh, this is a concert. You know, live music.
DESIREE: You can do this…in the moment?
ALEXANDER: Sometimes. But not very well. But hey, that’s just me…
Pause.
DESIREE: This is very loud.
ALEXANDER: Oh yeah. Best way to do it. The louder it is, the less you can recognize the
mistakes.
Awkward pause.
DESIREE: I’m Desiree.
ALEXANDER: Oh I know, I’ve known you for a good little while. I’m Alexander.
DESIREE: Did we go to college together, or something? I think I would’ve remembered you
given that we’re…different species and all, and only my species went to that college…so…I
guess…not?
ALEXANDER: You could say that we worked together.
DESIREE: At the… Colonies? Were you in one of the other Story Creation and Development
Pods?
ALEXANDER: Uhhh, yes and no, on that one…
Awkward silence.
DESIREE: I…I don’t know what to do now.
ALEXANDER: You look like you wanna talk.
DESIREE: (Genuinely eager) Could we? Would you mind?
ALEXANDER: Not at all, but let’s wait just a bit. The show’s about to start.
DESIREE: That…that’s not the show?
ALEXANDER: No, that’s just the pre show. People…get excited. Watch, it’ll change.
Big drums.
Silence, fading into…
SCENE 1
Episode Theme - (kind of Bolero-ish if possible {Mourice Ravel})
Wailing of an alarm.
INTERCOM: Attention, Senior Neophyte Jonas and Neophyte Bethany of the Story Creation
and Development Program, repeat, attention, Senior Neophyte Jonas and Neophyte Bethany of
the Story Creation and Development Program, please enter the testing chamber to begin the
Second Task of The Contest.
A hiss and a pneumatic door opens.
JONAS: Okay so I know I haven’t said a word to you in like, 6 days, but are you okay?
BETHANY: The Button made me quit story juice and now I can’t stop the shaking in my
tentacles.
JONAS: Uh-huh… and the button is…helping?
BETHANY: It’s certainly creating opportunities for personal growth and now it’s waiting in my
quarters, as was required by the memo we were sent, probably scheming up more ways to
torture me.
(A moment.)
(Breaking the tension.)
I hate these stupid testing overalls they’re making us wear…I’m chafin’ (chafing) like a
demon (very badly) over here…
JONAS: (Playing along) I thought the supportive netting was supposed to take care of that. Or
maybe that’s just for the Senior testing overalls… -
INTERCOM: Attention Senior Neophyte Jonas and Neophyte Bethany -
JONAS: We’re coming, we’re coming. Get on in there, shaky-boots.
BETHANY: Okay, that’s the meanest nickname yet…
The door hisses shut.
INTERCOM: In this chamber, you will find two wooden desks, complete with attached chair,
facing away from one another. Please have a seat.
(Sitting noise.)
If you lift the top of the desk, you will find within it a single notebook, complete with
textually appropriate prompt, and a single pen. Please remove those items and place them on
the desk.
(Desk noise.)
In a few moments, a transparent wall will descend from the ceiling between the both of
you, cutting off all communication. This task will be completed individually. At the top right of the
first page in your notebook, you will find your prompt.
The rules for this task are as follows:
1 - You may not have any contact with your teammate during this contest. Any
attempt to do so, once the transparent wall has descended, will render your attempt at this task
null and void.
2 - Your entry must be exactly 500 words long.
3 - Your entry must be finished in exactly 1 hour, at which time you will stand,
read it in its entirety, and be allowed to exit.
The transparent wall will now descend. Your time will begin when it reaches the floor.
(Wall descending noise.)
Good luck.
Musical interlude.
SCENE 2
INTERCOM: Attention, Neophyte Nancy of the Story Creation and Development Program,
repeat, attention, Neophyte Nancy of the Story Creation and Development Program, please
enter the testing chamber to begin the Second Task of The Contest.
A hiss and a pneumatic door opens.
NANCY: I’m still not sure how this can possibly be fair when-
(Pause.)
What. Is. That?
INTERCOM: In order to bring a sense of equality to the proceedings, your testing chamber has
been outfitted with the recently retrieved corpse of your Senior Neophyte Desiree. Because they
are no longer living, their skin has been equipped with a nanite lattice that gives them the
structural ability to sit upright. The nanites have currently been programmed to have Senior
Neophyte Desiree’s head and eyes follow you, to instill a sense of camaraderie, but rest
assuredNANCY: No no no, I don’t want to be in here with them -
The door hisses shut.
NANCY: No, you can’t do that! They were still outside the window when I left, let me out!
INTERCOM: In this chamber, you will find two wooden desks, complete with attached chair,
facing away from one another. Please have a seat.
NANCY: No, this is bad this is bad this is really bad I can’t do this, let me out -
INTERCOM: In this chamber, you will find two wooden desks, complete with attached chair,
facing away from one another. Please have a seat, or you risk forfeiting the second task, and
potential disciplinary action up to and including expulsion from the program.
Pause.
NANCY: This…this is… (deep breath)
Sitting noise.
INTERCOM: If you lift the top of the desk, you will find within it a single notebook, complete with
textually appropriate prompt, and a single pen. Please remove those items and place them on
the desk.
(Desk noise.)
In a few moments, a transparent wall will descend from the ceiling between the both of
you, cutting off all communication.
NANCY: I want to know who did this.
INTERCOM: This task will be completed individually. At the top right of the first page in your
notebook, you will find your prompt.
NANCY: This is sick.
INTERCOM: The rules for this task are as follows:
1 - You may not have any contact with your teammate during this
NANCY: I understand the rules, they’re also in the notebook, let’s just get this over with so I can
get out of here.
INTERCOM: The transparent wall will now descend.
NANCY: And thank goodness for that.
INTERCOM: Your time will begin when it reaches the floor.
(Wall descending noise.)
Good luck.
Pause.
NANCY: (Cold) I can tell that it’s still looking at me.
Musical interlude.
SCENE 3
INTERCOM: Attention, Senior Neophyte Tomas and Neophyte Jesse of the Story Creation and
Development Program, repeat, attention, Senior Neophyte Tomas and Neophyte Jesse of the
Story Creation and Development Program, please enter the testing chamber to begin the
Second Task of The Contest.
A hiss and a pneumatic door opens.
TOMAS: Jesse, I just want to tell you how truly amazing it’s been to talk freely about our
personal emotional states lately.
JESSE: Tomas, the fact that our friendship has blossomed into feelings of actual romantic love
for each other has been truly exciting. Also, the fact that we’ve been so emotionally open and
honest with our hopes, doubts, fears, and excitement about the whole thing, well…that just
makes it all the better.
TOMAS: I love you dude. 4eva.
JESSE: I love you too. 4life.
TOMAS: Now let’s go kick the crap out of this next task!
JESSE: As long as we’re together, that task doesn’t stand a chance!
The door hisses shut.
INTERCOM: In this chamber, you will find two wooden desks, complete with attached chair,
facing away from one another. Please have a seat.
TOMAS: Dude, our desks even look the same!
JESSE: It’s like it’s meant to be.
(Sitting noise.)
INTERCOM: If you lift the top of the desk, you will find within it a single notebook, complete with
textually appropriate prompt, and a single pen. Please remove those items and place them on
the desk.
(Desk noise.)
TOMAS: What color notebook did they give you?
JESSE: Plain colored!
TOMAS: Me too!
JESSE: Awesome!
INTERCOM: In a few moments, a transparent wall will descend from the ceiling between the
both of you, cutting off all communication. This task will be completed individually. At the top
right of the first page in your notebook, you will find your prompt.
TOMAS: Wait, what?
The Intercom speaks the following line underneath the protestations of Tomas and Jesse, who
are frantic.
INTERCOM: The rules for this task are as follows:
1 - You may not have any contact with your teammate during this contest. Any
attempt to do so, once the transparent wall has descended, will render your attempt at this task
null and void.
2 - Your entry must be exactly 500 words long.
3 - Your entry must be finished in exactly 1 hour, at which time you will stand,
read it in its entirety, and be allowed to exit.
The transparent wall will now descend. Your time will begin when it reaches the floor.
(Wall descending noise.)
Good luck.
(Tomas and Jesse are speaking this at the same time as the Intercom, and Alex is going to try
not to harm himself figuring out how to edit that BS, but if it can really happen it’s pretty cool.)
JESSE: Individually? What does that even mean?
TOMAS: That means alone, dude!
JESSE: We can’t be alone!
TOMAS: I’m not moving dude, I’m standing right in the middle of the room, cuz this isn’t rightJESSE: I don’t care what the rules are, we’re not doing this if we can’t do it together!
TOMAS: I’ll stop this wall with the power of my love!
JESSE: Our love is strong enough to do anything!
TOMAS: We’re partners, we’re partners and we love each other -
JESSE: Yeah we love each other!
TOMAS: 4eva!
JESSE: 4life!
Wall descending noise. A wet crunch.
Small pause.
JESSE: (Incredulous, frantic, and horrified.) You just dropped the wall on Tomas’ head! Oh my
god, you killed them! Tomas! TOMAS!
INTERCOM: Good luck.
Musical Interlude.
SCENE 4
JONAS: Um, hello, my name is Jonas, and my prompt was to: write a story that would scare a
child.
There were spiders in their eyes.
When I found them.
They must’ve been there a while. Must’ve had a good long time there, because the
spiders don’t come right away.
No.
The spiders only come when the bugs come.
And the bugs only come when the rotting starts.
And the rotting only starts when they’ve been dead long enough that it’s clear that
nobody…is ever…gonna check on them…
But I did.
And there were spiders in their eyes.
There was dirt in their mouth.
When I found them.
They must’ve been hungry for a while. Must’ve been hungry for a good long while,
because you don’t eat dirt until you’ve been hungry a good, long, while.
No.
You only eat dirt when you need something, anything to fill your stomach, and it’s clear
you aren’t ever getting anything else.
That’s when you eat dirt.
That’s why there was dirt in their mouth.
There was blood on the bottom of their feet.
When I found them.
They must’ve been walking a good long while. Must’ve been walking a good long while,
because feet don’t bleed right away.
No.
The feet only bleed when you wear through the bottom of the shoes.
And you only wear through the bottom of the shoes when you’ve been walking a good
long while.
And the walking only happens because you know there’s no place for you, and there
never…will…be…
That’s what’ll give you bloody feet.
And there was blood on the bottom of their feet.
There were maggots in the hole in their back.
When I found them.
They must’ve really made somebody angry. Must’ve made somebody really angry,
because most people wouldn’t shoot somebody in the back.
No.
You only get a hole in your back when you’ve really made somebody angry.
When you’ve made somebody so angry they don’t even care enough to see your face
when you die.
And all they need, in the whole world entire, is to see…you…dead…
That’s what’ll make a person do that.
And there were maggots in the hole in their back.
Their teeth had all been torn out.
When I found them.
Somebody must’ve been afraid of being caught. Because your teeth don’t get taken out
unless something bad happened and somebody didn’t want to get caught.
No.
Your teeth are only removed when somebody wants to get away with something.
When they think you’ve done something so bad, that they can do bad things to you and
should never be punished.
When they think even you know you deserved it. And…they’re…right…
That’s when your teeth get taken out.
And when I found them, all their teeth had been torn out.
When I found them I saw that terrible things had been done to them.
Spiders in their eyes.
Dirt in their mouth.
Blood on the bottom of their feet.
Maggots in the hole in their back.
And their teeth had been torn out.
And I was very glad.
Because nobody ever suspected me at all.
BETHANY: Hi, I’m Bethany - sorry about the shaking, it’s really not all that…legible, but
hopefully you can just…anyways, my prompt was to write a fictional speech that I would be
proud to give.
Um…hey, sorry to interrupt everybody’s food, but, if you wouldn’t mind, I’d just like to say
a few words. Very few, this time. Ya’ll know how much I can go on but I swear this time…and
there I go, I’m already rambling…
We are so grateful and proud, to have all of you here today. The fungus is sprouting, the
newest herd of isopods is flourishing…and we get to be here. With all the people we love…
I…honestly, I never thought I’d get to…to do this. You all have heard this story a
thousand times, I’m sure, but… It’s something I’ve always wanted, dreamed even…..
When Carol Ann hatched, they were alone. They had come into this universe born on
the back of a life well lived and fully ended in tragedy. Born on the overhanging ledge of a
craft-refueling station, they lay there alone, near the shattered remnants of their
Caregiver…their…egg layer, I suppose, but, you know, you all know how I feel about the term
“Caregiver”...there wasn’t no care…there was just…desperation…
For two days.
For two entire days, this newborn, this hatchling, laid alone on a roof while people
refueled craft after craft underneath them, either not knowing or not caring about the cries they
heard, seemingly coming from nowhere and everywhere all at once.
And then…well…who should be out on a walk with my little old self? It’s me. It’s me, in
my new boots, just strutting, click-clacking, not even squishing along, and what do my little ear
holes detect, but…crying…
And it’s weird, because I was listening to music at the time, so it’s just…
It’s almost like magic.
And it’s like I’m taken under a spell, and I run, I don’t even know where I’m running, it’s
all instinct, everything is animal, and I end up in front of that craft-refueling station…
And everybody is just…refueling their crafts…
But there’s this crying…
And I see a ladder nearby, I think somebody might’ve been painting or chrome coating
the building, but there’s a ladder and I grab it, and I push it up and I hope it clicks into place, and
I lay it against the top of the station…
And I climb…
And at the top is my entire world. My galaxy. My universe.
Cracked remains of an eggshell and a dead…egg-layer…nearby…
And the people underneath are shouting, I’m blocking lanes, I’m a hazard, everything is
happening but in front of me is…everything… And I crawl toward that everything, and I scoop it
up into my arms, and I hold it close, and I say:
(Sing song) Hey now…hey now…you’re gonna be okay…hey now…hey now…you’re
gonna be okay…
And these eyes looked up into mine…
And for once, for one moment, this little thing thought that everything might be alright.
And today, I am so very proud to say, they are one year old.
I never…I never thought I’d be able to do this…
But now that I am…
I can’t imagine anything else…
NANCY: My name is Nancy. My prompt was “Why won’t you look at me, Nancy, I’m right behind
you?”
I have been afraid of mirrors my whole life
And not once has some creature been caught in the silver-green reflection
Aside from myself, gaping in horror
At my own perfect rendition, framed before me.
We become aware of ourselves, as a concept, later than is convenient and earlier than any just
universe would allow, awkward things bounding across a playground, a bundle of too-big claws
and too-long tentacles and nascent dorsal columns kicking up wood chips suddenly aware of
the weight of a universe resting against the softest parts of our flesh. We hold our hands in front
of our eyes and click our mandibles and lose the game of tag we were playing while thinking
about how, someday, we will die.
I have been afraid of mirrors my whole life
And not once has some creature been caught in the silver-green reflection
Aside from myself, gaping in horror
At my own perfect rendition, framed before me.
After losing that game of tag, I spent the rest of the day in medical, crying and panicking, trying
to convince the nurse, unsuccessfully, that I was about to die, that we all were, in the grand
scheme of things, and that nothing we could do in medical could prevent that. The nurse,
understandably, offered me a ball of hardened sugar on a stick and tried to send me back to
class. “No,” I said, “I don’t want to die in a classroom.” And now, so many cycles later, I’m sure
that I will.
I have been afraid of mirrors my whole life
And not once has some creature been caught in the silver-green reflection
Aside from myself gaping in horror
At my own perfect rendition, framed before me.
In that old classroom which I would not die in, there were mirrors above each desk, all angled so
the teacher could look down at your tests and be sure you wouldn’t cheat. I sat in the very
center of the room, and at all times I was surrounded by my own reflection staring at me,
begging me to stop looking but where else could I turn? There was a mirror for each of my eyes.
Convinced of what was to come if I returned to the classroom, I did not want to watch myself
die. And now I must.
I have been afraid of mirrors my whole life
And not once has some creature been caught in the silver-green reflection
Aside from myself gaping in horror
At my own perfect rendition, framed before me.
There’s a mirror here too. And it’s the worst one yet. Built by people who just wanted to hurt me,
and so clumsy that it almost doesn’t. But here you are again, empty. A perfect reflection of
myself in every way that matters.
I have been afraid of mirrors my whole life
And only once has some creature been caught in the silver-green reflection
Aside from myself gaping in horror
At my own perfect rendition, framed before me.
Musical Interlude.
INTERCOM: The corpse of Senior Neophyte Desiree was disqualified from this task for failing to
meet the correct word count. The newly created corpse of Senior Neophyte Tomas was
disqualified from this task for failing to meet the word count. Neophyte Jesse was disqualified
from this task for attempting to communicate with the pieces of recently deceased Senior
Neophyte Tomas, in a clear violation of the rules of the task, as well as failing to meet the word
count. Senior Neophyte Desiree, Senior Neophyte Tomas, and Neophyte Jesse, please report
to your Sub-Director after exiting the testing chamber.
The second task in The Contest For Excellence In And Advancement Of Creative
Storytelling In The Known Universe is now complete.
Musical interlude.
EPILOGUE
The music fades into silence, which itself fades into feet walking along a sidewalk. Occasionally
a car passes.
ALEXANDER: So, what’d you think?
DESIREE: I…that was…a lot.
ALEXANDER: Especially for you. You’ve got a…how do I wanna put it…you got a little bit of a
stake in it.
DESIREE: Not anymore apparently.
ALEXANDER: Oh come on, one professional to another, you’re telling me you didn’t like it at
all?
DESIREE: I…I didn’t say that.
ALEXANDER: You wanna see something funny?
DESIREE: Might as well.
ALEXANDER: Look who’s up under that streetlight.
DESIREE: Which one?
ALEXANDER: A couple blocks down.
DESIREE: I don’t know any of you anyways and you want me to - wait, wait, is that…Tomas?
ALEXANDER: I think it is.
DESIREE: Then who’s that next to them?
ALEXANDER: That’d be Edward. He…he wanted to be included.
DESIREE: Oh. Well. I can’t even tell you little tube and stick people apart…
ALEXANDER: Which is fine, because, again, y’all are mostly, like, non euclidian scribbles to me.
Why don’t we go say hi?
DESIREE: They look surprisingly good for what they just went through. Taller than I expected.
ALEXANDER: I swear, if we can ever get you and Patricia in the same room, you two would
have a ball…
Fade out.
END.