Our Next Project: Generation Crossing

Summary

Archive 81: “Our Next Project: Generation Crossing”

Podcast: Archive 81
Host: Dead Signals (Dan and Mark)
Date: September 23, 2024
Episode Purpose:
Dan and Mark, creators of Archive 81, announce their new audio fiction album, Generation Crossing: an experimental, music-driven, sci-fi spoken word piece. They reflect on recent projects, update fans on Archive 81’s future, and debut the opening segment of Generation Crossing.

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Overview

This episode breaks with Archive 81’s usual horror and urban weirdness format to share major news: the creators are launching a new project, Generation Crossing, described as a “spoken word space opera.” Listeners get a behind-the-scenes look at the creators’ recent artistic ventures, reassurances about the future of Archive 81, and an atmospheric first taste of the new project’s story and sound.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Creator Banter & Project Updates

• Personal Check-Ins: Dan and Mark joke about their confusion with fiction and reality, referencing Archive 81 lore (“my body is no longer replaced with a recorder now"—Dan, 00:27).
• Recent Side Projects:
  • Dan mentions releasing a dance music EP called Party Coffee.
  • Mark has written a novel and a play, seeking literary agent interest.
  • Both praise each other’s work and thank the fan community for tracking show lore and contributing fan art/theories.

“Dead Signals. We would be nothing without our Lore volunteers.” — Dan (00:48)

Announcing Generation Crossing (Main Segment: 02:05–04:48)

• New Direction:
  • The project is an album, not a podcast.
  • Concept: A series of monologues chronicling an 800-year journey to a new world, following the evolving society aboard a generation ship; the ship's AI is the only continuous “character.”
  • Form:
    • Described as “spoken word space opera.”
    • Highly “vibey, ambient, experimental.”
  • The creators urge listeners to experience it in a meditative, immersive way (e.g., “lie on their bed and stare at the ceiling”).
  • Not directly linked to Archive 81/DeepVault universes, but features familiar voice actors.

“Something we really love to do at Dead Signals is stretch the boundary of what audio storytelling...can do. This feels like a really exciting new step for us.” — Dan (02:38)

“It is extremely, extremely vibey. And what I really hope is that people lie on their bed and stare at the ceiling and listen to it for a little bit... It’s a very, very vibey little piece, I think.” — Mark (02:55)

• Release Info:
  • Album drops November 12, 2024, on all major music platforms (Spotify, Apple Music, Bandcamp).

Fan Community & Future of Archive 81 (03:54–04:48)

• Audience Appreciation:
  • The hosts are moved by ongoing fan engagement (fan art, theories, character discussions).

“It's been really, really heartening after all these years to see that people are still talking about Archive 81 and the Deep Vault.” — Dan (03:54)

• Nothing’s Over:
  • They assure listeners Archive 81 will return when new, innovative story ideas arise—no filler seasons.

“When we feel like we can do something new and fun with the world, we'll return to it.” — Mark (04:27)

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Preview: Generation Crossing (04:54–14:16)

[04:54] – [05:16]: Introduction/Launch Sequence

• Ship’s AI (calm, clinical voice) walks through pre-departure systems check.
• Signals beginning of a multi-generational space mission.

[05:16] – [11:01]: Monologue—Founder’s Speech

• Character: Founder Malia Patterson (AI’s persona).
• Themes:
  • Hesitation and doubt before a vast, unprecedented undertaking.
  • The sacred responsibility of guiding humanity’s seed to a new world.
  • Reassurance: The AI contains the founder's essence and will be a presence for the crew.
• Notable Quotes:

  “Doubt is normal. And at this, the grandest undertaking in human history, doubt is expected. But doubt cannot be allowed to prevent progress…” — Malia Patterson (06:00 approx.)

  “You are the shepherds of civilization. You will guide this small, fragile seed through a vast ocean until it sprouts anew on a distant world. I envy you, in a way...” — Malia Patterson (07:02 approx.)

  “Your ship’s very computer has been constructed with my essence in mind. My personality. [...] It will serve as your steward, as you will serve to shepherd the founders and shepherd yourselves to a virgin world.” — Malia Patterson (08:50 approx.)

  “I will see you again in the faces of your descendants. And I will hear you in the voices of your descendants as we disembark onto the soil of a new Earth.” — Malia Patterson (09:35 approx.)

[11:01] – [14:16]: Crew Member’s Monologue

• Character: An unnamed soil chemist speaks to the ship’s AI about daily life and mental strain.
• Dilemma: The “recvit lounge” videoscreen always loops the empty void of space, causing unease and homesickness.
  • The character requests images of Old Earth or even “a solid color” instead.
  • Emphasizes the psychological challenge of perpetual space travel.
• Personal Reflections: Touches on isolation, generational legacy, memory, and subtle humor about crew relationships.

“Just. Seeing [space] every day, or nearly every day... it’s a lot. It makes me want to get married. You know, for the personal recvit space in the family dorm. Just to see the vidscreen less.” — Soil Chemist (12:20)

“It’s such an enclosed system, but getting that stuff underneath my fingernails feels good. It feels... When I get to recfit for my stat bike and my laps, it’s like. Like a reminder, you know? Like when you’re about to fall asleep and you trip over the stairs so you come awake...” — Soil Chemist (12:57)

• Existential Touch: The chemist dreams of floating in space with the sleeping founders—conveys a haunting sense of purpose and continuity.

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Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• “As the fan wiki says, my body is no longer replaced with a recorder now.” — Dan (00:27)
• “I do not keep track of lore, and you guys do a much better job than I do… Dead Signals. We would be nothing without our Lore volunteers.” — Mark and Dan (00:31–00:48)
• “It's a very, very vibey little piece, I think.” — Mark (02:55)
• “You are the shepherds of civilization. You will guide this small, fragile seed through a vast ocean until it sprouts anew on a distant world. I envy you, in a way…” — Malia Patterson (07:02 approx.)
• “It makes me want to get married... Just to see the vidscreen less. Not that I want to get married yet. Not with the options right now…” — Soil Chemist (12:20)

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Episode Flow & Tone

The tone is playful, intimate, and appreciative. Dan and Mark’s camaraderie stands out, along with their care for the fanbase and their drive to push the boundaries of audio storytelling. The Generation Crossing preview shifts into poetic sci-fi, mingling awe, melancholy, and hope.

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Listening Recommendations

• Skip To:

  • [04:54] for the start of the Generation Crossing excerpt.
  • [05:16–11:01]: Founder’s speech (haunting, philosophical).
  • [11:01–14:16]: Crew perspective (personal, relatable, subtly humorous look at life in deep space).

• Release: November 12, 2024, on all music platforms.

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Summary for Newcomers:
This isn’t the next season of Archive 81, but a boundary-pushing, atmospheric audio album blending speculative fiction and music. Generation Crossing promises lush soundscapes and speculative, philosophical storytelling with Archive 81’s signature existential wonder. And yes, Archive 81 will return—when inspiration strikes.

Transcript

[A]

Hey, everybody, this is Dan, the real person, not the character from Archive 81.

[B]

But aren't you really the character from Archive 81?

[A]

Well, it depends on the day.

[B]

Yeah. And this is Mark, also the real person, not the Character from Archive 81. I am not a weird post human creature thing. At least.

[A]

At least not right now.

[B]

Okay, okay, you made the joke before I could make it. Whatever.

[A]

As the fan wiki says, my body is no longer replaced with a recorder now.

[B]

Yeah, no, we fixed that at the end of season three. Thank you people on the fan wiki for keeping up to date on lore. I do not keep track of lore, and you guys do a much better job than I do. I very much appreciated it.

[A]

Dead Signals. We would be nothing without our Lore volunteers.

[B]

Yeah, so we should probably stop bantering. People are not listening to this for the banter.

[A]

I like the banter, personally. Anyway, we've got some exciting news to share.

[B]

Yeah. So we know it's been a while, but we have been busy with a bunch of other stuff.

[A]

Yes, a lot of it we can't talk about. Although I did release a couple of dance music tracks a couple weeks ago called Party Coffee. There'll be a link to that in the description.

[B]

Party Coffee is really, really good, even if you are not a dance head. And it's great exercise music.

[A]

Nothing's touched me more since releasing this. To get so many kind words of affirmation from my friends who are not rich, brave freaks. A family friend said, oh, this was so good for doing chores too. I worked so much faster. So, you know, Party Coffee. Try it in all sorts of scenarios in your life.

[B]

Yeah, but we have been busy. Oh, I wrote a novel and a play. Currently shopping them around. So if you're a literary agent, hit me up on Twitter. I guess they're pretty good. I think. At least not to take it.

[A]

I've read both the novel and the play and I can attest to them being very good.

[B]

Aw, thank you.

[A]

And if you are a literary agent, you don't want to miss out on this.

[B]

Thank you.

[A]

Trust.

[B]

Thank you.

[A]

So the big news is that Mark and I made an album. That's right. Not a podcast, a music album called Generation Crossing.

[B]

Yes, it is a series of monologues of that I wrote that are scored with some incredible music that Dan wrote. It's basically about an 800 year journey to a distant planet and the society that forms during that voyage. The only consistent character is the ship's AI.

[A]

Something we really love to do at Dead Signals is stretch the boundary of what audio storytelling and the audio medium can do. And this feels like a really exciting new step for us. We would almost describe it as a spoken word space opera. It's also probably our vibeiest project to date.

[B]

Yes, it is extremely, extremely vibey. And what I really hope is that people lie on their bed and stare at the ceiling and listen to it for a little bit for a good chunk of time. It's a very, very vibey little piece, I think.

[A]

Yes. If you happen to run a ambient music festival or thing with a chill out room, you know, we're open to discussing how this could be adapted to installation format as well.

[B]

Yeah. I mean, it is not Archive 81 or DeepVault related, but it is definitely in that spirit. Plus, it does have a lot of voices that you might be familiar with if you're a fan of our podcast.

[A]

Oh, yeah, you'll hear some old favorites in there for sure. It'll be out Tuesday, November 12, on Spotify, Apple Music, Bandcamp, wherever you find your music online.

[B]

Yes. Tell your friends here on social media. We are very, very, very proud of it. And honestly, we're just really excited to have something that we made that you can listen to.

[A]

Yeah. It's been really, really heartening after all these years to see that people are still talking about Archive 81 and the Deep Vault. There's fan art, there's fan theories, people discussing character relationships on Discord and social media. It really means a lot to us that you're all still so invested in this universe we created.

[B]

Yeah. Yeah. And that we may have created it, but we've worked with a lot of really, really talented actors and people to bring it to life. To answer a question a lot of people have been asking us. No, Archive 81 is not over. When we feel like we can do something new and fun with the world, we'll return to it.

[A]

Yeah. With every new season of Archive 81, we want to try to do something new and really push our boundaries and experiment. We wouldn't want to just put something out there for the sake of putting it out there when we haven't really thought about how it's going to evolve the vision of the show in a thoughtful way that would be exciting for us and entertaining for you.

[B]

Yeah. So without further ado, we want to give you a little taste of Generation Crossing.

[A]

Yeah. So this will be the first couple minutes of Generation Crossing, the launch of the ship, and the very first monologue from one of the crew members.

[B]

Remember, it's out on November 12, on Spotify, Apple Music Bandcamp. Wherever you listen to music, we're so.

[A]

Excited for you to listen.

[C]

Final inspection of PSV ward status prior to departure. Pod energy levels, optimal. Founder. Vital signs optimal. Redundant pod systems, optimal. Antimatter reserves, optimal. O'? Neill? Gravity functioning. Oxygen levels, optimal. Soil integrity, optimal. Fertilized ova temperature controls optimal. Crew members present, accounted for. Located in Terraria Agora. If final check has been performed successfully and systems are functioning and all levels are optimal, then play recording B92 founder, Malia Patterson. Speech for crew members. I am not one for speeches. Or talking, for that matter. If you have met me in person, then I am sure you are well aware of that. But I feel it is appropriate for me to say a few words at the beginning of any grand undertaking. There is a moment right before diving off the edge of hesitation, of doubt. Will the baby bird's wings unfurl? Will the parachute deploy? Will this stone cause a ripple in the water? It creeps into everyone's head. It has most surely crept into mine. When I abandoned my family's home, when I founded my first company. When I announced the construction of this very spaceship that is now your home. Doubt is normal. And at this, the grandest undertaking in human history, doubt is expected. But doubt cannot be allowed to prevent progress, to prevent the best of us from achieving that which we are destined to do. And once you have stepped on that path, once your wings have unfurled, that doubt will evaporate. You are the shepherds of civilization. You will guide this small, fragile seed through a vast ocean until it sprouts anew on a distant world. I envy you, in a way, this maintenance. Guiding your children and your children's children and so on for generations. Maintaining language, culture, our very ways of being. It is a sacred task. Though I, along with the rest of the founders, am already stasis, I am with you in spirit. You are not alone. Though we are not consciously aware of the fact, we are watching over you in our pods from the top of the very Terraria Agora you are now sitting in. And your ship's very computer has been constructed with my essence in mind. My personality. Though you may not talk to me, feel free to talk to it, to ask. Ask it questions, to unburden yourselves to it. It will serve as your steward, as you will serve to shepherd the founders and shepherd yourselves to a virgin world. With this doubt now cleared from your mind, I bid you a farewell. I will see you again in the faces of your descendants. And I will hear you in the Voices of your descendants as we disembark onto the soil of a new Earth. If recording is played successfully, then unlatch clamps from PSS Cooper. Then engage preliminary chemical drives. Then begin Voyager.

[D]

Query for ship's computer. I talked about this to the engineers. Well, I talked to Johnson and Soong. I'm not gonna bring it up to Walker because she's. Well, I thought it would be better to go to you first. We can ask you things.

[A]

Right.

[D]

Good.

[B]

Yeah.

[D]

I mean, sorry. It's hard to articulate. I guess it's just. You know the vidscreen in the recvit lounge? Yeah, Obviously. Of course you'd know it, but. So it's always just space. Space, void, emptiness. Except for stars. I'm just wondering. Could it be. I mean, is it possible for it to be turned to something different? Maybe like images of Old Earth? It'd be a good reminder. I left too young to really remember anything except vague images. And it could be good for the kids, for the voidborn, as a sort of acknowledgement, I guess, maybe. Or put images of anything, really. It could be just like a solid color. I don't care. Just not space, you know? Is that. Do you think that's something you could do?

[B]

I don't know.

[A]

I.

[D]

Just. Seeing it every day, or nearly every day, depending on the rec schedule. It's a lot. It makes me want to get married. You know, for the personal recvit space in the family dorm. Just to see the vidscreen less. Not that I want to get married yet. Not with the options right now. God help me, but just. Is that doable? Okay. All right. I understand. I just. This is really important to me. And if I'm feeling this way, I'm sure I'm not the only one. So. I'm a soil chemist. Right.

[B]

God, of course.

[D]

You know this. You know everything about me, but I get to spend most of my workday with my hands in the soil, making sure the nitrogen levels are balanced. God, it's such an enclosed system, but getting that stuff underneath my fingernails feels good. It feels. When I get to recfit for my stat bike and my laps, it's like. Like a reminder, you know? Like when you're about to fall asleep and you trip over the stairs so you come awake. It's. It's like that. It's not good. You want to hear something weird? Something I haven't told morale. Sometimes when I dream I see space. It's like I'm floating there. Like how being underwater was. Or like. Least how I remember it. Just seeing some stars a billion miles away, Winking like they're mocking me. But I'm not alone. When I'm in the Void, you're with me. Not you, but Malia, the rest of the founders. I can see them sleeping next to me. They're just how they look at the top of the Terraria Agora. And I don't know if they're dreaming or not.

[C]

You see?

[D]

Weird, right?

[A]

I don't know.

[D]

But can you look into it? The vidscreen, maybe. Sorry, I'm being stupid. I'll just get married. Or ask Walker. It. Sam.