DERELICT Presents: The Amelia Project

Podcast: DERELICT
Host: Night Rocket Productions (JBM)
Guest/Fictional Focus: The Amelia Project (Imploding Fictions)
Date: January 22, 2026
Episode Type: Crossover Feature / Fictional Narrative (Amelia Project S1E1)

Episode Overview

This DERELICT Presents episode features a crossover with The Amelia Project, an acclaimed audio drama known for its unique blend of dark comedy, philosophical musing, and immersive sound. Host JBM introduces listeners to the premiere episode of The Amelia Project, in which a secret agency specializes in faking clients’ deaths and providing them with new identities. The showcased story—centered on Zale Indigo Ravenheart, cult leader and would-be space traveler—serves as a surreal, thought-provoking exploration of faith, identity, and reinvention.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introduction to The Amelia Project

• [00:59] JBM Introduction:
  • JBM explains the premise: “...a secret agency that fakes its clients' deaths. Then it helps them reappear with a brand new identity. The progression of it is really cool as a series...tackles philosophical questions and impossible dilemmas with the lightness of touch...”
  • Emphasizes the show’s mix of humor, philosophical depth, and immersive sound.

2. Zale Indigo Ravenheart’s Dilemma

• [02:30] First Client Call:
  • Zale leaves an urgent message: “I leave planet Earth tonight. I’m being launched to Anthodon in 10 hours. … I need you to intervene.”
  • He is both the founder and archpriest of the Apostles of Antithon, a cult based on a cosmic counter-Earth.

3. Faith, Belief, and The Chair Parable

• [04:13–05:36] The Chair Dialogue:
  • Zale is invited to “grab a chair” though he sees none.
  • Memorable exchange:
    • Amelia Agent: “Without faith, nothing is possible. With it, nothing is impossible.” [04:47]
    • Zale: “Faith’s got nothing to do with it.”
    • Agent insists a chair exists, Zale challenges for proof—this becomes a metaphor for belief without evidence.

4. The Myth of Antithon: Cosmic Counterparts

• [08:13–10:26] Zale Explains Antithon:
  • Zale elaborates on Antithon: a hidden twin planet on the opposite side of the sun, invisible from Earth.
  • Quote:
    • “Every aspect of life has an opposite...Earth is no exception. Earth has an opposite.” [08:13]
    • Each person on Earth has a counterpart on Antithon, living an inverse life.
    • Antithon was “revealed to me in a vision.” [09:11]

5. Escaping into Fame and the Problem of Faith

• [10:26–12:22] Dual Motives:
  • Zale intended his dramatic cannon launch to Antithon as proof of faith, now regrets as his following grows.
  • Agent probes: “...did you actually ever believe this stuff yourself? Or was it just a way to get famous and make money?” [11:22]
  • Zale admits he’s stuck: “If I chicken out, they’ll think it was a scam...they’ll want revenge. I have no choice. I have to get in that cannon.” [12:31]

6. Transformations and Consequences

• [12:49–14:48] Reluctance and Reinvention:
  • Zale candidly reveals his past: “Two divorces, an estranged son, trying to wean myself off a cocaine addiction...I’d hit rock bottom. That’s when Antithon revealed itself to me.” [12:49]
  • He came to envy his imagined counterpart and saw escape as destiny, but the cult’s success made him fear the unknown even more.
  • “My life is wonderful. Which means I no longer want to switch with my counterpart. His life must be hell. Please help me.” [14:29]

7. Death-Faking Logistics

• [14:55–17:02] Engineering the Great Escape:
  • The Agent outlines the fake death plan: using a trick cannon with compressed air to launch Zale safely into a reservoir under cover of night.
  • Notable calculation dialogue:
    • “With a final estimated velocity of 66 miles per hour…raise the barrel 39 degrees…You’ll reach an altitude of 23 meters and cover a distance of 59.05 meters…” [15:56]

8. Barter, Network, and the Value of Influence

• [17:18–18:43] The Price of Disappearance:
  • Zale cannot afford Amelia’s services. The Agent proposes a deal: in exchange for his high-profile list of followers and their contacts, the agency will orchestrate his escape for free.
  • “Give me your network and your disappearance is on the house.” [18:25]

9. Trust, Leap of Faith, and Final Ironies

• [18:46–19:20] Closing on Faith:
  • Zale seeks guarantee of safety.
  • Agent delivers the show’s thesis:
    • “You can’t [be sure]. You need faith.” [18:58]
    • “You can torture yourself with doubt, or you can start looking forward to your new life in Macedonia. Do you like champagne?” [19:04]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Faith & Evidence:
  • Amelia Agent: “Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.” [05:45]
  • Amelia Agent: “Without faith, nothing is possible. With it, nothing is impossible.” [04:47]
• Philosophy of Opposites:
  • Zale: “Earth and Antithon are on opposite sides of the sun…Their identical distance from the sun means Earth and Antithon have the same exact conditions.” [08:34]
• The Dilemma:
  • Zale: “If I chicken out, they’ll think it was a scam, ...they’ll want revenge. I have no choice. I have to get in that cannon. But I don’t want to be shot to Antithon.” [12:31–12:48]
• On Reinvention:
  • Amelia Agent: “Once our surgeons are done with you, you’ll barely be recognizable. Even so, you don’t want to risk being found out.” [17:08]
• A Transaction of Influence:
  • Amelia Agent: “Give me your network and your disappearance is on the house.” [18:25]

Important Segment Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |-----------|-------------------------------------------------------| | 00:59–02:30 | JBM introduces The Amelia Project and its premise | | 02:30–03:20 | Zale’s urgent call to The Amelia Project | | 04:13–05:36 | The chair parable; metaphor for faith vs. evidence | | 08:02–08:34 | Zale explains Antithon, the cosmic “opposite” Earth | | 12:49–14:48 | Zale’s emotional confession; “I can't go to Antithon” | | 15:56–16:44 | Escape logistics: cannon launch plans | | 17:18–18:43 | The barter: contacts for freedom | | 18:46–19:20 | Faith and uncertainty; final transaction |

Tone & Style

The conversation is witty, philosophical, fast-paced—mixing the absurdity of its premise (faking a death via theatrical cannon launch) with sharp meditations on belief, identity, and the age-old desire to start over. The Amelia Project Agent is wry, enigmatic, and a bit mischievous; Zale is by turns frantic, vulnerable, and darkly humorous about his predicament.

Summary

This episode of DERELICT Presents offers both an enthusiastic introduction to The Amelia Project and a full fictional experience typical of the show’s best: a blend of existential humor, genre subversion, and an exploration of the human desire to erase the past and start anew. Through a surreal consultation involving cult leaders, cosmic doppelgangers, and faked deaths, listeners are invited to consider the cost—not just financial, but psychological and moral—of transformation, reinvention, and the faith that sustains (or undermines) big dreams.

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