Escape Pod 1014: "Here Instead of There" (Part 2 of 2)
Podcast: Escape Pod
Date: October 9, 2025
Story by: Elizabeth Bear
Host: Valerie Valdez
Narration: Jess Lewis
Episode Overview
The second part of "Here Instead of There" by Elizabeth Bear concludes a tense, emotionally raw story of survival and resilience set amid climate disaster. The episode follows a group of squatters and musicians as they endure the direct onslaught of a hurricane while grappling with fractured relationships, ethical dilemmas, and the urge to resist a broken system. The narrative weaves in their struggle to repair failing power and communications, the effort to save themselves and their friends, and the choices that will define what kind of people they become in crisis.
Key Discussion Points & Plot Breakdown
1. Evacuation and Survival Logistics (02:42 – 05:45)
- As the hurricane approaches, the group scrambles to evacuate as many people as possible using boats, kayaks, and a barely functional jet ski. Some neighbors help, but the core characters remain, committed to holding on and keeping communications open.
- The protagonist works frantically to repair the comms system to warn Irwin and Caspian, still out on an errand. The pressure, tension, and claustrophobia build as danger closes in.
2. Interpersonal Tensions and Emotional Fallout (06:00 – 10:34)
- Tempers flare: Miriam cruelly jabs at the protagonist’s past ("You’d be part of the system if you hadn’t got kicked out for hacking." – Miriam, 06:49), causing a hurtful exchange.
- Quote: "Wow. So is that really what you think of me? Fuck you, too." (07:02)
- Moments of apology and vulnerability later surface, humanizing their predicament and showing the spectrum of emotional responses to disaster.
3. Facing the Storm (10:35 – 18:55)
- The pod’s power fails and the group debates risk versus safety—someone must brave the storm to restore searchlights and power for returning friends.
- Hazardous efforts outdoors: Tied off with climbing rope, the protagonist heads outside to reset the batteries amidst shrieking winds, crashing waves, and dangerous flooding.
- Quote (Kai): "Fuck, I’m glad I moved the drums." (16:53)
- Quote (Protagonist): "The hangar roof was completely missing. Bucketing rain hammered my face. Another wave rolled through, pulling me against my clipped in harness..." (18:21)
- By risking their safety, the protagonist and Kai restore power just as the worst of the hurricane barrels down.
4. The Eye of the Storm (19:35 – 22:10)
- The literal (and metaphorical) eye of the hurricane: a calm, pinkish dawn falls, granting a rare moment of respite.
- The group emerges, surveys the damage, and shares beers—a small ritual of survival.
- Quote (Kai): "I’ll take it." (20:55), on relishing even brief peace
5. Rescue, Reveal, and Recovery (22:11 – 31:00)
- Relief as bandmates Irwin and Caspian return, battered but alive, bringing the core group together.
- Quote (Miriam): "Glad you’re okay... and thank you." (21:09)
- Notable emotional reveal: The protagonist suspects (and confirms) Miriam’s feelings for Irwin.
- Quote: "You like her, I said before I could stop myself. Miriam whirled on me. That’s bullshit… How did you know?" (24:45)
- As the storm’s second half looms, they scramble to secure food and shelter.
6. Resistance Through Information and Purpose (31:00 – End)
- While waiting out the storm, the protagonist schemes to make critical satellite weather data publicly available, risking arrest and giving up security for the greater good.
- Quote: "And all it was going to cost me was any chance of peace, quiet, and obscurity for the rest of my life, and probably in the very near future, my freedom." (28:41)
- Final exchange with Miriam underscores choosing action over despair.
- Quote (Miriam): "It’s not science if it’s just a commercial product." (30:41)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
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On institutional rejection and hacking:
- “You’d be part of the system if you hadn’t got kicked out for hacking.” — Miriam (06:49)
- “Punk pod and I didn’t get kicked out. I quit.” — Protagonist (09:45)
-
On risk and responsibility:
- “But could you live with yourself if we didn’t at least try to get the lights on?” — Protagonist (12:01)
-
On the grind and hope of disaster living:
- “There’s always some kind of amazing bullshit going on.” — Kai (10:50)
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On resistance and the costs of doing the right thing:
- “Civil disobedience has its risks, I agreed. Anyway, if they catch me, they’ll have to put me on trial, right? That will make a big public fuss also.” — Protagonist (28:00)
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Moment of reunion:
- “Kai!” [shouted from Miriam, upon the returning group’s arrival] (24:44)
Reflections from the Story and Host
(31:52)
Valerie Valdez offers closing thoughts, reflecting on how disasters force people to reveal their core selves, challenge illusions, and band together. She notes:
“When storms unleash their wrath, people shelter each other… Sometimes the way to fight back is not simply to take up arms, but to become a healer… Not every act of revolution needs to be big and loud and visible. Sometimes the quietest deed can be the eye of a much bigger hurricane.”
Closing Quote:
"No darkness lasts forever and even there, there are stars."
— Ursula K. Le Guin
Key Timestamps for Important Segments
- 02:42 — Post-ad intro; evacuation planning and group dynamics
- 06:00 – 10:34 — Argument, vulnerability, and emotional fallout between Miriam and protagonist
- 10:35 – 18:55 — Power outage and protagonist’s perilous attempt to restore lights during the storm
- 19:35 – 22:10 — Eye of the hurricane and momentary peace
- 24:45 — Joyful rescue and emotional confessions
- 28:41 — Decision to risk freedom for public access to climate data
- 31:52 — Host's reflections and episode wrap-up
Final Thoughts
This episode of Escape Pod illustrates the inextricable threads between disaster and resistance, community and conflict, and the personal stakes behind small acts of rebellion. The potent mix of dry humor, heartache, and hope is driven home by Elizabeth Bear’s nuanced storytelling, and the emotional performances bring the storm’s fury and the characters’ fierceness to life.
For listeners, the tale is both a thrilling survival saga and a meditation on how — in the face of overwhelming odds — our small, stubborn acts of kindness and truth-telling might be the most radical acts of all.