RQ Network Feed Drop - The Program audio series: Overclocking Part 1

Summary

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The Magnus Archives: RQ Network Feed Drop – The Program Audio Series: Overclocking Part 1

Release Date: September 22, 2025
Podcast: The Magnus Archives, Rusty Quill
Episode: RQ Network Feed Drop – The Program Audio Series: Overclocking Part 1

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Episode Overview

This special feed drop introduces listeners of The Magnus Archives to “The Program Audio Series,” a dark science fiction anthology set in a future where money, the state, and God have merged into a single ominous entity known as The Admin. In "Overclocking Part 1," the story zeroes in on a quirky, disparate group of survivors tasked with a journey across a world that is literally disintegrating—a simulation on the brink of collapse. Their mission: reach the terminal, facing glitches, existential dread, and the remnants of a society grappling with extinction.

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Key Discussion Points & Narrative Developments

1. Opening & Contextual Framing (00:01–01:09)

• Host Lori introduces “The Program Audio Series,” summarizing its premise and the focus of “Overclocking,” and signposting to Part 2.

2. Simulation and System Administration Lore (01:10–02:31)

• A quote from "The Decoders Manual" sets a tone of digital fatalism:

  “The goal of every computation is to calculate the result. The purpose of every simulation is for it to run to the end. Sooner or later, we all face the blue screen.” (B, 01:10)

• Exposition on the mythic “Great Administrator / Admin”—a quasi-religious, omniscient system administrator figure—whose presence is traced back through archaic civilizations (Babylon, Xia Dynasty).

3. Group Dynamic and Banter (02:31–04:30)

• Characters C and E debate the merits of chronicling their world—diary vs. chronicle—and indulge in self-aware, comedic bickering.
  • Notable banter:

    “Hey, maybe I can claim to have the biggest boobs.” — E
    “Actually, I might hold that record. As well.” — C (03:24–03:32)

• B, the mysterious and jaded ferryman, interrupts; he’s irreverently practical.

4. Exploring the "Glitches" (04:30–13:19)

• C provides a “chronicle” of inexplicable phenomena (missing houses, vanishing people and streets, petrification by Medusas, etc.), fictionalizing technical glitches as supernatural events.
• The group realizes that the “statues” lining the road are actually victims of a “petrification glitch”—flesh turned to stone.

  “Those are not statues… those are poor bastards who walk this road before us and had the misfortune to encounter a Medusa.” (B, 11:01–11:12)

Glitch Survival Rules (06:27–08:23)

• B delivers survival rules:
  1. Don’t talk or make noise.
  2. Follow B’s cane, stay strictly on the path.

  “With me, you get a lifetime warranty.” (B, 07:52)

Glitch Travel and Dangers (08:34–19:33)

• The group endures threats such as temporal “loops,” stoneification, and a deadly “motion glitch” that deletes anything that moves.
  • E becomes stuck in a speech loop:

    “Hey, guys, we can go. Hey, guys, we can go. Bloody shit balls. What was that?” (E, 12:12–12:52)

• B explains that existential rules are sometimes just for comfort, admitting:

  “None of the glitches are triggered by sound. Rule number one is only because I don’t feel like talking.” (B, 15:49–15:57)

5. Deeper Existential Conversation: Faith in the Admin (15:58–19:54)

• The characters question the legitimacy of the Admin and the mythos built around her.

  “What we call the admin ain’t nothing but a symbolic construct.” (B, 17:00–17:08)

• The group survives the “motion glitch” by remaining absolutely still.

  “It’s a glitch that collects and deletes everything that isn’t seen. It’s going to be here any second. Our only chance is to stay perfectly still so it mistakes us for background.” (B, 18:36–18:54)

6. Social, Emotional, and World-Building Interludes (19:54–24:21)

• Dinner at the ferryman’s home, meeting his daughter (Princess), who retains innocence in a cruel world.
  • The characters make mistaken, uncomfortable jokes about family and relationships.

    “Whatever scenario you and your daddy’s little princess here are playing to get your freak on…” (E, 23:58–24:06) “She’s my daughter.” (B, 24:06)

• B shares a tragic backstory: his partner Nyx and daughter Princess were caught in a time sink; Nyx ages and withers within seconds, and Princess is rescued but aged beyond her years.

  “Princess was five when she fell into the time sink. She was around 80 by the time I pulled her out. Last week, we celebrated her 12th birthday.” (B, 29:56–31:53)

7. Cycle Rationing and Societal Collapse (32:55–45:14)

• The program sim is running out of “cycles” (processing power), threatening not just society but existence itself.
• Societal efforts to rationalize and ration cycles fail. Animals are exterminated in a futile attempt to save cycles, leaving only tragic memories.

  “So long and thanks for all the beef. Less than 50 years later, the sim was wholly devoid of animals.” (D, 43:29–44:20)

8. Journey into the Black Zone & The Next Peril (45:14–46:14)

• The group prepares to traverse the “Black Zone,” an area of the simulation where light itself no longer exists.
  • The ferryman leads with a cane; everyone must cling to a rope to avoid getting lost.
• Final warning: there may be something alive in the Black Zone—unconfirmed rumors among the ferryman community.

  “It’s a part of the sim without luminance… you could detonate a bomb in there, it would still stay pitch black.” (B, 41:22–41:46)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Simulation’s Inevitable Decay:

  “It is a true testament to Admin’s glory that the most despairing message of all times also carried hope.” (D, 36:32–36:36)

• On Sovereignty and Randomness:

  “That things simply happen to us, whether or not we deserve it. That our failures and triumphs are the result of the universe playing Yahtzee.” (B, 33:31–33:50)

• On Coping with a Collapsing World:

  “You think out here being a nice person will save you? You think that bad things don’t happen to good people?” (B, 16:01–16:13)

• On Cycle Rationing and Societal Failure:

  “Saving the world simply had no stakeholder buy in.” (D, 40:41–40:46)

• On Hopelessness and Survival:

  “Frankly speaking, if it weren’t for her, I would have thrown myself into a spontaneous disintegration glitch a long, long time ago.” (B, 34:22–34:36)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:01–01:09 – Introduction to The Program Audio Series (Lori)
• 01:10–02:31 – Digital Philosophy & Simulation Backstory
• 02:31–04:30 – Main Characters’ Banter
• 04:30–13:19 – Exploring Glitches (Petrification, Loops, Survival Rules)
• 13:19–19:54 – Existential Doubt, Debate About Admin, Survival of Motion Glitch
• 19:54–24:21 – Dinner, Family Dynamic, Tragic Time Sink Story
• 24:21–34:36 – Emotional Fallout, Longing, Trauma Processing
• 34:36–42:41 – Technical Exposition: Cycles, Failed Cycle-Rationing, Collapse of Animal Populations
• 45:14–46:14 – Entering the Black Zone, Heightened Stakes

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Tone & Style

The episode interweaves black humor, philosophical reflection, and horror—the tone oscillates between wry, sarcastic banter and harrowing dystopian tragedy. Interpersonal dynamics are fraught with tension but softened by moments of profound connection and shared fear.

• Comedy: Sardonic, irreverent (e.g., jokes about “boobs,” sarcasm regarding chronicling and authority).
• Tragedy/Pathos: Stark depictions of loss, grief, and existential futility.
• Horror: Unsettling depictions of glitches, simulated reality breaking down, and near-mythic consequences.

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Conclusion

Overclocking Part 1 sets up a perilous odyssey through a collapsing world, wrapped in wit and bleak humor but underscored by deeply resonant themes of faith, grief, and survival. The episode deftly balances philosophical musings about the nature of suffering and control with visceral, unnerving sci-fi horror. The cliffhanger shifts the group into the abyss of the Black Zone, leaving tension and existential dread at a high for Part 2.

If you want more, the episode directs listeners to continue “Overclocking” in part 2 via the Program Audio Series feed.

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Transcript

[A]

Hi everyone, it's Lori here. Today we are sharing an episode from one of the brilliant podcasts on the RQ Network, the Program Audio Series. The Program Audio Series is a dark science fiction anthology set in a future in which money, state and God have become fused into a single entity. The show focuses on ordinary people inhabiting this extraordinary world, and for them, it is not the future that is terrifying. It is our present. This is the first part of an episode called Overclocking. It follows a group of characters in a disintegrating simulation embarking on a journey to the literal end of the world. To listen to part two of this thrilling episode, you can click on the link in the description or search for the programme audio series wherever you get your podcasts. Or you can find more information on rustyquill.com or programaudioseries.com have fun and enjoy the episode.

[B]

The goal of every computation is to calculate the result. The purpose of every simulation is for it to run to the end. Sooner or later, we all face the blue screen. A quote from the Decoders Manual, Final Edition.

[C]

The first indisputable manifestation of the Great Administrator was in Babylon in the year 277. Archaeological evidence, however, precedes this event by at least a century, with traces of Admin's presence preserved in the numerous artifacts left behind. The Xia Dynasty. Intangible indications date from even earlier, with legends of Sisamn's deeds surviving in the oral tradition of Arabian tribes, back when.

[D]

Time was still counted in double digits.

[C]

Whatever the culture, whatever the age, there was one opinion shared across both millennia.

[D]

And meridians, a certainty all of us could plainly see.

[C]

Ours was the best system administrator that.

[D]

Ever was and ever will be.

[E]

What are you doing?

[C]

Writing.

[E]

Writing what?

[C]

A chronicle?

[E]

Is that a fancy word for a diary?

[D]

No.

[C]

Diaries are about individuals. And this is not about me.

[E]

So what are you writing about then?

[C]

I'm writing about the sim.

[E]

The sim? What, you're gonna write down the Chronicle of the World? Someone has to better conserve the cycles.

[C]

I think we'll have to be more supportive of each other for this to work.

[E]

So when do we get into the picture?

[C]

I haven't gotten to that part yet. It's a complex story. It needs to be told chronologically.

[E]

You're just a bad storyteller.

[C]

I can tell you with certainty that I'm one of the best storytellers on the planet.

[E]

I guess that's technically correct.

[C]

The best kind of correct.

[E]

Hey, maybe I can claim to have the biggest boobs.

[C]

Actually, I might hold that record. As well.

[B]

What are you two babbling about?

[E]

Boobs.

[B]

I'm in favor of them.

[C]

It's not like we're holding a referendum.

[E]

Do you always say what you think?

[B]

No, but I always think what I say.

[E]

Well, some things are better left unsaid.

[B]

I'm waking you both up at 6.

[E]

What a charming fellow.

[C]

I don't think ferry men are supposed to be charming.

[E]

Have you noticed his hand?

[C]

You mean the glove?

[E]

Yeah. And how stiff his arm seems.

[C]

I don't know.

[E]

Well, why don't we ask him? We're the chosen ones. Which technically makes us his boss.

[C]

I don't think it works that way.

[E]

Didn't you just say that technically correct is the best kind of correct?

[C]

And didn't you just say some things are better left unsaid?

[D]

Most pundits agree. It was around 1370 that the issue became unquestionable. For it was just a few months prior that Sysedman introduced a wonderful device that could capture still images. I've never seen one in person, but I read in the books that it was based on the natural principle of camera obscura, exposing a thin sheet of metal coated with an emulsion to rays of light reflected through a concave lens. Images captured this way were extremely true to life. And unlike paintings and drawings, they offered no room for interpretation. Which is why some of the images that started circulating were so disturbing. Like an image of a house in Mexico suspended in midair. Or one from Kenya depicting an impossibly large duck roughly the size of a horse. Or an image of a woman in India caught disappearing in the middle of a street. At first, these and similar incidents were dismissed as defects in the exposition process, or, less charitably, as deliberate hoaxes. It took a case in Germany for the wider public to take notice. Either because Germans were regarded as folk less likely to screw around, or because this time it was not only a woman that disappeared in the street, but the street itself.

[E]

Why are you putting on that cool voice?

[C]

It's a chronicle. It needs to sound dignified.

[E]

Uh huh.

[B]

Come on up with a jump. We didn't gather here to play board games. You're forgetting there's a hard deadline we're operating under.

[E]

Well, it's just. It's just.

[B]

What seems to be the problem?

[E]

I haven't been out of the house in over two. Two years.

[B]

Oh, Plastic. You.

[C]

One, Two. Four. Four. Yeah. If we're not counting arriving here.

[B]

We're really scraping the bottom of the barrel with these chosen ones, aren't we? Okay, listen carefully. I'm gonna say this only once. Not because I don't want to repeat myself, but because if something goes wrong out there, there won't be a chance for me to repeat myself. So rule number one. If I'm quiet, you're quiet. Absolutely no talking or any other sounds. Coughing, snoring, sneezing, screaming.

[C]

Do people scream? I mean, usually.

[B]

No, they usually don't have time to do that. Okay, rule number two. You hear this? Where I go, you follow. Just listen to the sound of my cane and do not deviate from the path in the slightest. Got it.

[E]

So if we follow you and keep our mouth shut, things are gonna be okay?

[C]

Sure.

[B]

With me, you get a lifetime warranty.

[E]

We do?

[B]

Oh, yeah. I promise to keep you alive until the end of your life. My dear Wallabies. You have to understand, out there, there are no guarantees. It's like a board game. You can do everything right and still lose. All right, time to go.

[E]

It's just a street. It's just a street. It's just a street.

[D]

Hendricks Strasse wasn't really a street, technically speaking. It was a cul de sac in the nondescript German town of Rusrat. It was there that on November 5, 1375, a patch of land disappeared as if it were removed with a giant scalpel and then stitched together. Contained in the missing area were 19 houses with 47 inhabitants, 41 of which were present in their homes at the time of the incident. Fortunately, if the word fortune can be invoked in relation to this event, it was a school day, so six children with a Hendrik Strausse residence escaped. The fate of their parents and older siblings that of getting erased.

[E]

May I say something?

[B]

Rule number one.

[E]

But I need to walk to that wall over there.

[B]

Rule number two.

[E]

But I need to do both number one and number two.

[B]

All right, but take the cane with you. You know, just in case.

[E]

So it could detect glitches.

[B]

Yeah, but still, don't let your guard down. Some glitches are only set off by organic matter. Pity there are no animals left. A pick on a leash in front would make a much better detection system.

[C]

Oh, man, that's cruel.

[B]

I mean, it's not like pigs had a good time while they were around. If you're gonna write down the history of the world, at least get your facts straight.

[E]

I'm sorry to interrupt, but I really need to go.

[B]

Fine, fine, fine, fine. Here's the cane. And also, don't go behind that wall, but behind that tree.

[E]

Is it because it's less likely there are Any glitches there?

[B]

No, it's because it's better for the tree.

[C]

Since we can talk now, I have to ask, who made all these statues around us?

[B]

What statues?

[C]

Like that one there or here. Here's one right next to the road that.

[B]

Those are not statues.

[C]

What do you mean?

[B]

Those are poor bastards who walk this road before us and had the misfortune to encounter a Medusa.

[C]

These are real. Real people who turn to stone?

[B]

Yep. Medusa is the popular name for the petrification glitch. Well, maybe popular. It's not the best word. None of the glitches are really popular.

[C]

Why are they naked?

[B]

It's their flesh that turned into stone, not their clothes. Their clothes probably got washed away by the elements. I mean, who knows how long they've been out here like this.

[C]

What a horrible way to die.

[B]

Actually, there are worse materials to be turned into. At least flesh transforming into stone is a quick way to go. Unlike having your bones turned into glass or your blood into quicksilver.

[C]

You know, I. I was thinking. Your other chosen ones.

[B]

What about them?

[C]

Did they ever make it to the. To the terminal?

[B]

They did. It's just that none of them made it inside.

[E]

Hey, guys, we can go. Hey, guys, we can go. Hey, guys.

[C]

What'S happening?

[B]

She got stuck in a loop. Don't worry. It usually only lasts a minute or so. Though I once got stuck in a loop for over an hour. It's like getting stuck in a merrygoat round. Not fun. Is she.

[C]

Is she aware she's in a loop?

[B]

Definitely. But there's nothing she can do about it. And neither can we. Interrupting a loop can be dangerous. It's better to just wait for the process to resolve.

[E]

Hey, guys, we can go. Hey, guys, we can go. Hey, guys, we can go. Hey, guys, we can go. Bloody shit balls. What was that?

[B]

A loop. Don't worry. It's over now.

[E]

Don't worry. That was terrifying.

[B]

Trust me, I don't use the words don't worry gratuitously. Loops are annoying, but they're mostly harmless. Besides, could have been much worse.

[E]

It could?

[B]

Yeah. You could have got stuck in a loop while you were doing your business behind the tree.

[E]

Gross.

[B]

My cane, please.

[E]

Here you go.

[B]

Hope you used hand sanitizer.

[E]

Always.

[B]

Liar. Okay, capybaras, let us continue.

[E]

By the way, what are all these statues?

[B]

Rule number one.

[D]

The Hendrick Strozy incident provoked an immediate reaction. It is estimated that over 2 billion messages got dispatched to the admin in the first 24 hours alone. Some formal in tone Focused on facts and potential resolutions, others emotional, emphasizing the shock and distress the event caused. Regardless of the approach, they all had exactly the same effect, which is to say none. As all messages addressed to the system administrator returned unread, and for the first time in history, people's cries were met with silence.

[E]

May I say something?

[B]

Rule number one.

[E]

But we've. We've been walking for hours.

[B]

Rule number two.

[E]

Fuck. Am I stuck in a loop again?

[C]

Well, if you are, I'm stuck right with you.

[B]

No one's stuck in a loop, you monosex ferryman.

[E]

I haven't left the house in two years. I need rest.

[B]

To rest is to rest.

[E]

But there's no point in surviving glitches if we die of exhaustion.

[B]

Regarding survival, we need to get to the safe house before dark if we want to do that.

[E]

Please, I can't carry this weight any longer.

[B]

Here, give me your backpack.

[E]

That's okay. I'll manage.

[B]

Don't give me that equal lefts crap. Give me your backpack. I'll take it. You'll be faster. We both win.

[E]

Okay.

[B]

Fucking fuck knuckles. This is heavy.

[E]

Told ya.

[B]

What are you carrying, your bowling ball collection?

[E]

Actually, it's my pet rocks.

[C]

Sorry to break up the bickering, but what. What happened to rule number one? Aren't we in danger of setting off any glitches if we talk?

[B]

No, actually, none of the glitches are triggered by sound. Rule number one is only because I don't feel like talking.

[C]

I like your cruise, man.

[E]

Yeah, cruise of a dickhead.

[B]

Listen, you pissing pair of parakeets, I'm not doing this to get style points. You think out here being a nice person will save you? You think that bad things don't happen to good people?

[E]

Like what happened with your arm?

[B]

What about my arm?

[E]

Well, we did notice the glove and how you seem to hold your arm close to your body at all times.

[B]

Oh, that. I'm glad you asked.

[E]

So what's the deal?

[B]

I said I'm glad you asked. I didn't say I'd gladly answer.

[E]

Well, I'll gladly answer your question then. Yes, I'm aware bad things happen to good people. That's kind of the story of our times, isn't it? Either case, the facts ain't gonna change. The only thing we can do is is put a positive spin on it.

[B]

You mean like we do with this whole system administrator crap?

[C]

What?

[B]

Flummoxed flamingos. Don't you get it? What we call the admin ain't nothing but a symbolic construct.

[E]

Wait, you're not saying that. That the system administrator is made up.

[B]

What I'm saying is that the admin stories are almost 400 years old. How the fuck do we know what's real and what's not?

[E]

Well, that's just swell. The last ferryman left is having an existential crisis. I can't believe what I'm hearing.

[C]

So who made the sim if she's not real?

[B]

What difference does it make? It's not like the Undertaking's gonna get an A plus at the science fair. In case you haven't noticed, things haven't exactly been peaches and cream for a while now.

[C]

But everything happens for a reason. Just because we don't understand it doesn't.

[B]

Mean there's no plan.

[E]

Listen, listen. I'll be the first one to admit that some of Admin's behavior in the last four centuries or so has been questionable. But if you don't believe Admin is real, then why are you even helping us get to the terminal?

[B]

Shh. Quiet. Quiet. Do you hear that?

[E]

Hear what?

[C]

Anything, now that you mention it. Everything's completely silent.

[B]

Plastic.

[E]

Now. I definitely heard that.

[C]

What the fuck?

[B]

It's the motion glitch. Stay still.

[C]

Baby. Fucker.

[E]

What is that?

[B]

It's a glitch that collects and deletes everything that isn't seen. It's going to be here any second. Our only chance is to stay perfectly still so it mistakes us for background. Here it comes. Don't move a muscle. All right? It's gone.

[C]

Admin be praised.

[B]

Everybody all right?

[C]

Yeah, I think so. You okay? Hello?

[E]

Yeah, yeah, I'm all right. Sorry. Just dazed.

[C]

I thought you turned a stone or.

[B]

Something to admit that was a close one. But at least the experience was instructive.

[C]

What do you. What do you mean?

[B]

Well, if everything happens for a reason, then you're good. Admin just trying to kill us now? Come on. We need to reach the safe house before dark.

[D]

At first, most people claimed she would surely return. After all, it was her sim. How could she not? But as more time passed and she continued to remain silent, the narrative changed. She might not be with us, but she is among us, was the new mantra, repeated often. Almost like the act of repetition would make it true. Experts, however, continued to study the glitches. And while they couldn't agree on the cause, on one point they reached a broad consensus. Our simulation was falling apart.

[F]

Daddy.

[B]

Daddy. There she is. There's my princess. Have you kept the house in order?

[F]

Yes, Daddy. Are these our guests?

[B]

Yes, These are the chosen ones.

[C]

She Be with us.

[E]

She be with us.

[F]

With us. Are you guys a husband and wife?

[B]

No, no, no, no, no, no. We're just running a bit short on time, so I'm ferrying two of them at once. I mean, two chosen ones living together. That would be a bit much, wouldn't it?

[E]

You're the one to talk about bizarre relationships.

[C]

Quiet.

[B]

I just hope her majesty prepared something tasty for us.

[F]

I did a stew. And I already set the table. Actually, I did it yesterday.

[B]

Oh, I apologize, your highness. We got a bit caught up. Glitches giving us trouble. But we'll gladly enjoy your cooking now. We're all famished.

[F]

Please, allow me.

[E]

Mmm. Mmm. This is so good.

[B]

Certainly beats the pro bars and vitamin pills.

[E]

Definitely. Oh, I haven't had real food in years. What did you say this is called?

[F]

A legume stew.

[C]

Stew, huh? How many cycles did it consume?

[B]

Actually, cooking, if you do it efficiently, uses very few cycles. We raise the beans, peas and lentils in our own garden. A full harvest burns less than 10,000 cycles. And it's enough to keep two of us fed for the whole season. Don't forget, legumes are one of the most calorie rich staples.

[C]

What about stimulating water, earth and warmth?

[B]

That's on top. But those cycles would be burned no matter what.

[C]

What about cycles spent on cooking?

[E]

Sued, relax and enjoy the food.

[C]

How can I enjoy it if each of these plates has burned hundreds of cycles?

[E]

Come on, man, you're being rude. There's no shame in accepting cycles which have already been spent.

[C]

There's no honor in it either. Wasting cycles is an affront to our good sisid men herself.

[B]

There you go, attributing agency to abstractions again.

[C]

Now, now, wait a second.

[B]

Don't. Don't get me wrong. I understand the allure of chalking up misery to an external force. Because believing that you got randomly fucked is a terrible thought, isn't it? Randomly fucked doesn't have meaning. Fucked by design. Now that has meaning. And we all need meaning in our lives.

[C]

You know what I think? I think that you prefer a world in which providence doesn't exist so you can justify your selfish actions.

[B]

Well, if you're so certain that System Administrator exists, then why are you blaming me for anything? Blame her. She's the one who created a sim in which there's not enough. She's the one who's making us choose every day between being warm and being fed.

[C]

We all need to sacrifice something.

[B]

Oh, please. What did you sacrifice? Sitting on your couch, playing Jenga, reading Mangas while the world around you burned.

[E]

Excuse me? You calling us out on our behavior? And what kind of kinky dynamic have you got going on here?

[B]

What?

[E]

You heard me. Whatever scenario you and your daddy's little princess here are playing to get your freak on.

[B]

She'S my daughter.

[E]

What?

[B]

How do I tell you about Nixon? I could tell you how she and I met. How in a directionless world, trajectories of two particles intersected, attracted to each other like a proton and an electron. One positive, the other negative. I'll let you decide which one of those describes me. But no, I can't tell you that story. You'd find it saccharine, maybe even contrived. So how do I tell you about Nex? Maybe I could tell you the story of our first kiss, Taking the matter from the realm of physics to chemistry, to testosterone and pheromones and all those beautiful molecules that made the wine we drank that day so splendidly intoxicating. But you'd probably find that story excessively raunchy. Or maybe even awkward, if you embarrass easily. So how do I tell you about Nex? Perhaps we should go to the level of biology. To a gamete and a zygote and the ensuing multiplication that, were it not true, would surely be considered miraculous to the natural processes that led to me and Nyx combining into a work of wonder. We named Princess. Her birth made me feel like there was still some sense in all of this. I could share this and many other stories, but they do not contain Nyx. They cannot impart her soft character. And her and her sharp wit. They are powerless in front of her disarming smile. So I will confine my story to facts. I will confine my story to numbers. Incident 5494 was seven years ago. Back then, this area was still relatively stable. Sure, we'd get a glitch, but nothing really serious. Mostly loops and some auditory instabilities. I'd already been a ferryman for a long time by then. Me and Nix. And she. She was the best ferryman this side of the ridge. Which makes the morning of April 22, 1672. Such an aberration. I was in the kitchen, and Nix and Princess were playing in the meadow. There was this small meadow behind the house. Suddenly, I felt a quake and the whole house started to tremble. I looked outside the window and I saw Nix and Princess caught in a time sink. An instability inside which time flows at a different rate, meaning seconds inside can equal years of normal time. I start running towards the time sink. 100 meters. Principle. Princess is still a little girl. And Nyx is the woman I love. 80 meters.

[C]

Princesses.

[B]

She's. She's a teenager. Tall and strong and so, so beautiful. But Nyx. You could tell Nyx had already passed in to middle age. The scene resembled one of those dances of death images, you know, that depict the progression of age from the cradle to the grave. 60 meters. Princess is now around 30. As old as Nyx was when they'd fallen into the time sink. At one point, the thought crossed my mind that Princess was Nyx, because I could no longer recognize the woman next to her. 40 meters. It's now Princess, who's middle aged. And Nyx is just a frail shell of her. 20 meters. Princess's hair matches the sparkling white of the bones next to her. 10 meters. The bones are already half pulverized. Next to them stands Princess, no longer tall, no longer fair skinned, no longer beautiful. One meter. I extend my arm into the time sink. I grab Princess and pull her out. I see a spark in her eyes, like a flash of cognition, her senses returning to her.

[C]

She lets out a cry for her.

[B]

Mother, but the coarse sound coming out of her mouth startles her, shocks her. Silent, I try to embrace her. I want to hold her close. I want her body to fuse with mine, to stay with me forever. But I can't because my arm is too weak. The cloth of my sleeve is worn out, the colors faded. I see a thin, wrinkled hand sticking out, covered in liver spots. It takes me a moment to realize it's mine. I lay Princess head down on my chest and watch Nix's remains turn into fine, fine dust. Finally, having consumed everything within it, the time sink dissolves, leaving a hole 4.5 meters wide and 3.2 meters deep, leaving a hole immeasurably big. Princess was five when she fell into the time sink. She was around 80 by the time I pulled her out. Last week, we celebrated her 12th birthday. I had to help her blow out the candles.

[F]

Daddy, are you crying?

[B]

I. I.

[C]

It's my fault. I just told your father a sad story.

[B]

I appreciate the gesture, but the subterfuge is unnecessary. I just told our guest the story of how we lost Mama.

[F]

Oh, Daddy. I miss Mama too.

[C]

Princess. I never knew my parents. They both neutralized themselves when I was just a baby, so they'd save more cycles for my generation. So if I may share something that brought me consolation, and that's the thought of our good administration. We may be parentless, but just like everyone else, Both you and me are children of our great administrator. She is a mother to us all.

[B]

You will have to forgive our guests, Princess. They suffer from an acute case of Stockholm Syndrome.

[F]

What's Stockholm?

[B]

It used to be a city, but the area it was located in got affected by a glitch. Subsequent reports surmised a miniature star materialized roughly 100 meters below the surface and immediately collapsed into itself. It's estimated that it resulted in temperatures of around 5,000 degrees.

[F]

This Stockholm Syndrome sounds bad.

[B]

Oh, it definitely is bad. Bad and unfair and inexcusable. But it also carries a lesson.

[F]

Which one, Daddy?

[B]

That things simply happen to us, whether or not we deserve it. That our failures and triumphs are the result of the universe playing Yahtzee. And that we are constantly one misfortune away from having everything. Everything taken away from us.

[F]

Like Mama was.

[B]

Yeah, like Mama was. And I can vouch for her. She did nothing to deserve it. Now it's time for you to go back to bed.

[F]

Good night, Daddy.

[B]

Say goodnight to our guests as well.

[F]

Good night.

[C]

Good night, Princess.

[F]

I hope you soon get better from this Stockholm thing.

[E]

Don't worry. We will, sweetie. Good night.

[F]

Bye.

[E]

She's wonderful.

[B]

She is. Frankly speaking, if it weren't for her, I would have thrown myself into a spontaneous disintegration glitch a long, long time ago. Now, excuse me. I'll follow Princess's lead and go to bed. I advise you to do the same.

[C]

I will follow shortly.

[E]

Wow, that story.

[C]

It certainly explains a lot. I guess some people find it easier to accept that Admin doesn't talk to us because she isn't there and not because she doesn't care.

[E]

You know, thinking about it that way, there's one scenario even more horrible than our good administrator abandoning us.

[C]

Which one?

[E]

That she hasn't.

[D]

Having diagnosed the problem, experts next determined its basic cause. Loss of processing power. After years of extensive analysis, a white paper had been released that was as un. Unforgiving as it was dire. Based on frequency of the glitches, researchers calculated that the entire SIM would disintegrate in exactly 380 years. The White paper, however, ended on a positive note. By rationing the cycles, it was possible to extend the remaining processing power upon to 10 times longer. Authorities on the subject also offered cautious optimism that during this time a permanent fix could be developed. A fix that could ultimately salvage our simulation from annihilation. It is a true testament to Admin's glory that the most despairing message of all times also carried hope.

[B]

Enter.

[E]

May I come in?

[B]

Sure. Just close the door behind you.

[E]

I just came in to say thank you for keeping us alive. And to a apologize for my comments earlier.

[B]

You mean those in which you accused me of an incestuous BDSM relationship?

[E]

Yeah, those.

[B]

No need to apologize. Well, except to people who are into BDSM for kink shaming them.

[E]

Thanks. If I run into any, I'll be sure to say sorry. I know you don't need my validation, but for what it's worth, you seem like a great parent.

[B]

Well, if you regard SIS admin as mother, the bar is set quite low.

[E]

You know, there's something I don't understand. You pride yourself on being rational, but having children in a dying world isn't exactly it.

[B]

And you falling in love is?

[E]

What do you mean?

[B]

Come on, I saw the way you rushed into his defense when I pressed onto him. You fancy the bugger. I mean, it's not surprising. He's a handsome cat. And it's not like her dating pool is particularly deep. I'm just not sure you're denying it to me or to yourself.

[E]

I'm not denying it. I mean, I'm not in love with him. I just. I'm just sucking up to get a full page in his chronicle.

[B]

And did it work?

[E]

No. He keeps saying it's not about individuals.

[B]

Isn't that a bit off message?

[E]

Why do you say that?

[B]

Well, what are you two but individuals tasked with saving the world? Since we're sharing a moment, may I ask you a question?

[E]

Sure.

[B]

Why are you carrying 15 kilos of explosives in your backpack?

[E]

What? What are you talking about?

[B]

Come on. I carried your backpack for eight hours. You don't think I'd do that without taking a look into its contents, do you?

[E]

It's. It's leverage.

[B]

Leverage? Oh, you little pufferfish. You weren't planning to blow the system administrator up, are you?

[E]

No. I mean, maybe. Depends on how the encounter goes. I mean, if we ever get to an encounter.

[B]

I have to admit, you two are the craziest puffins I've ever ferried. I mean, you have to be a little crazy to embark on the expedition to begin with, but you two take the biscuit.

[E]

Please don't tell him I said anything. He thinks admin is love. But what if. What if she's simply a psychopath?

[D]

Based on records, it would seem the researchers expected their disintegration white paper to cause massive cycle conservation efforts. Instead, the warning had the exact opposite effect. Instead of jolting people to action, it alleviated the concerns the world coming to an end was simply one of those fears alien to people's nature. Just like folks are more afraid of spiders than cardiovascular disease. So all calls to ration the cycles failed, with those who were being forced into rationing opposing it, and those who were forcing the rationing, ignoring it. To use the parlance of the era, saving the world simply had no stakeholder buy in.

[F]

Black tailed prairie dogs.

[B]

Yes, prairie dogs. Where do they live?

[F]

Yeah, it says prairie dogs live in huge underground burrows called towns.

[E]

Mm.

[B]

What does this say?

[F]

Saiga.

[B]

Saiga.

[F]

Antelope.

[B]

Antelope.

[F]

Antelope.

[B]

In winter, the saiga's coat grows thick and woolly to protect it from the bitter winds that blow on the steppe. There are two flying squirrels. Hope you had a good night's rest.

[C]

Morning.

[E]

Good morning, Princess.

[F]

Morning.

[C]

That mattress was amazing.

[B]

Well, I'm glad you enjoyed it, for it's the last comfortable bed you'll have before we reach the terminal. Our path forward takes us through the Black Zone. It's a part of the sim without luminance.

[E]

You don't have a flashlight?

[B]

You don't understand. It's without luminance the ability of objects to be illuminated. You could detonate a bomb in there, it would still stay pitch black.

[C]

So you're telling us that there's literally no way to light our surroundings?

[B]

Once an area loses luminance, it doesn't come back. We'll have to continue in the dark.

[E]

What? Seriously? With no source of light?

[B]

What do you think the cane is for? Fortunately, the road continues straight all the way. Meaning all we have to do is follow it. So you guys will hold onto this rope as you walk behind me. I'll be the mama duck and you be my ducklings.

[C]

Are you joking?

[B]

Have you spent any time with me at all?

[F]

Please come back quickly, Daddy.

[B]

Don't worry, Princess. I'm coming for you before deprecation day. Now come here and give your father a hug. See you in a week. Oh, and just one more thing before we go. There are rumors there's something alive in the Black Zone.

[C]

Something alive?

[B]

I've never encountered anything, but ferryman of old talked about some kind of. Some kind of an animal habituated to the dark.

[E]

An animal?

[B]

Oh, what's the matter now? You do want to kill animals. Understand? We're going towards the outer edge of the sim. It's gonna be dangerous from this point onward. You can expect structural instabilities at every step.

[C]

You never told us this.

[B]

You didn't exactly look like you needed any additional discouragement.

[F]

Don't worry. Take care of yourself. I have a good feeling about them.

[E]

Thank you, Princess. It's truly a great help.

[D]

It was only when Australia disappeared that people had come to realize something had to be done. By that time, there was little over 200 years of processing power left. And with no low hanging fruit remaining, people started to ask the tough questions. For example, how much processing power does a cow consume? The answer? Approximately 500 cycles per day. Doesn't sound like much. But once multiplied with the bovine population at their peak, the conclusion was simple. So long and thanks for all the beef. Less than 50 years later, the sim was wholly devoid of animals. All livestock got cold. A never ending open season on every species of game and fowl decimated their populations. Fish and other marine creatures were hunted down from all but the deepest seas. Even bugs were brought down to a fraction of their former number. As every patch of land was doused in insecticides, a special carver was declared on people's pets, provided they were sterilized. Which is to say that was the final generation of kittens and puppies on the planet. When Cookie, the last cat, died, more tears were shed than at any funeral in history.

[E]

Plastic. How can it be so hot during the night?

[B]

That's because it's not night. It's noon. Of course it's hot. The sun is still shining. You just don't see it. Are you keeping your sunglasses on? Yes. Good. You don't want to walk out of the black zone only to get instantly blinded by the light. Something I learned the hard way. Oh, and I hope you're wearing your hats. I don't want you getting any sun stroke.

[E]

I am, but I haven't applied any sunscreen, which might be the reason I feel burnt.

[B]

Look at the bright side. It's unlikely the time we've got left will be enough for skin cancer to kill you. Oh, plastic.

[D]

What was that?

[B]

It's what makes cancer an enticing prospect. Hurry. We need to get out of here quickly. We're close to the exit. Wait, I. I dropped the rope.

[E]

Where are you? Where are you guys?

[A]

To listen to part two of this thrilling episode, you can click on the link in the description or. Or search for the program audio series wherever you get your podcasts or you can find more information on rustyquill.com or program audioseries.com thanks for listening.