Feed Drop! Earth Eclipsed 1.01 "The Abacus Project"

Summary

The Strange Case of Starship Iris

Episode Summary: "Feed Drop! Earth Eclipsed 1.01 - The Abacus Project"

Release Date: February 15, 2022
Host/Author: Jessica Best (Procyon Podcast Network)
Podcast Series: Earth Eclipsed

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1. Introduction to the Crisis

The episode opens amidst escalating tensions within the Human Concord, a centralized governing body that has maintained order across human-inhabited space. Dr. Alexene Prometh urgently warns listeners about the imminent collapse of the Concord network, emphasizing the critical situation:

Dr. Alexene Prometh [01:18]: "The human concord is collapsing. The whole damn thing."

She highlights the severity of the situation, urging spaceborne entities to return to planetary bases to survive the impending chaos.

2. The Abacus Project Unveiled

As the crisis intensifies, attention shifts to the Abacus Project, a long-term initiative spanning over 7,000 standard years. Dr. Prometh alludes to the project's controversial history and its underlying deceit:

Dr. Alexene Prometh [02:18]: "The Abacus project set in motion 7,000, 604 standard years. That's the record for the longest lie."

This revelation sets the stage for a deeper exploration of the project's implications on humanity's dependence on technology and the ethical boundaries crossed in its execution.

3. The Pariah Show Interview

Julian Pereas, host of the Pariah Show, conducts an interview with Dr. Alexene Prometh, delving into her influential role within the Human Concord and her leadership at Holocorp, a major corporation involved in the Abacus Project.

Julian Pereas [06:22]: "Good evening, Human Concord. You are listening to the Pariah show live from our capital planet... today I have with me the brilliant scientist and visionary inventor, Dr. Alex Prometh."

Throughout the interview, Pereas probes into the ethical concerns surrounding Holocorp's memory technology, especially the allegations that the company may be accessing and manipulating human memories beyond their stated purposes.

4. Uncovering the Leak

Pereas' investigative team reveals a startling connection between the Abacus Project and recent disappearances within the Concord:

Julian Pereas [09:22]: "Our in-house Pariah show investigative team has uncovered a link between four of the five individuals who have recently gone missing and have made headlines around the Concorde."

This accusation forces Dr. Prometh into a defensive stance, leading to tension-filled exchanges as Pereas presses her for transparency.

5. Boardroom Turmoil and Power Struggle

The fallout from the interview spills into Holocorp's boardroom, where Nico S. and other board members confront Dr. Prometh about the leaked information. The board votes to suspend Dr. Prometh from the Abacus Project, highlighting internal conflicts and the high stakes of maintaining corporate and governmental integrity.

Julian Pereas [15:03]: "A vote having been taken among the members of the Holocorp board, it is resolved that Dr. Alexene Prometh be suspended from the Abacus project effective immediately."

Dr. Prometh counters by offering Nico S. an ultimatum, emphasizing the urgency to control the narrative and prevent further leaks that could devastate Holocorp's reputation.

6. The Mysterious Tape and Desperate Measures

A pivotal moment occurs when a mysterious package labeled "Abacus Project" arrives at Holocorp, containing an ancient tape recorder. Upon playing the tape, Dr. Prometh communicates a cryptic message, instructing Nico to meet her at an abandoned mining station.

Dr. Alexene Prometh [19:20]: "Here we go. I know information about the Abacus project leaker. Meet me on the abandoned mining station in sector D549."

This discovery propels Nico and his assistant, Max, into a race against time to uncover the source of the leaks, leading them to confrontations filled with mistrust and betrayal.

7. Climax at the Abandoned Mining Station

The episode culminates at the deserted mining station where Dr. Prometh confronts Nico and Max. Armed with a pressure revolver and a remote detonator, she threatens to destroy Holocorp's operations unless they comply with her demands to access the Resource Monitor system.

Dr. Alexene Prometh [25:09]: "I need a memory that's stored in one."

The tense negotiation escalates as Dr. Prometh reveals her intent to bypass ethical boundaries, asserting her dominance and willingness to catastrophically secure her objectives:

Dr. Alexene Prometh [25:35]: "You could blow us to pieces."

As security forces from the Concord approach, the episode ends on a cliffhanger, leaving listeners anticipating the resolution of this high-stakes conflict.

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Key Themes and Discussions

• Data Privacy and Ethical Boundaries: The Abacus Project's manipulation of human memories raises profound questions about consent, autonomy, and the moral implications of advanced technology.
• Power and Control: The internal power struggle within Holocorp and the Human Concord highlights the fragility of institutional authority when faced with ethical dilemmas.
• Survival and Resistance: Characters navigate the collapse of established systems, emphasizing themes of survival, rebellion against oppressive structures, and the quest for transparency.
• Trust and Betrayal: The emergence of leaks and the ensuing distrust among characters underscore the delicate balance of trust within high-stakes environments.

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Notable Quotes

• Dr. Alexene Prometh [02:18]: "The Abacus project set in motion 7,000, 604 standard years. That's the record for the longest lie."
• Julian Pereas [09:22]: "Our in-house Pariah show investigative team has uncovered a link between four of the five individuals who have recently gone missing..."
• Dr. Alexene Prometh [19:20]: "I know information about the Abacus project leaker. Meet me on the abandoned mining station in sector D549."
• Dr. Alexene Prometh [25:09]: "I need a memory that's stored in one."
• Dr. Alexene Prometh [25:35]: "You could blow us to pieces."

---

Conclusion

"The Strange Case of Starship Iris" episode "Feed Drop! Earth Eclipsed 1.01 - The Abacus Project" masterfully intertwines themes of technological ethics, institutional power struggles, and personal survival. Through intense dialogues and high-stakes confrontations, the episode sets the stage for a gripping narrative that challenges listeners to ponder the ramifications of unchecked technological advancements and the complexities of maintaining humanity amidst chaos.

For more engaging stories exploring the aftermath of humanity's interstellar conflicts, tune into Earth Eclipsed on your favorite podcatcher.

Transcript

[Julian Pereas]

Hello everyone. Starship Iris is still in hiatus for now before its third and final season. But in the meantime, you can tune in to another fully voiced sci fi audio drama, Earth Eclipsed. It's a multi award winning futuristic adventure story exploring themes of data privacy and the balance between freedom and order. We'll be playing you the first full episode right here. And for more, search Earth Eclipsed on your favorite podcatcher.

[Dr. Alexene Prometh]

Speaking of which, if you haven't checked.

[Julian Pereas]

It out yet, this is the same team behind Apollo, an app designed exclusively for listening to fiction podcasts. If you love fiction podcasts, give Apollo a try. And now, here's episode one of Earth Eclipsed turned on.

[Dr. Alexene Prometh]

Hello. There we go. Listen up. We don't have much time. The human concord is collapsing. The whole damn thing.

[Julian Pereas]

The gun nair is at 23% armor damage.

[Dr. Alexene Prometh]

The Concorde network and everything connected to it will cease functioning. Space stations, vessels, listen close. You need to get back to a planet now. Every system on your ship relies on the network. When that goes, you go. If you have to, use emergency pods, they're not hooked up, so they're safe. Things are gonna get messy, but those of you on planets, you have everything you need to survive. Trust me. It may not feel like it because you've never been on your own before. And you're going to have to figure out some things for yourselves for the first time. But you will get through this chaos.

[Julian Pereas]

Armor damage at 25%. Now help me.

[Dr. Alexene Prometh]

You will long for your comforts and dependencies. You will loathe the choice we have made and cur the changes we have brought. The chain of events. The Abacus project set in motion 7,000, 604 standard years. That's the record for the longest lie. You lived your whole life in a prison and it became your home. I can only hope that in time you will come to see these bindings as they truly are. I swear I'm going to throw you out of the goddamn airlock.

[Julian Pereas]

But Chief, you told me to.

[Dr. Alexene Prometh]

To keep an eye on it, sir. Not to yell out the exact number every second. All right, listen. A lifetime's use of a moti and nociceptor splicing have surely numbed your senses. But now you will feel you're not used to it, but it's human. And as a wise person once said, if humanity wants to be at its best, it will be through its feelings. Because love and pain and joy have gotten more done throughout history than strength or smarts alone ever did. So that pain you're about to feel may be hard, but it's necessary. Survive, stay safe, and eventually rebuild humanity. Depends on what Alex has done. Any of you idiots care to tell me how many listeners we got?

[Julian Pereas]

Cantis. Wait, wait, I got it.2 and armor damage at 31%.

[Dr. Alexene Prometh]

Well.

[Julian Pereas]

She'S heading to the casting set now. Standby for online galactic connection.

[Nico S.]

T minus 60 seconds.

[Julian Pereas]

Range equalizer prepped for casting transmission. Software connection all good. Casting mics. Soccer holding for prize. Dr. Happy you could make it. You like to cut it close?

[Nico S.]

I'm here, am I not?

[Julian Pereas]

Of course. Take a seat. We're about to begin. Excuse me.

[Nico S.]

Dr. Micah, you hear me?

[Julian Pereas]

Okay, we'll balance it as we go, guys. Ready to cast. Alright, we are live on three.

[Nico S.]

NeoGenetics has allowed us to shape our future. It has cured us of our flaws. It has lengthened our lives and brought us to a higher consciousness. The human body has been expunged of all its errors and defects. We have taken another important step to ensure our continued prosperity among the stars.

[Julian Pereas]

Good evening, Human Concord. You are listening to the Pariah show live from our capital planet, where we bring you the brightest, most influential voices in the universe. I am your host, Julian Pereas. And today I have with me the brilliant scientist and visionary inventor, Dr. Alex Prometh.

[Nico S.]

Thank you for having me on again, Parias.

[Julian Pereas]

Always a pleasure. That clip we played in the opening, that's from a recent initiation speech?

[Nico S.]

Yes. I had the honor of addressing this year's Institute of Neogenetics graduating class. A hugely promising group of initiants.

[Julian Pereas]

You've become an inescapable figure throughout the Human Concord. Not only as a brilliant researcher, but also as a pioneer in multiple industries across the universe. Do you miss being more anonymous?

[Nico S.]

Since I have no say in it, really. I can only hope that the visibility of my work provides reassurance and hope to all citizens of the Concorde.

[Julian Pereas]

But how has your life changed? From your early scientific breakthroughs at Promethec to having a seat on the board of holocorp.

[Nico S.]

I prefer to focus on the future Pariah. My life's mission has always been to make a mark on humanity by changing it for the better. And nowhere else in the human Concord do I have more of a chance to effect change than I do at holocorp.

[Julian Pereas]

I wanted to talk to you about your current project there. It is no secret that you and Holocorp have been granted a large Concord contract with the resource monitors, and that the work involves human memory technology. Care to elaborate?

[Nico S.]

Where did you get that?

[Julian Pereas]

Information sources Say that the project you are leading at holocorp deals with uploaded human memory data. Data that until now, as far as I understand, it has never been collected. The source says there's a connection between these recorded memories and the resource monitors. How do they pare us?

[Nico S.]

Even if any of that were true, you know that I work under strict classification guidelines and cannot possibly give you.

[Julian Pereas]

Yes, but it is possible that the planetary monitors are recording people's memories.

[Nico S.]

You know I can't discuss our work.

[Julian Pereas]

With the resource monitors in general terms. Then we all know the resource monitors collect all sorts of information in order to maintain equilibrium within the Concorde. Climate data, population levels, planetary imports, exports. The monitors are what keep our galactic economies functioning and in balance with each other. No one wants a return to the days of distance, a time of corruption, starvation, of war. Our way of life depends on the monitors. But it's not a particularly lunar idea to believe that these monitors could now be gathering data beyond their stated purpose.

[Nico S.]

I and holocorp simply analyze data that is already present on the monitors. That is all. Any speculation, Pariahs, as to what they collect beyond what we already publicly know, is entirely contextual.

[Julian Pereas]

But my main point in bringing up these questions, beyond the basic ethics of allegedly accessing people's minds, is that there are dangers inherent to studying memory. The Disastrous memolab experiments 600 standard years.

[Nico S.]

Ago, they made unfortunate miscalculations. After six centuries, we have learned from them.

[Julian Pereas]

Interesting you should say that. I can now announce that our in house Pariah show investigative team has uncovered a link between four of the five individuals who have recently gone missing and have made headlines around the Concorde. We can report the four had signed up for the same Holocorp human trial and that this particular experiment involved memory testing. Is it just a coincidence?

[Nico S.]

Pariahs.

[Julian Pereas]

How did Holocorp conceal this information from the public? Did the Concord help in this matter? Sir, we are still online. I am with Dr. Could these new revelations tarnish Holocorp's image? Your image? Please remove Or Holocorp was simply challenging. Still with me? How do you account for what's going on? You're live.

[Nico S.]

I think we're out of time.

[Julian Pereas]

We still have a few minutes. Perhaps we should move to next. Dr. Prometh is done with the interview. Let me move on to. Promethe has fulfilled her interview obligations and will not be accepting any more questions at this time. We will be right back after a short message from our sponsors. Don't go anywhere. We have the daredevil of the belt himself on the show with us today that's coming up next. What the hell was that? You can't. You can't just break into my studio and end my interview. You knew the deal when we booked Alex. You have no right to bring up false allegations. False allegations? I'm not some third rate gossip caster. I'm Julian Pereis. Who the fuck are you? Alex. Alex. Alex. There are still 10 minutes left in your slot. That was not a topic Dr. Prometh agreed to discuss. We were made to believe this was a puff piece on Prometh Tech on the early years. The public has the right to know if there's a link between holocorp's memory project and the recent disappearances. It's my basic duty as a journalist. Where is your proof of these allegations? I would never outsource. What you were implying is completely unfounded and defamatory. Look, I'm just. Alex, have a seat. Do not speak to Dr. Prometh. This is insane. Alex. Come back and let's finish the interview. We have a good relationship, but this is beyond any. Alex. This is Alex.

[Nico S.]

Die in a black hole pariahs Are you okay?

[Julian Pereas]

He can't get away with smearing Dr. Alexene Prometh. Who does he think he is? He sent nobody on a third.

[Nico S.]

Enough. What's next on the schedule?

[Julian Pereas]

One moment. You have a hollow call tomorrow morning with the memory engineers. But your public schedule is all clear tonight. I did receive requests from a few other shows that would like to host you next week. Maybe do some damage control.

[Nico S.]

Damage control for what? Linus, patch it through. Yes.

[Julian Pereas]

We've booked you a Starcruiser. Back to base?

[Nico S.]

Kando asked.

[Julian Pereas]

I'll send Max the booking. Don't be late this time.

[Nico S.]

Max. You receive it?

[Julian Pereas]

Just inbound from Linus. Cruiser leaves from Hangar Bay G2. The ship has been pre cleared.

[Dr. Alexene Prometh]

Huh?

[Julian Pereas]

They must want you there fast. Flight time is 6 hours with a hyper flight time deficit of 2. 3rd floor pariah show elevator express to hangar baiji 2. Express mode activated. Charges may apply.

[Nico S.]

Who wants to start?

[Julian Pereas]

What were you thinking? Did you think forget to take your emoti this morning?

[Nico S.]

Nice to see you, Linus.

[Julian Pereas]

You left the show too abruptly, Doctor.

[Nico S.]

Great to reconnect. Vella.

[Julian Pereas]

Your interview with Parias was unacceptable. You left without a single thought as to how bad this would make Holocorp look.

[Dr. Alexene Prometh]

Ugh.

[Nico S.]

Members of the board. I left because it was the best choice out of a very limited set of suboptimal choices. Did you happen to hear what Pareas little investigative team uncovered? The Testers?

[Julian Pereas]

Because you abandoned the interview. Any idiot in the human Concord, in the inhabited universe, knows we are hiding something.

[Nico S.]

Linus. Did you not understand me? I had to leave.

[Dr. Alexene Prometh]

That is beside the main point here. The true problem lies in what Parias has uncovered.

[Julian Pereas]

Reading the memory data and the resource monitors is your project, Alex. We put you in charge of it. So tell me, how did Pariahs find out about the testers?

[Nico S.]

How am I supposed to know how he obtained that information? We vetted the team. We nulled any records of the experiments along with those of the test subjects. The leak cannot have come from my team.

[Julian Pereas]

Clearly, the steps you took were insufficient. Doctor, what do you think will happen.

[Dr. Alexene Prometh]

To the company if people begin believing Pariahs?

[Julian Pereas]

If they confirm the connection between the Abacus Project and the disappearances of the test subjects, it would irreparably destroy Holocorp's galactic brand.

[Nico S.]

Which is why we need to act fast to control the narrative regarding what Parias found. The public will not believe him if we get out in front of this and destroy.

[Dr. Alexene Prometh]

Concord has informed us that they will limit the damage related to this whole Pariah situation. But they have warned us that there cannot be any more leaks.

[Julian Pereas]

Sir, with respect, what are we waiting for? We should just say it. Alex is unfit to lead the Abacus Project. Pariah saw right through her. I agree with Linus. We need someone who will finish the contract without incident.

[Nico S.]

We are closer than ever to a positive test. It's only a matter of time before we come across.

[Dr. Alexene Prometh]

Enough.

[Julian Pereas]

Let's take it to vote. All in favor of suspending Alex from the Abacus Project.

[Nico S.]

Aye.

[Julian Pereas]

Aye.

[Nico S.]

Aye, Please.

[Julian Pereas]

Aye. Aye. Aye.

[Nico S.]

Aye. Aye.

[Julian Pereas]

Aye.

[Nico S.]

Please. Please don't do this.

[Julian Pereas]

All opposed?

[Nico S.]

Don't do this. Not when we are on the cusp of helping so many people.

[Julian Pereas]

A vote having been taken among the members of the Holocorp board, it is resolved that Dr. Alexene prometh be suspended from the Abacus project effective immediately. The board revokes Dr. Prometh's access to any and all test sites.

[Nico S.]

And finish it in a month.

[Julian Pereas]

I'm sorry?

[Nico S.]

I can finish the Abacus project in a month. Human testing is so close, we can see the code, the signals, the memories, we just can't interpret them. But I can have it done in a month.

[Julian Pereas]

Sir, she has already failed us by allowing the test information to be leaked.

[Nico S.]

It's your choice. Me or some hack who might stumble upon Apache workaround in 2, 3 or 30 standard years. Or never.

[Julian Pereas]

Don't humiliate yourself. Even you are replaceable Besides, what is stopping another leak from happening?

[Nico S.]

Kendo. Sir? Give me a month. There won't be any more leaks. I'll find the source. And may I remind the board that we all signed off on using the testers. Let me finish this, Kendo.

[Julian Pereas]

We have come so far, Sir. You cannot possibly be considering Dr. Prometh.

[Dr. Alexene Prometh]

If it's true that you can deliver by the end of the month, I will allow you the time to complete the testing phase. I do this only in light of your previous admittedly stellar work at holocorp, in your unique place within our society. But I want a smooth landing. Tighten up every potential leak source. Find out who is responsible for the information Pryor has found. Ensure it does not happen again. No one leaves testing until we're finished. The Concord wants complete discretion. If anything else gets revealed, we're on our own. In the meantime, Prius will be dealt with. Get it done and we will find someone who can. Alexene, you have one month.

[Nico S.]

Patch it through. What is it Max?

[Julian Pereas]

You're going to want to come down to your office to see this.

[Nico S.]

Just tell me.

[Julian Pereas]

A package arrived while you were casting with pariahs. The Abacus project is etched onto the package and it's not from holocorp or any Concord address. Do you think this could be wika?

[Nico S.]

Stay where you are. I'm coming.

[Julian Pereas]

Dr. Alexine Prometh, main office.

[Nico S.]

Max, where in your office? Office. Dim windows and locked doors.

[Julian Pereas]

Here it is.

[Nico S.]

Open it.

[Julian Pereas]

Do you want me to leave the room?

[Nico S.]

Open the box, Max. What is it?

[Julian Pereas]

I've only seen these in ancient archives. I didn't know these still existed.

[Nico S.]

Let me.

[Julian Pereas]

Careful Doctor. It's a relic from the pre collapse. It's called a tape recorder, I believe.

[Nico S.]

Tape recorder?

[Julian Pereas]

Yes, it plays back sounds.

[Nico S.]

And how do you know that?

[Julian Pereas]

I studied pre collapse history.

[Nico S.]

Of course you did. There's a note on it. It says play. I play.

[Julian Pereas]

I think you need to manually engage it. It's not voice activated. May I?

[Nico S.]

Fine.

[Julian Pereas]

Here.

[Dr. Alexene Prometh]

Listen. I know information about the Abacus project leaker. Meet me on the abandoned mining station in sector D549. There's an old tavern there. It's a dump, but an abandoned dump. The only thing alive in there will be me. By playing this recording I've activated a timer. Be there in eight hours. Come alone. The name's Nico S. Can you turn this off?

[Nico S.]

D549. That's seven hours away by hyper flight. Max, get me my fastest cruiser from the hangar. I want a quick prep for takeoff.

[Julian Pereas]

That's That's a restricted zone and we. We don't have a permit to go it now.

[Nico S.]

Max.

[Julian Pereas]

Yes, Doctor. Hangar bay is prepping your cruiser as we speak. Should I send an escort request to the Concorde for security? We don't know what we could find out there. You could be.

[Nico S.]

No, no. Tell no one about this. What do you think will happen if. If the leak is coming from inside of our team? It would ruin us.

[Julian Pereas]

But what if we're flying into danger?

[Nico S.]

We can take care of this ourselves.

[Julian Pereas]

Yes, Doctor. No.

[Nico S.]

Obliterate the remaining pieces.

[Julian Pereas]

The tape recorder. It was probably more than 7,000 standard user.

[Nico S.]

Melt anything with abacus written on it. We are leaving now.

[Dr. Alexene Prometh]

Take control of who you are.

[Julian Pereas]

Be who you want to be. Dominate your emotions.

[Dr. Alexene Prometh]

Emoti. The latest in emotion control from Europa Family Farms.

[Julian Pereas]

Now in dream form.

[Dr. Alexene Prometh]

Emoti.

[Julian Pereas]

There he is. I think that's him.

[Nico S.]

You must be Nico.

[Dr. Alexene Prometh]

You're late. And I told you to come alone.

[Nico S.]

My assistant, Max.

[Dr. Alexene Prometh]

Fine. Take a seat. This only changes things slightly.

[Nico S.]

Tell me who the leaker is. Whatever you want, I'll make it happen.

[Dr. Alexene Prometh]

I'll tell you the location and identity of the leaker if you do something for me. Simple.

[Nico S.]

And what is it you want me to do for you?

[Dr. Alexene Prometh]

I need you to get me into a Resource Monitor.

[Nico S.]

Nico, it's Niko, right? Listen, I can give you anything. Anything. But what you've asked me for right now is the one thing I can't do. There must be something else.

[Julian Pereas]

Dr. Promis can make you very wealthy. Enough credits to buy you anything. Buy a planetary home station. Install genetic enhancements, stock up on Emoti. You would be able to live over a hundred thousand lifetimes.

[Dr. Alexene Prometh]

I want none of that bullshit.

[Nico S.]

Why in the universe would anyone want to get into a resource monitor anyway?

[Dr. Alexene Prometh]

I need a memory that's stored in one.

[Nico S.]

Look, I don't know what you think you know, but trust me, it's wrong.

[Dr. Alexene Prometh]

I know about the Abacus project. I know about the testers, the. The disappearances, the memory recording, the lies, the obfuscations, yada, yada, yada.

[Nico S.]

What you want is impossible.

[Dr. Alexene Prometh]

No, it's not. We're going to get into a resource monitor and then you are going to find and interpret a specific memory encoding for me. You do this, and you can go back to huffing emoti and whatever it is you do.

[Nico S.]

Even if I wanted to get you into a resource monitor, the Abacus project isn't finished. We're still working to figure out how to visualize the memory Code in there. How to interpret it. The code means nothing if we can't visualize it.

[Dr. Alexene Prometh]

I'm sure you can figure it out with the proper incentives.

[Nico S.]

Most importantly, when we insert the memory code into the test subjects. They die. It's sensory overload.

[Dr. Alexene Prometh]

Guess it's a risk I'll have to live with.

[Julian Pereas]

You. You're mad. Lunar.

[Dr. Alexene Prometh]

All of the above. 100%. And we are out of time. I'm afraid our negotiations will have to wait until we're on the Gungnir, Chief.

[Julian Pereas]

I see them on my radar. Concord Cruise is approaching the mining station.

[Dr. Alexene Prometh]

20 clicks away like ancient clockwork. Now, if you two will just come with me, we can.

[Nico S.]

Why would I go anywhere with you?

[Dr. Alexene Prometh]

You don't have a choice. Easy, easy. Relax. I'm gonna have to ask you two to stand up and walk over there. For your safety.

[Julian Pereas]

What are you doing with the pressure revolver? They're illegal even in the outer sectors.

[Dr. Alexene Prometh]

Cute. When I pick up a new one, I'll be sure to mention that they.

[Julian Pereas]

Just started docking procedures.

[Nico S.]

Listen, we can come to an agreement here.

[Dr. Alexene Prometh]

The time for talk was with Pariah, Doctor. Pretty soon, your Concord friends, your boss's bosses. Are going to blast through that door. Lucky for me, I know every move in the Concord playbook. And the fact that I know more about them than they'd like me to. Makes me very dangerous to them.

[Julian Pereas]

Is that a. A remote detonator?

[Dr. Alexene Prometh]

Spot on, Max. Hard thing to come by anywhere but at the very first fringes of the Concorde.

[Nico S.]

What are you planning?

[Dr. Alexene Prometh]

Well, I don't see me holding off an entire squadron of Concord pawns with only a pressure pistol. This detonator is our class C ticket office station. You Concord people are all the same. Blind and deaf, sleepwalking through the universe. Complying with every order. Oblivious to everything. So completely unaware that you can't even begin to tell the difference between fact and fiction.

[Julian Pereas]

You could blow us to pieces. They are cutting through the locks now. Seconds.

[Dr. Alexene Prometh]

That's what that sound is.

[Nico S.]

S. You're insane. Let us go.

[Dr. Alexene Prometh]

No can do, Doctor. After you break me into the resource monitor, you can go back to your life. But for now, you do what I want.

[Julian Pereas]

Chief, they are almost through the doors.

[Dr. Alexene Prometh]

All right, are you ready?

[Nico S.]

I most certainly am not.

[Dr. Alexene Prometh]

Here we go.

[Julian Pereas]

Earth eclipsed episode 1 the Abacus Project Starring Allegra Rodriguez Shivers Reginald West Christian T. Chan Amy Lindon Michael Malkonian With Benedict Sebastian Daniel Dauphin Cami Middleton Jaden Lebron and Flo Kichelis Created, produced, directed and written by Nicholas Prufer, A.J. churchill and Victor Lee. Script edited by Alexa Polivka Music by AJ Churchill Sound design by AJ Churchill and Shane Rutherford Jones. Our production interns are Eamon McCune and so Acidao. Earth Eclipsed is a production of the Lunar Company.

[Dr. Alexene Prometh]

It.