Episode 12.3 - Stronger Than Blood - Part 3

Summary

The Strata: Episode 12.3 - Stronger Than Blood - Part 3 Summary

Release Date: February 25, 2025
Host: Mark R. Healy

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Introduction

The episode begins with brief advertisements for Progressive Insurance, McAfee, Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, LinkedIn, LifeLock, and Babbel. These segments are seamlessly integrated into the narrative but are excluded from the core summary.

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Revelations in Dockerton (02:05 - 08:09)

Characters Involved:

• Rust
• Summers
• Emily

Summary: The episode opens with Rust encountering Summers and Emily in Dockerton. Summers unveils a concerning pattern of disappearances in Darkerton that predate the infamous ghost uprising. Unlike previous disappearances tied to the supernatural events, these cases involve systematic ID wipes, where individuals' existence is erased from all records.

Notable Quotes:

• Summers (03:38): “The people we're talking about haven't just gone missing physically. Rust, their entire lives are being wiped from existence.”
• Emily (03:56): "Emily had that done when she left the strata the first time. Remember? She was trying to cover her tracks."

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Unraveling the Mystery of Vogel Construction (05:04 - 08:09)

Characters Involved:

• Summers
• Rust
• Emily

Summary: Summers discloses that the missing individuals were linked to a company named Vogel Construction. Upon investigating, Summers discovers that Vogel Construction lacks a physical presence—no offices, contact numbers, or active projects—indicating it might be a facade for nefarious activities. The trio decides to delve deeper, with Summers enlisting Rust's help to gather more information through his contacts in the transportation sector.

Notable Quotes:

• Summers (06:36): “My gridcrawler was able to find a correlation between a few of those deleted records. It shows that three of the missing have been working for a company called Vogel Construction right before they disappeared.”
• Rust (07:03): “What the hell is Vogel Construction?”

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Jonas vs. Mr. Stearns: Corporate Tensions (08:26 - 12:24)

Characters Involved:

• Jonas
• Mr. Stearns

Summary: Interspersed within the main narrative is a tense confrontation between Jonas and Mr. Stearns. Jonas, a crucial member of the data grid restoration team, is pressured by Mr. Stearns to prioritize system restoration over saving a dying individual. The exchange highlights the oppressive corporate environment and the ethical dilemmas faced by Jonas.

Notable Quotes:

• Mr. Stearns (09:10): “Leave him. Let him die.”
• Jonas (10:57): “And now I'm an indispensable member of the data grid restoration team.”
• Mr. Stearns (11:17): “You think I care about that, you little turd?”

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Confrontation with Banton: Uncovering Vogel’s Operations (12:24 - 25:22)

Characters Involved:

• Summers
• Rust
• Banton
• Emily

Summary: Summers and Rust approach Banton, a tough character who has been warning others about Vogel Construction. Initially resistant, Banton reveals his firsthand experience with Vogel’s suspicious recruitment practices. He describes how Vogel lured individuals with attractive job offers, only to transport them away under mysterious circumstances. Banton provides crucial information about Vogel’s recruitment drive occurring again in two days at the same abandoned construction site, setting the stage for Rust and Summers to take action.

Notable Quotes:

• Banton (22:55): “They were gonna build some fancy mall district there back in the day, part of the whole Revitalize Tinkfoot again.”
• Summers (19:56): “Vogel Construction. Tell us everything.”
• Banton (25:22): “Same place. The old construction zone. Just like the other times. And as for when, well, it looks like you got perfect timing. They'll be here in two days.”

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Final Showdowns and Reflections (25:55 - 28:22)

Characters Involved:

• Summers
• Rust
• Banton
• Jonas
• Narrator

Summary: As Rust and Summers prepare to investigate Vogel’s next recruitment drive, the episode transitions back to the ongoing tensions within the data grid restoration team. Jonas grapples with the moral implications of his work under Mr. Stearns’ oppressive regime. Concurrently, a metaphysical subplot unfolds as Jonas interacts with an enigmatic Narrator figure at Corova Station, expressing his desire to return to the physical world and reunite with lost loved ones.

Notable Quotes:

• Narrator (27:34): “You know, I had a wife who died three years ago.”
• Jonas (28:17): “I wish I could go back.”
• Rust (28:19): “No, you don't need to go back.”

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Conclusion and Teasers for Future Episodes (28:22 - End)

Summary: The episode wraps up with unanswered questions and looming threats. Banton expresses determination to confront Vogel Construction, hinting at possible future alliances or conflicts. The narrative threads converge, setting up anticipation for the unfolding mystery surrounding Vogel Construction and its sinister operations in Darkerton.

Notable Quotes:

• Summers (25:12): “That day? What do you mean?”
• Banton (25:15): “That's why I've been spreading the word again this week. Vogel are on another recruitment drive.”

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Key Takeaways

• ID Wipes: A new layer of mystery with individuals being erased from all records, indicating a highly organized and sinister operation.
• Vogel Construction: Central to the plot, serving as the enigmatic front for the disappearances.
• Character Dynamics: The tension between personal ethics and systemic pressures is evident in the interactions between Jonas and Mr. Stearns.
• Upcoming Events: Vogel Construction's impending recruitment drive provides a critical plot point for the next episodes.

Overall, Episode 12.3 of The Strata deepens the intrigue surrounding Vogel Construction and the systemic erasures of individuals, while also exploring the personal struggles of characters like Jonas, who find themselves entangled in larger conspiracies.

Transcript

[Summers]

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[Banton]

Will that be cash or credit? Credit. 4 Galaxy S25 Ultra the AI companion that does the heavy lifting. So you can do. You get [e-mail] compatible with select apps. Requires Google Gemini Account results may vary based on input. Check responses for accuracy.

[Narrator]

You're listening to the Strata. A Beyond the dark production season 12 stronger than blood part 3.

[Rust]

Well, look at this. Summers and Humana sitting down for a nice little chat. Never thought I'd see the day. Since when did you two start hanging out?

[Emily]

Since about 3 hours ago when we ran into each other at an apartment in Tinkford.

[Rust]

Tinkford? What the hell were you two doing over there?

[Summers]

Sit down, Rust. There are some things we need to talk about.

[Rust]

Sounds serious, but I guess I should have known that by now. It's not like you ever call to just shoot the breeze, Summers.

[Summers]

Sorry. I hate to be all work and no play, but that's just how it always seems to end up.

[Rust]

So what's going on with you two? Hit me.

[Summers]

Alright, so I've recently been informed about a few incidents here in Dockerton.

[Rust]

Informed by who?

[Summers]

I've got contacts all over the place, Rust. You know that I hear stuff in bars and back alleys and everywhere in between. Usually the hard part is separating the valuable intel from the noise. But with this one, I knew I had something right away.

[Rust]

What are these incidents you mentioned some odd disappearances.

[Emily]

It seems that people are going missing in a few of the neighborhoods around here.

[Rust]

You're shitting me, right? Disappearances in Darkerton. That's what's got you all worked up?

[Summers]

That's right.

[Rust]

Sorry if I'm stating the obvious here, but people have been going missing in their thousands of late. That whole ghost uprising thing, Remember that? Entire neighborhoods have been wiped out. How is that suddenly front page news?

[Emily]

These are different, Rust.

[Rust]

How so?

[Emily]

They predate the uprising for a start. Going back almost a year in some cases. Right. Summers.

[Summers]

You got it. This has nothing to do with the ghosts.

[Rust]

Still, disappearances in Darkerton are nothing new.

[Summers]

The people we're talking about haven't just gone missing physically. Rustic. Their entire lives are being wiped from existence.

[Rust]

Care to explain that?

[Summers]

You've heard of ID wipes, right? Where a citizen's identification record is deleted from the grid.

[Emily]

Emily had that done when she left the strata the first time. Remember? She was trying to cover her tracks.

[Rust]

Yeah, sure.

[Summers]

Well, I found a string of missing persons with the same MO Citizens whose records have been manipulated in exactly the same way.

[Rust]

So couldn't we just assume that these people are like Emily? They're on the run, wanting to start a new life somewhere?

[Summers]

No, I don't think so. For a couple of reasons. First, these aren't just simple ID wipes. They're part of a deep, systematic database purge. I'm talking every historical record you can think of. CRED transactions, surveillance hits, autocap receipts, you name it, it's all gone.

[Rust]

What the hell is the point of that?

[Emily]

To make it look like these people never existed at all.

[Summers]

Right. And you can't file a missing persons report for someone who never existed, can you? Plus, there's no chance of unexpected red flags popping up when anyone tries to access those old files.

[Rust]

If these records are flushed out of the system as clean as you say, how did you even find out about it?

[Summers]

The archives are there. If you can dig deep enough. It takes a master gridcrawler to find them. Though, as it turns out, I just so happen to know one.

[Rust]

Okay, so you have a bunch of people going missing in similar circumstances. It doesn't mean they're connected.

[Summers]

Well, that brings me to my second point. When I spoke to the grid crawler about it, he found there was a recurring signature that kept popping up with these deleted entries. It's a pattern.

[Rust]

A pattern of what?

[Summers]

My guy thinks all of these records were deleted by the same entity.

[Rust]

Does he know who it is?

[Summers]

No. He can't trace the signature. That's why I'm here in Docherton, trying to gather more information.

[Rust]

Do you have Any leads?

[Summers]

Nothing concrete yet. But I can tell you one thing. This operation would have required some serious resources. Whoever's behind it is no amateur.

[Rust]

Okay, I think I've got the gist of it, but why are you two involved?

[Emily]

An old friend of mine happens to be one of the people who are missing.

[Rust]

Who?

[Emily]

Tanix. You don't know him, Rust. We used to hang out when we were kids, and.

[Rust]

You simmers.

[Summers]

Like I said, it just happened to come to my attention.

[Rust]

Are you sure there's something you're not telling me?

[Summers]

I've told you pretty much everything I know.

[Rust]

Come on, Summers. I can see through you like a sheet of freshly scrubbed plexiglass. Spill it.

[Summers]

All right, I'll tell you. There's a big player behind this, and I think there are connections to some of my previous investigations.

[Rust]

Who is it?

[Summers]

I don't want to talk about that yet. Not until I've confirmed my suspicions. But let me just say that I doubt this boils down to a few unconnected disappearances. Something major is happening, and that's why I want to get to the bottom of it.

[Rust]

Fair enough. So what's the next step?

[Summers]

My grigcrawler was able to find a correlation between a few of those deleted records I mentioned earlier. It shows that three of the missing have been working for a company called Vogel Construction, right before they disappeared.

[Rust]

What the hell is Vogel Construction?

[Summers]

I hadn't heard of them either, so I went and looked them up. There's not much to find. No offices, no number listed on the grid, no active projects. As far as I can tell, they're a front. That's what I'm thinking.

[Emily]

Summers and I were thinking that you might be able to find out some more information, Rust. You know, with your contacts in the transportation business, maybe someone has heard of them and can give us a lead.

[Summers]

And we also want to talk to more families and friends of the missing, see what else we can piece together. Maybe Vogel isn't the only company that's being used as a front.

[Rust]

Wait a second. Ximena. How do you even have time for this? I thought you were flat out with your work at the distribution center.

[Emily]

I am, flat out, but I'm making time out of hours.

[Rust]

Time we should be using for sleep or being with Carlita.

[Emily]

This is important, Rust. Summers is onto something here. I'll sleep easier once I know what's going on. And I'd really like to know what happened to Tanix and the others.

[Rust]

So you were really close with this guy, huh?

[Emily]

Once. Sure. Anyway, I Have to be back at the center in an hour, so if we're done here, I really should get going.

[Summers]

Do you think you can help us, Rust?

[Rust]

Well, since the two of you feel so damn strongly about it, I don't think I have a choice.

[Summers]

Thanks, big guy. Appreciate it.

[Rust]

So what do you need me to do?

[Summers]

Let's start with the basics. How about a ride?

[Jonas]

All right. Let's see here. Life support. I need to get you some power, my metal friend. But how? Come on, Jonas, think. Of course. If I can just remount this over here, that should do the trick. I guess. That's good. Now we have something to work with. Come on, friend. I know you're still in there. Wake up.

[Mr. Stearns]

What are you doing, Jonas? Still wasting time on this metal weirdo?

[Jonas]

I'm sorry, Mr. Stearns, but I have to concentrate here. I'm at a critical juncture in this procedure.

[Mr. Stearns]

Leave him. Let him die.

[Jonas]

What?

[Mr. Stearns]

You hurt me. Step away from the table.

[Jonas]

Why?

[Mr. Stearns]

Because I told you to.

[Jonas]

You're going to have to give me a better reason than that, sir. Ah.

[Mr. Stearns]

You're holding up this entire damn operation. The whole facility is waiting on you.

[Jonas]

Me? How?

[Mr. Stearns]

We need you to finish the data grid wiring on level 12. Amongst other things.

[Jonas]

But this man is going to die within the hour if I don't.

[Mr. Stearns]

Who gives a shit about him? The data grid is more important.

[Jonas]

I'll get to it as soon as I'm able.

[Mr. Stearns]

Are you refusing a direct order, Jonas?

[Jonas]

No, not at all.

[Mr. Stearns]

It sounds to me like you're asking for another lashing, Dr. Becker.

[Jonas]

Sanction this procedure, sir. He told me I could allocate time to resuscitating the patient. This man could be useful around here for a number of tasks. Including working at the furnace.

[Mr. Stearns]

Yeah, yeah, I heard you spin that to Becca earlier. He might have fallen for it, but I sure as hell didn't. You don't fool me. I know what you're up to.

[Jonas]

What's that, Mr. Stearns?

[Mr. Stearns]

You're using this whole situation as an excuse to get out of work.

[Jonas]

I promise I'll get back to my tasks as soon as I'm done here.

[Mr. Stearns]

You'll get to those tasks now.

[Jonas]

So you'll be the one to tell Dr. Becker that you overruled his orders. Or would you like me to do that?

[Mr. Stearns]

You think you're clever, don't you, Jonas?

[Jonas]

I'm just trying to do my job, sir.

[Mr. Stearns]

Don't forget, it was only a few months ago that you were languishing down there in that cell, shivering and afraid Cowering in the dark.

[Jonas]

And now I'm an indispensable member of the data grid restoration team.

[Mr. Stearns]

Indispensable?

[Banton]

No.

[Mr. Stearns]

No, I don't think so. Just try me, Jonas. I'll have your ass back in that cell down where the sun don't shine faster than you can blink.

[Jonas]

Without me, half the systems in this place would still be offline.

[Mr. Stearns]

You think I care about that, you little turd? Bringing those systems online is Becca's objective, not mine. My objective. Well, that's simple. I just want to see to it that worthless shitbags like you get what they deserve.

[Jonas]

Can I get back to my work now, sir? Sure.

[Mr. Stearns]

You do that. Remember this. If I find out you're up to something here, I'm gonna hurt you bad this time. And when I'm done, I'll leave you as lifeless as this hunger scrap metal on the table here, whether Becca approves of it or not. Do you get me, Jonas?

[Jonas]

Yes, sir, I get you.

[Mr. Stearns]

Good. Then you have my permission to continue.

[Jonas]

Okay. Forget about him. Concentrate. Get the job done.

[Banton]

Whatever you do, don't let him.

[Jonas]

Stop me. Adonna. Oh, my God, is she. You're hurting me. Let go of my throat. Where am I? Tell me. And where is Edana? I don't know who that is.

[Rust]

She was with me.

[Jonas]

You came here alone? That's all I know. There was no one else. And she is lost. You should have done that. I'm trying to help you.

[Rust]

Help me?

[Jonas]

If Adana truly is lost, then there is nothing you can do to help. All right, listen. You're not the woods yet, mister. This whole situation is still balanced on the knife edge. What I need is for you to lie back and relax. What is this infernal place? How did I get here? You're at Corova Station. But I have no idea how you wound up here. A couple of traders brought you in just a little while ago. Apparently, they found you washed up on a beach somewhere north of here. Grover Station? I've never heard of that. Not many people have. You won't find it on any travel brochures, I can assure you of that. Whatever the case, I need to get out of here. Hey, easy there. You're in no condition to go anywhere right now, okay? The contraption off me. That contraption is the only thing that's keeping you alive. I'm trying to get your bio steady. Kill me. Threaten. Put that back on. Listen to me. You're going to die without it. Hey, come back. I have to get out of here. I have to Find her. All right then. I can see we're going to have to do this the hard way. Race the rudders.

[Banton]

Race the sails. Race the sails. Captain, an unidentified ship is approaching.

[Narrator]

Over.

[Banton]

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[Summers]

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[Banton]

A no, no, no. Stay back for me, you hear me? Or I'll jump right off the edge of this goddamn roof.

[Summers]

Hey, calm down, mister. Don't do anything rash. I'm not here to hurt you.

[Banton]

Oh yeah? And what about your bodyguard there? What about him?

[Rust]

A bodyguard? Me? Nah, you got it all wrong, scuzrat. She's my bodyguard, not the other way around.

[Banton]

What?

[Summers]

Banton, isn't it?

[Banton]

Yeah, that's me.

[Summers]

Why don't you step away from the edge, huh? We just want to talk.

[Banton]

Talk? I don't want to talk to you or him or anybody. Not now and not ever.

[Rust]

You could have told us that back down at street level, asshole, instead of making us run up 12 goddamn flights of steps first.

[Summers]

Come on over here, Banton. You're making me nervous.

[Banton]

Tell me what you want first.

[Summers]

Just to ask you a few questions. Once we have the answers, we'll be on our way.

[Banton]

Oh, a few questions, huh?

[Rust]

So why'd you bring the muscle I'm her driver.

[Banton]

Yeah, I've seen how this works. You try to lure me into a false sense of security, and the next thing I know, I wake up in some abandoned warehouse with you two standing over me with your pliers and blowtorches.

[Rust]

That's not really my kind of thing. But if you keep wasting my goddamn time, I could see myself coming around to it.

[Summers]

Rust, come on. We need to be a little more diplomatic here.

[Rust]

I'm not exactly an expert on this interrogation shit, Summers, but from the way this is going, I don't like our chances of getting anything useful here.

[Summers]

Just give me a minute, okay? Mr. Banton, my name is Summers, and this is Rust. We're investigating some incidents here in Don, and we heard that you might be able to help.

[Banton]

What incidents?

[Summers]

Some disappearances we believe that a company called Vogel Construction might be involved in.

[Banton]

I. I knew it. I knew it was going to be some shit like this.

[Summers]

Step back from the edge, Banton.

[Banton]

You're with them, aren't you? You assholes finally caught up with me.

[Summers]

We've been talking to a lot of people on the streets around here. In the last couple of days, we've traveled from one end of Tinkford to the other and half the surrounding suburbs, too, asking about Vogel. And guess what? Your name keeps coming up over and over again. Banton, whenever we mention that word.

[Banton]

I don't know anything about that.

[Rust]

What's your involvement with Vogel, Banton? Come on, spit it out.

[Banton]

My involvement? What the hell are you talking about? I don't have anything to do with them.

[Summers]

Then why are you telling everyone their bad news? And to stay away from them?

[Emily]

You.

[Narrator]

You.

[Banton]

You've got the wrong guy here.

[Summers]

Look, we know you don't work for them. We just need information on the company so we can figure out what's going on around here.

[Banton]

Sorry, can't help you.

[Rust]

Terrific.

[Summers]

This was easier with the Fortunados. Rust. With those guys, I could just beat it out of them. They had it coming. But this guy. I don't want to hurt him. He hasn't done anything wrong.

[Banton]

Hey, wait a second. The Fortunados? You're not the same Summers who. Hey, it is you. You're that vigilante who was running amok all over the place clipping those Fortunato scumbags, right?

[Summers]

Uh, yeah, that was me.

[Banton]

Oh, man, this is awesome. Hey, I saw some of your handiwork over on Flagstreet one morning a few months back. That Fortunado asshole was split open like a sewer hog.

[Summers]

Okay, so you know Who I am. Do you trust me now?

[Banton]

Sure thing, Ms. Summers. What is it you need to know?

[Summers]

Vogel Construction. Tell us everything.

[Banton]

Vogel. Right. I'm not an expert on them or anything, But I'll tell you what.

[Summers]

I can start by letting us know why you've been warning people to stay away from them lately. What's up with that?

[Banton]

Sure, I've been spreading the word because vulgar, the bad news. Simple as that. I've known it for a while now, and, well, I was just trying to stop innocent people from getting caught up in that whole mess.

[Rust]

Vogel or bad news? In what way?

[Banton]

Let me go back to the start. See, I first heard of these bastards a year ago, maybe a little more. They started getting word out on the street to let people know they were looking for workers. And in a place like Tinkford, that kind of talk gets noticed. Jobs are scarce around here at the best of times.

[Summers]

What kind of work were they offering?

[Banton]

Manual labor. Yeah, it was kind of vague, to be honest. But they did say that they were willing to take on trainees as well, no matter what skill level. That got even more people interested. But the most enticing thing of all was the pay. Vogelwar offering hourly rates that were more in line with something you'd see in midtown. Way above standard Tinkfoot rates.

[Rust]

This all sounds pretty damn suspicious to me.

[Summers]

Yeah, a little too good to be true.

[Banton]

Yeah, me too. That's why I was skeptical. But people around here, they just jump at a chance to get their hands on those kind of creds.

[Summers]

So you stayed well clear of them, I assume.

[Banton]

Well, I wish I could say I was smart enough to do that, but my curiosity got the better of me, and I couldn't stand the thought of everyone else cashing in while I missed out.

[Summers]

What happened?

[Banton]

Well, the way it was all set up, you couldn't just apply on the grid. In order to be considered for the job, you had to show up at a specific time and place. It was like a 30 minute window. Blink and you miss it kind of thing.

[Summers]

What was the location?

[Banton]

It was a construction zone a few blocks to the south. Me and maybe 50 other guys showed up and got in line. Vogel had a couple of guys in suits testing the applicants as they came through.

[Rust]

Testing how?

[Banton]

Just asking a couple questions, I think. And then jabbing them in the arm with a needle.

[Summers]

What was the point of that?

[Banton]

I heard someone say it was a health check. Maybe some of the applicants got turned away right then and there. I guess because they failed one of the tests. I don't know for sure.

[Summers]

And the ones who passed, they got.

[Banton]

Loaded into the back of a transport that was waiting nearby.

[Summers]

What happened with you? Did you pass the tests?

[Banton]

I never took them. Actually, I walked before they could lay their grubby hands on me.

[Summers]

Why did you do that?

[Banton]

I had a bad feeling about the whole thing. It just rubbed me the wrong way. The location, for a start. I mean, I walk past that construction zone all the time, know it like the back of my hand. And I can tell you it's been abandoned for decades. They were gonna build some fancy mall district there back in the day, part of the whole. Revitalize Tinkfoot again. Like that's ever gonna happen. But the project got abandoned years ago. No one's lifted a tool in that site in years. So that got me thinking. Why would Vogel choose that spot for their recruitment? It just didn't make sense.

[Rust]

Is that the only reason you backed out?

[Banton]

No. The other thing that bothered me was the fact that a couple of guys in Vogel shirts were packing heat under their vests.

[Summers]

They had guns?

[Banton]

Yeah. They were trying to disguise it, but I could tell when I was standing there in line. I get the distinct impression I was looking at a bunch of thugs playing dress up, trying to look like corporate types, you know? But when you've walked the streets as long as I have, you get a nose for trouble. And that's what I smelt that day. Trouble with a capital T. What did you do? Like I said, I walked. Got the hell out of there as fast as I could. And it's a good thing I did. Out of all those suckers who got on the transport that day, I haven't seen a single one show their face in Tinkford since. Not one.

[Summers]

Do you have any idea what happened to them? Where was that transport headed?

[Banton]

Beats me. A long way from here, I guess. All I know is that Vogelcrowd is bad news. They're up to something. I knew it right from that day at the construction zone. And I've been trying to spread the word and warn people ever since.

[Rust]

Is there anywhere we can find out more information on Vogel grid searches, anything like that?

[Banton]

You won't find anything on the grid. Everything they do is word of mouth. Leave no trace. You know what I mean?

[Summers]

Can you give us the location of the construction zone?

[Banton]

Of course. Anything for you, Ms. Summers. Flick it to your phone right now.

[Summers]

Thanks. Rust, we should get on this. Maybe we can find something at the site or get a lead through surveillance.

[Rust]

Yeah, sounds like a plan.

[Summers]

Appreciate your time. Banton we'll be on our way now. But if you think of anything else.

[Banton]

Hey, Ms. Summers, could I maybe get a wire snap with you? The boys back at the bar sure would get a kick out of seeing me and you standing here together.

[Summers]

No wire snaps. Sorry.

[Banton]

Ah, come on. It'll just take a second.

[Summers]

I don't do photo ops. Ever. You got that?

[Banton]

Uh, well, okay, if you say so.

[Rust]

Shit. I never thought I'd see the day. Summers, you've got fans.

[Summers]

Bite me. Rust, come on, let's go.

[Rust]

I can tell you're not exactly feeling the love.

[Summers]

Becoming one of those stupid gridcast celebrities isn't exactly high on my list of priorities, Rust.

[Banton]

Hey, for what it's worth, I hope you kick Vogel's ass. I might even show up to take a look myself. Got nothing planned that day.

[Summers]

That day? What do you mean?

[Banton]

Oh, I didn't tell you. That's why I've been spreading the word again this week. Vogel are on another recruitment drive.

[Summers]

They're back again?

[Banton]

That's what people are saying.

[Summers]

When is it happening and where?

[Banton]

Same place. The old construction zone. Just like the other times. And as for when, well, it looks like you got perfect timing. They'll be here in two days.

[Narrator]

This podcast is made possible by my supporters on Patreon. If you'd like to hear ad free early release episodes as well as my exclusive series, the Strata Luna, head over to patreon.com BeyondTheDark your support means I can keep bringing you more seasons of the strata. Season 12 Stronger Than Blood starring Jason Chirai, Rhiannon Mauschall Awasamateja Michelle Mosley Wyatt Henry Paul Warren, Chloe Elmore Rebecca Tanwin Troy Allen, Leonie Schleasing Elaine Amin Toby J. Smith Joseph Tweedale Zachary Scott, Garrett Nile, Adam McLachlan Gavarock and Armin Cabral Created by Mark R. Healy I'll be on the Dark Production.

[Summers]

The fable and folly network, where fiction producers flourish.

[Narrator]

Where am I? Welcome to Desert Skies, traveler. Your journey through the physical plane has come to an end. I am am the attendant. My colleague here is the mechanic.

[Rust]

Yo.

[Narrator]

This is your last stop on your way to the great beyond. It's our job to make sure you're prepared for the ride. Now, before hitting the road, we have an impressive selection of over 34 varieties of microwavable burritos. Um, what's going on?

[Jonas]

There's gotta be a better afterlife than this. I mean, come on. Uh, that's offensive.

[Narrator]

Something seems to be wrong with me. You left something major undone.

[Jonas]

I have a life outside of this gas station.

[Narrator]

You know, you quite literally do not. Any hobbies?

[Jonas]

Nope.

[Narrator]

Ever travel?

[Rust]

Nope.

[Narrator]

Love interests?

[Jonas]

Are you kidding?

[Narrator]

Oh, my God. You're like the human version of a plain bagel. Cash register.

[Summers]

How can I help you?

[Narrator]

Attendant, Play some music.

[Banton]

You got it.

[Narrator]

It's kind of funny, though. What I needed wasn't back there. It was here, waiting for me. I wonder what it feels like, neck, to miss the physical plane. The people you left behind. You know, I had a wife who died three years ago.

[Jonas]

Wish I could go back.

[Rust]

No, you don't need to go back.

[Jonas]

You just need to be here.

[Narrator]

And a new traveler approaches. Ready, team? Ready. Good. Let's do this. Find desert skies wherever you listen to podcasts.