Episode 13.5 - Downfall - Part 5

Summary

The Strata — Season 13: Downfall, Part 5 (Episode 13.5)

Podcast Host: Mark R. Healy
Date: January 6, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this tense and character-driven episode, the mystery of Jade—the amnesiac girl with odd abilities and even odder tech in her head—deepens. Detective Kavanaugh seeks help from streetwise courier Rust and tech expert Sienna to uncover the origins of the illegal neurotech embedded in Jade's skull. Meanwhile, Jade's visions and paintings reveal uncanny knowledge, personal connections, and haunt the group with implications about their pasts and the dangers stalking them. The hunt for answers leads the team through the criminal underbelly of the city, questioning old contacts and confronting the ghosts of technology’s dark past.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

Meeting Jade — A Web of Secrets (01:20–05:45)

• Setting the Scene:
  Detective Kavanaugh brings Rust and Sienna to his apartment, introducing them to Jade, a girl in hiding due to “nasty pieces of work” seeking her ([02:45]).

• Jade’s Evasive Past:

  • Jade suffers from amnesia and is believed to be unsafe on the streets.
  • The mystery centers around a “hardware” device embedded in her head, which Kavanaugh believes is key to understanding her predicament.

• Technical Examination:

  • Sienna and Rust inspect Jade’s implant, identifying it as a Cranial Insertion Device ("CID") or "mirror shard"—obsolete tech that was “all the rage back in the day” but now outlawed for safety ([04:15–04:58]).
  • Sienna: “Man, I haven't seen one of these in years. This is some cool shit.” ([04:26])
  • These devices had a reputation for malfunctioning and were often installed illegally.

The Implications of the Implant (05:42–06:14)

• System Anomalies:
  • Attempting to run a grid search for Jade’s identity, Sienna and Rust hit a wall: “Search prohibited.”
  • Sienna: “Is this some kind of ID scrub?” ([06:11])
  • Raises suspicions of a deliberate ID wipe, deepening Jade’s mystery.

Jade’s Abilities and Visions (06:25–08:05)

• Jade’s Power:
  • Jade experiences visions—she recounts events involving Rust’s acquaintance, Davina, with unsettling accuracy, even before Rust himself receives confirmation ([07:19–07:54]).
  • Rust: “This is a nice party trick, kid, but it needs some work. Your timing’s off.” ([07:26])
  • The group is unsettled by Jade’s knowledge, hinting at abilities beyond normal human capacity.

Seeking a Solution — Trust and Doubts (08:13–11:32)

• Kavanaugh’s Dilemma:

  • Unable to take Jade to the police (“my captain has been compromised”) and unable to trust her fully, Kavanaugh asks Rust and Sienna for help pinpointing the source of her neurotech ([09:25–10:15]).
  • Rust: “You need our help, Kavanaugh. So go ahead and ask for it.” ([10:15])

• A Time-Sensitive Quest:

  • The group resolves to visit known workshops capable of installing such tech, narrowing their search while debating Jade’s innocence and origins ([11:13–11:32]).

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Emotional Depth: Jade and Kavanaugh (12:49–21:37)

Art as Memory (12:49–16:58)

• Painting Visions:

  • Alone with Kavanaugh, Jade paints images she sees in her mind—factories and a waterfront bench scene.
  • Kavanaugh recognizes one painting as a deeply personal location—a bench where he once sat with his daughter, Annie.
  • Kavanaugh (quietly shaken): “No one knows that spot except…” ([16:58])

• Jade’s Empathy:

  • Jade asserts she drew what she saw, not what she knew, deepening the supernatural aura around her.
  • Jade: “You don't have any pictures, Detective. Your walls are all blank.” ([16:41])

• Personal Grief:

  • Kavanaugh shares the tragic story of Annie—her death at the hands of powerful men, his years-long pursuit of vengeance ([17:52–19:47]).
  • Jade: “You were a good father.” ([19:47])

The Push to Investigate (20:16–21:37)

• Strategic Next Step:
  • Jade urges Kavanaugh to visit the sites depicted in her paintings, theorizing it may help unlock her memories.
  • Kavanaugh is hesitant, but Jade presses, insisting, “If I can see one of these buildings with my own eyes, it could really help.” ([21:17])

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Rust and Sienna’s Investigation (22:08–29:03)

On the Trail of the Illegal Tech (22:08–24:38)

• Workshop Visits:

  • Rust and Sienna canvass six workshops that once installed illegal neuroshard tech—each denies involvement, now operating aboveboard ([22:11–22:35]).
  • Sienna: “We know someone is still installing the shards. We have Jade for proof of that.” ([22:57])
  • Rust remains skeptical and questions how much Kavanaugh really trusts or knows about Jade.

• Personal Motivations:

  • The two reflect on their unexpected willingness to help; Sienna claims curiosity about the grid error and the revival of the obsolete tech, while Rust admits to being oddly moved by Kavanaugh’s urgency ([24:46–25:14]).

Old Contacts and Dead Ends (26:00–28:49)

• The Last Workshop:

  • The final visit is to an abandoned workshop formerly owned by Crow, once a legendary tech but now presumed gone ([26:24–27:12]).
  • The place is derelict, but a neglected package addressed to Crow is discovered.

• A New Lead:

  • The package, meant for Highgate City but erroneously delivered to the old workshop, presents an unexpected clue.
  • Rust: “This could actually be a good thing. A package with Crow's name on it destined for Highgate City. Doesn't that seem odd to you?” ([28:51])

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Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• Sienna on Illegal Tech:
  “Those Nero shards are pretty rare these days. In fact, I'd be surprised if there's more than a handful of workshops in the strata that would still have the equipment to even carry out the installations.” ([10:21])

• Jade’s Vision Stuns Rust:
  “She stopped by the soup station this morning. How do you know that?”
  Jade: “Not this morning. She's there now.” ([07:19–07:26])

• Kavanaugh’s Vulnerability:
  “But Annie, she was what you'd call a happy accident. She was a ray of light in the darkness. And I swore from the day she was born that I would protect her, nurture her. Nothing in this world was gonna get in the way of that. … And from that moment on, she was. She was doomed.” ([17:52–19:16])

• Sienna’s Tech Perspective:
  “As an enthusiast, this is right up my alley.” ([25:24])

• Team Tension:
  Rust: “That old bastard and me, buddies? Sure. When hell freezes over.” ([25:14])

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:20 — Story proper begins; arrival at Kavanaugh’s apartment.
• 04:15 — Sienna identifies Jade’s implant as an old “mirror shard.”
• 06:11 — Grid search fails; hints at identity erasure.
• 07:19 — Jade describes Davina’s actions moments before Rust is notified.
• 09:25–10:15 — Kavanaugh asks Rust and Sienna for help.
• 12:49 — Jade paints haunting visions; Kavanaugh opens up about Annie.
• 17:52–19:47 — Kavanaugh recounts Annie’s death and his grief.
• 22:08–22:35 — Rust and Sienna visit old workshops; their investigation.
• 26:24–28:49 — Discovery of the abandoned workshop and misdelivered package.

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Tone and Style

The tone remains dark, tightly wound, and laced with suspicion and reluctant camaraderie. Dialogue is sharp, pragmatic, and often edged with world-weary humor. Emotional depth and personal trauma underpin the episode’s central mystery, as characters wrestle with trust, grief, and the ethical shadows of technological progress.

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Summary

Part 5 of "Downfall" advances the story by layering mystery upon personal trauma: Jade’s forgotten past, her illegal device, and her strange abilities draw Kavanaugh, Rust, and Sienna deeper into the city's dangerous tech underworld. Their quest for answers—punctuated by dead ends, emotional confession, and new (if accidental) clues—sets the stage for confrontations with the city’s criminal forces and with the characters’ own ghosts. These intertwining personal stakes and growing peril push everyone to the edge, as the lines between past and present, memory and reality, blur under the dystopian city’s neon haze.

Transcript

[A]

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[B]

You're listening to the Strata A Beyond the dark production season 13 downfall part 5. Rust, You. Oh, I didn't realize you were bringing company.

[A]

Hey, Kavanaugh.

[C]

Sienna was with me out on a delivery, so I brought her along. Is there a problem with that?

[B]

No, no, it's. It's all right. Come.

[C]

On. What's with all the secrecy, Kavanaugh? Is this about Summers? Is she in trouble?

[B]

That's nothing to do with her. No, I'll explain it the best I can. But first, come over this way. Jade, these are a couple friends of mine.

[C]

Friends? That's stretching it. Hey there. How's it going?

[D]

Hello, Rust.

[A]

Play nice. Hey, Jade. I'm Sienna and this is Rust.

[B]

Jade's gotten herself in some trouble. She's the reason I brought you here. There are people looking for her. Some nasty pieces of work, from what I can tell.

[A]

Nasty pieces of work? Who are we talking about exactly?

[B]

We don't know that yet. In fact, there's not a lot we do know about Jade's situation, apart from her name. She's suffering from some kind of amnesia by the looks of it. I'm keeping her here at the apartment till we can figure out what's going on. She's not safe out there on the street.

[C]

So what does this have to do with me?

[B]

I need your advice on something. You're pretty close to this whole thing with that ganglord, Carver and Dockerton, right? The uprising with the ghosts and that resurrection technology of his.

[C]

Was I close to it? Yeah, pretty close, I guess you could say.

[B]

Jade, do you mind if they take a look at that thing there on your head?

[D]

Sure.

[B]

I guess I'd rust. Step over here and take a look at this.

[C]

You want me to check the kid's hair? Is that what you brought me here for? To give her a perm? I'm not a beauty stylist, Kavanaugh.

[B]

No, look at this. There's something embedded in her skull. Some kind of hardware.

[C]

What the hell? Sienna. Check this out.

[A]

What do you see, pal?

[B]

Hey, do you know what this is? It's not one of those ghost implants, is it?

[A]

Oh, I know what this is. It's a cranial insertion device, or CID for short.

[C]

Yeah, that's what I thought, too. On the street, we used to just call them mirror shards.

[A]

Man, I haven't seen one of these in years. This is some cool shit.

[B]

So is it one of the ghost things or not?

[A]

This. No way. This is nothing like the tech that Holliwell was using to create the Ghost. His implants were inserted in a completely different spot, for a start. Around here, at the base of the neck. Plus, the tech was much more advanced. Smaller, more streamlined. This neuroshard here, this is old school tech.

[B]

So what's it for? What? What does it do?

[A]

It's like hooking your brain straight into the grid.

[B]

Why would anyone want to do that?

[A]

Oh, it was all the rage back in the day, but these things have been outlawed for decades now. They're totally illegal.

[C]

Yeah, there were all sorts of issues with these things glitching out and causing permanent damage to the host. Plus, there were too many cheap installations going on. Nasty backyard chop shops skirting around regulations, unsanitary operating conditions, that kind of thing. The whole industry was shut down.

[A]

Plus, this technology was superseded by cleaner, safer implants that were installed at bio clinics. Honestly, I never expected to see one of these out in the wild again, not in this day and age.

[B]

So why would someone do that to her? What's the point?

[C]

She's the only one who can answer that.

[D]

I'm sorry, I. I don't remember who did this to me or why. I didn't even realize it was there until Detective Kavanagh pointed it out.

[A]

Okay, I think I know what to do. Give me a second here while I take a scan of your face. We'll bring up your ID in no time. Then once we have a few details, we can. The damn search won't run.

[B]

Did you get an error Code saying search prohibited.

[A]

What's going on here? Is this some kind of ID scrub?

[B]

It's strange, isn't it? Something's not right.

[C]

Let's not jump to conclusions just because of a missing ID Record. I'm sure there's an explanation.

[B]

There are other things going on, too. The kids, she. She knows stuff. Sometimes before it even happens. Jade, do you see any of those visions in your head when you look at these two? Like. Like he did with me and. And Annie?

[D]

Yeah. I saw visions the second your friends came through the door. I see you, Rust. Was it at a diner? I think. It's nighttime, and you're with a woman.

[C]

Davina Divina. Were you there last night? Did you see us now?

[D]

She's at another restaurant. She's in a lineup, waiting to place an order. The soup station. That's what it's called. She's smiling, looking at her phone.

[C]

She stopped by the soup station this morning. How do you know that?

[D]

Not this morning. She's there now.

[C]

Now. Wow. This is a nice party trick, kid, but it needs some work. Your timing's off. Davina stopped by the soup station earlier today.

[A]

Rust, what's up, pal?

[C]

It's a. It's a message from Davina. She is at the soup station. Says she stopped in on her way home. She's asking if I wanted her to pick up something while she's there.

[A]

Actually, this really is a nice party trick. How the hell is she doing that?

[B]

Like I told you, she knows stuff. I. I can't explain it.

[D]

I'm sorry if I said something wrong. I didn't want to upset anyone.

[B]

Oh, you're fine, kiddo. You're fine. Don't worry about it.

[C]

Kevin, can we talk about this, please, in private?

[B]

Yeah. Yeah, sure. Just wait here a second, Jade. We'll. We'll be back in a minute.

[C]

Okay? Kavanaugh, what the hell are you playing at?

[B]

I'm being honest with you here, Rust. I. I don't know. I asked you to come here because I was worried. That thing in her skull was connected with the ghost uprising. That's it.

[A]

Where did she come from? How did she end up here?

[B]

I found her in an alley not far from Overton's bar. She collapsed behind a dumpster. Couldn't even walk. She told me someone was trying to kill her. And then a few seconds later, a van pulled up, and some guys got out. Looked like an assault squad. Rifles, combat gear. Didn't have a chance to ID him, though.

[C]

An assault squad? What have you gotten yourself into here?

[B]

Kavanaugh, the kid needs help. What am I supposed to do, just. Just feed her to the lions?

[A]

Why not take her to a station house? If those guys are really as tough as you say, it's going to get messy when they find out where you are and come knocking on your door.

[B]

I. I can't take her to the station house. It's. It's possible my captain has been compromised. Until I know more, I can't risk moving Jade.

[C]

Have you stopped to consider that she might be playing you, Kevin? This could all be part of some elaborate conversation.

[B]

I've considered it, sure, but I don't think that's it. Jade is. I think she's genuine. Call it a hunch.

[A]

So what are you gonna do with her? Just leave her sitting here in the corner of your apartment and hope the whole thing blows over?

[B]

Before I can make a decision, I. I need more information. I need to get the facts straight. But all of my grid searches come up empty, and the only thing I have to go on is that thing in her head. But that kind of tech, it isn't exactly my specialty.

[C]

You need our help, Kavanaugh. So go ahead and ask for it.

[B]

You think there's something you can do?

[A]

I'm not going to guarantee anything, but those Nero shards are pretty rare these days. In fact, I'd be surprised if there's more than a handful of workshops in the strata that would still have the equipment to even carry out the installations.

[C]

Right, and this girl has to have gone through one of those workshops. Whoever did the install might have some background on her. They can probably tell us who she is.

[B]

Well, if you can help, I. I'd be grateful. Thank you. But you have to understand, this is time sensitive.

[C]

So if you think I'm gonna drop everything for this, you've got another thing coming.

[A]

Rust, If Jade is an innocent victim, it may not be safe to put this on the back burner. I know that's a big if, but.

[B]

Still the back burner. To hell with that. Her life could be in danger. We need to do something now.

[A]

It's not going to take long for us to ask around, Rust. A few hours, that's all we can do that much. After that, it's Kavanaugh's problem.

[C]

Are you two ganging up on me now? Yeah. All right. I guess we'll get right on it, then.

[B]

Great. Give me a call if you find anything.

[C]

Yeah. Come on, C. Let's hit the road. It looks like we've got work to do.

[B]

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[C]

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[B]

It's our 100th ugly house. This place is mayhem.

[C]

That is impressive.

[B]

And if these walls could talk. Do you cry a lot?

[D]

I do.

[B]

They'd have a lot to say.

[C]

What in God's name is this pit?

[B]

Don't get too close if you've seen the show.

[C]

I'm scared of that. Ugliest house in America. Season premiere Wednesday at 8 on HGTV.

[B]

Jade. You been busy here, huh? This is quite the stack of paintings you've left in your wake.

[D]

Oh, Detective. Sorry, I just kind of got caught up in things and. Are your friends gone?

[B]

Yeah, yeah, they left. But don't worry about them. You keep painting to your. Your heart's content. I'll just grab a few of those sheets off the floor and put him up on the table for you.

[D]

Yeah, thanks.

[B]

So is it. Is it helping?

[D]

Helping?

[B]

Yeah. Are you starting to remember anything yet? Or is this more of a cathartic type thing to ease your nerves? A way for you to relax?

[D]

Oh, I get what you mean now. I think it's helping. I keep getting more visions in my head, lots more than before. But I'm still not exactly sure what they mean or how they're connected. Or if they even are connected. For all I know, they could just be random.

[B]

Let's see what you got here. This is the first building you painted, right? You've got three other paintings just like it. Are these all the same place?

[D]

I think so. They're all just from slightly different perspectives.

[B]

So what is it? Is this where you live or something? Or maybe work?

[D]

I couldn't say for sure, to be honest.

[B]

It looks more like a factory or warehouse to me. One of those big, gray, drab, industrial looking places. Not the kind of architecture that would normally attract the attention of an artist, I wouldn't think.

[D]

Yeah, it's pretty uninspiring, isn't it? For some reason, I can't stop thinking about it.

[B]

What else you got here? Well, you sure do like your factories, don't you?

[D]

I guess I do.

[B]

But these aren't the same as the first one. The coloring's different, for a start, and the shape, too. These look like at least three or four different locations.

[D]

Do you recognize any of them?

[B]

Well, I can't say I do. No offense, but they're a little generic. This architecture is familiar, though. Like what you'd see out by the bay. Maybe if I went out and searched the area, I might be able to narrow it down a little. But I can't guarantee anything unless they're.

[D]

All just figments of my imagination.

[B]

I'm sure they're real. And sooner or later, we'll find them. And when we do.

[D]

Detective Kavanaugh.

[B]

This one's not a building.

[D]

Oh. That was another picture in my head. Sorry. The composition is all messed up on that one.

[B]

I know this place. Yeah, I've been here. The trees and the grass. The way this path curves along the waterfront. And this. This bench.

[D]

Where is it?

[B]

Oh, this. This girl you painted on the bench. You know who it is? Color of her hair, that dress. It's my little girl, Annie.

[D]

I just painted what was in my head.

[B]

Do you see a picture of Annie around here somewhere? Is that why you drew her?

[D]

You don't have any pictures, Detective. Your walls are all blank.

[B]

But how did you know?

[C]

We.

[B]

We used to sit on that bench together. It's where we used to watch the starliners launch across the bay.

[D]

I. I don't know. It just. It just came to me. Like the warehouses and all that other stuff.

[B]

But no one knows that spot except.

[D]

Detective. Are you okay?

[B]

Who are you? Jade? How can you possibly know this shit?

[D]

I wish I could tell you what happened to her. Annie.

[B]

Maybe now is not the right time to go into that. Jade.

[D]

I just thought maybe if you talked about her, it could help to explain why. I'm seeing visions of her. That's all.

[B]

I. I don't talk about her much.

[D]

Well, it's up to you. I'd be happy to listen if you want to. Remember.

[B]

When I was a young man, I didn't even want kids. It's not like I had anything against them. But it's just. Being a cop in the strata, you. You see things. Terrible things. And I always figured, why would I want to bring a kid into this. This God awful hellhole? But Annie, she was what you'd call a happy accident. She was a ray of light in the darkness. And I swore from the day she was born that I would protect her, nurture her. Nothing in this world was gonna get in the way of that. In the early days, we saw eye to eye on everything. But as she grew up, we weren't always on the same page. She fell in with a bad crowd, Started to drift out of my reach. And try as I might, I. I couldn't get her back. One thing led to another, and Annie fell out of favor with a very powerful man. A dangerous man. And from that moment on, she was. She was doomed.

[D]

I'm so sorry. That sounds awful.

[B]

Yeah, it was. But in the end, I got the bastard who killed her. Took me 10 hard years, but I got him. Watched the light fade out of his eyes right in front of me. But with Annie, it still hurts. To think about her. Every day, it hurts.

[D]

You were a good father.

[B]

Sometimes, maybe. Sometimes not. Anyway, enough about that. Right now, we have. We have other things to worry about, like unraveling this mystery of yours. I'm gonna need to head out and buy some more paper if you're gonna keep going at this rate.

[D]

Maybe that's not such a bad idea.

[C]

What?

[B]

Getting more paper?

[D]

No, heading out. You said you recognized some of this architecture from around the place, right over by the bay.

[B]

Maybe. I'm not 100% certain of that.

[D]

What if we took a drive there and had a look around? It might chalk my memory if I saw the place with my own eyes.

[B]

Jade, this is no time to be taking a joyride. Come on, kid, think. There are people out there who are trying to kill you.

[D]

If I just stayed with you in the car, they wouldn't see me.

[B]

I don't like the sound of this.

[D]

What's the alternative? Sit here and keep painting the same stuff over and over again? How's that going to help?

[B]

I could search for those buildings on the grid.

[D]

That could take forever. And meanwhile, Captain Graham is going to get more and more suspicious the longer you stay away from work, isn't she?

[B]

Well, I do have to go back to work at some point in the near future.

[D]

Were you intending to leave me here by myself when you do?

[C]

No.

[B]

No, I don't think that's safe either.

[D]

So let's take a drive. In half an hour, we could have this entire thing solved. I think if I can see one of these buildings with my own eyes, it could really help.

[B]

I doubt we're gonna solve it in half an hour. That's being a little optimistic.

[D]

Come on, Detective.

[B]

You sure can be persuasive when you want to be, can't you? Give me a. Give me a few minutes to think about it. If I can come up with a route that avoids most of the major surveillance. Then maybe, just maybe, we can take a ride.

[A]

Take a right up here, Rust. It's not too far away.

[C]

Don't worry. I remember the way.

[A]

I think this should be our last one. It's pretty much the end of the list.

[C]

That's a relief. I was beginning to get tired of driving around all over the place, wasting our time.

[A]

Well, I wouldn't say we've been wasting our time. We visited a total of six workshops that we know for a fact Were heavily into building and installing. Installing those neuroshards. Like the one belonging to Kavanaugh's friend Jade.

[C]

Right. And every single one of those workshops has given us the same answer. They don't work with neuroshards anymore. They haven't done for years.

[A]

Which is what we expected when we started this whole thing. When the shards were outlawed, it just wasn't worth the risk anymore. Most of these workshops just shifted over to legal mods instead.

[C]

I'm still not seeing how this is helping us.

[A]

Look at the facts, Rust. We know someone is still installing the shards. We have Jade for proof of that. So every time we rule out another workshop, we narrow down the list. Sooner or later, we have to find the one responsible.

[C]

Unless all these guys are lying to us. After all, why would they admit to us that they're doing something illegal?

[A]

I've known most of these techs for years. I've traded parts and helped out on a bunch of projects with almost every single one. They trust me.

[C]

Do you think they'd still trust you if they knew you were doing this on behalf of a cop?

[A]

Yeah. Yeah, let's not mention that part, huh? I have a reputation to uphold.

[C]

You know, I don't like working with Kavanaugh either, buddy. What's his angle here, do you think? What's really going on between him and that girl?

[A]

You're suspicious, huh? Yeah, I can understand that. She seems to have him wrapped around her little finger, doesn't she?

[C]

That's the thing. I've had my problems with Kafana, But I'll give him this. He's never soft with anyone. Hard as nails, that guy.

[A]

So why is he taking such a shine to this one all of a sudden?

[C]

Beats me. Either he's not telling us something, or she's found a way to get to him. A weakness in that hard shell.

[A]

Such as?

[C]

I have no idea. To be honest, I don't even know Kavanaugh that well. Most of our conversations have amounted to just, I don't know, trading insults with one another. I guess it's not like we've ever gotten into anything deep and meaningful. Summers knows it better. Maybe she could shed some light on the whole thing.

[A]

Yeah, convenient that she seems to have disappeared all of a sudden. Do you think that's a coincidence?

[C]

Could be. It's hard to say.

[A]

I'm actually a little surprised you agreed to help with this whole thing in the first place. Tracking down the origins of the new neuroshard. I mean.

[C]

Maybe it's me who's getting soft.

[A]

No, really. I thought for sure you were just gonna dig your heels in back at the apartment and say no.

[C]

Well, if you want to know the truth, there was something earnest in the look Cavanaugh gave me back at the apartment. Like, deep down, he really needed this one. I haven't seen anything like that from him before.

[A]

Aw, Russ, this sounds like the start of a beautiful friendship.

[C]

That old bastard and me, buddies? Sure. When hell freezes over. Anyway, what about you? Why are you here?

[A]

Uh, I guess. Well, I guess I'm intrigued. That grid search error has really got me thinking. Something screwy is definitely going on with that. And also, if there is someone out there resurrecting this old school instead of assertion tech, I want to know who it is. As an enthusiast, this is right up my alley.

[C]

But you'd never consider getting something like this done to yourself, would you?

[A]

A Nero Shard? No way. Those things were always super problematic. Making them illegal was actually one of the few pieces of legislation I actually agreed with.

[C]

You think this kid is mixed up in something big?

[A]

I can't say for certain, but this kind of tech is generally found in the hands of desperate people who are up to no good. And you know the old saying. Where there's smoke, there's fire. Oh. Oh. Pull. Pull over here. Rust. This is it.

[C]

Yep. Looks just like I remember it. This place always was pretty shabby.

[A]

This guy Crow, he was a legend back in the day.

[C]

Yeah, he was. But by the looks of these bars across the doors and windows, it seems Crow has fallen on hard times. In fact, if I didn't know any better, I'd say this place has been shut down for good.

[A]

When was the last time you saw him?

[C]

It was years ago. A couple of decades back. I used to drop in all the time, but over time, Crow started dealing less and less in steel. He took an interest in tinkering with bio mods, so that's where the real creds were at.

[A]

Turns out he was right about that. You can make a killing on good bio mods. These days.

[C]

Yeah. So anyway, I didn't see much point in visiting, so I stopped coming altogether. I haven't seen or heard from him.

[A]

Since I did a grid search earlier. And this is the only business registered to him in the whole of the strata, so it's not likely he relocated.

[C]

Maybe he croaked. He was now spring chicken.

[A]

Let's take a look around the back just to be sure. Can you see anything through the windows?

[C]

Looks like a bunch of his equipment is still inside, but I don't think Crow is here. There's dust on everything.

[A]

So the place is abandoned. Huh. Another dead end. I guess. Maybe we could. Wait a second. There's something by the back door.

[C]

What have you got there? A package?

[A]

Yeah, but it's. Ugh, it's covered in gunk. Looks like it's been sitting around for ages. Let me check the label here.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Here we go. See? It's got Crow's name as a recipient.

[C]

But he clearly hasn't dropped by to pick it up.

[A]

Hey, Rust, can you check the scan code on this for me? I wonder.

[C]

Okay, it's gone through. Looks legit. Got a. That's strange. The address isn't for this location. It was supposed to be delivered to Highgate City.

[A]

So how did it end up here?

[C]

My guess is that whoever made the delivery got their wires crossed. Probably looked up Crow's address on a grid search instead of using the scan code. That would have led them here instead of the correct location. Sloppy work. This is the kind of shit that gives us couriers a bad name.

[A]

I guess I'll just put it back.

[C]

No, see, wait. This could actually be a good thing. A package with Crow's name on it destined for Highgate City. Doesn't that seem odd to you?

[A]

Sure does. But what's got you all excited, pal?

[C]

I'm thinking of adding one more staff to our itinerary. What do you say about bringing that package along and helping me make a delivery?

[B]

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 Beyond from the Dark. Your support means I can keep bringing you more seasons of the strata. Season 13, Downfall starring Jason Turoi, Brianna Marshall, Trent Trachtenberg, Michelle Mosley, Paul Warren, Jenna Sharp, Chloe Elmore, Rebecca Tamman, Marta Da Silva, Sarah Safarian, Larry o', Blander, Thomas Barker, Marlon Dance Hui, Liz Morey, Kyle Kacmazic, Nicholas Yuen, Brad Gilliam, and Alexander Hakim Stravinsky Created by Mark R. Healy A Beyond the Dark production.

[A]

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[C]

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[B]

What do you have to lose?

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