Zero Hours: A New Series From The Wolf 359 Crew

Summary

Wolf 359 Podcast Summary: "Zero Hours" Episode 1 - "Those Familiar Spirits"

Podcast Information:

• Title: Wolf 359
• Host/Author: Kinda Evil Genius Productions, LLC
• Episode Title: Zero Hours: A New Series From The Wolf 359 Crew
• Episode: "Those Familiar Spirits" (Episode 1)
• Release Date: October 21, 2019

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Introduction

"Wolf 359," a radio drama produced by Kinda Evil Genius Productions, LLC, ventures into new territory with its spin-off anthology series, "Zero Hours." The series expands the universe of Wolf 359, intertwining space-faring adventure with character-driven drama and absurdist sitcom elements. Episode 1, titled "Those Familiar Spirits," delves into themes of faith, doubt, and the supernatural within a seemingly ordinary small-town church setting.

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Episode Overview

"Those Familiar Spirits" follows the intense interaction between Reverend Liberty Howlett (voiced by Zach Labresco) and Faith Alden (voiced by Ariella Rotenberg). Set against the backdrop of midnight at the Old Road Church in December 1722, the episode explores the clash between rigid religious doctrines and the unsettling emergence of the supernatural.

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Characters and Their Dynamics

• Reverend Liberty Howlett (Zach Labresco): A dedicated yet somewhat forgetful minister struggling with his faith and responsibilities. His rigid adherence to scripture is tested by the unforeseen arrival of Faith Alden.

• Faith Alden (Ariella Rotenberg): A self-proclaimed witch with deep knowledge of spiritual matters. Her urgent warnings about impending apocalypse challenge Reverend Howlett's beliefs.

The interaction between these two characters forms the crux of the episode, highlighting their conflicting worldviews and the ensuing tension.

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Key Plot Points

1. Faith’s Arrival ([03:30] - [07:03]):

   • Faith Alden arrives at Reverend Howlett's church late at night, insisting on an urgent conversation about ominous signs indicating the world's end.
   • Initial confusion leads to a heated exchange where Faith reveals her true identity as a witch ([10:28], Ariella Rotenberg: "I am a witch.").

2. Debate on Supernatural Signs ([07:03] - [16:13]):

   • A prolonged theological debate ensues, with Faith presenting dire prophecies and Reverend Howlett dismissing them as mere superstition.
   • Notable exchanges include Faith’s declarations and Howlett’s staunch reliance on scripture, highlighting their ideological divide ([16:12], Ariella Rotenberg: "I see. Father. Are you quite certain?").

3. Apocalyptic Manifestation ([16:13] - [27:15]):

   • As tensions peak, a crimson glow appears in the sky, seemingly validating Faith’s warnings about the apocalypse ([26:27], Zach Labresco: "The sky, Mistress Halden. It is burning.").
   • The manifestation, however, quickly dissipates, revealing it to be a false alarm. This twist underscores the fragility of belief and the unpredictability of faith.

4. The Theft of the Scroll ([27:15] - [37:24]):

   • Amidst the chaos, Faith steals the sacred "Scroll of St. Eustace," an artifact entrusted to the church. She rationalizes her actions by framing it as a valuable piece of apocalyptic literature ([34:35], Ariella Rotenberg: "I like to think of myself as a particularly avid reader and an unusually creative performance artist. But I am stealing this.").
   • The episode concludes with Faith's departure and Reverend Howlett's realization of his inner turmoil, suggesting a potential crisis of faith.

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Significant Quotes

• Faith Alden:

  • "I am a witch. I am a sower of discord, an instrument of the adversary's will. I have danced naked in the moonlight and written my name in the book of the damned." ([10:28])

• Reverend Liberty Howlett:

  • "We don't have time for faith." ([07:38])
  • "I have had no faith in our Heavenly Father. I have in my heart believed that he did not in truth exist, but was merely a fantasy of thought conjured by men." ([29:40])

• Faith Alden:

  • "The end of the world is coming, and it arrives tonight." ([19:17])
  • "The sky will glow with a strange crimson radiance, and from its great fiery depth shall rush forward to meet the world and, and rain down upon it." ([21:37])

• Reverend Liberty Howlett:

  • "You are not Father Credence?" ([07:00])
  • "I am, a reverend, but not a good one." ([36:40])

These quotes encapsulate the central conflict and emotional stakes of the episode, highlighting the struggle between entrenched belief and emerging doubt.

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Themes and Insights

• Faith vs. Doubt: The episode masterfully explores the tension between steadfast faith and the challenging of that faith through supernatural claims. Reverend Howlett's internal conflict is palpable as he grapples with Faith Alden's accusations and prophecies.

• Supernatural vs. Rationality: Faith's declaration of being a witch introduces elements of the supernatural, forcing characters and listeners alike to question the boundaries between reason and the inexplicable.

• Isolation and Mental Strain: Echoing the overarching themes of Wolf 359, the episode delves into how extreme isolation and pressure can exacerbate fears and uncertainties, leading to dramatic confrontations.

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Conclusion

"Those Familiar Spirits" serves as a compelling introduction to the "Zero Hours" series, blending historical fiction with supernatural elements to create a gripping narrative. The episode adeptly sets up the dynamic between its central characters, laying the foundation for future explorations of faith, belief, and the unknown. Listeners are left pondering the nature of belief and the fine line between reality and illusion, eagerly anticipating subsequent episodes to unravel further mysteries.

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Additional Information

• Production Credits:

  • Written by: Gabrielle Urbina
  • Directed by: Sarah Shakt
  • Original Music: Alan Rode
  • Audio Recording: Jared Paul
  • Voice Cast: Zach Labresco (Father Liberty Howlett), Ariella Rotenberg (Faith Alden)

• Further Episodes and Updates: For more stories and updates, visit 0hourspodcast.com.

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This detailed summary provides a comprehensive overview of "Zero Hours" Episode 1, capturing the essential plot points, character interactions, and thematic elements. Notable quotes with timestamps are included to enrich the narrative, making it accessible and engaging for those who haven't listened to the episode.

Transcript

[Zach Valente]

Hey everyone, Zach Valente here. Really excited to send you all a new transmission, so to speak, from Wolf 359 HQ. We've put together a brand new audio fiction anthology show called Zero Hours, all seven episodes of which are available to download right now wherever you get your podcasts. It's a series of stories set in the past, present and future, each about the end of the world, or at least the end of someone's world. It was produced by myself and those incorrigible devils Gabrielle Urbina and Sarah Shakt, with original music by our resident actual genius Alan Rode. You can hear a lot of the Wolf 359 cast, including Emma Shirjarko, Cecilia Lynn Jacobs and Noah Mazur. Plus some of our favorite people from the wider audio drama world like Brigand Snow from the Bright Sessions, Ars Paradoxica's Kristen D. Mercurio, Wooden Overcoats, Felix Trench and Tom Crowley, Janis Descending's Jordan Cobb, and even more. We're really proud of this series and we think that if you like Wolf 359, you'll enjoy it too. So we thought we'd share the first episode with you in which Ariella Rotenberg our our own Rachel Young has a very interesting proposition for the ex Colonel Kepler Zach labresco. Listen to them both in those familiar spirits and check out zerohourspodcast.com for information on the rest of the series. Now here's the episode Zero Hours is brought to you by Stories from the Edge of History. It's an audio fiction series by Historic Royal Palaces, a charity that manages some of the United Kingdom's most historically important royal palaces, including the Tower of London. In association with Rusty Quill, the creators of the Magnus Archive, Outliers is a series of tales from England's past written by award winning contemporary writers and seen through the eyes of the people on the edges of history. Tune in to the first season to hear the story of the only woman to escape the Tower of London, a zealous Puritan soldier on a mission to assassinate Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell, and of the shocking identity of the woman known as the King's sister. A new season begins November 5th featuring new stories by award winning writers, but season one is available right now. Outliers Stories from the Edge of History created by historic royal palaces and Rusty Quill. Listen to it on Apple Podcasts and other podcasting platforms or go to rustyquill.com outliers the following episode contains discussions of witchcraft and religious persecution. Listener discretion advised.

[Gabrielle Urbina]

Long Story Short Productions presents Zero Hours Today Zach labresco and Ariella Rotenberg in those Familiar Spirits, by Gabrielle Urbina.

[Zach Labresco]

Old Road Church, 1st of December, the year of our Lord 1722. My very dear Giles Williams, I hope this correspondence finds you well and that your studies at the Royal Society for the Advancement of the Natural Sciences are progressing to your satisfaction. Though my responsibilities to the parish keep me away from Boston, I hope it is not too long before our paths cross once more. It has been a trying. Hmm? Hm. Uh. It has been a trying month, ever since I took up the ministry here at Waltham. The good people of this township love to Father Credence, and it is clear that I have a ways to go before I am embraced in earnest as his successor. Still, I hope to be worthy of their regard, as well as of the other charge I mentioned in my last. What the devil? At this time of night? Who could possibly.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

Finally, I have been standing out here in the howling winds for a span of the earth. Father, it is high time you dragged her ass up to the door.

[Zach Labresco]

Yes. I mean, yes, it. I mean. Can I help you?

[Ariella Rotenberg]

Almost certainly not, but we need to talk this very instant.

[Zach Labresco]

This. This very instant. But. But it's.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

Oh, for the sake of. Father, it's a matter of grave urgency. The signs have come and the portents have manifested and. Will you please get out of the way?

[Zach Labresco]

Oh, frightfully sorry. I. Well. Well, by all means, if it's a matter of urgency, child, do come in. And.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

There we are. That's better.

[Zach Labresco]

May I take your coat? Or perhaps that bag that you're.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

No, we're going to need it. The signs have arrived, Father.

[Zach Labresco]

The signs. Which signs? Might those give me strength?

[Ariella Rotenberg]

These signs. The ones that we've been discussing ever since. You are not Father Credence?

[Zach Labresco]

No, I am afraid I'm rather not.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

Is Father Creedence somewhere in the vicinity?

[Zach Labresco]

Oh, in a manner of speaking.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

What manner?

[Zach Labresco]

He's buried in the churchyard.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

Oh, God damn it.

[Zach Labresco]

Oh, if. If you could just.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

And who are you, then?

[Zach Labresco]

Father Liberty Howlett. And if you could refrain from.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

You're the new reverend?

[Zach Labresco]

Very much so. And you would be.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

Of all the rotten this is going to make it. All the more. We don't have time for this.

[Zach Labresco]

We don't have time for what, exactly?

[Ariella Rotenberg]

Faith.

[Zach Labresco]

We don't have time for faith.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

No, no.

[Zach Labresco]

I mean, you'll find that within these walls, we always have time.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

My name. My name is Faith. Faith Alden.

[Zach Labresco]

Oh. Oh, I see. What. What brings you to my humble church at this late, late hour? Mistress Alden? You said it was a matter of some urgency.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

A matter of great urgency.

[Zach Labresco]

Are. Are you in danger or. Oh. Oh. Are you here for confession? What?

[Ariella Rotenberg]

Nothing. That's going to be very funny in about a minute. Uh, no, I'm not here for. Father Credence and I were colleagues of a sort.

[Zach Labresco]

Colleagues?

[Ariella Rotenberg]

Yes. For the past few years, we'd been occasionally consulting with one another.

[Zach Labresco]

Consulting? On what matters?

[Ariella Rotenberg]

Oh, all sorts of spiritual matters. You see, Father Credence and I had rather different views on the future field of theology. A matter of competing perspectives, if you follow.

[Zach Labresco]

I believe I grasp your meaning.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

You do?

[Zach Labresco]

I may be the shepherd of a simple flock, but I have seen something of the world, a difference of perspectives. When it comes to matters of the spirit, that at least is clear to me. You're an Anglican?

[Ariella Rotenberg]

No.

[Zach Labresco]

No?

[Ariella Rotenberg]

No.

[Zach Labresco]

Oh. You're not a Quaker, are you?

[Ariella Rotenberg]

Perish the thought.

[Zach Labresco]

Oh, thank goodness. There's a relief.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

Well, on that one thing we're in agreement.

[Zach Labresco]

But then what. What are you saying? You are saying that you are not of the godly. Yes. You are of a different sect and still converse with Father Credence, Hope of.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

His goods, if I with thee were seen, yet close and secret as our souls we have been.

[Zach Labresco]

I am unsure if I follow that. If it is scripture, it is a strange rendering to me.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

It's a kind of. Well, no, we don't have time for that. You are correct, Father, that I am not of the godly. As for the rest, I think you should sit down.

[Zach Labresco]

I am quite happy to stand.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

Indulge me. And at least position yourself in front of this pew.

[Zach Labresco]

I. But. Very well. Better.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

Marvelous. Father, I am. Father, I. Father, I am a witch.

[Zach Labresco]

A what?

[Ariella Rotenberg]

A witch.

[Zach Labresco]

A what?

[Ariella Rotenberg]

A witch. Father.

[Zach Labresco]

I do not understand.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

Oh, God damn it.

[Zach Labresco]

Please don't.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

We don't have time for this. I am a witch. I am a sower of discord, an instrument of the adversary's will. I have danced naked in the moonlight and written my name in the book of the damned. I am night crier and plague planter, Mother Superior in the coven of a dark sisterhood. I am a witch.

[Zach Labresco]

This is some manner of trick.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

It is no trick, just the truth. I am a witch. Hello.

[Zach Labresco]

Hmm.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

See, I knew that P would be a good idea, but.

[Zach Labresco]

But. But. No. No, I do not believe it.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

Father, I appreciate that this is the place for lively debates on matters of belief, but this is not the time. I am a witch, and that is that. It is a fact, and it is plain as it is black as night.

[Zach Labresco]

No no, no. I tell you this, Mistress Alden, I am the minister of a humble parish, but I am an educated man.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

I never implied otherwise.

[Zach Labresco]

Reason and logic are the Holy Father's gifts to us, as much as the Bible is his truth. My head will not be turned by fairy tales or the fancies of women for purposes unknown. In the middle of the night, no less.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

Clearly not.

[Zach Labresco]

Even if I were to grant that you are what you claim to be, and I grant no such thing, mind you. Why in the name of all that is good would one of that kind ever set foot in a house of God?

[Ariella Rotenberg]

Now you're asking better questions. As I was saying, just a few short minutes ago, Father Credence and I long ago came to an understanding of sorts.

[Zach Labresco]

What kind of an understanding?

[Ariella Rotenberg]

Well, is it not obvious? When you find yourself fighting a war for the eternal souls of the world, it's useful to check in with the other side every now and then. After all, who better to advise us on how to conduct our battle than our opponents? Who better to make sure he was giving his congregation the right advice on how to resist temptation than the tempters themselves? And on the other hand, who better to give my side advice on how to corrupt the pure and the innocent than the purest and the most innocent amongst you? It's simply common sense that we would.

[Zach Labresco]

No. Stop it.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

Stop what?

[Zach Labresco]

All of it. Everything you are.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

But it's.

[Zach Labresco]

Silence. I. I do not believe this. Shakenary. This is a trick. And it is a trick. A trick to confuse me and. And you are a liar. A liar and a jade. But you are no witch.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

Father. Consider this. Your order condemns spiritualism and witchcraft in all its forms. Men and women, although I will note the overwhelming preponderance, have been. Women have been hanged for the mere accusation of it. They have pleaded, begged for their lives, insisting that they are not. So why would I come here and say I was a witch unless I absolutely was?

[Zach Labresco]

Well, you could. You could. Very well then. Prove it.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

Excuse me.

[Zach Labresco]

You say you are a witch. Let me have the proof, then. Show me.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

What would you have me do?

[Zach Labresco]

Something. Anything. You. You traded your immortal soul for dark powers over the world and its creatures. Did you notice? Go on then.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

Oh, of course. My dark powers. How could I forget? Absolutely. Give me just a moment to perform a quick blood magic shadow ritual. Oh, you do, of course, have a supply of wolfsbane and brimstone on hand? No. Well, then, how about a bezoar and the heart of a falsely accused man hanged for murder? How about A bramble of night blooming flower and crushed powder of hemlock.

[Zach Labresco]

Well, we have no stores of any of those.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

Oh, do you not? Well, in that case, I cannot cast a spell of unnatural corruption for you. What a shame. In the center of your place of worship, no less. Think a little further ahead, Father.

[Zach Labresco]

No, I did not wish. I simply postulated that you should be able to demonstrate that you.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

Can you prove your credentials?

[Zach Labresco]

Me?

[Ariella Rotenberg]

Yes, you, sir. You are of the godly, are you not? Prove it. I can. Wait.

[Zach Labresco]

That. That is simply not the way it works.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

Oh, is it simply not the way it works? Well, if that's the case, then we'll just have. Oh, look at me. Time. So short. And here I am letting you suck me into a debate about the finer points of theological philosophy.

[Zach Labresco]

That is not what was, Father.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

Look at my eyes and hear the words that are coming out of my mouth. I am a witch. I understand that your side considers this a crime with serious repercussions in this world and the next. And still I stand here and assert it. Would someone take that risk unless what they said was the truth? Well, I. I give you my word. Let my blood be on my own hands, so to speak. I. I'm not sure a man or woman who is medium or spiritist amongst you must be put to death. You are to stone them. Their blood will be on their own hands.

[Zach Labresco]

Is.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

Is that the Bible, sir?

[Zach Labresco]

Oh. Oh, yes. Oh, yes, naturally. That's Leviticus. Leviticus, yes, of course. Leviticus.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

20.

[Zach Labresco]

Yes, 27. 27. Seven, yes, exactly. Leviticus 20. 27, yes, yes.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

You. You are a reverend, right?

[Zach Labresco]

Yes, of course I am a reverend. I am a fully ordained minister. I just. My memory is not always the best, that is all. I am not dim. I am as smart as they come. I just sometimes find it hard to remember things, especially things from books.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

Even things from that book?

[Zach Labresco]

Even that one, yes.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

Father, if I could be so bold to ask, how did somebody with that particular temperament find himself as a minister?

[Zach Labresco]

Well, it was not precisely my first choice, to be honest with you. I did not expect to take up the cloth. But it was my father's dying wish that. Hey. One moment. One moment. No, no, no. What. What did I. I am not falling for your game. We are not talking about me or my past or my memory. We are speaking about you. And you are either a liar, in which case, you. You are to be gone from my church, or you are. Well. Well, in that case, you are to be gone from my church at once.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

Wait, wait, wait, wait. Wait, wait, Father. Just one moment.

[Zach Labresco]

That's quite all right.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

But it's a matter of great importance.

[Zach Labresco]

And I'm sure it is. Good night, Mistress Alden.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

It concerns the end of the world.

[Zach Labresco]

What did you just say?

[Ariella Rotenberg]

I said it concerns the end of the world.

[Zach Labresco]

The end?

[Ariella Rotenberg]

Yes.

[Zach Labresco]

Of the world?

[Ariella Rotenberg]

Correct.

[Zach Labresco]

Of this world?

[Ariella Rotenberg]

God damn it. Yes, this world.

[Zach Labresco]

Would you please stop taking the Lord's name in vain?

[Ariella Rotenberg]

Father, I'm a self described witch. I've wedded myself to the forces of darkness. I freely admit my allegiance to the adversary. Can we acknowledge that my adherence to the Ten Commandments might not be all it's supposed to be and move on?

[Zach Labresco]

No, I, I, I do not care. Tainted your soul may or may not be, but this is a house of God, and it is under my care. You do not take the name of the Lord in vain. While you are here, I must insist upon it. The end of the world.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

Yes. The end times. The signs are all here, Father. The very air is thick with them. I had long talked about this possibility with Father Credence, and now the portents are here. Apocalypse approaches.

[Zach Labresco]

Well, of course it does.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

No, I'm telling you that. Oh, it does.

[Zach Labresco]

Absolutely. It has long been written it is part of the Lord's divine plan to unmake creation and parse the righteous from.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

No, you cretin. I'm not talking about some distant prophesied event. I'm talking about here. Now. The end of the world is coming, and it arrives tonight. That's all you have to say? The deliverance of the world is on hand, and all you have to say is. Mmm hmm.

[Zach Labresco]

Oh, what am I supposed to say? You come in here spouting nonsense about being a witch and the end times, and you expect me to take it all in good, to just believe it because you say it is true?

[Ariella Rotenberg]

No, of course not.

[Zach Labresco]

Oh, good. That is a relief to hear.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

I'm going to show you.

[Zach Labresco]

Show me how? Are you going to. Ah, heavens above. What is that?

[Ariella Rotenberg]

Goat entrails. Slaughtered this very morning on a dark altar.

[Zach Labresco]

Ah, the smell.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

Yes, yes. No, shush. Now, where was it? Where was it? Let's see. Aha. Here we go.

[Zach Labresco]

What do you. Oh, that's a.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

See, here it is on the day first of the 12th month of the year 1700. And 20th and second. That's tonight.

[Zach Labresco]

I see.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

On that very night, look upwards, for the sky will glow with a strange crimson radiance, and from its great fiery depth shall rush forward to meet the world and, and rain down upon it. And lo, though the world was made in seven, it shall be unmade in one. And, well, this bit is a little grisly. I'll spare you the rest.

[Zach Labresco]

Where are you seeing any of that?

[Ariella Rotenberg]

What do you mean? It's all here. Right here. See?

[Zach Labresco]

Nah.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

No, I'm pointing right at it. It's clear as day here. Look closer.

[Zach Labresco]

No, I think I have rather seen enough of that. Mistress Olden, even if you are correct about this truly preposterous claim, why come to me about it?

[Ariella Rotenberg]

First of all, I did not come to you. I came to Father Credence. You are an unexpected complication. But secondly, I need confirmation.

[Zach Labresco]

You need to confirm what?

[Ariella Rotenberg]

Oh, come on, sir, think. My sources seem to be quite adamant that we depart from the earth this very night. But prophecy being a rather inexact art, I do not wish to do anything rash. I thought to myself, well, this might be one of those times when it would be prudent to see if the other side's arithmetic is coming to the same result. So what are your sources saying.

[Zach Labresco]

Mistress Alden? What sources?

[Ariella Rotenberg]

Give me strength. Your divine sources, you, Pillik.

[Zach Labresco]

And what exactly are those?

[Ariella Rotenberg]

Well. Oh. Oh. Do you not have any lines of communication?

[Zach Labresco]

Not as such, no.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

But aren't you a man of God? Do you not spend countless hours in conversation with. You know who?

[Zach Labresco]

Prayer. I spend countless hours in prayer with our Heavenly Father. But he does not exactly answer. His ways are veiled in mystery beyond comprehension.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

And yet, somehow, mine is the less popular side.

[Zach Labresco]

In fact, Mistress Alden, if I am being completely honest with you, I have days when I am not entirely as one in my belief that.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

Your belief that what, Father?

[Zach Labresco]

It is of no consequence. We have exactly one source of divine insight, Mistress Alden, and it is called the Bible. And while I will admit that I do not know by rote every single word found within, I would remember if it said anything about fire raining from the sky on a cold December night.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

I see. Father. Are you quite certain?

[Zach Labresco]

I am rather certain, yes.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

Are you? You cannot possibly fathom anything else that might be seen as a source of divine information? Something a bit more recent?

[Zach Labresco]

No, I.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

Anything at all. Anything written, say, by one of the prophets and entrusted for safekeeping to a devoted parish in a small, out of the way settlement.

[Zach Labresco]

How do you know about.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

That which I keep telling you?

[Zach Labresco]

Heavens above.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

So, can we take a look at it.

[Zach Labresco]

Mistress Alden? Let me be clear about this. Nobody sees the scroll of St. Eustace. It is a priceless antiquity which was entrusted to me for safekeeping which is why it remains in a hidden strongbox upon the altar at all times. And besides, even if I believed that St. Eustace was communing with our Heavenly Father, he was quite mad. And the results of this exchange may well be holy, but for our purposes, they are wholly indecipherable.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

One moment. Does that mean that you have looked upon the scroll? Father Liberty, I, a puritan minister, one of the godly, reading the very Catholic ramblings of a madman, when he himself cannot recite the good.

[Zach Labresco]

That's enough. Out.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

What?

[Zach Labresco]

I have tolerated this nonsense long enough, and I shall tolerate it no longer. Away with you.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

No. But the signs.

[Zach Labresco]

The signs will still be there in the morning, Mistress Aldin. As will, I suspect, the world.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

Father.

[Zach Labresco]

Good night, Mistress Alden. Good night. And good.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

Good.

[Zach Labresco]

Good heavens.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

What. What is. Oh. Oh.

[Zach Labresco]

The. The. The sky, Mistress Halden. It is burning.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

It really, really is.

[Zach Labresco]

It's the dead of night, but it is. It is. Look at it.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

I am. It is a crimson radiance. Oh.

[Zach Labresco]

Dear heavens above. Dear heavens above.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

Father, look. Right there. Look.

[Zach Labresco]

Oh. What? What? What? What are you seeing? What are. Oh, heaven save us.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

It's a streak of fire. Fire falling from the heavens. It really is upon us. I think you should go get that scroll.

[Zach Labresco]

Yes, right away.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

Quickly, quickly. Bring it here. Oh. Careful. Don't step on that.

[Zach Labresco]

Don't.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

Entrance.

[Zach Labresco]

Oh, my boot.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

Never mind. Give that here. Let's see. Something about the good feast of duck mortar embowment. A word on the merits of promulence in the shape of the garden badger, the values of transient genesis, and the balding mole rat. What is this?

[Zach Labresco]

I told you.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

This is the best your divine sources have given you.

[Zach Labresco]

I told you.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

But I thought your God was supposed to be infallible.

[Zach Labresco]

He is infallible, but he works through us very fallible men. The red glow. It's. It's getting brighter.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

This is. This is useless. Pathetic.

[Zach Labresco]

But. But, but, but, but, but, but what do we do?

[Ariella Rotenberg]

Well, Father, given the way fire is raining from on high, I think we do the rational thing and assume it is the end of the world.

[Zach Labresco]

Oh. Oh, God.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

Which means there isn't much left to do. Except, I suppose, make our pieces with our heavenly superiors and infernal inferiors.

[Zach Labresco]

Oh, God. It's true. It's all true.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

I do not think that I have much by way of regret. I have had a rather excellent life. Could have spent my last hours in better company.

[Zach Labresco]

But no. No, I. I cannot go like this, Father. I cannot go like this. I Cannot meet him like this. Mistress Alden, you have to help me.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

I do not know that there is anything we can.

[Zach Labresco]

No, no, that I know, but. But I am guilty. I'm filled with sin.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

Oh, good for you.

[Zach Labresco]

No, I cannot meet the final judgment with sin upon my soul. You must hear my confession.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

Oh, I do not know that I could really be of.

[Zach Labresco]

Please. You said that you were a colleague of Father Credence's, correct? A Mother Superior. You are a figure of some authority in matters of the spiritual.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

Yes, yes, but I. Oh, God. Now he's on his knees.

[Zach Labresco]

Oh, Mother. Mother, I have sinned. I have transgressed against the Lord, my God. And I am guilty.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

You do realize that I.

[Zach Labresco]

Please this. There is no one else. I must confess, and it must be to you.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

Then. Then tell me of your sins, my son.

[Zach Labresco]

I have had no faith.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

Excuse me, son.

[Zach Labresco]

Mother, I have had no faith in our Heavenly Father. I have in my heart believed that he did not in truth exist, but was merely a fantasy of thought conjured by men. And I. I have been a coward and lied and sold my heartless faith to hundreds of others. In my time as a reverend, I thought because I could not hear his voice, he did not exist. But he does. He does exist. And he is here. And I am so, so sorry.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

I hear your confession, my son. I hear it in the name of the Satan and the night criers and all those familiar spirits. And I say to you, as a foe who respects her foe, there is one path that will lead you to your God.

[Zach Labresco]

What does it name it?

[Ariella Rotenberg]

Be as your Lord. Lash yourself to the cross and bear what suffering will come as he bore it on the hill of Calvary.

[Zach Labresco]

The cross here at the altar.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

Sure. I suppose it will do.

[Zach Labresco]

Can you.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

Happy to help.

[Zach Labresco]

My belt lashed me to my cross. Quickly.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

Hold out your arms and.

[Zach Labresco]

Thank you, Mother.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

Don't mention it. Really.

[Zach Labresco]

I'm ready.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

Good.

[Zach Labresco]

Because, Father, I'm ready.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

Oh, I. I see.

[Zach Labresco]

Father. I am ready, Father. I am ready for you.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

Ah.

[Zach Labresco]

What is. What. What. What is. What is happening?

[Ariella Rotenberg]

Oh, now I feel bad. Father, look at. Look at the sky.

[Zach Labresco]

It is back to normal. The crimson glow, the rain of fire. It. It's all gone.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

Yes, well, false alarm then. Yes, like I said, not an exact art by any means. What can you do? Yes, well, this has been a lovely time. Let me take my apocalyptic literature and I will be on my way. Yes, thank you for your hospitality and for indulging my eccentricities. It has been most educational.

[Zach Labresco]

Yes, I'd rather wait that is why are you taking the scroll of the visions of St. Eustace?

[Ariella Rotenberg]

How dare. Damn. I was hoping you would still be too catatonic to notice.

[Zach Labresco]

That is. No, stop that. That is my apocalyptic literature. Yours is still soiling my church floor.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

And yet. And yet.

[Zach Labresco]

No. What are you. Stop that.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

Father, do you know what a great comet is?

[Zach Labresco]

A. A what?

[Ariella Rotenberg]

A great comet. Quite an informal term rather than a scientific one. It refers to comets of unusual size and bulk, brightness, ones that can be perceived with the naked eye as they pass by the planet, especially when they are seen by night. And, you see, advancements in telescopes and mathematics. Now, let us predict the path and orbit of these great comets in rather precise ways, to the point that we may even know when to look for them in the night sky.

[Zach Labresco]

What does this have to do with.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

Not, of course, that this information is well known. It is only discussed in space. Certain very small circles. Men of science, for example, like those found in the Royal Society for the Advancement of the Natural Sciences in Boston. Of course, it's not just men employed at the Royal Academy. There are also women, mostly maids and housekeepers. They're ignored by the men, none of whom have ever paused to wonder if an unusually well educated maid might be able to read the literature they leave around. Or to understand itself, implications. And better still, that she might be curious enough to, while cleaning his quarters, read the personal correspondences of one Mr. Giles Williams. Exactly. Which would have all kinds of unusually interesting facts about one Father Liberty Howlett, recently given a church in Waltham where a priceless treasure is kept. Although, as far as one can tell from the letters, he alone knows where this artifact is.

[Zach Labresco]

I told him no not to tell anyone about that scroll.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

And in all fairness, he did not.

[Zach Labresco]

You are no witch. You are a thief.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

I like to think of myself as a particularly avid reader and an unusually creative performance artist. But I am stealing this.

[Zach Labresco]

What do you even want with it?

[Ariella Rotenberg]

What does anybody want with anything? It may be holy and it may be the senseless ramblings of a lunatic, but it is definitely worth a fair bit of money.

[Zach Labresco]

You are going to sell it.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

I know a man in New York who will pay very handsomely for it.

[Zach Labresco]

Well, I. I simply shall not allow you to do this.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

I hate to be the one to point this out to you, Father, but you are slightly indisposed.

[Zach Labresco]

I.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

I. Even if you had not so obligingly tied yourself up, you would have let me leave with it.

[Zach Labresco]

Would I indeed?

[Ariella Rotenberg]

Oh, yes. Because in order to take this from me, you would need to use force, which I do not think you would do. And if you tried to reason with me, we would debate all through the night until your congregants arrived from prayers to find you standing over the spilt entrails of a goat, arguing with a woman. A woman, I may add, who has quite the story to tell about a very fallible man.

[Zach Labresco]

Oh, Lord.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

So I am going to take this scroll, and you are never going to tell anyone about this episode. As far as your friend is concerned, the artifact is still under your care, sitting in its little box in this out of the way town where it will not confuse anyone or challenge anyone's belief.

[Zach Labresco]

Go.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

God give you Good evening, Father.

[Zach Labresco]

You know, you may not be a Satanist, but you're a real witch.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

And you, Father Liberty, aren't a very good reverend, but I think you are a good man. You'll get by. Do not be afraid to ask for help from the other side every now and then.

[Zach Labresco]

Oh, God damn it.

[Ariella Rotenberg]

See? That's the spirit.

[Gabrielle Urbina]

0 hours Episode 1 those Familiar Spirits was written by Gabrielle Urbina and directed by Sarah Shackett. It starred Zach labresco as Father Liberty Howlett and Ariella Rotenberg as Faith Alden, with original music by Alan Rode and audio recording by Jared Paul. For information on the series and updates on additional stories, visit 0hourspodcast.com.