Desert Skies - Chapter 8 - Prize of the Red Territory

Episode Date: October 24, 2022

Club 86: https://patreon.com/desertskies A vehicle pulls into the station, but it is no Skylark. Who is this visitor from the 4th Sphere, and what has brought them to Desert Skies? In this chapter, much that has been hidden will be revealed, new questions will arise, and the path that leads to the Astral Plane's salvation will be made a little clearer. Oh, and we find out what's in the basement. Hint: It's not a basement monster. Merch: https://desertskies.myshopify.com Discord: https://discord.gg/7fuUU78mUh Website: https://desertskiespodcast.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the best listening experience, headphones are recommended. You can come down now, Mac. Okay. Here I come. Okay. You ready? Ready as I'll ever be. Shirley, will you do the honors?

It would be my pleasure. Three, two, one, and a half. Oh, don't do that to me. One. What? What is this? It was Shirley's idea. From the first time I saw your shack,

I'd been thinking about how it could use an upgrade. That place is terrifying. It shouldn't be allowed to exist. In fact, it's a stain on the face of the... That's good, Shirley. Well, this is one hell of an upgrade. From shack to kick-ass basement. So this is what you two were doing down here this whole time?

I really wanted to tell you, Mack, but it had to be a surprise. Well, mission accomplished. This is a surprise. Let's take a look around, shall we? We begin with the sitting area. Perfect spot for an evening's reading. Childhood memories, of course.

And enough room for you to stretch out on the couch in the event. You consume too much of that shack juice. Though I suppose you'd call it basement juice now. Either way, it sounds weird and disconcern. Certainly. Wait a second. This couch. Is it? No way. That's the backseat of a Skylark. I asked Wei Wei and his crew if they could remove it from the car he quote unquote borrowed from Shirley. I couldn't understand what he barked back, but if I had to guess, I think he was just happy to do something for his friend. Oh, that's so nice. I mean, I hate to see a Buick tortured like that, but this is cool as shit, guys. We're not done yet. As I understand it, you're a big fan of jerky. Well, my family made their own to sell in the store, and we use an old refrigerator to do it.

Remember this fridge, Matt? It's the old soda fridge. You always said we'd find a use for it, and we did. Well, surely did. Oh, it was nothing. Just remove the condenser coils and replace them with a heating element from the old pretzel warmer. Wala, dehydrator. I'll be damned.

Over here, you have a big workbench for whatever projects you want to take on. Hung some old promotional posters on the wall for a little color. Look at this one. Get your burrito today. 24 varieties. 24. That was forever ago. And you haven't aged a day.

And it's not just the posters. Shirley ran some more power down here. Check this out. All right. Ice cold drinks neon sign. That is so cool. It's starting to feel like the long pause in here. Here's something I'm especially proud of. Press this button here. This one here? Hold it down and say something and then let go. Um, let's see. Kiss my grits. Excuse me? Cash. Oh, I'm sorry, Cash. I didn't know you'd hear that.

That's okay. I don't even know what it means. How'd you even do that? An old speaker, some wires, some surely know-how. I love it. And check this out. Cash? Yes, attendant. Can you play some music down here?

Certainly. Genre. Mac? Let's go with chillaxing. I'm not sure Cash knows what chillaxing is. Playing chillaxing music. Wait. Well, that's very pretty.

Oh, and that's the last part. Ran another hose down for the driveway bell. That way you never miss a traveler arriving when you're down here. You guys, here I was thinking you were just hanging out without me. And this whole time you were hanging out for me. I don't know what to say. This place is amazing. I can't wait to show Weiwei.

I'm glad you like it, Mac. One last thing before we go upstairs. This one here told me about the guitar you received. Yes, ma'am. You don't play, do you? Me? No. But I'll put a hook on the wall here, so you have a place to hang it.

Well, that sounds awesome. Thank you, Shirley. My pleasure, mechanic. Well, sorry you don't have more time to hang out in the basement, Mac, but duty calls. Uh-huh. Duty. Guys, that's not a Skylark. No, it isn't.

It's a carriage. And look at those horses. Those magnificent, fluffy, beautiful horse. Not that of it, Mac. Look, the coachman. Bless my bearded stars. He's a... He's an...

An alien. Straight out of a kid's comic book. Well, let's not be rude. We should introduce ourselves. You're seriously going near that thing? Mack, I was just served beer by a thousand-pound bear, and all of a sudden we're drawing the line at covered wagon being driven by a little green man. Understood. To see any thought to fell

So very rate more fun, Lusse, soul. Did you watch a Rutherg your knurkel? Are you, Snaturg? Greetings, Traveller. I am the attendant. This is the mechanic. And this is Shirley. Oh, you speak English, greetings.

We are looking for those you had lost souls from their previous life to the next. Well, that would be us. Yes. Very good. Permit me a moment to attend to my lady. Um, permitted? My lady, we have arrived. Stewards of the desert sphere are present to you the prize of the red territory.

Over of the false fear. Her majesty, Masonia. Greetings to you. I apologize for the unannounced intrusion upon your. station, but I come to you to speak of an urgent matter. Ma'am, I'm not sure where you think you are, but this here's just a gas station. Mack's right, not trying to be rude, but maybe you're in the wrong place. Are you not the successors of Vant and Sharon?

Ferrymen of the underworld, stewards of the gate which stems from the physical plane, those who provide aid to travelers on their journey, captains of the Astral Highway, I guess you could say that. I kind of like when you say that. That sounds friggin' awesome. Say it again. Your reputation spreads far and wide. You are known throughout the astral plane.

This place is of the most tremendous value in all of the celestial spheres. A place of great importance. Indeed. A place of great importance. And who are you? Names, surely. I worked at this station when I was young. Well, the version of it on the physical plane. It belonged to my parents.

Is that so fascinating? Am I to understand correctly that you are the daughter of the founding attendant? Yes, ma'am, Dale Edwards. Then this concerns you as well. I regret to tell you that your father is in grave danger. That he is in danger. But that's impossible. He's already moved on to the next life.

Isn't that right, attendant? Um, he, uh, he's, well, Shirley, he's... He never entered into the next life. He is still here, here on the astral plane. Dandy, did you know? I'm so sorry, Shirley. I was afraid that if I told you... My daddy's been here this whole time and you didn't tell me.

It was for your own safety. surely I knew if I told you that you would try to find him if you were to get lost on the astral plane or worse come into contact with a I I can't Shirley wait Let her go for now I need you to show me show you what? Everything Well it's highly unorthodox Mac do not unbuckle that belt. Can I get you anything? We got chips, soda, burritos, with people's essences in them.

Perhaps later. Thank you, mechanic. I've heard wonderful rumors about these burritos of yours. But if you wouldn't mind lowering the temperature in here, I'm not quite used to the heat of your desert. My own desert is quite cold. We can do that. Cache? Yes, attendant. How may I be of service?

Would you mind lowering the temperature? Our guest is uncomfortable. I would be happy to adjust the air conditioning. To which temperature? As low as it will go, please. Reducing the temperature now. My sincere gratitude. Now, attendant, mechanic. Let us take each other's hands.

I'm sorry, why? Mersonia. If this is a seance, you should know that I'm quite terrified of ghost. But mechanic, you are dead. We actually remind him of that pretty often. It never seems to stick. No, mechanic, this is no seance. Join hands together with me, and I will enter into your minds.

I must know all that you know. I promise it will not be painful. This isn't some kind of trick, is it? I've been tricked by a sphere mover before, and if I'm being honest, I just got this really cool basement spot that I want to hang out, and I would prefer not to have my brain, uh, melted or anything. You have every right to be cautious, mechanic, but I have no intention of melting your brain. Good enough for me, Chendi. Well, okay. Your trust is greatly appreciated.

Now, take hold, and let's begin. Good. Now I shall peer into your minds. Um, nothing is happening. Wait for it. Way for... On the 23rd sphere. Life is pain, my friends. Nothing but pain. You mean the robot never told you? That's cold, isn't it?

Yeah, well, if it's so great, why haven't you driven down that road, huh? No, not just a gas station. A place of great importance. They're not characters, Mac. They're us. Says token one. It's a car key. Token two.

A peck, Tendi. Look at it. Token three. My name, Tendy. He said he can tell me who I am. Tell me about my life on the fiscal plane. Welcome to Desert Skies. I think you're my mechanic.

Where am I? Well, I don't think they had a mechanic. I don't remember a time when I wasn't. here when I wasn't the attendant. Whoa, slow down there, son. Send me back. That's not how it works. Send me back now.

We're losing him. It has begun. What in the hell did you just do to us? You said you were going to peer into our minds. You just tore into my thoughts like a chainsaw. Slow down, attendant. I can explain everything. How far back into our memories did you go?

Tandy, you're glitching. What? Deep breaths. Deep breaths. Sonia, you said the astral plane may be saved yet. Saved from what? Not now. Attendant.

Attendant. Look at me. Breathe. I can't. Breathe. Okay. Good. Very good.

What did you see? Pain. I saw pain, attendant. But also, hope. Hope? The hope of a plan I worried was lost to the ages. What plan? I can show you.

But before I do, I think you should take a moment to recover from what just occurred. Attendant, have a seat. I'll grab you a drink, Tendi. Don't move. All right. Here you are. I'll be right back, buddy. I'm going to go check on Shirley. Try to take it easy, okay? Glitch is gone. Yeah. Yeah, I think the glitches are gone. That was really scary. Yeah, it was. Shirley, you down here?

Oh, it's you, mechanic. Are you doing okay? I just can't believe it. I thought he was gone. Moved on to the next life, but he's here. And that means there's a chance that I can find him. I could see my daddy again. Well, that's good, right?

I just don't understand why the attendant didn't tell me. He said he was trying to keep me safe. Safe from what? I'm dead. Well, even though we can't die, there's still plenty of danger on the astral plane. Such as? Well, getting lost for one. They're stranded.

The astral plane's big, real big. The highway's just one small part of it. At least that's the way I understand it. The way it's been explained to me. Dangerous or not? I have a right to know. I'm not a child. You don't know how bad it feels to have something like that.

kept from you. I know plenty well how it feels. Don't forget. I have a whole life on the physical plane that's been kept from me. If you were a member of the staff here, you'd know what I mean. And I hear you. Tandy should have said something. But I really do believe him when he says he was trying to protect you. He's a caring guy, Tendi. To a fault sometimes. I think that must be a quality in every attendant. The two I'm aware of, at least. So, what happens now? I don't know. It's something I have to think about. Mack, are you down there?

Yep, we're down here. Shirley, with you? Yep. Good. Monsonia is ready to show us what she came to show us. We'll be right up. Shirley, you coming? Let's see what she has to show. Once again, I'm...

must ask that we all take hands. I don't think I can do that. No need to fear, attendant. This time, it is not you whose mind is being revealed, but my own. Now, close your eyes, and there, in the darkness that you see, begin to notice a world arising, shadows becoming light, the shapeless taking form. Come with me to another time. The astral plane was once much different than the way you know it in the present, where the astral highway has brought clarity of direction and safety.

The path from the physical plane to the next life was once nothing but a path to be walked, one fraught with danger. Yet for ages, this path stood and served its purpose well enough. And though difficult to traverse, with enough time, travelers could and did make their way, past the thirty-third sphere and into the next life. As sphere-movers, we were charged with the well-being of travelers. Once entered into our sphere, a traveler became our ward. And we and those who inhabit our domain would ensure the safe passage of that traveler through

the terrain of our sphere. Even the worst of us were compelled to do our duty to the travelers in our sphere, including those you would call malevolent beings. As you know, the Martian sphere is quite cold. My carriage was the vessel that ensured travelers remained comfortable and safe. A being like Cawson, who your memories revealed your acquaintance with, would provide imps to guide the traveler through the stormy eight sphere. And you probably wonder how it is that all sphere-movers were compelled to act in such a

benevolent and caring manner. We owe that to the guardian of the next life, and master of the 33rd sphere, and overseer of all spheres within, prime mover, emissary of the superiors, transcendent, a being for whom the terms malevolent and benevolent do no justice. And much like the staff of desert skies, the prime sole purpose was ensuring the safe passage of all who traveled the astral plane. Ensuring that each and every one arrived safely at the gate of the next life. But then, the unthinkable, a number of my kind, both benevolent and malevolent sphere-movers,

became greedy. Rather than assisting travelers on their journey, they began to instead gather them to themselves, enslaving them for their own purposes. Some gathered to create armies. Others gathered a force worship in the building of monuments. to themselves. When Prime Mover finally became aware of these despicable crimes, the matter was brought to the superiors.

They worked quickly to enact a plan. What plan? The creation of a grand highway. One protected from corrupted sphere movers and guarded by the servants of the Prime Mover, I myself am one such of servant. servant, but the highway was just part of the plan. In order to ensure that travelers could make the journey in total safety, the superiors sent visions to a man on the physical plane. My daddy. Dale Edwards, the attendant emeritus. While the highway was being constructed on this

side of existence, your station was being constructed on the other. When Dale Edwards died and passed into the astral plane, our highway and his station merged together. A new era of the astral plane had begun. Then those fearmovers who had worked to destroy the way of the traveler became restless in the boredom of discontent. Bitterness and anger grew. They banded together and with all the force of their combined power, Overcame the prime mover and stole him away. But that wasn't enough to achieve what their wayward hearts desired.

The highway in Buick Skylocks still provided protection for travelers. And sphere movers began using their powers to destroy the astral highway. At first they made slow work of their destruction. But their persistence is paying off. and the highway is beginning to crumble. At pothole, we hit on the second sphere. Second sphere, it is potholes. On the fourth sphere, all portions of the highway are missing.

Beyond that, who knows? But it is not enough. What do you mean it's not enough? Even without the highway, a problem still remains for them. You. You see, in their wisdom, The superiors saw that the future of the astral highway, and your station, was in danger. As long as there were sphere movers who sought to use the travelers for selfish gain, both could never hope to survive.

They'll come for you. The only reason they haven't is because they fear your protector. Our protector? Way, way, way. Mover of the first sphere. That crazy son of a big. Bitch is a sphere mover? His power exceeded only by that of the prime mover.

His cunning entirely unmatched. But even he is no match for the invasion sure to come. So, the superiors in their tremendous and miraculous foresight created a contingency plan. A plan to put an end to the threat of the enemies of the astral plane. a plan that was set in motion with your arrival at desert skies

and fully enacted upon your discovery of the first token but that doesn't explain anything what does a video game a 1961 Buick Skylark and a guitar have to do with saving the astral plane

I do not know I do not believe that it is for me to know it is for you to discover, as has been ordained by the superiors. I am only here to bring you a warning. Wherever the path of the tokens lead you, follow it, and follow it quickly. The station is in danger, and the answer to its salvation lies within your hands. Jeez, no pressure.

One more thing. Corson told you that the old attendant was being held in the dungeon of Zocilu. on the 23rd sphere, and I believe he may be right. So Chilicule, once benevolent being, patroness of life and death, was one of the most vocal of the rebellious sphere movers. And rumor has it. She has something of tremendous importance kept away within her palace. It's doubtful that Mr. Edwards even knows what he's looking for there.

That man is a slave. To save to his visions wherever they may lead him, he needs not answers. But you know what he's looking for, don't you? I cannot save a certain, but I believe Zuchelikia's palace is where the Prime Mover is imprisoned. What? You're saying the old attendant is trying to rescue the Prime Mover? Is that even possible? Well, if what Shirley's told us about her dad is true, then he is one, determined, and resourceful son of a bitch.

If anyone can do it, he can. Ain't that right, Shirley? Shirley? Uh, Lady Masonia, can I let go of your hand now? You may. Where Shirley go? I didn't even notice her leaving the circle. I was too focused on what I was seeing.

Maybe she's in the basement again. I'll go check. Mack, you look around the station. On it. Shirley! Charlie! Oh, this is terrible. Mechanic. Yeah.

I know you're concerned about your friend, but there's something I have to speak with you about. What is it? When I looked in your mind, I saw the same question being asked, over and over again a question that has never been satisfied with a proper answer what is my purpose what is your purpose indeed i don't know i'm supposed to be the mechanic but may i ask you a question of course what is a mechanic what do you mean i mean precisely what i said well a mechanic is someone who fixes beauch-sky-larks really that's

the definition of a mechanic? Well, yeah. And have you ever fixed in 1986, Buick Skylock? The most perfect of all the cars that have ever existed on the physical plane? No, I replaced some windshield wipers and a couple tires. Let me ask you another question. Who is the mechanic? Me?

I'm the mechanic. Has there ever been a mechanic on the astral plane who wasn't you? No, I don't think so. If Wood Driston told me is right, I'm the first. So what is a mechanic on the astral plane? A mechanic is me. A mechanic is you. A mechanic whose position was foretold and even brought to fruition by the superiors themselves.

But why did they make me a mechanic? There's nothing here to fix. Look at me. I'm looking. There is more than me. needs fixing on the astral plane, then you can begin to imagine. And trust me, when the time comes, you'll know how to fix it. You really believe that? I really do. Now, can I ask you something? I'd say that's fair. How far back did you go? In your memories? Like I said,

farther than I intended. Who are we, tending me? who were we on the physical plane do you trust me mechanic you haven't given me a reason not to i guess then listen and believe me when i say and this may be hard to accept but your past is not being kept from you it's it's not no it's being kept for you hey guys any luck oh hey tandy no Way, way, way, coyote, mover of the first sphere. My, it has been ages. He says Shirley took his car. And she was carrying gas cans.

She must be planning a long trip. She's going to the 23rd sphere. She's going to try to find her dad. What's going to happen to her? We have to help her, Mack. No. Let your friend go, attendant. Trust the path that has been set before her.

As you trust the path that has been set before you. We're just supposed to stay here and do nothing? Stay here and continue to do the work that you have done. The important work that you do and wait. Be patient. I must return to my spear, but I know that we will see each other again. And likely soon. Be cautious, remain vigilant, but persist in the good work of this special place.

Travelers need you. And so do we. I don't think I can just stay here. I mean, what if something happens to Shirley? Shirley's old, but she's tough as nails. I think she can take care of herself, Tendy. And if she can't? If she can't, then what hope is there for us?

Me with my soft and caring nature and you with your soft and nudely arms. Yeah, yeah, we got you. Oh, and when in the hell were you going to tell me you're a sphere mover? That's cool as shit. Of course we can still be friends. Why wouldn't I want to be friends with a sphere mover? You wouldn't remove me from existence. Come on, check out my basement.

It does not sound creepy when I say that. Greetings, Traveler. This is Jared Carter, the creator, writer, producer, and cast of Desert Skies. If you enjoy Desert Skies, I encourage you to rate, and review wherever you listen. And if you'd like to connect, I'm on Twitter at Desert Skies Pod. I want to take a moment to tell you

about a new companion podcast of Desert Skies, called Desert Skies FM. Imagine you're in the driver's seat of your own Buick Skylark, making your way across the astral plane. The voice of a robot cash register comes through the radio, announcing an incoming message from Desert Sky's Astral Plain Fuel and Service Station. These short radio broadcasts can be listened to in any order and are great for anyone who wants to hear more from their favorite attendant and mechanic.

Release days are a little sporadic, so always a surprise if you're subscribed. Available anywhere you listen to podcasts. Thanks for listening to Desert Skies Chapter 8. We'll be back with Chapter 9. Until then, this is Jared Carter, wishing you safe travels. The Fable and Falling Network, where fiction producers flourish. Ah! Whoa! Check out this place.

You'd love to retire here? What is this? Oh God, what have you done? Spaceships. Two. Out now on podcast platforms across the galaxy.