a retro-mecha cyberpunk sapphic audio drama (coming soon!)
Blurb
"Humanity took to the stars and left us for dead."
Lorelei knows the end. Has seen it flicker along the edges of her home, catch fire to everything she's ever known. Has felt it gnaw its way into her bones, watching as the last safety ship glinted starlight in the sky.
Lorelei knows the end.
And she knows everything after, too.
Lieutenant Lorelei Reeves is a first-generation, three-star pilot for the United Forces of the Red Remembrance. She is the only pilot capable enough to helm the UFRR's greatest mystery; Acheilus, an antiquated shark mecha from before The End.
It is a time of peace; the bitterness from the Coalition of The Last Frontier's abandonment has long since diluted away in favor of lucrative trade deals from space - goods that could only benefit the UFRR's longevity underseas. It is a good deal, kind, even. Generous.
But Lorelei cannot help but taste the tang of deceit between her teeth. The sickly stick of rot amplifies after she spots another shark mecha circling the edges of UFRR's water space. Sleek black and glinting metal - a convincing imitation of the UFRR's mechanics. The problem with this: Lorelei captains the only shark in the entire fleet.
Themes
loss, grief, being homesick for a home that no longer exists, loud-mouthed pilots, and trauma-stricken lesbians.
Snippet
My hands shake.
Admiral Thetis was right about one other thing, too.
I had been gone for a long time; I'd been gone for months. Months of an endless blue that pervaded my eyes, an infinitum of mouthless words, and moments to think and move as I pleased. I'd rediscovered creatures that hadn’t been seen in years, listened as whales called through, and laughed when other sharks circled Acheilus, trying to communicate. It might have been the closest thing to peace that I've ever felt.
Peace does not exist in the lion’s den— a name I've mocked HQ with — instead, the oppressive nature of fear lies thick along the walls of the hull. Fear is every step you take, it is every beating heart, every conspired whisper. It exists within the hollows of my cells, in every ill-intended look cast my way. I am fear and they make me believe it.
why couldn't i just have been into normal asmr . why did my brain decide "hey why don't we follow every creator that does audio rps with really in depth storylines and try to follow the narratives"
Me to me: don't get your hopes up don't get your hopes up don't get your hopes up don't get your hopes up don't get your hopes up don't get your hopes up don't get your hopes up don't get your hopes up don't get your hopes up don't get your hopes up don't get your hopes you toei has burned you so many times before you know better than this don't get your hopes up don't get your hopes DON'T GET YOUR HOPES UP
Also me: Hopes? High. Delusions? Strong. Theories? Brewing.
“torvic wasn’t going to drown him, he was merely doing what bullies do, seeking control”
“evil? no doctor, I refute your claim of evil. evil implies malevolence, the desire only to destroy. I crave power, dominion, knowledge of the forbidden and the secret. so much more than just evil”
Looking at my upcoming commuting time for the fall semester, and would be interested in anyone's recommendations for
Interesting nonfiction audiobooks (I can't think of any specific topics, unfortunately)
Talkshow-style/educational podcasts (again, no specific topics—I just want something interesting enough to listen to but not so engrossing that I'll have trouble switching gears when I get out of the car)
Music, esp. classical (I am Tired of my five playlists and six albums, generally, and also I want to be more familiar with the musical greats)
FIELD TEAM THETA MISSION REPORT
MISSION ASSIGNMENT GZ-001
T-Minus 00:00
TRANSCRIPT
[Audio log starts]
[Sound of footsteps echoing in the containment chamber]
Agent L (L): This is Agent L, leader of Field Team Theta, reporting in. We've gathered in Containment Chamber-XXXX at The Ghost Portal for our final mission debrief. The scientists are preparing to open the portal, and we'll be boarding the Specter Speeder shortly.
[sound of the chatter of GIW scientists as final checks are completed]
Agent P (P): (eager) It's finally happening! I’ve had all my equipment ready for weeks. I even unpacked it so I could pack it again after creating improved models in my excitement.
Agent O (O): (amused) I may not have packed twice but I’ve been dreaming off this day for so long I could claim at least a thousand hours in the somnus simulation.
Agent N (N): (wistful) Nothing can beat the thrill of being the first to see the unknown.
Agent M (M): (sincere) I imagine you would be the one to know, N. I cannot imagine anyone here has seen more of the unknown than you and your ‘Lost City’.
Agent N (N): (doubtful) Not sure I can claim that for a fact with you on the team, Agent M. A Lost City was by its nature seen by someone before. I imagine the depths of the ocean you explored were far less traveled.
[sound of a door whooshing open, chatter quiets for a moment, leaving just footsteps as the team boards the Specter Speeder]
Agent L (L): (calmly) Remember, everyone, our mission objectives are clear. We're here to explore the Ghost Zone, gather data on entities and anomalies, maintain communication with the GIW lab, and, if necessary, capture or destroy any ectoplasmic entities we encounter.
[sounds of seatbelts clicking as agents are seated]
Agent M (M): (dutifully) And let's not forget to stay vigilant and rely on each other. Teamwork is crucial for our safety.
Agent N (N): (stage whisper) Sounds like somebody is aiming for de facto second in command.
[Agent O is heard snickering.]
Agent M (M): (embarrassed) It’s not like that! We’re about to embark on a very important mission and we’re being recorded. Some decorum should be expected.
Agent L (L): (resigned) I appreciate your efforts, Agent M.
[sound of the Ghost Portal opening]
Agent O (O): (excited) The portal's open, y’know what that means. To infinity. . . and BEYOND.
Agent N (N): (laughing) I know you have kids, O, but I think the rest of these nerds are too old or single for your references.
Agent P (P): (quietly) I understood that reference.
Agent M (M): (bemused) I admittedly did not.
Agent L (L): (sighs) Agent O, prepare to launch.
[sound of the Specter Speeder engines starting and levers being switched, O can be heard faintly humming to the tune ‘You Got a Friend in Me.”]
Agent L (L): (firmly) Once we're through that portal, stay alert and stick to the plan. We're Field Team Theta, and we've got a mission to accomplish. We do not know what lies beyond that Portal but we know each other and our skills.
Agent N (N): (enthusiastic) Go Team Theta!
Agent L (L): (quietly) Just my luck I got assigned the rowdy ones.
[Audio log ends]
Characters who are dead for (almost) the entire story yet they haunt the story and their life/death have huge influence over events, their presence is unavoidable and we never actually really get to know them as a person, only as a memory