This episode contains topics that may be sensitive to some
listeners. Check out the show notes for
more information. Thank you for tuning in.
Good evening listeners. It's ten bells in the evening
and you are listening to the news on NVBC.
I am your host, Corina Severlin. This morning there was another
explosion in the mines north of New Vilirth.
The cause of the explosion remains unknown, but we do know
one of the mineshafts has caved in as a result.
Although several miners were injured, none of their injuries
were fatal. The miners have been rushed to a
nearby hospital and are all in stable condition.
A representative from the Von Leikov Mining Corporation tells
us that they are looking into the cause of the explosion.
They believe human error while using the mining equipment to be
the cause. The representative assures us
that they are working on new training programs to help with a
safer working environment in the future.
Now for something different. A cat that was reported missing
yesterday has been found hanging out in the back of the butcher
shop where it had been enjoying itself on dried meat.
Truly, I am not making this up. That's brilliant.
Sorry Corina, please continue. The cat, weighing a kilo more
than when it left home, has been returned to its owner with a
small supply of leftover meat for it to enjoy.
Before I hand you over to Friede Oblak for tonight's weather
report; the use of Neomorphic Memories has gone down over the
last few moonspans. Last year, the government
launched a campaign against the use of Neomorphic Memories
Although their target has not yet been reached, a second
survey gave positive results. In this survey, he handed out to
every resident in the upper city of New Vilirth, instead of 4%,
now 17% of the respondents report feeling safer being
outside at night. This survey was conducted after
the law was passed, criminalizing users of
Neomorphic Memories as well as sellers.
That was our news for this evening.
I'll hand it over to you, Friede.
Wake up, New Vilirth! Chapter 3.
The Ties That Bind Us. The impact of hitting the ground
woke me from my slumber. I tried to blink away the fog
but it pressed in on me. I pushed myself to my knees.
My arms shook under my weight. I tried to remember where I was
and what I'd done but my head pounded.
Thoughts slipped in and out without leaving an impression.
I swayed. The wooden floor came closer.
I tried to stop from falling. My body jolted only to realize I
wasn't falling at all. In a flash of memory I saw
Willow and Tuula struggling. They must be here too.
If I was already struggling to wake up with my dokofar
metabolism, Tuula and Willow would have it much worse.
Especially Tuula who had the body weight of a twelve-year-old
child if he didn't count her metal limbs.
And indeed I blinked to find the blurry shapes of Willow and
Tuula still unconscious. I scooted over to Willow.
A stream of blood ran from her nose down her chin, clearing
away the red dust. Don't worry.
It isn't broken. I shot to my feet.
My legs wobbled under my body. I reached for my hip but
snatched up air instead of a blade.
Fuck! I should have checked my
surroundings sooner, but thoughts came slow and out of
order. The more frustrated I got, the
further away my thoughts seemed to flee.
The floor warped under my feet. Nausea rose in my stomach.
A shape stepped into my muddled view.
I tried to pin it down, focus on it, but couldn't.
Welcome home, Rhea. How was your trip?
Trip? Right.
We had been unloading the hovercraft.
I grabbed onto the wall for support.
I furiously blinked against the dizzying fog, willing my body to
purge the sedative. Crates.
Where were they? You delivered us a nice profit.
You had no right! To do what?
You still belong to the Oneiroi Vanguard, Rhea.
Your profits are shared, even if you decide to go rogue.
The shape of Ulva Räsänen stepped closer.
She leaned forward, pointed ears stuck out of her charcoal hair,
and yellow eyes looked back at me.
Ulva grinned. How did you manage it?
I very badly wanted to scream, but all I did was grimace.
Fine. Keep your secrets.
She stepped back to where I could only see her as a blur.
Ulva paced around the room, winding around the still bodies
of Willow and Tuula. I'm curious, how did you think
you could return to New Vilirth, sell everything, become rich,
and go completely unnoticed? Why would I share my plans with
you? The brain fog started to
disappear. I glanced around the room as
inconspicuously as possible to see if there was anything I
could use as a weapon in reach. Nothing.
Ulva wasn't careless. Ugh.
You remain naïve. She walked over to the desk.
I started to recognize where we were.
My stomach sank. Ulva had replaced most of the
furniture except for the grand desk.
The walls were repainted, hiding the discoloration from the
permanent layer of smoke that hung in the room.
The spot where a bottle had smashed against the wall was
gone too. And someone had sanded and
repolished the desk, hiding its age.
Nice office. My legs had regained some of
their steadiness. I straightened, making me the
same height as Ulva. You got what you wanted, then?
Your father didn't have any respect for the building.
Similar to how he treated everything else, really.
The only thing he respected was his liquor.
Although, I did empty the rum storage under the floor.
My taste in alcohol is a bit more refined.
Where are the crates? I was done with her bullshit.
As I said, you made us a nice profit.
We sold the lot. I moved towards Ulva.
I didn't have any weapons, but I could use my nails, my teeth, my
strength. Fighting won't get you anywhere.
Despite her words, I swore she made the slightest move
backwards. I have guards stationed outside.
Scared? Only a fool would approach a
wild animal unarmed. I held back a snarl.
Ulva opened a draw and pulled out an envelope, which she slid
over the desk. I stalked forward and snatched
it. I tugged at the wax seal
carrying the Vanguard emblem. The purple flower broke apart.
The paper was thick and luxurious.
It was nonsense to act like we were royalty, especially in our
line of work. However, I knew as well as
anyone it was important to demand stature in every way.
I had pulled these tricks often enough, but this was the first
time they were used against me. I scanned the letter, the
numbers written in elegant loops.
What is this? And I thought Aleksantri taught
you how to read? By my approximation, what was in
those boxes would have paid off at least three times my father's
loan. Three times his loan before you
left. Yes.
The slow way she talked, as if I was a child, edged my anger on
even further. You should talk to your father,
Rhea. And your brother.
My stomach sank. I didn't want to ask what had
happened. Had the casinos taken their fair
share of contributions? They couldn't possibly have
drunk that amount of money. Something began to gnaw at me.
I looked at the piece of paper again.
Ulva leaned over a stationary transmitter on the desk.
It glowed orange on her gray skin, giving the illusion that
she might be human. Yet one closer look proved her
to be far from. It says 700,000 shards.
Does it not? 900,000.
She opened a drawer and took out a stack of notes.
She counted it quickly and efficiently before she lay it
down in front of me. Count it?
If you wish. Ulva leaned back in her chair.
I had already counted it, along with her, but I also knew that
Ulva wasn't dishonest. Not like that.
Go unpack. Have a bit of rest.
Have a drink. Ulva gauged my reaction.
I didn't look at her as I took the money and slid the letter
back into the envelope. I have a job for you in two
days. Make sure you're there.
I turned around to where Willow and Tuula lay sprawled on the
floor and knelt down to throw them each over one shoulder.
Oh, and don't forget this. Ulva threw a bag at me.
I caught it by the strings. Fuck!
Blood welled up from a cut in my shirt.
The point of one of my knives stuck out from the side of the
bag, now glistening red. Ulva smiled.
Hmm. My bad.
I was covered in sweat by the time I'd laid Willow and Tuula
on the couch in Willow's apartment.
Ulva had sent us away in a car. It was meant as mockery.
A show of power which I had stubbornly wanted to decline.
But even I could recognize that carrying two unconscious bodies
the length of the city wasn't the best idea.
Willow and Tuula hadn't shown signs of waking yet.
From the slowness I felt in my own body, I guessed they
wouldn't for at least a few more bells.
I slid every single knife back into place and wrapped a bandage
around my wrist. I scribbled a quick note in one
of Willow's notebooks and left two neat stacks of money hidden
under a book. I made sure to secure the door
with a rope and the only lock that still wanted to close.
The door still hung lopsided in its hinges and one panel was
shattered, but it was the best I could do.
Right now I needed a shower and time to think.
It was early morning when I headed down the main road into
the throng of the city. Cars and hovers passed me.
I wound my way between the Vilirthians on their way to work
or school. Despite being underground,
bright light shone from poles emanating daylight.
It gave everything in the underground a strange fabricated
glow, even the living. It was weird to be back.
Nothing seemed to have changed, yet I felt different.
I had shifted from being the daughter of the Oneiroi
Vanguard's president to... What, exactly?
I turned into an alley lined with street food stalls and
crossed a square where I had to meander through a market.
At the far end a set of concrete steps led up to the surface.
I pulled my cloth mask over my nose and stepped out into the
remnants of a sandstorm. Rows of car and hovered traffic
honked on the street. The heat burned down on me.
I pulled the shawl from around my neck over my head to protect
myself. Sand cut where my skin was still
exposed. Here the walkways were as good
as empty. Few stragglers walked down these
roads, bowed over to the wind and hid behind their masks.
I followed a human who was mumbling to himself as he wound
down the street. He glanced back, noticed me and
started walking faster. His pupils were dilated above
his cloth mask and he nearly stumbled as he tried to get
away. I turned the corner into a
parking lot. The man stopped to watch me.
I looked him dead in the eye and he hurried off, continuing
whatever dimension he was in. A few cars stood on the parking
lot. They were covered in a thick
layer of sand. Several tires had popped and one
open car hood showed a missing engine.
Despite the grim scene, I began to feel more at ease.
My feet walked a familiar path home.
I opened the door into a gray apartment complex.
Sandy footsteps led up the stairs and down the hallways.
Five flights later, the red footsteps finally faded.
The majority of the sand wouldn't come up this far.
Although it would creep through the windows or hitchhike in
pockets. While the underground was
practical and cheaper to make livable, an apartment above
ground gave me more privacy and more space.
The unwelcome climate formed a natural barrier against unwanted
visitors. I pushed the door open.
An empty bottle rolled away from the door through the hallway.
It clinked against another bottle in sad cheers.
I pulled out my gun. The smell hit me first.
Stale liquor and mold. Remnants of food wrappers and
bottles littered the floor. It looked and smelled like a
party that hadn't been cleaned up for many moons.
I moved forward. My shoe stuck to the floor with
every step. I reached the end of the hallway
from where I could see the kitchen.
It smelled worse. The counter was piled high with
dishes and rotting food. The windows were covered in dark
fabric that frayed at the edges. A chair tumbled over without
anyone bothering to pick it up. I gripped my gun tighter and
turned into the living room. A tuft of black hair stuck out
above the couch. It was attached to limbs that
sprawled onto the couch and the table in front of it.
Someone was sitting between more bottles and trash.
I knew the smell of a rotting corpse.
This wasn't it, but it was at least as vile.
This person had soiled themselves multiple times
without cleaning up. I breathed in deeply, nearly
choked, and held my breath as I stepped forward.
I kept the gun aimed at the head that lolled under the tuft of
hair as I turned around the couch.
I took another step. A can of some sugary drink split
open underneath my feet. I got a good look at the person
on the couch. My brother woke up.
I recoiled, taking a few steps back.
I lowered my gun but didn't put the safety back on.
What the hell, Eljas? My brother blinked at me.
It's you. He leaned back into the couch
and closed his eyes. Wake up!
I poked my brother with a barrel of my gun.
He was wearing an unbuttoned shirt and stained trousers.
They were wrinkled enough for me to assume he'd been sleeping in
them for the last few days. Perhaps longer.
I walked back into the kitchen. I rummaged for a bucket under
the sink. Something had died in here and I
didn't want to know what. A snore came from where Eljas
was lying on the couch. I walked over with a full bucket
and emptied it over him. This time he jumped up.
I was sleeping. How did you get in?
What? Despite the bucket of water,
Eljas' yellow eyes looked foggy. He had thinned enough to show
all his bones where his wet clothes stuck to him.
Did Seppo give you the key? No, Dad.
Where is Seppo? I pushed the door to the bedroom
open only to be greeted by a putrid smell.
Working. Eljas rubbed his eyes.
He's only working these days. I wonder why.
And Dad? I peered into the dark room.
A shape lay on the bed. It was him.
He looked to be in a similar state as Eljas.
I checked to see his chest rising up and down.
Don't bother him. He's sleeping.
His voice didn't have any bite. He barely had the energy to keep
himself standing. I didn't want to look at him.
What had happened here? This didn't look like casinos
had done them in. I knelt down and picked up one
of the glass bottles. What is this, Eljas?
Just... rum? I pulled the stopper off the
bottle and smelled it. It smelled of nothing.
Not rum, then. My stomach sank.
Don't lie to me! Why would you do that?
Eljas cowered in the corner. Is this yours or dad's?
I was tempted to pick up another bottle and smash it in Eljas'
face, but pushed that roaring temper down.
He still looked shocked. Answer me, Eljas!
What does it matter? He blinked, slowly, and leaned
against the wall to keep himself steady.
I picked up another bottle and spun it around in my hand.
I glared at him. Both!
We both- I'm sorry, okay? It's...
There's nothing else. I stared at the bottle in my
hand. The apartment was silent except
for my father's labored breathing in the distance and
the dripping of water from Eljas' clothes.
I couldn't stand it. I grabbed a cardboard box and
threw the bottle in it. In silence I started collecting
the trash from the floor and threw it in the box until it was
full. And I had to grab a new one.
Eljas watched me in silence. His eyelids hung halfway over
his eyes. Are you just going to stand
there? Eljas shrugged.
I clenched my teeth but continued throwing trash into
boxes. I straightened the chair and
headed into the kitchen to find something clean enough to wipe
the tables and the floors. There wasn't anything that would
make the apartment cleaner. The tiny kitchen was crammed
with dishes, more bottles, and rotting food.
I ripped the piece of black cloth from the window and opened
it to allow in fresh air, even if it came with the heat.
Don't open that! Either you clean up, or you shut
up! You fucked us all over, you and
dad! You don't understand!
His full body now hung against the wall.
Have you seen this place? I rolled my eyes.
Keep basking in self-pity, Eljas.
I'm sure that will make everything better.
Rhea, I'm sorry, but you were gone!
To help you! You can help me now!
Start with cleaning, and we'll continue from there.
If I clean this, will you get me some?
He looked like an eager dog. Are you crazy?
I opened the door and threw the boxes on the landing.
We have one moonspan before they come and collect your debt in
some other way. You can motivate me!
I will clean it up, I just need a little bit more.
It makes me better. I looked away from his pleading
eyes. We'll see.
No way in hell would I give him anything.
First you clean this shit up! I threw a cardboard box his way.
The box fell in front of his feet.
Eljas didn't react. He didn't say anything as I
disappeared down the hallway. I halted in front of a fork in
the road, unsure which way to turn.
It caught me off guard. I hadn't noticed where I was
going, nor was I certain where I wanted to go.
Instead of continuing to linger, I turned right onto the road
that tracked through the tunnel. The sidewalk here was less of a
path and more of a ledge. This was one of the longest
tunnels crossing all the way under the center of the city
towards the south. Willow had chosen to live near
the sea, which I couldn't understand as the beach was made
of wave breakers. You had to climb up a 15-meter
dam to even see the sea. And her apartment was
underground. Humans.
I pressed against the walls as a train thundered past.
This was the only train track they'd managed to finish.
Although the train never went when you needed to be somewhere.
People clung to the back and the sides, shouting at pedestrians
to get out of the way. The train disappeared, taking
with it the ruckus of sound and leaving the track silent.
I followed the train down the tunnel.
Instead of climbing up towards Willow's apartment, I turned the
corner into the back alley where the hover stood.
Rhea? I stopped in my tracks.
Willow stood, arms full of canned food.
Where have you been? Willow had cleaned the blood
from her face, but a blue flower was blooming where she had hit
the floor. Tuula appeared behind her, not
looking much better. Her eyes were drooping, as if
she was still fighting against the sedative.
She looked weary. Willow, on the other hand,
looked pissed off. I left you the money.
Yes, we saw that. What did you do?
What did they do? Did you sell the memory?
No. They sold them.
I was unsure how to answer the wall of questions.
And that was it? That was all?
That was moons of work. That should have fixed it.
That should have fixed our debt. That was the entire point.
I let the words bounce off me, but guilt stirred in my gut.
I should have seen this coming. They took a cut.
I can see that. Did you know?
Of course I didn't know. Now anger sparked in my voice.
Hunger gnawed at me. I was dirty and my head was
still pounding from the sedation.
Couldn't Willow just understand? This was as much of a rogue
mission for me as it was for you.
You were lucky we even got a cut.
Ulva took over from Aleksantri. Oh well, no surprises there.
I stepped forward. Willow flinched, but she didn't
back away. Rhea?
She was watching the exchange with hawkeyes.
I'm sure she had her own accusations to throw at me, but
she didn't. What's that supposed to mean,
Willow? I knew Willow was right.
I glared at her. Willow didn't look at me when
she spoke. I'm sorry, Rhea, but you know
it's the truth. All he was doing was spending.
What did you think? They were going to leave him
drunk and broke in the president's chair.
Be glad it's Ulva. He could have been assassinated.
Willow! Willow glanced at me.
He wasn't, right? No.
Despite my father being a drunk, he was still powerful.
The idea of him being assassinated hadn't crossed my
mind yet. It should have.
We should lay low. Ulva could have easily killed us
for what we did. Then why are we still alive?
How much did you get? Did you sell us out to get a
bigger part of the cut? You can fight me, Willow, but I
had nothing to do with it. We should have been smarter
about it. We were.
We had an alibi. Everything was sorted.
She couldn't have known. Willow, please.
This isn't Rhea's fault. She looked at me as if she
wanted to believe that, but didn't.
Not entirely. Look, the Oneiroi Vanguard has
eyes and ears everywhere. It was stupid to think we could
bypass them. Willow seemed to deflate a bit.
I wasn't sure if I should thank Tuula, but I shot her a grateful
look. I'll make sure you get the money
I promised you, but it will take longer.
Fuck. I was about to book that hair
appointment. That's what you're worried
about? Well...
You still can. Just put my name on the tab.
No, no, never mind. I'll just get a quick cut at
some cheap salon. What we do need is food.
Willow looked down at the cans. Proper food.
Tuula and I exchanged a quick glance.
I saw that. Willow rolled her eyes.
I can be responsible. We know that.
Not a single doubt in the world. Cunts.
Let's get food then. We only have another bell before
the market closes. Willow stopped in her tracks and
frowned at me. What are you doing here exactly?
I was going to sleep in the hover.
My apartment is taken. My brother is staying there for
a while. Willow threw a key at me.
I caught it before it could hit my face.
What is this? A key.
To the only remaining lock. I can figure something out
tomorrow. For the door and sleeping
arrangements. Don't be silly.
I have a spare couch. And then I could keep an eye on
you. Stay as long as you like.
Thank you for tuning in. We hope you've enjoyed your
stay.