Chapter 28 - Those Are Some Of My Favorite Parts

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1:07I love this one from Quince because it's so comfy and such high quality. And I'm a big fan of candles. In my experience with theirs has been great. Coastal dune smells so nice, makes the whole house smell amazing. I've been burning it a little every day. Make your summer wardrobe feel easier. Go to quince.com slash desert skies for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. Now available in Canada too. That's q-u-i-n-c-e dot com slash desert skies for free shipping and 365 day returns. Quince.com slash desert skies. Hi friends. First, thank you for your patience in waiting for chapter 28.

1:47If you've been with the show as it actively releases, you know that sometimes episodes publish a little erratically. And with the holidays, well anyways, it's here and I hope you enjoy. But as always, before beginning today's episode, I'd like to say thanks to some new members of Club 86. The Slim Reaper Blueist Girl Erica Peyton L. Swanson Alina Amanda Steven and Kayla Harker Emma Nichols Michelle Hazzuta Tim Grubisik Greg Oopsie Tulip Emma Amazing Bananas Lil Carol Grams Kelly Rivera Ben 2 Iris Dora Saravia Dee Thompson Maria Marath Justin Enriquez Rhonda Menard, Rattocat, Brenna, Carrie Tillman, Benjamin Hagedorn, Dibbs, Senior Deuce, Joseph Wells, Kimberly Sunderland, Hayley Kinder, Kermie, Bea de la Torre, George Banfield, and Postman Max, Mrs.

2:58Finlay's rendition of A Bear. Anymore when I see really weird names like that, I just assume it's a midnight burger thing and I love it and if it's not I still love it also if I butchered any of your names and I'm sure I did please reach out to me on patreon and I will publicly apologize in the next episode and say it correctly if you're not a member of club 86 it's a great way to get access to a lot of bonus stuff including two mini series merch digital rewards commentaries and And lately, I've been doing a live show for Club 86 members called The Astral Update, which airs shortly after a new release.

3:35I talk about the most recent episode, give some updates, have some fun segments, and answer any questions you might have. To join, just visit patreon.com forward slash desert skies. Again, patreon.com forward slash desert skies. Or, as always, click the link in the show notes below. And with that, enjoy Chapter 28. those are some of my favorite parts. For the best listening experience, headphones are recommended.

4:10Been a while since I heard that sound. What sound? What are you talking about? The long pause. You can't hear it? Not yet. You must have really good hearing. Or maybe you just have not so good hearing. I can hear it just fine. Wonder why that is. My guess. Back on the physical plane, you listened to music with headphones, and you played it way too loud. That's an interesting guess. Not that interesting and not really a guess. Why do you say that? When you borrowed the cassette player back at the station, I could hear the music coming from the headphones. So? Yeah. You were inside, and I was outside.

4:48I'm sorry. What did you say? I said, you were inside, and I was... Say that again, please. I couldn't hear it. I said you were inside, and I... Just kidding. I can hear you. Huh. That's funny. I'm stealing that. I'm sorry. What did you say? Well, here we are. It's gonna be weird. Why's that? Last time we were here, we met Dristan. We didn't get to spend a whole lot of time with him, but... But he was a friend. Came through for us right when we needed him. He was a musician with a heavy-hearted past, and he found a real home here at the Long Paws. He was real close with the local sphere mover, Jerry, the bear tender.

5:29Okay, now I get it. Get what? Remember the little big walk I went on right after I met you guys? Yeah. Well, this was naturally my first stop on the forest sphere. And first thing that happened was I walked in, started to sit on a stool, and that bear tender nearly clawed my damn face off. Then he pointed to a portrait some bear had scratched into the wood. Nicely done. Surprising amount of detail. It was a guy in his 30s. Sad eyes, little scruffy. Yep, that's Tristan. Well, apparently his stool is a memorial now. Don't make the same mistake I did. I'll make sure to avoid it. Guys, would you mind if I talk to Mac?

6:10We'll be in in just a minute. Sure, Cash. We'll wait inside. But don't take too long. I want to know what the badass kids want with Mac. We won't be too long. What'd you want to talk about? Come on, Mac. Okay, let's go for a walk. I want to show you something.

7:08Why is everyone looking at me? Well, from what Jerry has told me, you're kind of a celebrity around here. Me? Why? You're the attendant, of course. These bears credit you and Mac with saving the astral plane. Of course, no acknowledgement of the part I played. Yes, I know you played a part as well. The bass, as I remember. Jerry, can you tell them to start playing again? Thanks. attendant, go out there. Shake some paws. Your furry fans would be thrilled to meet the great attendant of Desert Skies. Uh, okay. So you found them. Where's Mac? Outside with Cash. Corson, have you ever heard of the Bacocks?

8:05The Bacocks? Yes. B-A-K-O-C. Can't say that I have. Is there a place a little more private we can talk? Mac and Cash should be here soon. There's a room behind the bar. It has a table and some chairs. Follow me. Great. Jerry, that's your name? Assuming that's a yes. Two beers, please. Oh, no. None for me. What do you... Oh, you thought I was getting you one. This is embarrassing. You do intend to stay sober, do you not? I can't stand drunk humans. I don't get drunk, Corson. Then what do you get? Even. Why do you like this? I don't know. Ask a shrink. Collect your libations and follow me. Thanks, Jerry the bear.

8:58What did he say? He said he remembers you and that if you get out of line, I am to deliver you to him for correction. He is a very scary bear. You have no idea.

9:14How are you, Mac? You tell me. I'm sure you've already peeked at my soul. You haven't spent much time on the forest sphere, have you? No. No, not really. It might just be my favorite. Well, one of them. I can't wait to experience it in my human frame. I just love the sound of the wind and the trees. And the chorus of crickets. It smells amazing. I bet it does. There's something I want to ask you about. But I'm scared you're not going to want to answer. I know, Mac. But trust me to answer what I can. And know that what I can't is only for your good. What's the question? Did you lie to me? Lie to you?

9:51About what? When you got back, you said I was a sweet man. And even though I kind of hate being called sweet, I hate it less than the idea of being, well... Bad? Yeah. Mac, what does that bad mother want with you? She wants me to join the Bacocks. Does she really think your badass kid's of Corsicana material? What do they even do? Just hide in the interstate and get old? It's weird, Cash. She said there's a man who wants me to join him. Wants me to become a part of their little cult. Who's the man? She wouldn't say. Said it's not time for him to reveal himself to me. That sounds a little unbelievable.

10:31Tell me more. She said there's seekers and finders. That the interstate is the glue that binds realities together. The different planes and even different times. She said that if I joined them, that he could show me how to use it. Cash, she said that their leader thinks that if a person is able to collect enough facts from the different planes... Facts? Yeah, facts. That's what she said. Collect facts. Yeah, Cash. That's exactly what she said. She said it a bunch. Why does that matter? Because, Mac, there's only one creature on the astral plane who's consumed with collecting facts. Creature? Did she say it was a man?

11:10Yeah. Wait. No. No, I don't think she ever did. I don't know. I've never seen him, but others have. He's very elusive. Who is he? He's the leader of the 25th Sphere. The Grand Trivial Lizard. Wait. The Grand... Nani's met him, but she wouldn't remember. Nani's met him? If she doesn't remember, how on earth would you know she has? Back before we ever met her, Nami had a room in the cave where you, um, where you left us. She'd collected a bunch of crap from all over the astral plane. One was some kind of a ward she'd got back before she met us. A giant scale. It was from him. The grand trivia lizard.

11:59Who is he? I don't know what's the truth and what's just rumors, Mac. He's one of the most secretive of all sphere movers. Not only that, he's not even one of the originals. What do you mean? In the same way that Olenus took over Corson's sphere, the grand trivia lizard took over the one he now oversees. You mean like someone gave it to him? Handed the roll over like Corson did? I don't know for certain. Tell me what you do know. What in the astral plane would he even want with you? It makes no sense. Tell me what you know and maybe we'll find out. Okay. The story as I remember it. The Ocean Sphere.

12:38Do you remember their sphere mover? She was with Xochilicu when she came to destroy the station. Kito, master of the 27th sphere, where the oceans are filled with monsters. Kito is incredibly powerful. Having mastered an understanding of the giant creatures that inhabit the oceans of her sphere, she can control them in ways that both comfort the traveler and terrify. So, the Grand Trivial Lizard, is he some sort of giant ocean monster? No, he's not. Not an ocean monster, anyways. The Ocean Sphere is home to five oceans and five islands. Before the highway was constructed, travelers made their way across the sphere on the backs of the five giant sea creatures that inhabit it, visiting the five islands, where they'd face the five trials of Quito.

13:31You sure are saying five a lot. As scary as it was to ride on the backs of these monsters, the travelers were safe, but it was Kido's job to make sure of it. So what kind of challenges did they face? Most aren't important to the story, but I can say this. They were difficult. They took a long time. Which ones are important to the story? Only one. The Isle of Observation was home to a trial in which travelers were tasked with taking notice of their surroundings. not just noticing them, but seeking to understand them. Kito would lead them into the center of a circle, standing beneath the boughs of a bioluminescent broadleaf forest.

14:12She'd have them close their eyes and remain silent. In their silence and without the aid of sight, the whole island would come alive by means of their other senses. The mimicry cry of the kagoo, the sound of waves crashing on the nearby beach, the smell of the ocean spray, and the musty scent of the tree ferns. To know something is to feel the whole of it with the whole of you, to let your senses take hold of that which you seek to understand. Kido would keep travelers on the Isle of Observation until the island itself became almost a part of them. Why? Because, as humans, and yes, it feels strange saying that in this frame.

15:02As humans, we're terrible at being present in the worlds that surround us. Our senses are muted, pushed to the side by a consciousness preoccupied by past and future. Not the here, not the now. How do you know so much about this challenge? I've seen it, Mac. When we rebuilt the highway, we built exits from the bridge to the islands below, allowing Kito to once again lead travelers through the experience. It was Kito who showed me the trial, and it was Kito who told me about him. The Grand Trivia Lizard. Before he was the Grand Trivia Lizard, he was just a small gecko who looked on silently from the trees, watching trial after trial with great wonder.

15:48His name was Alan. As the story goes, along with each traveler, Alan would close his eyes and he'd listen, and he'd smell, and he'd taste the world around him through scent particles on his tongue. Kito would watch him with wonder, amusement, for no other creature on the ocean sphere exhibited such intelligence. Kito could see on Alan's face such tremendous delight as he became one with the island, as sounds and tastes and smells danced in and through his senses connecting him with the world around him. And then a time came when Kito looked at Alan's favorite tree, expecting to see the lizard who had amused her so much.

16:33And he was gone. It would be ages before he was seen again. Where did he go? No one knows for sure. After much time had passed, Kito was approached by a courier with an invitation. The 25th Sphere had a new sphere mover. There would be a celebration to honor his coronation, and she was one of just a select few who'd been chosen to attend. Kito was taken aback. Not only was she shocked to hear that there was a new sphere mover, but to call his ascension to the role a coronation filled her with grave concern. This was long before Xochilicu's attempt to seize power. Sphere movers had always considered themselves servants to the purposes of the astral plane.

17:15Even if begrudgingly, a coronation meant that this new sphere mover considered themselves royalty. A sphere mover king. Right. Well, she accepted the invitation out of that concern. She left for the 25th sphere immediately. When she arrived, she found a small number of other curious and concerned sphere movers. Some she knew, some she didn't. They were attended to by the sphere's inhabitants, who insisted on blindfolding them before leading them to the coronation. The sphere movers protested, but their curiosity moved them to concede. They were led on a long walk, then heard the sound of a large steel door being opened.

17:57Once inside, their blindfolds removed, they realized that they were underground. The air was humid, musty, and a deep fog filled the air. Faint lights led them through the freshly dug tunnel until it opened up into a gigantic cavern. A cavern? Yes, one Kito said resembled a stadium of sorts. Thousands of the citizens of that sphere were seated around the darkened center, waiting in silent anticipation for the ascension of their new leader. And in the darkness, Kito saw something move, something gigantic. And then the lights came up. And there was a throne. a great throne, and seated on that throne was the monster.

18:41The monster she once knew as Alan. The crowd went wild. But how? Hito was as confused as you are, Mac. The monster declared himself king of the sphere, bestowing on himself the title of Grand Trivia Lizard. He took a gold crown and placed it upon his own head, and then looked to the band of sphere movers he'd invited. On their own spheres, they were giants among men, but in his presence, they felt small as ants. It was then that Kito noticed something strange. Seated on the floor next to the throne, she could see five men, each one grinning menacingly at the sphere movers, delighting in their fear.

19:24Then the lizard spoke. Greetings, my friends. Welcome to my grand home. You like it? What's the matter? Cat got your tongue? Surely you must know that I mean be no harm. After all, I'm one of you now. We are family. And what does a family do? A family plays trivia! Yeah! One by one, the sphere movers were called to the floor of the cavern, where they stood before the grand trivia lizard. And did what? Played trivia? He calls it trivia, but it's more of an interview. He wants facts. Cold, hard facts from the physical plane. The more a traveler can tell him that he doesn't already know, the happier he is.

20:24Nani got second place. That means Nani told him a lot. But why do they do it? Do what? Play the game. I mean, Nani wanna scale. That's just gross. What do you get if you win first place? I don't know. Kito says that when she and the other sphere movers played, he just asked them questions about the astral plane, their spheres. She said that with each new fact, he nearly burst with delight. She said it was like watching a glutton eat. But instead of licking his fingers, after swallowing delicious morsels, he was licking his eyeballs after every boring thing they said. That's a good one! I love it!

21:08And when they told him something he already knew, he would lean so far down that they could feel his horrible breath gust over their whole bodies. You see, he doesn't like a stale fact. Do better. What does he want with me, Cash? I don't know. What does he want with all these facts? I think I know. Really? Like I was telling you before, she said the one that's having them scour the interstate in search of some facts believes that if someone gathers enough of them, they could travel anywhere in space. Anywhere in time. Not just see it. But go there. That's not possible, is it? I need to tell you something, Cash.

21:51Something I saw. Something you saw? Yeah. Something you should have told me. Something in the past. But how did she... I don't know. What did she show you? Something that happened on the physical plane. What did she show you, Mac? Cash. Am I a bad man? Tell me what she showed you. Get business done with the new American Express Graphite Business Cash Unlimited card. With unlimited 2 % cash back on all eligible purchases. unlimited 5 % cash back on flights and prepaid hotels booked through American Express Travel Online, and a flexible spending capacity that can grow with your business, you'll have the confidence to keep building.

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23:16Right. Speaking of bitches, look who's back. Me. I'm back. We can see that. Sit down, attendant, before you fall. Don't mind if I do. You guys are so pretty. Tandy? Yes, my good friend? What you been up to? I did what Corson said. I don't know what you think I said, but I didn't say whatever this is. Turns out that when you're a hero, people like to give you drinks. And when said people are bears, they don't like it when you say no. I'm sure you could have said no, Tendi, and they would have understood. Oh yeah? Look at this. Oh god, what have they done to your stomach? It's called tickling, I think.

24:16It's different when there are claws involved. You should have seen it before it started healing. That must hurt. It did. Now it doesn't. Now I feel nothing. Okay, I'm gonna leave you four here and get some air. Person, did you call the station? The tires are on their way, attendant. Good. Okay. I am going. Do you guys want to dance? We are fine. Right here. Right you are. Later. No. No. No more. No. I can't. Okay. Just one. Wow. Right. Should we help him? Yes. Probably. Let's save the boy. And then the people at the factory started yelling. It sounded like some might have been crying. And then...

25:18I was up there and I... I finished and... I just walked away. Anything else you remember? Nah, that's it. Why'd you tell me I was the sweetest man who ever lived? Huh? What was I? Cash, some sort of king? No, Mac. Not a king. Then what? Follow me, Mac. I want to show you something. Are you just avoiding answering me? No, no, I'm not. Follow me, and if it's alright, let's stay quiet as we walk. I need to think. Yeah. Yeah, okay, I can stay quiet.

25:59Oh, my word. It's one of my favorite places on the astral plane. I knew it would be here again. I've never seen so much water. And it's... Is it glowing? Yeah. You see it too, right? I did once. Did? Yeah. How does it glow for me and not for you? I don't know exactly. Why are we here? Why'd you want me to see a lake? Pick up a rock. A rock? Yeah. A big one or a small one? Doesn't matter. Just grab the first one you can find. Okay, let's see. Here we go. Now, toss it in. You want me to just chuck it into the lake? Yeah, Mac. Go for it. All right.

26:42Wow. I figured it would be here. The prime mover showed me, and now I want you to see. See what? That ripple. It's part of you. The part of you that you're afraid of. The part that's causing you trouble because of how much you hate it. I don't follow. When you threw that rock, what happened? Well, what a rock does. The water rippled out from where it landed, but... And what color was it? Red. When you looked at it, how did you feel? I felt bad. Can you be more specific? I felt ashamed. Why do you think you feel ashamed? Because of the things she showed me. Whatever it was that I did to those people.

27:25Grab some more rocks. I'm going to get some too. Why? Just do as I say. Alright, bossy pants. While we're looking for rocks, I'll try to explain. This lake is strange, Mac. It doesn't glow for everyone. Really? No, but it glowed for me the first time I saw it, and I figured it would probably glow for you, too. Explain. Way back then, when I set out to help rebuild the highway, I was... I was having a hard time. How so? I was feeling things. What kinds of things? Things that were the result of, well, a number of things, including some things I'd rather not talk about at the moment. But I just shared with you.

28:07That was your choice, Mac, and I'm thankful. Okay. Anyways, I was feeling some pretty big feelings when I found this lake. Wow, beautiful. What is this place? Is it one of the stops travelers used to make? Yes, and no. What do you mean? You'll see more of it. Some features of the astral plane are more curious than others. They only appear when they're needed. Some sort of magic? The astral plane, much like the physical, is comprised of features from different ages. We have our own history, you know. Yes, but what are you trying to tell me? Well, things have changed over time. The path the travelers followed across the planes.

28:58The areas they would visit. For instance, the Electric Desert. What about it? Well, that's a remnant of the Industrial Age. A time when the industrial sphere showed some real initiative. Overzealous initiative. We thought the astral plane needed modernization. You said the Electric Desert wasn't worth building an exit to. That it wasn't even worth us visiting. The thing about progress is it often promises simple and effective solutions to problems. But what it actually gives is oversimplified and ineffective answers to complex internal struggles. Struggles that can't be solved by sheer will and ingenuity, but instead a slow and long-suffering exposure to what it is the astral plane would have travelers learn.