radios-universe

[radios-universe]

EXCERPT #92:

Hello. I hope somebody is listening.

[…]

I went to the crash site, old sport… And it was… Different.

Of course, we knew the City had a reputation for covering things up very quickly, but…

The crater which the ship left was still there.

I suppose that’s because it was Zahar who was filling the sinkholes in the first place, now that he’s… Well, gone in some unknown way… The crater remains.

But something was still off.

The ship was still there, sure, its remains all scattered and some parts still smoking…

But there was… Less?

Like, less scrap than there was before. I could have sworn the crash site was much wider than it is now. There were parts of metal scattered outside of the crater… I remember. Where I buried Solus… I… I dragged them out of the crater to… To get them to flat ground for the ceremony.

There was still scrap metal around that area.

Now it’s just… Gone.

Nevertheless, I needed to search the ship. I just assumed that maybe the governors had actually started to do their job and were cleaning up the City themselves. Not that I saw anyone around…

What was once the cockpit of the ship was now halfway underground. With the door exposed at the surface, I tried my best to yank it open, but to no avail.

I knew that there would be useful info in there. Hell, I was in there right before the ship crashed. I knew I could have found… Life-changing information. Contacts, directions to get out of the City, even.

But I was so fixed on trying to fly a ship I couldn’t drive that I… Didn’t have time to look.

After several more attempts to open that stupid door… I suddenly thought about those stray pieces of metal again.

Since when did the governors do their jobs? …Ever?

It took me a while to remember. But I had said before to you, old sport… The crater is where a sinkhole used to be.

We had cameras pointing to every single sinkhole in the City when they were still growing… And while some were swallowed up near the end… Not all of them reached that level.

I looked towards a street light that was glaring over me.

Just below the bright yellow light was a much smaller light… Blinking red… On and off…

The camera was still recording.

[...]

[radios-universe]

EXCERPT #91:

Hello. I hope somebody is listening.

[…]

I can’t storm the agency alone, old sport.

You must understand that, surely.

But… I’ve tried to find contacts… You remember, right, old sport?

When I would hand out fliers and talk to the residents in alleyways and abandoned buildings.

No one I talked to was like me.

The streets are filled with these hollow-minded figures… None of them helps my mission.

So, I abandoned the streets. Old sport, I had to take my search to the skies.

Look, I know what you’re thinking.

Zahar, he… He was the one who killed Solus… Who was responsible for The Change, the filling of the sinkholes…

But, well, that’s exactly my point.

Aliens are… A powerful contact to have in the City, old sport.

I’m not suggesting Zahar to be that contact, I promise, I… I don’t even know where he is.

When I was on his ship… He must have been the one to have captured me. Yet, I never did find him on board… Once I saw Solus, I… I just wanted a way out… I just wanted to know how to fly out of the City, for good.

I would have assumed he died in the crash, or… I don’t know.

I never saw any other remains beyond Solus.

But his things… His ship, I mean… Who else would have been flying it?

I know he’s out there, old sport… And I don’t plan on finding him anytime soon.

What I do need to find, though, is his contacts.

Aliens I haven’t seen since him and I… Well, dated.

And we didn’t exactly leave that connection on a good note.

But they sure as hell aren’t the ruins that once were Zahar and I's relationship.

[Sigh] I guess I have to go back, old sport.

Back to the crash site. Back to where I buried Solus.

[…]

[radios-universe]

EXCERPT #90:

Hello. I hope somebody is listening.

[...]

While I’ve been putting a lot of time aside to prepare for the terrifying, inevitable confrontation in my future, I feel like I haven’t left very much time to talk to you, February.

We do live our own lives now, huh? Not that I ever asked for that in the first place. I don’t think you did either.

All this preparing and planning… It reminds me so much of our time together, February.

All the time we spent together… The places we went… At least, I think we went…

My memory feels fuzzy, February. I feel as though I am fabricating a new you.

A February built on the lies I have been telling myself.

The lies that are so often instilled in truths… But how can I be so sure of something like that?

The City eats at my brain with every second I am here. I can feel it, February. As the real you fades from my memory, it is replaced by artificial ideals of you.

That, however, is all my work.

I wish I didn’t have to, I can promise that, truly. But I do not know how else I can remember you.

I remember you with the memories I have left. I can only analyse them so much now. I try to remember your character. Your being, your essence. And sometimes there are gaps.

If I do not fill them, I will fall. I will fall into the City’s trap that will take you away from me. My memories, your existence.

That is my choice. Create you or forget you. And I can’t let you leave me, February. Not again.

So, I look up to the stars and I remind myself of who you are.

I talk and hope I hear a reply.

That is all I know.

That is what I’m doing right now, and always have done.

For when I can’t tell when something’s gone, I always try to find my way back to you. To us.

[...]

[radios-universe]

‼️NEW UNIVERSE FRIDAY PODCAST EPISODE OUT NOW‼️

Time for The Change! And for some Solus drama!

Listen on Spotify now!

(Also on YouTube)

[radios-universe]

[radios-universe]

EXCERPT #89:

Hello. I hope somebody is listening.

[…]

I’m done, old sport.

I’m actually done.

All of Solus’ data… Sorted.

I’ve read it… Well, skimmed it all.

The desks…! I told you about the papers in the desk drawers before, right?

Well, turns out there was a reason that they were separated from the rest.

Remember when Solus and I were investigating the Change? They pulled out the sinkhole documents from their desk.

It was because it was what they were reading and writing most recently.

So, most of the desk papers were on the sinkholes, and the Change.

Old sport… They knew.

Solus knew.

The whirring noise… The first time I heard it was when Solus was being abducted… But Solus had heard it much earlier than I did.

When we figured out that the sinkholes had been filled up from top to bottom, they didn’t tell me… But they knew it was alien business.

They started their own research into them.

They didn’t know I had a connection to Zahar… They… They didn’t know about Zahar.

I shouldn’t really be surprised. I’m not.

Despite having so many connections… So many contacts… Solus always truly worked alone in the end.

They are Solus after all… Solitude. Work has always been their independent game of solitaire. Other people were simply stepping stones to their end goal.

Sure, Solus had data on aliens, but… Nothing like Zahar.

Aliens are not an obscure sight in the City, especially not these days. But a spaceship is a different question.

I knew that Zahar had one of the only ships in the City.

If Solus just-

[Agravated scream, a loud bang against a desk]

[Shakily] Sorry… Old sport, I…

I did all this to find out where the agency is located.

I read… All of these documents… Just to find something that Solus could have just told me… Showed me… If they were still here.

But I know, old sport.

I know where they are.

[...]

<- prev excerpt / next excerpt ->

[radios-universe]

‼️NEW UNIVERSE FRIDAY PODCAST EPISODE OUT NOW‼️

Investigation time!! Boy, I should hope nothing bad happens from this!

Go listen on Spotify!

(And also on YouTube)

[radios-universe]

EXCERPT #88:

Hello. I hope somebody is listening.

Old sport… I really can’t talk for long.

I’ve just been super busy, I hope you can understand.

I’m almost through all of Solus’ documents… That is, until I remembered I hadn’t yet looked in their desk drawers. If you must know, there are about 10 more stacks of papers in there alone… And to make things even better, these ones aren’t even in alphabetical order! So, I ought to do that myself also.

[Sighs] It’s hard to think that anything of what I’m doing right now is actually helping… That it’s actually fundamental to the current state of affairs in the City.

I know that I humble myself more than anyone else, old sport.

But who else is around anymore to do it for me?

At the same time… I suppose… Who else is around anymore to do this work…?

The agency has taken… So much away from me.

The City has always been hard, but…

I never did feel lonely. Not like this, anyway.

I guess I really never knew how easy it was back then. When I had contacts available to me… When I didn’t have to fight a whole… War. All by myself.

If you told me… Old sport… Not so long ago… That Solus… Of all people, they would…

I’d assume I must be a goner with them, too.

There was no world I could imagine where I lived, and Solus didn’t… Except this one, apparently.

And yet, I still cannot believe it. I still… A paper will slide from my hands to the floor, and yet I will look at the nearest door expectantly. Thinking it was another letter sent from Solus, directly delivered to me.

But instead, the paper rests at my own feet. Still in Solus’ writing… But it is never an invite… Or a mocking phrase or word.

Just some info. Some data on the City.

Just what they died to protect.

[…]

<- prev excerpt / next excerpt ->

[radios-universe]

“why are you smiling at your phone?”

um. cuz. my friends are silly

[radios-universe]

this dynamic.

[radios-universe]

EXCERPT #87:

Hello. I hope somebody is listening.

[…]

There’s a lot to do in preparation for a fight, old sport.

Even more in preparation for a war.

But even more in preparation to take over Solus’ old job.

You would not believe the amount of time I had put into reading as many of solus’ documents as possible.

So many are on such trivial, small things… So many things I’ve never even thought about in the city.

I’ve been doing too much thinking recently, old sport.

All I want to do is have a break from my own brain. Step back and let someone else do the driving.

And while I don’t exactly have the ability to do that… I know exactly what will allow me to relax… Even just for a moment.

[…]

I’ve wondered a lot recently, February, why I seem to miss you more at night.

Beyond the city’s late night horrors… Beyond your starry appearance… There is something about the moonlight which makes your absence sparkle. It shines bright into my eyes until I am unable to see anything but you. You flood my mind with memories of your touch. I can’t help but cry.

It is only recently that I figured out this mystery. Only while I was flooded with another memory did the realisation replace it.

The clock that sat in your room. It would tick, tick, tick, one second after the other as I began to feel safe once again in your arms.

I remembered, February.

I would sit and listen. Tick, tick, tick.

Until it became slower.

[Tick…]

Until I knew I was cherishing every second with you.

[Tick…]

Allowing myself to feel the seconds,

[Tick…]

Every moment lasted longer with you, February.

[Tick…]

I would struggle to keep myself awake.

[Tick…]

Knowing that if I fell asleep, I would lose those precious seconds.

[Tick…]

But I was comfortable. Oh, I was always so comfortable with you, February.

[Tick…]

And that… [Yawns] Was always my downfall…

[Tick…]

[Tick…]

[Tick, tick, tick…]

[radios-universe]

‼️‼️NEW UNIVERSE FRIDAY PODCAST EP OUT NOW‼️‼️

It's time for The Change... I'm sure nothing wrong will happen because of this!!! I'm so sure!!!

Listen now on Spotify!

(Also on YouTube)

[radios-universe]

EXCERPT #86:

Old sport, I hope you’re listening… I really hope you are.

It’s… The “human cyborgs”… It’s every person ever captured by the agency.

At least… I think.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Solus managed to document all of them.

There’s so much on… Location… Old sport, would you believe it? All this time, I’ve been searching for where the agency is based and… It’s all right here.

K’s capture… All in here. Of course, Solus didn’t know K’s name, not even as ‘Nightcrawler’. But who else would be notably dressed in black head to toe?

Solus has bullet point after bullet point… Retelling the story of K’s capture. They were watching him on his usual patrol rooftop, scanning back and forth… One moment they were there, and the next…! Smuggled off the roof with ease.

I can’t lie, old sport. I don’t care for Nightcrawler at all. But the thought made me feel ill.

Of all people… If K couldn’t have sensed his capture, escape the agency, then… I…

[Clears throat]

There’s nothing on Thalia. Which isn’t surprising… If you remember when I met Solus, old sport, they didn’t even know that Thalia had been captured until I told them.

I know why now.

Not because of any kind of petty aftermath after their break up, no… Solus was in the agency when Thalia was captured.

They retell the true lack of contact to the outside world within the agency’s HQ… Solus had no idea what was going on in the City. It’s not hard to see the gap that occurs in their data.

But Solus realised they had an opportunity to escape… When a new person is brought in.

They noted that people seemed to be captured on a bi-weekly basis… Without seemingly ever missing that schedule.

All focus would be on the new recruit, with key agency workers all focused on decontamination and “training”.

Solus realised that’s when they must make their escape.

It just so happened… With how the timelines worked out… Thalia’s capture was the thing that set Solus free.

I need to let you know that that wasn’t written in the document, old sport. But Solus knew. The information to work it out was all there… They just didn’t want to write it down. They didn’t want it to be true.

[...]

But of course, Solus had to be discreet about having this information… The agency would have ‘recruited’ Solus in the first place because of all their data… Never mind their piles of documents being useful to them… They knew that Solus had known about them before their own recruitment. They knew that Solus had the power to shut them down.

And when Solus eventually did escape… To which I’ve still to figure out how… Even if they didn’t know where they lived… The agency could still eventually get their hands on Solus’ work… All of these documents… All of the data.

It would only make them more powerful. Knowing all of these things about the City… They’re the ones with an intelligent enough platform in the City to put Solus’ work to use in a much larger scale.

So large, I… It would allow them to overthrow the government and take over the City themselves.

Their ultimate goal. Fulfilled.

Now… I know what I need to do.

I need to take over for Solus.

Better yet…

I need to fight back.

[...]

[radios-universe]

EXCERPT #85:

Hello. I hope somebody is listening.

[…]

Unbelievable… Solus…! They’re unbelievable!

Thalia’s file said she had been caught by cyborgs.

I know that’s not true. You know that’s not true, old sport… Unless this file really was abandoned after they broke up, and this is referring to something else…

But surely… Surely, Thalia would have shared that with me… Being caught by cyborgs? That’s a story she would have told me ten times over had she come out alive from it!

I digress. The file said cyborgs, so I had to find the file for the cyborgs.

And… Old sport… My God, you wouldn’t believe the size of it.

The cyborg document is essentially its own pile.

The last document in the ‘C’ area.

I could lie to you, old sport, and say it hasn’t taken me much time at all to go through it, but…

Well, other than the vow I made to you oh so long ago to be honest… It’s the furthest thing from the truth. I couldn’t lie about it if I tried.

I’m still at Solus’ place… Still reading through this absolute monster.

Once you get past the hundreds of front pages detailing each individual cyborg Solus has come in contact with, you then get onto the many… Many more pages of cyborg acts Solus has witnessed.

Of course, a lot of the time this includes Solus realising a lot of them are retreating to a similar place… That’s how they knew where their HQ was when we confronted them concerning the sinkholes.

Sometimes it’s random stories of cyborgs putting up campaign posters or trampling residents.

There was even a story of a cyborg following a rat into Solus’ place. Luckily for me, I had already heard of “Cyborg#1105” and their run-in with Solus from the first section.

[Sigh, a page turns]

It’s just… [page turns] Surely, if Thalia was ‘caught by cyborgs’, [page turns] you’d have something about that interaction here.

[Page turns]

It’s just getting tiring reading… Oh? Finally, a new section… Huh? “Human Cyborgs”...?

What does this even mean…? [Page turns]

Oh… My God.

[...]

<- prev excerpt / next excerpt ->

[radios-universe]

EXCERPT #84:

Hello. I hope somebody is listening.

[...]

Still in Solus’ place, old sport. You cannot imagine the number of files and documents Solus kept in the place. I promise, whatever you can imagine, double it… Triple it!

I found a whole other room. Multiple, even. The only documents in Solus’ main room were the ones they frequented, the ones that were in progress. It was all mostly sinkhole stuff, unsurprisingly.

The rooms are filled to the brim with pile after pile of papers and folders containing written data about the City and its residents. Coinveniently, they were alphabetised!

So tell me why, old sport, can I still not find anything about the agency!

Solus was captured by them, escaped from them. And I’m supposed to believe that they wrote nothing from that experience down?

I’ve checked all of the documents under ‘A’. Twice. I even checked the documents under T, just in case Solus was one of those… Odd people who would’ve sorted THE agency under T.

I’ll admit, old sport, I have found some interesting files in my search. Don’t worry, I’ll share some of the most peculiar.

Like… Ah, there’s a whole document on how many telephone boxes there are and which ones are haunted!

Oh, and weirdly enough, there’s this document called ‘A Previous Life?’ which lists random words… Apparently, these are some kinds of concepts and ideas that they seem to remember and can bring to mind, but have never seen in the City before…? Things like um… ‘squ-i-rels’ and… `floh-ers’? I’m not sure.

Oh-! You would find this funny, old sport, there’s a whole document about K’s various locations and set-up… How funny is that? And K called himself ‘Nightcrawler’, hah! He thought he was so sly… Believe it or not, since Solus never came into contact with him, he was just documented under ‘All Black Clothing - Locations.’ I was laughing for so long after I found it… I knew it was him immediately!

[Sighs] Nevertheless, still no sign of anything talking about the agency.

I know what you’re thinking, old sport… Yes, of course I looked at my own file. Not much in it, honestly! Mostly just notes about my calls before I actually met them. After that, they must’ve been too caught up in all the sinkhole business to really expand my file… I would’ve loved to have known what would’ve been said about me…

Oh… And, of course… I found Thalia’s file among the Ts… Believe it or not, it’s thinner than mine is…!

Must’ve not been the easiest break up…!

I actually… Didn’t read it… Not until now… Thought we could delve into it together, old sport! It’s not much of a long read after all…

[Paper rustles, page is turned over]

[Mumbling] Thalia… Age: unknown, well, yes… That goes for all of us… Appearance… Location… Status… Hold on. Status: caught by…? What?

[...]

<- prev excerpt / next excerpt ->

[radios-universe]

PSA: befriend aro/ace people!!!

why i hear you ask? well other than because we’re Awesome, on very specific occasions (i.e., if you’re like me: has a sibling, is fortunate enough to go on family vacations and is not interested in romance/relationships) such as their family holidays, if a sibling of theirs is bringing a s/o then the parents (if they’re cool) may just offer that aro/ace friend if they wanna bring Their friend. so basically you might just get a (potentially free if it’s extra based) vacation because YOU befriended an aroace person

starting to think this was a lil too niche of a post. but i swear it’s true i’ve brought friends on holidays all because my sister got to bring her bf :P

[radios-universe]

‼️NEW UNIVERSE FRIDAY PODCAST EP OUT NOW‼️

Time to receive some letters under the door while contemplating life's sudden lack of sinkholes.

Listen on Spotify now!

(Also on YouTube)