Episode description[edit | edit source]
This episode carries content warnings for the use of real life news audio recordings of protests and riots, cruelty, discussion of medical and student debt, discussion of combat injuries, layered conversations and heavy crosstalk.
In all societies, but especially in one as vast as the Divine Principality, people are separated from history as it is made. No one can be everywhere all at once, and even if you are at the heart of a protest, in the backroom of a political dealing, or on the carrier ship as the bombers launch, presence often clouds as much as it reveals. But our only alternative is to have the world we are in coalesced and presented towards us, mediated and curated by one industrial force or another. Text books, documentaries, the nightly news, and of course… the dreaded political panel podcast.
This week on the Road to PALISADE: Serious Reading
Records Recovered from the Divine, Arbitrage[edit | edit source]
Factions[edit | edit source]
The Bilateral Intercession: This faction, made up primarily from Stel Nideo and Kesh assets, was formerly known as the Curtain. The rebranding comes as part of a “civil coup” performed by Cynosure Whitestar-Kesh. In a move that surprised no group more than the Curtain themselves, Cynosure spent years growing in confidence and power, until that intelligence organization could be once again reduced to a tool. Still defined by their traditionalism, they wield their control on culture, religion, and history as a weapon—and the extensive spy network for which they are named when those come up short. The Pact of Free States: While the Bilateral Intercession’s name change reflects a shift in leadership and posture for the Curtain, the shift from “The Pact of Necessary Venture” to “The Pact of Free States” is simply the public acceptance of what was already widely understood to be true. Led in name by Dahlia, the Glorious Princept, and in day-to-day operation by senior members of Stels Apostolos and Columnar, the Pact paint themselves as liberal reformists whose aim is to increase the degree of autonomy in each of the Stels, such that they become in reality five separate nations. Persons[edit | edit source]
Continental Countinghouse (he/him): CENTRE/line host who specializes in playful monologues, managing social equilibrium, and ad reads. Pregoria Prilt (she/her): CENTRE/line panel member from Stel Columnar with a great interest in eating utensils and ancient Earth. Reatta Fossick (they/them): CENTER/Line panel member from Stel Kesh whose expertise in economic matters is only eclipsed by their deftness with euphemisms. Galaebalus Splu-u-mp (Gal/Gals, they them): CENTRE/line panel from Stel Apostolos member with strong feelings about work ethic, lunch sandwiches, and freedom. Locations[edit | edit source]
10th Coronet: A metropolitan space station—shaped like a crown, orbiting a dying sun—deep in the heart of Stel Orion, home to the galaxy's largest stock market, the stel’s governing body, and its media industry. TSYU: A university with one of the galaxy’s most prestigious medical schools, whose director, Jellicle (she/her), has little experience in any field except advertising.. Formerly called “TCYU,” prior to a recent acquisition and branding change. Articles[edit | edit source]
Orion Trade Concordance: A treaty signed by all five Stels, allowing for the safe and free movement of Stel Orion ships doing business anywhere in the Principality. On paper, this allows old trade lanes to remain active and for shipping of necessary goods to go uninterrupted by the ever-spreading civil war. In practice, it gives Stel Orion a tighter-than-ever hold on galactic commerce, and provides cover for a great deal of illegal activity. It was well negotiated, don’t you think?
Contents[edit | edit source]
Opening[edit | edit source]
“
[radio tuning in]
[garbled voice]
[people chanting and protesting]
[following clips are from various speakers]
1: Well, now we have more uh gas going off here, is that your perspective there? —
2: What you are seeing is that tension spilling over that we just talked about, a [muffled] while ago people kept pushing the police line and pushing the police line and pushing the police line, now we’re seeing a wide variety of of response from that police team—
3: It seems that this time the protestors are taking a stand. Bear with us with our picture, we’re trying to move closer—
4: They’re just going through the window right now and presumably they’re going to come out with some cash, I don’t know what’s going on over there but I don’t remember seeing anything like this—
5: They look to be uh flash grenades that are going off and we can only assume and hope that those are being launched by uh police officers—
[music begins]
[protesting sounds fade]
[following clips are from various speakers in-studio]
1: One small band of protestors came to town with masks on their faces and destruction on their minds.
2: Um, again, any group that wants to be taken seriously should not be conducting itself that way.
3: What are they protesting? Nobody seems to know.
4: I am struggling with trying to understand what is it that resolves this, what is it that, what is it that people are waiting for? Are there some other specific things that need to happen for these demonstrations to move into some other form, to move into a reform form, or some, something else? I’m just puzzled as to where we go next.
5: This is just a symptom of what many people see as another example of the value base of this society decaying and and and being attacked —
6: So everything you say, you have to be careful, and you have to make — and look, and this goes, by the way, for people on the far left, too, who are like “fuck all the centrists” and bullshit like that, too.
7: Every government has an absolute obligation to enforce the rule of law and to protect private property, and frankly they oughta be filming these people —
8: I mean, what comes next, a guillotine inside there? —
9: Absolutely, they should be declared a terrorist outfit, and what they do is textbook terrorism, is engaging in violence for the purposes of politics and ideology…
10: [crosstalk] They are not stupid people, they are devious and treacherous and very competent—
11: [crosstalk] Right. That’s a great insight.”
“
The same as it ever was.
I am your host, Layer Luxurious, and if you are a clever listener, then based on what you just heard you may be able to guess that today we turn our analytic apparatus towards the media infrastructure of the Divine Principality during the final years of the Perfect Millennium. And as you may have surmised, the news entertainment and publishing ecology during that time was finely tuned to offer the illusion of choice. Yes, there were technically differences between the Principality’s traditionalists and reformists, but whatever words were sung, the rhythm was locked to a beat provided by the great fundamental truths of power, property, and violence. So long as the violence was used to keep those first two in the right hands.
Nevertheless, every now and then, a perfectly tuned clock breaks. And so today we present you the final episode of what was once the Principality’s most beloved political podcast. All I can say is enjoy the ride.”
Plot[edit | edit source]
Continental Countinghouse introduces this week’s panelists on CENTRE/line: Pregoria Prilt, Reatta Fossick, and Galaebalus Splu-u-mp. Continental cheerfully goes over recent events, noting that it's been two years since Kesh and Nideo landed on Palisade, and the Pact of Free States (formally the Pact of Necessary Venture) and the Bilateral Intercession (formerly the Curtain) have agreed to Orion's statement of neutrality, guaranteeing that their ships are allowed to fly freely across all of the Principality.
The hosts discuss the role of lobbyists in the Principality, getting sidetracked by pet adoption until Continental hastily puts them back on track when Pregoria mentions the war. They also discuss medical and student debt in the Principality, and after another sidetrack into the famous Do you have it? advertisement, conclude that the solution is to make medical services cheaper by running their institutions like a business. They suggest students can join their respective military or military research units to pay off their debts. Ad reads for empty tin cans, martini glasses for wine, and music chargers are done in between topics.
Continental introduces the final topic for discussion, Millennium Break itself, pointing out that their show has been given official permission by Rye to actually say the phrase “Millennium Break” and discuss their “multiple attempted coups”. Galaebalus expresses frustration on the restrictions the Principality is imposing on its citizens, but is cut off by Continental. The rest of the hosts discuss Millennium Break’s recent attacks, painting them as a loud and violent minority, and highlighting the “necessary” work that the Stels are doing with checkpoints, ID cards, restriction of movement, biometric profiling, and random checks.
Gala enters the conversation again, but Continental mutes them, and directs their production team to check in. After a few minutes Gala can be heard in the background attempting to subvert this, so Continental leaves Pregoria and Fossick to do an ad read while he steps away to deal with Gala. The two can be heard arguing loudly as Pregoria and Fossick try and hold the show together. The argument grows heated, devolving into Continental shouting that they are at war and that everyone hates these measures, finally threatening Gala with a pointed reminder that gal is in Orion space right now. He kicks out Gala and return to their mic to attempt to close out the show just as Fossick admits that they think their wife (who has been trying to stop them from eating chicken for every meal) might be in Millennium Break.
Cast[edit | edit source]
- Austin Walker (Continental Countinghouse)
- Jack de Quidt (Pregoria Prilt)
- Keith Carberry (Reatta Fossick)
- Art Martinez-Tebbel (Galaebalus Splu-u-mp)
Trivia[edit | edit source]
- When asked about the final segment of the show, Austin and Art both confirmed that it was completely improvised, with Austin commenting that "This is what being friends and collaborators for nearly two decades will do to you!"[1]