Episode description
Maryland September has been located and The Chime are safe but only for the moment. The storm rages outside and with it, threat hangs heavy in the air. In a space that is both familiar and unfamiliar, where does the real danger lie? A simple phone call, a little impatience, a forgotten responsibility, and a distant memory... what could be worse than a little rain?
This week on COUNTER/Weight: Reaching Out
What lies beyond the bounds?
Opening
“
Far above September skies, the network that undergrids the common mesh comes alight as the powerful and petty find excuse to put skill to test. Interns collate data sets that mean nothing in the abstract. New corporate protocols are established and old projections revisited. And all across the Golden Branch star sector, confidential people open confidential files.
Kobus waits on the shores of Vox, Loyalty chittering, afraid. On Archonic, Alunde Sinclair, OriCon Expeditionary CEO Emeritus, writes two speeches, one for each grave. Rapid Evening agents tend to wounds and limp towards a new dawn. And on far Apostolos, an envoy paces, waiting to deliver a message that they know Apokine Sokrates will not want to hear. The word has gone out. And now there is only the question of whether it is to be believed.
But there is one who already knows that it’s all true. And with each word spoken, each curse uttered, each promise exchanged, with every time its name is mentioned, sound itself comes into its tune. Now all it needs is a bridge.”
Plot
Aria, Mako and Cass notice the hidden door to Paisley’s workspace under the cafe. Aria convinces him to let them go down and use his comms despite the inherent risk. The call connects to Jacqui and Orth, who are with AuDy and Maryland September; everyone reassures each other that they’re okay.
Orth and Jacqui explain to AuDy that they found Maryland’s location from the library, fought off some of the Tzadik unit, and moved here. Maryland recognizes AuDy as Liberty and Discovery, who Ibex had told her about before. They try to warn her about the presence of Rigour, and tell her that they’ve been sent to evacuate her, but she’s not interested.
The rain starts to let up as the sun rises. Paisley warns Cass, Mako and Aria that the storm isn’t really over yet. Cass also concludes the best option is for them to wait out the storm. Mako sees people walking outside and goes outside anyway. Suddenly he’s wearing his September uniform in the colors of House Rosemoon, and he sees one of his school friends out on the lawn: Tower Chalet. Mako chats with him. He walks part of the way to the woods, simultaneously feeling that he’s part of the Chime and that’s he’s been a student here the whole time, before deciding to go back to his dorm.
AuDy tries to find information on Maryland in Liberty and Discovery’s databases, and as they reach out to Liberty and Discovery HQ through the mesh, someone sees what they're doing.
Cast
- Austin Walker
- Ali Acampora (Aria Joie)
- Keith J. Carberry (Mako Trig)
- Jack de Quidt (AuDy)
- Art Tebbel (Cassander Timaeus Berenice)