Avery/GM: Hello listeners! As you have probably noticed, the episodes have been really late these past few months. I’m gonna get personal for a moment and just explain that I have had a lot of personal health stuff going on that has made getting to the episode editing really hard, on top of prepping for session, working a full time job, and managing a household and family life. I apologize for the delay, but I am almost through the end of the health stuff and think that I will be able to have more time to get extra editing done soon. So the episodes for October will release today, and then on October 25th. I think at that point, I should have no problem getting back on track with the 1st and 15th of every month. I appreciate all your patience. Anyway, let’s get to Episode 52 of Beyond the Furthest Stars!
(Intro music plays, then fades down, ambience fades in)
Avery/GM: So you all are on the Ursa towing the Cassiopeia with the TISCAM in the docking bay. Y'all have like three ships now, technically.
Chris/Ollie: Not enough.
Bee/Polaris: Not enough, we need more.
Avery/GM: Yeah, so you're all heading towards the Elusian system, uh, which is a system that's nearby that has quite a few planets and so definitely a lot of potential to find the parts you need to fix up this, uh, factory and specifically to build the, the Custodians new bodies, uh, if you want to do that, you also could just not do that.
Bee/Polaris: Okay.
Avery/GM: I mean, it'd be rude, it'd be rude to your friend Polaris to not do that, but you could, I'm just saying.
Zach/Zahn: In our shopping list for the custodians, uh, are they wanting like, flesh bodies?
Avery/GM: I'm pasting it right now. Yes.
Bee/Polaris: So like, synthetic, uh, like, material?
Avery/GM:But they, they want it to their specifications.
Bee/Polaris: Yeah.
Avery/GM:The items that they have requested are very odd sounding. They need: three audio oscillators, two hydro cleansers, three cell binders, one turbidity homogenizer, one Dorak shaper, one von Humboldt reflector, and one ionic flux booster.
Bee/Polaris: That sounds-
Zach/Zahn: Shouldn't they need three per each of them?
Or one per each of them?
Avery/GM:No, because some, some of, some of these things will build the stuff they need. Some of these go in the body, et cetera, et cetera.
Zach/Zahn: Got it
Avery/GM: But these names all brought to you by fantasy name generators.
Bee/Polaris: I was just about to say, this sounds like some Doctor Who shit.
Chris/Ollie:Yeah, I was like, oh wow.
Avery/GM: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Chris/Ollie: Wibbly wobbly timey wimey.
Avery/GM: Exactly. Anyway, this is the nearest system to where you could possibly get these parts. The system consists of three planets, Quorra, which is a planet that its inhabitants live in the subterranean caverns, uh, due to the fact that many years ago they blocked out the sun from their planet, rendering the surface uninhabitable.
And they spend all of their time digging tunnels, looking for ore and other raw materials to keep their, uh, They're big, giant coffin cannon, uh, operational. So they can continue the practice of burying their dead at the nearby black hole.
You've got Demeter, which is a lush planet full of, you know, basically idyllic scenes, beautiful forests, mountains, beaches. It's lovely. Little to no technology here, but, um, you know, they, they get by with trading with various visitors and also they sell more of like the experience to people. You know, but all they ask in return is that you take a few bodies with you when you go, um, nothing too morbid.
And then finally there's Triptopolis, which is like party bro city, man. You know, the party never stops in Triptopolis robots cater to their every needs so they can just bro out at the gym or head down to the club and do some shots or engage in hover bike races and all kinds of fun stuff. So those are the three planets that you have in Um, and that's kind of the, the debriefing that, that Hermes gives you on your way there.
Anyone have a preference on which planet they want to go to first?
Bee/Polaris: I think maybe we get shopping done and then go rest and relax?
Caden/Bruce: Oh yeah, Bruce at some point probably came into the communal cabin with like cookies and stuff and was just like, we might have a slight development with Eden.
Avery/GM: Oh, that's right.
Bee/Polaris: Yeah, you were the one that left it at a cliffhanger!
Zach/Zahn: Feed me, Seymour!
Avery/GM: I know! I forgot!
Zach/Zahn: Zahn’s just like, uh, the fuck you mean.
Caden/Bruce: Well, I might have been feeding Eden soup, and, um, Eden ate my favorite pot, and now has a plant head, face, I don't know, bud. I don't really know what to call it. I'm not a plant expert.
Chris/Ollie: Does he look like a piranha plant now?
Avery/GM: Very much so.
Zach/Zahn: Oh no. All right, from Little Shop of Horrors, that's why I made that joke.
Avery/GM: Yeah, but I said it's more Mario than Little Shop of Horrors. It's cute.
Zach/Zahn: It's cute, damn it.
Zach/Zahn: Yeah, for now. So
Chris/Ollie: yeah, so far it's cute.
Zach/Zahn: That's cute. Then it becomes Little Shop of Horrors.
Bee/Polaris: I also, um, the reason why, the reason why Piranha Plants are cute in the Mario world is because the art style is cute.
If it was a realistic art style, it would not be cute.
Avery/GM: Fair.
Jenine/Marty: Ah, Little guy.
Zach/Zahn: Is this the, the moment where Bruce pulls out Eden?
Caden/Bruce: Oh no, Bruce, Bruce does not have Eden with him.
Bee/Polaris: Where are all of us? Where are we?
Zach/Zahn: I'm assuming it's like lunch or something.
Bee/Polaris: Well, then Eden would be in the kitchen.
Chris/Ollie: Ollie would be in the workshop.
Avery/GM: Yeah. Eden would be in the kitchen. Probably slightly too big to pick up and move with one person. Although Bruce is a strong boy.
Bee/Polaris: Bruce is a big, strong boy. So yeah, that's why I was asking, where are we? Are we like in the crew quarters or like, you know, like where are we having this conversation?
Caden/Bruce: Uh, probably like up on the bridge is where Bruce probably assumes most people would be, and if not, there's coms to like, get them there sort of thing.
Avery/GM: So yeah, if you want to be on the bridge, you can be on the bridge, that's fine.
Chris/Ollie: Well, since it's such a big ship, and there's so few of us, and the bridge is so big, we should just have like a communal area on the bridge.
Just like, you know, set up a table.
Caden/Bruce: Little table, little coffee machine. Bruce coming in with a bunch of cookies.
Chris/Ollie: Otherwise
Avery/GM: The custodians hate all of this.
Bee/Polaris: Yes Well, Merrick
Avery/GM: I love it.
Bee/Polaris: Merrick, uh, is like in charge of the bridge. bridge and stuff usually because they fly the ship and they're more open to organics so probably doesn't hate it as much as everyone else.
Probably eats cookies despite not needing to when they have a body.
Avery/GM: Well I will say Ro and Psy are on the bridge so if that influences anyone's decision.
Caden/Bruce: I feel like, I feel like bridge is just where Bruce would go to assume most people hang out and then like kind of like page Ollie and Zahn from like wherever their workshop is just to be like meet me on the bridge fresh cookies in five sort of thing.
Jenine/Marty: It's tea time!
Bee/Polaris: Yay!
Chris/Ollie: Yeah, Ollie would be in the workshop working on a little spiderbot project.
Zach/Zahn: Ooh.
Bee/Polaris: Ooh.
Avery/GM: Ooh. I don't even know what this is, that's great.
Zach/Zahn: Zahn would be kind of mindlessly doing what he can for the factory until we get the parts to make it fully operational.
Bee/Polaris: Polaris will be making the thing that I texted you about, Avery.
Zach/Zahn:Oh right, Zahn has a thing for new terra to build too.
Avery/GM: Oh that's right! Okay, thank you. Yes, I love it. Yeah, so whoever wants to be here can be here on the bridge. Uh, Psi and Rho are just kind of monitoring bridge operations even though it's kind of not necessary.
Bee/Polaris: Yeah, there's robots in here.
Avery/GM: But, uh, Bruce, you were saying?
Zach/Zahn: Are we sitting at the table eating our cookies?
Caden/Bruce: Yeah
Bee/Polaris: Yeah, uh, Polaris is doing so with his feet on the table. Like, his feet up on the table and chair leaning back on two legs.
Caden/Bruce: Well, Eden might have a head and definitely teeth. Definitely teeth. And, um, requests more food more often now, and, well, I think it might be time for us to try and relocate?
Bee/Polaris: Is this Eden dangerous?
Caden/Bruce: I mean, they ate my favorite pot.
Zach/Zahn: Zahn's gonna hold up a finger, he's like, Eden, like, from New Terra Eden, right?
Caden/Bruce: Bruce will nod.
Zach/Zahn: Maybe, I'm just gonna put this out here, glancing to everyone. Uh, maybe fire is the best option. We all saw what, uh, its parent planet, or plant, parent plant did, uh.
Bee/Polaris: The body eating plant?
Zach/Zahn: The body eating plant, precisely.
Chris/Ollie: Ollie is here as his recon drone. He's physically in the other thing in the workshop, but his recon drone is floating here and I'm speaking through it and it's going to display a hologram onto the table, uh, C3PO or not, uh, R2D2 style of just scenes of all the carnage of the mother plant from the space station and say
Zach/Zahn: And this is Marty's first time seeing those.
Chris/Ollie: Yeah, exactly. And just say, danger level, probable.
Avery/GM: Marty, you hear just random screams and like, you see the image, the holographic image of like, someone like, falling to the ground and then getting like, dragged away by vines into a bush. And then crunching sounds.
Chris/Ollie: Oh yeah.
Jenine/Marty: What?
Bee/Polaris: Just a pool of blood like, leaking out under the bush.
Avery/GM: Oh no, the blood gets eaten. The blood gets absorbed.
Chris/Ollie: The pool of blood comes out, and then soaks back in.
Avery/GM: Like a straw.
Jenine/Marty: I'm sorry. We, you, this is the offspring of this?
Bee/Polaris: Yeah. You missed a lot, Marty. New Terra was, uh, rough.
Zach/Zahn: Oh man, it was a blast!
Bee/Polaris: Polaris puts a hand on Zahn's shoulder.
Zach/Zahn:Because we blew up the station, it was a blast.
Jenine/Marty:You blew up a station.
Zach/Zahn: I meant that literal.
Chris/Ollie: Literally.
Zach/Zahn: Yeah.
Caden/Bruce: And there was plants that eat people, and they gave me a seed, and that seed is Eden.
Jenine/Marty: Uh, did we research this species, or is it only a New Terra species?
Caden/Bruce: Bruce will shrug.
Bee/Polaris: I don't know.
Zach/Zahn: Well, we haven't had a chance. It's really to get Rho or Psi input on that, I suppose.
Chris/Ollie: This is the research.
Bee/Polaris: That is true.
Jenine/Marty: Oh, so, okay, okay. And just a slight panic, and then she takes out her little data pad. And like, she should just do like a quick little swoopy swoop to see what in the world this plant is.
Avery/GM: Sure. Go ahead and roll an intelligence know check.
Jenine/Marty: I got 10.
Avery/GM: Perfect. Yeah, you find nothing like specifically naming these plants, but what you do find is there are a lot of weird stories about different people going to like different planets that had been previously undiscovered and finding plants that seemed to be able to communicate and seemed to be able to offer conversation with the travelers that visited.
And they always seemed to come back with more seeds that would then be given to other people. And you find actually one research paper from a colleague who From college, they went the botany route, but, you know, in undergrad, they were a colleague and they actually have published a paper theorizing that this is how this, uh, species, uh, spreads throughout the galaxy.
How it ended up on New Terra Station, who knows, but it, it is theorized that, that this is how they spread, by convincing other beings to carry a new plant with them.
Jenine/Marty: Oh, that's cute, that's cute, that's cute. Hmm, this seems like, uh,
Avery/GM: And at the end of the paper, you do also see highly carnivorous, very dangerous,
Jenine/Marty: very dangerous.
Chris/Ollie: Is there like a world ending threat, like,
Jenine/Marty: yeah,
Chris/Ollie: danger scale on there?
Jenine/Marty: Is this like a parasite situation thing where they're like, you should probably this is a Or, or are we submitting this for research? Cause there's two thoughts coming out of Marty right now. As she's reading this article. She in her brain, she in her brain is like formatting an email to send to her former colleague and to Oswald to be like, Hey, do we want to research this?
Zach/Zahn: Oh God. Give the man eating plant to Oswald. That sounds like a great idea.
Bee/Polaris: The man eating psychic plant.
Avery/GM: But it's also psychic. That's why, that's why Marty's
Jenine/Marty: like, oh my god, science. But also, what if we just, what? Setting it free on that little planet that, that, you know. Let it be on the planet that's gonna go extinct soon. There's nothing there.
Caden/Bruce: There is.
Chris/Ollie: There won't be, but there is now.
Zach/Zahn: There won't be.
Bee/Polaris: Uh, I guess Marty hasn't shared this information in character, huh?
Jenine/Marty: Not yet. So that's what Marty is like thinking as she's like looking at her data pad and just looks up, So why did we So what was the Just, just took a seed and then you said yes and then just Went off.
I, I, I trust you. Mentally, mentally, this is, this is interesting.
Caden/Bruce: Well, we noticed the plants were sentient, I guess? And, um, I offered them water and they said I was nice. And they offered me a seed and promised not to eat me. And I figured that was a pretty good trade. So, that's how I got Eden. And then the ship kind of exploded.
Jenine/Marty: mmm-hhmmm
Bee/Polaris: But that wasn't our fault.
Zach/Zahn: Oh,
Jenine/Marty: so why did the ship explode?
Zach/Zahn: No, it was definitely, definitely our fault.
Jenine/Marty: How did you, why?
Bee/Polaris: She didn't need to know that.
Jenine/Marty:Wait, so, okay, wait, let's back up. Let's back up. So we exploded a ship?
Zach/Zahn: Well, technically it was like a fleet of ships conglomerated together into one space station.
Bee/Polaris: like a station. Yeah.
Jenine/Marty: So Exploded a space station that had a carnivorous plant that gave a seed. Uh huh.
Bee/Polaris: Oh - And people that went mad.
Zach/Zahn: Yeah, they were also eating people.
Jenine/Marty: There's people eating people on ship.
Zach/Zahn: Also, uh, just to reiterate in case you missed it, this was my home station. Uh, this is where I was from.
Jenine/Marty: This was your home station.
Zach/Zahn: Yeah.
Jenine/Marty: So you exploded your home station that had people eating people on it, as well as a plant that ate people. While it was a carnivorous seed.
Bee/Polaris: Oh, that wasn't the only thing that happened. That wasn't the only thing that happened.
Jenine/Marty: On the, on the station? Are there more things that happened on the station?
Bee/Polaris: Yeah. Many.
Zach/Zahn: Well, we don't have to talk about all the things that happened on the station.
Bee/Polaris: We don't have to talk about all the things that happened on the station.
Zach/Zahn: Probably should talk about all the things that happened on the station.
Bee/Polaris: Yeah, Polaris points to Zahn. And says, You should talk to Marty about some of the things that happened on the station.
Jenine/Marty: Hmm?
Zach/Zahn: But, like,
Jenine/Marty: Hmm?
Zach/Zahn: I don't know man, I'm still kind of decompressing from that crap. I don't know.
Jenine/Marty: Okay,
Bee/Polaris: Eventually
Zach/Zahn: It's all my dad put my mom's dead brain in a robot and brought her back to life, but she was in abject misery. And he's just going to start ranting now. He's like, uh, and she was in abject misery. So I had to put her out of that misery. And then in my anger, I beat the shit out of my crazy scientific dad. And then like, we killed the people who ran the space station, but they all deserved it. And then we were just going to give them the slow death they deserved, but then my dad hit the fucking self destruct button.
So we had to get the fuck out of there real quick. And you know, it was all just one big, happy mess.
Bee/Polaris: Yeah.
Avery/GM: Rho pipes up and says, and you're like childhood mentor is responsible for putting your mom in the jar.
Bee/Polaris: Yeah. She did have a hand in that. And Polaris will hold up her hand.
Zach/Zahn: Zahns going to like, point at Polaris get the fuck rid of that.
How do you still have that? It's been like. Five days.
Bee/Polaris: I've read. I don't know where to get rid of it.
Avery/GM: It's not looking good either.
Chris/Ollie:Is it just like rotting?
Bee/Polaris: Well, he's been in the vacuum of space.
Zach/Zahn: It's starting to look like Bruce Campbell's head from Evil Dead 2.
Chris/Ollie: It was freeze dried in space.
Bee/Polaris:Yeah.
Avery/GM: Yeah, I guess technically it would be freeze dried.
Oh my gosh.
Jenine/Marty: Yeah, so Marty just kind of sits there and like she is like fully in the conversation, but you can see like with her data pad on the side, she has the notes app open and she's just taking notes, still maintaining eye contact the entire time.
Chris/Ollie: Oh man, just automatic writing at like 200 words per minute.
Jenine/Marty: Yeah, have you met her? She's smart.
Bee/Polaris: At the, at the, at the pause Polaris will also like pull out the Boyan cube and say I also have these. Which are also freeze dried.
Zach/Zahn: Which are also people.
Jenine/Marty: Excuse me?
Bee/Polaris: Yeah, so we had to fight some of the, um, inhabitants on the space station. And, um, now that I'm thinking about this, that sounds really messed up.
Uh, we had to use cubes of people as bait.
Jenine/Marty: Hi, it's Janine. I'm laughing at this right now. Marty is in complete shock.
Chris/Ollie: Hold out a boyon cubes.
Bee/Polaris: Yeah, I still have
Zach/Zahn: boyon cubes that our people meat.
Bee/Polaris: Yeah,
Zach/Zahn: that are space freeze dried
Bee/Polaris: Yeah,
Jenine/Marty: Okay.
Bee/Polaris: I'm carrying a lot of dead human on me.
Jenine/Marty: I see that.
Zach/Zahn: We should probably incinerate those
Avery/GM: Psi sets down his cookie and just walks away. Just like Nope, not today .
Zach/Zahn: Not today
Jenine/Marty: Psi how are we doing? Are we good?
Are we great? We haven't checked in since the fun little we're good two thumbs up
Avery/GM: That whole story was kind of gross. I'm going to go lay down for a little bit.
Bee/Polaris: Yeah. Imagine living through it.
Jenine/Marty: Okay, great
Zach/Zahn: l Yeah. Imagine it being your family.
Bee/Polaris: Polaris points at Zahn, like emphasis.
Avery/GM: He looks over at Rho and is like, I'd rather not, but okay.
Zach/Zahn: Yeah, like I, like I said, decompressing. Zahn's got like that fake putting on the laugh, smile on his face, but like you see the, his eyes watering up a little bit. Yeah.
Chris/Ollie: Ollie's drone will turn to Marty and say, thankfully you are back. Much trauma was had and we have been unable to help Zahn.
Zach/Zahn: What are you talking about?
I'm fine. Clearly I'm fine.
Jenine/Marty: I don't, you. Look me in the eyes and say you're fine.
Zach/Zahn: He looks you in the eyes, they are very much like, teary, but he's like, I'm fine.
Bee/Polaris: Are you lying to her?
Jenine/Marty: We don't have to talk about it. Okay, what else happened?
Zach/Zahn: Uh, that's probably the extent of it.
Jenine/Marty: No other family trauma that happened?
Any other? Any other little, little extra friends on the ship? Any other multiplications of things? What's up?
Zach/Zahn: Not on New Terra.
Bee/Polaris: Yeah, well, uh, Nah, okay, yeah, no.
Jenine/Marty: You hesitated.
Bee/Polaris: I did.
Jenine/Marty: Why were you hesitating?
Bee/Polaris: Doesn't seem like the time. Also something I should probably discuss with the custodians.
Jenine/Marty: And then Marty does another typey type.
Is anyone next to her?
Avery/GM: I don't think right next to you, no.
Jenine/Marty: Yeah, Marty's just like, Typing, and just types. Get back with Polaris on topics. Continuing! Anything else? Nothing else.
Avery/GM: Hermes pipes up and just says, Well, I, I did try to reason with my mother and she almost had me killed.
Bee/Polaris: Oh yeah, that's true. That did happen as well.
Avery/GM: But I am just an AI crystal, so I suppose that is not a high priority.
Jenine/Marty: No, uh, no, no, no, no, you're, you are very important. Did we have any other parental issues, mentor issues, family issues?
Bee/Polaris: I mean, you were there for mine, so.
Bee/Polaris: Yeah.
Zach/Zahn: Zahn gives Polaris a pat on the shoulder. They're, there there.
Bee/Polaris: Polaris, his hologram visor is on, so he just looks at Zahn without any emotion, any emo or anything.
And then, like, lifts his hand and pats Zahn too.
Zach/Zahn: Yeah, because you're sitting to the left of me, so I can't pat you because my right arm is broken.
Bee/Polaris: Yeah.
Zach/Zahn: It's still in a sling
Bee/Polaris: Yeah
Jenine/Marty: Okay, cute. Cute, cute, cute. Okay, everyone's I had a nice little research break.
That's it.
Zach/Zahn: Oh, cool. Something not traumatic. I want to hear literally all of the details.
Jenine/Marty: That's about it. Um. That's it. I didn't really do anything that cool. I guess I probably mended my relationship with Oswald, but that's about it.
Bee/Polaris: Aww, does that mean I can't call him a nerd anymore?
Jenine/Marty: You can still call him a nerd.
Zach/Zahn: Yes!
Chris/Ollie: Designation, nerd. Unchanged.
Zach/Zahn: Unchanged!
Jenine/Marty: Okay, okay. Um, yeah, okay. So that's, that's it. Am I missing anything else on the journey?
Zach/Zahn: Unless Bruce had some revelations while we were dealing with some stuff, I don't think so.
Caden/Bruce: No, just - just Eden
Zach/Zahn: Can I go back to the factory now? There's lots of stuff that needs doing.
Bee/Polaris: I mean, yeah, but we have to talk about Eden.
Jenine/Marty:This is true,
Bee/Polaris: we just got sidetracked because Yeah, we got sidetracked because we had to catch Marty up to speed.
Zach/Zahn: No, yeah, you're Yeah, you're right. Uh, like I said, Uh, fire is still an option.
Caden/Bruce: I mean, they are a sentient being.
Bee/Polaris: Yeah, but so is Rhea.
Zach/Zahn: A sentient being that loves to eat people. Exactly! And we all want to kill Rhea at this table, right?
Right? Yeah, I thought so.
Chris/Ollie: Our charity, our charity thus far, is based on their chill attitude. That seems to be changing.
Bee/Polaris: Bruce, how do you want to go about this?
Caden/Bruce: Well, since Eden's eaten my favorite pot, I, uh, figured it would be a better group decision than just a me decision because, I mean, I, they might have told me that, cause Eden, Eden listens to me, um, but specifically said for now.
Bee/Polaris: In regards to what?
Caden/Bruce: Well, I guess in regards to that Eden might stop listening to me and what I get them to eat. And, well, I just don't want Eden to eat any of Us.
Zach/Zahn: Yes, that is preferable.
Bee/Polaris: Hey Bruce, this seems like a, no pun intended with the current crew, uh, present, this seems like a bomb about to go off.
Zach/Zahn: Zahn actually lets out the chuckle. Like it's, it's completely involuntary when he's like,
Jenine/Marty: Marty face palms.
Bee/Polaris: Again, unintentional. I, but it definitely seems like a threat kind of slowly brewing behind the scenes.
Caden/Bruce: And this is why I decided that now would be the time to bring it. With cookies that would hopefully maybe make me forgiven for not bringing it up sooner.
Bee/Polaris: Oh, I didn't even really think about that until you said
Zach/Zahn: is that why these cookies are pot shaped and not like the flower pot, but like actual clay pot
Avery/GM: shaped like a cooking pot.
Chris/Ollie: This isn't a Bob Marley special.
Avery/GM: Oh my gosh.
Caden/Bruce: Thank you for noticing. Yes.
Chris/Ollie: Little flower pots made of cookie, would be so good.
Jenine/Marty: Well you didn't really see it as a threat, you thought of a new friend and an offering, so there's nothing to really be mad about, but it does come down to what are we doing with this plant?
Bee/Polaris: Yeah, I mean, cause to be honest, the way I was raised is to neutralize all threats. So that's what I'm thinking, but if you want Eden to continue being, then we need to figure out some sort of solution that does the least amount of damage to other people.
Caden/Bruce: I mean, my worry is, well, One, Eden talks to me, um, and if we allow, I mean allow is a harsh word, but if we allow Eden to live somewhere else, does that break a psychic bond?
And it certainly wouldn't stop them giving away other seeds like I was given.
Bee/Polaris: Well, yeah, that's kind of, that is a big concern because presumably we don't want a carnivorous plant known to eat many organic beings, um, to spread throughout the galaxy. Is that, is that a safe bet, safe assumption to make?
Zach/Zahn: Zahns nodding enthusiastically.
Chris/Ollie: Yeah, Ollie will specifically turn and ask Marty, does your research state how much of an ecological disaster this plant is?
Jenine/Marty: Does my research state how much of an ecological disaster this plant is?
Avery/GM: It has been noted that most of the time when these plants are introduced to ecosystems with other organisms in the environment.
However, if they are placed on a planet that has a high humanoid population, for some reason, the plants grow out of control.
Jenine/Marty: Don't like that. Don't like that.
Chris/Ollie: They like the brains.
Avery/GM: Well, you know. It's a good source of protein.
Bee/Polaris: I feel like the whole human is a good source of protein.
Avery/GM: But also yes.
Jenine/Marty: Well, there's some, there's some research stuff in here.
Uh, what if we - So putting it on a planet with lots of people, lots of humanoids might not be a good idea.
Bee/Polaris: Okay.
Jenine/Marty: Putting on a planet with other beings, they will thrive.
Bee/Polaris: Okay, but do we want it to thrive?
Jenine/Marty: You've put the doctor in a dilemma.
Chris/Ollie: Ollie will just say, if it isn't an adverse threat, does it not deserve to?
Bee/Polaris: I mean, I think the main issue here is that it kind of is a threat. No, to like most organic beings, considering like even on the space station, it just wanted to have everyone be part of it. Right?
Zach/Zahn: Indeed
Avery/GM: Yeah, Bruce, you will remember that Eden's purpose is to grow.
Caden/Bruce: And it's not just, I mean, of course I'm worried about us and I'm worried about everyone on this ship, but the fact that Eden ate my favorite pot, I'm also worried about the ship itself and the fact that Eden has said that it can eat inorganic material and has proven that it will eat inorganic material, it.
Um, I mean, the parent plant was living as a part of the ship, and I think that's worrying as well, that as much as Eden has said that, you know, I am their friend and we are, you know, doesn't want to hurt us, I don't know if that extends to the ship itself either.
Bee/Polaris: Hey, I didn't think about that. The ship is cur that we're currently on is my parent's.
Kind of doesn't feel good to know that you brought a plant that can integrate into the ship and eat inorganic beings onto the ship that is my parents.
Caden/Bruce: I mean, to be fair, when I brought Eden onto this ship, it was before Eden had, you know, a head and teeth. Multiple teeth.
Bee/Polaris: That's okay, I'll give you that. But also, Eden's goal is to To grow, no? So, like, we knew that it was going to get to that point eventually?
Caden/Bruce: I guess so? I mean, I don't know how fast this plant grows. I guess I didn't think about it.
Bee/Polaris: Hey Bruce, where is Eden now?
Caden/Bruce: In the kitchen.
Chris/Ollie: You said Eden consumed your pot. Where was the pot located?
Caden/Bruce: Uh, in the kitchen, with my soup in it.
I kind of just put Eden in the soup and when I came back Eden had consumed the soup and the pot. And is now just living, kind of on the stove.
Bee/Polaris: Bruce.
Chris/Ollie: There was the pot on the stove.
Caden/Bruce: Yes?
Bee/Polaris: Does that mean we're gonna have to get rid of the stove?
Chris/Ollie: Simply activate the stove and it will solve all of our problems.
Bee/Polaris: I don't know if it will. How easily can Eden spread seeds?
Caden/Bruce: I don't know, I mean.
Bee/Polaris: Especially since we're not currently watching Eden.
Avery/GM: Ollie, can you make a, um, dexterity notice check for me?
Zach/Zahn: I mean, the seed was like the size of a walnut when the parent plant gave it to Bruce, right?
Bee/Polaris: Sure, but the parent plant was like much larger.
It doesn't necessarily mean that the seed has to stay that size.
Caden/Bruce: You just figured that they'd have to reach a certain maturity age before they can start producing seeds.
Bee/Polaris: This is a space plant that eats people, what do you mean?
Chris/Ollie: Eight.
Avery/GM: You said eight? Okay. You see nothing.
Bee/Polaris: Polaris is going to text the custodians and say, can I get eyes on the kitchen?
And are there any issues around the kitchen regarding like, uh, any of the wiring and stuff in the ship?
Avery/GM: Bear says, Everything looks normal. Uh, there, there is a green rope kind of just hanging in the, on, like, hanging down from the stove in the kitchen next to that weird plant that has teeth.
Bee/Polaris: Thanks.
Avery/GM: Hey, Polaris, uh, plants aren't supposed to have teeth.
Bee/Polaris: As far as I'm aware, no. In fact, this plant is, Polaris will just, Bear has seen his helmet footage from New Terra.
Avery/GM: Yeah, fair. But those plants didn't have visible teeth either. You didn't see the teeth.
Bee/Polaris: Yeah, Polaris, well, I, uh, presumably they've been listening to this conversation because they're the ship.
Avery/GM:Yeah
Chris/Ollie: And then Bear just does this, that Jackie Chan, what the fuck? A meme, like, why would you bring that here?
Avery/GM: But yeah, if it's only been two hours, then Ollie wouldn't have had to make that notice check either, so I apologize.
Bee/Polaris: Um, Polaris is going to then say to the group, you Uh, apparently there is a green rope dangling from the stove in the kitchen.
Caden/Bruce: Okay, so we should take care of Eden sooner than later. I just, yeah.
Bee/Polaris: So do we want Again, I'm not gonna do anything until we Like, I get a clear answer on this. Is Are we Do we want Do we want to relocate Eden? Or Do we take care of Eden now?
Caden/Bruce: I mean, if it's been two hours and Eden's already growing, I don't know what. Do we have the time to relocate Eden?
Bee/Polaris: We, I mean, you can talk to Eden. Presumably we can get them into a container and take them elsewhere. Unless they decide they no longer want to listen to you.
Chris/Ollie: Unless we are completely unable, I would sincerely like to relocate them.
Bee/Polaris: I just. My biggest problem with relocating them - Did Marty share the information that these things essentially, like the way they spread is convince people to take their seeds and spread them?
Jenine/Marty: Oh, she would have shared the article.
Bee/Polaris: Okay, so then yeah, Polaris is gonna be like My only concern here is if we relocate Eden, which I'm assuming the best place to do so is on Winston's former planet, the one that's unregistered. My only concern is if someone else crash lands there and Eden convinces them to take a seed.
What's stopping that person from taking that seed to a populated area? And they wouldn't know the danger that came with it.
Zach/Zahn: That's precisely my thought as well, especially since we don't even know how long it'll take before Winston's planet is consumed by that black hole.
Chris/Ollie: It was five years, wasn't it?
Zach/Zahn: I thought it was 50.
Chris/Ollie: 50? Oh wow.
Bee/Polaris: I thought it was way more than that.
Chris/Ollie: 500? Some, some multiple of 5.
Avery/GM: Yeah. Yeah, no, Winston had been there for 5 years.
Bee/Polaris: Yeah. And had already, uh. It's gonna take like a while.
Avery/GM: Yeah. And he had already hunted most of the animals to extinction.
Bee/Polaris: Yeah.
Avery/GM: So, on the plus side, there's only plants that this other plant could eat.
Bee/Polaris: See?
Zach/Zahn: Or insects. I remember there being like small, small rodents and stuff.
Avery/GM: Yeah. Um.
Bee/Polaris: But. I mean, the problem still lies that, like, we are the second, like, person to kind of, not crash land, but kind of, like, end up on that planet by accident. So, like, what's stopping someone else from doing that down the line?
Finding Eden?
Chris/Ollie: Uh, that risk exists already, with all kinds of organisms and microbes.
Bee/Polaris: Sure, but this is a threat that we can immediately dispatch of, is what I'm saying. We, we don't have to spread this further.
Zach/Zahn: Zahns just gonna point over shoulder, uh, like towards the door. I can go just make a flamethrower right now.That would
Caden/Bruce: Bruce, Bruce has one.
Zach/Zahn: Oh yeah, I keep forgetting that
Bee/Polaris: Bruce has a flamethrower. And Marty has drugs, let's not forget that.
Jenine/Marty: I keep forgetting I have drugs. Everytime.
Chris/Ollie: I'm surprised Zahn doesn't have one built into his suit already.
Zach/Zahn: Well, I didn't want to completely rip off Mandalorian, you know.
Bee/Polaris: And if it was attached to his arm, players might have broken it.
Chris/Ollie: Yeah, that's, that's the, uh, canon event.
Avery/GM: Rho will, uh, speak up and say, Marty, or I could maybe try and talk to Eden. If you want, Bruce, maybe, maybe we could convince it not to harm us?
Bee/Polaris: I mean, that's already been done, no? The problem is literally any other organic being that comes across this plant.
Avery/GM: That's a fair point.
Bee/Polaris: Listen, again, I will go with whatever the group decides, but personally, I don't see the point in relocating this potentially dangerous plant that convinces people to spread its, you know, to spread it across the galaxy so that it can continue to grow
Zach/Zahn: and eat. Don't forget the eating part.
Bee/Polaris: Yeah. Grow in, in this case, meaning consuming all life to become part of it.
Zach/Zahn: Yeah.
Avery/GM: Rho says, I mean, maybe we should have given it to the Pan Solar Union before they left. I mean, granted they blew up. So, you know, but I don't know.
Zach/Zahn: I mean, we weren't really given a opportunity to do that I suppose
Bee/Polaris: Yeah. could have, should have, would have. I guess I just, this situation very much seems like a, um, one house being on fire and we could put out the fire, but we're just going to move the fire.
Caden/Bruce: I mean, Eden's whatever plant, first plant, plant A, possibly not plant A, I mean, it's not like we're getting rid of the whole entire species by getting rid of, that we know of.
Zach/Zahn: That we know of.
Bee/Polaris: But I understand that. I'm just saying, why spread it further?
Caden/Bruce: I mean, if you look at the kill ratio, We have more kills than Eden currently does.
Jenine/Marty: Oh,
Bee/Polaris: I guess I just don't understand what, what the attachment is. I, I, I don't, why, why save this plant?
Jenine/Marty: Um, uh, may I make a proposal?
Bee/Polaris: Sure.
Jenine/Marty:There's not a lot of research about this plant. Um, I do have a friend that does study this plant, and I'm going to assume, Hopefully, because they're smart, theoretically, hopefully, that they probably have ways of containing this creature and also researching what we can do to keep it contained.
I can go reach out to them and see what their best course of action is.
Zach/Zahn: Yeah, you go ahead and, uh, do that, and he's going to wink. And then he's going to push away from the table and slowly get up.
Chris/Ollie: Just stretch. Uh, I'm going to go hit the bathroom real quick.
Zach/Zahn: I'm going to go hit the gym.
Bee/Polaris: Polaris is looking at Zahn, not saying anything, but just looking at Zahn.
Chris/Ollie: Totally oblivious to the undertone. Ollie will turn to Marty and be like, I concur. The expert sounds like the best root of action here.
Jenine/Marty: Right? I start drafting my email. So I take Oswald off the email, and then I restructure the email.
Bee/Polaris: I don't, I don't, I just Polaris like sets down the cookie he was eating, and like puts his hands together in like a praying motion, and like
Zach/Zahn: As Zahn is standing, he's gonna put his arm on Polaris shoulder, he's like, Polaris, I need you to come help me with something.
Bee/Polaris: Polaris looks up at Zahn and just says, as much as I would like to, I do want to finish this conversation.
Zach/Zahn: Uh, the, the conversation can be put on hold. I need somebody with two hands to help put something together real quick.
Bee/Polaris: Zahn, You're not being subtle.
Zach/Zahn: I don't know what you mean.
Caden/Bruce: If we were to put this to a group vote. I am assuming that you and Zahn would be in favor of ridding Eden.
Zach/Zahn: Eliminating it at the source, yes.
Bee/Polaris: I just, okay, here's my thing. I don't understand, like, why, why keep this Particular plant alive, I guess..
Avery/GM: Cause the GM gave it a name.
Bee/Polaris: Well, that just means that it's easier to kill for emotional, like, payoff. We've
Caden/Bruce: We’ve already
Bee/Polaris: thats what we do with NPCs
Caden/Bruce: We’ve already started the Eden plushie line. Come on now.
Jenine/Marty: We can't get rid of it now.
Bee/Polaris: Think about the profits. Yeah, no Polaris will just say, here's my thing. There's, you seem to have some attachment to this plant that I don't understand.
I'm not saying this to be like, harsh or anything. I, I truly just don't understand.
Caden/Bruce: I mean, I was given the seed, and I guess I claimed responsibility of it, and then I started feeding the seed, and you know, I, the, I was given good feedback from Eden about some of my cooking, and that felt good. Um, but, It does scare me that Eden might eventually stop listening to me, and I don't want Eden to eat any of us or the ship.
Bee/Polaris: So then
Caden/Bruce: Well, if, if we're in agreeance, then, I mean, I do have this flamethrower. He'll just, he'll just like side eye Zahn.
Bee/Polaris: Takes it up.
Caden/Bruce: And so it's not impossible to end it. I just, I mean, like I said, Eden has talked to me before and I mean would they be able to stop us if we decided that this was the course of action?
Bee/Polaris: I just, I feel like we should decide that now before it gets to a point where Eden can do more than we can prevent. Also, Marty, don't send that email yet because I was gonna say earlier. I don't think it's a good idea to give this particular plant to professionals for research, because that's essentially like putting it in a cage, a psychic plant that has presumably an infinite memory and will remember that we did this.
Jenine/Marty: And then you see, you know that emoji with the little teeth?
Bee/Polaris: Yeah,
Jenine/Marty: just that as she's like turning the backspace on and she's keeping eye contact with you the entire time you're saying statements. Oopie.
Bee/Polaris: I understand the need for research, but if this is a plant that has been known to be potentially dangerous and there are known whereabouts for other parts of this plant.
I don't, I, I don't think we should give this plant to researchers to poke and prod, and then it remember that we did that, and then spread, and then eventually find us. And, I'm just tired of being hunted down.
Caden/Bruce: Bruce will nod and stand up and be like, Okay, so, if I'm reading the room correctly, we should get rid of Eden now, but I think it would be wise that I have backup in case it goes wrong.
Bee/Polaris: I mean, we could, I could literally just ask the custodians to lock the room and vac it. Presumably Eden needs to breathe, yes?
Caden/Bruce: I mean, we don't know.
Bee/Polaris: Can Eden sleep?
Caden/Bruce: Does Eden sleep? Would Bruce know that?
Avery/GM: You wouldn't know for sure. I mean, there are, there are long stretches of time where Eden is silent. So maybe, you know,
Caden/Bruce: Bruce, Bruce will shrug and just be like, I don't know, but I mean, when we were on the ship, it's, you know, the state that it was in, it's not like it had constant fresh oxygen, right?
Like we were all wearing masks and stuff.
Bee/Polaris: Um, the level that we were on was fine. It was stable. There was oxygen.
Caden/Bruce: But we don't know if the parent plant was just on that level.
Avery/GM: You will remember that there were no plants when you got down to the levels of the station that were broken.
Caden/Bruce: Okay.
Avery/GM: And exposed to space.
Bee/Polaris: Yeah.
Caden/Bruce: I just wonder if that's, I mean, if we vac it, how do we know that it's worked versus, no offense, I know you probably don't want me to go and set your parent's kitchen on fire.
Bee/Polaris: Oh, I don't care about the kitchen. I, the kitchen is yours
Caden/Bruce: but if we know fire will work, is that not a better option maybe? I don't know.
Bee/Polaris: Yeah, no, I, I'm agreeing with you. What I'm saying is, Okay. If we can put Eden to sleep so they are unaware that we murder it. Sorry, no, Polaris wouldn't say murder, because he knows that Bruce has someone tasked to to Eden. Players would say, If we can put Eden to sleep before we dispatch them, then there's cause we don't know the range of Eden's connection to the rest of the plants.
They won't know. Maybe something went wrong on the ship while they were sleeping.
Caden/Bruce: Bruce will have, like, that, like, knee jerk reaction of someone who has remembered something that they have long forgotten. And, like, will go through his apron and pull out the sleep capsules that he was given by Lissurie and just be like, These detonate and the smoke makes people fall asleep.
We could try these.
Bee/Polaris: My parents also have nerve gas wired to this entire ship.
Jenine/Marty: Why do your parents have nerve gas and why do you have the little pills?
Bee/Polaris: I was a very rowdy child, I think.
Caden/Bruce: I, on my secret mission, was given them.
Bee/Polaris: Also, scratch that, my, my, my parents are robots. The easiest way to deal with a child running around is sleep gas.
Raised by robots, has no idea what normal parenting is.
Zach/Zahn: That's fair. It's one of those, like, yep, uh, that's one one.
Chris/Ollie: 8pm has come around, child unit. It is time for bed. Sleep gas.
Bee/Polaris: I don't want to go to sleep. Sleep gas.
Caden/Bruce: Bruce will look at Polaris and just be like, okay, let's get them to gas the kitchen and then light.
Well, I mean, even, I mean, we can test to see if that works first, right? And that way, even if we decide not to fire Eden, it gives us some time, theoretically.
Bee/Polaris: The phrase fire Eden. Sounds like we're letting them go from a job opportunity and not murdering them brutally with fire. Polaris will say, I was going to wait until it goes into its usual sleep cycle and then use the gas to assure its sleep so that it doesn't see gas coming down from the ceiling and know something is up.
Avery/GM: Um, Hermes says, I believe the pills that Bruce has would be more effective at that. It would be very sudden.
Bee/Polaris: Okay. Worst for me.
Caden/Bruce: Is there, like, any ventilator? Well, I guess there'd be like a fan in the kitchen or something.
Avery/GM: Yeah.
Bee/Polaris: I mean, yeah, you could also just like, I'm sure there's like a But you can seal the gas.
Caden/Bruce: Well, I think what Bruce will do is Bruce will, like, take, I mean, he doesn't know how many capsules he's gonna take, but he's just, like, gonna take his, like, however many he has and hand them to Zahn and Ollie and just be like, Do you want to do a spot delivery to the kitchen?
Bee/Polaris: If we really want to sell it, if we really want to sell it, we can bring we can hide the the capsules under this plate of cookies, in the cookies, and dump it into Eden.
Caden/Bruce: Well, you just have to drop them in the room, and then they'll let out the gas, and assumingly
Bee/Polaris: Oh, my assumption is that having a drone fly into the room and then immediately being knocked out is a little suspicious. If you're, if we're feeding Eden, it's more like a gift.
Avery/GM: A last meal
Bee/Polaris: Polaris wasn't gonna say it.
Caden/Bruce: I mean, given the consciousness and what Eden has spoken to me about, that may be not the worst idea.
Chris/Ollie: I am unable to interface with Unit Eden. Perhaps feeding her will be simpler from one of you.
Bee/Polaris: Well, I suppose so.
Caden/Bruce: I mean, my thought was that if you drop the cookies and the tablets into Eden's pot, then the sleeping gas won't affect you.
Bee/Polaris: Uh, it also won't affect me because I have a helmet on. Is Zahn still here? Did Zahn leave?
Zach/Zahn: Zahn's here.
Bee/Polaris: Okay.
Zach/Zahn: I mean, he may have, like, been slowly taking one step back towards the door this entire time.
Chris/Ollie: Yeah, he's just been back stepping.
Zach/Zahn: But yeah, he's here.
Caden/Bruce: Bruce will nod to Polaris and then be like, okay, we will try that.
We will try putting Eden to sleep, and that's plan A. Plan B can then be to vac the kitchen.
Bee/Polaris: This is a very elaborate plan to kill a plant.
Jenine/Marty: Yeah, well, you do what you do.
Zach/Zahn: We're very elaborate people.
Bee/Polaris:Indeed.
Caden/Bruce: Bruce will sniff and like, put the tablets on the cookie tray and just like, push it towards Polaris and nod.
Bee/Polaris: Oh, you want me to do it? Okay. Polaris will pick up the plate.
Jenine/Marty: Would I have something to protect you? Hold please, wait.
Bee/Polaris: What, like a brain protection? I just don't want Eden to read Polaris's thoughts. To be fair, Polaris has a lot of thoughts, so it would be very noisy actually. I think, I think quickest way about it is just go in there say, Hey Bruce, uh, we have leftover cookies.
Here you go. Uh, and then leave. Yeah.
Jenine/Marty: Okay, cool.
Avery/GM: Bruce, you do hear in your mind. Kind one. Are there any more cookies left?
Caden/Bruce: Bruce will, Bruce will look at Polaris and just be like, Yes, there's extra cookies left and Polaris is going to feed you. And just nod and kind of like stand up and like ready the flamethrower from his back.
Bee/Polaris: Um, Polaris puts up the, the, uh, emoji on his visor.
Jenine/Marty: Oopie.
Bee/Polaris: He didn't realize that you didn't con reach this far, which ain't too good. Polaris will just make sure his laser blades are ready. And he'll, uh, he'll go into the kitchen. Because it's kind of fucked up that Edens like, Hey, are the cookies ready?
After we're done talking about how to murder plants.
Avery/GM: Eden did see Bruce making them, and so is probably like, you know, a couple hours later is hungry already.
Bee/Polaris: Okay, okay.
Caden/Bruce: I mean, Bruce was probably making the cookies, just being like, Okay, we're gonna make some, like, butterscotch cookies. Here's how we make them.
Here's adding, like, certain spices and such. And just, like, talking out loud as he cooks, so.
Bee/Polaris: Okay, okay. The timing made me worried that Eden is laying a trap. Anyway, to the kitchen!
Avery/GM: So Polaris, Marty, and Bruce are all going into the kitchen together, or Marty's just hanging out outside, or?
Caden/Bruce: Polaris is going inside. Bruce is not going inside the kitchen. Bruce does not want Eden to see him.
Bee/Polaris: Polaris is the only one going into the kitchen because he has the helmet to withstand the sleep gas.
Chris/Ollie: Oh no, Ollie will physically show up and go with Polaris, just in case.
Bee/Polaris: Sweet, okay. Back up! let's go, okay. Yeah, Polaris will walk into the kitchen, and when he and Ollie enter, Polaris is going to tell the custodians to lock the room, like seal it, so that none of the sleep gas gets out.
Avery/GM: Sure. You walk in, the door closes behind you, and this plant gives you a big smile and says out loud, Have you brought some cookies? The kind one told me you'd be bringing cookies.
Bee/Polaris: Polaris is freaked out, uh, but he doesn't say anything or like, throw up any emote on his visor. Uh, he just holds up a plate and walks over.
Avery/GM: Uh, You see the mouth open, and there is like, kind of like, this, like, greenish slime that kind of comes off of the teeth a little bit, and you see one of its little leaves like reach up and point towards the mouth.
Bee/Polaris: Polaris types in chat, Eww eww eww eww ewww eww gross gross gross gross gross! And we'll just dump the cookies in!
Avery/GM: Okay, uh, it's gonna make a physical saving throw. Well.
Chris/Ollie: Resisted the cookies.
Avery/GM: That's a nat one.
Jenine/Marty: Let's go.
Bee/Polaris: Eden is non the wiser.
Avery/GM: It eats the cookies and it says, These are the best cookies. You are so lucky to have a friend like Bruce. I'm gonna go to sleep now. When I wake up, will there be more to eat?
Bee/Polaris: Yes.
Avery/GM: And you see a big smile spread across its face as it falls asleep.
Bee/Polaris: You can't get me with this emotionally.
Jenine/Marty: You got me.
Bee/Polaris: You can't get me with this emotionally. I was team anti plant the entire time.
Jenine/Marty: That's fair.
(ambience fades out, outro plays, then fades down a bit)
Avery/GM: Thank you for listening to our show. Beyond the Furthest Stars is a 1up Podcast Network Production. Intro and Outro music by Dustin Carpenter. Background music by Tabletop Audio.com and used under a creative commons attribution license. Tracks used include Starship Bridge and Starship Adrift. We’ll be back on October 25th with our next episode. See you out there, Beyond the Furthest Stars!
(outro music fades up and plays out)