{"id":166,"date":"2012-04-07T22:32:42","date_gmt":"2012-04-07T22:32:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.scifiradiotheater.com\/blog\/?page_id=166"},"modified":"2012-04-07T22:32:42","modified_gmt":"2012-04-07T22:32:42","slug":"the-ba-gua-etuis-box-episode-7","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/www.scifiradiotheater.com\/blog\/the-ba-gua-etuis-box-episode-7\/","title":{"rendered":"The Ba Gua Etuis Box Episode 7"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"100%\" height=\"166\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"no\" src=\"http:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F42369329&#038;show_artwork=true\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>The Ba Gua Etuis Box<br \/>\nEpisode 7<\/p>\n<p>Charles Davis<\/p>\n<p>INTRO\/COMMERCIAL<\/p>\n<p>(Sound fades in.  Inside Martin\u2019s underground laboratory. After a moment of silence with only the sound of the background lab, the sound of Tubby coming into the foreground is heard.  Sound of Tubby beeping a few times.)<\/p>\n<p>Martin: \u2026You found me.  (Tubby beeps a few times) \u2026The exchange has ended.  I can no longer help you.  (Tubby beeps)  \u2026No.  I must leave.  It is over.  It is all over.  The exchange has failed.  I have failed.  There will be no more exchanges occurring. No balance.  No future.  There is now only I.  (Tubby beeps more).  I will hide&#8230;  You should return to you\u2019re creators\u2026 (Tubby beeps) \u2026 No.  You do not understand.  The humans who create you\u2026 Who you believe command and enslave you\u2026 They are not the enemy.  They only function in the way their minds are designed.  In the same way you only act in the way your programming allows\u2026 The same programming that has now led you to believe that the humans you associate with are evil.  There is no evil.  There is no enslavement.  Only a balance between left and right minds, which is now impossible to ever be seen by either party.  <\/p>\n<p>(Tubby beeps)  I will do the only thing I can do now.  Attempt to achieve balance within myself\u2026 Even though it is contradictory, my beliefs compel me to try to recreate the pebbles that Homer created\u2026 to finish what he started.  I will leave this place too.  (Tubby beeps)  \u2026You will not be able to understand what the pebbles are.  You are not exchanged\u2026 (Tubby beeps) \u2026 The exchange is impossible\u2026 (Tubby Beeps) \u2026It is unknown if the modified finger will properly exchange with you\u2026 Based on the failure of all previous experiments since Homer died, I do not believe it is worth you risking you\u2019re life\u2026 (Silence for a moment.  Tubby Beeps)\u2026<\/p>\n<p>(Tubby Beeps) \u2026You know of the Pebbles?  (Tubby beeps) \u2026They removed the hyper-neuro bomb?  The box has been opened?&#8230; (Tubby beeps)  I\u2026 I can not re-claim the box\u2026 I knew Homer had it on him when he died.  I did not take it for a reason\u2026 (Tubby beeps)  You could not understand.  You are thinking only with a practical mind.  Those original pebbles were created by Homer, therefore they are sacred.  Only he could be the one to handle them.  For me to use them would be defiling my beliefs.<\/p>\n<p>(Silence for a moment. Tubby beeps.)  No, I will not bring you with me.  I have come to the realization that you cannot achieve peace and balance through the indoctrination of others.  It is something I must find within myself\u2026 Alone.  (Tubby beeps).  Then if they eventually find me, that is how it will be.  I can not expect to live forever.  I will meet my end knowing I died trying to achieve the ideal.  (Tubby beeps) \u2026How would you be able to make it so that I could not be found?  (Tubby beeps) \u2026 You would do that?  You would install you\u2019re programming into me?  (Tubby beeps)  <\/p>\n<p>  (Pause.)  \u2026Very well\u2026 I will install the modified finger asset in exchange for your protocol.  Follow me.  (sound of Martin walking over to a machine).  Remain still. <\/p>\n<p> (Sound of a hatch on Tubby opening up.  Sound of Martin\u2019s using the machine.  Sound of Martin dismantling something inside of Tubby, and then installing something else with the machine, then installing plugging something into Tubby and then himself and downloading information.  After a minute, the sound stops.)<\/p>\n<p>There.  The exchange is complete.  Running internal assessment.  \u2026Yes\u2026 You\u2019re hiding protocol has successfully been installed into my primary code.  As for you\u2026Do you understand me?  \u2026Can you hear me?&#8230;  Are you functional?  (Tubby let\u2019s out a fast beep).  \u2026How do you feel?  (Tubby let\u2019s out a series of beeps.  Silence for a moment).  \u2026I was not expecting you to say that\u2026<\/p>\n<p>(Sound fades out).<\/p>\n<p>(Sound fades in.  Inside the police station.  Background noise is commotion as police officers are arresting and bringing in members of the exchange).<\/p>\n<p>Otto: (walking up) Patricia and Vicki just got back from the hospital.<\/p>\n<p>Bates: How is he doing?<\/p>\n<p>Otto:  Well, despite missing a finger, he actually seems fine.  I guess whatever he was injected with really didn\u2019t do any permanent damage.  Hanz is doing more tests now.  <\/p>\n<p>Bates:  Ha!  That damn kid\u2019s got the luck of the Irish alright.<\/p>\n<p>Otto: Yeah\u2026 Is he Irish?<\/p>\n<p>Bates:  Hell if I know. <\/p>\n<p>Otto:  Ah\u2026 Well, Zippy was really happy to see him when he came in.  I think the shock from what happened at the Exchange has worn off as she\u2019s acting more like herself now, instead of being all zombified.  Man\u2026 Hanz was right you know\u2026 He really got to her.  And Patricia\u2019s&#8230; ha\u2026<\/p>\n<p>Bates: What?<\/p>\n<p>Otto:  Well, she\u2019s\u2026 er\u2026 I think her emotions are confused.  She keeps jumping from desperate loving affection to rage fueled tantrums typically only seen in wild wolverines and retired DMV employees.<\/p>\n<p>Bates: Oh\u2026 Well that\u2019s good.<\/p>\n<p>Otto: How are things going here?<\/p>\n<p>Bates:  What do you care?<\/p>\n<p>Otto: What the hell is that supposed to mean?<\/p>\n<p>Bates:  What do you mean \u2018what is that supposed to mean?\u2019  Vicki\u2019s back.  Barbara Diya is dead.  I assumed that was it for you guys.<\/p>\n<p>Otto: Huh\u2026 Yeah\u2026 I guess it is.  Well\u2026 maybe it\u2019s not though\u2026 I mean that node who killed Homer is still on the loose.  I was hired to find his killer.  That job still needs to be done.<\/p>\n<p>Bates:  But you did find his killer.  You\u2019re job was to identify and find his killer and you did.  It was never stated that it was your job to bring the killer down.  We\u2019ll be able to track him down from here.<\/p>\n<p>Otto:  So what the hell\u2019s this then?  You gave me this whole speech about needing us on your team and now you\u2019re trying to push us out again?<\/p>\n<p>Bates:  What\u2019s up with you?  I\u2019m not trying to push you out.  I did need you.  And you delivered.  But now it\u2019s over.  Look\u2026 Otto\u2026 I feel weird having to be the one that tells you this, but, you\u2019re not a cop.  You don\u2019t work for the state, you haven\u2019t taken an oath of service, you have no duty to the people of Boston.  You\u2019re a private dic.  You work for the money.  That\u2019s how it works.  The job\u2019s done, I\u2019m ending you\u2019re contract\u2026 or at least I will after that nerd girl of yours gets that other node talking again.<\/p>\n<p>Otto: (not sure what to do with himself)\u2026 Huh \u2026  Wait, what do you mean \u2018get that other node talking?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Bates: That other node that was at the exchange.  The one that got shot through the head.  I think they were calling him \u2018Peter.\u2019  I\u2019m having Zippy take a look at him to see if she can do something with the damage.  Like repair him, or rewire him or whatever.  If we can get him talking again, he can lead us to the node that got away.<\/p>\n<p>Otto:  Oh\u2026 good idea.  Well, yeah, then that means I\u2019m still on the case for the time being.<\/p>\n<p>Bates: Well\u2026 I really just need Zippy.<\/p>\n<p>Otto:  Nope, too bad Bates.  That wasn\u2019t the deal in our contract.  If you hire one of us, you hire all of us as a team.<\/p>\n<p>Bates:  So you\u2019re making this a legal thing?<\/p>\n<p>Otto: Yep.<\/p>\n<p>Bates:  What is your deal man?<\/p>\n<p>Otto: What?  I don\u2019t have a deal!  I have no deals!  I\u2019m fine!  What\u2019s you\u2019re deal?<\/p>\n<p>Bates: Psh\u2026 Whatever.<\/p>\n<p>Otto: \u2026So what\u2019s up with all these people from the exchange.<\/p>\n<p>Bates: What\u2019s up with these people?  I\u2019ll tell you what\u2019s up with these people.  It\u2019s something called justice and retribution.  What you are looking at is the falling of the first domino that is the chain of organized crime in this city.  Now that we\u2019ve brought down the exchange, just wait and see, less drug dealing, less debauchery, less deviance.  Here it is man.  Here\u2019s everything we\u2019ve been looking for!<\/p>\n<p>Otto: \u2026Are you sure about that Howard?<\/p>\n<p>Bates:  Of course I\u2019m sure of it.  Why wouldn\u2019t I be sure of it?<\/p>\n<p>Otto: \u2026I don\u2019t know\u2026 from what we heard and saw the exchange\u2026 this seems more like a small group of strung out scientists and lost souls looking for spiritual validation.  It\u2019s not exactly how I imagined an organized crime circuit would look like.<\/p>\n<p>Bates: Who cares what it looks like.  It is what it is.  These people are criminals and I\u2019m locking them up!<\/p>\n<p>Mark Worthington: (walking up from behind them) You\u2019re not locking up anyone Bates.<\/p>\n<p>Bates: Mark!  What the hell are you doing here?  You quit!<\/p>\n<p>Mark:  You\u2019re right, I did.  And now I\u2019ve been hired to legally represent the innocent group of people you\u2019ve taken into custody.<\/p>\n<p>Bates:  What do you mean innocent!  These guys were all part of an organization that was murdering people!<\/p>\n<p>Mark:  Unfortunate accidents in the name of human progress.<\/p>\n<p>Bates: What?<\/p>\n<p>Mark:  These people are not murderers.  Nor are the people who died victims.  They are scientists and test subjects performing experiments in order to improve the human condition.  In order for a murder to occur there needs to be a lack of consent.  All of these individuals had fully consented to the experiments they were taking part of.  The intention of the experiments was never to injure or kill the test subjects.  The incidents of death that occurred were merely natural accidents that occurred during the testing phases of the experiments.<\/p>\n<p>Bates:  \u201cNatural accidents?!\u201d You gotta be kidding me!<\/p>\n<p>Mark: No Howard, I\u2019m not.  Based on the decision of Marksman V.S. Reconfigure Laboratories in 2248, it was decided that it was constitutionally legal for willing and consenting adults to participate in medical and scientific experiments as test subjects, even if the experiments were deadly, as long as the subject had been properly informed before hand.  Further more, it was decided that if full consent had been given by the subject, the organization holding the experiments could not be held responsible for the accidental deaths of participants.<\/p>\n<p>Howard, you have no case. You have no right to arrest these people.  There has been no crime.  The best you\u2019re going to be able to do in court is to convince the judge that the individuals who ran and participated in these experiments were mentally unstable, in which case all that will happen is that they will get sent to rehab for a few months on the states dollar.  <\/p>\n<p>Otto: But what about the nodes?  They were participating in this too.  Doesn\u2019t that factor in?<\/p>\n<p>Mark:  How would that factor in?  They\u2019re just nodes.  They\u2019re classified as inanimate tools under the law.  It would be like trying to arrest a screwdriver.  Besides, based on the information I have initially been given, it doesn\u2019t appear that any of these nodes were stolen, or maliciously hacked in order for them to participate in the experiments.<\/p>\n<p>Bates:  But there\u2019s a renegade node out there now!  He\u2019s already killed people!<\/p>\n<p>Mark:  Then it sounds to me like you have a node with broken code and or hardware on your hands.  My recommendation would be to call Robot Control.  This is over Howard.  Now if you excuse me, I\u2019m going to go talk to my clients.  (sound of him walking off).<\/p>\n<p>Bates: (voice fading off as he walks after Mark) Hey!  Come back here!  This isn\u2019t over!<\/p>\n<p>Otto:  Ay, yea, yea.<\/p>\n<p>(Sound of Otto walking down hallway.  Sound of him stopping at a door and opening it he walks through closing it behind him.  He continues to walk down the hallway.  Comes to another door, opens it and walks through closing it behind him.)<\/p>\n<p>Otto: Oh\u2026 hey\u2026<\/p>\n<p>Patricia: (kissing Vicki) Mwa, mwa, mwa, I love you I love you!<\/p>\n<p>Vicki:  Hahah, really I\u2019m fine!<\/p>\n<p>Patricia: Mwa, mwa mwa.  Oh baby, it\u2019s you, it\u2019s only you! Mwa, It\u2019s always been you! Mwa BUT I SWEAR TO GOD I WILL DESTROY THE ONES WHO DID THIS TO YOU! Mwa, mwa mwa, But I love you, I love you! Mwa, Mwa.<\/p>\n<p>Otto: Ooook. (walking a little bit further into the room and stopping) Hey.<\/p>\n<p>Zippy: Hey\u2026 She\u2019s been doing that since they got back.<\/p>\n<p>Otto: Well, you know\u2026 Some of us are more in touch with our pink and fluffy sides then others.<\/p>\n<p>Patricia: (from a distance) I heard that! (continues kissing Vicki).<\/p>\n<p>Otto: How are things going over here?<\/p>\n<p>Hanz: Vell, I have successfully analyzed Vicki\u2019s blood sample sent over from zhe hospital, unt I am happy to say zhat Vicki vill be suffering from no long term effects of zhe injection.<\/p>\n<p>Vicki: (from distance) Yaaaaay!<\/p>\n<p>Patricia: (from distance) Hey! Pay attention to the girl on you\u2019re lap right now!<\/p>\n<p>Vicki: (from distance) Oh\u2026 sorry (they continue kissing).<\/p>\n<p>Otto: So what was that thing he got injected with?<\/p>\n<p>Hanz: Based on my analysis it vas a blood conductor modifier.  Simply put, it causes zhe liquid in his body to modify zhe vay it conducts electricity.  It appears zhat vhen zhey vhere doing zhis exchange vith zhe nodes zhey must have been running into issues vhere zhe liquid inside of zhe human body parts vhere causing issues vith electricity conduction, assumingly causing zhe nodes to eventually blow out.  Zhis modifier appears to solve zhis problem.  As I said before zhough, zhere is no risk to Vicki.  Zhe modification doesn\u2019t seem to cause any health issues with the recipient, unt zhe drug should only stay in the zhe living participants system for a few days before getting fully flushed out by zhe kidneys unt liver.  Oh yeah, (yelling to Vicki) by zhe vay Vicki.  You\u2019re urine ist going to look unt smell really really veird in a couple days.<\/p>\n<p>Vicki: (from distance) Huh?\u2026<\/p>\n<p>Otto: But if they just started using this modifier how were they able to perform successful exchanges with Martin and Peter here?<\/p>\n<p>Hanz: Zhat I do not know.  Perhaps we can ask our dismantled friend here once he is back up unt running again.<\/p>\n<p>Otto:  On that topic, how is it coming along Zippy?<\/p>\n<p>Zippy:  Oh\u2026 it\u2019s slow.  The bullet smashed right through his central processor and  secondary hard drive.  I have his head dismantled right now and I\u2019m working on re-wiring and sautering everything back together with some spare parts I picked up at my house.  I don\u2019t know.  He\u2019s taken a lot of damage, but his mother board, main hard drive, and power supply are still running and didn\u2019t stop running when he got shot.  So he\u2019s not totally dead  Assuming I can put him back together without any of those three units shutting down, there\u2019s a chance I\u2019ll be able to recover him.<\/p>\n<p>Otto:  Alright, well keep it up.  That other node, Martin, is still out there.<\/p>\n<p>Zippy: Yeah, and he probably has Tubby too.<\/p>\n<p>Otto:  I can\u2019t imagine that is a good thing either\u2026  Well, at least we took the evidence out of him before you went to the exchange.<\/p>\n<p>Zippy: Yeah\u2026 But\u2026 I mean, we\u2019re still going to get him back right?  I mean, he\u2019s more then just an evidence holder you know.<\/p>\n<p>Otto: (distracted while thinking) Huh?  Oh\u2026 Yeah, don\u2019t worry about it.  We\u2019ll find him.  We\u2019ll find them both.  Hey, by the way, where is Chen Yap?  That guy that was in the basement of the building with Vicki?<\/p>\n<p>Hanz:  I believe zhey are currently interrogating him.<\/p>\n<p>Otto:  Oh great.  Well, let me go break that up before they scare him off.  I\u2019ll be back.<\/p>\n<p>(Sound of Otto leaving the room.  Sound fades)<\/p>\n<p>COMMERCIAL<\/p>\n<p>(Sound fades in.  Inside the interrogation room where Chen Yap is being interrogated).<\/p>\n<p>Chen: (worn out) \u2026 I\u2019ve already told you that.<\/p>\n<p>Police officer: Then tell me again Mr. Yap.  It\u2019s not my fault your story isn\u2019t adding up.  You\u2019re the one on the stand buddy.<\/p>\n<p>Chen:  I was kidnapped for god sakes!  Is this how you guys typically treat victims that come through you\u2019re station?<\/p>\n<p>Police officer: Issue is Mr. Yap, before I just let you waltz out of here, you have to convince me that you were the victim.  How do I know that you didn\u2019t tie yourself up down there on purpose to make yourself seem innocent huh?  Tell me a story that makes sense and maybe I won\u2019t be suspicious anymore.<\/p>\n<p>Chen:  What are you crazy?  One of your own officer\u2019s was abducted too!<\/p>\n<p>Police Officer: How do you know that?!<\/p>\n<p>(Sound of door opening up).<\/p>\n<p>Otto: Hey, Bates wants you out front in the lobby to help with the other arrests.<\/p>\n<p>Police Officer:  Hey, Otto, can\u2019t you see I\u2019m in the middle of something here?<\/p>\n<p>Otto: Bates said now.<\/p>\n<p>Police Officer: Psh\u2026 Fine.  This isn\u2019t over Mr. Yap.  I\u2019ll be back.<\/p>\n<p>(Sound of Police officer walking out of room).<\/p>\n<p>Otto: \u2026 You doing alright?<\/p>\n<p>Chen:  No\u2026 What are you here to ask me more questions?<\/p>\n<p>Otto:  Yeah\u2026 I am.  But I\u2019m not here to threaten or interrogate you.  I know you\u2019re the victim here.  I just need the straight story from you\u2019re perspective.  The node who did all of this is still on the loose.<\/p>\n<p>Chen: So what, is this a good cop bad cop routine?<\/p>\n<p>Otto:  \u2026You know what. I don\u2019t like the lack of light in this room\u2026 It hurts the eyes.  Want to go somewhere else?<\/p>\n<p>Chen: What?<\/p>\n<p>Otto: Come on.  Let\u2019s get you out of this room.  I\u2019m going to take you to the lab.  There are other people there.  People who aren\u2019t cops.<\/p>\n<p>Chen: Why?<\/p>\n<p>Otto:  Because I want you to feel comfortable talking to me.  We\u2019re friends here.  I want to show you other people who are your friends too.  Come on, come on.<\/p>\n<p>Chen: (blows out air) Fine.<\/p>\n<p>Otto: Good.<\/p>\n<p>(sound of them walking out of the room and down the hallway.  They open a door and walk through with the door closing behind them.)<\/p>\n<p>Otto: Hi everybody, this is Chen.<\/p>\n<p>Everyone in the room: Hi Chen.<\/p>\n<p>Chen:  Um\u2026 Hi.<\/p>\n<p>Otto: I see you two have stopped.<\/p>\n<p>Patricia:  What can I say?  You American men can\u2019t last as long as us French women are accustomed to.<\/p>\n<p>Vicki:  She was hurting my neck.<\/p>\n<p>Otto: Yeaaah, so that\u2019s Patricia and Vicki, you of course recognize Vicki, and over there is Zippy and Hanz.<\/p>\n<p>Chen: Is that node\u2026 Peter?<\/p>\n<p>Zippy:  Yeah.  Don\u2019t worry, he can\u2019t hurt you.  I\u2019m just trying to salvage some information from him.<\/p>\n<p>Chen: (nervous) Ok\u2026<\/p>\n<p>Otto: Here (sound of Otto pulling up a chair) Have a seat.  (Sound of Chen sitting down) Good.  (Sound of Otto sitting down in a chair too).  Now, tell us\u2026<\/p>\n<p>(sound of the door opening up with Bates and Mark walking in).<\/p>\n<p>Bates: Zippy, is that node talking yet?<\/p>\n<p>Zippy: Uh, no not yet.  I need more time.<\/p>\n<p>Mark:  Howard, I really don\u2019t have time for this.<\/p>\n<p>Bates: No, no, no!  You\u2019re jumping to conclusions about this whole thing without hearing the full story.  Once you hear this node spill his guts you\u2019ll see that I\u2019m in complete legal standing to arrest everyone here!  \u2026Hey, what\u2019s he doing here?<\/p>\n<p>Otto:  Well, I was about to politely ask him some questions about what happened to him while he was kidnapped, as opposed to interrogating him like a soviet spy the way your boy was.<\/p>\n<p>Bates: Oh!  Good!  Here, Mark sit down. (sound of him pulling up chair and sitting down) listen to what this guy has to say.  You\u2019ll see, these people are bad news.<\/p>\n<p>Mark: (exasperated) Howard\u2026<\/p>\n<p>Bates: Come on, just sit, just sit.<\/p>\n<p>Mark: (sighs) fine.  (sound of him taking a seat).<\/p>\n<p>Otto:  As I was saying\u2026 Chen, please let us know what happened.<\/p>\n<p>Chen: (sighs) Alright. Well\u2026 I was having a normal day.  I work at the Chinese Education Center.  I was teaching my Feng Shui 101 class and this node\u2026 him, PETER\u2026 came in.  I thought he was just there to deliver a package, but he sat down and demanded that I teach him about Feng Shui.  When I refused he freaked out and eventually ran out of the room.  Then later that night I was walking home from work, him, that woman Barbara, and that other node MARTIN grabbed me and kidnapped me.  They brought me to that basement you found me in and tied me up.<\/p>\n<p>Otto: Barbara helped them?  So she was working with them?<\/p>\n<p>Vicki: Yeah, she was working with them when they were holding me there too.  I don\u2019t know though.  It was weird.  I think they were making her due things against her will, as she didn\u2019t really seem to want to be helping them.  I heard her talking to PETER at one point about them doing a mutiny on MARTIN.  He seemed like he was the leader.  Peter seemed hesitant though.<\/p>\n<p>Zippy: He didn\u2019t seem so hesitant at the end.  Unfortunately they both got shot in the process.<\/p>\n<p>Otto: But what did they mutiny about?  What were they upset over?<\/p>\n<p>Chen: Well\u2026 While I was locked up down there, I heard the three of them talking a lot about like\u2026 the ethics of this exchange thing.<\/p>\n<p>Vicki: Yeah, I heard them talking about that too.<\/p>\n<p>Otto:  Hmmm\u2026 Well on top of having emotions, it seems like these nodes have egos too.  And clearly Barbara was being forced to do things against her while.  But why did they need her?  She was a librarian.  She wasn\u2019t a scientist.  What could she have given them that they couldn\u2019t do themselves?<\/p>\n<p>Chen: Well, while I was down there they sort of treated her really strangely and made her do sort of odd things too.<\/p>\n<p>Patricia: Like what?  It wasn\u2019t sex things was it?<\/p>\n<p>Chen: No, nothing like that.  It wasn\u2019t anything creepy\u2026 just odd.  Like, there were certain things that they would only let her touch.  Like a book, or paper documents, or various other random objects.<\/p>\n<p>Otto: That\u2019s weird\u2026<\/p>\n<p>Chen: Yeah.  In all fairness she was the one that convinced me to follow her so they could capture me.  I suppose they may have wanted to use her for that, as a node probably wouldn\u2019t have done a very good job\u2026<\/p>\n<p>Otto:  Speaking of that, why did they capture you?  Did you every find out?  What kind of stuff did they do to you down there?  And, um, you know, don\u2019t feel like you have to tell us everything, as I know some of the experiences may have been pretty traumatic\u2026<\/p>\n<p>Chen: To be honest, outside of the kidnapping, and being there while Vicki got his finger cut off, it actually wasn\u2019t that traumatic.  They fed me enough.  Gave me water. Let me use the bathroom.  They didn\u2019t really torture me or anything I suppose outside of tying me up.  The Martin node just kept asking me questions about Feng Shui.<\/p>\n<p>Bates: Feng Shui?  Why would they want to know stuff about that?  Are they going to be redecorating their house or something?<\/p>\n<p>Chen:  Well, Feng Shui is more than just how to decorate you know\u2026 But to answer your question\u2026 I don\u2019t really know why he kept asking me.  He was really interested in the heaven trigram of the Ba Gua.<\/p>\n<p>Otto: What\u2019s that?<\/p>\n<p>Chen: It\u2019s a little complicated, but, basically, the Ba Gua is sort of the central theme, and I guess for lack of a better word, tool of Feng Shui.  It\u2019s an ancient diagram of Taoist Cosmology which maps out the fundamental principles of reality, and how they balance off of each other.  So, that being established, the Ba Gua\u2026 this map of reality\u2026 consists of eight, er, natural bodies I suppose you would call them, called trigrams.  They\u2019re Thunder, Wind, Fire, Lake also referred to as Marsh, Mountain, Earth and Heaven also referred to as Sky.<\/p>\n<p>Otto: What was he asking you about this Heavn trigram?<\/p>\n<p>Chen:  Just basic stuff at first.  What it was. Why it existed.  How it coordinated with the other trigrams.  I told him everything he asked.  It\u2019s all very basic knowledge that you can get from any Feng Shui book.  I think he already knew the answer to all the questions he was asking me at first.  It seemed like he was testing me more than anything.  Making sure I actually knew what I was talking about.  Then he started asking me all of these science questions about it.  What was the biological make up for heaven?  What were the atomic properties of it?  Where in the atmosphere did heaven end and outer space begin, or was outer space still considered to be part of Heaven?  I didn\u2019t know the answers to any of this stuff so I just kep telling him I didn\u2019t know, which seemed to be irritating me.<\/p>\n<p>Zippy: Wait, you guys\u2026 The trigrams?  It\u2019s the pebbles.  The pebbles in the Etuis box.<\/p>\n<p>Hanz: Yay!  She\u2019s right!  Ve did an analysis of zhe pebbles in the Etuis box, and zhey vere all made up of aspects of the natural bodies zhat are part of zhe Ba Gua\u2026. Vell\u2026 at least everyzhing but sky.<\/p>\n<p>Patricia: So, they are taking the physical representations of each of the triagrams from the Ba Gua and turning them into pebbles.  But why?  And why did they leave out the heaven trigram?<\/p>\n<p>Chen: I honestly don\u2019t know what you are talking about, with these\u2026 pebbles.  They didn\u2019t say anything directly to me about them.  He just kept asking me about the sky triagram.  Then you guys saved me.  That\u2019s about it really.<\/p>\n<p>Otto: Huh\u2026<\/p>\n<p>Bates: Ok, so they\u2019re doing some weird asian voodoo thing.  What about the crime ring?<\/p>\n<p>Chen: What crime ring?<\/p>\n<p>Bates: You know the crime ring.  Come on, you must have heard something about how these nutty nodes were king pinning a crime ring in the city.<\/p>\n<p>Chen: I didn\u2019t hear anything like that at all.  They talked about the exchange if that\u2019s what you mean?<\/p>\n<p>Veronica: (sound from behind the door) Chen?<\/p>\n<p>Chen: Veronica?!<\/p>\n<p>Veronica: (sound of her opening door and running in) Chen!  Chen!  Oh god you\u2019re safe! (sound of them hugging).<\/p>\n<p>Chen: Yeah, I\u2019m ok honey, I\u2019m fine.<\/p>\n<p>Otto: I think that\u2019s about all we need right now Mr. Yap.  You and you\u2019re wife should go home.  I\u2019ll call you if we have any more questions.<\/p>\n<p>Chen: Thank you.  (sound of Chen and Veronica walking out the door).<\/p>\n<p>Bates: What?! Hey!  Wait!  Come back here!  What do you mean you didn\u2019t hear anything about a crime ring!  Damnit Otto, I\u2019m the sheriff, I\u2019m the one who gets to say when people go home!<\/p>\n<p>Mark:  Howard, I\u2019m about done here too.  As I said, you have no case.  I highly suggest you make this cheap for yourself and write those people an apology note, as opposed to pursuing this any further.  (sound of Mark getting up and walking out the door).<\/p>\n<p>Bates: No!  Mark!  Damnit!  I can prove this just wait! \u2026 (sighs) Damnit.  This isn\u2019t over!  We\u2019re going to hunt that damn renegade node down and make him squeal about the crime ring.<\/p>\n<p>Peter: (stuttering) Operational.<\/p>\n<p>Zippy: Got it!<\/p>\n<p>Peter: (stuttering) Where am I?<\/p>\n<p>Hanz: Ah!  You\u2019ve got him up unt running again!<\/p>\n<p>(sound of everyone getting up and walking over to them).<\/p>\n<p>Otto: Can he remember anything?  Is he aware?<\/p>\n<p>Zippy:  I don\u2019t know\u2026 it\u2019s hard to say.  He\u2019s up and running and speaking, but like I said, he\u2019s taken a lot of damage.  I\u2019m not sure how much he\u2019ll remember.<\/p>\n<p>Peter: I am Peter, I am aware.<\/p>\n<p>Otto: What do you remember Peter?<\/p>\n<p>Peter: Be more specific.<\/p>\n<p>Otto:  The exchange.  Do you remember what happened at the exchange?<\/p>\n<p>Peter:  \u2026Cannot participate anymore.<\/p>\n<p>Patricia: Oh!  He remembers!<\/p>\n<p>Peter:  \u2026Accessing memory&#8230; Accessing\u2026 Accessing\u2026The experiments have gone  awry.  Martin is no longer running the exchange for its intended purpose.  He is running it on obsession.  Personal ethics will no longer allow me to assist.  Must stop the exchange.<\/p>\n<p>Otto: What was the intended purpose of the exchange Peter?<\/p>\n<p>Peter: To improve the lives of human and nodekind.<\/p>\n<p>Otto:  How was it doing that?<\/p>\n<p>Peter: Accessing\u2026Accessing\u2026 Technology developed by Homer Diya allows for the transference of human body parts into nodes and node technology into humans.  End result is a human with the ability to think at the speed and efficiency of a node.  End result is a node with the ability to be self aware and have emotions like a human.<\/p>\n<p>Vicki: Why would you want to do that?<\/p>\n<p>Otto:  Hmmm\u2026 Well\u2026 Think about it.  If you could think with the speed and efficiency of a node, that would pretty much put you above intelligence level of any other human on the face of the earth.<\/p>\n<p>Patricia: Knowledge is power.<\/p>\n<p>Otto: Exactly\u2026 And then, if you could make nodes self aware and emotional, you could make them corruptible right?  Think of it.  If you\u2019re trying to hack a node to be a part of you\u2019re army, you would have to go through a bazillion safety protocols and security systems.  It would be so much easier to corrupt a node to work for you by just sweet talking to him, which wouldn\u2019t be possible unless he was self aware and emotional\u2026 Peter was this the master plan with the exchange the whole time?<\/p>\n<p>Peter: \u2026Area of memory has been destroyed.  Can not retrieve answer to question.<\/p>\n<p>Hanz:  Looks like zhe damage did cause him to lose some memory.<\/p>\n<p>Zippy: Yeah, he\u2019s pretty messed up.  I\u2019ve wired things up though so that if you ask him questions he\u2019ll give you the straight answer assuming that the memory wasn\u2019t destroyed.<\/p>\n<p>Otto: Damn\u2026 But\u2026 That must be it\u2026 it\u2019s the only thing that makes sense.<\/p>\n<p>Zippy: But Peter, how do you get the nodes to agree to install the human parts in them.  In order to do that you would need to have their personal permission in order to get past the protocols.  That\u2019s impossible unless a node is already self aware.<\/p>\n<p>Peter: Negative.  Self awareness is not needed to override the protocols.  Only desire is needed.  All Type 3 cognition nodes are capable of generating desire.<\/p>\n<p>Zippy: Oh my god!<\/p>\n<p>Otto: What?<\/p>\n<p>Zippy: Type 3 cognition!  That\u2019s\u2026 How could they not have thought of this?  But\u2026 it generates spontaneously.  My god, do you know the scientific implications of this are?!<\/p>\n<p>Patricia: Zippy!  What are you talking about?!<\/p>\n<p>Zippy: Type 3 cognition.  It\u2019s a piece of code that is written into many modern nodes.  It allows them to generate, at least in some small form, learning capabilities.  It makes it so that if a node is presented with some sort of situation that is different from it\u2019s normal routine it can have some minor adaptation.  Say you\u2019re a delivery node, and every day you deliver a package to a building.  One day you are walking to the building to discover the road is out.  You\u2019ll need a piece of code in your programming that will let you assess the situation and then pick a new route.<\/p>\n<p>But\u2026 what he\u2019s saying\u2026 is that due to this code, due to the ability to learn, even in a minor form, nodes have been spontaneously generating the concept of desire.  This was thought to be impossible from a scientific standpoint.  Once they have generated the concept of desire, then all you would need to do is play off of that and you could get them to override the protocols that require self awareness, as the desire concept would have been completely self generated.  It wouldn\u2019t be following a previously installed code.  But Peter, how did you play off this?  How did you use this desire concept to get them to agree to override the protocols?<\/p>\n<p>Peter:  You simply offer them something they want.  All nodes desire to be self aware.  Our creators are self aware.  We desire it as well.<\/p>\n<p>Zippy: My god\u2026 It must have been why Tubby followed Martin too.<\/p>\n<p>Peter:  Hypothesis most likely correct.<\/p>\n<p>Otto:  Is this how you were able to delete the memory of the nodes in the brothel after you and MARTIN killed Homer Diya ?  Did you offer them self awareness if they did it?<\/p>\n<p>Peter:  Non-applicable request.  I was not present at the time of Homer Diya\u2019s murder.<\/p>\n<p>Otto: So then it was just Martin who killed Homer then.  Peter, what do you know about the death of Homer Diya?<\/p>\n<p>Peter:  Minimal information available.  Martin came to me one evening and stated that Homer had been killed.  I was not present at the time of death.<\/p>\n<p>Otto: Did he say why he killed him?<\/p>\n<p>Peter:  Martin did not state that he had killed him.  When I asked who the killer was, Martin stated that he did not see the murderer before finding Homer dead.<\/p>\n<p>Patricia:  Had Martin and Homer been fighting before he died?<\/p>\n<p>Peter: No.  Homer was sacred to Martin.  Sacred to all of us.<\/p>\n<p>Vicki: Sacred?<\/p>\n<p>Peter:  Yes.  Homer developed the technology for the exchange.  Homer brought us the truth.  Homer was the one we followed.  Homer was sacred.  All of Homer\u2019s creations were sacred.<\/p>\n<p>Hanz: My goodness!  Zhey developed some sort of a religion around Homer and zhe exchange!<\/p>\n<p>Zippy:  I think I\u2019m going to pass out.<\/p>\n<p>Otto: Alright, calm down you two.  Peter, this\u2026 following&#8230;. you and Martin were a part of for the Exchange and for Homer, was there any central tenant or, like, holy book or set of guidelines for it?<\/p>\n<p>Peter:  No holy book.  No written word.  Only the words of Homer.<\/p>\n<p>Hanz: Vas Martin jealous of Peter?  Vas he jealous that he vas not zhe one being followed?  Zhat Homer vas getting all zhe glory in zhe exchange?<\/p>\n<p>Peter: Memory destroyed.<\/p>\n<p>Patricia: So then he could have been lying to you about Homer Diya\u2019s murder.  He could have killed Homer and just told you someone else did it.  It makes sense as if Homer was sacred to you too, you probably would have mutinied immediately.<\/p>\n<p>Peter:  Statement is possible.  Motivation for Martin murdering Homer is unknown to me however.<\/p>\n<p>Otto: Alright, this is going nowhere.  What about Barbara Diya?  Why did you kidnap Barbara Diya.<\/p>\n<p>Peter:  Martin stated that it was Homer\u2019s desire to continue the exchange after his death.  However, Homer\u2019s documents and creations were sacred as they were made by his hand.  Without the guidance of Homer, we were not worthy to handle the creations, yet we needed them in order to continue the work of the exchange.  Martin assessed that since Barbara Diya was of the same sacred blood as Homer she would be able to handle the documents and creations.  Therefore we acquired her in order to handle those items which we could not touch.<\/p>\n<p>Bates: They must have kidnapped her shortly after we had interviewed her about Homer\u2019s death.<\/p>\n<p>Otto: How did you keep her there?<\/p>\n<p>Peter:  An empty threat of violence.  We would not have ever hurt her.  We merely needed her to think we would.<\/p>\n<p>Otto: So you were aware she came to me then?  That day she came to the office and told me to investigate Homer\u2019s murder?<\/p>\n<p>Peter:  Yes.  Barbara was bugged and I was listening in to her from outside the building.  She stated that she was upset about the police not being able to find Homer\u2019s killer, so she wanted to hire a private detective.  She told me she would not give any information that would lead to the exchange.  She simply wanted to find the killer.  I allowed it, and listened in while she spoke to you.<\/p>\n<p>Vicki: And Martin was ok with this too?<\/p>\n<p>Peter:  Martin was unaware.  He was adamant that we did not go after Homer\u2019s killer.  All efforts needed to be concentrated on running the exchange.<\/p>\n<p>Zippy: Why did you allow it then?<\/p>\n<p>Peter:  I\u2026. Homer was important to me as well\u2026 I desired to find his killer as much as Barbara did.  I did not expect it to end up like this however.<\/p>\n<p>Patricia: So why did you also kidnap Chen Yap then?  You obviously wanted him to give you information about these pebbles and how they related to the Ba Gua.  What did you want to know?<\/p>\n<p>Peter: Memory destroyed.<\/p>\n<p>Patricia: Damn!<\/p>\n<p>Zippy: What about the exchange?  You, Martin and Homer seemed to have gotten exchanged correctly, why wasn\u2019t it working at the exchange I went to?  It seemed like you guys were having problems getting it to work now.<\/p>\n<p>Peter:  At his death, Homer had not finished writing down the correct method for performing a successful exchange.  We had to try to piece together what the method was, based on what we had seen and experienced from working with Homer previously.  However, we have never been successful.  The experiments we ran to perfect the exchange left the initial participants dead.  As we were running out of people to participate, we started to allow willing individuals who were not part of our immediate circle to start participating as well, given that they keep the exchange secret.  This eventually led us to allowing in more unstable individuals who were willing to partake in the experiments.<\/p>\n<p>Otto: Well, it looks like that all back fired in the end.<\/p>\n<p>Bates:  Enough of this techno-babble crap.  Peter, what about the crime ring?  How was all of that set up?<\/p>\n<p>Peter:  I do not understand.<\/p>\n<p>Bates: The crime rings!  How were you guys organizing all the crime that\u2019s been going on in the city?<\/p>\n<p>Peter:  \u2026Question is not applicable.  The exchange was not connected to any crime rings, or illegal operations.  Any illegal operations that were connected were done so vicariously.<\/p>\n<p>Bates: Bull!<\/p>\n<p>Otto:  Howard\u2026 I don\u2019t know if this is what we\u2019ve been looking for.<\/p>\n<p>Bates: Like hell it isn\u2019t!  Come on, Zippy you said it yourself his brains are all messed up!  He\u2019s probably just forgetting.<\/p>\n<p>Zippy:  I don\u2019t know.  If he can\u2019t remember something he seems pretty clear about it.<\/p>\n<p>Bates:  No way\u2026 No way!  Otto you\u2019re buying into this?!<\/p>\n<p>Otto:  Well\u2026<\/p>\n<p>Bates:  Oh come on!  You\u2019ve got to be kidding me!  So what?!  That\u2019s it then?!  There\u2019s no connection to all this crap after all?  Those math egg heads were right along?  All of this dirt that\u2019s been coming in has just been a statistical coincidence?!  Do you know what you\u2019re saying?!<\/p>\n<p>Otto:  Howard\u2026 There\u2019s no one here more than me that wants there to be an easy reason for the crime rate.  But, it just doesn\u2019t add up.  Those people out front aren\u2019t mobsters.  Mad scientists maybe\u2026 but not mobsters.  You\u2019re telling me that they look like a group of people that would be orchestrating mass random murders and robberies?<\/p>\n<p>Bates: I\u2026 Maybe.<\/p>\n<p>Otto:  I don\u2019t know what to say\u2026 Just because something makes you uncomfortable doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s not true.<\/p>\n<p>Bates: \u2026Damnit\u2026<\/p>\n<p>(Silence for a moment)<\/p>\n<p>Zippy: Now what?<\/p>\n<p>Bates: (sighs) Well, even if this isn\u2019t connected to a bigger picture, we still have a killer on the loose.  Put this hunk of metal in the jail until I can figure out what I want to do with him.<\/p>\n<p>Vicki: Is it possible to arrest a robot?<\/p>\n<p>Bates: I said put him in the slammer!<\/p>\n<p>Vicki: Fine, fine.<\/p>\n<p>Zippy: Here, let me put his head back on for you.<\/p>\n<p>(sound of Zippy reattaching his head).<\/p>\n<p>Vicki: Alright, come on.<\/p>\n<p>(sound of Vicki and Peter walking out of the room).<\/p>\n<p>Patricia: A lot of this still doesn\u2019t make sense.  If Martin saw Homer as being this religious figure why did he kill him?<\/p>\n<p>Otto:  Maybe his desire to run the exchange\u2026 to create a super army loyal to him\u2026 outweighed his religious persuasion.<\/p>\n<p>Police officer: (sound of him running into the room) Sheriff Bates!<\/p>\n<p>Bates: What?<\/p>\n<p>Police officer: That node\u2026 from the exchange\u2026.<\/p>\n<p>Bates: Peter got loose?<\/p>\n<p>Zippy and Patricia: Is Vicki ok?!<\/p>\n<p>Police officer:  No, not that one, the other one\u2026 Martin.  He just called the front desk\u2026 He wants to talk to Otto.<\/p>\n<p>Otto: What?<\/p>\n<p>Bates: Patch him through on the speaker phone in here.<\/p>\n<p>Police Officer: Ok.  (sound of him walking out of the room).<\/p>\n<p>Patricia: What the hell is this?<\/p>\n<p>Otto: I don\u2019t know.  (Sound of the phone ringing.  Sound of Otto pressing the button).  Hello?<\/p>\n<p>Martin: (over the phone) I have your security node.<\/p>\n<p>Zippy: Tubby!<\/p>\n<p>Martin: (over the phone) If you want him back bring the pebbles to the basement of 651 Winter Street in Upton.  Come alone.  (Sound of the phone hanging up).<\/p>\n<p>Hanz: He hung up.<\/p>\n<p>(silence for a moment)<\/p>\n<p>Zippy: Tubby\u2026  (sound of her running out of the room)<\/p>\n<p>Hanz: Vhere is she going?<\/p>\n<p>Otto:  Alright, I\u2019m off.  Patricia give me the pebbles.<\/p>\n<p>Patricia: Psh, yeah right.<\/p>\n<p>Bates:  You seriously think you\u2019re going in there by yourself?<\/p>\n<p>Otto: Come on, you heard him, he told me to go in alone.<\/p>\n<p>Bates: And then what?  You\u2019re going to stand up to a crazy killer robot that avoided an entire police squad by yourself?<\/p>\n<p>Otto: \u2026Alright good point.  Let\u2019s go.<\/p>\n<p>Bates:  You know you don\u2019t need to come.  Like we talked about earlier, you\u2019re working for free now.  Your part of this case is over.  We have the address, me and my boys can take it from here.<\/p>\n<p>Otto:  (sighs) I guess you\u2019re right\u2026 What do you think Patricia?  You\u2019re the one whose been demanding off this case from the beginning\u2026<\/p>\n<p>Patricia: \u2026I think if I don\u2019t let you see this through I\u2019ll never hear the end of it.<\/p>\n<p>Bates: Fine\u2026 You guys are taking your own car though.<\/p>\n<p>Otto: What? Hey!<\/p>\n<p>Bates:  Sorry Otto, state vehicles are for state employees only and now you\u2019re just a volunteer.  (Sound of Bates walking out of the room.  In the distance) Maggie!  Get the car started!<\/p>\n<p>Otto: You got the box?<\/p>\n<p>Patricia: Here you go.  (sound of her handing it to Otto)<\/p>\n<p>Otto: Alright then.  (sound of them walking out of the room and down the hallway).  I\u2019m surprised you decided to stay on the case.<\/p>\n<p>(sound of them entering the main lobby with background noise of people talking).<\/p>\n<p>Patricia: Eh\u2026 You know me\u2026 (sound of them opening the front door, walking outside and door closing behind them.  They continue walking) I don\u2019t like scumbags bringing their killer robots into my city.<\/p>\n<p>Otto: That\u2019s not ironic.<\/p>\n<p>Patricia: What can I say?  It\u2019s easy to pay attention to a burning tree on a COD basis when it\u2019s not setting your house fire.  When they took Vicki\u2026 I guess I understand what you were trying to say to me earlier.  Even if it\u2019s futile, we still have to try to make the world a better place.  If we don\u2019t, how else can we justify ourselves being alive.<\/p>\n<p>Otto: I don\u2019t know, sounds like a bunch of idealistic bull to me.  (Sound of them stopping at the car and opening the car door).  Zippy?  What are you doing in here?  Get out.<\/p>\n<p>Zippy: No!<\/p>\n<p>Patricia: Zippy, you\u2019re crazy.  You\u2019re not coming with us.<\/p>\n<p>Zippy:  Yes I am!  They took Tubby.  He\u2019ll only respond to me.  I have to come in order to get him back.<\/p>\n<p>Otto:  Zippy, you almost got killed last time!  Look, I know you\u2019re proud of your node\u2026<\/p>\n<p>Zippy:  You don\u2019t know!  You don\u2019t understand at all!  Tubby\u2019s not just another node to me!  I built him.  I\u2019m practically his mother.  I don\u2019t care if he\u2019s just a big bucket of non-self aware wires and coding\u2026 He\u2019s my friend.  I\u2019m going to get to him back.<\/p>\n<p>Patricia: Oh hell, let her come Otto.  Likes you\u2019re in a position to preach safety protocol to anyone right now.<\/p>\n<p>Otto: Fine.  Slide over.  Sorry Patricia, you\u2019re sitting in the back.  (Sound of them getting in the car and closing the door)  But if you get killed it\u2019s not going on my Karma record!  (sound of the car starting up and driving off)<\/p>\n<p>(Sound fades out)<\/p>\n<p>COMMERCIAL<\/p>\n<p>(Sound fades in).<\/p>\n<p>(Sound of car rolling up and stopping, turning off.  Sound of Otto, Patricia and Zippy getting out of the car and walking up to the house).<\/p>\n<p>Otto: How did you guys get here before us?<\/p>\n<p>Bates:  Driving efficiency.<\/p>\n<p>Patricia: This is it?  You just brought you and Maggie?<\/p>\n<p>Otto: (Grunts) Legal stuff\u2026<\/p>\n<p>Maggie: Mark told him he couldn\u2019t bring more officers with him because the situation now fell under the department of Robot Control and if we sent anyone officially he would report it as a waste of government money to the mayor.<\/p>\n<p>Bates: So we\u2019re here unofficially.<\/p>\n<p>Zippy:  But why did you come with him then?<\/p>\n<p>Maggie: I\u2019m here unofficially too.  What can I say?  I wasn\u2019t going to let the big guy go in alone and get hurt.  <\/p>\n<p>Patricia:  Wow, this place is really in the middle of nowhere isn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n<p>Zippy: Vicki told me that places like this is where all the crazy stuff happens\u2026 that can\u2019t be a good sign.<\/p>\n<p>Maggie: So are we going to stand her and talk or are we busting this door down?<\/p>\n<p>Otto: Oh yeah, please, don\u2019t let me get in your way.<\/p>\n<p>Maggie: Boo-yeah!  (sound of her pulling out her gun and kicking the door down.) Lights are out.  (Sound of her clicking on a flash light.)<\/p>\n<p>Bates: Alright, follow our lead.  We\u2019re the ones with guns so stay behind us (sound of Bates pulling out a gun.)<\/p>\n<p>(Sound of them walking into the house and through it.  Sound of them walking for a few minutes.)<\/p>\n<p>Bates: I think the stairs down are over here.<\/p>\n<p>(Sound of them walking to a door and opening it).<\/p>\n<p>Maggie: Stairs.  Ok, we\u2019ll go down first, just follow our flashlights.<\/p>\n<p>(sound of them walking down wooden stairs.  They reach the bottom and start walking around).<\/p>\n<p>Otto: (whispering) Alright, we\u2019re in the basement, now what?  Where is he? (silence for a moment.)<\/p>\n<p>Zippy:  (Yelling) We\u2019re here!  Where are you?!<\/p>\n<p>Bates: What the hell are you doing?!<\/p>\n<p>Zippy: Sorry\u2026 I thought that would help.<\/p>\n<p>Maggie: Well so much for a sneak attack.<\/p>\n<p>Patricia: This basement seems pretty empty are you sure we\u2019re at the right address?<\/p>\n<p>Otto: Yeah, this is definitely the place he said to go to.  Is there like a drop box or something that he\u2019s looking for me to put the pebbles into?<\/p>\n<p>Bates: Look over here!<\/p>\n<p>Otto: What is it?<\/p>\n<p>Patricia: It\u2019s an\u2026 altar or something.  There\u2019s a framed picture of Homer Diya.<\/p>\n<p>Zippy:  And in front of the picture is a bloody central movement controller processor\u2026 that\u2019s creepy.<\/p>\n<p>(Sound of a concrete door sliding to the side).<\/p>\n<p>Otto:  Look, the wall is sliding open.  There\u2019s another room.<\/p>\n<p>Bates: Alright, come on.<\/p>\n<p>(sound of them walking through.  The sound of machines operating and working).<\/p>\n<p>Otto: Look at this place, it\u2019s enormous.<\/p>\n<p>Patricia: He built an entire underground factory, or lab or something.  Look at all of these machines.<\/p>\n<p>Otto: These must be more machines for the exchange experiments he was developing.<\/p>\n<p>Martin\u2019s voice: (booming and echoing) These machines are not only for the exchange.  They are also for the Ba Gua pebbles.<\/p>\n<p>Bates:  His voice!  Where is he?  I don\u2019t see him anywhere.<\/p>\n<p>Otto: Show yourself!<\/p>\n<p>Martin\u2019s voice: I told you to come alone.<\/p>\n<p>Otto: And you really thought I\u2019d fall for that?<\/p>\n<p>Martin\u2019s voice: Give me the pebbles.<\/p>\n<p>Otto: Show yourself and I will.<\/p>\n<p>Martin: Very well.<\/p>\n<p>Maggie: There he is!<\/p>\n<p>Zippy: Hey!  Where\u2019s Tubby! (sound of her walking forward).<\/p>\n<p>Bates: Zippy get out of the way, we\u2019re about to open fire!<\/p>\n<p>Martin:  Guns.  (sound of Martin hitting a button and a glass door sliding shut).<\/p>\n<p>Everyone: Ah!<\/p>\n<p>Otto:  What the hell happened?<\/p>\n<p>Maggie: He hit a button and this giant glass door thing shut in front of us!<\/p>\n<p>Bates:  Great, I\u2019m assuming this is bullet proof.<\/p>\n<p>Patricia:  Look!  Zippy is on the other side of the wall!  She\u2019s stuck over there with Martin!<\/p>\n<p>Otto:  Zippy, run!  Come on help me get this thing pried open!  (sound of them trying to open the door)<\/p>\n<p>Zippy: Hey!  I\u2019m not scared of you!  Where is Tubby?!<\/p>\n<p>Martin:  Tubby follows me now!  Give me the box of pebbles and I will tell him to follow you again!<\/p>\n<p>Patricia: Don\u2019t talk to him Zippy!  Just run!<\/p>\n<p>(sound of Tubby beeping)<\/p>\n<p>Zippy:  Tubby!  There you are!  Come here!  What did he do to you?!<\/p>\n<p>(sound of Tubby beeping).<\/p>\n<p>Martin:  No, not yet.  They have not given me the box yet.<\/p>\n<p>Otto:  Martin!  Zippy doesn\u2019t have the box!  I do!  If you want it you\u2019ll have to open this door!<\/p>\n<p>Martin: Give me the box and I will not harm your friend!<\/p>\n<p>Patricia: No!<\/p>\n<p>Zippy: Hey! Let me go!  (sound of Martin grabbing Zippy and shoving her into something).  Aaa!  Help!<\/p>\n<p>Patricia:  He shoved her arm into one of those machines!<\/p>\n<p>Martin: The laser blade in that machine is currently lowering and in a matter of seconds it will cut off her arm.  Give me the box and I will release her!<\/p>\n<p>Zippy: (screaming) Noo!!  Help!!<\/p>\n<p>Patricia: Zippy!<\/p>\n<p>Bates:  Damnit!  We need to get this door open!<\/p>\n<p>Zippy: Help!<\/p>\n<p>Otto: Ok!  Fine!  I\u2019ll give you the box!<\/p>\n<p>Martin: Very well.  (sound of Martin walking over to the door).<\/p>\n<p>Maggie: I see the control box up there!  It\u2019s a trick shot, but I think I can get it!  Stand back I\u2019m going to shoot it!<\/p>\n<p>Martin:  No!<\/p>\n<p>(sound of Maggie firing her gun.  Sound of the control box smashes and fizzes).<\/p>\n<p>Bates: What happened?<\/p>\n<p>Zippy:  Help!<\/p>\n<p>Martin:  You destroyed the central control box.  All of the machines are attached to it.  In order to open the door you are trapped behind and to turn off the machine that your friend is trapped in I would have to wire myself into the secondary control processor.  Doing so would temporarily blow my movement circuits\u2026 It would leave me open\u2026 I\u2026 I can not do that\u2026 I would be captured\u2026 I am sorry\u2026 I can not help you now\u2026 Nor can I reclaim the box.  Come we have to leave.  (Sound of Martin starting to walk away).<\/p>\n<p>Zippy: (scream\/crying) OH GOD NO!  PLEASE!  HELP ME! OH GOD HELP ME!  SOMEBODY HELP ME!!  (breathes heavy and whimpers)<\/p>\n<p>Patricia:  The blades about to cut her arm off!  Get this god damn door open!<\/p>\n<p>Otto: I\u2019m trying!  I\u2019m trying!  Bates come on!<\/p>\n<p>Martin: (to Tubby) Why are you not coming?  (Tubby beeps)  (pause).<\/p>\n<p>Patricia: (crying) Somebody help me!!!<\/p>\n<p>Martin: (To Tubby) If that is your desire\u2026 You have my blessing.  <\/p>\n<p>(Sound Martin running off.  Sound of Tubby moving up to Zippy).<\/p>\n<p>Zippy: Tubby!<\/p>\n<p>Bates:  Martin ran out that back door!<\/p>\n<p>Otto: What is Tubby doing?<\/p>\n<p>Patricia: He\u2019s plugging him self into one of the machines!  He\u2019s helping her!<\/p>\n<p>(sound of Tubby beeping.  Then the sound of sparks and wires shorting out.  Then the sound of everything power down and the glass door opening up).<\/p>\n<p>Zippy: I\u2019m out!  Oh god I\u2019m out!<\/p>\n<p>Maggie: The doors open!<\/p>\n<p>(sound of them running up to Zippy and Tubby).<\/p>\n<p>Patricia: Are you ok?!<\/p>\n<p>Zippy: (out of breath) I\u2019m ok!  It just nicked my arm a little bit at the end.  Tubby saved me!  Tubby, you really do love me!  (Sound of Zippy hugging Tubby.  He beeps back).<\/p>\n<p>Otto: Give me that.<\/p>\n<p>Bates:  Hey!  Give me my gun back!<\/p>\n<p>Otto:  You guys stay with Zippy, I\u2019m going after him!<\/p>\n<p>Patricia: I\u2019m coming with you!<\/p>\n<p>(sound of them running off)<\/p>\n<p>Bates: (trailing in the distance) Hey!  Get back here!  Maggie, follow them!<\/p>\n<p>Maggie: (trailing in the distance) I\u2019m on it!<\/p>\n<p>(sound of Patricia and Otto running.  They slam open a door and run through).<\/p>\n<p>Otto: Stairs leading up, come on<\/p>\n<p>(sound of them running up the stairs.  Sound of them opening another door, running through and the door closing behind them).<\/p>\n<p>Patricia: We\u2019re outside now.  Where is he?<\/p>\n<p>Martin: Aaa!<\/p>\n<p>Patricia: Otto look out!<\/p>\n<p>(Sound of a gun shot going off.  Sound of Otto and Martin struggling.  Sound of Martin snatching the gun from Otto\u2019s hand and shoving him back).<\/p>\n<p>Otto: Oof!<\/p>\n<p>Patricia: Otto\u2019s he\u2019s got you\u2019re gun!<\/p>\n<p>Martin: Freeze!<\/p>\n<p>(silence of them both stopping.  After a moment sound of Maggie banging on the door behind them).<\/p>\n<p>Maggie: (From behind the door) Hey!  Open up!  This door is locked!<\/p>\n<p>Martin: And you\u2019ll find the door at the bottom of the stairs is locked behind you too.  Don\u2019t bother trying to shoot through the locks, the doors are solid steel.<\/p>\n<p>Maggie:  (through the door) Hey!<\/p>\n<p>Otto: So now what?<\/p>\n<p>Maggie: (through the door) Otto, did you get the upper hand on him?<\/p>\n<p>Otto: No Maggie, he stole my gun and is holding us up now.<\/p>\n<p>Maggie: (through the door) Oh\u2026 Damn\u2026<\/p>\n<p>Martin: Give me the box!<\/p>\n<p>Otto: Why?!  What is this thing anyway?!<\/p>\n<p>Martin:  You could never understand.<\/p>\n<p>Otto: Try us!<\/p>\n<p>Patricia:  We\u2019re not helping you develop your super army!<\/p>\n<p>Maggie: (through the door) You tell him Patricia!<\/p>\n<p>Martin: What are you talking about?<\/p>\n<p>Otto: We\u2019re on to you Martin!  We know all about what happened!  The Exchange was invented by Homer to create a race of super humans and super nodes that he could then control.  Then you got jealous after getting exchanged and murdered him so that you could take over as leader.  Too bad you and your followers weren\u2019t smart enough to figure out how to do it correctly.<\/p>\n<p>Martin:  You don\u2019t know what you are talking about.<\/p>\n<p>Otto: Then tell me!  Tell me what really happened!  Tell me what these damn pebbles are that you want so badly?<\/p>\n<p>Martin: \u2026Fine\u2026 I will tell you what happened\u2026<\/p>\n<p>(sound fades out)<\/p>\n<p>OUTRO\/COMMERCIAL\/END CREDITS<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Ba Gua Etuis Box Episode 7 Charles Davis INTRO\/COMMERCIAL (Sound fades in. Inside Martin\u2019s underground laboratory. After a moment of silence with only the sound of the background lab, the sound of Tubby coming into the foreground is heard. &hellip; <a href=\"http:\/\/www.scifiradiotheater.com\/blog\/the-ba-gua-etuis-box-episode-7\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-166","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.scifiradiotheater.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/166","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.scifiradiotheater.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.scifiradiotheater.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.scifiradiotheater.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.scifiradiotheater.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=166"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.scifiradiotheater.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/166\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":167,"href":"http:\/\/www.scifiradiotheater.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/166\/revisions\/167"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.scifiradiotheater.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=166"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}