¶ Introduction
Whatcha do there , Mike ? Oh , just filling out our post-blackout census form for the studio here .
Thanks , mike , I really appreciate you taking that on for us .
Yeah , HR has not woken up and legal has just been so agitated lately I figured just be best to get it out of the way .
Yeah , I got mine filled out yesterday . Pretty easy stuff , now that it's just me .
Yeah , so this is weird . Did you know ? Intern Todd's legal first name is actually intern , really , yeah , it says it right here in his paperwork .
Oh , wow , Wait . What's this under ? It's under the role of producer .
Yeah , must be some sort of typo .
Oh , it's a wake , Mike . Red light time .
Oh , back to it . Good morning Tritown . I'm Michael Tarr and I'm Dale Dallas , and this is Everything Matters . Good morning Tritown . Glad to be back in the sound waves wafting over your beautiful earholes . I hope you're staying inside , staying safe and staying sane . Pour yourself a cup of joe and gather around for today's Everything Matters .
It's time for the Tritown Bolton Board brought to you by Cox Energy .
The Tritown Healthy Citizens Commission issues this reminder . Time marches on . The vastness of the cosmos continues to close in on each and every one of us , but with a focus on daily exercise and a disciplined diet , you will die healthier .
I plan on dying as healthy as possible , mike . In a recent five to nine vote , the Tritown City Council has converted a local tranquil park into a sprawling trampoline wonderland . Residents were left jumping for joy , literally when the news broke .
Councilman Montgomery defended the decision , saying With the fall upon us , we just wanted to put a sparring in every one step and elevate our city's reputation . Visitors can now be seen soaring through the air , performing gravity-defying flips and occasionally landing in the neighboring zip codes . Critics argue that the moon has destroyed a beloved local park .
The residents seem to have embraced the bouncy revolution with arms open and spring-loaded legs .
Can't help but wonder if the gravity-adjusting scientists lobbied for this at all .
You might be onto something Mike .
The site of the old Pine Bridge power plant is going to see some new use . Tritown City Council announces a grant to promote further redevelopment of the previously closed-off piece of land . Franchisee Kevin Matherson had this to say I can't wait to get in there and start excavating all that nasty concrete they poured over this beautiful location .
You're looking at the absolute perfect site for Tritown's brand new Dollar General .
Is there already a Dollar General like right on the other side of that black mic ? I believe there is no , but you bet on the tumbleweed in the Ultramax Bowl . The world of sports betting has been set into a whirlwind by a tumbleweed named Tumblethor .
This peculiar tumbleweed has managed to achieve the impossible predicting the Ultramax Bowl winner correctly , o'opping 12 out of 14 times in a row . Tumblethor has become a celebrity in his own right , attracting throngs of curious onlookers and bookmakers seeking his sagebrush advice .
Whether it's clairvoyance or a gust of luck , Tumblethor's track record is nothing short of legendary , leaving sports analysts scratching their heads . As the next Ultramax Bowl approaches , all eyes are on this wandering soothsayer , eagerly awaiting his prediction and potentially making it the most sought-after tumbleweed in the history of sports betting .
Well , if I wasn't recovering from a crippling gambling addiction , I'd be right there with Tumblethor Dale . Debate over the meaning of the acronym AI rages on in Tritown , surviving the blackout and immediately rekindling its controversial flame .
Those who believe it means all in claim that the other side is trying to denigrate the value of hard work and hustle this week's development . Bernie Bunsen switches sides and the new All-Inner calls himself a sales . Ai proclaims he is all-in on sales . Opposition still holds to its meaning as American Idol meant to denote an old world celebrity .
What do you think AI stands for ? Call 1-800-MATTERS and let us know .
Before you finish this story , mike , people were already calling it Such a hot issue , dale . It's just a simple fact that ghost sightings have been doubted before the last blackout . In an astonishing turn of events , the Tritout City Council has unveiled their latest creation , the Soul Shredder .
City officials claim that the recent decline in ghost sightings is due to the implementation of this device . The contraption resembling a cross between a vacuum cleaner and a disco ball allegedly shreds wayward souls that dare to wander the streets of Tritout .
Elcorp scientists , who championed the invention , proudly declared we're cleaning up the streets of the afterlife one spectral shred at a time . Paranormal experts , however , are skeptical and worry about the consequences of meddling with the spirit world . Only time will tell if this ghost must engage in as the city's salvation or the beginning of a supernatural showdown .
Well , with a name like Soul Shredder , they must really mean business Dale . This has been the Tritout Bulletin Board brought to you by Cox Energy , now hosting a monthly photo contest . Send in a picture of your Cox for a chance to win $10 off your next energy bill .
¶ Census Spotlight
Live from Tritout in front of a live studio audience . It's census day .
That's right , dale . On this special segment of Everything Matters , we'll be covering in depth tips , tricks and advice to a successful census . Post blackout census paperwork how to fully complete your census with minimal risk of audit , checking on your neighbors , how to spot suspicious behavior and how to report it .
That's right , Mike . A new neighbor is a suspicious neighbor . We cover five questions .
This is Dr Daniel Leeds reporting . Subject name Colin Elena Morgan Line break , moonhaven Deepsea Laboratory worker . Line break , resident of Moonhaven . For the purposes of transcription , I will be recording my notes on Elena's statement as verbatim as I received the information as possible . I will include some minor clarifications when needed .
Elena Morgan and James Clifton are stationed in the Deepsea Laboratory off the coast of Moonhaven . They are not scientists but have been given basic training in running instruments and recording findings so as to free Tritown's limited scientific resources for the less mundane .
The topic of the Deepsea Laboratory studies has been redacted Per the Tritown Neighborhood Watch Statute 148R1N7H and I do not believe hold relevance to the report . It should , however , be noted this assignment is not one of chance , but rather one of the extremely limited forms of non-corporal punishment in Tritown since the occurrence of the Great Toilet Tragedy of 27 .
And that is how Elena came to be stationed in the laboratory . Elena reports that she and James , her companion , were unaffected by the blackout , a previously unreported phenomenon .
There are in fact no confirmed reports of individuals remaining awake during the blackout , and even looking for debunked reports , I was only able to find two After laying very still in a safe , comfortable location for several hours , as is recommended . Alaina , unable to sleep , rose and moved back around the laboratory .
She checked her calendar and time to make sure that they had not gotten the incorrect day . This are the only way to track the passing of time that far underwater . But she was fairly certain it was time of the blackout . James also arose . They were , needless to say , very confused .
They attempted to hail the Moonhaven Maritime Authority many times but received no response . A day passed , the radio was silent and James and Alaina simply continued their laboratory duties . They were confused and reported being a little frightened , and Alaina continually tried to hail the Moonhaven Maritime Authority but saw no success in that endeavor .
That night , alaina was unable to fall asleep at all . Finally , becoming restless and fearful enough of these strange occurrences , she chose to check on James , who had separate sleeping quarters . James was also unable to sleep .
They claimed that night , between 3 and 4 am , to have made their final attempt to hail the Moonhaven Maritime Authority , before finally accepting they were alone and making no further attempts . They were unsure , as we all are , how long the blackout would be .
Not a problem to be considered or studied , much as during the blackout there appears to be no linear progression of time whatsoever . Animals , birds , humans , creatures of all types of mutation are asleep as far as we can tell , and vegetation seems to be unaffected . Only though it calls to spotlight the ancient question of just how long the blackouts are .
One can brew a pot of coffee , lay down , enjoy the blackout , get up and enjoy a hot cup of joe . We only know the time has passed by , the collective feeling . We all know a long period of time has passed . Even newcomers , experimentally contained and not told about the blackout , independently report they have been asleep for years , even decades .
When asked to estimate how long they've been asleep With disinmind , they decided to begin rationing very early on , which was a wise decision , even bringing out years of stored freeze-dried anchovy ice cream that they had squirreled away when radioing for resupply . Water was no issue , as the bottom of the lab was a pool of fresh water where the supplies surfaced .
The laboratory itself is deep below the Moonhaven Coast , the largest source of fresh water known to Triton . This is where the strangeness multiplies . Alina reports that her and James stopped being able to sleep altogether . Alina's explanations of the effects of sleep deprivation and the paranoia that ensued by far make up the longest part of the report .
I will be filing paper documentation but for the purposes of this transcription I have truncated the effects and these are the highlights . After about five days , alina reported auditory hallucination hearing the radio crackle on , for instance , but getting to it and finding a debt .
Hearing James seeing in the bathroom and then seeing him come out of the kitchen , things of that nature . Alina reports unsettling whispers . She describes them as too soft to hear but too loud to ignore . After seven days , alina's mood took a dramatic turn , shouting matches with James throwing objects , slamming doors , things of that nature .
Alina reports that while she lashed out , james withdrew quickly , being brought to tears at one point , spending some time curled up on the floor of the lab , rocking and crying . After 11 days , visual hallucination and paranoia set in , although that's not what Alina describes .
Alina began to withdraw from James and spend time in the bathroom , apparently and this is a direct quote speaking to herself in the mirror . As Alina explains this , I quickly realized she is not saying talking to herself , but quite literally speaking to another entity in the mirror that looks like her . At 15 days , alina no longer interacts with James at all .
They see each other briefly when retrieving items from their dwindling supplies , but they do not speak . James retrieves to his quarters Alina to hers . At 17 days Alina describes her friend as the only reason she is able to stay sane . The conversations become unsettling and , of course , turned towards James .
Elena's imaginary mirror companion suggests James is stealing their food . Then , on day 18 , elena confronts James and they come to blows . Elena describes attacking James , attempting to push into his quarters and James , in retaliation , strikes her .
Elena shoves James against the laboratory's walls In a way Elena describes as probably a little too hard and says she is sure James hit his head . Elena retreats from the situation and takes as much food as she can carry into her quarters and locks the door . Day 19 , james begins beating on the door , trying to enter her quarters . He does not speak .
Elena's mirror suggests he has gone mad and is trying to kill her and it says that she must act in self-defense . Day 20 , elena reports that after a brief cessation of the banging on the door , james begins striking the door with something much heavier .
Here Elena assures Elena that James is going to kill her and because she hid in her room she now has no weapons and nothing to defend herself with . The mirror assures Elena she can help . She need only take her hand when the door begins to break .
Elena agrees Somehow , and again this is in Elena's own words taking her own hand in the mirror and being pulled through . Elena describes being pulled through a tunnel of some sort , flying or hurtling through it . She sees James in the distance who flies by her , and then she finds herself in a different bathroom .
On the floor is James , his head split open , blood covering the floor this is described in some detail and a fire axe next to him .
She turns to look in the mirror and describes seeing herself in her original bathroom , as if looking through a pane of glass rather than a mirror , beating the other James to death , holding him by the neck and slamming his head into the wall repeatedly until his skull caves .
She says James is smiling through the whole ordeal , even when his arms go dead , his eyes stay wide open and he seems to be experiencing genuine joy . Elena finds that she is no longer under the sea but rather on a boat .
She heads to the deck of the boat , describing a sudden realization of just how tired she is , her body all at once demanding she pay the debt she had gathered . What comes next seems to be the peak of Elena's visual hallucinations . She describes the deck of the ship as not rocking whatsoever , the water over the side of the boat completely still .
She describes throwing a bit of wood into it and the wood simply disappearing when it hits the water , with no ripples whatsoever . She says there are boats around and often seem to be headed in her direction but never getting any closer . She was not even sure if she wanted them to . There was a dead man in the bathroom below . She had no way of explaining .
The strangest thing she described was the sun and the moon . She claims it was as if the sun was rising and setting , rapidly flying through the sky above her Almost , as if days were passing in just minutes . Eventually she tried waving to the boat , throwing things , tried to work the radio , a sudden loneliness setting in .
She finally found the button to the fog horn and claims to have held it down for as long as it would sound , but no one would come . Time passing from this point on becomes rather impossible for me to discern , or Lena to describe . It seems Elena's nightmare continues on for several more days .
Though Elena describes the madness , I cannot really fathom the extreme stillness of the boat contrasted with the insanity of the sun and the moon chasing each other overhead . Elena has not eaten now and says she is hearing the whispers constantly . She wanted to check the mirror but could not bring herself to do so .
Eventually , elena gives up creating a noose tying a ship's anchor to her left leg . When she realized she had what she describes as a light at the end of the tunnel , she became filled with happiness . For the first time since this whole ordeal , she overcame her exhaustion , her hunger even silenced the whispers , she says . She began laughing out loud .
She tied the noose around her neck and pushed the anchor off the boat . She jumped at the last possible moment to avoid hitting her head or anything and the anchor drew her down Just as the noose began to tighten . Well , elena woke up in the laboratory no whispers , no hunger , no moodyness or paranoia or exhaustion . Her quarters were in fine order .
James was even fine , although Elena says the next couple of days unsettled her . He was generally a quiet person , reserved , and after this experience , she said James had become happy , even extroverted . I'm unable to write all of this off as a dream one . There are multiple recorded attempts at a hail from the laboratory to the Moonhaven Maritime Authority .
These occurred after the time when they would have shut down to prepare for the blackout . I am unable to write all of this off as a dream One . There are multiple recorded attempts at a hail from the laboratory to the Moonhaven Maritime Authority after the time when they should have shut down to prepare for the blackout . This is odd .
No one should have been awake . Secondarily , during their resupply the lab supplies were indeed dangerously low . Of course that doesn't prove anything , but it is notable as it's not happened before . Lastly , and perhaps the most strange , the ship in the Moonhaven Bay has alluded explanation thus far .
While it is not dangerous and not even close to the most interesting thing in Tritown , it is still a curiosity . I will admit I have no explanation for that foghorn blowing for days Around . The time when Elena reports having woken up correlates almost exactly with the time the ship mysteriously vanished .
I will continue meeting with and monitoring Elena and trying to find some time to meet with James If I come across any additional findings .
Oh , hi Doc .
Oh uh , hello Dale , just one moment .
Oh crap Doc what are you doing there ? I'm sorry , what do you mean ? This is our tape for this week's census segment . Mike's gonna be so pissed .
This is my tape . It says Dr Daniel Leeds right on it .
That is the smallest writing I have ever seen .
Nonetheless , it is still my tape . Wait a second , Dale . You haven't been taping over my other dictation , have you ?
¶ Outro Matters
This has been another episode of Everything Matters . This is your friendly final reminder that your census filing is due by the end of this week .
That's right , Mike . Don't wait until the last minute . What if something happens and you don't get your census paperwork filed ?
That would not be good , dale . And now a word from the beautiful folks of Tri-Town . We've got your feedback right here . Remember , lines are open If you use this Apple podcast or whatever . We'll read your feedback right here on the show .
Maggie Bow has this to say Casting its hellish glow turns the land into a fevered dreamscape Painted in hues of blood and gold , just like Mama used to say . Sounds like Maggie is a fan of Jeb Marshall there , dale .
Yeah , Jeb Marshall sure has a way with words . This one comes from Sarboth . I have a question for us , Mike . I'm trying to figure out my mere dilemma . They seem to have been misplaced , Almost like they grew legs and walked away . Is mere sentience a possibility ? I always looked to you guys for advice , Until the next time . Sarboth of .
Tri-Town . Well , you know what I always say , Dale Everything's a possibility . Spaztastic has this to say Hi , Long time listener , first time caller . I need to ask you what happens if your mere safety fails and you start seeing shadows . Does mere safety help with these ? Thank you so much for any advice you can give me .
Looks like we're gonna have to get the doc back on the show here , Dale , yeah , I mean , what are you supposed to do exactly ?
again , I feel like I could use a refresher on my mere safety tips . This one's from BJ Folger . More perfect news casting from Mike and Dale . The only downside is the all-consuming silence between each episode . Yeah , I know you feel .
That's it for this week , tri-town . Thank you , keep those comments coming in . This has been another broadcast of Everything Matters . We'll see you next week and remember , it's all real , it all matters and it never ends . Now a word from Intern Todd .
So leave us a review on Spotify and Apple . If you leave a review as a resident of Tri-Town without breaking the fourth wall , dale and Mike might read your review on the show . Just make sure you don't , you know , give anything away that you're from the 21st century or that could really , you know , break Mike and Dale's minds .
Yeah , links are at EverythingMattersPodcom . If you're listening from the 22nd and 24th century , you can review us on Musknet in exchange for one kudo . 25th to 29th century . Please get off the internet immediately . Using the internet poses a public safety hazard . All other centuries call 1-800-MATTERS If it is safe to do so . Again , that's EverythingMattersPodcom .
