Ready to launch your business? Get started with the commerce platform made for entrepreneurs. Shopify is specially designed to help you start, run, and grow your business with easy, customizable themes that let you build your brand. Marketing tools that get your products out there.
integrated shipping solutions that actually save you time from startups to scale ups online in person and on the go shopify is made for entrepreneurs like you sign up for your one dollar a month trial at shopify.com slash setup Hey, if you're a fan of the midst cosmos, then you've got to be at least a little bit into being scared, right?
But if a little bit isn't enough for you, let me recommend you a podcast that will systematically plumb the depths of just about every aspect and flavor of fear you can imagine, all while captivating you with a mysterious overarching plot. and making you fall in love with the characters.
The Magnus Archives is a multi-award winning weekly horror fiction anthology podcast examining what lurks in the archives of the Magnus Institute, an organization dedicated to researching the esoteric and the weird. And now is a great time to start listening.
because after you finish The Magnus Archives, you can dive right into the hit sequel, The Magnus Protocol. The Magnus Archives was one of the first audio dramas I ever fell in love with, and there are certain episodes that I still think about late into the night. So if that also sounds like your idea of a good time, check it out. Search for the Magnus Archives wherever you listen to your podcasts, or visit rustyquill.com for more information.
The journey from Midst to the highest light in the past might have taken several days, but the ship is fast. Like, freaky fast. It's barely been one day, and the ship is already parked here, safely in the docks of the glittering Uncity. What exactly a day consists of in a cosmos where most people live in places that don't even have objective day-night cycles is a highly contentious and interpretive art best left to the professional timekeepers. But listen.
We're just trying to tell a story here. The highest light is, well, high. Colossally high in the sky. Far, far above midst, above the black ocean of Fold, far below. which is completely concealed from view by miles of bright cloud and crystal. Like Stationery Hill, the highest light is a place with a rich and storied history. It's gone through some massive changes in the last 30 years or so. But that's a long story. Maybe there's some other podcast about that.
The cosmopolitan, or should we say, cosmos-politan hub, known as the highest light, is quite the spectacle. It's a floating city of interconnected crystal islands. Sheltered within strong, glassy enclosures protecting its inhabitants from the abrasive mica outside. Remember those weightless shards of broken glass floating amongst towering clouds we mentioned in episode one? Oh yeah, that's Micah. That stuff's all over the place up here. Curtains of flowing water act as air filtration checks.
allowing vessels to enter and exit the protected interior of the city while screening out airborne mica particulates. Everything is bathed in cold white light and cool running water. The dark mica of the ship stands out starkly in this environment of white original flavor mica. Like a goth at the beach. So with this being the ship's last stop in what could be called civilization for a while, the crew is taking care of a couple of local objectives. One.
picking up remaining highest light-based catering and medical staff, as well as some additional supplies. Those are all going aboard now, while... Merlin is wrapping up a brief lecture on the expedition here in the city at his home university. The campus is festively decorated in much the same way that Stationery Hill had been for launch day. For the highest light, this is every bit as much of a historical event.
as it will be for every islet the ship has occasion to pass. Bernhard and Gottel isn't just a network of higher learning institutes located throughout the Un. It's a venerable scientific research organization, and one of the major factions of the Cosmological Consortium that participated in development of the ship.
Hence why the ship is displayed here within sight of the campus's very walls out of all the many and various places it could have parked in the highest light. A lecture from Merlin Vaught is sure to draw a packed house. Faculty, students, even just curious members of the general public are all gathered here in the historic Arcturus Godel Amphitheatre. A stunning view of the looming dark mica ship framed directly behind Merlin where...
And now he stands at the podium, gesticulating microphone in hand. He throws his arms wide. A cheer from the audience. This is the good stuff. This is the stuff we're here to hear today. A sonorous voice from an elderly gentleman in the crowd. Thank you very much, Mr. Fox. Tell me, what would be your reaction should you, in the course of the voyage... make observations or achieve learnings which fundamentally invalidate or subvert your preconceived concepts of the cosmos. Merlin Winks.
One of the ship's crystal sloops, a spear point of dark mica, about the size of a delivery truck, is perched on a small hill just beyond the amphitheater. Mother Artifice and the granddaughter watch Merlin's proceedings from the meager shade of a silvery tree, two black shadows in a scene of shimmering brightness. Artifice inclines his horned head to his protege to whisper. In some ways, this institution is not altogether dissimilar from Arsenobia.
People here also pursue a knowing of things, though from a perspective vastly different from our own. Yes, they are totally obsessed. You are very lucky to be on the cusp of realization, which will elucidate for you in an instant what a hundred lifetimes of science could not. Some academics strolling the lawn here overhear this and peer over at Artifice with brows furrowed. Mothers traveling outside the fold is...
Very unusual. And seeing them in the highest light is almost unheard of. We say again, goths at the beach. Shana Marian, the bosun, comes out of the ship's sloop, popping on a pair of unglasses to... shade her sensitive sequestrian eyes. Alright, time to head back. She strolls over to Artifice and the granddaughter, crossing two of her four arms as she leans against the...
Metallic bark of this tree here. Yikes, it's bright up here. Just heard from the ship. Rewind is complete. The kitchen staff are checked in and the doctor's boarding now. Is Merlin still talking? Holy cow, that guy. Oh yes, Merlin is still on stage and has definitely answered like five times more than a couple questions. Another hand shoots into the air. Why is the ship called the ship? Couldn't the consortium agree on a proper name?
Merlin just laughs. No, the consortium absolutely could not agree on a name. Professor, isn't the ship's crew also a committee? Do you foresee any difficulty in the crew's decision-making ability in the absence of a more conventional captain? A few students in earshot of the sloop are lamenting that they won't get the opportunity to take a class with Professor Vought since he's...
obviously taking part of an expedition to the limits of the known universe. No, this lecture is the closest they'll come to being taught by the legendary professor. Professor, can you explain the functions of Dark Micah? What about the intended path of the ship? Professor Vaught, is it true that you've built a barcular person? Merlin catches the eye of Shana Marian waving to him discreetly from across the quad.
Another successful, legendary lecture concluded. Merlin heads for this loop. Navigating a gaggle of students who proffer copies of Merlin's books and... papers asking for autographs, which he graciously gives. But, for Sylvester's sake, Shana Marian calls, ship's gonna leave without us at this rate. Come on. Back aboard the ship.
Quite a few people who have been taking advantage of various brief shore leaves are now returning aboard the vessel. Cleophy, Gilmoth, among them. Cleo has just been out shopping with Dune and Yill, the gunners. And they've all come back toting lots of bags. This was Cleo's idea, of course. Oh, wow. The highest light is even more dazzling than I imagined. I wish we could spend a whole week here. Did you two have fun? Had you ever been here before? Oh, oh, look out the window.
From this vantage, they can see the sloop coming back in, sluicing along its umbilical of black crystal to reattach to the ship's lower tip. It moves with an unearthly smoothness. Wow, that is so weird and so cool. I'm never going to get used to that. And with all crew back aboard successfully, it is time for the ship once again. To take its leave. In a cascade of fireworks, to the roar of cheers from the crowd, the ship turns in the air, glorious, impossible.
and like a knife, like a sword flying through the sky, departs for the cosmos above. Citizens of the highest light are waving their hands, waving handkerchiefs. It's a beautiful sight. A couple of municipal gunships escort them just to the limits of the city, hovering at a distance, or like projections flitting and catching the light. As the ship ascends into the brilliant sky above... flashing away into banks of clouds on its way...
Well, now that the ship has a celebrity chef on board, it's probably time to eat, wouldn't you say? Yes, our next destination, as a matter of fact, is dinner. Here on this half balcony overlooking the large geometric atrium of the ship's main deck, the crew are assembling for a fine meal brought to them by none other than their new kitchen staff.
The opacity of the windows has been altered to allow a stunning view of the sky outside as the kitchen staff sets about preparing the area. And dinner, of course, requires tables and chairs. which here and now extrude themselves straight out of the black crystal of the floor, furnishings just liquidly emerging where once stood none. Dark Micah, baby.
Some pleasant music is being piped over the ship's comm system, setting the mood. And Chef Kino del Balsaban and his team are aboard and at work. Kino! Let's take a look at him. shall we what a guy a zesty zippy guy cool white Hair and a cool hairstyle. Cool tortoiseshell glasses. Cool, dazzlingly mica-white teeth beaming forth from an almost unbelievably winning smile.
Cool Telethere cooking star. Apparently he's cool. He's also a restaurateur, author of numerous popular cookbooks. A necklace of alternating black and white beads. peeks out just barely from under the neckline of his crisp chef's tunic as he leans down to be at eye level with all the assembled cocktail glasses on the counter, adding the final flourishes.
to the garnish. His two sous chefs, loyal apprentices, Voro and Mikalu, both at work, both busy in action preparing dinner to be served. The cocktails having met with his approval, Keno straightens up again and claps his hands. Well, hello, everyone. Thank you so much for gathering. Thanks for having us. What a pleasure to see you all. There's a nice little round of applause. You will certainly eat well on this journey every day. But we will do more than eat tonight. In fact, we will die.
He smiles around at the crew, gazing at each and every one of them in turn. We will tonight celebrate the commencement of the journey, and it's our pleasure this evening to treat you all to a very special and unique singular meal, compliments of the Cosmological Consortium's highest. light subcommittee. And compliments, of course, of myself and my team. Thank you for allowing us to join you for this journey, and...
for allowing us to do some amazing cooking on an incredible ship with an incredible crew while venturing to some extraordinary places. So cheers to you all. Let's get this show on the road and more importantly, this dinner. Boro, Meikle Lord, take it away. appreciative murmuring from the diners as the two sous chefs began circulating throughout the room handing out the hors d'oeuvres.
We begin with ephemera of mineral flower, enclosing lavender water infused mirror hawk mousse dusted with rift grass pollen nestled on a sprouted micro bloom tuft crowned. with edible serapha nebula form. And of course, our signature cocktail tonight to accompany this evening's wines, the Aurora Prismatica.
exquisite emperium lavender and silk cordial layered with zephyr of elderman flower, misted with alpinian plume of verdure and lightly smoked with charcoal of sequestrian hacklethor. I personally recommend you enjoy it on the rocks, perhaps unorthodox.
But just trust us on this one. Cleophy is starting out the meal just standing right there at the kitchen counter, leaning on her hands, watching everything Kino does with bright-eyed interest. A cocktail on the rocks provided to her directly by Kino himself. I dare say this rather matches your attire for this evening, Ms. Gilma. Thank you. That was completely by accident. She's changed into a shimmery lavender affair. Thank you. Thank you.
deplete our food stores in a jiffy, let me tell you. In addition to her dress, Cleo is also wearing what looks like a luxurious buttercup yellow fur stole wrapped cozily around her shoulders and waist. Occasionally. It emits an adorable little trill, and shiny curious black eyes peer from one end of it. The head end, apparently. It's kind of like a cross between a caterpillar, a ferret, an axolotl, maybe a rosy maple moth. An exotic fold creature known as a cat, Cleo was explaining to Kino.
Rows of nubby little legs, barely visible under the dense fur, clinging tightly to Cleo for purchase. She strokes its long back affectionately. And who is this here? What an adorable little... Cellar?
His name is Omlet. He can be a little shy around new people, but once he takes a liking to you, you'll never get a moment alone. A name after my own heart, one of my favorite dishes of all time, one of the simplest, most easy and delicious to make and prepare. I'll prepare one for you for breakfast tomorrow. How did you pick such a name? Well, I'm not very creative. He hatched from an egg, so you get it. I see, I follow. I think I understand the logic, yes. And plus he's yellow. He sure is.
Here, by the edge of the balcony, looking over the airy spaciousness of the atrium, Merlin has struck up a conversation with Dr. Ripley Rawfield, just arrived from the highest light. She looks around the ship with gruff approval. Hmm, this old hunk of moonrock cleaned up pretty good. Yes, it turned out quite luxurious, given how difficult it was to retrieve. Maybe even on par with some of your delta runs back in the old truss days, eh, Raffield?
Now, now, there's no need to compare. It takes bravery to venture out, no matter the destination. Merlin gives Raphael the look. I should know better than to try and get a rise out of you. You're right, of course. And if we can demonstrate that Dark Micah can be used to transit the cosmos successfully, the days of dangerous delta runs and ill-fated deep fold retrievals could become but distant memories. I certainly hope so.
How did the liquid crystal extrusion system pan out, by the way? Oh, it's been implemented. You can either make a special item request to control via the talk tubes throughout the ship, or access one of the hundreds of pre-programmed items from the workstations they've been associated with. Here, watch. Merlin leans over the counter of the bar to tap a glittering crystal control, and a pair of polygonal crystal chalices extrude straight out of the countertop.
smoothly emitting as though their shapes were already waiting just below the surface. Rawfield picks up one of the goblets, appraisingly. You have to admit, that's pretty neat. As the cocktails are being enjoyed, the sparkling, armored archipelago that is the highest light falls away into the distance at breathtaking speed.
gradually shrinking and condensing until all of its innumerable interconnected mica bergs start to look like one single twinkling diamond in the cloudscape below. Del Belsaban is on to the appetizers. Beloga Pearl Caviar Tartare, accompanied by shaved roast of sloe, crowned with frosted ebon reef truffle, drizzled with 100 traversal aged prying syrup, and garnished with ginchona leaf. Enjoy.
Folks are grouping, milling, moving between tables. Gunners talking about, you know, probably guns. And also fishing and... Some unexpected mutual interests, perhaps. Artisan bookbinding. Ship designers talking about ship design. Scientists are talking about science. Everett and Mickey are hanging out at a table here now with Cleophy. Cleo is doing her best to keep her plate of caviar out of reach of the inquisitive nose of omelette.
No, no, no, sweetie. That's not for you. I just fed you. I know you're not hungry. Stop. He's a cute little guy. Can I touch him? Can I pet him? Is that okay? Oh, yeah. Let him smell you first. Everett reaches out a hand, spackled in oil and red and black tattoos, mostly featuring what appear to be card tricks. So is he like a creation of yours? You didn't... I don't know if you've got... I know. Creation? What do you mean? Well, with the Gilmas and their abilities, I didn't know if you would...
you know, built him or something or spawned him or something. He's just a normal cat, but I totally do have ants that could do that. Yeah, yeah. But what about you? Any, any fold, any sort of... fold gift do i have yeah if that's okay i'm just curious i didn't hear in your profile nothing got listed or anything so i mean i that's basically what my family is known for i should have been prepared for that question so um
Totally understand you asking, and I hope you'll understand if I maybe choose to keep that private. Is that okay? Oh, yeah. I don't want you to feel bad at all for asking. It's just that... I don't know, my family has this reputation, and while I'm part of this crew, I really just want to be treated like anybody else. No, totally legit. That's A-OK. Oh, thank you. I promise, my fold gift isn't even something that would come up. It wouldn't even be...
be relevant to the voyage. Speaking of people with unique fold capabilities, Mother Artifice and Drury Hambing Terrorologist are just across the dining area here and now. Talking about stuff that people like Artifice and Hambing talk about. Let's check it out. At first glance, it actually looks like Mother Artifice is sitting at a table by himself. But upon second inspection, a very short, small... frankly tiny little man is standing on the surface of the table.
speaking to mother artifice very tiny like extremely incredibly bizarrely tiny like about the size of the cocktail glass tiny so you look a little bit different from the last time i saw you last week ham bing Would you care to expound on how you came to be this uniquely minuscule size? Uh, yeah, it was a particular terror I was following last week, kind of down under mids, a little up current.
I happened to get sucked inside, and after I climbed out, I happened to have shrugged. And how have you been enjoying the experience? Can I actually ask you a question? Yes, of course, Hambing. Well, I noticed that you are always kind of yelling. Yes, that's correct. It is because, Hambing, my ancestors were town criers who passed down a genetic predisposition for booming announcements. Really?
No, that is a humorous falsehood. The reality is that it is simply a habit that I am unable to break. But as a mother, can't you fix ailments like this? Through the usage of the fold, yes, the mother's merciful have the ability to remedy almost any ailment. Because I am content with myself. Not all improvements are necessary and not all afflictions are harmful. But you might want to get your lack of tact examined. The ship?
is really moving. Suburbs of the highest light flash past outside the windows now. Unships of various kinds making their way between settlements, their slender spiny oars fanning the air. seeming almost comically slow and inefficient next to the unnatural speed and grace of the ship, which in turn seems almost comically slow and inefficient next to the speed and grace of Kino del Belsaban. The palate cleansing salad is up next.
My friends, a medley of crisp frisee, tender mini prunus hearts, and heirloom rubus, misted with essence of blackened citrus of Elder Thief, sprinkled with delicious and nutritious high-altitude bread moss and garnished. with greens from the Gardens of Gloria. Please enjoy. Hanging back from the noise and bustle of the crowd a bit, Felix Hustleworth, the timekeeper, and Shug Ruggles, the bocular technician, are commiserating with each other about...
You know, the annoyances of working in IT, which is basically both of what their jobs are. Yeah, man, nobody gets box. No one gets time, man. They clink glasses of wine. They're just going to be griping for the rest of the dinner. Let's move on. Ephraim Amos here, designer of the fold light, designer of the light bulb part of the fold light specifically.
Cleo has found her way over to him now, and he is diligently trying to swat away every single compliment Cleo tries to throw at him. No, no, no. Calling it legendary is a huge exaggeration. It's really just... basic light bulb science with a few tweaks.
He is a workaholic, clearly, and it seems like he just can't wait to finish eating and get back to hanging out with the Foldlight. I just expanded a little bit on what I learned at Loxley back in the day. It's far from perfect. Mother Artifice is... responsible for all the truly revolutionary features and the Bulb's integration with the Fold. As usual, downplaying his notable achievements, Mother Artifice yells, passing by. Don't listen to any of his self-disparagement. Yikes, he's always right.
behind you when you least expect it. Shanamari and the bosun and Dune, master at arms, as well as one of the ship's two gunners, are hanging out over here, trying a little of this cocktail, trying some of the palate-cleansing salad. Both Fold natives, both hailing from different baronies within the United Baronies. Shauna Marian from Sequester and Islet within the Fold Shallows, and Dune from the mysterious barony of Brinalbenth.
Shantamarian sidles over. Hey, Dune, I forgot to ask you. As you can see, I have four arms. She does, yeah, they're hard to miss, not only because there are four of them, but because they are all prominently whirled with both opalescent and inky black fold scars. Anyway, since you are the Master at Arms, I just wanted to ask, should I...
I checked he's in with you. Dune offers Shonamarian a deadpan glare. With Mr. Amos escaped back down to the control deck, Cleo has returned to chatting with the stagecoach ladies. She is clearly enchanted by them both in a will you please adopt me kind of way. And Mickey is trying to clarify with Cleo that technically our only real role is to evacuate people on the stagecoach. of an emergency.
Other than that, we're volunteering and lending a hand with flight control and logistics. Everett leans in. Helping? You're selling yourself short. Mickey's a genius navigator. Stagecoach could never in a million years have flown all the routes that it has without her. She is the best in the biz.
Ship's lucky to have her. So wait, back up. How long have you been married and you work together and live together on that cool retro ship delivering stuff all over the cosmos? Yeah. Your life sounds like a dream. Oh, it's pretty nice. Every day I wake up and wonder if I actually crashed the stagecoach and I'm in a coma or something. Oh, that would be terrible. No, you're alive and you are living your best life. Yeah, you know, I think I am.
Everett gives Mickey a little squeeze, leaning against her. And just think, now if you ever get homesick, you could just go down and get in the stagecoach and pretend you're on a normal shipping run, right? Exactly. We're sleeping down there. We've got our hammock set up.
That is so cool. We're going to have a little open house in a couple days here once we get everything ready to go. Hang on, hang on. Really? Like a party? Yeah, we'll have everyone down to the hangar deck, grill some mirror hawk, play some cards. It'll be good. Stay tuned. They've left the city and the suburbs even further behind at this point.
Farms are floating picturesquely between layers of drifting pinkish clouds, their rugged crops of mosses and lichens and thick-shelled legumes able to survive the harsh, mica-filled atmosphere and feed the populations of the highest. light and nearby eyelids merlin and mother artifice have found each other on the dining deck mother artifice
does not eat, but he does seem to be having fun. As much as a blank-faced, shrouded, horned, spectral entity can be said to be clearly and obviously having fun, there's a certain funness about him as he stands here with Merlin. Thank you. for fostering this excellent working relationship, and also for being a fantastic partner in making incredible things happen at all times. And likewise, Mother Artifice, without your scrappy bedside manner and go-get-em attitude,
I doubt we would be where we are now. Well, we certainly won't get where we're going at all if I do not attend to the fold light, and on that note, I must go downstairs and check to make sure that it is working as intended. And Mother Artifice sinks into the floor, becoming one with the dark...
liquid mica of the ship and disappears. Voro, putting together an entree, nearly drops that shit on the floor, gasping. A few people turn to look. Before turning away with disinterest, oh yeah, is Artifice doing that thing again? Yeah, he does that all the time. Oh, yes. For everyone who isn't already familiar, Mother Artifice has the ability to do that. How did he do that? Voro asks. We... Don't know.
Our main entree, my friends. Sovereign Spice Seared Filet of Vildafiluvian Lake Grouper. Ladled with reduction of Birkbarana. Brushed with crushed pistachio and golden salt. Served atop a bed of rare black macro grain. Very well balanced. Very intriguing. Absolutely. Yes. Merlin holds out his glass for a top-up. I understand you've been posted at a very high-altitude research outpost for some time. I presume, I can only imagine, they do not have fine wines such as these there.
No, in fact, we will actually be going there next. This research facility is considered part of the uppermost, the region of the Un that we're now passing into. I was stationed there for a number of months last reversal. We were doing some long-range observations. Mostly subsisting off of canned food, if you can imagine it. Canned bread, am I right? Surely you're familiar.
But no, nothing compared to what you've produced for us today. This, this is incredible. They will be blown away when they see what you're capable of. Cleo is flouncing from group to group like a champagne bubble, learning everyone's names, what their jobs are, what they like to do for fun.
Reactions to Cleo tend to start as vague confusion and resentment for this United Baronies Nepo baby treating this expedition like a personal vacation, staying in the ship's largest stateroom with all her trunks of fancy clothes. clothes going on shopping sprees but inevitably turning into surprised fondness when they find that cleo is kind of genuinely warm and friendly she's been talking to everyone tonight except for one person who she hasn't
Well, we shouldn't say she's been avoiding them. She's been maybe... She's been saving them. For last. Cleo sits down with the granddaughter. Hi. So, I've been thinking... granddaughter is kind of a mouthful to say and what if i just call you dot the granddaughter who until now has been staring straight ahead quietly into the middle distance, blinking slowly, apparently lost in thought, or maybe in no thought whatsoever, now turns that slow, uncannily tranquil gaze.
To Cleophe. How have you been enjoying the party? I guess that's not really a party, but you know who is throwing a party later? Everett and Mickey! Excuse me, says the granddaughter. And... stands from the table and begins to wind off slowly through the crowd, moving between bodies, heading away from the dining area towards the kitchen at the center of the dining deck. Oh, okay. I'll just talk to you later. They go straight up to the counter, slowly, tranquilly.
They say quietly to Meekalord, who here is polishing a few pots and pans. He looks up. He's up to his forearms in warm, soapy water. You want to wash dishes. Mika Lord pauses, looking at the pile of dirty dishes, the ones not made of dark mica, the ones that can't just conveniently shloop back into the surface of the ship.
Pots and pans, knives, cutting boards, tools that the kitchen staff have brought from the highest light. Keno can't go anywhere without his top-of-the-line pots and pans, you know. Those designer knives. Spatulas. You know what? Sure. Okay, you come around. Here, take an apron. The granddaughter puts on a kitchen apron on top of their black cape, removing their black gloves.
So you worked in a kitchen before? Do you know how to get food off of the dishes? Sorry, I don't mean to talk down to you. It's just that, you know, Kino runs a multi-chip and things have to be cleaned to a certain standard.
Mika Lord pauses, clearly trying to remember which famous restaurant the Cenobium might be. But anyway, he's got things to do and dessert to serve, so fine, sure, whatever. He lets the granddaughter do dishes and makes his way back into the dining area. And it is... from within that dining area that Cleophe, sitting at her table, still wondering if perhaps she did something wrong, said something wrong, is the granddaughter offended, who knows, sees the granddaughter through the crowd.
now beginning to do dishes in the sink, in the kitchen, with their eyes closed, deftly and decorously washing one article after another, with total precision hardly spilling a drop.
And for our grand finale, exquisite bomba of blonded and blued chocolate mother of Micah encased in a... delicate wind-woven sugar dome decorated with self-caramelizing tufted sugar frond rose water foam and edible silver leaf confetti and finished of course with a touch of our most rare and fine melt velvet orchid extract
It's been our pleasure to serve you this evening, everyone. Thank you so much. We'll be back with a fantastic breakfast for you tomorrow morning. And of course, later tonight, feel free to stop by the cafe anytime. We can make you a coffee. We can make you a cocktail. Whatever your heart desires. Cheers.
Outside, the occasional lone farmhouse flashes by, squat bunker-like buildings on pieces of mica just barely big enough to accommodate them. The ship like a... innocuous but vast razor glides through the cloudscape, with the final farmhouse receding in the distant distance. The last signs of established civilization vanish into the unscape outside. They have left the most populous region of the Un behind now. Just clouds and crystal.
in every direction while the ship soars up and up into the blinding expanse. Thanks for listening to Unend. If you're enjoying the story, please rate and review to help someone new discover the cosmos. You can catch Unend every Wednesday anywhere you stream podcasts or through the Midst Podcast YouTube channel. If you're looking to dive deeper into the story, become a Beacon member at beacon.tv or join the fold on midst.co.
to receive early ad-free access to episodes, behind-the-scenes exclusives, and lore-expanding bonus content. Or, if you just want to hear this podcast two weeks early and without ads, Subscribe on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. To stay up to date on what's next in the cosmos, sign up for our newsletter on midst.co or find us on social media at midstpodcast.