1:23

You've

2:00

become so reliable, even

2:02

when one is used to being so self-reliant. Hm.

2:05

I like that.

2:07

Become reliable.

2:10

Become reliable. There

2:19

are things I haven't told you yet, too.

2:24

Too, too, too, too. I

2:28

got a message from Ramon.

2:32

It's easier to send messages now. There

2:34

are channels. Secret

2:36

and not so secret. But security

2:39

makes other things hard. They

2:42

can travel inside the walls. People

2:45

can travel out, too, but then

2:47

they can't come back. Ramon

2:51

and Chen are safe. Sarah,

2:54

Kira, Maru... My

2:57

stepsisters are safe.

3:00

Cousins and step-cousins are

3:03

safe. Chen

3:05

manages our building and opens up the empty

3:08

units so everyone can stay together.

3:11

Some of my cousins aren't on the list.

3:14

It's safer together. My

3:18

parents... They

3:22

said my parents left. Some

3:25

people were going to start a new freehold. My

3:28

uncle tried to get them to stay, but the freehold

3:30

was more important.

3:33

No one has talked to them since they left the walls.

3:36

I'm sorry, love. It's

3:38

okay. Um...

3:42

My uncles, my cousins, my step-cousins. My

3:47

uncles, my cousins, step-cousins. Step-cousins.

3:54

Chen taught me to cook. I

3:56

was ten. My mom left me there any time

3:58

I was ten. she was in a show. Chardin,

4:02

my steppair, wouldn't

4:04

handle me, couldn't handle

4:07

me. They were new and I had

4:10

lots of meltdowns. So

4:12

mom took me to my uncles. It

4:17

was louder than at home and it

4:19

didn't smell the same. So

4:22

many cousins. But

4:25

Chen taught me to cook. He said

4:27

it was how he

4:27

kept his cool. A itching,

4:30

salting, a slow, rolling

4:33

boil.

4:34

I learned to deglaze a pan. I

4:36

made jus.

4:37

He was right. It helped me keep

4:40

my cool. Watching a souffle

4:43

rise

4:43

or a cake settle. Waiting

4:46

for the pop of the rice cooker. Everything

4:50

else faded enough that

4:52

I could handle it. On

4:55

the bus back home, I'd read recipes

4:58

and watch videos about the ingredients.

5:01

Mom held my hand and sang quiet.

5:04

She was always rehearsing. Nice

5:07

work if you can get it. Nice

5:11

work if you can get it.

5:15

When I got older, she stopped

5:18

picking me up. I rode the bus

5:20

on my own. When it was

5:23

two, two, two, two,

5:26

two, I'd hold my

5:28

own hand and sing to myself.

5:31

I got a job in a restaurant, so I

5:34

was on the bus a lot.

5:37

The restaurant was okay. It

5:39

was loud, but I was cooking.

5:43

But they wouldn't let me

5:44

choose the menu. So not

5:46

enough science. I taught myself

5:48

the science. Some of my cousins

5:51

played soccer. I made sure

5:53

they had the right supplements. When

5:56

my mom got sick, I made

5:58

food CTV.

5:59

You still spent a lot of your time there. Every

6:02

week, everyone got

6:04

together.

6:05

My uncles, my cousins, my parents,

6:08

stepsisters, step cousins. Chen

6:11

and I made the big family dinners. Roast

6:14

duck and

6:14

tofu, baked sweet potatoes,

6:17

elote,

6:18

fried green beans. My

6:21

mom liked cheesesteak. I always

6:24

made cheesesteak. My

6:27

cousins were older then. They got

6:29

easier. When you're doing

6:31

the cooking, if the table is too much,

6:34

you can go hide in the kitchen.

6:37

The dinners were our

6:40

gravitational pull. If

6:43

anyone missed a week, I took them leftovers.

6:47

During university, I brought back friends.

6:50

Sam, Abdel, Zara.

6:54

Zara married my cousin Diego. Sam

6:57

is living in the basement of our building.

7:00

Sam and Zara are

7:02

safe.

7:04

But not up though.

7:05

There was an accident.

7:07

Not now, when I was still

7:09

there.

7:11

They say his name at every dinner.

7:14

It must have been quite an upheaval when you told them all

7:16

that you were leaving for the moon.

7:17

Chen's mother was visiting. Z

7:20

taught me to make jiaozi. Pork

7:23

and chives. Chicken cabbage and ginger.

7:26

Spinach and mushroom. Spinach

7:29

and mushroom. It

7:32

was hard to learn the folding. Z

7:35

couldn't slow down enough for me to follow.

7:38

That's how I feel when I watch you work.

7:40

It was the same week they sent my contract.

7:43

I put the envelope under my plate. I

7:46

practiced what I was going to say.

7:49

Moonbase theta.

7:51

Moonbase theta. Moonbase

7:53

theta. My uncles

7:56

knew I was trying. I

7:58

would surprise all of the others.

7:59

I

8:01

thought mom might sing Fly Me to the Moon,

8:03

and we'd have dumplings.

8:07

Fly me to the moon.

8:11

Fly me to the moon.

8:17

That week my parents stopped coming to dinner.

8:19

They were busy. They had other things

8:22

to be done. My stepsisters

8:24

were there. Sarah, Kira,

8:27

Maru. But not mom,

8:30

Materon. We ate

8:32

the dumplings. I told everyone

8:34

I was leaving. People said

8:37

congratulations.

8:39

No one sang.

8:41

Jackson, I'm- My

8:43

stepsisters were there. Sarah, 13, Kira, 13,

8:45

Maru, 10. After

8:49

dinner they asked me how I made the dumplings. They

8:52

did better pleats. They started making

8:54

mom drop them off early to help cook. They

8:57

stayed late and washed up. Kira

9:00

cried the day I left for the moon. I

9:05

cried the day I

9:06

left for the moon.

9:08

The day I left Chen and Ramon,

9:10

Sam,

9:12

Zara, Diedo, Sarah,

9:15

Kira, Maru. It

9:18

was hard to leave. Too, too

9:20

real. Too, too. And

9:23

then I woke up again, and we couldn't

9:25

send messages.

9:25

I was still awake when that part happened.

9:28

It was dreadful, like I'd broken my vow.

9:31

Though I haven't sent any yet now that it's feasible again.

9:34

Love, if you need to go back there- No. Yes.

9:39

When it's possible

9:41

to visit, to tell them

9:43

about the plan, about my

9:45

family here, Nessa,

9:47

Harold, to

9:50

introduce you.

9:53

To make you part of our dinners.

9:56

To put my family

9:58

together.

9:59

everything I learned to make together.

10:05

And to see yours,

10:09

if you want.

10:11

If we can,

10:13

but then back here, to

10:15

the work to be done. To be done,

10:17

to be done, to be done. Together.

10:26

I understand.

10:28

If I could request one more hug. Perhaps

10:34

you could teach me how to make dumplings. I'd

10:37

have to prep the ingredients, and we don't

10:39

have chives, but- It doesn't have to be now,

10:42

but let's put that on our list, okay?

10:44

You've reminded me I should compose a message to

10:46

Tumnus, and another French he's currently visiting.

10:49

When we do make it to Earth, they'd be on our list. I

10:51

should plan my next menu.

10:53

Here's my tea.

10:58

Work to be done,

11:00

work to be done.

11:04

Done, done, done.

11:15

Thank

11:27

you for listening.

11:28

This episode featured Cole Burkhardt as Jackson

11:31

and Toe Zaman as a Sweeney Rae. The

11:34

script was written by DJ Silvis. Cass

11:36

McPhee is our audio engineer. Our

11:39

theme music is starred by the band R.A.M.P. Our

11:41

cover art is by Peter Czachowski.

11:45

We'll be back next week, but on Earth, with

11:47

a bonus episode featured on Enung and the

11:50

journey she took way back in Season 3. Until

11:53

then, you can find us on social media

11:55

or visit our Discord server to chat about the

11:57

show.

11:59

support us at patreon.com slash

12:02

monkeymanproductions. If you

12:04

want to help us pay the bills and get

12:06

behind the scenes information about MTO, and the

12:09

next show we're developing right now. TTFN,

12:12

Moonbasians! Thank you.

12:29

The Fable & Folly Network, where

12:32

fiction producers flourish.

12:35

Mount Absalom.

12:38

A community. A heritage. A

12:40

home. The green jewel

12:42

in the majestic crown of Ohio. For 200

12:45

years, Mount Absalom has been a place to play.

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to learn. For

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in thy green and growing

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arms, we have everything

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we need.

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All right, now let's

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get out our math homework. A place to work.

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Here at the Celery Bottling Works, we

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produce over 2,000 bottles of

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celery soda every

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day. A place to raise a family.

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It's a girl. It's

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a place of history. And here we

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have the barrel of whiskey that Confederate

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soldiers stole from Mount Absalom patriot

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Amelia Pleasence during Morgan's

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reign.

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And of course, a place of

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celery. The

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2021st Celery Festival of

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WD Open! Mount

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Absalom is the perfect place for making memories.

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For making memories. For

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making memories. For making memories.

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For making memories. I'm

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going to draw my bellays with this. Making

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my nails here. Absolute.

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Paid for by the Delta Quarter of that capsule on its Alaric bottom of the

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A midwestern Gothic mystery. Learn

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more at Unwell Podcast.