S01 E08 – THE RESET (PART 2)

Intro Music – Breathe, by Chill Carrier https://chillcarrier.bandcamp.com/ 

Voiceover: Manifestations is a podcast of the Ostium Network 

Voiceover: Time is not linear, but our story is. 

Please join us … on our journey. We, are Manifestations. 

Music becomes dramatic then fades out 

Background music is introspective and melancholic 

Alan – Reading about The Reset, I’ve come across people of note. Most on the list are there because they organized the building of large physical works. Like Matthias Klein, known for rebuilding roads with the new technology, making trade easier. Or, Kimberly Ellington who was the architect for several famous new bridges. Some, like Gilles Dahlman and Crispin Webb developed farming techniques that work in the weather patterns of this changed world. 

Alan – But, one name stands out to me. Toni Silva, lived in a time before Solar Adobe and The North American Cooperative. Areas were still racially divided. She gave an impassioned plea to a mob at a food riot. “Before darkness falls on us all, we need to communicate.” She’s actually known as the “The Great Communicator.” There’s no mention to how she got the title. Did they know? Was it on purpose? In any event, I’m glad to see the title was repurposed for a noble cause. 

Alan – Mrs. Silva lived in a mountain community with her family, near what was Lake Tahoe. She was like a magnet, pulling other forward thinkers to her. It was the beginning of an accepted, blended language across North American. 

Alan – Within 2 years of her famous speech, they would break ground and start building New San Francisco. 3 more years, and North America had a trade agreement and treaty that guaranteed peace across the continent.. Another 20, and the official formation of the North American Cooperative. It would be 30 more years before Solar Adobe was discovered. While it made possible the rebuilding of a technologically advanced society, it’s easy to see the foundation had already been laid. 

Alan – 35 years after the discovery of Solar Adobe, the 13 month calendar started to spread around the globe. Most including the day between June and July to remember The Reset. 

Alan – It’s like we finally said, as a species, “we’ve had enough.” Maybe it was the decades, centuries, of having to rely on your neighbors for your family’s survival. From seeing so many people die in the catastrophic storms or from starvation and disease. 

Alan – We formed a new understanding. Borders don’t mean the same thing when your family has to move, by foot, to a new area because your home was swallowed by ash, or lava, floods or the very earth opening beneath it. 

[Pause] 

Alan – Farther along the article I see an entry on September 14th, 190 years after The Reset. They denote it “AR.” The North American Cooperative began to phase out currency. There was a transition from self to community. Needs are met and excess is no longer a goal, but something to be limited. 

Alan – There is a required Social Service everyone does after their primary education. It’s known as the Blanchard Corps. It’s not military. It’s farming, or construction, or other civil works. Two years are spent providing service to the community. Louise Blanchard started this in her community and it was quickly adopted throughout the North American Cooperative and given her name. After completing the service, some go on to continue their education. But it seems there’s a strong push for apprenticeships and hands-on learning. 

Alan – All of this in the first 200 years after The Reset. The next 100 were spent building infrastructure to reconnect the world. MagLev trains connect cities. Solar Adobe means they always had power along the track. It was also used to power ships and aircraft. 

Alan – In 197 AR, they decided Solar Adobe planes were not efficient enough and pivoted to a drone-like craft. They are only used by emergency services. Reading this gives me chills, in a good way. We’re finally maturing as a species. We’re able to say, “this is not a good use of resources,” and change our actions. 

Alan – Chemical reaction engines are still used. One main example was the reseeding of GPS satellites. There were also a few communication satellites launched, but they were made obsolete by SARS, the Solar Adobe Relay System. Skimming the article quickly, it looks like a mix of something like fiber optics and radio signals. 

[thudding sounds of clamps releasing] 

Alan – The train is lightly rocked as the clamps holding it are released and I’m snapped back to my surroundings. 

Train Announcer – [2 long tones] Passengers, please take your seats. 

Alan – As we begin moving, the heads up display shows an alert: Next Stop, New San Francisco. ETA: 50 minutes. I think I’ll use this time to mull over what I’ve learned. 

[Pause] Background music changes to a motivational/forward thinking tempo 

Alan – The mountains that were off in the distance have been getting closer. 

Train Announcer – [2 long tones] Entering New San Francisco. 

Alan – The tunnel entrance is covered in solar adobe. It’s an art deco design that stretches up the mountain-side 100 feet or more and wraps inside the tunnel entrance. I wonder how far into the tunnel it stretches? Maybe it lines the entire interior surface. 

Alan – By the time we exit the tunnel, we’ve slowed considerably. The place we enter has a vaulted ceiling like a geodesic dome. Light streams down from bright hexagonal and triangle shaped panels. Could they be like the deck prisms used on old sailing ships, redirecting light to lower levels? 

Alan – As the Maglev comes to a stop, the HUD shows three messages. The first is that my luggage will be delivered to my room at the Otis Home. Next, a transport is waiting for me at the South Street exit. Finally, a reminder about the meeting at 10:00 am in the Tractus research facility. I let the notices dim and move off to the edge of my vision. I stand up, grab the bag by my seat and move toward the opening doors. 

Alan – The platform is busy, but not crowded. People are having conversations, but it’s not loud. There is music playing that sounds like some larger string instrument, maybe a cello. 

[Music changes to a Bach’s Sarabande No 3 in C Major, played by Sam Boase-Miller] 

Alan – It’s not easily recognizable to me, but I’m not that familiar with classical music. For all I know it could be a new composition. The continuity of a familiar sounding instrument is calming. Or maybe it’s the music itself. 

Alan – I see other passengers exiting the maglev. Then I notice someone is wearing clothes obviously meant to draw attention. Definitely more extravagant than those at the farming community. And yet, they’re still rather reserved. A bright blue dress. Cerulean, I believe is the name of the color. It covers the shoulders and the sleeves end at a point, just above the elbow. The back is loose and drapes around the neck, with a similar effect in the front. It doesn’t expose much of either area. The hemline is just below the knee, slightly asymmetrical, ending lower on the right side, at a point. I would not have expected the shoes. Not quite sandals, they’re more or less flats, in a silver metallic material which matches a fine chain style belt that sits loosely around their waist. The only jewelry is a simple necklace with a small clear crystal pendant. And a pin topped by a blue jay design, tucked into long light brown hair which is twisted into a smooth and stylish chignon. 

Alan – As I’m thinking about the hair, I have an idea that I should remember to tell someone about it. But I can’t think who. I try to walk but my head spins and I get tunnel vision. [high pitched sound] I lose my balance. One of the people exiting the maglev grabs my arm and steadies me. They ask if I’m okay. I say yes, and thank them for their concern. “I must have been sitting too long on the trip,” I say. They ask if I need any assistance, but I let them know I have transportation waiting. I see a sign for the South Street exit and I point toward that direction. They seem assured I’m okay and tell me to have a good day. They move on toward their destination as I walk toward mine. 

Outro music – Sunshine, by Cobycracker https://cobycracker.bandcamp.com/ 

Voiceover: Manifestations Season 1, The Reset, was written, acted, and produced by Dwayne Farver. With input and help from Alex C. Telander. 

Our intro music is Breathe, by Chill Carrier 

https://chillcarrier.bandcamp.com/ https://www.chillcarrier.de/ The music heard here is Sunshine, by Cobycracker https://cobycracker.bandcamp.com/ Also heard in the episode was Beth’s Theme, by Myuu 

https://myuu.bandcamp.com/ http://www.thedarkpiano.com/ And, Moving On, by Chill Carrier 

https://chillcarrier.bandcamp.com/ https://www.chillcarrier.de/ You can find them at bandcamp.com 

The cello piece was Bach’s Sarabande from Cello Suite #3 in C major, performed by Sam Boase-Miller. You may know Sam as the voice of Chip Heddleston in the podcast Marsfall, where you can also hear more of his music. Thanks for allowing me to use this clip. 

https://sjboase-miller.com/ https://marsfallpodcast.com 

Sound effects are from freesound.org 

3-tone chime DOWN CC0 1.0 https://freesound.org/people/mpaol2023/sounds/370179/ Leg Vise turn fast CC0 1.0 https://freesound.org/people/ldezem/sounds/386193/ Stapler Press CC0 1.0 https://freesound.org/people/Kiyoshiakira/sounds/436778/ 

Links to the music and transcripts can be found in the show notes 

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Navigating a new city can be stressful. A new city, after you’ve traveled into the future, even more so. I’m not sure Alan has even thought about what will happen when he arrives at the research facility and he has to impersonate someone he’s never met. 

As long as we have access to the temporal feed, we will transmit more of our story each Wednesday and Saturday. We hope you join us. 

Music fades