This episode contains references to domestic abuse. Listener discretion is advised. Audiologue entry
number five. I'm starting to forget what it's like to not be on the
run. If it isn't six Shifted Incorporated psycho pumps hunting me down, it's
the Fee or some other immortal trying to kidnap my soul, speaking of which
made it. The good thing is that I don't need to sleep. The
bad thing is neither do they. I don't know how much longer I can
hold out against them. I wonder if my grandfather had the same problem.
These things. They don't seem to care as much about other ghosts lingering on
earth. Are they chasing me as some kind of revenge? Or is it?
Is it something to do with the stone that whiskey Jack gave me?
That's probably it. They're trying to get it back, and oh no,
not again lost it. Maybe I should just give in, settle down,
and choose an afterlife. I can't keep doing this forever. Do you hear
that? It sounds like a child's voice, No, not a young child,
an adolescent. Their vocal mask feels familiar, almost like like aprils,
but deeper, shakier, more insecure. That's never happened before. One of
the fold steps is pole sane. The voice seems to be coming from there.
They keep calling someone's name. I can't tell what the syllables of the
name are. I don't think it really matters. Something about their their focus
when they speak their intentions. It's tugging at a thread I didn't even know
existed, Like hearing my name for the first time, my true name.
I can't ignore that call. I have to follow it. There's a teenager
here, and their emotional field tastes gray, tinged with decay. They are
really hurting. The Teina is sitting on their bed with a cell gripped in
their hands and tears streaming down their face. Their eyes are closed and oh
they're They're praying, like in their head. But I can, I can
hear it. This can't be right. This feels wrong. I don't want
to intrude on their thoughts. They said it again, my name, my
real name. They are somehow they are talking to me, But how do
they even know who? I? Wait, this is April's kid. Is
there any way I can get them to hello? Can you hear me?
Nothing? Oh? No? Why are you crying peeking over their shoulder.
It looks like they've been targeted by trolls. And oh, pickles, I've
leaned down too far and accidentally went through them. I mean him. He
prefers masculine pronounced joe, hates being called joey. And hang on, it's
been a minute since I've had to personally process hormonal adolescent angst, and I
was not prepared for that. M bullies online, right, Some of them
he knows personally from school, and some of them are complete strangers. It
seems the whole having too capable and loving parents who also happen to bouth be
women is the main source of ammunition. Let me disconnect from his feelings and
memories and dive into his phone. I think some cold, hard facts will
help me clear my head and get to the bottom of this. All right,
let's take these accounts one by one. This portion of the group are
standard rolls, posting inflammatory and outrageous comments aimed at random targets just for clicks.
H Blocking their accounts won't really accomplish anything, since they'll just start new
ones. Oh, let's try this instead. I just seated them with a
capsule like program with mandatory timers and built in empathy surveys and reminders that get
progressively more restrictive the more that they droll people online and vice versa. That
should do the trick. What about the rest of you? Wow? Wow,
a large portion of these are bots. Let me just fix this code
here and there. Now you can only post positive affirmations and pretty flowers.
Go out into the world and spread the positive. Sorry, right, and
that leaves us with the people that Joe has direct interactions with at school.
Okay, this set doesn't seem all that invested punching down to stay popular and
trendy total self defense mechanism. Let's give them that digital empathy gate too.
That should corral them into the right direction. M But this one, this
one seems to have a personal vendetta against Joe. Huh, this is going
to take some work. I think I'm going to need to dive into their
network personally. But before I do, let me just make sure Joe has
some more defenses here. Okay, let me snip these malicious tags and ever
so gently. Okay, I opened up an app in the background without him
noticing, and got it to start playing his absolute favorite song. Nothing can
heal the soul quite like music can. All right, time to go deal
with the big bed. Oh, this kid's room is an absolute mess.
There's like no structure to anything here, just piles and layers of old,
dirty, broken stuff. I can I can hear angry shouting in the next
room. Sounds like stuff is being tossed all over the place, but the
kid doesn't even flinch. It's all just part of their everyday chaos. I
guess their aura is shattered anger. That's as much pain as it is defense.
They're hunched over a laptop with headphones over their ears, listening to some
kind of rage music at full blast, and they've kind of like a bajillion
tabs open. Oh gross, I did not want to see any of that
violence and misinformation and hate speech and stalking, and it's all so terrible.
There's no way this is healthy. I'm just going to crash some of these
tabs closed while the kid is distracted. What's weird is that, unlike the
kid's room, this laptop is pristinely organized. All the information is laid out
in clean, crisp folders. Oh no, there's awful screaming next door.
I think I think one of the kid's parents or guardians is in danger.
Okay, think digging into the adults digital trails. Oh, that's that's even
worse. Okay, sending this to the authorities, getting culturally appropriate emergency services
dispatched here asap, and rolling this kid into beneficial therapeutic support programs. Okay.
This family member is a healthy, stable adult who probably has no idea
what's been happening. Let's sloop them in where you out some funds to support
this family's recovery. Let's input some of this watch your footage and audio two
as evidence might as well be used to help someone. This is going to
take a while to clean up, so I'll catch you up next time.
Domestic abuse can happen to anyone, regardless of age, gender, or income,
and the abuse doesn't have to be physical to cause serious harm. If
you or a loved one are being impacted by domestic abuse, please see the
show notes for a list of resources. We believe you, and you are
not alone. This show has made possible in part by our Kickstarter backers,
Apocalypse Cowboy on Twitter, Stephen Lafon from the Whichever Path podcast, Duane Farber,
and nineteen eighty five the podcast by Chari Madewell Special thanks to our muses
on Patreon, Daniel and Olivia, thank you so much for believing in us.
If you like to support the show, consider becoming a patron. You
can also support the show by rating, subscribing, and sharing with others.
Sharing is carrying after all. Stick Shift Incorporated was written, produced, and
set in Vancouver, BC, which is the unseated shared traditional territories of the
Coast Salish peoples, including the territories of the Musquium, Squamish, and Slagwatooth
nations. This episode featured the voice of Dietrie Murray Bowie. Music for the
show was composed by Anthony Louis Sanchez. If you like to hear more of
his work, visit Anthony Louis Sanchez dot com or subscribe to his YouTube channel.
Molto Rubato eighty eight. Stick Shift Incorporated is a Microphones and Monsters production.
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