Episode 20: Many Happy Returns

There was an incident, but don't worry about it. A quick message about the mine. Plus, weather, news, a new fun fact about Jess, and... okay, we'll talk about what happened. 

The voice of Martha is Daylin Chase. The voice of Tanner is Charles Raymond.

CW: This episode contains descriptions of violence/injury, abduction, and reference to police brutality and alcohol.

We're doing a Q+A special! If you would like to submit questions, you can find the google form link here. Submission period will close the 30th of June.

Nowhere, On Air is created, voiced and produced by Jess Syratt. Cover art by Moon Hermit Crab on Instagram.

Have a small town story to tell you think our listeners might enjoy (that by no means has to be true)? Want to be one of our callers, or "sponsors"? Have questions about any of that, or anything, or just want to say hi?

We'd love to hear from you! Email us at nowhere.onair@gmail.com. Or, find us on twitter, @NowhereOnAir

For a little bit more info on the aforementioned "us," try visiting our website: https://nowhereonairpodcast.weebly.com/

Transcript

[THEME MUSIC] 

[IN THE BOOTH]

MARTHA: Let me see-  

JESS: Martha, I’m fine- sorry I’m late- 

TANNER: Hey, Martha? Everything okay? Jordan said you wanted me to—[SEEING JESS] what happened? 

MARTHA: She got in a fight. 

TANNER: What? 

JESS: That’s not true. 

MARTHA: Do we have any ice? 

TANNER: You were attacked? 

JESS: Not really?  [NOTICING]- We’re live!? Martha, you should have said something. Why isn’t the sign in the lobby on? 

MARTHA: I brought it up in the staff meeting, it’s broken- 

[JESS SITS DOWN , LAUGHS NERVOUSLY. THE DOOR SHUTS. SHE ADJUSTS THE SCRIPT] 

Welcome, back folks, it’s 8pm, well actually, 8:07pm, so you know what that means! It’s showtime. Sorry for the rocky little start there, but we’re all set up here and ready to move on into today’s show! 

If you’re listening, congrats on once again decoding part of our newsletter and finding this new frequency! As always, we’re happy to have you with us. 

First things first on the show tonight:

Thanks to everyone who responded to our- well, my- twitter poll about the lights and sounds still, yes still, coming from the building on the other side of the river. For those of you who didn’t see it, I created a poll asking you, the community, whether or not you were bothered by the lights and sounds persisting into the early hours of the morning. 

To my surprise, but evidently no one else’s, something like 95% of you responded saying No, they didn’t bother you or disturb you at night. One whole vote took my side and agreed that they were too bright and too loud. The rest of you voted for the ‘other’ option, and commented that you found the lights and sounds quite the opposite of bothersome, and in fact felt very comforted by them. 

Well, interesting responses all around! Everyone else here at the station agrees with the majority of you on the ‘no’ thing, so I guess that confirms some earlier suspicions that it really is mostly just me. 

Except for whoever it was that voted yes! Even if there’s only two of us, it’s nice to hear I’m not the only one. 

If you ever wanted to talk or complain about it, feel free to reach out!

[TRANSITION] 

As the weather starts to get warmer and warmer, we’ve received some reports that some of Braedon’s youth have been hanging out outside of town, specifically out near the mine. However, as, we all know, following Dr. Olsen’s discovery of the mine as the source of the sickness that was affecting the miners, access to it has been heavily restricted due to health concerns. 

For this reason, we would like to take a moment to remind everyone that the risks on site are real, and that both the mine and the surrounding vicinity, marked by posts with a sign that resembles but is not quite the “radioactive” symbol, are not safe for those who do not have access to proper protective gear, or the proper training. 

May we recommend the following, fun locations as alternate gathering spots to the younger citizens here in town: 

-The empty lot behind the tim hortons. 

-The yet unused plots of land at the cemetery. 

-the baseball diamond that never seems to get used as there are no leagues or teams in town.

-that one field where you found that rock, you know that rock you found out in the field yesterday? The one that’s so deep and dark and smooth. It’s not quite black, not quite brown, not quite grey, or purple, or blue. It simply is. It stays warm even when it’s been out of the sun for some time. Its a nice rock. Are you sure it’s even a rock? It’s humming now. A low, peaceful note that fills you with serenity. Are you even sure its a rock?

-or, even the alley behind the radio station here. We wouldn’t mind, and I guess it’s the only place on this list I really have the authority to invite you to. 

To reiterate, the signs and warnings around the mine are there for your safety. Even if it was a normal mine, it would still be a hazardous choice as a hang-out spot for you and your friends. 

[TRANSITION] 

Okay, so, some of you have already been contacting us during the show asking what happened, and I can only assume it's in regards to the conversation I’m guessing we accidentally broadcasted at the top of the show. It's a tricky situation, I really can’t say much. But I can promise I’m fine. Seriously. 

I’m a little bruised but… I was gonna say you should see the other guy but in this situation I will admit I am the other guy so… yeah. It wasn’t a fight. Well it was if you define a fight as ‘violence exchanged between two or more living entities’ but it was very brief and I didn’t start it and didn’t actually want to be a part of it. It was… a surprise. 

[A PHONE CHIME FROM THE BOOTH. SHE CLEARS HER THROAT] 

Anyways, for now, that’s all I’ll be saying about it. I assure you I’m okay, and I’m not just saying that.

[ANOTHER PHONE CHIME]

Let’s move on to… weather! 

*MUSIC* 

Weather report from Weatherman Todd Stevenson says that, as it is officially summer, temperatures will continue to rise, with highs in the late 20’s every day this week. Further, with the rising temperatures will come increased humidity, and with that will come conditions that may lead to the formation of  thunderstorms! 

So keep your eyes on the skies this week, folks. Dark clouds may cover the sky of the near future. Turbulent air could be stirring in the distance. 

According to meteorology, something might be brewing on the horizon. Though, you didn’t need science to tell you that, did you, listener? You already know it. You can sense it. Nature, holding her breath for some big thing yet to come our way. You are not fooled by the clear skies. 

Something is out there. Something is coming. 

*TRANSITION* 

[QUIET CONVERSATION, JUST AWAYS FROM THE MIC.]

MARTHA:-- I’m just saying you need to be more careful. 

JESS: I wasn’t trying to be reckless-

MARTHA: I know, but with everything… We don’t want to give them another reason t- 

JESS: Trust me, I know. I wasn’t trying to start something. 

MARTHA: Promise? 

TANNER: [FROM THE BOOTH, CLEARING HIS THROAT QUITE LOUDLY] Hey uh, we’re back…

MARTHA: [SOFTLY] Oh shit- 

[JESS AND MARTHA BOTH LAUGH A LITTLE, SOUNDS OF MOVEMENT]

JESS: We are a mess and a half tonight, folks, I’m sorry. 

We’re gonna return to our programming in a bit, not that we actually have all that much left in the script to cover, but Martha was saying I should over the break and is, uh, currently giving me a playfully pointed look- okay, not to be, you know, that person, but you all know I don’t have blood-family here in town, and I regard you listeners as, well, the closest thing I have to family so… well… 

Martha wants me to tell you listeners that today is actually my birthday. 

It feels weird to say because it’s actually been one of my best kept secrets while I’ve been here. I’ve only ever told Martha, for legal reasons. It was just something I wanted to hold on to. But this year, well, I don’t know. I wanted to share. [LAUGHING A LITTLE] I know I made it sound like Martha is making me tell you but… I wanted to share. I wanted it to be a good day. And- for the most part- it was. 

I’m 25. A quarter of a century, and hopefully of more or less my lifetime. 

I always thought 25 would be, like, special. It sounds super dumb but I thought I’d be done all my schooling and, y’know, living somewhere else and working and making a life for myself. Most of that happened before I thought it would, as I am currently here, which is a place other than where I’m from, working, and technically done school, as in I, uh, am just no longer attending. 

[QUIETER] I also hoped I’d be spending it with my family. 

[SHE PAUSES] 

Anyways, uh, yeah! There’s another little fun fact about me for you listeners. And, now… Let’s get back to the show. 

*MUSIC STARTS* 

Let’s take a look at the news. 

First up, we’ve got some good news tonight, folks: 

April Beckett, who disappeared from the Golden Sky care facility she was living in some months ago now was happily reported found by her family this morning! 

Well, they’re pretty sure. 

Strange as it sounds, they haven’t actually seen her. 

You see, folks, or- maybe not- apparently April’s returned… invisible. They’re fairly confident it’s her as they can still hear her and- and physically interact with her, so the current and most likely theory is she’s invisible but not intangible. 

Dr. Olsen told me earlier today he was called in to check up on April and- well not have a look because, y’know, but make sure she was okay. I am happy to report, according to the good doctor, she is! 

There have been unconfirmed reports of musical sounds coming from and a few figures, obscured by loose, form concealing clothes congregating somewhere down towards the river around the time and the area April claims she was returned- I mean, came home. Any further details surrounding April’s surprise disappearance and return of a similar nature are still being collected, but if we have any updates, we’ll be sure to pass it on to you. 

For now, welcome home, April. We missed you, and we are so happy to have you back. 

Also, Brock Taylor! I know we were all at his welcome home party last week, but we wanted to say “welcome home” on air! We know it wasn’t an easy trip back from Russia, seeing as you didn’t have your passport or any money with you, but we’re so happy you made it back safe and sound, and with some very interesting stories to tell! 

However, in similar, not so good news, There are no real updates in the David Pradlick case, who I’m sure we all remember vanished during a broadcast not too long ago, except for the temporary repossession and closure of his store by Town Council, despite his employee’s attempts to keep it running. 

Like we’ve said in earlier broadcasts, any information you may have on the case should be reported to the stone statue in town centre, or to Town Council’s officers. 

[MUSIC ENDS]

Speaking of Town Council’s officers, and I promise this segue will make sense, some of you have apparently reached out again, as you once again caught the tail end of another conversation… So, here’s the full story. I probably shouldn’t really talk about it on air, I can see Martha shaking her head from the booth- not in a disapproving way, listeners, but simply a ‘be careful’ way-- a ‘don’t start something’ kind of way… I’ve gotten pretty good at reading her nods over time, and want to assure her that I understand the need to be careful. But it's my birthday. I can do what I want, right? To a non criminal, morally and ethically reasonable extent. 

I just… I’ve been thinking a lot and I think it's time for some transparency, and today’s script was pretty short, so let’s put aside the script, adjust my chair, and chat. Talk about things we probably shouldn’t, which is something I admittedly do a lot on this show. 

As you know by now I was involved in an “altercation” earlier today. This took place down at the gas station. I was going on…  a walk before work, getting a cup of coffee, and there I ran into the Sanfords, who were getting gas for their car. It finally gave me a chance to speak with Carol, who we all know is the wife of Superintendent Sanford with the RCMP. We all also know Superintendent Sanford, or Mountie John, was one of three officers recently given additional training by Town Council.

Now I also want to take this time to say that over the past while, we have been receiving all your reports and accounts of interactions with these officers. Without saying too much, our mysterious friend ‘C’ has also been very helpfully sending us information about these reports and incidents in greater detail. I know my experience today isn’t exactly anything new. 

But, upon the involved officer’s return to the force some time ago, we were given instruction by Town Council regarding how we were to go about reporting on their activities. The instructions were more or less: don’t report on their activities, and more importantly, don’t ask questions about their activities- and the repercussions of doing so were unspecified, but it’s safe to assume they were… unideal, and even possibly violent. I mean, it’s definitely not like they threatened us or anything. And it's not like we’ve completely refrained from talking about them, you may recall John was literally in the studio a little while ago, but we’ve really kept it to the bare minimum. 

But after today, I figured it was a good time to talk about it… Don’t get me wrong, it's not because, like, only now have I personally had a negative experience with them. With the consequences suggested by Town Council that would arise from talking about this, I didn’t want to name anyone in the community who had come forward. Just in case. Its our job to talk about what’s going on in the community, but the only necks we here at the station want to be putting on the line are our own. And tonight, I just wanna put out a disclaimer saying I am doing this of my own volition. Just me and my neck. 

Well, initially, for Carol’s sake, I had decided to not talk about the conversation we had, but during the breaks, among emails from all of you asking what happened, she gave me permission to share if I ended up talking about it. She thought people knowing might help. So, thank you Carol. I hope it helps too. 

*MUSIC STARTS*

When Carol approached me at the gas station, it was to tell me that tragically, their eldest son, Jack, disappeared last night, but that, strangely, it wasn’t being treated as a missing persons case by the authorities. When I asked about what happened, she said she was in bed, when she heard the sound of the door, followed by sounds of movement from the living room and kitchen. She brushed it off, seeing as John, who has not been himself since his return, rarely sleeps anymore, and is often up and moving about the house at all hours. However, that morning, Jack was nowhere to be found. 

Carol’s hands shook as she spoke, voice low, and eyes casting periodic glances to where John stood on the other side of the car, at the pump. 

She told me that, when asking her neighbours if they saw anything last night, that a neighbour she didn’t want to name informed her they saw two figures standing on her doorstep around 3:45 AM, which is around the time she remembers hearing the door close. These two figures were wearing suits. One carried a briefcase. They were shrouded enough in darkness that the neighbour could barely make out any features past simply identifying them as people. 

I asked Carol if she knew whether or not John was home at the time, and if she thinks he saw anything. She said she wasn’t sure how he wouldn’t have noticed, and when she asked him about it, all he had to say was the very ominous-sounding phrase “he’ll be returned in time.” 

I then asked how John was doing, whether he was okay, how work was going-- Neither Carol nor I had noticed he’d moved from the pump until he grabbed me. 

To summarize the next part of the incident, as I have little desire to really think about it, John more or less attempted to arrest me. It was a brief little scuffle that resulted in a few bruises and me dropping my coffee, and was ended by Carol, somehow convincing him to stop. He let go of me, returned to the car, sat down in the driver’s seat, and waited for Carol to follow. Their two younger children were sitting in the backseat the whole time. I used to babysit those kids not that long ago. 

As of right now, seeing as Carol said the authorities aren’t considering the case a missing persons one, if you have any information as to the whereabouts of 13 year old Jack Sanford, please, please let us know. His family are very worried about him. We are all very worried about him. 

[JESS SIGHS. A PHONE CHIME IN THE OTHER ROOM, THEN ANOTHER] 

That was… a lot, sorry about that folks. A lot more than I thought it would be and a lot more than I probably should have said. But that’s what happened, and now you all know. 

I mean, we all knew something was wrong. We all knew officers Carlinn, O’Dwyer, and Sanford were different. We all know something has happened to them. Not talking about it wasn’t doing anyone any good. Another person is missing. A kid. And there are so many stories from the community that call into question the true intent of these officers, and also the intentions Town Council had in training them. 

[A BUNCH OF PHONE CHIMES IN THE OTHER ROOM] 

Anyways, yeah. We should move on. I guess we’ll see what the aforementioned ‘repercussions’ Town Council threatened [SHE CLEARS HER THROAT] warned us about will be. I’ll keep you all posted! 

[TRANSITION]

*MUSIC STARTS*

And now, I’m going to read a word submitted to us by today’s sponsor:

Here’s a fun fact:

Science is basically just space magic. We should know, we’ve read so many books on the subject. We’ve read so many books on so many subjects. 

Think about it. Really think. 

Consider nature. Consider the universe. Consider your place in it. 

Consider how wonderful it all is! How unbelievably beautiful existence is! Things work together to make other things. Gases combust to make the ever-bright stars. Sunlight and water together create the greenness of the earth. If that isn’t magic, we don’t know what is. Except we do know. We’ve read so many books about it. 

If you want to learn more about this space magic, or the more boringly titled science, and about how it all works, what better place to start than books, than ink deliberately formatted on a series of bound pages, accompanied by the occasional illustration? And what better place to find these books, these collections of knowledge than a place of which its very design is to be in possession of them? 

A special thanks to Braedon public library, for sponsoring today’s show! If you’re looking for fun ways to stay entertained this summer, why not check out books! 

*MUSIC FADES* 

Finally, here’s some evening advice: 

If you are ever consumed with the desire to go home even though that’s exactly where you are, try burying your feet in the dirt of the field, or the muddy floor of the river. 

[A PAUSE FOR THE SOUNDS OF NATURE] 

Sometimes the soul forgets where the body came from and needs a little taste of the past, and the future.

[TRANSITION] 

JESS: Do you ever just… get the feeling like you might be saying goodbye to someone or something you have every intention of seeing again? 

I have no plans to leave, but something in my spirit feels as though I am on the edge, the verge- a stepping-off place, like this is my stop and there are suddenly so many things I may never see again. [BEAT- SHE CHUCKLES] Maybe I just need to stop drinking caffeine. And get a good night's sleep… 

Martha is raising a bottle of… something alcoholic as a counter offer. 

Anyways, that’s all we have for tonight! Thank you to those of you who sent in birthday wishes. And-

[SOUND OF THE DOOR OPENING]

JESS: Oh [SHE LAUGHS] Dr. Olsen is here, folks, and was also fooled by the uh, broken sign. We’re apparently having a little celebration, judging by the box of fresh doughnuts from Martin’s grocery he’s got tucked under his arm. And I think I see a first aid kit too? Which really isn’t necessary, but… 

I think a little celebration with friends might be just what the doctor ordered. 

[SHE PAUSES, WAITING FOR HIM TO REACT TO THE JOKE. HE DOESN’T. SHE LAUGHS AT HERSELF AND SIGHS]

JESS: I think I’m funny. 

I hope you all have some time to spend with friends and loved ones soon. Like a fire, offering warmth against the cold. Like the moon, offering light against the dark. Like water, offering relief against the desert, and shade, offering relief in the sun… time with those we love refreshes us. 

Until next time, listeners. 

Thanks for tuning in. 

[MUSIC AND MUTED CONVERSATION IN THE BACKGROUND. THE SOUNDS FADE.] 

YOU HAVE 2 NEW MESSAGES. 

FIRST MESSAGE, 12:00 AM- [BEEP]

JESS: Hey Martha- or whoever, it’s me. Obviously haha, I’m sure you know what my voice sounds like after all this time. Uh, I’m hoping at least someone’s still at the station. I really hope it's you, Martha. Or that the record function will catch this, I guess it’s late. I’m just calling to say I’m halfway to my trailer, I’m at that payphone by the post office again. I should be home in 10 minutes and I’ll leave another message when I get there, from my landline. If for some reason I don’t… yeah. There’s another payphone between here and the trailer I think. 

Okay. I’ve been followed for the past four blocks. It's hard to make out who in the dark, but I’m pretty certain it’s those suit- people. Steady paced and slightly obscured by the depth of the night. There’s also that car- the one without the license plate. 

[SOUND OF A CAR GOING BY] 

That’s the third time it's passed me. I mean, you and I both know this isn’t the first time that car’s followed one of us home from work, but… There’s that feeling again. Stomach like a stone dropping into a murky pond. Like I’m… saying goodbye. I know what you’d usually say about me being overly paranoid or cautious, but this… feels bad. I… I did something stupid. I’ll tell you about it later. If I get the chance. 

[SHE SIGHS]

Okay. Well. I’m gonna keep going. 10 minutes to home. 

Thanks. 

[BEEP.] 

SECOND MESSAGE, 12:09 AM

[CORRUPTED STATIC] 

(DIAL TONE. SOUND OF A PHONE RINGING. IT GOES TO JESS’ VOICEMAIL.) 

JESS: Hi, you’ve reached Jess! Sorry I missed you. Leave a message and I’ll get back to you soon as I can. I never know how to end these things- 

(BEEP)

MARTHA: Hey, I’m really hoping you just forgot to call again. Please call the moment you can.