Episode 91 - Orders

## Orders

A black background with a white border that resembles a landscape. On which a house sits on the edge of an ocean, which leads into what may be mountains and what might be a forest, to another structure, then to a wide space with space trees and two small figures standing side by side. Within the border two different sized boxes are seen, they overlap with the larger being coloured in black and the small possessing patters which resemble those found on a circuit board. In front of these boxes, depicted in red, is a coffin like contraption with a square window where one's head may be. This contraption is being dragged up by a collection of loose wires. Bellow this image but still within the border the words "91.ORDERS" are written in white

### Author

William A Wellman

Grug makes an effort, Marco hatches a plan, and Mrs. Wicker goes to war. The theme of tonight's episode is Orders.

> **Content warning**: Abuse, Ableism, Animal death (Heidi as usual), Violence, Kidnapping and abduction, Death + Injury, Blood, Religious Violence, Homophobia, Birds, Gun Mention, Static (including sfx), Emotional Manipulation, Drowning, Body horror, Life Support, Buried Alive
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## Intro - One More Ending

Nikignik speaks to the Dreamers of someone who has spent their life traveling, and watches now as the world changes. They had walked deserts and canyons, driven highways and sought hidden truths. But they had hoped that their current residence would be their last, a place where they could settle down. They watch as the world changes again with the patter of rain on the van they slept in, and know that in the morning, they would go north, and start another life.

Nikignik sits in Froglin Town overlooking its residence as they morn their failed attempt at defeating the Scoutpost (see Episode 85 - Roots). Grug sits apart from the group, out front and dangerously close to the lake which Lolgmololg resides in.

## Story 1 - Grug's Big Day

Grup stands before and seeks an audience with Lolgmololg, silently asking that she not eat him. She asks him what was happening, as she could hear them from beneath the water, wanting for him to explain himself. He tells her that the ither Froglins were upset, they'd done everything she had told them to do (see Episode 41 - Waters), but they had run into complications (see Episode 79 - Kingdoms and Episode 85 - Roots), they'd been allowed to leave, but many Froglins were still dead. Lolgmololg tells him that they would regroup and try again, but he tells her that it wasn't just their failure, the other Froglins heard the call of the Froglin Queen (see Episode 79 - Kingdoms) and wished to join her. She turns to the congregation and scorns them for doubting her, and, to Grug's horror, many of them do not beg for her forgiveness, rather stood tall and sang songs of defiance, that they wished to be with their mother. Following Lolgmololg would take them to war, so they would not follow her.

Those of the Froglins standing in defiance turn and leave to join their mother, rebuking Lolgmololg's prophecies of doom and regret when she attempts to dissuade them. Grug calls out to the crowed and tells them to stop, that they had been blessed with a goddess of the water, and as creatures of the water it was their place to worship her. Many Froglins had died, but they would hatch many more when they ruled the Hallowoods, and only Lolgmololg could make this possible. This manages to convince some of the fleeing crowed to return, but not all. Those who chose to stay start a chant of "Lolgmololg! Lolgmololg! Lolgmololg!" as Lolgmololg returns to the water, telling Grug that he served her well.

### Interlude 1 - Political Landscape

Nikignik tells the Dreamers that if they kept an eye on the political Landscape of the Hallowoods, there was a new development which it would be wise to take not of. The greater Froglin community had been rent in half, one group going South to protect their queen, the other remaining in Froglin Town with Lolgmololg.

## Story 2 - Into The Blackbox

Marco Torres is dragged down the hallways of Box Cassiopia with Riot and Valerie Maidstone (see Episode 89 - Terminations) by security guards who he doesn't recognise. He calls back to Valerie and Riot to tell them to remember to follow his lead, Riot calling back sarcastically that they were doing a good job so far and getting elbowed by her escort as a result. They exit the hallways and enter an expansive room filled with Dreaming boxes, three of them set aside and standing in preparation for the trio. Along with the Dreaming pods there are several more guards, and Lady Ethel Mallory standing in wait for them. Ethel tells them that wasn't going to be able to stay for the whole process as she had to be in a 'dreamcast station' in two minutes. Valerie initially shows aggression towards Ethel, but then starts pleading with her not to lock them away, 'for old time's sake', but Ethel tells her that new times were right around the corner and were going to be better.

Marco speaks up, telling Ethel that he'd tell the public about everything he knew (see Marco Torres), or she could let Riot and Valerie go, and keep Marco, forever. He'd make himself useful, make whatever she was trying to achieve happen, and he'd stay quiet. Unfortunately for Marco he has greatly overestimated his bargaining power in this situation, and Ethel shuts him down by telling him that as soon as he'd become close to Brooklyn Williams she should have eaten him alive. The guards shove Marco into the vault, and he falls asleep.

### Marketing - Self-Promotion

Lady Ethel Mallory interrupts Nikignik's broadcast with her marketing section, telling the listeners that she had an important announcement for them. They knew her as the leader of the dreaming generation. Recently, they had overcome the Stonemaid rebellion together, but this only served to display a need for more active control over the Prime Dream. She tells them that what she was about to say some may find shocking, but she reassured then that she was completely serious. She was formally appointing herself as the new C.E.O of the Botulus Corporation.

There's a loud crashing sound from the background.

### Story 2, Continued - Into The Blackbox

Marco expects to wake up in an echo chamber, to be trapped for the rest of his life, but instead he finds himself standing in an idyllic field. Danielle O'Hara appears besides him (see Episode 89 - Terminations) and gives a sarcastically butchered rendition of the Prime Dream welcome message. She tells him that they were in her Dreamscape, but not to get too comfortable because she was his ticked out. She claps her hands, and he wakes up still in his Dream Pod just as it is picked up by some unseen appendage and carried out of Box Cassiopia. They are followed by Botco Drones, but all quickly goes quiet, and Marco is set on the ground again now some distance from the Dreaming Box.

Brooklyn appears on the other side of the glass window. The people on the outside bust open the lid and Marco steps out along with Riot and Valerie from their own respective pods. Brooklyn informing him that he was being rescued (see Episode 89 - Terminations), and the two kiss. Cindy Lockheart speaks up from her position behind an oversize sniper rifle and tells them to save the sappy reunions for once they were in the helicopter, before shooting down an incoming drone. She repeats the instruction for them to get to the chopper, and they comply. Once inside the chopper Brooklyn introduces herself to Valerie, and Cindy hands Riot back the mp3 player she traded way in Episode 57 - Edges, telling them that they'd been looking for them for a while. They leave to go and they the other missing members of the RV gang.

### Interlude 2 - The Natural Order

Nikignik tells the Dreamers that there was no 'natural' order of things because life was by nature unnatural. Roots grew and overturned stones, fish swam and churned up the silt with the currents, humans walked on the sand and chose to build a castle in it. and above all was life indescribable. The natural order of things was theirs to make, if there were no castles yet on the beach which they felt they could not call home. they mustn't be afraid to build a new one, after all it was only sand. Order was a lie, for it was built like all else by revolution and change and life.

## Story 3 - Lambs To The Slaughter

Mrs. Wicker sits in the grass of the same clearing she did her deals with the Scoutpost with in Episode 55 - Threats (see Episode 88 - Broomsticks). Other armed members of Fort Freedom wait inside the nearby abandoned building in anticipation for a conflict as the members of Scoutpost Two arrive. As they arrive, bringing with them only two of the many vehicles Fort Freedom had sent, Mrs Wickers calls out for Jacob Wicker, who responds and scrambles into her line of sight, held up by a crutch (see Episode 85 - Roots). Mrs. Wicker sees this and assumes that the Scoutpost had hurt him and starts yelling at them for this perceived slight as the other attendees make themselves known. Amongst them are Bern and Violet Keene, Virgil Kane, Jonah Duckworth, Buck Silver, Hector Mendoza as accompanied by Jackie and Heidi. Violet tells her that there was no guarantee that Jacob would walk okay again, but that seemed only fair. She begins negotiations, that Fort Freedom would get all of their members back in exchange for them leaving the Scoutpost and The Hallowoods alone. Mrs Wicker agrees to this under fear of Jacob getting hurt further.

The Scoutpost send Jacob across the clearing to join his mother, but Mrs. Wicker notices that Buck was still amongst the Scoutpost. She points this out, but Buck tells her in defiance that he was happy where he was. The Scoutpost turns back to their vehicles and begin to re-load, Virgil telling Mrs. Wicker that doing business with her hadn't been much of a pleasure. Hector tells her that she should be glad, the day was ending well for her. The next time they crossed into their neck of the woods they'd be ready, and it wouldn't be pretty. The Hallowoods was protected by things that neither of them could even begin to understand. The Scoutpost leave.

## Outro - Orders

Nikignik waxes poetic about Orders. Telling the Dreamers to do as they were told but told by very few. He asks who was worthy to be followed, were their commands born of love or of hate? Did they speak of compassion or fear? Nikignik did as they were told by their old mentor (see Zazzlezazz) in that they treat the power of dream with reverence. They did as they were told by their best remaining friend (see Xyzikxyz) in that they embraced the future. And they did as they were told by an old love (see Marolmar), that they were not to be ashamed of their passions.

He rejected what he was told by the Industry (see Syrensyr), for he would not bow to the order of things. What he was told by the guardian of suns (see Tolshotol), for he would change the heavens. And what he was told by an old love, because he did not believe that anyone was beyond hope of redemption. He knew not all would accept it; not all could. But he had to believe there was good in people, no matter how buried in their pride and fear and conceit. That was why he spoke to dreaming minds across this cosmos. I spoke of change.