Juno Steel and the Soul of the People (Part 2)

**Juno Steel and the Soul of the People (Part 2)**is the thirty-fifth episode of the second season of The Penumbra Podcast and the second season finale of the Juno Steel series. It was released January 29, 2019.

## Overview

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IF TOWER.DAMAGE == CRITICAL THEN

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SCANNING USER.JUNOSTEEL.MEMORIES() FOR SUGGESTED PROTOCOL

SCANNING... SCANNING...

### Trigger Warnings

* Sudden loud noises
* Pursuit
* Forced incarceration
* Violence and threats of violence
* Implied killing of people and animals
* Deception, gaslighting, brainwashing, propaganda

## Episode Summary

Juno reflects that he misses Ramses, even if the Soulless version of him couldn't admit it, and misses his hopeful outlook. Under the influence of the Soul, he is anxious to preserve the things Ramses made. The Soul reminds him the tower is in danger right now, and as Juno sees Souled people around its base beginning to be freed by Rita's virus, he remembers his objective to implant a Soul in Rita to force her to stop it. Rita teases him over the intercom, encouraging him to come meet her in the Chief's office. Juno is sure this is a trap or red herring, and refuses to go there, but the Soul takes Rita at face value and insists, overpowering Juno's leg control. Angry, Juno argues with the THEIA until it allows him access to a memory of Rita.

He remembers having worked with Rita at the HCPD. Initially off-put by her boisterousness and love of fishy-smelling snack foods, he asked whether Detective Falco or Diamond sent her as a prank but agreed to take her on for a week's trial.

In the present, he realizes traces of pink dust from Rita's salmon-flavored snacks can lead him to her. He discovers traces on the doorknob to a supply closet with no escape route. Juno asks the THEIA to help him remember a phrase to draw her out, but it instead takes control of him to say "Rita. You are fired. Please, Rita. You are fired. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. It is all over now." Rita emerges, relieved. Juno struggles between the THEIA's order to seize Rita and his own waning desire to do so, screaming.

He flashes back to another memory, this time of Rita turning on *Werewolves in Orbit* at their HCPD office, trying to coax Juno into taking a break after burning the candle at both ends. Exasperated, Juno tried to fire her, but Rita pointed out he'd told her that eight times in the past week, always regretting it and asking her to return moments later. Rita observed that Juno had not graduated from the police academy long ago and was unused to being someone's boss. She suggested that telling her she was fired could be their secret code to say he was overwhelmed and didn't want to let down his guard to say so. Juno gave in and watched the movie with her.

In the present, Rita realizes Juno does not have control over himself yet, and they fight as the Soul in Juno becomes increasingly weak and glitchy. It repeatedly prompts Juno to "give up control," but he snaps at it to "just die already."

In the past, Rita escorted a blindfolded Juno to an office with “The office of Juno Steel...Private Investigator” on the door. Juno worried it had been paid for by a loan shark or controlling investor, but Rita admits she bought it with her own money. She did not want to stay at the HCPD without Juno and wanted to instead work as his secretary in the new PI business. Juno hesitantly agreed, pleased despite himself.

Juno returns to himself in the present and rips the Soul from his neck.

Several months later, Juno watches a Questions Unanswered documentary, centered on the mystery of Oldtown and Ramses' death. Hawk Hackett's voice is intercut with a statement from Captain Clarence Wong. Both describe how Oldtown went from one million residents before the lockdown to two million after it—and nobody can explain why. Official records have been tampered with, and witnesses describe brainwashing, performance-enhancing cybernetics, or experimental torture devices.

Rita has done some digging but is unable to explain the million new residents. What she can say is that many of them work for Northstar or its subsidiaries. She and Juno are unsure they have good options to investigate further, but he signs off from their call to get a check-up on his broken shoulder. Juno reflects that conditions in the city have improved in the past months, largely because the Newtown apartments have significantly slashed homelessness. The Questions Unanswered documentary describes the net effect as sealing O'Flaherty as a heroic figure.

Juno struggles with seeing the marks of O'Flaherty across the city, finally telling Rita he's ready to move on from attempting to expose Ramses' evil actions. She is proud of him, promising to find him a bunch of new cases right away. Juno places his THEIA Soul in his safe, in case he ever finds a good way to deploy it after all. As he does so, he rediscovers the recording The Man in the Brown Jacket made for him: "We may look back, only to ensure we have not walked this path before." Juno realizes he is ready to close this chapter of his life and makes some arrangements.

Brown Jacket responds to his comms call, and comes to discuss terms. Juno swears he will walk from any job he thinks is immoral and demands any secrets important to his job not be kept from him. Furthermore, he will ignore any orders to kill someone. Jet approves these all, saying he and Buddy discussed the matter—and that both of them have a vested interest in Juno's place on the team. Finally, Juno states his last condition: Rita comes, too.

The narrative flashes back to his conversation to persuade her to try crime with him. He told her he couldn't stand to live in Hyperion City anymore and continue the pattern of his life, but he also promised that if she wanted to stay, he would stay with her. Hearing this, Rita immediately put aside her misgivings; they would leave together.

Jacket reveals that he had been given explicit orders not to leave without Rita anyway, as she is one of the most accomplished hackers on the Solar planets. In fact, recruiting her is a higher priority than recruiting Juno, and she will be paid significantly more. To Juno's consternation, Jacket proceeds to introduce himself to Rita by name: he is the famous thief Jet Siquliak.

The three of them leave Hyperion City on Jet's hoverbike, Juno reminiscing and Rita openly watching the buildings pass. They arrive at an unnamed location Juno does not recognize. Jet promises to explain the job later, before encouraging Juno to put his visor down, or at least hold his breath. Juno ignores him, and promptly chokes on the dust kicked up by a descending spaceship. As he recovers, he surveys the assembled crew: Buddy Aurinko, Vespa, and there, sitting on the green hood of the Ruby Seven, is Peter Nureyev. Juno's heart leaps, and Peter smiles: "Hello, Juno. It's been awhile."

## Cast and Crew

### Cast

* Joshua Ilon as Juno Steel
* Kate Jones as Rita
* Sophie Kaner as the THEIA
* Matthew Zahnzinger as Ramses O'Flaherty
* Marge Dunn as Hawk Hackett
* Glen Moore as Captain Wong
* Alexander Stravinski as Jet Sikuliaq
* Noah Simes as Peter Nureyev

### Crew

* Kevin Vibert, Co-creator, Head of Operations, Lead writer
* Sophie Kaner, Co-creator, Head of Episode Development, Director, Sound designer
* Kat Buckingham, Head of Merchandise and Outreach
* Alice Chuang, Head of Design
* Noah Simes, Production manager
* Ryan Vibert, Composer and performer of original music

## Trivia

* This episode reveals that the Ruby Seven is painted green.
* Sophie Kaner joked in the commentary for this episode that she imagines Peter to be sitting on the hood of the Ruby Seven with "knees up, booty popped." Joshua Ilon read the line as Juno.

 Bonus Episodes

 Other Episodes
 Live Shows