Curious Matter Presents: Midnight Burger
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Welcome to Curious Matter Anthology. I'm Jonathan Pesce, your host.

We are currently full speed ahead on production of season three. We have switched gears a little bit this year and are moving to a seasonal anthology format. We will be presenting our biggest story yet over eight episodes titled The Exile and based on the 1953 novel Police Your Planet by Lester Del Rey.

It's a police thriller that takes place on the halfway terraformed colony of Mars, 150 years in humanity's future. We have an unbelievable cast and we will be making more announcements as we get closer to our premiere date of June 18th. Now, I know that's still a few months away. And in the meantime, we are featuring other shows that I know you will love from some of the most innovative creators in audio fiction.

Now today, I have something truly special for you. Midnight Burger is a genre-bending treasure that is truly addictive. Featured in The Guardian as one of the top 20 must-listen to indie podcasts, this show is currently nominated in the Podcast Academy Awards, aka the Ambies, for Best Fiction Podcast. The story follows the employees of a time-traveling, dimension-hopping diner.

Every day you see, Midnight Burger appears somewhere new in the cosmos, dragging its unique staff, including a sentient old-timey radio, along for the ride. We are presenting Season 1, Episode 5 today, entitled The Ad Man Cometh. And in studio, I have the creator himself, Joe Fisher, to tell us a little bit more about how Midnight Burger popped into the universe. Welcome, sir. Hello, how are you?

I'm good, I'm good. We're so excited to have you on the show and to feature Midnight Burger. I love it. I love just all of the Hitchhiker's Guide vibes that it gives off. And it's so entertaining and so fun. I know that you kind of started this whole thing during the pandemic, but how did your journey in audio fiction and audio drama start? You know, I think, honestly, I started off...

You know, as a writer, I've been a writer since I was a kid. My childhood was a little strange, and I normalized things by making shit up. You know what I mean? That's how I made shit normal. And so I just kind of stuck with that. And then...

So that kind of transitioned into, you know, I did plays in high school and that was fun and I needed to come up with some sort of reason to go to college because I hadn't found one yet. And so I decided to go to, you know, drama school, right? And then so I go off to drama school and I start studying acting and I realized, oh my God, this is so boring. Like I'm so bored studying acting. But

But I really liked theater and I really liked telling a story to people and I really liked making up stuff. And so I switched over to studying playwriting because I had been a writer since I was a kid, you know, and it was just kind of a natural fit for me. And that was really great. And that was a really wonderful sort of time as a playwright. I was living in like a lot of the people that you hear in Midnight Burger are old friends of mine from when I did theater. We were all living in Portland. All of us were broke, but we were all doing stuff that was really fun.

And then one day, after being a playwright for several years, the Hollywood thing reared its ugly head. I got a screenwriting fellowship at Walt Disney and went down to LA for that. And then from that, they hired me on as sort of a screenwriter on staff for a while. And then I was out on my own for a while in the city. And after being a screenwriter for several years,

years, I discovered that I really didn't like it at all. It made me really depressed. And so I was at this weird place where I loved being a writer, but I couldn't find the specific medium that I fit into. I couldn't find a particular place for myself. And then the pandemic happened.

And I had been curious about audio drama. I had messed around with it a little bit on my friend's show, Earbud Theater. And it was the pandemic. And I just kind of, I turned to Finley Stevenson, who's the co-producer of the show. And I just said, let's do this. And she kind of just said, okay. And luckily, I had enough friends in my life who were willing to just kind of say, Joe, I don't know what you're talking about. But sure, we're all stuck here anyway. Let's go ahead and do this.

And so we all started doing it. And then it was fun just to have something to do in the face of the weirdness that was the pandemic. And then at sort of towards the end of season one, you know, my phone starts blowing up. And there's this article that comes out in The Guardian saying like, these are the 20 essential independent podcasts to listen to. And we were one of them.

And so I was like, I mean, maybe we're on to something. And so that's when we started really leaning into it, like launching a Patreon and adding advertising and stuff like that.

So the journey was really just like, you know, I think a lot of people like throughout their journey, they kind of try on different mediums. You know, they try this thing for a while. It's a little constraining for them. And so they move on to the next thing. And so for me, it was about sort of slowly finding the place where I really operate the best. When I conceptualize a story, I usually think about

The ideas in the story, I usually think about scenes and dialogue in it. I don't really think of huge visual images. Sure. And so audio drama really clicked with me in a big way. And I really like writing in the form. And so a lot of it for me was about sort of feeling like I was coming home after all this time. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah, well, you know, I love how dialectically driven Midnight Burger is and how it, like, kind of takes you through its twisty, turny, kind of fun, playful way of telling you the story each episode. Right. Where the hell did this premise come from? It's a bit out there, but it's amazing. So, like...

I don't know. I think it just, it came from, I think I was in high school and sometimes me and my friends would like, one of them had like a video camera. And so we would try and make stupid movies with the video camera, you know? Yeah. And I was like, at one point I was like, I have this one idea. Okay, we're going to call it Midnight Burger. It's just going to be like a burger joint and like weird stuff's going to happen.

And that was it, right? And that was a weekend that we spent. But then I would come after going off to college and stuff like that, I would come back home every once in a while and I would see my friend Nick who I was making these stupid movies with. And we would be like, dude, Midnight Burger. I'd be like, yeah, right? I know. I had no idea what it was or anything. The title just kind of stuck with me. And so the premise, I didn't even know what it was. It was just like that title. And so-

When we started to put a project together, I said, maybe it's time. Maybe it's time for Midnight Burger. Okay, step one, what exactly is Midnight Burger? And it's something about the mystery of that whole, one of the weirdest parts of America is definitely the southwestern corner of America. There's a lot of weird stuff out there in the desert. And you have a lot of these abandoned towns everywhere.

From when the interstates were built and all these tiny towns got abandoned because you don't have to take the state roads anymore. And Route 66 became meaningless, right? And so all of the kind of starter pack for all of these small towns was like a gas station and a bar and a diner, right? And that's poof, you've got a town. Yeah, exactly. Yeah.

And so just the trifecta of civilization is that the trifecta of civilization. Right. And so there was this that that whole sort of mid-century modern, mysterious, ghostly kind of place was what drew me in. And then the story just kind of kept getting bigger and bigger and bigger. And it got to a point where it's it's hardly even resembles the original inception of the idea, which I guess is what happens all the time.

So like to trace the exact story of where it came from, I really have no idea. It really just, it all just seemed like the right thing to do at the time. And here we are now. - It feels like there are key influences in the show in terms of like media and books and writers and other stuff. Like for you, is that true or is it specific or is it more just an amalgam of your own personal experience?

You know, I don't know what my exact influences are. And I think that that's probably a good thing. I think if you know what your influences are, you're probably mimicking people a little bit too much. I think that, I mean, for sure, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a big, I mean, I think, I feel like Hitchhiker's was kind of like, Douglas Adams was kind of the Obi-Wan Kenobi ghost sort of in this situation. He was sort of like,

Whenever I would question whether or not an idea was too weird for the audience to handle, he would sort of be over my shoulder saying, oh, they're prepared for much more weird things than you think that they are. And I feel like Terry Pratchett would be on his shoulder saying, yeah, push him, push him harder. There's a lot of that. Yeah, just sort of the beautiful ridiculousness of the universe we live in is always...

It is always a great place for me anyway. Yeah. It's amazing. So you guys are premiering season four on? On April 16th. So coming up now. So to you, what has been like the biggest thing that's evolved within the show over these seasons? Well, I think, well, first of all, because like when we started out, I had no idea what I was doing. Like we were using GarageBand. I mean, it was embarrassing, you know?

And so the show, so my technical skills grew. Sure. Right. As the show continued and the more, the more capable I got of things to pull off, the more the story could expand. So the story expands in kind of a natural way, sort of along with my skill level as an audio drama producer. So yeah,

And with each episode, I learn a little bit more about what we're capable of pulling off. And there was, I think, chapter seven of the show, the seventh episode of the first season

That's when I discovered, oh, wait, we can actually do way more than we've been doing. We can go way deeper into things. We can have dramatic moments. We can have very sort of intimate character moments with each other. It doesn't have to be...

just goofiness all the time. There's actually a whole world out there to explore. So with every episode, the show gets more and more expansive in its ideas and its relationships. And in season four, there's going to be more of that. With every season, really, the whole story of the show, the world of the show expands even more. So there's definitely going to be

more of that expansion for sure. - Well, you guys heard it here. Thank you, Joe, for letting us spread the word about the amazing Midnight Burger. And so everyone out there, grab your popcorn, grab a cozy little nook somewhere and get ready 'cause this is Midnight Burger. - Hey, Zebulon, could we get some, you know, explaining what the hell is going on music? - Previously on Midnight Burger, Gloria got a job. - I'm here for the job interview.

The what? At a lonely diner outside of Phoenix called, uh, This is Midnight Burger. I'm Casper. I'm Ava. That's my booth over there. You're a regular here? Sure. Turns out the diner is a time-traveling dimension-spanning diner that shows up at a new place and time every day somewhere out there in the multiverse. You know. Gloria? Yes? Just remember that I told you to leave. Right! It'll be fine.

Also, the old-timey radio on the counter has a tendency to talk back to you. And occasionally, things try to kill them. Despite all that, Gloria decided to stay. Sure.

You're looking for a job, right? Oh, why would I do that? Because you're having a cigarette in 415 million BC. Then, just recently, Gloria accidentally turned the dial on the old-timey radio and all hell broke loose. Welcome back, sports fans. I'm Kitty Caldwell here with Bram Frampton. We're moving faster. We picked up speed as soon as the station came on. Welcome back to All Things Considered.

I'm Adelaide Goldberger-Koslowski. Does the radio control the diner? No. I mean, I don't... Welcome back to Garden Time, everyone. Liz here. I'm sitting down with Marv Garvin. You mean to tell me it never occurred to anyone to say, Hey, there's a sentient old-timey radio in this diner. I wonder what that's all about. Um...

Ava? I was getting around to it. Welcome back to Not Too Late. I'm Dr. Barbara. What the fuck? And now Ava, regular customer and resident theoretical physicist, has... Hey, you two? I've got questions. Just wanted to let you know. Only the Lord provides answers, Ava. Yeah, sure. Okay, let's start the shift. Ava? Ava?

What are you doing over there? Oh, nothing. Just hanging out with my good friends Effie and Zebulon Muckleway. Ava, you seem to be lurking suspiciously close to the radio when you are usually ensconced within your booth. Nice change of pace. Never hurt anyone. And this has nothing to do with our little outage we had yesterday. Uh, I'm going to need air quotes the size of Mr. Snuffleupagus put around the word outage. D.

Sometimes she speaks and I don't understand a word she's saying. It's a consequence of ladies attending college. Um, whoa. We accidentally changed the station on you guys and the diner stopped working. Any insight into that? I'm sure we don't have any light to shed, but I would like to congratulate you.

On what? You've often said that you don't understand how this diner of yours works, and now you've figured it out, it seems. I have not... figured it out. Well, then my curiosity doth rise. If you say you haven't the foggiest notion how the diner works, well, how then would you know when it is not working? Shut up, Leaf! Dear? We'll have to continue this conversation at a later time. Dear? Yes, my love? Prepare...

We are drifting into the Netherrealms. Oh my. Do take heed, my compatriots. The Netherrealms approach! What's that? Are we in the Netherrealms? Jesus. What is this now? Alternate Earth Timeline. They call it the Netherrealms because they're fancy. Wait. Is this going to be like... sliders? Oh my god.

Are you a Sliders fan? Huge Sliders fan. Favorite episode, go. Oh, um, um, uh, oh, oh, the one where the U.S. is at war with Australia. That one was dope.

Guess mine. Um, the one where Rembrandt is Elvis. Yes, that one is amazing. This isn't over, you two. I am not dropping this. Well, come back anytime, sugar. If we open it, it's it. Okay, how are we all doing? Quick update. Yeah, I heard everything. Ava got owned, headed towards the nether realms. I did not.

Get on! Quantum leap far superior to sliders, by the way. That's apples and oranges! Gloria, alternate timeline Earths can be tough. Try and go with the flow. What's so rough about them? We've been to a bunch of alternate Earths at this point, and consistently it is always way worse than the Earth we're from. Seriously? That's depressing. Why? How are things going back home? Um, poorly. Well, this one will be worse. Always? It's weird.

It's like the multiverse's generalized anxiety disorder and can't help but imagine all the different ways that shit can go pear-shaped on Earth. Here we go. Gloria, welcome to another Earth. Did we number this one yet? This is 72, right? 73. Ooh, wrong again. It is not your day. Don't try and make this a thing. You'll regret it. Let's have a look. Wow. That's a lot of billboards. They're everywhere.

It's like Times Square, but a whole city. Mr. Mallory, this world seems to be very unlike our own. I'll say, Professor. I better go get into another romantic entanglement since people are still seeing me as the fat kid from Stand By Me. Okay, guys, not the whole time with the Sliders references. Someone's coming. Everyone inside and act casual. This episode is brought to you by Shopify. Whether you're selling a little...

Or a lot. Shopify helps you do your thing, however you cha-ching. From the launch your online shop stage, all the way to the we just hit a million orders stage. No matter what stage you're in, Shopify's there to help you grow. Sign up for a $1 per month trial period at shopify.com slash special offer, all lowercase. That's shopify.com slash special offer.

My dad works in B2B marketing. He came by my school for career day and said he was a big ROAS man. Then he told everyone how much he loved calculating his return on ad spend. My friend's still laughing me to this day. Not everyone gets B2B, but with LinkedIn, you'll be able to reach people who do. Get $100 credit on your next ad campaign. Go to linkedin.com slash results to claim your credit. That's linkedin.com slash results. Terms and conditions apply. LinkedIn.com slash results.

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Fans make the network what it is. Thanks for listening, and we can't wait to hear from you. Find our listener survey at fableandfolly.com slash survey today. Effie, Zebulon, time to act like a radio. Let our work commence. We begin today with a reading from the book of Ezekiel.

And you, son of man, on the day I take away their stronghold, their joy and glory, the delight of their eyes, their heart's desire, and their sons and daughters as well, on that day a fugitive will come to tell you the news. At that time your mouth will be opened, you will speak with him and will no longer be silent.

So you will be a sign to them and they will know that I am the Lord. Hey there. Welcome to Midnight Burger. Thanks. Here's the menu. Soup of the day is... Damn. Leaf, what's the soup? Gazpacho. Our soup is...

Seriously, gazpacho? It's delicious! Okay, our soup today is gazpacho because who doesn't want to eat cold tomato sauce with a spoon? I heard that! Can I get you some coffee, ma'am? Yes, please. Coming right up. Does she have tinfoil wrapped around her neck? That's what it looks like. What's that about? I don't know. How's your night going? Um, fine, thank you. I'm Casper. That's Gloria.

Leaf's back in the kitchen. That's Ava over there, though she probably won't say much as she's still recovering from being wrong about something a few minutes ago. Keep digging, buddy. Where are your ads? I'm sorry? You just said several sentences without an ad. Are you ad-free? You don't look ad-free. I thought the fees were so high only a select few could afford them. This confused line of questioning is brought to you by Delta. Delta, setting the standard for safer travel.

Oh my. Okay, here's some coffee. Have you decided on anything or do you need a few minutes? I recommend the BLT mainly because it's hard to screw up. What is going on here? Is this some sort of sting operation? I won't give up my people no matter what you do. This act of defiance is brought to you by Huggies. Ma'am, ma'am, ma'am. Everything's okay. Nobody's gonna hurt you.

We don't know what's going on though. Can you explain to us why you're upset? No! You first! Where are your ads? We don't know what you mean by that, okay? We're not from around here. We're from... Canada! Canada? Manitoba! Land of... Syrup? Syrup. Land of syrup. So we don't know what you're talking about right now. Canada?

So it's true what they say, there's no mandatory ads in Canada? I thought that was propaganda! This glimmer of hope is brought to you by Doc Martens, now offering free shipping on all orders over $50! It's definitely true what they say about Canada. In fact, to three people who are very certainly from Canada,

You sound a little strange right now. I'm sure I do. I haven't sounded like myself for several years, but you have to forgive me. I don't have any way of stopping it. This painful admission is brought to you by Twix. And that was "Insufficient Sweetie" by Yooka-Laylee Ike. Folks, it occurs to us that there may be some of you out there that are a bit confused as to where you may find yourself.

Indeed. Perhaps you find yourself in a land where folks' words are not their own. Where they are forced to speak in avaricious tongues to appease a sinful overlord. And perhaps the Lord has put you in this land to help them escape their oppressors. If you catch my meaning... Yeah, guys, we got it. Subtle. Your radio doesn't have ads either. Right.

It's a Canadian radio station. They don't sound Canadian. And some of you may be thinking to yourself, what's a couple of Arkansas-ers doing way up in Canada? It is a very interesting story. It is indeed, dearest. It began as a boy and I had a pet pig named Pan. Boy, I hope the radio plays some music soon. But that's a story for another time. Hey.

What's going on? Another thrilling episode of Sliders. What's your name? Mary. Mary! Since we're from Canada, right Leif? That's where we're from is Canada. Uh, yeah, that's right. Go Raptors! We really don't understand what's going on. What's with the tinfoil around your neck? It blocks the GPS signal. Okay, you know what? Why don't you start from the beginning? Of course.

To you I must sound like a crazy person. I'll start at the beginning. Our economy had begun to fail. With so many jobs being automated, no one could find something to support themselves. Nobody was safe. Jobs you wouldn't think could be automated suddenly were being done by an algorithm and a robot. I can't remember the last time a human being took my order at a restaurant. With everyone's job being replaced, there were protests. Protests turned to riots.

Then the corporations who would replace the workers unveiled their plan to save the working class: ad space. You could get a direct payment from a corporation if you agreed to put a billboard on your garage door or on the roof of your car. Any empty space would do. The back of your jacket, the side of your purse. It worked for a while, but soon we discovered that the empty spaces on our homes and clothing weren't enough. People had to take drastic actions.

Product-specific tattoos began to fetch a higher price. Students were told that their college debt would be forgiven if they legally changed their name to Sprite or Boboli Bread Shell. And in the end, even that wasn't enough. That's when they began to offer the chips. They're embedded into the back of our neck and weave advertisements directly into our conversations without us being able to control it.

Before long, the chips became mandatory. The ads are everywhere now, even in the words we say to a loved one. I need to apologize in advance. After a lengthy explanation like this, I'll probably have to do a 15-second spot. Sunlight travels 93 million miles to turn our grapes into sun-made raisins. And that's all we put in. Grapes and sunshine. Sun-made raisins. Nothing but grapes and sunshine. Okay. Ava?

Could we talk to you over here real quick? Sure. Ava Crossing the Room is brought to you by Nestle's Quick. Just get over here, please.

What's up? I just wanted to have a quick meeting to confirm that this is the stupidest dystopia we've ever been to. So bad. I mean, the other dystopian earths that we've been to, the fashion sense is on point. Very interesting eye makeup ideas. The music rips. But this? Ads everywhere? It's just depressing. Yeah, that might have been the most depressing story I've ever heard just now. Psst, y'all.

We agree. This place is a stinky bog of a place. Truly a Sodom in need of smiting.

Po-po! Oh no, they found me. Can you help me? What's happening? The officer outside, he's been looking for me for days. I've managed to avoid him so far, but now that's him outside. Can you hide me somewhere? This desperate plea is brought to you by Arby's. Arby's, we have the meat. Why is he looking for you? We can put her in the walk-in. Okay, follow me, sweetie. We're just saying yes to this. Thank you so much. We're not gonna ask her why she's on the run from the cops.

No. Evening, officer. Evening, folks. Just open? Yes. Our first day, as a matter of fact. Well, welcome to the neighborhood. I'm Officer Valvoline from the local sheriff's office in partnership with Kool-Aid.

I don't suppose you've seen a woman this evening, blonde hair, about yay high? No, we haven't. In fact, you're our first customer this evening. Can I get you a cup of coffee? I'm sorry? A cup of coffee. Our new waitress has been making it lately. It comes out really well.

I mean, it's still just coffee grounds and water, but there's something about the way that she makes it. Can I get you some? Sir, where... I'm sorry, officer. My husband's chip has been acting up all week. Sometimes it doesn't work until I give him a swift smack in the head. Don't. Ow. This cup of coffee is brought to you by, you know, Senka. Senka, when you...

Don't have a coffee machine? We're having it replaced tomorrow. Thanks for staying on top of that. Did you say your name was Officer Valvoline?

That's right, ma'am. When I got out of the academy, I was one of the lucky recipients of the Valvoline housing voucher. A simple name change and I was entitled to a two-bedroom house in lovely Valvoline Gardens. Sounds lovely. Sounds viscous. I...

How did Mrs. Svalvaline feel about that? Yeah, my previous last name was Kowadzieski. Pretty good, then. Good evening, officer. Can I get you a cup of coffee? Oh, I'm afraid our precinct has an exclusive deal with Folgers. Is it Folgers? Probably not. I'll have to pass. Is this everyone? Leaf, come out here and advertise something. Hey there.

I'm Leif, I'm the cook, and I'm brought to you by Land Rover. Nice to meet you. Folks, I don't mind telling you that the woman I'm looking for this evening is very dangerous. As you know, ads are life. And this woman and the group she belongs to are attempting to subvert this way of life and send this city and this country

into total chaos. The Getty Foundation is proud to support this malevolent warning. Total chaos sounds bad. Is she a terrorist or something? She most certainly is. She belongs to a group known as Free. Ad Free.

They believe it's their human right to be free of advertisements. Her and her compatriots are constantly searching for ways to have their chips removed and deny the community of the valuable revenue that they generate. How ridiculous. Luckily for them, they have been largely denied.

unsuccessful. As we all know, removing a chip is very dangerous. There's a risk of infection, neurological damage, also, it explodes. Whoa, dude. Explodes? Yeah, oh yeah. Takes your head...

clean off if you do it wrong, you know for security. That's a... interesting definition of security. Also of terrorism? So, it's... Well, what... what station is this on your radio right now?

It's gone for a full two minutes without advertisements. And that was Brighten the Corner Where You Are by Homer Rodiver, brought to you by... Burma Shave. Yes. No lady likes to snuggle and dine by a porcupine. Ask your local grocer about Burma Shave.

There we go. So it is imperative that we track these people down. So if you see the woman we're looking for, you call 911. Wait for the ad to end and then wait.

for the other ad to end. And then give a brief pause and the jingle will stop and THEN you report what you have seen! Okay? Everyone? Sure thing, officer. You got it. Great. Well, great. This friendly visit with threatening undertones is brought to you by Schlage.

Trust your home to Schlage. You guys had a Burma shave ad just sitting in your back pocket? Well, it's the only billboard in Toad Suck. Right. Toad Suck. Where you live. Because you're from Arkansas. Oh, you're getting close to fighting words with me, lady. Honey? Can we get the fugitive out of the walk-in, please? Hi there, Mary. Hey.

Turns out you're public enemy number one. I'm so sorry about this. I didn't mean to get anyone in trouble. You're a fugitive, and you said "hide me." That wasn't gonna come down on us at all? I wasn't thinking. You have a bomb in your neck. Hard to think clearly. Yeah, was he serious? That thing on your neck explodes? It does.

At first we thought it was propaganda to scare us, but then several heads later... Ouch! This message brought to you by scanners? They've been following me all night. There was a rumor that there was a doctor in this part of town that was removing chips from people, so I took the risk and I tried to find him. Turns out it was a ruse to lure me out of hiding. I've put you in a terrible position. I should go before I get you into more trouble. It is true what they say. Canadians are very nice.

This mournful goodbye is brought to you by Fruit Roll-Ups. Guys, come on. Is this the best that we can do? What do you want us to do? She's got a bomb in her head. I feel like we're supposed to help her. Help her how? She has a bomb in her head. Wouldn't a bomb in her head be a clear sign that she needs help? It's a clear sign she needs help from someone who can remove a bomb from your head.

Eva could do it. This isn't the Hurt Locker. I can't disarm a bomb. Wow, all this talk about how smart she is. How about I disarm your face? Okay, I don't care how smart or dumb we are. We're going to try and help her. Mary! Hey, where are you headed now? Honestly, I don't know. Don't worry about me, please. Do they have that show Sliders here? It was really popular in a...

Canada? I don't think so. See, it was the show about a group of people who traveled to all these different alternate realities. There was an Earth where the Nazis won the war. There was an Earth where scientists were treated like celebrities. And an Earth where robots have wiped out all the humans. It was great. Okay. The thing is, if your world was an episode of Sliders, it would really suck.

Because honestly, it's boring. There's no lords of the wasteland or killer robots or aliens. In your dystopia, things just got progressively worse in a really mundane way. And I don't think I like that. Mainly because your dystopia is plausible. And I only like to imagine dystopias that can't happen. We can't let you go back out into that, so...

Can you come inside and see if we can help you? You really don't have to. You were wandering around feeling lost and afraid. You didn't know where to turn and then suddenly there was a diner, right? Yes. Everyone in there knows that feeling. Come on in. Hello again. They say repeat customers is a key to successful business. Why don't you sit here in this chair, take the tinfoil off your neck and lift your hair up.

Eva is a scientist and is going to look at that chip in your neck. Wait, no, you can't. Why not?

As soon as you take the tinfoil off my neck, they'll be able to receive my signal. They'll be here within minutes. Well, we'll just have to work fast, won't we, Ava? I don't know anything about neck chips. You're the only scientist in the joint. Have a look. Are you sure this is safe? Totally fine. Let me have a look. This isn't a patty melt scale situation, Leaf. Just let me see. Okay. Oh, geez.

What's it look like? It's kinda gross. It's pretty Cronenberg back here, man. Were they trying to make it look like a giant insect had latched onto you? How about a little bedside manner, guys? Hey, Mary. While they're doing whatever they're doing, let's focus on something else. I'd really like that. Why were you on the run? It was a stupid idea. I heard there was someone in this part of town that could remove my chip. I was gonna have my chip removed and then broadcast a speech.

I had a shortwave radio and everything. I was going to talk to people without interruption, without ads. I wanted to be able to remind people what it was like. That's not much of a plan. I didn't know what else to do. Do you have any idea how terrible it is to say something heartfelt to someone you love and have to follow it up with an ad for Heineken?

This mention of an ad for Heineken brought to you by Heineken. Ava, how's it coming back there? It appears to run on some form of electricity. Ava, come on! Guys, scientists have fields of study for a reason. We're not wizards. Are those heat sinks? Are they what? Those two squares right there. They're heat sinks.

That means it can overheat. How do you know? I know how to get it off. Mary, I'm sorry for how this question sounds, but would you mind if I applied a creme brulee torch to the explosive on the back of your neck? Hang on. What are you talking about? If it has heat sinks, that means it can overheat. If it overheats, it will shut down until it cools off, so I can remove it.

But only for a few seconds. How do you know that? Just trust me. The chip comes off, I throw it out in the streets before it explodes. I am not in support of that. No. I have to keep the chip.

I have to stand in solidarity with my fellow freedom fighters. Oh, activists are the worst. I meant to make the speech and then put the chip back on. Well, that complicates things. The chip is one thing. What about the broadcast she wanted to make? Do we have to give her the whole package? We can't just take the chip off? She wants to put it back on.

We could maybe do the broadcast from here. Oh, really? And how are we going to do that? Well, I'd have to take the radio apart. Uh, come again? You are absolutely not taking the radio apart. I wholeheartedly agree. Last time we messed with the radio, we all almost died. How would you do it? Ava? In an older transistor radio, I might be able to use the local oscillator to transmit a low-power AM signal.

I might be able to connect the audio amplifier input to be the speaker instead of the detector diode. The audio output might power the local oscillator rather than being directly powered by the battery. How would you modulate the amplitude? By voicing the local oscillator, hopefully. That'd be hard to do without an oscilloscope. Or a circuit map.

But radios like that are so old, I could probably just wing it. Have we met? I'm Leif. I don't believe this is any time to be messing about with forces you don't understand, Leif. Leif, how do you know all this? I know things. Is the radio talking? Just go with it, Mary. This is all assuming that when I open up the back of the radio, that there's a radio in it.

I think it's a great idea. You get behind me, Satan! Let us not solve a small problem by creating a larger one. It'd be easy to put it all back together again. We are absolutely not doing any of that. Thank you, Casper. Let's not cloud our head with foolish ideas. I'm very confused right now. Oh, come on, you two. We're trying to help someone out. She desperately needs you. We will not be manipulated by...

Well, I have to say, I'm surprised. A couple of God-fearing Christians like yourselves, and you're refusing to help a refugee from persecution named Mary. Irony's about. Ava, you want to dial it back just a little bit? No, she's right, though I am loathe to admit it.

If this radio that we speak through can be of help to this troubled lady in her troubled world, then we are obliged to offer assistance. Leaf, do what you must. No, no. No, no, no. No. We're not touching the radio again. Not after the black hole. After the what? Casper, you must have faith that the Lord has put us on this path.

My husband is right. We must have faith. I love the Lord. Hang on, though. If our plan is to remove her chip so she can make a speech into the radio, we still need to do something with her chip. It'll blow if it's offered for...

More than five seconds, I'm guessing. Police are here. We need a solution. Everyone, please. I should just turn myself in. Attention, everyone in the building. This is Officer Valvoline with the Sheriff's Department.

Oh, to hell with it. Alright, if we're doing this, we're doing this.

We need to convince them that we're dangerous so they don't just charge in here. I've got an idea. Ava, where's the moonshine? Under the counter. After we do that, Mary, we're going to remove your chip and we're gonna put it on me. What? We have to do something with it. What do you suggest? Leaf, would it work? Yeah. He doesn't know. Yeah, it will. The technology is garbage. It just needs a warm body to latch onto. Please, you really don't have to do this. We're doing it. It's gonna be fine. Leaf, what are you doing? Everybody clear a path to the door. Leaf, is that- Out of the way!

OPEN FLAME! Oh my god! This Molotov cocktail is brought to you by COMMUNISM! Okay, that should do it. What the hell was that? Bangs out! They think we're crazy now! They probably have to call in a SWAT team or something! Okay, sure. Why not? Speaking of open flame, I'm going to go get my creme brulee torch. Mary?

Get ready to be ad-free! Is all of this really happening right now? It's totally okay to say you're having a nervous breakdown. Whatever gets you through the next few minutes. Casper, what are you doing? That chip could explode! Look, I know you're nervous, but I need you to do me a favor. If something goes wrong, and I don't make it, please try and blame yourself. It'll really take the sting out of getting my head blown off.

Is this because I'm being mean to Effie and Zebulon? I sure hope so. Casper, sit right next to Mary. The less time the chip is off a body, the better. Okay. Hey, Mary. How you holding up? Who are you people, and why are you doing this? We run a diner. Okay. I've got a creme brulee torch, and I'm about to get weird with you. Everybody stand back. Effie? Zebulon? How about a prayer? Lord...

Please guide our friend's hand as he applies an open flame to some sort of strange explody device attached to this woman's head. And should said explody device issue forth, we beseech you to carry our friend's souls into your loving embrace. Guys, please. Positive thinking. That's getting really hot. Almost there. Okay, it's off. Casper, hold still. Okay. It's off. Ow!

Oh, Jesus Christ, that's terrible. Fucking hell, that sucks. Motherfucker, this string of expletives brought to you by Hawaiian Airlines. Hawaiian Airlines, Hawaii starts here. Oh, shit. You know what? I've changed my mind. This was a great idea. It worked. I'm free. I can feel it. I could talk for an hour without having to advertise anything.

I can't remember the last time I felt this way. Leif, thank you so much. Leif, you're a genius. Okay, let's celebrate later. Leif, set up the radio. Okay. Effie, Sebulon, you guys are going to go dark for a minute. But I swear I'll get you back. That is, assuming I don't open up the back of the radio and there's a spatial anomaly in there or something. We trust you, Leif. Anything the two of you would like to say before we open you up?

The nature of your existence? How the diner works? Oh, I've got something I'd like to say. We've got enough to worry about without you two fighting with each other. Can you please knock it off? This attempt to quell an argument is brought to you by Slim Jim. Slim Jim. Snap into a Slim Jim. Jesus Christ, this is terrible. I'm so sorry. I know exactly how you feel. Question. How is the radio talking again? I am opening up the radio. Okay. It...

Looks like a circa 1920s radio in the inside. As I'm sure we all expected. Let me see. What the hell? Uh, guys, I think the SWAT team just got here. I was fast. I probably shouldn't have used the word communism when I threw the fireball. It's one of those words that drives everyone crazy. Attention communists. You are now in violation of several state laws as well.

Okay, guys, I'm going to unplug a few things.

But don't worry, we'll be right back. May the Lord guide your hand, Leif. The SWAT team is ready to go. What if they charge in here before he's finished? Tell them we have a bomb. What? And hostages. Are you serious? Just do it. This irrational directive brought to you by Reebok. Reebok? Seriously? Just do it was right there. We have a bomb. And hostages. Bomb threat. Every cover. They're crazy. This attack is brought to you by Capchild. Okay.

We're good. We're sending out a low AM signal, and the speakers are now microphones. Just like that? Just like that. And you're sure you can get Zeb and Effie back? Yeah, I just switch everything back. Or maybe you don't even have to. We seem to hear you all just fine. What the hell? You watch your mouth, Leif. They're speaking out of speakers that aren't speakers anymore. Fear not, Leif. What in the fucking world?

Oh, I'm sorry, Ava. Are you confused by our continued ability to do the Lord's work? You know what? You win. None of this makes any sense. I'm gonna give myself up to the police. To hell with it. I'm gonna have them slap a chip on me and I'm gonna sell Oscar Mayer wieners or whatever. Where's the moonshine? Could someone please explain to me what's going on? Mary. Mary.

You are a just woman in a land where injustice abounds. In your time of crisis, the Lord has reached out to you and brought us to you. Amen. As in the book of Matthew, blessed are those who are persecuted for a righteous cause, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Hallelujah! Mary, step forth and speak your truth unto us so that it may reach into the hearts of the troubled masses. I don't even know if anyone's listening. It matters not! Wait! Hey, Leif, what station are we on? Uh, AM 630. Hang on. Hey! We'll be broadcasting our demands on AM 630! Listen closely, capitalist pigs! Okay? You got an audience! Mary! Mary!

Fear not. Step forward and speak. Okay. Hello? My name is Mary. I studied anthropology in school in Boston. At first, I didn't even know why. I just felt like I should. I think I wanted to know... I wanted to know how we got here. How did we go from strange, confused apes to this?

It was a question I had always asked myself and was always confused why more people didn't ask it. How do people walk around in their lives and not ask how they got there? I thought it made me weird, but my dad said, It doesn't make you weird. It makes you an anthropologist. I don't know why I brought that up. I think it's because that was the first thing I asked my professor my freshman year. How did we get here? And I suppose I was expecting an hour-long speech or something, but she just said,

She just said, we started living together. And then she gestured to the Boston skyline and said, and that led to all of this. The thing is, I don't think this is what we meant to do. All of this. When we huddled together for warmth thousands of years ago, I don't think this was where we were trying to get to. I think we meant to do something else. I don't know what we meant to do, but...

Let me ask you something. When you look around, do you see something done right or something done wrong? I know what that answer is for me. I think you owe it to yourselves to find your answer. You won't hear from me again, but try and think of me from time to time, if you can. That was lovely, Mary. A sermon for the ages, to be sure. Laith, thank you so much.

But Casper looks miserable. I think you should put my chip back on. Mary, if you like, I can keep wearing this chip until Leaf figures out what to do with it. You can at least have some time without ads being piped into your brain. This selfless offer brought to you by Clorox Cleanup. Holy fucking shit, I hate this fucking thing. It's fine. They'll just put another one on me anyway. That chip and I have been through a lot together. Okay. Fire it up, Leaf. Here we go.

I don't think the Lord meant for us to fight, darling. I don't like not knowing things. Don't I know it. But you keep on thinking I've got something I'm not telling you. What makes you think I know any more than you do? I suppose that's fair. Here we go. Here we go. Here we go. And on. Ouch. Oh my God.

That was terrible. Are you sure you want to do this, Mary? This is actually the best I've felt in a very long time. I feel like we could have done more. No! You've done so much. Thank you. They're not going to put you in a gulag or something, are they? The irony is, they need me walking around free. For the ad time. That's hilarious. You know, I still have no idea what happened here tonight. Been there. I have so many questions.

But if I talk longer than a sentence, the chip will attach an ad. We understand. Who are you all? Um, be bold and mighty forces will come to your aid. That's the old saying, right? Sometimes mighty forces look pretty fucking weird. Thank you. All of you. Farewell, Mary. Leaf, look at you. You saved the day. Yep.

Just floating through the cosmos, right and wrongs, just me and my trusty creme brulee torch. Where'd you go to school, Leaf? What do you mean? Building down a processor, heat sinks, turning a radio into a broadcaster. You didn't pick that up being an intergalactic fry cook. School of hard knocks, baby. Uh-huh. We're still surrounded by the police, by the way.

They're going to lose their shit when we vaporize in a few hours. Yeah, it looks like the rest of this shift is going to be a standoff with the ad cops. Hey, are we still broadcasting? Yeah. Well then, Effie, Zebulon, let's give them a radio show. Ad free. Hello and welcome to all who hear my voice. My name is Zebulon Mucklewayne here with my wife Effie.

We know not if we find you lonely. We know not if we find you afeard. All we know is that we have found you, and we thank the Lord for that. And if you're a weary soul, don't you worry about a thing, because weary souls are the bread to our butter. Remove the oddly fitted coat of your burdens. Lay them down into the stream.

Be at peace as they float into the distance. The Lord hath made you perfect. You just done forgot. Thanks for listening to Midnight Burger, y'all.

Be sure and tune in this time next month for more adventures in the vastness. And if time and tide roil you too harshly, or diurnal courses leave you with no safe havens, just remember we're out there somewhere looking for you. We open at 6. The Fable & Folly Network, where fiction producers flourish.

It's a tale of learning and healing. We've got a whole province going to see one overworked witch in a candy cottage that's been chewed to pieces by the local kids.

Of fairies and magic. You're touching the sapphire of assessment! I'm not touching it! I'm just putting my head near it as I focus my brainial waveforms on it. Stop it! I'm not even touching it! Of struggle against the odds. This is my team. They may not live up to your vision of a perfect, efficient department. They don't live up to my vision of a stampede in a barnyard. Ooh, Keely, that's how you know it's working. And now, it returns at last. ♪

Alba Salix, Royal Physician, Season 2. Alba Salix, Royal Physician, from Fable & Folly. Find us wherever you listen to podcasts, or look us up at fableandfolly.com.