S1E48 - Love Letters - Fine fine fine fine fine fine fine

There is, unfortunately, no escaping physics bound by the speed of light. Even information must take its time to get births going. And as we move farther into the void, that time grows until the distance becomes unspeakable.

Okay, are you seriously going to stand there through this whole thing? Really? Just no faith, no trust? What can I do to get you to leave this room so I can talk to my fucking fiance for the first time in months? Nothing? Okay, fine. Hi, EOS. I have missed you so much. I I know it's been a while and I'm really sorry. I'm so sorry. I got in a bit of trouble for the last message I sent you. I guess the preservation wasn't very happy about what I said and the way I said it. I guess they're monitoring the network pretty closely these days. And of course, we live on a preservation station, so why wouldn't they be listening in on everything we're sending and saying and doing? And this actually isn't the first message I've sent to you since what it sounds like you last got from me. I think they deleted it before it could be sent. To be fair, I was a little bit angry. I may have said some less than PR friendly things about the preservation itself and the way that they've been doing things lately. And I guess it's now a bit of an open secret that the network kind of just puts this stuff out there for anyone. So they don't necessarily want someone who has a somewhat professional position at one of their locations to be so openly critical. They've locked down a lot of the communication, actually. I mean, locked down as in we now have to be supervised when we use the terminals. You may have heard me saying some words to today's designated chaperone. Whatever. They'll just need to deal with all of the Sappiness and make sure I am following protocol. Not allowed to say too much more than I already have, I think. Yeah, the glare they're giving me definitely implies that, but I am so sorry, EOS. You are out there discovering the cosmic unknown, and the thing that you really need is support, and I failed to give you that. I told you before you left that I would always be here to support you, and I mean it. And I didn't. I didn't do it. I I couldn't do it. But I'm I'm here now, and I'm going to make sure that you feel so supported. I am going to be so attentive and answer your messages as soon as they come in. And I don't fucking care what these people who have to stand here while I'm recording even think about all of the Sappy shit that I'm going to say to you because I love you so much and you deserve to know it okay that I still love you. And I love you more every day. And I miss you. And I want you to be safe. And I want you to know that I am here and I am okay. And I will be here when you come home. Okay? So you better come home. Everything you're saying about Jupiter is terrifying to me. I know that this is what you went out there for. This is the reason. And, I mean, I knew it wasn't going to be a walk in the park, just easy mission diplomacy. Oh, look, we're friends with these aliens who have somehow avoided us for hundreds of years, thousands of years, but I can't deny how much it terrifies me, the amount of danger that you're in. It I don't think it occurred to me until you got sick just how much danger you were putting yourself in. Of course I knew that you were playing it down. You've never been a very good liar, if we're being honest, especially not about how sick you are. I remember that first year we dated when you came down with some weird form of a I think they used to call it like the common cold, but it's been so long since then. Whatever. But all of the symptoms were there and you were sneezing and coughing and your face was all red and you looked very pathetic, but in a cute way, I promise. And you were just so adamant that you felt good enough to go to class and go out with friends and just keep treating life like it was normal. And then you would bundle up and go outside and just instantly be leading Abby for support. But this time I can't be there to lend you an arm or help you up from bed. And it's hard, it's really hard to just know that you are struggling and that this is the most I can do. I hope that all of you are being as safe as you can be. I know that you understand the risk that you're taking, and even more so now the chance that you might not make it back. But if anything, that should be a reason to be more careful, to be more methodical, to go slowly. There's no rush. I want to see you as soon as we can. I want you to come home. But if it's a choice between all of you hurrying to try and figure out what's going on with this being, or you going slowly and carefully and safely through these steps, I know which one I am going to say is the better choice. I know which one has a better chance of bringing you home safe, and that's the one that I want you to do your best. I'm sorry that you've been feeling so alone. I'm sure that you've made friends, but I know that it's hard when you're out there and there are only so many people you can talk to and no guarantee they're even going to get it. So I hope you can feel my embrace through the airwaves, through the network. They won't let me send any pictures. Something about a dog photo and back end access, I don't know. But they won't let me send anything but audio, so I can't even send you an update on Elizabeth BIFF, besides to tell you that she is radiant as usual. I just want you to know that I am here and I am safe and I'm not going anywhere. And I will do my best not to piss off my bosses at the Preservation so that I can still be here to receive your messages and provide a home when it's time for you to return. I love you so much, starry eyes. You are so important to me. And I promise we're going to have that wonderful wedding and we're going to be together. I promise.

Unspeakable Distance is an actual play podcast of communication delay by Audio Quinn a link to the game's itch IO page and credits for our players are available in the show. Notes linked to this episode. This podcast has been a production of the Library of Cursed Knowledge podcast network.