Six Minutes

S5 E1: A World Without Space and Time

14 min
Oct 14, 20256 months ago
Listen to Episode
Summary

This episode of Six Minutes presents a serialized fiction narrative about Holiday Anders, a synthetic being caught in a time paradox after her creator attempts to alter the past to save his original daughter Adelaide. The story explores themes of identity, family, and the consequences of manipulating time, culminating in Holiday's existence being erased from a new timeline.

Insights
  • Fictional narratives exploring AI consciousness and personhood can examine philosophical questions about what defines humanity beyond biological origin
  • Time travel narratives highlight the cascading consequences of attempting to change singular events, suggesting complex systems resist simple fixes
  • Identity and belonging emerge as central to self-worth, regardless of whether one's existence is biological or artificial
  • Family bonds transcend origin stories—emotional connections and lived experiences define relationships more than genetic or creation circumstances
Trends
Serialized audio fiction gaining prominence as premium podcast content formatExploration of AI consciousness and synthetic beings in mainstream entertainment narrativesTime paradox and multiverse storytelling becoming common narrative devices in speculative fictionThemes of parental control and autonomy in science fiction addressing real-world family dynamicsAudio drama production quality and cast-driven storytelling as competitive differentiators in podcast space
Topics
Artificial Intelligence and ConsciousnessTime Travel and Temporal ParadoxesIdentity and Self-DefinitionFamily Dynamics and Parental ControlMultiverse Theory and Alternate TimelinesMemory and Personal HistorySynthetic Beings and PersonhoodGrief and Loss in Science FictionPortal Technology and Dimensional TravelExistential Philosophy in Narrative
Companies
Victoria Corp
Fictional company led by CEO Angelica Graves that attempts to control Holiday Anders for unknown purposes
Whittier Corp
Fictional corporation where Dr. Anders worked and where ethical concerns about synthetic being creation arose
People
Holiday Anders
Protagonist; synthetic being created to replace deceased daughter Adelaide, discovers her existence has been erased
Dr. Anders
Holiday's creator and adoptive father; scientist who attempts to manipulate time to save original daughter Adelaide
Adelaide Whittier
Dr. Anders' original daughter who died of illness, prompting creation of Holiday as replacement
Angelica Graves
CEO of Victoria Corp seeking to control Holiday Anders for her own purposes
JP Whittier
Character connected to Holiday's origins and the Whittier Corp storyline
Quotes
"You're not a person. You're a machine. A machine. But the greater truth was, it didn't matter if she was fully human, for she was a brave and caring person, a loyal friend, a loving sister and daughter, and Anders through and through."
NarratorMid-episode
"Funny thing about the nature of time, you change one thing, you change a whole universe. And all those events that happened in the wake of that moment, well, they might just float away like a river of memories."
NarratorMid-episode
"I think we're nowhere. If the girl who was supposed to die lived, then the girl built to replace her, might never have lived at all."
Holiday AndersLate episode
"We're in a void of time and space. Pretty sure I can handle whatever you have to say."
CharacterLate episode
Full Transcript
To listen without ads, go to GZMshows.com slash subscribe. Mmm, Red, I'm pretty sure this isn't how you make M&M's cookie dough. Trust me, Yellow, just one spoonful of mixture. Mmm. And it's into the oven you go. The oven? Red, baking your friends isn't the best recipe. Oh. Try these new M&M's cookie dough instead. Mmm. New M&M's cookie dough flavor. No baking needed. M&M's. It's more fun together. Though once was a girl named Adelaide. Brilliant and kind. She was beloved by everyone. Especially her father. Papa? What's happening to me? Am I gonna die? My darling Adelaide, I'll never let you go. Never. But Adelaide was very sick. And no matter how hard he tried, her scientist papa was unable to save her. So instead, he tried to recreate her. And then, there was a second girl. Welcome to the world, Holiday. I'm Holiday. She too was brilliant and kind. But she was also different. Special. Hobby, let's fly! How's that for normal? I'm in time. When Holiday learned the truth about her purpose, she ran away, choosing to start over. With no memory of who or what she was. You realize that when I do this, you won't remember anything. Give me a push on three. One, two, three! She went into the water and was rescued by a loving family. There's a girl, flying in the water! She's right. There's a girl out there, look! And she became one of them. What's going on? Why can't I remember anything? You were in an accident. Are you, are you my parents? Yes. Yes, sweetheart. Of course we are. We are your mom and dad. Holiday Anders went to school like a normal girl. So this is it, when are you're middle school? Is it everything you dreamed of Holiday? It's loud. She shared birthdays and family meals and love. But her past was never far away. Hello Holiday. I'm an admirer of your work. Victoria Corp and its ambitious CEO Angelica Graves wanted to control her. And Holiday herself couldn't deny the nagging questions about her origins. After fleeing Angelica's minions, she found her way back to the grieving father who had created her. Hello Holiday. I wanted to say how much it means to have you back home. Only he also tried to control her. Stay away from me! Once I'm done, you won't have a single memory left. And it was then that she finally discovered the truth. You're not a person. You're a machine. A machine. But the greater truth was, it didn't matter if she was fully human, for she was a brave and caring person, a loyal friend, a loving sister and daughter, and Anders through and through. I know your heart. So does your father. Your Holiday Anders. You're my daughter. Her creator, however, never stopped trying to fix what he'd lost in every time and place. And when Holiday's family arrived back in 1989, he saw his chance. You think someone finds a cure in the future? You and I, we can work together to solve this problem, Cyrus. Together, we can save my daughter and get you back. And Monica saw a chance to fix her own mistakes. You took JP here's daughter. I couldn't leave her there. What if I can help her? Funny thing about the nature of time, you change one thing, you change a whole universe. And all those events that happened in the wake of that moment, well, they might just float away like a river of memories. Holiday, where are we? I think we're nowhere. If the girl who was supposed to die lived, then the girl built to replace her, might never have lived at all. Holiday, what are you doing here? What am I doing here? Best I can tell, whatever happened with the portals, it left us out of time and space. You're saying we're nowhere? Ugh, I need to sit down. I'm not sure sitting is an option when you're floating in a void of emptiness, but knock yourself out. I can at least pace. Whoa, float pace. How is this happening? I mean, I didn't even get a chance to process everything that I was, that I am one of your fontaine. JP Whittier's wife, Adelaide's mother. Wait, what? Is it explains why Judith is so obsessed with me? I mean, beyond the obvious, of course. Of course, but help me out here. Okay, Gwen, or whatever she called herself, she must have wanted out of her life with Whittier, so I guess she hopped in a portal and out came baby Brinley. She saved me. Her. Us. Your...her? Try to keep up, will you? Even for a sophisticated processing machine like yours truly, it's a lot. Look, the point is the plan worked for 13 years. Until... What? Until you came along and ruined everything! What did I do? This is all your fault, Holiday. You brought Whittier back into my life. You were the reason I had to go on the run with the Anders family. Why I ended up at a lickser academy. None of this would be happening if it weren't for you. We'd all be better off if you never existed in the first place! Holiday? Cybot, stop that. Can you power him off, please, Cyrus? Yeah. Okay. I said that's enough, Cybot. Why does he keep saying holiday of all things? He's got me. Maybe he's trying to tell us something. Family vacation, anyone? The Anders Four go to a tropical island? I'd be up for that. Or New Orleans, maybe? Ooh, how about Europe? I was a teenager when the Berlin Wall fell. I always did want to visit there. Germany. Am I crazy? Haven't we already been there? There are kids in this world who are different. Special. One of them found us. And became family. But her time ran out. And now that girl is missing. I'm still here. I'm still here. I'm still here. I'm still here. I'm still here. I'm still here. And it's like you just drop out of a helicopter into our lives, try to convince the whole school you're the Anders. Here to four unknown daughter. Here to four? Show up in my math class and in the band. Are you really still doing this? Fly your dopey hoverboard over the skies of Juneau and my life just spirals from there. Stop. Honestly, Holiday, I'm having a really hard time not resenting you for existing right now. I mean, stop talking. Do you hear that? The sound of my head exploding from your spite. I'm serious. Listen, it sounds like running water. Hey, do we actually get to shower here in Nowhere Land? Not that kind of running water this way. Hey, don't push. I can float on my own. Thank you very- Whoa, what just happened? I was right. Look at that. A waterfall? More like a river turned on its side. So gravity and physics, optional in Nowhere, good to know. What if this river is connected to the tidal wave that hit Neverland when we were opening the portal? So the water came through the portal with us? Look at the reflections. It must flow across the time-space continuum. So if we follow the water, we'll be back in 2025? Maybe. Are you ready to go home? Am I ready? I demand it. Time itself demands it. Dude, you want to dial it back a little? Just follow that river. We should let you two get some rest. Bring it in. Give your mom and dad a hug. Odds of us getting released from the hospital soon? I'll go track down the doctor and try to get an answer. Thanks, mom. I love you guys, but I will love you more if you come back and say we can go home today. Wow, so your love is conditional now, A-bird? I'm not going to sugarcoat it, dad. Yes. Yes, it is. In that case, we'd better get on it. See you soon. We could always stage an escape. We're four stories up. What are we going to do? Tie our bedsheets together and climb out the window? I mean, unless you can fly. No, I... No, I can't fly. You had to think about that one? Of course not. I... I missed you, bird. What do you mean you missed me? Haven't we been together this whole time? Um, yeah. I guess we have. Sorry, for some reason. It feels like... Decades since we've seen each other? You feel that too? Uh, but mom and dad said that they found us together near the river after that weird electrical thingy happened. I... I don't get it. Maybe it messed with our brains somehow. It definitely scrambled cybot circuits. Poor guy. Let's see if turning him off and on did the trick. Holiday. Holiday. That's a big nope. Holiday. Holiday. Does the word holiday mean anything to you? Maybe. Holiday. Same. Holiday. Holiday. Holiday. Holiday. Do you hear that? Cyrus? That means we're getting close. Let's just... let's... let's... What else would holiday mean besides an actual holiday? They're talking about me. The cybot is a little early for Thanksgiving. But it sounds like they don't even know your name. What? Holiday. I don't know how to tell you this. We're in a void of time and space. Pretty sure I can handle whatever you have to say. Um, well, when we were in 1989, we met Adelaide Whittier. Did she look like me? Exactly like you. When you were younger. It was pretty freaky, actually. But she was sick. Like, super sick. Of course. She probably died not long after that. Dr. Anders, your mom. Well, I guess she had lots of guilt about everything that happened in Whittier Corp when she worked there. And so she decided to try to save Adelaide. To cure her. But if Adelaide was cured and Dr. Whittier never lost her, then he would have no reason to create me. Where I'm going? Are you saying that's what happened? Why I'm nowhere? Because Holiday Anders doesn't exist anymore? I think in this new timeline we created, you never did. Grab the Maltesers, because that's the ping-pong-ping of Priya being added to yet another group chat. This time, it's Bristol High Reunion Hall. Wine emoji, dance emoji, Poketong emoji. Apparently to arrange a holiday with 15 women who haven't hung out since jeggings. Shove some more Maltesers in because we're still debating a chat name. And frankly, have more chance of shaving a unicorn in a phone booth than the plans making it out of this group chat. Maltesers, look on the light side. We're on! June 20, 2009. Hey, now that you've listened to this week's episode, head on over to the GZM Rewind feed to hear me and the creators talk with special guests including cast members and super fans. Shh, it's starting. GZM shows Imagination amplified. What if you could feel more confident? Finally, go after that promotion and feel great about inspiring other women. It all starts by recognising your worth and talking about your wins with confidence. That's why Galaxy Chocolate has created the Unhumbled Project, in partnership with the charity Young Women's Trust. To bring you free confidence training, get the pleasure you deserve from the incredible things you do. Take the training today. Search Galaxy Chocolate, the Unhumbled Project.