Snipe | Part 1

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We plan on re-releasing them next December and every December afterwards as long as we can. and if you want to keep listening to them year round you can always go to our Patreon page where you can listen to all of our episodes ad free and have everything in our archive but now let's talk about Snipe, the story we're going to be listening to today. This is going to be a little shorter than the other special edition stories we've done. This one is a two-parter so you're going to be listening to part one this week and then we'll get part two which is the conclusion next week so this was originally released I think in 2013 13 or 14, maybe? God, God. Which actually makes it the newest of our special edition stories, despite how old it is. Right. This is kind of like the most recent of the special edition stories, even though it was 10 years ago. Yeah. So this one is, you know, it was meant to be a techno thriller or a cyber thriller. It gets into the origins of some of the stuff that happens in Leviathan Chronicles season three. It opens with this really great action scene, which I know Kristoff and I both really love. I know one of the reasons Kristoff really likes is because it's inspired by one of his favorite movies. An interesting thing about Leviathan Chronicles and Leviathan Audio Productions is when we started all of this, we weren't that familiar with audio fiction or audio drama or radio drama, as it was mostly called back then. You know, we hadn't listened to a lot of the things that had come before us. We were sort of just winging it and we're more familiar with it now. But, you know, when Kristoff started writing this stuff, his big references were the movies and TV shows that he grew up with and that he really liked. Even still, when we're making stuff, a lot of the references he'll send me of, you know, I want this scene to be similar to this or to sound like this, is he'll send me a YouTube clip of even just a particular shot from a movie that he likes or something. He's like, how can we do this in an audio format? That's true. One of the things that I would say he references more than anything else is Blade Runner. I do. I think that Blade Runner did such a great job of not just establishing this world build and was so stylistically innovative, but it was, I wouldn't say it was in any way like a horror, but there was so much tension. It was a science fiction thriller. And I think we try to embody a lot of that in Snipe, where there are both moments of great action, great tension, and also some really good romance. And I think in the first scene, I'm not going to give too much away, but we really get to meet these two dark water agents that have a very unusual relationship or are on a very unusual mission. And one of the things, as we both re-listened to Snipe, that we talked about was that for the Leviathan listener that really wants to go deep into the lore, there's a lot of, it's a very active episode. episode. You have to listen kind of closely, but there's a lot of density into the dialogue, like learning more about these dark water agents. And the dark water agents are kind of this division within Leviathan where these are the individuals that are placed on the surface, even though they're immortal. Most of the immortals cannot go to the surface, at least not for the first 50 years that they're brought down to Leviathan. And these are the ones that are installed in various positions in espionage and government and other places on the surface to kind of integrate with humanity to both gather information and also influence events. So we really get to meet two of the agents and get a sense of kind of what their lives are like in this episode. Yeah. So we won't keep jabbering on for much longer. We want you guys to be able to enjoy the episode. So without much further ado, here is Snipe Part One. Snipe A Leviathan Chronicles story Part 1 September 2002, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, 10.30pm. Elizabeth Franklin sat perched on a dimly lit catwalk on top of the New Millennium Bridge spanning the Tyne River between Newcastle and Gateshead. As a member of Leviathan's Darkwater Force, she spent considerable amounts of time on the surface interacting with mortals, as well as living and working amongst them. She marveled at the hectic, glistening city below her, and although she had not spent any time in Newcastle in the past several decades, she had conducted extensive research before arriving. Newcastle upon time was a city of change, evolving from a coal mining community in the early 20th century into a vibrant cultural and tourist beacon for the United Kingdom. A home for innovation, the city drew brilliant minds from architects to computer engineers to come and create. Elizabeth sat with her legs crossed, wearing heavy black tights, a black vicuña cashmere turtleneck, and a dark bronze vest with sable fur trims surrounding her neck. her long blonde hair hung in a straight ponytail down to her mid-back, fastened by a matching fur hair tie. Despite the late hour, she watched the parade of foot traffic below her with great interest, noting the different speeds in which people walked and who paused to look at the dark water below. Elizabeth wondered if her partner, Soichi Honda, would accept her daring challenge to meet atop the bridge. She had almost discounted his resourcefulness before her lips widened into a long smile as she felt impossibly light footsteps approaching from behind her. You haven't tired of watching? Soichi, I didn't know if you would come. You call, I come. That's the way it is and always has been. Look at the view from up here. It's just fascinating. Do you see the architecture? Look at that old brick chimney, just blocks from the garish glass tower. Such an interesting mix of the old and new. Like Leviathan. Yes, but rougher here. So uneven. I'm amazed things don't change even more on the surface. The new generations rise up so quickly with no memory of what came before them. It surprises me that the cities aren't torn down and rebuilt all the time. In some places they are. In America and parts of Asia, it's driven by curiosity, you know. Their lives are very new there. Their cities grow higher and higher. Their people move faster and faster. Always trying to do more with the little time they have. Are the ones that live in those new places happier than the mortals that live here? I really couldn't say. So itchy. Surely you have a bit more sympathy in your heart for the mortals than that. You can't appreciate the wealth of the information age unless you live through the Great Depression. You can't appreciate the abundance of food unless you've lived through a true drought. I remember the first time people took running water for granted. I wanted to kill them. We can't blame them for what they don't see. We've been around to see the world change, you know. True, but we could also choose not to worry about them at all. What? Completely sequester ourselves in our little ivory tower under the ocean? Of course. My invitation stands. You made that invitation 180 years ago. I don't change my mind often. What a rigid life you lead. When was the last time you were topside? Five years ago, actually. I was running an errand for Evangeline. Oh. You just said I keep secrets, my dear. Now what is on our plate for this evening? Apparently an office worker for a software laboratory is being naughty and selling some rather delicate technology to the highest bidder. They're meeting on the bridge in 15 minutes. We need to interrupt the drop and snatch the tech. Soichi's brow furled slightly as he stared down at the shadowy river beneath them. A little unusual, don't you think? What sort of technology could Evangeline possibly be interested in? Leviathan has always been leagues ahead of mortal advances. Apparently not this time. This is something even our people haven't come up with. I'm not sure what it is. Our only goal is to get it and deliver it into Leviathan's hands. Strange. Always suspicious, Soichi. Look who I'm partnered with. Be nice. We just need to apprehend and deliver the stolen tech for analysis. Surely a simple delivery job shouldn't warrant your particular brand of concern. Deliver it we will. Who are we looking for? A large man. Caucasian. Early 50s. Brown hair. Slightly balding. Could be half this country. Anything more specific? Only that a briefcase will be chained to his wrist. And I believe the man he's meeting is already on the bridge. Soichi Honda squinted and could make out a figure loitering on the footbridge below them. He was well hidden, and Soichi spotted him only because he knew what to look for. People trading sensitive information in public always had the same nervous stance. Soichi would have gambled he was armed, most likely heavily. Subtle. Wait, do you see that? Isn't that a boat coming downstream? Don't they clear the bridge when it opens? They normally do. That's when this gets interesting. And do you have a plan to get this away from them? This bridge isn't like normal bridges. It tilts upward 40 degrees. They going to be alone but they be far too preoccupied with their own lives and not falling into the river These support cables will be horizontal over the water at full open We run across the cables to the other side of the bridge interrupt them and then we skip away with our absconded package You're really a bit casual, Elizabeth. Goddess, why do I let you bland these things? You haven't taken into account that I'm better on the ground than dancing across cables. And what about the fact that there are guards at either end of this bridge I'm sure will be eager to talk to us when get off. You've pulled yourself off as Russian royalty before. I think you can bluff your way out of this one. While being chased by those men we are going to steal from? No, my guess is the breach guards are in on the deal. They'll have to be dealt with. That's my job. You're good at your job. I do my job best when my two feet are on the ground. What about these cables? You know I don't like heights. You have many skills you won't acknowledge, Soichi. I have faith in you. Besides, We have aqua scooters waiting for us on the Newcastle side. In this water. You wanted a clean getaway. I wouldn't call it clean. Well, then it's the most efficient way for us to make a stealthy departure. Of course. You've thought of everything. Elizabeth Franklin smiled at him and reached out to tweak his nose affectionately. She then pulled a nylon harness out of her backpack and slipped it over Soichi's head, snapping it snug under his arm. She attached a super-thin cable to the bridge support. There. Now you're all safe. Sui-Chi swallowed. Her love of heights had always made him nervous. He looked out on the water and saw that the long barge canal boat had slightly glided within a hundred yards of the Millennium Bridge. The bridge suddenly hummed to life and began its upward slow tilt, causing the upper beam in which they perched to slowly descend toward the water, pulling the footwalk on the opposite side of the bridge upward. Incidentally, are you seeing anyone now? No, I'm completely unattached. You? No. It's always nice to hear my wife is single. They watched the bridge tilt, the two parts of the bridge tracing an arc over the water. Soichi now understood why this odd bridge was called the Winking Eye. A heavyset, nervous-looking man dressed in black hurried toward the waiting man in the middle of the bridge. Eventually, he and his target sat on the tilted floor and put their feet on the wall of the inner arc of the bridge. Once the bridge was at a proper angle, the wall became a reasonable floor. Okay, now we go. Come on, just run. Momentum will keep your balance. Think of riding a bike. Elizabeth, I don't think... She's gone. He placed his foot on the cable and began to walk. Damn it, Elizabeth. Don't look down. Look ahead. Watch the cable. Trust your feet. You're better than you. Stronger, fast, better balance. You can do this. Elizabeth! Sochi felt the second shot pull at the air next to his cheek as he burst into a run, forgetting his fear of heights. He nearly wept with relief when he saw his wife standing, unharmed, over two bodies. One was clearly the nervous-looking young man who'd been carrying the briefcase. Elizabeth, you didn't... Good Lord, what do you think I've turned into? No, Soichi, someone else beat us to the drop. Someone beat us? Someone beat us? Who? Don't know. It was a slender woman in a white leather coat. Tall, blonde, moved like a fucking shadow. Took everyone by surprise, including me. I wasn't... There! Look! Elizabeth pointed and Soichi saw a white figure running nimbly along the outside of the bridge walkway toward the far side, then leaping with superhuman power to cover the open water to the Newcastle side of the river. Soichi leaned over to inspect the man who had previously been attached to the briefcase. His arm ended in a ragged stump, having been clearly shot off with two rounds from a high-powered handgun. The hand was about five feet away, under the slide. He winced when he saw it had a wedding ring. Elizabeth, meanwhile, was rifling through the pockets of the other man. Get his ID. We need to know more about these people and then get out of here. We need to follow that woman. Far ahead of you, my dear. Done. They both pocketed their stolen identifications and ran along the inside of the bridge as it plumbed to life again and began to move back toward the water. Did you say there were scooters waiting for us? Yes, but on the other side. Wonderful. Soichi! There! That's the woman! At the far end of the bridge, a Moto Guzzi 600 exploded into life. The streetlights showed the woman's white coat and helmet in stark contrast to the dark street as she sped off, bridge guards rushing after her and shouting. She has the briefcase. We'll never catch her on foot. With the bridge drumming under them, Soichi slowed to a stop and pulled out his trusty weapon, a specialized pistol used only by dark water agents. As the motorcycle rounded the corner, he took careful aim and fired. The dart hit the back tire and exploded, sending an advanced polymer glue spraying in all directions. The tire instantly shredded and the engine quickly absorbed the quick-hardening goo, throwing the motorcycle onto its side and into traffic. The woman had thrown herself off the bike and rolled free, tucking tightly until she came to a stop on the sidewalk. He fired again twice, missing the woman by inches. Soichi. Yes, dear? She doesn't move like most mortals. Yes, dear. She's clearly one of us. No mortal would have reflexes that fast. I don't recognize her as a member of the Rebellion, and I've been keeping rather close tabs on them. Their worries were confirmed as the woman leaped to her feet completely unharmed and dashed into the oncoming traffic. She grabbed the saddlebag containing the briefcase off the side of the downed motorcycle and avoiding the wreckage around her, set off at a sprint once more. Soichi and Elizabeth now sprinted at their full and mortal potential to the other side of the bridge to catch the mysterious woman. The bridge was nearly open at this point and the two angry guards turned their attention away from the woman in the white coat and trained their pistols on Soichi and Elizabeth. You two, stop right there! Drop your weapons! Elizabeth put her hands behind her head and then quickly pulled her weapon from the strap concealed by the thick fur on the back of her vest. Both guards collapsed to the ground, bullets firmly lodged in their shoulders. People around the bridge screamed and scattered as the two immortals leaped over the barricades and ran to follow the woman in white into traffic. No! Quick, she cut down that alley. You take the rooftops and I'll stick to the street. Activate your peacock. Elizabeth reached down to the metal bracelet she always wore and pressed a small button on the side. Radio check. Check. Got it. The couple dashed across Burnbury Street and down the narrow alley the woman in white had fled down. Elizabeth quickly leapt and grabbed the lower rungs of a fire escape and climbed the outside like a spider, avoiding the stairs. Soichi forced himself not to take a moment to admire her and instead focused on the mysterious woman they were chasing. The alley he was running down forked at its end, where the city had established a more modern warehouse district. Do you see her? No. Leaping the rooftops isn't as easy as it was in the 1920s. There are more obstacles now. Antennas, ventilation ducts. And these new cell towers. It all looks so messy. You never accepted excuses from me, dearest. Double standards keep our relationship spicy, dearest. Just tell me if you see her. Wait. I just saw a dumpster move. Down below, 40 yards ahead of you. It looks like she may be hiding instead of running. Watch for an ambush. Soichi slowed to a stop, drew his pistol and then resumed walking very slowly down the alley. The dim illumination of a tandoori restaurant's back door cast a yellow square of light into the dingy alley. But something glistening caught his eye. Soichi knelt for a moment and inspected the fresh blood that had splattered onto a nearby plastic trash can. Elizabeth, I don't think she's setting up an ambush. I think she might be injured. Which dumpster did you see? A dumpster against the back of a condemned apartment building suddenly shook. He edged up to it carefully. Soichi stood over six feet, but he could only see the top of the pungent trash bags that filled that dumpster completely. I know you can hear me. Give us what you took, and we'll walk away. I'm warning you that we know exactly what you are. Soichi strained to hear a response, but heard nothing. He reached his hand up and inside the dumpster and fired another two rounds from his projectile pistol. After waiting another moment, hearing nothing, he reluctantly climbed inside. Aside from bags of refuge that smelt like curry, there was no sign of the woman in white. She's not here. If you can't spot her from your vantage point, can you come down and help me? Understood. I'm not getting anything up here but a stiff breeze. Look out below! Elizabeth leapt over the side of the rooftop she was standing on to land on one of the fire escapes below. She deftly swung from railing to railing, dropping a floor as she went. Finally, when she was just above Soichi, she swung hard, piking her body into an elegant double somersault, landing squarely within the dumpster beside Soichi. Oh, God, Elizabeth! This isn't a game! Is that vindaloo in your hair? Probably. Did you feel the way the dumpster hit the wall? No, I was too busy avoiding the tidal wave of waste, thank you. The dumpster wasn't against the wall. It wasn't shifting because she crawled inside. She got behind it. How could a slender young woman move a dumpster that must weigh a few tons? The pair stared at each other, both knowing the answer. Help me out, my love. Soichi and Elizabeth leaped lightly from the dumpster, and Elizabeth shone a flashlight behind the dumpster as Soichi pulled it further from the wall. The crumbling stone and rotting wood showed a gaping hole large enough for a small person to crawl through. There was also more blood. Come on, we're close. How did she fit through here? Get it. I'll take the stairs and check the upper floors. You stay down here and watch the exits. Wait, I'm coming with you. A rickety staircase complete with missing banisters hung from the second floor like a rotten tooth. You were saying? There's no way out. Why would she come here? She's got to know she's trapped. Maybe she needs a moment to heal whatever she's broken. She's well enough to be moving dumpsters around. I don't know. Perhaps there's others inside. She might be planning an ambush with reinforcements inside, in which case we should. I think we just figured out why. Police. No, I think we spotted her exit. Listen. Soichi maintained an encyclopedic knowledge of mortal machinery. The helicopter above was running on an electric motor, a type of stealth technology not typically found on police helicopters in Newcastle. It's a getaway. Elizabeth, we should... Get down! Turn off that torch! She must be hurt worse than we expected. She missed. Could be a warning. You stay here. I'm going up. No! You said you were always better on the ground. Fine. I'll watch the exits. Take the torch. But for God's sake... Never mind. Be right back, dearest. And remember, getting shot at keeps our marriage spicy. Elizabeth took in the interior of the dilapidated building, which appeared to be the remnants of a cheap hotel or residence. A central staircase or what was left of it wound around the edges of the interior of the building, leaving the center completely open, topping off at a cracked, strained skylight eight stories up. A flash of white streaked three stories above. Got you. She nimbly jumped upward and leaped towards the staircase which dipped alarmingly as she set foot on it The interior of the building looked like it could collapse at any second Elizabeth negotiated the crumbling staircase as quickly as she could, trying to find solid footing under the rotten, wet wood beneath her feet. With the third gunshot, Elizabeth realized the woman in white was not aiming for her, but was trying to bring down the section of the staircase she was standing on. Shit! Soon, Elizabeth reached the fourth floor as she urgently scanned around herself, Desperately searching for something to hold on to, she put her foot down on another decaying stair and stumbled. Oh no. Elizabeth suddenly leapt forward, desperate to reach the top of the landing before the entire staircase collapsed. This could have been brought up better. Elizabeth lunged for the top of the stairs just as the staircase gave way. She managed to grab the edge of the fifth floor and avoid falling into the sharp pile of wood and nail that had now accumulated at the center of the first floor. Elizabeth, are you alright? Yes. Can you see her anywhere? I think she's heading for the roof. No, but I'm going to look for the circuit box. Be prepared for some light soon. Elizabeth lay on her back and closed her eyes for a second to catch her breath. But as she tried to get to her feet, she suddenly felt a heavy pair of boots step deliberately on her fingers. In the dim moonlight that filtered through the broken skylight above, Elizabeth could see the gun pointed at her head. She had never even seen the woman in white coming or heard the sound of a single footstep. God, she's good. Who the hell trained her? Who are you? In a blinding flash, all the interior lights came on. Elizabeth took her moment and swung her leg over the ledge. Dropping her gun, the woman stumbled backward into a table. Who are you working for? The woman in white smiled enigmatically and lunged for Elizabeth. She knew Elizabeth's hands were throbbing with pain. Elizabeth had to rely on her skills at deflection. She cradled her right hand to her chest as she deflected and dodged as best she could, while the unrelenting woman came at her, punching and kicking like she was possessed. She was now backed up to the edge of the destroyed staircase again, and it would now be the fall that killed her, not this woman. Madam, no one ever lays a hand on my wife. Soichi had found a back way upstairs and landed a roundhouse kick squarely in the woman's chest, sending her sprawling several yards away. He had all his weight behind the kick and was astonished when she sprung back to her feet so quickly. But then the woman did something very odd. She turned and ran away. He sprinted after her, following her into one of the hotel suites at the very end of the filthy hall. Suddenly he realized he had made a terrible mistake. The woman in white was standing behind the door holding the steel briefcase she had cut away from the man's hand on the bridge. With all her force, she reeled back to swing the metal briefcase at Soichi's head. The world went white, then completely dark, and before he could register pain, Soichi went down. He did, however, manage to wrap his good arm around the briefcase as he went, and Soichi was able to strip it from her grasp as he crashed to the floor. He did not lose consciousness, but was awash in pain and disorientation as the woman in white stood over him, winding for her final blow. Tag in! From outside the room ran Elizabeth, firing a blistering, flying kick at the woman striking her temple. Don't touch my husband, you bitch! Seeing that the odds were stacked against her in close quarters, the woman turned and ran for the stairwell, leaving Soichi and Elizabeth kneeling in the damp filth of the room. Are you alright? I've had worse. You didn't answer my question. Go. I'm fine. Catch her. She lingered there for a moment, then her lips touched his forehead, and then in an instant she was gone. The stairs were stronger on the higher floor, and Elizabeth scaled them easily, jumping three at a time. Rooftop. She's trying to get to the chopper. I have to know who she is. Her hand was a mass of agony, but she put it at the back of her mind for now. The woman in white fled at the stairwell with Elizabeth in close pursuit until they reached the ninth floor of the building. Most of the light bulbs were burnt out on this floor, but Elizabeth's eyes had adjusted to the near dark by now, her immortal enhancements helping her. Still, she nearly slipped through a wide hole in the floor, a gaping five-foot opening exposing the underlying plumbing that stretched the width of the hallway. It's been too long since I've followed an immortal. I'm out of practice. The woman in white kicked down a door at the far end of the hall and ran into the abandoned room. Elizabeth was close on her heels, noticing the broken furniture and holes in the walls. The woman in white was trying to pull open a stuck sliding glass door that led to a small balcony outside the building. Elizabeth, what's happening? I've got her. Ninth floor trapped in an apartment. Wait for me. Don't go out where alone. We don't know where. The woman in white leapt lightly to the balcony railing and looked back at Elizabeth. For a moment, Elizabeth thought the woman would jump. An immortal might be able to handle the fall, especially if she managed to hit another balcony or make it to the wall that surrounded the town. But then, strangely, the woman smiled at Elizabeth before jumping off the railing and grabbing one of the struts of the hovering helicopter. God's wounds! Who was that woman? And what kind of aerial vehicle was that? An Eden helicopter. How did she get one of those? Elizabeth! Are you alright? What happened? Yes, I'm fine. She got away. You were right. That sneaky helicopter picked her up. Literally. I didn't hear anything. Soichi, it was one of ours. It was... Never mind, I'm coming down. We'll go somewhere safe and contact Bennu and get you fixed up. Elizabeth looked at the departing nearly silent lights in the sky and wondered who the woman was, and more importantly, who her powerful friends were. But despite hers and Soichi's injuries, the evening was technically a success. They got what they came for. They got the stolen briefcase. Elizabeth gingerly made her way through the shattered hole in the glass door and noticed a bit of blood on one of the shards. The woman in white had cut herself on her way out. Elizabeth pulled a handkerchief out of her pocket and carefully broke the shard off, preserving the bloody evidence. Then she made her way back down to care for her husband. Ah, the Regency era. You might know it as the time when Bridgerton takes place, or it's the time when Jane Austen wrote her books. The Regency era was also an explosive time of social change, sex scandals, and maybe the worst king in British history. Vulgar History's new season is all about the Regency era, the balls, the gowns, and all the scandal. Listen to Vulgar History Regency Era wherever you get podcasts. Oh, please, not that music. That music gives me nightmares from my childhood. Could we get something a little bit lighter, some lighter music here? Are you a fan of true crime TV shows? And what about Unsolved Mysteries, the show that jump-started all of our love of true crime? I'm Ellen Marsh. And I'm Joey Taranto. And we host I Think Not, a true crime comedy podcast covering some of the wildest stories from your favorite true crime campy TV shows all the way to unsolved mysteries. Baby, you will laugh. You will cry. You'll think about true crime in a whole new way. And you'll also ask yourself, who gave these people mics? New episodes of I Think Not are released every Wednesday with bonus episodes out every Thursday on Patreon. And every Monday, you can listen to our True Crime Rundown, where we go over the top true crime headlines of the week. So come and join us wherever you listen to your podcasts. The war is over and both sides lost. Kingdoms were reduced to cinders and armies scattered like bones in the dust. Now the survivors claw to what's left of a broken world, praying the darkness chooses someone else tonight. But in the shadow dark, the darkness always wins. This is old school adventuring at its most cruel. Your torch ticks down in real time. and when that flame dies, something else rises to finish the job. This is a brutal rules-light nightmare with a story that emerges organically based on the decisions that the characters make. This is what it felt like to play RPGs in the 80s and man, it is so good to be back. Join the Glass Cannon podcast as we plunge into the shadow dark every Thursday night at 8 p.m. Eastern on youtube.com slash the glass cannon with the podcast version dropping the next day. See what everybody's talking about and join us in the dark. 48 hours later, Lake Geneva. After the incident in Newcastle, both Elizabeth and Soichi felt their security had been compromised and made the mutual decision to sequester themselves at one of their safe houses that all members of the Darkwater Force maintained. The notion of a true safe house was a bit of a farce, because while few people knew of its existence, the pair used it more for romantic rendezvous than clandestine operations. They chartered a private plane through one of Leviathan's shell corporations and landed in Geneva a few hours later. Elizabeth and Soichi could feel the crisp shale stone of their driveway crumble under the weight of their BMW 740i. The lake house they kept was two levels with large bay windows that overlooked the deep azure lake. The pale yellow lights of the house looked inviting against the growing darkness of the dusk sky, and simply being near a large body of water comforted both Elizabeth and Soichi. They held hands as they walked towards the entrance, pausing so that their thumbprints could be read by a hidden scanner that unlocked the heavy wooden doors trimmed with cast-iron door handles. They had made plans to meet an ally there, another immortal, who arrived shortly after they did. Thanks for coming on such short notice, Jed. It's a pleasure, ma'am. Now we need to get that into Bennu's hands. No one else's. This is Evangeline-level security, understand? Well, if it's Evangeline-level, why is it going to Bennu? That's just an expression. I mean... I'm playing with you, so. Lockbox is trying out a new coding system for messages to Leviathan. Top-level security is Diamond, and there are five levels, starting at Silver, then Gold, then Ruby, Emerald, Diamond. Jed Townsend was the head of the premier Leviathan messenger group, Lockbox. He was unfailingly handsome, clean-shaven with sandy blonde hair, and strong, lean build with a heavy dose of sudden charm. Lockbox had operatives all over the world, with their sole job of managing the messages to and from Leviathan. While Banu was working towards some communication technology, he said he didn't trust the ability of Leviathan's enemies to intercept messages. Lockbox operatives were trained in stealth, martial arts, diplomacy, and memorization skills. Jed was a relatively new immortal. Born in a tiny village in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, USA in 1873, he had a photographic memory and the town relied on him to run messages around faster than a letter could go Disliking the inefficiency of getting messages to the surface Evangeline recruited him to bring an elite messenger system to Leviathan Now, tell Benu everything I told you. And are you equipped for a delivery of an item? Does a coon hound bathe the moon? We really don't have time to. I need you to also give Benu this gun and the glass in his handkerchief. Be careful with it. This gun? Very interesting. Where did you get it? We got it off the woman who attacked us. See if he can tell you anything about it. Now, are you ready to go? Does that, uh, mean I can't finish my tea? Oh, for love of the sea god. You really like getting to him, don't you? Well, whenever I can make him leave the room, I get uninterrupted time with the lovely lady before me. Finish your tea, you flirt. You just want to bother Soichi. You don't even contact me when he and I are off. And are you off right now? No, I believe we're very much on. Elizabeth and Soichi had pledged themselves to each other some 150 years prior, and after a lengthy period where Elizabeth was concerned about what marriage to an immortal would be, they were married by Evangeline in a lavish ceremony. They agreed to spend the normal length of a mortal marriage together, around 50 years, and then they were permitted a decade or two apart before they reunited to see if they were to continue their relationship. What happened in those years apart were not to be discussed. Until the events of the previous night, they hadn't seen each other in 13 years. Is that simpleton gone? We're trusting him with sensitive information. You may wish to be a bit more respectful. And he may wish to stop calling me so. He's just doing it to get to you, dearest. You're an easy target, and you're just cranky because you're healing. I'm not cranky. Shh. Drink your tea. Enjoy the sun. When was the last time we were here? I haven't come to this chalet since we were last together. I thought it was your turn to have use of it. I thought it was yours. Poor house. It's seen only the caretaker in all this time. It's nice to see Switzerland hasn't changed much in the past 25 years. It's been 13. We celebrated our second 50th anniversary here before we parted. Don't you remember? Hmm. I don't know. I thought that was in the Mediterranean. No, that was the first 50th anniversary. Did you expect to get back together so soon? Before our sabbatical had officially ended? Honestly, I did expect a few more years apart, but... But I would never turn down an opportunity to work with you, dearest. And I suppose since we are here... Together. Elizabeth had always thought that the best thing about being married to Soichi was his understanding that they needed time apart, and how wonderful things were when they got back together. The first year back together was always full of exciting ups and downs as they discovered how each had changed in the previous decade. The eagerness of showing each other new hobbies or new cuisines. She had to admit it, Evangeline did work to make the most interesting and intelligent people immortals, so she knew she would never get bored with Soichi. Last week she thought she'd spend some time in South Africa to seek out their subversive, literary culture, perhaps find a lover. But now, in Soichi's arms, she couldn't remember that plan. That night after dinner, they lay in their bed that faced the lake and opened the French doors outward to allow the cool, fall air, full of wood fire and fresh grass to blow over the heated, naked bodies. Together they sipped on a lovely crisp sautern that filled the intimate air between them with the fragrance of pears and apricots. Reluctantly, the pair got back to the business at hand. So what did Bennu tell you? I told him another immortal got the drop before we could. That she killed mortals and was pretty keen on killing some immortals. And that a Leviathan-developed helicopter took her away. Someone is working against us. And did you tell him how angry we are that he didn't inform us of the risks? Are we angry? I figured that every job has risks. Come, Elizabeth. This is unprecedented. We should have prepared more for an encounter like this. I'm not sure what Bennu knew. I'm thinking he will be as surprised as we were. Hardly. No immortal sneezes without Bennu knowing about it. Even the Rebellion faction. He always knows what they're up to. He knows what was in that briefcase, and who else would want it. Well, I guess we'll find out ourselves, won't we? In a day or two. I need some time to heal. Later that night, Soichi and Elizabeth sat on their patio overlooking Lake Geneva and studied the briefcase. Soichi had found it easy to crack the case open with his lockpicking techniques, Although he admitted it was a more sophisticated lock than he had expected, the pins shifted three times as he tried to pick it, almost as if the lock itself was adjusting to his movements. Is that an Eden lock? I've never seen anything like it. No. I've been working with Lockbox and other engineers in Leviathan to create tighter security in the past five years. Venu has been honest to make Leviathan even more secure. He says the orders are coming from Evangeline. I would have known if we had created this. If the lock contains biotech that we are not familiar with, I hate to think of what's actually inside. What is this? Ben-Yu wanted to get his hands on. Let's hook it up to a monitor. I sincerely doubt the operating system is something we can learn in an evening, but we can try." Almost reverently, Soichi carried the whirring case back into the chalet. He hadn't bothered to update the computer equipment since he hadn't been there in 13 years, and frowned at the ancient 386 PC sitting there. Still, he was able to hook the monitor into the case, and they both were shocked at what they saw. Numbers flowed down the screen like rain a code far more sophisticated than the human eye could follow like the matrix what does it mean fascinating it's switching actual methods of thinking I mean it was thinking in binary and now it's thinking in prime numbers good lord now it's base 8 is this an AI no I don't think so it's simultaneously more and less sophisticated than an AI what do you mean it's modifying itself better than any AI I've ever seen but it doesn't seem to have the thinking capability of an AI. It's doing what it does very well, but what it's doing is not thinking, but shifting. What use is that? Sounds like a virus. Oh no, exactly like a virus. Possibly the most advanced virus ever created, in order to mess with the world's most sophisticated and secure computers. Like Leviathan. We need to tell Benu. Too bad Jet is already gone. No, I will not trust anyone with this, not even Lockbox. No one knows until we can show Bennu in person. That's why I gave Jet that dummy briefcase. A virus this sophisticated would take decades to develop, and it would be nearly impossible to eradicate. The only people with that kind of time and knowledge are immortals. You realize what this means. We don't know who we can trust, Elizabeth. You have been listening to Snipe, a Leviathan Chronicles story. This episode was made possible by the generous support of our listeners. To listen ad-free and get exclusive bonus content and behind-the-scenes footage, become a subscriber at patreon.com slash Leviathan Chronicles. Snipe was written by Mer Lafferty and Christoph Leputka. Directed by Nobi Nakanishi. Produced by Robin Shaw. Executive produced by Amish Johnny. Original music by Luke Allen. Sound design and editing by Luke Allen and Robin Shaw. Starring Nicola Barber as Elizabeth Franklin. Nobi Nakanishi as Soichi Honda. And Samantha Parker as the narrator. For a full cast list and to learn more about our other audio productions, go to leviathanaudioproductions.com or follow us on social media. Thank you for supporting Leviathan Audio. And thank you for listening. Leviathan Audio Production The world of Sonic the Hedgehog has been thrust into a not-so-dark, not-so-stormy, hard-boiled detective story that probably nobody saw coming. Follow Sonic and the Intrepid Chaotix detective agency as they take on their biggest case yet. This high-flying, action-packed adventure will take them across the world, fighting for every clue they can find. It's one heck of a tale. Which is good, because this story might be the only thing that can save their lives. Well, if that's all, I can just dispose of you. Wait, what? All will be revealed in Sonic the Hedgehog presents The Chaotix Case Files. Listen now, wherever you get your podcasts. The Chaotix are on the case. Hi, this is Rob Benedict. And I am Richard Spate. We were both on a little show you might know called Supernatural. It had a pretty good run. 15 seasons, 327 episodes. And though we have seen, of course, every episode many times, we figured, hey, now that we're wrapped, let's watch it all again. And we can't do that alone. So we're inviting the cast and crew that made the show along for the ride. We've got writers, producers, composers, directors, and we'll, of course, have some actors on as well, including some certain guys that played some certain pretty iconic brothers. It was kind of a little bit of a left-field choice in the best way possible. The note from Kripke was, he's great, we love him, but we're looking for like a really intelligent Duchovny type. With 15 seasons to explore, it's going to be the road trip of several lifetimes. So please join us and subscribe to Supernatural then and now. Hi, we're Meg Bashwiner. And Joseph Fink. Of Welcome to Night Vale. And on our new show, The Best Worst, we explore the golden age of television. To do that, we're watching the IMDb viewer rated best and worst episodes of classic TV shows. The episode of Star Trek, where Beverly Crusher has sex with a ghost. The episode of The X-Files, where Scully gets attacked by a vicious house cat. And also the really good episodes too. What can we learn from the best and worst of great television? Like for example, is it really a bad episode or do people just hate women? The Best Worst, available wherever you get your podcasts.