1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:04,860 Speaker 1: [train horn] 2 00:00:04,860 --> 00:00:49,400 Speaker 1: [upbeat music] 3 00:00:49,460 --> 00:00:52,860 Speaker 1: Dust. Chapter One. Heist. 4 00:00:54,980 --> 00:01:00,340 Speaker 1: Regulus K. Boogerton smiled at the people he was trying to rob. They had no idea 5 00:01:00,380 --> 00:01:05,680 Speaker 1: what was even happening. "It's incredible what they serve in this place. Did you see 6 00:01:05,740 --> 00:01:10,820 Speaker 1: that?" The aristocrat pointed at a blob of text on the menu, far too distant for 7 00:01:10,860 --> 00:01:16,400 Speaker 1: Regulus to read. Regulus agreed anyway. That was his part. 8 00:01:16,400 --> 00:01:22,200 Speaker 1: "Truly unbelievable." Irita Claire's two siblings leaned 9 00:01:22,280 --> 00:01:28,140 Speaker 1: in to read the menu. "Corn gravy and mash. Mashed what?" "It 10 00:01:28,220 --> 00:01:32,860 Speaker 1: just says mash." "Mash for brains, I assure you." 11 00:01:32,900 --> 00:01:38,300 Speaker 1: [laughs] Everyone in the seating room laughed, especially Irita Claire. 12 00:01:39,140 --> 00:01:45,060 Speaker 1: She went as far as to curl an interested eyebrow at him. Scandalous. He needed 13 00:01:45,100 --> 00:01:48,980 Speaker 1: to get out of here before she started popping buttons on her dress and saying, 14 00:01:49,100 --> 00:01:54,960 Speaker 1: "Oopsies." Romantic affairs were not part of the plan, but they were frequent 15 00:01:55,020 --> 00:01:59,920 Speaker 1: side effects. Terrible, really. He practically left a trail of heartsick women 16 00:01:59,980 --> 00:02:05,840 Speaker 1: wherever he went. A few men, too. It wasn't like he could turn it off, though. Not 17 00:02:05,880 --> 00:02:10,940 Speaker 1: his magnificent charm. Regulus made a show of looking at his pocket watch. 18 00:02:10,940 --> 00:02:16,840 Speaker 1: "Thank you again for your uncommon kindness, letting me ride in 19 00:02:16,900 --> 00:02:22,820 Speaker 1: your train." "It isn't our train. We borrowed it." "Ah, 20 00:02:22,920 --> 00:02:28,680 Speaker 1: then thank you for allowing me to borrow it with you." Irita Claire looked like she 21 00:02:28,740 --> 00:02:34,540 Speaker 1: might strangle her younger sister. "Melon is correct. This car 22 00:02:34,640 --> 00:02:40,560 Speaker 1: and a few others are Fairlane train cars, but the rest of the train is 23 00:02:40,700 --> 00:02:46,220 Speaker 1: not. It's a tragic story, really." She managed to slide even closer to 24 00:02:46,280 --> 00:02:51,840 Speaker 1: Regulus as she said the last part of her sentence. Irita Claire let a gloved 25 00:02:51,920 --> 00:02:57,580 Speaker 1: hand rest lightly on his left thigh underneath the table. Regulus 26 00:02:57,660 --> 00:03:03,400 Speaker 1: coughed light- [coughs] "Are you certain the furnace room is not 27 00:03:03,460 --> 00:03:09,040 Speaker 1: next door? Mm." [laughs] Irita Claire let out a half growl, 28 00:03:09,300 --> 00:03:14,260 Speaker 1: half laugh, but didn't speak. Her siblings and friends looked at each other and 29 00:03:14,300 --> 00:03:19,600 Speaker 1: either whispered, giggled, or pretended not to notice. Too much charm. 30 00:03:20,060 --> 00:03:25,360 Speaker 1: Definitely too much charm. He literally could not turn it off, though. 31 00:03:25,980 --> 00:03:31,400 Speaker 1: Not without ruining the entire plan. Regulus stood up suddenly as Irita Claire tried 32 00:03:31,460 --> 00:03:36,520 Speaker 1: to lay her head on his shoulder. That was going too far. She teetered and flopped 33 00:03:36,620 --> 00:03:41,540 Speaker 1: over onto the padded bench, hair and dress flying through the air. "I've just had a 34 00:03:41,620 --> 00:03:47,480 Speaker 1: wonderful idea." He pretended not to notice as her sister tried to help Irita Claire 35 00:03:47,580 --> 00:03:53,060 Speaker 1: up. The red-faced woman batted her away and smiled eagerly at Regulus. He smiled 36 00:03:53,120 --> 00:03:58,900 Speaker 1: back. "I'm going on a tour of the train. An adventure, really, 37 00:03:59,020 --> 00:04:04,680 Speaker 1: when you consider the state of their dining menu." Another polite round of laughs. 38 00:04:04,680 --> 00:04:10,640 Speaker 1: [laughs] Except from Irita Claire. Her eyes simply simmered. He'd seen 39 00:04:10,680 --> 00:04:15,080 Speaker 1: that look before. This pot was about to boil over. 40 00:04:15,240 --> 00:04:20,760 Speaker 1: "Perhaps you'll visit the furnace room next door when you return. 41 00:04:21,440 --> 00:04:26,400 Speaker 1: I simply must find the source of this unbearable heat." 42 00:04:27,800 --> 00:04:33,260 Speaker 1: Regulus coughed to make a show of hiding his blush. "Irida, are you 43 00:04:33,520 --> 00:04:39,340 Speaker 1: feeling okay?" Irita Claire's friends had been too afraid to ask, but seemed 44 00:04:39,400 --> 00:04:44,940 Speaker 1: pleased that her sister had. Regulus felt the wall between worlds weakening. 45 00:04:45,540 --> 00:04:50,620 Speaker 1: He couldn't help but feel the universe was offering him an insult. It was definitely 46 00:04:50,700 --> 00:04:56,160 Speaker 1: time to go. He strode out of the room waving. Irita Claire practically raced him to 47 00:04:56,220 --> 00:05:01,240 Speaker 1: the seating room door. Her friends and siblings watched her go with concern. She was 48 00:05:01,300 --> 00:05:06,260 Speaker 1: the highest ranking and thus the head of the house. Extramarital relationships were 49 00:05:06,320 --> 00:05:12,220 Speaker 1: not forbidden in the aristocracy, but only because a rule not to destroy one's own 50 00:05:12,260 --> 00:05:18,000 Speaker 1: reputation was so far self-evident. To them, sex was a negotiation 51 00:05:18,060 --> 00:05:23,160 Speaker 1: tool all its own. If you were in the habit of giving things away for free, well, 52 00:05:24,040 --> 00:05:28,480 Speaker 1: surely competitors and suitors would start lining up outside your mansions to take 53 00:05:28,540 --> 00:05:33,900 Speaker 1: further advantage. Regulus wouldn't know what that was like. His membership to the 54 00:05:33,980 --> 00:05:39,660 Speaker 1: aristocracy ended and began with putting on the costume. "My private rooms are 55 00:05:39,720 --> 00:05:44,920 Speaker 1: next door." It was clear from the faces in the room when she opened the door to 56 00:05:44,960 --> 00:05:50,520 Speaker 1: whisper again that everyone had heard her. "Half an hour." The door 57 00:05:50,620 --> 00:05:56,420 Speaker 1: finally closed for good. Regulus walked off in haste. He would need to meet her 58 00:05:56,500 --> 00:06:02,440 Speaker 1: again. Irita Claire was a critical part of the plan, but he had to be careful. 59 00:06:02,940 --> 00:06:08,840 Speaker 1: If he let this go too far, well, the situation was already as tense as piano wire. 60 00:06:09,456 --> 00:06:15,376 Speaker 1: If he consummated this farce, it might kill everyone on the train. For 61 00:06:15,436 --> 00:06:18,116 Speaker 1: now, it was time to meet the rest of his team. 62 00:06:18,196 --> 00:06:30,576 Speaker 1: [upbeat music] 63 00:06:30,656 --> 00:06:35,256 Speaker 1: Regulus made his way to the infamous dining car. It was clearly not a Fairlane car. 64 00:06:35,656 --> 00:06:38,896 Speaker 1: Based on how they were dressed, at least half of the current occupants would have 65 00:06:38,936 --> 00:06:44,476 Speaker 1: been thrown off the moving train if it were a Fairlane car. Very strict dress codes. 66 00:06:45,436 --> 00:06:49,856 Speaker 1: He took a seat at the table with a privacy wall and waited to be served. While he 67 00:06:49,916 --> 00:06:55,456 Speaker 1: waited, he affixed the yellow piper pin to his suit coat. Regulus didn't know who he 68 00:06:55,476 --> 00:07:00,736 Speaker 1: was meeting, but they would know him by the pin he wore. A woman in a black suit and 69 00:07:00,796 --> 00:07:05,656 Speaker 1: a little red bow tie appeared a few minutes later with a menu. She had prematurely 70 00:07:05,716 --> 00:07:09,616 Speaker 1: gray hair, though her face was still youthful. She couldn't have been out of her 71 00:07:09,816 --> 00:07:15,456 Speaker 1: 30s. "Oh my, what a striking nose you have." 72 00:07:16,056 --> 00:07:21,936 Speaker 1: "It's my best feature." "Is it?" Regulus narrowed his 73 00:07:22,016 --> 00:07:26,856 Speaker 1: eyes. The Fairlanes had been right to look down on the commoner dining car if this 74 00:07:26,916 --> 00:07:32,796 Speaker 1: was how he was going to be treated. "I'll take a glass of brandy." The 75 00:07:32,856 --> 00:07:36,996 Speaker 1: server rolled her eyes at him and then came back a minute later with a glass of 76 00:07:37,616 --> 00:07:43,436 Speaker 1: something. It wasn't brandy. "Are you sure there's nothing else I can 77 00:07:43,476 --> 00:07:48,856 Speaker 1: help you with?" She tilted her chin and wiggled one shoulder around. Where had they 78 00:07:49,076 --> 00:07:54,076 Speaker 1: found this server? "Are you having a seizure or something?" 79 00:07:55,176 --> 00:08:00,276 Speaker 1: She pointed at the metal pin fixed to her suit coat, a small blue dove. 80 00:08:01,716 --> 00:08:07,316 Speaker 1: Oh. Oh. The Blue Dove. "My apologies. 81 00:08:07,876 --> 00:08:13,656 Speaker 1: It looked like a pigeon." "No, it doesn't." Blue Dove sat down in the seat across 82 00:08:13,696 --> 00:08:18,436 Speaker 1: from him. "So who are you then? The bird expert?" 83 00:08:19,395 --> 00:08:24,356 Speaker 1: Regulus took a sip of whatever was in his glass and frowned. It tasted like shoe 84 00:08:24,416 --> 00:08:30,336 Speaker 1: polish. Blue Dove rolled her eyes. "No. Who are you? The big-nosed rich 85 00:08:30,396 --> 00:08:36,256 Speaker 1: guy?" "Darling, I can't believe you've figured me out already." Regulus took 86 00:08:36,296 --> 00:08:42,096 Speaker 1: another sip of his shoe polish. "Where's our final compatriot?" "The Red Crane?" 87 00:08:42,716 --> 00:08:48,336 Speaker 1: "So you are the bird expert." [sighs] "I figured you'd already met. Where have you 88 00:08:48,396 --> 00:08:54,356 Speaker 1: been? We've been waiting forever." "I was, mm, preoccupied." 89 00:08:55,676 --> 00:09:00,156 Speaker 1: Blue Dove pounded on the privacy wall behind her. A man got out of the neighboring 90 00:09:00,236 --> 00:09:05,636 Speaker 1: booth and sat down next to her. He looked like... Well, he looked like one of the 91 00:09:05,696 --> 00:09:09,556 Speaker 1: people the Fairlanes would have thrown off their moving train to clean up the dining 92 00:09:09,636 --> 00:09:15,076 Speaker 1: car. "Hello, Yellow, uh..." "Yellow 93 00:09:15,256 --> 00:09:21,236 Speaker 1: Piper." "She's the bird expert." Blue Dove took Regulus' shoe 94 00:09:21,376 --> 00:09:26,796 Speaker 1: polish and downed it in one swig. That did it then. She wasn't getting a tip. 95 00:09:26,796 --> 00:09:32,216 Speaker 1: "Ah, let's just use our real names. I'm Sandel Becker, or Sandy, 96 00:09:32,896 --> 00:09:38,096 Speaker 1: but not Sand." "Why would we call you Sand?" "You wouldn't." 97 00:09:38,736 --> 00:09:43,056 Speaker 1: "Understood. And you are?" "Tritt." 98 00:09:43,056 --> 00:09:48,136 Speaker 1: "Tritt. Do you have a last name?" 99 00:09:49,156 --> 00:09:55,056 Speaker 1: "I do." The man said nothing more. "You do a lot of talking." 100 00:09:55,056 --> 00:10:00,916 Speaker 1: "That, my dear, is my specialty, and my name is Regulus K. 101 00:10:01,096 --> 00:10:06,596 Speaker 1: Bookerton." The three of them looked at each other in turn, no one yet willing to 102 00:10:06,636 --> 00:10:12,596 Speaker 1: broach the ultimate reason they met on this train. "So I see how our 103 00:10:12,656 --> 00:10:17,996 Speaker 1: bird expert got on the train." "I'm not the bird expert. I'm just not an idiot." 104 00:10:18,676 --> 00:10:23,296 Speaker 1: "But how did you sneak onto this train, Tritt?" 105 00:10:24,276 --> 00:10:29,736 Speaker 1: Tritt shrugged. "Bought a ticket." "You what?" 106 00:10:29,775 --> 00:10:35,456 Speaker 1: "I just bought a ticket. It's a train, isn't it? Anyone can buy 107 00:10:35,556 --> 00:10:41,436 Speaker 1: one." Regulus had followed six months of meticulous orders from the puppeteer's 108 00:10:41,496 --> 00:10:47,036 Speaker 1: mysterious notes to get on this train. He'd forged documents. He'd 109 00:10:47,216 --> 00:10:52,016 Speaker 1: ruined companies. He'd even worn a fake mustache for a while. 110 00:10:53,036 --> 00:10:58,396 Speaker 1: Regulus finally closed his mouth when he realized it was hanging open. "Yeah, the 111 00:10:58,456 --> 00:11:03,036 Speaker 1: puppeteer told me to try and work my way onto the train's security. Ah, it seemed 112 00:11:03,076 --> 00:11:08,616 Speaker 1: like too much work, so I just bought a ticket." "You don't think maybe the 113 00:11:08,676 --> 00:11:13,596 Speaker 1: reason you were supposed to work security was so that you could infiltrate them?" 114 00:11:13,596 --> 00:11:19,516 Speaker 1: "Nah, I did something better." Better? The puppeteer's plans were supposed to 115 00:11:19,556 --> 00:11:25,556 Speaker 1: be followed exactly. That's what made them work. If this imbecile had already 116 00:11:25,616 --> 00:11:31,456 Speaker 1: deviated from the plan... "So what's your story, big nose?" Regulus closed his 117 00:11:31,556 --> 00:11:36,616 Speaker 1: eyes and sighed inwardly. There was no way he was even attempting this without a 118 00:11:36,676 --> 00:11:42,336 Speaker 1: drink. A moment later, another server wandered by, then stopped and turned around to 119 00:11:42,436 --> 00:11:47,596 Speaker 1: speak to them. "Hey, weird question, but I mixed up an order and poured this extra 120 00:11:47,656 --> 00:11:53,336 Speaker 1: glass of brandy by mistake. Does anyone want it?" Tritt swiped the glass 121 00:11:53,376 --> 00:11:58,796 Speaker 1: directly off the server's tray and downed it. "Ah, thank you." Then the server 122 00:11:58,856 --> 00:12:04,716 Speaker 1: looked at Sandel in confusion. "I'm on break." The server just shook his head and 123 00:12:04,776 --> 00:12:10,056 Speaker 1: walked off. Regulus massaged his temples. That was twice this had happened. 124 00:12:10,596 --> 00:12:16,152 Speaker 1: Surely, surely the puppeteer was just testing him Seeing if he could manage success 125 00:12:16,192 --> 00:12:21,672 Speaker 1: with even the most incapable buffoons. Did you at least bring your 126 00:12:21,852 --> 00:12:27,572 Speaker 1: ciphers? Sandel slid over a piece of paper with four letters on it. Trit 127 00:12:27,652 --> 00:12:33,412 Speaker 1: tapped the side of his head and winked. D-C-S-E. 128 00:12:34,372 --> 00:12:38,552 Speaker 1: It took Regulus a few minutes to use the three combined ciphers to decode the 129 00:12:38,592 --> 00:12:43,572 Speaker 1: briefing from the Puppeteer. He wrote down the decoded words one letter at a time. 130 00:12:44,032 --> 00:12:49,612 Speaker 1: When he was done, everyone looked at each other, uncertain. That's not very helpful. 131 00:12:50,732 --> 00:12:56,112 Speaker 1: Surely, surely this was not the entire plan. He read it again, 132 00:12:56,672 --> 00:13:00,612 Speaker 1: searching for some hidden meaning, but there wasn't a lot of room for secrets. 133 00:13:02,052 --> 00:13:03,972 Speaker 1: Rob the vault. 134 00:13:05,772 --> 00:13:10,572 Speaker 1: Maybe he should just go meet Irita Claire in her room after all. If he was going to 135 00:13:10,632 --> 00:13:16,212 Speaker 1: die on this train anyway, he may as well enjoy it. Chapter Two: 136 00:13:16,952 --> 00:13:18,252 Speaker 1: The Perfect Plan. 137 00:13:19,832 --> 00:13:24,212 Speaker 1: Trit looked down at the message Big Nose had written. Maybe he'd done it wrong. He 138 00:13:24,252 --> 00:13:28,832 Speaker 1: wasn't sure how it was supposed to work. Secret codes weren't really his thing. 139 00:13:29,612 --> 00:13:34,372 Speaker 1: Well, then it was a good thing he'd ignored his orders to join the security. Being 140 00:13:34,512 --> 00:13:39,192 Speaker 1: smart didn't mean you knew everything. Sometimes clever people saw things that smart 141 00:13:39,252 --> 00:13:45,012 Speaker 1: people didn't. He would know because he was clever. I think we need a new plan. 142 00:13:46,252 --> 00:13:52,252 Speaker 1: Okay, Trit, so we'll just figure out how to rob an armored vault on the spot. Yeah, 143 00:13:52,272 --> 00:13:57,572 Speaker 1: that's right. That's all we gotta do. Good. It sounded like she was on board. Big 144 00:13:57,632 --> 00:14:01,732 Speaker 1: Nose was still rubbing his head, though. Probably wasn't used to using it so much. 145 00:14:02,552 --> 00:14:07,992 Speaker 1: These vault trains have dozens of armed guards, and they aren't your usual 146 00:14:08,092 --> 00:14:13,672 Speaker 1: nose-picking, unmotivated variety either. They will be dangerous men, 147 00:14:13,972 --> 00:14:19,752 Speaker 1: and armed. Did I mention armed? That's right, which is why you're 148 00:14:19,792 --> 00:14:23,792 Speaker 1: gonna love this. There should have been 40 shock troopers in the two cars 149 00:14:23,852 --> 00:14:28,572 Speaker 1: surrounding the vault. But I delayed their deployment before I got on the train. So 150 00:14:28,652 --> 00:14:34,612 Speaker 1: now there's only four, two inside the vault and four outside. That's 151 00:14:34,812 --> 00:14:40,432 Speaker 1: six. What? That's six guards. You said four. Uh, 152 00:14:41,052 --> 00:14:46,472 Speaker 1: fine. So there's 36 fewer shock troopers. How's that? Mathematically accurate. 153 00:14:47,372 --> 00:14:53,292 Speaker 1: Now, is it too late to make it two guards or none? What? I'm 154 00:14:53,352 --> 00:14:58,212 Speaker 1: just saying, if we're changing the count, we should go for lower. I'm not changing 155 00:14:58,252 --> 00:15:03,392 Speaker 1: the count. Trit slapped his hands against his face and slowly pulled them down. 156 00:15:04,192 --> 00:15:10,072 Speaker 1: Here, I'll explain it. So there were 34 guards. 40. Why are we going 157 00:15:10,212 --> 00:15:15,252 Speaker 1: up now? Trit groaned, then reached under the table to pull something out of his 158 00:15:15,312 --> 00:15:20,192 Speaker 1: boot. He slammed a piece of metal the size of his hand down between them. It looked 159 00:15:20,212 --> 00:15:25,812 Speaker 1: like a large iron nail with a handle. And what is that? A hole 160 00:15:25,892 --> 00:15:29,952 Speaker 1: puncher. We walk right up to the guards and punch that through the weak part of the 161 00:15:30,072 --> 00:15:34,772 Speaker 1: armor, just between where the neck plates connect to the helmet. What? 162 00:15:34,892 --> 00:15:40,052 Speaker 1: [sighs] No more talk. Take that. I'll take the one on the left. Reg, you get the one 163 00:15:40,092 --> 00:15:44,612 Speaker 1: on the right. Then Trit got up from the table and started walking to the back of the 164 00:15:44,672 --> 00:15:50,412 Speaker 1: dining car. These people were going to talk all day if he let them. Hold on. Wait. 165 00:15:50,672 --> 00:15:56,432 Speaker 1: I said wait. The train rattled furiously and a serving cart slammed into him from 166 00:15:56,512 --> 00:16:00,672 Speaker 1: just out of view. Trit spun with the blow and kicked the cart. Snacks and bottled 167 00:16:00,732 --> 00:16:04,872 Speaker 1: drinks went flying. He stepped back into a defensive stance with the hole puncher in 168 00:16:04,912 --> 00:16:09,772 Speaker 1: his hands. Someone put a hand on his shoulder and he nearly skewered them. Sandel 169 00:16:09,832 --> 00:16:15,672 Speaker 1: took a step back and put her hands up. Easy, I think you got it. Trit forced himself 170 00:16:15,732 --> 00:16:21,532 Speaker 1: to relax. He was getting better. Sandel waved for him to come sit back down, so he 171 00:16:21,592 --> 00:16:27,492 Speaker 1: did. You can put that away for now. The other two were looking down 172 00:16:27,532 --> 00:16:32,252 Speaker 1: at his hands. Trit was still holding the hole puncher in a white-knuckle grip. He 173 00:16:32,291 --> 00:16:37,052 Speaker 1: released it and stowed it back in his boot. Maybe he wasn't getting that much 174 00:16:37,112 --> 00:16:42,912 Speaker 1: better. I think I have a plan that won't get us shot, at least not right 175 00:16:42,992 --> 00:16:48,892 Speaker 1: away. I like the sound of that. Agreed. Big Nose watched Trit 176 00:16:48,972 --> 00:16:54,212 Speaker 1: carefully, like he might punch a hole in him. He wouldn't. It wasn't right to kill 177 00:16:54,252 --> 00:16:59,192 Speaker 1: people for no reason. You should at least have a reason. I've walked the entire 178 00:16:59,272 --> 00:17:03,792 Speaker 1: train, except the Fairlane cars, and I think Trit's right. There aren't very many 179 00:17:03,852 --> 00:17:09,692 Speaker 1: shock troopers. Doesn't take many. Besides, the vault car is locked. That's sort 180 00:17:09,732 --> 00:17:13,312 Speaker 1: of the point. I'm all out of explosives, too. 181 00:17:14,832 --> 00:17:20,532 Speaker 1: Regulus and Sandel shared a concerned look before Sandel continued speaking. We 182 00:17:21,092 --> 00:17:26,012 Speaker 1: don't have to get through the vault door, though, Trit. Because 183 00:17:27,072 --> 00:17:27,712 Speaker 1: I'm a drifter. 184 00:17:29,672 --> 00:17:35,132 Speaker 1: A what? A drifter. So you're not a server? 185 00:17:35,732 --> 00:17:41,732 Speaker 1: No. What? She's not just a server. She's also the bird expert. 186 00:17:41,732 --> 00:17:45,292 Speaker 1: [sighs] You don't know what a drifter is? 187 00:17:47,132 --> 00:17:51,992 Speaker 1: No. I reckon it's a good time to learn, though, if it keeps people from putting 188 00:17:52,052 --> 00:17:57,812 Speaker 1: holes in me. Okay. I'll try to explain. Sandel cleared her throat, 189 00:17:57,972 --> 00:18:02,112 Speaker 1: pulled out a ballpoint pen from her suit coat, then started writing directly on the 190 00:18:02,172 --> 00:18:07,532 Speaker 1: table. From the look of it, she wasn't the first person to do so. First of all, what 191 00:18:07,552 --> 00:18:13,092 Speaker 1: do you know about frames? Uh... That's fine. I'll start from the top. 192 00:18:13,752 --> 00:18:18,192 Speaker 1: So the whole universe is made of the same kind of stuff. We call that stuff 193 00:18:18,252 --> 00:18:24,248 Speaker 1: delirium. Are you with me so far? Sure. There's a whole lot of that stuff, delirium, 194 00:18:24,808 --> 00:18:30,188 Speaker 1: in its raw form just outside of the present frame. A frame would make a 195 00:18:30,288 --> 00:18:36,288 Speaker 1: terrible present. Will you just shut up for two minutes? Hmph. 196 00:18:38,008 --> 00:18:43,648 Speaker 1: Okay, so that's where we are right now, the present frame. Everything in the future 197 00:18:43,708 --> 00:18:49,188 Speaker 1: is delirium, pure potential, real physical stuff that hasn't been shaped into the 198 00:18:49,248 --> 00:18:55,068 Speaker 1: world we know and love. Me, you, this table, the train. So in a way, 199 00:18:55,208 --> 00:18:59,388 Speaker 1: the present frame is like the leading edge of a wave that moves through the 200 00:18:59,428 --> 00:19:05,308 Speaker 1: delirium. Trit, you're drooling. Huh? He mopped up the 201 00:19:05,388 --> 00:19:10,428 Speaker 1: drool coming out of his mouth. So the future is a kind of uniform, 202 00:19:10,908 --> 00:19:16,128 Speaker 1: unshaped potential, and the present is, well, it's the present. Just look around. 203 00:19:16,688 --> 00:19:22,508 Speaker 1: But what about the past? I'm sure that's what you're thinking. The past doesn't just 204 00:19:22,568 --> 00:19:28,208 Speaker 1: turn back into delirium, not right away anyway. It lingers around for a while in 205 00:19:28,428 --> 00:19:33,948 Speaker 1: frames, frozen moments of reality that you can visit if you have the right set of 206 00:19:34,008 --> 00:19:39,928 Speaker 1: skills, if you're a drifter like me. I can't tell if you're lying 207 00:19:39,988 --> 00:19:41,068 Speaker 1: or just crazy. 208 00:19:43,428 --> 00:19:48,728 Speaker 1: It means I can do this. Then she disappeared completely. 209 00:19:49,588 --> 00:19:55,108 Speaker 1: Oh. Trit stared at the spot where Sandel used to be for a good twenty 210 00:19:55,328 --> 00:20:00,608 Speaker 1: seconds. Then slowly, he waved a hand through the air where she'd been sitting. 211 00:20:01,468 --> 00:20:06,808 Speaker 1: Sandel popped back into existence in the aisle next to their table. Now that's 212 00:20:06,908 --> 00:20:11,748 Speaker 1: impressive. You really should lead with that instead of a lecture. 213 00:20:12,768 --> 00:20:18,648 Speaker 1: Sandel rolled her eyes and sat back down. But the mood had changed. This didn't seem 214 00:20:18,708 --> 00:20:23,948 Speaker 1: like such an impossible task anymore. If she could go right through walls, robbing 215 00:20:23,988 --> 00:20:29,828 Speaker 1: the vault car just got a lot easier. Of course, there were still two shock troopers 216 00:20:29,888 --> 00:20:35,708 Speaker 1: inside the vault. An inkling of a plan, one that wouldn't get them all killed, 217 00:20:36,088 --> 00:20:41,868 Speaker 1: started forming in Trit's own mind. So, you can time travel. 218 00:20:42,668 --> 00:20:48,428 Speaker 1: Sort of. It's more like physical memories. Memories of a place? 219 00:20:49,008 --> 00:20:55,008 Speaker 1: I can go to a frozen image in the past. A frame. So, could you just 220 00:20:55,108 --> 00:21:00,608 Speaker 1: go into the vault when they're loading it and come right back with whatever's 221 00:21:00,668 --> 00:21:06,128 Speaker 1: inside? It doesn't go that far back. An hour at most, usually, and I can't bring 222 00:21:06,168 --> 00:21:11,248 Speaker 1: anything with me. Trit nodded slowly, chewing on his bottom lip. 223 00:21:12,148 --> 00:21:17,828 Speaker 1: Why aren't you naked? What? You said you can't bring anything 224 00:21:17,908 --> 00:21:23,108 Speaker 1: back. Why aren't you naked? If that were true, you should be naked. 225 00:21:23,848 --> 00:21:29,628 Speaker 1: If you knew how many times I'd heard that one. Trit ignored Big Nose. 226 00:21:29,908 --> 00:21:35,428 Speaker 1: There was something to learn here. He needed to understand the limits of what Sandel 227 00:21:35,488 --> 00:21:41,468 Speaker 1: could do. The world looked a lot different than it did just a few minutes ago. I 228 00:21:41,528 --> 00:21:47,068 Speaker 1: can only really move things that belong in the present frame. Delirium works on 229 00:21:47,188 --> 00:21:53,088 Speaker 1: identity. It's complicated. The plan that had started forming in 230 00:21:53,148 --> 00:21:59,048 Speaker 1: his mind finally settled into place. Guards probably change shifts every few 231 00:21:59,148 --> 00:22:05,068 Speaker 1: hours. Everyone's got to piss. That means the vault opens. Could you 232 00:22:05,148 --> 00:22:10,368 Speaker 1: go back in time and see the combination to the locks? Sure. 233 00:22:11,348 --> 00:22:17,048 Speaker 1: And they won't notice you? It's the past. Nothing I do there can directly change the 234 00:22:17,108 --> 00:22:20,088 Speaker 1: future. Everyone's like a statue. 235 00:22:22,588 --> 00:22:27,908 Speaker 1: If my intelligence is correct, the Fairlane vault also requires a key that only the 236 00:22:27,948 --> 00:22:33,848 Speaker 1: head of house carries. I've done some groundwork there already. I should 237 00:22:33,888 --> 00:22:39,788 Speaker 1: be able to procure it if we need it. Trit nodded and then took Sandel's pen and 238 00:22:39,848 --> 00:22:44,928 Speaker 1: started drawing a map of the train next to her drawings. It took them half an hour 239 00:22:44,988 --> 00:22:50,648 Speaker 1: to argue through a coherent plan, but it seemed feasible. Not bad for three 240 00:22:50,708 --> 00:22:56,608 Speaker 1: strangers. All right. It's settled. Bandy, you get the combination, 241 00:22:56,988 --> 00:23:00,908 Speaker 1: learn the guard change patterns, and tell us what the inside of the vault looks 242 00:23:00,968 --> 00:23:06,548 Speaker 1: like. Big Nose, you get that key, then you stay out of the way. Then yours 243 00:23:06,608 --> 00:23:11,788 Speaker 1: truly will take out the guards, open the vault, and take out more guards. Then the 244 00:23:11,868 --> 00:23:17,348 Speaker 1: job's done. A perfect plan. Easy as that. The best plans were simple 245 00:23:17,408 --> 00:23:22,948 Speaker 1: plans. Plans with room for error. There was a commotion at the end of the dining 246 00:23:23,008 --> 00:23:27,988 Speaker 1: car. A flustered aristocrat was screaming profanities at a group of men in armor. 247 00:23:28,708 --> 00:23:34,528 Speaker 1: Haven't you been listening? We've been robbed, you sand eater. Trit couldn't see the 248 00:23:34,608 --> 00:23:39,428 Speaker 1: faces of the shock troopers beneath all that armor, but the body language told the 249 00:23:39,508 --> 00:23:45,488 Speaker 1: story. They didn't look happy. Did she just say robbed? That's him. 250 00:23:45,888 --> 00:23:51,688 Speaker 1: The one who tricked my sister. Uh-oh. Why are you just standing there? Arrest him. 251 00:23:52,108 --> 00:23:57,268 Speaker 1: Arrest all of them. Trit ducked back into their seating booth. The sound of metal 252 00:23:57,328 --> 00:24:03,228 Speaker 1: feet came racing down the corridor. I think we need a new plan. Trit reached 253 00:24:03,248 --> 00:24:07,248 Speaker 1: down for the hole puncher in his right boot. His heart raced. They had to do this 254 00:24:07,308 --> 00:24:13,108 Speaker 1: perfectly. Even then, it looked bad. Okay, when the first one grabs Something 255 00:24:13,188 --> 00:24:19,188 Speaker 1: nagged at Trit. He looked over at the empty seats. They were gone. 256 00:24:19,928 --> 00:24:24,988 Speaker 1: They'd just left him here. Metal boots came to a stop next to him. 257 00:24:26,048 --> 00:24:30,848 Speaker 1: You, up against the wall. The two of them hauled him out of his seat and pressed him 258 00:24:30,908 --> 00:24:35,248 Speaker 1: against the wall while they searched him. They found the hole puncher in his boot. 259 00:24:36,848 --> 00:24:38,668 Speaker 1: I can't believe they left 260 00:25:32,488 --> 00:25:32,548 Speaker 1: me.