The Broken World (audio story)

Kitty (Lauren Crace) is a barmaid at the Traveller's Rest in the occupied city of Tantillion. Her normal activities (abusing customers, starting fights) are interrupted by the arrival of a mysterious stranger. Science is now outlawed, so when the stranger openly asks after a known scientist, Kitty’s curiosity is piqued. Before she knows it, she is dodging fireballs and befriending unfriendly troglodites...

Podcast

Part 1[[edit] | [edit source]]

Following the invasion of Tanto, things have changed little at the Traveller's Rest Inn in the capital, Tantillion. The barmaid, Kitty, is still abusing customers and starting fights, and the regulars are still selflessly preventing the collapse of the bar. However, when a cloaked stranger arrives, apparently unaware of the invasion, Kitty's curiosity is piqued. Meanwhile at his new lodgings in the castle, Ambassador Durian receives an unwelcome visitor of his own.

Part 2[[edit] | [edit source]]

Kitty visits Professor Cantha at her secret hideout in the forest, but theirs are not the only footsteps on the fallen leaves of Tanto. Meanwhile, Ambassador Durian receives some interesting information, and a promotion...

Part 3[[edit] | [edit source]]

Durian makes Professor Cantha an offer she can't refuse. The Minister creates a miraculous doorway in the forest, and passes through it onto the Frost Bridge between worlds. He tells Kitty to go home, which she of course does immediately with a skip and a polite farewell. On Tanto, a Sezian patrol interrogating villagers comes up against a new enemy, one that does not go on foot...

Plot[[edit] | [edit source]]

Part 1[[edit] | [edit source]]

On the invaded island nation of Tanto, some individuals are chatting in the Traveller's Rest Inn. It is revealed that all of the scientists of Tanto have been carted off by the Sezians. A stranger enters, and enquires about Cantha, a professor. He is escorted off by the barmaid, Kitty, a foundling, and the owner, Porcher. However, Kitty appears to know something about Cantha.

In the capital, Tantillan, an assistant of ambassador Durian informs him that the Witch Prime and Lord Rathen are coming. He orders a big procession, and when the Witch Prime arrives, he publicly congratulates Durian on it. However, he is very much not happy that Durian has conquered Tanto, as he was only meant to travel to Tanto on a diplomatic mission, saying that they have been brought to the brink of war, and that the invasion was not Durian's choice to make. The Witch Prime is very angry at Durian, but Rathen pretends to convince the Witch Prime to kill him, before convincing him to let him live, and make him governor of Tanto, by saying that he will get lots of publicity.

Porcher heads to bed, and Kitty tells him that she is going to bed as well, but secretly heads out into the forest to meet with Cantha, a scientist who has escaped into the forest. She tells Kitty that it is too dangerous to be meeting her, and that Kitty should not risk her life for her. Just then, the mysterious stranger from earlier enters.

Part 2[[edit] | [edit source]]

The stranger says that he is not dangerous, and asks Cantha to grind him a looking glass urgently. He says that the Sezians could have followed Kitty, but believes that they did not. Cantha and Kitty work out that he needs the mirror to make a spyglass, and deduce that as looking around with it all he would see would be trees, he needs it to look up into the sky. As Cantha makes the mirror, and Kitty keeps watch, the stranger agrees to explain why he needs it.

Meanwhile, Durian's assistant tells him that there has been anomalous resistance to the new regime in the north of Tanto. Rathen tells him to fuck off, and tells Durian that the Witch Prime has returned to Sezuan, leaving him behind to spy on Durian and as leader of the army, and informing him that he is now the ambassador. An individual, Scutter, who was before in the Traveller's Rest Inn, then comes along and tells him about the stranger from earlier, and that the stranger was after Cantha. Durian orders Rathen to search a particular place in the forest for Cantha.

The stranger reveals that he is looking for displaced planets in the sky because, because the Near Cluster is out of place, and that he needs to get to a temple. As Kitty has not been keeping watch, and instead listening to the stranger, the Sezian army have manages to arrive without them noticing. They quickly hurry out of Cantha's hiding spot, but the soldiers manage to catch Cantha. Kitty takes a gun from the stranger, and gets him to tell him what's happening. The stranger asks her to get him to the temple, but, as she wants to know what's happening, she tells him that it is a long way away, even though they are standing right next to it. He tells her that if she takes him to the temple, then he'll help rescue the professor, though Kitty doubts whether he would be able to rescue him, he says that he has got more knowledge than her. She then reveals to the stranger that he had actually been next to the temple all along, and Kitty appears to head off. However, she is intrigued by the actions of the stranger, and sneaks back to observe him. He proceeds to perform some kind of ritual.

Part 3[[edit] | [edit source]]

Durians tells Cantha that he wants him to work for him, and shows her the tremendous amounts of technology they possess. They then proceed to have a theological argument, as Durian believes in magic, as opposed to science. He tells her that she has to work on a missile. She refuses, as she does not wish to create a weapon. He then blackmails her into working on it, by threatening to hurt Kitty.

The stranger completes his scientific ritual, and standing before him is a strange door. Kitty reveals herself, and questions him. Upon being told to go home, she replies that she does not have one, as she will get arrested. The stranger reveals that he lied, and did not really intend to assist in rescuing Cantha. He then steps through the door into a vast space behind, onto the Frost Bridge between worlds. He tells Kitty to go home, and that if she follows him, then she will die. She continues to plague him with questions, and he continues to try to convince her to stay behind. Kitty disregards and follows him. They then jump and fly through the gap between worlds. They aim for the nameless city. He tells her to be secret when they get there. They manage to slow down by creating as much air resistance as possible, and land, if somewhat painfully. Kitty sees some people coming, running towards them. They run away. Kitty asks why it's deserted, and the stranger tells her to head towards to hill with the lightning, which has a palace where his friend lives. They enter a deserted house with a window. It is full of bones. There is a large angry person behind them. He cannot talk. The people from earlier come, and, after attempting to kill Kitty and the stranger, change their minds after the stranger proclaims them to be friendly. The person from earlier, whose name is Drengis, decides that they should kill the stranger and Kitty. However, they are scared by the phrase "where horse?", when Kitty asks it as a question.

Meanwhile, at the village where an uprising had taken place, soldiers terrorise the place, until they are all killed by a mysterious stranger on a horse.

Cast[[edit] | [edit source]]

Uncredited cast[[edit] | [edit source]]

Crew[[edit] | [edit source]]

Executive Producer - Clare Eden
Writer - Dan Freeman
Producer - Dan Freeman
Director - Dan Freeman
Sound Recording - Chris Mock
Sound Mixing - Julian Mayers
Digital - Bruce Collingwood
Marketing and PR - Kate Cornish
Graphic Designer - Thomas Moulton
Production Assistants - Violet Lavinia Brown, Simon Dixon, Keelan Gumbley, Dan Hunt, Athene Hyde, Margrethe Nandrup-Pettersen

With thanks to Karl Philips

Worldbuilding[[edit] | [edit source]]

Sezuan has invaded Tanto
Kitty, a barmaid at the Traveller's Rest Inn, was found in the forest.
Porcher finds the Minister's face familiar.
The Minister believes Sezuan to be "a desperately insecure regime who cling to arbitrary rules rather than face the ambiguities of the universe".
Professor Cantha was a teacher at the university.
They used to sacrifice people in the Blood Rock.
Kitty can pick pockets.
According to Cantha, Sezuan has a coven in every town, who chant and cast spells, which never work.
The Minister knows the formula for doors.
The Minister believes that he is really clever.
On the frostbridge, the law of weights has been broken.
Doors fade if they are given weak bonds.
Rocks in the gap between worlds are made of lava.
There are no trees in the nameless city.
The architecture in the nameless city looks "all wrong".