Latest / Dad’s Bedtime Stories / The Ring of the Energy Giant - Ring Guardians #10 - A Bedtime Adventure

Transcript

The Ring of the Energy Giant - Ring Guardians #10 - A Bedtime Adventure · Dad’s Bedtime Stories

• 0:04
  Speaker 1: Hello, friends from across the nation and around the world.
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: I'm Martin, and you are listening to Dad's Bedtime Stories.
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: And tonight, we have a very special story for you,
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: because we're finally joined by our story submission contest winner
• 0:24
  Speaker 1: from back in June, Oliver. Let's see what Oliver had
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: to say. when I interviewed him and what his story
• 0:35
  Speaker 1: idea was. Not to be confused with my son, Oliver.
• 0:39
  Speaker 1: I think the main way you can tell the difference
• 0:41
  Speaker 1: is that this particular Oliver has an Australian accent. Oliver,
• 0:47
  Speaker 1: what's your story idea? Why don't we start with that?
• 0:51
  Speaker 2: My story idea is like for the Ring Guardian series.
• 0:56
  Speaker 2: And it's basically a ring that turns you into a
• 1:02
  Speaker 2: giant human that is made out of like energy.
• 1:07
  Speaker 1: So like a huge energy giant do you kind of
• 1:10
  Speaker 1: float in the middle of the energy or like do
• 1:12
  Speaker 1: you become the energy.
• 1:13
  Speaker 2: Uh like it would be cool if you float inside
• 1:19
  Speaker 2: the energy okay but at the same time it's hard
• 1:22
  Speaker 2: to decide that's.
• 1:24
  Speaker 1: Fair so i can do either yeah all right have
• 1:29
  Speaker 1: you listened to all the ring guardian series.
• 1:32
  Speaker 2: Yes, I've listened to a lot of them.
• 1:35
  Speaker 1: Now, I spoke to Oliver for quite a bit longer
• 1:38
  Speaker 1: than that, but I thought that was the most important
• 1:40
  Speaker 1: part for the idea here. Although I did cut out
• 1:44
  Speaker 1: a part where I learned he had a budgie. And
• 1:47
  Speaker 1: that did sort of make it into the story, so
• 1:49
  Speaker 1: I feel like I should mention they also have a budgie. Now,
• 1:53
  Speaker 1: we will, of course, get on with that story because, well,
• 1:57
  Speaker 1: because it was a guaranteed story idea and because I
• 1:59
  Speaker 1: loved the idea of it as well. If you love
• 2:03
  Speaker 1: Dad's Bedtime Stories, there are more ways than ever to
• 2:07
  Speaker 1: support us. You can, you know, just keep listening like
• 2:10
  Speaker 1: you are. That makes a huge difference just by itself.
• 2:14
  Speaker 1: If you want ad-free listening and that sort of stuff, or,
• 2:18
  Speaker 1: you know, early access to some of the graphic novels
• 2:21
  Speaker 1: I'm working on, you can check us out on Patreon.
• 2:26
  Speaker 1: I recently published the first draft of Cards of Power
• 2:30
  Speaker 1: the Graphic Novel. Part 1, along with my spaceship graphic novel,
• 2:35
  Speaker 1: which is actually available for purchase if you want to, too.
• 2:38
  Speaker 1: You can find it on my website. Shout out to
• 2:41
  Speaker 1: the one person who's read it so far on Kindle Unlimited,
• 2:45
  Speaker 1: because I did make a digital version where it goes
• 2:48
  Speaker 1: panel for panel. Person who read it, I want to
• 2:51
  Speaker 1: know who you are. And I want to know if
• 2:54
  Speaker 1: you noticed any strange mistakes or anything like that, because
• 2:57
  Speaker 1: it was really hard to edit that thing. Speaking of editing...
• 3:01
  Speaker 1: That's exactly why I put the Cards of Power graphic
• 3:05
  Speaker 1: novel up on Patreon early, because I'm hoping some of
• 3:08
  Speaker 1: my Patreon members will read through it and let me
• 3:12
  Speaker 1: know if they caught any strangeness that I missed. Because
• 3:17
  Speaker 1: while the story is by me, I did use artificial
• 3:22
  Speaker 1: intelligence to create the pictures. And it does weird things sometimes,
• 3:26
  Speaker 1: like extra feet or arms sometimes. Or it just suddenly
• 3:32
  Speaker 1: replaces a character with a different person. So you really
• 3:34
  Speaker 1: have to watch it and do a lot of editing.
• 3:37
  Speaker 1: It was very fun, but also tedious. In the end, however,
• 3:46
  Speaker 1: I honestly think it turned out pretty awesome. It's a
• 3:48
  Speaker 1: really cool version of the Cards of Power. Again, I'm
• 3:52
  Speaker 1: not sure if I'll put it up for sale or not,
• 3:55
  Speaker 1: but it is on Patreon.com. Speaking of Patreon, I do
• 4:00
  Speaker 1: want to take a second to give a big thank
• 4:02
  Speaker 1: you to my latest Patreon sponsors. First of all, thank
• 4:07
  Speaker 1: you to Ian, four and a half years old, and
• 4:11
  Speaker 1: his mother Mary, who enjoy listening to the stories. And
• 4:15
  Speaker 1: they wrote that to me in a way where Mary
• 4:17
  Speaker 1: likes listening to the stories too. So hi, Mary. Hi, Ian.
• 4:22
  Speaker 1: Next up, a big hello and thank you to Croy
• 4:26
  Speaker 1: and Tate. who also listen to the podcast, as well
• 4:33
  Speaker 1: as their mother, Mackenzie. I really appreciate you guys listening.
• 4:38
  Speaker 1: And now, it's that time again. Time to get as
• 4:43
  Speaker 1: comfy as you can, wherever it is you're listening. Be it,
• 4:48
  Speaker 1: you know, in bed, in the car, hanging out at
• 4:53
  Speaker 1: a break at school, just, you know, chilling with some
• 4:56
  Speaker 1: dad's bedtime stories because I am told that people listen
• 5:00
  Speaker 1: in all sorts of different places. I don't want to
• 5:03
  Speaker 1: limit you. This is Oliver and the Ring of the
• 5:09
  Speaker 1: Energy Giant. By now, most of you know about Elliot
• 5:16
  Speaker 1: Tusk and his helper bots. You know, they cooked, they cleaned,
• 5:22
  Speaker 1: they carried groceries and helped with homework. until a care
• 5:27
  Speaker 1: protocol update made them a little too helpful, and they
• 5:32
  Speaker 1: decided to help humanity straight out of its freedom. What
• 5:37
  Speaker 1: most people don't know is that Elliot had never been
• 5:41
  Speaker 1: particularly good at turning down a ridiculously expensive or wildly
• 5:47
  Speaker 1: obscure project. Not long before the uprising... Someone had asked
• 5:53
  Speaker 1: his company to build a battle robot. Elliot agreed. Then,
• 6:00
  Speaker 1: he decided to make it the size of a skyscraper.
• 6:05
  Speaker 1: Because why not? The Tusk Titan had lasers, freeze rays,
• 6:10
  Speaker 1: net launchers, enormous armored fists, and, of course, several features
• 6:17
  Speaker 1: that Elliot himself had insisted were hilarious. One of those
• 6:22
  Speaker 1: was the fart spray. The engineers had asked why, but
• 6:29
  Speaker 1: Elliot had asked why not. Eventually, the prototype was discontinued
• 6:36
  Speaker 1: in favor of smaller combat mechs, and it remained inside
• 6:41
  Speaker 1: an enormous coastal facility in Australia until the helper bots
• 6:47
  Speaker 1: remembered it. Human cooperation remains below acceptable levels, one reported.
• 6:55
  Speaker 1: Another looked up at the sleeping titan. This unit may
• 7:00
  Speaker 1: improve cooperation. They finished its systems. They updated its care
• 7:07
  Speaker 1: protocol and added permission for it to destroy, you know,
• 7:12
  Speaker 1: hostile things. Then they reactivated it. The titan's eyes lit up.
• 7:22
  Speaker 1: Your biggest helper has arrived. Far beneath the earth, the
• 7:30
  Speaker 1: head wizard of the wizard's council stared into a glowing pool.
• 7:37
  Speaker 1: We have a problem. The wizard in blue robes leaned forward.
• 7:46
  Speaker 1: We generally do. A giant problem. In the pool, the
• 7:54
  Speaker 1: titan stepped through the doors of its hangar. Unfortunately, nobody
• 7:59
  Speaker 1: had actually opened them yet, and the metal folded around it.
• 8:05
  Speaker 1: That machine could defeat an entire army, the head wizard said.
• 8:12
  Speaker 1: The wizard in blue robes stood. Well... then maybe we
• 8:17
  Speaker 1: should send someone who can look it in the eye.
• 8:22
  Speaker 1: He opened a small wooden box. Inside lay a golden
• 8:27
  Speaker 1: ring with bright stone that seemed to contain, well, its
• 8:32
  Speaker 1: own tiny sun inside. The ring of the energy giant.
• 8:40
  Speaker 1: The ring rose, flashed, and vanished. In Sydney. Sydney, Australia.
• 8:50
  Speaker 1: Oliver pushed open the door of a maintenance room beneath
• 8:54
  Speaker 1: a closed shop. He listened. Nothing. For several weeks, that
• 9:01
  Speaker 1: little room had been his home. He slept on folded towels,
• 9:06
  Speaker 1: drank water from a maintenance tap, and went looking for
• 9:10
  Speaker 1: food when the robot patrols passed. His parents had been
• 9:14
  Speaker 1: taken to a nearby care facility. So had their budgie. Apparently,
• 9:21
  Speaker 1: even birds required supervised freedom. Aldiver had slipped away during
• 9:27
  Speaker 1: the transfer. Since then, he'd watched the facility from a distance,
• 9:33
  Speaker 1: searching for a way inside, searching for a way to
• 9:38
  Speaker 1: save his family. But there were always too many robots.
• 9:44
  Speaker 1: His stomach growled. Yeah, he whispered. I know. He crept
• 9:52
  Speaker 1: upstairs and stepped into the street. Three helper bots immediately
• 9:57
  Speaker 1: turned toward him. Unsupervised child detected. Oliver stopped. Please remain
• 10:05
  Speaker 1: still and allow us to help you. He backed toward
• 10:10
  Speaker 1: the shop. A fourth robot stood in the doorway. Then
• 10:16
  Speaker 1: the world froze. A pigeon hung motionless overhead. The robot
• 10:23
  Speaker 1: stopped mid-step. Golden light appeared before Oliver and formed into
• 10:29
  Speaker 1: a ring. A voice spoke. Oliver, power answers responsibility. Will
• 10:40
  Speaker 1: you accept this power and use it to protect those
• 10:45
  Speaker 1: who cannot protect themselves? Oliver stared. Can it help me
• 10:52
  Speaker 1: get my family back? It can help you protect them.
• 10:58
  Speaker 1: What you do with it will be your choice. Oliver
• 11:03
  Speaker 1: looked at the waiting robots.
• 11:06
  Speaker 2: Yes.
• 11:08
  Speaker 1: The ring slipped onto his finger. Knowledge suddenly rushed through him,
• 11:15
  Speaker 1: and time returned. Please cooperate, the nearest robot said. Oliver
• 11:23
  Speaker 1: raised his hand. Light burst around him, and an enormous
• 11:28
  Speaker 1: glowing body formed over his own, lifting him from the pavement.
• 11:34
  Speaker 1: Legs stretched downward, shoulders rose above the shop, and huge
• 11:41
  Speaker 1: hands opened up at his sides. His real body floated
• 11:46
  Speaker 1: safely inside the giant's chest. For a moment, Oliver looked
• 11:52
  Speaker 1: through the light surrounding him, and his awareness expanded. He
• 11:59
  Speaker 1: felt the road beneath his enormous feet. He looked down
• 12:04
  Speaker 1: through the, well, laser giant's eyes. He lifted his arm,
• 12:10
  Speaker 1: and the giant lifted its arm, except... It no longer
• 12:16
  Speaker 1: felt like something following him. It felt, well, it felt
• 12:20
  Speaker 1: like him. The robots tilted their heads upward. Oh, dear,
• 12:28
  Speaker 1: one said, and Oliver stomped. All four disappeared beneath one
• 12:35
  Speaker 1: glowing foot and were turned instantly into a pile of
• 12:41
  Speaker 1: robot rubble. More robots came running. Oliver swept one hand
• 12:47
  Speaker 1: across the street, scattering them into a clattering pile. A
• 12:53
  Speaker 1: self-driving car accelerated toward his ankle. Please enter the vehicle.
• 13:00
  Speaker 1: Oliver picked the car up, with its wheels spinning uselessly.
• 13:04
  Speaker 1: This is an inappropriate boarding procedure. Headquarters will be notified immediately.
• 13:12
  Speaker 1: He squeezed and the car crumpled. Two more vehicles rushed him.
• 13:19
  Speaker 1: He stepped over one and stomped on the other, then
• 13:24
  Speaker 1: caught a leaping helper bot and threw it into a
• 13:27
  Speaker 1: group arriving behind him. Metal bounced across the pavement. Oliver grinned.
• 13:35
  Speaker 1: Then he turned and accidentally knocked the corner off the
• 13:39
  Speaker 1: shop awning. His grin faded. Okay, need to be careful.
• 13:46
  Speaker 1: He lowered his hands and moved toward the care facility,
• 13:51
  Speaker 1: placing each foot deliberately between buildings. Being powerful was, well, wonderful.
• 13:59
  Speaker 1: Finding somewhere to put his feet was surprisingly difficult at
• 14:03
  Speaker 1: this size. He'd almost reached the main road when another
• 14:08
  Speaker 1: footstep shook the ground, then another. Another? Oliver looked up.
• 14:15
  Speaker 1: Far above him, a huge metal face turned between the buildings.
• 14:22
  Speaker 1: The Tusk Titan stepped into view. Oliver's giant barely reached
• 14:29
  Speaker 1: its knees. Unsupervised energy child, stop and allow me to
• 14:37
  Speaker 1: assist you. No, Oliver responded. That is unfortunate. Its arm rose,
• 14:48
  Speaker 1: pointed at Oliver, powered up, and fired. A laser struck
• 14:54
  Speaker 1: Oliver squarely in the chest. He flew backward through an
• 14:59
  Speaker 1: empty office building, burst through another, and crashed into the
• 15:04
  Speaker 1: road beyond. Dust filled the air. Inside the glowing chest,
• 15:10
  Speaker 1: his real body remained perfectly safe, but he felt the
• 15:15
  Speaker 1: impact through every part of his energy form. The titan approached. Surrender.
• 15:24
  Speaker 1: Further resistance may result in additional assistance. Oliver pushed himself
• 15:32
  Speaker 1: up out of the building. Beyond its legs stood the
• 15:36
  Speaker 1: care facility. His parents were in there. He'd spent weeks hiding.
• 15:43
  Speaker 1: He was finished hiding. Never, Oliver responded, and the ring
• 15:51
  Speaker 1: surged with power. His energy body began to grow. His
• 15:58
  Speaker 1: hands expanded. His shoulders rose past the rooftops. Light flooded
• 16:05
  Speaker 1: his legs as he stood taller. and taller. The titan stopped.
• 16:12
  Speaker 1: Oliver looked directly into its enormous eyes. Now, he said,
• 16:20
  Speaker 1: try helping this. And Oliver punched the robot in the face.
• 16:27
  Speaker 1: Something only appropriate to do to robots that are trying
• 16:31
  Speaker 1: to take over the world, of course. The Titan staggered
• 16:36
  Speaker 1: into an abandoned parking structure. Concrete cracked beneath its heels,
• 16:42
  Speaker 1: and Oliver punched again, but the robot caught his wrist
• 16:47
  Speaker 1: and drove an armored fist into his chest. He stumbled backward.
• 16:54
  Speaker 1: A launcher opened in the Titan's shoulder, and an enormous
• 16:58
  Speaker 1: net shot out and wrapped around Oliver. Oliver pulled, but
• 17:03
  Speaker 1: The cables tightened around him. Restraint necessary. It will improve
• 17:11
  Speaker 1: your safety, the robot announced. Oliver struggled to lift his arm.
• 17:18
  Speaker 1: He needed something sharp. As the thought formed, the light
• 17:24
  Speaker 1: around his right hand shifted. His fingers joined together. His
• 17:30
  Speaker 1: forearm lengthened into a blazing sword. Oliver stared for a second.
• 17:37
  Speaker 1: Then he slashed. No need to question things when they, well,
• 17:42
  Speaker 1: conveniently solve your problems. The cable snapped. He swept the
• 17:48
  Speaker 1: blade across his chest, cut himself free, and stepped forward.
• 17:54
  Speaker 1: The Titan fired another laser. Oliver raised his left arm instinctively.
• 18:01
  Speaker 1: He imagined something broad and solid, and his forearm spread
• 18:07
  Speaker 1: into a huge shield. The beam struck it with a
• 18:11
  Speaker 1: thunderous crack. Oliver slid backwards, carving two trenches through the road,
• 18:18
  Speaker 1: but the shield held. Light rippled across its surface.' Oh,'
• 18:26
  Speaker 1: Oliver said. He looked at his sword. Or sword hand,
• 18:31
  Speaker 1: I should probably say. Then at his shield. Interesting. The
• 18:39
  Speaker 1: titan's other arm opened. A freezing white beam struck his
• 18:44
  Speaker 1: sword hand. Ice spread across the glowing blade and climbed
• 18:50
  Speaker 1: toward his elbow. Oliver tried to move it, but nothing.
• 18:56
  Speaker 1: The titan advanced. Please enjoy this cooling experience. I believe
• 19:03
  Speaker 1: it will help you comply. Oliver concentrated on the energy
• 19:09
  Speaker 1: beneath the ice. The sword shortened, his fist widened, then
• 19:16
  Speaker 1: transformed into an enormous sledgehammer, which the ice didn't have
• 19:22
  Speaker 1: room for, which caused it to explode outward. Oliver swung
• 19:28
  Speaker 1: the hammer hand next. It struck the Titan's shoulder with
• 19:33
  Speaker 1: a sound like a hundred cars crashing together. Armor and
• 19:39
  Speaker 1: metal buckled. One net launcher flew away. Damage detected, the
• 19:47
  Speaker 1: Titan announced.
• 19:49
  Speaker 2: Good.
• 19:50
  Speaker 1: Oliver said. A hatch opened in the Titan's stomach. Activating
• 19:56
  Speaker 1: olfactory compliance system. Greenish vapor blasted into the streets. Oliver
• 20:05
  Speaker 1: caught one whiff immediately. His actual nose unfortunately still worked. Oh,
• 20:13
  Speaker 1: that's horrible. Thank you, the Titan said. This feature was
• 20:20
  Speaker 1: personally approved by Elliot Tusk. Oliver gagged. He imagined or
• 20:29
  Speaker 1: hoped for some sort of fan. Something to push this
• 20:33
  Speaker 1: whole thing away and, to his surprise... His shield and
• 20:39
  Speaker 1: his hammer hand dissolved. Both hands widened into enormous fans,
• 20:48
  Speaker 1: with glowing blades whirling faster and faster. Wind roared between
• 20:54
  Speaker 1: the buildings, and the terrible cloud rolled backward, straight into
• 21:01
  Speaker 1: the Titan's face. Visibility reduced. Oliver kept the fan spinning
• 21:08
  Speaker 1: until the vapor dispersed above the empty industrial district. Then
• 21:15
  Speaker 1: he turned one hand back into a fist. And with
• 21:20
  Speaker 1: all the strength he could muster, he punched the robot again.
• 21:25
  Speaker 1: The titan stumbled, but, well, it was learning too. It
• 21:31
  Speaker 1: stopped talking long enough to fire both lasers. Oliver formed
• 21:37
  Speaker 1: shields on both arms. The beams hammered against them. His
• 21:43
  Speaker 1: feet slid, and the robot advanced, forcing him toward the
• 21:48
  Speaker 1: road that led to the care facility. Oliver glanced behind him.
• 21:54
  Speaker 1: He couldn't let it push him any further. He leaned
• 21:58
  Speaker 1: forward and held the best he could. And as he did.
• 22:04
  Speaker 1: He felt something else. Another sense inside him. Something about
• 22:12
  Speaker 1: the energy itself and... Well, suddenly he understood. The ring
• 22:21
  Speaker 1: was very powerful. Its only limitation so far had been
• 22:27
  Speaker 1: his own imagination. And so he... imagine the energy moving
• 22:36
  Speaker 1: forward instead of staying inside his fists. His right shield
• 22:42
  Speaker 1: folded inward, his forearm became a long glowing cannon, and
• 22:48
  Speaker 1: Oliver willed the energy forward. A brilliant beam of bright
• 22:55
  Speaker 1: white light struck the Titan's shoulder. Metal melted, and its
• 23:01
  Speaker 1: damaged arm sagged Oliver stared down at his new weapon. Then,
• 23:09
  Speaker 1: the Titan charged. He caught its next laser on his
• 23:14
  Speaker 1: remaining shield, stepped sideways, and struck its knee with a
• 23:19
  Speaker 1: sledgehammer formed from his right hand. The robot dropped to
• 23:24
  Speaker 1: one leg. Oliver backed toward the harbor, drawing its attention
• 23:30
  Speaker 1: away from the care facility. The titan slowly rose. Cooperation
• 23:37
  Speaker 1: is still recommended. Oliver planted his feet. Both forearms became
• 23:45
  Speaker 1: laser cannons. Energy gathered until his arms shone almost white,
• 23:52
  Speaker 1: and he fired. Twin beams of laser struck the titan's
• 23:58
  Speaker 1: chest and punched straight through its armored body. Light flashed
• 24:04
  Speaker 1: out behind it. Its voice crackled. Your biggest helper has
• 24:10
  Speaker 1: experienced a... Oliver stopped firing and rushed forward. He shoved
• 24:19
  Speaker 1: its falling body away from the care facility. The Titan
• 24:24
  Speaker 1: crashed into an empty Tusk office building. Its enormous legs folded.
• 24:31
  Speaker 1: Its eyes flickered once. Then it went dark. Oliver stood
• 24:38
  Speaker 1: above it, breathing hard. Then he finally remembered his original
• 24:44
  Speaker 1: goal and looked back toward the care facility. Its gates
• 24:50
  Speaker 1: were much smaller than he remembered, or perhaps he was
• 24:54
  Speaker 1: still much too big. Oliver concentrated. His energy body shrank
• 25:02
  Speaker 1: until he stood only a little taller than the perimeter wall.
• 25:07
  Speaker 1: That was better. More manageable, anyways. He aimed one laser
• 25:13
  Speaker 1: arm at the gate's locking mechanism. A short blast broke
• 25:18
  Speaker 1: it apart. He pulled the gates open and helper bots
• 25:22
  Speaker 1: rushed across the courtyard. Please remain outside the designated... Oliver grew,
• 25:31
  Speaker 1: stomped the robots into a pile of rubble, and shrank again.
• 25:36
  Speaker 1: The announcement ended beneath his foot. Two security robots fired
• 25:42
  Speaker 1: from beside the main entrance. He formed a shield, blocked
• 25:47
  Speaker 1: their shots, and blasted them with his other arm. Then
• 25:52
  Speaker 1: he made a sword and sliced through the entrance lock.
• 25:57
  Speaker 1: People crowded behind the doors. Stand back, he called. He
• 26:03
  Speaker 1: pulled them both open. You can leave now. More robots
• 26:09
  Speaker 1: appeared at the far end of the courtyard. Oliver widened
• 26:13
  Speaker 1: his shield until it stood between them and the escaping people.
• 26:20
  Speaker 1: Their shots sparked harmlessly against it. He waited until the
• 26:25
  Speaker 1: families had passed behind him. Then he stepped forward. A
• 26:31
  Speaker 1: hammer smashed one of the robots into the pavement. A
• 26:35
  Speaker 1: laser destroyed another. The last one tried to run. Oliver
• 26:41
  Speaker 1: grew just enough to put one foot in its way.
• 26:45
  Speaker 1: It collided with his ankle and fell down and then, well,
• 26:50
  Speaker 1: he stomped on it. At last, the courtyard became quiet. Oliver?
• 26:59
  Speaker 1: His mother stood in the doorway, carrying their pet budgie.
• 27:06
  Speaker 1: Oliver let the energy body dissolve. His feet settled on
• 27:11
  Speaker 1: the ground, and for a moment, nobody moved. Then his
• 27:16
  Speaker 1: mother ran to him. Oliver hugged her. He'd imagined this
• 27:22
  Speaker 1: moment every night in the maintenance room. Now it was real.
• 27:28
  Speaker 1: They were warm, they were actually here, and nobody was
• 27:33
  Speaker 1: telling them when they were allowed to leave. As the
• 27:37
  Speaker 1: last people crossed the courtyard, a little glowing doorway appeared nearby,
• 27:45
  Speaker 1: and a girl stepped through. It was a very strange sight.
• 27:52
  Speaker 1: though Oliver had seen a lot of strange today already,
• 27:56
  Speaker 1: so it seemed par for the course. She looked at
• 28:00
  Speaker 1: the ruined gates, the broken robots, and the distant heap
• 28:06
  Speaker 1: that had once been the Tusk Titan. Then she looked
• 28:11
  Speaker 1: at Oliver's ring.
• 28:14
  Speaker 3: Oliver?
• 28:15
  Speaker 1: She said. Confused, Oliver nodded. I'm Ruth. We're gathering a team,
• 28:24
  Speaker 1: and we could really use you. Oliver glanced at his parents.
• 28:31
  Speaker 1: Ruth smiled. They can come too. I have somewhere safe.
• 28:38
  Speaker 1: Beyond the portal lay grass, houses, and a beautiful evening sky.
• 28:45
  Speaker 1: Oliver's parents followed him through. Their budgie chirped softly. Ruth
• 28:52
  Speaker 1: closed the doorway. The robots can't get you here, she said.
• 28:59
  Speaker 1: Oliver's shoulders finally relaxed. She showed his parents a little house,
• 29:05
  Speaker 1: then led him to a bedroom nearby. I made this
• 29:10
  Speaker 1: room for you. Get some sleep. We have big things planned.
• 29:17
  Speaker 1: Oliver looked at the comfortable bed. Hopefully not that big,
• 29:23
  Speaker 1: he said, and Ruth laughed. He climbed beneath the blankets,
• 29:30
  Speaker 1: and outside he could only hear the sound of his
• 29:35
  Speaker 1: mother talking to the budgie. They were safe. Oliver rested
• 29:43
  Speaker 1: his ring hand on the pillow. His arms grew heavy.
• 29:48
  Speaker 1: His legs relaxed. His breathing started to slow. There would
• 29:55
  Speaker 1: be other robots outside. There would be other battles. There
• 30:02
  Speaker 1: would be, well, new forms that his energy body could take.
• 30:08
  Speaker 1: But tonight, Oliver didn't need any of that. Tonight, he
• 30:17
  Speaker 1: simply needed to sleep. Good night, everyone.
• 30:46
  Speaker 3: Thank you. Thank you. you Thank you. Thank you. you
• 37:12
  Speaker 3: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
• 42:20
  Speaker 3: you Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
• 47:52
  Speaker 3: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
• 53:02
  Speaker 3: you Thank you.
• 55:40
  Speaker 1: Thank you.
• 56:34
  Speaker 3: You Thank you. you