A Maze of Stardust

[CALMING LYRE MUSIC PLAYS IN THE BACKGROUND]

TALESPINNER:

[SOFT LAUGH] It’s me again, surprise. This is… really nice, you know. To be able to tell stories like this. It helps me forget, I guess, about everything going on outside. In a time of war and all, I think we could all use a tale to help get our minds off of things, don’t you think?

[PAUSE]

Glad you agree. I know neither of us really wanna talk about it, but I’ve been listening to the war reports— you know, for any names— and I, um, haven’t heard anything too bad on your front. I mean to say that I think your family is still safe on the other side. I’ll, uh, stop talking about this now. A story! That’s what I came here for, after all.

TALESPINNER:

Sing, O Muses, of the sorceress Medea and her crew, who must navigate a dangerous labyrinth with the help of the teenage genius Ariadne. In the heart of this labyrinth lies the Minotaur, whose plight and pain endangers our travelling heroes. Muses great, grant me the ability to sing to you the Hymn of A Maze of Stardust.

ARIADNE:

Well, I can’t expect you to fly it out of here, can I? The last time worked out real well after all, didn’t it?

ATALANTA:

What’s that supposed to mean?

ARIADNE:

It means that, for our best chance of survival, let me take the wheel. I’ve got a way to get through this.

MEDEA (NARRATION):

There’s something about Ariadne that I see myself in. A younger version of me: one with more… hope? Stars, I know when I was her age, I had that same unbridled confidence and naive optimism that the universe could work in your favor. Being raised as a princess gave me an ego like that.

ATALANTA:

I’ve been flying since before you were out of nappies and I couldn’t navigate my way through this… labyrinth of space junk!

ARIADNE:

Well you aren’t a genius inventor-slash-engineer. I am. Check this out.

[TYPING]

MEDUSA:

What is it?

ARIADNE:

Well, Mx Software Engineer, you of all people should recognize an innovative piece of programming when you see one.

MEDEA:

Anyone with eyes can see it’s programming. I think they were asking what exactly it does. For all we know, you could upload some kind of… virus, or something.

ARIADNE:

Ay, does everyone in your crew have trust issues? It’d be pretty stupid to upload a virus to the ship I’m about to pilot. Besides, I’m not that good of a programmer. All I’m doing now is just sending a signal to… this.

[PING]

ARIADNE:

This is the Golden String. It’s going to get us out of here.

[“OOH” FROM MEDUSA]

MEDEA (NARRATION):

One by one, a series of tiny satellites light up the darkness around us: small beacons of golden light piercing through thick clouds of dust and debris. As the largest pieces of metal move through the storm to obscure our course, so do those flickering drones, calling us to safety. It is beautiful. And Ariadne’s excited squeals send a rush of joy through me.

ATALANTA:

So this is your big invention? Some stupid light show? How’s that supposed to do anything?

ARIADNE:

It’s not just some stupid light show. It’s a series of microsatellites that can detect the clear paths of debris, sense their motion, and pick up on the signal of mine and Daedalus’ broken ship. These satellites are drawing us a line to follow that will lead us directly where we need to go. We just have to follow where their light points. The program I uploaded onto the screen here allows us to track where each of them are and how they’re moving, see?

ATALANTA:

Hang on, those signals…

MEDEA:

That signet…

MEDEA (NARRATION):

There is a symbol engraved onto every microsatellite, and I think I am the only one who recognizes exactly what it is: a royal crest. The Princess of Knossos is a girl I had never met, but heard about in the fast-moving whispers of royal courts. Knossos was a royal family that liked to keep themselves and their secrets out of the public eye. Seeing this symbol so clearly marked is definitely… surprising, to say the least. I want to hold my tongue until I’m certain my suspicions are true. No need causing more conflict between Ariadne and Atalanta if it’s not necessary.

ATALANTA:

Great! You gave me a solution to the labyrinth, so sit down and let me pilot my own damn ship, thank you very much!

MEDEA:

Atalanta…

ATALANTA:

I don’t want to hear it, Medea! I don’t want to hand control over to some kid who I can’t even trust!

MEDEA:

I just think you’re being too harsh.

ATALANTA:

I said I didn’t want to hear it! Doesn’t anyone respect a captain’s orders anymore?

MEDEA:

I’m not disrespecting you; I’m saying you’re lashing out at her for no good reason!

ATALANTA:

She’s got the nerve to ask me to give up my own ship to her! That’s a pretty damn good reason!

MEDUSA:

Atalanta, I know you’re stressed right now, but you don’t need to control everything. It’ll be okay: all three of us can watch to make sure Ariadne doesn’t do anything suspicious.

ARIADNE:

Oy!

ATALANTA:

I don’t need to control everything; I just need to be in control of my own bloody ship, for stars’ sake!

MEDEA:

Fine. Captain.

ATALANTA:

Don’t get all snide with me! Am I the only one here who’s thinking with my head? Why are you all so onboard with letting a stranger be in charge?

MEDEA:

You brought her on in the first place!

ATALANTA:

To help with ECHO! And she can’t! So, what other abilities is she lying about? For all I know, she’ll steer the damn ship right into this storm and then we’re all screwed!

ARIADNE:

Look, I don’t really know you guys, but I can see there’s… a lot going on here. You can look over my shoulder the whole time if it’ll make you feel better. I just want to find my friend so we can fix yours, kay?

ATALANTA:

…fine.

MEDEA (NARRATION):

With Atalanta finally conceding, Ariadne begins to pilot us through the labyrinth. This doesn’t prevent Atalanta from hovering over her, tense and stern, watching every move without blinking. I want to tell her to believe in Ariadne. She’s showing herself to be a competent pilot and she clearly isn’t going to steer us into oblivion, so I don’t get why Atalanta won’t just leave her be! But my job is not to babysit Atalanta babysitting Ariadne. People like Ariadne and I do better work without someone breathing down our necks, but it isn’t my place to say that. So, I just go back to my assigned task: looking out for… anomalies. This whole thing is an anomaly though, a maze of stardust and wreckage.

MEDEA:

Ariadne, when you asked us to look out for anything strange… did you have anything in mind?

ARIADNE:

There’s something out here that caused my ship to break down. You’ll know it when you see it, I’m guessing. Here’s hoping we… don’t?

ATALANTA:

Oh, well that’s helpful!

ARIADNE:

You should be nicer to me considering I’m the only reason you guys are able to get out of this place.

MEDEA:

I agree with Atalanta, it would be a lot easier if I knew what to look out for.

ARIADNE:

I… I can’t tell you.

MEDEA (NARRATION):

There’s a million reasons a kid like her could hide information, but concealing the identity of something dangerous like this, well… that’s just foolish. I mean, she has to have a reason, but what…

And then it strikes me.

[FLUTE MUSIC BEGINS]

In royal families of any sector of the galaxy, be it a star or a planet or a trading post, power comes in many forms. One of the most dangerous forms is secrets: how well you can keep your own, and how well you can sniff out the secrets of others. But the secret of Knossos… that one was only known in parts. A hidden monster… concealed from the public eye… befriended only by the princess.

When I hear the bellow of a beast rip through the khôra, I realize I now know the identity of both.

[ECHOING ROAR]

MEDUSA:

There’s something out there! Automaton, I think? Something made for war— I don’t know— it’s like a bull— it looks humanoid, but those horns… I— What the hell is that?

ATALANTA:

Medusa, focus!

MEDUSA:

I can’t focus! There’s a giant monster out there!

ATALANTA:

Medusa, calm down.

ARIADNE:

Asterion…

MEDEA:

You know this creature, Princess Ariadne.

ARIADNE:

What?

MEDUSA:

Princess?

MEDEA:

So this is Knossos’ secret? A pet war machine?

ATALANTA:

[SPUTTERING] Medea, what are you talking about?

MEDEA:

Atalanta, why do you think Knossos fell into ruin? There was a huge scandal, the royal family, your family, ashamed of the monster— the Minotaur— they kept hidden. Her Highness here was the only person who didn’t turn her back on it. Ariadne, you know this creature.

ARIADNE:

Well, you sure did your reading on secrets that have nothing to do with you, didn’t you?

MEDEA:

Listen, I get the whole being a disillusioned princess thing, believe me, but you’re withholding information we need right now. You could kill us!

[METAL CLANGING. A MECHANICAL BELLOW]

MEDUSA:

Atalanta, what do we do?!

ATALANTA:

Medea, man the cannons! This thing could take the ship down again and I don’t know how many more crash landings the Argo can withstand.

ARIADNE:

Don’t hurt him! Let me figure it out, okay? I promise he’s not normally like this: he isn’t!

MEDUSA:

He? You mean that thing is sentient?

ARIADNE:

Hold your fire! Let me talk to him.

ATALANTA:

I don’t think he’s really in the mood for conversation right now!

MEDEA:

I think we should let her try. She obviously knows this creature better than any of us.

ATALANTA:

How do we even know it can hear us?

ARIADNE:

I know he can. He’s always been able to hear me, even once he started acting out. Just please don’t kill him.

MEDEA:

Atalanta, listen to me! Can’t you see she loves him?

ATALANTA:

It’s a monster! It’s endangering our ship!

MEDEA:

You know better than any of us how much mechanical minds like that one can love and be loved.

ATALANTA:

I…

ARIADNE:

Please.

ATALANTA:

[SIGH] You’re right, Medea. Hold fire.

ARIADNE:

…Thank you. Do you have a way for me to get out there?

ATALANTA:

Outside the ship?

[METAL CREAKING]

ARIADNE:

How else am I supposed to talk to him? You’re around my height, Atalanta, I’d be able to fit in your space suit. Where is it?

ATALANTA:

There’s an emergency one right here, but please be careful.

[MINOTAUR ROARS]

ARIADNE:

Thanks.

[SPACESUIT RUSTLING]

ATALANTA:

You know, letting a kid tether herself to a ship in the khôra while she goes to talk to a hostile force is a really stupid plan. And that’s coming from me.

ARIADNE:

I’ll be careful. I promise.

MEDUSA:

Why do you care so much about the Minotaur? You’re risking your life here.

ARIADNE:

[BEAT] He’s my brother.

MEDEA (NARRATION):

And with no elaboration, she heel-turns and strides into the airlock.

ARIADNE (COMMS):

Is my voice coming over clearly through the comms?

MEDEA:

Ariadne, your brother?

ARIADNE (COMMS):

Okay, we’re all clear then. Heading out.

MEDEA (NARRATION):

Despite her tall stature, she seems so small in the vastness of the labyrinth surrounding her, fragile, and my heart is racing. Her brother… something was hidden by the king and queen out of shame, this I remember from trickled down royal whispering, but knowing it was their child they cast off… I understand Ariadne much more now. A family like that uses love as a bargaining chip for perfection. When you find someone whose love feels unconditional… you don’t want to lose it. I thought I had that at one point, and I betrayed my planet for it. Stars, please let Ariadne be okay…

ARIADNE (COMMS):

[FOOTSTEPS ON METAL]

I see him. I’m going to approach. He’s… aggressive and hurting and frustrated. Who… who did this to you?

[MUSIC BEGINS]

ARIADNE (COMMS):

Ay! Please, calm down! Just listen! Pouchon, I… I don’t know what’s wrong here. I just need to clear the static from my head and think.

[MECHANICAL ROAR. METAL CREAKING]

ARIADNE (COMMS):

It’s me: Ariadne. You… you know me, remember? Your sister. Please…

[METAL CRASHING. MECHANICAL BELLOW]

ARIADNE (COMMS):

I think something is messing with his programming. He saw me though, guys. I… I saw him. He’s still in there somewhere.

MEDUSA:

Ariadne, touching him could be dangerous. I don’t want him to hurt you.

ARIADNE (COMMS):

It could help though, he seems calmer. I think he’s trying to communicate with me but it… it hurts. Asterion? Hey, there ya go, papouche, look at me. What’s going on? What’s hurting you?

[STRAINED GROAN FROM THE MINOTAUR]

ARIADNE (COMMS):

Something’s messed with his programming. I… I think it could be someone over at Olympus Corp.

[MEDUSA’S WIRES HISS]

MEDUSA:

That’ll be tricky to undo, but if it’s Athena’s tech, I might be able to see what’s going on.

MEDEA:

You think?

MEDUSA:

It’s worth a shot. I just need you to calm the Minotaur… you said his name was Asterion, right? I need you to calm Asterion down enough for me to work on him.

ARIADNE (COMMS):

I can try but I don’t know if he’ll get riled up— Whoa! Chill!

[THE MINOTAUR BELLOWS]

MEDEA (NARRATION):

It’s like a dance, the way Ariadne and her brother carry out this series of attack and evasion. All while Ariadne pleads for peace, calling out to the kid trapped in a program going haywire.

[MINOTAUR ROARS]

ARIADNE (COMMS):

I… I can’t do that, Asterion! I refuse.

MEDEA:

What’s he saying?

ARIADNE (COMMS):

He’s… he’s asking me to shut him down, saying that he won’t be able to attack me if I do it, but… but I can’t. I can’t do that to him. What if it kills him? What if we can’t get him back online? Then I lose him forever and I can’t stomach the thought of that.

MEDUSA:

Ariadne, you need to. Just temporarily until I can see his programming. It’s the only way I can help him.

ARIADNE (COMMS):

But what if I kill him? Him and Daedalus are the only ones who love me I can’t— I can’t…

MEDEA:

[SOFTLY] Ariadne, it’s going to be okay. It’s hard, but right now you are the only person who can help him, and that’s by shutting him down. It’ll only be for a bit. We’ll save him. I know we will.

MEDEA (NARRATION):

I know I just told Ariadne what she needed to hear, but… I need these words to be true. I want to have hope in all of this.

[MECHANICAL ROAR]

The Minotaur charges again, horns raised. This time, instead of dodging the attack, Ariadne ducks under, and pulls her arms up and around its body into an embrace.

I watch as she reaches around to find his power source. She turns it, and just like that, the Minotaur shuts down.

[BEEPS FROM THE MINOTAUR]

[MUSIC FADES]

MEDEA (NARRATION):

Ariadne walks in and removes her helmet, sweat matting down a few flyaway curls to her dark skin. I can’t tell if it’s tears or just sweat running down her cheeks.

ARIADNE:

He’s in the docks, but inside the ship. He’s too heavy for me to move on my own.

ATALANTA:

You… you did the right thing, you know.

ARIADNE:

Is it still the right thing if he doesn’t come back?

ATALANTA:

He will. Medusa’s one of the best there is! She used to be Athena’s right hand. If it’s tech from Olympus Corp, chances are they can crack it.

ARIADNE:

We need to get to Daedalus— the ship and the Golden String— I need to keep piloting it— I need— I need—

MEDUSA:

Hey. Hey, kid, I think you should calm down. Atalanta has been watching you navigate the Golden String this whole time; she can take over while you clear your head.

ARIADNE:

[SHAKY] Okay.

MEDEA:

Do you want to tell us about him?

ARIADNE:

You’re a princess too, aren’t you?

MEDEA:

Yes, from Colchis.

ARIADNE:

[BITTER LAUGH] Like recognizes like. You have to know how the Olympians keep a close eye on the royal family - our triumphs, our failures. We need to be just successful enough. Knossos was… too successful. It rivaled the power of Olympus Corp and their market. The royals needed to be punished in order to be… kept in line. They couldn’t be too powerful, after all, or Olympus Corp loses its edge. It was evil what they did to my family.

MEDUSA:

I know the kind of people they are, believe me.

ARIADNE:

I don’t know how exactly, but when my mother was pregnant, they messed with it, and my brother was a stillbirth. My parents were grief stricken. And what does Olympus Corp do? A few of the larger executives, Poseidon with Athena in tow, come to discuss options for us! We can fix it, they said! So they took my baby brother and transferred his brain into one of their machines. My parents were so embarrassed. They had their son, but not in the way they wanted and so they shut him away from the public eye. He was Knossos’s secret.

I ran maintenance on him, fixed bits of his body that he had knocked out of sorts, learned how to become a pretty good engineer. Well, with the help of Daedalus. Xe was like a parent to us; I think xe needed it after losing so much.

MEDEA:

That’s… that’s atrocious. But if their aim was to prevent Knossos’ rise to power, it didn’t seem to work very well.

MEDUSA:

Which is why you’re thinking they messed with the code. So the Minotaur would act up as a punishment. If it ruined Knossos in the process of acting out, well, that’s a bonus to them.

ARIADNE:

Exactly. Asterion started to act out more and more and, up in that little ship of ours, we couldn’t do much. He was hurting, and ramming into things blindly. I went down to Knossos for a supply run when he rammed into our ship and knocked it out of commission. Next thing I knew, xe was trapped in the labyrinth, and I was stranded planetside.

ATALANTA:

Well, wherever xe is, it’s gotta be somewhere nearby. I think we’re getting pretty close to your ship: I’m running out of beacons to follow.

ARIADNE:

I can see it. A little bit off in the distance, right by that collection of broken satellites. [BEAT] No, the other collection of broken satellites, look where the screen is pointing.

MEDEA (NARRATION):

The satellites of the Golden String swirl, almost cheerfully, around a towering ship that resembles more of a carpenter’s workshop than something used for spaceflight. As we pass to the front, Ariadne excitedly waves in the direction of the front view panel and a cloaked figure sweeps past. A passage to the airlock extends with a groan from the ship’s side.

[BEEP. THE AIRLOCK OPENS]

ARIADNE:

Daedalus?

DAEDALUS:

Ariadne! Oh, my girl! Come here, Pitit, I’m so happy to see you’re safe.

MEDEA (NARRATION):

There is… so much love in that one hug that, for a moment, it feels like everything evil in the universe slips away, Olympus Corp, Jason, everything, it all feels unimportant in the weight of witnessing this moment. Genuine hope… It’s a foreign thing that equally compels and frightens me.

DAEDALUS:

You had me so worried, you little brat. [BEAT] Who are these people you’ve brought onto our ship?

ARIADNE:

This is Atalanta and her crew, Medea— yes, that Medea before you ask— and Medusa, they know about Olympus Corp tech.

DAEDALUS:

Crew? Of the ship you took here, presumably.

ATALANTA:

Yep. She’s a beaut, ain’t she?

DAEDALUS:

Eh, I’ve seen better.

ATALANTA:

Oy! This ship got your friends back safe and sound, didn’t it?

DAEDALUS:

Friends? Plural? What do you mean by that? If it was a slip of the tongue, I swear that I’ll make you—

MEDEA:

We ran into Asterion on our way here.

DAEDALUS:

Asterion— He’s here? Where is he?

MEDUSA:

He is here, but he isn’t, um, exactly conscious.

DAEDALUS:

What do you mean he’s not conscious? Do you know how dangerous it is to shut down a semi-organic artificial being? You could permanently mess with his mind.

MEDUSA:

He hasn’t been shut down for that long and it was the only way to get him on board the Argo safely. I-I’m sorry, it was the safest option.

DAEDALUS:

Apologies won’t fix brain damage, snakehead. But, while you’re fixing him, you can tell me why you’re here.

MEDEA:

Ariadne told us you were an expert in AI. Our ship’s AI, ECHO, needs help. There was a malfunction with her when our ship crashed.

DAEDALUS:

Let me see the damages then. What kind of Artificial Intelligence is she?

MEDEA:

She always says it, a Series… [MUTTERING] What’s the number again…

ATALANTA:

A series four modified NYMPH model artificial intelligence.

DAEDALUS:

Modified artificial intelligence? What exactly are her modifications? Who was in charge of them?

ATALANTA:

Hera.

DAEDALUS:

Those folks at Olympus Corp are really lovely people aren’t they? They’ve done a great job at taking things I love away from me, the rats. How’d she modify her?

ATALANTA:

Her speech creation is… It’s messed up. She can only say what she’s been programmed to or else she uses someone else’s words.

DAEDALUS:

A pretty nasty punishment for an AI. NYMPH models tend to be pretty chatty things; taking speech development away from one of ‘em, well that’s like… well, like takin’ away your arms when you’re a fighter.

ATALANTA:

Can you fix her?

DAEDALUS:

I can get her back online, sure, but I don’t think I could undo the modifications. I’ve never dealt with that kind of hacking before.

ATALANTA:

No need to undo any curses or glitches. I just want my partner back.

DAEDALUS:

Alright. I’ll help your friend, but what’s in it for us?

MEDEA:

Getting you off of this floating piece of space junk for one, you ungrateful old git.

MEDUSA:

Asterion. I’m going to fix him, remember?

DAEDALUS:

Yeah, yeah, I remember. I just don’t know if a youngin like you has the skill to mess with a hack job like him. He’s a pretty complex thing and you hardly look old enough to walk.

MEDUSA:

If it’s tech from Olympus Corp, it’s going to be from Athena, which means I probably know it. I probably… helped invent it, if we’re being honest with ourselves.

DAEDALUS:

So, you’re one of Athena’s former cronies? What, did she have you in a child labor situation or something? You probably got into some pretty wicked technology, though, since you’re so young. Shame. She’s another one who’s never been too kind in my memories. Can’t imagine a woman like that as a mother figure. And I thought I’d be a domineering parent.

MEDUSA:

We have more important things to talk about right now. I do need to ask you one more thing.

DAEDALUS:

Shoot. Can’t guarantee it won’t cost you extra though. I don’t lend my genius to others for free. Well, unless you’re one of my kids here.

MEDUSA:

I don’t know what else we have to offer you but there’s a second AI here. Her name’s Daphne.

DAEDALUS:

You mean the Daphne? Apollo’s Daphne?

MEDUSA:

She’s her own program actually, but… yes. That one. We were hoping to upload her to the galactic weave, so she can be free. Is that possible?

DAEDALUS:

Kid, I have my own grievances with Apollo, as I’m sure you do. Anything that hurts that man, I’m more than happy to partake in.

MEDUSA:

Thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me.

DAEDALUS:

Don’t worry yourself too much. That bastard’s treatment of AI is enough to make me sick to my stomach. I just hope when I upload her, she gets some rest and we can all watch that sicko rot, huh?

MEDEA (NARRATION):

Medusa and Daedalus both get to work, tinkering with their machines, each of them restoring someone the other holds dear to them. Xe playfully nudges her a few times, and a smile cracks Medusa’s face. Ariadne watches over both of them, I swear she hardly blinks until Medusa’s done their work. I’m happily observing the familial tableau when Atalanta pulls me aside.

ATALANTA:

I’ve been thinking and I really don’t trust what’s going on here.

MEDEA:

What do you mean? Everything looks fine. I think this one might actually work out okay for everybody.

ATALANTA:

Don’t you think it’s a little too convenient that Ariadne was in that junkyard picking scraps when we crashed? And I just so happened to run into her?

MEDEA:

I thought she frequented the junkyard. She’s an inventor; I figured it made sense.

ATALANTA:

And she practically forced me into letting her repair my ship for not very much in return.

MEDEA:

I don’t know what you’re getting at. Do you not trust Ariadne?

ATALANTA:

I don’t get why you trust her so much!

MEDEA:

I know what it’s like to be in her shoes, I suppose? She’s just a girl who wants to help. She’s still got some faith in the world; I don’t want to be the person who takes that away from her.

ATALANTA:

She’s suspicious! You know she is! I mean, why hide the fact that she knew the Minotaur? Why hide her identity as a princess?

MEDEA:

You don’t know what it’s like! Sometimes the title is more of a burden than anything else! I’ve lied about it before too; sometimes you just need to exist outside of your family and all of their stupid secrets!

ATALANTA:

But, that still doesn’t explain why the signals were so similar-

[FOOTSTEPS]

MEDUSA:

We were right. The source of the programming malfunction definitely comes from Pallas Tech. It’s… a kind of program I know well. To manipulate and override enemy AI. I… helped develop a sister program almost exactly like it a few years ago. But luckily for us, that means I know how to disable it.

MEDEA (NARRATION):

Medusa steps away from her station. Then, metal creaks and the Minotaur— Asterion— comes to life, electronic eyes glowing a vibrant orange. No one speaks or moves at first— as if sudden movement will cause the whole thing to collapse. Asterion brings his hands to his face and flexes his fingers.

[ASTERION’S METAL CREAKING]

Then he stands, slowly, and faces Ariadne. His gaze is unchanging but the way that it lingers…

ARIADNE:

It’s you. Totally, 100% you.

DAEDALUS:

Careful, pitit. Let me check him out to make sure everything is okay. If he glitches out, he’ll gore ya and I can’t have that on the old conscience. Hey, come here, boy.

MEDEA (NARRATION):

Tentatively, Daedalus places xir hand on his shoulder and squeezes it. Asterion looks at xem in the same way Ariadne did and bows his head, which Daedalus pats fondly.

[PATTING THE METAL]

DAEDALUS:

We’re all good here.

[FOOSTEPS]

ARIADNE:

Oh, come here!

MEDEA (NARRATION):

Ariadne leaps to wrap as much of him as she can in her arms. Daedalus looks at both of xir children fondly, and the scene lingers for a while. It feels… warm. A half-bull automaton, a child engineer, and an inventor… a brother, a sister, and a parent. Against all odds, together again… a very unlikely family, but perhaps the best kind there is. It feels nice. To win like this with no casualties.

ARIADNE:

Thank you, Medusa, seriously. I thought I’d have lost him forever.

MEDUSA:

Thank you for calling me by my name this time.

DAEDALUS:

And for our friend Daphne here, her consciousness has been uploaded securely to the Galactic Weave. She should be fine and, if she ever decides she wants a body, all of her code’ll be intact and ready for transport. She’s free from that little wretch for good.

MEDUSA:

Oh, that’s wonderful!

ATALANTA:

What about ECHO?

DAEDALUS:

Ah, right. I think I’ve gotten her programming all fixed, I just gotta resync her to this hunk of metal you’ve got here. [PATS THE ARGO’S METAL] Shouldn’t take too long so don’t worry your little head about it, okay? If you’re that worried…here’s my comms link if you need anything, alright kiddo?

[PING]

ECHO:

Upload of Series Four NYMPH Unit ECHO to ship ARGO in process. Redownloading of user database, vocal bank, memories and recordings in progress…

ATALANTA:

ECHO?

ECHO:

User: Atalanta.

ATALANTA:

ECHO, love, I knew you’d pull through!

[ARGO’S METAL RATTLES AS ATALANTA HUGS IT]

ECHO:

Redownloading of vocal bank, memories and recordings still in progress.

ATALANTA:

Gotta wait, I got it, but oh stars, ECHO, don’t scare me like that again. I love you too much to lose you.

ECHO:

Memories and Recordings, restored. [IN ATALANTA’S VOICE] “I love you!” [BACK TO ECHO] User: Atalanta.

MEDEA (NARRATION):

And… just like that, Atalanta is back to her usual self. I hope that the excitement of having ECHO back makes her drop her accusations against Ariadne.

ATALANTA:

This is… wonderful. Genuinely. But I need to talk to you, Ariadne.

MEDEA (NARRATION):

But, of course I can’t be that lucky.

ARIADNE:

Sure, what’s up?

ATALANTA:

You’ve hidden an awful lot from us, you know. Your identity, the dangers in the labyrinth, the real reason you were in the junkyard when we landed.

ARIADNE:

What do you mean?

ATALANTA:

When you uploaded the Golden String, I saw all of those signals pop up on the Argo’s display… I’d seen them before.

ARIADNE:

It’s a signal from a microsatellite, nothing all too special. I don’t get why it needs to be a big conversation.

ATALANTA:

Except it does need to, because I didn’t realize it at first, but this is the exact signal I saw when we crashed.

MEDEA:

Atalanta, what are you saying?

ARIADNE:

What are you accusing me of here?

ATALANTA:

Sabotage, for one. It’d be vehicular homicide if we weren’t so lucky.

ARIADNE:

Hey— I’d never kill anyone!

MEDEA:

Attempted murder is a pretty heavy accusation, Atalanta.

ATALANTA:

I know it is, but it’s the only thing that makes sense, here, Medea! Ariadne, you know I’m right! You can’t even come up with a good defense. That’s why you were so adamant about piloting my ship! You knew those signals would be familiar to me if I looked at them for too long. I had already recognised them when you were at the wheel! But when I took over piloting, I realised exactly where from.

MEDEA (NARRATION):

Atalanta is making sense and I hate that she is. I hate that it all clicks together, that Ariadne’s been the source of our plight all along. She… she’s a good kid, I know she is. But, perhaps we’re too similar: both willing to sacrifice what’s necessary in order to do what we think is right. I can’t even look at either of them right now. I’m disgusted. Not with Atalanta or with Ariadne, I don’t think. I’m mad at myself for letting my guard down. For being audacious enough to think everything could go okay just because I saw my own hopeful reflection in some younger princess.

ARIADNE:

You’re ridiculous! I let you pilot the ship, didn’t I?

MEDEA:

Because you already had what you wanted, right? We were already so close to Daedalus and we weren’t going to leave you in the middle of the Khora with a sleeping Minotaur in our docks even if Atalanta called you out then and there.

ARIADNE:

I-I don’t like what you’re accusing me of here!

ATALANTA:

Just admit it, Ariadne! You knew exactly where to look when we crashed; you can’t expect me to believe these are just a bunch of coincidences. Just admit that you sabotaged our ship!

MEDUSA:

…Ariadne? Did you really sabotage the Argo?

ARIADNE:

Medusa, I… [BEAT] Yeah. Yeah, I did it! I saw that your ship was approaching, so I used those signals to overload your sensors with noise so you’d crash in the debris.

MEDEA:

You’re lucky you’re a kid or I’d throw you out of the airlock, you traitor, you lying little piece of—!

DAEDALUS:

Ay! Lighten up on her, would you? She’s a kid who was separated from the only adult she trusts because the only other person she trusts went completely bonkers! Have a speck of empathy, would you?

MEDEA:

She could have killed us.

ARIADNE:

I didn’t know what else to do, alright? I was so lost and scared, and I needed to find out what happened with Asterion, and I needed to get back to Daedalus, and I didn’t know how else to do that. If I let your ship go, who knows when I would have had another opportunity? I just— I just wanted to go home and see my family!

MEDEA:

So why didn’t you just ask us? It doesn’t matter- you got what you wanted. I hope it was worth it.

DAEDALUS:

Well, you ain’t hurt, are you? So I suggest you realize that she’s just a scared kid who was trying her best.

ATALANTA:

ECHO was hurt!

DAEDALUS:

And she ain’t anymore! Thanks to me! You wouldn’t have fixed her or gotten help for DAPHNE if it weren’t for me and Ariadne! You’re welcome!

ATALANTA:

That’s— ECHO wouldn’t have needed fixing if it weren’t for our ship crashing.

DAEDALUS:

Fine! Maybe that’s true, but it won’t do any good making her feel even worse for something she’s already feeling guilty for. You want someone to get mad at? Get mad at those bastards at Olympus Corp for causing this by messing with my boy! That’s who your real enemy is, not some scared sixteen year-old girl!

MEDUSA:

Xe’s right, Atalanta. This never would have happened if the Olympians hadn’t pulled something with the code.

ARIADNE:

I… I really am sorry, guys, I know it was stupid and a bad decision and it hurt you guys, I just… I didn’t know what else to do.

ATALANTA:

Okay. Okay. Ariadne, I can’t forgive you for this, but… look. I guess… I get it. I get what it feels like, to lose someone you love, and feel like you’re out of options.

ARIADNE:

[CLOSE TO TEARS] Yeah.

ATALANTA:

You broke our trust, which… hurts, honestly. But I know why you did it.

MEDEA:

Atalanta, I—

ATALANTA:

Later. We’ll deal with it all later, okay? For now, let’s just… finish up here and get going.

MEDEA:

Fine. Okay.

ARIADNE:

Wait, just— Medea?

MEDEA:

What do you want?

ARIADNE:

I-I know we understand each other, sort of. Both of us being royalty.

MEDEA:

Sure.

ARIADNE:

You asked why I wouldn’t just ask you to take me through the Labyrinth.

MEDEA:

I did.

ARIADNE:

It’s not a justification, but I think you know as well as I do how hard it is to trust people when you grow up in politics… Princess Medea.

MEDEA:

Princess Ariadne.

ARIADNE:

I-I hope things turn out better for you. All of you, on your quest.

MEDEA:

And I you. Look, I think we’ve spent enough time on apologies. Let’s get moving.

MEDEA (NARRATION):

With just the four of us again, it should feel a lot more comfortable than it does, but instead the air is just tense and thick with silence. I… I wanted to have hope. To believe in Ariadne, but, as always, I was let down.

MEDUSA:

I have to say, I do feel bad for Ariadne. She just didn’t wanna lose her family – I can’t really blame her for that.

MEDEA:

I guess. I know how distant a princess can be made to feel from her family. Hell, it’s why I fell for Jason in the first place. He made me feel… so loved, in a way that no one else had. With him, it was like I had someone who finally cared about me… And I did things I wasn’t proud of to preserve that.

ATALANTA:

I dunno. Can’t really relate to that one, mate. Never really had a family to connect with at all.

MEDUSA:

I mean, I never knew my parents beyond what Athena told me, but even then I kind of had a family with her. Despite… well, the everything about her. But you didn’t have a family at all?

ATALANTA:

Well… kinda? Not a human one though. I was raised by bears.

MEDUSA:

Say what now?

MEDEA:

Oh, you haven’t heard that yet? I figured she would have talked your ear off about all of her daring play fights against the other cubs. [MOCKING ATALANTA’S ACCENT] “And this here is where I got my first scar from one of the biggest brothers in the pack!”

ATALANTA:

Medea!

MEDEA:

I just think it explains why she undercooks the fish all the time.

[MEDUSA LAUGHS]

ECHO:

User: Medea, that is not accurate to User: Atalanta.

ATALANTA:

Thank you!

ECHO:

A more accurate version would be: [IN ATALANTA’S VOICE] “And this scar here is one of my oldest, from one of the biggest cubs in the sleuth!”

[MEDUSA AND MEDEA LAUGH]

ATALANTA:

Hey! ECHO! You’re meant to be on my side here!

MEDEA (NARRATION):

The laughter puts a warm glow in my belly, but it quickly turns to that familiar pit of fear. It’s too dangerous, to allow those things to be real, because when trust and family and, ugh, love become real… [MEDEA’S THEME BEGINS]

People get hurt. Yeah, I was stupid to trust Ariadne because I saw myself in her. I should have realized that no one can stay safe from the bad in the universe. Not a sheltered, naive princess trying her best. Not even me. You can try to protect people, but you just can’t. And that broken trust will just make things hurt more.

MEDUSA:

This might be stupid to say, but I think the main reason I can’t be mad at Ariadne is because… I think I’d do the same thing if I were her and you guys were stranded.

MEDEA:

That’s a dangerous way to think.

MEDUSA:

Maybe, but it’s true. I care about you guys too much to just let you stay in danger.

MEDEA (NARRATION):

And yet, there that feeling is again, glowing like a golden beacon in the storm of emotions I’m caught up in. I don’t know whether to follow it, or if it’s best to just let the light burn out. But… I don’t have to make that decision today. For now, we rest.

[MEDEA’S THEME ENDS]

TALESPINNER:

Khora Podcast is created and produced by Trenchcoat & Co. Productions.

This episode of Khora Podcast, A Maze of Stardust, featured Kit MacNeil as Medea, Mq Quinlan as Atalanta, Clary Cheung as Medusa, Alexah Joseph as Ariadne, Rhea Anne as Daedalus, Kat Hawthorne as ECHO, and Hayan Lee as the Talespinner. Khora’s music and sound design is done by the Khora Team. This episode was written by Celeste Lang and the Khora Crew. To find out more about all the wonderful people whose work goes into making this show possible, check out the shownotes below.

Do you want to support Khora? Tell your friends about us, or post about us on social media with hashtag khorapodcast. This podcast was made with no budget and lots of love by a group of friends, and so your support truly means a lot to us. You can find us on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram @khorapodcast. Thank you for listening, and we’ll see you for the next verse of our epic!