Episode 80: "One Taste of the Old Time” – The Sheridan Tapes
CONTENT WARNING: Existential dread, depictions of memory loss and mania, and mentions of implied drug use.
02022020b: Reunited with an old friend, the disturbing consequences of Oslow’s fate soon become clear.
Starring Clayton Currie as Andrew Sheridan, Roberta Jackson as Deborah Sheridan, Airen Neeley Chaconas as Anna Sheridan, Maurice Cooper as Jerry Price, Van Winkle as Sam Bailey, Virginia Spotts as Kate Sheridan, Sam Taylor as Ren Park, and Amitola Lomas as Maria Sol, with original music by Jesse Haugen. Written by Van Winkle and produced by Virginia Spotts, with dialogue editing and sound design by Van Winkle.
This episode was made possible by our supporters at Patreon.com/homesteadcorner, ko-fi.com/homesteadcorner, and our backers on Seed&Spark.
For more information, additional content, and episode transcript, visit thesheridantapes.com
Script
Transcript
CONTENT WARNING: Existential dread, depictions of memory loss and mania, and mentions of implied drug use.
[The sound of cars rolling past a residential area]
[Children play in the distance]
Andrew Sheridan
Garage sale isn’t as busy as I thought it would be.
[A moment of awkward silence]
I think there’s a ballgame tonight… maybe more people will show up after that?
[Deborah Sheridan makes an unconvinced sound]
[Andrew clears his throat, readjusting in his chair]
Andrew Sheridan
Hey, at least Katey’s making bank with that lemonade stand — it’s hotter than heck out here.
[Deborah shrugs, sips her lemonade, and retreats into the house]
[The screen door squeaks and shuts]
[Andrew sighs]
Anna Sheridan (Young)
Dad! Daaaad!
[The sound of footsteps as she runs to him; thud as she sets a box down]
Andrew Sheridan
What is it, bug?
Anna Sheridan (Young)
Look what I just found!
Andrew Sheridan
Where did you get that?
Anna Sheridan (Young)
In the back of the old wardrobe! It was just sitting there!
Andrew Sheridan
What on earth were you doing back there?
Anna Sheridan (Young)
Oh, ummm… Well nobody’s even been looking at it, so I just thought I should check and make sure we didn’t leave anything in there…
[Andrew looks inside the box and examines it]
Andrew Sheridan
So that’s where you ended up…
Anna Sheridan (Young)
Do you know what’s inside it?
Andrew Sheridan
What do you think it is?
Anna Sheridan (Young)
It’s an EMF scanner! For finding ghosts and other stuff like that — it detects changes in electromagnetic fields that usually happen when a poltergeist or cryptid are close—
Andrew Sheridan
—they have other uses, you know… it’s built for testing electronics and checking for interference, not looking for ghosts.
Anna Sheridan (Young)
Y-yeah, but it can be used for that!
Andrew Sheridan
[he laughs] I suppose it could be.
[He sets it back down]
Anna Sheridan (Young)
Where did it come from?
Andrew Sheridan
Hmmmm?
[Anna examines it again]
Anna Sheridan (Young)
Look, it says it from somewhere in Nevada. How did it get in the wardrobe?
Andrew Sheridan
Must have… picked it up at a swap meet or something. Forgot we still had it.
Anna Sheridan (Young)
So… Can I keep it then?
Andrew Sheridan
Oh. Uh… sure, sure. So long as you can actually get it to work, it’s pretty old.
Anna Sheridan (Young)
Oh thank you thank you thank you!
[She hugs him enthusiastically]
Andrew Sheridan
Whoa, easy there bug… ooof, you’re getting so strong.
Anna Sheridan (Young)
Are you sure it’s okay?
Andrew Sheridan
Y-yeah, sure — why not? I mean… what harm could it do now?
[Cassette noises]
[Click]
[Main Theme]
Recording Begins
[Cassette noises]
[Click]
[Static fades away]
[Coffee maker hissing in the background]
[Russel occasionally whines as he runs in the background]
Jerry Price
Jerry Price, notes for “Robin’s Return” by Thurgood Vice — February 2nd, 2020. Starting a little late today — someone didn’t want to go out for his walk this morning, so I had to practically drag him out the door. [Russel barks] Hm. But I have had some ideas in the meantime — thankfully the inspiration is still coming strong since that breakthrough on the 30th. I’ve been thinking more about the supporting cast, and I really think there’s a way to structure the novel around their arcs, with Robin as a—
[Russel barks aggressively at the sliding glass door]
[Jerry scrapes his chair as he stands; he walks to him]
Goddammit — Russel! Russel, there’s nothing out there!
[Jerry sighs and kneels next to him]
Look Russel — see? There’s nothing outside… you don’t need to be barking at anyone, okay?
[Russel barks again]
Hey! Stop that, or you’re going back to your room.
[Russel whines and runs down the hall]
[Jerry sighs]
What am I gonna do with you, boy?
[Jerry grunts as he stands; he returns to the table]
Now… where was I? Uh… right, structure. I’ve been reworking it for a bit now — may need to move my notes into another room, I’m running out of space on the walls in here. But I think I’m starting to get a pretty solid picture. It’s about the quest — about the journey towards an unknown destination, and how the hero’s connections drive him forward: connections to his past, to his former comrades, to the mission itself, with no guarantee of success. It’s a much darker story than I thought it would be, almost to the point of being apocalyptic in nature. The world will feel very different, and I think that’s—
[Knocking at the door]
Jerry Price
Who the hell…?
[Scraping of chair as he stands; he walks to the door]
[Gentle knocking again; Jerry opens the door]
Jerry Price
Sam? Kate? Ren? Holy shit, what are you all doing here?
Sam Bailey
Sorry to show up like this again Jerry, we’ve been trying to call, but the phone wouldn’t connect—
Jerry Price
—Ah, you know Silvernet — service went out days ago and they still haven’t got a technician out to fix it. Come in, come in, make yourself at home!
[Jerry laughs, happily]
[They enter, the door shuts behind them]
Kate Sheridan
Wow, it uh… it looks like you’ve been busy.
Jerry Price
What can I say — I was right about leaving Meriwether, the writer’s block is pretty much all gone. [He opens the fridge] Can I get you all something to drink? Coffee, beer, sake, whatever?
Sam Bailey
Uh… no thanks Jerry, I uh… I’m good.
Kate Sheridan
Same.
Jerry Price
Ren? How about you buddy?
Ren Park
Actually… could I take a beer back to the guest room and lie down for a bit?
Jerry Price
You okay?
Ren Park
Yeah, just… got a headache coming on.
Jerry Price
Oh man… yeah, of course — “mi casa es su casa” and all that. We’ll try and keep it down out here.
[Jerry retrieves a beer from the fridge; he hands it to Ren]
Ren Park
Thanks, Jerry.
[Ren retreats and enters the guest room]
[Russel runs out, barking]
Jerry Price
Hey, hey! Easy Russel, easy! It’s just Sam and Kate, boy — you know, Sam?
[Russel gets excited to see Sam, Sam kneels to greet him]
Sam Bailey
Heyyyy buddy… you miss me? Cause I missed you! Yes I did, I missed you…
Kate Sheridan
Uh… just so you know Jerry, we’ve got someone else here with us — he’s going to be staying in the van for now, but I thought you should know.
Jerry Price
He’s more than welcome to stay in the guest room, if he’s a friend of yours.
Sam Bailey
He knows, he’s just had enough… human interaction for one day.
[Russel scampers and quiets down]
Jerry Price
Won’t he need to, like… use the bathroom at some point?
Kate Sheridan
I… I don’t really know.
[Sam groans as his stomach grumbles]
Sam Bailey
Oh god… hey Jerry, does that offer extend to food as well? I haven’t eaten anything since yesterday.
Jerry Price
Of course it does! Kate?
Kate Sheridan
Now that you mention it…
Jerry Price
I’ve got you, just sit tight.
[Jerry looks through his freezer, pulls out burritos]
Remove wrapper, microwave on high for 2-3 minutes… there we go.
[Start microwave, turns back]
Should do the trick… need to get up to Arrowhead and restock soon though, those are my last two.
[Jerry turns on the sink, washing a couple dishes]
Sam Bailey
Must be hard to do your grocery shopping now, with Oslow gone.
Jerry Price
[not really hearing] Mmm hmm.
Kate Sheridan
So… these are all notes for your next book?
[He stops washing dishes]
Jerry Price
Oh yeah! Had a bunch of ideas for Robin’s Return two days ago, needed to get them out of my head and up where I could see them… You know how it is.
Kate Sheridan
Uh… yeah, sure.
[He comes back into the room]
Jerry Price
Listen, you can just tell me if it looks like a conspiracy board, I won’t be offended.
Sam Bailey
Actually looks more like my old office, honestly. Especially with all the tapes.
Jerry Price
[He laughs] Hey, I kept seeing all of you using them for your notes, I was bound to pick it up eventually.
Kate Sheridan
How many of these have you filled?
Jerry Price
Uh… all of them, I’m pretty sure. I keep the fresh ones in the drawer.
[The microwave dings; Jerry goes back and plates the burritos]
Jerry Price
Alright… I know they don’t compare to the green chile burritos at Meriwether, but they’ll do just fine.
[He sets the plates on the table]
Kate Sheridan
Jerry, I — we really appreciate the hospitality, but we need to talk about Bill and Rob. Did you hear anything from them before they went missing?
[Long pause]
Jerry Price
I’m sorry Kate, but… who are you talking about?
Kate Sheridan
Bill and Rob.
Jerry Price
[Unsure laugh] …sorry, you’re still losing me here.
Sam Bailey
Oh come on Jerry, you know exactly who we’re talking about—
Kate Sheridan
Sam.
[Sam considers]
Sam Bailey
Um… well, you might not remember them very well. Um… They lived down the hall from you at Meriwether… do you remember that? We had Thanksgiving together — Rob cooked.
Jerry Price
I thought Peter cooked. Or was Rob one of the ISPHA staff who helped?
Kate Sheridan
Not… exactly. Do you remember the first time I stayed here at your house?
Jerry Price
Yeah, of course. You were looking for your sister.
Kate Sheridan
Yes, yes, but… do you remember why we ended up leaving?
Jerry Price
…because ISPHA scooped us up and took us to Meriwether? Look, what’s this all about? You’re both acting really strange.
Sam Bailey
Jerry, listen to me — were you alone when ISPHA came to pick you up?
Jerry Price
Of course I was. You were all off in the tunnels.
[Kate’s phone buzzes; she looks at it]
Kate Sheridan
Oh shit… it’s Maria, I’ve got to take this.
Jerry Price
Go right ahead — I’m honestly surprised you’ve got service out here.
[Kate accepts the call and puts it on speaker]
Kate Sheridan
Maria? Maria, can you hear us?
Maria Sol (over phone speaker)
Yeah, I think so — hi Kate!
Kate Sheridan
Sam and Jerry are here too.
Maria Sol (over phone speaker)
Oh my god, hi Jerry! I’m so glad you’re okay!
Jerry Price
Why wouldn’t I be?
Sam Bailey
It’s good to hear from you too, Maria — did you make it to Phoenix alright?
Maria Sol (over phone speaker)
Uh… yeah, I got in to my folk’s place last night. I just started reviewing the manuscript this morning, but it’s… Kinda slow going. How about you guys?
Kate Sheridan
It’s… it’s not good, Maria.
Maria Sol (over phone speaker)
What is it?
Kate Sheridan
Uh… do you two mind if we talk in private really quick? Just need to update her on a few… personal things.
Jerry Price
Uh… fine by me. I should probably take Russel on a walk anyways.
Sam Bailey
Oh yeah, good idea! I’ll help you get his collar on.
Jerry Price
Mmm hmm. Good to hear from you, Maria!
Maria Sol (over phone speaker)
Yeah, uh… great to hear from you too, Jerry.
[Kate takes her phone off speaker and retreats]
Kate Sheridan (growing fainter as she walks)
I hope you’re sitting down Maria. It’s… it’s really bad. Morrison is…
[Russel gets excited as Jerry grabs his leash]
Jerry Price
Oh look, someone actually wants to go on his walk now, huh?
Sam Bailey
Has he not been wanting to go out lately?
Jerry Price
Eh, just the last few days. He always seems a bit more nervous when it’s dark out though, so he should be fine now.
Sam Bailey
Huh… maybe you should just take him out during daylight then.
Jerry Price
He’s just nervous, is all… we had a few coyotes in the yard back in December, and he’s still spooked.
Sam Bailey
Still… might be a good idea anyways. Russel’s always had a… good sense, for danger. You remember how he was in Agate Shore.
Jerry Price
Oh yeah… how could I forget?
[He clips Russel in]
There you go… you wanna go for a walk, Russel? You wanna go for a walk?
[Russel howls gently; Jerry laughs, he opens the front door]
Jerry Price
Shouldn’t be more than a few minutes… just make yourself at home.
Sam Bailey
Uh, yeah, we’re all good Jerry… take your time.
[Jerry shuts the door behind him and Russel]
[Sam returns to where Kate is]
Kate Sheridan
Is he gone?
Sam Bailey
Yeah, he should be out for a little bit.
[Beep as Kate turns speakerphone on]
Kate Sheridan
You’re back on speaker, Maria… it’s just me and Sam.
Maria Sol (over phone speaker)
So Jerry can’t remember anything about Oslow?
Sam Bailey
That’s what it seems like… and that includes Bill and Rob. It’s like they’ve been… edited out of all his memories.
Maria Sol (over phone speaker)
Oh god…
Kate Sheridan
I just finished catching Maria up on what we found in Oslow. What about the manuscript? Have you found anything yet?
Maria Sol (over phone speaker)
Not… exactly. There’s a lot in there, and I’ve really just started getting my brain around it.
Sam Bailey
Just tell us what you know for sure, Maria.
Maria Sol (over phone speaker)
Well… it’s just about 500 pages of A4 paper, covered in what looks like handwritten text on both sides. The cover page looks like Anna’s handwriting, but the rest is just a complete mess… there are layers and layers of overlapping writing in different handwriting with different colors of lead and ink, and nothing I’ve found so far is written in English. There are even a few sections written in what looks like non-Latin characters, although I’m still trying to figure out what language they’re from.
Sam Bailey
Is there any kind of… consistency between sections with matching color or style?
Maria Sol (over phone speaker)
Not that I can tell… Anthony scanned the whole thing and sent it off to a few cryptographers and linguists he knows. I think he’s barking up the wrong tree, though.
Kate Sheridan
What do you mean?
Maria Sol (over phone speaker)
I mean… just looking at it, I don’t think it’s any kind of code or different language. If this was supposed to be some kind of clue from Anna, then why would it be encrypted in such a complex way?
Sam Bailey
Maybe she wanted to make sure nobody could read it by mistake? Maybe something bad could happen if the information ends up in the wrong hands?
Maria Sol (over phone speaker)
Maybe… but I don’t think it was written like this on purpose. I think however this book was created, there was some kind of… transcoding error, I guess.
Kate Sheridan
What does that mean?
Maria Sol (over phone speaker)
I think whoever made this book was trying to get Anna’s thoughts on paper, but didn’t format them correctly or pick out which ones to share all that well. All these different layers and sections, I think they might be separate levels of her consciousness — thoughts, emotions, instincts, memories, all overlapping and conflicting with each other. Like looking at the data of a video file without the right codec installed — the information’s all there, it’s just not human-readable.
Sam Bailey
Did Kate play Amy’s tape for you at some point?
Maria Sol (over phone speaker)
Uh… no, she didn’t.
Kate Sheridan
Who’s Amy?
Sam Bailey
That’s exactly how she described the book… that she pushed Anna’s thoughts into it to get us the answers in her mind.
Maria Sol (over phone speaker)
Huh. I guess I just thought it was the most obvious explanation.
[Kate notices something on the wall]
Kate Sheridan
Maria, we need to get off the call, now. Is there anything else you’ve found?
Maria Sol (over phone speaker)
Uh… no, that’s about it. Is everything okay?
Kate Sheridan
I’m not sure. Hang tight and keep looking, alright?
Maria Sol (over phone speaker)
I… I will, promise.
Kate Sheridan
We’ll call you back when we can, Maria.
[Beep, Kate ends the call]
Sam Bailey
Kate, what the hell was that about—?
Kate Sheridan
Sam, Jerry told us that these were all notes for his next book, right?
Sam Bailey
Uh… yeah, that’s what I heard. Why?
Kate Sheridan
Take a closer look.
[Sam examines the paper on the wall]
Sam Bailey
What the hell…
Kate Sheridan
They’re all like that, Sam — just fragments of poetry repeated over and over again.
Sam Bailey
Where did they come from?
Kate Sheridan
From Jerry, Sam… it’s all in his handwriting. He said he was working on a sequel to Robin’s Run, right?
Sam Bailey
If that’s what he thinks he’s doing… then there’s something very wrong going on here.
Kate Sheridan
What about the tapes?
Sam Bailey
Here, I’ve got my recorder on me… we can check it.
[They grab a tape from Jerry’s desk, insert it, and press play]
[Static fades, pen scratching in the background]
Jerry Price
“For mark! no sooner was I fairly found
Pledged to the plain, after a pace or two,
Than, pausing to throw backward a last view
O’er the safe road, ’twas gone; gray plain all round:
Nothing but plain to the horizon’s bound.
I might go on; nought else remain’d to do.
So, on I went. I think I never saw Such starv’d ignoble nature; nothing throve:
For flowers—as well expect a cedar grove!
But cockle, spurge, according to their law
Might propagate their kind, with none to awe,
You’d think; a burr had been a treasure trove.
No! penury, inertness and grimace, In the strange sort, were the land’s portion. “See
Or shut your eyes,” said Nature peevishly,
“It nothing skills: I cannot help my case:
’Tis the Last Judgment’s fire must cure this place,
Calcine its clods and set my prisoners free.”
If there push’d any ragged thistle stalk
Above its mates, the head was chopp’d; the bents
Were jealous else. What made those holes and rents
In the dock’s harsh swarth leaves, bruis’d as to baulk
All hope of greenness? ’Tis a brute must walk
Pashing their life out, with a brute’s intents.”
[Sam stops the tape]
[Eventually, Kate speaks]
Kate Sheridan
Don’t push Jerry to remember, Sam.
Sam Bailey
Kate, we have to — he could still be in danger out here, and if he can’t even remember Morrison, how is he supposed to—
Kate Sheridan
—Don’t Sam, just… don’t push him. Whatever’s happened here, it’s affecting Jerry way more than any of us. If we try to force him to remember, then we’ll just cause him pain. You need to be gentle with him. Trust me on this.
[Jerry re-enters with Russel]
Jerry Price
[laughing] There now… see how fun that was? You just needed a walk, didn’t you boy?
[He closes the front door] Told you, you just needed a walk.
[calling out] You two still here?
Sam Bailey
Uh… yeah Jerry, we’re still here.
Jerry Price
Jeez, what happened? You both look like you’ve seen a ghost. [He unclips Russel] Something happen with Maria?
Kate Sheridan
Y-yeah… she’s just wishing she could be here, is all. Family stuff, you know. Right, Sam?
Sam Bailey
Huh? Oh… yeah. Just… a lot going on right now.
Jerry Price
Hmmm. [He notices the recorder] Oh shit, did I leave that running? [He approaches the recorder] I’m always forgetting to turn this thing off—
[Clack]
Recording Ends
End Theme & Credits
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