Aural Traditions - An anthology of audio drama stories

Simon and Gretchen have escaped and now hold the horrifying answer to the question of who the enemy is. Boyle and Abrahms, meanwhile, are faced with a decision: continue to chase Simon or rescue Marius and the information he holds from his captors. We also return to the lab of Dr Hadoop, as he tries to complete the top secret satellite he’s been developing for Mr Conway and, presumably, the NSA.

Crosswired – Episode 13 was written by Steven Cardinal and stars (in order of appearance):

* Nakeisha Daniel as the Newscaster

* Tara Holwegner as Abrahms

* Raul Ceballos as Boyle

* Heather Jane Hogan as Ms Aster

* Joshua Bates as Dr Hadoop

* Laila Auld as Ellen Daniels

* David Loar as Conway

* Pete Lutz as the Guard

Crosswired is a continuing series, so please watch for future episodes. You can follow us on Twitter: @auraltradition1.

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Can a convicted killer be rehabilitated through bowling? Can a Firebolt snowmobile be repaired with candle wax and duct tape? Can Snow Valley keep hiring new detectives for their murder-solving needs? Can we get any answers at all or can we only ask questions?

A Fragrance Most Foul Chapter 3: The Wax Melts, was written by Doug Clinton and stars (in order of appearance):

* Tessa Payne Clinton as Charley Chandler

* Blair Cadden as Lucy Diamond

* Tara Denton Holwegner as Allie Allison

* Doug Clinton as Clu Blue

* Jason Olson as Lucas Vinson

* Steven Cardinal as Toby Hansen

* Rusty Cooler as Dusty Burns

* Nat Jones as P.L. Diamond

* Courtney Pierce as Belinda Blank

Spoiler Alert – This special episode recaps the first 12 episodes. If you have not yet listened to the first 12, you may wish to start with Episode 1.

Simon Dougherty is a cyber offensive specialist working for the NSA. He’s also a diabetic, receiving treatment from Dr Clement Garvin at a nearby medical facility. When an attack on the facility by the terrorist group KANTO leaves him injured, he discovers his life has been a lie. Instead of bone and blood, he finds his body is composed of metal and electronics. He confronts Dr Garvin, who had to have known this. Simon senses, however, that Garvin now means to destroy him. He murders Garvin and goes on the run with his girlfriend, Gretchen Williams, in tow. Their destination? MIT and the man who taught Simon so much: Dr Hadoop.

On their way to Cambridge, Simon and Gretchen stop in Rhode Island to visit Simon’s mother and to get some answers. Instead, they find a woman suffering from mental instability. Simon’s special senses kick in, alerting him to danger. They flee the house just as Mrs Dougherty blows the house up, killing her. As helicopters rush onto the scene, Simon and Gretchen again flee.

Arriving in Cambridge, Simon and Gretchen meet with Dr Hadoop, a specialist in Artificial Intelligence. Simon reveals his nature, leaving the good doctor in disbelief. This technology goes far beyond what mankind is capable of. The sudden trigger of a fire alarm forces the three to seek cover. Hadoop leads them to a top secret lab in which he’s developing some kind of satellite for the government. They tap into some security cameras to reveal a team armed with microwave weapons is searching for them. Once the threat has passed, Hadoop takes them to see a friend who may be able to shine more light on Simon’s nature.

That evening, they arrive at the back door of Dr Natalia Warkovsky, director of biological and computational learning. Despite friction between her and Gretchen, they learn the cyborg technology may be alien and that the neural network that integrates Simon’s organic brain with his android body is likely responsible for his heightened senses and ability to detect danger and even read people’s emotional states. The entire group is captured when Simon’s boss, Mr Kazin, arrives with a team of NSA field agents.

Back at the NSA, Director of Tailored Access Operations, Ms Aster, listens in on a recording retrieved from Simon. It is clear that Simon has been used to infiltrate the Agency and exfiltrate data to KANTO. Meanwhile, Chet, a forensics expert, tries to determine exactly how Simon is put together. Before he can get very far, however, an armed Gretchen breaks into the forensics room and rescues Simon. As they flee Fort Meade, she reveals she is actually a KANTO operative and she was rescued as she was being brought in. She uses a device to disable Simon’s body and they flee south.

With Simon’s nature revealed and his escape at the hands of KANTO, Mr Conway, a senior leader within IAD (Information Assurance Directorate) grills Kazin over his failure to capture Simon. Kazin is granted the opportunity to redeem himself and go after the cyborg. Chet is brought before Director Aster and reveals what he learned from Simon before he escaped – that he may have been designed by aliens. Ms Aster instructs special agent Roger Boyle to go after Simon, suggesting that there may be some within the agency with a hidden agenda. Mr Conway, the sponsor of Hadoop’s satellite project meets with the doctor and offers additional resources to ensure the project is completed on time.

Agents Boyle and Abrahms begin trying to find Simon, starting with Valerie, Dr Garvin’s admin and the last person known to have seen Simon. She provides them with the name of another doctor who worked on Simon’s case – Dr Bannister. Drs Hadoop and Warkovsky take the Acela train ba...

Simon and Gretchen go underground, trying to avoid the hunting party led by NSA Agents Kazin and Brown. Boyle and Abrahms, meanwhile, are trying to tap into the El Coco comm channel to gather intel on the hunt.

* Nakeisha Daniel as the Newscaster

* Steven Cardinal as Agent Brown

* Jay Harper as Kazin

* Chelsey Rogers as Gretchen

* Chris Melton as Simon

* Tara Holwegner as Abrahms

* Raul Ceballos as Boyle

* David Loar as Conway

Crosswired, written by Steven Cardinal, is a continuing series, so please watch for future episodes.

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The Snow Valley Snow Jam is getting closer, and Charley’s past keeps coming back to haunt her. Lester LaBeouf is seemingly alive and Allie Allison, Lester’s murderer, is fresh from jail after an early release for leading her prison mates to victory in a bowling tournament. Can she make it race day alive?

A Fragrance Most Foul Chapter 2: The Flame is Lit, was written by Doug Clinton and stars (in order of appearance):

* Courtney Pierce as Belinda Blank

* Tessa Payne Clinton as Charley Chandler

* Steven Cardinal as Toby Hansen

* Tara Denton Holwegner as Allie Allison

* Raul Ceballos as Lyle LaBeouf

* Blair Cadden as Lucy Diamond

* Doug Clinton as Clu Blue

As Kazin arrives upon the scene of the foiled ambush, Boyle and Abrahms try to make sense of the situation. Meanwhile, Gretchen and Simon flee into the mountains, seeking refuge.

* Steven Cardinal as Agent Brown

* Jay Harper as Kazin

* Eric Johnson as Marius

* Tara Holwegner as Abrahms

* Raul Ceballos as Boyle

* David Loar as Conway

* Chelsey Rogers as Gretchen

* Chris Melton as Simon

Crosswired, written by Steven Cardinal, is a continuing series, so please watch for future episodes.

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The Snow Valley Snow Jam is the third largest snow mobile race in Western Massachusetts. It’s very dangerous and highly competitive, perhaps murderously so. Join sleuth-by-accident Charley Chandler as she takes candle-making and crime-solving to new heights.

A Fragrance Most Foul Chapter 1: The Match is Struck, was written by Doug Clinton and stars (in order of appearance):

* Tessa Payne Clinton as Charley Chandler

* Tara Denton Holwegner as Allie Allison

* Rusty Cooler as Dusty Burns

* Courtney Pierce as Belinda Blank

* Steven Cardinal as Toby Hansen

* Samille Basler as Scarlet Poisson

* Raul Ceballos as Mr LaBeouf

In the middle of Hurricane Norris, Marius is determined to move his captive Simon to a safer location. Can those who follow them keep up?

* Chelsey Rogers as Gretchen

* Eric Johnson as Marius

* Steven Cardinal as Agent Brown

* Jay Harper as Kazin

* Edie Allen as Dr Bannister

* Tara Holwegner as Abrahms

* Raul Ceballos as Boyle

* Chris Melton as Simon

Crosswired is a continuing series, so please watch for future episodes.

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Hurricane Norris continues to rage as Boyle and Abrahms track Dr Bannister to KANTO, hoping she’ll lead them to Simon.

Crosswired – Episode 9 was written by Steven Cardinal and stars (in order of appearance):

* Chris Melton as Simon

* Tara Holwegner as Abrahms

* Raul Ceballos as Boyle

* Edie Allen as Dr Bannister

* Chelsey Rogers as Gretchen

* Eric Johnson as Marius

* Steven Cardinal as Agent Brown

* Jay Harper as Kazin

Crosswired is a continuing series, so please watch for future episodes.

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Boyle and Abrahms are trying to pick up Simon’s trail in the middle of Hurricane Norris, hunting for answers. Simon, meanwhile, is seeking answers of his own… from the woman who betrayed him.

Crosswired – Episode 8 was written by Steven Cardinal and stars (in order of appearance):

* Pete Lutz** as the Newscaster

* Raul Ceballos as Boyle

* Edie Allen as Dr Bannister

* Tara Holwegner as Abrahms

* Chelsey Rogers as Gretchen

* Chris Melton as Simon

Crosswired is a continuing series, so please watch for future episodes.

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** Be sure to visit Pete’s Pulp-Pourri Theatre with the Narada Radio Company. They can be found on iTunes, Google Play Music, and Stitcher, as well.