Hell Gate City

By Kevin BerreyFiction Comedy Fiction

Hell Gate City episodes

September 21, 2023 14. Bee
A new hivemate arrives in "Bee", so be ready. The sweet Glitch in the Matrix bonus tale that goes with Episode 14 like peanut butter goes with honey is "Guardian" (Glitch 14); you may ingest it with your ears by joining the Inner Legion (patreon.com/hellgatecity).
New episodes AND glitches Thursdays!
This one's for the not-so-busybodies out there. Be cool. Be happy. Just be. Can you guess the theme? Herein, we return to the Downsideup with Zandra in Story 2. It gets a little messy.
To avoid spoilers, we've placed specific content warnings at the very end. ⬇️
...from The World’s #1 Half-German-Jewish Comedian with Narcolepsy (uncontested); Season 2 (codename: COMPANION) is under way.
It’s free to 👂, but not to make. Instead of relying on annoying ads and sponsors, we reward listener support from the Inner Legion (our Patreon). Starting at less than 20¢ (USD) a day, those who join the Legion get an exclusive and intensely fun ‘Glitch in the Matrix’ bonus audio story every week. The higher tier includes other cool extras like prerelease episodes, chillaxing soundtrack music, and more — only on Patreon: http://patreon.com/hellgatecity
Follow us on socials @hellgatecity. Get more info at ⁠http://hellgatecity.com⁠. Reach out to us if you have questions about transcripts (now available on Spotify) or just want to tell us what you like about the show.
And, since we have 4.9 stars on Apple Podcasts and only 3.9 stars on Spotify, rate the heck out of us on Spotify to combat the haters and right this wrong now!
Credits
Screaming Panda Presents “Bee,” episode 14 of Hell Gate City, and the 4th in Season 2, COMPANION. Bee was written, performed, produced, and scored by Kevin Berrey. The Glitch (in the Matrix) bonus story for this chapter is called “Guardian.” You may listen to it on the show’s Patreon at patreon.com/hellgatecity. It revisits Alfreda and the gargoyle from our first episode. Because we publish without ads or sponsors, our supporters keep this show going. In return, patrons get weekly bonus stories, behind-the-scenes content, prereleases, music, and, eventually, exclusive merchandise.
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CAUTION: Stop scrolling now if you wish to avoid spoilers in the content warnings.
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Content warnings for this episode include: themes of imprisonment, abduction, purgatory, topic of death by allergic reaction to bee stings, bee population collapse, oblivion, mental illness, threatened animal abuse, anxiety, paranoia, denial of medical care, AI-enabled neglect + emotional manipulation, dismemberment and death by slow digestion in the belly of a beast, jellyfish stings, public nudity, police violence via tasing, threat of drowning, themes of hallucination and psychosis, self-hate, homophobia, adultery/cheating

19 min
September 14, 2023 13. Mask
Here are just a few of the things you'll find in "Mask" (Episode 13), around which orbits the Patron-exclusive bonus audio tale "Unmasked" (Glitch 13):
• 1970s Interior Design by Earthlings
• Frustratedly Asked Questions
• Nudes

(Content warnings are at the end to avoid spoilers.)

"Mask" is the third episode of Hell Gate City Season 2. It finds our anti-hero caller #3715 neck deep in so many metaphorical masks he can barely see straight. If you think that's rough, wait till you delve back into Story 1, Ambush, featuring the ever-blunt Alfreda and a new... creature. Throw on your rose-lasered cyber visor for the second tale from the downsideup, denizen. It's recommended that Damiens listen while naked – your call, obvi!

Credits
Screaming Panda Presents “Mask,” the 13th episode of Hell Gate City, and the 3rd in Season 2. Mask was written, performed, produced, and scored by Kevin Berrey. The Glitch (in the Matrix) bonus story that goes with this chapter is called “Unmasked” and is available on the show’s Patreon at patreon.com/hellgatecity.
For transcripts, visit hellgatecity.com.
Follow us on social media – @hellgatecity
And if you liked the show, take a moment to rate and review it on Spotify where we have 3.9 stars compared to 4.9 stars on Apple... What? Right this wrong!
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SPOILER ALERT – content warnings follow.
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Content warnings for this episode include: themes of death and the afterlife, oblivion, mental illness, anxiety, paranoia, imprisonment, kidnapping, denial of medical care, AI-enabled violence + alienation + emotional manipulation, wrongful arrest, corporate-sponsored brutality, a blow to one’s genitals, deadly multi-story falls, non-consensual mind-swapping, public nudity, tasing, hallucinations
21 min
September 07, 2023 12. Tabula
The mysterious customer from call record #3715 returns in the next chapter of Hell Gate City Season 2 – COMPANION.
New episodes drop EVERY Thursday, with weekly ⁠bonus stories on Patreon!⁠
(N.B., Stupendously, Thursdays shower an inordinate amount of rewards upon Patrons in the Dreamwalker tier. They get to time-travel one week into the future and binge: A) Next week's prerelease episode *and* B) next week's 'Glitch in the Matrix' bonus tale... C) If for some glodforsaken reason they have fallen behind > a week, then they get to rip through FOUR veritable peaches of audio deliciousness. Suffice it to say, when you saunter 'cross the river of dreams, Thursday = Blursday (in the best way)!!!
(We avoid spoilers by asking that you scroll to the end for content warnings.)
"Tabula" (Episode 12) ushers listeners into the phantasmagorical side of Neo Amsterdam like never before by way of a recording – for quality assurance purposes – of a customer support call. The caller? A disgraced denizen in a metaverse gone awry. Cruise the seamy underbelly of a virtual world beyond the veil.
Credits
Screaming “Tabula,” episode 12 of Hell Gate City. “Tabula” was written, performed, and produced by Kevin Berrey, who also drew its cover art and composed its music. The Glitch (in the Matrix) bonus story that goes with this chapter is called “Gum Witch” and is available on the show’s Patreon at patreon.com/hellgatecity.
Facts
We forbid ads or sponsors. Instead, pledges from subscribing listeners keep our show going. For 18¢ a day, supporters get a weekly microdose of fun from Glitches in the Matrix, our bonus audio shorts after each episode.
Plus, they get access to behind-the-scenes content, Q&As with the team, a chillaxing soundtrack collection, music prereleases, never-released song demos, director's field notes, an exclusive channel on Discord for discussing Glitches and insider tips, and more. The Inner Legion provides. You'll be extra grateful to have a crew in your sector come the next Cyber Purge.
Once you're in the Legion, all you'll need to do is darken the door of any dingy — or chic — establishment in Hell Gate City and you'll garner untold reverence, respect, and awe.
Denizens will salute you. Dwellers will follow your lead. And yes, Dendricks will envy your rizz, you courageous and steadfast members of the Neo Amsterdam Inner Legion Syndicate (NAILS).
Because without NAILS, nothing in this town holds together.
Follow us on social media: @hellgatecity
For transcripts and more, visit ⁠⁠http://hellgatecity.com⁠⁠
And if you're liking the show, be a mensch and rate and review it on Spotify and Apple *right now*!
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SPOILER ALERT: Beware... If you fail to stop scrolling now, you will risk seeing spoilers in content warnings below.
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Content warnings for this episode include: themes of death and the afterlife, alienation, mention of murder by demon beast, nausea, depression, severe poverty and homelessness, the battery of a mime, a lost tooth, a bloody facial tissue, job loss, abandonment, imprisonment, restraints, state-sponsored violence, non-consensual mind-swapping
15 min
September 06, 2023 11. Unboxing
"Unboxing" kickstarts Season 2 of Hell Gate City with a question. What would you do if you found a recording of a customer support phone call placed by someone you know after they died? Who is the mysterious customer from call record 3715? And who sent the creepy Polaroid and the stack of 50 discs to a rando teenager in Queens, NY? In this introductory episode, Kirby stands in as Virgil, guiding listeners and laying the groundwork for a cyber-odyssey into a phantasmagorical underworld like no other. Prepare to get prepared for S2 (codename: COMPANION).
The Glitch (in the Matrix) bonus audio story that goes with this chapter is titled “Boxed In.” It’s available on the show’s Patreon. New episodes Thursdays!
(To avoid spoilers, one must scroll to the end for content warnings.)
It's free to👂 but not free to make. Get the weekly Glitch bonus story when you 🤜 subscribe ➡️ https://www.patreon.com/hellgatecity

About the Show
On the surface, Hell Gate City is an epic audio drama offered in the style of a local radio show for the fictional metropolis of Neo Amsterdam. But as the show’s host plumbs his unconscious mind using a Cyber Lucidity Dream-streamer on-air, he encounters a sinister web of evil stretching from his past into the present. Will he pick up the thread and follow it into the unknown, or stick with the program?

Season 1
After a dream-streaming device intended to increase ratings accidentally broadcasts his repressed memories of an eldritch murder, radio jockey Kirby Bevins embarks on a journey where he must overcome dark forces and folly to solve the crime before he becomes the next victim.

Season 2
What would you do if you found a recording of a customer support phone call placed by someone you know *after* they died? Season 2 shares the footage.

Content warnings for this episode include themes of death and the afterlife, alienation, medical neglect, crippling insurance debt, mention of serial killers, murder by a demon beast, abandonment, abduction, corporate malfeasance, body-snatching, and nonconsensual mind-swapping.

Answer this week's question for Episode 11 on Spotify or using our email 📧 [email protected]:
What caused the "blue light over New York” in December of 2018? (Wrong answers only!)
18 min
August 31, 2023 Trailer: Season 2 – Codename COMPANION
Hell Gate City Season 2 has begun with "Unboxing" (Episode 11). TRANSCRIPT AT END
Hell Gate City is the award-winning comedy fiction audio series about a ragtag bunch of denizens struggling to survive a cyberpunk hellhole NYC.
Celebrate Thornton Thursdays with:
• New Episodes for Every Listener!
• Glitch in the Matrix Bonus Tales for Members of the Inner Legion!!
• Prereleases of next week's Episode and Bonus Tale for Dreamwalkers!!!
Join the Inner Legion and micro-dose these nuggets of fun for as little as 18¢ a day: patreon.com/hellgatecity
(We put specific content warnings at the bottom of show notes or the end of transcripts to avoid spoilers.)
Show Synopsis
On the surface, Hell Gate City is a rollicking audio saga about the community served by a local radio show for the fictional megacity Neo Amsterdam. It’s a genre-bending dark comedy with a heavy emphasis on cyberpunk themes, especially as applied to questions about the nature of consciousness, memory, and dreams. Hence, dreampunk.
News
As of August 2023, all listeners should embark on the listening journey by starting here – the fully reimagined Episode 0. "Cypher – Sabotage Exposed!". Then, proceed chronologically to Episodes 1, 2, 3, and so on.
Season 2 – Codename COMPANION just launched in September 2023 with "Unboxing" (Episode 11). And COMPANION truly kicks into gear with the first 'proper' episode, "Tabula" (Episode 12).
Season 1
After a dream-streaming device intended to increase ratings accidentally broadcasts his repressed memories of an eldritch murder, radio jockey Kirby Bevins must overcome dark forces and folly to solve the crime before he becomes the next victim.
Season 2
The next chapter ushers listeners into the phantasmagorical side of Neo Amsterdam like never before by way of a recording – for quality assurance purposes – of a customer support call from a denizen trapped in a metaverse gone awry. Cruise the seamy underbelly of a virtual world beyond the veil.
We love to hear from listeners. Feel free to email us at hellgatecity AT proton DOT me
To learn more, including where to find transcripts, visit http://hellgatecity.com
Stay rested, dream-hackers. You're going to need it.
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TRANSCRIPT
0:00-0:10 – You receive a disturbing recording of a customer support call made by someone after they died. What do you do?
0:10-0:20 – The award-winning dreampunk podcast returns to answer the question in Season 2.
0:20-0:30 – Begin the journey as if some poor schlub’s digital afterlife depends on it. Listen to Hell Gate City, episode 11, right now.
1 min
June 17, 2023 Teaser — Season 2
Teaser for COMPANION
Visit http://hellgatecity.com. Support the show! Rate and review on Spotify, Apple, Podchaser, and wherever else they let you. And make sure to follow/subscribe so you don't miss out on this exciting new release.
Credits
Screaming Panda Presents: COMPANION
Written, performed, and produced by Kevin Berrey – http://kevinplease.com
Music composed by Cheska Navarro – https://www.cheskanavarro.com/
Transcript:
KIRBY: Howdy, hell-hacker. Kirby here to announce a new program coming your way. But first, a bit of local news.
Dust off your Kraken plague respirator and mask up when you head out today. The air of Hell Gate City is nearly opaque with purmple haze. That’s purmple – it’s like purple, but tastes grapey. But don’t be fooled, grape heads. Purmple haze has pummeled the air quality index to a hazardous 499. So, look out for increased murk drifting south from fires consuming the largest grape flavor-producing plant, most Canadrian forests, and several sick burns of Strayhorn, my best friend from third grade. He probably deserves a break after being continually roasted for encouraging his brother’s pet ferret to bite my calf years ago. Hit me up if you’re listening, Stray.
And now, our announcement. COMPANION is a new show winding up to blast directly into your brainlink this summer. Seeing as it’s top secret, I can only say this. It involves at least three things: a person from Hell Gate City entering the Underworld, a mindboggling customer service experience, and a Honduran bat.
That’s the skinny, Amsterdenizinny. Oh, and, COMPANION hits different if you’re done with Season 1. So finish listening to our award-winning first season if you haven’t. And get ready for a wild ride. CMP – COMPANION – is coming soon to our feed.
Till next time. May the sticky proboscis of a humongous flame gorgon dispatch your town’s crooked game warden. Bevins, wowee-zowee-Maui-owee-out.
3 min
February 01, 2023 OUT OF WORLD: Burning Gotham
Kevin here. Teleport to Neo Amsterdam 400 years ago. Hover cars were horse buggies, and crime, corruption, and fires blew like they still do. But what happens when the illegitimate son of the dude who killed Alexander Hamilton makes a human trafficking deal with the richest man in the nation? Check out Burning Gotham, a full-cast audio fiction series about the most notorious city in this dimension. It's a Tribeca Audio Official Selection. Here's a taste. For more info, visit http://burninggotham.com.
3 min
January 01, 2023S2 Special: Me and Meryl in Muskrat Marsh
This bonus episode features a PSA from Kirby in a local park and some tomfoolery. It precedes season two proper but is cut from the same cloth. And it's here to tide you over as the next season's story works its way through the machine.

Warning: features provocative and violent content with bodily fluids, a firearm, and a baseball bat.

If you like the show and want to support it and get perks, join us on Patreon.

Connect
Escape social media hell – sign up for my email list: http://sleepwithkevin.com/

Hack into Kirby's cyberdeck: http://hellgatecity.com/

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Credits
Screaming Panda presents Hell Gate City
Created by Kevin Berrey, who also wrote, performed, scored, sound designed, and produced “Me and Meryl in Muskrat Marsh”; say hi – kevinplease.com & @berrey on socials
Additional sounds from these generous artists:
Licensed by CC BY 4.0
marsh and woods March NL Kampina 02 190327_1323.wav by https://freesound.org/people/klankbeeld/

Electronic_Powerup.wav by StephenSaldanha
For more info, visit hellgatecity.com.
8 min
October 31, 2022 NINE II MIDNIGHT - The Horrors of Our Dreams
It seems like the horrors of our dreams are most frightening to you...
On the Eve of Halloween, a dozen storytellers sneak inside the abandoned Darklight Carnival grounds to share a chilling batch of stories in two varieties. This year they split up to uncover the fears that lurk within and horrors that walk among us.
One group will head to the Ferris Wheel to tell tales of real-world terror. The other will venture into the Funhouse to spin yarns of the frightening spirit world. Which path will you embark on first?
Nine II Midnight is a collaborative storytelling event between 12 podcasts:

Hell Gate City
Malevolent
Nowhere, On Air
Out of the Ashes
Parkdale Haunt
The Cellar Letters
The Dead Letter Office of Somewhere, Ohio
The Night Post
The Storage Papers
The Town Whispers
Wake of Corrosion
WOE.BEGONE

CREDITS & CONTENT WARNINGS
CW: General horror, swearing throughout
Produced by Harlan Guthrie
Master edit by Harlan Guthrie
'Nine II Midnight' written by Harlan Guthrie.
Performed by Harlan Guthrie, Dylan Griggs, Kevin Berrey, Shaun Pellington, Rae Lundberg, Vincent C. Davis, Jess Syratt, Alex Nursall, Rat Grimes, Jeremy Enfinger, Nathan Lunsford, Cole Weavers, and Jamie Petronis.
Pick a path on October 30th at midnight, and keep your wits about you.
9️⃣🔪🔪🕛

TRANSCRIPTS ARE AVAILABLE HERE
CREDITS:
WOE.BEGONE
"The Almanac Building" was written, directed, performed, and scored by Dylan Griggs.
CW: gore, animal death
Website: www.woebegonepod.com
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OUT OF THE ASHES
“Train Ride” was written, directed, and performed by Vincent Comegys-Davis.
CW: hospitals/medical issues, death, blood, gore
Website: www.outoftheashespodcast.com
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THE NIGHT POST
"Dead Space" was written, performed, and produced by Rae Lundberg
CW: animal peril, drowning
Website: nightpostpod.com
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NOWHERE, ON AIR
“A Dream” was written, performed, and edited by Jesse Syratt (credits for SFX available in the transcript)
CW: brief graphic description of body horror and sounds.
Website: https://nowhereonair.carrd.co
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HELL GATE CITY
“Shadow of the Eliminator” was written, performed, and produced by Kevin Berrey, with music by Cheska Navarro
CW: hallucinations/visions, bodily fluids
Website: www.hellgatecity.com
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THE STORAGE PAPERS
“Silly Billy” was written, edited, and mixed by Nathan Lunsford.
Performed by Jeremy Enfinger (as Jeremy) and Nathan Lunsford (as Billy).
Music credits available in the transcript.
CW: profanity, child injury, brief gore (SFX)
Website: www.thestoragepapers.com
1 hr 3 min
October 31, 2022 NINE II MIDNIGHT - Terrors of the Real World
It seems like the terrors of the real world are most appealing to you and for good reason...
On the Eve of Halloween, a dozen storytellers sneak inside the abandoned Darklight Carnival grounds to share a chilling batch of stories in two varieties. This year they split up to uncover the fears that lurk within and horrors that walk among us.
One group will head to the Ferris Wheel to tell tales of real-world terror. The other will venture into the Funhouse to spin yarns of the frightening spirit world. Which path will you embark on first?
Nine II Midnight is a collaborative storytelling event between 12 podcasts:
Hell Gate City
Malevolent
Nowhere, On Air
Out of the Ashes
Parkdale Haunt
The Cellar Letters
The Dead Letter Office of Somewhere, Ohio
The Night Post
The Storage Papers
The Town Whispers
Wake of Corrosion
WOE.BEGONE
CREDITS & CONTENT WARNINGS
CW: General horror, swearing throughout
Produced by Harlan Guthrie
Master edit by Harlan Guthrie
'Nine II Midnight' written by Harlan Guthrie.
Performed by Harlan Guthrie, Dylan Griggs, Kevin Berrey, Shaun Pellington, Rae Lundberg, Vincent C. Davis, Jess Syratt, Alex Nursall, Rat Grimes, Jeremy Enfinger, Nathan Lunsford, Cole Weavers, and Jamie Petronis.
Pick a path on October 30th at midnight, and keep your wits about you.
9️⃣🔪🔪🕛
TRANSCRIPTS ARE AVAILABLE HERE
CREDITS:
MALEVOLENT
“Scratching” was written, directed, performed, and edited by Harlan Guthrie.
CW: insects, gore
Malevolent
Website: www.malevolent.ca
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THE CELLAR LETTERS
“Get Up” was written, edited, and performed by Jamie Petronis, and features Brandon Jones as the Newscaster
CW: general horror, mouth noises, licking sounds
Website: www.thecellarletters.com
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WAKE OF CORROSION
“The Quiet Corridor” was written, performed, edited and mixed by Shaun Pellington.
CW: sounds of bone crunching/cracking, mild terror, explicit language
Website: wakeofcorrosion.com
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THE DEAD LETTER OFFICE OF SOMEWHERE, OHIO
“Voices in the Vents” was written, performed, and scored by Rat Grimes (they/them).
CWs: fire, home invasion
Website: www.somewhereohio.com
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THE TOWN WHISPERS
“Bella” was written, Directed, Editing by Cole Weavers
CW: body horror, sleepwalking, nightmares, evil pets
Website: www.thetownwhispers.com
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PARKDALE HAUNT
“Who Goes?” was written by Alex Nursall and Emily Kellogg, with engineering and sound design by Alex Nursall.
Performed by Emily Kellogg, Alex Nursall, Ian Boddy, and Harlan Guthrie.
CW: ghosts/hauntings, home invasion
Website: www.parkdalehaunt.com
1 hr 3 min

About Hell Gate City

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Award-winning comedy sci-fi series about the intertwining lives of a ragtag bunch of dreampunks in a futuristic cyberpunk hellhole NYC; from Kevin Berrey. Season 2 is live. New episodes Blursdays!

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