Episode 3: Atabey

Transcript

Episode 03: Atabey

NARRATOR:
Previously, on Timestorm...

ALEXA:
No!

SONIA:
Something wrong, Lex?

ALEXA:
Huh? Oh. No. Why?

SONIA:
I can’t remember the last time you made it through an entire social studies class without raising your hand.

DATU:
Hey, Beni! Janelly! How's it going?

BENI/JANELLY:
Hi, Datu. / Fine.

DATU:
Hey, we've got some new games in the back.

JANELLY:
Ooh! Let's go check them out. Alexa?

BENI:
What are you doing here?

ALEXA:
Written and created by L. J. Ortega.

BENI:
Take Back Time is the only thing she's ever published.

ALEXA:
Do you know what this last page means? She will change everything. Who is ‘she’ supposed to be?

DATU:
It's Datu. You were right: Seems like both Ventura twins are fans of L. J. Ortega now.

CLARA:
They're all distant cousins. Hm, what's this star next to Horacio Méndez? What a shame.

ALEXA:
Missing in action.

CLARA:
A helicopter pilot.

WEATHER REPORTER:
The latest from the Caribbean: Maria is now a category five hurricane.

CLARA:
That storm looks like a monster.

HORACIO:
Think of what’s happened in Puerto Rico. How this hurricane's changed everything.

ALEXA:
Beni! I think I know what the last page of Take Back Time means! She will change everything. 'She' is Maria.

BENI:
Maria who?

ALEXA:
The hurricane.

BENI:
Pa, you see that video where the road looks like a river?

ALEXA:
It's like everything's been washed away. Disappeared overnight.

CLARA:
I feel so useless. I wish we could reach them, help them.

RAMIRO:
We will, Clara. In time.

ALEXA:
Horacio says we can't change the past, but —

BENI:
Maybe there's a loophole.

BENI:
It’s glowing purple! It's time.

CLARA:
Beni? Have you seen your sister?

MUSIC: THEME SONG - "IN THE TIMESTORM"

Witness. Find. Remember.
The hidden past seeks its dawn, showing us that we all belong.
Horacio, Alexa, and Beni take back time, find history in the timestorm.
Witness. Find. Remember.

THE TIMESTORM. ANOTHER DIMENSION.

MUSIC: "TIMESTORM" TRANSITION

ALEXA and BENI shout as they travel through the portal. They laugh as they land in the timestorm.

HORACIO:
Alexa! Beni! You made it! Welcome back. I'll give you the tour.

HORACIO swishes from one end of the helicopter.

ALEXA:
Horacio? Where'd he go?

HORACIO:
(off-mic) Over here!

BENI:
By the—

BENI swishes from one end of the helicopter.

ALEXA:
Beni?

BENI:
(off-mic) —cockpit!

ALEXA:
I didn't see you move. How'd you get over—

ALEXA swishes from one end of the helicopter.

ALEXA:
—hey, now I'm here too.

HORACIO:
Nice, right? By simply thinking about moving, we can...tu sabes, p'allá p'acá.

BENI:
Teleporting! That's amazing!

HORACIO:
Super chévere, ah? It’s only within the helicopter. but still.

ALEXA:
Hey, isn't a cockpit supposed to have seats?

HORACIO:
They were gone after the trip through the portal. Remember, rules about time and space are different in the timestorm.

ALEXA:
How will we ever learn it all?

HORACIO:
I'm here to help. And then there's this!

There's a zap into cheering at a baseball game, which is shown on the helicopter windshield.

ALEXA:
The windshield turns into a screen?

BENI:
It's like a private movie theatre.

SPORTS COMMENTATOR:
(all commentator lines are via the windshield) This could be a big one for Bobby. Sure has got the crowd behind him.

ALEXA:
Whoa! You stand here and watch whatever you want?

HORACIO:
Bueno, I don’t control the transmissions.

There's a crack of a bat in the scene shown on the windshield.

SPORTS COMMENTATOR:
Bobby hits it into left-center field! That's the one!

BENI:
Hey! Hey, this is Roberto Clemente's three-thousandth hit.

ALEXA:
Yeah, his final one. Pa made us watch this on YouTube.

SPORTS COMMENTATOR:
And it's a double! Everyone's on their feet for Roberto!

The cheering intensifies in the scene shown on the windshield.

BENI:
Wait a minute. If you don’t control these transmissions...who does?

HORACIO:
Atabey.

A zap indicates the arrival of ATABEY.

ATABEY:
I told you not to call me that.

ALEXA screams.

BENI:
The windshield’s alive!

ATABEY:
Depends on what you mean by alive. Humans get so hung up on the physical.

HORACIO:
There’s no need to judge all of humanity, Atabey.

ATABEY:
That's not my name. I don’t require a name. I simply am.

ALEXA:
You simply are...what?

ATABEY:
I am. I exist outside of the physical realm.

BENI:
Wait a minute. You control what we see in the windshield?

ATABEY:
Affirmative.

HORACIO:
Atabey's picked up on my military speak. We spend a lot of time together.

ATABEY:
Humans are so obsessed with time. Time is immeasurable here.

HORACIO:
It's just a saying, Atabey.

ALEXA:
Why do you call the nameless non-physical thingy Atabey?

HORACIO:
In Taíno mythology, Atabey is the all-knowing earth mother.

ATABEY:
It's his way of calling me a know-it-all.

ALEXA | BENI:
You should call it Beni. | You should call it Alexa.

2017. NEWARK. THE VENTURA HOME. THE KITCHEN.

MUSIC: "HOME" TRANSITION.

CLARA's phone rings.

CLARA:
Hi.

RAMIRO:
Hey. The kids in the room with you?

CLARA:
No. We just finished eating. They ate and loaded the dishwasher like they were in some kind of a race. Beni's working on his project, or at least he better be. Y Alexa...I think she's in her room reading a comic book.

RAMIRO:
Alexa? Our daughter? Reading a comic book?

CLARA:
It's been a strange couple of days.

RAMIRO:
How are you doing? For real?

CLARA:
I can't stop thinking about...not just my parents. I'm thinking about everyone there. Even the animals. I’m thinking about the feral cats en el Paseo del Morro, and you know I'm not an animal person like that, pero...Rami - the houses, the trees, the streets. I can't hold it all in my head.

RAMIRO:
I looked into flights to San Juan.

CLARA:
Oh?

RAMIRO:
The entire airport is shut down. The main tower's out of commission. No word on when commercial flights will resume. I'm sorry, Clarita.

CLARA:
I knew it was a long shot. Thanks for finding out.

CLARA's phone makes a call waiting sound.

RAMIRO:
Maybe your parents?

CLARA:
Let me check...oh, Datu from the comic book store. I'll let him leave a message. Probably something is ready for Beni to pick up.

RAMIRO:
Or...Alexa?

CLARA:
Who knows these days? I think the two of them are plotting something.

RAMIRO:
Maybe they're arranging a surprise date night for us.

CLARA:
Bueno. I'm not gonna hold my breath.

RAMIRO and CARLA laugh.

CARLA:
See you soon.

RAMIRO:
Can't wait, Clarita.

THE TIMESTORM. ANOTHER DIMENSION.

MUSIC: "TIMESTORM” TRANSITION

BENI:
Hey, do we get an inter-dimensional travel guidebook? Ooh! And dictionary?

ALEXA:
Yeah. We don’t know the languages and traditions of every country on earth. For every time period. And, um, hello? Clothes?

HORACIO:
The timestorm will help.

A whoosh indicates the twins' clothing change.

BENI:
Whoa! I wish it was that easy to get dressed for school.

ALEXA:
Hey, that shirt was a Christmas gift, and I knitted that headband myself!

HORACIO:
Your clothes are safely stored.

ATABEY:
Here. Take a look at yourselves.

ALEXA:
Ooh. The timestorm knows how to braid hair.

BENI:
White shirt, white pants.

ALEXA:
Super long white skirt. We haven't worn matching outfits since—

ALEXA/BENI:
Pre-school.

HORACIO:
Bueno, in that sun, you'll be grateful for the light colors in that sun.

ALEXA:
Ooh. This old-timey bag is pretty cool.

ATABEY:
The clothing the timestorm provides for you holds the knowledge you’ll need for your journey. The language and customs of the time and place you visit.

BENI:
Our outfits let us understand and speak any language?

HORACIO:
Pretty neat, eh? The way I hear it, we’ve been speaking to each other in Spanglish. Mostly in Spanish con un poquito de ingles.

ALEXA:
Yeah. I hear Spanglish, too. Only mine’s mostly English.

BENI:
Yeah. Spanish words pop up here and there. Like at home.

ATABEY:
The timestorm automatically translates any language you don’t know to what you’re used to hearing and speaking.

BENI:
Wait a minute. Horacio, Who came up with that idea?

HORACIO:
Who, indeed, Beni.

ALEXA:
Ugh. Anyway...we’ll understand all the languages and traditions of everywhere...and everywhen.

ATABEY:
Affirmative. The clothes and the barometer are of this realm and will help you with the mission: Witness. Find. Remember.

2017. A DIGITAL SPACE.

VOICE:
Please leave your message.

A cell phone beeps.

DATU:
Hello, Mrs. Ventura. It's Datu Ancheta from the comic book shop. Just wanted to let Beni and Alexa know I've got that sketch ready for pickup. Hope everything's okay with your family down in P. R. You have a good night, okay? Bye.

A cell phone beeps.

JANELLY:
Hey, Beni. It's Janelly. So...I think we said we'd try to finish level nine tonight? But when we talked, you were kind of spacing out. Maybe you're doing your project, and you meant tomorrow night? Either way, it should be easier to beat it now because I just got the Redwood Atlatl! Weren't expecting that, huh? Of course, I lost way too much life force while retrieving it. Could've really used your Spectagon. Probably shouldn't have tried this level on my own. But I had some reserve elixir to bring my power back up. I know, I know, we want to save that for when we get to that underwater part, but I think we'll be fine. I guess, call me...or I'll try you later. Unless...I mean, if you're, like, starting to hate this game, just tell me. We can totally switch to something else, you know? See ya.

Phone notification.

SONIA:
(typing a text) Hi Lex, Wanted to let you know that the showcase is at seven, Friday night. Brick City Cafe. Hope you can still make it. Let Beni know in case he wants to come. Singing the new song I wrote. Rewrote the last verse. I think it's good enough. (beat) Maybe I should rewrite it again. (beat) Super nervous. Hey, I’ll send you a recording of the song. If you have time, let me know what you think? See ya. - Sonia. Send.

Swoosh of sent mail.

VOICE:
(distorted) ...message.

A cell phone beeps.

DATU:
Hey, Josie. It's me. Datu. I hope you're okay...and that the other store is...well, I guess business is never easy, right? I know it must feel like so much is up in the air right now...but if anyone has what it takes to power through, it's you. I hope to hear from you soon. No pressure, of course. And...just know that the store in Newark is doing fine. Talk soon? I hope.

THE TIMESTORM. ANOTHER DIMENSION.

MUSIC: "TIMESTORM” TRANSITION.

ALEXA:
And how exactly do we accomplish this mission?

ATABEY:
Through a series of quests.

HORACIO:
Unas búsquedas.

ALEXA:
See, I heard that in Spanish.

BENI:
Me too.

HORACIO:
Quests.

ALEXA/BENI:
English.

ALEXA:
So, it goes—

ALEXA/BENI / HORACIO:
—back and forth. / P'aquí, p'allá.

HORACIO:
Yeah, pretty much.

ATABEY:
Focus, humans.

HORACIO:
Your quests will be to meet certain people and witness certain moments. And then retrieve artifacts that will help preserve that history.

BENI:
We know that’s what the mission's about: Puerto Rican history. But —

ALEXA:
What if the mission could focus on Puerto Rico's emergency situation?

ATABEY:
Which emergency? There have been many.

ALEXA/BENI:
Hurricane Maria.

ATABEY:
You think you can control the weather?

HORACIO:
They're new to this, Atabey. They're learning the rules.

ATABEY:
Your quests are designed so that you won't alter the course of history.

BENI:
But you said we're supposed to take stuff - artifacts - from that time.

ATABEY:
Retrieving the artifacts only causes a tiny energy wave in spacetime.

BENI:
Energy wave?

HORACIO:
Una onda. It doesn't alter the timeline, just makes it flutter.

ATABEY:
If your actions changed anything beyond that, an alternate history would spin off from that point. But your original dimension would remain as is.

BENI:
Oh. No matter what, Hurricane Maria happens.

ALEXA:
Okay. So we can't stop the storm, but how about warning everyone and making sure they're ready?

BENI:
Yeah. And not just in Puerto Rico, but everywhere that was hit.

ATABEY:
People aren't always able to prepare even when they are warned.

HORACIO:
And what about other hurricanes? Fires, floods, earthquakes, volcanoes.

ALEXA:
We get it. We can't warn everyone.

BENI:
So much for saving history.

HORACIO:
About the word 'save' —

ATABEY:
Humans always want to be the hero. The guts, the glory. Slay the dragon, save the day. The mission isn't about being the saviors of a culture.

BENI:
We never said it was.

HORACIO:
It's about preserving and raising up what's already there.

ATABEY:
You still can make a difference, but in order to, you'll need to redefine what it means to save history.

ALEXA/BENI:
Witness. Find. Remember.

ATABEY:
Beni, that barometer you hold is sensitive to these spacetime energy waves. When a portal opens —

BENI:
It glows purple.

ALEXA:
Right. The word ‘tempus’ appears in between ‘stormy’ and ‘very dry.’

HORACIO:
Yes. And when you're in the past, it'll glow blue if you’re on the right track for the quest. Remember the barometer and these clothes carry the knowledge you’ll need. Let's sync them with the timestorm.

A swish indicates that the barometer is syncing with the timestorm.

ATABEY:
Mil ochocientos trenta y ocho / San Juan / Rafael / native-born / Puerto Rico / Puerto Ricans / Cordero / eighteen thirty-eight / hermanos / educators / African descent / Celestina Cordero / escuela publica / niños / descendientes Africanos / siblings / educadores / niñas / San Juan / colonia de España / started public schools / Celestina / Rafael / Borinqueños / Celestina.

2017. NEWARK. THE VENTURA HOME. THE KITCHEN.

Three beeps. Zello app sound.

ZELLO APP USER 1:
(via phone) ¿Alguien sabe de Alma Martinez de la calle siete en barrio Borinquen?

Zello app sound.

ZELLO APP USER 2:
(via phone) Eh'te....el barrio Borinquen no tiene luz. Nadie tiene luz.

CLARA sighs. She dials.

BETINA:
Newark Public Library North End Branch. This is Betina.

CLARA:
Betina? I was expecting to leave a voicemail on your extension. What are you still doing at the library?

BETINA:
People are still congregating here. Some brought donations. Others want to know if we've got any news.

CLARA:
Of course. Anyway, my message was going to be about calling a staff meeting. We need to plan how we're going to deal with the community response to the hurricane.

BETINA:
This is like nothing I've ever seen.

CLARA:
Truth.

BETINA:
Any word from your parents?

CLARA:
I think it's going to be a while.

BETINA:
That's what everyone keeps saying. (to the library guests) Hold on a sec. Please, leave the computer on the live stream with that David guy. Thanks! (to CLARA) Sorry. Trying to stay on top of these updates.

CLARA:
You must be exhausted. Haven't you been there since we opened today?

BETINA:
I'm fine. People need a place to come together.

CLARA:
Need me to come relieve you?

BETINA:
You have enough on your plate. See you in the morning. I'll open the conference room first thing. Try to get some sleep tonight?

CLARA:
Thanks, Betina.

THE TIMESTORM. ANOTHER DIMENSION.

MUSIC: “TIMESTORM” TRANSITION.

HORACIO:
All synced up.

ATABEY:
And ready to go.

BENI:
Like right now?

ALEXA:
What if we get hurt? Or lost?

BENI:
Or make a mistake?

ATABEY:
You have the barometer and clothing to guide you.

HORACIO:
Atabey wouldn’t send you unless you were ready.

The barometer buzzes.

ATABEY:
Your quest: Retrieve a plea for equality from San Juan, Puerto Rico in eighteen thirty-eight.

MUSIC: "IN THE TIMESTORM" (INSTRUMENTAL).

NARRATION:
This episode of Timestorm was written by Dania Ramos with audio engineering, sound design, and original music by Michael Aquino. The role of Alexa Ventura was played by Leilany Figueroa. Beni Ventura was played by Claudio Venancio. Horacio Méndez was played by Orlando Segarra. Atabey was played by Alicia Rivas. Ramiro Ventura was played by Walter Rodriguez. Clara Ventura was played by Jennica Carmona. Janelly was played by Frances Ramos. Sonia was played by Jessica Bracken. Datu Ancheta was played by Joel Arandia. This episode also featured Ernio Hernandez and Amanda Faison.

Now, it's time for our Listener Share-out! This one comes from Chaska, who co-hosts of the Book Power for Kids podcast featured on the KidsListen app.

CHASKA:
Hello. My name's Chaska. I'm twelve years old and I live in Kissimee, Florida. My adventure share-out is about the Legionnaires trail in Switzerland. Our family got an awesome Rownan backpack, filled with all sorts of cool stuff. And we walked around and visited the old Roman buildings where the Legionnaires lived and trained. The cool thing about the aqueduct in this camp is that nobody's found its source yet. We also got to play a quiz game about the buildings we visited and there was a cool audio drama that we listened to about life in the camp during Roman times. All in all, it was a great experience and our family learned a lot about Roman times.

NARRATION:
Ooh. A Swiss adventure! Thanks for sharing, Chaska!

Hey, listeners, we want to feature your voice in an upcoming episode! You can learn more about how to submit a Share-out by visiting Timestorm Series dot com.

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As always, thanks for listening.

ATABEY:
Witness. Find. Remember.