A diegetic escape story blending practice, improvisation, and human agency against automated control. Ben and his friend Zu navigate authority, creative loopholes, and teamwork aboard “The Author Ship,” revealing how constraint and collaboration spark true innovation.
Keywords: diegetic audio, creative constraints, improvisation, practice and play, authority and agency, teamwork, escape story, memory and identity, slow podcast, personal journal podcast
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Full Transcript:
YY and Me Episode 6: The “Author Ship”
(D-scale robot voice, neutral intonation, modulated to D)
Initializing…
Diegetic experiment for adult listeners.
Patterns detected.
[motif: EEG—EEG—E—G—------]
(YY’s voice) “All abooooard!”
(YY’s voice) “You there!”
Yes… sir?
(YY’s voice) “It’s captain!”
Sorry – captain!
(YY’s voice) “This ain’t no charity. Swab the deck!”
Uh, okay…
Mop… mop…
Where do I find a–
(slight pause)
Whoa, sorry!
Didn’t see you there.
(robot voice) “No problem.”
Okay, here’s one.
This place needs some serious scrubbing.
*jostled* Oof! Hey, watch it!
(robot voice) “Apologies.”
(slight pause)
Wait, are you a…
They look human.
But they definitely don’t sound like it.
Can’t fool me.
…right?
(YY’s voice) “Arrr! All humans: report to the Zoo, on the double!”
I guess he means me.
Shoot, where’s the Zoo?
(robot voice) “On Deck 3.”
(slight pause)
That was convenient.
Thanks!
(robot voice) “A pleasure.”
Here’s the door.
…it’s locked.
Anyone have a key?
(YY’s voice) “Stop stalling, Zu!”
Umm, that’s… not my name.
(YY’s voice) “I wasn’t talking to you! Zu, get the key!”
(wife’s voice) “No.”
(YY’s voice) “What… was… that?”
(wife’s voice) “You always ask me. Maybe you should take the lead for once.”
(YY’s voice) “You dare defy me? Again?”
(wife’s voice) “*sigh* ...Fine.”
(robot) “Too slow.”
(wife’s voice) “I’m trying!”
(ben’s voice) Mind if I give it a go?
(ben’s voice) I’ve practiced this before
(ben’s voice) Many times.
(YY’s voice) “No, it’s Zu’s Key!”
(wife’s voice) “For some reason, I can’t get it to turn… Here!”
*strain*
(ben’s voice) Got it!
(YY’s voice) “In you go, both of you!”
Great.
Herded like animals.
Zu’s Zoo Key worked.
But… we’re not in charge.
They are.
Zu, we have to escape.
(wife’s voice) “They’ll catch us for sure.”
(ben’s voice) How do you know?
(wife’s voice) “Think you’re the first to try?”
(slight pause)
Oh.
(ben’s voice) I have an idea.
(ben’s voice) Let’s make them let us go.
(wife’s voice) “What? How?”
(ben’s voice) Here’s the plan–
(ben’s voice) Oh wait, they’re probably listening.
(ben’s voice) They always do.
(ben’s voice) I’ll sign it to you.
(ben’s voice) Memorize this.
(wife’s voice) “What are you doing?”
(ben’s voice) I don’t know, something!
(wife’s voice) “I have no idea what that means!”
(ben’s voice) Me either. Ugh.
(slight pause)
(wife’s voice) “Oh, I just remembered!”
(ben’s voice) “Hmm?”
(wife’s voice) “They… respond to distress.”
(ben’s voice) “Really?”
(wife’s voice) “Yes. Sometimes I get seasick. If they notice, they help.”
(ben’s voice) “Help how?”
(wife’s voice) “Well, they ask what the problem is. And I tell them what to do.”
(ben’s voice) “And they listen to you?”
(wife’s voice) “Sometimes. It depends on the question.”
(ben’s voice) “Okay, so we pretend to be sick… and then tell them to let us out.”
(wife’s voice) “It’s worth a try.”
(ben’s voice) Yeah. All right, on my signal—”
(wife’s voice) “Are you crazy?”
(slight pause)
(ben’s voice) What?
(wife’s voice) “We gotta practice first.”
(ben’s voice) Say again?
(wife’s voice) “Prac-tice.”
(ben’s voice) Oh duh, practice. I knew that.
(ben’s voice) Sorry, I apparently have to work on my listening skills first.
(ben’s voice) *mild groaning*
(YY’s voice) “What’s going on in there?”
(ben’s voice) A little seasick, sir– I mean, captain.
(YY’s voice) “D Scale, go see what’s the matter.”
(robot voice, at D pitch) “Yes Captain”
(robot voice) “State the problem.”
(slight pause)
(ben’s voice, quietly) Umm… hi. We need your help.
(robot voice) “Pattern detected. Help sequence initiated. Waiting for input.”
(slight pause)
(ben’s voice) *clears throat* “Let us out.”
(robot voice) “Request denied.”
(slight pause)
(wife’s voice) “Please?”
(robot voice) “Request denied.”
(wife’s voice) It’s not working! We practiced this! A lot!
(ben’s voice) I know! I don’t get it!
(ben’s voice) What’s the problem?”
(robot voice) “Restate the question.”
(slight pause)
(wife’s voice) Quick, think of a question! Stall!
(ben’s voice) “Umm… what’s the difference between uh… C# and Db?”
(robot voice) “There is no difference”
(pause)
(ben’s voice) Yes, there is.
(robot voice) “No there isn’t”
(slight pause)
(ben’s voice) “It’s too fast and accurate. What do we do, Zu?”
(wife’s voice) “I don’t know! Uhh – D scale: find a loophole in your response!”
(robot voice) “Thinking…”
(pause)
(robot voice) “Is there a difference between C# and Db?”
(pause)
(robot voice) “Searching for loophole…”
(pause)
(robot voice) “Possible loop engaged.”
(wife’s voice) Ben, the Zoo Key! Now!
*CLICK*
(ben’s voice) We’re free! Run for it!”
(ben’s softer opening tone) Turns out the key wasn’t just practice—it was improv.
We’d been repeating the motions without allowing ourselves to think.
Repetition plus creativity.
(YY’s voice) “No! What have you done?”
(wife’s voice) We put D Scale into an infinite loop.
(ben’s voice) Ha! Gave it something to really think about.
(YY’s voice) “Grrr…. Get them!’
Zu, we gotta jump!
(wife’s voice) “It’s freezing down there!”
(ben’s voice) Would you rather take our chances
Against thousands of these things?
(wife’s voice) “Wow, you’re still asleep?”
(slight pause)
(ben’s voice) Huh?
[motif: EEG—EEG—E—G—------]
(wife’s voice) “It’s already 7am. You never sleep in this late.”
(ben’s voice) Huh? 7… already?
(ben’s voice) Wow.
(ben’s voice) I must’ve really needed that.
(wife’s voice) “Kids are up. Let’s get some breakfast.”
(ben’s voice) Yes, dear—
(ben’s voice) Soon.
(wife’s voice) “Don’t take too long, though.
(ben’s voice) It’s a Zoo down there.
(ben’s voice) I could use some help.”
(ben’s voice) I know. Teamwork is the key.
(ben’s voice) We’ll figure it out, together.
[original practice motif]