Renata’s trail leads Matteo to an automated distribution centre, where he uncovers proof that a false insurance claim is a cover for a larger fraud involving relabelled memory modules and corrupted AI hardware. Matteo finds Renata alive but ends up trapped, forced to choose between escape and stopping the lie from being buried.

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CREDITS

Written by Vern Hume (AKA Alan V Hare).

Read by Stephen Peterson.

Opening and closing were composed and created by Matthew Erdmann.

Produced by Vecada Studios.

Makeshift Stories is released under a creative commons non-commercial attribution, no derivative license.

With an early snow threatening to destroy her first good crop in years, Harper’s combine breaks down. When the dealer can’t fix it in a timely manner, she is forced to take matters into her own hands and get her neighbour to repair a broken belt. But when a software update detects the unauthorized repair, the machine turns on her, locks the cab, and drives toward a cliff. Harper barely escapes the crash, only to learn the manufacturer is out to make an example of her.

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makeshiftstories@gmail.com

SHARE THE PODCAST

If you liked this episode, tell your friends to listen wherever they get their audio.

CREDITS

Written by Vern Hume (AKA Alan V Hare).

Read by Kathleen Connelly.

Opening and closing were composed and created by Matthew Erdmann.

Produced by Vecada Studios.

Makeshift Stories is released under a creative commons non-commercial attribution, no derivative license.

Matteo works as a consultant for wealthy collectors, authenticating their purchases to ensure they are not AI-manufactured fakes, until his sister Renata vanishes after sending him a cryptic message concerning a fake insurance claim. After the authorities refuse to investigate, he is forced into the city’s slums to find her, where she has been working as a meat runner for an insurance AI. Matteo quickly uncovers a fraud built on tiny, deliberate distortions.

CONNECT WITH US

makeshiftstories@gmail.com

SHARE THE PODCAST

If you liked this episode, tell your friends to head over to Apple Podcasts and subscribe.

CREDITS

Written by Vern Hume (AKA Alan V Hare).

Read by Stephen Peterson.

Opening and closing were composed and created by Matthew Erdmann.

Produced by Vecada Studios.

Makeshift Stories is released under a creative commons non-commercial attribution, no derivative license.

While on holiday, Lena shows Erin an old photo of a woman who looks exactly like her. Initially, Erin dismisses the resemblance. However, when Lena reveals she is dying of cancer, Erin admits that it is her and that there are other historical images of her. She confesses that as a result of a strange encounter, she has lived for centuries. Desperate to save Lena, Erin tries to pass the gift on. But what transfers is not immortality alone. Lena is healed, and Erin finally understands the horror she has passed on.

CONNECT WITH US

makeshiftstories@gmail.com

SHARE THE PODCAST

If you liked this episode, tell your friends to listen wherever they get their audio.

CREDITS

Written by Vern Hume (AKA Alan V Hare).

Read by Kathleen Connelly.

Opening and closing were composed and created by Matthew Erdmann.

Produced by Vecada Studios.

Makeshift Stories is released under a creative commons non-commercial attribution, no derivative license.

Hana Grabowski, a genetic engineer with a failing gene-mod business, takes a secretive contract to restore humanity’s appetite for impulsive behaviour. When her staff threatens to revolt, she uses a variant to alter their attitude. However, the mosquitoes she uses to infect them escape, unleashing a fast-spreading contagion that rewires human reward centers. The world slips into a pandemic of happiness, and no one cares except Hana.

CONNECT WITH US

makeshiftstories@gmail.com

SHARE THE PODCAST

If you liked this episode, tell your friends to head over to Apple Podcasts and subscribe.

CREDITS

Written by Vern Hume (AKA Alan V Hare).

Read by Cathleen Connelly.

Opening and closing were composed and created by Matthew Erdmann.

Produced by Vecada Studios.

Makeshift Stories is released under a creative commons non-commercial attribution, no derivative license.