The Amelia Project - Episode 62 - Dear Child Has Many Names (Present)

Episode Date: November 18, 2022

"Do you trust me?" Featuring Benjamin Noble, Torgny G. Aandera, Hemi Yeroham, Erin King, Jordan Cobb, Julia C. Thorne, Alan Burgon, Layla Katib, J.K Robbins, Caroline Minks, Adam Raymonda and Helena Doughty. Written by Oystein Ulsberg Brager with story and audio editing by Philip Thorne. Sound design by Adam Raymonda and music by Fredrik Baden. Production assistance by Maty Parzival and graphic design by Anders Pedersen. For full credits and transcript, check our website. Website: https://ameliapodcast.com Transcripts: https://ameliapodcast.com/transcripts Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ameliapodcast Donations: https://ameliapodcast.com/support Twitter: https://twitter.com/amelia_podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ameliapodcast/ Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/ameliapodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Because the Skip app saves you so much time by delivering stuff like your favorite cool treats, groceries, and bevies, you get more time to have the best summer ever. Like riding roller coasters. Learning to water ski. Applying sunscreen to your dad's back. Yep, definitely the best summer ever. Squeeze more summer out of summer with skip did somebody say skip cold tapes a gripping crime story that will chill you to the bone you know life on the base means uh well it's close to six months without light that does things to people. That study that he was doing, to watch

us and then set off us like mice round this special little experiment. How many people are on this space? Sixteen on this one. Someone amongst them is our killer. Experience Cold Tapes, the murder

mystery podcast game. Start your investigation where you get your podcasts. This episode is dedicated to Alison Throw, who will ride a unicycle off Brighton Pier and come back as an avocado farmer in California. Enjoy the episode. Where the hell are we? The end of the bloody world. A moment ago we had the coastline on our left.

Now it's on our right. How can you tell? In this darkness? Are you navigating by the stars or something? The lighthouse over there. Oh, great. We're in a car, and you're using a lighthouse to navigate? What's next?

We have to trim the sails? Hmm? Oh. We must have taken a wrong turn. I just can't believe we lost them. We were right on their tail for hours. Yeah, shit happens. We must have taken a wrong turn. I just can't believe we lost them. We were right on their tail for hours. Yeah, shit happens.

Shit happens to shit drivers. Yeah, watch it. It was not my fault. Those sheep decided to cross the road in the middle of the night. Mow them down, I said. Mow them down, but no. WWF Ambassador Christopher Haynes over here decided that we have to wait. Sorry. Oh, God, you'd have done the same thing.

I would have put my foot on the bloody accelerator. Oh, yeah? Yeah, because when I was the one driving, that's what you told me to do, remember? Mowing down a flock of sheep isn't exactly discreet. They just spotted us. I can't believe we're discussing this. Look! What?

Over there. It's a light. Is it a cottage or something? No. No, it's a campfire. So? It's them. Or it's a bunchfire. So? It's them. Or it's a bunch of German tourists on a hiking trip.

Well, it's worse checking out. Parking inside a bush. Great. Should I pay for parking? I mean, I'll roll down the window and beat my car against a bloody leaf. Cole, there are three people by that fire. Two with smaller frames and one giant. Really?

You can see all that? I'm sure of it. Let's crawl over there, hide behind the shrubbery and eavesdrop. Didn't we have any long-range listening equipment in here? We didn't bring anything, did we? It was pure luck Dougie had a car in central London, or we would have lost them after Covent Garden. I thought Dougie said that this car was fully stocked. It has the disguises.

Yeah, great. Look, there's 14 different mustaches in here. You can choose between Albert Einstein, Charlie Chaplin, Freddie Mercury, Burt Reynolds, Salvador Dali, and

Frida Flipping Carlo. Let's put them all on and hope we look like a shrubbery. Come on, let's get out and crawl. The Amelia Project. Created by Philip Thorne and Osten Ulsbeck-Braga. With sound direction by Frederik Baden and sound design by Adam Raimonda. Episode 62. Dear Child has many names. The Present.

has many names. The present. Oh, this has been fun so far, hasn't it? I think it has. You're a very captive audience, I must say. What do you think, Jackie? Are we having fun?

Sure. This is Ace. Great entertainment. Brilliant storytelling. This is Ace. Great entertainment. Brilliant storytelling. Inventive. Detailed. Surprising. Fantastical.

What do you mean by fantastical? Well, it's all made up, isn't it? I thought we had agreed to come here so I could tell you the truth. Absolutely. And so far, you are not upholding your end of the bargain. Am I not? What do you think, Jackie? Yeah... Yeah!

You've brought us to a random, empty field on a freezing cold night and you seem to believe that if we just light a campfire, we will believe any old bullshit you serve up. I swear I have not told a single lie since we sat down here. That's rich.

Remember that very first story you told us? Ah, yes, Ross. No, back in London. Right after you woke up and got out of the body bag. Remind me. You told us that you'd founded a clinic in Istanbul. With Behram, your husband. Hmm.

You told us a fantastical tale of how you'd lived your life swapping faces with people and had seen the world from behind more than a hundred different faces. A tale more fantastical than Ross, Elvis, Hitchcock, and his double? Perhaps not. But you admitted there is no Anka Kushu. When we spoke to Miss Kennedy, you called the story Istan bullshit. Oh, yes, I did. I was very pleased with that pun.

If there is no facility of medicine in Marmaris, if there is no face swapping, why should we believe your story about aliens and doppelgangers and the ghost of freaking Elvis? We figure everything you've been telling us has been bullshit. Impressive bullshit. Beautifully crafted and captivating bullshit. But still bullshit. Beautifully crafted and captivating bullshit. But still bullshit. So, are you going to come clean? You need to understand something.

And what is that? In my lifetime, I have heard so many stories. Sometimes it is hard to tell which story is mine and which belongs to someone else. I get very involved in the stories I hear. Wait, wait, wait, wait. You are trying to tell us that the whole story about having a hundred different faces happened to someone else? And you imagined it happened to you? It may have happened to me at a different time. Keeping the years apart can be hard. How are we to believe anything you say

if you can't keep the facts straight? I apologize for that, but I'm confident the stories I have told by the campfire are correct. To make sure I'm not misleading you, I have chosen stories that are attached to specific moments in history. We helped Ross in January 2001, two days after the inauguration of George Bush Jr. Thuggy Trashmouth's case took place in the late 70s, at the height of the punk era, and Elvis Presley is hardly a man you would mix up with anyone else. Similarly, Alfred Hitchcock was an icon of his time, and when he visited me in my motel, he was shooting strangers on a train,

which would place the encounter firmly in 1951. You see, I have taken care in the stories I have selected for you. I could have told you about the death of Sven Johansson or Alberta Bettini, but did their deaths happen 10 years ago, or 20 years ago, or a hundred? Who is to say? Sven lived in a 19th century apartment block in Gothenburg and always wore a classic three-piece suit. Alberta lived in a small Italian village, untouched by time, and rode a rusty bicycle. The aesthetics surrounding their deaths would have been the same had they happened at the end of the 20th century or at the beginning or even before. Oh, yes, of course. Before. Because you've lived for how long exactly?

Three thousand years, give or take. Oh, wow. Just... wow. You are taking this to new extremes. You saw the deer, did you not? Yes. And you heard my story about patience. Yes. The deer was some sort of trick. And as I said, I don't trust your stories. I gave the deer my last drop of patience to extend its life.

Jackie, you are not seriously buying this. You saw what happened to the deer. There are other explanations. This case has been weird from the beginning. You were the one who was on about how strange this case was. Yes, I thought we were dealing with drugs or something, not life elixirs. My friends, there is no reason to fight. We're not fighting.

Instead, let us prove that I am telling the truth. How? Are you not part of the world's leading intelligence agency? Sure. Well, then. He's right. We can make some phone calls. Who are we calling? A lot of people.

You're right, Mia. We shouldn't believe him outright. We need to proceed with caution. So, let's check the facts. But if he's telling the truth, I mean, this would be the case of our lifetime. And we can live forever. Exactly. I was joking. This is ridiculous.

So what? It doesn't hurt to check the facts. I suppose not. Let's decide who calls who. Yeah, in the meantime, you don't go anywhere. I have nowhere else to be. So, how old are you?

Guess. You don't seem that old. Oh, you know I'm young at heart. Well, you're definitely not an old-age pensioner, nor a teenager. Somewhere in between? I have started greying these last weeks. Well? Well, I can't remember exactly how old I was when Itobal and I met,

but the age I was then is essentially the age I am now. Or rather, my body has stayed that age. So his name is Itobal Kozlovsky? No, no, no. His name is Piotau Kozlovsky? No, no, no. His name is Piotr Kozlovsky. But it used to be Berem Benam. Huh? At one point it was Langston Hughes. Not the Langston Hughes, of course. Different Langston Hughes.

Or at least I think he wasn't actually Langston Hughes. Anyway, before that again he was Ching Ling Fu. Or was least I think he wasn't actually Langston Hughes. Anyway, before that again he was Ching Ling Fu. Or was it after that? Oh, I forget. He has had so many names over the years. Dear Child has many names. That's what they say in Sweden. So when did he become Piotr Kozlowski? To be honest, I don't remember. Really? Really.

Oh, Captain Deadeye. That was another one of his names. And Itobal? Yes. When I met Kozlowski, his name was Itobal of Tyre. He was born in Tyre, you see. Though once he started travelling the world, he became known as Itobal of Phoenicia. To most people, though, he was known simply as the Phoenix.

But that's not a story for now. There's a lot to get through before we get there. We've been through, what, eight decades? How much do we have left? Another eight. Well, you know, this company has been around for longer than that. Yeah, the papyrus. Mm-hmm. And the stone tablets. There are stone tablets?

I never saw those. Oh, yes. If you go back far enough, there are even cave paintings. Are you joking? Yes, I'm joking. Oh, yes. If you go back far enough, there are even cave paintings. Are you joking? Yes, I'm joking. There are no cave paintings, no. But you should have seen your face. How can you see my face? It's the middle of the night.

Well, you should have heard your voice then. No, no, no cave paintings. Wait, but... tablets? Well, yes, when we started this company, paper wasn't invented. So you and Kozlovsky, Itobal, started it? Oh, yes. But as I said, we're not there yet. We have to do this in order. By which you mean backwards.

Yes. It's the only way I can do this. Fine. Let's move on to the next story, then. Going backwards. As I was saying, we were in dire straits when we first met Amelia Earhart. Hi. This is Agent Jackie Williams from CIA. Could I speak with the Director of Assets at Area 51? Mark? Hi, it's Mia.

Wow, long time no see. Yes, I do miss the soft power department. The best parties in the whole CIA. This is Agent Williams with the CIA. I need to speak to someone with knowledge of plumbing businesses in the East Midlands. Listen, Mark, you had a hand in a lot of punk rock work in your day, didn't you? No. Williams. Agent Williams. I need some information about British efforts to stop the Germans' nuclear program during the Second World War. I also need someone to give me some insights into the who's who in Hollywood right after the war.

Do you think I should talk to Betty or Charles? Uh, do you happen to have heard about a company called Mrs. Plum's Plumbing? So, Mark, have you ever heard about a punk rocker named Buggy Trashmouth? Don't give me that tone. We are allies, the UK and the US, MI5 and CIA. I just need some intel on... Don't put me on hold. Betty? Hi, Mia here. Quick question. Do you know if anyone with the name Piotr Kozlowski worked in special effects in Hollywood in the late 40s. I was saying, we've just been collaborating on a case.

The Amelia Project. Northcott, yes. She specifically said MI5 should cooperate with any questions. For us, he was just a prosthetic specialist. Yeah, he's linked to a case I'm working on. I appreciate that as a local historian you don't get a lot of these calls. But, believe it or not, information about Mrs. Plum and her plumbing business is of international importance. Thanks, Betty. If you could look that up, that would be fantastic.

I know the Amelia case is closed, but this is not linked to that case whatsoever. Agents Cole and Haynes? I have no idea what they're doing. This is a completely different case. Are you transferring me again? Yes. Did you find anything? What did you find?

What? A local plumbing business of importance to the CIA? It beggars belief. Well, I suppose there's no harm in sharing what I know. There was indeed a Mrs. Plum's Plumbing, operating around these ports for several decades. They were based out of Plum Manor, of all places, a peculiar office for a plumbing business. Nothing much to say about them outside of that.

Well, there was one other striking thing I guess I should mention. Mrs. Plum was a keen amateur aviator. Her aviation extravaganzas at the summer village rates were quite the spectacle. I was lucky enough to catch a few of them myself. Thuggy Trashmouth. Yeah, I know the name. Terrible music. Never a big player.

But he did make the headlines briefly when he was booed offstage for singing Elvis covers. Weird guy. Listen, Mia, when you're back in the States, maybe we could grab some beers down at the Texas Roadhouse? Just a couple of cold ones, you know? Uh, let's see. Kozlowski. How do you spell that?

Never mind. I'll try a few different ways. Yeah, there we are. There's a P. Kozlowski mentioned in the makeup department on the terror from beyond the grave. Then there's a P. Koskalov doing monsters and masks on killer rabbits revenge. Peter Kozlov is billed as a special costumes maker on Voodoo Man in New York.

And the initials PK come up a lot. There's a PK Wonder on Fear of the Fog Phantom, a PK Marvel on The Dreadful Freak Show, and just the initials PK by themselves on Invasion of the Flying Discmen. The only mention of Mr. Peter Kozlovsky is a thank you on... Ooh, this one's kind of an outlier. It's Birds by Hitchcock. You can look it up yourself, honey. What? No, I'm not using some secret archive. I'm just on IMDb. Hi, Jackie is it? This is Sean, Director of Extraterrestrial Assets at Area 51. Listen, on the record, I am only responsible for meteorites and moon rocks.

You understand? Off the record, though, I can confirm that in 2001, we lost a very important asset. One of our most prized possessions. Off the record, yeah, that piece of rock died a very messy death. Listen, I don't know what you're working on, but a piece of advice, if you ever start collecting moon rocks, don't serve them chocolate. Hello there. Agent Williams, is it? I understand you wish to submit a formal request for the release of certain restricted material from the MI5 archive for use in an ongoing investigation?

Well, it has been approved. Just be aware, this request is being logged. What do you need to know? Oh, you mean Operation Dead Eagle? Well, it was led by Sir Hubert Hathaway III. Yes, it was very successful. No, Sir Hathaway disappeared after the war. Presumed dead.

I don't have any more information about him, I'm afraid. May I ask what this investigation is for? Classified, of course. Well, have a splendid rest of your... night, Agent Williams. So? Do you believe me now? Everything you've told us checks out. Apart from that clinic you allegedly ran on Kakushu. Turkish bureaucracy is not famous for accurate record-keeping.

But you admit the story about how you became Pyotr Kozlovsky was a lie. I cannot vouch for its accuracy, but I still hope we have established a level of trust. Do you trust me? Reluctantly. Mia? Mia? Mia? Mia, we have to move forward with this case.

And it seems like right now the best way to do that is to trust this man. Sure. Good. Tell me this, Ben. How did you get the name Kozlovsky? I assume it's not your real name. You know, I truly cannot remember. I can continue the story instead.

Go ahead. I will tell you about Amelia Earhart. Yeah, that sounds interesting. Amelia Earhart. Yeah, that sounds interesting. Now, Amelia Earhart was a very special woman. Stay tuned for the epilogue, but first, the credits. This episode was written and directed by Einstein Braga,

with story and audio editing by Philip Thorne, sound design by Adam Raymonda and music by Frederick Barden. This episode featured Benjamin Noble as Haynes, Torgny G. Ondero as Cole, Hemi Yeroham as Kozlovsky, Erin King as Mia Fox, Jordan Cobb as Jackie Williams, Julia C.athorn as Alvina, Alan Bergen as the interviewer, Leila Khatib as the historian, JK Robbins as Mark, Caroline Minx as Betty, Adam Raimonda as director of assets at Area 51, and Helen Doty as the MI5 officer. This was the last episode of Season 5 Part 1. We hope to be back with part two next year if you'd like to help us with that then please do consider becoming a patreon supporter from just two dollars

per new episode we won't be collecting any more pledges until we come back but you can still sign up now and it's a great encouragement to us every time a a new patron signs up, I get a little ping on my phone and it makes me so happy. So you'll really be motivating us and you'll be ready to support us as of 2023. Thank you to all of you who already support us. And as always, a shout out to our super patrons. That's He312, Rodney Dulligie, Jem Twitter, Tumblr or Instagram. And now, the epilogue. Shh, that was a twig. Shh! That was a twig!

Oh. Quiet. So, you see, all of that was a new direction for us. We could not run the company by ourselves anymore. We needed someone to bring us into the future. And who better than a woman who had embraced modernity and even pushed the boundaries of what was deemed possible. Amelia Earhart transformed the Brotherhood of the Phoenix forever.

And I don't just mean by introducing us to her favorite hot beverage. Wow, she introduced you to cocoa? She loved to drink cocoa among the clouds. What a story! So that's why you're called the Amelia Project? We needed a new identity. It only seemed right to name ourselves after the woman who saved us.

Did we just miss the story about the origin of the company? Shush. We missed everything. But we found them. And the Americans will never tell us what they know. I guess not. What a stinking, sticky, poo, fuck. If Amelia Earhart saved you, she is not the beginning of the story.

Not at all. The story started long before that. The Fable & Folly Network. Where fiction producers flourish. What's this all about? What about nightmares? We need to leave. What are you doing?

They can't tear out your soul anymore, Stuart. Ominous Thrill, a new audio fiction anthology. I've done horrible things. Tell them what you did. I didn't do anything. To me. No! Character-driven tales of obsession.

I'm no psycho. Banging on my door and streaming it on the internet. Revenge. Don't mind if I sit here and watch the lights go out, do you? The unexplained. Don't leave me out here. We can't help her. We're leaving.

No! I need the light. You want me to fall down the stairs? No. I want to push you. I love you so fucking much. Ominous and Thrill. Available now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and everywhere. Flesh splits open.

Oh, yes. Thrill you later.