You’ve arrived at a place beyond time and reason. Where order is a dream and madness a luxury. But when the veil lifts to reveal the stage—pay attention, or the signal will escape you.

Tune in to...

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ The Infinite Broadcast! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Episode 2

From deep inside the damp, mossy earth, Ordica’s last remaining Rubber Ducky Isopod emerged. Quackers looked up at the twin moons and welcomed the fog onto his face. But what reached his ears wasn’t the usual breakfast bustle of isopods.

It was the cry of newborn crickets.

“You finally wake.”

Quackers turned. A towering Rhino Beetle loomed behind him. Dmitri. To an isopod, he was a titan. His horns gleamed like weapons forged for war.

“Dmitri? You’re here early?”

“Here before dark.”

Dmitri stared toward Black River Valley. His usual calm was gone. Something was wrong.

Then Quackers understood.

The crickets.

That wasn’t a song of life.

It was the scream of harvest.

“The Crazies,” he whispered.

“Da.”

“They’re really raiding this far out? Lenny was right. You think they knew about the babies?”

“Crazies move fast. Scouts in the forest. Trading messages. Could know much.”

Quackers shivered. Eating babies? What kind of creature does that? Predators were terrifying. He preferred the simple joy of moldy leaves.

“Someone has to stop them.”

“Oh?” Dmitri raised an eye. “And you, Little Thunder? Will you lead?”

Quackers curled halfway into a ball. “I mean, I, uh...”

Dmitri chuckled and nudged him, sending the little isopod tumbling down a hill. He landed on his back, legs wiggling in the air.

Perfect moment for a predator.

Before he could react, a Jumping Spider pounced and clamped onto his belly.

“Surprise, muthafucka! Coochi-coochi-coo!”

“NO! HAHAHA! STOP! DMITRI GET HIM OFF ME!”

“Lenny,” Dmitri grunted. “Not the time.”

“You rolled him.”

“Was funny.”

“I hate you both!” Quackers laughed. “I peed a little!”

“You make it too easy,” Lenny grinned. “But hey, I don’t eat you. I tickle. That’s growth. Let me have this.”

“I do not give consent—”

The spider sprang into the vines. “Didn’t hear that! Being swept away by a mysterious gust of wiiiiiind—”

“There is no wind,” Dmitri said.

“I know,” Quackers muttered. “He always says that... And I only peed because I haven’t gone yet.”

“Da. Of course.”

“You’re going over there, aren’t you? To the Crazies?”

“Da. Problem. Too many. Can overwhelm even me. Bite in hard to reach places. Very ouch.”

The thought of anything hurting Dmitri was terrifying. If even he was afraid, what hope did they have?

The Crazies had taken everything. They moved fast. Claimed land in the name of God. Saw everyone else as food. The Black March was coming.

And now they were at Black River Valley.

It was too late to stop them.

Quackers hated being weak. Isopods weren’t fighters. All he could do was curl up and pray. He wanted to be strong. To stand on the valley ridge and tell the ants to eat their own asses. He wanted to be a hero.

But he wasn’t.

He was just a scared little bug.

Someday, he promised himself, he’d become something more. Somehow, some way, he would break the system.

“I wish I could stop them,” Quackers said.

Lenny dropped from the sky, landing on Dmitri’s horn. The beetle didn’t flinch.

“Ain’t nothing stopping the Black March,” the spider said. “Best to just mind our business and live.”

“Easy to say, meat eater,” Dmitri grumbled. “Once they take all resources, what then?”

“Yeah, that sucks bro. Thoughts and prayers.”

Dmitri shook him off. Lenny landed beside Quackers.

“All I’m saying is if the Marauders can’t stop them, it’s looking Crazy out there.”

“What’s crazy is I haven’t sat on you yet.”

Dmitri snapped to attention. Over the hill came a translucent baby cricket, bounding toward them. It stumbled to a stop, terrified of Lenny. But Quackers approached gently, soothing it with his antennae.

“It’s okay. You’re safe now. No one’s going to hurt you.”

The baby looked up with trembling eyes. It probably didn’t understand a word. Just born, just scared.

Nature is savage AF.

Dmitri lowered himself. Quackers helped the baby climb between his horns. It nestled in, twitchy and afraid, especially when Lenny looked its way.

“Babies never like me,” Lenny said.

“You likely ate its parents.”

“Fair.”

Quackers marched toward the hill.

“We can save more,” he said. “We have to help.”

“Are you crazy?” Lenny called after him. “Get your leafy ass back here before you get stomped.”

“Is true,” Dmitri said, backing him up. “Too dangerous.”

Quackers slowed. Maybe it was too much. He was small. Weak. Just one little bug.

But then—movement.

Four Black Crazy Ants crested the hill, galloping fast. Too fast.

They were on him before he could react.

Dmitri roared and charged. Lenny sprang onto his horn, ready for battle.

Quackers scuttled back to his friends just in time.

The ants stopped, their long legs twitching. They stared each other down in silence.

“The fuck you want?” Lenny asked.

“Just collecting what’s ours,” the lead ant said.

“What would that be?” Dmitri growled.

“By the Dark Queen’s will,” the ant said, “we claim this land and all its riches. Submit, or face the Black March. We are legion.”

“You’re fighting us over a baby?” Quackers said. “You’ve already slaughtered a whole valley.”

“We need to feed our ranks. No resource can be spared.”

“Then come get it,” Dmitri said—and charged.

The fight exploded.

Dmitri slammed his horn. Lenny leapt and sank his fangs into an ant, then vanished again.

One ant circled wide—straight for Quackers.

He rolled up. Tight. Sealed.

But she was on him, pounding, prying.

Then—acid.

It burned. It seeped into his shell. His body screamed.

So did his voice.

“OH MY FUCKING GOD THAT HURTS!” Michael screamed. “What the fuck is happening? Where am I?! Why is a giant ant trying to kill me?!”

“Who is that?!” Quackers shouted, confused. A stranger was speaking from his mouth.

“Oh fuck—I can’t move! I can’t feel my body! Help!”

Quackers curled tighter, trembling. Michael’s voice rang out again.

“Please—someone—what the fuck is—”

~ ~ ~ SIGNAL INTERRUPTION DETECTED ~ ~ ~

...recalibrating host overlay... …memory corruption level 2.6%...

…foreign consciousness breach detected...

QUACK... QUACK...

…

...

..

.