Episode 1: Fugue

Makia (00:04):

Welcome to The Light Ahead, a fiction podcast that investigates the question, "What would 2030 look like I if the US had an economy that truly worked and cared for everyone?"

Makia (00:19): (singing)

Makia (00:22):

The US has an imagination gap when it comes to the economy. We generally think that we have to choose one ism or another, like capitalism or socialism. But the reality is, our options are diverse as those who can dream them, because we continually create the economy every single day with our actions and choices.

Makia (00:44):

This podcast is designed to help up all practice expanding our economic imaginations; to take us out of the what is and help us dream what could be. A production of Avalon: Story and Beloved Economies, each episode was co-created by a Hollywood screenwriter and a changemaker at the cutting edge of transforming our economy. For this project we didn't ask them to tackle the question of how, but rather to dream, using the magic of storytelling to help us all imagine possible futures.

Makia (01:18):

(singing)

Makia (01:25):

I'm Makia, your guide as we venture into future timelines filled with possibility. In this episode, as with all episodes, we're headed into the year 2030 to get to know a woman who wakes up with no recent memory and finds herself in a very different world than the one she remembers. In this new world, all humans are believed to have intrinsic value that is worth protecting. Throughout our time traveling journey, we'll pull back the curtain to hear from the two collaborators responsible for this visionary tale: Dr. Jerome Segura III, an urban and regional economist, and Catherine Eaton, this story's writer and director.

Makia (02:08):

For now, make sure your preconceptions are powered down and your mind is unlocked in the expansive position. This is Fugue.

Tyrone (02:30):

Miss? Hello, Miss?

Nona (02:37):

What?

Tyrone (02:39):

Excuse us, miss. No need to be concerned, but can we have a word? Hi there. Looks like you maybe pulled over to sleep something off, or break up a journey?

Nona (02:49):

W- I- I'll- I'll move along.

Tyrone (02:53):

Oh, no, no, no. You're welcome to sleep here, it's no problem. We just need you to pull further off the road. (laughs) Safety first, yes? New Years' especially.

Nona (03:01):

New Years'?

Rhee (03:02):

Mm-hmm (affirmative). Look over there, at that crack of light. The sun coming up on the first day of the new decade.

Tyrone (03:07):

Hm, slipping out like under the door with my kid saying he was leaving.

Rhee (03:12):

Hello 2030.

Nona (03:15):

Where are we?

Tyrone (03:16):

Arcadia Parish, yeah? [inaudible 00:03:18] highway.

Rhee (03:18):

You okay miss? You look a little-

Nona (03:20):

Whose truck is this?

Tyrone (03:23):

Truck's not yours?

Nona (03:24):

Who are you? What am I doing here?

Rhee (03:26):

It's okay. It's okay. Stay calm. We're- We're Arcadia local peacekeepers. These are our IDs. I'm Rhee, this is Tyrone.

Tyrone (03:34):

Your dog be friendlyish, yeah? What's she called?

Nona (03:38):

You're police?

Rhee (03:39):

No.

Tyrone (03:40):

Police? Nah. Where are you from?

Rhee (03:43):

It's been years since the police have been called on in this part of Louisiana. Early pandemic I think.

Tyrone (03:49):

Civil Rights Act of 2022. Remember that, Rhee? (singing)

Rhee (03:55):

You're gonna have to forgive him. He was in diapers when we marched here.

Tyrone (04:00):

Whoa, hold on. No, no, she is lying. I- I had chin hair when universal basic care passed.

Rhee (04:05):

Where are you from?

Nona (04:08):

I don't know.

Rhee (04:09):

You don't know where you're from?

Nona (04:11):

I don't remember.

Rhee (04:14):

And you don't know whose truck this is you're driving?

Nona (04:18):

I think I need the police, or a- a doctor. I think I need to go to a doctor. Can I use your phone? Please. Give me your phone.

Rhee (04:28):

Okay. Okay, we can do that, but what do you remember? What's your name, miss?

Nona (04:36):

I don't know.

Tyrone (04:44):

She doesn't know her name, Has no wallet, no phone, no registration. But totally functioning, mind you. Able to drive, do things, she answered questions. She has no idea what year it is. Didn't even know what peacekeepers were. Nothing. She thought we was police. She started yelling she wanted to see a doctor. She gotta see a doctor. And we was thinking maybe she was drugged, like roofie, right? So we took her to the local med center. The girl started panicking about the bill, having no money and no way to pay. She didn't know nothing about universal health care, nothing about basic income or anything from the last decade really. It's a trip man. Like she in a time capsule.

Jay (05:24):

But what was the result at the med center?

Tyrone (05:24):

They still there, but no drugs in the system, no injuries of any kind. She's freaked out, man. Who wouldn't be?

Jay (05:32):

Ill sent it over to the elder's council to see if they've got any wisdom on this. You're overdue a required break, man. Go pick up your kid. Make 'em New Year's pancakes.

Tyrone (05:42):

Jay, making my kid pancakes is about as restful as a [inaudible 00:05:45]. What I need to do right now is you need to check if there's anything in the [inaudible 00:05:49] charter on unidentified persons. See if we can get her a temporary UVI. And also, see if records can run them VIN.

Speaker 6 (06:01):

Paging nurse Joseph LeClaire. Please call extension 301. Nurse Joseph-

Dr. Leonard Jackson (06:06):

That's me, Dr. Leonard Jackson, and that's my information.

Nona (06:10):

Why does it say my name is Nona?

Dr. Leonard Jackson (06:13):

That's a naming protocol biologists use to identify cells. The first two letters of the persons first and last name. In this case, no name, Nona, N-O-N-A. That okay? And this is an herbal tincture to take when you feel anxiety. It's also covered by universal healthcare, and yes, even for undocumented persons. I'll write you a prescription if this doesn't work. Our food supply chain is entirely local, but our medicinal supply chain isn't yet, so I prefer to lean on the local plant knowledge. Uh, you have my number. Do you have any other questions?

Nona (06:52):

You're not from here?

Dr. Leonard Jackson (06:54):

No. I moved here after the equality acts. Civil rights labor. My ancestors were slaves here. I came to claim their land.

Nona (07:09):

Hm. I'm not from here either.

Dr. Leonard Jackson (07:12):

Judging by your accent, not local, no.

Nona (07:16):

So why did I come here, to a place I don't know in a truck that may or may not be mine? I- It just doesn't-

Dr. Leonard Jackson (07:23):

Listen, Nona, something happened that set off this amnesia, the fugue state we talked about, and it brought you here. Whatever it was, it's something so outside of what you could even imagine for yourself that your brain couldn't fathom it. Literally unthinkable. I don't know what it was, but please, be careful.

Makia (07:55):

We'll be bact to the story in just a minute, but first, let's pause and take a moment to hear about the making of Fugue. Again, I'm siting down with Dr. Jerome Segura III, a regional economist who was born and raised in Louisiana, which inspired the location of the story, and this episode's writer and director, Catherine Eaton. There have been decades of movements fighting to reimagine public safety, and we're seeing one of these very different public policing in this future timeline.

Makia (08:33):

In this episode, one of the things we're dreaming into is how reimagining our approach to criminal justice would affect our future economy. Catherine, what was it like to take Jerome's vision of the future economy and turn it into this story we're listening to now? Help us imagine how that journey went.

Catherine Eaton (08:56):

Sure, yeah. So that idea of assigning individuals value came completely out of Jerome for me. It's something that I think that I believe on a personal level as a story teller and just as a human. So the ground was fertile for me to want to make that jump into understanding how that then could be a part of our institutions and a part of our social structures. And I'd certainly seen it on the nonprofit level, but we don't... we certainly don't see it on a structural level. We might see it in individuals within structures, within institutions, but we don't see it on a structural level.

Catherine Eaton (09:27):

So I was ready for that idea, but I could never frame it in a way that spoke to my pragmatic mind; the mind that had been told, "Be realistic. How can it work?" And then Jerome came along and was able to show me that there is a path for that and its not in the wild future from where we are. In fact, it's much closer than it seems, but we have to shift our paradigm around people.

Catherine Eaton (09:51):

So- So even though it seems like we're really far from it now, it's only because we're currently feeding the wrong things. If we would just take the resources we have, just tip our perspective over from having to correct problems that we've created and instead prevent those problems, and not only prevent them but create opportunity, what will happen is we'll have all these extraordinary people that are stepping in to these communities.

Nona (10:26):

Rhee, you don't know what you're getting yourself into. You and Tyrone helping me-

Rhee (10:31):

Uh-uh (negative). No, no, no. I hope you don't mind me saying Nona, I'm gonna call you that now, but that's some retro broke-ass logic you got there. We're not gonna leave you to the wolves, whatever your deal is. You've got inherent value, instincts, wisdom, mental acumen. I was taught that every human is capable of contributing to the communal store of wealth in some way, and then they have a right to draw on it. Humans are a resource worth protecting. Don't forget that. But the real resource round here is Tess's jambalaya.

Joe (11:10):

Hey Rhee.

Rhee (11:10):

Hey! All right. Hey, it's good to see you. Happy new decade.

Speaker 10 (11:16):

Happy new decade.

Joe (11:16):

Happy new year to you, darling. So good to see you again. (laughs).

Nona (11:19):

Rhee, what are we doing here?

Rhee (11:22):

I'm hungry.

Nona (11:24):

No, seriously.

Rhee (11:26):

Gonna see if anyone recognizes ya.

Nona (11:29):

But you'd know me if I'd been here. You clearly know everyone.

Rhee (11:34):

Not everyone, but we pass a good time. It's how rural works. Reason he has such a brain drain on the cities. Hey, Joe, how's your mamma and them? Table for two please. They're like Disneyland now. The cities? Tourist destinations. They still draw a crowd who want lots of options, but no one wants to live there anymore. Crime, congestion. Ought to close up shop and sell tickets at the gate. Everyone wants to live rural now. When the wealth decentralized after the labor movement, everything followed: education, health care, and people.

Joe (12:10):

Here you go, Rhee.

Rhee (12:11):

Thanks Joe. Okay. Here, Nona. Sit here while I find a sweet place for you and four paw for the night.

Nona (12:26):

Okay.

Joe (12:27):

[French 00:12:27]. Water for you?

Nona (12:28):

Mm. Please. Thanks.

Joe (12:29):

Back in a split.

Speaker 11 (12:31):

On this first day of the new decade here at WAGE, we're playing only local music. You'll want to grab someone for a spin on the dance floors for this one.

Nona (12:41):

Come here, girl. You must be thirsty. No name neither, huh?

Joe (12:49):

We can do better than that for your pooch. I'll get you a bowl, then set you up with some of Tess's crawfish.

Nona (12:55):

Oh. Oh no. No, thank you. I don't have any money.

Joe (12:57):

Well, we work on barter for locals. Now, you came in with Rhee, so you're good. Just let me know what you can exchange, yeah?

Nona (13:05):

Exchange? The only think I have is a truck. And at this point I'm thinking about trading that in for a [gree gree 00:13:11].

Joe (13:11):

(laughs) No. No, no, save the truck for my tip.

Tubby (13:14):

Tip? (laughs) Man, ain't nobody tip no more.

Joe (13:17):

Yo Tubby.

Tubby (13:18):

What you need?

Joe (13:19):

Grab me a bowl for the pooch, yes?

Tubby (13:21):

Pooch bowl on the way.

Joe (13:23):

I'm joking, darling. I don't take a tip. It's not 1990. We're standard employee owned, like pretty much everything around here.

Nona (13:30):

Uh, I'm sorry, but you done lost me there.

Joe (13:34):

Wow. You really never done barter business.

Nona (13:39):

What's barter business?

Joe (13:41):

Okay. How it works, you exchange whatever it is you make or do, or an hour hauling things with that truck for instance. Now, we got a chart for what it's worth. It's a free market, right? This is America. You can choose what you wanna eat if your barter is strong. But no singing for your supper though. We nixed that year one. Nobody could get a word in.

Tubby (14:07):

One bowl for the new pooch. Good to see you again, Bella.

Nona (14:12):

Wait, what? What do you mean again? Can you grab that server?

Joe (14:17):

You know Tubby, huh? I thought you sounded like you're from not too far away.

Nona (14:23):

But we don't sound the same at all.

Joe (14:24):

Girl, you should be so lucky. But you said gree gree. Now, only people from these parts do that, far as I know. There, see? In the song. Gree gree. Just like you.

Nona (14:39):

I know this song.

Joe (14:44):

It's great, isn't it?

Nona (14:55):

(singing) That's my voice. That's me singing. That's my voice! (singing)

Joe (15:13):

It is you. That's you singing on the radio. Why didn't you say so?

Nona (15:15):

(singing)

Joe (15:19):

Biggy, bring it out. Hey, hey everybody. Quiet down. Listen up, listen up. This girl the actual singer of this song. We got the real deal here.

Nona (15:44):

(singing)

Joe (15:45):

You just sang for your supper, girl.

Speaker 13 (15:52):

Lucille. Lucille.

Nona (16:08):

Who is Lucille?

Rhee (16:10):

I think maybe you are.

Makia (16:21):

Jerome, how does the economy that's brought to life in Fugue differ from the economy that dictates our lives today?

Jerome Segura III (16:29):

One of the big differences between what we saw in that story and what we see in reality is actually that deconcentration of wealth wherein everything's cooperatively owned as opposed to owned by some capitalist, which is different. Further, you could think about the stock market as it exists. And although that may in some ways decentralize wealth by means of a stockholder, it's still concentrating wealth among the most wealthiest of individuals. We have to face the fact that low to middle income households don't tend to hold very much stock and as a result don't really benefit from that system.

Jerome Segura III (16:59):

So the opportunity for employee ownership, I think, in itself is empowerment, but further in the economic data and research what's shown is, more often than not, businesses that are cooperatively owned are more resilient to economic shocks.

Nona (17:21):

So this is my house, Tubby?

Tubby (17:24):

You grew up in this house, left for the service and came back 10 years ago. Your pa has Alzheimer's. Stays in the assisted living co-op in town. No ma around. Any bells?

Nona (17:36):

The place feels vaguely familiar.

Tubby (17:39):

Hm. Now let's see. Well, uh, you're a mushroom farmer now. You're part of the Arcadiana Food Supply Chain Co-Op. W- Well, that's how we met. I used to work in the kitchen at Tess's. Oh, you're in a band too. (laughs) And you're crazy with the sticks, girl. (laughs)

Nona (18:00):

Okay now. Just the facts, Tubby.

Tubby (18:02):

(laughs) Right.

Nona (18:03):

Now, what's this?

Tubby (18:04):

Uh, let's see. You lobbied hard for child care and mandatory early education. Said it woulda changed your life.

Nona (18:11):

Do I lock the front door?

Tubby (18:13):

Uh, well maybe you should wait until Rhee gets here to go inside.

Lucille (18:15):

Tubby!

Tubby (18:16):

Um, um... Oh my Lord.

Lucille (18:18):

Stop messing with my drums. Now, if y'all needed a delivery, I coulda driven out.

Tubby (18:21):

There's two of ya?

Nona (18:24):

[inaudible 00:18:24]

Tubby (18:24):

What in the gee-

Lucille (18:27):

What in the hell is this?

Tubby (18:27):

Lucille?

Nona (18:27):

Now, is this some kind of fucked up prank?

Lucille (18:30):

Who this?

Tubby (18:30):

Who are you?

Nona (18:30):

Who is this woman?

Tubby (18:31):

Uh, who are you? You... I heard her song, or your song, on the radio at Tess's and either I'm seeing double-

Rhee (18:38):

Nona!

Tubby (18:38):

... or there's two of you.

Rhee (18:39):

Nona! Nona! Tyrone heard back from state police. Your name isn't Lucille. Holy Mary, there's two of you. I'm really hoping you two know each other.

Nona (18:51):

No idea.

Lucille (18:51):

No indeed.

Rhee (18:52):

You're not sisters? Like, identical sisters?

Nona (18:55):

I don't remember.

Lucille (18:56):

I don't have no sister.

Tubby (18:57):

Oh hey now. Could they be clones? Maybe some kind of that sci-fi shit you see on-

Rhee (19:02):

Tubby.

Lucille (19:02):

Tubby!

Rhee (19:04):

You- You don't know her?

Lucille (19:06):

Man, look, I'm freaking out. No indeed, I don't know this woman. Now, why is there a peacekeeper here? What the hell is going on?

Rhee (19:13):

Okay. Let's all take a breath. Here's what I've learned: Nona, your actual name is Celeste Boudreaux. You picked up the truck 300 miles from here after you were released from North Louisiana's nonprofit correction center two days ago.

Nona (19:33):

Prison?

Rhee (19:34):

You served 10 years. You're out on parole.

Tubby (19:39):

So are we just putting the whole clone thing to bed then?

Lucille (19:43):

Tubby, if you don't get your-

Nona (19:44):

Tubby.

Rhee (19:44):

Tubby, maybe you could take a long walk.

Tubby (19:47):

A- All right, all right. Okay, I gotta get back anyhow. But whichever one of you Lucille's [inaudible 00:19:50] years ago, that one, call me later.

Rhee (19:58):

Nona, the truck and the dog are your mama's. I'm sorry, she passed away a few days before you were released. She's the only family you had. Listed anyway.

Lucille (20:10):

Are you saying... Are we... So are we sisters? 'Cause my head exploding.

Nona (20:15):

She sang that song.

Lucille (20:17):

What?

Nona (20:18):

The song you recorded. Mama sang it to me.

Lucille (20:22):

I learned that song from my father.

Nona (20:25):

Rhee, what did I do? Why was I in jail? Am I violent?

Rhee (20:30):

Nona, let's wait.

Lucille (20:32):

What, 10 years ago?

Rhee (20:34):

Yes, 10 years.

Lucille (20:35):

In New Orleans down at the march?

Rhee (20:37):

How did you know that?

Nona (20:39):

Tell me what I did, Rhee. I need to know.

Rhee (20:42):

Nona, it would be safer if we just get in the car-

Nona (20:44):

So, I- I am violent.

Lucille (20:46):

It was an accident. No, there was a bunch of us. Veterans was opposing the use of military force against Americans. We set off a small explosion the close the road. It scared the shit out of me. But no one got hurt. They told me no one was hurt. Look, I ran here. No one was hurt, right? Rhee, right?

Rhee (21:09):

They had eyewitnesses who ID'd Nona as the person there.

Lucille (21:13):

Oh my God. Oh my God, what did I do?

Nona (21:18):

What happens now?

Rhee (21:19):

I have no idea. You're due at your parole officers.

Nona (21:22):

Oh, she'll have to serve time.

Lucille (21:23):

No, you need to report the mistake.

Nona (21:26):

She'll have to serve the same sentence I did.

Rhee (21:28):

Well, the laws have been reformed, but she might.

Nona (21:32):

10 years. I'm not doing that. I'm not doing that to you. Humans are a resource.

Rhee (21:40):

Nona, that's true.

Nona (21:41):

You said that, Rhee. Humans are a resource worth protecting. No. No, I won't report her. I'll go back.

Lucille (21:51):

Then let's switch.

Nona (21:53):

What?

Lucille (21:54):

We switch places.

Rhee (21:55):

That's insane.

Lucille (21:57):

It's a different kind of justice.

Rhee (21:59):

You have a life here.

Lucille (22:00):

And what about hers?

Rhee (22:01):

She can't do this. She doesn't even know her name. She doesn't even know what year it is.

Nona (22:06):

It's 2030.

Lucille (22:09):

It's when we take care of our own.

Makia (22:18):

Wow. When we take care of our own. Catherine, what's an example of something Jerome said that you'd never thought of before?

Catherine Eaton (22:28):

One of the things that was extraordinary to me was that the concentration of wealth and opportunity in urban centers is in many ways rooted in our not understanding that human beings are actually a resource to be cultivated. And when we don't realize that human beings, each individual human being, is a resource that can be a value-add to a community and a value-add to an economy, and when we don't treat them that way then what happens is they become a drain on the economy and a drain on the community. And if we could just literally just shift our position and our perspective to see people as valuable, each individual as valuable rather than some sort of drain, then we would be able to shift so much around the way the economy works, but also the way that we relate to each other and our own sense of wellbeing and the quality of our lives.

Makia (23:21):

Jerome, what is happening today that's already bringing us closer to the world of this episode?

Jerome Segura III (23:27):

Traditional employment's really challenged post pandemic. Employers can't find employees at current wages, current working conditions and current compensation levels. And by compensation, that's not limited to wages. And so, I think you're already starting to see some of those labor shifts occur, if not indirectly.

Jerome Segura III (23:45):

We're starting to see those changes in policing as well, I believe. There was a huge trial around the murder of George Floyd and that police officer was found guilty. That's monumental, in fact.

Jerome Segura III (23:55):

And then also, as apparent to young children, we're now getting monthly cheques from the federal government. Sure seems like the beginnings of a basic income. The numbers are still disappointing, because $400 a month for two children pays for childcare for one week and one week's worth of groceries.

Jerome Segura III (24:12):

So we're still a long way from numbers that actually make sense, but I think those three things alone are already starting to occur.

Makia (24:19):

Yes. We're already seeing a slight glimpse into this possible future. We'll be exploring even more possible futures in upcoming episodes. From cooperative businesses to indigenous life ways. Thanks for listening. I hope you enjoyed your trip into the future and can now see the light ahead a little more clearly.

Makia (24:43):

The Light Ahead is a production of Avalon: Story and Beloved Economies. Based on six years of research in collaboration with over 100 groups across the U.S., the Beloved Economies campaign is sharing stories, practices, tools and tips to expand imaginations of what is possible for our economy.

Makia (25:03):

Avalon: Story is a center of practice based in Ketchum, Idaho to help birth the future of story by investigating two questions: What does story need to be to build us a bridge to a more beautiful future? And what does the business of story need to be to serve as a vehicle for the same?

Makia (25:25):

The Light Ahead is a Beloved Economies and Avalon: Story production made in partnership with Frequency Media. I'm your host, Makia Martin. The Light Ahead was co-created by Naomi McDougall Jones and Jess Rimington. It is executive produced by Naomi McDougall Jones, who is also our show runner, of Avalon: Story, Joanna Cea, and Jess Rimington of Beloved Economies, and Michelle Cory of Frequency Media. It is produced by Lila Yomtoob and Heidi [inaudible 00:25:59], and co-produced by Lauren Wrestler and Sonia Sarkar of Beloved Economies.

Makia (26:06):

The fictional portion of this episode was produced by Avalon: Story, written and directed by Catherine Eaton, based on conversations with and the ideas of Dr. Jerome Segura III. Featuring performances by Lawrence Ballard, AJ Clark, Susan-Marie Bennet, Catherine Eaton, Phillip Manuel, and Laurie Elizabeth Parkay. Production coordinated by Marley Newman, sound design by John Florez, sound mix by Rick Schnapp, and our sound intern was Alan Lindsay.

Makia (26:40):

The non fiction portion of this episode was produced by Frequency Media, with dialogue editing by Sydney Evans and mixing by Matthew Ernest Filler. Our theme music was written and performed by Alicia Kay Hall, Jeffrey Archie, and BIG Patty. This podcast is available on Spotify, Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, and wherever podcasts are found.