Hi, this is Matt Gallagher. You're listening to Storybound.

Welcome to Storybound, presented by Lit Hub Radio and the Podglomerate.

I'm your host, Jude Brewer.

Coming up in one minute is a story told by Matt Gallagher,

with original composition by Colin Hogan of the Colin Trio.

Also be sure to stick around until after the credits,

to learn more behind the scenes about how this episode was made.

Let's begin.

Let's begin. No one drank more than a scientist.

Every night after whatever patriotic black tie gala we played props at, He could be found at the hotel bar, trying to

extract existential meaning from a banana collata. It was an odd drink choice for such a serious man,

but only once did he respond to our interrogations about it.

Of all drinks in New Tulsa, why banana collata? I asked.

It pleases the nerve fibers.

I'll bear a tone to his voice, before disappearing into the chilled yellow muck again.

We were in New Tulsa, the briefing after a grueling dinner with a bunch of white-haired solar energy execs.

We'd been on the road for months, and morale had gone the way of the glacier.

I ordered a round for the table, and we toasted to the hustle.

Heroes of the nation, peddling war bonds by day, drinking like fru-frews by night.

Our drill instructors would not have been proud.

There were 11 of us on the bond drive, 12 have included the Jungerbat.

The Forever War had just entered its sixth decade, and our politicians didn't pretend they

...