Warehouse Feedback — Forklift Seven

Peace among worlds ent

garage rock, alt jazz-rock

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V4.5-ALL

[SCENE — WFYC RADIO STUDIO]
[sound: radio static, warehouse hum, distant forklift alarms]

[ANNOUNCER: Female, confident radio host]
You're listening to WFYC Radio.

Warehouse Feedback.

Today's topic...

The stories that grow between shifts.

[sound: ON AIR light clicks]

[TARZ: Male, calm therapist]
Good afternoon.

You've got a question.

You've got a story.

Let's hear it.

[sound: phone ringing]

[TARZ]
Warehouse Feedback.

You're on the air.

[CALLER 1: Male, curious warehouse worker]
Okay...

I have to ask.

Is Forklift Seven haunted?

[pause]

[JACQUES: Male, blunt realist]
No.

[CALLER 1]
You don't even know what happened.

[JACQUES]
I know the question.

[TARZ]
Let's hear the story.

[CALLER 1]
Seven stops when nothing is there.

It beeps at empty space.

Sometimes it refuses to move.

[LAIZER BEAM: Female, poised, composed]
What was around it?

[CALLER 1]
Nothing.

[LAIZER BEAM]
Nothing visible?

[pause]

[CALLER 1]
I suppose.

[JACQUES]
Important distinction.

[LAIZER BEAM]
Do you know what safety package Seven has?

[CALLER 1]
No.

[LAIZER BEAM]
Then it may be detecting something you cannot.

[CALLER 1]
So...

it does see something?

[LAIZER BEAM]
Yes.

[CALLER 1]
What?

[LAIZER BEAM]
Its environment.

[TARZ]
And sometimes people interpret that differently.

[sound: caller disconnects]

---

[sound: phone ringing]

[TARZ]
Next caller.

[CALLER 2: Male, frustrated warehouse worker]
I think Forklift Seven caused a problem.

[JACQUES]
What happened?

[CALLER 2]
It slammed the brakes during a turn.

My pallet went everywhere.

[TARZ]
Were you injured?

[CALLER 2]
No.

[LAIZER BEAM]
What was the load?

[CALLER 2]
Empty shipping boxes.

[LAIZER BEAM]
How were they secured?

[CALLER 2]
Wrapped.

[LAIZER BEAM]
To the pallet?

[CALLER 2]
No.

[LAIZER BEAM]
To the slip sheet?

[CALLER 2]
No.

[pause]

[LAIZER BEAM]
I see.

[TARZ]
What does that tell you?

[LAIZER BEAM]
The forklift stopped.

The load continued.

[CALLER 2]
Because of the turn?

[LAIZER BEAM]
Because the boxes, slip sheet, and forklift were not moving as one unit.

[JACQUES]
The equipment changed direction.

The load followed physics.

[CALLER 2]
So Seven didn't throw them?

[LAIZER BEAM]
No.

It stopped carrying them.

[CALLER 2]
I guess that makes sense.

[LAIZER BEAM]
Usually it does after the event.

[sound: caller disconnects]

---

[sound: radio bumper, phone ringing]

[ANNOUNCER: Female, confident radio host]
Warehouse Feedback.

Still taking your calls.

Still investigating the unexplained.

[TARZ]
You're on the air.

[CALLER 3: Male, concerned warehouse worker]
I heard the other calls about Seven.

I have a serious question.

[TARZ]
Go ahead.

[CALLER 3]
If Forklift Seven operates in hyper mode...

does that mean it can see ghosts?

[pause]

[JACQUES]
That's a new question.

[CALLER 3]
I'm serious.

People say the warehouse is haunted.

[LAIZER BEAM]
What makes them say that?

[CALLER 3]
Seven reacts to things nobody sees.

It stops.

It beeps.

It avoids empty areas.

[LAIZER BEAM]
How many people have actually seen something?

[pause]

[CALLER 3]
None.

[LAIZER BEAM]
Interesting.

[TARZ]
That is usually where a story begins.

[JACQUES]
Or where facts get replaced.

[CALLER 3]
But it acts strange.

[LAIZER BEAM]
It has sensors.

[CALLER 3]
Sensors that see things?

[LAIZER BEAM]
Sensors that detect things.

There is a difference.

[CALLER 3]
So you don't think it's haunted?

[LAIZER BEAM]
I think it is very good at noticing its surroundings.

[CALLER 3]
That still sounds suspicious.

[JACQUES]
He's not wrong.

---

[sound: phone line crackle]

[CALLER 3]
One more thing.

Why does it message maintenance when the battery is low?

[pause]

[JACQUES]
Because even the forklifts know who to call.

[TARZ]
Jacques.

[LAIZER BEAM]
It is not a message.

It is a notification.

[CALLER 3]
That sounds like a message.

[LAIZER BEAM]
A message requires intent.

A notification requires a system.

[CALLER 3]
So it doesn't know it's contacting maintenance?

[LAIZER BEAM]
No.

It knows its operating condition.

[CALLER 3]
And reports it?

[LAIZER BEAM]
Correct.

[TARZ]
Which is much less mysterious.

[CALLER 3]
I don't know.

A forklift that sees things and calls maintenance still sounds haunted.

[pause]

[JACQUES]
Fair argument.

[LAIZER BEAM]
It is not haunted.

It is properly monitored.

[JACQUES]
That's exactly what a haunted forklift would say.

[LAIZER BEAM]
Jacques.

[JACQUES]
I'm just keeping the investigation open.

---

[BRIDGE]
[sound: quiet warehouse ambience, distant forklift beep]

[TARZ]
Every workplace creates stories.

[JACQUES]
Especially when people don't have all the information.

[LAIZER BEAM]
Understanding the system usually explains the mystery.

[TARZ]
Usually?

[LAIZER BEAM]
Usually.

---

[OUTRO]

[ANNOUNCER: Female, confident radio host]
You've been listening to...

Warehouse Feedback.

WFYC Radio.

Until next shift...

watch for the things you don't notice.

[sound: forklift beep, radio static fades]

4981/7500

[SCENE — WFYC RADIO STUDIO] [sound: radio static, warehouse hum, distant forklift alarms] [ANNOUNCER: Female, confident radio host] You're listening to WFYC Radio. Warehouse Feedback. Today's topic... The stories that grow between shifts. [sound: ON AIR light clicks] [TARZ: Male, calm therapist] Good afternoon. You've got a question. You've got a story. Let's hear it. [sound: phone ringing] [TARZ] Warehouse Feedback. You're on the air. [CALLER 1: Male, curious warehouse worker] Okay... I have to ask. Is Forklift Seven haunted? [pause] [JACQUES: Male, blunt realist] No. [CALLER 1] You don't even know what happened. [JACQUES] I know the question. [TARZ] Let's hear the story. [CALLER 1] Seven stops when nothing is there. It beeps at empty space. Sometimes it refuses to move. [LAIZER BEAM: Female, poised, composed] What was around it? [CALLER 1] Nothing. [LAIZER BEAM] Nothing visible? [pause] [CALLER 1] I suppose. [JACQUES] Important distinction. [LAIZER BEAM] Do you know what safety package Seven has? [CALLER 1] No. [LAIZER BEAM] Then it may be detecting something you cannot. [CALLER 1] So... it does see something? [LAIZER BEAM] Yes. [CALLER 1] What? [LAIZER BEAM] Its environment. [TARZ] And sometimes people interpret that differently. [sound: caller disconnects] --- [sound: phone ringing] [TARZ] Next caller. [CALLER 2: Male, frustrated warehouse worker] I think Forklift Seven caused a problem. [JACQUES] What happened? [CALLER 2] It slammed the brakes during a turn. My pallet went everywhere. [TARZ] Were you injured? [CALLER 2] No. [LAIZER BEAM] What was the load? [CALLER 2] Empty shipping boxes. [LAIZER BEAM] How were they secured? [CALLER 2] Wrapped. [LAIZER BEAM] To the pallet? [CALLER 2] No. [LAIZER BEAM] To the slip sheet? [CALLER 2] No. [pause] [LAIZER BEAM] I see. [TARZ] What does that tell you? [LAIZER BEAM] The forklift stopped. The load continued. [CALLER 2] Because of the turn? [LAIZER BEAM] Because the boxes, slip sheet, and forklift were not moving as one unit. [JACQUES] The equipment changed direction. The load followed physics. [CALLER 2] So Seven didn't throw them? [LAIZER BEAM] No. It stopped carrying them. [CALLER 2] I guess that makes sense. [LAIZER BEAM] Usually it does after the event. [sound: caller disconnects] --- [sound: radio bumper, phone ringing] [ANNOUNCER: Female, confident radio host] Warehouse Feedback. Still taking your calls. Still investigating the unexplained. [TARZ] You're on the air. [CALLER 3: Male, concerned warehouse worker] I heard the other calls about Seven. I have a serious question. [TARZ] Go ahead. [CALLER 3] If Forklift Seven operates in hyper mode... does that mean it can see ghosts? [pause] [JACQUES] That's a new question. [CALLER 3] I'm serious. People say the warehouse is haunted. [LAIZER BEAM] What makes them say that? [CALLER 3] Seven reacts to things nobody sees. It stops. It beeps. It avoids empty areas. [LAIZER BEAM] How many people have actually seen something? [pause] [CALLER 3] None. [LAIZER BEAM] Interesting. [TARZ] That is usually where a story begins. [JACQUES] Or where facts get replaced. [CALLER 3] But it acts strange. [LAIZER BEAM] It has sensors. [CALLER 3] Sensors that see things? [LAIZER BEAM] Sensors that detect things. There is a difference. [CALLER 3] So you don't think it's haunted? [LAIZER BEAM] I think it is very good at noticing its surroundings. [CALLER 3] That still sounds suspicious. [JACQUES] He's not wrong. --- [sound: phone line crackle] [CALLER 3] One more thing. Why does it message maintenance when the battery is low? [pause] [JACQUES] Because even the forklifts know who to call. [TARZ] Jacques. [LAIZER BEAM] It is not a message. It is a notification. [CALLER 3] That sounds like a message. [LAIZER BEAM] A message requires intent. A notification requires a system. [CALLER 3] So it doesn't know it's contacting maintenance? [LAIZER BEAM] No. It knows its operating condition. [CALLER 3] And reports it? [LAIZER BEAM] Correct. [TARZ] Which is much less mysterious. [CALLER 3] I don't know. A forklift that sees things and calls maintenance still sounds haunted. [pause] [JACQUES] Fair argument. [LAIZER BEAM] It is not haunted. It is properly monitored. [JACQUES] That's exactly what a haunted forklift would say. [LAIZER BEAM] Jacques. [JACQUES] I'm just keeping the investigation open. --- [BRIDGE] [sound: quiet warehouse ambience, distant forklift beep] [TARZ] Every workplace creates stories. [JACQUES] Especially when people don't have all the information. [LAIZER BEAM] Understanding the system usually explains the mystery. [TARZ] Usually? [LAIZER BEAM] Usually. --- [OUTRO] [ANNOUNCER: Female, confident radio host] You've been listening to... Warehouse Feedback. WFYC Radio. Until next shift... watch for the things you don't notice. [sound: forklift beep, radio static fades]

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