Unfriendly Persuasion - A Tale from the Arbiter Chronicles
"Everything Is Going To Be All Right..." That's what Lieutenant Terry Metcalfe keeps telling his friends and co-workers. A hero to the public, just months ago he successfully prevented the veritable destruction of human civilization at the hands of terrorists from the warlike Qraitian Empire. But Metcalfe has changed, grown unhappy with his role as an officer in the Confederate Navy. Distancing himself from his friends, he's decided to join a religious sect which believes it's literally found God living beneath the surface of the far-off planet Eleusis. And to be sure, there's something there: an alien intelligence which reaches out to the young Lieutenant and offers him the power to protect everything he loves. But is Metcalfe finding the spiritual fulfilment he's sought so long, or is he falling under the spell of a malevolent new enemy? Steven H. Wilson's original science fiction audio series, The Arbiter Chronicles, has captured the imaginations of audiences for over a decade. Winner of the Mark Time Silver Award and the Parsec Award for Best Speculative Fiction Audio Drama, it's character-driven space opera in the tradition of Heinlein's The Rolling Stones and Joss Whedon's Firefly. Drenched in adventure, humor and sexuality, Unfriendly Persuasion joins its predecessor, Taken Liberty, in bringing new depth to the popular audio drama series.
Episodes
Metcalfe bids Elspeth goodbye. The Arbiters contemplate their future, and worry over the new power in their midst. Sestus and Carson make decisions about the future. And Fournier makes ominous recommendations to his bosses.
It all comes down to this: What do you do with a homicidal, all-powerful machine?
Eleusis uses Sestus, Carson and Elspeth in a mad experiment to control Metcalfe.
Into the cave to learn the mysteries of Eleusis.
"Everyone's about to die." Didn't Carson say that a few chapters back? Well, yep... this time pretty much everything goes to hell.
Carson, Cernaq and Aer'La confront Admiral Fournier; Kaya has an unexpected daydream featuring Metcalfe; Faulkner devises a plan to defeat Ustenar.
Admiral Fournier decides to strike against the planet Eleusis. Aer'La makes a fateful choice. Carson remembers the last time Metcalfe's life was on the line.
Sestus finds himself squaring off against Metcalfe and the Qraitians as Kaya and Faulkner face execution as spies.
The Qraitians, the Family and the Confederacy square off for a showdown in space.
Aer'La visits Cernaq in the brig, Atal decides to disgregard his orders, Fournier moves against the people of Eleusis, and the Qraitians make a stand.
The stress of the mission finally catches up with Aer'la; Icarus confronts Daedalus; Metcalfe learns more about the history of the Eleusis colony; Cernaq refuses to assist Darby in interrogating a civilian.
Kaya and Faulkner discover the power of Eleusis. Carson and Sestus bid each other an angry farewell. Metcalfe and Daedalus explore a city of the dead.
Aer'La begins to be uncomfortable with Titan's new security restrictions. Ustenar become suspicious of Kaya, and makes surprising accusations. Metcalfe learns the identity of the Qraitian spy among the family. Sestus receives new orders.
Metcalfe confronts the Thing in the Cave. Carson regrets a drunken evening.
Atal confronts Fournier as the Admiral orders Titan away from Eleusis, leaving Metcalfe abandoned. Pallas has a frightening interlude with Metcalfe.
Atal refuses to force Metcalfe to return from Eleusis. Kaya and Pallas witness frightening evidence of a powerful presence on the planet, leading Kaya to formulate a dangerous plan.
Kaya and Doc Faulkner take off on an espionage mission among the Qraitians; Carson finds himself growing uncomfortably comfortable with Sestus, and reflects on incidents from his and Metcalfe's shared past on Terra.
Captain Atal inspects some geological oddities of Eleusis while Metcalfe recovers from his encounter with "God."
Titan arrives at the planet Eleusis and meets up with Ustenar, a suspicious Qraitian commander. On the planet's surface, they meet the members of the Family of God, and Metcalfe encounters "god" itself.
Admiral Fournier asks Pallas and Cernaq to telepathically interrogate Titan's merchants. Kaya asks Atal to consider the potential supernatural danger of Eleusis. Metcalfe is disturbed when both Carson and Aer'La take Sestus's side in an argument.
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