King Asilas was admired and adored by more Americans than any leader before him. Some attributed this to the legend of being one of the strongest men that ever lived. He was also very handsome, well dressed, dark and tall with a touch of gray. His eyes would set people’s souls ablaze with a stare that engulfed even the most formidable of his enemies. This was not hyperbole. Asilas’s tenacity coalescing with his somatic fortitude was intoxicating. His grip was said to have been so strong, he broke the hands of a dozen men, most of them hardened soldiers. Others credited his military and political genius on the world stage for his widespread popularity. He had an uncanny ability to read his allies and foes with such precision, he gained the reputation of being a mind reader. Thus, many world leaders were reluctant to meet with him in person. Rumors abound that Asilas was able to control other monarchs just shortly after meeting with them. For this and many other reasons, Asilas was never invited to global summits, even though America was the most powerful nation on the face of the planet. It was no secret, and most people agreed, Asilas was immensely feared by the world at large.

So then, how could it be that a small-framed, young Puerto Rican girl named Abigail Sierra would have so much influence over the most powerful man alive? The initial and primitive speculations irresistibly point to lustful obsession. But Asilas and Abigail’s relationship had strictly been platonic. In examining how this very young girl could possibly hold so much relevance to a powerful king, one needs to listen attentively to the show for clues. Scattered throughout several episodes, we are given some traces as to the origins of this most unusual pair and explore the fragments to piece together a picture of what they were and what they weren’t. Our first indication that there was a history comes in episode 2, where Quintin Capone and Asilas discuss Abigail outside the Grand Terrace of the Grand Castle in New Eden. Capone tried to convince Asilas to be honest with the queen about Abigail, stating there would be nothing to worry about because “it isn’t anything dirty.” Asilas dropped another clue later in that same conversation insisting, other than himself and Capone, the only other person that “knows the truth” was Abigail’s mother, who had already passed away. Asilas insinuated the “others” that know the truth might not even be human. Which begs the question: If the others that “know the truth about Abigail” aren’t human, then what are they? And why would non-humans have any interest in Abigail and her connection to Asilas? These details are not revealed until episode 10 in season 1.

Up until episode 8, Abigail is portrayed as an innocent, naïve young woman, oblivious to anything the king is doing. At least, that is how she carried herself in her conversations with the king. However, in episode 2, both Dr. Ezekiel and Queen Rebekah allude to Abigail presenting a danger to the king. The queen even says blatantly to Asilas, “She will be your downfall.” But why? And how? It isn’t until episode 8 that we begin to see the other side of Abigail. In a twisted, bizarre chain of events, Abigail tells the king she was assaulted by a fellow Spartan named Nabal. Asilas isolated this young man, tortured him and then shot him (supposedly). But before shooting Nabal, he told the king he and Abigail were role playing and his roughness was at her request. When pressed about why she would do this, Nabal said while begging for his life, “I swear this was all part of Abigail’s plan!” Before Nabal could elaborate on the details of her “plan,” Asilas allegedly shot him.

We are certain about a few things. King Asilas was clearly interested in Abigail’s military progress and her role as a Spartan. Her development was clearly a part of Asilas’s master plan because Capone said in episode 7, much to the delight of the king, that Abigail was named First Captain and was “maturing right on schedule.” Right on schedule for what exactly? Capone does not say anything more about it after that. Later in episode 7, Abigail asked Asilas if he was in love with her, but he did not answer her. However, in episode 10, Asilas finally admitted he did love Abigail, but “in the way a father loves his children.” Hearing this, Abigail was crushed and shaken to her core as Asilas told her the truth about who she really was and why she was important -not just to Asilas, but evidently to the entire human race.

Abigail Sierra became the most powerful Spartan of all, even though it is revealed all Spartans were offspring of a ghoulish crossbreeding experiment between humans and a race of reptilians known as the Drax. Asilas told Abigail the Drax were from another world and essentially enslaved humans and created hybrids to keep as livestock for their purposes. However, there were limitations to their hybrids and they have to keep crossbreeding with humans continuously to restock their supply. Asilas and a group of humans were given the responsibility to oversee this ongoing project and managed to smuggle some of the “children” out and placed them with people to be raised as normal human children.

It isn’t mentioned in the audio drama show, but rather in the novel that Abigail’s true mother was a queen Drax, known as the “White Queen.” Of the White Queen’s offspring, Asilas only managed to smuggle one baby out of an underground base. Asilas entrusted his friend Quintin Capone, who served with Asilas in the Army until he was discharged after suffering an injury to his eyes. At the time, Capone had just become an administrator for New York City Public Schools. Capone brought the baby to a Puerto Rican woman named Carmen Sierra, who was one of Capone’s lovers at the time, and asked her to raise the child as her own. Carmen took the baby to Puerto Rico, as instructed by Capone, and was given a monthly stipend to help her financially to raise the child. Carmen Sierra was once an Army officer under Asilas Roman and Asilas visited her once in Puerto Rico to see the baby. At their only visit, Carmen told Asilas she named the baby Abigail Sierra. Every year after that, Capone was entrusted to check on Abigail’s  progress, and he was responsible for making sure no harm ever came to her.

Then, America was entangled in its civil war, and Puerto Rico became overrun by ruthless gangs. Carmen made a desperate call to Quintin Capone as the island plunged into chaos and told him she was vulnerable and afraid someone who kidnap Abigail, who was only 12 at the time. Capone notified Asilas of the situation, even though the country was in the middle of an epic separation of states. Asilas sent Capone with a special ops team to Puerto Rico to find and secure Abigail. By the time Capone arrived on the island, Carmen had been murdered. He discovered Abigail was somehow able to fend off the assailants and hide until help arrived. She was sent to an Army base where she stayed until the end of the war. After Asilas became king, one of his first decrees was to make Puerto Rico a state of the New Kingdom of America. Abigail was placed with a foster family and later began high school. The next time Asilas saw Abigail was in a choreographed visit to her school. Abigail believed it was a chance meeting, but Asilas had anticipated their interaction, which was the moment he was waiting for. Abigail astounded him with her fierce words and heightened awareness. Those who witnessed their exchange watched in astonishment as young Abigail played a mind code game with the king that, unbeknownst to anyone but Asilas and Capone, set her fiery destiny into motion in a single moment.

Well, the completion of the first episode was much like climbing a steep hill. It was enjoyable and I really had to learn how things worked in a production of this sort, but I had some interesting teachers. I listened to a lot of other radio theatre shows. I especially appreciate those really old mystery shows on CBS radio. Just fascinating that in the age before mass television, there was radio and people really had to use their imaginations. There is something romantic about this idea.

I listened to the original “War of the Worlds” on a radio theatre program and I was blown away by how it gripped me. If you tell a good story the right way, people will simply hang on every word. I certainly did. And I realized if I was going to produce a show that would hold people’s attention, then there are certain triggers I absolutely had to include because our modern brains are expecting them. For example, intense booms, sci-fi sound effects that give a larger than life atmosphere. What really helps “sell” the story, in my opinion, is the delivery. That’s why I love working with Sergei Brahznikov, the narrator. There is just something about the way that man talks that makes this story all the more interesting. It’s hard to explain. But if you listen, you’ll understand what I mean.

What struck me as disappointing was the lack of interest from people that have known me and have worked with me over the years. It’s like “yeah yeah yeah” -I don’t think they believed I could actually produce this show in the way I described it. I have a pretty good feeling more people will come around now because it’s really hard to resist. And with the state of affairs, politically speaking, everyone has an opinion they feel is justified -and probably will want some of it to filter into this storyline. Ha.

And speaking of politics… Someone asked me if this story is directly related to our current political climate. My response was a resounding duh. It presents an alternative future that is purely fiction -let’s not forget that. However, once you start to wrap your head around King Asilas and what makes the man tick, you might wonder if what he does is all that crazy. But I always caution people when they really entertain the notion of having a king versus a president. Personally, democracy is by far a more inclusive system of government that really has made great strides over the generations. Kingdoms in history have not always fared so well for the common citizen. There has to come a point where you say, “Ok, beyond that cliff, we fall to our deaths.” It’s not like in the cartoons where Wiley Coyote falls over the cliff and in the next frame he is whole again trying something else. If we go over the cliff, we will break apart as a nation and there may be no going back. And many people believe we are staring over the cliff right now. Perhaps that is why this story is so compelling and interesting.

~JV Torres

Listen to Episode 1 here.

Listen to Episode 2 here.