What Is Permanent Damage?

A locked door, surrounded by scandal and rumor, stands in the middle of an office. No one ever goes in or comes out.

Genre: Mystery, Science Fiction

Excerpt: Every day on my way to my desk, I passed by a door with the words “PERMANENT DAMAGE” written on it.

No one ever went in or came out—not that I’d seen anyway, and I’d been working at the firm for about a year. I asked people about the door, and the sign. They said there used to be another firm occupying our floor and the two below it. That door supposedly led to a defunct elevator that shuttled executives between the floors, leading directly into what used to be their fancy offices. Or it led to a laboratory space. Or some sort of obstacle course? The rumors abounded.

What story or stories am I revisiting in this episode? Each Season 8 episode is a standalone story, but it’s connected to or inspired by a previous story through a character, a place, an object, a concept, a continuation of events (ahem, sequel), and so on.

What if there was no such thing as permanent damage? This question occurred to me at random, as thoughts sometimes do, but it seemed an interesting start to a story. I imagined the words “Permanent Damage” written on a door. What does it mean? What’s behind the door? Is it dangerous? Is it wondrous? Is it nothing but a plaster wall?

This story is inspired by the Season 4 episode, “My Homunculus Is Malfunctioning.”

Special Note: Next week’s episode is a sequel and spoils the previous episode, “Modern Blood.” (In case this is something you’d like to know.)

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MY FIRST BOOK (yay)Ever wonder how I’ve gotten all these hundreds of stories written?  I have a method. And I talk all about it in my book called Fictioneer’s Field Guide: A Game Plan for Writing Short Stories.

It’s now available as an eBook, paperback, and hardcover.

The book title takes you straight to the book on Amazon.

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CREDITSStory: “What Is Permanent Damage?” Copyright © 2021 by Nila L. Patel Narration, Episode Art, Editing, and Production:  Nila L. Patel

Music: “Monochromatic stain” by NICHOLAS JEUDY (Intro) “Abstract Vision #6” by ANDREW SITKOV (Outro) “Abstract Vision #5” by ANDREW SITKOV (Outro)

Music by NICHOLAS JEUDY (Dark Fantasy Studio)* “Learning punch” “As it happenned (seamless)” “Cold case” “Unclassified” “Them droids” “Dark web” “Monochromatic stain” “Room 13” “Forensic” “DNA” “Profiler”

Music by ANDREW SITKOV (MuzStation Game Music) Abstract Vision #6 Abstract Vision #9 Abstract Vision #3 Abstract Vision #1

*These tracks were part of a music and sound effects bundles I purchased from Humble Bundle and sourced from GameDev Market.

Music by Nicholas Jeudy and Andrew Sitkov is licensed from GameDev Market Sound effects from AudioJungle, and GameDevMarket, and Soundly (through Hindenburg) Changes made to the musical tracks? Just cropping of some to align with my narration.

Find more music by Nicholas Jeudy and Andrew Sitkov at gamedevmarket.net Find more stories by Nila at storyfeather.com

Episode Art Description: Digital drawing. Front view of the top two-thirds of a closed door.  A hazy glowing light emanates from bottom left across the face of the door. Scattered bits of redacted text appear over and around the door. The visible words are as follows: Science…in its current state. Project Manager. Project No. Existent…charge and…key…fakery. The first letters of “project” and “existent” are cut off. Watermark of “Storyfeather” on door at left middle.