E1: A Pale Frail Bird

Check out our IG, TikTok, or X account (@thefinalwarpod) to follow along with the screenshots of the original messages I exchanged with Xi! And if you have any further insights into the matter, please let us know...

Finally, Max seeks help from "the federal agency." While they suggest Xi may be tied to the Chinese military rather than dissidents, it quickly becomes clear that they cannot be fully trusted, especially after Max's Freedom of Information And Privacy Act documents come back fully redacted, and with suspicious contractions. And even after Xi's departure, strange things continue to happen with Walker and Julia...

The final straw. Xi claims that there are non-human forces at play, and that Max's mind is no longer safe. Julia begins to help Max reclaim his agency against what reveals itself as an inevitable path toward insanity. Now at his breaking point, Max attempts to sever ties with Xi, provoking dangerous retaliation.

Max finally confides in Julia, escalating Xi’s threats into the realm of science fiction. The opposing forces in Max's life begin to come to a crescendo, leading to a complete and total breakdown of his psyche. The tech billionaire is days away, engaging in new spying techniques, and Xi's predictions about Covid and the world stage begin to fall into place. This episode is for entertainment purposes only...

As the Covid-era protests erupt across the country, Max’s paranoia deepens. He seeks solace in a rekindled romance with Julia, but Xi’s omnipresence looms with assigned readings of Siddhartha and Nostradamus. Yikes. Xi also claims it’s time for Max to meet a high-profile tech billionaire allegedly tied to their rebellion.

Xi’s psychological grip intensifies, quoting private conversations from years prior, implying a vast backlog of conversations had on or around a phone. The hacker's manipulation pushes Max toward espionage-like activities involving  powerful filmmakers and humanitarians. Max's friends become fellow targets, and Xi's warnings about world events seem increasingly prescient.

Max thrives in his new role in Los Angeles but remains haunted by Xi’s return. His career falters as the pandemic hits, and Xi reappears, offering purpose and peril, specifically surrounding a well-known doctor compromised by the Chinese Military. Xi demands that Max gathers sensitive information from medical professionals and his Hollywood A-Lister boss amidst the pandemic. Max begins to acquiesce...

The hacker continues targeting those close to Max, including another ex-girlfriend, Hillary. After the hacker takes a different approach, Max temporarily believes he has outsmarted Xi. However, the hacker's influence persists, as they continue to pose as a student, among other things. Always lurking in the shadows... Meanwhile, Max's new job with Oscar-winning filmmaker Bryan Fogel offers Xi a fresh opportunity to exploit him.

Chaos ensues when a college student who studies AI accuses Max of hacking them. As suspicion mounts, Max explores various explanations, from an elaborate prank to a role-prepping tactic by Hollywood figures for his upcoming role on Mr. Robot. His therapist and hacking experts analyze the situation, while his friend Glen pushes him to turn the experience into a screenplay.

Max receives a cryptic Instagram comment containing personal information that no stranger should know. The hacker, Xi, claims to be part of a group of dissidents of the Chinese military that is fighting a technological war for human consciousness. Interviews with Max’s ex-girlfriend and therapist reveal his initial panic and reluctant agreement to meet an "agent" as the unsettling intrusion begins.