Thomas has crossed into Empire country.
Episode 5 finds Thomas limping into Grangeville, Idaho after weeks on the road, ankle sore, nerves sharper than he’ll admit. The flags, the talk radio, the quiet ICE rumors in a town nowhere near the border all feel uncomfortably familiar to a man who once breathed that air without question. For the first time since Ramona, he has to decide if anyone in the room is safe enough to trust with a message that doesn’t belong to Empire.
Credits & Copyright
Written and Directed by Stephen Brewer
Series Bible, worldbuilding, and episode structure by Stephen Brewer
Music created with Suno
Voices created with Elevenlabs.io
Artwork by Cicero
Produced by Stephen Brewer for the Columbia podcast on Substack
Statement on the Ethical Use of AI
This is a work of fiction rooted in themes of conscience, mercy, and civic responsibility. It does not depict real institutions or endorse political action. The moral and spiritual themes in Columbia are presented for storytelling only. They do not speak for any real religious body, denomination, or church.
This episode includes depictions of economic precarity. No violence is depicted, and the tone emphasizes peace, restraint, and civic dignity.
© 2026 Stephen Brewer. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form without prior written permission from the author.
