This story did have its rough edges and the ending could have been better but IMHO this was a truly great story. I loved the whole flow of the actions and visits of races leading to the actions and visit of more races within wildly unpredictable contexts and motives. This is a hard thing to pull off in a novel. It was truly ambitious to try to pull this off in a 30 minute story and I'd say the author succeeded. The story was thought provoking and sooooo imaginative. I listened to it 3 times. That hasn't happened to me since "Friction." (Episode 144).
To me, Sci Fi has always been about imagination first and foremost. Regrettably for me, so much of the Sci Fi we read today deals with the human consequences of some small technological or societal tweak. This may be good for those who like it, but I yearn for new universes, new races, and new realities.
Great catch, Escape Pod!