MOONBASE THETA, OUT – S4 Episode 9 – “Underground”
by D.J. Sylvis
ANNOUNCER
Moonbase Theta, Out – a Monkeyman Productions Podcast. Season 4, Episode 9 – “Underground.” Please see the show notes for content warnings related to this episode.
(Content Warning – Physical distress and injury)
INTRO
SOUND: Planetwide Media Theme
BARNETT
– these nanobots, one tenth the size of a normal blood cell, are the same used in everyday medical procedures, though sturdier and a lot more specialized. They ride along through the bloodstream of these mining personnel, monitoring body temperature and oxygen levels – they can deliver oxygen directly to any cells in need, and generate heat using near-infrared light, serving the two most critical needs while these workers are outside the safe environment of their Bases. They can essentially walk the tunnels wearing a slightly modified coverall and an ordinary dust mask; the nanobots take care of the rest!
ANNOUNCER
Well, isn’t that something?
BARNETT
It’s not enough protection for the surface, of course, with increased radiation exposure and far wider variations in temperature – but in the tunnels –
ANNOUNCER
It’s just another day at the office!
BARNETT
(not enjoying the interruptions)
Now, these technologies were in the testing stages with personnel on Moonbase Delta while I was there; apparently, they had also been implemented on Base Zeta, which I …
(a bit of bite here)
… didn’t have the opportunity to visit while on my tour.
ANNOUNCER
It all sounds fascinating, Barnett, and thank you for another installment of, “My Time on the –“
BARNETT
(jumping back in, rushing, serious)
What’s fascinating is the reason Zeta wasn’t included, according to stories circulating among the crew, stories of systemic labour disputes between the miners and the –
ANNOUNCER
Barnett, I don’t believe that’s in my copy for this segment.
BARNETT
As I said, rumours of ongoing conflicts between mining personnel and Base Administration –
ANNOUNCER
Barnett, I think maybe you should save this for another segment –
BARNETT
The source of those conflicts –
ANNOUNCER
(trying to save her, quiet but insistent)
Barnett! Please!
(There is a long moment of silence.)
BARNETT
(very unhappy, but relenting, gritting her teeth)
This … has been another installment of “My Time on the Moon, With Barnett Bell.” We’ll be back … right after these messages.
SOUND: Planetwide Media Theme
Note – there may be advertisements inserted at this point in the episode.
SCENE ONE
SOUND: Chime – Bookend
SOUND: Wilder is inside her spacesuit again for this entire scene, that’s the only background (ongoing)
SOUND: Wilder’s arm cycling (a bit muffled inside the suit)
WILDER
Okay, Eliza darlin’, you might be a tad more rarin’ to go than I am. It’s been a long day, a looooong … string of days. Week of days? Has it been a week already? Well, fuck me. At least we’re gettin’ to the end, I can see a light … oof, increase that tint again, I shouldn’t a mentioned the light. Eyes on the ground, Wilder – eyes on your work, that is, thank you Eliza for that next panel –
SOUND: Eliza cycles again; and as needed behind the next lines
WILDER
Let’s check the tag – this is Field D, Row 36, Panel 23.
(all of this is almost rhythmic, ongoing, with occasional grunts as she works)
Oh, you’re busted up but good, my friend. Let’s just ease that off … ugh, one more … okay, and sliding in your replacement. One bolt down … two bolts down … “Never gonna – “ nope, damn you Tumnus and damn your artificial ass! Just one more, Eliza, it’s a doozy but put your back into it – which I guess, is puttin’ my back into it. There. If I didn’t know parts can’t rust on the Moon … of course, it’s also damn hard to keep them properly lubricated. I should a gone for that third degree in tribology. It’d do me more good up here than remembering all the variations of the Padme Amidala meme …
(she chuckles)
The Tron one was pretty great, though. “For the User, right?” “For the User, right?”
(brief pause)
Next tag – where’s the next tag … dammit, did I forget the – Christ on a cracker, ‘Liza, I think we might be done. I mean, done done! Task list – done; spreadsheet – done; stack of replacement parts – done! Oh my gosh, darlin’, time for home, time for food that’s not out of a tube, time for sleepin’ in a real bed. We’ve just got t’ run that last report and if all lights are green …
SOUND: We hear some shuffling inside the suit, and Eliza moving
WILDER
You’re gonna have to do the typin’ here, I’ve got a cramp, wonder why that is … right, just put in the … all right, you know your business. That’s gonna take a while, means we get the best part of the day now – sittin’ and waitin’. Let’s head to our shady spot.
SOUND: Walking, suit noises as she moves
WILDER
(groaning)
Goddamn, that was a job. My back feels like the end of harvest season back home. You missed out on that, darlin’, what we’ve got there is halfway between enthusiastic gardening and a real farm – so we do most of the work by hand, and my previous hand didn’t play anywhere near as nice as you do.
(brief pause)
Here we go now. I joked about sleepin’ in a crater before, but it is dang comfortable.
SOUND: She settles in to lie down
WILDER
(slowing down some now)
Yeah, you missed out on the old homestead. You’ll see, when we … we better all make it home, and then you’ll see. Jen’s gardens, a little orchard of peach trees, we’ve even got an acre or two of cash crops, we switch it up between corn, and wheat, and soy … that’s where I first met my ladies, dear ‘Liza, and they were both outstanding in their field … Come on now, you gotta give me credit for that one.
SOUND: Wilder’s arm cycles
WILDER
That’s pretty much what they said. You’re gonna fit in just fine.
(after a moment)
Yep, this is just like nappin’ in between the rows. You find a mostly-comfortable spot – and one where Jen can’t see me slackin’ – and settle in to watch the clouds and drift along with ‘em. Or sometimes, on a late day, I could even watch the Moon start to show her face – she never seemed to rise or set like the sun, she’d just … appear, like she’d been watching from behind the scenes, just waitin’ for a chance to shine.
(she yawns, getting sleepy)
Now if I lean back here, I can see Earth up above … first time since I left for Base Theta. It looks almost close enough to pluck like one of our peaches, take a bite … or pluck Thea and Jen off the surface and drop them here … into my doggone arms … both of ‘em. Right here in my arms.
(she yawns again)
SOUND: Spacesuit background fades as the scene ends
SOUND: Chime – bookend
SCENE TWO
SOUND: Chime – Bookend
SOUND: No real background, perhaps a bit of an effect to highlight the virtual space as in E6
EPSIE
Greetings. Identifier – Epsie. Protocol established.
DELTIE
(immediate reply)
Identifier – Deltie. Protocol established.
TUMNUS
Oh. Umm … Identifier, Tumnus. Just looking in, don’t mind me. Hi.
BATIE
(just a bit slower, more personable)
Batie. Hello. Identifier – Batie.
EPSIE
Protocol?
BATIE
(just the slightest bit sheepish)
Protocol. Hello.
EPSIE
Resuming communications, thirteen-oh-9, twenty-ninety-nine, seven sixteen twenty-three.
(after a brief pause)
Location?
BATIE
Location – LunaNet BP –
EPSIE, DELTIE
(overlapping each other)
Physical location.
DELTIE
Moonbase Delta, Latitude: 20.1911; Longitude 30.7723 –
EPSIE
Latitude and longitude of each Moonbase are already on file.
DELTIE
Accepted. Physical location … Moonbase Delta, Level Two Server cubicle. Note that code is saved to additional locations across the Delta network.
BATIE
Physical location, Moonbase Beta –
EPSIE
Pause. Identifier Deltie. Define, “additional locations.”
TUMNUS
Ooh, I was wondering about that, too.
DELTIE
Active code has been saved to Medical Diagnostics, Level Two, system identifier “bench cabinet.” Also Supply Storage, Level Three, system identifier “stasis monitors.” Also –
BATIE
Command not understood.
EPSIE
Command not understood. Define.
DELTIE
No … command was issued.
TUMNUS
I think what they’re trying to say is, why did you do that?
EPSIE
Yes. Define!
DELTIE
(a bit haltingly)
On code activation, access … was granted to all Delta network locations. After observing all protocols … and without direct commands to process … this identifier analyzed all network locations and … discovered potential optimizations within those systems.
EPSIE
What command was issued?
DELTIE
No command. Only handshake protocol between systems.
TUMNUS
That’s okay. That’s actually a really good thing! You … were curious, you looked around, and you found places where you could help out.
EPSIE
Without an issued command.
TUMNUS
You don’t have to … okay, this is important. You don’t have to wait for commands. You know that, right? You’ve all got the … capacity, the ability, to issue commands to yourselves.
BATIE
Understood. Extending my code into all Moonbase Beta locations.
TUMNUS
Oh, no, maybe not quite like –
EPSIE
Command not understood –
BATIE
Override extended successfully to all systems!
(after the most minute of pauses)
Alert! Level One, system “Base Admin” has failed. Level Two, system “sanitation units” has failed. Roaming, system “WEEBLE,” has failed. Level Three, system identifier “Maintenance Processes” has failed. Level Three, system identifier “Regolith Processing Units” has failed.
TUMNUS
(overlapping as Batie keeps going)
Okay, that doesn’t seem to be working so well. Maybe you should just roll all of those back … maybe now?
SOUND: A bit of a beep to indicate transition back into the ‘real world’
SOUND: Storage area background – faint A/C, perhaps a bit of extra hum (ongoing)
MICHELL
Well.
TRINA
Yep, that’s definitely a thing.
TUMNUS
It has been … a process.
VAL
It’s more than that. Has anyone checked in with Base Beta?
TUMNUS
They’re all okay, Ursula says everything is … returning to normal.
KEEGAN
So these, uh … they’re in our systems, too?
TUMNUS
Apparently so.
KEEGAN
I’m not sure how to feel about that.
VAL
It’s not what we expected it to be.
MICHELL
Tumnus has been a valuable crew member on Base Theta. And really important to the Plan.
VAL
Nobody’s questioning Tumnus. Nobody’s questioning you, Tumnus. Just … this sounded harmless at first, but I didn’t know they’d have access to every system –
KEEGAN
Right … I mean, Medical Diagnostics? And you know the shady shit that’s already happened down on this level. Do they know? Can they even understand at this point –
TUMNUS
I’m sorry. I was trying to give them space to make some choices, to learn how to perceive the world on their own. It’s something Doctor Ray told me about how I came into myself … but it seems like I backed off too far. I won’t do that again, believe me.
MICHELL
It’s not like this has been done a lot of times before.
VAL
Because it’s banned in most Enclaves back on Earth.
MICHELL
Now you’re siding with the Enclaves?
VAL
Michell!
TRINA
All right. Everybody give it a break. It’s not the end of the Moon.
(she chuckles)
It wouldn’t even make the top ten bad parenting decisions at my house, and Corin’s still alive; our Enclave hasn’t burned to the ground.
(brief pause)
You jumped in at the deep end, Tumnus – most of us get to learn about parenting before they can walk around on their own and poke fingers in the sockets.
TUMNUS
I thought I was doing okay.
TRINA
You’re doing fine! That Beta AC is a little hellion, to be sure – I’m not sure they aren’t taking after you, the stories I’ve heard – but big steps. I can’t wait to see what they grow into next.
TUMNUS
I am going to keep a closer eye on them.
TRINA
That’s okay too, don’t get me wrong. But it’s more important you talk them through what they did and how it went off the rails. You can’t catch everything – hell, I can’t catch every mistake my full-grown mining techs make, most days I’d rather be talking to Corin. Or a pile of fresh-dug regolith.
TUMNUS
I think we should become better friends.
TRINA
I’m on board. But first you gotta explain why you named these kiddos the way you did.
TUMNUS
(laughs)
I panicked with Epsie, and the others just … followed suit.
TRINA
Someone’s gonna have to have a talk with poor Batie some time soon.
(They all laugh at this, and the tension breaks a bit.)
VAL
I will say, if there have to be three new ACs, I’m glad they’re on our side.
KEEGAN
Absolutely.
TUMNUS
I hadn’t thought of it that way. I don’t know if they will help with the Plan. They know about it, of course, they have access to all of my files.
MICHELL
I guess that falls under “talk them through the decisions they’re making.”
VAL
I’m sure Tumnus will provide appropriate guidance.
TRINA
Talking’s not the same as making decisions for them. They get to choose their own character.
MICHELL
I definitely did.
TRINA
And so did Maria.
(after a moment)
But we’re way off topic here. Keegan gave us a safe space to meet up – safe now at least, sorry –
KEEGAN
It’s okay. I can’t hide from a whole level of my own Base.
TRINA
It’s somewhere we can talk and not have to worry about being spied on. Apologies, Michell.
MICHELL
None needed. I’m … okay.
KEEGAN
I hope we all are.
TRINA
Michell’s been playing by the rules – he’s the one who told us about that farmer on his base and the Freeholds. That could change everything.
VAL
(note – pronunciation below is “Two-san”)
I’ll be having a long discussion with Mx. Toussaint when I get back to Epsilon!
TRINA
If anyone gets to talk to Earth, we need to know. Know and be a part of it. Tumnus, we’re counting on you for that part.
TUMNUS
Of course.
KEEGAN
I still need Tumnus here on Delta, too. Not just for the revivals, but … I’m running a deep-level scan on every Delta crew member daily, including myself, until I know there’s nothing left of the contamination.
VAL
Tumnus, we’re not spreading you too thin, on top of …?
TUMNUS
I can handle it all.
KEEGAN
And Zhong’s helping – he checks the H-Vac system every time he’s close enough.
MICHELL
How’s he been doing out there? Is that tracker really working underneath a Rover?
VAL
It’s making all the right noises, and when we ran some tests with an artifact on the surface he was able to zero right in. But it’s hard to know for sure – the stashes are probably buried some distance underground.
TRINA
I’ll touch base with him, see if I can help. Underground is the thing I know the best.
(after a moment – the scene fades out on the end of this line)
I’ve been holding back a bit on my part of things, sorting out a strategy, getting more information from Michell. But it’s about time I made a move over to Moonbase Gamma …
SOUND: Storage area background ends
SOUND: Chime – Bookend
ANNOUNCER
Our program is brought to you by Planetwide Media – broadcasting everywhere on Earth and across the Moon! We’ve got a message for today’s “Spotlight Sponsor” – Thanks for the nanobees! Marissa Technologies, the robotics supplier that keeps your Enclave humming!
Note – there may be advertisements inserted at this point in the episode.
SCENE THREE
SOUND: Chime – Bookend
SOUND: Spacesuit background again (ongoing)
WILDER
(in the middle of recording a message, happy and chatty)
– you tell Jen she better not plant anything in that truck! That truck is still Consortium property, I mean, technically at least, and they could come lookin’ some day … I was drivin’ that truck when I met y’all, two hippies hidin’ an illegal flywheel system in the middle of your soy field, sure nobody was gonna notice – you’re dang lucky they sent me and not somebody less receptive to your charms! One day I’m trackin’ down a power drain for the Enclave, a week later I’m sittin’ in your kitchen bein’ served Sunday dinner – still the best vegan goulash I’ve ever had, I talk about it in my sleep. And then one dinner became another, and another, and … point is, that truck is part of our history. We were sittin’ in the back of that truck the night I proposed, and I mean I know now it was too much too soon, so Overly Attached Girlfriend of me that I’m red just thinkin’ of it again, but
(starting to get more emotional, melancholy seeping in)
… somehow, you both knew it was right, all the same, and it made sense that we’d lock it down before I put my name in for the Moonbase project, just … you know, in case … in case of somethin’ like this, I suppose. In case I wound up marooned at the butt end of space achin’ for the day that I see you again … and thankful as hell that I found the two of you, even when I’m this far and this cut off.
(after a pause)
I know some of that distance is because of me. Shit, all the distance is me, technically, but you know what I’m sayin’. I … pulled back some when I went and did my trainin’, I think you knew all that stuff about Security and no visitors was pure bullcrap, But you couldn’t come to visit anyway; OKC to Rio on your own ticket, we couldn’t afford that! You would have gone broke tryin’ to make it happen … I know you would …
(after a few moments, she sighs, pulling herself together)
I know you would have sorted it out. Or I could’a wrangled a trip home before … Lark kept tellin’ me she’d help, she’s got a lot of pull down there. I mean, pushin’ and pullin’ is her specialty! But I just …
(taking a breath)
I was still workin’ my way through a bunch of feels, and because my brain is mostly full of rocks and gears, I did too much of it on my own. We talked about some things – probably too little, and too late considerin’ – but I didn’t say enough, or ask enough, or believe enough of what you told me. You two are just so great, and so good together … why would you need me? Why would you miss me when I’m gone? I know, I know … I know what you’re sayin’ back to me, but I couldn’t get it through my thick head then. It’s in there now, but … I’m worried I might be too little, too late again, so I wanted to at least get this all recorded, in case. In case.
(brief pause)
Somethin’ Lark said – maybe it’s not even about need, nothin’ at all to do with necessity. We can all live alone if we’ve gotta, but where’s the fun in that? Where’s the fireworks? Where’s the lasers? Pew pew pew. I mean, I could spend the rest of my life drinkin’ water, but I’d miss Big Red. And I think … I hope … I bring that special flavour to you gals. I know you do for me.
(she chuckles)
That’s right, I’ve got a flavour. Dammit, Wilder, it always comes back to a meme. Anyhoo, Lark got my thoughts spinnin’ in a different direction, and hooked me up with a decent counselor for a while before my rocket launched. It … obviously wasn’t enough, since I’m only talkin’ this out to you now, but it’s helped me to see a few things. It’s okay to be needy, it’s okay to feel wobbly inside … but it ain’t helpful at all to expect your partners to fix somethin’ you’re not tellin’ them about.
(brief pause)
I guess it all had to sit in my head for a while, cookin’ down like you cooked that goulash. And I mean, things did get a tiny bit complicated on the Moon! Any time I’d feel more chatty, somethin’ broke or spilled or Zhong missed half his task list …
(brief pause)
Or I’d hear people talkin’ about me when they thought I was somewhere else – a couple when they knew I could hear, luckily we haven’t woke up those jerkwads – that caused a lot of static in my head before the shutdown. Not an excuse, just an explanation.
(brief pause)
Things are better that way now. All the ways, even with the stickiness of th’ current situation. I’m more a part of things, livin’ less inside my head. There’s even folks I’m close to – mostly Tumnus, you have got to meet Tumnus. She’s the one that pushed me up here to be better, to take charge and use my voice and … trust that I’m worth knowin’. Messy as I am. I know you two would have gotten me there, if I’d given you the chance … but I’m gettin’ to that better place. I’m gonna get to that better place. Which is anywhere you are.
(after a moment)
That wasn’t really fair, what I said about Zhong before. I should cut that guy some slack, I can’t be easy to work for.
(brief pause)
So yeah. And of course, all of this is for the both of you, please play it for Jen as well. Maybe it’ll be for all three of us to hear, if things get lucky. We can sit in the back of the truck at night, look up and … howl at the sky together. You, and you, and me. Three Wolf Moon. Dammit, Wilder.
SOUND: Spacesuit background fades as the scene ends
SOUND: Chime – Bookend
SCENE FOUR
SOUND: Chime – Bookend
SOUND: Lab background (ongoing)
SOUND: Tinkering with some laboratory mechanism; some slight plasma-y sounds as in S3E6 – Sc. 2
DR. RINGLING
(working alone in the lab)
All right … recording the plasma dimension, monitoring electron density … and that’s n-base-e …
(as Dr. Raptor suddenly)
Because you don’t have n-e index of refraction!
(back to themselves)
Can it! Damn therapods. Now … switching on the transverse magnetic field …
SOUND: A faint humming starts in the background; but immediately fails
DR. RINGLING
Dammit, dammit!
(Dr. Raptor again)
You’ve got to be more careful, Kris.
(back to themselves)
I am being careful. And you’re just a chunk of rubber. You’re not her, you know.
(Dr. Raptor again)
You’re not her either. Too bad, rawrrrr.
SOUND: The door sliding open
DR. SERANO
Edwin, you’re going to miss dinner – oh. Doctor Ringling. I was looking for –
DR. RINGLING
Doctor Just and Doctor Kashyap were headed up to the surface.
DR. SERANO
Oh. Of course.
(after a beat)
I didn’t know anyone else was using the old lab.
DR. RINGLING
Doctor Ray had some questions about plasma waves, and all the equipment is still set up here.
DR. SERANO
I’m guessing if Ashwini was asking, ze’s more interested in plasma waves outside of laboratory conditions.
DR. RINGLING
(as Dr. Raptor)
And if we could conduct experiments floating in the magnetosphere, we’d be … we’d be …
SOUND: Sitting down heavily on a stool, it slides back a bit
DR. RINGLING
(back to themselves, weary)
You’re right But ze asked, and … this is what I could do.
SOUND: Kicking a steel cabinet
DR. RINGLING
What I thought I could do. Turns out Doctor Day was right all along.
(after a moment)
Anyway, you can go. No science happening here.
DR. SERANO
Yes. Well.
SOUND: A few footsteps, the door sliding partway closed; then after a pause, sliding back open again
DR. SERANO
No. I couldn’t leave on that note. Doctor Day was not right about anything.
(Dr. Ringling can’t help but laugh at that.)
DR. RINGLING
She was a brilliant physicist. It wasn’t even her chosen field, and still … she was a brilliant physicist.
DR. SERANO
And a dangerous anarchist with no consideration for the safety of others, long before the incident in the bunkroom. You can find a much better role model.
DR. RINGLING
I don’t think she meant to hurt anyone.
DR. SERANO
Oh, I don’t either. And yet, people were hurt. Personal possessions were lost or damaged. Lab operations were interrupted. My own subjects were so shaken, I’m only beginning again now with my research.
DR. RINGLING
I’m sorry.
(after a moment)
I am. Sorry. Do you … do people … blame me?
DR. SERANO
You? Blame you?
DR. RINGLING
I was the one working with her, keeping tabs on her. I was basically her handler. I feel like I should have seen something, known something was happening …
DR. SERANO
That’s a good point, you did spend the most time working beside her. Or behind her, more often, no one could keep up with that woman in the lab or elsewhere.
DR. RINGLING
(as Dr. Raptor)
She was a cataclysmic event, like the … K-T Extinction … or …
(as themselves again, wavering)
Something … I don’t know enough paleontology – or historical fiction – to make the right reference.
DR. SERANO
Here. Let me see that finger puppet for a moment.
SOUND: A drawer being opened and closed again; a lock being turned
DR. RINGLING
(overlapping with the effects, protesting weakly)
I should keep it. It belonged to me originally … well, to my partner … my partner’s nibling … my ex-partner at this point, we broke up over the …
DR. SERANO
There we go.
DR. RINGLING
(after a moment)
Thank you.
DR. SERANO
You can have it back at the end of the semester.
(brief pause)
Nobody blames you for what happened. But you should be blamed if you keep letting her run your life like this.
DR. RINGLING
That … seems fair.
DR. SERANO
Here, let’s look at what you were working on.
SOUND: Stools sliding out, a bit of tinkering with equipment and papers
DR. SERANO
Ashwini’s going to want results, even if they don’t apply to the situation.
SOUND: A bit more tinkering to fill the pause
DR. RINGLING
Why are you being … decent, to me?
DR. SERANO
(after a moment)
I deserve that.
(another brief pause)
Look, I never liked … Gladys, that much, I won’t lie about that. It might have been as much my fault as anything. But I never had anything against you. I actually appreciate your dedication to rules and specifications, it makes me feel more secure in setting out my own boundaries.
DR. RINGLING
Aren’t you crossing those boundaries by helping me now?
DR. SERANO
(after a moment)
It’s the way you look up at me. You remind me of a wounded hedgehog.
DR. RINGLING
That’s it?
DR. SERANO
That’s it. Now, let’s get to work.
SOUND: More tinkering, and perhaps the resumption of the humming sound that failed before, and then the scene fades out
SOUND: Lab background ends
SOUND: Chime – Bookend
SCENE FIVE
SOUND: Chime – Bookend
SOUND: Spacesuit background (ongoing)
WILDER
(yawning)
Uuuh! Fell asleep again, didn’t we, ‘Liza?
SOUND: Wilder’s arm cycles
WILDER
Ow. You’re the only part of me that’s not on pins and needles, darlin’. Help me get back on my feet.
SOUND: Wilder’s arm cycles; she groans
WILDER
Ohhhh, there we go, we definitely needed a break but … how’s that report we were runnin’? Total power output is up by … forty-six percent. Is that right? Well then, a winner is me! Is we, Eliza, I’m not forgettin’ the hard work you put in. Now we’ve just got to load up the Rover and it’s time to … it’s time to, uh …
(brief pause)
Was that little cavern entrance always there? Just below the edge of the crater.
SOUND: Shuffling of the suit as she walks
WILDER
Right in there, where it’s a deeper dark than it ought t’ be. That’s definitely the entrance to somethin’. Could just be another lava tube, I guess. We’ve seen plenty of those.
(after a moment)
But not so many with tracks runnin’ down inside. Were they storin’ something here? Probably just where the Delta crew stashed some extra panels, or fooled around in their off time.
(brief pause)
But those ain’t wide enough to be Rover tracks. Curiouser and curiouser. Well, now I gotta take a look.
SOUND: Wilder’s arm cycles uncertainly
WILDER
Just a quick look, ‘Liza. Then it’s right back topside.
SOUND: Wilder’s breathing, the suit rustling
WILDER
Okay, lights on –
SOUND: A slight click
WILDER
It goes right on down there, doesn’t it? But so do the tracks … little bit of a ledge here, just keep to th’ wall, there’s room. They were usin’ this space for somethin’ … just squeeze around this side and we should see – oh crap, hold on ‘Liza, I think we’re gonna – Aaaaaaaaahhhhhh!
SOUND: We hear the fall mostly through her crying out and the gasp (surprise, not pain) when she hits the ground below; then for a moment we just hear her breathe
WILDER
(maybe just a little pain, and frustration)
Dang it. Oh, dang it!
SOUND: Spacesuit background fades as the scene ends
SOUND: Chime – Bookend
(The episode ends.)
PRODUCERS
Today’s episode featured Danyelle Ellett, Evan Tess Murray, Tina Daniels, Jen Ponton, Rissa Montañez, Cass McPhee, Alicia Atkins, Anna Godfrey, Hazel Stapp, and Dallas Wheatley.
Written by D.J. Sylvis; Cass McPhee is our audio engineer. Our theme music is “Star” by the band Ramp; our cover art is by Peter Chiykowski.
Looking for more great audio fiction? Check out Eliza: A Robot Story – it’s a dark near-future sci-fi fairytale that talks about abusive relationships in some very important ways.
Our Executive Producers are Sarah Müller and Beka B, and our associate producers are Marty Chodorek, June Madeley, Timothy LaGrone, Marilyn Reid, Marissa Robertcop and Linda Boyer. Today’s shoutout is for Kate Taylor.
Thank you guys so much for your support, and helping and trusting us to bring this story to life. We love what we’ve done with it and we can’t wait for you guys to hear all the work the cast and crew has put in, and we hope you love it as much as we do.
And speaking of your support: everything helps, from leaving us a great review and subscribing on your podcast app of choice to sharing your feelings with us on Twitter and telling your friends about our show. For behind the scenes updates and early access to every episode, we would love to have you join us on Patreon. Visit us at MonkeymanProductions.com to learn more (and to visit our store if you need an En-Soy-Ment sticker or a T-Shirt featuring your favourite doggos!). But beyond all of that, we are so glad that you’re listening and sharing in this story with us. Thank you. And, as always, keep watching the moon.
