1.06 \\ Sobering

SPECTRE Season 1, Episode 6: “Sobering” Transcript

STEF HOWERTON: Hi, everyone! Stef here once again to welcome you to today's newest episode of SPECTRE. Today, I have something a little different for you. The first featured trailer at the end of this episode is not an audio drama, but if you listen all the way to the end you'll get to listen to the audio trailer for Fermi's Progress, a series of novels by Chris Farnell that came out this month (and you might recognize the voice of SPECTRE's very own Dr. Karl Amos - also known IRL as Karim Kronfli - as well!). The Fermi is the Earth's first faster-than-light spaceship. It's also its last. How is that possible, you ask? Well, the very moment the Fermi's engines engage, it unleashes a shockwave that vaporizes planets and even entire solar systems in its wake. And unfortunately, no one knows how to turn it off. Join the Fermi crew as they are forced to survive wonders, dangers, and planetary scale genocide using what little wits they have while bouncing a trail of destruction across the galaxy. If this sounds of interest to you, I'll be putting the link to their website so you can purchase Fermi's Progress and read to your heart's content. I've not read it yet, but I've definitely added it to my To Read pile. And maybe you will too! 

Second up is an opportunity to support another indie podcast! Someone Dies in This Elevator (we'll just call it SDITE from here on out for simplicity's sake) is a spoiler-driven anthology series where there is always an elevator and someone always dies in it. A 2021 New Jersey Web Fest and Audio Verse Awards winner (in 7 categories, no less!), SDITE is currently crowdfunding for their second season on indiegogo. I'll provide links in the show notes, and this show is totally worth your support. Not only do they have great perks for those who choose to donate, but the show itself is absolutely fantastic. Tal Minear, who you'll all know as Macie Vincent here on SPECTRE, is the producer and showrunner, and if you know anything about Tal, it's that they consistently make brilliant content. And SDITE is no exception. If you're not in a place to donate, that's totally fine! What you can do is head on over to the website that I'm sharing in the show notes and post it on social media. Get that word out! You can also follow the show on Twitter under the handle @SDITEpod.

Alrighty! Those are all of my extra comments for today. Thank you so much for listening, and I hope you enjoy this next installment of SPECTRE, episode 6: "Sobering."

SHOWRUNNER: SPECTRE is intended for mature audiences. Listener discretion is advised.

[SFX: The theme music plays fully, beginning with a haunting, dark humming that escalates into an electronic melody with a surging arpeggio that pushes the tempo forward. It ends in a fade, punctuated by a high-tone chord that reverberates into silence.]

[SFX: KARL is typing at his desk when there is a knock at his office door. A clock ticks quietly in the background, and ominous music plays.]

 KARL: (sighing) Come in.

[SFX: The door opens, and CICELY strides in.]

KARL: Ah, Cicely. You have good news for me, I assume.

CICELY: Unfortunately, no. Our team has been scouring the sector where the second ping originated from top to bottom, but there's nothing. I even took a second, third, and fourth look at the data that came through, and there was--

KARL: Nothing?

CICELY: Yes. There was nothing more to find or analyze. But! There was another ping that came through around 4 hours ago. 

KARL: ... And?

CICELY: So far it's worthless. The ping came through with virtually no data, and the location is about as unclear as it gets. There's no way to pinpoint exactly where it came from.

[SFX: KARL gets out of his chair and begins to pace around Cicely like a hunter stalking his prey. The sound pans left and right as he moves.]

KARL: Cicely, I'd love for you to clear something up for me.

CICELY: Yes?

KARL: How is it that our benefactors have funded this project so well, and all we've been able to produce thus far is a gaggle of dead or maimed soldiers and one operative with a defective chip that has gone rogue?

CICELY: I--

KARL: And not only that, but the minute this chip left the facility it was rendered inaccessible to the team. To the most advanced facility in the inhabited universe. Unless, that is, we get a - a "ping." How is that, Cicely?

CICELY: I don't have the answer for that. It's a prototype. An experiment. There's no way we could have planned for this--

KARL: (overlapping) No way? I don't accept that. Fix this, Cicely. Fix it, or your grant will be withdrawn and your place on this team dissolved.

[SFX: KARL walks back to his desk and sits down.]

CICELY: Karl, that's–

[SFX: KARL hits the desk with his fist.]

KARL: Do it. I won't say it again. (short beat) I expect an update with some sort of progress on Monday morning, first thing. You have the weekend. And if I'm not absolutely amazed by your progress, all deals are off.

[SFX: KARL resumes his work on his computer.]

KARL: We're done here.

[SFX: CICELY sighs and leaves, the door opening and closing behind her. The ominous music transitions to the next scene.]

[SFX: Medical equipment beeps as GARYN assesses ATTA for damage following the events in the last episode.]

GARYN: Stare at this light and follow it when I move it, okay?

ATTA: I can see it just fine.

RHO: Atta, I am so sorry.

[SFX: GARYN continues to work while ATTA and RHO bicker, his equipment whirring and swooshing with his direction.]

ATTA: Hush up. I don't want to hear from you. If you've broken anything - and I really do mean anything - I'm gonna make sure you feel it in your bones.

GARYN: Atta, please stay still.

RHO: I - I didn't mean it.

ATTA: I said hush up.

GARYN: Rho, why don't you sit on the other side of the room for a moment? I need to do a check-up on you too anyway.

RHO: But I --

GARYN: (firmly) Rho...

RHO: Fine. I'll just be over here.

[SFX: RHO walks over to sit down in a chair against the far wall of the room as GARYN continues his examination on ATTA.]

GARYN: Alright, does this hurt?

ATTA: No.

GARYN: And this?

ATTA: No.

GARYN: This?

[SFX: ATTA yelps in pain.]

GARYN: Got it. Let me get a scan on this, and I'll be right back. (brief pause as GARYN works, then to Rho) How about you? Anything hurt?

ATTA: If she isn't, she will be.

RHO: Oh, come on, Atta...

ATTA: Don't "come on" me, girlie. You threw me across a room! I oughta-

GARYN: Atta, enough! And that's enough out of you too, Rho. Focus on me. (beat) Good. Now, tell me. Do you hurt anywhere?

RHO: No. I feel fine.

[SFX: ATTA scoffs.]

RHO: What, Atta? Do you want me to cut off my leg or something? Will that make you feel better?

ATTA: It's a start!

GARYN: Holy gods, you dumb-asses. Stop!

RHO: (quietly) Sorry.

ATTA: (mockingly) Sorry.

GARYN: Do you remember anything?

RHO: Very little. There was something happening that was... really upsetting. I can't remember much. While I was dreaming, it felt very real, but it's faded a lot since I woke up.

[SFX: The equipment scanning ATTA begins to offer first aid treatment, poking and prodding her, and she is none too happy, muttering off to the side as GARYN and RHO speak to one another.]

GARYN: Look, I'll be honest, Rho. I'm stumped. I don't know how to help you because my normal methods end up with you throwing crew mates across rooms or nearly blowing up the ship.

ATTA: Ow. Damn it.

RHO: I know.

GARYN: But we can't keep doing this. It's too dangerous. You're too much of a liability.

RHO: So, what? You're going to recommend that Lillian have me thrown out of the airlock?

GARYN: What? No! Gods, who do you think we are?

RHO: Pirates. I think you're pirates.

GARYN: I can neither confirm nor deny that.

RHO: But you are. And pirates purge their ship of weak links, right?

GARYN: Rho, no. I'm not doing that. We're not doing that. You're safe here.

RHO: I remember you telling me that my status here wasn't up to you when I first came on board.

GARYN: Yeah, well, that much is true. But we're not monsters. Okay, look, we're getting off topic here. What I meant by that is that I have to do some additional research before we try to resurface your memories. We need to find a way to help you get control of whatever this is before we go exploring around in your brain.

RHO: It's a chip.

GARYN: What?

RHO: "Whatever this is." It's a chip. They put it right here, at the base of my neck.

GARYN: Oh, yeah… There is a scar there.

RHO: I would imagine so. You'd think that with all of the technology they have access to that they'd find a way to at least cover it up. You know what? I just remembered something. Um... Where's Warren? Why - why isn't he in the medbay with us?

GARYN: I sent him to his quarters to rest. He'll be most comfortable there. Faster healing.

RHO: I need to talk to him.

GARYN: He needs to rest.

RHO: Okay... When can I talk to him?

GARYN: Depends.

RHO: On what?

GARYN: When he's ready.

RHO: Gods, you're infuriating. He said he could help me get control, okay?

GARYN: Of what, the chip? How?

RHO: Meditation. 

ATTA: (in the background) Ah! Fucking…

RHO: He said he had some experience with stuff like this and had ways to help. I - I declined. And I've come to realize that was probably a mistake.

ATTA: Sure as shit got that right!

GARYN: Atta, that's enough.

RHO: I just - I don't know. I get pulled into these memories, and then I lose control. And this last one... it was the worst it's ever been. 

[SFX: Ominous music escalates as RHO remembers her dream.]

RHO: That place... the place I was before you found me? It was a bad place. I'm pretty sure I was tortured.

[SFX: Cabinets and various other equipment begin to gently rattle around them. ATTA tries to jump out of her bed, and the scanner inspecting her wounds begins to issue warning beeps.]

ATTA: Oh, hell no. Not while I'm here! Garyn, stop her!

GARYN: Atta, don't move. (softer) Let's not get into that now, Rho. Once Warren is well enough, we'll talk to him about how he thinks he can help.

[SFX: The rattling and other movement stops as RHO disconnects mentally from the dream. The medical beeping subsides as well as ATTA returns to her former position. The music also fades.]

GARYN: In the meantime, for the safety of the ship and everyone on it, I need you to use these every night before you go to bed. 

[SFX: GARYN walks over to his desk, leaning down to grab a packet of dermal patches.]

GARYN: They're sedatives. Should help you sleep soundly. No dreams.

RHO: Yeah, I can do that.

GARYN: Just put one on your wrist before you go to bed, and you'll be right as rain. Now, go on. I have an ornery patient here to contend with.

ATTA: (laughing derisively) You haven't even seen ornery yet!

GARYN: (quietly, to Rho) Just give her time. Yeah, she's fiery when she's angry, but she's more of a flash bang than she is a slow burn.

[SFX: The door to the medbay opens, and RHO begins to exit.]

RHO: Thanks, Garyn.

ATTA: I heard that! I'll show you a fiery flash bang, old man!

[SFX: The music picks back up and transitions to later on the Spectre Bridge.]

[SFX: The door to the Spectre Bridge slides open, and MACIE walks in, humming a tune of their own design. EDWARD is sitting at one of the side desks, his head buried in multiple screens filled with numbers and varying currency symbols.]

MACIE: Oh hey, Ed!

EDWARD: Good gods, Macie, you startled me.

MACIE: Oops, sorry about that! What'cha up to?

EDWARD: Just working on some finances.

MACIE: Yuck, boring. We haven't done anything fun in forever. It's always finances this, transport planning that... Why can't we go on a fun mission?

EDWARD: You know I can't control what kind of jobs come across our table.

MACIE: No, I guess not… (beat) But what if we just make our own mission? One that will take us somewhere exciting and dangerous? Ooh, we could go after one of those huge Truq'ats! You now, one of those whale-y tentacly beasties that sometimes show up as dark matter on the scanners? That'd be fun!

EDWARD: (chuckling) Sure, I'll see what I can do.

MACIE: Great. And if we could go to a fancy party or something while we're at it, that would be good too.

EDWARD: A fancy party? Good luck getting Atta into a dress. You remember the last time Lillian took us on one of her promo sprees, don't you?

MACIE: Who says she has to wear a dress? I'm sure we'd be able to find something that she'd love. (short beat) And now that I have you distracted from your work, can I have the bridge for a little bit, pretty please?

EDWARD: What for?

MACIE: Lillian. She wants to chat and said I needed to be by my work terminal. You know how she is about eavesdropping. It's probably some dumb feedback one-on-one.

EDWARD: Nevermind that I'm her First Mate… (stretching) I need to take a break anyway. Been at this for the last 4 hours.

MACIE: Oh, ew. Get outta here.

EDWARD: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just don't move anything over here, okay? I have everything right wh--

MACIE: (imitating EDWARD’s accent) "Right where you want it." (speaking normally) Yeah, yeah, I know. Out.

EDWARD: I am First Mate, you know. And your elder.

MACIE: And I'm bossy.

EDWARD: (laughing) You've got me there. Cheers.

MACIE: Bye!

[SFX: EDWARD leaves, the door closing behind him. MACIE walks to their station and accesses their terminal.]

MACIE: Call Lillian.

[SFX: A ring-back tone sounds over the comms system. After a few moments, the call is picked up.]

LILLIAN: (over comms) Macie?

MACIE: Yep. How are you?

LILLIAN: (over comms) Lovely, but my patience is beginning to wear thin with these bureaucrats. Are you at your computer?

MACIE: Mm-hmm!

LILLIAN: (over comms) Fantastic. I was hoping you would have some updates for me.

MACIE: About the server, you mean?

LILLIAN: (over comms) Yes. Anything?

MACIE: Nothing. And I don't think there will be.

LILLIAN: (over comms) Why do you say that?

[SFX: MACIE navigates through their work terminal, clicking and beeping to the necessary files.]

MACIE: Well, the data was encrypted, which was expected and not hard at all to crack. Even decrypted though, most of it is complete nonsense, almost like it's written in some sort of unknown language. It goes way beyond a normal electronic cipher or scrambler. I'm good, but I'm not a cryptographer or a linguist.

LILLIAN: (over comms) Hmm... Disappointing. Can you pull anything usable out of the data?

MACIE: Not from most of it. Some of the data I've been able to make sense of could potentially be used if we wanted to go and visit this Upsilon place, wherever it is. I found some blueprints, and it's surprisingly not a fortress. Lots of potential entry points and fewer cameras than you'd expect.

LILLIAN: (over comms) Good. Keep that on the back burner. What about the unit still at the Center?

MACIE: Nothing yet. The one we have on board was easy to crack, but the one back at Aphelion-Finch is something else.

LILLIAN: (over comms) How do you mean?

MACIE: The levels of encryption are insane. I don't know what sort of data is housed on it, but it must be really important because I've only worked out around 1% of it. None of my programs are working, so I'm having to go through each and every line. And there are thousands upon thousands upon thousands of lines to go through. Possibly millions.

LILLIAN: (over comms) How long will it take you?

MACIE: Honestly?

LILLIAN: (over comms) As always.

MACIE: A couple of years? Maybe longer.

[SFX: A ding sounds over the line in Lillian’s room.]

LILLIAN: (over comms, annoyed) Of course. I've got a visitor. (to the visitor, cheerfully) Be right there! (to Macie) I trust that you have kept your word and haven't told anyone else about our visibility on the unit at the Center?

MACIE: Cross my heart. Only Atta knows.

LILLIAN: (over comms) Okay. Keep me updated. I'll call you in a few days to check in. Please do everything you can to get access to that data.

MACIE: I'll do my best.

LILLIAN: (over comms) Goodbye.

MACIE:  Bye!

[SFX: The line disconnects, and the scene transitions once more to WARREN’s quarters.]

[SFX: It is silent inside WARREN's room, and only the whir of the Spectre engines can be heard in the distance, dampened by the walls and floors of the ship. It's almost serene, a blissful solitude that is unfortunately broken by a quietly hurried knock at the door.]

RHO: (from outside) Warren? You awake?

[SFX: WARREN inhales sharply as he wakes up and attempts to sit. A bad idea, since he's not fully healed. He winces at the pain.]

WARREN: (groggy, pained) I am now. Door open.

[SFX: RHO rushes in and clicks the panel inside the door to close it immediately behind her.]

RHO: (rushed) I'm sorry to bother you. Garyn told me to leave you alone, and I promise I won't stay long, but I wanted to ask if your offer was still on the table.

WARREN: Offer?

RHO: About helping me control the chip.

WARREN: What changed your mind?

RHO: I need to get this under control. I feel like the longer I go without confronting it and forcing myself to adapt, the harder it will be to fix.

WARREN: Learning to control it won't make it go away. There is no fixing it without surgical removal, and I don't think there's one surgeon in the universe who'd be willing to take that on, even one of the unethical ones.

RHO: No, I know that. That's not what I meant. (beat) I'm a risk. Right now, I could very well blow the Spectre into pieces just by trying to remember what I did yesterday. And it's not fair of me to ask you all to shoulder that burden. So I need to figure it out. Fast.

WARREN: It's not going to be a quick fix, Rho.

RHO: I know, but I already hurt Garyn and damn near blew up the ship. And now Atta--

WARREN: Atta? What happened? Is she okay?

[SFX: WARREN attempts to get up from his bed but fails, grunting as he collapses back into his bed. RHO rushes to his side.]

RHO: Hey, hey, no. Stay down. Atta is fine. Pissed, obviously, and a bit banged up, but she'll be okay. Garyn is working on her. 

WARREN: What happened?

RHO: My subconscious got a little out of control while I slept.

[SFX: WARREN sighs.]

RHO: But see? That's why I need your help. You said you could help me, remember? I don't want to hurt anyone else.

WARREN: Of course I'll help.

RHO: Thank you. You have no idea. You are my only lifeline.

WARREN: Don't worry; we're going to figure it out.

[SFX: Pensive music begins to play.]

RHO: I sure hope so. (beat) You know, I don't know how anyone could be expected to deal with something like this. And I can't remember... I don't remember anyone telling me this is what it would be like.

WARREN: Do you think you would have consented if you knew?

RHO: No, probably not. Though I can't even really be sure of that, can I? The few memories I have of myself and who I was before all of this... I don't know. I think duty was really important to me.

WARREN: Perhaps. Then again, perhaps not.

RHO: Well, anyway... What now? How do we get started?

WARREN: Well, first, we let me sleep. Garyn has me on some pretty heavy pain killers, and I'm about to nod off on you.

RHO: What, my engaging conversation isn't enough to keep you awake?

[SFX: WARREN lays his head back and feigns snoring.]

RHO: Alright, alright. Note taken. Let me know when you're feeling up to it, okay?

WARREN: Sure.

[SFX: There is a slight pause as RHO considers her next move. Hundreds of thoughts filter through her mind. She stands up, walks to the door, and pauses.]

RHO: Warren?

WARREN: Yeah?

RHO: Thank you.

WARREN: You're welcome.

RHO: Bye... Goodnight.

WARREN: G'night.

[SFX: RHO leaves, and the door closes behind her. The pensive music transitions back to KARL’s office.]

[SFX: KARL is once again at his desk when a call patches through to his comm unit.]

KARL: Yes?

JEFFERSON: (over comms) Hey, what’s up, doc?

KARL: Ah, Sigma. What's your position?

JEFFERSON: (over comms) Around four or five ticks outside Gliese six sixty-seven double C. Did you know that the land mass is purple there? Absolutely wild.

KARL: (annoyed) Your report?

JEFFERSON: (over comms) Good news! I've got a lead, and it's a thousand times better than one of those stupid ping goose chases you've been sending us on.

KARL: And?

JEFFERSON: (over comms) So I connected with some buddies of mine, and apparently there's this rumor going on that an entire outfit of mercs went missing recently. Like recent recent, you know?

KARL: Sigma, I don't have--

JEFFERSON: (over comms) Bear with me, doc. I have a point. So these dudes went missing, right? And I'm thinking, I've heard of these guys. They wouldn't just disappear from the face of the universe without reason. You get me?

KARL: No. I don't.

JEFFERSON: (over comms, unfazed) So, I did a little digging, and I found out the area they were last seen. So the men and I went on a little recon mission, and - get this - (singing) we found them!

KARL: Found who?

JEFFERSON: (over comms) The group of mercs that went missing! And my hunch was right; they're the same group that you sent out to investigate one of the first pings. Only here's the interesting part. They were all dead, floating out into space nearby their abandoned ship. Totally crazy shit, right? And these guys were in rough shape. Not because they were exposed to space but because something or someone absolutely wrecked them. Broken bones, dismemberment, blood everywhere, and so on. It wasn't pretty. I mean, one of them had their head blown clean off. Unreal.

KARL: Get to the point, Sigma.

JEFFERSON: (over comms) You know what? You really don't appreciate a finely crafted story, do you, Doc?

KARL: Sigma...

JEFFERSON: Fine, fine, fine, fine, fine... So, uh… Um… Oh! We went on board, hooked up to their internal systems, and their last logs noted seeing a smuggling ship called the Spectre on their radar. 

KARL: Sorry, what was the name of the ship?

JEFFERSON: The Spectre. Apparently, it's this white whale in the pirating community. Super well-known. High value, rare goods owned by the tippy-top elite.

KARL: Go on.

JEFFERSON: The Captain issued an order to approach, force their way in, and snatch up the target they believed was on board. Obviously, they were unsuccessful. I took the liberty of hooking into the body-cam of the dude with his head blown off - I mean, how could I not, right? - and it was definitely her. She killed like ninety percent of the entire team within like seconds.

KARL: Her? Meaning Rho?

JEFFERSON: Congrats, doc! You got it. The body-cam footage is pretty intense and you’re probably gonna lose your lunch because it’s, like, shaky cam, but she was there. She’s always been a great fighter, but this… this was something else. They didn't have a chance.

KARL: In what way?

JEFFERSON: Well, like I said you can't really see much, but it looked like she was throwing them around without even touching them.

KARL: Do you still have that footage?

JEFFERSON: Sure do. Want me to send it over?

KARL: Please.

JEFFERSON: Consider it done, Doc.

KARL: Any clue as to where the Spectre is now?

JEFFERSON: I have a few ideas.

KARL: Good. Go after them, just make sure you let me know where you're headed. You have carte blanche to manage this mission as you see fit. Live retrieval is preferable, but extreme situations sometimes call for extreme measures.

JEFFERSON: Noted. Full report and footage incoming.

[SFX: The line closes.]

[SFX: Outro music plays while the closing credits run.]

SHOWRUNNER: You have just been listening to Spectre, an indie, sci-fi, audio drama podcast. I'm Stef Howerton, the creator and showrunner, and I am so glad that you chose to spend some time with us today. If you have a moment, I'd appreciate it if you could rate and review Spectre on your podcast platform of choice. It’s a really great and easy way to help new listeners find the show, and the more people who listen, the more we can do in future episodes. This episode featured the voice talents of myself, Stef Howerton, as Rho, Allen Chan as Warren Lee, David Ault as Edward Whitlaw, David S. Dear as Garyn Beikirch, Tal Minear as Macie Vincent, Newton Schottelkotte as Atalanta Harris, Stephanie Tobin as Lillian Dunne, Karim Kronfli as Dr. Karl Amos, and Justin Reighard as Jefferson Hammond. Sound Design by Brad Colbroock, and Music by Tim Rosko. For a written list of credits and a full script of this episode, please visit spectrepod.com - that's s-p-e-c-t-r-e-pod.com. You can also chat with us on Twitter or Instagram via the handle @spectrepod. Thank you so much again for spending part of your day with us. There are a plethora of great podcasts to listen to out there, and I'm so honored that you opted to listen to Spectre. Have an absolutely wonderful day.