Space exploration is lawless, dirty, and inconvenient, but that doesn't stop Rho from seeking to recover lost memories and find her place in a universe that seems hell-bent on destroying her. SPECTRE is a swashbuckling space opera about the dangers of technology and the loss of humanity as a result of its use.
Amnesia. Telekinesis. Piracy. What's next?
Cast (in order of appearance):
Jason Bell -- Announcer
Newton Schottelkotte -- Atalanta "Atta" Harris
Allen Chan -- Warren Lee
David Ault -- First Mate Edward Whitlaw
David S. Dear -- Garyn Beikirch
Stef Howerton -- Rho
Tal Minear -- Macie Vincent
Lindsay Zana -- Dr. Cicely Bennett
Karim Kronfli -- Dr. Karl Amos
Music: Tim Rosko
Sound Design: Brad Colbroock
Written, Directed, and Produced by Stef Howerton
Show Art by Stef Howerton
Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/spectre/donations
Thanks so much for listening! <3
[SFX: The theme music begins, a haunting, dark humming that drones in the background.]
ANNOUNCER: Space is lawless. Dirty. Inconvenient.
ATALANTA “ATTA” HARRIS: Who are you?!
[SFX: A storage crate lid lifts, and the cargo bay of the Spectre erupts into sudden chaos. RHO is pulled out of the crate, plastic and metal chips spilling all over the grated flooring.]
WARREN LEE: The hell is this…?
EDWARD WHITLAW: Atta, release her immediately!
[SFX: Rho dangles helplessly from the arm of Atta’s suit, gasping and flailing as she struggles to free herself.]
ATTA’S SUIT: Weapons systems activated.
ANNOUNCER: But that doesn’t stop Rho from seeking to recover lost memories…
GARYN BEIKIRCH: How long have you been experiencing memory loss?
RHO: I… don’t know.
GARYN: And you don’t remember anything between your teenage years and now?
RHO: Little vague snippets, but that’s about it. It’s-it’s all one big, nebulous blur.
ANNOUNCER: Or from trying to find her place in a universe that seems hell-bent on destroying her.
[SFX: An alarm blares overhead.]
MACIE VINCENT: A group splintered off and went for Rho instead of the bridge. They got into her quarters…
[SFX: Unidentified shouts and screams fill the corridor outside the Spectre bridge door, and the music picks up to an electronic melody with a surging arpeggio that pushes the tempo forward.]
MACIE: Pretty sure they’re all dead… You should have seen it. She’s amazing!
ANNOUNCER: Join Rho and the Spectre crew for a swashbuckling adventure through space, one that is sure to keep you guessing until the very last episode.
CICELY BENNETT: Dr. Amos, we’ve… we have a problem. It’s Rho. She’s… she’s gone.
KARL AMOS: You can imagine that this news does not make me happy, Cicely.
CICELY: I-I know, Dr. Amos. It’s you–
KARL: Rho is a priority. Lift the live recall… Recovery agents have approval for shoot to kill.
CICELY: Karl, that’s–
KARL: Do it.
ANNOUNCER: Spectre: an indie, sci-fi audio drama. Coming to you anywhere you listen to podcasts in May of 2022.
RHO: Am I stuck here?
GARYN: Not up to me.
[SFX: A door whooshes closed as Garyn leaves Rho alone in the medbay.]
RHO: Excellent.
ANNOUNCER: Amnesia. Telekinesis. Piracy. What’s next?
[SFX: The music fades out, punctuated by a high-tone chord that reverberates into silence.]
Creator & Showrunner, Rho
A native Nashvillian, Stef Howerton (She/Her) has devoted much of her life to the pursuit of artistic creation. With studies in New York for Musical Theatre and a Bachelors in Opera from Belmont University, the arts are home to her, a respite from the sometimes harsh realities of the world. She has played The Baker's Wife in Into the Woods, Madame de la Grande Bouche in Beauty and the Beast, and she also has voiced roles in Apollyon and Boom by Observer Pictures and plays DV1 Vicki Allen and Dr. Monroe in Boston Harbor Horror by Asylum 94. When not creating or performing, Stef is likely working as an Enterprise Project Manager, cuddling with her pups (Cupcake and Nelson), playing Mass Effect on her Xbox, or consuming films at a rate that some might deem unhealthy.
In addition to creating and running SPECTRE, Stef also voices Rho.
Ensemble
Jason Bell enjoys performing through many modes, including voice acting, musical theatre, and singing his original songs. He holds degrees in Vocal Music Education, Psychology, and Education Leadership and enjoys exploring the mountains of Colorado in his free time. He has played roles such as Lumiere in Beauty and the Beast, Emmett Forrest in Legally Blonde, Baker in Into the Woods, Seymour in Little Shop of Horrors, and many others.
First Mate Edward Whitlaw
David (He/Him) is a voice actor from North Yorkshire, UK. He started voice acting with Darker Projects in 2005, moving through The Byron Chronicles, Pendant Audio, Colonial Radio Theatre to modern-day antics with Fool & Scholar, the NoSleep Podcast team, and Shadows at the Door: The Podcast. He's a big fan of tea, ghosts and astronomy, and can be found online at DavidAult on Twitter, or www.davidault.co.uk.
Garyn Beikirch
David S. Dear (He/Him) has appeared in over 20 audio dramas and is the creator/producer of A Ninth World Journal as well as the co-creator/co-producer of the comedy Deconstructive Criticism. He has also narrated over 30 audiobooks which are available on Audible. When not writing or voice acting he hangs with his wife and two canine kids and hobnobs with family.
Warren Lee
Allen Chan (He/Him) is a voice actor based out of California. You can hear his voice in multiple visual novels and podcasts: When We Were Monsters, A Forsaken Place, Play Dead!, Sierra Ops, Space Yandere, PENTHOS, and more! For more information, please visit his website.
Macie Vincent
Tal (They/Them) is a SoCal-based podcaster who cannot be stopped from making things. Tal is the producer of Sidequesting, What Will Be Here?, and Someone Dies In This Elevator, and is working on several upcoming projects for Parazonium Podcasts and The Shadow Network. Their voice can also be heard in audio fiction shows such as The Path Down, Deconstructive Criticism, Arden, and Inn Between. Follow them on Twitter @starplanes and find more of their work at talminear.com.
Dr. Karl Amos
Karim (He/Him) has been a professional performer for over 25 years originally working as a juggler and firebreather. With plays, and film added to his professional repertoire Karim now loves directing as much as performing. Trained at City Lit in London he eventually got introduced to working behind the microphone at BFBS. Specialising in audio drama he has appeared in several shows such as Unseen, What’s the Frequency, The Magnus Archives, SCP Archives, Liberty: Tales From the Tower, and many more.
Dr. Cicely Bennett
Lindsay (She/Her) is a voice actor and singer currently located in LA, with a passion for Shakespeare, musicals, and tales of grand adventure. When she's not emoting behind a microphone, she can be found playing D&D, singing with Top Shelf Vocal, or binging shows with her partner and pup. You can find out more about her and her work at lindsayzana.com.
Composer
Tim Rosko (He/Him) is a composer, singer, and voice-over artist based in Los Angeles, CA. Tim creates exciting music and immersive audio designs for everything from engaging video games to innovative virtual reality experiences and can even be heard as the voice of Mo the Monster. Tim is also the creator and co-host of the podcast 50 Bad Songs which can be found on Spotify and Apple Music. For more information, go to his website.
Atalanta "Atta" Harris
Newton (They/Them) is a writer, sound designer, actor, and more! A Commercial Songwriting and Film student in the Nashville area, they are the creator of the audio dramas Inkwyrm and Where the Stars Fell. You can find them feeding their fancy notebook obsession, trying to be funny on Twitter, and on their website.
Sound Designer
Brad Colbroock (They/Them/He) is a sound designer and foley artist currently located in Southern California. You can find their work on shows like Crime Scene Arcanum, The Way We Haunt Now, Sector Ø, and many others. Brad is also the co-founder of Parazonium Podcasts as well as the Audio Drama Shadow Network and enjoys telling weird stories on headphones. Find out more or send them a microphone at bradcolbroock.com.