Episode Transcript
Rogue Tyger
“Uninvited Guests,” Part 1
INTRODUCTION
HOST
Welcome to Jabberwocky Audio Theater.
RATING ANNOUNCER
The following audio theater is rated AD-G for general audiences.
ANNOUNCERLAND
MUSIC: THEME MUSIC BEGINS
ANNOUNCER
In the distant reaches of space, a lone ship plunges deep into the unknown. Her crew?
REG MACORUM
Reg Macorum, ship’s captain.
GRAINNE
Grainne Kochowa, pilot.
ENLING
Shen Enling, ship’s doctor.
TORMAR
Tormar, engineer.
AIDAN
Aidan Vosky, mechanic.
ANNOUNCER
Jabberwocky Audio Theater presents Rogue Tyger. Tonight’s episode: “Uninvited Guests,” part one.
MUSIC: THEME MUSIC ENDS
TYGER BRIDGE – SPACE
(STANDARD BRIDGE AMBIENT)
AIDAN
So, Grainne, Enling tells me it’s as if you never had a concussion.
GRAINNE
I wouldn’t go that far. I definitely remember the missile hit — and that’s not an experience I want to repeat.
AIDAN
But all the cuts. I’d have a scar from that tear you had on your forehead and now it’s as smooth as when I met you.
GRAINNE
Aidan, I’m sure Enling told you that my race bounces back pretty well. Good for me too, as if she pulls more stunts like she did two days ago, I can’t rely on her being around.
AIDAN
She saved our hides, the captain and me.
GRAINNE
Yes, well, I still think she should have had more sense than either of you two. The captain has a built-in death wish and you’re only too happy to follow him.
AIDAN
I wouldn’t say —
(BEAT)
Hang on, then what are you doing?
GRAINNE
I’m healing well, remember? I’m also not going out looking for trouble. It’s safe here on the bridge.
AIDAN
Apart from the random missile hit…
GRAINNE
Yes, well, ‘fool me once’ and all that. Besides, we’re putting some breathing room between us and Flatrock.
AIDAN
And everyone else in civilized space it seems.
GRAINNE
I’m glad you’re paying attention to the charts. You should always be aware of your surroundings. We’re not strictly into uncharted territory but certainly far off the beaten path.
SOUND: AIRLOCK OPENS
REG MACORUM
And how are we all this morning?
SOUND: AIRLOCK CLOSES
GRAINNE
On course and making good time, captain.
AIDAN
39 light years from Flatrock, angled 30 degrees spinward, and 65 degrees from vertical, uh, y’know, Galactic True North.
REG MACORUM
And Grainne has been teaching you astrogation I see.
GRAINNE
Good student. Makes me proud.
REG MACORUM
Excellent, ready for the next jump?
GRAINNE
You’re not wasting any time this morning, are you?
SOUND: FTL DRIVE SPINS UP
REG MACORUM
Could be a big day ahead of us.
AIDAN
Wait, we have a specific destination? I thought we were just getting away from the heat and off of the trade routes.
SOUND: FTL ENGAGES
REG MACORUM
Oh, we’re far away from the troubles at Flatrock, but why run aimlessly when you can run somewhere?
GRAINNE
Here we are. The star is Russahn according to the charts. None of the asteroids are big enough to have a name… or perhaps prospectors weren’t creative.
AIDAN
It’s… so vast.
REG MACORUM
It’s pretty much the whole system: barren rocks as far as the eye can see, though hopefully some riches in between.
AIDAN
Ah, so here is somewhere.
REG MACORUM
I got a tip before we left port at Flatrock. There was a courier headed their way that was overdue. Grainne did some investigating and they might have come through this system to avoid attention.
AIDAN
But you mentioned prospectors, wouldn’t they have seen the ship?
GRAINNE
This system falls in and out of favor as mining territory every standard decade or so.
REG MACORUM
But the last time there was a little disagreement among two of the Great Houses. My guess is they left with minerals, but left some mines.
AIDAN
When you say mines…?
REG MACORUM
The exploding kind.
AIDAN
Okay, so if you’re saying this ship might have run into a minefield, how safe are we?
GRAINNE
Like I said: Always know your surroundings.
AIDAN
“Fool me once?”
GRAINNE
Rest easy, over the last 40 cycles, there have only been seven types of mines used in this system. We know what to look for.
AIDAN
I’m sure that’s what the courier said.
REG MACORUM
Ah, but we also know where to look.
SOUND: DISPLAY SOUND
AIDAN
(GASP)
Those are all the minefields?
(BEAT)
Hang on. If I’m reading this right, there’s at least three different Houses who laid these mines. How did you get maps of all of them?
REG MACORUM
Our old friend Vic Ratha.
AIDAN
Vic? He seemed kind of, well, not cheap, but, y’know… business focused.
REG MACORUM
Oh, when he found out about Hardin and how he could feed disinformation to the Zenocrate Cartel, he was elated. This was a going-away present.
SOUND: ALERT READING
GRAINNE
I have a reading on a ship.
REG MACORUM
Can we get a magnification?
GRAINNE
I think so.
SOUND: COMPUTER BEEP
GRAINNE
Here.
MUSIC: WRECK MUSIC BEGINS
REG MACORUM
Oh, that’s our girl.
AIDAN
That’s a courier? It looks as big as the Tyger… and some of that… ornamentation. What would you call it?
REG MACORUM
Not to my taste. It’s more like a yacht. Wide through the middle, smaller engines.
MUSIC: WRECK MUSIC ENDS
REG MACORUM
Grainne, can you get us in closer?
GRAINNE
It’d be best to make a pinpoint jump to avoid that minefield they hit.
REG MACORUM
Take us in.
SOUND: FTL DRIVE SPINS UP
GRAINNE
All right, we’re moving less than a light second.
SOUND: FTL ENGAGES
AIDAN
You make it seem easy.
REG MACORUM
Excellent. Are you getting any activity from her?
GRAINNE
To be honest, we were lucky to find her. I was searching around the edges of the minefields and spotted that shape.
AIDAN
Certainly no asteroid.
GRAINNE
Exactly. Smooth lines. I wouldn’t be surprised if this is used by nobility.
AIDAN
Nobility? Like one of the royal houses?
GRAINNE
It may be a yacht, more used to sailing in the core systems.
REG MACORUM
Hmmm, keep station here for a second.
GRAINNE
The damage on the port side? Yes, that’s where at least one mine hit.
AIDAN
But would that have knocked out communications? I’m surprised there was no distress signal.
REG MACORUM
They probably turned it off. See there? That indentation?
AIDAN
An escape pod?
GRAINNE
Or a shuttle.
REG MACORUM
I think our crew took their time evacuating.
GRAINNE
I had been wondering about that. If it’s an escape pod it can’t have gone far, but I’m not scanning it.
REG MACORUM
We can do another sweep for it after we know what we’re looking for. Bring us around to the docking collar.
GRAINNE
Will do, captain.
SOUND: MANEUVERING THRUSTERS
SOUND: SWITCH CLICK
SOUND: ALERT SOUND
REG MACORUM
Tormar, Doctor. We have a salvage job on our hands. Please be ready at the airlock in 10 minutes.
SOUND: SWITCH CLICK
REG MACORUM
How about you join them, Aidan. Tormar will need a hand.
AIDAN
Uh, you’re sure no one’s on the ship, right?
GRAINNE
Enling will have her medkit just in case.
AIDAN
I meant — uh, never mind.
SOUND: AIRLOCK OPENS
SOUND: AIRLOCK CLOSES
TYGER CORRIDOR
(STANDARD CORRIDOR AMBIENT)
SOUND: FOOTSTEPS ON METAL
SOUND: BULKHEAD DOOR OPENING
ENLING
So Aidan, ready for the next adventure?
AIDAN
Hey Enling. I don’t know. You sure look ready.
SOUND: BULKHEAD DOOR CLOSING
ENLING
Mysterious wreck in the middle of a mine-laden asteroid field. What’s not to like?
AIDAN
The mines, for a start.
ENLING
I trust Grainne and they may not have told you, but we have a map of all the minefields in the area.
AIDAN
Yeah, the captain showed me.
ENLING
That’s good. Say, Aidan. Has the captain talked to you about what happened back on Flatrock?
AIDAN
You mean his connections to the Zenocrate Cartel? Yeah, he said it was a long story. Two bottles worth of your kaoliang.
ENLING
Hmph, well, better hope that this wreck has some stores of it. I’m almost out and I didn’t have time to resupply on Flatrock.
SOUND: CABINET OPENING
SOUND: CLOTHES MOVED
ENLING
Here, put this pressure suit on.
AIDAN
Isn’t there going to be atmosphere over there?
ENLING
Standard precaution.
AIDAN
By the way, where’s Tormar?
ENLING
Putting on his own pressure suit.
AIDAN
Oh, yeah, I guess these two-legged ones wouldn’t fit.
ENLING
The last time I saw him try, I nearly died. He’s kind of self-conscious even with his own suit, so he’s probably putting it on in private.
AIDAN
So wait, does it actually have enough sleeves for all his — ? uh, I haven’t felt comfortable asking him, does he call them tentacles or arms?
ENLING
Arms. Definitely don’t say tentacle. There’s this story about Tormar and this Batori squid that — well, that’s another long story.
AIDAN
More kaoliang.
ENLING
We gotta find some over there. Stories are backing up.
AIDAN
Speaking of backup, um, I see you have a blaster.
ENLING
Another standard precaution.
AIDAN
So, can I get one?
TORMAR
You will not need a blaster, Mechanic Vosky.
AIDAN
(STARTLED)
Ya!
ENLING
(NEAR SIMULTANEOUS)
Ah, Tormar. All suited up I see. Do you need me to check the pressure seals?
TORMAR
In a moment, thank you Doctor. First, I must instruct you both in the proper procedures for this salvage mission.
ENLING
Excuse me?
TORMAR
If I am not in error, young Mechanic Vosky has not partaken of such a mission.
AIDAN
That’s true.
ENLING
So?
TORMAR
So, I am in charge.
ENLING
What?
TORMAR
The captain told me to lead this mission.
ENLING
This is about denting the skimmer during the rescue on Flatrock, isn’t it? Did the captain say saving his hide was too dangerous?
TORMAR
You may ask him later. First, attend carefully: your mark three pressure suit has…
MUSIC: TRANSITION MUSIC FADES IN
TYGER BRIDGE – SPACE
(STANDARD BRIDGE AMBIENT)
MUSIC: TRANSITION MUSIC FADES OUT
GRAINNE
You know, captain, since you’ve decided he’s more useful to you alive, I do wish you’d stop trying to get Aidan killed.
REG MACORUM
If that were true, would I be sending Tormar and Enling over as well? Vosky’s a gift of the fates, Grainne. We’re lucky to have him and he’s happy to be away from his backwater home.
GRAINNE
That’s true, but he’s wasn’t just trying to leave, he wants to get somewhere as well.
REG MACORUM
What do you mean?
GRAINNE
I don’t know yet. But have you noticed how he carries himself? Too young to have been in military service and yet… have you noticed how he snaps to attention whenever you give orders?
REG MACORUM
Can’t say I have.
GRAINNE
That’s because you’re all too happy to have a crew member do that.
(BEAT)
One of his parents was military.
REG MACORUM
Maybe that’s why he told me he didn’t want to join the Imp navy.
GRAINNE
Maybe. But he’s on a quest.
REG MACORUM
We all are, except for maybe you.
GRAINNE
A human attitude. Some species know how to be content.
SOUND: ALERT SOUND
ENLING
(INTERCOM)
All right, we’ve been indoctrinated. Can we start this party?
TORMAR
(INTERCOM)
The mission briefing has been completed and we are ready to cycle the airlock captain.
GRAINNE
Mission briefing!?
REG MACORUM
I’ll explain later.
(BEAT)
All right Tormar, everyone. Take your time and be careful. Just because it looks like a simple courier doesn’t mean there can’t be nasty surprises.
MUSIC: CLIFFHANGER MUSIC CUE
ANNOUNCERLAND
MUSIC: CLOSING MUSIC BEGINS
ANNOUNCER
You’ve been listening to Rogue Tyger, episode eleven: “Uninvited Guests,” part one of five.
(BEAT)
Rogue Tyger is a production of Jabberwocky Audio Theater in association with Arlington Independent Media and was transcribed in Deepest Springfield.
(BEAT)
Tonight’s episode featured the vocal talents of Nick DePinto, Erin Goldstein, Brooks Tegler, Yasmin Tuazon, and Phil Amico.
(BEAT)
Music was composed by John Maestri and arranged by Jason Chmiola, with final sound mixing by William R. Coughlan.
(BEAT)
And the episode was written and directed by Bjorn Munson.
(BEAT)
Visit our website, jabber audio dot com, for full show notes about all our terrific cast and crew and other interesting details.
(BEAT)
This is William R. Coughlan, reminding you to join us next time for more Rogue Tyger.
MUSIC: CLOSING MUSIC ENDS
CONCLUSION
HOST
Hast thou slain the Jabberwock?
Text © Bjorn Munson, under license to Jabberwocky Audio Theater. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission.