Episode Transcript
Rogue Tyger
“Uninvited Guests,” Part 3
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
Exploring a wrecked courier in a far-off star system, Captain Macorum’s old ship, the Silver Star, appears out of nowhere — and her new captain doesn’t like competition.
(BEAT)
Jabberwocky Audio Theater presents Rogue Tyger. Tonight’s episode: “Uninvited Guests,” part three.
MUSIC: THEME MUSIC ENDS
TYGER BRIDGE – SPACE
(STANDARD TYGER BRIDGE AMBIENT)
GRAINNE
How much longer do you think we can sit here, Captain? She knows we’re going to try something.
REG MACORUM
Patience, Grainne. We have to give Tormar and the others time to make it to an airlock. I shouldn’t have had us decouple from the docking collar.
GRAINNE
If you hadn’t we wouldn’t have the maneuverability we have now and “our boys” sounded okay when they heard about the boarding party.
REG MACORUM
That’s because Enling watched too many space operas in her formative years.
(BEAT)
At least the Silver Star doesn’t appear to be lining us up for a shot.
GRAINNE
Perhaps Captain Malabar doesn’t want a fight any more than we do.
REG MACORUM
Oh she’s up for a fight… and if not Sylvia, her first officer would love to do us harm. Still, I wish I knew what she was thinking right now.
MUSIC: TRANSITION MUSIC FADES IN
SILVER STAR BRIDGE – SPACE
(DIFFERENT BRIDGE AMBIENT)
MUSIC: TRANSITION MUSIC FADES OUT
SYLVIA MALABAR
I wish I knew what he was playing at.
JOCHI BORTAY
Isn’t it obvious, Captain? Macorum has been looking to hurt the Zenocrate Cartel since he left.
SYLVIA MALABAR
The simplest answer, Mr. Bortay, may be the correct one, but I still feel something’s missing. What do the scans on the Tyger reveal?
JOCHI BORTAY
Not much different from the last time we saw her. Knockoff of the Wessex interloper class. Some shielding of sensitive areas, but no weapons.
SYLVIA MALABAR
Do you believe that?
JOCHI BORTAY
Of course not. Macorum must have given her claws. They’re just hidden.
SYLVIA MALABAR
My thoughts exactly. Filter the scans to see if you can pick up the signature of missile warheads.
JOCHI BORTAY
Missiles?
SYLVIA MALABAR
His style, don’t you think? Pack a big punch.
JOCHI BORTAY
I’ll recheck the visual as well to see if I can spot the missile ports.
SYLVIA MALABAR
Good idea. In the meantime, what’s the word from our boarding party?
JOCHI BORTAY
Rikken just reported in. They’ve boarded through the starboard airlock. No sign of the Tyger crew yet.
SYLVIA MALABAR
Do we know who’s over there?
JOCHI BORTAY
That tree-sized mass of tentacles and at least two others. That’s what the life readings indicate, anyway once we subtract our six crew.
SYLVIA MALABAR
You can’t tell where they are?
JOCHI BORTAY
There’s too much shielding on that wreck. Maybe we’ll get lucky and they’ll radio the Tyger, but even triangulation may be difficult. Those Cee-Tees built this ship to hide some secrets.
SYLVIA MALABAR
All right. Tell Rikken and her party I want them alive for questioning.
JOCHI BORTAY
I already gave that order, Captain, but some of the old crew might not like it.
SYLVIA MALABAR
That, Mr. Bortay, is why you’re not over there.
MUSIC: TRANSITION MUSIC FADES IN
COURIER CORRIDOR
(SAME AMBIENT AS BEFORE)
MUSIC: TRANSITION MUSIC FADES OUT
ENLING
All right fearless leader, what’s the game plan?
TORMAR
I am not without trepidation, Doctor.
(PAUSE)
I am also open to suggestions.
AIDAN
Shouldn’t we just get to the airlock?
ENLING
But which one, Aidan? We have two airlocks and unless they’re trying to breach the hull, that’s where they’ll come in.
TORMAR
We cannot overlook recklessness on the part of the Silver Star crew. They are Zenocrate.
AIDAN
Okay, they’re part of the Zenocrate Cartel, they’re bad guys. I get it. What do we have in our favor?
TORMAR
The ship’s layout is now known to us.
SOUND: RUSTLE OF PAPER
ENLING
Only thanks to this map from the bridge. Nothing on this boat is intuitive.
AIDAN
True. Hopefully they’ll stumble around like we did.
ENLING
I also turned on a lot of instrumentation on the bridge. If they’re looking for energy signatures, they’ll go there.
AIDAN
Do we have something to look for energy signatures? Y’know, figure out what airlock they’re coming in on?
TORMAR
Unfortunately, no.
ENLING
We were just going to radio back to the Tyger for that sort of thing.
AIDAN
Well, they haven’t jammed us yet, have they?
TORMAR
They await our radio signals to triangulate our position.
ENLING
Tormar’s right. The captain gave us the head’s up as a calculated risk. If we had chatted any longer, we’d be staring at a blaster barrel.
AIDAN
Great.
(BEAT)
Okay, do we know if they’re on board already?
SOUND: BULKHEAD DOOR OPENING (DISTANT)
RIKKEN
(DISTANT)
See anything?
HESS
(DISTANT)
No. And I get a reading down the other corridor. Bridge might be that way.
RIKKEN
(DISTANT)
All right, mark this door and let’s move out.
SOUND: BULKHEAD DOOR CLOSING (DISTANT)
ENLING
Thank the Fates for corners.
AIDAN
Thank your diversion.
ENLING
Well, at least we know which airlock they came in on.
TORMAR
That means the port airlock is our best option.
ENLING
We just need to go through…
(CONSULTING MAP)
this central room on the map here.
AIDAN
What’s “Special Inventory” mean?
ENLING
I don’t know… but it doesn’t have any nasty symbols on it like this one here warning about the reactor core, so I suppose it’s safe.
TORMAR
We will be vigilant regardless.
ENLING
All right then. Aidan, will you do the honors?
AIDAN
Okay.
SOUND: BULKHEAD DOOR OPENING
TORMAR
Move with caution.
COURIER SPECIAL INVENTORY ROOM
(QUIET AMBIENT)
AIDAN
Will do.
(BEAT)
Uh, I can’t find a light switch.
ENLING
Huh, most of the lights in the ship have been on or motion sensitive.
SOUND: SWITCH CLICK
TORMAR
Use your suit light, Mechanic Vosky.
AIDAN
Oh yeah.
SOUND: SWITCH CLICK
AIDAN
(CRIES OUT)
Aaah!
(BEAT)
Body. That’s a body, right?
ENLING
Hold on, let me see.
SOUND: SWITCH CLICK
ENLING
Yes. Human, adult male. Can’t tell the cause of death offhand, but he’s been sprayed with an embalming film to prevent decomposition. That explains the sweet floral scent in here.
TORMAR
Doctor, I do not think we can learn anything from these bodies. We should move on.
AIDAN
Bodies?
ENLING
Ah, I see. Three more.
AIDAN
Oh boy.
ENLING
This is officially creepy.
AIDAN
Say, that one doesn’t look human. It is wearing some kind of armor?
SOUND: GEARS AND SERVOS WHIRR
TORMAR
Stay back!
SOUND: BLASTER DRAWN FROM HOLSTER
THE ROBOT
I see you have arrived and in the forecast number. That is good. We must now move before the opposing forces discover us. That would be bad. Direct the way to your vessel please.
ENLING
Direct is certainly one word.
AIDAN
What is that?
TORMAR
It is a robot, Vosky.
AIDAN
I know that, I mean what was it doing there, lying down like one of the corpses? What is it “forecasting?” What the hell?
TORMAR
You do not understand the purpose of robots across the Span as you appear not to understand a great many things.
THE ROBOT
Your inter-species rivalry may continue at a later time. We must move presently. You may put down the blaster Doctor.
ENLING
How do you know I’m a doctor?
AIDAN
Your satchel with the red cross on it?
ENLING
So, maybe I’m just a medic.
AIDAN
(PAUSE)
But you’re still a doctor.
TORMAR
And robots in the Imperium are safe by regulation.
ENLING
Regulation is all well and good, but I want to see its warranty. Aidan has a point.
SOUND: CLATTER DOWN THE HALLWAY
THE ROBOT
You waste time. I am safe. We must go.
ENLING
Yeah, and self-reporting is always accurate
SOUND: CLATTER DOWN THE HALLWAY
AIDAN
(SIMULTANEOUS)
Enling…
TORMAR
(SIMULTANEOUS)
Doctor…
ENLING
All right, let’s go, just keep it in front.
AIDAN
Hold on, let me close the door to the corridor we came from.
SOUND: BULKHEAD DOOR CLOSING
AIDAN
No sense in them seeing where we got to. Where’s the other door?
SOUND: BULKHEAD DOOR OPENING
THE ROBOT
Here. Move quickly, Saluvian.
AIDAN
How does it know I’m from Haapsalu?
TORMAR
Speed is most vital.
COURIER CORRIDOR
(STANDARD CORRIDOR AMBIENT)
ENLING
We’re heading to the port airlock, tin man.
THE ROBOT
Logical. Please keep up.
ENLING
Not a problem.
AIDAN
So is this an average Imperial robot? It doesn’t look like anything I’ve seen.
THE ROBOT
I do not serve the Imperium.
TORMAR
The model looks very old.
THE ROBOT
Explanations may be conducted on your vessel.
ENLING
Oh, we’ll be conducting something.
THE ROBOT
I have stated before, the blaster is unnecessary, Doctor. The danger lies behind us.
SOUND: BULKHEAD DOOR OPENING
THE ROBOT
We have arrived at the cargo hold. Please go through to the airlock and prepare to exit the ship.
ENLING
Robots first.
COURIER CARGO HOLD
(SAME AMBIENT AS BEFORE)
AIDAN
I have the door.
SOUND: BULKHEAD DOOR CLOSING
TORMAR
Place your helmets on.
SOUND: HELMET SEAL CLOSING
ENLING
Just when this ship was getting interesting.
SOUND: HELMET SEAL CLOSING
AIDAN
Yeah, but I could really use some kaoliang.
SOUND: HELMET SEAL CLOSING
(AIDAN, ENLING, AND TORMAR HAVE “IN-HELMET FILTER FROM NOW ON)
SOUND: AIRLOCK OPENS
THE ROBOT
The opposing forces have discovered your bridge ruse and will return here first.
ENLING
You’re certain of that, huh?
THE ROBOT
Within two sigma.
TORMAR
Let us not waste time: into the airlock.
COURIER AIRLOCK
(SAME AMBIENT AS BEFORE)
SOUND: AIRLOCK CLOSES
THE ROBOT
Your vessel is not attached to the docking collar.
ENLING
You didn’t know that?
THE ROBOT
This is not advised.
TORMAR
Robot, our ship is close by. Do you have maneuvering jets?
THE ROBOT
If I can hold onto one of you, I will manage.
AIDAN
Let’s take the plunge before we think about it too much.
ENLING
Come on, Aidan, admit it: you’ve been dying to try out the suit jets.
SOUND: AIR RUSHES IN AND OUT
AIDAN
Let’s not say “dying,” okay?
TORMAR
Make ready and follow my lead. That includes you, robot.
THE ROBOT
I understand.
SOUND: AIRLOCK OPENS
SOUND: PARTICLE BEAM FIRING
TORMAR
(SIMULTANEOUS)
Back up!
ENLING
(SIMULTANEOUS)
[Cries out.]
AIDAN
(SIMULTANEOUS)
[Cries out.]
SOUND: AIRLOCK CLOSES
THE ROBOT
This course of action must be aborted.
(ENLING AND AIDAN ARE BREATHING HEAVILY FROM THE SHOCK)
AIDAN
Oh boy, that was a particle beam, wasn’t it?
ENLING
Yes.
AIDAN
That was a big particle beam.
ENLING
Yes.
TORMAR
The Silver Star must have been watching this airlock.
ENLING
And I was hoping to at least get out of the ship before they shot at us.
THE ROBOT
We must make alternate plans.
AIDAN
Like what?
TORMAR
Find another exit?
AIDAN
The other exit is the other airlock.
ENLING
And between us and that airlock are half a dozen armed thugs happy to make our acquaintance.
MUSIC: CLIFFHANGER MUSIC CUE
ANNOUNCERLAND
MUSIC: CLOSING MUSIC BEGINS
ANNOUNCER
You’ve been listening to Rogue Tyger, episode thirteen: “Uninvited Guests,” part three 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 Erin Goldstein, Brooks Tegler, Bjorn Munson, Carol McCaffrey, Yasmin Tuazon, Phil Amico, Nick DePinto, and William R. Coughlan.
(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 awesome cast and crew and other intriguing 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.