Episode 2: Firmament

DEVISER

EPISODE TWO - FIRMAMENT

Original script provided by Harlan. Transcript by Liz. Reviewed by K.M.

Deviser contains extreme subject matter, graphic descriptions of violence, self-harm, and mature themes throughout. Listener discretion is strongly advised. For a full list of content warnings, head to deviser.ca

(BEGIN Episode 2.)

(Opening Theme)

(A pneumatic door opens and closes.)

DAD: There are many explanations…

SON (Huffs): I don’t understand and I’m not going to just sit here, alright.

DAD: Please, consider my reasoning.

SON: Why are you lying to me?

DAD: I’m not lying, Son.

SON: Well then, explain this?

(Squishing wet noises as the severed finger is presented.) –

(Dog begins to growl softly.) –

DAD: As I attempted to explain, there may be an error in my ability to read the cryogenic passengers.

SON: You said there were only two of us awake, you-you said you were 100% positive.

DAD: I am only as positive as my sensors allow. There may be an error.

SON (frustrated):  May?

DAD: Must. Perhaps the power outage caused something to malfunction.

SON: A power outage you claim to have no explanation for.

DAD: Correct. I can only hypothesize.

SON: Stop. I don’t buy this, I’m not buying any of this. (Pauses, begins to speak in a concerned tone.) None of this feels right. I - It hasn’t since I woke up.

(Dog whines.)

(Sound of footsteps as Son begins to walk. Dogs footsteps follow.)

DAD: Where are you going?

SON: I’m going to check on the passengers, we’ve just sent a log claiming they are fine - that everything is functioning properly, I need to find out if that’s true… (Sigh.) And after that… I’m going to check your operations room and find out exactly what the hell is wrong.

DAD: Agreed.

SON (surprised): Agreed?

DAD: Of course, Son. I am not working against you. If I failed to detect more than yourself and Dog aboard this ship then there are a great number of potential problems that could arise that I would not be able to inform you of.

SON: Right… well… good.

DAD: I am not trying to work against you. I want to help you. I promise you.

SON: You…

DAD: Son, you must be careful.

SON (puzzled): Why?

DAD: Everyone aboard this ship is counting on you.

SON: It's-It’s fine.

DAD: I am on your side.

SON: Fine. Fine.

DAD: In fact, perhaps you should head to my Central Core first, I can better help you if we can ensure there are no errors that I am experiencing.

SON: No, it’s… no. Passengers are the priority. If this finger belongs to one of them… (Wet squelching sound.) The skin on it looks… burnt.

DAD: Burnt?

SON (considering): And its finger nail is long, longer than mine. Just as soft but… (Wet peeling noise.) Ugh.

DAD: What will you do with it?

SON: Well we’ll keep it. That’s why I grabbed this.

(Lid pops off a bottle.)

DAD: An empty pill bottle.

SON: I’m not just going to leave it on my desk, I don’t want Dog to eat it.

DAD: Why not? All living things eat other living things.

SON (speaking softly to himself): Cryogenics, stasis… (Louder.) Elevator?

DAD: Down the hall to the left this time. Turn right at the junction.

(D whines.)

SON (to Dog): Sorry boy, this isn’t food. I’m going to check some things out. You want to come?

(Dog gives an excited bark.)

SON: Okay. Come on.

(Footsteps and the clatter of Dog's paws on the metal flooring.)

(A click and music begins to play over the speakers: the song is ‘The Devil Song’ by Ed McConnell.)

SON (displeased): Dad, that isn’t helping.

(A second click, and the music turns off.) –

DAD: I perhaps thought a song would help calm your nerves.

SON: My nerves are fine right now, thank you.

DAD: Understood.

SON: Okay… (Audibly shivers.) Why is it so cold over here?

DAD: I’ll adjust the heat.

SON: Please. (Speaking softly to himself.) Bridge, Living Quarters… (Louder.) I assume that’s us now…

DAD: Correct, which includes the Shower Facilities, Medical and the Cafeteria, of course.

SON: Of course. Then Deck 3 is Sciences…

DAD: Lab Deck, Arboretum, the Greenhouse…

SON: Right. Deck 4, Cryogenic Stasis. And then 5 and 6 are Maintenance and Systems…

DAD: Systems holds the reactor and Engines, though coolant for the Reactor is located on Maintenance along with my Central Core, as the tanks provide coolant for my systems as well and are rather large…

SON: Sure.. and finally Cargo.

DAD: Yes, 7 decks all told.

SON: No added details on Cargo?

DAD: Cargo holds a great number of supplies for recolonization efforts.

SON: Okay, well. Deck 4 for now.

DAD: Correct.

(The elevator activates, making loud mechanical noises.)

DAD: Fear is a healthy reaction, Son.

SON (confused): What?

DAD: Fear.

SON: A healthy reaction to what?

DAD (patiently): The unknown.

SON: What about this is exactly unknown, Dad?

DAD: It’s clear, despite your efforts to hide it, that you are having difficulty remembering certain aspects of the ship. It’s natural to fear the prospect of losing one’s memory.

SON (annoyed): It’s clear, is it?

DAD: Yes.

SON (Scoff): Well, aspects of you are becoming clear to me as well.

DAD: Such as?

(Dog whines.)

(Mechanical noises fade, pneumatic door opens.)

SON: Okay.

DAD (slightly quieter but closer): It’s voice controlled.

SON: Right. Deck 4. Cryogenic Stasis.

(Mechanical noises activate again as the elevator begins to move.)

DAD: Son?

SON: Nothing Dad. Let’s just find out what’s happened. Who else is on board.

DAD: You have a curious nature.

SON: Do I.

(Tense pause.)

DAD (reciting): One winter a Farmer found a Viper frozen and numb with the cold, and out of pity picked it up and placed it in his bosom. The Viper was no sooner revived by the warmth than it turned upon its benefactor and inflected a fatal bite upon him; and as the poor man lay dying, he cried, “I have only got what I deserved, for taking compassion on so villainous a creature.”

SON: Who's the viper and who's the man in this fable, Dad?

(Loud thud, and the mechanical sounds of the elevator cease.)

(Dog whines.)

SON: The doors aren’t opening. (Panicky.) Shouldn’t they be opening? Open doors. (Error tones.) Elevator!

DAD: I believe the elevator has stopped between floors.

SON: Between?

(Dog whines.)

SON: (Knocks on the elevator doors.)

DAD: Perhaps you can try and force the elevator open.

SON (sighs): Yeah, I guess. (Strains to force the doors.) Ugh. It’s not moving. It’s not. (Breathlessly.) Come on. (Pants with exertion.)

DAD: Calm down, Son.

SON (snarls): I am calm. (Strains.) I’m just… trying… to… Ugh. (Stops straining, pants.) Well?

DAD: Power is functioning normally, it is possible something has come loose and is jammed beneath the elevator. A panel, perhaps.

SON (incredulous): A panel has come loose.

DAD: Possibly.

SON: Solutions?

DAD: At this time I would recommend attempting to examine the elevator from the outside.

(Dog whines.)

SON: From the outside? How?

DAD: All elevators have an emergency hatch in the floor and ceiling for cases such as this.

SON (muttering to himself): 200 days on this mission… not a single thing goes wrong…

DAD: It’s possible this happened days ago, Son. I believe you are drawing dishonest conclusions.

SON: Fine. I’ll check the floor first. I suppose. (Barely audible.) Okay, where is..?

(Sound of screws being removed and a panel being moved.)

SON (to Dog): It’s okay boy, it’s okay. (To Dad.) Well, I don’t see anything beneath us.

DAD: It may be directly on the elevator track. You won’t be able to see it unless you physically lean out, Son.

SON (voice echoing into the distance): How far down is it?

DAD: From our position on Deck 4, I estimate the fall is around 120 meters.

SON: And how many meters can… someone survive falling?

DAD: Eight.

SON: Okay. (Exhales and grunts as he moves.) Left side is clear. Okay… Right side is clear too, but I can see the Deck below. The door is shut. I could maybe reach it, but…

(Something chitters, then makes an aggressive chuffing noise.)

SON (spooked): Ah! What was that?

DAD: What is what, Son?

SON: I heard something, it sounded below us in the elevator shaft, or maybe… I-I don’t know. Whatever must’ve stopped us must be on top.

DAD: You should be able to climb out onto the top of the elevator to get a better view.

SON: Wonderful. (Sounds of unscrewing and removing the ceiling panel.)

(Dog barks and whines unhappily from below.)

SON:  I don’t see anything up here either. What… why… Wait… I see a vent.

DAD: The ventilation shaft is not an approved form of egress from the elevator, Son.

SON: Well what other option is there right now? (Considering.) There’s quite the gap between the elevator and the grate, but...

DAD: Son, I think I have an alternative solution.

(Dog continues to loudly whine and bark.)

SON (skeptical): I’m sure you do. I’m just going to try for the vent.

DAD: Son?

SON: Okay.

(Dog continues to whine and bark pitifully.)

SON (to Dog): It's okay, boy. I'll be right back. (Quietly to himself.) Okay.

DAD: Son.

SON: Come on… (Grunts as metal clunks and clatters.) Oof. Okay. Okay. Come on. (Strains.) Come on.

(A grate comes free, and Son laughs.) 

SON: Oh! (Laughs.) I got it! I got it!

(Dog barks from the elevator.)

SON (Straining): I’m going to head in the vent, and see if I can get to Deck 4. Maybe open the elevator from the outside.

(Metal clunks as Son climbs into the vent, straining and panting.) 

SON: Okay. I-I got this. I got this. I got this. Okay… Okay… Dad? (Pauses, waiting for a reply.) Okay. (Continues to move, straining and panting, the sound of fans can be heard in the distance.) Come on. Okay. Okay. (Louder.) Dad! Dad, is it straight, or do I turn left or-or right? (Pause.) Okay. Okay. (Considering.) Right is… dark and… left... Okay let’s just go straight. Straight is the way we go. (Resumes moving, and begins to hum softly to himself, but stops suddenly with a gasp, as if spooked.) Hello?

(Barely perceptible sound of something else breathing under the sound of fans.)

SON (quieter, more uncertain): Hello?

(The breathing sound gets louder, sounds less human.)

SON (panics and rapidly begins to move): Come on. Come on. (Strains, another grate clatters open, sounds of Son falling to the ground.) What is… why…?

DAD: The vent was a dangerous option, Son.

SON: Dad! I heard something in the vent, it was… it sounded… I don't know what.

DAD: I believe you.

SON: Of course you believe me… what was it?!

DAD: I have no way of knowing that, Son.

SON: Where are we?

DAD: In the air scrubber maintenance room on Deck 4. All air intake fans lead to this room. It recycles the air for breathable oxygen.

SON: What is that?

DAD: That large cylindrical passage connects to all the air scrubbers on the ship.

SON: And why is it so large?

DAD: During maintenance, the scrubbers can be put off-line in order to send a technician into the steel air tubes to fix any issues.

SON: Okay. (Approaches a door and pushes on it.) It won’t open…

DAD: This room requires access, the code is seven four eight three. Son, I…

(Keypad noises as Son punches the access code in, the pneumatic doors open, Dog barks, and there is a thud as Son grunts.)

(Distressed whines from Dog.)

SON (laughs in relief): Dog.

DAD: …managed to get the elevator working.

SON: Yeah, I can see. (Chuckles.) Hey boy… aw. (Quietly as Dog continues to cry.) Hey, hey, hey. Hey. It's okay. Hey, I’m so sorry I left you. Hey. I won’t leave you again, I promise. Okay? I promise.

(Dog barks happily.)

SON (happily, as he pats Dog): Yes. Yes. (Chuckles and then sighs.) I don’t remember much boy, but I remember you. Who’s a good boy? Who's a good boy? (Laughs happily.) Okay. Okay. Alright, come on. (Begins walking.) Why aren’t there any lights on?

DAD: As Cryogenic Stasis is not actively being used during our voyage, the lights here are motion activated. When you move further down they will turn on.

SON: Why? Why motion?

DAD: I believe this is a consideration for Dog.

SON: The light barely reaches beyond the length of the hallway. Why are all these halls painted black?

DAD: Perhaps if you move your arms above your head they will activate more easily.

(Sound of Son straining to do so followed by the lights turning on overhead.)

DAD: See?

SON: Yeah, I see. (Continues walking.) Were we, um… are we transporting anything other than humans back to Earth?

DAD: Yes, there are a number of animals as well being transported.

SON: Right, right… is it possible they got loose? Is it possible your sensors wouldn't pick up animals the way they would a human?

DAD: Possible, yes.

SON: Cryogenic Stasis is...?

DAD: Down the hall, correct.

SON (quietly to Dog): Come on.

DAD: Beyond that door is the Cryogenic Stasis capsule, it is self contained in the event of an emergency and contains 4,000 humans in stasis.

SON: Okay. (Presses a button and the door opens.) Stay here, boy.

(Dog whines.)

SON (to Dog): It's okay, I'll be right back.

RVA (distantly): Cryogenic Stasis.

SON (in awe): Wow. Wow. It’s massive.

DAD (echoing in the large room): The capsules are held in place securely via electromagnetism.

SON: Yeah, they move around this bridge as well… Why is the room rotating?

DAD: They are continually rotating to apply resistance on their muscles ensuring they don’t degrade over time.

SON: I thought they were frozen.

DAD: While it is true cryogenics are being implemented it is not across an entire body but instead only their blood flow. It’s a rather complicated process that allows their bodies to mature as they remain in stasis.

SON: Sure… well it wouldn’t be easy to climb out of one of those, especially while they’re rotating.

DAD: Exactly.

SON: The console at the end of this walkway, can it…?

DAD: Yes, it will be the optimal area to assess if all passengers are still in stasis.

(Son activates a computer terminal, it boots up with a dial tone.)

DAD: It should be fairly straightforward to alleviate your concerns, Son.

SON (darkly): Yeah. And what if I’m not sure what I’m more concerned about?

DAD: Meaning?

SON: Meaning is it more concerning… (Sigh.) That someone is out of stasis… or that everyone is accounted for?

DAD: There is only one way to find out.

SON (confused): Have I used this console before?

DAD: Of course. Many times.

SON: Recently?

DAD: Not within the last two weeks. Why do you ask?

SON: The keys. They have something… sticky... I-I've seen this before. Upstairs. Out front of the Waste Matter room.

DAD: And the passengers?

SON: All are accounted for.

DAD: So I am reading no error. Perhaps my systems are functioning correctly.

(Son sighs, shuts down terminal, and begins walking away.)

DAD: Where are you heading now?

SON: Your Central Core, a deck down. I'm going to find out what's wrong with... you.

DAD: You’ve stopped walking. Is something the matter?

SON (fearful): Someone has written something on the wall, Dad. Above the door.

DAD: Interesting. What does it say?

SON: It says…

DAD: Son?

SON: Why haven’t I seen stars?

DAD: What do you mean?

SON: Why haven’t I seen the stars.

DAD: You have. Many times. In previous – 

SON (angry): Not previous times, not other days in which I can’t remember… we’ve been through two decks of this ship now and I haven’t seen the stars.

DAD: As I explained earlier, there are no windows by design…

SON: Why? Why was that a design choice?

DAD: If you could remember you would – 

SON (furious): Well, I can’t remember Dad! I can’t remember and all I have to believe is you. And your word. Except all your answers only lead to more questions and even then they don’t seem to stack up against each other, do they?

DAD: Son. Please remain calm.

SON (angry): I’m sick of remaining calm, someone is on this ship or some… thing. I’ve heard it once in the Waste Disposal room and again in the vent.

DAD: Interesting.

SON: Something has been down here using this console and something wrote “WHY ARE THERE NO STARS” on the wall, in red.

DAD: Son, I assure you.

SON: You assure me nothing. Nothing you can say can be trusted, n-not until I look at your central core which I am going to do right now.

DAD: Son. Son.

SON (sharply): Dog? (Frustrated.) These stupid lights. (Angrily.) Dog!? (Worried.) Dog?... Dog? Dad, where is Dog? Dad?

DAD: I’m not entirely sure, Son, however I do detect an additional entity on this deck.

SON: Additional… as in besides Dog and myself.

DAD: Correct.

SON: Do you know where it is?

DAD: No.

SON: Okay.

(Something moves, footsteps begin approaching, something growls lowly, and the lights come on.)

SON (Shaky breaths): What… what… what is that…?

DAD: That, if I’m not mistaken, is the Devil, Son.

(End theme plays.)

(Music plays: ‘The Devil Song’ by Ed McConnell.) 

(END Episode 2.)

DEVISER was written, performed, edited, mixed and mastered by Harlan Guthrie. All themes were written, recorded, and performed by Harlan Guthrie. This episode featured Henry Guthrie. If you enjoyed this episode, please share this podcast with a friend or family member, and leave a review at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or anywhere else you might listen. If you enjoy creations like this, please consider supporting us through the INVICTUS Stream Patreon at patreon.com/theINVICTUSStream. For more shows like this check out Malevolent.ca. Thank you for listening.