Drifting in space as a frozen corpse is no fun at all, but on the other hand, time does pass quickly when you are mostly dead, that is, until a space tug pilot needs you for their salvage operation. Our two sleeping beauties are rudely awakened, not by a kiss, but by a doc, on a one way journey to intensive care.
Angel and May is an audio-only podcast, produced by a not-for-profit group of community theatre supporters.
See more on our website: www.angelandmay.com
Please support us through our Patreon page as we have no other source of income.
Drifting in space as a frozen corpse is no fun at all, but on the other hand, time does pass quickly when you are mostly dead, that is, until a space tug pilot needs you for their salvage operation. Our two sleeping beauties are rudely awakened, not by a kiss, but by a doc, on a one way journey to intensive care.
Angel and May is an audio-only podcast, produced by a not-for-profit group of community theatre supporters.
See more on our website: www.angelandmay.com
Please support us through our Patreon page as we have no other source of income.
EPISODE 3 - ILLICIT JOURNEY
INT.BAR
SLIM
Folks space is big, bigger than you
can imagine, like a big empty
prairie. Now take this asteroid
belt. Hollywood would make you
think its just a big pile of rocks
just bouncing around. Wrong!
These rocks are really far apart.
It's really dark and just like the
lights of LosVegas shining in the
desert, hangs New London, but out
there in the darkness are a few
mavericks.
INT. SPACE TUG CONTROL ROOM.
(CARTE, GHOST AND LATITUDE, TRACON)
HOT COFFEE
SIPPING
GHOST AND LATITUDE
White Queen to H6.
CARTE
Hum, Let me see.
CARTE
Hmmm, Well OK then, Black Queen to
F8.
GHOST AND LATITUDE
Are you sure?
CARTE
Oh, don't get all prissy on me with
your posh accent with added A.I.
Mind games gurl. So what's with the
wierd vox. You got a new mix.
GHOST AND LATITUDE
I picked it up at the Bagdad. All
the cool AI's are wearing at the
moment. I think its classy.
CARTE
The Bagdad?
GHOST AND LATITUDE
Oh that's a shared mind space, it
like an old Arabic souk. Really
cool place, wish you could see it.
CARTE
Yeah, sometimes I think you AI's
have the best dreams. Mind you,
without an avatar, might be a
little constricting, there's
something about the real universe
that makes it so... real!
GHOST AND LATITUDE
Deep! Now, are you going to take
your grubby meaty fingers off that
piece and make your decision.
CARTE
I do believe I might just do that!
Soooo, its your birthday soon,
Think you might look good in a
body, but don't get your hopes up,
have you seen the prices?
GHOST AND LATITUDE
Unfortunately yes. White Queen
takes H7 check and thank you for
thinking of me.
LOST IN SPACE
MUSIC
CARTE
What this miss Ghosty trying to
squeeze me! Ohhh, I need a refresh
on the old coffee front.
CARTE
Mind you if we get you a body,
you're going to have to knock off
the silly voice you know, the
uncanny valley and all, got to be
careful not to creep folk out with
your weirdness!
COFFEE MACHINE
GHOST AND LATITUDE
Don't worry I won't go all steam
punk on ya,
WIERD COMPUTER
VOICE
Or maybe I will!
COFFEE MACHINE
SOUNDS
CARTE
Now where were we? So you been
getting all boisterous over my
pieces. Might force me to do this.
Black King takes H7.
GHOST AND LATITUDE
Ohh, let me see. Oh thats not so
good! I'm so sorry Doily your wet
wear won't like this,
BLEEP THEN HAL
"I'm sorry DOILY I can't open those
pod bay doors".
BLEEP THEN
NORMAL VOICE
White Pawn takes G6, double check
on yah!
CARTE
Ho missy, if you tried to lock me
out of my boat, then I'd just
wrench my way in and jack your
audio, whilst I sing Daisy, Daisy,
slightly out of tune over and over.
How would you like that then? Oh
and by the way, Black King takes G6
GHOST AND LATITUDE
You Humans, so cruel, so very
heartless. However this little old
AI said boo to you, whilst a very
crafty White Bishop sneaks to E4
and calls Checkmate on ya! So my
pod bay doors will remain very
closed to you too.
CARTE
Dam you! You know no one likes the
smart kid in class don't you!
GHOST AND LATITUDE
Wait one,
BLEEPING
Hmmmm. Interesting, oh very nice,
DOILY, it may be your day, you'll
like this one.
BLEEPING
CARTE
You sure you're not trying to
distract me from my pain.
ATC RADAR
GHOST AND LATITUDE
Sorry to be sooo boring, its really
all business, I have a ping profile
for you, matches a ship. I'll pop
the coordinates up. Weirdly its on
a direct crossing of New London's
orbit, they'll not like that.
CARTE
Interesting, how much Delta V to
match.
GHOST AND LATITUDE
It's low at zero point one three.
We have sufficient fuel margins.
CARTE
What about the time profile.
GHOST AND LATITUDE
Not long, couple of hours we have
plenty of consumables, its close
in. Space weather, good, too not
much radiation at the moment so we
can cut the magnetics.
CARTE
We need to make the call, don't
want to be accused of piracy and I
bet the Strategic Defense Platforms
have fired up. I assume its a black
boat otherwise you wouldn't have
bothered me.
GHOST AND LATITUDE
Correct, no response to my pings
looks like its abandoned. I did
look at infra red and its heat
signature indicates it's rotating
and it's slightly too warm for a
dead hulk.
SERVO CHAIR
SCANNER
CARTE
Strange vector for a ship, would
take it out of the belt, but a real
slow boat this one, take a few
years, looks like its on a chaotic
low energy orbit.
TRUNKED RADIO
BLEEP
CARTE
HEAVY TUG GOLF LIMA TWELVE NINER ,
pilot speaking.
TRUNKED RADIO
BLEEP
TRACON
HEAVY TUG GOLF LIMA TWELVE NINER
your co-ordinates are close to a
BOGEY of potential interest. Low
signature on TRSA One Zero
Thousand. Can you investigate under
CIS retainer, over.
TRUNKED RADIO
BLEEP
CARTE
HEAVY TUG GOLF LIMA TWELVE NINER,
Roger, confirm sufficient dV.
Please pass contract numbers.
TRUNKED RADIO
BLEEP
GHOST AND LATITUDE
Receiving contract data, confirmed
Bravo airspace.
TRUNKED RADIO
BLEEP
CARTE
TUG GOLF LIMA TWELVE NINER Received
commercials CONFIRMED, do you have
any further information?
TRUNKED RADIO
BLEEP
GHOST AND LATITUDE
Confirm intercept data wise?
CARTE
Roger Ghost.
TRUNKED RADIO
BLEEP
TRACON
HEAVY TUG GOLF LIMA TWELVE NINER,
Negative on HIWAS looks good.
TRUNKED RADIO
BLEEP
CARTE
TUG GOLF LIMA TWELVE NINER Roger.
We are go for Approved Deviation
pickup then VECTOR to JOIN and
ADVISE.
TRUNKED RADIO
BLEEP
TRACON
HEAVY TUG GOLF LIMA TWELVE NINER,
Its a ROGER on that, TANSTAAFL.
TRUNKED RADIO
BLEEP
CARTE
Whooo, Its spooky, just wandering
and cutting across approved flight
paths, especially this close in.
Hmmm, OK Roy Roger saddle up and go
for burns. By the way you might
beat me a chess but that ping of
yours sucks, its entirely to
prosaic for such a mysterious
target.
GHOST AND LATITUDE
I can jazz it up for ya!
CARTE
Oh yes, give it some bass.
GHOST AND LATITUDE
I can do better than that, add some
delay, filtering, reverb and secret
sauce its all Ghostified!
PINGING
MODIFIED PING
CARTE
Yah ho! Wow! Oh that just sends
shivers down my spine. Your so
clever GHOST, you're my best ship
buddy!
GHOST AND LATITUDE
Your my best human friend too, I'd
give you a hug if you weren't so
squishy and soft and all.
CARTE
We'll have you in an avatar soon
enough my friend just be patient.
We can then go shopping!
GHOST AND LATITUDE
So excited! However on a more
boring matter. Shall I proceed with
burn immediately?
CARTE
Oh very yes on that, we might get
salvage! Go for efficiency burn,
dial down and we'll have time for
another game.
DELTA V WARNING
BURN NOISE
TRANSITION HOOK
INT. SPACE TUG CONTROL ROOM.
(CARTE, GHOST AND LATITUDE, TRACON)
CARTE
If you keep beating me I will loose
interest!
GHOST AND LATITUDE
You know I have a huge library of
old games don't you.
DELTA V WARNING
BURN NOISE
CARTE
You told me you wouldn't use any of
that for your learning.
GHOST AND LATITUDE
I didn't.
DELTA V WARNING
BURN NOISE
CARTE
We're going to have to reduce you
chess learning again?
GHOST AND LATITUDE
I can't help it if I win, must just
be a deep neural net trained with
excellent exemplars and the lack of
a mis-spent youth.
CHAIR SERVO
ELECTRO SCOPE
CARTE
Whooh, GHOST take a look at the old
electro scope! This black boat, its
really battered, its been in space
a long time.
GHOST AND LATITUDE
What do you recon, is that an
'Insteron'? Look at that long drive
tube. I measure 43.7 Meters
DELTA V WARNING
BURN NOISE
CARTE
Do you now! Well I think you might
be right. Might be a pre 65 model I
think look at the position of the
forward lock. Can you look it up in
Jane's for me. Oh and Dial in
TRACON please GHOST.
GHOST AND LATITUDE
Roger.
CARTE
HEAVY TUG GOLF LIMA TWELVE NINER,
confirm, alignment complete. I have
TVR Two Zero Thousand, its an old
scow, looks to be an 'Insteron 65'.
ZERO on lights, ZERO on
transponder, ZERO on infra red,
confirm black. Action advice? Shake
and bake, or tow?
DELTA V WARNING
BURN NOISE
CARTE
BOGEY in pitching roll, will take
some expendables to stabilize.
TRUNKED RADIO
BLEEP
TRACON
HEAVY TUG GOLF LIMA TWELVE NINER,
Roger confirm boarding cover. We
confirm corrupted manifest, pre 65
from log encryption style, no crew
listing or owner registration. We
suspect it hauled out of the
Brasilia hub, Earth-side, no crew
listed.
TRUNKED RADIO
BLEEP
CARTE
HEAVY TUG GOLF LIMA TWELVE NINER
Roger central, thats cheery thanks.
I would like to claim under Lloyds
registry, salvage.
TRUNKED RADIO
BLEEP
TRACON
HEAVY TUG GOLF LIMA TWELVE NINER,
Roger, registered request and
timestamped.
TRUNKED RADIO
BLEEP
CARTE
HEAVY TUG GOLF LIMA TWELVE NINER
Going variable, down for Two zero
minutes. GHOST position for grapple
and mag boot, spin down habitat,
and drain shield. Let me stow that
coffee machine first, don't much
like breathing it in. How far out
are we?
COFFEE MACHINE
PACKING
GHOST AND LATITUDE
15,450 meters. OK lets get in and
dirty, slow that pitch and roll,
DELTA V WARNING
BURN NOISE
I'll mag boot with the grappler
and we then try and stabilize the
old scow. If they still have
expendables we can use them for
trip back. Give me something to do
anyway! Affirmative.
CARTE
Ok GHOST, go for de-spin.
GHOST AND LATITUDE
Are you going to fit in that old
suit, its been some time?
CARTE
Hay, less of that, I love EVA, I
came top of my class!
GHOST AND LATITUDE
Yes but that was a few years ago.
CARTE
Watch out you, you know your diodes
are aging as well? OK lets de spin
now.
SHIP DE SPIN
SUIT SOUNDS
CARTE
OK I'm suiting up. Pip me when we
are 100 meters out, and I'll get in
the lock.
GHOST AND LATITUDE
DV on that roll is down but there
appears to be a small amount of
pitching reaction against the
magnetics. Maybe we have disturbed
some old thrusters.
PROXIMITY ALERT
CARTE
Roger, Ill do some matching with
the suits controls. OK lets get to
it, cycle out door please GHOST.
AIRLOCK
GHOST AND LATITUDE
Roger. Enjoy your EVA, you don't
often get to stretch your legs!
I'll call up the internals on the
Insterion 65 class for yah.
AIRLOCK
EXT. EVA
(CARTE, GHOST AND LATITUDE, SHIPS INFO LOG, TRACON)
TENSION SPACE
MUSIC
SHIPS INFO LOG
The Insterion 65 dimensions 220
meters long, 20 meters wide, 22
meters high. Mass displacement 450
tonnes. Hull material titanium re
enforced with carbon fibers. Two
locks, passenger and cargo.
CARTE
OK, thats enough Ghost, kill the
details, I've seen one of these in
the Jane's ships museum. Come to
mummy, my little dark ship. GHOST
can you kill a little more of that
yaw please, try not to hit me with
the gas jet!. I want to get it down
for my exit in case I have to tow
objects. OK! Got that. That's good.
BURN NOISE
BLEEPING AND IN
SUIT SOUNDS
CARTE
GHOST can you open up that channel
to control, I want this on the
record please.
GHOST AND LATITUDE
Afirmative
CARTE
HEAVY TUG GOLF LIMA TWELVE NINER
Variable, going to try a external
manual cycle on the airlock, but it
looks real frosty might be vacuum
welded, don't have high hopes.
HALF LOCK
OPENING
CARTE
HEAVY TUG GOLF LIMA TWELVE NINER
Variable, thats a neg on the auto
lock, going mechanical.
LOCK OPENING
TRACON
Status HEAVY TUG GOLF LIMA TWELVE
NINER Variable.
CARTE
HEAVY TUG GOLF LIMA TWELVE NINER
Variable, Status nominal so far, I
am inside about to cycle lock,
going to close outer and then open
inner.
LOCK OPENING
SERVO
There is some power inside I can
see lock telemetry showing
pressure. Going to try auto on
inner.
LOCK OPENING
SERVO
HISSING
INT. SCOW
(CARTE, TRACON)
CARTE
What the hell is this thing!
TRACON
HEAVY TUG GOLF LIMA TWELVE NINER
Variable Status confirm?
CARTE
HEAVY TUG GOLF LIMA TWELVE NINER
Variable, Ah roger on that sorry
got kinda startled. Strange scenery
in here, old boat, lots of vacuum
ablation on the way in, some pock
marks too. Two cryogenic tanks in
hold, some weird radiation
shielding, there are dim lights on
the tanks, investigating.
GLOVE ON GLASS
CARTE
Well I'll be dipped in shit.
TRACON
HEAVY TUG GOLF LIMA TWELVE NINER
Variable, confirm.
CARTE
HEAVY TUG GOLF LIMA TWELVE NINER
Variable, Oh you not going to
believe this but there are two
young women inside, alive I think,
you better prep the hospital.
I get the ship back but I'm not
touching any of this stuff, needs
some specialist gear.
TRACON
HEAVY TUG GOLF LIMA TWELVE NINER
Variable, roger, please implement
tow, berth Sunward, cap dock Two
three Alpha, recovery rates only
I'm afraid, owners redacted, you'll
have to wait for reconciliation and
Lloyds.
CARTE
HEAVY TUG GOLF LIMA TWELVE NINER
Variable Roger on that. I'll bring
them in, this is giving me the
creeps! Ghost, I'm heading straight
back in, prep for home burn, lets
get out of here and get back. Can't
wait until I tell, SLIM and GANDER
about this one!
TRANSISTION HOOK
INT. NEW LONDON MEDICAL FACILITY
(ALEX, DR ELLINGTON, MACALLISTER, SHARROW)
HOSPITAL AMBIENT
DR ELLINGTON
Nurse can you tell me where these
two patients came from, the
paperwork appears to be missing.
MACALLISTER
All I know doctor is they were
brought in overnight by CIS police,
rumor has it that they found them
on a drifting scow in the outer
belt.
DR ELLINGTON
That highly irregular, did they say
how long were they in cryo?
MACALLISTER
The cops didn't say much at all.
One weird thing, (Whispered) I
overheard was one of cops, he was
saying that the cryo design was
really old nearly 40 years old.
DR ELLINGTON
Forty years old, what kind of manic
would put people in such and old
design. I think we need to start
the wake up protocols slowly, so
can you do the path B procedure
please Nurse.
MACALLISTER
Oh certainly doctor.
TRANSITION HOOK
INT. BAR
(SLIM)
SLIM
So by now your wondering, what kind
of nut job would heal someone and
put them in a crummy cryo tube.
This ain't some kinda of modern
Cinderella story. It does take some
doing to wake these sleepy puppies.
Well I guess you just have to keep
on listening to find out!
TRANSITION HOOK
INT. NEW LONDON MEDICAL FACILITY
(ALEX, DR ELLINGTON, MACALLISTER)
HOSPITAL AMBIENT
MACALLISTER
Doctor, patient at station one is
coming around.
DR ELLINGTON
Very good nurse, I well attend
shortly, just finishing up over
here.
ALEX
Urge, yuk. (Coughing)
MACALLISTER
Take it easy there, you've been in
cryo.
ALEX
Ugh, what, Marie is that you? Ohhh,
Marie I had a terrible dream.
MACALLISTER
Take it easy, just relax.
ALEX
Ahh! Oh! Shit! Who are you? Where
am I?
MACALLISTER
Take it easy, take a sip of this.
Can you identify the other patient.
Look over.
SLURPING
ALEX
Patient. Where am I? Whats going
on? There was a firefight, we were
running I think, its all blurry,
then I got hit. I can't open my
eyes there all gummed up.
MACALLISTER
Hold on, let me try this, hold on,
this is going to be cold.
ALEX
Who's that? You say I was found
with this other women?
WEEPING AND
MUMBLING.
MACALLISTER
Doctor she is awake, said something
about a firefight and being badly
wounded. I did a quick check, there
are no signs of any trauma.
Sound of medical equipment being opened.
DR ELLINGTON
Ahh, Ahh Hmmmm, how are you
feeling? We don't have any records
can you tell me your name?
ALEX
Uggh, Its Alex, Alex Lucy Angel.
DR ELLINGTON
Do you remember were are you from?
ALEX
Of course I do, I may be sleepy but
I'm not dumb. Based in LA
registered as private detective.
DR ELLINGTON
You sure about that, your a little
too young to make a PI.
ALEX
Well flattery has its place but I
think 50 is old enough for most
things!
DR ELLINGTON
Fifty, more like 20 from your
looks.
ALEX
Well maybe I am going gaga then!
Oh, what the hell is this place,
and who is that women. I who the
hell are you for that matter?
DR ELLINGTON
Stay calm, your fine. You're in
'New London' 129 Antigone, its an
class A asteroid colony. You were
found in cryo. Can you tell me what
you remember?
ALEX
Say Doc, I feel weird and
different? What do your records
say?
DR ELLINGTON
Hmmmm, there was some corruption of
the data. So at the moment we can't
say. What do you remember?
ALEX
I was in LA City, USA. (Pause) Hang
on, what did you say, asteroid
belt? That can't be right, the last
thing I remember is a an attack at
our office. Sha..., Ohhh, my friend
and I were both gunned down, we
didn't have a chance. My friend...
was mortally wounded.. So you can
see why none of this makes any
kinda of sense.
DR ELLINGTON
Hmmm, irregular I must admit. Don't
know much at all, as I said the
data was corrupted. Brought in by
the CIS, that all I know. They want
to talk to you at some point.
ALEX
Can I see the other women?
DR ELLINGTON
Give it a couple a few minutes we
are still going through the revival
procedure, we did you first.
She should wake up in about an
hour. So you were saying you feel
'different'.
ALEX
A little strange and disoriented as
you would expect. Physically I feel
good, (pause) better than good
actually.
ALEX
Hay, thats weird!
DR ELLINGTON
Whats wrong?
ALEX
Well I used to have a scar from an
old wound on the back of my hand
and the nails seem to good. Its
like they are, too perfect. Doc, do
you have a mirror?
DR ELLINGTON
I don't no, but the nurse may have
one. Nurse could you get a mirror
for the patient?
MACALLISTER
Let me see, I have a small one in
my bag.
BAG NOISE
MACALLISTER
Here you are.
ALEX
Oh shit, oh shit, this can't be
right.
DR ELLINGTON
Whats wrong.
ALEX
OK, OK, deep breaths, get a grip
Alex. Deep breaths. OK the last
thing I remember was I was in a
fire fight and I was detective in
LA right. It might be a dream,
right.
DR ELLINGTON
Could be, perhaps the deep sleep
has made it more vivid.
ALEX
Yes but the weird thing is in this
'dream' I was 56! I was married to
a women called Marie! Shit what has
happened to Chris and Marie?
DR ELLINGTON
Hmmm, Is there any history of,
(pause) psychosis in your family.
Who's Kris?
ALEX
Oh just someone else in my
psychosis!
DR ELLINGTON
Do these people ask you to do
things?
ALEX
Doc no, its a memory. Look I might
be crazy, but its a very detailed
dream or something! Dam I don't
know! Look it was so vivid I
remember every detail including the
thud of the bullets as they hit me.
I'm not imagining this, it really
happened. Wait a minute I was shot,
theres got to be wounds!
CLOTHES RUSTLE
ALEX
Jeez I can't see anything. Look
perhaps I'm am imagining all this.
What happens if the other women has
the same 'dreams' try and explain
that then.
ALEX
Doc, whats the date?
DR ELLINGTON
Its the 20th of August 2085.
ALEX
Oh god, this is insane! I was on
earth some, (pause) 32 ago. Doc,
can I speak to the other women
please? And do yourself a favor
right, don't look up any records,
this is so weird, there may be
risks for you and your staff.
DR ELLINGTON
Risks?
ALEX
Yes risks, somethings happened to
myself and that other chick in the
other room. Deep voodoo stuff,
there may be blow back. They will
want to take repossession.
BACK TITLE MUSIC
END