Mother and The Cavers - S1 - E11

Previously on Void, Jonas was running towards the caves in an effort to save his own life. Along the way he found that Nova and Gerald had left a crate for him with supplies to aid his survival. He also stumbled upon the body of revolt leader Alton Fysk. The council and Colonel Harlow discussed the effectiveness of the gas they're using on the colony population and their plans for the future. And at the end of the last episode, Jonas not only found the caves, but also discovered he wasn't alone.

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Transcript

Copyright ©2020 VOID PODCAST LLC

Narrator:

Previously on Void, Jonas was running towards the caves in an effort to save his own life. Along the way he found that Nova and Gerald had left a crate for him with supplies to aid his survival. He also stumbled upon the body of revolt leader Alton Fysk. The council and Colonel Harlow discussed the effectiveness of the gas they're using on the colony population and their plans for the future. And at the end of the last episode, Jonas not only found the caves, but also discovered he wasn't alone.

SOUND: DOOR KNOCKING, DOOR OPENING

1. JONAS ALDRIDGE RESIDENCE

GERALD DANIELS

Colonel Harlow? What are you doing here?

COLONEL MERCY HARLOW

I'm here on council business, I'd like to come in.

GERALD DANIELS

Uh, sure.

SOUND: WALKING, DOOR CLOSING, WHEELCHAIR MOVING COLONEL MERCY HARLOW

I see you've been drinking, Dr. Daniels.

GERALD DANIELS

I enjoy a cocktail now and then.

COLONEL MERCY HARLOW

This early?

GERALD DANIELS

That's not your concern, Colonel Harlow. Now can you please tell me why you're here?

COLONEL MERCY HARLOW

All council matters are my concern, Dr. Daniels, including the mind-state of the people the council works with. Are you drunk?

No, I'm not, again... why are you here?

COLONEL MERCY HARLOW

I'm here to inform you that the council is generally not very happy with the progress that's been made with the uranium project you're working on.

GERALD DANIELS

Oh, I see, so you're here to intimidate me.

COLONEL MERCY HARLOW

Let's just say I'm here to provide some motivation. A sluggard's appetite is never filled, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.

GERALD DANIELS Um...

COLONEL MERCY HARLOW

Proverbs 13:4.

GERALD DANIELS

Oh. I'm not up on bible verses.

COLONEL MERCY HARLOW

You really should read the good book, Dr. Daniels; it's full of motivational passages. Another favorite is diligent hands will rule, but laziness ends in forced labor. Proverbs 12:24.

GERALD DANIELS

Are you threatening to push me into forced labor because you think I'm lazy?

COLONEL MERCY HARLOW

Whatever it takes to fulfill the will of the council is what I'm prepared to do. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit. Ephesians 5:18.

GERALD DANIELS

I don't drink wine, so I guess I'm ok there.

COLONEL MERCY HARLOW

What are you drinking, Dr. Daniels?

Not wine. Before you continue quoting scripture, allow me to pass along some education to you. Uranium is not something we can just rush along to some end result. Also, I'm not an expert on the substance, but since I'm one of the few scientists that hasn't fled the planet for the space station, the council asked me to work on this project, without much aid I might add.

COLONEL MERCY HARLOW

And you seem to have accomplished nothing so far.

GERALD DANIELS

Not true, before Dr. Aldridge was banished, we were able to draw enough energy to power an entire tier.

COLONEL MERCY HARLOW

How is that progress?

GERALD DANIELS

Baby steps, Colonel Harlow, baby steps. We have to weigh, measure, and adjust as we go. We can't get to the finish line unless we're willing to run the entire race. If we rush this process in particular, we risk creating unstable agents that could trigger an explosion that would wipe us all out. If you really want to rush the process we can, but that's a risk we'll be subjecting ourselves to. Working with uranium is anything but simple and very dangerous. There's also the fact that our technology is limited without a lot of options available. The equipment on the space station is much more suited to...

COLONEL MERCY HARLOW

Stop mentioning those godless heathens on the space station, they are not our concern.

GERALD DANIELS

Of course...my point is that we don't have the proper equipment or personnel we really need, so we're doing our best trying to work around our limitations.

COLONEL MERCY HARLOW

The council isn't interested in excuses.

GERALD DANIELS

These aren't excuses, Colonel; they're facts, something the council isn't particularly interested in either.

COLONEL MERCY HARLOW

Watch your tone, Dr. Daniels. I would hate to see you suffer the same fate as your friend Mr. Aldridge.

Dr. Aldridge. You should know that threats don't really motivate me, Colonel.

COLONEL MERCY HARLOW

No? I guess it depends on the threat, doesn't it? Maybe my squad and I will pay you a more extensive visit next time and we'll just see where you're getting your alcohol resources. And perhaps we'll pay more attention to your friends like Ms. Bayflower, as well. Torture is another form of motivation I've found effective.

GERALD DANIELS

That's nice; are we done here?

COLONEL MERCY HARLOW

For now. I might be back for another visit very soon; we'll see. Thoughts and prayers.

1. (continued) SOUND: WALKING, DOOR OPENING AND SLAMMING SHUT, WHEELCHAIR MOVING, DRINKING, TRANSITION SOUND, DOOR KNOCKING

GERALD DANIELS

Oh shit, now what? SOUND: DOOR OPENING

GERALD DANIELS

Hi, Nova. Come in.

SOUND: WALKING, DOOR CLOSING, WHEELCHAIR MOVING GERALD DANIELS

You should've stopped by earlier, you could've enjoyed some of Colonel Harlow's special brand of intimidation.

NOVA BAYFLOWER

Harlow was here? Are you ok?

GERALD DANIELS

I'm fine. Wouldn't be the first time the council grew impatient over a project.

NOVA BAYFLOWER

The uranium thing?

GERALD DANIELS

Yeah, the council is in a hurry to use it to power everything they can think of and so far we've only managed to power a tier.

NOVA BAYFLOWER

That sounds like progress.

GERALD DANIELS

It is. (whispering)

That's the problem, I didn't want to achieve that so soon. We sort of stumbled on it while running a test. Now, I'm doing whatever I can to stall.

NOVA BAYFLOWER

You're sabot...

GERALD DANIELS

(whispering loudly)

Lower your voice! No, not sabotage, stalling. I don't want to hand over nuclear power to a bunch of religious zealots so they can blow up people they disagree with.

NOVA BAYFLOWER

So she was here trying to get you to move faster.

GERALD DANIELS

Exactly. This time it was just foreplay; next time I imagine things will move to the main event.

NOVA BAYFLOWER

You better show them something.

GERALD DANIELS

There is another real problem - that is, I don't have many people to help me. There are 2 assistants I use and one scientist I lean on to help consult, but that's all I have at my disposal.

NOVA BAYFLOWER

Didn't many of them flee to the space station?

GERALD DANIELS

Yes, we estimated something around 80 percent.

NOVA BAYFLOWER

I heard rumors... of abduction... scientists disappearing.

Those things were happening. Once it was decreed the council was taking over, scientists began fearing persecution for belief in science over religion. Many of our colleagues began disappearing. Jonas and I stayed behind because we thought we could do more good here for the colony.

NOVA BAYFLOWER

But I guess the council changed your feelings on that.

GERALD DANIELS

Yes, I'm afraid they did.

NOVA BAYFLOWER

The space station is the reason I'm here.

GERALD DANIELS

Oh? What's wrong, Nova?

SOUND: WALKING THEN PACING A BIT NOVA BAYFLOWER

I have to tell you something about my “experience”.

GERALD DANIELS

Ok.

NOVA BAYFLOWER

I've never been to the space station.

GERALD DANIELS

What do you mean? I thought you had experience with...

NOVA BAYFLOWER

I lied, ok?! I needed the work. The truth is: I've logged 3 entire flights in low Earth orbit and have never been to the station much less have experience docking with it.

GERALD DANIELS

3 flights? That's all?

NOVA BAYFLOWER

Three - which includes the test we just did. I don't know think I can do this.

The mission is in 2 days.

NOVA BAYFLOWER

I know.

GERALD DANIELS

Jonas is coming back and will be sneaking in to stow away, Nova.

NOVA BAYFLOWER

I know! What I don't know is what to do about it!

GERALD DANIELS

You're going to have to go through with the mission.

NOVA BAYFLOWER

I'm not sure I can handle it, Gerald.

GERALD DANIELS

If you back out this close, the council will not take it lightly. They will find a way to punish you and cast you aside as being useless to them. You're on their radar now, Nova; you're either useful to them or not, and if you're not...

NOVA BAYFLOWER

I don't want to know.

GERALD DANIELS

It's too late to find a new pilot. Another problem with canceling is that unless I can reach Jonas, he's risking coming back and getting caught for nothing.

NOVA BAYFLOWER

What about the communicator?

GERALD DANIELS

Dead. He's radio silent.

NOVA BAYFLOWER

What does that mean? Is he ok?

GERALD DANIELS

I have no idea.

SOUND: TRANSITION SOUND, WALKING, DRAGGING SOUND

1. SURFACE CAVES

CAVER #1

This guy's heavier than I thought.

CAVER #2

That suit he's wearing isn't helping. I really wish we could've just killed him; that would be a lot easier.

CAVER #1

Let's get him to Mother. She'll figure out what to do with him.

SOUND: WALKING, DRAGGING, THEN STOPPING, LARGE DOOR OPENING, WALKING, DRAGGING, THEN STOPPING

CAVER #1

Greetings Mother - here he is.

MOTHER

Thank you. Can you please try to wake him?

SOUND: HELMET BEING REMOVED, FACE SLAPPING CAVER #1

Wow, he's still out. Wait a second.

SOUND: WATER BEING DUMPED ON JONAS' FACE JONAS ALDRIDGE

(coughing, sputtering)

What the hell? What's going on? Is this water?

SOUND: SCRAMBLING TO HIS FEET, SPEARS BEING DRAWN CAVER #1

Calm down.

JONAS ALDRIDGE

Whoa! There's no need to stick spears in my face, I'm not armed. I'm not a threat!

CAVER #1

We'll be the judges of that. What is your name?

Dr. Jonas Aldridge, from the colony.

CAVER #1

This is Mother; she is our leader.

JONAS ALDRIDGE

Hello, Mother.

MOTHER

Greetings, Dr. Aldridge. What brings you to our caves?

JONAS ALDRIDGE

Refuge. I was looking for a place to get out of the radiation.

MOTHER

And why are you out in the open like this and not back in the colony?

JONAS ALDRIDGE

I was banished by the council.

MOTHER

If you were banished, how is it that you have a radiation suit?

JONAS ALDRIDGE

Some friends helped me out there. I used to work for the council as a scientist, and among the things within my responsibility was measuring outside levels of radiation. They planted my suit for me before I was put on the surface.

MOTHER

I see. So you are, or were, loyal to the council.

JONAS ALDRIDGE

No, I was loyal to the colony. I just worked for the council because it was the only way to get access to resources. Once most of my colleagues left the planet for the space station the council seized equipment and supplies - what they decided not to destroy anyway. I did as they asked of me, but I was also able to try to make the colony more livable for its inhabitants.

MOTHER

So you have no loyalty to the council? Doesn't that make you a traitor?

Look, I never bought into the politics; I'm just a scientist who was trying to do good for his fellow human beings, that's all. I have no loyalty to the council or the revolt. The only actual people that I know that I'm loyal to are the ones that provided me with this suit. Now we all have another chance.

MOTHER

What does that mean?

JONAS ALDRIDGE

It means there's a bigger picture mission at hand. The entire population of this planet is in grave danger.

MOTHER

To be clear, Dr. Aldridge, I will suffer no fear mongering!

JONAS ALDRIDGE

And I intend none. Remember that I was responsible for measuring radiation levels? Well, they're rising. The reason for that is our atmosphere is now on a pathway that is inevitable. It's deteriorating at an accelerated rate that indicates it's not going to stop. Once it dissipates completely, the sun's rays will kill all life on Earth. If not from the heat rising to thousands of degrees, then from the radiation levels that will penetrate the planet to its very core.

MOTHER

Who knows about this?

JONAS ALDRIDGE

Besides myself - just a few others back at the colony. We tried to tell the council, but they described my report as heresy. We were told if we discussed my report with anyone, we would be executed on the spot.

MOTHER

How long?

JONAS ALDRIDGE

Five years, maybe. I'm not sure, it's hard to tell with the limited equipment we had.

MOTHER

So even the caves won't be able to shield us.

JONAS ALDRIDGE

I'm afraid not. (brief pause)

I was wondering if I could ask you a question about the caves?

MOTHER

I suppose.

JONAS ALDRIDGE

How is it that you've all been able to survive here without getting radiation poisoning?

MOTHER

The sulfides - more specifically: argentite in the walls of the cave.

JONAS ALDRIDGE

Silver?

MOTHER

Yes, it has an excellent attenuation for blocking electromagnetic radiation.

JONAS ALDRIDGE

That makes sense! Wait a minute, how did you know that?

MOTHER

I wasn't always known as Mother. Not ALL of your former colleagues fled the planet, Dr. Aldridge.

JONAS ALDRIDGE

Who are you?

MOTHER

Who I was is not important. You mentioned something about another chance.

JONAS ALDRIDGE

Yes. My goal was to wait here until the day after tomorrow and sneak back into the colony.

MOTHER

To what end?

JONAS ALDRIDGE

There's a shuttle leaving that day for the station. The pilot and I are working together to get me on board as a stowaway so I could go to the station with her. And from there we're going to put together a crew to seek out another home world for the population.

MOTHER

Another planet?

So, you're going to Europa then.

JONAS ALDRIDGE

As a starting point, yes. You seem to have put some thought into this.

MOTHER

I've dabbled with the idea. And if that fails? If you can't get through the surface ice?

JONAS ALDRIDGE

Proxima B, maybe... I have no idea really.

MOTHER

I've always wondered about that one. That's a long journey.

JONAS ALDRIDGE

Yes, I'm afraid it is.

MOTHER

Your cause, while it may be futile, is also very noble and seemingly necessary.

JONAS ALDRIDGE

I don't know what else to do. I'm just trying to find a way for us all to survive.

MOTHER

Maybe we're not supposed to survive...Perhaps our time is up.

JONAS ALDRIDGE

You sound like my friend Gerald. He's a scientist and a skeptic too.

MOTHER

Yes, I am a skeptic, but also a survivor like the tribes that live here.

JONAS ALDRIDGE

How many live here?

MOTHER

We have many... much more than the colony knows. And as mother to the cave tribes, it's my calling to protect and provide a future for the members of those tribes and their families.

I am; and I would like to aid you in your task, Dr. Aldridge.

JONAS ALDRIDGE

Thank you, I'll take all the help I can get.

SOUND: TRANSITION SOUND, DOOR OPENING AND CLOSING, WALKING

1. COUNCIL CHAMBERS

COUNCIL SEAT HARRIS

Blessed day, Colonel.

COLONEL MERCY HARLOW

Blessed day, Council Seat Harris. May I issue my report?

COUNCIL SEAT HARRIS

Please.

COLONEL MERCY HARLOW

I met with Dr. Daniels. His progress on the uranium project is the same; I'm afraid. No progress from his last report until now.

COUNCIL SEAT HARRIS

That's a shame. I'm afraid we're displeased to hear that.

COLONEL MERCY HARLOW

I anticipated and conveyed the council's disappointment. I followed up with some encouragement, but he seemed undeterred from his present course of action.

COUNCIL SEAT HARRIS

He was rebellious towards you?

COLONEL MERCY HARLOW

To a degree. His attitude concerns me. If we don't strike an element of more fear in him, he may not produce the results you're seeking. The mentality he has could trigger more unruly actions and behavior.

COUNCIL SEAT HARRIS

Are you suggesting he could end up working with the revolt?

COLONEL MERCY HARLOW

Possibly.

COUNCIL SEAT HARRIS

But with their leader dead, do you feel they're still a threat? We haven't had an incident since Fysk was banished.

COLONEL MERCY HARLOW

No we haven't. However, my agents and I have discussed the possibility that perhaps the revolt members have gone silent only temporarily while they seek a new leader.

COUNCIL SEAT HARRIS

I thought all the revolt scum were captured.

COLONEL MERCY HARLOW

Many of them, yes, but not all. From the prisoners we have in custody we were able to extract the whereabouts of several of their cells and have dispatched them accordingly. But as far as we can tell, there are a number of revolt sympathizers that are still at large.

COUNCIL SEAT HARRIS

Do you think that Daniels is communicating with any of these terrorists?

COLONEL MERCY HARLOW

No, we've indicated no sign of him having any communications or meetings with them. He doesn't seem to leave his residence very much, if at all. And the only visitor he receives is that pilot, Ms. Bayflower.

COUNCIL SEAT HARRIS

No doubt to coordinate the shuttle launch.

COLONEL MERCY HARLOW

We suspect that, as well. The visits seem relatively short between the two.

COUNCIL SEAT HARRIS

And Ms. Bayflower's activities?

COLONEL MERCY HARLOW

Nondescript. She isn't a concern, at the moment.

COUNCIL SEAT HARRIS

What do you recommend?

COLONEL MERCY HARLOW

I would like to bring Daniels in for more robust conditioning and encouragement.

COUNCIL SEAT HARRIS

So you mean to elevate the process with a more strenuous approach?

COLONEL MERCY HARLOW

Precisely.

SOUND: MUTTERING COUNCIL SEAT HARRIS

The council approves of your approach. However, we would like to remind you that Daniels is in the midst of several very important projects and he cannot be delayed or hampered in any way that would be detrimental to his progress. Understood?

COLONEL MERCY HARLOW

To ease the council's concerns, I'd like to offer that my methods, while perhaps a bit more rigorous than usual, will not do any such damage that would interfere with his work. The desired effect will be quite the opposite, where he be a new man with a new attitude after seeing the light.

COUNCIL SEAT HARRIS

That's very encouraging to hear. You have our blessings, Colonel Harlow. Thoughts and prayers.

COLONEL MERCY HARLOW

Thoughts and prayers dear council. SOUND: THEME MUSIC

END OF EPISODE 11