Ep. 19: Unsteady

After a 90-day mandatory stay on a Federation relay station, the Outcaster crew is back together and on the move. Their much-awaited reunion comes with anecdotes, puzzle pieces, and a bottle Chapman's Moonshine moonshine.

Directed by Ro Glenn 

Written and Produced by Laurel Steele 

Editing & Sound Design by Alex Godina 

Episode Art by Andrés Aranda

Sound Editing by Montse Márquez

Sound Mixing by Alin Brindis 

Science-Fiction Consultancy by Javier Calatayud

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:03

Outcaster radio. Good morning, Outcasters. This is Captain Tanaka, tuning in from the Orionus Verge. It's Thursday, July 2nd, 2143. It's been a while. We've been off air for the past 90 days and grounded for just as long at a Federation transmission station. Wow. I can't tell you how much I missed this. How much I missed all of you. And I especially missed having my crew together in one place. For the first 30 days of our mandatory stay, we were under investigation for the leak of Captain Mangold's message. Our names were rightfully cleared. Despite our proven innocence, the Federation decided it was prudent to keep us on the station until the investigation was complete. You see, we were one of dozens of grounded Federation ships spread across the galaxy. Congratulations to the other crews enjoying happy reunions. And our hosts did their best to keep us busy. Worth mentioning that the Federation's investigation has been branded inconclusive, at least publicly. But let's not get stuck on that. Far from it. There are new crises, discoveries, and more rumors. We'll get to what matters soon enough. But today, the Outcaster crew is focused on reunion. According to the people at the top, we can best serve the Federation by swapping panels from outdated mining drones. So it's onwards to our old stomping grounds in the Thetis sector. During our time on the station, I realized how much I took Outcaster Radio for granted as something that would always be there. When it wasn't, I understood just how important it is. To me, the crew, and to all of you. I've been waiting three months to say this next thing. Let's get today's music started. This track is actually a request from a new acquaintance I made on Lunar Nine. It's called Pendulum Pings by Alex Dominguez.

SPEAKER_01 4:33

Hell yeah, victory!

SPEAKER_09 4:35

About damn time. Yes. A quarter of a year apart, and somehow you're all louder than I remember.

SPEAKER_11 4:45

That's because nobody's been allowed to talk for three damn months.

SPEAKER_05 4:51

I personally think it's nice hearing everyone's voices on the same channel again.

SPEAKER_11 5:04

Not me, you won't. You'll get a firm handshake and you'll be satisfied.

SPEAKER_10 5:11

We'll see about that, Shoni.

SPEAKER_09 5:16

Joe, I'm surprised I don't hear you complaining about drone duty.

SPEAKER_04 5:25

Look, I take back all my complaints. Anything's better than peeling potatoes for five hours a day. My delicate fingers will never be the same.

SPEAKER_07 5:38

I told you to cut away from yourself with that parry knife.

SPEAKER_04 5:50

Still, in the past three months, I've bled more than I have in my entire military career. The Federation owes me a medal.

SPEAKER_08 6:02

Were you expecting the station to let a pair of misbehaving bombers into their weapons bay?

SPEAKER_11 6:11

Or a convicted hacker into their comms room.

SPEAKER_09 6:28

Music across the Milky Way voted best broadcast in seven quadrants.

SPEAKER_00 6:42

This next song comes from an anonymous request. Much of my time on the station was spent in isolation. My room was white and windowless. As far as difficult experiences go, this ranks high on the charts. But I was occasionally gifted little surprises. A note slipped under my door. A message tucked into a meal tray. Even a library book returned with a few encouraging passages underlined. Most were unsigned. This one simply read, You are fans. After three long and lonely months, those small acts meant more than I can say.

SPEAKER_10 8:05

Thanks. And thank you, Chapman. The stenciling looks great. I never would have gone with Neon, but it works.

SPEAKER_06 8:16

It's the same color palette as my spring underwear line. I'll model the bikini cut tonight.

SPEAKER_08 8:25

By the way, Silk, you might want to slow Gecko down a bit. We're still two weeks away from the theta sector.

SPEAKER_10 8:36

Copy. It just feels good to finally stretch out a bit.

SPEAKER_05 9:05

It was more like a merry-go-round and always within the right operator's view.

SPEAKER_10 9:13

The three of us weren't even allowed to be on radio comms unless it was strictly federation business.

SPEAKER_00 9:59

After ninety days of Federation playlists, I think we've earned this one. Here's Against the Grain by the Daisy Dreamers.

SPEAKER_05 10:48

The story got buried pretty quickly with other scandals.

SPEAKER_11 10:56

More like planted gossip.

SPEAKER_09 11:02

Well, I was able to access a few forums.

SPEAKER_04 11:07

But how? The Federation stripped all our hardware the second we arrived.

SPEAKER_09 11:14

You underestimate what I can make with spare parts. And an unregistered comms scrambler.

SPEAKER_11 11:25

Looks like you owe Creole a thank you card. So, what'd you find?

SPEAKER_09 11:34

Unfortunately, not much. Any talk of the hollows and the void and threads unraveling dried up within the first month.

SPEAKER_05 11:48

Public form streams are heavily monitored by the Federation.

SPEAKER_09 11:55

Even in the conspiracy threads, things have gone quiet. There's only one random guy still posting about it.

SPEAKER_06 12:05

Was it user CL4 Eva 3?

SPEAKER_09 12:11

That's right. How do you know? Uh, of course.

SPEAKER_04 12:17

Chap, I missed you so much.

SPEAKER_05 12:22

You know, as hard as things were for us, I don't think anyone had it worse than Captain Tanaka.

SPEAKER_09 12:30

That's right. When Command wasn't interrogating her, she was in solitary.

SPEAKER_04 12:38

I'll bet five hundred credits. She's the reason we got out.

SPEAKER_11 12:44

Make it a thousand dollars.

SPEAKER_06 13:16

Broadcast by the Fed fifty-seven frequency.

SPEAKER_00 13:28

I've had this next song stuck in my head for months and found myself whistling the melody over and over. Apologies, devastation personnel. I'm sure it drove you crazy. Hopefully, you'll understand why when you hear the whole thing. This is Treehouse Treasures by Lakeside Dreamers.

SPEAKER_09 14:32

Well, I had 60 days to run repairs on everyone's crafts inside the station's hangar. Alone. My only company was Chapman's Pet Dolphin.

SPEAKER_06 14:45

And Dr. Fru Fru is quite the chatterbox.

SPEAKER_10 14:52

What about the other mechanics in the hangar? There was constant Federation traffic the whole time we were there.

SPEAKER_09 15:04

Anytime I tried to strike up a conversation, they'd make some excuse to leave.

SPEAKER_04 15:14

Apart from taking instructions from Amara, everyone was tight-lipped.

SPEAKER_11 15:23

Even so, we did manage to pick up a bit of intel. Mangold and the Gezmech 3 are very much real, not a fabrication like the Federation claims.

SPEAKER_04 15:37

A few weeks back, I heard two privates talking in the lunch line. Apparently, one of their cousins went to school with Mangold's daughter.

SPEAKER_09 15:49

That's it. That's all you got.

SPEAKER_11 15:55

It was until I started waving my machete at them.

SPEAKER_08 16:02

I'll never know how you convinced the station manager that you needed a machete to Julianne Onions. Anyway, the private's cousin said, Mangold's daughter never stopped bragging about her dad or his ship, the Gezmech 3.

SPEAKER_04 16:22

Her name is Maria Mangold. Turns out she's a researcher like her dad.

SPEAKER_11 16:31

Until recently, she was living on the civilian station Eileen Nine.

SPEAKER_08 16:40

But has been off grid ever since the distress signal leakcaster radio.

SPEAKER_00 17:52

I admit, it feels a little unsteady. But it also feels like we're going forward. The past 90 days were a new experience for all of us. One that we don't care to repeat. And so much I want to hear. For now, I hope the music is enough. Until next time, stay sharp, stay safe. And remember, we may be far from home, but we're never alone. This is Captain Tanaka signing off.