21 characters: Peters, Alien Three, Alien Four, Announcer, Hernandez, Ex-mayor, Alien Two, Renata, Alien One, Larissa, Marissa, Priest, Stone, Saetang, Ambassador One, Ambassador Five, Therapist, Jim, Sanders, Lawrence, Sergey
Click on a character's name to get their lines highlighted.
Peters (10 lines, 156 words, 5.92%) - [David Loftus] Salish Peters, chief mechanic. Great-grandfather was the first mission commander, and he never tires of telling people so and relating the stories of Earth he remembers hearing from great-grandpa. Sensible, direct, kind of average working Joe. Now about to turn 70, he has a husband and two grown kids.
Hernandez (3 lines, 54 words, 2.05%) - [Lindsay White] Eva Hernandez is feeling a bit bitter about recent experiences.
Ex-mayor (11 lines, 164 words, 6.22%) - [Roger Arnold] Mayor Renata Mutombo's father, a former mayor himself, really misses being in the middle of everything. At 82 years old, he's struggling to reconcile with his declining years and wants to find a way to matter again.
Saetang (22 lines, 260 words, 9.86%) - [Sova Reign] Detective Aranya Saetang has now been on the job for 22 years. Sometimes she's still a little annoyed about having to share the office with Ahmadi, but she tries to bury her resentment.
Renata (32 lines, 380 words, 14.41%) - [Kathleen Li] Renata Mutombo is the mayor for 22 years now. Now around 50 years old. Ambitious and competent. No longer in campign mode, she should sound more natural and less practiced than before.
Jim (3 lines, 39 words, 1.48%) - [SlimSamVO] Jim O'Hara is an ore extractor who works in the mines. He has a chip on his shoulder and is a little resentful of the desk jockeys who run things and know nothing of real work and real danger. In short, he has an attitude when dealing with the detectives. A fairly macho guy.
Lawrence (2 lines, 19 words, 0.72%) - [James Lorenz] Chief Lawrence heads up astronomy section.
Priest (3 lines, 46 words, 1.74%) - [David Nagel] The asteroid's sole religious services provider is 22 years older and wiser than last season, but his role hasn't changed much.
Sergey (2 lines, 11 words, 0.42%) - [??] Sergey Kochergan is an ambitious young man who hasn't really decided what to be.
Therapist (1 line, 4 words, 0.15%) - [Ahmad Joudeh] Doctor Tam Peters is the husband of Salish Peters and therapist to all.
Sanders (7 lines, 97 words, 3.68%) - [Erin Suminsby] Chief botanist Juliana Sanders is now in her 40s and mellowed, with dreams of revolution far behind her.
Stone (17 lines, 215 words, 8.15%) - [John Gaunce] Doctor Stone has become ever more wrapped up in his research over the years and resents being torn away from it.
Marissa (9 lines, 98 words, 3.72%) - [Virginia Hargrove] Communications Chief Marissa Flint is 48 years old and enjoys the responsibilities of her new job. She's now married to Arash Ahmadi... turns out there was some jealousy behind her previous spite for him, but they're still playfully combative at times.
Larissa (13 lines, 178 words, 6.75%) - [Lindsay Townsend] Chief Mech Larissa Flint is now 40 years old and much more experienced than last season.
Ahmadi (0 lines, 0 words, 0%) - [Paul Knierim] Detective Arash Ahmadi is now 46 and married to Marissa Flint.
Marcus (0 lines, 0 words, 0%) - [??] Marcus Flint, father of Larissa and Marissa.
Ambassador One (3 lines, 48 words, 1.82%) - [Azure] Ambassador One is a Centaurian. They communicate non-verbally, so in order to be understood by humans they wear machine translators.
Ambassador Five (4 lines, 93 words, 3.53%) - [Azure] Ambassador Five is a Centaurian. They communicate non-verbally, so in order to be understood by humans they wear machine translators.
Alien One (28 lines, 546 words, 20.71%) - [Meghan Schmitt] A six-legged, one meter tall, sturdily-built hermaphrodite alien with a trunk.
Alien Two (9 lines, 142 words, 5.38%) - [??] A six-legged, one meter tall, sturdily-built hermaphrodite alien with a trunk.
Alien Three (2 lines, 17 words, 0.64%) - [??] A six-legged, one meter tall, sturdily-built hermaphrodite alien with a trunk.
Alien Four (1 line, 11 words, 0.42%) - [??] A six-legged, one meter tall, sturdily-built hermaphrodite alien with a trunk.
Announcer (3 lines, 59 words, 2.24%) - [Erin Suminsby] Reads opening, closing and credits.
Script format: Margined | Marginless (for phone viewing)
Listen along as you read:
1 SOUND: crawling in metal space
2 Peters: *a few seconds of grunting from difficult movement in confined space*
3 Alien Three: Njẹ o ti gbọ awọn aṣẹ tuntun naa?
4 Alien Four: Bẹẹni, a n gbe wọn lọ si agbaye wa.
5 Peters: [quietly to self] Just stay right there, you two...
6 SOUND: slightly more crawling, panel opens, switch flipped, electrocution, alien grunts and collapses
7 Peters: Gotcha.
8 SOUND: kicks panel out, walks a few steps, clothing movement leaning over picking up weapons
9 Peters: I'll take those shields and weapons, thanks very much.
10 SOUND: opening theme
11 Announcer: Quiet Please dot org presents Two Fifty Three Mathilde. In the early 22nd century, the crewed asteroid 253 Mathilde left the solar system on an interstellar mission. Generations later, after a hundred and fourteen years, a new star system stretches out in front of them…
12 Announcer: Episode 16 - Escape Room
13 SOUND: arboretum crowd
14 Hernandez: This really hasn't been my month, first the amputation and now captured by invaders. And this huge crowd is setting off my agoraphobia too.
15 Ex-mayor: [dismissively] I don't think any of us are having a great time at the moment, Eva.
16 SOUND: door opens
17 Ex-mayor: The door!
18 Alien Two: Attention! You will be transferred to your new quarters on our asteroid. We're ready to take the first group of twelve.
19 Renata: [defiant] We're saying right here!
20 Alien Two: I've not asked a question, so you will be quiet. The guards will pick which twelve of you are in the first group, follow them when they tap your shoulder. Your alternative is to be shot again and carried.
21 SOUND: crowd murmur of panic
22 Ex-mayor: Renata... if they take me, and then you see a chance to escape, promise me you won't blow the chance by trying to come after me.
23 Renata: Dad, I can't promise you that! And it's not just about you, it's about all of our people.
24 Ex-mayor: Life isn't some scripted holotainment. You can't always save everyone, and trying to isn't always the right call like it is in fiction. If your moment of opportunity comes, remember that.
25 Alien Two: We have our twelve, we'll be back in an hour for the next group.
26 SOUND: aliens and their captives leave, door closes
27 SOUND: observation room tone?
28 Alien One: Thank you for helping us safely transfer the air processing system to a less primitive power source, Chief Flint.
29 Larissa: I didn't do it for you, I did it because we need to breathe too and there's nobody maintaining our reactor or processing ore for it while you've got us imprisoned.
30 Alien One: Your reactor technology is incredibly primitive.
31 Larissa: And yet you needed me to help you with it.
32 Alien One: That's precisely why we needed help, primitive technologies like this require a lot of people to keep them running and can fail in so many complex ways. It's a wonder you've survived your mission.
33 Larissa: We rely on each other.
34 Alien One: Our technology is self-maintaining and self-repairing, and always safe without a need for interaction.
35 Larissa: Guess I'd be out of a job on your asteroid.
36 Alien One: Next, we'll be demolishing your communications dish. You'll help us by evaluating any secondary effects that may have on other systems.
37 Larissa: What makes you think I'm going to help you?
38 Alien One: The alternative is we do it anyway with less safety assurance.
39 Larissa: If you want my help, I'll need a gesture of good faith from you.
40 Alien One: We've been receiving hails from the ship you launched. I propose that in exchange for your cooperation in this one simple matter I can allow you to respond to the hail before the dish is demolished.
41 Larissa: That's... oh, what the heck, let's do it. Can you bring my sister into the call too? It's our father out there.
42 Alien One: I can permit it.
43 SOUND: they stop moving and sit down at a table or something as there are computer operation sounds from the alien
44 SOUND: connection sound
45 Marissa: [sfx: processed] Hello?
46 Larissa: It's me, Marissa. They're about to destroy the communications dish but they've agreed to let us talk to dad first.
47 Marissa: Glad you're okay, sis. How far away is he now?
48 Alien One: The ship is around a hundred light seconds distant.
49 Marissa: So we won't be able to have a real conversation, just a voicemail exchange.
50 Alien One: I'll begin transmitting you now.
51 SOUND: communications activation sound
52 Larissa: Hi dad, it's me. The invaders are in control, but I think we're all alive.
53 Marissa: They dumped us in the arboretum and they're taking a few at a time over to their asteroid.
54 Larissa: They'll be demolishing the communications dish shortly so we don't have much time, but I wanted to let you know we survived.
55 Marissa: And we'll still get out of this and regain control somehow, dad. They haven't beaten us yet.
56 Alien One: They have assuredly been defeated, but we're gracious victors. We will deliver them them back to Earth, and we will take the opportunity to warn Earth of the consequences of repeating your bad behavior. And you will be allowed to continue your mission so long as you continue decelerating. You will be allowed one reply message not to exceed thirty seconds length. End transmission.
57 SOUND: transmission cutoff sound.
58 Larissa: What consequences?
59 Alien One: Destruction of the planet.
60 Larissa: Seems a bit harsh, blowing up a planet, don't you think?
61 Alien One: But necessary. This procedure was established to prevent worse outcomes.
62 Larissa: Worse than the destruction of a planet?
63 Alien One: The destruction of many planets is worse than one. But if they heed our warning, they will be fine, or at least we won't be the mechanism of their destruction. Now come with me, perform the work you agreed to and I'll allow you to hear your father's reply.
64 SOUND: they walk off, end scene
65 SOUND: arboretum
66 Priest: You know, Doctor, some people say every sin extracts a price... a pound of flesh.
67 Stone: [distracted] Is that so? Sounds very neat and tidy.
68 Priest: The problem with our universe is that the people who pay the price for it aren't usually the ones who committed the sin.
69 Stone: [sharply] Are you talking about Ahmadi? Hernandez?
70 Priest: Am I? Was nice chatting with you, Doctor.
71 SOUND: priest walks off
72 Renata: Okay people, I need a practical step we can take now.
73 Stone: [recovering] Unless we've got a better idea, we should get the nanobots to somebody they'll take in the next group, then once they're over to the alien asteroid that person can find an opportunity to infect one of the guards there.
74 Renata: But we have no way of knowing who they'll pick next...
75 Saetang: The people they picked were all pretty close to the door, somebody could stand in front to improve their odds.
76 Renata: But who can we send on that mission, knowing they may never make it back?
77 Ex-mayor: I'll do it.
78 Renata: Dad!
79 Ex-mayor: It makes sense. I understand the mission, and I'm old enough I have less to lose.
80 Renata: But, dad, we don't have even the slightest idea how we could ever get you back from there! And this nanobot idea is such a long-shot it's almost ridiculous!
81 Ex-mayor: What do you think the odds are, Doctor?
82 Stone: Well... I hate to say it but she's probably right, it's just the only thing I could come up with.
83 Ex-mayor: But there's a chance?
84 Stone: Maybe, there's just no way to know.
85 Ex-mayor: Except to try. This long-shot plan is the only idea we have right now. And they're going to take somebody next, might as well be me.
86 Renata: [desperate] But dad, I need you here! To help us plan our escape!
87 Ex-mayor: It's okay, Renata. Maybe we'll all end up togeather over there and this'll have been for nothing, but hopefully I'll get the satisfaction of having helped you escape.
88 SOUND: group walking down corridor
89 Ambassador One: I thought you said hibernation travel was permitted, why are we being moved?
90 Alien One: It is permitted, but this asteroid is being confiscated, so you must be moved. We've already moved your hibernation pods into the shuttle.
91 Ambassador Five: Will you take us home?
92 Alien One: In due time. We'll stop at Earth first, but we can put you all in hibernation for that. You should be home within 6 years local time or about 25 years by your home planet's clocks, but it can feel as quick as you like if you sleep through it.
93 Ambassador Five: Thank you for returning us, and far quicker than we'd hoped. We were on our way slowly homeward via Proxima station when the humans revolted against their orders and hijacked us onto an aimless meandering.
94 Ambassador One: Five, you sound as if you like being invaded and imprisoned.
95 Alien One: When we get to our asteroid you may consider yourselves guests, not prisoners. And here's the shuttle now, please board.
96 SOUND: alien ship door opens, they enter and sit
97 Ambassador Five: You've been awake far too long, One. You've gone native. 253 Mathilde isn't our world, and we were the unwilling victims when they changed course. I don't understand how you've changed so much since then.
98 Ambassador One: The course change may be like yesterday to you, but it was 22 years for me. Do you not care what happens to the humans?
99 Ambassador Five: Being returned safely to their planet is far better than they deserve, I'd prefer they be put on trial.
100 SOUND: shuttle takes off, scene ends
101 SOUND: arboretum room tone. metal panel kicked out, peters emerges, causing crowd to gather.
102 Peters: What's everyone staring at? Never seen a man pop out of the floor before?
103 Therapist: [sfx: approaching] Salish, you made it!
104 Saetang: Are those alien weapons and shields?
105 Peters: That's right. A couple of them made the mistake of standing on the transphasic conductor cable where I could run a charge through them.
106 Saetang: Good to know there's something they're not invulnerable to.
107 SOUND: door opens
108 Renata: Quick, stand in front of the equipment.
109 Alien Two: Attention! We're ready to transfer the next group. When you feel the tap on your shoulder, proceed in an orderly fashion single-file.
110 Ex-mayor: [sfx: distant] [calling out over crowd from distance] Goodbye, Renata! I've been picked!
111 Renata: [calling out after him at a distance over crowd] I love you, dad! I'll get you back somehow!
112 SOUND: distant footsteps depart, door closes
113 Saetang: I have an idea -- not to get the people they've taken back, but to get control back. I'll need your help, Doctor Stone -- and yours too, Peters.
114 SOUND: transition
115 SOUND: fiddling with computer
116 Peters: Okay, I've cut off air circulation to the arboretum. With the number of people in there now, the plants won't be able to keep up so we'll have to get this whole operation done pretty quick before people start passing out. And you still need to get a team into central air processing.
117 Saetang: [sfx: processed] Don't worry, we're working on that.
118 Peters: Looking at the air use stats, I'd estimate there are 4 or 5 of them in that room.
119 SOUND: attempted access denial noises followed by pounding
120 Peters: [hurriedly] Shit! They must've noticed my computer access and traced it here!
121 Saetang: Get out of there if you can, Peters!
122 Peters: [hurriedly while moving] I'm afraid you'll be on your own from here, good luck!
123 SOUND: pulling metal cover up behind him as a blast destroys the door
124 SOUND: arboretum, crowd
125 SOUND: distant explosion shakes room, people scream a little
126 Renata: [concerned] What was that?
127 Marissa: Probably the communications array demolition. There goes my job.
128 Saetang: Well, it's about time we make some noise of our own.
129 SOUND: radio activation
130 Saetang: O'Hara?
131 Jim: We're all ready, detective. We've punched the other hole and we can get to you in just a minute.
132 Saetang: Peters has isolated the arboretum and our two teams are ready -- come on through.
133 Renata: [shouting to crowd] Everybody keep back at least 5 meters from this wall!
134 SOUND: footsteps approach
135 Sanders: It's obvious you're planning some sort of rebellion, mayor.
136 Renata: Is that any of your business?
137 Sanders: There are still some of us here who want to go home. We're not going to let you take that away from us.
138 SOUND: crowd gets testy
139 Renata: [cautiously] What are you going to do about it?
140 SOUND: sound of pounding on metal door in distance
141 Sanders: That... I put some people on it already. We'll attract the aliens' attention and then we'll let them put a stop to your plans before you can go get yourselves hurt.
142 SOUND: drill bursts through wall, stuff clatters
143 SOUND: hatch pops, and in the opposite direction the door opens
144 Jim: [sfx: distant] Anyone looking for a jailbreak?
145 Saetang: Okay let's move! Into the hole!
146 SOUND: team running
147 Renata: [sfx: simultaneous with saetang?] [yelling while running] O'Hara, give us cover and block the hole behind us as soon as I'm past you!
148 Alien Two: [sfx: distant] On the floor, now, everyone!
149 Jim: [sfx: closer] Don't know how much time I can buy you against their weapons, but good luck.
150 SOUND: running sounds change from gravel to rock, reverb changes to tunnel
151 Saetang: We're all in!
152 SOUND: drill ship movement noise
153 Lawrence: Looks like O'Hara closed the gap nicely.
154 SOUND: sound of blasts against drill ship
155 Saetang: Okay, here's the exit hole, this is where our paths diverge...
156 Stone: If all goes well we should be able to get the canister to you at the rendezvous point in under ten minutes.
157 Saetang: Good luck, Doctor!
158 SOUND: alarms are going off because Sanders notified the aliens
159 SOUND: jogging trio
160 Marissa: [while jogging] I wonder why we haven't seen anyone?
161 Stone: [while jogging] They're probably guarding areas they consider critical, I don't suppose they'd have any use for our medical section.
162 Hernandez: The doctor's reputation probably scares them off.
163 SOUND: jogging stops, access denied sound
164 Marissa: They must've locked off everything they aren't using.
165 Stone: Trying to override will take too long -- Hernandez, set the explosive charge on the door and I'll detonate it.
166 Hernandez: You don't really think I'm going to trust you like that again, do you? You'll probably set it off while I'm holding it.
167 Stone: Give it here, I'll set it.
168 SOUND: explosive handed over, clanked against door
169 Stone: Keep back.
170 SOUND: explosion, metal shards clatter
171 Stone: Okay, you two wait here and keep watch, this'll only take a few seconds.
172 Marissa: It better, that explosion is going to bring them down on us pretty fast.
173 SOUND: stone jogs in and our perspective stays with him as he opens a fridge, makes hissy gas noises, and jogs back out
174 Stone: Let's go!
175 SOUND: jogging group, then door opens in distance
176 Saetang: [quietly to not be overheard] Quick, behind this corner!
177 SOUND: group of alien footsteps pass by
178 Renata: That was too close.
179 SOUND: they start jogging again
180 Renata: Do you really think this'll work?
181 Saetang: I'm counting on them being quick to retreat because they think they can destroy us remotely.
182 Renata: They actually can, did you think of that? Keeping us alive was just a courtesy.
183 Saetang: One problem at a time.
184 SOUND: door opens, firefight between humans and aliens
185 Saetang: [loudly] That's all of them!
186 Renata: Okay Sergey, you're up, do your thing!
187 SOUND: couple steps, fiddling with something
188 Sergey: Can you insert the canister now, Doctor?
189 SOUND: insertion sound
190 Stone: There.
191 SOUND: typing a little
192 Sergey: That should do it.
193 SOUND: maybe hissing sound
194 Renata: How long?
195 Stone: Anyone not in the arboretum not wearing a mask should be unconscious within two minutes.
196 Saetang: Masks on, everyone.
197 SOUND: mask donning
198 Renata: [sfx: mask] Alright, everyone get ready to move out in our pre-planned search pattern. Remove the weapon and shield from any unconscious alien you encounter, then leave them be.
199 Stone: [sfx: mask] Leave them be?!
200 Renata: Some of them will figure out what's happening and get masks on, and some may be in the arboretum thanks to Sanders, so we may not have much time before they fix the air mixture.
201 Stone: Shouldn't we shoot them with their own weapons while we have the chance, before they wake up and take revenge?!
202 Renata: [admonishing] We don't execute people in cold blood like that.
203 Saetang: [sfx: mask] Mayor, Doctor Stone has a point, we may not survive this ourselves if we don't take them out while we have the chance.
204 Renata: We'll have to take that risk. I'm not willing kill unconscious people who've only invaded us because they feel they have no other choice to safeguard their home planet. We'll just disarm them and and arm ourselves as much as possible to change the balance of power by the time they can fix the air.
205 Stone: Let's hope they show us similar mercy when the time comes.
206 SOUND: transition music
207 SOUND: arboretum
208 Alien Two: Sir, we've secured the area and the remaining humans have settled down, but we're not sure how many escaped.
209 Alien One: We almost caught one in a maintenance closet accessing systems, but he got away into the duct-work. And there was an explosion in medical a few minutes ago.
210 SOUND: alien communications alert beep
211 Alien One: Yes, what is it?
212 Alien Three: Weapons fire in air processing right now, sir!
213 Sanders: Excuse me.
214 Alien Two: Quiet, human.
215 Sanders: I think I know what the escapees are up to.
216 Alien One: Speak.
217 Sanders: The explosion in medical, an attack on air processing, they've got to be trying to poison your air.
218 Alien One: Thank you for the information.
219 Alien Two: Sir, this situation is spiraling out of control. If we continue, some of us will die.
220 Alien One: [with resignation] Agreed.
221 SOUND: alien communications sound
222 Alien One: This is the commander speaking. We have a possible air system attack, put on your masks. Then retreat to your assigned ships. This is a general withdrawal.
223 Sanders: Take me with you!
224 Alien One: Attention, humans! Those of you who wish to be saved, follow us and we'll transport you to our asteroid. Anyone who prefers to remain and die when this world is obliterated is welcome to.
225 SOUND: crowd panic
226 Alien Two: [admonishing] Form an orderly queue!
227 SOUND: transition
228 SOUND: observation room, group enters
229 Renata: Feels good to be back.
230 Saetang: Seems they've made a full retreat, no reports of them anywhere.
231 SOUND: multicom signal
232 Renata: Yes, this is the mayor.
233 Alien One: [sfx: processed] This is your last chance to surrender peaceably and apologize, before we depart.
234 Renata: [scoffing] You really must not understand humans if you expect us to beg to be recaptured.
235 Alien One: You've squandered your opportunity to be treated as guests and returned home. Now your only future is death. We saved as many of you as we could, we regret that was only a quarter of your crew.
236 Renata: You'll send them back to us now.
237 Alien One: I think not.
238 SOUND: rumble of takeoff from roof
239 Renata: Perhaps we can negotiate for them...
240 Alien One: We wouldn't condemn those we've taken to unnecessarily die with you. Make peace with your gods.
241 SOUND: cuts off transmission
242 Renata: Hello?
243 Lawrence: All but two of the alien landing craft have lifted off, mayor.
244 Renata: [emotional] Isn't there something we can do? There has to be!
245 Saetang: I'm sorry, mayor... I think we have to consider those they've taken lost to us. At least they're safe.
246 Renata: [processing losing her father] How can we just abandon our people?! My dad is over there!
247 Saetang: In books and holotainments, there's always a way to keep everyone together and safe and living happily ever after. But that's not how real life works. We'll be very lucky if we can just figure out a way to survive whatever they're planning to do to us.
248 SOUND: closing theme
249 Announcer: You've been listening to Two Fifty-Three Mathilde, episode sixteen: Escape Room.