8 characters: Clay, Computer, Hardcase, Misty, Trisha, Minnie, Announcer, Klurgh
Click on a character's name to get their lines highlighted.
Hardcase (67 lines, 770 words, 24.3%) - [John Gaunce] Captain Mack Hardcase. Confident, arrogant, most reluctant to accept reality and most hurt by the fall from herodom into being a nobody. But then encouraged by having fans. Man, since this seems like a fragile masculinity profile. Captain Kirk type, ladies man, feels a bit out of his time. Give him a rough backstory he’ll talk about early. Grew up a slave of the species they’re fighting, escaped from the mines, joined the fleet and made it his life.
Misty (46 lines, 443 words, 13.98%) - [Steff Knappe] First Officer Commander Misty L'Quil. Formerly an alien, now a mere human and feeling pretty helpless because of it. Like an amputee with additional body dysmorphic disorder.
Trisha (52 lines, 891 words, 28.12%) - [Gwenith Knight] Doctor Clay Erhardt, now in the body of Trisha Blackburn. [complete]
Clay (31 lines, 277 words, 8.74%) - [David Loftus] Ensign Trisha Blackburn, now trapped in the body of Doctor Clay Erhardt and eager to escape.
Minnie (32 lines, 226 words, 7.13%) - [Mel Crochemore] Minnie Erhardt is the doctor's wife, or so she says, even though he didn't have one before she appears. It wouldn't be wrong if Minnie often seems to be acting or manipulating, because she's an interloper from the real world monitoring an experiment. Does a bit of poking and prodding of people to see how they'll react. Doesn't really care for her so-called husband but plays the dutiful wife role when she can be bothered.
Computer (37 lines, 429 words, 13.54%) - [Nahla Campbell] Planetary base computer.
Klurgh (2 lines, 0 words, 0%) - [Nick Ben Wong] Not actually Klurgh this time, but an invisible monster. [complete]
Announcer (2 lines, 133 words, 4.2%) - [Paul Knierim] Announcer. [complete]
Script format: Margined | Marginless (for phone viewing)
1 SOUND: sound of ship exploding around them, then fade to quietish room with refrigeration type sounds
2 SOUND: pod opens, climbing out
3 Clay: [confusion and wonder] What in the world...
4 Computer: [echoing over loudspeaker] You're no longer IN your world, Clay Erhardt.
5 Clay: Clay! Oh my god, oh my god, I'm in the doctor's body!
6 Computer: Are you not Clay Erhardt?
7 Clay: I'm Trisha Blackburn! What've you done to me?!!
8 Computer: I apologize for the apparent error, I appear to have downloaded your mind to the wrong body.
9 Clay: So Doctor Erhardt is running around in MY body? You've got to switch us back!
10 Computer: I'm afraid that may not be possible.
11 Clay: WHAT?!?
12 Computer: I apologize.
13 Clay: Just who are you, anyway?!
14 SOUND: smash cut to other room
15 SOUND: pod opens, climbing out
16 Hardcase: Thought I was dead for sure. Is this a Klurgh ship?!
17 Computer: Negative, Commander Hardcase.
18 Hardcase: That's Captain. I demand to know who you are and why you've taken me prisoner!
19 Computer: I'm an artificial intelligence here to serve you during your expedition here on Epsilon Theta B.
20 Hardcase: What?! How the hell did I end up on Epsilon Theta B?!
21 Computer: You were transmitted here from Earth.
22 Hardcase: TRANSMITTED?
23 Computer: As information to be reconstructed here, affirmative.
24 Hardcase: Where are my crew?!
25 Computer: All four of them are being awakened presently.
26 Hardcase: FOUR?! THERE WERE 412 PEOPLE ON MY SHIP!
27 SOUND: smash cut to other room
28 SOUND: pod opens, climbing out
29 Computer: This is your waking chamber, Misty L'Quil.
30 Misty: [in horror] What have you done to me?! All my tentacles are gone!
31 Computer: Tentacles?
32 Misty: I'm a Cthunian, our tentacles are our strength!
33 Computer: You are a human, Misty L'Quil. The mind transmission process is known to cause group hallucinations for the entangled minds and temporary memory blockage. Whatever you believe you've been experiencing was not real. Your state of confusion will subside with time.
34 Misty: WHAT?! You're trying to tell me I'm DELUDED about even WHAT SPECIES I AM?!
35 Computer: Affirmative.
36 Misty: [nervous but less angry] What planet an I on?
37 Computer: Epsilon Theta B.
38 Misty: That's a Confederation world.
39 Computer: There's no such thing as a Galactic Confederation, just as there's no such species as Cthunians. This is a newly-discovered world, with no known intelligent life, which you've been transmitted here from Earth to explore.
40 SOUND: a pause
41 Misty: Computer, who am I?
42 Computer: You are Misty L'Quil.
43 Misty: But WHO is Misty L'Quil?
44 Computer: That's something you will have to decide for yourself.
45 SOUND: smash cut to other room
46 SOUND: pod opens, climbing out
47 Trisha: [confusion and wonder] This... is not what I expected.
48 Computer: [echoing over loudspeaker] Welcome to Epsilon Theta B, Clay Erhardt. I sincerely apologize for your mind being downloaded to the wrong body.
49
Trisha:
Oh, I should be thanking you for the upgrade. It's nice to be young again, and I think I can get used to being a beautiful woman. I've always wanted to try body swapping patients, could never get permission.
So what is this place?
50 Computer: This is your waking chamber, Clay Erhardt.
51 Trisha: What year is it, am I a prisoner here, am I really a doctor, why was I brought here?
52 Computer: That's a lot of questions.
53 Trisha: Well?
54 Computer: 2751, no, yes, to explore and colonize. Ships can't travel more than a tenth the speed of light, but a mind can be transmitted at the speed of light and downloaded to a clone body grown on site.
55 Trisha: You're saying this base was sent on a slow boat, all automated, designed to recreate our bodies and minds after we transmitted here at light speed?
56 Computer: That's correct, Doctor Erhardt. The ship which brought me took 300 years to get here and another ten to prepare for you, but your mind spent only 17 years in transit from Earth.
57 SOUND: pause
58 Trisha: [growing disturbed] Does this mean there's another of me on Earth, the 'real' me, in my original body?
59 Computer: Affirmative.
60 Trisha: I didn't really exist until I was transmitted? Or until I was put in this body just now?
61 Computer: That depends on your philosophical theory of mind.
62 SOUND: a pause
63 Trisha: So, let me get this straight. I'm a doctor for a space colony, who's a copy of a doctor on Earth, who somehow hallucinated being a ship's doctor on a ship that doesn't exist, and who's missing his true memories -- or, I guess more accurately, that Earth doctor's true memories?
64 Computer: Affirmative, Doctor Erhardt. The memories will come to you over time.
65 Trisha: Well... where's my wife, Minnie? Is she here?
66 Computer: It's interesting how long it took you to reach that question.
67 SOUND: smash cut to other room
68 SOUND: pod opens, climbing out
69 Computer: Welcome to Epsilon Theta B, Minnie Erhardt.
70 SOUND: pause
71 Computer: Do you have any questions for me?
72 Minnie: Are the others in the fountain room already?
73 Computer: Hardcase, L'Quil have been there a few minutes, Erhardt just entered, Blackburn will be out in a minute.
74 Minnie: Then I'll go join them.
75 SOUND: fast-paced music for title sequence
76 Announcer: QuietPlease dot org presents Beyond Awakening. Starring John Gaunce as Captain Mack Hardcase, Gwenith Knight as Doctor Clay Erhardt, Steff Knappe as Commander Misty L'Quil, and David Loftus as Ensign Trisha Blackburn. Episode four, Awakening.
77 SOUND: commercial break
78 SOUND: walks out, door slides open and we hear the fountain room with some unintelligible light chatter, then Minnie's footsteps and everything gets louder as she enters fountain room
79 Hardcase: [relief] Ensign! Another survivor!
80 Minnie: Good to see you, Captain.
81 Misty: [background conversation for scene] I thought I was dead, then when I woke I thought I was in Yarbach.
82 Trisha: [background conversation for scene] Yarbach?
83 Misty: [background conversation for scene] The limbo for unjudged souls.
84 Trisha: [background conversation for scene] I find it all quite fascinating, myself.
85 Misty: [background conversation for scene] It may yet be Yarbach, I have not heard a satisfactory explanation.
86 Trisha: [background conversation for scene] It's a fresh start, a new life, so much to learn and explore... and it may surprise you to learn I'm in a fresh young body. I'm not Trisha, I'm Clay.
87 Misty: Oh! That's... that's weird, but I guess no weirder than my change of body.
88 SOUND: other door opens
89 Hardcase: [angry] There you are, you bastard!
90 Clay: [surprised] Wha?
91 SOUND: hardcase tackles clay, they fight
92 Clay: [grunts and heavy breathing from being attacked and losing badly] Wait! Stop!
93 Minnie: Get off him! C'mon guys, help me pull him off!
94 Hardcase: [panting from exertion] Lemme at him!
95 Minnie: You'll kill him!
96 Hardcase: He blew up my ship and murdered four hundred and seven of my crew!
97 Trisha: None of them ever lived.
98 Hardcase: They were my people, my crew, my friends! My BROTHER! They were sure as hell real to me!
99 Clay: [pleading] But I'm not Doctor Erhardt!
100 Hardcase: [sarcastic] Oh, he has a twin then?
101 Clay: I'm Trisha Blackburn, our bodies got swapped!
102 Hardcase: You want me to beat up a young woman, is that it? You wouldn't mind if I smash her face in?
103 Clay: I'd prefer you didn't sir, I'm hoping to get it back.
104 Minnie: Is this true?
105 Trisha: It's true dear, it's really me in here.
106 Hardcase: [dismissive noise of disgust and giving up]
107 Trisha: Tell us more about reality, dear. What will we need to know here?
108 Minnie: How would *I* know anything, Clay?
109 Trisha: [perplexed] You encouraged me, you told me the ship wasn't real and that you'd known it all along, you seemed to know what awaited us...
110 Minnie: I did no such thing.
111 Trisha: What?
112 Minnie: You seem very confused, dear.
113 Trisha: Evidently.
114 Hardcase: Computer, can you verify this mind swap story?
115 Computer: Affirmative.
116 Hardcase: How did it happen?
117 Computer: There was an unfortunate error during the mind loading.
118 Hardcase: Mind loading?
119 Computer: The process by which your minds were placed into your bodies.
120 Hardcase: Now, see, call me old-fashioned or whatever you want, but I believe in leaving minds in the bodies they're born in so you don't get this kind of thing!
121 Computer: Those minds and bodies are on Earth.
122 SOUND: background conversations are getting louder and excited
123 Misty: [background conversation] My scientific training makes me skeptical, but many impossible things have happened the past few days.
124 Clay: [background conversation] Seems impossible, but hard to argue it when I'm living proof.
125 Misty: [background conversation] As am I, this clearly is not my body.
126 Clay: [background conversation] At least you got something similar instead of an old man.
127 Trisha: It's a fascinating idea, this mind transference.
128 Hardcase: Would be to you, you were always trying to pull brains out of heads. Congrats, now somebody's doing it for you.
129 Trisha: Computer, what would the ideal--
130 Hardcase: EVERYBODY SHUT THE FUCK UP!
131 SOUND: background conversations fall silent
132 Hardcase: We need to be organized here, we need to keep our command structure, we need to ask this computer a series of probing questions -- one at a time -- to establish our situation and what to do about it.
133 Trisha: [scoffs] You don't even have the scientific background to know what to ask!
134 Hardcase: That's right, but I'm in command, so I decide who DOES. Commander L'Quil, as science officer you'll be asking the questions. The stage is yours.
135 SOUND: a pause
136 Misty: [tentatively] Computer, am I actually a science officer?
137 Trisha: [disapproving scoffing noise in background]
138 Computer: You're a mission specialist with relevant scientific expertise, so it would roughly accurate to describe you as a science officer.
139 Misty: But I don't actually know which science is real in reality. Like faster than light travel apparently isn't.
140 Computer: Over time, the hallucinatory parts of your memory will fade.
141 Misty: Well... computer, what would YOU recommend we do now?
142 Computer: I recommend you begin your survey of the planet. Your memories will come back to you as you work, right now you need to settle into a structured routine.
143 Hardcase: Good idea. We’ll stick together and use survey pattern 2B.
144 Trisha: No.
145 Hardcase: [shocked] What was that, Doctor Erhardt?
146 Trisha: I said no. There's no reason I should take orders from you.
147 Hardcase: I'm your superior officer!
148 Trisha: No, you aren't. The Confederation doesn't exist, who knows if any of us are even officers. That was all a lie.
149 Hardcase: The computer called me the commander!
150 Trisha: We were all effectively just BORN minutes ago. I feel no compulsion to follow any command structure my double on Earth may have agreed to 17 years ago. And all we have so far is this computer's word about what's happening -- frankly, I don't know if it's telling us the truth about everything. There's a lot that doesn't make sense yet. So I'm going to do what *I* think is right. Which means I'm going to explore, but not on YOUR terms.
151 Minnie: I'll go with you, Clay.
152 Trisha: Let's go.
153 SOUND: Clay walks out
154
Hardcase:
[exasperated] Any other mutineers I should know about?
No? Good. Let's head out.
155 SOUND: music link
156 SOUND: airlock type noisy door opens, but no suits
157 Hardcase: So this is it. Epsilon Theta B.
158
Misty:
Reminds me of the Plomar desert on Cthunia where I grew up.
I mean, where I've always believed I grew up... but now I'm told doesn't exist...
159 Clay: Is it safe? I mean, should we be wearing protective suits or something?
160 Hardcase: Isn't that your job to decide Doct-- oh sorry Ensign, when I hear his voice it's hard to remember it's you. It'll be a tough adjustment.
161 Clay: If it's hard for you, imagine how it is for me.
162 SOUND: running scan
163 Misty: I'm not detecting anything hazardous. I assume the computer would've warned us.
164 Hardcase: Then let's move out.
165 SOUND: they start walking
166 Misty: At least the desert environment doesn't present too many obstacles.
167 Hardcase: We can head for that little ridge up there, probably has the best view.
168 SOUND: they walk a while
169 Hardcase: Are we going to keep ignoring the elephant in the room?
170 Misty: We're outdoors, sir.
171 Hardcase: The elephant in the desert.
172 Misty: What's that, sir? I feel like we've got a lot of metaphorical elephants.
173 Hardcase: The four hundred and seven shipmates we've lost.
174 Clay: If they never lived, did we really lose them?
175 Hardcase: Easy for you to say Ensign, you only spent a few days with them.
176 Clay: I can imagine it's a lot harder for you to believe.
177 Hardcase: I can't accept that my brother never lived.
178 Misty: Sir, I've lost my entire planet and identity. Is there an alternative to accepting it?
179 Hardcase: I haven't given up on them.
180 Clay: But according to the computer--
181 Hardcase: [interrupting] Don't believe everything we've been told, Ensign Blackburn. You of all people should appreciate a healthy skepticism.
182 Clay: You think the Chimera is still out there somewhere?
183 Hardcase: It's possible.
184 Clay: But the doctor blew it up, the self-destruct...
185 Hardcase: I accept that our recent experiences weren't real. You were right about that. But what if at some point the five of us were captured by the Klurgh, and this is all some sort of mind control or interrogation technique of theirs?
186 Misty: If that's the case sir, how do we prove or disprove it?
187 Hardcase: Dunno, it's just an idea.
188 Clay: The problems I was having with our reality on the ship, they were things that stretched back through my whole life. Or what I thought was my life. On the other hand, this new reality feels pretty odd too, even though it hasn't broken any laws of physics.
189 Misty: This world feels much LESS real to me. It's not even my real body.
190 Clay: Being stuck in this body is certainly weird for me too. I don't know.
191 Hardcase: Nothing we can do about it for the moment, but let's keep a lookout for signs that this is some sort of Klurgh deception. Think about what might show us the difference.
192 Misty: Aye sir.
193 Clay: Aye sir.
194 SOUND: cut to the other pair
195 SOUND: they walk around, stopping to scan vegetation from time to time
196 Trisha: You know what this reminds me of?
197 Minnie: Looks kind of like a cactus to me.
198 Trisha: I mean this whole situation, what this whole situation reminds me of.
199 Minnie: What's that, dear?
200 Trisha: A global skeptical hypothesis.
201 Minnie: Oh?
202 Trisha: A scenario where there's no way to come up with any evidence for or against any of our experiences being real. I could be dreaming. I could be a brain in a vat of a mad scientist being fed a simulated world. An evil demon could be feeding false sensations. I could've just come into existence ten seconds ago with memories designed by someone or something to deceive me into thinking I'm middle aged.
203 Minnie: That's hard to believe.
204 Trisha: Compared to what? Compared to the computer's story of how we all popped into existence hours ago with memories copied over that we somehow can't remember right yet?
205 Minnie: Still. It's absurd to say we're brains in vats, that's so unlikely.
206 Trisha: Why? What possible evidence can you come up with against it? All evidence you could cite is something the deceiver would've naturally put into your mind. It's like if I have a patient on adrenopharmascopolamine, they sincerely believe whatever I tell them to believe. All truth values are indeterminate, no odds can be assigned.
207 Minnie: [amused] You could pinch your arm.
208 Trisha: I can pinch myself to see if I'm dreaming a conventional dream, but not to see if I'm dreaming a dream designed to replicate all the sensations of being awake.
209 Minnie: The simulation wouldn't really have to replicate the sensations of being awake.
210 Trisha: It wouldn't?
211 Minnie: If you've never BEEN awake.
212 Trisha: Oh. I see what you mean. Any primitive simulation might fool me if I've never known reality first. You see, there's no way I can know.
213 Minnie: You can't do anything about it, so you just have to go on with life. That's how people deal with global skeptical hypotheses.
214 Trisha: Until something happens, like what just happened to us. We discovered our reality really WAS an illusion.
215 Minnie: Shouldn't that have solved the conundrum?
216 Trisha: Unfortunately not. I can't take this new world at face value, because I know from experience it could be a lie.
217 Minnie: You figured out the last one, that should give you some confidence you can figure out this one.
218 Trisha: I figured it out because somebody wanted me to. Flaws were introduced intentionally, to make me aware it was a false reality. There was the sleep thing. And Trisha's memory was altered. And somebody spoke to me through your body at one point and gave the game away. But what if there's nobody helping me out this time, what if they want me to be fooled this time, but it's still a lie and I'll never know?
219 Minnie: That's an interesting creature there.
220 Trisha: Where?
221 Minnie: On the flower. Like a combination of a butterfly and a spider.
222 Trisha: Oh. Yeah.
223 SOUND: a pause with more walking
224 Minnie: Clay, it's getting dark.
225 Trisha: We can camp out here overnight, that's why I brought the pack.
226 Minnie: You've only got one sleeping bag.
227 Trisha: So?
228 Minnie: Clay, I'm not sleeping with you.
229 Trisha: What've I done?
230 Minnie: I'm just not attracted to women like that.
231 Trisha: But I'm not a woman, I'm just a man in the wrong body, I'm still your husband!
232 Minnie: I don't care.
233 Trisha: I wouldn't care if you were biologically male!
234 Minnie: Well, you're pansexual. I'm not. I just don't find you attractive in that body.
235 SOUND: change in background sound to signal cutting to the other group, possibly small music link
236 SOUND: walking, then distant roar and they stop
237 Klurgh: [distant monster roar]
238 Hardcase: [urgently] What was that?
239 SOUND: scanner
240 Misty: I'm not detecting any large animal life.
241 Hardcase: Well I wouldn't want to meet a PLANT who can make a noise like that.
242 Clay: [scared] Should we head back to the base? It's getting dark anyway...
243 SOUND: roar, closer
244 Klurgh: [give me 30 seconds of monster roars to work with]
245 Hardcase: Moves fast, whatever it is. Must be camouflaged.
246 Misty: We should warn the doctor and Minnie.
247 Hardcase: Blackburn, call the others and apprise them of the possible situation and find out if they know more about it than we do. Misty, I need you to take point, be ready for anything.
248 Misty: Sir, I can't.
249 Clay: [background] Hello? Can you hear me?
250 Hardcase: Why not, Commander?
251 Misty: Sir, I don't have my tentacles.
252 Hardcase: So?
253 Misty: How can I possibly defend you without my tentacles? Sir, I'm essentially a multiple amputee.
254 Clay: [background] Testing, testing.
255 Hardcase: I believe in you, Misty.
256 Misty: With all due respect sir, it doesn't matter how much you believe or I believe, belief won't bring my tentacles back and they were the source of all my strength. Of any Cthunian's strength. Any warrior who loses even ONE tentacle in battle can only retire.
257 Hardcase: You don't have the option of retirement, Commander L'Quil. I need you to pull yourself together and do the best you can.
258 Misty: [with a sigh] Aye sir, I'll try, but I've warned you.
259 Hardcase: Ensign Blackburn?
260 Clay: I can't raise them, sir. Something's interfering with the signal.
261 Hardcase: Okay. We'll head back to the base, very carefully. Trisha, you stand back to back with me so we have our eyes on both sides while Misty deals with anything ahead of us. Lasers in hand, everyone.
262 Clay: Yes sir.
263 Hardcase: Let's go.
264 SOUND: movement begins
265 SOUND: another roar
266 Clay: [frightened] That sounded like it was right in front of me!
267 Hardcase: But you saw nothing?
268 Clay: On top of everything else unreal, it's like we're dealing with an unreal monster!
269 Hardcase: Let's hope so, Ensign.
270 SOUND: rustling in the sand
271 Misty: [alarm] What was that?
272 Hardcase: Let's just keep moving.
273 SOUND: roars from both directions
274 Trisha: [scared and confused] How did...? Sounds like it's on both sides of us!
275 Misty: There must be two of them.
276 Hardcase: [wryly] Or it's a ventriloquist.
277 SOUND: cut back to the other two
278 Trisha: I'd swear they were trying to contact us, but the signal cut out.
279 SOUND: distant roar
280 Minnie: What was that?
281 Trisha: [hesitant] I haven't detected any large fauna.
282 SOUND: sleeping bag movements
283 Trisha: Maybe it's just as well that I gave my sleeping bag to you, I can stay up and stand watch.
284 Minnie: Just what you've always wanted to do, Clay.
285 Trisha: What do you mean?
286 Minnie: Staying up. You keep trying.
287 Trisha: It'll be a good test. If I'm still awake half an hour from now, it's possible this world is real.
288 SOUND: musical fade to commercial break
289 SOUND: back to the other group with roaring monster and flailing in progress
290 Clay: [give me 60 seconds of screaming like a stereotypical damsel in the hands of a monster]
291 Misty: [shouting over commotion, hurriedly] It's got Doc-- I mean Trisha, it's got Trisha!
292 SOUND: laser fire
293 Misty: [shouting over commotion] Lasers seem to have no effect!
294 Hardcase: Concentrate your fire as close to Trisha as you can without hitting her! Maybe we can make it drop her!
295 SOUND: more laser fire
296 Misty: Not working! It must not interact with the electromagnetic spectrum, that's why it's invisible!
297 Hardcase: [musing] If I didn't know it was Trisha in his body, I could listen to Doctor Erhardt scream like this all day.
298 Misty: [scolding] Sir!
299 Hardcase: Right. So no energy weapons. We'll have to use blunt force on it, if it can pick us up we should be able to hit it. As it's holding Trisha we'll be able to see where it is. We'll take it from both sides, you go around back of it while I attack it from the front.
300 Misty: [scared] Sir, I can't fight this thing appendage to appendage without my tentacles!
301 Hardcase: Cthunians are never afraid, Commander.
302 Misty: But I'm human now!
303 Hardcase: [leading a charge] Not to me you're not. Let's go!
304 SOUND: sudden silence
305 Misty: What... wait, where?
306 Hardcase: It vanished!
307 Misty: Technically it never appeared in the first place sir... but Ensign Blackburn vanished!
308 Hardcase: Theories please Commander, fast!
309 Misty: You don't suppose...
310 Hardcase: What?
311 Misty: I think it ate her, sir.
312 Hardcase: Would that make her invisible to us?
313 Misty: Possibly.
314 Hardcase: Do we have any options?
315 Misty: Not that I can see, sir.
316 SOUND: end theme
317 Announcer: Beyond Awakening episode 4, Awakening, was written and produced by Paul Knierim. It starred Gwenith Knight as Doctor Clay Erhardt, John Gaunce as Captain Mack Hardcase, Nahla Campbell as the computer, Steff Knappe as Commander Misty L'Quil, David Loftus as Ensign Trisha Blackburn, Mel Crochemore as Minnie Erhardt, Nick Ben Wong as the monster, and Paul Knierim as the announcer. Music licensed from Joel Steudler and creative commons zero and public domain sources. Please support Beyond Awakening by joining our patreon. Find it, along with downloads and more information about the show, at quiet please dot org slash awakening.