Episode 71: Breakthrough

Outside the Beyond, a destination is finally in sight for Magnus, Boden, Cy and Reggie, and they’re not alone. A council is convened in Brise Soleil to discuss the new predator, but a more profound revelation is presented.

Transcript

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SPEAKER_05 0:39

Where'd you learn that song, Rich? You don't remember. Should I? That's right. You never came outside. What are you talking about? First time you and Bo spent the night at the boathouse. You were eight and Bo was nine, I think. Just youngsters when you folks went off to El Bellion. Cy and I were close to your mother. She trusted us on the bridges, especially Cy. When it came to precision in construction, Briar trusted no one else. When Elion took your father and mother to go on a reclaiming expedition into the wasteland, your parents chose us to watch you. Really? They were desperate. I expressed monkeys out here this evening. I was desperate. Oh, just telling Magnus here about our first babysitting adventure. Oh, that's a good one, let me tell you.

SPEAKER_07 1:26

I was right in the middle of. You were like five, and Bone was six. Oh, think crazy types. Bone was like a firecracker, never shutting up. You were chubby and moopy. Okay. You remember his cheeks, like two balloons ready to be popped. And you cried a lot. Like crescent bowls. I think we stuffed him in a closet that first night. That's wrong. Did the trick though. But it was the second night that got really crazy. I'm telling a story, butt out! But I was You could do the sound effects. I'll do my part. It was storming and the wind was howling. And the rain was linking into the boathouse. You were like, Oh miss mommy! And where's daddy? And Boone was all angry about it. Let me do boating. Get to it. Taking mommy away. That's when she arrived. Who? My mom? The monster from the depth.

unknown 2:26

Veritas.

SPEAKER_08 2:30

Okay. Monster stories? Really, guys? Reality, my friend. It's a myth told to scare kids away from the water. I've heard it before many times.

SPEAKER_07 2:39

It's not a myth, Magnus. Sai's not blowing smoke. Hey, stop throwing a wobbly and let me tell the story. Okay. So we're in the boathouse.

unknown 2:51

It's shaking.

SPEAKER_07 2:53

Thunder. Rain. Lightning. And then she lets out a huge bellow and all of us hit the ground. Bowden was the first up and runs to the door. I race to stop him. But he's gone.

SPEAKER_08 3:09

Who's gone? You. Some crazy story about when we were kids and the Veritas monster.

SPEAKER_07 3:15

I thought I heard that song, Reg. I was getting to that. Reggie? So bones on the beach, barefoot in the sand. Little lad looking up at this beast with two heads and a neck as long as Mill House Bridge. That long. Longer. I run out, take one glimpse. And faint. I did not. Okay. So what happened next? Well, I. I remember that um Maybe I did faint. I looked up and saw its faces, and it looked me straight in the eyes like it knew me. When it lowered its heads, I stopped playing for a second. It made the sound like it was sad.

SPEAKER_05 4:01

How come I didn't see any of this? I don't know. We found you curled up in that closet we stuffed you in the night before. You were scared? Prepping for bravery, I suppose. Give me a break. Then I played that melody again and it slunk back into the sea. Never seen it again. I asked mom and dad about it.

SPEAKER_08 4:20

They didn't believe me. So why have you never said anything to me? I don't know. Maybe because you're really good at hiding things. Like coins. Or forcing people to do things that they don't want to do. Like tying me up or lying.

SPEAKER_04 4:34

There's more out here, Magnus, than meets the eye.

SPEAKER_08 4:36

You owe me. You got it?

unknown 4:38

Land ho.

SPEAKER_04 4:44

There, see? Land.

SPEAKER_08 4:46

I think we're closer to our destination. Listen. I hope your two-headed lady beast isn't waiting for us. Jealous. If so, I've got my harmonica. You're crazy, you know that?

SPEAKER_03 5:22

As you can see, we're dealing with a systemic toxicant, which affects every cell and organ in the body by interfering with the cell's ability to use oxygen. So it wasn't a quick death. Unfortunately not.

SPEAKER_01 5:33

That's why you didn't get very far after the attack.

SPEAKER_03 5:36

So what are we doing to find this beast?

SPEAKER_01 5:38

We have to scour the jungle floor, bring in more folks from Zerik or Blackimbeer. We're going to need help. Absolutely not.

SPEAKER_06 5:45

The jungle floor cannot be contaminated by a horde of visitors. The answer is here. Within our community of scientists, we have the intuition. You too have your father's genius. We can discover a way to counteract this venom.

SPEAKER_03 6:00

That only helps after the bite. We don't even know what we're looking for. We have no clue what this creature looks like.

SPEAKER_06 6:06

Your father trusted me. Why don't you?

SPEAKER_03 6:09

My father tolerated you.

SPEAKER_02 6:10

Maybe we should journey to the third peak and ask Eliana.

SPEAKER_06 6:13

You're right, Liana. Experimentation is in my blood. So yes, I pleaded with your father to approve new studies, new vaccinations, new medicines. I frustrated him at times, but when they came.

SPEAKER_03 6:26

When what came?

SPEAKER_06 6:27

Breakthroughs. Like the Wasteland Wind vaccination. I advocated for your experiments, and you discovered the antidote. We haven't seen a case of it since.

SPEAKER_01 6:37

That's truly, you did that.

SPEAKER_03 6:39

You are the one who convinced my dad?

SPEAKER_06 6:41

Surprised? So what do you suggest? I suggest that Ramulus convenes the council of minds and we discuss the need for expanding our ethics.

SPEAKER_03 6:52

Absolutely not! My father disbanded that council of animal torturers.

SPEAKER_06 6:56

You have your mother's flair for the dramatic. Our people are in jeopardy. We must explore new ways to conduct scientific research if we are going to find a cure quickly, and we need our best minds on it.

SPEAKER_01 7:10

Convene the council.

SPEAKER_03 7:11

Ram? No!

SPEAKER_01 7:13

They made a mistake six years ago. Everyone deserves a second chance, Lee. We shouldn't be afraid to meet with them.

SPEAKER_03 7:18

And we shouldn't allow fear to drive our decisions. What do you think, Kyla?

SPEAKER_02 7:22

I think that I trust Ramulus' decision. Are you serious? In my experience, the more brains on a problem, the more likely a solution. Not these brains.

SPEAKER_06 7:34

You're wise beyond your years, Miss Brandon.

SPEAKER_04 7:47

We're coming up on a river. Looks like this coin is taking us further inland. How much longer can this take? So this is the wasteland, huh?

SPEAKER_08 7:55

Too quiet for my taste. Everything's dead. It's so gray and dark. We're dragging. Power down the engine and pull the propeller up.

SPEAKER_04 8:07

I'm on it!

SPEAKER_08 8:08

Body, get to the wheel and see if you can keep the boat straight. Over the deepest part of the river. Got it.

SPEAKER_04 8:19

I can't move it.

SPEAKER_08 8:42

Must have been a sandbar. We'll check for damage when we stop.

SPEAKER_04 8:46

I don't hear it anymore. Sandbar. Look, there's a sign.

SPEAKER_07 8:51

Magnus. Smoke below.

SPEAKER_04 8:53

Magnus. You see that sign?

SPEAKER_07 8:55

Smoke.

SPEAKER_04 8:56

Not now, Bowden. What's it say? I can't read it.

SPEAKER_07 9:00

Lucy never smokes unless something's wrong. When we stop, we'll check. It says no fishing.

SPEAKER_04 9:08

No fishing?

SPEAKER_08 9:12

Uh come on, Sai. Let's take care of the smoke. Have you seen the water? I don't think that's a problem. You owe me again.

SPEAKER_06 10:18

Please quiet yourself. I can't believe you agreed to this.

SPEAKER_01 10:23

They're just ideas, Liana. I think everyone should hear them. Kyla agreed.

SPEAKER_02 10:26

You're a fool. Be gentle, Liana. Graham knows what he's doing.

SPEAKER_06 10:30

Silence! Please welcome our leader, Ramulus Goodwin.

SPEAKER_01 10:41

Thank you, Protestant. When we gather formally like this in Brie-Sole, it's usually to announce a breakthrough. Regrettably, that is not the case today. Yes.

SPEAKER_03 10:54

There are rumors of a deadly creature roaming the jungle floor. Those rumors are true. Boy, here we go.

SPEAKER_01 11:04

Thank you, Liana.

SPEAKER_03 11:06

You're welcome.

SPEAKER_01 11:07

Yes, we are facing a new discovery.

SPEAKER_03 11:08

A new threat.

SPEAKER_01 11:09

Discovery. One that requires careful observation and possibly equally new scientific standards.

SPEAKER_03 11:15

What do you mean?

SPEAKER_01 11:16

I'd like to ask Protus to come and speak to that.

SPEAKER_06 11:19

Thank you, Ramulus. What do we propose? Potential changes in rules concerning animal experimentation.

SPEAKER_03 11:27

My father knew that you don't mess around with creation.

SPEAKER_06 11:30

Your father would think differently now.

SPEAKER_03 11:32

How would dare you think you know my father's thoughts? Beetle.

SPEAKER_06 11:37

How dare you address me like that, impossible?

SPEAKER_03 11:41

Sit down. What about our principles, Ram? Are you going to sit here and throw those out the window? Quiet!

SPEAKER_02 11:52

Oh my.

SPEAKER_06 11:54

This picture was taken after the attack and after a grueling attempt to resuscitate. This unknown predator sucks the oxygen from the living cells, suffocating the body, causing the skin to turn blue, then gray, giving the fingertips and the other extremities the look of ash. Ash? The Goodwin nose hound was not the first victim. There's more. Just one. I've been meticulously researching past cases of unsolved deaths in Brissolet and came across this from just a month ago.

SPEAKER_03 12:29

No!

SPEAKER_06 12:30

Dad?

SPEAKER_03 12:33

His death wasn't unsolved. He died of natural cause. That's what you said! His heart!

SPEAKER_06 12:39

Yes. That's what I initially diagnosed, but even I was mistaken. The same creature killed my father? Why didn't you tell us earlier? I was still running tests. I wanted to be absolutely certain, and I am now.

SPEAKER_01 12:52

I can't believe this.

SPEAKER_02 12:54

Ram, I'm so sorry.

SPEAKER_06 12:55

Ramulus!

SPEAKER_01 12:56

This is unacceptable.

SPEAKER_02 12:57

Maybe we should take a break.

SPEAKER_01 12:59

Break? No! We're not breaking! Let's wait and call for Sam. No. Bad things happen when we wait. What are our next steps, Protist?

SPEAKER_07 13:22

Anchors in back nice!

SPEAKER_08 13:24

I checked the engine, some minor damages to the propeller, but nothing I can't muscle back into place.

SPEAKER_04 13:30

Come on, you two!

SPEAKER_05 13:31

I want to get to shore it's too quiet.

SPEAKER_04 13:59

You got the supplies? They're in my bag. I wouldn't give a roasted thing. Well, maybe on our way home, okay? Look at the trees.

SPEAKER_07 14:10

What's growing on them?

SPEAKER_05 14:12

Looks like Greece Over there! Look! Everything's moving!

SPEAKER_07 14:25

I thought everything was dead out here. Don't forget our mission says to recover the last living remnant. What if things go badly? Let's hope not. We'll grab it and go.

SPEAKER_08 14:38

Give me my tools. Just in case. Get ready, boys. Recover means alive, Magnus.

SPEAKER_07 14:55

I forgot my gun. Sorry, lad! Always forget about that gun under my seat. For emergencies, just in case things all go to smoke. You know. Is it gone? I don't see anything. Maybe it was the wind. It was coming from the east. You and your silly compish. Oh, you're just jellies. Jellies? You three can keep staring down those trees if you like. I'm gonna open up a can of pork and get a fire started.

SPEAKER_01 15:26

Oh hello.

SPEAKER_04 15:39

You killed it! I did not. Yes, you did. I did not.

SPEAKER_07 15:54

Well, he's dead now.

SPEAKER_00 16:02

Episode 71, Breakthrough, was written by Chris Nelson. Featuring the voice talents of Garrett Lewis, Logan Poulson, Jamie Clutier, Stephen Dean, Joshua Printiss, Joshua Lindevalson, Amber Lambe, and Ashley Banker. Sound design by Sam Lee. Music by Seth Norris. The Encounter is written, performed, and produced by Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. Visit us online at encounterseries.com.