WHAT WILL BE HERE
EPISODE 5
Vector Transfer

MUSIC: Mid-tempo synth music plays.

INTRO:
What Will Be Here? Episode 5, Vector Transfer. Content warnings for this episode include swearing and small explosions. See the show notes for more details and a link to the transcript.

MUSIC: Music turns to soft, hopeful piano and fades out.

Part One: KEI

SFX: Recorder clicks on, metal clatters to the ground.

KEI
(out of breath)
There’s this ancient proverb that I once heard. Some, uh, some wise words from two hundred years ago, used to inspire people, and make us reconsider our wasteful ways.

SFX: air-wrenching sounds, on and off throughout the next line.

KEI
Because, 200-some-odd years ago, the majority of people actually thought the world’s environmental decline was of a sort that could be remedied by decreasing the carbon footprints of singular households. So they would just utter these words, some as a chant, some as a song, to remind themselves that every individual had the power to set the Earth back on the right path.

SFX: A few more twists of the air-wrench.

KEI
What is this omnipotent proverb, you may ask? Well listener, I will tell you. The ancient text was scribed as follows:

SFX: Wrench stops.

KEI
(clears eir throat, then sagely)
Reduce. Reuse. and Recycle.

SFX: Wrench starts back up.

KEI
And though those words have been lost to time, the sentiment is very obviously still going strong, seeing as those are the pillars upon which our current society was built. Savannah greatly reduces the population fairly consistently, which makes up for “overpopulation” and “threats to the Savannah empire”-- Excuse me, “Family”. They reused the whole of Miami by rebuilding the upper crust of society directly on top of The Underground - which is, as you may know, already the third or fourth floor of Miami.

And they recycle plenty. There’s a reason why we always have closed-casket funerals now. Because Savannah is committed to recycling the salvageable bits of our loved ones to give to rich people we don’t even know! Regardless of whether or not consent was given! So, while yes, Savannah is almost single-handedly responsible for destroying the ecosystems of the entire planet, you have to admit, their commitment to the principles of environmentalism is impressive!

SFX: Footsteps on concrete as ey set the air-wrench down on eir workbench, then circle back to where ey were working

KEI
Savannah isn’t exactly the best role model for helping the planet, of course, but they’re so bad at it, that it kind of feels like doing the bare minimum is doing a lot. Especially when you think about some institutions in place Topside… The Savannah-issued reusable water bottle “AquaVess”, for instance. Jules really thinks she’s saving the planet every time she uses that thing. Granted, all other Savannah-brand containers for liquids are both impossible and illegal to refill so I understand why she falls for it.

I’m glad it makes her feel good, but everyone in the Underground just uses regular, reusable cups all of the time! And those Savannah bottles are virtually indestructible - I know, I’ve checked - but the titanium also allegedly slowly disintegrates over time, so you’re supposed to buy a new one every six months or you'll get lung cancer from excessive titanium dioxide poisoning.

SFX: Kei slides under Jules' car on eir creeper, taking the recorder with em. Electrical sounds and whirring begins.

KEI
Now, based on the evidence presented, clearly, ostensibly going green is very important to a lot of us. It’s one of the few things that both people Topside and in the Underground have in common. Even if it’s totally useless at this point.

SFX: Electricity sounds, wires snapping.

KEI
And I am no exception! Every day, I come into our HQ, I look at our beautiful bouncing baby rocket child, and I think, oh sweet child of mine, how can I make you yet more efficient? How can we achieve our goal, while also never abandoning our duty of doing totally random, pointless shit, so it seems like we still care about this dead rock?

SFX: Ey slide back out, dropping wires and bolts into a bucket before standing up.

KEI
We’re doing a pretty decent job already. Almost all of our materials are scavenged, after all, so we are constantly recycling and reusing. But, you know, that’s mostly Suri putting in the actual work. And I don’t want to put the weight of saving the world to fall solely on her shoulders! If only there were something that I, the lowly mechanic, could personally do…

SFX: Kei sets something metal down.
KEI
And then, one day, it hit me. I got to HQ and was having a hard time taking off my respirator, and that made me think, “Wow, we already can’t breathe the air outside. What if we could clean the atmosphere somehow?”

We can’t. That was just a thought I entertained for a millisecond. But more importantly, how could we keep this rocket from making the air more impossible to breathe? All the exhaust from this launch would be majorly dangerous to inhale for anyone that comes into direct contact with it, so something has to be done!

(Growing increasingly wistful)

If only there were a system in place… a system that I was intensely familiar with... A system that was also connected to a headquarters that frankly, probably needs to be destroyed in order to avoid leaving any evidence behind…

(unbelievably dramatic)

If only…

(abruptly)

But that’s besides the point! What I’m really getting at here, is that we all have to play a part to pretend to save the Earth. Even you, Jules. And I’ve taken it upon myself to decide for you exactly which part of your car I’m stealing. The part is the steering wheel. It has Sacha’s brain in it, and I think we can learn a lot from her. And I had to dismantle the entire car to get her out of there.

For the well-being of the rocket.

And on a greater scale, the well-being of our planet.
…
AND SCENE.

(rushing)
Aliens, be honest, did that sound convincing? I’ve been working on that speech all day. I have no idea when Jules is going to try to leave, and I needed to practice. Gaut knows when she’ll be coming down here and see her car in pieces, but I’m going to be ready to plead my case.

I promise, Jules, I’m gonna look into this vehicle, and what I find will be groundbreaking for us! I mean already, just in this steering wheel there’s so much information! There’s… there’s…

SFX: Small Explosion Boom.

Wait, what is tha-

KEI
Uhhhh… what was-


SFX: Cat meow.

KEI
Oh hi there! Did the explosion startle you out of the vents. Did you cause the explosion?

Beat.

KEI
(Scolding gently)
Kitty?

SFX: Meow.

KEI
Taking that as a no. Weird, usually it’s me causing explosions like that. I don’t hear anyone screaming, so it’s probably fine.

SFX: Meow

KEI
Yeah! Glad you agree. Oh, Aliens! This is a Felis catus, a small fluffy carnivore that’s absolutely adorable. And this one’s been living in the vents. I think we’re kindred spirits. Maybe I’ll have a shop cat soon! Maybe I can train em to start explosions for me! A feline apprentice… What do you think about that?

SFX: Cat does not meow and walks off

KEI
We’ll work on it.

Part Two: JULES

SFX: Recorder clicks on.
JULES
Hi! I come bearing good news! We have rocket fuel! Well, sort of. I have the main components to make rocket fuel. Armani managed to pick up some liquid oxygen and kerosene, and I just need to figure out the right combination. I haven’t quite gotten it right, which has led to… um, a few small explosions but it’s fine! They were contained! The formula’s almost there. I just have to keep working at it! Just like everything else down here...

SFX: There’s a silence, some atmospheric creaking.

JULES
(Sighs, she continues, picking her words carefully)
Ever since the underground… Well… ever since we got raided, things have been pretty quiet here. Everyone was too scared to do much of anything. The people here… There was so much hurt and- and unease. Ari would call it a black cloud looming over our heads. Everyone handled it a bit differently. After the raid, Suri would disappear into the underground for hours at a time. I’m not quite sure where she went but she always seems a little less tired when she returned. Kei… well, ey were setting stuff on fire a lot more than usual… Armani shut down completely. Normally, they’re always chattering on about something cool but I didn’t hear a peep from them.

(beat)

Dane, he went into his lab and locked the door and… well, things really ground to a halt out here. No one made progress on much of anything. We didn’t really feel like working. I guess it's hard to see the point in it when there's so much Doom and Gloom hanging over our heads. But we needed to keep going. We’ve got a deadline we can’t afford to miss.

Beat.

JULES
I went to go see him once or twice. He looked tired. I hated seeing him like that. Like, he didn’t have that spark anymore. Savannah had finally stomped it out of him.

Another beat.

JULES
But! He’s back now and the lab is in full swing. Kei’s not hiding in the vents, Armani’s talking again! Even Suri seems to be in a good mood. We’re building things! Kei is building things!

SFX: In the distance, we hear the telltale sound of Kei disassembling a car. There’s a tense pause as Jules listens.

JULES
I’m going to try not to worry about that. It doesn't really do much good to worry about it, I think. I'm going to try and find the comfort in the sounds of machinery and what I hope isn’t my car, after such a long time of feeling nothing but Doom. It means that we’re that much closer to completing our goal. If I sit there and wallow in all that hatred, I’d never get out. So I look for hope in the little things. In the way Suri’s started asking if I want tea, or in the extra food Armani brings, just in case one of us forgets to eat, or in the way Dane smiles when he thinks no one is looking. In these small moments, I can’t help but feel grateful for everything my friends have done for me. We’re working so hard and I can’t wait to see us finish this, together. I-

SFX: In the distance we hear a car alarm going off.

JULES
Kei! I still need to be able to drive that-

SFX: The recording cuts out.

Part Three: ARMANI

SFX: Recorder clicks on.

SFX: Ambient sea noises.

ARMANI
The idea of the spirit world is an interesting one. Culturally speaking almost everyone has one, be it a hall of judgment or a bottomless pit. The thing is, not all spirit worlds are afterlives. Sometimes they are just places that sit alongside the world, a thin metaphorical veil separating them.

Water is often related to spirituality. It’s often a means of purification or divinity, sometimes even a portal. Mythologically speaking, the primordial oceans are the starting point of all creation. Many beings and landforms either emerged or were pulled from the sea.

The vastness of the sea and the emptiness of space are very similar. Extensive and never-ending, constantly evolving, so potentially undiscovered... Anything could be out there!

SFX: Sea sounds fade out. Soft twinkles fade in, like the shimmer of the stars.

ARMANI
Space is full of endless possibilities. A place where stars are created as they die. Every cloud of space dust, every black hole, every asteroid, every comet, and meteor - it wasn’t a place chosen by design. It was a free-floating game of chance. Pieces just smashed together and then BAM! A brand new fascinating design, soon to be placed on a very stylish throw blanket.

SFX: Sound of a burning rocket engine.

ARMANI
Naturally my design will be much more meticulous. More aerodynamic. It will have to be sleek, with enough engines to propel it forward without looking too gaudy or being too heavy.

SFX: Rocket fades out to a pencil on paper, as if making a drawing. Bright violin music plays in the background.

ARMANI
I am an artist, a poet, a master craftsman if you will. Each detail, from the bolts and welds to the overall shape of the frame must be… perfection. Some may call me nit-picky, but the truth of the matter is an artist’s touch is careful and concise.


SFX: Music stops.

ARMANI
(grumbling)
But I swear to the gods if Kei keeps adding shit that isn't on my blueprints- ugh. Nevermind.

(clears throat)

Stars are also associated with creativity. Normally they are one of the first things created in mythos. Many people look up to them for guidance, wonder and inspiration. I was the same growing up.

(with a smile)

When I was younger I used to sneak away and find a clear spot to stare at the stars. I’d make my own patterns and constellations. I'd name random stars, forget where they were, and then rename them later on. I wanted to touch the stars, to see how bright they were up close. I wanted to be a part of NASA. But when that got disbanded I felt lost. My stars were spiraling out of control, and I couldn’t reach them anymore.

Armani
But I never stopped designing. I never stopped dreaming of the message I could trace there, in the stars. The legacy I could leave.

SFX: Violin music begins again.

Armani
“My soul comes from better worlds and I have an incurable homesickness of the stars.” Quote by Nikos Kazantzakis, Greek writer. There are countless sayings and quotes about people being made of stars and returning home to the universe - but this one is my favorite.

An incurable homesickness, and insatiable need. The never-ending climb to the final frontier. Stars hold stories that are written across space and time. And I can't wait to sign my name. To put my work, my stories, my ship, my design - in the universe for all eternity. For both gods and men.


Let’s make this story a good one, yeah?



SFX: Recorder ends


Part Four: DANE

SFX: Recorder clicks on. Ambient whirring in the background. Dane sighs.

DANE
It’s uh….It’s been a while since I did one of these. Um. Yeah, I’m still alive. Obviously, since I’m talking to you. Or not so obviously, considering Savannah VIPER just launched their new vocal synthesis program the other day. You want to talk about terrifying, you might as well start there. With just one hour of speech they can completely duplicate your voice now, make you say anything they want you to say. Yeah, you were at that meeting, no, you never paid your bill, yes, I planned to light that fire.

But that’s why we’re here, I guess. It’s why I’m here. To get a record of our lives out before our own stories are buried in a false mountain of our own voices. Have something out there before Savannah gobbles it all up.

Beat.

DANE
I...wasn’t good, after the raid. I was in the workshop for...three days, I think? Jules was...concerned, to say the least. I really don’t know how she does it, keeping it all rainbows and sparkles day in and day out.

Beat.

DANE
Well, I do, actually. She’s not entirely up to speed on what Savannah’s doing to us. But...still. She kept her distance the first day, but there was a sandwich on the second. Technically. I’m pretty sure the Montgomerys have one of those new food creation things. The thought counted, I suppose.

Suri… Suri tried. But after so many years of the two of us having to be there for each other...I just start to feel guilty. Guilty that I’m a burden, that I’m not able to do more for them. Guilty that stuff like this keeps happening. It just makes you want to curl up in a ball for a long time, you know?

I had to come back though. What, am I just going to NOT fight Savannah? It’s kind of who I am, at this point… fuck. At this point that almost is all I am now. The person who fights Savannah. Have they really done it? Made me so desperate to be able to carve out my own life that I actually forgot to live it? I devoted my life to stopping their advance so I never checked my own?

Beat.

DANE
Fuck that.

I’m going to have some fun. I’m going to be HUMAN while I do this. Maybe that bundle of blonde positivity does have something right. I might be a rebel but I’m going to be a HAPPY rebel!


Hmm. Maybe not quite that happy. If the smile gets too big Savannah stops watching because they know they don’t have to. And I do NOT have the energy to keep that façade up for a long con.

(A sigh)

Be happy to have the people around you, Dane. They’re really the best you’ve got.

Speaking of which, I should probably make sure Kei and Jules are both alright. We had a couple little… let’s call them “explosions” earlier. They were actually small, but one was also Jules, so...you know.

It’s good to be back.

SFX: Recorder clicks off.

Part Five: Suri

SFX: Recorder clicks on.

SURI
Well, we’re back on schedule. Or as close to back on schedule as we can get. I pulled in some favors to get some more gold wiring, Kei fixed up a bunch of the stuff that got broken, and Dane has assured us that we’ve still got a launch window. Things...progress. They progress.

I should probably sound happier about that, but I’m still pissed off. At a bunch of things, some of which shall remain off the record. I get why Jules wants us to record stuff, but I don’t think every little thing needs to be included.

(sigh)

We’ve been over this before. Though - I’ve got some stuff that I do want to say, and I’ve got a few minutes to say it.

SFX: A soft meow.

SURI
Hey there kitty. You’re getting braver. Want to listen to my rant?

SFX: A soft little chirp.

SURI
We talk about Savannah a lot, and that’s because, well, they’re a constantly looming presence in all of our lives. But I don’t think we’ve talked about how they got started. And I think that’s something we should include - on and for the record. It’s an important part of history, not that it’s actually taught in school these days. The corporation likes to paint a rosier picture than what actually went down. Classic, right? Frankly I’m not sure they tell the truth on anything. If we’re sending a little time capsule into space, I want part of it to counter the official propaganda that Savannah is beaming out there. I feel it’s my civic duty.

Also I just hate them. That’s reason enough for me.

SFX: The opening of a canned drink. Cat meows, wanting it.

SURI
You can’t have this, I’m sorry.

SFX: Cat meows indignantly.

SURI
Okay, I’ll get some cat food for you next time I’m out. Good enough?

Beat.

SURI
Great. And now storytime begins.

[sigh]

Way back when, there was a company called Ondatra. Founded by Nolen Leppe around 2100, it was a pretty standard startup. There were lots of them back then; this one didn’t seem very important at the time. They hire a guy named Gaut Nocoeur some years in, which shouldn’t be relevant but keep that name in mind.

Ondatra starts to grow as a company. There’s some funky shit going on, you know, the normal overworking of employees, somewhat nefarious lobbying practices, whatever. There’s probably more nefarious shit, but that’s all been buried. Typical. The company remains well-respected by the public though, and they go from startup to big boy company.

SFX: Suri takes a swig.

SURI
At some point, they fire Gaut. Nobody really knows why. Probably stealing trade secrets or something. After being “let go,” Gaut founded a company called Savannah. They start small, but pretty soon they’re branching out into every form of industry. If you can think of it, they’re there. From bookstores to strip mining equipment. Security systems, gps locator tags, fitness equipment… Grocery delivery to military contracts. Oh, and rocketry. Lots of rocketry.

Soon, Savannah has taken over most of North America, acquiring company after company into what is functionally a monopoly. Once the company has established itself in every corner of everyone’s life, Nolan Leppe dies.

That’s the Ondatra guy, in case you’ve forgotten.

The record has it that Leppe died from a natural illness, but let’s be real, that’s pretty fucking suspect. His company, Ondatra, begins to falter, floundering without its founder and CEO. Oh no! What will they do? But then! Gaut to the rescue! Hooray! Savannah’s space science subsidiary acquires Ondatra! Oh, to have been there while those negotiations were taking place... I’m pretty sure Gaut bought the company out of spite.

Given the chance, I’d probably buy Savannah out of spite. If only I had a spare 15 quadrillion or so lying around…

SFX: Suri takes another swig. Cat meows, coming closer to Suri.

SURI
But back on topic. Ondatra is rebranded into Ondatra: An Ocelot Company. That’s what Savannah calls their space science subsidiary - Ocelot. I know. Lots of Os. Like a bad knockoff or something. Despite this whole acquisition thing, Ondtra is still mostly associated with Leppe. I think Gaut really hates this. Every time they do any sort of advertising for Ondtra they always make sure to mention Ocelot or Savannah. Or both. Usually both.

Oh fun fact about Gaut and Ondatra! I can’t believe I almost forgot this. Part of the acquisition deal retroactively makes Gaut the founder of Ondatra. Yep, you heard me right. Gaut is now listed as the founder of a company that hired and then fired him five years into their existence. All it takes to rewrite history is money, I guess. Corruption in capitalism knows no bounds. People suck and we live in a corporate hellscape!

SFX: Suri finishes her drink and yeets the can into a trashcan. Cat comes over, headbutts Suri’s hand, and starts purring.

SURI
Aw, you hate them too? Well, I guess you can stay.

SFX: More purring.

SURI
I could justify this whole rant with some sort of vague “take this as a warning in case you think capitalism is a good idea,” but honestly, I’m just in the mood to talk about betrayals. I’m feeling bitter.

SFX: Suri opens another drink.

SFX: Recorder clicks off.

MUSIC: What Will Be Here theme plays, hopeful piano music.

CREDITS:
This episode was written by Brad Colbroock, Chandler Harrison, Cole Burkhardt, Di Reese, and Tal Minear, with script editing by Evan Tess Murray. It was directed and sound designed by Brad Colbroock, and features Vico Ortiz as Kei, Jona Lune as Jules, Kathy Youssef as Armani, John Y. Kamara as Dane, and Sahar Iman as Suri. The theme music is by Benny James and the transcript is by Caroline Mincks. What Will Be Here is primarily produced in Long Beach, on the stolen land of the Kizh Nation.