Murder on Mars: Episode 1

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Welcome to Limelight. Episodes are released weekly wherever you get your podcasts, but if you're in the UK, you can listen to the whole series right now, first on BBC Sounds. Murder on Mars by Tim Foley. Episode 1.

put a city on Mars and have people living there full time. They picked a spot near a place called the Hale Crater which is on the southern hemisphere and it's very interesting for science. 20 years to set it up properly and it'll cost a lot. But when they are done, there will be all kinds of jobs. There'll be builders and farmers and teachers and people might even have their own shops and restaurants. decided what i'm gonna be when i'm older but whatever i do i want to do it

Sadly, Kaya, we all do things we don't want to do. Is it something you ate? This wasn't me. Pipes blocked because of a calcium build-up. Guess where from? Not a fun game. So the artificial gravity is good but not as strong as Earth's so our bones are ever so slowly decaying and that calcium breakdown passed out through urine. Mankind has arrived on Mars and we're dissolving. Alright, what do you want? I want to throw up, that's what. Not in this loo, you're not.

Come on. Canteen opening hours for behalf have been revised. Please check the schedule for details. Better? Why are you plumbing anyway? You're the harbour master. You should be, you know... Mastering the harbour. You still don't know what my job is? Everything's your job. Damn right. And I do look good in a pair of overalls. I'll get those washed for you tonight. Okay, I've had to push back your one o'clock briefing. Why?

Right, there's good news and bad news. Bad news first. We've lost contact with Earth. Oh, what a surprise. Wait, you don't sound surprised. Oh, you'll learn. Whenever the main rig does a bout of atmospheric testing, our comms go on a blink. For a good few hours. Oh, yes, I saw that on the schedule. The main chiefs were all over there in attendance. Always keen for a day trip to witness a scientific demonstration.

Nothing to do with the spread they lay on afterwards. Is it really good? I'll let you know if they ever invite me. So, what's the good news? Oh, there's a dead body. Kaya? How is that good news? That's just what you say. Good news and bad news. You don't say bad news and bad news. Well, you do if it's bad news. Has next of kin on earth been... Nope. No radio.

Fantastic. We couldn't contact them yet anyway. We're not sure who it is yet. Right. We'll make ID a priority. It's sad, Kaya, but life off world, a strain on even the strongest. All we can do is sign off the death, put them on the next flight back. We're lucky there's an Astra ship in orbit right now. They can take them. Was this the reason we delayed my one o'clock? Yes, because there's a little more to it than that.

More bad news? Maybe even worse news. What do you mean you don't know how he died? I can't say for certain it was heart trouble. There's a knock on the head. Look. So he fell over. Hit his head when he collapsed. Possibly. This isn't my area of expertise, Mr DK. I'm a physiotherapist. You still do locum work, Dr Lee. Yes. Check-ups on the living, not the dead.

You're the only medic on duty. Dr Carter's attending this stupid event on the rig. Even he would struggle to give you answers. Can we move the body now? I have appointments all afternoon. I can't exactly make my patients feel comfortable with a dead man lying beside them. We're not moving anything. Give this body a more thorough examination. I'd like a cause of death established. How many times? I'm not a forensic pathologist. And I'm not a plumber. I was still elbow deep in the toilet just now.

Please tell me you washed your hands. Dr. Lee, I can't have this hanging over me. Natural deaths in the hub, yes. Tragic, understandable, unnatural deaths. No, no, no. Too soon to suggest anything like that. Then rule it out for me. Sign it all off before Dr Carter gets back. I can't sign it off. Neither could Dr Carter for that matter. Earth is our only legal authority. You need their rubber stamp. Earth is out of reach. And there isn't any rush.

Look, put him on ice. Better yet, put him on the surface. It's a cool minus 81 degrees this morning. No. Come on, there has to be a workaround. Someone in the hub who can sort this out. If you want to know what's happening on Mars, my guest today has all the answers. The Hale Project is one of the most ambitious collaborations of all time. Fourteen partner nations committed to establishing a long-term settlement.

Mars. But even though it's a group effort, it's undeniable that one individual is leading the charge. Damien Zero, maybe the richest man on Terra Firma.

Coming! Trousers, trousers! I said coming! Hi there. Hi. The doors are disappointing, aren't they? Excuse me? You'd expect them to swish open like Star Trek. Are you here for the radiator? Is it broken? Yes, it is. Well, I'm not, but I'll take a look at it. Oh, okay. What's wrong with it? It's not coming on. I can't find the... I think there's meant to be a control panel. No, there's a tap. And you turn it. Like this? Oh.

Do they not have radiators on Star Trek? Now I feel silly. I wasn't expecting this place to be, I don't know, retro. The screen's crack. AI sucks. If we can manage with the manual, the analogue, we do. OK, but if you weren't here for the radiator... And it's not exactly retro. We're living on Mars, it doesn't get more futuristic than that. I know, it's just not gleaming white walls, it's giving...

Budget hotel. Oh, well, excuse me for finding you air and heat and water and shelter on a lifeless rock nearly 142 million miles from the sun. Oh, set it up for me personally, did you? The structural basics alone are a staggering... But no, that's not enough for you. You want what? Teleporters?

And tricorders? Ah, so you do know Star Trek. Well, I've connected my mobile to your intranet, so that's kind of tricorder-y. Yeah, now you mention it. That's another feat. Cellular network technology with basic ground-to-orbit. You're welcome. A little slow. It's meant to be reserved for calls and texts. Are you streaming something? Oh, sorry. There's a new Damien Zero interview. Does he come out here a lot?

Overseeing the construction? Oh, he doesn't oversee it. He rolls up his sleeves and gets involved. He's currently out back laying a brick wall. Is he? No. It's funny, it's always a certain type of person who's expecting to bump into him up here. And what type of person is that? I'm thinking young, impressionable, possibly with their trousers on back to front. Oh, would you look at that. OK, sorry, who are you? Rita.

Siddiqui. And why do you think, Rita Siddiqui, that you can... Hang on, I know that name. And I know yours, Jasper Hickson. Vice-captain of the Resolute, shooting up the ranks of Astro whilst bailing out of nappies. It's your first trip here. You docked three days ago? Rita Siddiqui, you're the harbour master. You're basically boss of the... Why are you fixing my radiator?

But he wasn't broke. We established that. If there's a problem with the permits, you could call my boss, Captain August Ward. He's in orbit on the Resolute. Yeah, we've spoken, and now I'm speaking to you. There's been an accident in the hub, and I need your assistance.

You're signing off a death for me? A death. You have to witness a medical officer's assessment and confirm identification. Of a death? Yes. Of a dead body? Yes. Is this a joke? Do you find dead bodies funny? Right. I'm sorry. I just don't understand. Why have you come to me?

Base law has its roots in maritime law. Effectively, there's been a lot of copy and paste by legal teams because nobody's agreed who's running what yet. So, Jazz, as it stands, you, me, all the pilots of every visiting astroship. We have special legal powers. Is that mashed potato? I'm not sure it's potato. Looks better than my rations. The video's pretty bad you're in, then.

What legal powers are we talking about, Ward? Oh, all sorts. You could officiate a wedding. That's not what this Rita asked me to do. No, it isn't. And this is rather cheeky of her because... I spoke to her and her secretary and I told her not to ask this of you. We're Astra, ferrymen of the stars. What happens on the surface, not our responsibility. You just said it was our responsibility.

What I mean is, Jaz, we're external contractors and this is an internal matter. Besides, we're scheduled to depart. You're back in the Resolute in five hours. You're telling me I shouldn't get involved? I can see you want to, your nose is twitching like you're sniffing around for a mystery. Maybe it's the smell of the mash. And you do love a puzzle, all those sudokus you do on the flight deck. But these aren't numbers on a screen, Jazz.

People aren't as logical as that, and you certainly don't belong down here. No, it's Mars. Nobody belongs down here. Don't be so sure of that. I'm sure it hasn't changed much since my last visit. Grubby and grimy and... Parts are still a construction site, but there are workers who've already made it their home. Some will want families when they start accepting residencies. So visitors prying into their affairs most assuredly aren't welcome.

You don't look so glum. I don't. Oh, Jaz, sorry. I shouldn't have said that thing about families. I know you're stressed. No, no, it's fine. Have you spoken to David since arriving? I've been a little busy. Well, that isn't true. Well, I can't now, anyway. The far comms are down. And ground to orbit can't be much better if it's making my meal look like a feast.

You'll call David on the Resolute tonight. Transfer is at 1900 hours. It's the automated shuttle. And what do I do till then? Whatever you like. Relax, stroll about. You don't realise how lucky you are. I'm the one who's been cooped up here for the whole layover. Head to one of the viewing towers. Mars. She's a cruel mistress. But nobody can deny she's a beauty. At the BBC, we go further so you see clearer.

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Yes. Kai Rackerman, Rita's PA. Hi. Enjoying the view? Possible not to. It's another world. I did think it would be redder. Yes, I thought that too. That's weird. What is? You can usually see the main rig from here, but the horizon's all cloudy. I'll check the weather reports again, but I'm sure they were clear. Oh dear. Don't worry. Lights are always doing this.

And the tannoy's always doing this too. What, playing Mars by Holst? Bit on the nose, isn't it? I've only been here a few weeks. Maybe it's an in-joke. Anyway, you should come with me. Uh... Okay. Lights are on out here at least. It isn't far. What isn't? The doctor's surgery. For the thing. Rita's thing. She said she explained. Oh, yes. Sorry, Kaya. I don't know if I'm actually doing that. Why? Well, I just don't know if I should. Why? I'm leaving in a few hours. I shouldn't get involved.

That's silly. Sorry? Of course you should get involved. This is Mars. This is everyone working together. Is that what this is? We all do our bit. And this man lying in a surgery, he was happy to do his bit too. I'm sorry. Did you know him? No. There's loads of people I don't know. And there's going to be a proper community up here in less than a decade, and I won't know most of those people either. But I do know we're building something beautiful.

So you should help. If not for me, then for our children. And when I say our children, I don't mean me and you. I just mean your children, my children. If I have any. I actually don't think I want any. I feel like this was going really well until I kept talking. I get the point. Okay, Kaya. You only have me till seven. Jasper, you are wonderful. Call me Jazz. Especially for having kids together. I'm joking. I'm gay. Oh, thank God. Me too. Right then. Let's go and look at her corpse.

He's here, Rita. Hickson. Come in. Hi. This is Dr. Li Dongmei, our astrophysiotherapist. Hello. Hi. If your body has any difficulty adjusting to life on Mars, this is who you see. Just not right now, obviously. Should we get this over with, please? Okay. Well, I can confirm. He's definitely dead.

Sorry, there's more to it than that. What? Oh, I don't know what I'm doing. Dr. Lee, continue. I've examined the body thoroughly. I do suspect the cranial injury on the back of his head is the cause of death. Caucasian, male presenting, late 30s, early 40s. Little undernourished. How long has he been dead? Hard to say. Touchstones like rigor mortis aren't useful. The environmental factors are too different.

If the air is cooler, sterile, he might have been lying around for a few days. He's wearing lubbers, at least. Suggests he's a recent arrival. Sorry, lubbers? You're wearing them too. The weighted clothes? We give them to all newcomers. Helps you adapt to the slightly lower gravity. I got out of mine really quickly. OK, but what do you mean suggests he's a recent arrival? Surely you can confirm how long he's been here, as his ID card will say. Wasn't one on the body?

Only thing was... Oh, hang on. Where did we put it? The tray. What is it? A small plastic card marked with an X. I don't recognise the design. I'll take that. Not to be all hung up on identification. There must be some records of him. I spent ages at arrivals having my papers checked, my fingerprints taken. He's not in the system. And how is that possible? It isn't.

By all accounts, this man shouldn't be on Mars in the first place. Maybe he's a stowaway. It's not possible. Ships are checked and double-checked by Astra. Well, I've taken a photo of him. Oh, hang on. I've lost that as well. The counter. Ah, yes! Here we go. I've printed it out so you can all pass it around and see if he's known. Hopefully it's not too disturbing to look at. It just looks like he's sleeping. Rita, can I have a word, please? Outside.

Can we get him off my table yet? I'm not touching him. Am I able to sign off a death if I can't identify the body? Don't think so. Identification is mandatory. And did you know there was no ID when you asked me for help? I just need you to stick around while I find out who he is. There is a time limit to my involvement here. Look, Hickson, the chief medical officer is off-site. The communications officer...

Is offside. I don't know what you expect me to do. A man is dead. Whoever he is, he'll have a family. Friends, people who care about him. Is that true? I thought the people out here... You thought the people out here were loners. And weirdos... and had nobody back on Earth. Sorry, that's rude of me. Yes. And even if it's true, we should still want justice. I suppose. Well, there's no justice, Hickson.

Not yet. No police force, no investigation unit, just me. So, wait around for an hour or so and let me make some inquiries. No. I see. No, I mean, I'm not waiting. I'm coming with you. No, you're not. I've nothing else to do to my transfer. And if I have to sign this off, I want to know as soon as you discover anything. There's still a chance this was all an accident. I'm going to take a look. At where the body was discovered. Right, then I'm going to take a look too.

Can I hear the outside? You can. Wow. What? The winds of Mars. That's it. That's incredible. Well, I guess it's windier than I was expecting. What is this place? It feels colder. It's a connecting corridor. Simple prefab. And where does it connect to? Off-site. Nothing to do with us. But where does it go? To a hotel. As in the hotel? The Zero Hotel? That's the one. I've seen, like, three docuseries about his hotel plans. You're a real big fan of Damien Zero, then? Oh, aren't you? Oh, yeah.

Love a billionaire. They're all nice, normal people. But you're really saying if we walk down there... Oh, don't get excited. It's just a building site, way behind schedule, and we're not going that far anyway. report said the body was found by section 341. Okay. Well, 38, 39, 40... 41. Not much to see? No. Nothing to trip on? Nope. Does it get slippery in here? Not that I'm aware of. Okay. So it probably wasn't an accident. Definitely!

Warmore on our side of the hatch. Who has access to this corridor? I saw you had to scan your ID card. Yeah, it's restricted. Chief section heads can go in there. Your card would work as well. Would it? Perks of being astro. You get to enjoy our private jacuzzis as well. There are private jacuzzis? Not even public ones. I see.

OK, if this corridor requires special clearance... A direct route to Zero's pet project? Of course it does. Then the card reader should keep a record of who's scanning and when. Maybe it will eventually, when it's properly plugged in. And there's someone whose job it is to monitor it. This is you managing with the manual, the analogue, is it? It's irrelevant. Because we know there wasn't an ID card on the body. Do you still have that X card?

You want me to swipe it? See if it works? Just a theory. Nothing. If our dead man didn't have a means of getting inside, did someone leave the door unlocked? Well, you can see how heavy it is. It's the same on the other side, too. They don't hold open. Then he couldn't get in by himself. This is starting to look... Don't say it. Suspicious. That is what you're thinking.

There's never been a murder on Mars before Maybe we should speak to whoever found the body You're not doing that I'm not letting you implicate my workers. We'd interview them, Dan, not implicate them. The body was spotted in the connecting corridor and then reported. The workers did everything by the book. I gather the book hasn't really been written yet. Explain to me why the kid's helping.

Dan, this is Vice Captain Higson. Higson, this is Daniela Morgana, one of the Union leaders. Vice Captain, and he's how old? He's sitting right here. You can talk to him. I am talking to you on my allotted break. I'm doing you a favour. We recognise that, and you're right. He's young. We're not. Speak for yourself. I'm saying, Dan, you and I go way back. First phases. And this isn't how you treat an old friend.

This is him. Do you recognize him? Has he not been ID'd? I don't know him. Not even by sight? Not even by sight. But you know everyone. So do you. Keep the photo. We can print more. Maybe you could make some posters asking for information? No. I don't want a dead man plastered over the walls. That's bad for morale. Well, I think murder is bad for morale. Oh, he's smart.

No wonder he made pilot at such a young age. I'm sure there were no other factors involved. No family connections. Excuse me. Dan, I don't need another victim on my hands. Oh, is that me? Oh, sorry. Text on my tricorder. On your what? Private joke with Rita here. No, it's not. Oh, it's my captain. I need to give him a call. Lovely to meet you, Daniela.

And I thought I couldn't hate Astra more. You don't hate Astra. We're the ones who are building the settlement. Every nut and bolt. And those lots swam back and forth and they're paid ten times more than the rest of us. And if that wasn't bad enough... He's British. I'm British. Yeah, but he looks down on the likes of us. Well, at least we're an us again. For a moment, it was starting to feel like we were on different sides. Dan, be honest. Are you sure you don't know this guy? I don't.

i do know the cleaner though what cleaner the one who found the body they may have been covering someone else's shift without getting approval so I promised I'd keep them out of it. How noble of you. Cleaners don't have access to that corridor. No, they don't. They called for me. And that's your...

Tricorder. Don't you start. Something's up? Nothing. Need to go and speak to my PA. Oh, I would love to have someone running around after me. You do. It's usually me. Schedule a town hall, Dan. 2,100 hours tonight. Will appeal for information. Is that wise? That kid was right about one thing. Murder. It will upset the mood. Then let's get ahead of it. Share the picture. Somebody must know who he is. Yeah. Somebody does Hey

Drop whatever you're doing. We need to talk. Captain? Jazz, are you there? The signal isn't strong enough for video. Just before you, I have to be honest, I did get involved, but I'm wrapping up now and I'll still be in time for the transfer. There is no transfer. What do you mean? What do you mean? What's going on? Kaya, don't panic. Let's have a look. It was just faxed over.

I've instigated emergency measures, closed the port, recalled all land vehicles, and I'm about to send a general alert. But am I right to do any of this? The forecast can't be real, surely. Well, a storm shouldn't appear this quickly. But these... Reports are off the charts. And I do not like those electromagnetic readings. We need to call our people on the rig. I've tried. I can't reach them. Well, it's possible they're in lockdown already.

What the hell was that? Jazz, you still there? Ward, I just felt some kind of, I don't know, explosion. Not your problem. It came from outside. Hang on, there's a porthole. You won't be able to see anything. No. It's like a sandstorm out there. Focus. You need to convince them to reschedule that transfer. The Resolute will automatically leave orbit in 30 hours. I have no control over that. There isn't another schedule for months. Is there? If I don't make it back to the ship in time...

When I grow up, I want to live on Mars. Maybe I'll even die there too. And jazz by Luke Newbury. Kaya is played by Sasha McCabe. Ward by Stefan Rodri. Dan by Joanna Borgia. Dr. Lee by Crystal Yu. And Max by Siddhant Arnon. Murder on Mars is written by Tim Foley. And the director is Anne Isger. It is a BBC Studios production for BBC Radio 4. Listen to this whole series right now, first on BBC Sounds. Just search for Limelight.

This is The Betrayed. The story of a family torn apart by a political extremism sweeping across Europe. You see this guy in the red t-shirt? I'd allowed myself to believe that this moment would never come. Do you remember the looters outside the sports shop last year? The one guy who'd let a scar slip? I think that's him.

My brother Frank standing with a group of angry men shouting abuse at the police. Is it the same guy? I now knew that Frank was an anti-immigrant activist. Listen to the whole series right now. First on BBC Sounds. At the BBC, we go further so you see clearer. Through frontline reporting, global stories and local insights, we bring you closer to the world's news as it happens. And it starts with a subscription to bbc.com.

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