S2E3: Fresh Air

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Do I just sit right here? Yes please, Warren. Is there something you'd like me to do? No, no, just getting things there. Okay, can we start the tape? Oh, I've already started the tape. Of course you have. Gordon, is that you? Hi, Warren.

Will I actually be able to see you now after this? Like, are they going to let me out? Oh yeah, I think so. Your quarantine period is up. This is just an important part of the study. Yes, yeah, of course. Whatever you need. I'm just really eager for some fresh air. Of course, of course. So, March 14th, 2020. This is just a short memory test. The treatment for your first period of hypersleep resulted in significant disruption of your short-term memory, as you might recall. Or not?

as the case may be uh okay yeah through adjustments to your treatment for the second period of hypersleep we hope to have avoided this damage to your memory going forward initial observations in the 72 hours since your emergence Sorry, Dr. Mele. Yes? Sorry, it's just, it is really cold in here. Could I get a blanket or something? There's one just behind the chair, actually, Warren. Oh. Hi, Dr. Jennings.

Please call me Pamela. Or Pam. Okay, if we could just stay focused. He's cold. The aircon is right over his head. Where is... Oh! Oh, right. In the 72 hours since your emergence, there is also... It's really scratchy. Like, in a nice way, but yeah, scratchy. I am allergic to wool. This is... Oh, this is wool, isn't it? Wait, is that a problem?

Do we need to get him out then? In the 72 hours since your emergence, the results have been very encouraging. You've displayed recognition, recall, neuro-ops are all strong. Seemingly fully compos mentis. We're just here today to keep an eye on things. Just a few simple questions. Brilliant, thanks. Could you tell me your full name, please? I can. It's Warren William Godby. And your date of birth?

That is September the 25th. Can you tell me where you are right now? I'm in your interrogation room. It's actually an interview room. But I meant where in general wasn't much of an interview last time he was in there. Excuse me? It wasn't much of an interview. So sorry about that, by the way.

where you think you are in general warren okay i'm quite capable of the red valley seed vault uh that's it or just red valley whatever it is that you call it now and uh where is that scotland um quite high up sorry i don't i don't actually know how far um off the a9 somewhere oh ball bag i'm sorry we're in the shadow of the mighty ball bag that's what you call the the mountain isn't it

I don't actually remember what it's really called. Yes, yes, that's it. That's not because I've got amnesia or anything. I just literally forgot that, like anyone would. Can you tell me the last thing you remember before commencing this period of hypersleep?

um Gordon and I were on a road trip to find Red Valley um for my work and we found it clearly um then we came downstairs and clive shill was there and he was all like oh surprise and there was cheesecake or something and then i met both of you and you were all this way mr godby and off we went and then i was in here again like you were just discussing with the headbutting and and my life that's all made up and then i went to sleep your hyper magic sleep

And now I'm back. I continued. That's what you want to call it, isn't it? Continue, but with a special K. Was that it? Yes. How do you feel about that? I mean, it's catchy. I think it would go down quite well. The K is a bit much. I mean, unless you've already decided, in which case, you know, I love it. No, no, no. I mean, how do you feel about your situation? Well, fine, more or less. I mean, a bit of a hangover, but that's probably to be expected after three months of being...

Clinically dead, I guess. I think a few Barocas wouldn't fix, I'm sure. I meant emotionally, though, Warren. How do you feel? Why are you asking that? Hello? Why did you keep your name, Warren? My name? Sorry? Everything okay in there, guys? Guys? Your name. Why did you keep it? Oh, is this still a memory test? Yes. I don't understand the question. You left your hometown after your mother's death, never to return.

Your father, William Godby, was a sex offender and a domestic abuser. He wanted to start over again. Yet, you still carried his name. Warren William Godby, did you not think to change it? Everything all right out there? Okay, well my father, he already had a criminal record for petty crimes when he met my mum. When they married, they took her last name for a chance.

At a new start, I suppose. She chose the name Warren herself. It was after her favourite uncle. My dad wasn't present at my birth anyway. You know, I think I am properly allergic to this blanket. I have a rash.

That's great, Warren. That'll be all for now. Okay. Can I go now? Warren. Gordon bloody porlock. How about some fresh air? It's bloody cold outside. Kind of a blizzard, actually. Oh, is it snowing? Oh, yeah. Yeah, it's been this way for weeks. It was fun at first, but a bit much after a while. Yeah, it's because you've had no one to play with.

Oh, yeesh. Double the clock. Prevent the dog from barking with a big juicy bone. This is disconcerting. Warren fucking Godby. The man, the myth, the bellend. Hi, Clive. You look great. Right, Games Workshop. Here. Don't hate this, would you? Sure. How do you feel? Is this another test? How do you mean? How do I feel? Like, physically or emotionally?

I don't know, small talk. Most people just say, fine, how are you? I'm fine then. Yeah, seriously though, how are you? Everything working? You all there? Give him some space, Clive. Yeah, he looks good. He's a bit pasty. Does he get vitamin D when he's down there? Oh, we were just on our way outside, actually. Very good. Why do you want to go outside? It's a blizzard. Just want some fresh air. Let them go outside, Clive. Thanks. Not at all.

Clive seems a little... stressed. Wait till we're outside. So...

I was going to ask you how you feel, but I think you've probably had enough of that for today. Maybe, yeah. Look at this snow, though. It's good. So, three months. You kept yourself busy? Oh, yeah. The archiving is really fascinating. You know, if you're into elaborate human rights abuses in the name of theoretical science, which apparently I am. Yeah, I bet you are. Caretaking stuff, though.

I have no idea. I think they assumed I might be handy, like be able to actually look after the place or something. I thought I'd just wing it with YouTube videos. That's what I did in my flat.

Really like putting up a widescreen TV bracket or building a gaming PC, though. And this weather, I mean... What's the place like? I barely made it through the front door before it went all EastEnders... drum roll cliffhanger ending last time so i didn't really take much note of any of it oh it's fun uh there's the farmhouse where you stayed the last time you were here remember that uh no

have what there's the mess room they've got a pool table and a jukebox like an old working men's club kind of feel you remember that uh no they've got all these disused military bits and bobs from the cold war when it was a missile tracking station like a situation room with these big world maps on perspex screens where you can move all this stuff around it's very cool

And they've got these clocks all in a row that tell the time in different countries. You must remember that. I'm just going to nip this in the bud and assure you I don't remember any part of ever being here. Oh, sorry. I guess I'm not really sure where your brain is at. Well, my mind eggs don't seem to be any more poached than they were before. Whatever was missing, though, I don't think it's coming back. Oh, well, it could be a lot worse.

I can see you are busting to tell me more about this place, aren't you? Yeah, look, there are these old plans and blueprints from when they first built this place, and they built it over some ancient granite mine, and there are... tunnels you can still go into well i mean one tunnel specifically going right into the mountain to all these disused mine shafts and overhead we're going to try out putting some kind of miniature reactor down there like a nuclear reactor

as a test to see if they could power remote outposts all over. Look, I'm sorry. I'm blabbering. I haven't had anyone to talk to about any of this. It's all right, it's all right. Gordon, are you okay? Oh yeah, I'm fine. i'm fine it's just been a bit solitary but i wasn't exactly in the after work fireside football team before i got here was i hmm so how is everyone else then are they um

Are they treating you okay? Well, Pam is nice for a conscience-free cryonic scientist, and Grace is, um... A wanker? Yeah. He keeps his nose so far up, Brian, he's... Well, apparently things aren't going so well for Clive. I think he thought the first time you woke up everything was going to take off and he'd make his millions.

I think he made some promises he couldn't keep to the directors. His eyes bulge a bit these days. And Bryony? Well, Bryony is without doubt the scariest person I have ever met. Yeah. Right. Relieved is how I felt, by the way. Sorry? They wanted to know how I felt after the... Freaking out and the head butting way back when. When I was laid up in the bed and you were there. I felt relief. Do you think that's weird? I know what you mean. You do?

yeah i was scared of everything i was scared of people talking to people on the phone or in person or anywhere the idea of calling a customer service line because my wi-fi had gone down or to Haggle over upgrading my phone. That would make me sweat. And then I was here and it was all gone. I don't have to worry about, well, any of that. You know, when you're on a train.

and it's held up and you're just stuck in the middle of a field while they get the leaves off the line or whatever and you're going to be hopelessly late and there might be awful consequences to get stressed about but well there's literally nothing you can do about it It's not your fault. Hopefully you've got a book or something. You're just sitting on the train. You know, that is exactly it. Only with them.

live-in chronic scientists studying you in your home, pretending to be your spouse, and prison sentences you can't remember and stuff like that. Well, yeah. Look, I don't know what you did, you know. They haven't told you. I mean... The files are here, I just didn't look. Why not? I mean, it wasn't my place. So, everyone else here knows? Yeah. Is it weird that we're the only ones who don't? Look, it's your call. I mean, you can look.

or i can look or neither of us can look or whatever you like you're a really good friend gordon i'm really sorry you're caught up in all of this Shall we go back inside? Do you think it's alright if I just have a minute to myself? My head's kind of banging a bit. Oh, uh, yeah. Yeah, yeah, sure. Here. Take my con. I'll grab another one. Everyone uses Channel 2 on the station. Why don't we use Channel 6 just to talk to each other? That is a great idea. Alright, see you in a minute.

Where's he gone? Oh, he's just having a minute. To do what? To have a minute. It's his first time outside in three months. Get him back in. Clive, let him be. Since when did you get so protective over him? I was about to say the same thing to you. How do you know he isn't running for the hills right now? He's not going to run. Get him in, please. It's cold out there. He's not a puppy. Fine, let's get him indoors. I think everyone's overreacting. Porlock? Well, don't I feel silly?

Echo 3 to Echo 7. Han, old buddy, do you read me? Warren? That's not the line, but whatever. Where did you go? Clive's throwing a shit there. I just went for a walk. I love snow. And it's been three months. I wanted to stretch my legs. When are you coming back? Everyone's worried. Oh, I'm sure no one is worried. Well, I'm worried. Well, thank you, Gordon. Not for myself.

Clive smashed an office chair into the wall and now he's staring at the fire extinguisher like it insulted his mother. Warren, are you still there? What is that? What's what? That looks like headlights. Wait, headlights? Yeah, but up in the hill. Wait, Warren, what are you talking about? What lights? That's a minivan. A minivan? That's a Mazda Bongo Frendy. Oh, wait, what? Say that again?

a mazda bongo friendly i think you're slurring warren are you feeling all right a mazda a mazda what like a little sports car bongo bungle friendly is your tongue swelling up is this what happened last time you were defrosted Someone's getting out. I'm going to say hello. No, no, no, Warren. Turn around and come back. Come back. Motherfucker. Stop. Would you like me to play the next entry, Aubrey? I guess it's...

Reassuring that Warren was just as big a pain in the arse when he woke up 40 years ago as he is right now. It is fortunate we have greater care options now than were available at that time. Doesn't help Gordon though, does it? Now or then. Poor Gordon. I never gave him the credit he deserved for what he had to go through. The nature of your relationship did not lend itself to sentiment. It was a strange relationship.

If you can even call it that. I met him in a subreddit on Cryonic Preservation. What's his username? From the movie. What was it? His username was John Spartan. The Sylvester Stallone character from Demolition Man. Yes! So I chose Simon Phoenix, the Wesley Snipes character, so we could get talking, all the while Wikipedia-ing Demolition Man. Still haven't seen it. The reviews were resoundingly average. Two years of passing...

the strangest information over the internet, with no idea whether he could be trusted or if he was just some loser stringing me along. I didn't even know if he was truly overhead like he claimed. But he was someone who took me seriously. This insane story of hypersleep and dead test subjects in a ridiculous secret research facility in the Highlands. They promised me he would blow the shit wide open. It petered out.

Ben Thomas found other contacts for us to focus on. None of them came to anything. We couldn't get close enough to anyone to convince them we were telling the truth without revealing ourselves. It was impossible then. Overhead were everywhere. I didn't give Gordon any more thought. But then you met in real life, here at Red Valley. I never even made eye contact with him, Gord. By the time we were in the same room together, he... Well, you know what happened.

I don't even know why I'm telling you any of this. You know it better than I do, better than anyone. Unclouded by guilt or shame or 40 years of... twisting memories around until they're nothing like what really happened. That's why we're doing this. To remember what really happened. And if the plan is successful, you'll be able to meet Gordon face to... One thing at a time, Gord.

Bryony's already testing her theory, though. Or is she? Is it just Grace trying to score points, pushing a theory he doesn't even understand yet? None of them do. Warren's barely been out for five minutes. He must have been drugged up to his eyeballs. I'm surprised he could talk. But then, he is surprising, isn't he? We break. We can commence the next entry when you return. No, let it run. I'll only be a minute. What if you miss something? I won't. I remember the next part just fine.

Red Valley was written by Jonathan Williams and directed by Alan Mandel. All music and editing by Richard Orpheus Campbell, with sound design by Alexander Broad and Richard Orpheus Campbell. Carol Pestridge was assistant director. Performances by Jonathan Williams as Warren Godby, Alan Mandel as Gordon Porlock, May Cunningham as Bryony Halbeck, Alexander Broad as Clive Schill, Rachel Fowler as Pamela Jennings. with Alan Mandela's Gord and Natalie Day as Blue Sky. Thanks for listening.

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