Episode 48: Theta Scenario

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spoken to Dr. Gillen about the precautions that are in effect, you should do so immediately. Secondly, just because I know that rumors have already started flying, yes. malfunctioning airlock hatch to thank for that fortunately lieutenant Oswin was able to stage a successful until we get through this storm and if something goes wrong please report it to your superiors report it promptly

That is all for tonight. Tomorrow, a selection of Holst and some Saint-Saëns. So there's something to look forward to. Enjoy the remainder of our musical program.

Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce Elizabeth Zhang, commander of the USS Tiamat. The Tia what? Tiamat. The 9th Deep Space Exploration Mission. Launched by the Wright Goddard Aeronautics Company. And let me guess, didn't go well? Official company records say that the Tiamat disappeared after... That's the official story. And off the record? It took some doing, but a salvage team was able to recover the partial remains of the Tiamat from the orbit around Procyon.

Tell me this isn't another tragic story of you people sending someone really nice to die really, really far away from home. What this is, Officer Eiffel, is the best source of intel we have.

This is First Contact. Wait a minute. The Tiamat disappeared in 1978. You've known about alien life for decades? Why don't more people know about this? All in good time. The Tiamat's second mission, the one in which it disappeared, remains one of the most remote we've ever done. Records suggest... Who cares? Eiffel? No, really. Why are we wasting our time with this stuff? Eiffel? Shouldn't we be repairing the- It's intel, Eiffel. Never a bad thing to have. Don't you want to know why- No!

I've fallen for that trap before. That's how they get you. Ooh, don't you want to know? Pull up a chair. Let's listen to these old records. Let's get really invested. And before you know it, it's been another year and you're still here. In this pit. With all these snakes. In this snake-filled pit with all the explosions and then- Okay. I think we get the metaphor.

Jeez, what's up with you people? Quiet! Is there a reason you're even more friggin tense than usual? Not that it's any of your business, but we did the- Well, don't tell him! Oh, what's he gonna do? Hate us in a more absolute way from his cell? We did the damage assessment on the ship and the station. And there's a problem. Starboard engine's not turning on. Its coil compressor broke in the turbulence. Main engine's compensating, but it can only do so much.

We're losing ground. In about 16 days we're going to be past the red line. And what? You don't have another compressor? We have exactly one working coil compressor left. It just happens. To be one of the pieces we need to fix a Urania's engine, there's the dilemma. We can keep the Hephaestus in orbit or get the Urania space worthy.

And in what crazy parallel dimension is that a dilemma? We're getting the Urania fixed and getting out of here. Right, Captain? It's not that easy. Whatever we decide, we're giving up one of the crafts. I'm not making that call for everyone. We're voting, and we're not doing anything until we have a unanimous decision. Fine, let's vote. No.

We're not going to make an informed decision until we know as much as we can about what the hell has been going on here. Why? Because I'm the captain. That's why. That call I will make.

Kepler, how does your story end? Kaboom Ever After. They found enough of the central computer to confirm that Tiamat had been set to self-destruct. Full command authorization. The commander did it? Why? So glad you asked. Shall we?

I mentioned that Dr. Smith, Lieutenant Oswin, and Officer Tate were all quarantined due to exposure to radiation. Today, at approximately 2300 hours, I found all three of them in the ship's bridge. They claim to have no memories of the quarantine order. Dr. Gillen is performing a medical examination and Dr. Clark is performing a full psych eval. She says that as far as she can tell, each version of each person has the exact same memory.

None of these transmissions ever reached Canaveral. They were all recovered by the salvage team after the fact. What did she just say? What's a... Theta scenario. Code for extraterrestrial contact. Highest ranking member of each crew was briefed on the possibility. Uh, I never got that briefing. Neither did I. Well, no. Both of your crews had Hilbert on them. I outranked Hilbert. We both did. Well, officially. Excuse me? Yes, what a great thing to focus on.

Alright, so us 0.0 are also getting their crew members Xeroxed. Are you actively trying to be as insensitive as you can? I'm trying to move this along. More than one duplicate. And it sounds like those just turned up inside the station. You had your shuttle, Captain. What accounts for the differences? It may be as simple as different stars, different behaviors. We don't know.

But you have a theory, don't you? There's always a theory. There's always that special way you put two and two together. Come on. Show us how smart you are. There is a... Call it an educated guess. Shocker!

We think it might have something to do with exposure to unusual stellar activity. What is that even? Okay, so what? Like, if we were around for... Oh, goddammit. What? What just happened? Like, if you were outside? When a flare hit? For example? Which I was. And which you were, Eiffel. What? No, I was not.

Oh, God, you're right. I totally was. We think they utilized the flares as an information-gathering tool. Think high-power scanner. Oh, for God! You're telling me this all started because I went outside to play while the weather was bad? That's... A theory. I was never outside during a flare. No, but your shuttle was consumed by the star. That may be even more effective in terms of gathering information.

And it would explain why they were also able to put your shuttle back together. I don't know. That still doesn't make all the sense of the... Yeah, of course it doesn't. iPhone... No, come on, Commander. We've been on this merry-go-round. It only ever kinda makes sense, and it gets sorta explained, but the recording cuts out right before the good bit. I want a vote. Eiffel. I want a vote.

I think we all just want to get the hell out of here. If I'm right, we go fix the Urania's engine. If I'm not, we listen to more of the Twilight Zone tapes, cool? All right. Do I get a vote? No. All right. By show of hands, I guess. All in favor of fixing the Urania and getting out of here. All in favor of staying here. And, uh, all those without hands? I was wondering when you'd get there. Sorry.

How would you have- I vote to stay. That's me and you in favor of leaving, Mankowski and Hera in favor of staying. On we go. What are you two even think- Hey! Did you have the votes? No. Kepler, play the next tape. Let's keep going.

Hell of a story, isn't it? Eiffel? You got a question? Yeah. So, here's what I don't get. You're voting to stay here? Hey! What the hell is wrong with you? Hey! Cool it, Eiffel. Oh, sure, sure, sure. Excuse me. What, if you will? The hell is wrong with you? No, really, Minkowski. What's going on in that head of yours?

I'm not saying stay here forever, but... I don't think we can leave with everything up in the air. We have a right to know what's been happening for the last three years. Yeah, and I have a right to get home before Goddard finishes dissecting my family. Well, how do you... What? I... I can't, Eiffel. After everything that happened, I... know how I can go home. If we leave now, before we figure all this out, then it's all been for nothing. I... I can't do that.

So my people have to suffer because you can't face yours? And what exactly are you going to do to help when you get home? Well?

So, any other questions? Jacoby! Stu, Cutter, and one of our other bigwigs back at Canaveral. They knew about the alien duplicate's ability to regenerate themselves. Was that the whole point of this thing is that we're after here some way to apply that ability humans No Although That possibility has done wonders when it comes to getting the budget office to pass- Can we please not talk about the budget office? Who cares? Of all people, Eiffel, you should.

Remind me, Eiffel. About a year ago, you came down with a bad case of respiratory failure, didn't you? How did you get through that? Hilbert treated me and... Uh... And you got a blood transfusion. From me. That's where he's going. How do you think you survived that attack? Or the 200 days you were stranded in space? But the Decima started... Don't tell me you actually believed that crap. Hilbert needed to believe that was the reason your health was improving.

Why do you think I terminated the program? Couldn't have him figuring out what was really going on. Could I? I'm sort of... You really think you did it all by yourself? You think that's just blood running through your veins? Alright, so you're not here for the medical benefits. Why are you here then? What's the point? That's complicated. Contact with another technologically mature species could represent a paradigm shift. He doesn't know.

Well, do you? After a while, you kind of figure out how to tell when he's just enjoying the sound of his own voice. There are components of this mission that are strictly need-to-know, even for me. Shall we? Commander Elizabeth Jong transmitting. Sirs thinks of...

That's it for that one. All the salvage team could recover. I don't want to put too fine a point on it, but Commander Zhang is right. There's a lot we don't know about these beings. It's unclear how much control the creators exert over the duplicates. Or, at least... If there's something on your mind, you should just say it already. You voted to leave. You sure that's a good idea? Oh, I'm so touched by your concern that I can make my own damn choice. Can you, though?

Are you sure that it's you that made the choice? Less than two days ago, you were speaking words that weren't your own. Because her eyes aren't made out of fire, that's how. It wasn't exactly subtle. These are beings who seem capable of altering the fabric of time and space. Maybe they're always in control, and they've made it so you can't tell. What if- Everything you think you're doing for yourself is just our friends out there pulling strings. What if your thoughts aren't your own?

I think we need... What makes you think that what I just said was open to discussion? What about you, Hira? I can assure you, Eiffel, my thoughts are... No, I mean, why are you voting to stay up here? Answer your question with a question. Why do I want to go back to Earth? What's there for me? God, you need to get it through your heads that what goes for you doesn't always go for me. Look, I know Earth is your home.

It doesn't have to be that way. Oh, doesn't it? Tell me more. But before you answer, remember... My brain... Kira, with Loveless' shuttle, you were upset that you wouldn't be able to come with us. Yeah, of course I was. Because I was programmed to have all these impractical human emotions. telling me to change my vote. But no. Why? Why not? Stay out here. Sorry. And the alien presence factor? So far they've tried to hurt me less times and less hard than humans have, so I'll take my chances.

Kepler, how many of those tapes do you have left? One more. All right. Let's get this over with.

That's it. The Tiamat logs. I'm not going to pretend this is easy. Or safe. Hell, I think we've all seen the damage that these aliens can cause. And the last time that humans encountered these beings, they were taken apart. First mentally, then literally. So let's get really... really far away from them and what bring one of their own back to earth where it could do the most damage i don't think so we have a responsibility

to figure out what these things want, and to do it here. Motion to just totally ignore everything Kepler just said? Second. Third. What? Cool. Any objections? Jacoby? Nah. I don't care. Great. Motion passes. Now, let's talk about the really important stuff. Commander, I know you're scared. It's not that simple. Dude, I know you're hurt.

Messing someone up messes you up, and... Yeah, I've done the whole hiding out really, really, really far away from your family thing, and let me tell you, not that great. It's taken me this long to realize that running from everyone else means that you're alone with yourself. And that doesn't help anyone. You gotta confront this head-on. But unlike me, when you do it, you'll have help.

And Hira? No. This isn't even a choice. Yes, it is. It's a sucky-ass choice, but it is a choice. And you know what? I know these evil stooges. As long as this station's up here. It's going to work for them somehow. Actually, I know exactly how. They'll send more people with bigger guns and even more medieval attitudes when it comes to not treating people like people. You really want to stick it to the man?

Kick them where it hurts. Get this station off the sky once and for all. And you're right. I don't know what'll happen when we get back to Earth. But I do know...

that we'll go through it together. And I do know that Cutter is going to be pissed. So that'll be fun for everyone. I call for a vote. Any objections? All right, then. Fix the Urania and leave, or fix the Hephaestus and stay. Eiffel? Fix the Urania and leave. Duh. Menkovsky? Could. Hira? Captain? Whatever this process thing the aliens want us to figure out, we'll figure it out back home. Leave. Screw you, Kepler.

Well then, it's unanimous. Yep. Pack your bags, kids. We're getting out of here. Um... Actually, there's one more thing. That was the last full log we recovered from the Tiamat. But the salvage team found one more message fragment in the wreckage. You may not like it, but- Just play it. Whatever you say. That was recorded 72 minutes before the Tiamat was set to self-destruct. Anyone want to change their vote?

This has been Wolf 359 by Kinda Evil Genius Productions. Tonight's episode was written and directed by Gabrielle Urbina. The role of Eiffel was played by Zach Valenti. The role of Minkowski was played by Emma Sher-Jarko. The role of Hera was played by Michaela Sui. The role of Loveless was played by Cecilia Lynn Jacobs. The role of Kepler was played by Zach Labresco.

The role of Jacoby was played by Noah Mazur. And the role of Zhang was played by Julia Morizawa. Tonight's space transmission was Waltz of the Flowers by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Original music by Alan Rohde. And audio recording by Jared Paul. Want to help us unearth more Twilight Zone tapes? Do so by supporting us on Patreon. at patreon.com slash wolf359radio. Thank you to Rina Sarame, The Gravos Situation, Jamie Gurman, Alex Brown, and the rest of our patrons for all of your support.

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