---
layout:          post
title:           "OTCW001 - An Antique Land"
date:            2023-11-24 12:00:00 -0400
episode_type:      episode
categories:			"neon"
podcasts: ["neon"]
neon_category:   ["otcw"]
title_prefix:	"OTCW"
prev_categories: ["neon"]
prev_prefixes: ["OTCW"]
prev_episode:   ['0001-trailer']
prev_episode_num:		['000.1']
prev_episode_title:		["Trailer: Of That Colossal Wreck"]
next_categories: ["neon"]
next_prefixes: ["OTCW"]
next_episode:   ['002']
next_episode_num:		['002']
next_episode_title:		["Boundless and Bare"]
episode_title:   "An Antique Land"
episode_number:  '001'
summary:         "Luna, Mira, Zack, Riley, and Levi awaken aboard the eerie, seemingly empty, Ozymandius Contingency Seed Vault. Why didn't the others wake up?"
content_flags:   ["Loss of Identity/Time", "Depersonalisaton", "Isolation", "Claustraphobia", "Fire", "Death", "Discussions of: Memory Loss, Anxiety, Post-Apocalypse", "SFX: beeping, alarms, yelling, choking/coughing"]
acast_url:       https://shows.acast.com/6553c68578cd3a00121a9b8f/655df00e87694900124c1c47
formats: 
    PDF: https://rustyquillcom.sharepoint.com/Shared%20Documents/Forms/AllItems.aspx?ga=1&id=%2FShared%20Documents%2FRusty%20Quill%20Public%20Access%2FTranscripts%2FNeon%20Inkwell%2FOf%20That%20Colossal%20Wreck%2FOf%20That%20Colossal%20Wreck%20%2D%20Episode%201%2Epdf&viewid=585e2cf0%2Dc969%2D4847%2Dad54%2D2302c335d0a1&parent=%2FShared%20Documents%2FRusty%20Quill%20Public%20Access%2FTranscripts%2FNeon%20Inkwell%2FOf%20That%20Colossal%20Wreck
official:        true
wiki_url:        
---

##### [A DEEP THRUM CONTINUES FOR JUST A LITTLE LONGER THAN IS COMFORTABLE]

##### [An electric whirr and a heavy, mechanical *KA-CHUNK*]

##### [We hear a soundscape of heavy, old machinery working not entirely as intended. Gears grind against each other slowly.]

##### [A door opens with a depressurising hiss. From it, LUNA stumbles a few steps and collapses onto the cold metal floor.]

#### LUNA

Help... Help.

##### [Gradually, four more depressurising hisses as pod doors open, then footsteps.] 

#### LEVI

Is everyone okay? 

#### RILEY

Over here! Someone's hurt! 

#### ZACK

Hi there, can you tell me your name? 

#### LUNA

Luna. 

#### ZACK

Nice to meet you, Luna. I'm Zack. Are you hurt anywhere? 

#### LUNA

No... It's really cold. 

#### ZACK

Hm, I think there should be some blankets around here somewhere. 

#### MIRA

Are you a doctor? 

#### ZACK

Er... Yeah. I think I must be. 

#### LEVI

_(to Riley and Mira)_ Come on, let's leave them to it. 

#### MIRA

We need to check the other pods anyway.

##### [Footsteps as the others leave] 

#### LUNA

Where am I? What's going on? I can't think... 

#### ZACK

It's okay. This happens sometimes. Waking up can have a really disorientating effect. It should start to fade in a few hours. 

#### LUNA

You've seen this before? 

#### ZACK

Well, technically I haven't seen anything before. But I remember doing it plenty. What about you? 

#### LUNA

I don't know. My memories don't make sense. I'm planting seeds. Making clouds. Or... I remember a laboratory. Was I a farmer? Or, no, I used to work with geology? It's all a mess. 

#### ZACK

It's okay, they should start to straighten out soon. Not exactly surprising the wake-up can leave you jumbled. Being born is hard enough when you do it as a baby!

#### LUNA

What?

#### ZACK

Sorry. Bad joke. 

#### LUNA

It feels like they're not my memories. 

#### ZACK

No, not originally. But they're yours now. 

#### LUNA

I don't know if I like that.

##### [Zack doesn't know what to say to this.]

#### ZACK

Hang on, I'll see if I can find you one of those blankets.

------

##### [Meanwhile, in another area of the awakening room:]

#### RILEY

So how do we open all these? 

#### LEVI

They're supposed to open automatically, like ours. We should wait for Zack before we do anything that might interfere with the stasis procedure. 

#### MIRA

We don't know how long he'll be. That confused woman might --

#### LEVI

Her name's Luna. 

#### MIRA

Of course. 

#### LEVI

I'm Levi, by the way. Good to meet you both. 

#### RILEY

Right! Yes. I'm Riley. 

#### MIRA

Mira. Anyway, we should see what we can do about these pods ourselves. 

#### LEVI

Do you know anything about stasis tech? 

#### MIRA

Well, this software interface is familiar, so...

##### [Mira taps the screen a few times]

#### MIRA

...But I've no frame of reference for the read-outs. There's definitely someone inside, and I think the stasis field is active. 

#### RILEY

Guess your skills are more software than wetware. 

#### MIRA

Seems so. _(calling over)_ Doct-- Zack, can you have a look at this please?

##### [Zack jogs over to the pod.] 

#### ZACK

Yes, how can I help? I found some blankets, by the way, if anyone's --

#### MIRA

Perhaps later. Can you determine if this person is still alive? 

#### LEVI

There's no reason to think they're dead, Mira. That's just what suspended animation look like. 

#### MIRA

None of us have ever done this before. It's at least worth having someone with medical knowledge check them out. 

#### RILEY

So, what do we do if they're dead?

##### [Zack taps at the pod's controls]

##### [An 'EEEHHHH' error sound]

#### ZACK

Looks like the terminal's not fully working. There's not really any way to tell without opening it up. Sleep and death are, well --

#### MIRA

I understand, thank you. 

#### LEVI

No need to be rude. 

#### MIRA

I'm not being rude. This isn't right. We're all supposed to wake up at the same time. The sooner we can figure out what's gone wrong, the better we can address it. 

#### RILEY

Are we sure this isn't normal? 

#### MIRA

Yeah, we're supposed to -- It just... *feels* like we're all supposed to be here. 

#### LEVI

Together. Yeah, I feel that too. 

#### ZACK

Do we know how many of us are there supposed to be? 

#### LEVI

Let's see. There are about twenty pods, and space enough for, what, fifty? 

#### RILEY

Well, there are five of us. 

#### LEVI

More once we get the other pods open. Somehow. 

#### RILEY

Okay, maybe I didn't get the right memories or something, but you both seem to have a much better handle on how this is all *supposed* to go, so...? 

#### MIRA

Look, as far as I'm concerned, there should be fifty of us awake right now, and once the doctor has checked us over we make our way to see the Commander. But we can't go anywhere until we're all awake, so we need to get as many of these pods open as possible. In the meantime, we figure out the situation. 

#### RILEY

The situation is that everything's broken. 

#### LEVI

Then we fix it. Once everyone's awake, then we can decide whether to panic. As a team! 

#### RILEY

I'm not panicking, Levi. 

#### ZACK

Right, if I'm not needed right now, I should go check on Luna. 

#### LEVI

How is she?

#### RILEY

She seemed kind of upset when she woke up. 

#### ZACK

I think it's just memory troubles. Sometimes, with long periods of suspended animation, the mind kind of... mixes everything up. 

#### LEVI

I suppose that's the risk with implanted memories. 

#### ZACK

They don't always merge how they're supposed to, especially if they aren't being drawn on. Now she's conscious, she should be able to start making sense of things soon. 

#### RILEY

I think I might have that too, 'cause, to be honest, I'm feeling really out of my depth. 

#### ZACK

We can check. What's your name?

#### RILEY

Riley.

#### ZACK

What's your designation? 

#### RILEY

GT-97221.

#### ZACK

Do you know where you are? 

#### RILEY

The Ozymandias Contingency Seed Vault. 

#### ZACK

What's our next task? 

#### RILEY

Find the Commander. 

#### ZACK

Do you remember your parents? 

#### RILEY

Uh... Yeah. Yeah, I think so. 

#### ZACK

How many? 

#### RILEY

How many... parents? 

#### ZACK

Uh-huh. 

#### RILEY

Two. 

#### ZACK

And do you know their names? 

#### RILEY

...No. No, I don't remember their names! 

#### ZACK

That's okay. That's right. That's how it's supposed to be, your different memories have merged and shed the specifics. It's the most common failure point for the process.

#### RILEY

Oh. Right. Okay. 

#### ZACK

So there's nothing obviously wrong. Can you do two clockwise pirouettes for me, then one anticlockwise? 

#### RILEY

What? 

#### ZACK

It's a calibration test. Right... 

##### [Riley spins twice, then one the other way]

#### RILEY

Indigo! ...Why did I say that? 

#### ZACK

It means the test has worked and you're fine. I think you're all good. 

#### RILEY

But I still feel... Confused? And sort of sick? 

#### ZACK

I think that might just be anxiety. 

#### MIRA

We're all anxious. This isn't how the wake-up is supposed to go. 

#### LEVI

There are meant to be more of us. 

#### MIRA

Actually Zack, could you bring Luna over here? I want to take stock of who we have.

##### [Footsteps as Zack departs]

#### LEVI

Give her a minute, she's still recovering. 

#### MIRA

We don't know what's going on yet, but so far the five of us is all we have. I mean to find out what resources we have available.

##### [More footsteps as Luna and Zack rejoin] 

#### LEVI

Luna, how are you feeling? 

#### LUNA

Alright, I think. A bit weird. 

#### ZACK

The memories should be starting to settle down. 

#### MIRA

Speaking of, what mix does everyone have? I'm mainly remembering administration and programming and I think I might have some memories of being a naval captain. My current instinctive priority is to report the Commander, so I assume I'm meant to be in a leadership position. 

#### LEVI

Hang on, I also feel a need to report to the Commander. What does that have to do with leadership? 

#### RILEY

Me too. It might just be a general urge everyone gets when we wake-up. 

#### ZACK

Well, I think my priority is to ensure you're all healthy and well, but that's probably a specific "medical staff" thing. I definitely remember being in front of a classroom, too. Rows of smiling faces. So I think there's some teacher in there as well. 

#### MIRA

Right. Levi? Who are you? What's your role? 

#### LEVI

I don't know about my "role," but I definitely remember a lot of... academics, I suppose. Psychological studies, engineering projects, city plans... 

#### MIRA

Not much immediately useful, then. 

#### LEVI

I guess not.

#### RILEY

Uh, right. So I've got... I remember... There's a lot of physics in my head. Did I win some kind of prize? Well, someone won a prize, I suppose. There's also some robotics in there, but it's... 

#### MIRA

What? 

#### RILEY

-- mainly theoretical. 

#### LEVI

That's alright, Riley. I'm mainly theoretical too. 

#### MIRA

Look, I'm just trying to make sure we know who we are. Or at least what we can do. Sorry if I've been curt. I know it's a high-pressure situation for all of us.

_(gentler)_ Luna, do you... Can you remember anything besides... this? 

#### LUNA

_(pauses)_ I was thinking I might be a farmer? I can remember being outside. The rain. Weather. I feel like I want to... coax things back to life again. Does that make sense? 

#### MIRA

Sounds like terraforming to me. 

#### LUNA

Maybe.

#### ZACK

Well, that's a pretty good spread of skills long-term. 

#### LEVI

We don't know what the others can do yet -- we need to figure out how to wake up them up before we can consider long term. 

#### MIRA

They're safe for now. If we don't have anyone who knows how to work a stasis pod, then our immediate duty is to report to the Commander. 

#### ZACK

Yeah, chances are they'll know what to do next. 

#### LEVI

I'm not leaving until we figure out how to get the others out. 

#### MIRA

And how do you propose to do that? 

#### LEVI

Well, ours activated automatically. Maybe we just need to trigger the right sequence. You and Riley have some technical know-how, maybe you can --

#### MIRA

Hang on. Where is Riley? 

#### LUNA

I think they snuck off. 

#### LEVI

Probably exploring. I say let them have some space. They're having a difficult time of it as well. 

#### MIRA

We're all having a difficult time. 

#### ZACK

Okay, then maybe let's you and me have a look at this pod. 

#### MIRA

Fine. 

------

##### [Meanwhile, in the corridor just outside the awakening chamber:]

<!-- RILEY is exploring. They have not yet strayed far from the room where they woke up, but they are curious. The awakening chamber made some small attempt at comfort (though now decayed and broken), but out here the space is more industrial. -->

##### [Exploring footsteps, curious but uncertain]

##### [They pick up a broken device and examine it] 

#### RILEY

Hm.

##### [They tinker with it for a few moments]

##### [There is a small whirr as it starts to activate]

#### RILEY

Hah! Got it.

##### [The whirr stops abruptly]

##### [Clunk, futz, and brief sparking] 

#### RILEY

Shit.

##### [Riley discards the device and continues exploring]

##### [In the distance: a strange discordant WHISTLE, almost too soft here]

##### [Riley stops to listen]

##### [The whistle comes again -- unnerving, not quite musical and faintly organic]

#### RILEY

Hello?

##### [Silence, aside from Riley's footsteps]

##### [A dripping noise] 

#### RILEY

Hello? Is there -- Urgh!

##### [Squelch -- their hand touches something wet and biological on the wall]

#### RILEY

The fuck...?

#### LEVI

_(calling from a distance)_ Riley! 

#### RILEY

_(calling back)_ Yeah, Levi! I'm here!

##### [Footsteps as Levi approaches]

#### LEVI

You okay? 

#### RILEY

Yeah... 

#### LEVI

You wandered off. 

#### RILEY

I didn't -- I just wasn't sure what I could do back there. Thought I'd see what the rest of the station's like. 

#### LEVI

And? 

#### RILEY

Broken. Same as the room. Same as the pods. I really don't like this. 

#### LEVI

Want to know a secret? Neither do I. None of this feels right, does it? 

#### RILEY

No.

##### [The whistle comes again.] 

#### RILEY

*What* is that noise? 

#### LEVI

Hm? What? 

#### RILEY

It's like a whistling. 

#### LEVI

I didn't -- Just now? 

#### RILEY

Uh-huh. 

#### LEVI

Maybe one of the station systems? 

#### RILEY

Yeah. Maybe. And what's this?

##### [Levi considers] 

#### LEVI

Slime? I guess? 

#### RILEY

Well, what do we do about it? 

#### LEVI

We don't touch it and worry about it later. We can explore properly when we're all together. We shouldn't wander off alone just now, okay?

##### [Riley is still preoccupied with the slime.]

#### LEVI

And stop touching that slime! 

------

##### [We're now back in the awakening room]

##### [Periodic 'EEEEHHHH' error noises from the pod controls, until finally:]

#### MIRA

Damn it!

##### [She kicks the pod]

##### [Another error noise]

#### LUNA

Is there anything I can do to help? 

#### MIRA

Do you know anything about these stasis systems? 

#### LUNA

No. Right now I don't really know anything at all. 

#### MIRA

Then unless we want to try and force the pods open... Urgh!

##### [Another error noise]

#### LUNA

How long have they -- have *we* been in there? 

#### MIRA

I don't know. I can't get access to the time logs. A long time. 

#### LUNA

Years?

##### [Mira exhales] 

#### MIRA

A long time. Not much point to a place like this if it activates as anything other than a last resort. 

#### LUNA

Where were we before?

#### MIRA

Before what? 

#### LUNA

Before here. 

#### MIRA

We weren't. We were made, or... more like... grown here and stored for when -- Well, I don't know exactly what's happened out there but if we're awake, we're probably all that's left. 

#### LUNA

All that's left of what? 

#### MIRA

Civilisation. We're a sort of... last resort. For humanity. If something really catastrophic happened. You really don't remember any of this? 

#### LUNA

Maybe. It sounds familiar, but I can't quite reach it. 

#### MIRA

It's a lot to take in. Are you ok? 

#### LUNA

I think so. Or...I will be.

##### [Beat]

So we're not real? 

#### MIRA

Of course we're real. Just because we've been made with a purpose doesn't mean we're not real.

##### [Footsteps as Zack comes up to them]

#### ZACK

Hey, great news! I found one of the storage cupboards and it's still stocked with water. Here.

##### [The sound of clinking glass as he hands over two bottles] 

#### MIRA

Thanks.

##### [Drinking noises] 

#### MIRA

What's the state of the supplies? Are they still in decent condition?

#### ZACK

There's a lot missing.

#### MIRA

That doesn't make sense. Who else would have taken them? It doesn't --

##### [The sudden sound of electric sparking from machinery]

#### MIRA

Shit, the pod. One second.

##### [She hops over to the pod]

##### [More error sounds as she starts pressing buttons]

#### LUNA

Mira, is everything alright? 

#### MIRA

I don't know. Zack, can you check on the woman inside? 

#### ZACK

Yeah, she looks --

##### [A popping sound, then the noise of something igniting.] 

#### ZACK

Mira, look out! 

#### MIRA

I'm looking out! Everyone get back! 

##### [An alarm begins to sound]

#### COMPUTER

Please stand away from the doors.

##### [A sudden loud slamming noise: the doors have come down]

##### [Crackling as the fire spreads]

#### MIRA

What the hell? 

#### ZACK

I think we're sealed in! 

#### COMPUTER

Fire suppression system unresponsive. 

#### ZACK

Seriously? 

#### LUNA

Nothing in here works. 

#### COMPUTER

Possible fire containment breach. Preparing full oxygen vent. Please evacuate chamber. 

#### ZACK

_(to computer voice)_ How can we evacuate when you've sealed the doors?! 

#### MIRA

Then we'd better get them open. And fast.

------

##### [Back in the corridor, LEVI and RILEY are walking back towards the awakening room]

##### [An alarm starts to blare]

#### RILEY

What's that?

##### [The door in front of them slams closed] 

#### RILEY

Levi! 

#### LEVI

I see it.

##### [Metallic banging noises]

#### LEVI

Hey! Hey, open up! Everything okay in there?

##### [Silence as the alarm continues]

#### RILEY

Do you think they did it on purpose? 

#### LEVI

No, probably something to do with the alarm. 

#### RILEY

What's happened? Do you think it was a hull breach or something? 

#### LEVI

No, no way they'd put a room like this close enough to the outer hull for that. Maybe a leak?

##### [He bangs on the door again, frustrated rather than expectant]

#### LEVI

We've got to get back in there! 

#### RILEY

Hang on, I think there's... Ah!

##### [Machinery noises as they pop open a panel, then press the button inside]

#### RILEY

Hello? Can anyone hear us? Hello?

##### [No response]

#### LEVI

Try again.

#### RILEY

Hello? Zack? Mir--

#### LUNA

_(crackly, speaking over an intercom)_ Riley! Where are you? 

#### LEVI

We're outside the door. It just slammed shut. 

#### RILEY

What's going on? 

#### LUNA

_(over the intercom)_ Something went wrong with one of the pods. Fire's spreading everywhere. 

#### LEVI

_(to Riley)_ Did you catch that? 

#### RILEY

Something about a fire. 

#### LEVI

_(into the intercom)_ Did you say a fire? Can you get it under control? 

#### ZACK

_(over the intercom)_ It's spreading really quickly. The computer's going to vent the oxygen. 

#### LEVI

Zack? That you? Is anyone hurt? 

#### RILEY

Did he say something about oxygen? 

#### LUNA

_(intercom, heavy crackling)_ We need to get the door open. Mira's trying to get the controls working.

#### LEVI

What about the others? The pods that are still asleep? Have you been able to get to any of them?

##### [No response]

##### [Frantic button-pressing sounds]

##### [Still no response]

#### RILEY

It's dead.

------

##### [Back in the awakening room]

<!-- Luna and Zack are standing over the intercom next to the sealed door. Mira has managed to remove an access panel and is leaning into the maintenance space, trying to find an override. Behind them, the fire is spreading, with machinery sparking and burning.  -->

##### [The crackling sounds of fire are getting louder. More machinery is burning]

#### LUNA

Levi? Riley? They're gone. Mira, have you found anything in there?

#### MIRA

_(muffled slightly -- she's leaning into machinery)_ I'm trying. There's not much light in here. 

#### ZACK

Any idea how long until --

#### COMPUTER

Oxygen override in five minutes. Please evacuate chamber. 

#### ZACK

Right. 

#### MIRA

I don't have the equipment for this, and the whole system seems to have locked up. Any thoughts, Zack? 

#### ZACK

Well, with the materials and chemicals stored in this room the smoke is probably going to be pretty toxic... 

#### MIRA

Try not to breathe. Got it. 

#### LUNA

That's not going to be a problem in a few minutes. 

#### ZACK

Can we turn off the emergency venting? 

#### MIRA

I wouldn't know where to start. The door's a better option. 

#### ZACK

What about the others? 

#### MIRA

We can't help them if we're also dead. 

#### LUNA

Can we force the door open somehow? 

#### MIRA

It's completely sealed and not designed to be opened manually. I have to do it through the system. 

#### ZACK

You said the system was fried. 

#### MIRA

It managed to seal us in here, so it must be able to let us out again, if I can --

##### [Electric sparks indicating that she, in fact, can't.] 

#### MIRA

Ow! Shit!

#### LUNA

What happened? 

#### ZACK

Are you hurt? 

#### MIRA

I'm fine. Just give me a moment to focus.

##### [Their speech audibly starts becoming more labored as the fumes get thicker]

#### LUNA

_(to Zack)_ Look, maybe we can lift it if we get a bit of purchase. 

#### ZACK

I think there are hydraulics keeping it in place. 

#### LUNA

Mira, can you break the hydraulics? 

#### MIRA

What?

#### LUNA

You said you can't fix it -- can you break it more? 

#### MIRA

I can try.

##### [Thunking as Mira moves around in the access hatch]

##### [There's a fttz and chnnk as something breaks]

##### [A hiss as the door lifts slightly]

#### LUNA

There! I think I can -- Zack, give me a hand.

##### [Luna and Zack strain to lift the heavy door]

##### [Voices are audible through the new gap:]

#### RILEY

It's moving! 

#### LEVI

I see them! _(calling, muffled)_ Are you alright? 

#### ZACK

We're okay, but we can't get out --

#### LUNA

Help us lift this door.

##### [More straining noises as the door is lifted]

##### [The flames crackle louder as a rush of new air enters the room]

#### LEVI

Where's Mira? 

#### MIRA

I'm here.

##### [Footsteps as Mira moves to the door to help]

##### [The door creaks as it is lifted higher -- then stops]

#### LUNA

I've got it -- you two head under. 

#### MIRA

You sure?

#### LUNA

Yeah, I think --

#### COMPUTER

Oxygen vent initiated. 

#### ZACK

What?! You said we had five minutes! 

#### LUNA

Go!

##### [Hurried footsteps as Mira and Zack duck under the door]

##### [Machinery starts to whirr... then sputter and die]

#### LEVI

Come on!

##### [Another creak as Luna lets go of the door and starts moving through the gap]

##### [The others cry out as they strain to catch the door] 

#### RILEY

_(strained)_ Come on. 

#### LUNA

Clear!

##### [The door is released and slams shut]

#### MIRA

What happened in there? 

#### LUNA

I don't know. It just... Nothing happened. 

#### RILEY

Everything's broken.

#### MIRA

So the fire's still going? 

#### LEVI

What about the others? The ones still asleep? 

#### MIRA

I'm sorry, Levi, but there's nothing we can do. 

#### LEVI

No, we can't just let them --

#### MIRA

If we open up the door again the fire could spread to the rest of the station. And that would be really, really bad. 

#### LEVI

Maybe we could go back, fight the fire. 

#### MINA

With what? I didn't see any extinguishers in there... There was barely any water. 

#### LEVI

There must be a system --

#### RILEY

_(repeating)_ Everything's broken.

##### [Beat]

#### ZACK

Mira's right. Even if we could stop it, the fire's caused too much damage by now. Anyone still in their pod is probably already dead. 

#### LEVI

It can't just be us. This isn't how it's supposed to be. 

#### ZACK

I'm sorry, Levi. 

#### MIRA

We need to seal off this area and get to the Commander. Something's obviously not right here and we need to check in.

#### LEVI

...Okay.

##### [He takes a moment to steel himself]

#### LEVI

Come on, then. First priority is making sure the fire's contained. Then we need to find some food and water. Then we can look for the Commander. Agreed? 

#### MIRA

Agreed. 

#### RILEY

There's a doorway through the corridor not far from here -- maybe we can seal it, if we need to block this section off. 

#### LEVI

Right, then. Let's go. Maybe then we can figure out what's going on. 

#### LUNA

And what happened to everyone else.

##### [They begin to head down the corridor, their steps echoing off cold metal]

##### [In the distance: whistling]