Solitude of the Deep Dark

During a dive to repair a submersible mining robot, Rohan, a deep-sea specialist, discovers the true cause of the machine's malfunction: the metallic nodules it was harvesting are alive, ancient, and lying in wait. Too late, Rohan realizes that they can hijack his mind and body. Trapped within himself, he helplessly watches as the entities twist his friend into a weapon for their own spread. CONNECT WITH US [e-mail] SHARE THE PODCAST If you liked this episode, tell your friends to head over to Apple Podcasts and subscribe. CREDITS Written by Vern Hume (AKA Alan V Hare). Read by Steve Pertson. Opening and closing were composed and created by Matthew Erdmann. Produced by Vecada Studios. Makeshift Stories is released under a creative commons non-commercial attribution, no derivative license.

Episode Transcript

(00:56):
The small Protest chips dat we sarminging like
fly fly flyies areound halk of de CBbad
explore.
Hou het day manage to get here.
De Clarian Clipperon Fracture Zone was in the
middle of The Pacific Ocean.
One of the things dat attracted me to
the job was the opportunity to escape the
kios of a creroted complex world.

(01:17):
Miny Fine comfort in the crowd, but that's
not
me. Instad, I enjoy isolation

(01:51):
Eva Morels, CBbadz Project manager, announced in mijn
eer.
Hij turnt, lukt up het the bridge, 5
stories a bof,
waves and accnledgeledgement,
ben klein burdd to submersible.

(02:20):
Hij sadelde in the the safety of mij
Titanium Cocoon.
The only placeay felt in control.
Mij only concerns wordt dept pressure,
power and air,
limited nummer of variable.
Strrapd in!
I radiode, angcious to get going.
Er was een klank en de submersible began

(02:40):
te ris, swinging sikkeningally and til the dekhan
steady stadd. Dan het was over the side
en down in to the water,
bobing about en til
One of the divers tomt aan de hal.
Cebal releaseed, uran internal power.
Eva's voice crackelt to de radio. Aldo technical
mij bos after years of working together,

(03:02):
Eva was al zo a friend.
Internal power confirmd evering is green.
Se you in a day,
hij riep.
Good luck deepdiver.
Don't have too much fun down
there. It was are usual beanter.
Eva was de onlyy person I het ever
told, why I sard out the isolation of
the deep.

(03:23):
Ze nu mij past en dan ondersteunt mij
niet te be a loonwolf.
Uit de beginning of mijn care, hij het
binnen een remote operator aan het tijdlinit
Hard Rock mining
team. Wat altijdally in d'assaster achter Kevin.
Uit de direction of haar team leader hij
het spent two weeks digging through robbel with

(03:43):
the remote onnney to be too late. Water
darsn suttlely com down on your headtrapping. Water
is more predictible dan rock.
Eva was awer of the mind accident en
ondersteunt mij aversion the working in Teams.
It't badherher.
She's simply let me do the job en
IXLde
edit, becoming one of the top deepcy robotics

(04:06):
exparts in the industrie.
Hij opent The ballist, angle the hydroopainse

(04:27):
The Clooster One is 5 degrees to your
port at one.
At
5300 maters. I like you the start there.
Dat was het laatste reported location,
bef weird offline.
Roger, proceing to first target.
Outide over the next 13 Minuts, thruy posic
portals,

(04:48):
Every posible Shade of Blue driftd past.
Ending in the dark is night on the
Planet.
Fludds mounted on the front of deepdiver,
Flict on,

(05:54):
scathhering Fritend prehistorisch looking gelli like cretsures, half
een haur of searching en nothing.
Den out of the glum a glint of
metal,
vallen bij Harvest
one, ritn and sans serf aan de site
van een gamely multi-armd
machine.
It's that lekker een surreëelure

(06:14):
aan de CPbed.
No sign of motion.
One manipulator arm was graspingen lager dan usual
notual
en holding het about voet off the abizzle
plain.
'Found it', hij reportde.
The static filde acledgeement
crackelt over de speaker.
Too much interferance,
say again.

(06:36):
Unther serge of stadic. The Flakey radiolink wordt
have to way. Hij concentreerde
aan de Harvest.
Stering the submersible in a cirkel round machine.
No visible
damage. De notal it was holding got mij
attention.
Flash.
Al ik het zie worden indigo spots like
in worance stars,

(06:56):
SD faded,
Every system in deep Diver villd in a
cascade.
Red Emergency lights and silance filled mij tiny
cabb. Quelling panic, I grroped in the glume
voor de circuitbrekers en togelde m off en
on, nothing.
I trid again.
Achter een voouts a fanarteked
lactently, dan een notter en de lights ken

(07:18):
back on.
Whirls, bases en beieping vul the air als
de submercible rebooede.
What het just happen? Het er binen static
charge build up on the hal?
No, de discharge wordt de wevenptte ho submercible

(07:50):
Explore,
Was dit wat het veld lijkt te be
attrapt minor?
Suttley,
the deep dark was in the comforting place
anymor.
Keep cool.
Work through

(08:11):
this. Irencharage
Mezelf.
This is't the same.
It waste it nerly five day is clearing
the rong shaft.

(08:32):
When mij remote digger finaly broy the last
of the kever.
The image of what was on the other
side burdend in to mij mind.

(08:57):
I needet the stay in the present en
keep
focused, wij kunnen ervoor de dweil on the
ghosts of mij past.
De radio chirpt,
Poling me out of mij dark thots.
Ik didden een peer te be damaged,
hhouver de connection to de service antenne was
red.
Everting else showd

(09:17):
green. Hij switcht to de secundaire low-fiquentie
antenne.
Static vult de cabbon on ever channel.
Aan de hand, I bekt deepdiver away from
the Harvest and Nadial field.
The interferance demin deepdiver,
respond.
I got Berly make at the voice through
the background Noise.
This is deepdiver.

(09:38):
Died you get mij last message?
No, I explain the insited again adding. Er
is al late off-frefrequcy
I am interferance down here.
I

(10:04):
Achter shudding down de more sensative equiment,
hij approach de Harbers aga,
drifting slowy in to avid any stadic build
up aan de hal,
De Nadrral in de Harvesters manipulator arm proeft
particulier notie.
I woned a klooster look en fig de

(10:26):
geologists wordt want a sample.
Using een plastic bag over de gripper, tukt
onost een hour of careval manipulation to distadge
the thing from the Harvesters Fro Claw.
Dan hij back to way wat hij hoopt
was de Safe Distance.
De water drain from deep Divers's Sample AirLock.
Hij open de inner hatch en retreved de

(10:48):
rock.
Het was heavy dan hij exact,
maar het onderwijs lukt dan any at notal,
terwijl hij turn het over. Anex Metallic Crystal
Stadet the other side, arange in een almost
regular pattern.

(11:15):
Hij plac de nodule back in de airloc
en de radio comm
down. Explorer,
this is deep Diver
over.
De radio hist.
Explorer, are you reading me? Statadic, but stadic
with the pols.
Experimentaly,
hij opent de sample airlake, crarak en de
polsing incrast.

(11:35):
Een LED lamp closees to at flikkerd den
all the light one out.
Wak,
intens peen.
Schraping metal on metal vult de cabin. Mij
hand instinctive shut up to mijn voorhead,
blad slikt mijn vingers.
The current.
In mij fashation with the notual, I het
vergaden about it.

(11:56):
Deepdiver het bin pushed in to the Harberser
en hij het hit mij head aan een
equipment cabit.
Systems valtterd.
Waae sickly grinding sound de submercible shattt.

(12:22):
Slowy at first, den gane speed,
polling away from the Harberser.
I
dropt
anker to keep from drifting again bef bef
mij forward en the thrabbing headtic.
Beide me de sample airlak, het zwang open
en de nadual lay aan de floor.
I am no geologist,

(12:43):
but I know that rock dars in a
mid radio interferance anles.
It's radioactief.
Hij scrambelt te de storage locker, rammeaging through
the geologist gear, terwijl hij founded. A giger
counter en fommbeld het on. Mij hard pounding,
hij wavesd around.
Klik, klik, klik.
Dan pointe het at de nual.

(13:05):
Klik, klik, klik.
No change.
Ledting out a breath idin reize are hold,
hij deflatedd agains the hal.
What was going on with the notules?
The lamp of Minerals lees silently on the
floor, unwilling to explain.
In the background, a suge of stadic van
de radio.
The radio, even what be expecting me a

(13:26):
fix to coms problemoreore.
Explore, this is diver over. Onley starteic post
back but it at a padn.
Short, short, short, long, short, long, short, long,
short, long, long.
S, T, EY,
stay?
Me Morris code was not good, I must

(13:46):
be rong.
I was tring the find meaning wherear wasn
any.
What was the matter with me?
I shut be a sending in state of
the cijfering radio interferance.
Paen ravage mij head en hij velt te
de side, de cabb bun en hij blakt
out.

(14:06):
I woke out side on the cbed.
Me hallucinination?
A dream?
Som part of mij brain rationized,
want het was more dan a dream.
Kom on, get real, I archute. Youed be
crush.
Yad I was there, staring back at deepd.
It luck dad and forein to part of
mij brain like I was seing the submersible

(14:29):
for the first time.
It was something nu,
Yet dangerous
and fascinating.
Hij blingt
en de CB-bed became calregated metal.
I am ling on mij side,
drual trickeling down mij chick.
I am Rowan, I reasur Mezelf.
WI am al zo something else. Wastly Olde

(14:50):
and Larger, recaced.

(16:29):
We will not allower self as to be
trapt
again. It expleins.
This is a dream, hij repe.
Just a
dream. Somting is streaking in mijn eer.
Een alarm.
Rolling onto mij bek, hij opent mijn ey.
All ey.

(16:50):
De lightsster dim, want some to breight en
mijn hed vilss like tomumton hammer to it.
Carbon manoxide,
die alarm screaming dat de levels er too

(17:10):
in a well practice move that didire throughy
through thod.
One hand reach out,
pool de kit open, grab the mask en
placed het over mijn neus en mout.
Octie vult mij langs en mijn motdel thats
begint te kleren.
Hoelang had hij benauwd?
Apparantly lang en voor diepdiver te switchen to
the emergency batteries and air scrabbers to nie

(17:33):
changing.
Secureing the mas, I propt mijzelf op,
mijn voorwerp thropt.
Right.
Hij het hited aan een kabinet,
de hatch aan de sample earlock het popt
open en de notual I het retreft lee
on the floor beziden.
Haden I notist
somat about it?

(17:53):
Deepdiver,
com in deepdiver,
you're over do, de radio Signal was weak
but clear.
Explorer,
this is deepdiver,
hat an accident down here, the current pushtes
in the Harvest one.
I hit mij head aan a kabinet. Must
a black dout. I'm
oké. Deepdiver is on back up batteries.

(18:15):
Hoelang have you binnen aan the bottom? Toel
lang. The words haden't com from the radio.
Why was I referend to mijself as we?

(18:38):
It sadally cleerd up een 4 minuuts ago.
Starting up now, hij riep.
Zie you in about 30 minuts, over and
out.
I did have have an explanation anyone what
believe. Hij release the anchure, blu the ballist
en diepdiver begint te reizen. Mijn Vision tunnelt
en hij progentde mij eeking voor het. De

(19:01):
cabbon begint te spin en hij blakt out
again.
Mijn eis opent. I wasn't in de submersible.
A face was lucky down het me.
Eva, I tride the blurd out. Mijn muis
diddend responand.
Instead hij hurt mijzelf zee.
Guessum,

(19:22):
I guess I am, black
out. It's tambled
howed how to extract the right words voor
me.
Horaide,
hij reased dat hij het last controle op
mijn body.
I kunt denken in here that was it.
Hij was simply al lang for the right,
het database of memory's te navigator for in
world.

(19:42):
The medicsease you have a Concusion. So have
delate the daybrief,
Even placaste hand aan mijn voornaam.
It's first instinct was te requiil,
bijvoorbeeld reachd in the mij mind en understud
the friendly nature of the justure.
But I have to ask what happen d'n
there, hij att.
Hij bompt mijn head.

(20:03):
On
on one of the things, the supply cabits
when we werushed in to the Haristerer bij
the current. Het was een accident. I shouldve
unctor to the bottom. After moving away. It
explaind.
No there's more.
Hij silently jelt.
Concent trading as hard as I kud. Hij

(20:24):
focust aan de voornaam, Eva was touching.
Only to discver, I kudd move.
'Wir you distcted bij a flashback?'

(20:52):
zij
year soppost to stay here absoration and til
tomorrow.
Whol talk in the morning.
Don't go, I pleide it in mijn mind.
De medic kame over en injected something in
mijn arm. Mijn ey is close.

(21:12):
I dream I am on the ocean floor.
It's dark dan the darkst night.
What's happen to me? I schriak. Mij only
Campons, other notials, don't reply.
I can sense there,
Er are dutchons, honderds, duizends. Wating for een
opportunity, Wating to unabber a body. Breime the

(21:34):
only one around, so the at Tempt a
pijl in. Er is no more space in
mij brain. Mij head is going to explode.
Bet the keep coming. Squease me out un
til in the distance.
I here.
Rohan,
mij ey. Mij ey open. You are screaming!
The medic, huz name I don't know, explains.

(21:55):
Bad dreams from the accident?
When we reach port, you mij wone see
a psychologist.
Hij draait to stop the presence from searching
mij brain for the words and concepts it
nieted.
Hij velde.

(22:32):
This time for the chips lay-out.
I hurd mij self thinking the medic, dan
turnd left.
Even in The Explorer's captain where Wighting for
me.
Please take a seat.

(23:13):
Concentraating I just managed to make mij left
ey Twitch.
'Due have somting in your eye
I will be ok. Let as cpreed.
You sum to be struggling with speech, are

(23:34):
you su you don't need a bid more
time?
Eva offert,
I am fine.
I won a get this over with
en get back to work.
Shure,
oké, even sead, watching me for a moment.
Bijvoorbeeld opening een folder and reading. You
stade that an underwater current, push diep Diver
in te de Harister.

(23:54):
Het nadert:
'Were you not awear of the current when
you got to the sa-bed?'
Nate first.
I nus ge suspected dat hij een flashback
episode.
Onder dat soort secondes
it's standard practice te anchure to the sabad,
if you need to hold position waal performing
an notther.
The captain point it out.

(24:16):
It dintn raspon en even glansted at the
captain wallet dog through mij memory's to assemblble
an answer.
Finey it
zad. When I first approach the
thing the Haristerer
deep Diver to experience
electronic interferance dat nacht uit most of the
sensors en controls.

(24:37):
De release for the ancher was effected
so Ioastation Holding with the impellers.
The feilled to.
I treed to
reboot the systems,
maar hij didn have anof time bef the
current push test in to the Harvester.
So whatever naakt uit the Harvester effect the
deepdiver? Eva suggestie.

(24:58):
I was seurt shi nu, I was hiding
somting.
Yes,
Id agread
noting ever scepticisme.
Due you fin fin was causing it? The
captain hast.
Mebelie.
I bllieve there is a localized the nomy
that's generaling a strong electric field.

(25:18):
What you're not shirt.
It is hard to explain.
We need to do anot Dare with the
two person.
When to onpilotot the atter to take readings
and gadter more samples. Lire, hij screent.
We need to go back down.
Het repeetd.
Even consserd voor een moment,

(25:38):
dan kwitly consultet met de captain.
Finely,
hij nadeed.
Oké, we hebben van op de geallages Pilot.
Panic.

(26:03):
No no, don't trust it, I screream.
Ift a matic cleer is you, all act
is your crew, even annance, Closing the file.
Even rearly participated in a dive. Wat was
je up to?
Great, it zad exitely.
Are you su? De captain ass.
Eva notded.

(26:25):
Het was like een loser nijdmeer.
Eva en I boorden deep Diver een dessend
to the bottom.
Te understaan the exstand of the
problem wil niet the tak as miny samples
back as as poss as pos. Het zei:
Stering to the notual field.

(27:25):
Wair it is, that low-end Pools. U kunt
zien aan de display.
Iftic it stronger you tel me.
So here goin the pilot en I'm goin
the monitor en the adre
electronics. Even confirmd.
No, hit emergency Essent.
I pleat it. But this time I can't
ever make unilid Tw Twits.

(27:47):
It was stronger down here amungst it's community.
Thru at I can send stand beyond the
hal,

(28:09):
I can't let that happen.
How are you gouring to stop me. It
amusatally really that's me steek.
It it that that out lout.
Stop what?
Eva was zatly alert.
Youar not makking sense, Rowan.
Mij paricatic in Waterddn respond.
Instadedally

(28:30):
accelerate deep Dyp, headding straight for the Nual
Field.
Reaching out with it's mind it ex soded
returance that the more moment at finly areried.
The smile vormt dan mijn lips.
I'm gin to bring the first
amample on board.
Het lijkt te show you sumting I funed
on the last dive a hand

(29:04):
Yar acting strange.
This Dive was a bad idea. No it's
exacty what needet to happen.
Mij hans stuk de controls voor deepdivers robotic
arms en hij watched helplessly als het manipuleated
de nadule
Collection tray.

(29:35):
With the speed a makeat even pol de
needle voor mijn poaujonner
belt en plunch dit in te mijn arm.
Wat?
It lukte het the needle een surprise.
It's for your own good, even apagaget.
It's a Fast acting sedative.
I at the medicpareair it, just in
case. Rowan, you ben acting stranger sense say

(29:56):
a exccient.
No you arerational. Al do evering I can
the help you keep your job. Be you
need the level with me. Wat happend you?

(30:18):
Ding.
De sample airlock automatisch opent.
Mijn hand startte voor het. Even grab mij
arm. Ik was like watching a horrormovie and
fold. I nu the ending bef for it
happend.
En er was no choice but to watch.

(31:04):
Deepdivers
fladz flotd a beof.
Making the spot whare it drop me. Want
hij was niet alone.
Eva reachd out.
Rowan?
Rowan,
waar are we?
What happend?
Hij shard mij
memory. Het first ever dint't believe me en
trit the wilger self a week. After a

(31:25):
whilesje gay up,
the zending in to de sper.
Somon will virure out what's happend, hij assurd.
Helplesly,
we watched as the sebad was cleard of
nodials en finaly
The Last Harvester It's collection Baskets
vol roast to the surface,
living as alone in the deep Dark.

(31:47):
Howers passibeley day is past befy felt it's
presences again.
Diep Diver, it's fladz getting holes in the
dark, het returnd
Droping notuls back on te de CBbad.
Dausons of confused voice fladd mij mind.
The captain,
the medicic allang met de rest of the
crew.

(32:08):
It share a memory with me.
It's tud on the bridge of the Explorer,

(32:28):
Colinization
het begun.

(33:21):
En Red bij Steve Peterson.
Opening and Closing theams worden compost and recorderd
bij Matthe Earthman,
audio production and editing bij Verkade Studio's.
Mix Shift Stories is release onder Creative Commons
Nonecommercial,