0:01

Hello, I'm Faith McQuinn, the creator

0:04

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0:06

science fiction that explores family dynamics,

0:09

conspiracies, and hard science, then

0:11

Apollyon is the podcast for you. Thirty

0:14

years ago, a man named Lucas

0:17

Soto was bitten by a rare snake

0:19

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0:22

was the beginning of AVS, Apollyon

0:25

Viral Syndrome, or what some

0:27

like to call the destroyer. Most

0:30

of the world's governments thought they were prepared

0:32

for a pandemic,

0:33

but this was like no

0:35

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0:37

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0:40

Countries collapsed. But

0:42

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0:45

ICRS. Scientists

0:47

and leaders working together to keep

0:50

the entire

0:50

world safe. Find

0:54

Apollyon wherever you get your podcasts, or

0:56

visit apollyon.observerpictures.com.

1:01

Hello everyone. This is Christophe

1:03

Leputka, creator of the Leviathan Chronicles,

1:05

and I'd like to welcome you to a new segment that we're

1:07

doing in our podcast feed called Leviathan

1:10

Presents. As many of you know, we

1:12

started Leviathan over 15 years ago

1:14

when podcasting was really still in its infancy.

1:17

It's obviously grown tremendously since then, but

1:19

audio fiction is still a small part of

1:21

the overall podcasting landscape. But

1:24

we think it deserves a lot more love, and that's

1:26

what Leviathan Presents is all about.

1:28

In each episode, we'll be highlighting one

1:31

audio fiction creator, and then we'll be interviewing

1:33

them and then play a full episode of their

1:35

show in our feed. When we first

1:37

started Leviathan, there weren't many people producing

1:40

full cast audio dramas in the United States.

1:42

And since then, there's been a huge renaissance

1:44

of amazing creators that are bringing really innovative

1:47

stories to podcasting. And one of the things

1:49

that's changed the most is that more film festivals

1:52

and web fests are now including audio fiction

1:54

in their storytelling categories. One of my favorite

1:57

things about participating in these events is

1:59

a chance to

1:59

meet other audio drama creators and learn

2:02

about their work. So we thought let's use

2:04

our feet to deepen our connection with other

2:06

creators in the audio fiction space and

2:08

bring some of these really great works to your headphones.

2:11

It's a great way to highlight some new audio drama

2:13

artists you might not know about and maybe give you

2:15

a new show to listen to.

2:16

I hope you'll enjoy today's guest. And without

2:19

further ado, let's get into the interview.

2:21

This is Leviathan Presents.

2:23

Hey

2:23

everyone, this is Christoph and I'd like to introduce

2:25

you to Jonathan Pezza. Jonathan

2:28

is an award-winning producer and video

2:30

editor in television and film marketing and

2:32

has worked on some amazing shows like Wednesday,

2:35

Strange Worlds, Into the Spider-Verse and

2:37

many Pixar and Marvel films. And

2:39

in addition to that is the creator of

2:41

the Curious Matter Anthology, which

2:44

is the show we're going to be listening to today. Jonathan,

2:46

welcome to Leviathan Presents. Thank you

2:49

so much. I'm so excited to be here on

2:51

your feed and to share a little bit about our show.

2:53

We're so excited to have you here. I

2:55

have to say, Robin and I have

2:57

really enjoyed listening to Star Hunter. And

3:00

I think that's one of the episodes we're going to be listening to today.

3:03

Yeah, we're going to be sharing the very first episode

3:05

of our Star Hunter five-part

3:07

mini series. And

3:10

yeah, it's based on a story

3:13

by Andre Norton. We were listening

3:15

to some of the introduction that

3:17

you were giving about Andre Norton. And

3:20

I think it'd be really great for the listeners to hear the

3:22

amazing story

3:23

of her journey through science fiction. Well, I'll

3:25

let the show tell you mostly about it. But Andre

3:28

is one of the most cutting-edge

3:30

female writers in the sci-fi universe.

3:34

Her work has been

3:36

seminal to the way science fiction

3:38

has evolved over the years. But as you

3:41

get into the show, you'll hear a little bit more about her. Oh,

3:43

that's great. Tell me a little

3:45

bit about how you first got into audio

3:47

drama. Yeah, I mean, audio drama really starts

3:49

for me with the 1981 production of Star Wars, the

3:54

radio play, which

3:56

I as a kid found

3:59

at a yard.

3:59

sale on a blanket in the middle

4:02

of nowhere and saw this like giant

4:04

gold-wrapped box and was like,

4:06

what is this thing? And inside there were a precipitous

4:10

number of audio cassettes

4:13

and I brought them home and I put them in and

4:16

it was really the first time that I

4:18

realized that audio could be

4:21

cinematic, could take you to places and

4:23

take you inside of a story

4:26

in a way that actually was like a

4:29

mix between

4:29

cinema and the

4:32

way we experience reading and the fact

4:34

that we get to direct the movie and they,

4:36

it was really one of the most

4:39

inspirational experiences in my creative

4:42

life. Well, one of the things I have

4:44

to say about Curious Matter is exactly

4:47

that, how cinematic and how rich

4:49

the soundscape that you've created is. I

4:52

mean, we were blown away and

4:54

we're so excited to share some of that with

4:56

our listeners. Curious

4:59

Matter is an anthology, but

5:01

the limited series that we're going to be listening to today

5:04

is Star Hunter. Tell us a little bit

5:06

about this limited series and what your inspirations

5:09

behind it were.

5:09

Yeah, well, you know, one of the things that

5:12

I loved about the story is that

5:14

I think Andre was really ahead of her time

5:16

with this one and she didn't really have

5:19

the language to talk about things

5:23

like genetic engineering and

5:26

what's ultimately like cyberpunk type

5:29

style storytelling, but all those things were really in

5:31

the story in a way that I

5:33

thought were profound with language

5:35

that you could miss that that's what she was trying

5:38

to do. So it was really fun for me to like

5:40

dive in and take the things

5:42

that I thought were really relevant to now and

5:44

storytelling styles that were really relevant to now

5:47

and amplify them in a way that would allow audiences

5:49

to experience them

5:52

in the way that I saw that she was

5:54

trying to do. And I think you

5:56

did such an amazing job, not just in setting

5:58

up the soundscape to

6:01

tell the story, but the creature effects

6:03

that you have, the vehicles,

6:06

it's really, it's such a

6:08

visceral experience, listen to your episodes. What

6:11

were your inspirations for how you

6:13

wanted to design the soundscape? Really, I

6:16

mean, it all starts with the idea that we have

6:19

a shorthand when it comes to how sound

6:21

makes us see things. And

6:23

so in all of the episodes, my goal

6:25

is to take things that sound

6:28

in a way that you would know,

6:30

modify them so that they are somewhat

6:33

new, but still drive your mind

6:35

to that same place. So that when we get

6:37

into this futuristic helicopter that's

6:40

in the show, you

6:42

immediately know what kind of vehicle you're

6:44

in. You feel it, and when

6:46

you're riding in it, you understand

6:48

what that experience is, and therefore

6:51

your mind allows you to see it. And so every

6:54

different location, every different

6:56

creature, every different space that

6:59

we're in is designed so

7:01

that I don't have to tell you

7:03

what you're seeing. The space itself does

7:05

the work, the sound itself does the work.

7:07

And one of the things that I think

7:10

you're really innovative about is

7:12

using technology to create these

7:14

visceral soundscapes. Now you were telling me a

7:16

story about one of the scenes

7:18

that is in episode four of

7:20

Star Hunter that really

7:23

blew me away, and I'd love you to share with our listeners. Yeah,

7:25

well, without giving away too much about what happens in

7:27

the story, there's a point at which

7:30

the futuristic helicopter, which we call a flitter,

7:34

falls from the sky. How that

7:36

ends, I'll let you guys figure out. But

7:38

one

7:39

of the things that I wanted to do is really

7:42

simulate that feeling of freefall

7:44

and that feeling of loss of control

7:47

inside of a vehicle like that. And

7:49

as I was testing different

7:51

ways to make the space move around

7:53

you, I was actually using four

7:56

points of ambience that would move

7:58

around you.

7:59

and spin around you. And between

8:02

that and like the helicopter sounds

8:05

that are surrounding you, it got

8:07

to the point where I had to dial it back because

8:09

it was so visceral and so real that

8:11

you felt like you were spinning and falling, which

8:14

makes you nauseous. And

8:16

so, you know, you got to dial it back

8:18

to the pleasurable version

8:20

of that. So we did. But

8:22

yeah, there was one version where when you're

8:24

falling out of the sky, you really, you

8:27

really feel it. That's

8:29

so cool.

8:29

Well, you know, one

8:32

of the, one of the reasons why we're

8:34

here and one of the things that's nice is audio drama

8:36

is, is having a bit of a renaissance

8:39

right now. And, and there's more opportunities,

8:41

there's more festivals where audio

8:44

drama creators get to get to meet face

8:46

to face. And we're all over the country and

8:48

we don't get to be in one place at the same time. And,

8:51

and you and I got to connect. Where

8:53

do you see audio drama heading right

8:55

now? With all this disruption

8:58

going on, the entertainment business,

8:59

all this momentum behind audio

9:02

drama, what's your vision of the

9:04

future of audio drama? I think it's just going to get bigger.

9:06

I think it's about the audience realizing that

9:08

they can get the experience that they

9:11

know and like in a new way. They

9:14

can experience it in their

9:16

car, they can experience it when

9:18

they're riding public transpo, they can experience

9:20

it in their home on headphones. There

9:23

is this,

9:23

you don't have to have

9:26

a, a TV in front of you in

9:28

order to get this kind of cinematic experience

9:31

you want. And there's lots of people like

9:33

you guys who, who are pushing

9:36

that envelope and bringing audiences

9:38

stories in this new way

9:41

that I think are really going to surprise

9:43

them when they, when they sit down to listen. Well,

9:47

I'm really excited for our listeners to hear

9:49

the first episode of Star Hunter. What

9:52

should our audience know about Star

9:54

Hunter, this amazing limited series before

9:56

we get started? Just that, you know,

9:59

Find a nice cozy corner, put

10:02

on some headphones, grab some popcorn,

10:04

because it's going to be that kind of experience. And

10:07

just enjoy it. It's

10:10

going to take you to some pretty amazing places. Well,

10:12

we're really excited. And if you'd like to hear more from Jonathan,

10:15

what's the best way for listeners to find you? We

10:17

are on all the podcast platforms under

10:19

Curious Matter Anthology. And you can also

10:21

find us online on our socials,

10:23

which we're on Twitter and Instagram, at

10:26

CMAnthology and at www.cmanthology.com.

10:29

Thank you so much, Jonathan.

10:32

It's great to have you here on Leviathan Presents. Thank

10:34

you. And without any further ado, I'm really

10:36

proud to present to you the first episode of

10:38

Star Hunter.

10:39

Enjoy.

11:19

Welcome to Series 2, Episode 3 of

11:22

the Curious Matter Anthology. I'm

11:25

Jonathan Pezza, the creator and host

11:27

of the series. But before we jump

11:29

in, there are a couple of announcements. We

11:32

have our brand new Series 2 merch available

11:34

on our web store. Show off your

11:36

love of the show with a brand new t-shirt or

11:39

mug by visiting www.curiousmatterpodcast.com.

11:44

We are still an independent podcast producing

11:46

this show out of a basement in Reseda, California.

11:49

So if you can, consider joining

11:52

our Patreon, the only place to

11:54

get early access to new episodes. So

11:56

check us out there at patreon.com.

11:58

curious matter.

12:02

Andre Norton is known as the great

12:04

dame of science fiction and fantasy, and

12:07

we likely wouldn't have Star Trek without

12:09

her. She created rich

12:12

worlds and filled them with characters

12:14

that felt like family, people

12:16

who rely on each other, and bond

12:18

as they meet with the fantastic flights of

12:20

Norton's imagination. Her work

12:23

has been an undeniable influence over

12:25

generations of writers. Born

12:28

in 1912, she started her career

12:30

in the 1930s and helped sculpt

12:32

the speculative fiction genre into what

12:34

we know today until her passing in 2005.

12:38

Her works have sold over 90 million

12:41

copies worldwide, garnering countless

12:43

accolades, including three Hugo nominations

12:46

and a Nebula Grandmaster Award. Her

12:49

perhaps most well-known contribution to

12:51

pop culture is the Beastmaster

12:53

films and TV series, but don't

12:56

let that campy and at times silly adaptations

12:59

sway you from just how prolific she

13:01

was. This

13:02

story, Star Hunter, was first

13:04

published in 1961 as an Ace

13:07

Double novel, two books in

13:09

one paperback for only 35 cents. On

13:13

one side sat this story, and

13:15

if you flipped the book over to the back, there

13:17

was a completely different cover with none

13:19

other than the Beastmaster itself. You

13:22

know, I almost didn't make Star Hunter. And

13:24

it's a title that I've been circling since

13:27

the very beginning of the Curious Matter anthology.

13:29

It had tons of action and adventure, a

13:32

cool cast of characters, and a bit of mystery,

13:34

but I couldn't quite wrap my head around the way

13:37

to tell it in a modern and dynamic way.

13:40

Yet something about this one kept drawing me back

13:42

in,

13:42

and then it hit me. Science

13:45

fiction today relies on shorthand,

13:48

a shared cultural understanding of the language

13:50

of science fiction. There was a richness

13:53

and a depth that I couldn't see because

13:55

I was used to the common language of the genre.

13:58

Concepts like Xenobiography.

13:59

Faster than light quantum

14:02

physics, cybernetics, and

14:04

more were all in this story only I

14:06

couldn't quite see it at first. You

14:08

see, because for André Norton, none

14:11

of that existed as shorthand yet. And

14:13

so for her, she was making it up as she

14:15

went along and had to express concepts

14:18

that there were literally no words for, before

14:21

the audience had any frame of reference

14:23

for these ideas. So

14:26

my job when adapting this was

14:28

simply translation.

14:29

Taking one language and making

14:32

it another. The one we speak

14:34

today. Before

14:36

we kick things off, I'd like to dedicate

14:39

this episode to my late grandmother, Maria

14:41

Pezza.

14:42

Another groundbreaker. A fearless

14:45

explorer who, like our characters today,

14:47

made a journey to a new world that

14:49

felt as alien as any in our story.

14:52

She raised two generations of my family,

14:55

and she taught me that it was possible

14:57

to reach for any star if you were willing

15:00

to put in the work to get there. Okay,

15:03

let's get on with the show. Curious

15:05

Matter is designed to be a completely immersive

15:08

HD audio experience, and

15:10

it's at its best when played through high

15:12

quality stereo speakers or headphones.

15:15

So, without further ado, grab

15:18

your popcorn, turn out the lights,

15:21

and enjoy Star Hunter Part 1.

15:55

Captain. Good

15:57

morning. Report,

15:59

please. We're

16:02

green across the board, ma'am. 80 hours

16:04

from the gravity weld sold, then another 18

16:06

till landfall on Terra.

16:08

And our VIPs?

16:11

In their staterooms fast asleep. The

16:13

best part of my day. Not

16:16

all the time we shepherd two scions on the same run. Precious

16:19

cargo. Indeed. You

16:22

on the list? No, ma'am. Second

16:25

Gen Colonial. Hmm. What

16:27

it must be like to live like one of them. Anyway,

16:31

no shame being a pod knocker. I'm

16:33

a Brody DR-6 myself. Not

16:36

high enough to kick my heels up, mind you, like the cousins

16:38

in close relatives, but puts a little change in my

16:40

pocket. Ma'am,

16:43

I'm picking up a fluctuation in the PG

16:45

Drive. That'll do. Abandon

16:51

ship. Abandon

16:53

ship. Make your way to the

16:55

lifeboats in a calm and orderly

16:57

fashion. Abandon

17:01

ship. Abandon ship. Make

17:04

your way to the lifeboats

17:06

in a calm and orderly fashion. Mom,

17:08

please let me out. Please.

17:15

Open the door. Anybody, please.

17:18

Hold on, Elise. Go to

17:20

cut through. Stand back. Okay.

17:23

Okay. Hurry. Abandon

17:30

ship. Abandon ship.

17:34

Elise, we have to get to the lifeboat.

17:38

Come with me. Abandon

17:40

ship. Abandon ship. I've got you, sweetheart.

17:43

It's going to be okay. Where's

17:45

Mom? There isn't

17:47

time. No! We have

17:50

to find her. Stop!

17:51

Put me down! Listen

17:53

to me. She's gone. No! She's

17:56

gone. Get

17:58

inside and strap in.

17:59

The ship's gonna break apart any second.

18:03

Hold on, Tidalice. Ship. Launch.

18:06

This lifeboat has not reached

18:08

occupancy. Sion, Harley-Cogan-Grody,

18:12

is still aboard.

18:13

Security override, Simmons

18:15

Theta 0723. Authorized.

18:18

Launch, launch, launch.

18:20

Assume race positions. Launching

18:24

in 5... 4... 3... Everything's

18:27

going to be okay.

19:02

Star Hunter Part 1.

19:05

8X Predators.

19:09

Hunter's log entry, Terra Standard 0723.2224.

19:15

After a three-year survey of Jumala

19:17

B, it has been determined that no intelligent life,

19:20

artifacts, or mineral resources are present

19:22

on the New World. As such,

19:25

the planet has been classified of low value according

19:27

to the TFED Charter and remitted to Guild Management.

19:31

We all know that this is the risk

19:34

we take in attempting to reach

19:36

farther out into the void of space. But

19:39

I admit, I had high hopes

19:41

for this one. Failure

19:43

to find pay dirt has left me, well, the

19:46

cost set up, don't they? In

19:48

attempts to recover my expenses, I

19:50

have accepted a charter. Notify

19:53

the relevant authorities and purchase the permits per

19:55

usual. At least there's

19:57

no shortage of wealthy a-holes willing to shell

19:59

out for the cheap. to be the first to pillage a new world.

20:10

Welcome to Jamala B. My

20:13

name is Ras Shum, and I'll be your guide during

20:15

the expedition. I hope the accommodations

20:17

so far have been up to your expectations. The

20:20

Hunters Guild has done its best to extend

20:22

you every luxury available on the trip. If

20:24

you have any special requests, Ro-Vault,

20:27

my assistant, will be happy to see to them. He

20:30

has already prepared the weapons and gear

20:32

per each of your specifications. If

20:34

there's anything you need to make your stay more

20:37

comfortable,

20:38

please let me know. The first of my

20:40

charges is Harmon Starnes, a

20:42

first-timer. Recently put out to pasture

20:45

by Starnes Intercorp and looking for a little adventure

20:48

now that he's a free man. Shouldn't cause a fuss

20:50

so long as he gets what he's looking for.

20:53

Everything has been spectacular

20:55

so far. So exciting.

20:58

A new world, untasted,

21:00

untested, and so many new species

21:03

to uncover. The campfire is a nice

21:05

touch. The second is Kirk

21:08

Chambriss, of the Chambriss Clean

21:10

Fraternal Estate. Talks a bit game,

21:12

but Psycheval has him flagged for supervision. We'll

21:15

see if his stomach can keep up with his mouth soon

21:17

enough.

21:18

Jamala presents a fruitful bounty

21:20

to explore. I am grateful for this

21:22

opportunity. The last one is Marina

21:25

Yaktesi. She's a

21:27

bit of an enigma, smarter than the other

21:29

two combined. Hyerner

21:31

Line, too, claims to be an amateur

21:33

exobiologist. Interesting

21:35

pastime for someone in her position. This

21:38

camp is so rustic, so tree-visseral,

21:42

just wonderful. I, for one,

21:45

can't wait to hit the trail. You've each

21:47

installed a customized skill pack with weapons

21:49

and survival training, as well as my

21:51

own research from our survey of Jamala.

21:54

I've also granted U3 temporary access

21:56

to the Hunter's Guide, which

21:58

contains the sum total of the guilds.

21:59

collected knowledge from almost two centuries

22:02

of exploration. With

22:03

the psycho conditioning we provided, each

22:06

of you has the tools for a prosperous

22:08

hunt. You three are the first

22:10

Sivs to set foot on this rock and

22:12

experience the unique bounty this world has to

22:15

offer. I personally

22:17

found your entries on hunting the sky

22:19

snake of the northern mountain quite exhilarating.

22:22

The fear, the sweat, the

22:25

adrenaline. Oh, it

22:28

must be glorious to live a life

22:30

so... adventurous,

22:33

out hunter. A glory you shall

22:35

each get a share in

22:36

soon enough. And you are sure

22:38

that we will be safe out there? It's all a little

22:41

more daunting now that we're here. First timer,

22:43

huh? It is not my first

22:45

time. I didn't pay a hundred million creds

22:47

to be safe. I'm here

22:50

for blood. Just point me towards my prize

22:52

and I'll do the rest. So much

22:55

bravado for a chambrise.

22:58

Your family is usually so

23:00

reserved, no? You mean spineless,

23:02

Starnes. I'm a bit of a black sheep

23:05

in that line. I'm here to guarantee

23:07

each of you finds the experience you seek.

23:10

And of course, making sure you don't get eaten

23:12

by the first apex we come across. Your

23:15

NFOs tend to get their knickers in a twist when

23:17

you lot die doing something stupid.

23:19

I'm sure we're all grateful of that.

23:22

I think it's fair to say that's why we hired

23:24

you. The famous Ras Yum. I

23:27

for one would love to hear about your experiences at

23:29

the Battle of T-Guard and Star someday. If

23:33

you'd be willing, of course. Seems like

23:35

a lifetime ago. That's not a no.

23:37

I'd much rather hear about the Rigel Ranger.

23:40

It's not every day you kill a scion

23:43

and live to tell about it.

23:44

That is how you were drummed out of the knaves,

23:47

am I right? It's my job to keep you alive.

23:49

No, it's your job to help me beg a water

23:52

cat so I can show those trust-fund A-holes

23:54

in the clan boardroom what a real trophy

23:56

looks like. I'm not here

23:58

for your folksy out hunter.

23:59

wisdom and sure as hell not for your

24:02

protection. Well I for one would like

24:04

to hear what he has to say. I second

24:06

that. Mr. Hume, if you please.

24:09

Jamala B isn't the kind of destination you

24:11

are used to, Mr. Jambres. This

24:14

planet is unique. Try Neri's suns,

24:16

radiation. Yeah, we all have the dossier.

24:20

Radiation filtered by a unique atmosphere that fostered

24:22

a biodiversity four times

24:25

the density of Earth. This planet has

24:27

more apex predator adaptations

24:29

than anything we've surveyed in

24:31

two hundred years of exploration.

24:34

Without that force field

24:35

surrounding our camp it is likely you'd be

24:37

dead already. Why demand we undergo

24:40

psycho conditioning if it's of no help in

24:42

precisely what you are describing? The verifiers

24:44

and I were only able to catalog a

24:46

fraction of the biosphere. You came

24:49

here to be hunters. But

24:51

on Jamala even the predators

24:54

have predators.

25:15

Pit dragon ahead. Eight meters.

25:22

Hunter's Guide entry 12686283.

25:27

Species, Jamalin Pit Dragon. Difficulty,

25:30

apex, class D. Closest Terran

25:32

analog, the Dilophosaurus of the

25:35

late Jurassic period. These

25:37

cold-blooded lizard-like creatures stand

25:39

approximately five feet tall, weighing

25:42

in near 300 pounds and live

25:44

in complex family groups led by

25:46

a single female alpha. Highly

25:49

dangerous. Approach with caution.

25:51

Happy hunting!

25:52

Click the link below for additional information.

26:00

No! Take the shot! Perhaps

26:02

not yet. Yactisi's right. Pit

26:04

dragons pack hunt. The others

26:06

will be honest before we can defend ourselves. We're

26:09

far too exposed in this position.

26:12

Hollow shows a cliff face 60 meters north.

26:15

If we flush her to the edge, we'll reduce our exposure

26:17

to the rest of the pack. Might give us a chance

26:19

for a second trophy. Very wise,

26:21

my friend. We'll see you out,

26:23

Hunter. Yactisi, Chambress

26:25

and I will take defensive positions as you drive the

26:27

dragon north. Slowly.

26:30

Right.

26:34

I almost have it to the cliff.

26:40

Ready yourselves. The

26:42

cliff. Yeah, she is. Don't

26:45

let it bolt. Take your shot, man. Run, run,

26:48

run! Come

26:50

back! Fortune

26:52

M! On your left! Full

26:56

as gutter. Now! Help

27:00

me out! It's taking to the air.

27:03

It's getting away.

27:06

There goes your trophy. Fascinating.

27:09

Did you know they could fly? Did

27:11

you not complete the report on the pit dragons?

27:14

I skimmed it, but if you knew, why

27:16

did you suggest the cliff? I thought

27:18

you were better shot. Chambress

27:21

and I downed one of the others. You are hurt,

27:23

out Hunter. The male's attacked in

27:25

unison. One of them got close enough to land

27:27

a claw. I'll

27:30

be alright. The alpha got

27:32

away. But you can have her mate here if

27:34

you want it. I only

27:36

take my own trophies, but thank

27:38

you. What the hell? Ground

27:41

carrying. They'll strip anything they find at the

27:43

bone in seconds. Dress your prizes

27:45

quickly if you want to keep them. You're

27:47

mollow with nothing.

27:51

Hume, to the east. Just

27:53

below that outcropping of rock, I saw a flash of light.

27:56

Starnes, scope please. Yes,

27:58

of course.

28:00

There it is again. It almost

28:03

looks like a ship.

28:11

Thank you for coming to get us, Roald. No

28:13

problem. I tasked a verifier drone ahead

28:15

of us. It's definitely a small ship

28:18

or a landing craft. Drone's not picking

28:20

up a drive signature. No

28:22

power readings at all. Whatever it is,

28:25

thing has been here a while. This is an exciting

28:27

turn, is it not? What could this be,

28:29

eh? Almost like the plot of a holodrama.

28:32

Could it be a PG ruin? Prime

28:35

of janitor tech? Impossible. The

28:37

unique allies are the first thing we scan for during

28:39

a survey. A PG find is the whole game out

28:41

here. The alien tech gold rush? It's

28:43

all a joke. A fool's errand. In 200

28:46

years they found what? Four sites out

28:48

of how many worlds surveyed?

28:50

14,000. But those

28:52

finds were worth trillions. The only

28:54

reason humanity is out here at all is because

28:57

we won the lottery. Families claim

28:59

to sponsor surveys for colony rights, but

29:01

it's really all about that chance for the next

29:03

find.

29:04

Who sponsored Jamala? The

29:07

musk clan. Ergh. Gars

29:09

need all the windbags. My great-grandmother

29:12

was a musk at her father's side.

29:15

Here! Take us down! Get ready

29:17

for touchdown!

29:26

Well, it's definitely human. Looks

29:29

like the kind of lifeboats we use in my family's fleet.

29:32

Took a hell of a beating, though. Must have clipped

29:34

the mountains coming down. The

29:37

port booster's gone. Half

29:39

the tail section? Therefore,

29:41

it seems so late claimed to her. The

29:44

jungle growth can do that in a matter of weeks, but

29:47

I'd say it's been here longer. Years

29:50

from the oxidation on the hull. Do

29:52

we search for survivors? What is the

29:54

protocol for something like this? Let's find

29:56

the black box first. Whoa! Oh! Thanks.

30:00

What do you see? Something

30:02

in the trees. Something... I

30:04

don't know. An animal? No.

30:07

I don't know. Perhaps

30:09

my eyes are playing tricks. All this excitement,

30:12

you know. Over here.

30:14

The

30:14

hatch. Whoa. Someone

30:18

left the door open. So much

30:20

growth inside. Fungus.

30:24

Flora. Something's

30:27

been through here recently. A

30:29

nest of vermin. Even the vermin

30:32

here will kill you. Hello? Is

30:35

there anyone on board? Sorry.

30:37

Sorry. My mistake. Be careful.

30:42

Firing inside the ship. Reinforced

30:46

nano-feral.

30:47

Rovald, pull the black box. On

30:50

it. Vermin

30:53

zero. Champerous one. I'd

30:56

check your boot. It's

30:59

eating through the soul. Here.

31:02

Spread on yourself. It neutralizes the acid.

31:04

Fuck you. Fucker. These

31:06

were Ishtarium.

31:09

Hunter's Guide. Entry 11236-101. Species.

31:14

Xeno rodent. Classification. Scavenger.

31:18

Small mammalian analogs with shiny black

31:21

exoskeletons and acidic blood. Capable

31:24

of melting reinforced titanium

31:26

composite. Highly dangerous. Approach

31:28

with caution. Happy hunting.

31:32

The

31:34

panel is stuck. Need a second. It

31:37

looks like someone survived the crash. The

31:40

hatch didn't open itself and the emergency

31:43

survival kits are gone. Do you think

31:45

it's possible they're still alive? The

31:47

chances aren't good.

31:49

Not this long. Even with survival

31:51

kits. Got

31:55

it. Logify and then upload the black box data

31:57

to the T-Fed authorities. Task

31:59

the room. Tell it to Visual Suite for

32:01

Science, maybe they're remnants of a camp.

32:22

What are you doing out here alone? Checking

32:24

the field emitters. Old habits. Transmission

32:27

is sent. The T-Fed will

32:29

assign an investigator. The black

32:32

box data confirmed what we already knew.

32:34

The ship came down six years ago, carrying

32:37

two survivors from a KBW

32:40

cruiser. The Lago Drift.

32:42

Kogan Brody Waslet. Your

32:46

old friends. How

32:48

long till the T-Fed team arrives? Seven

32:51

cycles. Ten

32:52

at the most. Our civs

32:54

back there won't like it.

32:56

Well, Chambrus at least. Blows

33:00

the illusion. He's a bit of a loose cannon,

33:03

but his profile works for us. Our

33:06

benefactor wants to know if this puts us

33:09

ahead of schedule. Tomorrow we'll

33:11

follow the River Range East.

33:13

Try to find Chambrus's trophy, that should buy

33:15

us a little flexibility. East? It

33:18

can't look like we're steering them. The longer

33:20

we wait, the higher the chances. I

33:22

know. I know. We

33:24

don't tolerate failure, you understand.

33:27

The royal we are, Taeke. This endeavor

33:29

has been costly,

33:31

and we do not take kindly to

33:33

wasted investment. This is a

33:35

once in a generation opportunity.

33:39

Our benefactor knows as well as anyone the

33:41

value of a find like this. And

33:43

the risk? I

33:45

like you, Yum. I'd rather not

33:47

have to kill you.

33:54

Ras

33:54

Hugh, you stand here

33:56

today accused by the Waslitz

33:58

Fraternal Estate of... of negligence

34:00

in your duties as a navigator, and

34:03

the wrongful death of Sion Taurus

34:06

Wozlelets. How

34:08

do you plead? Not

34:10

guilty, Your Honor. Fish!

34:15

Fish! Captain? Hold

34:18

on, son. Just hold on. No

34:20

time. The interstellar

34:23

impact

34:23

ripped us out of FTL. She

34:26

reinforced the D-Somes, Taurus, in

34:28

half. Computer, activate

34:31

distress call. All bands, this is Wozlelets,

34:33

two, nine, or one. Call sign, Rigel

34:36

Ranger, Mayday, Mayday. FTL

34:38

incident. Ship critical, emergency

34:42

response requested.

34:43

Distress call active. The jury

34:45

is about to return a verdict in the high-profile trial

34:47

of war hero, Rasium, who was involved

34:50

in the much publicized death of KBW

34:52

Stellar Tech CEO, Taurus Wozlelets,

34:54

during an uncharted FTL jump one year ago.

34:57

It looks like they are coming out now. Father,

35:00

there's no time. Vince, Vince,

35:02

Vince, Vince, stay here. Don't try

35:04

to move. Gotta get the thrusters

35:06

back online. Get us out of this. Ben, the

35:09

computer, damage report.

35:10

Incident report, unknown impact

35:12

on D-Sail burn and route to unregistered

35:15

system NV422.

35:16

On whose authority? Thanks

35:20

for meeting me. I know it's

35:22

unorthodox, but I want you

35:24

to hear it from me before it comes out on the feeds.

35:27

A guild rep requesting to meet me

35:30

in a public place. We've

35:32

known each other how long now? So what? Scared

35:34

I'd do something right. Just give it to me. Look,

35:38

I know this is gonna be hard to take

35:40

after losing Vince, but

35:43

the nav guild is pulling your credentials.

35:46

I beat the charges. The

35:48

black box had it all on record. Taurus Wozlelets

35:51

plotted to jump behind my back and he killed my

35:53

son. No one else but me

35:55

could have brought the ranger home. What do you want me to

35:57

say? You've been doing this long

35:59

enough to...

35:59

You know how things work. When

36:02

a scion dies, someone

36:05

has to pay. The families always

36:08

require their pound of flesh.

36:11

There are currently hull breaches resulting

36:13

in decompression on deck three. PG

36:16

engine offline. Sublight drives

36:19

offline. Damage to main

36:21

reactor. Reactor and autos

36:23

fold down to prevent containment bottle

36:25

breach.

36:26

Lifeboats.

36:27

Both lifeboats one and two

36:29

have sustained critical damage. Dave,

36:30

come on, you. I'm

36:33

sorry, father. Don't

36:35

hurt me. Computer,

36:38

route emergency life support to sublight.

36:40

Hull fracture on deck two. Structural

36:43

integrity at 2%. Close

36:46

all emergency bulkheads. This

36:49

is the captain. All hands to

36:51

crash positions.

36:53

Hume, wake up. Wake up. Oh.

36:59

Do out hunters often suffer from night

37:01

terrors? You were

37:04

screaming out in your sleep. Seems

37:06

so real.

37:09

My apologies if I startled you. I was

37:11

going to say the same thing to you. I

37:13

must admit, I myself had quite

37:15

an interesting dream tonight.

37:17

Perhaps the jungle here just has that way

37:20

of inspiring our subconscious, no? Best

37:23

return to your tent. Tomorrow will be strenuous,

37:25

but thank you. Oh.

37:38

Anyone else feel like we should head back to

37:40

camp and wait for a better turn of weather?

37:43

You aren't afraid of a little rain, are you, Starnes?

37:45

It's been almost an hour since we launched the trail.

37:49

The downpour washes away the tracks almost instantly.

37:52

Do you have any suggestions out, Hunter? This

37:54

is allegedly your area of expertise.

37:57

The water cats emit a pheromone that your hollow

37:59

can track.

37:59

Isn't that cheating? Not on a day

38:02

like today. I'll take any advantage

38:04

I can get. It

38:07

worked! I count four unique

38:09

scents. The trails are heading away from

38:11

the river. Perhaps you were worth the

38:13

price tag, Hume.

38:16

Entry 13989 898. Species,

38:21

Jumal and Watercat. Difficulty,

38:24

Apex, Class A. These

38:26

large feline analogues weigh in

38:28

over a metric ton and stand

38:30

over a meter tall. Covered in a crimson

38:33

coat of razor-sharp spines and equipped

38:35

with a whip-like clawed tail

38:37

that injects neurotoxin into its

38:39

prey, Watercats can breathe underwater

38:42

and make their dens in waterways and

38:44

lakes. These solo predators

38:46

are highly territorial and

38:48

do not range far from their marked domain.

38:51

Extremely dangerous. Approach

38:54

with caution.

38:55

Happy hunting. That

38:58

can't be right. Watercats

39:01

don't work together and they don't range this far

39:03

from water. It is raining.

39:06

One of these scent trails isn't a watercat.

39:09

So many together? Aren't

39:11

they quite dangerous? 1500 kilos

39:14

of crimson-furred killing machine. Not

39:17

to mention the poisonous prehensile tails.

39:19

Something's off here.

39:20

The fourth scent is reading as... It's human.

39:24

A survivor. Roval. Three

39:27

to pick up. Like hell. I'm going after

39:29

them. That's a negative. This

39:31

electrical storm is too dangerous to fly in.

39:34

I'll warm her up and pull you out as soon as the sky

39:36

is allowed. Understood. Should

39:38

I pack the medkit? Just

39:41

in case. Hume out. Got

39:48

the shot. I'm gonna take it. Hold.

39:51

If the readings are correct, the survivor

39:53

may be in that tree. This might be our chance.

39:56

While the watercat's attentions are drawn. Set

39:58

up a firing line and... pick your targets.

40:01

Strongjaws.

40:08

Could the sniffer be off?

40:10

They have roughly seen me in analogs. Is

40:12

there a chance it's one of those in that tree? I've still

40:14

got the shot. Wait. Hunter's

40:17

Guide, entry 12745123. Species,

40:22

Jumaland Strongjaw. Difficulty,

40:25

Apex Class B. Closest

40:27

Terran species is the orangutan

40:30

of Southeast Asia. Key features

40:32

of the Strongjaw are their eight-eyed, gourd-like

40:35

heads and seven-fingered hands. These

40:37

simian analogs stand as tall

40:39

as two meters and possess exceptional

40:42

strength. Though non-sentient, they

40:44

are rudimentary intelligent and often

40:47

play games

40:47

with their prey. Extremely

40:50

dangerous. Approach with caution.

40:52

Happy hunting.

40:53

The

41:02

cats are turning towards us. I'm taking my shot.

41:05

Hold. Both species seem to

41:07

have made us the focus of their attentions. Rolled

41:10

walled. Get that damn flitter in the air

41:12

for emergency extract. Now! Okay.

41:14

Copy. 20 minutes out.

41:16

Oh, don't do what is going on here. Have

41:18

you ever seen Strongjaws and Watercats working

41:20

together? Get ready to run. Head

41:23

west towards the camp. I'll cover you and draw

41:25

them towards the river. Hell.

41:28

Run!

41:40

Put me down. Put me down.

41:44

He was planned. Appears to have

41:46

worked. Rovald, where

41:49

are you, fine sir? We can very much

41:51

use that lift. In route now. Still turn

41:53

out. Rovald, we

41:54

got separated from

41:56

Hume. Chambrass has

41:58

been molded. We'll need

42:00

medical attention. What's his condition?

42:03

Fucking piss is my condition! Stands

42:05

in the Minnesota aid. He is stable but sustained

42:08

major damage to his right arm and thigh, limiting

42:10

our mobility. We appear

42:13

to be safe for now.

42:13

Where is Hume? I haven't been able

42:15

to raise him on comms. We

42:18

seem to be having a small animal problem.

42:20

The out hunter made his way back towards the river

42:22

with three water cats in pursuit. His comm

42:24

may have been damaged when the animals attacked. Head

42:26

east and see if you can spot him from the air. Work

42:29

that. Pick me up first. All

42:32

of those things. Anyone down? Are

42:37

they searching for us? They

42:39

must be able to pick up our scent. Shh. See?

42:45

They missed us. They communicated

42:48

with each other. Roald!

42:56

I need pick up ASAP.

42:59

I lost my blaster and

43:01

pack. I'm

43:05

down to my vibro blade. Could

43:07

really use some backup. Roald!

43:15

Do you read? Starns?

43:19

Nictacy, can you hear me? Do

43:21

you read me? Anyone? Fucking

43:24

cold.

43:31

I'm not sure what the hell is going on here. But

43:34

if you think I'm your next meal, you

43:37

got another thing coming. Come

43:40

on, you feel like that's good. What's

43:43

wrong with you? Attack

43:45

me! Sarge!

43:59

Sarge!

44:01

Computer, route emergency life

44:03

support to sub-life. Whole fracture

44:05

on deck two. Structural integrity

44:08

at 2%. Close

44:10

all emergency bulkheads. This

44:13

is the captain. All hands

44:15

to crash positions.

44:16

Structural integrity at 1%.

44:20

Come on. Main

44:22

reactor is back online. There

44:25

you go. If I jump,

44:28

you die. You have all power to

44:30

sub-life.

44:30

Gravitational shear force exceeding

44:33

tolerances. You're very compartment.

44:35

You have to jump. I can jump now!

44:55

Come on.

44:57

Ugh! Come

45:05

on, old man. You're going

45:07

to live. Get it up and out. That

45:12

cat had your number. It's lucky

45:14

that I found your pack and gun. That

45:16

tail venom pack's quite the wallop. I'd

45:19

say you have about a minute before...

45:23

You know...

45:23

Beth? Gun. Ah.

45:27

I'll just keep holding on to this. A

45:30

legendary Ross Hume. Almost

45:32

killed by an overgrown house cat. What

45:35

would the feed say?

45:36

Med pack. Bag.

45:41

This? In the arm. Quickly.

45:44

Quickly!

45:47

Who are you? Let's

45:51

not play that game, Ross. You

45:54

hear the survivor from the Crass lifeboat. The

45:57

Largo Drift.

45:57

But how do you do it?

46:00

Oh, Elise Brody.

46:05

That's the name you want me to say, isn't

46:07

it? But

46:11

Jamala has shown me, I

46:14

am so much more.

46:20

I hope you enjoyed our presentation

46:22

of Star Hunter Part I. If

46:25

you liked today's episode, please check out

46:27

our after show, produced live by our partner

46:29

FN Funny Productions on their Twitch channel the

46:31

night each episode releases. The podcast

46:33

version of the after show will then be released on this

46:35

feed. Connect with us on Twitter, Instagram,

46:38

and Facebook under the handle at CM Anthology,

46:41

or check us out online for more information

46:43

at www.curiousmatterpodcast.com.

46:46

This episode was dramatized, directed,

46:49

and edited by Meteor host,

46:50

Jonathan Pezza. Casting assistance

46:52

was provided by Sandeep Parikh, Anand

46:55

Shah, and Jeff Winkler. Assistant

46:57

editing by Francis Pezza and Mohamed

46:59

Moise Riaz.

47:01

Tonight's episode starred Colin Ferguson

47:03

as Ross Hume, Tiffany Smith as

47:06

Elise Brody, and co-starred

47:09

Jack Bowman as Starnes, Sri

47:11

Swara as Yaktisi, John

47:13

Edelman as Chambris, Gavin

47:15

Loudon as Rovald,

47:17

and Bly the René as the Hunter's Guide. Our

47:20

talented ensemble also includes the voices

47:22

of EJ Barois, Philip Gray,

47:25

Tien Nguyen, Jeremy Pezza,

47:28

Jonathan Pezza, Scott Pezza,

47:30

and Melissa Starr. AI voice

47:32

performances were provided by Play.ht. The

47:36

score was provided by Epidemic Music and

47:38

featured the talent of Grant Newman, Vaughn

47:41

Fields, Bonnie Grace, Hampus

47:44

Neselius, Kikuru, Trailer

47:46

Works, Splasher,

47:47

The Bright Arm Orchestra, Curved

47:50

Mirror, Max Anson, and

47:53

Kenzo Almond. Star Hunter

47:55

is a work in the public domain and was produced

47:57

in accordance with US copyright law.

47:59

The Furious Matter Anthology is produced by the Knightsville

48:02

Workshop in association with F'n Funny

48:04

Productions, distributed by Realm

48:06

Media. Copyright Knightsville Workshop 2022,

48:09

all rights reserved. We'll

48:11

see you right back here next episode

48:14

for Star Hunter Part 2, Strange

48:16

Companions. I'm your host, Jonathan

48:18

Pezza,

48:19

and of course, as always, thank you

48:21

for listening.

48:23

Hey everyone, thanks so much for listening. All

48:25

the links to the show you've just heard are in the show

48:28

notes below. Simply check them out and subscribe

48:30

to their feeds if you like what you heard today. I

48:32

hope you enjoyed this episode of Leviathan Presents,

48:35

and maybe you've discovered a new show that you'd like to binge.

48:37

We're looking forward to bringing you some more amazing audio

48:39

dramas to discover and letting you meet some of the

48:41

phenomenally talented creators that are driving

48:44

this renaissance in audio fiction today. Stay

48:46

subscribed to this feed for more installments of

48:48

Leviathan Presents, as well as all the full

48:51

episodes of the Leviathan Chronicles, the

48:53

Rapskallian Agency, the Invenios Expedition,

48:56

and all the other spin-offs we have planned. This

48:58

is Christoph signing off for now. Thanks

49:00

again for listening, and I'll be talking to you all real

49:02

soon.

49:03

Bye now.

49:10

Monsters come in all shapes and sizes. They

49:12

can come from anywhere. The dark corners

49:14

of your hometown, a past meant to stay

49:16

buried, and sometimes from within

49:20

you. If you, like me, are intrigued by all the

49:22

forms that monsters take, I think you'll

49:24

enjoy Undertow. Hi,

49:26

this is Fred Greenhulge, creator and host of Undertow,

49:29

a collection of horror podcasts

49:31

that bring you under the surface and into the weird

49:33

and the wicked. Each season, we

49:35

start a new story set in a twisted version

49:37

of the great state of Maine, where I grew

49:39

up fed by the headwaters of great horror masters

49:42

like Stephen King and Rick Howdela. In

49:44

Undertow, we'll be confronting ghosts from the past,

49:46

battling werewolves in the present, wrangling with

49:48

cursed artifacts, and through it all, doing

49:50

our best not to forget our humanity.

49:53

Undertow is available wherever you listen to podcasts

49:56

or at realm.fm. Stay alert

49:58

out there and enjoy your time.

49:59

in the Undertow.