0:00

Previously.

0:08

Look, I know lately I haven't

0:10

been 27 composcentist,

0:12

and I know there's no phantom

0:14

astronaut,

0:16

but I want to check One

0:18

last thing.

0:19

The s s umber.

0:21

Ready to show

0:21

me who's under that visor. According

0:24

to the NAV, the crash site should

0:27

A V thirteen shuttle

0:29

as reported.

0:32

This isn't real. It can't

0:34

be.

0:35

Welcome. Benedict

0:38

Vanda Camp.

0:42

I should have known it wouldn't take the additional

0:44

mass of the crew pod.

0:45

One of us needs to go back in.

0:47

You even have suspicions about your own team.

0:50

One of them at least.

0:51

By grab packs, the strap

0:53

snapped on the seat.

0:54

We're descending. We need to undo

0:56

dog. You have to come up now.

1:00

Billy, you're

1:02

close to hatch.

1:09

Oblivity season two

1:11

episode Umbra

1:14

Part two.

1:25

You closed the hatch. There was still

1:27

time I can't believe you. I didn't. I assure

1:30

you I didn't. Then who

1:31

did? The only way the docking procedure

1:34

could have been initiated is if I

1:37

wouldn't have made it. No.

1:43

But that's not what really worries you.

1:46

What really nags at you. Is that

1:48

you're starting to question which side

1:50

you're

1:51

on.

1:51

I'm on the bright side. And why wouldn't you

1:53

be? Good thing too. Because

1:56

if it turned out that the other side was the

1:58

right

1:58

side, you'd have to admit that

2:00

all this time you'd been on the wrong side.

2:03

Well, Maybe neither side is

2:05

entirely right.

2:06

Almost makes the whole exercise seem farcical.

2:09

Doesn't it?

2:10

I've saved lives. Thousand Yes.

2:14

But

2:14

how many others Mildred? I

2:16

can't I had

2:17

to defend you understand

2:20

I had to I'm not talking about the countless

2:22

effects as you've slaughtered Mildred.

2:25

I mean, the people in your own

2:26

charge, the ones that trusted you

2:28

to keep them safe

2:32

It was my decision. Okay? Mine

2:35

alone.

2:38

I don't know what to say. You

2:40

don't have to. Just

2:44

stay with me till the connection

2:45

goes. Please? Of

2:48

course.

2:51

I did it. Didn't I? I

2:53

was pilot.

2:56

Yeah. You did

2:58

it. Best damn

3:01

pilot in the sis. Alloysius.

3:05

You're in danger of making me think there's hope for

3:07

you after all. To how

3:10

or Benedict or

3:13

whatever your name is. I

3:16

hope that when you work out who you are,

3:18

is someone that makes you happy. I

3:23

want the commander to know she taught me loads,

3:26

even if she doesn't believe it, but

3:28

she won't.

3:31

And that's for aunt Gigi Nguyen. I

3:34

know she's the reason I lost my shot a pilot

3:36

academy. But I

3:37

think it was her way of trying to keep me safe.

3:42

To tell her, Tell

3:46

her. Tell

3:50

her what, Christie. Christy,

3:54

it's gone. She's

3:59

gone.

4:18

That's not true. I've always protected

4:21

them. Mildred. We won't get

4:23

anywhere as long as you keep lying to yourself.

4:26

You don't protect them from

4:28

danger. You

4:30

are the danger. You

4:32

you

4:33

don't know me. I know what it's like everything

4:35

as a threat? Believe me.

4:38

With the same that way, always

4:41

waiting to see if that ribbon wrapped

4:43

gift is really a ticking time

4:45

bomb, the

4:47

difference between us commander

4:51

is that you hope that it

4:53

is. Funny

4:55

these little epithets they give

4:57

us, mink the

4:59

modest, a modest

5:01

a bouquet in itself, but I like

5:04

it. It's awfully

5:06

humbling, but

5:09

falconer the fearless. There's

5:13

no much INVU for but

5:15

that. That's

5:17

inspiring. Except

5:22

it's not quite true.

5:25

I cannot do enough

5:28

thing you once said.

5:31

Facing being stripped of your

5:33

medals and returned to civilian

5:35

life, you begged

5:38

for mercy.

5:39

You weren't there. I'm not

5:41

me, really, commander, how many

5:43

times? I

5:46

can't not do

5:48

nothing. Why

5:51

is that? I like need

5:54

to have a purpose. Everybody

5:57

does.

6:05

That's precious. You're

6:09

afraid of being safe. You're

6:12

petrified of comfort. The

6:15

kind of life where a knock on the door

6:17

is nothing more sinister than a delivery

6:19

of the latest windsor, or

6:22

tea part, or

6:24

whatever you need to fill the void

6:26

while the universe cools around

6:28

you, but

6:30

danger. Now

6:34

that's when you're alive. Even

6:38

if it means losing everyone

6:41

that around you? We

6:49

we should say something. Like

6:53

words? Indeed.

6:57

Do

6:57

you wanna, of

7:00

course. Lowell,

7:02

we must discuss your lineage. What?

7:05

Sirius

7:08

We just lost Christie, and that's

7:10

all that you can think about.

7:11

I am deeply perturbed by the

7:14

loss.

7:14

27. But you must understand there are

7:16

greater forces at play.

7:18

Yeah. There are greater forces and one

7:20

of them is me. You're

7:23

dangling me. Oh,

7:25

am I stopping you from being perturbed?

7:28

I can't be.

7:30

You say her back in there. And now you just

7:32

want to forget her. She's underground

7:34

because of us. She's underground because

7:37

What

7:37

are you hitting me with? Dictation

7:40

event. Closer thing to 27. Well,

7:42

you're hitting the titanium half of my

7:44

head. That's the other side.

7:48

Oh, yeah.

7:51

Always forget that. I'm always

7:54

forgetting. Do you ever ever

7:56

feel like you not yourself, not

7:58

to invite further asphyxiation, but

8:00

recent evidence suggests you

8:02

aren't. Yeah. Look.

8:08

Sorry for strangling you. I

8:10

shouldn't have done that. I have never

8:12

been one to externalize my

8:15

passions, but please understand this

8:17

does not mean I am unaffected. And

8:22

I'm sorry too. Did

8:25

you just I believe I did.

8:29

Neither of us are exactly good at dealing.

8:31

Are we? What

8:35

did Christie say if she saw like this.

8:41

Exactly. She'd say

8:44

It's the transceiver.

8:47

Bernie, look, the umber is coming up out

8:50

27 the slush again.

8:50

She's raising it. So how she's

8:53

raising it. I'm the best

8:55

damn pilot in the sea, and I'm

8:57

gonna fly it if it takes every

8:59

last damn

9:00

you. How did you? Roger auxiliary

9:02

data system instrumentation. Of

9:04

course, you rerouted the power from

9:06

the auxiliary systems. What?

9:09

No. How do you think aerospace

9:11

engineering works exactly? No.

9:14

I noticed it was logging day

9:16

from external

9:17

tank. Haven't got long before it's

9:19

Edison though. So you gotta do this

9:21

fast. You heard a talk with it. I

9:23

don't think we can. It's two one stable.

9:25

The Umbra hair lock is opening. What

9:27

is she doing? Keep the crew pod steady.

9:29

Do

9:30

what she says? I am, but the s

9:32

s umber is sinking again. I

9:34

know that. I'm on it.

9:36

What are you gonna do? Christie,

9:39

where are you? She's

9:41

just gonna go down with it again. What?

9:44

She's at the hatch running all

9:46

in slow motion. No. No.

9:48

No. Not running Jumping.

9:51

Jumping. What's her trajectory?

9:53

It's perfect. It's

9:55

awesome. This Yeah.

9:58

Maybe swing a bit to the right.

10:01

Christie. Not exactly

10:04

a triple summer salt, but time off on.

10:06

Yes.

10:09

I would very much like to go home now,

10:11

please.

10:11

Absolutely, first officer. Setting course

10:14

for persephone.

10:15

Ice. But maybe you could

10:18

let me in first. Yes.

10:20

My apologies. Did

10:24

you just Do

10:25

not get accustomed to

10:26

it. We

10:28

didn't murder each other. By the way?

10:31

I don't care, Lowell.

10:33

I don't care.

10:56

Stop it. Whatever you are

10:58

just stop or I'll You're what? Where's

11:00

my laser blaster? I was holding a laser

11:02

blaster. Forget the laser blaster. You

11:05

don't need it. Why am I itching?

11:07

Wage commander. It burns

11:09

right through

11:10

you. How do I make it go away? That's

11:12

up to you. Commander. What's

11:14

that supposed to no.

11:17

No. Not you.

11:18

Oh, don't be like that. You

11:20

knew this was coming. The

11:25

Umbra was a hyper powerful satellite

11:27

designed to tap into and relay

11:29

communications from any one part of the

11:31

solar system to any other.

11:33

Wow. But I'd rather

11:36

you

11:36

told us rather than your dictation

11:38

device. The

11:40

SS Umbra a hyper powerful

11:42

satellite designed to tap into and

11:44

relay communications from any

11:46

one part of the solar system to any

11:48

other. So why all that stuff about

11:50

it being hacked by deflectors and

11:52

crash landing? That's the

11:53

question, isn't it?

11:56

Benny. I'm

11:57

just glad to be back home on solid ground.

11:59

Not

11:59

long till the nick and the spuds gig either.

12:02

Nothing's stopping me watching that.

12:05

Hi, Commander. Where? Oh,

12:08

where

12:08

is she?

12:09

Gone

12:10

for a dump. Perhaps the

12:12

sleeping gas has cleared.

12:13

Oh, yay. I can go see

12:16

my welks. Still

12:17

don't get why you wanted a load of

12:19

welks. I didn't. I

12:22

ordered goldfish. But the

12:24

horticultural resource facility sent me loads

12:26

of 27. Waltz

12:28

instead of goldfish, different

12:30

sticking plasters. Can't

12:32

wait to get back to work. Haven't been in the

12:34

organosphere since Oh,

12:37

flip. What? Oh,

12:40

flip. I just worked out what the phantom

12:42

astronaut is.

12:45

Listen to you.

12:47

Still clinging on to the hope that there might be

12:49

a shred of good left in you.

12:51

How dare

12:53

you? I can't help it. My

12:55

father can't help my

12:57

father. Stop. Stop.

13:00

Let me talk. Did it ever occur to

13:02

27, not to blame someone else for

13:04

what you've

13:04

become? You

13:07

love to think the world is against you,

13:09

but we both know it's a world of

13:11

your own making. You

13:14

alienate everyone that means something to

13:16

you and you do it

13:18

willingly because

13:20

you want them to hate you, the

13:22

way you hate yourself, for

13:24

your contempt, for

13:27

losing your purpose. the

13:29

way you only ever destroy.

13:33

Because if you can make them

13:35

hate you, then they might not

13:37

feel the thing you truly fear.

13:40

Pity. We

13:44

just have to hope she hasn't touched it.

13:46

It can't move. So it means it's prey

13:48

to voluntarily make contact. So it

13:50

makes them hallucinate things like

13:52

people they know. Well, That's

13:54

okay

13:54

then. The commander is not really a

13:57

hanger. She says so herself? No,

13:59

but I'm fairly sure she knows how to

14:01

throw a punch.

14:20

I mean, look at

14:22

yourself, exhaust

14:25

Unstable, neglecting

14:28

your team. On

14:31

Calypso, you even took a back 27 to

14:33

mink

14:34

When was your last real win?

14:38

You can't cope anymore, can you?

14:40

And it's so Stop

14:43

sad. Stop it.

14:45

Time you saw yourself for the dead

14:47

beat you are. The

14:49

dead beat you've always

14:50

been. Don't? That's a darkness

14:53

in you. I

14:53

swear I will. You barely trust

14:56

yourself. Now rage

14:58

commander. It burns

15:00

right through you. Stop it now.

15:02

Make me.

15:04

No. You think

15:06

I have contempt. You've obviously

15:08

not met Bernie. Lost

15:11

my purpose. Spend some time with Christie.

15:14

Destroy everything. Hello, Lowell.

15:16

But you know what?

15:18

I see how Bernie cares about what right.

15:20

How Christie burns to excel?

15:22

How Lowell takes a bright yellow coloring

15:24

pencil and creates? Well,

15:27

some sort of burping superhero, but you get the

15:29

picture. And I

15:31

see what they've taught me. I

15:34

feel rage all right. But

15:36

my rage is good. My

15:38

rage is kind. My rage

15:40

keeps me fighting for the people worth fighting

15:43

for. My my rage

15:45

is worth and I

15:47

will not waste any more of it on

15:49

myself. Oh,

15:53

what's up? I thought you might

15:56

I don't

15:56

know. Scream and shrivel

15:59

up, disappear a puff of

16:01

smoke. Why

16:01

would I do that? Moment

16:03

of self discovery wasn't at the

16:05

point. Oh, I see.

16:08

I think lasting psychological change requires

16:10

a bit more hard work than some fleeting

16:12

epiphany. But, you

16:14

know, yeah,

16:16

you.

16:17

Then why is this happening? What

16:20

am I not seeing here?

16:37

Door

16:39

won't open. Furious. Open

16:42

the door. At the worthy commander's

16:44

behest. I cannot carry out her

16:46

request. For reasons

16:48

unknown, she must be left alone.

16:50

She wanted me, Allianz

16:52

Est. What

16:53

their Latin. It didn't even

16:55

scan. What do we do? I

16:58

think I know.

17:02

Look. Why don't

17:03

you come and untie me? We can have

17:05

a nice

17:07

When did

17:08

I first see the astronaut? No.

17:10

Not sea. I heard

17:13

it. It was the day mum visited.

17:15

I'd spent the morning in the

17:18

organosphere. I can see

17:20

it except I can't, but I can

17:22

sense it. Does that make sense? I

17:24

honestly don't think I

17:26

said And I cut myself on

17:28

some kind of plant.

17:31

Yes. I can see that now too.

17:33

It's grown. It was a tiny

17:36

spiky thing, but now it's big, with long dark

17:38

blue glimmering leaves. I could

17:41

help you if you'd only untie me and

17:44

But that's it? I don't remember tying you up

17:46

in the first place. Why

17:48

is this important? And why am I

17:50

still it It's

17:52

important because because

17:55

I'm its prey.

17:57

I'm right, aren't I?

18:00

That's why you've been girding me to

18:02

untie you to fight 27, anything to

18:04

make contact. Well,

18:08

a nice try, but it takes more to defeat commander

18:10

Faulkner than a conversational

18:13

cabbage. Now, if

18:15

you'll excuse me, I'm going to

18:17

concentrate very hard on waking

18:18

up. I wouldn't do

18:19

that if I were you. Oh,

18:21

really? And why is

18:24

that? Because I'm

18:24

not the plant. Oh,

18:27

enough with the mind games. Of course, you're the 27

18:29

you

18:29

actually swing by the weapon store on the

18:32

way here? Yes. I

18:34

must have done I

18:37

grabbed the laser

18:37

bluster. I I

18:41

grabbed the

18:43

laser bluster so snug

18:45

in your palm, so

18:48

reassuringly familiar.

18:50

That cabbage has

18:53

been feeding on you for a good couple of

18:55

hours now.

18:56

I'm simply the

18:57

part of you that's allowing it

19:00

to happen. Oh, you

19:03

bloody. We

19:13

just

19:14

need to

19:18

speak the same language. For

19:20

example, Orpheus, we

19:23

require

19:24

ingress. Our colleague is

19:28

in some distress. We don't

19:30

mean to be rude.

19:33

But she might be plant food.

19:35

And we'd rather not clean up the

19:38

mess. Ace,

19:40

come on. Vivaree

19:46

Milatore asked.

19:50

Commander. Falcon o.

19:54

Commander. Your girls feel so big. Why do you have to be

19:56

so big? It's over there.

19:58

It's got her. I can see her

20:00

struggling. We have to get

20:01

her. I don't

20:04

believe she's the one in

20:07

trouble.

20:08

That is one skied looking

20:11

host plant. And

20:14

that's what you get when

20:16

you mess with commander Faulkner.

20:21

Scout.

20:24

Oh. Hello, team. You're

20:27

back, Eddy.

20:28

Are you okay? Excellent.

20:31

Thank you. You? We

20:33

thought yes. It tried to

20:35

eat me. So I tore it to

20:36

shreds. You're

20:38

covered in Digestive

20:39

27. It's a little

20:42

sore.

20:42

Perhaps you'd like to Shower

20:45

heading there now. Seems

20:47

I said you want a wild goose chase.

20:49

Apologies. Debris in the rec room in thirty

20:52

minutes. Excellent.

20:55

And I'd be grateful for a spot

20:57

of

20:57

lunch. Tempura, perhaps. I

20:59

have

20:59

a sudden

20:59

hankering for battered vegetables. Now

21:05

that was an appetite remark.

21:18

And having wondered if he was more robot

21:20

or human. The Bionic

21:22

Welch decided he was a bit of

21:24

boss. And

21:25

I was okay. And having had enough of an

21:28

existential crisis, left off the

21:30

page. And

21:30

that's why the last few pages are

21:33

blank. Very good, though. Also,

21:35

I got bored. I'm starting another story, a

21:37

real one this

21:38

time. You're going to find out if you're a member of the most powerful

21:40

family in the cis. How do you know?

21:42

It's scrawled on the back of your hand. Find out if I'm

21:45

a member of the most powerful family in the

21:47

cis.

21:47

Oh, yeah. What'd you

21:49

look at that? Bernie's log.

21:51

While Faulkner is suffering superficial

21:54

complaints of the Epidermis, the only

21:56

lasting damage is to her

21:57

pride. She is

21:58

Bernie, I love that you're developing empathy. But

22:01

I'm gonna smash that thing over your head.

22:03

I shall

22:04

resume this update later.

22:07

He's right though. Outfoxed by

22:09

a sociopathic shrub. Is that

22:11

what it's come to? That's the

22:13

whole trick of the Venus death spite flesh

22:15

digester that's been cultivated on

22:17

Janus. Not the type grown on

22:19

Mars like I ordered.

22:21

I called the horticultural resource

22:23

facility and gave them a piece of

22:26

my mind Don't you worry? They were

22:28

very apologetic and

22:30

offered a five percent discount on my

22:33

next order. They also said the effects might

22:35

take some time to wear off. You mean the

22:37

ceiling isn't actually covered in

22:39

snakes.

22:41

Just joking. Note yourself.

22:44

Snake's not real. So what did it

22:46

make you see? Oh, just family.

22:50

Brands. How did it convince you to make contact?

22:52

It asked to shake

22:54

my hand. Like, you're doing

22:56

great commander. Come, shake my

22:59

hand. 27 seemed rather

23:01

intense. A really firm

23:04

handshake. So there

23:06

really was nothing of interest at the

23:08

Umbra.

23:09

Yet it was.

23:09

They bought nothing sunk without a trace. But Nothing

23:12

happened that our recuperating commander

23:15

needs to know about. That tax not going

23:17

to fly forever, you know. Look,

23:21

while you're all here, I

23:23

know I haven't been myself recently

23:26

or possibly I have. Either

23:29

way, I'm on the men now. And

23:31

I'm no good at this sort of thing, but I want

23:33

you to know that what saved me back there

23:35

was I was thinking about

23:37

how all of

23:37

you. What? I'm

23:41

making the spot. Nothing's gonna stop me

23:43

watching this.

23:44

We interrupt this cast

23:46

with breaking news. Oh. It's

23:49

that bleeping bleep head

23:52

reporter. What's happening? In an

23:54

unprecedented aerial attack to

23:56

factors have targeted three arms factories,

23:58

but Martian troops were able to neutralize

24:00

the bokeh before they fired. The

24:03

syndicated intelligence network

24:05

for inter iatry science technology

24:07

and exploratory research say there is

24:09

no cause for alarm. The

24:11

attack appears to be a

24:13

one off. However, out of

24:15

an abundance of caution, all

24:17

interplanetary travel is temporarily prohibited.

24:19

More when we have it.

24:22

In additional unrelated news,

24:24

will applications to military

24:25

academies, including rejected

24:28

applications, will now

24:30

be honored. Participation is optional

24:32

and refusal regarded

24:34

as treason. Stay tuned.

24:42

Whoa.

24:43

Indeed. I can't believe the

24:46

interrupted Nick and the but for something

24:48

as boring as that.

24:49

I'm going to pilot academy.

24:52

I'm going to be

24:55

a pilot Oh,

24:58

flip. I'm going to fly.

25:00

It's what I always wanted. To

25:02

fly a thermonuclear

25:03

jet, in thermonuclear dogfights.

25:07

That's totally ace.

25:10

Yepo, ace.

25:12

I'm to go and cry with

25:15

happiness.

25:19

Amissive arrives. On celestial

25:22

waves.

25:23

Whoo. It is from

25:26

Bernie. Whoo. Hi. Cool. Complete with

25:28

a karaji. Could done with some seasonal

25:30

and greener.

25:31

What? Wait from Bernie.

25:34

My brother, a senior official.

25:36

Really? You never Amanda Faulkner. Second

25:39

secretary, Ambrose Burdie. You'll

25:41

have heard the news. I am

25:43

dispatching a small but critical delegation

25:45

to 27 for tactical dialogue.

25:48

Disgression is paramount. A

25:50

wake further instructions. PS.

25:54

Alloysius, I did not appropriate your

25:56

comrade Clarence action you. That explains

25:58

where my digital telegram

25:59

went. There are

26:00

two of you. I have four

26:03

siblings. Ambrose is my unbearably

26:05

pompous twin brother. I

26:07

shall retire forthwith to meditate on

26:09

these evacuations. Yeah. I'm off

26:11

to go and 27 was

26:14

it? Oh, yeah.

26:15

Broadly on my hand,

26:18

read other hand.

26:22

Oh, yeah. Whoever

26:24

you are, Benedict. You sure know

26:27

me well. I

26:30

guess I'll just stay

26:32

here then. Oh,

26:35

Bernie, you left your

26:37

dictation thingy. Little

26:39

blue light flashing. What does

26:41

that mean it's still recording? There must

26:43

be a stop button somewhere.

26:47

Bunny. I must be brief. The alleged

26:49

attack is a fabrication, the jets were

26:51

nowhere near those factories.

26:54

Something's fishy. Maybe

26:56

connected to the satellite. You're not out

26:58

Stringer work incidentally.

26:59

Let's reconvene when I

27:02

was. Amos is

27:05

that clue. You've been

27:09

listening to Oblivity. At

27:12

least you think you have so, who's to argue

27:14

any different? I'm Robert the writer and I

27:16

want to say a heartfelt thank you to all

27:18

those who have made the second season possible.

27:20

The story of research based Percephony

27:22

isn't over yet and we'd like to invite you

27:25

to listener to join us on Pluto again, and

27:27

you can make that happen. Please

27:29

head online to a 27 podcast dot

27:31

com where you'll find a puzzle

27:34

online escape game, Oblivity

27:36

merch and other ways to support the show

27:38

and ultimately help us make more of

27:40

it. Stay in touch and watch out for

27:42

being a stats bike flashed digesters unless

27:45

it's too late for you, of course, in which case?

27:49

Scout. Is that you?