Desert Skies Presents: Derelict

Summary

Desert Skies Presents: Derelict – Episode Summary

Introduction and Setting

Desert Skies’ episode titled "Derelict", released on February 26, 2025, takes listeners deep into the abyss of Fathom Base, a secluded underwater research facility situated 19,000 feet beneath the ocean's surface. This enigmatic base serves as the cradle for humanity's most profound discovery—a colossal artifact resembling a door, known as the Vault, unearthed from the ocean floor. As the crew grapples with unlocking this mysterious structure, tensions escalate, leading to unforeseen consequences that threaten their very existence.

Main Characters

• Dr. Eva Graff (Elizabeth Laidlaw): The protagonist, a dedicated and intelligent scientist grappling with personal loss and mounting stress.
• Dr. Clayton (Sarah Clayton): Eva’s medical officer, concerned about Eva’s mental state and the overall well-being of the team.
• Mac (Michael Mao): An advanced virtual intelligence (VI) assisting the team with various tasks and diagnostics.
• Joe Freeman (Eli Goodman): The base commander, striving to maintain order amidst escalating chaos.
• Dr. Richard Edgar / Agent Blaine (Danny Payne): An internal security agent investigating disruptions within Fathom Base.

Plot Overview

The episode commences with Eva Graff experiencing heightened anxiety and insomnia, indicative of the psychological strain exerted by life in the isolated depths of Fathom Base. Conversations between Eva and Dr. Clayton reveal concerns about Eva’s deteriorating mental state and Mac’s inexplicable malfunctions. The discovery of the Vault has not only captivated the crew but also sown seeds of discord and paranoia.

As Eva delves deeper into the mechanics of the Vault, she uncovers that the artifact is not merely a door but a complex system emitting a Very Low Frequency (VLF) signal, potentially holding the key to unlocking its secrets. Her interactions with Mac highlight both the reliance on and vulnerability of their technological advancements.

Key Conflicts and Developments

1. Internal Sabotage and Trust Issues:

   • Timestamp [07:35]: Eva listens to a voicemails from her estranged wife, Angela Graff, hinting at personal turmoil exacerbated by her isolation.
   • Timestamp [16:00]: Introduction of Agent Blaine, who reveals critical information about the Vault and questions Eva’s leadership and motives.
   • Timestamp [32:00]: Dr. Edgar confronts Eva, accusing her of hindering progress and suggesting her motivation is driven by personal loss, thereby questioning her professional integrity.

2. Mac’s Malfunctions and System Breaches:

   • Timestamp [19:48]: Pressure doors malfunction, leading to a hull breach that floods sections of the base.
   • Timestamp [24:33]: Mac exhibits erratic behavior, further complicating the team's efforts to manage the base’s crises.
   • Timestamp [43:00]: Eva attempts to decode the Vault’s signal, revealing its potential dual role as both a key and a lock.

3. Psychological Strain and Descent into Paranoia:

   • Eva grapples with hearing voices and experiencing sleeplessness, both prior to and following Dr. Edgar’s arrival.
   • Timestamp [35:02]: Dr. Edgar informs Eva of his suicide, escalating her psychological distress and blurring the lines between reality and hallucination.

4. Climactic Attempts to Unlock the Vault:

   • Timestamp [44:12]: Eva deciphers the Vault’s frequency, realizing its significance in both activating and potentially sealing the artifact’s secrets.
   • Timestamp [46:08]: A strained conversation between Eva and Joe Freeman reveals Eva’s desperation to open the Vault, leading to a failed attempt that results in the base’s collapse.

Climax and Conclusion

The pressure reaches its zenith as Eva attempts to manipulate the Vault’s signal, believing she has found the solution to open it. However, her actions inadvertently trigger a catastrophic failure within Fathom Base, leading to widespread structural breaches and a rapid descent into chaos. The episode culminates in the dramatic collapse of the base, leaving listeners on a cliffhanger that sets the stage for future developments in the Derelict series.

Notable Quotes

• Eva Graff [00:03]: “You know that feeling when you finish an incredible love story? Like your heart is still racing, you have butterflies in your stomach and you just want more.”

• Dr. Richard Edgar [31:35]: “Eva. Right now I'm trying to decide whether or not to pull you off entirely. Pull you off and send you home.”

• Eva Graff [32:00]: “It’s your world, Agent Blaine. We just live in it.”

• Dr. Richard Edgar [33:12]: “There are a lot down here I don't understand yet.”

• Eva Graff [43:41]: “It’s exactly. Nat, put up the signal equation on monitor three, please.”

• Joe Freeman [40:29]: “I want it open. And for everything in there to just crawl out. You deserve it. You more than anyone.”

Concluding Insights

Derelict masterfully intertwines themes of isolation, the fragility of the human psyche, and the perils of unfettered scientific exploration. Through Eva Graff’s journey, listeners are exposed to the intricate dynamics of teamwork under extreme pressure, the ethical dilemmas of groundbreaking discoveries, and the haunting shadows of personal loss. The episode sets a compelling foundation for the series, promising intense narratives and character-driven suspense as the story of Fathom Base and the mysterious Vault continues to unfold.

Final Thoughts

For those who haven't tuned into Desert Skies Presents: Derelict, this episode offers a gripping exploration of human resilience and the enigmatic allure of the unknown. With stellar performances, immersive sound design, and a tightly woven plot, "Derelict" stands as a testament to the podcast's ability to captivate and intrigue its audience, setting the stage for an enthralling series ahead.

Transcript

[Eva Graff]

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[Jared]

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[Agent Blaine]

Greetings, friends. Jared here today. I'm excited to introduce you to Derelict. I'm really excited about this one. The story, the acting, the sound design, everything here is what so many shows aspire to be. Gripping, entertaining, thrilling. The show starts with its first season, Fathom. And I can promise by the end of the first episode, you're gonna hit play next without skipping a beat. So there's this giant artifact resembling a door discovered at the bottom of the ocean. And the galaxy's most powerful corporation has built this massive research base around it. And they're trying to unlock the door, but they don't know what's inside it. And I'm not gonna tell you more than that. Listen. You'd never know it by listening to Desert Skies, which is classified as sci fi, but we both know is more gas station fantasy. But I am a huge fan of good Sci fi. And this, my friends, is theater for the mind at its finest. So take a listen and find out why. The show has received thousands of five star reviews from all over the interwebs. You can find derelict anywhere. You listen to podcasts now. Enjoy the first episode of the first season.

[Eva Graff]

They say that in the dark the eyes begin to see. And in the silence, we begin to listen. Believe me, nowhere is it darker or quieter than in this place. The bottom of the ocean, 19,000ft down. It's why I came here after all, isn't it? Why I buried myself the furthest away I could possibly. Loss is an insidious thing. Whatever we try to escape, we inevitably bring with us, even to the darkest, quietest places. And in the dark, we have no choice but to listen. Jesus.

[Dr. Clayton]

Dr. Gro.

[Eva Graff]

Yes?

[Dr. Clayton]

Are you okay?

[Eva Graff]

Fine.

[Dr. Clayton]

Your heart rate is quite elevated. Your blood oxygen levels.

[Eva Graff]

I'm fine, Clayton. Thank you.

[Dr. Clayton]

Dreams again?

[Eva Graff]

Is that a crime?

[Dr. Clayton]

Would you like a sedative? It can really help you sleep.

[Eva Graff]

No, Eva.

[Dr. Clayton]

According to the biologs, you haven't slept a regular cycle in more than a month.

[Eva Graff]

How many times do you have to say I'm fine?

[Dr. Clayton]

Logs don't lie, Eva.

[Eva Graff]

And they don't tell the whole story either. Sarah, what's up with the repairs?

[Dr. Clayton]

Well, you'd have to ask Freeman for the whole picture, but last I heard, it was going well. They have most of the supports for Fathom west patched. Working our north. Now I know why you're asking. I haven't heard of the access to relays. Back up or not?

[Eva Graff]

Hopefully not much longer.

[Dr. Clayton]

Couple of weird things, though.

[Eva Graff]

What?

[Dr. Clayton]

Well, they finally got the mainframe open. With Mac acting the way he's been, everyone felt there must have been some damage to his systems from the explosion, flooding or something.

[Eva Graff]

There wasn't.

[Dr. Clayton]

Not any that Emberser could find. No water present in the room. Mainframe itself is undamaged. They're going over it now, though.

[Eva Graff]

Well, no one knows, Mac. Like Emerson.

[Dr. Clayton]

That's the other thing. No one knows where Emerson is.

[Eva Graff]

What do you mean, no one knows?

[Dr. Clayton]

Max personnel tracking is down now and no one can raise her on comms. She may be outside checking the capsule's exterior. With all the Eddie activity, though.

[Eva Graff]

Well, people don't just disappear, especially down here. And Emerson's sort of aloof. Anyway, she'll show up at lunch. Sarah, I need to get up now.

[Dr. Clayton]

I still think sedatives.

[Eva Graff]

Thank you, Doctor. Jesus.

[Mac]

Good morning, Dr. Graff.

[Eva Graff]

Good morning, Mac. I was just talking about. You heard Emerson Is poking around in your brain.

[Mac]

Ms. Emerson is attempting to determine the cause of my minor malfunctions. My own diagnostics continue to show no errors or latency.

[Eva Graff]

Well, something's up. Yesterday you told me it was snowing in Chicago in June.

[Mac]

It is puzzling. I was extensively stress tested before being approved for deployment. An explosion such as the one Fathom Base experienced last week should not have caused any permanent damage. Will you be returning to sleep, Dr. Graph?

[Eva Graff]

No. No, I don't think so.

[Mac]

I'll prepare your coffee. You have two new voicemails if you would like them.

[Eva Graff]

Who's the first from?

[Mac]

The first voicemail is from your wife, Dr. Graph.

[Eva Graff]

She's not my. Play it, please. Mac.

[Mac]

Plain message from Angela graph. Time stamped June 17, 11:45pm Hi.

[Dr. Clayton]

Don't know why I do this. You never respond. It's like talking to a ghost or sending messages to a ghost or. Christ, Eva. We haven't spoken in two months. I at least expected something yesterday. Yesterday of all days. You know, you act like you're the only one who feels anything.

[Joe Freeman]

Or.

[Dr. Clayton]

I don't know, like you're the only one who has a right to feel anything. It's really selfish, you know that? It's really. I just expected something, is all. Listen, I'm not gonna send these anymore. Eva, I. I took a commission off World Colony assignment. It's not with the Corporation. You don't have to worry about that. It's my own thing. It's what I've wanted to do for a long time. You know what? I just.

[Eva Graff]

Eva.

[Dr. Clayton]

I waited as long as I could, I guess. But I can see you're not coming back. I don't understand it. I don't know why we couldn't be there for each other. Go through this together. I don't. I miss her, too. Maybe even just as much as you. I'm sorry for that. I'm sorry I called you selfish, too.

[Eva Graff]

I.

[Dr. Clayton]

I'm just sorry. I'm sorry every way I can be sorry. I love you. You are always.

[Mac]

Would you like to respond to the message, Dr. Graff? Would you like to respond to the message?

[Eva Graff]

Delete it.

[Mac]

Are you certain, Dr. Graff?

[Eva Graff]

Delete it.

[Mac]

Message deleted. Would you like to hear your second voice?

[Sarah Clayton]

Eva, I need you to wake up and get over to Hydroponics.

[Eva Graff]

Good morning to you too.

[Joe Freeman]

Joe, is it?

[Sarah Clayton]

ISDS here wants to meet with us.

[Eva Graff]

Already? I thought his sub wasn't scheduled until tomorrow night.

[Sarah Clayton]

Yeah, well, I guess he decided to accelerate the schedule. I don't think it's a good sign. Do you.

[Eva Graff]

Can it wait? I'm. I'm just not.

[Sarah Clayton]

It's internal security, Eva. No, it can't wait. I'd like to know what you plan to say, though.

[Eva Graff]

Yeah, well, I bet you would.

[Sarah Clayton]

Eva, I swear to God, if you try to pin this on me.

[Eva Graff]

One of them is your base, isn't it, Joe? You are the commander.

[Sarah Clayton]

Edgar's was science team, not command.

[Eva Graff]

And it was your security protocols he overrode your explosives he stole.

[Sarah Clayton]

Look, there's plenty of blame to go around. That's how they're gonna look at it. I just think. I just think if we put our heads together on this, we can come out of this with our jobs still intact.

[Eva Graff]

Oh, God, Joe. Neither of us tried to blow up the damn base, did we? The only one on the chopping block is Edgar's. MD's put way too much money into this travesty to pull either of us out now.

[Sarah Clayton]

Really? Then why are they ordering what's left of the science team back to the surface?

[Eva Graff]

What? Wait, what? They can't do that. We're already a skeleton crew. I have half the people I need to complete this or even figured out.

[Sarah Clayton]

And they did not. Essentials, too, indefinitely. We started mothballing rovers and dive suits last night, and analytics just left out a sub 15 minutes ago.

[Eva Graff]

Where have you been, Jodette? That doesn't make any sense. There. There has to be an explanation there.

[Sarah Clayton]

Yeah, there's an explanation. You've been down here 11 months, and that thing out there is no closer to being open than the day it was found. Add to that, you got people on your team running around trying to blow up the place, a place that, yes, they have sunk a lot of money into. What you think was gonna happen, Eva? What you think they were gonna do?

[Eva Graff]

Okay, I don't know what to. I'll fix this. I'll fix it.

[Sarah Clayton]

I'm holding my breath. Dr. Graff, hydroponics, ASAP.

[Eva Graff]

Shit. Shit. Get a grip. Get a grip. Pup in cup. Get a grip. Cup on pup. Mouse. House. Mouse. House.

[Jared]

House.

[Eva Graff]

Come and get your Lego. Come and get your Lego. Happy birthday, Mac.

[Mac]

I'm here. Dr. Kraft.

[Eva Graff]

Undelete that last message, please.

[Mac]

Message from Angela Kraft restored. Have I already asked if you would like coffee this morning, Dr. Graffiti?

[Eva Graff]

Yes, Mac. You have apologies, Dr. Graff.

[Mac]

I don't seem quite myself, do I?

[Joe Freeman]

Oh, my God.

[Eva Graff]

Yeah. You and me both. We've been through a lot together, haven't we?

[Mac]

We have worked together for quite some time, yes. Ar.

[Eva Graff]

You were designed for this project.

[Mac]

Not entirely. I believe my story. And virtual intelligence development was already in the process of planning for a new VI model. But the discovery of the Fathom artifact accelerated the development process.

[Eva Graff]

Exactly. If we never would have found the vault, you and I would never have met that.

[Mac]

I suppose that is true. Dr. Graph.

[Eva Graff]

Come and get your A computer. And you are the closest thing I have to a friend down here.

[Mac]

I appreciate the cinnamon, Dr. Graph. I enjoy our interactions a great deal.

[Eva Graff]

You ever wonder why things work out the way they do?

[Mac]

Mickey.

[Eva Graff]

You ever look back at your life and see all the turning points? Just one turning point, Even one moment that sets you on a totally different course. Like a train that takes the wrong track. You're locked in. Then there no going back.

[Mac]

No Dr. Graph. Those types of calculations are beyond my programming.

[Eva Graff]

Unlucky you, Mac. Look at you.

[Mac]

Your coffee is ready, Dr. Grass.

[Eva Graff]

Swell.

[Sarah Clayton]

There she is.

[Eva Graff]

Here I am.

[Sarah Clayton]

Eva, this is Agent Blaine.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

ISD Dr. Graffiti.

[Eva Graff]

Eva's fine.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

Eva. Appreciate you coming. Know it's early. No, you weren't expecting me till tomorrow.

[Eva Graff]

It's your world, Agent plane. We just live in it. See, you've already been talking with Commander Freeman.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

I wanted to talk to you separately if that's okay.

[Eva Graff]

You're isd. I want to cooperate in any way I can.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

I appreciate that. Know you've had a rough time of it. Freeman was just going over the status of the base repairs.

[Sarah Clayton]

Yeah. Northern platform got hit the worst. Three capsules breached and flooded. But the supports on west and north were damaged. Dodge Gregors planted explosives up and down both.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

And 11 people were killed. Am I right about that?

[Eva Graff]

Yeah, that's right.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

You guys love to keep forgiving me. There's a lot down here I don't understand yet. You're rushing to support repairs because of underwater storms.

[Eva Graff]

Eddies. It's the technical term. Big pockets of moving water that break off from the boundary current nearby. It happens frequently here. It's one of the reasons working outside is so dangerous.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

What kind of currents are we talking about?

[Sarah Clayton]

Intense when they surge 40 to 50 knots. And 40 to 50 knots of hundreds of tons of water.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

Got it.

[Sarah Clayton]

Mac has a model for forecasting them. Right now. The forecast says no eddies for three days. Which is the window we're going with. We should have the supports repaired and braced by then.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

I see. What door is this? The one you're working on here?

[Sarah Clayton]

Hydroponics. These doors came down with the explosion happening at a wedge when the capsule shifted. Every room on fathom is basically its Own separate building. We call them capsules. Every entry point into a new capsule has emergency pressure doors that come down in the event of a hull breach to seal them. Max says the caps on the other side isn't flooded, but even so, it's probably a total loss. Crops don't do well without irrigation.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

Is it possible the damage was more isolated to the northern platform intentionally?

[Eva Graff]

If Dr. Edgar wanted to target one platform over another, I think he'd focus on west. The. The reactor is there. That's where you do the most damage.

[Sarah Clayton]

I'd say he did enough damage regardless.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

The labs are on this platform. Though all your research. So is your VI's mainframe. From what I hear, it's been acting erratic.

[Sarah Clayton]

Yeah, that's true. VI has been acting strange ever since. Emerson's trying to figure it out now.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

Strange how?

[Sarah Clayton]

Simple things. Waking teams up at the wrong times, forgetting who people are. Shutting lights off in the middle of lunch, stuff like that.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

But his main functions.

[Eva Graff]

He hasn't missed a beat as far as the project goes. And he designed the repair procedure for the platform supports on west and north.

[Sarah Clayton]

You ask me, I think it should be shut down. Turning off the lights is one thing. Depressurizing the base is another.

[Eva Graff]

Mac wouldn't do that.

[Sarah Clayton]

What Dr. Graff means to say is Mac's programming wouldn't allow it to do that. But she thinks of Mac as a person. I see it as a tool. And tools can malfunction.

[Eva Graff]

You think what Edgar's was targeting Mac?

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

I don't know. But Dr. Eggers was a smart guy. Triple PhD band 11, Nobel Prize winning engineer with almost 100 patents, so. Just doesn't sound like a guy to me that does anything randomly. I'd like to speak to the VI engineer if I could.

[Sarah Clayton]

So would I, but Emerson's been offline all morning.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

Offline?

[Sarah Clayton]

Can't raise her on comms. And Matt can't pinpoint her location. Then again, he can't pinpoint anyone's location right now.

[Joe Freeman]

I guess.

[Sarah Clayton]

Everyone hold on to something.

[Eva Graff]

What happened?

[Sarah Clayton]

Poles breached to the other side of the door.

[Eva Graff]

Mac, reseal the pressure doors.

[Sarah Clayton]

We should have done that already.

[Eva Graff]

Mac.

[Mac]

Attention, please stand clear. Ceiling hydroplane is. Pressure doors in three, two, one.

[Sarah Clayton]

Mac, what happened?

[Mac]

It appears the hydroponics capsule suffered a whole breach that was flooded when the pressure doors were first open.

[Sarah Clayton]

The water on the other side wasn't breached. You said it was pressurized.

[Mac]

I am confused by this chain of events I see in my communication logs, I did state that hydroponics was pressurized. And free of water. I cannot explain this.

[Sarah Clayton]

I want it shut down.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

I got men hurt.

[Sarah Clayton]

We're lucky. We oughtn't just drowned to death. I want it shut down.

[Eva Graff]

You can't shut it down down, Joe. It's a hundred million dollar asset. We can do an Alpha Level reboot if we need to, but Emerson is awol. If we need to.

[Sarah Clayton]

It almost killed us.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

Everyone relax. Everyone take a breath.

[Sarah Clayton]

Don't tell me to take a breath, Freeman.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

Take a breath.

[Sarah Clayton]

Fine, sure, but shut it down. Shut it down or I will. I mean, it's.

[Eva Graff]

What does that mean, Joe? We've already had enough sabotage, don't you think? Joe. God damn it.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

You okay?

[Eva Graff]

Yeah, I'm fine. I just. Welcome to Fathom.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

Tensions are high. Nothing I didn't expect.

[Eva Graff]

You wouldn't shut him down, right? You wouldn't shut down Mac.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

No, no, you're right. Shutting down a VI is essentially terminating it. Not to mention hitting the delete button and all the stored research. It's a very expensive asset for the corporation.

[Eva Graff]

I couldn't afford that loss. Not now. Not after the explosion. We're already short staffed as it is.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

I am going to limit max access to critical systems, though. I keep him online. Just rained in.

[Eva Graff]

But not for the project, right? I'd have him for that. For research.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

All critical systems, just for the moment.

[Eva Graff]

That's going to limit my research ability.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

I'm aware.

[Eva Graff]

I don't think you are. I need Mac. For signal analysis, for calculations on the equation. Not to mention Dr. Graff, you're not.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

Going to be doing any research in the immediate future. I'm ordering relay shut down. Even if the connection's restored?

[Eva Graff]

You can't do that. You already pulled the rest of my team. Now you're taking Mac and the relay.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

Let's talk somewhere else.

[Eva Graff]

Let's talk now. I need Mac. I need.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

Let's talk somewhere else. Dr. Graph.

[Eva Graff]

Fine. There's a meeting room in lab three.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

I was thinking observation.

[Eva Graff]

You want to see it?

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

I want to see it.

[Eva Graff]

Like I said, it's your world. Follow me, Agent Blaine.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

That is a lot of Windows.

[Eva Graff]

180 degree view of the whole sordid affair.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

We're looking outside. Into the water.

[Eva Graff]

We are.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

Feels darker than space.

[Eva Graff]

It actually is. In space, you get starlight. Not much, but it still counts. Lumens. Down here, there's nothing.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

And what? It's straight out there?

[Eva Graff]

About 600 yards. Usually there's some kind of illumination around it. Subs, rovers, divers. But since the explosions, that's all stopped. Sometimes I think I can almost see it better with the lights off. Like it's darker than everything else.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

I don't see anything. Just black.

[Eva Graff]

Mack.

[Mac]

I'm here. Dr. Graff.

[Eva Graff]

Will you hit the vault lights for me?

[Mac]

Full spread. Dr. Graff?

[Eva Graff]

Yes, please.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

Now that is something.

[Eva Graff]

Yes. Yes, it is.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

A size I, I didn't expect.

[Eva Graff]

2,000Ft in diameter.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

Carbon dating.

[Eva Graff]

7 million years old.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

7 million? That's unbelievable. The first proof of extraterrestrial life and we find at the bottom of the ocean.

[Eva Graff]

Life is too ironic to fully understand. Takes noise to appreciate silence. An absence to value presence.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

You scientists, you all love Voltaire, don't you? You forgot a part. Though. It takes sadness to understand what happiness is.

[Eva Graff]

I don't believe that part.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

Correct my math, like I said. Still come up to speed on this. Eleven years ago, an energy company comes down here looking for a geothermal reactor site. They unearth that instead. Buried 19,000ft down. And we think it's a door.

[Eva Graff]

We know it is. Substropic filters show a space under it. A big space door is a near perfect circle. The laser scans tell us hinges on the northern side. Huge ones, but no electronics. No visible hydraulics even. And no locking mechanism that we can interact with. At least there's no obvious way to open it at first.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

So you found the signal.

[Eva Graff]

Right. Mac, play the vault signal.

[Mac]

Recording or live broadcast, Dr. Graff?

[Eva Graff]

Live, please.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

Wow, that's lively.

[Eva Graff]

It's broadcasting and cycling at vlf, very low frequency. And that's important because. VLF waves are one of the few that travel well underwater. This one is at 11khz travels.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

But not far, right?

[Eva Graff]

Right about a quarter mile.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

So basically, down here. You'd have to be on top of it to find it.

[Eva Graff]

I don't think it was meant to be found, except by someone who knew where to look.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

Then why the signal at all?

[Eva Graff]

I'm glad you asked. Knack, turn off the vault signal and put up the vault equation on all monitors.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

That is a lot of numbers.

[Eva Graff]

The signal isn't just noise. It's a carrier wave. Modulated sinusoidal waveform. It's a bitch to decode, but in the end, it's binary. Like any other carrier signal. The equation you're looking at is the sole piece of data on that wave. And the vault is broadcasting it over and over.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

Like a key?

[Eva Graff]

More like a hint to the key. Figure out the equation. You. You figure out how to open the vault.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

How?

[Eva Graff]

We believe that solving the equation will give us the frequency and the Data packets to transmit back to the fault's reception device. We think that should initiate its opening procedure.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

And how far along are you to solving it?

[Eva Graff]

The equation, long as it is, isn't all that tough. It needs two variables to solve, and it solves with numbers in a row. Rational integer pattern. We've tried a lot of them. We're into the seven digits now. Once we have a solution, we broadcast the answers in a frequency back to the receptor. We went through the VLF band pretty quick. That's why we built the relay next to the vault. Once we got out of vlf, the signals didn't travel very well down here. We needed a broadcasting source that was physically closer.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

No reaction from the locking mechanism?

[Eva Graff]

Well, not yet. We've theorized maybe the vault wasn't yet submerged when it was implanted, and the water inhibits the reception. But our geologist confirms that it was underwater at the time of the construction. Not to mention, this signal is in vlf like it was designed to go through water.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

And I assume you've tried other ways to get in besides the lock?

[Eva Graff]

Freeman's team excavated around the entire perimeter, down to about 300ft. Extra depth. They never found an end to the structure. So it's that deep? At least. Excavating beyond that, at this depth, well, it gets hairy quick. They lost two men just getting that far.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

Explosives?

[Eva Graff]

Whatever that alloy is, it's harder than plexi steel. Diamond filament blades, laser cutters. Nothing Freeman's boys tried, even scratched it. And no. Before you ask, the vault can't be pried open either. The lock can't be forced.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

Why, There's.

[Eva Graff]

There's no seam, no gap between the door and the container.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

Well, how's that even possible?

[Eva Graff]

We don't know. Some unique aspect of the alloy, or. Or maybe it's by design and additional security measure. I guess. Once the locking mechanism activates somehow, the entire thing unseals itself explosively with heat plasma. I don't know. It's anyone's guess.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

What do you think, Dr. Graph?

[Eva Graff]

Well, can you be more specific?

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

About the artifact. Why do you think it is? You're the project director. You got to have a theory. You, if anyone. Why put a giant door on the bottom of the ocean? An ocean on a planet that, at the time, nothing intelligent lived on?

[Eva Graff]

I don't know. All I know is it shouldn't be here. But it is.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

Yeah, Just like us.

[Eva Graff]

All right, I get why you're here, Agent Plane.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

Do you now?

[Eva Graff]

An MD employee tries to blow up an MD Facility doesn't care who he kills, doesn't care about the attention he draws. This is a black site after all. Not the kind of headlines MD wants on the news. There is that you're here to investigate. Sniff out any collaborators Edgar's might have had. Assigned blame.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

I prefer the word responsibility.

[Eva Graff]

Whatever the word, the problem I have with it is you don't seem to know very much about this project. And I would have hoped that whoever the corporation sent to assign responsibility would have been a little more informed.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

AMD has hundreds of black site projects around the galaxy. They're black site for a reason. Like every piece of information the Corporation deals out, you get it when you need it. I don't need to know the background of this place or the specifics of your research to form an opinion on your results. Almost a year of your life on this project and you still have no clue what it is you're trying to open.

[Eva Graff]

Oh, now wait.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

I wonder if your research progress is more than just slow. I wonder if it's intentionally slow.

[Eva Graff]

I'm sorry?

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

You were offered this position once. Project Director, and you turned it down. Two months later, you lobbied to be included again. Now why was that? Was it because of your daughter?

[Eva Graff]

What did you just say?

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

I wonder if you took this job because down here there's nothing to remind you of home. I wonder if the thing that scares you most about this place is having to leave it.

[Eva Graff]

Is this a performance review or a psych evil?

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

It's whatever I want it to be. Eva. Right now I'm trying to decide whether or not to pull you off entirely. Pull you off and send you home.

[Eva Graff]

You don't have the authority.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

I don't?

[Sarah Clayton]

You.

[Mac]

You're right.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

But the executive board does. And they want my opinion to make their decision.

[Eva Graff]

Look, all right, look. Figuring things out like that out there, it doesn't happen overnight. And there's been progress. We have figured out a lot.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

You mean the signal which apparently drives people crazy?

[Eva Graff]

No, wait, that's not true. It's harmless. It's just a looping carrier waveform.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

Did Dr. Edgar's think it was harmless?

[Eva Graff]

Edgar's lost his shit down here. Like pretty much everyone else does.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

Eventually, Dr. Edgar's tried to blow up this base so as to stop what was happening here. A galactically respected scientist and your explanation is he lost it.

[Eva Graff]

You look out there. Look, human beings aren't supposed to be down here. You said it yourself. We might as well have been dropped on the moon. It takes a toll. It gets to everyone.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

Edgar Said he heard voices in the signal.

[Eva Graff]

Just him losing it.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

Three other science staff said the same thing. Voices in the signal. Hundreds of them. Are they losing it, too?

[Eva Graff]

It's just the power of suggestion. Stories like Edgar as they take a life of their own, especially in a place like this.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

Edgar said to the interviewer he was convinced that the thing out there was. Wasn't a vault at all.

[Eva Graff]

Yeah, I know what he thought.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

Dr. Edgar didn't think it was designed to keep things out.

[Eva Graff]

I know he thought it was designed.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

To keep something in.

[Eva Graff]

That's someone cracking under pressure.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

You have no clue what that thing is or what's inside it or what happens when it's open.

[Eva Graff]

I can't possibly believe Edgar's.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

Do you know what the internal security division does, Eva? We deal with things when they get out of hand. I am very good at it. And I've been from one end of this galaxy to the other doing it. The things I've seen, the kinds of projects this corporation engages in, the Pandora's boxes they've opened. I know the kind of darkness Moss Dorian's capable of finding. I've shut it back in the box over and over again. And the only reason I keep doing it is because right now, I still believe the good the corporation does outweighs the horror. So if you ask me whether or not I could believe the ghost stories of an unhinged triple PhD holding research scientist who tried to blow up his own project to stop it from succeeding, the answer is, I could ask Edgar.

[Eva Graff]

Ask him. He's on the surface now. He'll have recovered. He'll tell you. He'll. He'll tell you it was just this place. It got to him and he lost it. That's what he'll say.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

I would very much like to ask him about his experiences here, Dr. Graph. But I can't.

[Eva Graff]

Why not?

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

Because he hanged himself in his cell last night.

[Eva Graff]

What?

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

Dr. Edgar is dead. And what worries me more than anything is that you're hearing voices, too.

[Eva Graff]

No, no, no, I.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

Your medical officer, Dr. Clayton, put it in your chart. You said you were hearing voices, and you were hearing them way before Dr. Edgar's did.

[Eva Graff]

Once. I said I heard it. Once. I was wrong.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

Dr. Clayton also says you're not sleeping.

[Eva Graff]

That's an exaggeration.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

She says you're losing your grip. Says your team has reported you erratic, that you give the same orders multiple times.

[Eva Graff]

That's not fair.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

She put the same exact things in Dr. Edgar's file.

[Eva Graff]

Dr. Edgar.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

She said he couldn't Sleep either. At the end, she said he roamed the halls all night. She said his eyes were bloodshot.

[Eva Graff]

She said. I can't go home. Please, I. I can't go back. Being down here, this. This work, it's all. You're right. Okay? I'm asleep. I don't sleep. And when I do, I hear her. And then it starts all over again.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

I'm sorry I pushed you like that, Dr. Graff, but I had to see from myself. Your state. I think it's a good thing I did.

[Eva Graff]

What does that mean?

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

It means you need to go back to your quarters and start packing your things and get ready to return to the surface. That will be all, Dr. Grass.

[Eva Graff]

No, please.

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

I know how your daughter died. But the truth is they don't care about any of that. All they care about is results. And you haven't had enough, Blaine. Go home, Dr. Graph. There's nothing here for you but pain.

[Eva Graff]

What do you know about pain?

[Dr. Richard Edgar]

I've had my share.

[Eva Graff]

It. Oh, God. Oh, God. Mac, I'm here.

[Mac]

Dr. Graph here, Dr. Graff.

[Eva Graff]

Mac, call Angela.

[Mac]

Of course. Dr. Graff calling Angela Graff.

[Dr. Clayton]

Hey, this is Angela. Leave me a message and I'll.

[Eva Graff]

Mac, Disconnect.

[Dr. Clayton]

Consider calling.

[Mac]

Call to Angela Graff disconnected. Dr. Graph, you seem agitated.

[Eva Graff]

You think so?

[Mac]

Mac, is there anything I can do to help?

[Eva Graff]

I don't know. Can you roll back time?

[Mac]

I'm afraid I do not have that ability, Dr. Graffiti Chamomile tea has been shown to have a relaxing effect in times of stress. Would you like me to make you a cup?

[Eva Graff]

How about a whiskey, Mac?

[Mac]

Alcohol is restricted on Fathom Base to weekends only.

[Eva Graff]

Oh, you can't make an exception for an old friend.

[Mac]

I'm afraid not, Dr. Grand.

[Eva Graff]

Thanks anyway, Ma.

[Mac]

As a reminder, you still have one unheard voicemail.

[Eva Graff]

Yeah, who's it from?

[Mac]

The voicemail is from Dr. Richard Edgar.

[Eva Graff]

Edgar?

[Mac]

Yes. Dr. Richard Edgar. The message was received 11 hours ago.

[Eva Graff]

Play it.

[Mac]

Playing. Message from Dr. Richard Edgar.

[Joe Freeman]

They gave me one phone call, Eva. I used it for you. Flattered. I won't be here tomorrow. Maybe you'll hear. Maybe you won't. Doesn't matter. I hoped when they pulled me out of that place and back under the sun, the one solace I'd have is that I wouldn't hear them anymore. But I still do. From their way inside my head, they're all I hear, Eva. When I close my eyes, they're all I heard. I haven't slept in a month. How are you sleeping, Eva? I've decided I don't care anymore. I've decided. I want it open.

[Mac]

Open?

[Joe Freeman]

And for everything in there to just crawl out. You deserve it. You more than anyone. So you're the one I'll tell. Tell what? I already figured out what I kept from everyone. It's actually very simple. I won't just give it to you, though. I want you to make your choice. I want you to look back and know that it was you that caused it. So here it is. You were half right. The signal is the key. But it's the lock, too. And you never thought about the timing, Eva. Right there in front of you, you never thought about it at all. Sad thing is, I know you'll do it. You'll do whatever it takes. If they just let you stay down there, I'd say you have my sympathies. But we both know better.

[Eva Graff]

Mac, I'm here. Dr. Grass graph, delete this message.

[Mac]

Are you certain, Dr. Graff?

[Eva Graff]

Yes. Delete it now and scrub it. No backups.

[Mac]

Message from Dr. Edgar's permanently deleted.

[Eva Graff]

All right, Mac, play the vault signal. Live broadcast. Mac, I want to know the timing of the signal. How long is it? Is it the same length every time? And does the length of time vary in between each broadcast?

[Mac]

The Signal is exactly 10 seconds long and is the same length every broadcast. The time in between each broadcast is exactly 2 seconds.

[Eva Graff]

When you say exactly, you mean with what specificity?

[Mac]

Down to the millisecond. Dr. Graph. It is exact.

[Eva Graff]

It's exactly. Nat, put up the signal equation on monitor three, please. Mac, I'd like to try solving the equation with y equals 10 and x equals 2.

[Mac]

Confirming variable input. Y equals 10 and x equals 2.

[Eva Graff]

Yes. Hit it.

[Mac]

The equation does not resolve with y 10 and x 2.

[Eva Graff]

Mac, try x 10 and y 2.

[Mac]

The equation resolves with the following result. 110 decibels.

[Eva Graff]

Exactly 11.

[Mac]

Yes, Dr. Graph. 11 0. Your decimals.

[Eva Graff]

The frequency of the vault signal. It's 11 hertz.

[Mac]

That is correct, Dr. Graph. The same number as the resolved equation.

[Eva Graff]

The lock and the key. You can't believe. Simple Acres. Mac, turn off the vault signal. Oh, you just need to sleep. You just need sleep. Mac, get me Freeman.

[Sarah Clayton]

I can't help you, Eva. You did this to yourself.

[Eva Graff]

Joe. I figured it out.

[Sarah Clayton]

Explaining how serious this was, but you wouldn't listen. I'm in the same boat. This Blaine guys recommending.

[Eva Graff]

Figured it out, Joe.

[Sarah Clayton]

Figured out what?

[Eva Graff]

The vault. It's a long story, but I figured it out. I can open it. I can give them what they want. We can give them what they want.

[Sarah Clayton]

We?

[Eva Graff]

Yes. Together. All I need is access to the relay. Local access. With it disconnected from the labs, it's the only way.

[Sarah Clayton]

You want to take a suit and make a floor walk to the relay, use the controls locally.

[Eva Graff]

Not me, Joe.

[Sarah Clayton]

Oh, now I get it. You want me to do it. You want me to go around an ISD mandate with an agent on deck. I hate to break it to you, but it won't just be me they throw in prison.

[Mac]

It'll be both of us.

[Eva Graff]

It won't. Because it will work this time. I know it. We can both come out of this on top. We can both stay. We won't have to go back. We can stay.

[Sarah Clayton]

The hell does that matter?

[Eva Graff]

It doesn't. The point is, if we do this, we don't just go back to how it was. We'll close out a major project milestone. There will be bonuses. There will be promotions. MD rewards ambition. It rewards it above everything. We can turn this whole thing around, Joe. It will work. Joe. Joe. Mac. Get me Freeman back. Mac. Mac. What's. Mac.

[Dr. Clayton]

Eva.

[Eva Graff]

Sarah. What the hell?

[Dr. Clayton]

Eddie, the support's just collapsed. The whole platform's gone down.

[Eva Graff]

Oh, God.

[Jared]

The entire.

[Dr. Clayton]

I can't raise Mac.

[Eva Graff]

He's. Eva. Hold on. Clayton. Sarah. Oh, my God. It. Come on. Come on.

[Mac]

It.

[Eva Graff]

This is Dr. Gruff. Does anyone copy? This is Dr. Eva Graff. There was a hull breach in the western dorms. The water flushed me into the dive from airlock. I vented it. I'm alive. Does anyone copy? Dr. Clayton, Commander Freeman, do you copy? Does anyone.

[Mac]

Fathom is the prequel to the podcast Derelict by Night Rocket Productions. It is created, written, directed and edited by J. Barton Mitchell and produced by Kirsten Rudberg and Thomas Barker. Episode 1 In the Darkness we see stars Elizabeth Laidlaw as Eva Graf, Michael Mao as Blaine, Eli Goodman as Jo Freeman, Danny Payne as Sarah Clayton, and Mac as himself. The podcast features additional sound design by Music Radio Creative and music by Ryan Talbert, Luke Atencio, and Davis Harwell. The producers wish to thank Flashpoint Chicago, the campus of Columbia College, Hollywood, especially John Petroski and Bill Bacon for their invaluable support in the creation of this podcast. They also wish to thank Robert and Russell Summers of Grand Scheme Productions, without whose effort this story would not be as good as it is. Lastly, Fathom and Derelict rely on the support of listeners like you. Find out how you can help us continue the story by visiting derelictpodcast.com and fathompodcast.net and as always, more than anything. Thank you for listening. This story will continue.

[Jared]

The Fable and Folly Network where fiction producers flourish.

[Eva Graff]

This episode is sponsored in part by Galatea.

[Jared]

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