Babylon Run xxxxxx - Chapter 1 [077]

Summary

Podcast Summary: Harold's Old Time Radio - "Babylon Run xxxxxx - Chapter 1 [077]"

Release Date: April 2, 2025
Host: Harold's Old Time Radio
Episode Title: Babylon Run xxxxxx - Chapter 1 [077]
Genre: Science Fiction Serial

---

1. Introduction to Hotel Babylon

The episode opens with a vivid depiction of Hotel Babylon, an asteroid-based luxury hotel situated in the dead system of Persephone. The narration paints a picture of an exclusive, high-tech establishment designed solely for recreation, emphasizing its isolation and the grandeur surrounding the red sun at the heart of the system.

"Welcome to the Hotel Babylon. You are now in the docking hangar and within the territorial jurisdiction of the Babylon asteroid, the nearest orbiting object to the spectacular red sun at the heart of the dead system of Persephone."
[02:46] Narrator

2. The Distressed Spacecraft

Shortly after the introduction, the focus shifts to the distressed occupants of a spacecraft that has inadvertently entered the Persephone system through a black hole. Captain Ella Desmond leads her crew—Kyle, Scotia, Steve Gallagher, Kitty Vale, Willis, and Kane—as they grapple with the unexpected predicament.

Key Points:

• The ship experienced a catastrophic event while navigating through a black hole, resulting in significant damage.
• A portion of the ship's hull was torn away due to the intense gravity field of the black hole.
• The crew is stranded in an unfamiliar and seemingly deserted luxury hotel without immediate assistance.

"Maintenance control alert. All available maintenance engineers report to DOC215 for emergency assessment of damaged spacecraft."
[02:12] Steve Gallagher

3. Crew Dynamics and Tensions

The episode delves into the interpersonal relationships and tensions among the crew members:

• Kyle exhibits frustration and dissatisfaction with the current situation, expressing doubts about their survival and the decisions made.

  "I feel like I've been stuffed into a dog's basket for the last 15 hours."
  [03:43] Kyle

• Scotia serves as a counterbalance to Kyle's negativity, questioning the severity of their plight and maintaining a more pragmatic outlook.

  "We got here in one piece, didn't we?"
  [03:40] Scotia

• Ella Desmond, the captain, takes charge but faces resistance and challenges in managing her crew and the dire circumstances.

  "I'm the captain. It's my job to worry. You two monkeys get onto your jobs and check the passengers."
  [04:42] Ella Desmond

4. Attempting Communication with Hotel Babylon

As the crew tries to secure their position within Hotel Babylon, they encounter malfunctioning systems and unresponsive authorities:

• Ella attempts to communicate with the hotel management but receives only automated responses, heightening the sense of isolation.

  "I'm not joking. We were too wide for the black hole. We left a chunk of the hull behind."
  [04:12] Ella Desmond

• The crew speculates about the reasons behind the hotel's lack of response, ranging from possible financial constraints to the hotel's internal issues.

  "Forget it, then."
  [07:35] Ella Desmond

5. Introduction of Kitty Vale and Emerging Conflicts

Kitty Vale, a mysterious passenger, enters the scene, bringing additional tension:

• Kyle develops an immediate distrust and disdain for Kitty, suspecting her of ulterior motives and potential threats.

  "The kid's a vamp. A gold digger. You just put your finger on it."
  [05:38] Scotia

• The interactions hint at past grievances and power struggles within the group, particularly between Kyle and Ella.

  "He's creep and a sexist throwback. And I know all about the petition he tried to get up against me last tour."
  [06:12] Ella Desmond

6. Exploration and Uncovering Mysteries

The crew splits up to explore the vast expanse of Hotel Babylon, only to find it oddly deserted:

• Steve Gallagher and Kitty Vale navigate the luxury hotel, discovering multiple lobbies and service areas devoid of other guests or staff.

  "I've been trying since we arrived."
  [05:12] Ella Desmond

• Willis and Sartre delve into utility levels and crew quarters, finding them meticulously cleaned and untouched, raising questions about the hotel's current state.

  "I like everything neat."
  [18:41] Sartre

7. The Phantom Hotel Management

Ella Desmond finally manages to establish contact with Hotel Babylon's management, only to receive cryptic and unsettling responses:

• The automated voice assures her that everything is under control but refuses to provide concrete answers.

  "The Hotel Babylon takes pride in its exclusivity."
  [26:38] Narrator

• A looming threat is revealed as the management warns of an impending meteor strike set to obliterate the hotel in approximately 20 hours.

  "The meteor strike which will destroy the hotel is unlikely to occur for at least 20 hours."
  [27:10] Narrator

8. Rising Tensions and Plot Twists

As the characters process this revelation, the dynamics within the crew become more strained:

• Kyle contemplates legal action against Captain Ella, blaming her for the current crisis.

  "Then that's what I'll do."
  [12:09] Steve Gallagher

• Plans for survival emerge as Kitty Vale proposes leveraging the hotel's casinos and amenities to navigate their predicament.

  "It's a hotel, right? And hotels have casinos. What we did once, we can do again."
  [13:07] Kitty Vale

9. The Enigma of Hotel Babylon

Further exploration reveals that Hotel Babylon is not merely a luxury establishment but harbors deeper secrets:

• The architecture is designed with advanced sensor systems, creating an environment that reacts to presence without manual intervention.

  "Everything must be rigged to sensors. Body heat or biocapacity."
  [22:28] Ella Desmond

• The absence of inhabitants and the pristine condition of the hotel suggest recent abandonment or manipulation, fueling the crew's suspicions.

  "I can't actually think of any other way of putting it. Are you all right?"
  [24:17] Ella Desmond

10. Climactic Revelations and Cliffhanger

The episode builds up to a critical confrontation between the crew and the mysterious forces controlling Hotel Babylon:

• Ella Desmond persistently seeks answers, leading to a suspenseful encounter with the hotel's management system, which ominously states the impending destruction.

  "It will be my pleasure. I exist to serve."
  [26:25] Narrator

• The narrative culminates in uncertainty and high stakes as the crew grapples with limited time to unravel the mysteries of Hotel Babylon and secure their survival.

  "We've got a few charters brought in over budget, a few deadlines missed. Nothing obvious."
  [15:47] Kane

Conclusion

"Babylon Run xxxxxx - Chapter 1 [077]" sets the stage for a gripping science fiction saga filled with suspense, intricate character dynamics, and an enigmatic setting. The crew's struggle to survive amidst cosmic anomalies and the secrets of Hotel Babylon promises an engaging journey in the subsequent chapters.

---

Notable Quotes:

• Kyle: "The company isn't always so pleasant. And it's pretty rare to lose half our drive capability on the way."
  [10:11]

• Ella Desmond: "I'm the captain. It's my job to worry. You two monkeys get onto your jobs and check the passengers."
  [04:42]

• Kitty Vale: "It's a hotel, right? And hotels have casinos. What we did once, we can do again."
  [13:07]

• Narrator: "The meteor strike which will destroy the hotel is unlikely to occur for at least 20 hours."
  [27:10]

---

This summary encapsulates the key events, character interactions, and plot developments of the first chapter of "Babylon Run," providing listeners and newcomers alike with a comprehensive overview of the episode's narrative arc.

Transcript

[Grainger]

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[Narrator]

THE Babylon Run a science fiction serial.

[Steve Gallagher]

For radio Written by Steve Gallagher Episode.

[Ella Desmond]

1.

[Kitty Vale]

The Hotel Babylon greets you and wishes you a pleasant stay. Please disembark from your craft and move.

[Ella Desmond]

Through into the reception lobby as soon as possible. Babylon's own pilots will move your spacecraft to one of our parking zones and supervise the transport of your luggage.

[Steve Gallagher]

The Hotel Babylon greets you and wishes you a pleasant stay. Please disembark from your craft and move through into the reception lobby as soon as possible.

[Kyle]

Babylon's own pilots will dock your spacecraft to one of our parking zones and centralize the transport of your luggage.

[Ella Desmond]

The hotel ballast greets you. Please disembarked reception lobby as soon as possible. Babylon's own.

[Steve Gallagher]

Maintenance control alert. All available maintenance engineers report to DOC 215 for emergency assessment of damaged spacecraft. The Hotel Babylon greets you and wishes you. Maintenance control alert. All available maintenance engineers report to DOC215 for emergency assessment of damaged spacecraft. Babylon zone pilots will move your spacecraft to one of our parking zones and supervise the maintenance. Control alert. All available maintenance engineers report to Dock 215 for emergency assessment of damaged spacecraft.

[Narrator]

Welcome to the Hotel Babylon. You are now in the docking hangar and within the territorial jurisdiction of the Babylon asteroid the nearest orbiting object to the spectacular red sun at the heart of the dead system of Persephone. The dim fires of Persephone itself will warm and thrill you as you gaze down from your suite on the bright boiling gases below. Secure in a complex which is strengthened by the rock structures of the asteroid. No comfort is overlooked. No pleasure beyond reach. The Hotel Babylon exists only for your recreation. Please move through into the reception area where our staff will be waiting to meet you.

[Kyle]

Did you hear that?

[Scotia]

Yeah. Where the hell's Persephone?

[Kyle]

I'm damn sure it's nowhere along the course we were following.

[Scotia]

Who cares? Yes. We got here in one piece, didn't we?

[Kyle]

Speak for yourself. I feel like I've been stuffed into a dog's basket for the last 15 hours.

[Scotia]

Oh, come on, Kyle. This ship isn't built to go dropping through black holes and you know it.

[Kyle]

Not with these antique crash bubbles as the only protection for the crew, it isn't.

[Scotia]

What about the spacers down below? All they've got is webbing.

[Kyle]

Who cares about spacers? Call the iceberg.

[Scotia]

Who?

[Kyle]

Call the captain.

[Scotia]

Why tell you? We're in one piece, so who cares about bridge officers?

[Ella Desmond]

Scordia? Kyle? Anybody alive down there?

[Scotia]

I'm alive. And Kyle's complaining, so I guess that means he's okay.

[Ella Desmond]

I'm not jok. We were too wide for the black hole. We left a chunk of the hull behind.

[Kyle]

How the hell did we manage that?

[Ella Desmond]

Not out of choice, I assure you. The gravity field just peeled it off us as we squeezed through.

[Scotia]

Any idea of where the hole through is?

[Ella Desmond]

Out. Well, you've heard as much as I have. The Hotel Babylon and the system of Persephone, wherever that is.

[Kyle]

Sounds like a fun place for a stopover, anyway.

[Ella Desmond]

I'm glad you think so. While you're about it, you can be thinking about who's going to pay for all this.

[Scotia]

Aren't we insured?

[Ella Desmond]

Not at the rates we'd need to support us in a rich man's paradise.

[Kyle]

So we'll move out to somewhere cheaper.

[Ella Desmond]

Well, like you heard the drivel on the greetings tape. We're on an asteroid hotel in a dead system and we're sitting in half a ship. They can screw us for everything we've.

[Scotia]

Got, which isn't much, so why worry?

[Ella Desmond]

I'm the captain. It's my job to worry. You two monkeys get onto your jobs and check the passengers. I'm going to have another try at raising some reply from the hotel monkeys.

[Scotia]

It explains why they pay us peanuts.

[Kyle]

Look, it's not going to take both of us to do the rounds. Why don't you get after her and find out what she's playing at?

[Scotia]

We know what she's playing at. She's trying to raise the hotel. She doesn't need help for that.

[Kyle]

She needs careful instructions to get all her fingers in her gloves. Just go and look over her shoulder. Make sure she's got the right key open.

[Scotia]

I know what you're after. You want to go and help that girl tear out of her crash bubble. Some excuse to get your hands all over her.

[Kyle]

I probably won't need much of an excuse. I can't see that dried up shrimp. Kitty Vale giving her much fun on the voyage so far. She'll probably drag me into the bubble with her.

[Scotia]

I'd rather take my chances back through the black hole. The kid's A vamp. A gold digger. You just put your finger on it. The only thing that Kitty Vale can offer her is his money.

[Kyle]

So she can have up his money and my body. Then everyone's happy.

[Scotia]

I can't bear to watch you drooling like this. You check the passengers. I'll join the captain.

[Kyle]

I'll check them both. Especially.

[Scotia]

Captain.

[Kyle]

Ella.

[Ella Desmond]

Hi, Scort. Where's your slimy friend?

[Scotia]

Kyle's doing his PR act with our employers. I came out to see how you were getting on.

[Ella Desmond]

I suppose he told you I wouldn't be able to manage alone.

[Scotia]

No, nothing like that.

[Ella Desmond]

He's creep and a sexist throwback. And I know all about the petition he tried to get up against me last tour.

[Scotia]

You heard about that?

[Ella Desmond]

I heard you wouldn't sign it as well. Not much I miss around here. Look, I can't get past this damn door.

[Scotia]

Where does it lead?

[Ella Desmond]

Out of the dock and into the reception lobby. At least it's supposed to, but it's not opening. Try it.

[Narrator]

The Babylon management apologizes, but there are certain formalities which must be cleared before you may be admitted. Please bear with us and we'll get them out of the way as soon as we can.

[Scotia]

What formalities?

[Ella Desmond]

God only knows. I tried calling from the ship, but nobody answered. Nobody's talking to us except these damn machines. Every time I hit the plate, it's the same.

[Narrator]

The Babylon management apologizes, but there are certain formalities which must be cleared before you may be admitted.

[Ella Desmond]

See what I mean?

[Narrator]

Please bear with us.

[Ella Desmond]

A crippled ship comes limping in with no warning. We popped into existence from somewhere on the other side of the galaxy with our computer set to head for the nearest safe settlement and nobody even comes to take a look. That warning that sounded when we first pulled in there should have been a team of maintenance engineers checking us out by now. Damn it, Scorp. We could blow up and take half the asteroid with us. And they're not even showing an interest.

[Scotia]

Maybe they're checking to see if we're rich enough to get in.

[Ella Desmond]

Forget it, then.

[Scotia]

It's probably something really simple.

[Ella Desmond]

Well, simple or not, it stinks. Nobody hedges when a ship in distress appears.

[Scotia]

Why not get Kitty Vale out to speak to them? If he's rich enough to charter us, they should be on the same wavelength.

[Ella Desmond]

I'm not so sure about Kitty Vale. What do you mean? I mean he hasn't got the manners or the confidence of a playboy.

[Scotia]

At his age and with his money.

[Ella Desmond]

Who needs his age? I can't argue with. But I think the money's bluff.

[Steve Gallagher]

Bluff?

[Ella Desmond]

Guilt, edge bluff. That security bag he carries around the one he used to pay the charter deposit he makes out it's full of currency crystals. I think it's empty.

[Scotia]

You seen inside it?

[Ella Desmond]

No. I got curious, made a check as we were setting off. One of the casinos in Vegas was missing a cashier and a good time girl from the cocktail bar. The amount they made off with was barely enough to cover our deposit. What?

[Scotia]

You mean we're transporting a couple of cheapskate crooks and treating them like millionaires?

[Ella Desmond]

We might be. It's just as a suspicion. Nothing I can prove.

[Scotia]

Yes, the agents will love this.

[Ella Desmond]

Kyle will probably send them a petition about it recommending himself as my replacement.

[Scotia]

Naturally, I wouldn't worry about him.

[Ella Desmond]

I don't. Sometime he'll slip up. Then he won't know what's hit him. All that's worrying me is why are we sitting here on the outside when we should be in the hotel?

[Narrator]

The Babylon management apologizes but there are certain formalities which must be cleared before you may be admitted. Please bear with us and we'll get them out of the way as soon as we can.

[Kitty Vale]

Are you feeling any better?

[Kyle]

No. I feel like my lungs are inside out.

[Kitty Vale]

I won't be a minute. Somebody's calling.

[Kyle]

It's about time.

[Kitty Vale]

All right, I'm coming.

[Kyle]

Everybody all right in here?

[Kitty Vale]

What does it sound like?

[Kyle]

Sounds like somebody's trying to turn his lungs inside out.

[Kitty Vale]

I'm glad you think it's funny.

[Kyle]

Be glad we're all alive instead. What about you?

[Kitty Vale]

I'm fine.

[Kyle]

I can see that.

[Scotia]

What's been going on here?

[Steve Gallagher]

Nobody's told us anything.

[Kitty Vale]

Just to get strapped in and pray. Are all your charter voyages like this, Mr. Kyle?

[Kyle]

The company isn't always so pleasant. And it's pretty rare to lose half our drive capability on the way.

[Steve Gallagher]

Lose what?

[Kyle]

Look, why didn't you tell us about this? I'm telling you now. We had some kind of fault. An explosion and a short fire back in the drive service section. Nobody knows what went or what caused it. All we could tell was that we hadn't a hope of reaching a fraction of our target speed. At our top rate, it would have taken us 50 years to reach the nearest inhabited system.

[Kitty Vale]

Why not sit tight and call for rescue?

[Kyle]

That would bring it down to 30 years. Message travel is limited by light speed.

[Steve Gallagher]

So what did we do? Where are we now?

[Kyle]

We took a gamble. We looked for the nearest dark star and jumped into it.

[Steve Gallagher]

Did that answer the question?

[Kyle]

A Black hole's got a massive gravity field, you know that? Time and space are two different expressions of a single concept.

[Steve Gallagher]

What?

[Kitty Vale]

It's basic Einstein, whoever he was.

[Kyle]

Time and space are both affected in the presence of gravity. They're all locked together. You can't define one without the other two. And when one bends, the other bends with it.

[Steve Gallagher]

Just cut the degree course and tell us what happened.

[Kyle]

A black hole causes a massive local distortion of the normal shape of space time. We dropped through the fringe of this and popped out in another part of the universe. We had the ship's computer run through all the possible options and pick us somewhere we'd have a good chance of reaching.

[Kitty Vale]

Which is?

[Kyle]

The Hotel Babylon in the system of Persephone, wherever the hell that is. And don't ask me where it is, because it's way off my sector.

[Kitty Vale]

How long before we can get back on the way to Porphyria?

[Kyle]

No way I can say. We were damaged before we went into the hole and we were more damaged when we came out. Left a fair piece of the ship behind. I doubt we could do much more than limp between moons.

[Steve Gallagher]

What are we talking about? Hours? Days?

[Kyle]

Could be months.

[Steve Gallagher]

Months?

[Kyle]

Well, standard ones anyway. I don't know what the local periods are. You don't seem to realize we've made it through a major disaster here and all you've got out of it is a good shaking and the dry heaves just to make things perfect. You haven't even been dunked on some stink pot of a munitions planet or a farmer's moon thigh deep in cow dung. You've rolled up in the foyer of a luxury hotel. I'm going the diplomatic way about it. But the point I'm trying to make is that it's a cue for relief and celebration and not a Greek chorus.

[Kitty Vale]

Greek chorus?

[Kyle]

Greeks. They're big lizards on Epsilon 5. Make the most God awful racket you ever heard.

[Steve Gallagher]

I'll sue.

[Kyle]

Really?

[Scotia]

Yeah.

[Steve Gallagher]

And don't try to persuade me otherwise.

[Kyle]

That's your right, I suppose. Of course. I suppose you'll be citing captain's negligence.

[Steve Gallagher]

Is that the usual form?

[Kyle]

Captain has to carry the can for whatever hands to the ship.

[Steve Gallagher]

Then that's what I'll do.

[Kyle]

Well, I'm pleased to see you taking such a positive attitude. When you're ready, make your way through to the reception lobby. Scotty and the captain are up there already. I'll be joining them when I've checked on the spaces. Oh, I wouldn't mention the legal business right now, not to the captain. She'll have plenty on her mind as it is. You want any advice, just come to me. See you later.

[Steve Gallagher]

Well, that's it. We're not going to get away with it.

[Kitty Vale]

And what makes you so optimistic now?

[Steve Gallagher]

You heard him. A luxury hotel. Bet you can't even breathe.

[Ella Desmond]

Without credit, it's no reason to go.

[Kitty Vale]

Jumping out of the airlock.

[Steve Gallagher]

We had a good run out of it. But did you ever really think we could get away?

[Kitty Vale]

Now, just a minute, Kitty. Vale. I've not come this far just to give in and turn back.

[Ella Desmond]

What do you think they'll have waiting.

[Kitty Vale]

For us if we get dragged back to Vegas?

[Steve Gallagher]

We could offer to return the credit.

[Kitty Vale]

We couldn't lift three lifetimes and hope to repay what we took in that rigged game. Cashiers and cocktail hoppers just don't pull that kind of money. We both wanted to get out and we're out. No way am I going back.

[Steve Gallagher]

We've got barely enough to pay off the charter.

[Kitty Vale]

Forget that. We pay them nothing after what's happened.

[Steve Gallagher]

Sir, we can afford maybe a week at hotel bungalow prices.

[Kitty Vale]

A week to plan the next move we make. Who cares about Porphyria? It was just a name picked off a chart.

[Steve Gallagher]

Then how are we going to live?

[Kitty Vale]

It's a hotel, right? And hotels have casinos. What we did once, we can do again.

[Steve Gallagher]

And run again.

[Kitty Vale]

Yes, and run again. What's the matter with that? We did it before. We'll improve with practice.

[Steve Gallagher]

Where's it all going to end when.

[Kitty Vale]

We fall over and die like everything else? You make me sick. You want your whole life mapped out and handed to you in a package. Regular savings in the pension scheme were invented for people like you.

[Steve Gallagher]

All right. I'll do whatever you say.

[Kitty Vale]

I think you've missed the point, but it's a start. Get the crystals and we'll go on up to the lobby.

[Kyle]

On your feet, spacers.

[Willis]

Up yours, Kyle.

[Kane]

Yeah, shove it, Kyle.

[Kyle]

Glad to see everybody's happy. Where's Willis?

[Willis]

Who cares?

[Kane]

He's monkeying with a computer lash up. You had him do the one that nearly got us all killed.

[Kyle]

You want to make a complaint, make it formal. And make sure you spell the captain's name right. She's sensitive. Sarat. Go and get Willis. Why? So you can all pool your knowledge and reach half wit status? And because I've got officer stripes and you're a spacer. Also because you've got to haul your backsides up to the hotel lobby for the free drinks and peanuts.

[Kane]

Free drinks?

[Sartre]

You stay where you are.

[Kyle]

I want to talk to you. Move it. Salad?

[Sartre]

Yeah.

[Willis]

Jumped up little creep.

[Kyle]

I heard a two syllable word somewhere in there. You're improving. All right, Kane. What the hell went wrong?

[Kane]

We had a bit of an accident.

[Kyle]

Damn right we did. You were supposed to foul up the drive enough to slow us down, not blow the back end of the ship away.

[Kane]

I didn't exactly plan it like that. The computer kicked in with a course correction. While I had the dampers out. The tube started to overheat, so the damn machine jettisoned the drive. It happened so fast, there was nothing I could do.

[Kyle]

So we end up doing a black hole drop and Ella Desmond saves the day with a plan that's a shade more chancey than suicide.

[Kane]

Maybe you can still make her look.

[Kyle]

Bad right after this. I can do my best. There's not much hope. Not when Kitty Vel thinks it through and comes to the conclusion that she saved his neck. That kind of consideration can be awfully persuasive when you're giving character references.

[Kane]

What are you gonna do now?

[Kyle]

Let it all blow over and wait for another chance? The agents have got short memories. All we need is a few charters brought in over budget, a few deadlines missed. Nothing obvious.

[Kane]

You'll still need me.

[Kyle]

What's the matter? You're feeling unwanted?

[Kane]

I'm feeling insolvent.

[Kyle]

It's likely to persist. And if you don't like it, just remember who it was had the dampers out when we waved goodbye to the number two tube.

[Kane]

I've been talking to Sarah like you said.

[Kyle]

And he's with us.

[Kane]

Same conditions as me. Full share in the rackets we set up when you get command. Drugs, spice, everything.

[Kyle]

What about Willis?

[Kane]

I haven't talked to Willis.

[Kyle]

When are you going to?

[Kane]

I'm not.

[Kyle]

But I thought you.

[Kane]

Look, Kyle, let's leave Willis out of it. There's something strange about him and I don't know what it is. The less I have to do with him, the better I like it.

[Kyle]

I'd be happy with all the spaces behind me.

[Kane]

Yeah, well, in a perfect world, maybe that's the kind of thing you can hope for. Right now you'll have to make do with Sarrit and me. What about Scotty?

[Kyle]

He's my problem. I'll do him up at the same time as Captain Desmond when I'm watching for the chance. Might turn up while we're at the hotel. Might be later if you're lining up.

[Kane]

Something kind of final. You could think of including Kitty Vale as well.

[Kyle]

Why? He's greased anybody who can charter an inter system cruiser all to himself. Has got to be well off.

[Kane]

Yeah, but they don't all lug it around with him in negotiable crystals. Right.

[Kyle]

I'll think about it.

[Sartre]

Do that.

[Kane]

Now, where are the free drinks?

[Kyle]

What about the other two?

[Kane]

They can find their own way.

[Kyle]

Right. Fine.

[Willis]

A Scott watch. Why aren't they letting us in?

[Scotia]

We are in.

[Willis]

Only if you want to get technical. Are they afraid we'll mess up the car?

[Scotia]

I don't know what's happening. The Captain's trying to raise somebody to speak to us, but so far there's nothing. The doors just don't open. Hi, Willis.

[Sartre]

Mr. Scott here.

[Scotia]

Everything okay with the computer hookup in the ship?

[Sartre]

Good as you can expect after what we went through. I broke it all down again.

[Scotia]

Shame. I wanted to take a look at the rig that saved all our lives.

[Sartre]

Sorry.

[Scotia]

Don't be sorry. I'm thanking you.

[Ella Desmond]

Sparky. Over here. Minute.

[Scotia]

See you later.

[Willis]

Damn quick job you did, getting everything pulled apart like that.

[Sartre]

I like to keep everything neat.

[Willis]

Almost like you didn't want anybody else to get sight of it close up.

[Sartre]

Why should I want to do that?

[Willis]

I'm wondering. Couldn't be that you built a bias into the selection system, could it? Something that would give you some control over where we ended up.

[Sartre]

Captain asked me for a fast program to make a random selection for the safest option. The one that was most accessible. That's all I did.

[Willis]

Yeah, but what I'm wondering is how come the safest and most accessible target happens to be over on the far side of the galaxy from where we are headed?

[Sartre]

Don't ask me. Ask the computer.

[Willis]

Too damn late now, isn't it? You've dismantled of the links in the program.

[Sartre]

I like everything neat.

[Willis]

Yeah, too damn neat. Willis.

[Sartre]

Please yourself. I do my job. That's all.

[Scotia]

Any progress?

[Ella Desmond]

Not an inch. I keep calling for somebody who knows what's happening, but there's still no reply.

[Scotia]

I don't get it. Big hotel and no service. It doesn't add up.

[Kyle]

Maybe we were supposed to use the tradesman's entrance.

[Ella Desmond]

They must know the state we're in. Scottia. Break it down.

[Sartre]

What?

[Ella Desmond]

The door. Get us in somehow.

[Scotia]

But it's a steel plate airlock.

[Ella Desmond]

I'm not saying you should put your shoulder to it. Just find a way to get us through.

[Scotia]

Any ideas, Kyle?

[Kyle]

Put a space around with right. Make it Willis. He's good at the unorthodox stuff.

[Scotia]

Willis.

[Ella Desmond]

I hope you're enjoying this. Kyle.

[Kyle]

What makes you say that? Captain.

[Ella Desmond]

Not one of my paranoid fantasies. Make a note of it.

[Sartre]

Something I can do?

[Scotia]

Yeah. Take a look at this door, will you? See if there's any way we can get it open from this side.

[Sartre]

What have you tried so far?

[Ella Desmond]

Banging my head against it, mainly.

[Sartre]

That didn't work.

[Kyle]

Just get on with it. Spacer.

[Sartre]

Yes?

[Kyle]

Did you hear the Captain?

[Scotia]

Hear what?

[Kyle]

She's getting some kind of complex. She thinks everybody's against her.

[Steve Gallagher]

Not everybody.

[Scotia]

Just you. And that's not a complex. That's being perceptive. Why can't you just lay off for a while? She's made some damn good decisions on this trip. She deserves better.

[Kyle]

Yeah, that's what bothers me.

[Scotia]

Need a hand with that, Willis?

[Kyle]

I can manage.

[Scotia]

Can you do it? Yeah, sure.

[Ella Desmond]

I can do it.

[Sartre]

The hard part is getting the plate off. Cheap work always gives you problems.

[Scotia]

Cheap work In a place like this.

[Sartre]

That's always the way. Expensive tinsel and lies. Nobody knowing what's underneath. I mean, look at this.

[Ella Desmond]

Good work, Willis. Follow us through when you've cleared up.

[Scotia]

What's the secret of your success, Willis?

[Sartre]

Irregular features and a lack of education.

[Kyle]

You think somebody's out to impress us?

[Willis]

They managed it.

[Kane]

Elegance by the yard. What kind of people spend their lives in places like this?

[Willis]

Not our kind.

[Kyle]

And this is only the lobby. What's the rest of it going to be like?

[Kane]

And how's the captain gonna justify the expense?

[Kyle]

Don't encourage me to evil thoughts.

[Scotia]

Kittyville and Taylor just leaving the ship. Where's the captain?

[Kyle]

Over by the comp point. Still trying to get an answer from somebody. Any luck? Ask her.

[Ella Desmond]

This is Ella Desmond of the private charter spotter. Something funny?

[Scotia]

No. Sorry.

[Ella Desmond]

I still can't raise anyone. It's like the place was deserted.

[Steve Gallagher]

Maybe it is.

[Ella Desmond]

It can't be her. Lights, music, fresh air. If you pull out of a place like this, you put it under wraps. You don't leave it to run itself down.

[Scotia]

But so far we've only seen the dock and the lobby. Look at all those archways down the side walls. All dark.

[Kyle]

Hey, look.

[Scotia]

What happened?

[Ella Desmond]

All dark except one.

[Scotia]

The lights came on as soon as Sarah stepped through the arch.

[Ella Desmond]

Everything must be rigged to sensors. Body heat or biocapacity. Something like that. You'd never need to switch on a light.

[Scotia]

Sounds typical of this kind of place. You spend a fortune to save yourself some tiny effort.

[Ella Desmond]

Well, maybe. Everything sensor linked. Even the muzak.

[Scotia]

Dreary stuff. Which it would stop. Hey.

[Ella Desmond]

Well, somebody seems to be listening.

[Scotia]

Yeah, but who?

[Ella Desmond]

Get everybody down here. It's time we found out what the Hotel Babylon's all about.

[Kitty Vale]

I told you, don't tremble. You're supposed to be a rich playboy. You're supposed to be in your element here.

[Steve Gallagher]

I don't feel anything like a rich playboy.

[Kitty Vale]

You don't look anything like one either. Fake it.

[Steve Gallagher]

I'm going to be sick.

[Kitty Vale]

You're going to be strangled.

[Kyle]

Look at the place.

[Steve Gallagher]

It's bigger than anything we ever saw on fingers. What are we gonna do?

[Kitty Vale]

We're going to survive. Now that's not too ambitious, is it?

[Scotia]

This is Scorcher calling the lobby. Have I pressed the right damn button yet?

[Ella Desmond]

Hearing you, Scott. What have you found?

[Scotia]

More lobbies. Exactly like the one we started from. They're strung out all in a line and everyone's got an airlock door. Well, presumably there's a spacecraft dock on the other side. I can't open it to see.

[Ella Desmond]

The spacers are checking on that territory, so don't worry about it. Any sign of the place being lived in?

[Sartre]

Nothing.

[Ella Desmond]

Okay, keep looking.

[Kitty Vale]

Is there a problem, Captain?

[Ella Desmond]

You might call it that. But there's no actual danger. Only that we seem to be the only people in the hotel.

[Steve Gallagher]

Well, what do you mean?

[Ella Desmond]

Well, I can't actually think of any other way of putting it. Are you all right?

[Kitty Vale]

The fresh air makes him light headed. Where are the others?

[Ella Desmond]

I've split everybody up, giving them different areas to search. Scotia's covering this level. Kyle and Sartre are above. Kane and Willis are below. Nobody's seen anything to suggest we're not alone. More to the point, there is nothing to suggest why it should be that way. Excuse me. Hearing you.

[Sartre]

Willis here.

[Ella Desmond]

You found something?

[Sartre]

Not really. I'm down on the utility levels. They go for miles. There's lots of bays and service areas, but no ships rather than ours. There's a network of service passengers linking everything together. And I found some crew quarters, but they're all cleaned out.

[Ella Desmond]

Still the same picture then.

[Kitty Vale]

But why?

[Ella Desmond]

Maybe the place went bust. Once you've woken up to one red sun, you've seen them all.

[Sartre]

I don't think so.

[Ella Desmond]

Why not?

[Sartre]

A couple of things. First. You notice how fresh the air is?

[Ella Desmond]

Everybody has.

[Sartre]

So why? None of the rooms comes alive unless somebody steps into them. And that goes for the air recirculation as well. If the Babylon been empty for any length of time, it would have been as stale as ditch water for the first half hour or so. But it isn't.

[Ella Desmond]

Anything else?

[Sartre]

Oh, lots of things. Hot water in the pipes, no dust, no fungus. I'D say the place has been cleared sometime during the past couple of days.

[Ella Desmond]

I see. Any idea why? Well, it.

[Sartre]

Yeah. I have to ask somebody else.

[Ella Desmond]

There is nobody.

[Sartre]

What about the Babylon?

[Ella Desmond]

I've been trying since we arrived.

[Sartre]

You've been trying to get hold of somebody on the staff? I'm saying you should talk to the hotel direct.

[Ella Desmond]

You think that would work?

[Sartre]

It might. The Babylon certainly seems to be aware of us.

[Ella Desmond]

Just. Just give me a minute, will you? Ella Desmond of the Spotter requesting to speak to the Hotel Babylon.

[Narrator]

At your service, Ms. Desmond.

[Ella Desmond]

Wow. Can you give me some information?

[Narrator]

It will be my pleasure. I exist to serve.

[Ella Desmond]

I've noticed. I mean, I couldn't help noticing. Well, there don't seem to be any guests around the place.

[Narrator]

The Hotel Babylon takes pride in its exclusivity.

[Ella Desmond]

And no staff either.

[Narrator]

Our staff are selected and trained for their ability to remain discreet and unobtrusive.

[Ella Desmond]

In fact, there's nobody in the damn place but us.

[Narrator]

You are most observant, Ms. Desmond.

[Ella Desmond]

Mind telling me why?

[Narrator]

It's nothing you should worry about.

[Ella Desmond]

Let's say I'm curious.

[Narrator]

Everything's in hand.

[Ella Desmond]

Curious to the extent that my stay is being spoiled.

[Narrator]

That would never do. I reassure you there is plenty of time.

[Ella Desmond]

Time for what?

[Narrator]

To withdraw to a place of safety, as the others have done. The meteor strike which will destroy the hotel is unlikely to occur for at least 20 hours.

[Kyle]

The Babylon run by Steve Gallagher.

[Steve Gallagher]

You can hear Episode two At the.

[Scotia]

Same time next Thursday.

[Narrator]

Ra.