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Prices are based on rating plans that vary by state. Coverage options are selected by the customer. Availability, amount of discounts, and savings and eligibility vary by state. You're listening to the Strata A Beyond the dark production season 12 stronger than blood part 10 what do you see through the scope, Summers? Anything interesting? Well, now that we're closer to the facility, I can make out a few monitoring systems. They're located further to the west around the main entrance. No doubt where those transports have been heading. So it's probably not a good idea for us to try gaining access that way. No, we can still reach the ventilation shaft if we stick to the eastern side over here by the cliffs. And it's a bit of a treacherous climb, but nothing we can't handle. Looks like a long drop over the edge. We definitely don't want to make any false steps. We just need to take it slow and we'll be fine. And then once we get inside the main shaft. What's the deal? It's going to be tricky to navigate because we won't have any frame of reference once we get in there. But I'm pretty confident I can get us where we need to go if these blueprints are still accurate. Well, there's not much point sitting out here soaking up the ocean breeze. How about we get to it? Fine with me. Let's go. This way. Keep your head down and follow me. God damn it. You okay, Rust? It's fine. I'm just getting a sore neck after crawling around inside these damn shafts for so long. How long have we been in Here? A bit more than an hour, I think. Feels like a lot longer than that. Yeah, it's not the nicest place to hang out, I'll give you that. How far away is our destination? To be honest, I kind of lost my bearings a little while back. Can't blame you. There are more twists and turns in this thing than a triple stacked glitch box. Maybe we should just cut our losses and get out at the next juncture. See if we can figure out where the hell we are. No arguments from me. Come on. There's one just up ahead. Okay. Nice work. It's good to be out of there. What is this place? Where does this corridor lead? I'll see if I can cross reference our position with the blueprints we got from Sienna. But we're going to have to explore a bit first and see if we can uncover some more of the layout. All right, Come on, this way. Hear that? Someone's up ahead. Sounds like they're in pain. If any guards show up, just leave them to me. Don't forget, I've still got the crowbar. Yeah, I feel safer already. Shit. It's one of the prisoners. Yeah. You can lower the gun. There are no guards here. Not right now, anyway. There are more prisoners further along the corridor. See that? Looks like they're in bad shape. Yeah, this is Ripshire island all over again. They're using these people as test subjects. God damn it. Don't worry, Summers. We'll make these bastards pay. Just like we did at Ripshaw. Goddamn right. Hey there. Can you hear me? Can you talk? We've come to help you out of here. I don't know if you're gonna get a response out of this one, Summers. Is someone there? Hello? Where did that come from? Further down the corridor there. Over here? Yeah. Come on over. Who are you? My name's Firefly. Did I hear you say you could help? That's the plan. Can you give us some information about what's going on here? So, well, who are you exactly? We're friends. Don't worry about the specifics right now. We don't have time for that. If you say so. Why don't you go ahead and tell us what you know? In a nutshell. There are some very bad people doing some very bad shit. And trust me, you do not want to make them angry if they come back and find you here. If they come back, they're in for a nasty shock. Have you seen the firepower, my friend? Theory's packing. Hang on. How did you get those I thought you must have been prisoners like me. No. We're outsiders. I'm Summers, and this is Rust. We've come to shut this place down. Oh, thank the spirits. How many guards do they have here? How am I supposed to know? They dragged me here a few days ago and threw me in this cell. It's not like they gave me a guided tour of the place. Okay, let's take a step back. Where are you from? How did you end up here? I'm from a settlement called Drayton Swamp. I came here with my buddy Grout, who's a few cells down. We wanted to make a trade with the people who run this place, but the bastards kidnapped us instead. Have they done anything to you? Have they hurt you? Not yet. But I heard Becker, the guy who's in charge around here, tell one of his men that he wanted me taken upstairs to medical tomorrow morning. I don't know exactly what that means, but I figure it can't be good. What kind of weapons are the guards carrying? Zapsticks? Guns. Ugh, guns? Yeah, these worms sucker as they're armed to the teeth. Have you ever seen any other parts of the facility? Is there anything you can tell us about the layout? No, nothing. Now, come on, please. Get me and Grouch out of here. And the others from Drayton Swamp. There's a whole bunch of us locked in these cells. All right, Firefly, we'll do what we can, but we need you to stay calm, all right? Yeah, okay. I. I can do that. Rust, do you think these doors are all controlled at a central location like back at Ripshore Island? If that's the case, we need to find the control room to activate the release. Take a look at these locking mechanisms they're using. They look pretty cheap and flimsy. In fact, if I can get the crowbar in here. Damn, it came right off. Yes. There you have it. Crowbar 1, Q5, repeater 0. Yeah, I'll give you that one. Come on. Let's get more of these open. Come on out, Firefly. Oh, thank you. Thank you both. No, my friend Grouse is down here. Let's see if I can pop a few more locks here. Come on, Firefly. Give me a hand with these people. We need to help them get to safety. You're. You're gonna lead us out? We'd like to, but the problem is we don't know exactly where to go. For now, the best option is to get these prisoners hidden somewhere until we've got a clear path to safety. Hey, you There. Come on out. We're here to help. Where are we gonna hide, Summers? How about we cram these guys into the ventilation shafts? That would be an awfully tight fit. But they could squeeze in shoulder to shoulder, right? For a little while, I guess. They won't be able to climb up through the higher levels, but they could definitely hide for a while. I think it's probably our best option at this point. Yeah. Grout, there you are. Are you okay, buddy? A little tired and sore, but I'll survive. I was worried about you. I'm fine. Some of these other people are in a lot worse state than me. Rust, we still have to find the central mainframe. I need to access the local data store. The second objective. Right, but where the hell is the mainframe? I have a few possible locations, but I can't say for sure. We might just have to keep searching until we find it. Did you guys say mainframe? I think I might know where that is. You do? When they were leading me down here, they took me past a room that had all these computer banks and stuff. Does that sound like what you were looking for? Sounds promising. Where did you see it? Yeah, it was a couple of floors up, I think. Do you think you could lead us there, Firefly? That might save us a lot of time. Sure. I'll do my best. I'm almost done here. Semis. Only a few cells left. Nice. Let's get these people into the ventilation shaft and then head upstairs. Hopefully we can get in, grab the data, and be out again before these bastards even know what hit them. This episode is brought to you by Amazon Prime. From streaming to shopping, prime helps you get more out of your passions. So whether you're a fan of true crime or prefer a nail biting novel from time to time, with services like Prime Video, Amazon Music, and fast free delivery, prime makes it easy to get more out of whatever you're into or getting into. Visit Amazon.comprime to learn more. Running a business comes with a lot of what ifs. But luckily, there's a simple answer to Shopify. It's the commerce platform behind millions of businesses including Thrive Cosmetics and Momofuku. And it'll help you with everything you need. From website design and marketing to boosting sales and expanding operations, Shopify can get the job done and make your dream a reality. Turn those what ifs into Sign up for your $1 per month trial@shopify.com specialoffer the new McCrispy Strip is here. Dip approved by Ketchup Tangy Barbecue Honey Mustard, honey mustard, Sprite, McFlurry, Big Mac sauce, double dipped in buffalo and ranch, more ranch and creamy chili McCrispy strip dip now at McDonald's. We're making good progress, Crichton. One more placement should be sufficient. You have the explosives with you, Jonas? Right here in my satchel. What if you get caught with them in your possession? These materials still require a small amount of assembly. To the layman, they probably wouldn't look much like an explosive device. Anyway. There's no need for concern. I've been carrying materials like this around for weeks, and Becker's imbeciles have been none the wiser. Do I detect an air of confidence about you this evening, Jonas? Perhaps. It seems that you're finally at peace with showing your face to the world again. Yes. You were right, Crichton. It's time that I stopped hiding. I don't need to be afraid of Becker or the others. I'm smarter than they are. I'm more resourceful. And in the end, I'll prevail. I'm glad to hear it. But let's not get too carried away just yet. The deal is not done. First we have to finish this last installation. Then we can work out the timing of our operation later tonight. This corridor is of key importance. Make note of it. We'll be passing through here again as we make our escape. What is this? Why is this wall transparent? This substance is called plexiglass. It's a hardened material that also has the benefit of being completely see through here. It serves to divide this corridor down the middle for observation purposes. Observation? Yes. Becker and his lead scientists use this area to examine test subjects. The subjects themselves are led on the other side of the plexiglass. As Becker's team stands and watches. The plexiglass provides an effective barrier, preventing any chance of contamination. It also serves as a way of ensuring there's no chance of physical violence. There's no way a subject will get through this type of hardened plexiglass. That's that strong? Oh, yes. In fact, even if the subjects had weapons, they'd barely be able to scratch the surface. And why is the corridor so important? This pathway serves as a link between the upper and lower levels. We'll need to pass through here on our way to the exit. When we make our escape, of course, we'll be on the other side and. What's the matter? Look on the other side of the Plexiglas. It. Sterns. Jonas, is that you? Yes, sir, it's me. What happened? To your mask. I'm better now. I don't need it to help me breathe anymore. How did that happen? I don't know. It just happened, Sir. Don't call him sir. He's not worthy of your respect. What did he say? We have work to do, Mr. Sterns. Can we go? I want to know what that tin plated bag of shit said to me. I'll be happy to continue this conversation face to face, if that's what you want. Stuns. Leave this to me. Crichton, it's not wise to stir the pot. Not now. Speak up, asshole. Dr. Becker was very insistent that I finish this installation tonight, Mr. Stearns. If we're delayed, I'll have to tell him that. Tell him what? Then I'm to blame because you're too slow and stupid to do your job. Oh. Oh, I can't wait for tomorrow morning, Jonas. That smug little smile of yours is going to disappear right off your face. Tomorrow morning, Becca is making changes. The final data grid installations are being moved to low priority. Do you know what that means? Well, let me tell you anyway. Your days of working freely around Corova Station are coming to an end. You're headed to a cold, hard cell downstairs, Jonas. And this time there'll be no getting out. What do you think of that? If that's what Dr. Becker decides, then so be it. Too dim witted to understand you're being led to the gallows, huh? Well, you'll realize soon enough. See you tomorrow, Jonas. Sleep tight. Someone needs to teach him a lesson. I agree. But for now, we need to exercise some discretion, Crichton. If we play our hand too early, Becker and Sterns may realize what we're up to. And in turn, that may jeopardize our mission. Even so, I don't intend to leave our oppressors unpunished. I made that mistake in the Western reaches and I won't repeat it here. If the chance arises, I intend to make them pay. Don't worry, so do I. But we can't have you getting carried away and doing something impulsive. Is that clear? Of course. Our mission is paramount. I understand that. So let's just stay focused. Right now we need to get a move on. Time is running short. Let's go and finish what we started. Jimena. Oh my God. I was getting worried you wouldn't make it. Sorry, Angelina, it's chaos out there on the street streets. Thank you so much for coming. This means a lot to us. It's fine. I'm happy to help. Although I'D really like to get some proper assistance here for you guys. You didn't tell anyone, did you? No, I kept this whole situation to myself, just like you wanted. That's good. Great. You don't trust me. It's not that at all. It's just, it's. It's been a really bad day, Jimena, and I'm all wound up. I'm sorry if I offended you. I just. I don't even know who to trust anymore, and it's making me jumpy. It's okay. I understand. Anyway, come on through. Head into the living room over there. Angelina, I told you, it's bad. We've put together a few makeshift pallets here to accommodate the wounded, but those two over in the corner are. They. They didn't make it. I'm sorry. We've been so busy that we haven't even had a chance to cover them up. Hey, Michael, can you grab a bed sheet or something and cover up the Follett? Thanks. Well, let's not waste any more time. Here's everything I could carry. I hope it's enough. Oh, this is great. We burned through all of our stems and supplies, so these will really help. Hopefully, because of you, we won't lose anyone else. Guys, start unloading these supplies. Okay? Come on, let's go. So all of these people got caught in the crossfire between the resistance and Millicon? How did that happen? Millicon came out of nowhere. It looks like they're embarking on a major counteroffensive in the eastern part of Docherten. The resistance has been pretty active over there, and it seems Millicon is getting serious with their response. And in typical fashion, they're not bothering to check who or what is in the line of fire before they strike. So civilians getting hurt. Someone needs to be held accountable for this. Milicon is being held accountable by the Resistance. I didn't mean by starting a war on the streets. Who is going to do it then? The administrators? Don't make me laugh. There has to be some way to negotiate. Or. With Milicon? Come on, Ximena, you know they don't do that. Yeah, I guess you're right. What's the matter? Hmm? You had a funny look on your face just now. Oh, it's just the stuff about Mellicon. I started thinking about Tanix again. All right, that. Sorry. I know you don't want to talk about it. So what happened with that whole thing? You said you were outside his old apartment. Did you confront him? Yeah, I did. And was it really Him? Believe it or not, it was. Although he wasn't quite the same as before, he was different. Different how? I don't know exactly. He was pretty evasive when I asked about what happened to him. I can't get my head around that. Tanic's joining Millicon. I know it's weird, but he is still your brother, Angelina. Maybe we should reach out to him together. Why should we? Because he's family. Yeah, I don't know about that. Come on, don't be so heartless. I'm not sure you can take the moral high ground here, Amina. You haven't been there for Tanix either over the last few years. I know that. So why are you suddenly acting like it's so damn important that we all hold hands like one big happy family? Why do you even care about him? Because I feel guilty. About what? I never told you this, but my daughter, Carlita. She's his what? Oh my God. You're actually serious. Yeah, I am. But how? It kind of came out of nowhere. The two of us ran into each other at the pump house and we got to talking. Then we had a few drinks. Anyway, that was right before things went bad for him with the tran and the powder and stuff. And what, you. You just hooked up or something? It was just one night. And then we both went our separate ways again. It was stupid. I'll be the first to admit that the two of us have never been that way inclined. We were always just friends. So why'd you do it? Maybe just because I was lonely. And Tan, I think he was too. He told me he was dealing with a lot of and that he was barely hanging on. And what happened when you found out you were pregnant? At first I didn't know what to think. But after a couple of days, I decided that maybe having a child would be a good thing for me. And Tatnik's. I wasn't sure how he'd react, but I really wanted him to be part of his daughter's life. So I went to see him. But when I got to his apartment. Let's just say he wouldn't listen to me. On one of his drug fueled rampages, huh? Yeah, he was acting crazy. It scared me. So I got out of there. Don't worry. I understand what you mean. I. The same thing happened to me over and over again every time I tried to visit until. Well, until I finally gave up on him. It was just too painful trying to keep him in my life. So you don't think there's any Chance he'll listen to us now about what's going on with Millicon. I mean, even if he did listen, what good would that do? He's just a grunt, right? He doesn't have the power to change anything, even if he tried. Yeah, I guess. Shit. What was that? I know that sound anywhere. It's a Millicon Sky Crusher. Damn it. They must be closing in. Everyone get ready, bring out the gear and take up your positions. Angelina, what are you doing? You have to go now. Ximena, thank you for your help, but it's no longer safe here. I thought we'd have more time, but. Look, I'm sorry I had to deceive you, but I know you're part of the Resistance. You knew that already? Of course. All this bullshit about being caught in the crossfire, I saw through that right away. And when you said you didn't want the administrators involved in helping out, that kind of confirmed my suspicions. But you came anyway. Why? Because you needed me. And we were friends once. I couldn't just turn my back on you. Not like I did with Tanix. Ximena, please tell me you did not turn informant. Tell me you didn't intentionally lead Millican here. No, of course not. I came here to talk some sense into you. You need to turn yourselves in. You're not going to beat these guys, and it's time you accept that. What, you're gonna stand there and lecture me? You don't know what I've been through, Ximena. What any of us have been through. Maybe not, but. Shit, it's starting. Come on, let's move. Ximena, if you don't leave now, it'll be too late. Take the back door. Attention, citizens of Tinkfort. Millicon is enforcing a lockdown of the entire precinct starting immediately. There are known fugitives in the area. The streets are not safe. Repeat, the streets are not safe. Stay in your homes. Our units will be entering each premises one by one to search for hostiles. Any attempts to interfere with this operation will be met with lethal force. You have been warned. God damn it, Ximena. I guess I won't be leaving now, will I? No, you're in the thick of it. And I'm sorry to tell you, but right now, there's no worse place in the Strata you could be. This podcast is made possible by my supporters on Patreon. If you'd like to hear ad free early release episodes as well as my exclusive series, the Strata. Luna, head over to patreon.com BeyondTheDark your support means I can keep bringing you more seasons of the strata. Season 12 Stronger Than Blood starring Jason Chirai, Rhiannon Mouschall, Eliza Marteja, Michelle Mosley Wyatt, Henry Paul Warren, Chloe Elmore, Rebecca Tanwin, Troy Allen, Leonie Schleissing, Alaina Man, Toby J. Smith, Joseph Tweedale, Zachary Scott, Garrett Nile, Adam McLachlan, Gavarock and Armin Cabral. Credited by Mark R. Healy A Beyond the Dark production. The Fable and Folly Network where fiction producers flourish. Are you two still awake? Dad, we're too excited. You'll be tired at Mockery Manor tomorrow, and it's bigger than ever, so you really do need to sleep. Daddy, tell us about the new expansion. Okay, okay. Yay. Once upon a time, there was a wonderful place. Mockery Manor. Everyone loved it, but sometimes it felt lonely. Aw. The manor longed for a companion. So they built a whole new park right next door and called it Claytonville. And it was the rootinest, tootinest place you ever did see. Yee haw. Hop on board the brand new Mockery Railroad all the way to Claytonville. 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