The crew of the Lucis are still stranded on Hunk O’ Gray, and things are starting to get tense. After an argument with Parker, Tamara takes Posi into the temple to investigate the next chambers…it seems their search has awakened a being Tamara never expected to encounter.

Dark Sovereign is written by Briauna Kittle, and features the voices of Ricco Machado Torres as Parker, Jenae Hirsch as Tamara, Conrad Miszuk as Positron 817, and Jamie Haas as the Sovereign.

Music and sound by CodySean Hazelle.

Transcription:

SCENE ONE – SPACESHIP LUCIS

TAMARA: Research Notes, Planetside, early morning hours on Hunk o’ Gray. Parker, Starebot, and I explored the next room in the temple, found a weird basin and talisman-like rock, both with alien letters etched into them. I took the rock to study, Parker blew up at me because it was “bad news” and he stormed off. That’s fine, gives me time to decipher this language which I’ve been working on now with absolutely no progress.

No, less than no progress! I’ve spent so much time with this stupid thing getting nowhere when I could’ve been searching the temple we found. I could’ve found actual life, but nooo, I’ve been sitting in this room on stupid junky Lucis which, by the way, has a fuse issue we can’t fix because Parker lost the piece, so we have no communication and no way off this planet.

I think I’ve figured out a letter or a word and start piecing it all together and then my eyes go blurry and the glyphs don’t fit anymore. I’ve run it through the ship’s computer too, compared it with other languages, trying to find any sort of matching words or grammatical structure, and it somehow matches…everything. There’s similarities between French, Chinese, Gaelic, Russian, Tagalog, Spanish, English, German, everything. It doesn’t make any sense. I’m tired, but I can’t go to sleep with this talisman laughing at me.

I think I’m going to check out the temple. Maybe there are some clues we missed. Starebot, return to observational log and remind me to apologize to the linguists on the Seeker when we get back. I’ve been giving them too much shit.

POSI: Returning to observational log and setting reminder for a well-deserved apology.

TAMARA: Great. I’m going to check on Parker and we’re going to go for a walk. I can’t be stuck in here anymore.

POSI: Friend Tamara, do you think I should come with you to retrieve Friend Parker? Your relationship is strenuous at the moment.

TAMARA: If you want. I don’t know if he’ll still be mad. A lot of time has gone by for him to get it out of his system.

POSI: It is also 2 AM in Seeker Standard Time which falls under the standard period that humans engage in REM sleep.

TAMARA: Please. He’s so stressed out, he couldn’t sleep if he wanted to. Hey Parker, open up, we’re going for a walk!

SFX: KNOCKING ON A METAL DOOR.

TAMARA: (BEAT) Are you really still mad at me? Come on, it’s been six hours, bud! Get up!

SFX: MORE KNOCKING.

TAMARA: (BEAT) I’ll go without you and you’ll be all alone on this ship and this planet. You know I will. Come on, grumpy pants! (BEAT) Guess it’s just us then. Come on, Starebot, let’s go. He’ll catch up eventually.

POSI: Friend Tamara, if it is clues you are looking for, I scanned both rooms thoroughly and found no other objects of interest apart from that rock.

TAMARA: I remember. I’m going to check the next chamber.

POSI: Friend Tamara, do you believe this is wise?

TAMARA: Wisdom is a dump stat. Besides, we won’t be gone long anyway. I’m going to check out that next room, see if there’s anything that will help our exploration, and then head on back.

POSI: I see.

TAMARA: Alright Parker, we’re off. If you need us, we’ll be in the temple, okay?

POSI: Are you sure we should not go in there and check on Friend Parker?

TAMARA: Like I said, as long as he’s in the ship, he’ll be okay. He’ll probably feel safer this way anyway.

POSI: I will miss traveling as a trio, but I look forward to spending quality time with you, Friend Tamara.

TAMARA: Ugh.

SFX: CLICK OF A FLASHLIGHT TURNING ON. IT IS SILENT EXCEPT FOR THE SOUND OF MASK BREATHING.

SFX: SOVEREIGN WHISPERS AS POSI AND TAMARA APPROACH.

SOVEREIGN: You have returned. I have been waiting. Is the translation going well?

TAMARA: Stupid rock with its stupid impossible to figure out language. How can something be all languages at once? I don’t get it, and I get pretty much everything.

POSI: One cannot be perfect in every endeavor, Friend Tamara. You must not be so hard on yourself.

TAMARA: Alright, cool it with the motivational speeches, hotshot. Even the computers are confused though and that really bugs me. Whatever, let’s power through these two rooms and move on to the 3rd.

SFX: SOVEREIGN WHISPERS FADE AWAY.

POSI: As you wish, Friend Tamara. Is “hotshot” a new nickname?

TAMARA: This nickname thing, I don’t understand the fixation.

POSI: I was programmed to desire friendship with humans, and I have not had a good nickname before. Starebot is not a very good nickname, you see.

TAMARA: Your creator was a weird person, you know that? Making you want to be friends with us but covering you in camera eyes and the creepiest fake smile I’ve ever seen. Someone’s really gotta give them some design feedback. Hello, statues and paintings and more threatening paintings. Hello, creepy mystery basin and place where we found the bane of my existence. What do you think the third one has?

POSI: I was not programmed to conjecture, Friend Tamara.

TAMARA: Fair enough. Hey, hold up. Do you see that?

POSI: I see everything. What is it specifically that you are referring to, Friend Tamara?

TAMARA: That fog. It’s not leaking into this hallway at all. Posi, do me a favor?

POSI: Of course, Friend Tamara.

TAMARA: Can you walk up to that entranceway entryway and like…put your robohand out or something? Make sure it’s not closed off?

POSI: Sure thing, Friend Tamara. (PAUSE) There is nothing blocking the entrance to the next room. The gas fog simply stops.

TAMARA: Huh.

SFX: SOVEREIGN WHISPERS

SOVEREIGN: Huh, indeed. Very puzzling. I would say not to concern yourself with this, but your thirst for knowledge is what I appreciate best about you. Why don’t you walk through? There’s more points of interest to discover on the other side. I can help you.

TAMARA: Part of me wants to walk through, but Parker would say (IMITATING PARKER) “Tamara, you can’t, this room is giving me bad vibes, what if it’s poison and we die?”

SOVEREIGN: Poison? So soon? No, Tamara, I will keep you safe. We still need to get to know each other.

POSI: If you would like, Friend Tamara, I can do a scan of the room and see if there is anything of interest before we decide to proceed.

TAMARA: No, I don’t know how it will interact with your graphene construction. We should probably go back to the Lucis and grab the air scanner, just to be safe.

SOVEREIGN: I would never let something like this hurt you. Isn’t it such a waste to turn back now? Do you not trust me?

TAMARA: I mean, it’s a pain in the ass to turn around, but Parker’s right, I need to stop being so single-minded. You can help me lift the scanner, right Starebot?

POSI: I will try my best, Friend Tamara.

TAMARA: Great, let’s go.

SOVEREIGN: This hurts, you know. Carrying the burden of generations that once were and the only one I can share it with keeps stalling. We both know you will pass through this area; It would save our limited amount of time if you walked through now. But I understand. You close yourself off and do not trust anyone but yourself, only looking out for you, selfish little Tamara.

TAMARA: I’ve been around Parker for so long that I’m hearing his whining in my head. Unbelievable.

SOVEREIGN: But I forgive you. You will learn to trust me. I have much to teach you. I can help you earn the respect you deserve. So I will wait, although it pains me to do so. We will meet very soon.

SFX: SOVEREIGN WHISPERS FADE

POSI: If you want, Friend Tamara, I can simulate Friend Parker and his worries.

SFX: POSI PLAYS VO PARKER’S VOICE LINE “THIS PLACE IS GIVING ME BAD VIBES.”

TAMARA: Mmm, no, I changed my mind, I don’t miss it. Thanks for trying.

POSI: You are welcome, Friend Tamara.

TAMARA: Junkship sweet junkship.

SFX: WHOOSHING SCI-FI DOOR

SFX: KNOCKING ON METAL

TAMARA: Parker, you up yet? (SILENCE) This guy. Alright, help me grab the scanner. Ready? 1. 2. 3. Lift. (TAMARA EFFORT LIFT NOISE)

SFX: DOOR WOOSH. AMBIENT NOISE.

(AFTER SOME TIME) Fuck, this is heavy.

POSI: I do not feel pain like you do, but there is a strain on my limb.

TAMARA: Can’t you say anything normal?

POSI: I do not understand what you mean, Friend Tamara.

TAMARA: You say everything in the weirdest way possible. Add that to the list of things I need to bring up to your creator.

POSI: Added to the list.

TAMARA: Not seriously. Whatever. Here should be good. Nice and easy please.

SFX: GENTLE SET DOWN OF A HEAVY BOX

TAMARA: Thank you. Alright, I’m gonna get this started and then we can hang out for a bit I guess.

SFX: BUTTON CLICKING, BEEPING STARTS UP.

TAMARA: I hate this. Stupid temple, stupid gas fog, stupid Parker being paranoid. I want to go so bad.

POSI: Even if it kills you, Friend Tamara?

TAMARA: At least I’ll die do something great for humanity.

POSI: I do not think there is anything heroic about dying from poison.

TAMARA: You sound like Parker too.

POSI: (SOFTLY) I do not want you to die, Tamara. (AWKWARD PAUSE)

SFX: DING! BEEPING STOPS

TAMARA: Hey, it’s done. Alright, let’s see, let’s see. Oh great. Methane, minor amounts of sulfur dioxide, little bit of water, minor traces of other gasses for color. Nothing deadly if can limit my exposure, and nothing that will affect you in the least. What a waste of time.

SOVEREIGN: Didn’t I tell you?

TAMARA: Starebot, go in there and do a scan of the room quick. Tell me if there’s anything important about the room and any ways to leave.

POSI: Will do, Friend Tamara. I will be back shortly.

TAMARA: Yup. Oh, be careful in there. Soma will kill us if we come back without you. (TO SELF) Which is stupid, there’s only one of us. They can make more Positrons. But only after I give them the design feedback. God, this sucks.

SOVEREIGN: I really did warn you, Tamara. You should’ve listened to me. You should always listen to me.

TAMARA: How are you doing in there, Posi?

POSI: Scan complete.

TAMARA: And what did you find?

POSI: The room has the same construction as the previous rooms. There were two exits, one directly ahead and one to the left. However, the exit directly ahead is unreachable as there is a very deep rift in the middle of the floor. My sensors could not tell how deep it went.

TAMARA: Interesting. It’s a stretch, but it’s possible that it goes through the planet’s mantle which would explain the gas leak. There would have to be a large amount of trauma to cause that kind of break though. Any idea if it was natural or man-made for lack of a better term?

POSI: I cannot say, Friend Tamara.

TAMARA: I guess I can see for myself. Any sign of the fog leaking through the exits?

POSI: As far as I can tell, the fog is trapped within this room. Do you plan on proceeding, Friend Tamara?

TAMARA: Of course.

POSI: And you are sure this is a good idea, Friend Tamara?

TAMARA: Nope, but we’re not going to learn anything else by sitting around, and going back to the ship means being stuck with this stupid rock of frustration.

POSI: Remember Friend Parker is still back on the Lucis.

TAMARA: Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know. We won’t be gone long. So game plan: let’s take the air scanner with us, power through to the left exit while I hold my breath and then we check out the next room. Sound good?

POSI: I will follow your lead, Friend Tamara.

TAMARA: Great. We have to make this fast. The masks should block out most everything and I’ll even hold my breath just to be 100% safe, but odds of being poisoned by this room will be low. Suck on that Parker. Alright, 3, 2, 1, let’s jam. (PICK UP STRAINING NOISES)

SFX: QUICK FOOTSTEPS, ONE SET HUMAN, ONE SET ROBOT

SFX: HEAVY BOX SET DOWN

(CATCHES BREATH) Made it. I need a breather for a second. Go ahead and scan this next room, I’ll catch up.

POSI: Sure thing, Friend Tamara.

SFX: SCANNING SOUNDS

TAMARA: Alright room, let’s see what you got. Starebot, prep the record.

POSI: Prepping the record.

TAMARA: Room is bigger than the other. Much bigger. About 24 x 60 meters. Same stone material throughout. Previous room had a giant rift possibly leading into the planet’s mantle, but this is just a theory. The rift was leaking various gasses including methane, sulfur dioxide, dihydrogen monoxide which created a thick fog. Could be dangerous, but exposure to gasses were minimal. The fog does not seem to enter this room and cuts off at the threshold which is strange. Room itself is filled with large stone slabs sticking out of the walls. They’re stacked four slabs high, looks about half a meter thick, two meters long with another two meter gap between slabs They look like bunks and not very comfortable ones at that. Anything else to add, Positron?

POSI: How strange to be called Positron. It is nice coming from you, Friend Tamara.

TAMARA: If you keep commenting on how weird it is, I’m going to go back to calling you Starebot.

POSI: I see. I will stop commenting so that I will not be called Starebot again. Starebot is not a very good nickname, you see.

TAMARA: Posi!

POSI: Yes?

TAMARA: The scan??

POSI: Oh, yes. I have observed the same as you, Friend Tamara, as well as a heat signature on one of the slabs over there, on the second row.

TAMARA: Wait, what? Shut up!

POSI: I’m sorry?

TAMARA: Is there a heartbeat? Any sort of respiration? Would beings from here even have those?

POSI: I am picking up a heartbeat and respiration, Friend Tamara. By human standards, this creature is alive.

TAMARA: (YELLING INTERNALLY) How do I look? Do I look like a responsible representative from Earth? Oh man, what should I say? I don’t think it will understand me. Gahhh, it doesn’t matter. Oh my god I feel like I’m gonna pass out. Am I sweating? I think I’m sweating.

POSI: Your adrenaline levels are extremely high and your current heart rate is 130 beats per minute, Friend Tamara.

TAMARA: Okay, okay, okay. I’m gonna go check it out. I can’t believe we actually found a lifeform! Just gotta…pull myself up here… Cool. I almost don’t want to look. God, I’m nervous! Okay, okay, okay. Here. We. Go. (BEAT) You mother — What the hell is your problem?

POSI: Friend Tamara? Is everything okay? I did not expect such a strong negative reaction from this fateful meeting.

TAMARA: It’s fucking Parker. Hey man, get up!

PARKER: Huh? Ow! What was that for??

TAMARA: You’re lucky I only punched your arm. What the hell are you doing here?

SOVEREIGN: How disappointed you must be. To have such high hopes and see him instead. He is troublesome, isn’t he?

PARKER: What do you mean what am I doing here? How did you get into my quarters? (BEAT) Um…this isn’t my room.

TAMARA: Yeah, no shit, Sherlock.

POSI: Ha ha ha, Friend Tamara just “no shit Sherlock–”

TAMARA + PARKER: (SIMULTANEOUSLY) Shut up, Starebot!

TAMARA: Why are you here??

PARKER: Well, I was super mad at you and I couldn’t sleep and I could feel your stupid talisman whatever whispering to me, so I walked some laps around the Lucis and then I went back to my room and here I am. Where is here?

SOVEREIGN: You don’t really believe that, do you, Tamara? Parker has no reason to come here. He hates being here. Very suspicious.

TAMARA: Uh-huh… You know, for all the years that I’ve known you, you’ve never just wound up somewhere.

PARKER: Tamara, did you put this in my pocket?

TAMARA: Like, not once. Even your pacing is measured. You know, there were a couple times, and I know you don’t like to talk about it but–

PARKER: Seriously, what is this? Is this that talisman you found? Why would you give it to me?

TAMARA: –when you got really stressed, you would start sleepwalking and even while sleepwalking, you followed the same path, same patterns–

PARKER: Tamara, it’s glowing. I don’t know what’s happening.

TAMARA: –so forgive me if I’m having a hard time believing you just “ended up here.”

PARKER: Tamar–

SFX: SHRILL RINGING.

SFX: SOVEREIGN WHISPERS/PURRS.

SOVEREIGN: We are almost ready for introductions. You are doing very well. I am waiting.

SFX: RINGING AND WHISPERS STOP, CREEPY AMBIENT SOUND/MUSIC, MASK BREATHING.

TAMARA: Oh god, what was that?

PARKER: Tamara, your nose. It’s bleeding.

TAMARA: I…I think yours is too, but…

PARKER: But what?

TAMARA: Your blood…it’s black.

PARKER: (LAUGHS) Great!

TAMARA: Parker?

PARKER: Remember how you said being stranded on this planet with no communication was my nightmare scenario?

TAMARA: Yeah.

PARKER: This is actually my nightmare scenario.

TAMARA: What, black blood?

PARKER: All of this.

TAMARA: I don’t recognize this room at all, but it’s also very dark. How did we get here?

PARKER: The talismans. They got too close together and started glowing and dumped us here.

TAMARA: Hold on. Talismans? Like, plural?

PARKER: I tried to tell you but you didn’t listen. Look.

TAMARA: It’s the same as the first one we found. Identical.

PARKER: And not glowing anymore.

TAMARA: Where did you get this?

PARKER: I don’t know. I thought it was the one you found, but apparently not. Anyway, we have to be careful from here on out. We don’t know when these are going to trigger another jump.

TAMARA: And how do you know all this?

PARKER: I don’t know. Intuition, I guess. You don’t have to believe me, Starebot should’ve captured the whole thing.

TAMARA: Oh, right! Where is that thing anyway?

PARKER: Over there.

SFX: STATIC.

TAMARA: Starebot? You okay?

SFX: SQUEALING FEEDBACK.

TAMARA: Shit. It looks conked out. I wonder if the gas fog room messed it up, messed all of us up. It would explain the weird nosebleeds and whatever nonsense you’re talking about. Teleportation or whatever.

PARKER: Gas Fog?

TAMARA: Yeah, in the cracked room. You really don’t remember, do you?

PARKER: I already told you, I don’t remember how I got to where I was. I swear.

TAMARA: You’re being weird.

PARKER: This whole thing is weird. We don’t know where we are, we don’t know when we are, Posi’s down, and there’s no way out.

TAMARA: You don’t know that. It’s too dark to see that far. Come on, let’s find a wall and walk the perimeter, see if there’s an exit. Maybe we can get a clue of where we ended up.

PARKER: And Posi?

TAMARA: Can you carry it?

PARKER: Not by myself, I don’t think. I know it’s lighter metal, but it’s still a full-sized human…ish shape.

TAMARA: Ugh, fine. Are you sure we can’t leave it here?

PARKER: Not funny, Tamara. Alright, I’ll take the head, you take the legs. Ready?

TAMARA: Ready.

PARKER: Lift.

SFX: SQUEALING FEEDBACK.

PARKER: (LOUDLY) That’s awful. That’s really awful!

TAMARA: (LOUDLY) It doesn’t have like an off button or anything, does it?

PARKER: (LOUDLY) No. We would’ve turned it off a long time ago if it did.

TAMARA: (LOUDLY) That was a joke.

PARKER: (LOUDLY) Not funny, Tamara.

SFX: SQUEALING FEEDBACK CONTINUES. A COUPLE SECONDS GO BY.

TAMARA: (LOUDLY) I’m going deaf, I think. (ANOTHER FEW SECONDS PASS BY) Seriously though, where is the end of this room? (ANOTHER FEW SECONDS) Parker, are you okay?

SOVEREIGN: He cannot hear you, Friend Tamara. It is just you and me now.

TAMARA: (LOUDLY) Who are you?

SOVEREIGN: Me? I am (SCRATCHY PIXEL SOUNDS, A LANGUAGE THE HUMAN EAR CANNOT COMPREHEND). Consider me a…benefactor of sorts. You do good work, Tamara. I can help you. Let me show you what I mean.

SFX: THE FEEDBACK STOPS. THERE IS A DISCORDANT HUM IN THE BACKGROUND TO TAKE ITS PLACE. WE ARE IN THE VOID. THERE ARE NO BACKGROUND HISSES WHEN SOVEREIGN SPEAKS HERE.

SOVEREIGN: Is that better for you?

TAMARA: Yes, actually. What is this?

SOVEREIGN: This is where I reside. We can communicate freely here.

TAMARA: And who are you?

SOVEREIGN: The life you have been searching for. I am all around you. I have been with you since you arrived, waiting for you to find me.

TAMARA: Really? This isn’t a hallucination brought on by the gas we walked through earlier?

SOVEREIGN: I would be offended by your blatant ignorance of the facts, but I know your intellect is limited.

TAMARA: Hey!

SOVEREIGN: Do not worry, my dear. I know you seek knowledge, and it is intelligence I give.

SFX: THE HUMMING GROWS LOUDER, DROWNING OUT EVERYTHING, LIKE THE SOUND OF AN EARTHQUAKE. THERE IS SCATTERED ALIEN CONVERSATION PLAYING SPED UP TO THE POINT OF BEING INCOMPREHENSIBLE. THERE ARE GROWLS AND HISSING AND OTHER ELDRITCH SOUNDS.

SOVEREIGN: You must relax. Open your mind, Tamara. You have so much to learn about me, about this planet, about its people. Do you see how happy we once were?

TAMARA: (MUFFLED) Stop, stop! It’s too much, I can’t–

SFX: THE ELDRITCH SOUNDS CONTINUE AND CONTINUE TO ROAR ON.

SOVEREIGN: So weak.

SFX: SOUNDS FADE AWAY. REGULAR DISCORDANT HUM RETURNS.

SOVEREIGN: I will contact you again when you are ready.

SFX: HUM DIES AWAY. WE RETURN TO THE AMBIENCE AND MASK BREATHING. THE FEEDBACK HAS STOPPED.

(TAMARA GROANS)

PARKER: Oh thank god. T, are you okay?

TAMARA: No. I feel like garbage. I think I have a migraine coming on. What a joke. We’re on an alien planet with an alien being and I have a migraine coming on. What happened?

PARKER: We were walking and you dropped and had a seizure? I mean, I think it was a seizure with the shakes and everything but you were talking, saying stuff I couldn’t understand. I didn’t know what to do, so I dragged you away from Posi so it would stop screeching.

TAMARA: That explains the migraine but I definitely don’t have a history of seizures. How long was I out?

PARKER: A few minutes, I think. I don’t know how to explain it but time feels slippery here. You’ll realize it once you’re up for a while.

TAMARA: Okay, as long as it wasn’t longer than five. Still, there shouldn’t have been enough sulfur dioxide in that room to cause anything like this, I don’t understand. Maybe the atmosphere made it more potent or something?

PARKER: Sulfur dioxide?

TAMARA: Right. In the gas room you “forgot” you walked through. I’m sure it’s affecting you too. Weird memory issues.

PARKER: You’re not allowed to be shitty after whatever the hell this just was. I was worried about you.

TAMARA: You’re always worried.

PARKER: Fuck off.

TAMARA: It was just a joke, relax.

PARKER: What about any of this is funny to you, Tamara? Seriously, please shine some light on what about being stranded in a fucking temple on a fucking deserted planet is funny to you.

TAMARA: You don’t need to blow up on me, I’m scared too. (SILENCE) Hey, this might sound weird, but when I…seized or whatever, something talked to me.

PARKER: Oh, so you get to hear voices and expect me to believe that but when I tell you my gut instinct says to stay the hell away from this place because something like this happens, I’m supposed to support you immediately. Please Tamara, tell me all about this thing that talked to you.

TAMARA: Can you not yell please? My head is killing me.

PARKER: No, you don’t get to avoid this conversation anymore. Take a look around. We’re nowhere. We walked for maybe 15 minutes and got nowhere. No walls, no light, no perimeter, no way out, all because you wanted to check this place out instead of waiting for Soma like I said.

TAMARA: I said I was sorry.

PARKER: It’s too late for sorry! I didn’t want to be here. I told you I didn’t want to be here, but no, you pushed and you pushed, and look where that fucking got us.

TAMARA: You know what? You’re selfish, you know that? All you think about is yourself. It’s all your feelings and your bad vibes, and once things get tough, you just run away. I have more important things to do than to babysit you and your billions of insecurities, like oh, I don’t know, saving the future of the entire human race. Do you even think about that, what we’re trying to do here, the whole reason we’ve been traveling through space the last three years? And the whole time, I’ve had to listen to you bitch and moan because you can’t think about anybody but yourself.

PARKER: Tamara…

TAMARA: Don’t Tamara me. You don’t get to keep blaming me for your problems. I’m going to look around. Someone needs to get us out of here.

PARKER: Tamara?

TAMARA: What?!

PARKER: Don’t leave me here.

TAMARA: Maybe I should. Maybe that’s what you need to get your shit together.

PARKER: Tamara. Please.

TAMARA: Parker, I care about you, really I do, but it’s hard to be your friend.

PARKER: I get that a lot.

TAMARA: Then why haven’t you fixed it? (IN PAIN) Damn this migraine.

PARKER: You should lie down. Get some sleep. Let’s talk in the morning.

TAMARA: Fine.

PARKER: (BEAT) Do you think we’ll see home again?

TAMARA: We’ll find a way out tomorrow.

PARKER: That wasn’t what I asked–… nevermind.

TAMARA: For what it’s worth, out of all the people I got stuck here with, I’m glad it was you.

(PARKER SCOFFS)

TAMARA: Good night, Parker.

PARKER: Good night, T.

SFX: THE MASK BREATHING CONTINUES. STATIC STARTS AND RAMPS UP, DROWNING OUT ALL OTHER NOISE BEFORE CUTTING OUT ABRUPTLY.

END OF ACT 3

CREDITS: This has been a production of the Never Rad Miscellany. The Never Rad Miscellany is Produced and Directed by Conrad Miszuk. The sound effects are mixed and performed by Cody Hazelle.

The Dark Sovereign is written by Briauna Kittle, with sound and music by Cody Hazelle. Parker is played by Ricco Machado-Torres. Tamara is played by Jenae Hirsch. Posi is played by Conrad Miszuk. The Sovereign is played by Jamie Haas.

The Never Rad Miscellany is proudly produced in Phoenix, Arizona, and usually performed live. If you’re going to be in town, check out NeverRad.com for future show information. Visit NeverRad.com for news, extras, and more episodes. There are transcriptions on the website if you’d like to read along. You can find the live videos of the episodes at NeverRad.com/YouTube. Get wonderful benefits by becoming a subscription donor at NeverRad.com/patreon. Please send any questions or comments to info@neverrad.com. If you are a Miscellanist working in the field you may call and leave us a report of your strange and interesting findings at (224)CALL-RAD. That’s (224)225-5723. If you’re a local Phoenix, Arizona writer or voice actor, visit neverrad.com to apply to join us. If you like the Never Rad Miscellany, be sure to rate and review us on your favorite podcasting service, and connect with us on Facebook (facebook.com/neverrad), Tumblr (neverrad.tumblr.com), Instagram (@never.rad) and Twitter (@NeverRad).

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