"Mars Rising" -- A Sci-Fi Space Horror Audio Drama

0:05 Speaker 1: It lies in wait amidst your dreams, where nothing is ever how it seems. It is a portal to a terrifying world beyond the doorway to nightmare.

0:25 Speaker 2: Nightmare. Come in.

0:41 Speaker 1: Welcome. I'm Artemis Black. Space. The final frontier. A phrase that launched a television series into cult status. We have become stagnant in the exploration of our own universe, and yet there are still those who look to the skies for answers, and come up with more questions.

1:13 Speaker 2: This is considered a rescue mission. Top priority. Something's happened, and we have been ordered to find out what.

1:21 Speaker 1: This is Dr.

1:22 Speaker 2: Julia Wells. She's the one that is officially in charge.

1:26 Speaker 3: Yesterday, we received a message. It was short, and we haven't been able to contact them. The message simply read, We are all dying.

1:42 Speaker 1: Our mystery drama, Mars Rising, was written especially for Doorway to Nightmare by Winslow Swan and edited by Crimson McKenzie. Our cast includes William Stafford, Crimson McKenzie, and Winslow Swan. I'll be back shortly with Act One. The writer H.G. Wells once said, Life, forever dying to be born afresh, forever young and eager, will presently stand upon this earth as upon a footstool and stretch out its realm amidst the stars.

2:39 Speaker 2: Well, Doctor, welcome to Jump Point 3. Did you have a good flight?

2:46 Speaker 3: I'll let you know when my stomach catches up.

2:48 Speaker 2: First time into space?

2:49 Speaker 3: No, I've traveled before. I'm just not that wild about it.

2:58 Speaker 2: It does take some getting used to. Everyone is in the conference room, but will you please explain to me what is so urgent?

3:06 Speaker 3: It has to do with our Mars base. You know we began to colonize the Red Planet a year ago. Now, something has happened. Something dreadful.

3:20 Speaker 2: Alright everyone, let's settle down. This is Dr. Julia Wells from Mission Control.

3:25 Speaker 3: Thank you, Captain Herbert. As you all know, we have a base on Mars. The first base that's been established last year. Since that time... We've been sending supplies and equipment through Jump Point 3.

3:39 Speaker 4: Yes, but we were told to stop the other day.

3:43 Speaker 2: What happened? Oh, this is Lieutenant Reynolds, one of our flight engineers.

3:48 Speaker 3: Mission Control received a message three days ago. It was short and cryptic.

3:56 Speaker 5: Stay away.

4:04 Speaker 2: Something.

4:06 Speaker 1: This is happening to all of us. We are all dying.

4:14 Speaker 3: We don't quite know what they meant. Our first hypothesis is that they have been attacked by.

4:20 Speaker 4: Little green men? Oh, come on. We've explored practically the entire planet. There isn't anything there.

4:30 Speaker 3: That's where you are wrong, Lieutenant. Certain minerals and ores have been harvested that are vital. We also know that other countries have been catching up to us.

4:41 Speaker 2: Do you think that someone has attacked the base?

4:44 Speaker 3: Until we get there, we cannot be sure of anything.

4:50 Speaker 3: What's our ETA, Captain?

4:51 Speaker 2: About six hours.

4:53 Speaker 3: Awesome.

4:54 Speaker 2: Well, the first flight to Mars took almost two years. With a new fuel system from Earth... It only takes about six months.

5:02 Speaker 3: Which is why we made the jump points.

5:05 Speaker 2: Right. Jump point three is the closest.

5:07 Speaker 4: All systems are go, Captain.

5:09 Speaker 2: Thank you, Lieutenant.

5:11 Speaker 4: Why didn't we bring anyone else along?

5:15 Speaker 3: I can answer that. The administration does not want an incident if it turns out to be military. So it's just you, the Captain, and me.

5:27 Speaker 2: And what do we do when we get there? And it does turn out to be an army. Throw stones at them? Hey, it worked for Daniel. Ha ha.

5:36 Speaker 3: We observe and report. That's all.

5:40 Speaker 4: Yeah, sounds like government work to me.

5:43 Speaker 2: Just keep your eyes open and the engine running in case we have to make a quick exit.

5:56 Speaker 3: Such a desolate planet.

5:59 Speaker 2: Ever been here?

6:00 Speaker 1: No.

6:01 Speaker 3: I was scheduled to be on the first mission, but I caught the flu and had to be replaced.

6:06 Speaker 2: Jane, so this is your first time.

6:09 Speaker 3: Yes, and I must say I'm not looking forward to it.

6:14 Speaker 2: Why do you say that?

6:16 Speaker 3: We still don't know a tenth about Mars that we should. And now, something bad has happened and we don't even know what that is.

6:27 Speaker 1: The astrophysicist Stephen Hawkins thought that the human race could not survive without spreading out into space. The question remains, what will we find there? I'll return shortly with Act Two. Mars, the red planet. It has been a fascination for us for a very long time. At only 40 million miles away, it has been the subject of more fiction than any other planet in our solar system.

7:24 Speaker 4: There it is, Captain. Alpha 1, get ahead. I'll begin initial scans.

7:29 Speaker 3: Let's just circle around first.

7:32 Speaker 2: That's what I had in mind. Anything on radar?

7:35 Speaker 4: All quiet, Captain. Nothing to report.

7:37 Speaker 3: That's strange.

7:39 Speaker 2: What is?

7:40 Speaker 3: The base was set up for mining purposes, as well as research. There should be transports flying around. Lieutenant, are you positive there is nothing on the radar?

7:51 Speaker 4: We'll see for yourself. Screen is blank.

7:56 Speaker 2: Did I hear some rumors that the Chinese were experimenting with some sort of cloaking device?

8:01 Speaker 3: That was proved to be false.

8:03 Speaker 2: Well, that's good to know.

8:05 Speaker 3: Still, nothing on the radar?

8:07 Speaker 2: Not a single blip. Alright, I'm satisfied that no one is lurking about. Reynolds, start your approach.

8:24 Speaker 3: Keep your suits on. If the oxygen regulator isn't working, we will not be able to stay long.

8:30 Speaker 4: And what exactly are we looking for?

8:33 Speaker 3: At this point, I don't know.

8:36 Speaker 2: After you, Dr.

8:40 Speaker 1: Wills.

8:41 Speaker 3: Age before beauty, Captain.

8:43 Speaker 4: According to the instruments, oxygen is at optimum level.

8:49 Speaker 3: Great. Gives us more time to find out what actually happened.

8:53 Speaker 2: Let's check the computer logs, see what the last entry is.

8:57 Speaker 4: How many people were supposed to be here?

9:00 Speaker 3: 75 in total, including engineers and the scientists.

9:05 Speaker 4: All right, so where is everybody? I mean, shouldn't have someone been manning this station?

9:11 Speaker 2: The only thing in here is red dust all over the floor.

9:15 Speaker 3: Look, here's the last entry.

9:17 Speaker 1: It started a week ago.

9:24 Speaker 5: Symptoms came on quick. 40 dead in the first week.

9:38 Speaker 1: Last trips missed shot.

9:44 Speaker 2: What the hell happened here?

9:47 Speaker 3: What the hell was that?

9:48 Speaker 4: Hey, you okay?

9:50 Speaker 3: I thought I saw something moving in the next room.

9:54 Speaker 2: Maybe it's a survivor.

9:56 Speaker 3: I don't think so.

9:58 Speaker 2: More red dust. It's everywhere.

10:04 Speaker 4: Maybe housekeeping quit.

10:06 Speaker 3: Let's get a sample of it. Perhaps it will tell us something.

10:10 Speaker 2: Julia, are you okay?

10:12 Speaker 3: No. I have the feeling that... Well, I don't know. Something is watching us.

10:18 Speaker 4: Or perhaps.

10:20 Speaker 3: Waiting?

10:21 Speaker 2: Nothing is on the radar.

10:22 Speaker 3: That doesn't mean anything. I'm just thinking, what if, what if there is life on Mars?

10:31 Speaker 2: It isn't showing itself.

10:32 Speaker 3: Maybe it is. Look, just because we can't see something doesn't mean that it doesn't exist. We know atoms exist, but you can't see them with your eyes, now can you?

10:44 Speaker 2: So you're saying that life here is invisible? Pretty far-fetched. Is it?

10:50 Speaker 3: Seventy-five people are gone. Where did they go?

11:01 Speaker 1: Julia Wells looks around at the empty room that had once been a medical unit. She gathers some of the dust for study, and a cold chill runs up her spine. I'll be back shortly with Act Three. The author Isaac Asimov once said, all of a sudden, space isn't friendly. All of a sudden, it's a place where people can die. Many more people are going to die.

11:52 Speaker 4: Docking at jump point three.

11:54 Speaker 2: You okay, Reynolds? Yeah, just a tickle in my throat.

11:58 Speaker 3: I want to get these samples to the lab as soon as possible.

12:05 Speaker 2: Tickle in your throat too, Doc?

12:08 Speaker 3: Sort of. I don't seem to be able to smell anything.

12:13 Speaker 4: It's all this manufactured air that we're breathing.

12:16 Speaker 2: Let's finish docking and get to the lab.

12:18 Speaker 3: Sorry. I ran the samples through the computer.

12:32 Speaker 2: What did you find?

12:36 Speaker 3: Human DNA. What we thought was just dust was human.

12:42 Speaker 2: You mean that's what happened to Alpha One? And everyone just turned to dust?

12:50 Speaker 3: The evidence says so.

12:52 Speaker 2: Julia, you don't look so well.

12:54 Speaker 3: Well, you look like death warmed over.

13:01 Speaker 2: Doc, help me.

13:05 Speaker 1: Reynolds?

13:10 Speaker 3: He's bleeding from the ice.

13:14 Speaker 5: Help me. Help me.

13:27 Speaker 4: Reynolds.

13:28 Speaker 2: Oh, boy. Look.

13:31 Speaker 3: He's melting. The skin is melting off of him.

13:35 Speaker 2: His bones.

13:36 Speaker 4: They're cracking.

13:38 Speaker 2: Turning to... Red dust.

13:42 Speaker 3: Red dust. How many are on jump three?

13:56 Speaker 2: Including us? Seventeen.

13:58 Speaker 3: Minus Reynolds.

14:00 Speaker 2: And three others. I found them.

14:07 Speaker 1: Or what's left of them.

14:08 Speaker 3: We can't let this get back to Earth.

14:10 Speaker 2: Julia.

14:14 Speaker 4: Your eyes.

14:16 Speaker 2: They're bleeding.

14:16 Speaker 3: You've got to send. Earth a message. Stay away. Stay.

14:29 Speaker 2: Away. Julia?

14:36 Speaker 4: Julia!

14:37 Speaker 2: Julia! From jump point three, priority message. Stay away. We are all dying.

15:11 Speaker 1: In the story written by H.G. Wells, War of Worlds, The invading Martians are destroyed by a virus. Could the Martians have learned something from us in order to protect their home? I'll be back shortly with a final word.

15:52 Speaker 1: To look to the heavens and see what lies beyond is the dreamer's way.

16:00 Speaker 2: To explore the.

16:01 Speaker 1: Outer reaches of our galaxy may perhaps be possible one day, but what we discover, who is to say? Our cast included Crimson McKenzie, William Stafford, and Winslow Swan. The story was edited by Crimson McKenzie, and the production was under the direction of Winslow Swan. And now, a preview of our next tale.

16:33 Speaker 4: What does this guy want from us?

16:40 Speaker 3: You weren't speeding, were you?

16:42 Speaker 4: Of course not. This makes us second time down the same road that we have been stopped.

16:48 Speaker 3: Are you sure it's the same cop?

16:50 Speaker 2: You know that it is.

16:55 Speaker 3: Well, then let's give him a traffic stop that he will never forget.

17:00 Speaker 1: This is Artemis Black, inviting you to return with us through the doorway to Nightmare for another adventure into the terrifying world of your imagination. Until next time, slumber peacefully.

17:25 Speaker 2: Epilogue.

17:27 Speaker 1: The butler did it.