Star Hunter – Part 3: Birds of Prey
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Welcome to Series 2, Episode 5 of the Curious Matter Anthology. I'm Jonathan Pezza, the creator and host of the show.

We left off last time with Ross Hume and Elise Brody's heroic stand on the tiny river island. The arrival of the strange teleporting orbs that seem to be controlling the animals has added another layer of mystery to the jungles of Jamala Beach.

At the very last moment, just as the orbs and aqua spiders seemed poised to overtake the duo, the cavalry showed up. Only it wasn't Rovald. Who could their enigmatic rescuer be? I have a feeling you'll find out soon enough. Did you know that science fiction's about to turn 300 years old? Can you guess the book that's considered the very first true entry into the genre? It's none other than Jonathan Swift's 1726 novel Gulliver's Travels.

In the story, Gulliver sets forth to explore the mysteries of foreign lands, but is swept off course by the winds of chance and washes up on the shores of strange new worlds. Filled with political and social allegory, all you need to do is change the seafaring to spacefaring, and you get the oldest trope in sci-fi history.

In the following three centuries, the "What If" genre has come a long way since early pioneers like Mary Shelley, H.G. Wells, and Jules Verne. So when I begin the process of taking a story and adapting it for modern audiences, one of the first things I try to do is figure out what modern subgenre the story fits into.

Is it techno-fantasy like Star Wars? A creature thriller like the Alien, Jurassic Park, and Predator franchises? Did it rely on optimistic futurism like Star Trek? Or dystopian cyberpunk like The Matrix and Altered Carbon? These are just a few of the many genres that science fiction has splintered into since Gulliver woke up among the Lilliputians. And each of these has its own aesthetics and cultural tropes that make them unique.

At the time Star Hunter was written by Andre Norton, science fiction hadn't yet separated into these stylistic camps. But what I found the most enjoyable in writing my take on Norton's story is that it felt like it could genre blend in a way I hadn't seen before. It was of course a creature thriller, but it also had this larger dystopian cyberpunk setting and a surprising neo-noir mystery. So when putting it all together, I tried to combine the genres while still keeping a bit of that pulpiness that made it so much fun.

But I'll let you be the judge. Curious Matter Anthology is designed to be a completely immersive HD audio experience, and it's at its best when played through high-quality speakers or headphones. So, without any more delay on my part, grab your popcorn, turn out the lights, and enjoy Star Hunter Part III. Welcome to the Orion Arms, the premier luxury resort in Nuadhal's Upper City. I am the concierge drone.

From your bioscan, I see you do not have a reservation. I fear our prices may be out of reach for non-NFO citizens. That your way of telling Pudknockers we ain't on a family tree to fuck off? Sensors have detected aggressive neural activity, triggering my security countermeasures. Please proceed with caution. Sorry for the inconvenience. How may we help you? You really gonna make me say it? Key. Phrase. Entry.

Enter Keyphrase now. Here he lies where he longed to be. Home is the sailor, home is the sea, and the hunter, home from the hill. Keyphrase accepted. Right this way, Mr. Hume. Ms. Wass will see you now. You've reached Ms. Wass's private floor. Take a seat on the veranda. I'll be just a few moments. May I offer you a beverage? Cardo neat. Right away. What a view you got here.

Have you spent much time in the upper city of Nuato? No. This planet was a paradise when we first discovered it. Before my time. Mine as well. But my grandmother saw it. Saw the raw beauty before the family corpse stripped this world of its minerals and elegance in the name of conquest. Your cardo, sir. Your scotch, Miss Wass. Maybe I should have ordered what you're having. Never actually been to Earth? I think you and I both know the answer to that.

The homeworld is off-limits to convicted criminals. Whereupon the seas bear fruit meant only for kings and princes, those pirates spring forth like locusts to have their fill. We all have our past, Mr. Hume. Besides, I think I'd rather keep the image of Terra intact in my mind. No reason to spoil it with inconvenient realities. Would you like a glass? It's from a place called Legavulin.

One of my VIPs brings me a bottle every time he visits the Orion Arms. I think I'll stick with mine. I prefer what I know. Enough with the pleasantries. Why are we here, Mr. Hume? I accepted the meeting based on your reputation. Curiosity. Outhanters do so capture the imagination. The last intrepid explorers, willing to brave the unknown of new worlds for the promise of adventure and credit. Your exploit to the staff of legend.

I had to meet the mighty Ras Yume for myself. I have a proposition. One that's highly profitable, if we can pull it off. I'm sure there are more than a few family corps competing to stake you on New Worlds. This isn't that kind of gig. It requires flexibility. Ah. So you come abasing yourself to work with the likes of me. And what is it you think I can do for you?

What you do best. So, you come to seek the Pirate Queen with promises of treasure. Shall you next produce a treasure map? What do you think a scion of the Kogan Brody Waslet's fraternal organization is worth? Trillions. You happen to have one magically in your pocket? That's a trick I'd bait to see. I didn't take you for the kidnap and ransom sort.

I have in my possession the remains of Elise Brody. The Elise Brody? Who went missing several years ago with her mother on the Largo Drift. Such a tragedy. The masses do like to make a fuss when the rich suffer. If only they did the same for themselves. The girl was fourteen, and Jamala, the world she crashed on, just fell into guild stewardship. So your plan is to impersonate a Scion?

Elise Brody miraculously comes back from the dead. There's no valid biometrics for the girl. Everything is out of date, only a DNA stamp. Entering, Pallant? I have it. With the memory files intact. You have access to Black Market's psychotex. I can provide the perfect backstory. KBW Scion discovered alive as a castaway on a newly surveyed world. The feeds lead it up.

It's impossible. Isn't this exactly your cartel's racket? Illegal mind hacks, identity forging. I've heard your psychotechs are the best. Sure, if a puttknocker wants to pay out half their allowance, we can spoof them in somewhere on the tree far enough from the core bloodline where the NFOs don't look too closely. But Scion? It's suicide. Not under the right circumstances. These circumstances.

She'd have to pass a full investigation. Memory dive, temporal confirmation, the works. If it were possible, and I'm not saying it is, that still leaves the problem of the stand-in themselves. I can handle the cyclone printing and the facial sculpt, but there's no way she'd pass with the DNA mod. They will prod that girl down to the last strand before they hand over the keys to their entire organization. Unless the stand-in is on the tree. Already a close genetic match.

Anyone registered in an Empotic Fraternal Organization has a full biometric record. Unless... she's not in the NFO's book? An orphan. Doesn't even have the first clue she's even in the Brody bloodline. Where is she? Here. On Nuwaddle. Star Hunter Part 3: Birds of Prey This goddamn door! Let me out of here! You can't keep me captive like this! Step away from the door.

Out of here. I said get back. What the hell do you want with me? I come bearing food. You must be starving. A peace offering. Where's Raz? What did you do to him? What is your name? Who wants to know? Answer the question. I remember you. How do I know you? You did something to me. To her. To the other one.

Who is the other one? Her name is Veena Lancer. I think... was... The Watcher. The Watcher showed her to me. We should kill her now. Cut her losses. No! No, no, no, wait! Wait! Rovald! My name is Elise. Elise Brody. She'll never pass interrogation. And she knows too much. How did you break through your psychoconditioning? I don't know what you're talking about.

Let me out of here, please. If it's money you want, my family will pay. Honey, I wish for both our sakes that were true. Your constant pacing is inciting a touch of ceasiness, my dear. Harmonic motion has been known to agitate my equidliprium. These accommodations are simply unacceptable. Sharing for what we pay.

Fracking ludicrous! Did you catch the call sign when Ravod brought us in? I admit, I did not. The weapons pointed in my general direction. They claimed to my whole attention. I'm sorry to say. This is the William. It's a piece of space junk is what it is. Must be a hundred years old. Should the name have some significance, my compatriot and I are missing. It's rumoured to be Milana Vos's flagship. Again, meaning lost.

Apologies. Was is the head of the largest criminal organization in the Orion sector of the T-FED. Do you suppose that this is all for our benefit then? What? A crushed lifeboat, animal hijinks and now brigands in a freebooter. He promised us an adventure but this? Marvelous is it not?

Help me look for a panel or some other way to bypass the door lock. The ship is surplus navy. Most of these cruisers were sold for scrap decades ago. Ah, the origin then for such brutish interior design. I served on a bucket like this, actually. Father insisted I enlist and serve. It was a bloody boring waste of four years. Chambrus, can you show me how to open this door or not? I was an officer. How the hell would I know?

Finally. What's going on here? We need to go now. Your lives are in danger. He's busting us out of this, who's gal? Yaktisi, I need you to get Chambris and Starnes to the flitter while I get the girl. What girl? Can you do that? Yes. I took this blaster off of one of the guards. Take the flyer to the camp and prep my ship for dust-off. But how will you- I need to make sure they can't follow us. If I'm not there by the time the engine is spun up,

Go. Go to the closest station and trigger the guild emergency beacon. Stans, help Chambrus. Let's go, my friend. Arthunter, if you die, I just want you to know that this has been the best experience of my life. Shum? Full refund. Ektisi, be careful. Don't hesitate to use that thing. These people are dangerous. Seal the ship. Don't be late.

Engine room. The boss wants the ship to stay in standby. Ready for dust off on a moment's notice. Are we expecting trouble? The T-Fed crew event is still a few days out. I never killed Marines before. Suppose the tumors bleed green like they say? It's a lot of reaction has to burn while we sit here. Been some anomalous wildlife activity. A herd of bipeds keeps probing the security force field. And we're getting a sporadic ping of a biosign circling about a click and a half out.

It's so big it's got to be faulty sentin' data. So add a full diagnostic to the list while you're at it. Boss lady worried about a few local furries? I thought this was a gunship, yeah? How about I just go out there and get me a new rug? Just keep it spun up, Goyo. Sorry, lady orders. I don't make 'em. You say wrench, we wrench. Tell boss lady we keep her heart pumpin'. Look, I said we keep it runnin'. No, you won't. Fuck, fuck, fuck! Ross? Ross! I'm in here!

Think, think, think, think. Anybody? Guess again, princess. Let go of me, swine ball. Roval. Out, hunter. Let Elise go. Still keeping up the charade? When my family finds out about this, they are gonna hunt you down like a dog. Oh, shut up. Where is Wasp?

This doesn't have to go this way. We can all walk out of here and go our separate ways. She's handling your group of civs personally. You knew how this would go. Kill this a-hole! You think he's on your side? He's the one who plucked you out of the gutter and threw you to the wolves. Thuka! I'll kill you. Now! How do we get out of here? One shot to drop, one to kill. First rule of hunting, never assume you killed it the first time. Ow!

What was that? Are we being fired at? That wasn't a weapon. Something just hit the hull. We have to get to the... We're cut off!

That is challenging considering the volume of incoming fire. You mean to let in the strong jaws? Are you mad? I believe now is the time to go.

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Boss, the reactor just went down. The system is reporting damage to the PG-Forge. Hume. The system went into auto shutdown to avoid a breach. The force field is down. Switch to emergency power, but there's not enough juice to run the field on bats alone. Send men to engineering. Get the reactor back up. Get the power back now. The sieves are making for the flyer. Kill these fucking things before they overrun us. Are you sure you can fly this thing? In my younger days.

I was quite the daredevil. You know what, Stance? I like you. You're buckled in. Thank you. Do you think I should have them grow me a new armor just to go with the latest cybernetics? You can think about it on the ride home. Stance, get to the ship. Follow Hume's orders. What are you doing, Yak-TC? Going back. You are not an out-hunter. Let the man do his job and protect us for once. I can't leave him behind. Who is that? A Gagatuan. No!

Hunter's Guide, Entry 13246485.

Species, Jumalan Gargantuan. Kaiju, Classification Apex. These giant hexapods have been recorded on subterranean scan to reach 100 meters in height and inhabit the underground network of lava tubes that crisscross Jumala's crust. Warning, do not approach. Do not attack. If sighted above ground, seek shelter immediately. Happy hunting! The strogjaws, look.

They've stopped. They're running. I think you might have the right idea. The gargantuan is going through the cruiser. Stance! Stance! Right! Yes! I think it's time for us to abscond while our big friend has the enemy's attention. Remember! Once you get our ship spun up, go! Get off world! Try not to die, Miss Yak-Tee-See. Go! Gargantuan. Simply marvelous.

Hold on, Mr. Chabris. This is going to be quite the ride. We gotta get to the loading bay! What? The Black Abyss keeps hitting us! I have a rough guess. The cargo bay! Get to cover! How do we get past the cartel? Lay down suppression fire so I can get a count. Oh. Okay. Now! Hold your fire! How many? They aren't firing at us. Mostly. Hume? We have a bigger problem.

Much bigger. Look for yourself. Mark! What the hell is that thing? It's... A problem. What about our ride? Our fleet is gone, but Ross's heavy flier is still on the ground. Then we head for that, right? Ross Hume! This doesn't have to go this way, Milana! You disabled my ship and called in whatever that thing is!

To be fair, you were gonna kill us. Did you call it? No, but she doesn't know that. How do we stop that thing? We don't. In a parlay, it is customary to offer something of value. If you let us go, we'll draw the gargantuan away and give you the time you need to get this cruiser into orbit. And then what? You expect me to just walk away? I'd call that a tomorrow problem.

Let them go! I thought I told you to go, Yaktisi! Who hired who here? Fair enough. Now, I said let them go. Will you honor your word, Out Hunter? Let us go and I will try to draw it off. You have my word. This isn't over. I have no illusions otherwise. Go!

So you are the survivor? That's up for debate at the moment. What's she talking about? Later. Strap in. Is the gargantuan being controlled by those things from the river? They're a subterranean species. There's only a single catalog sighting above ground. None of the drones survived the encounter. Then something must have drawn it above ground. How do we draw that thing away from the cruiser? By being a hornet. Is that a good idea?

I mean helping Wasp escape? No, but we are doing it anyway. Get in the ship. Let's go. Let's go. Boss, the Flitter's drawing the beast away. How's the reactor? We've prepared the containment crucible. Engines are coming back online now. Two minutes to liftoff. Will she hold together? We have several hull breaches on deck C, but I've sealed off that section. Uh, she'll hold. The last of the crew is on board. Get us out of here. Coming back around. I see it. Ah!

That was too close. Get that stabilizer locked down. Top left panel. Got it. Cannons are almost dry. The closer is about to lift off. The gargantuan is turning back. We need to keep its attention. Last salvo. Box two. Direct hit. Okay, well, that did it. Oh, no.

Hume, do you read? Biff busy here. We are lifting off now. We've got its attention. Go now! I expect you to leave so that we can finish. She talks too much. That last salvo did some damage. Time to go. Oh, hell yeah!

Actually, barking just happened? At first you were like, "Boo!" and killed that creepy guy in the cell, and then the Godzilla look-a-like back there, and that crazy woman with the pirate fetish. I mean, living alone for four years will make you, you know, look for a little excitement that isn't about trying not to get eaten. But man, what was that? Something I'd like explained as well, Mr. Hume. First we get off-world, and then I promise I will explain everything. Starnes!

Starnes, come in! Out, Hunter. You make this heart sing. You're alive? And Yag-Chese? As far as I'm aware. We made it out. All of us. How's my ship? Very well indeed. Spun up and ready for departure. We will be in moments with dust off. Your call arrives on the time of the eleventh hour. And my heart soars. We just picked up the cruiser's launch on our sensors, but what about the gargantuan?

Hopefully returning deep below the surface. Astounding. Keep her warm a few more minutes. We are 90 clicks out. The welcome mat will be rolled out, as they say in the Hollows. Ross? Mm-hmm? Do you think the gargantuan was sent by those things from the river? The Watcher, or those teleporting Orby thingies? Watcher? What is she talking about? What things by the river? There's something in the jungle. Something that can... enter your mind.

The strong jaws and the swarms of spider crab things that attacked us coordinated their attack like... like an army. They were being controlled. That scary cartel lady? She... she saved us. Before she tried to kill us. Wasp. Wasp. She's the only reason we survived.

It was crazy. You should have seen these things in control. One second they were here, the next second they were over there. Sentience and teleportation? So it seems. How is that possible, Mr. Hugh? I don't know. But like, we have to find out, right? We can't just leave. We have to find out what the Watcher is doing here on... Here on... Where the hell are we? Jamala. I would have named it something scarier. There has to be another answer.

Why? In 200 years and thousands of worlds, humans have never encountered another technologically advanced sentient species. Only the primogenitors ever had anything remotely on this scale. But they've been extinct eons. We scanned the entire planet for PG signatures. We found nothing. Okay, mister knows-it-all-but-likes-to-scowl-at-everything. What's your answer to the... Pium!

malfunction malfunction malfunction engines offline altitude warning 900 meters punch out it's not working escape system offline 600 meters damn you 400 meters 200 meters brace for impact

I hope you enjoyed this installment of Star Hunter. If you liked today's episode, please check out our after show, which releases between the main episodes on this feed. If you like the podcast, please leave us a review and connect with us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook under the handle at CM Anthology, or check us out online for more information at www.curiousmatterpodcast.com. This episode was dramatized, directed, and edited by me, your host, Jonathan Pezza.

Casting assistance was provided by Sandeep Parikh, Anand Shah, and Jeff Winkler. Assistant editing by Mohamed Moiz Riaz. Tonight's show starred Colin Ferguson as Ross Hume, Tiffany Smith as Elise Brody, and co-starred Jack Bowman as Starnes, Sharice Wara as Yaktisi, John Edelman as Chambris, Gavin Loudon as Rovald, Céline Gench as Milana Wass, and Blythe Renée as the Hunter's Guide.

Our talented ensemble also included the voices of Jason Irvin, Philip Gray, Tien Nguyen, Jeremy Pezza, Jonathan Pezza, and Mohamed Moiz Riaz. AI voice performances provided by Play.ht. The score was provided by Epidemic Music and featured the talent of Bonnie Grace, Joe Wandrini, Bon Fields, Golden Anchor, Trailer Works, Hampus Nacelis,

We'll see you back here next episode for Star Hunter Part 4.

Fortress of Ancients. I'm Jonathan Pezza, your host, and as always, thank you for listening. The Fable and Falling Network, where fiction producers flourish. One foot after another. That's all I can do. That's all any of us can do. I was remote ops in the war.

Broken Road.

A dystopian audio drama coming Monday, July 25th, 2022 on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and everywhere else you like to listen. Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok at BrokenRoadPod. Learn more at www.recursor.tv forward slash BrokenRoad.