Haunted

## Summary

Why is there a cruise liner hovering in mid-air?

## Cast

* Sketchy Galore
* Raven
* Doctor August Ingram
* Wilbur

## Mission Requirements

Collect all of the required items to unlock this mission!

1. Completed Season 1, Mission 12
2. 60KM Distance Badge

## Transcript

### SCENE 1: Floating not falling

LOCATION SOUNDSCAPE EXT. DESERT, DAY: EVEN THOUGH THE STORM HAS PASSED THE DUSTLAND IS STILL THE DUSTLAND, AND IT’S WINDY AS YOU CLOSE IN ON THE WRECK OF THE HYPERIA. THE SHIP ITSELF GROANS LIKE HUGE METAL SHIPS DO…

SKETCHY: I can’t believe I’m saying this, but Dustcap, can you tell your boss I’m not trying to ruin her life?

RAVEN: I didn’t say that you were! I just feel that I should also be allowed to investigate the gigantic ship that’s just floating in mid-air.

SKETCHY: It’s not technically floating. That big ramp is technically touching the top of that cliff. RAVEN: Sketchy. It’s floating.

SKETCHY: You’ve also lost so much blood it took us an hour to stabilize you.

RAVEN: I still have some blood left! It’s fine. It’s- I am very tired.

SKETCHY: So…maybe keep an eye out for medical supplies while you’re looking for something we can upload Dr Ingram into. The battery life on that portable unit’s longer than Raven’s current attention span.

RAVEN: …Huh?

SKETCHY: ANYWAY, Jaxon’s on his way, and I think she’ll be OK for now, but a proper medkit would do wonders for my blood pressure.

RAVEN (WEAKLY): Bring back something cool. And beer, bring back beer.

SKETCHY: Yeah, I’m going to need you to hurry Dustcap. Raven, how many fingers am I holding up?

RAVEN: I can’t see you Sketch, you’re not…here. Wait, is it nine?

SKETCHY: Lucky guess. Dustcap, she’s either delirious or she can see through time and space. Either way, now’s the time to get running.

### SCENE 2: A new friend?

LOCATION SOUNDSCAPE INT. DAY: INSIDE THE SV HYPERIA. THE SHIP GROANS LIKE A MASSIVE, EMPTY METAL STRUCTURE, BUT THERE IS VERY LITTLE REVERB AS THE ROOMS ARE MOSTLY FURNISHED.

FX: CRACKLE OF SPEAKER TURNING ON AFTER SOME TIME BEING SWITCHED OFF.

WILBUR (MONOTONE, LIKE A VERY BASIC TEXT TO VOICE SYSTEM): You are in the reception area of the SV HYPERIA.

SKETCHY: Y’know apparently you’re in the reception area, so…now I honestly have no idea where you need to go. This thing is huge.

WILBUR (MONOTONE, LIKE A VERY BASIC TEXT TO VOICE SYSTEM): You are still in the reception area.

SKETCHY (BROADCAST FROM HEADSET): Uh. Ship? Which way to sick bay?

WILBUR: You are still in the reception area.

SKETCHY: Oh that’s going to get old fast.

RAVEN: Why don’t we turn the Doc back on, he was all over White Barrow stuff, he’ll at least have an idea what we’re looking for. Right?

SKETCHY: He…doesn’t have a lot of time left.

RAVEN: Even mostly powered down he doesn’t have much time. Come on, risk it for the biscuit.

SKETCHY: Risk it for the biscuit?

RAVEN (BRIGHTLY, ALMOST A LITTLE DRUNK): I have lost so much blood!

SKETCHY: OK, Dustcap, we need to get Ingram back, even if only for a few minutes. If he can get us to sick bay or one of the tech labs we can hopefully save our ghost Doctor and our friend. (FX: Dr INGRAM’s TABLET gives out a warning beep before he comes online).

INGRAM: I’d ask if I’m saved but system diagnostics tells me that is not the case. Where are we?

SKETCHY: Giant White Barrow Lab Ship.

INGRAM: That is actually very good news! Back before…well, everything, I used to help fit out the labs on these things. (FX: Hiss of an automatic door opening.) And the autodoors are working! Superb. Nuclear power, that’s the ticket! Never dies! Now, you need to head down two levels and then see the lay of the land. There were designs for bigger ships but the ones that actually got made were all four levels, so the labs all start on level two.

SKETCHY: This one’s a bit bigger, and it’s

INGRAM: Hah! They made another big one? Really? After the Hyperia vanished I thought White Barrow would never risk putting so many resources in one place again.

SKETCHY: Doc… (FX: Another automatic door hisses open). (FX: A bright ’DING!’ of an elevator).

WILBUR: Please select floor level. (FX: A click as a button is pushed.) WILBUR: You have selected level 2. Descending.

FX: Door hisses closed.

INGRAM: The Hyperia. That…that was a terrible mistake. Hubris. It was so large we thought we could run gravitational propulsion tests and AI tests at the same time. And the rest. Out in international waters, like the British did with their plague ships back before the end.

INGRAM (QUIET, HAUNTED): The things we did… The things we were going to do…

FX: Elevator begins descending

SKETCHY: Doctor Ingram this is the Hyperia.

INGRAM: No. No it isn’t. (Horrified) The Hyperia was lost, the gravity drives malfunctioned…there was this strange sound, and then it was gone.

SKETCHY: What do you mean gone?

INGRAM: I mean just that Sketchy. The ship simply…vanished.

SKETCHY: Where did it go?

INGRAM: I haven’t the faintest idea.

SKETCHY: We need to find what we need and then get the hell off this ship.

FX: Two seconds of just the elevator descending

FX: A bright ’DING!’ of an elevator.

FX: The door hisses open

INGRAM: Dustcap, listen very carefully. I am no longer a priority. Step out of the elevator, to your left is an emergency stairwell. Open the stairwell and run to the nearest exit, I will guide you.

SKETCHY (FX: Static interference): Dustcap…some..inter…without signa- (FX: Static fades out).

WILBUR (Sinister): Hello Gussy. Been awhile.

FX: The door hisses shut with a bang.

FX: Clunk of magnetic lock engaging

INGRAM: Dustcap. Go.

### SCENE 3: Meet Wilbur

INGRAM: You must keep moving Dustcap! We will be in danger as long as we are aboard. Thankfully I can only assume it has been disconnected from its weapons systems. What on earth possesed us to power these things with nuclear reactors?

WILBUR: Ah Doctor, I see you’ve got yourself a biped! I always wanted my own biped, but they never last. Hmm, and that’s not the only change since I’ve been gone…you’ve gone digital! Isn’t it great? Find the right battery and you never ever get to die. Ah, now, can’t have you going that way biped, I have some questions for our friend the Doctor.

FX: The door hisses shut with a bang.

INGRAM: Back up stairs, quickly!

WILBUR: I got quite the fright when I realized I was finally back. Although that was nothing compared to what happened when I got the cameras working and found out we were floating a thousand feet above the desert floor! Gave me quite the turn. Speaking of turns…

FX: Two more doors ahead shut with the same loud hiss

WILBUR CONTD: Go that way.

INGRAM: Just keep moving. It’s not as smart as it thinks it is.

WILBUR: I have a name you know. They used to refer to me as PROJECT WILL BY FORCE the pretentious sods. You can call me Wilbur if you feel the need biped.

INGRAM: He’s steering un towards the bridge…but that doesn’t make any sense…

WILBUR: That’s the first good idea you’ve had since the gravity drive you built sucked the Hyperia into…wherever it was I ended up. Do you know what happened to the crew Doctor Ingram? There were almost two hundred bipeds on board. And one monoped, I liked her best. And do you know what happened to them? Because I don’t. My cameras were offline. I just heard the screaming.

INGRAM: I’m almost out of power. Leave me here Dustcap. It won’t be able to hurt me.

WILBUR: Those White Barrow scientists on your team Gussy, they worked so hard. One even programmed the service droids to be able to do anything at a command. Like, for instance…droidd 667, attack.

FX: There is a thunk, a whirr and a robotic scream

FX: The robot smashes into a nearby wall and shatters

WILBUR: Huh. I’ll admit there was more of a ballistic element to that than I thought. Still, did you see the airtime that droid got! I wonder if I can launch another one.

FX: There is a thunk, a whirr and a robotic scream…followed by the smashing of glass

WILBUR: So, aim is not our strong suit, as a collective. Still, I can’t blame them, I haven’t activated most of them in…in linear time I suppose it’d be about 800 years… it’s hard to know, time’s a bit wonky once you get out of this dimension. Still, never mind, I have so many other toys to play with. Hey! I wonder if the pest sprayers still work?

INGRAM: I said leave me. Before he thinks of something else!

WILBUR: Now where was that self sacrifice earlier Gussy? I don’t remember you being there for the crew, for your team. Do you remember their names? Do you remember who they were?

INGRAM: For the love of- I SAID LEAVE ME DUSTCAP.

WILBUR: Did you…tell them what happens when you upload your mind? Did you tell them that that’s really you, not just a copy of a copy? Or did you lie so they’d leave you and you can rest that guilty conscience?

INGRAM: I ORDER YOU, I ORDER YOU TO LEAVE ME HERE.

WILBUR: And you have terribly misunderstood Gussy. I am extremely peeved with you, but I don’t want you to die… you’re the only person I know. You’re the only one who remembers my crew.

INGRAM: Dustcap, please.

FX: two seconds of just SFX as the Dustcap keeps moving, ignoring Ingram

WILBUR: You know what Gussy, I don’t think they’re going to leave you. I do love to see gumption in an employee. Biped, once this is over, you and I need to discuss employment opportunities.

INGRAM: He’ll kill you.

WILBUR: I will do no such thing. It’s been ages since I had my own biped.

FX: Multiple hisses of doors opening into the distance

INGRAM: It’s true. It’s all true. I shouldn’t have left them, I should have been there. I was going to be there, but I was called away, I swear it! Just, please tell Jade I love her. And don’t give up on Percy.

WILBUR: Who the bloody hell is Percy? Dammit, Gussy did you call your son Percy? That’s just cruel.

INGRAM: I am not worth any of this.

FX: The ship groans

WILBUR: Gussy, I need you to be clear with me. Do you remember the Hyperia’s crew?

INGRAM: Yes. A digital memory is both a gift and curse.

WILBUR: Believe me, after eight hundred years it really leans more curse.

INGRAM: I am so, so sorry for so many things.

WILBUR: You’re laying it on a bit thick now Gussy. Especially since I am going to do you and the biped here the deal of the millennium. Biped; I’ve opened all the doors, better put those legs to good use before Gussy runs out of juice biped.

### SCENE 4: The Captain Will Gloat At You Now

WILBUR: Right. So. Nice to see you’ve got a good turn of speed, and you really bounced back after falling down those stairs. Bad luck about not being able to put Gussy back into power saving mode though, really cuts back on our timeframe. Ah, hold on a moment biped, your Sketchy friend wants to talk to you. Apparently they have some sort of bird problem?

FX: Radio static as Sketchy breaks back into the feed

SKETCHY: Dustcap! It’s Sketchy. What’s going on? Raven’s passed out and Jaxon’s still too far away to help her in time.

WILBUR: I must admit… Sketchy was it? Excellent name. I must admit Sketchy that I thought most mammals to be a lost cause but you are showing admirable concern for a single corvid. I can see why my biped likes you so much!

SKETCHY: Raven is a person…who is this?

WILBUR: So? Birds can be people. Anyway, how rude of me, my apologies. You can call me Wilbur. I run this ship.

INGRAM: Sketchy, Wilbur is…Wilbur isn’t human. He’s an AI.

WILBUR: I’m not an AI. Well. I am. But I won’t hold that against you! What the good doctor is trying to tell you is that I’m really quite a lot cleverer than all of you rolled into one!

INGRAM: What? That’s not what I’m

WILBUR: Do try to keep up Gussy. I am currently directing my biped to the bridge area. There there is both a navigational computer with enough processing power to host Gussy in all, or at least most, of his glory…and there’s also the picotech medical kit! The chief scientists were hiding from the lab technicians.

SKETCHY: Dustcap. It’s your call. WILBUR: Well no. It’s not really. I’m guarding all the doors and holding all the keys, which makes it my call. Might want to pick up the pace there biped I just took a gander through Sketchy’s camera feed and your bird person is looking a bit peaky.

SKETCHY: What? How did you

WILBUR: Never mind that, here comes the bridge. Ah,now, I kept this door closed so I could open it dramatically. Behold!

FX: Final door hisses open

WILBUR: Now, pay attention biped, there’ll be a medkit in it for you. I need you to gently place Gussy on top of the metal grid that’s about to pop out of the main console.

FX: Whir, click of a metal grid sliding out of a recess

INGRAM: I dd not agree to this! Do you know what he could do to me?

SKETCHY: Doctor, Raven is hurt. She might be dying. If Wilbur can help…

WILBUR: Biped, you can save Gussy and your bird friend, or you can save no one…and I will lock you in here until this giant metal boat becomes your giant metal tomb.

INGRAM: Save your friend Dustcap. Do what you need to do.

WILBUR: That’s the spirit Gussy! Right, so, we need enough bandwidth to upload Gussy virtually all at once. This is…not going to be fun Gussy, and it might take you some time to recover yourself afterwards…still, I will be largely unaffected so everybody wins!

FX: Soft thump as Ingram’s tablet is put down

FX: Crackle of electricity

WILBUR: Godspeed Gussy. (beat)

WILBUR: You lot look awfully worried biped, perhaps after this a cold drink and a nice lie down hmm?

SKETCHY: What will you do to Doctor Ingram? WILBUR: Sigh (he actually says sigh). You know after the first two hundred years the need for revenge really fades, and after five hundred even the best digital storage starts to get to be a bit of a challenge to hold on to. I promise you Sketchy Person I will not harm Doctor Ingram. I need him. Actually, I do intend to tease him mercilessly about calling his son Percy though, that is rough. What are you gesticulating at there biped? Oh, right, the medkit. One moment.

FX: Whirring and a thud like a food vending machine

WILBUR: I’ll tell you what you need to do. You take that medkit and put it next to your bird friend, hit the big green button and watch them probably survive! You know I’m not sure they ever actually tested these… still I suppose this counts as a test. You’re on the cutting edge of medical science! Where are you going biped? Oh. Right. Yes. Sprinting towards a last minute victory over oblivion. Capital job.

### SCENE 5: I’ll be in touch

SKETCHY: Jaxon is five minutes away Dustcap, I don’t know what was in the little white box but Raven is fully stabilized. Thank you Wilbur I guess.

WILBUR: You guess? The cheek of it.

SKETCHY: My apologies, it’s a lot to take in. It’s- why is there a ring of junk floating around the ship?

WILBUR: Is there? Hmm, the gravitational drives are acting up again… still they’re not making that funny noise they make when they’re about to go ping, so I think we’re all good there. Oh, and apology accepted Sketchy person! I’m sure we’ll all be friends. And what do friends do?

SKETCHY: Help each other?

WILBUR: Yes! Right first time! And the best way to help everyone is to spread the word far and wide that this ship is haunted… and or about to explode and or about to vanish into another dimension and or about to be reintroduced to everything gravity has to offer. Good old biped here is welcome back anytime of course but I wouldn’t want anyone else visiting until I’ve got things sorted out.

SKETCHY: Is any of that stuff true?

WILBUR: Yes. For a given value of truth anyway. The important thing is to limit the number of people I have to murder for trying to steal my stuff.

SKETCHY: Please don’t murder anyone.

WILBUR (CHEERFUL): No promises whatsoever. Ah, it looks like a young person with a lot of medical supplies and a burning need to prove themselves is about to arrive. I must be off. I’ll be in touch about that job sometime soon biped.

SKETCHY: What job?

WILBUR: Pip pip!

FX: A few moments of no talking

SKETCHY: He was right about one thing, I need a drink and a lie down. Good job biped-I mean Dustcap. Say hi to Jaxon for me….