S2: E07 - Dust & Quiet

S02-E07: Dust and Quiet

[Intro music]

Narrator: Wake Of Corrosion Season 2 - Episode 7: Dust and Quiet

[Radio Tuning]

[Muffled sounds can be heard as someone switches on a recording device and moves it into the correct position]

Prof Ryan: [spoken in a solemn voice] This is Professor Ryan of Bunker A:12. This is a public broadcast to any Survivors out there. Before I begin, please be aware that I advise listener discretion going forward, as some of the content of this broadcast can be unsettling or disturbing.

[SFX: Morse code]

Ryan: Since our last broadcast I’ve been able to speak with the engineers of A:12 regarding Jim. They...Well they didn’t remem- No, that’s the wrong word. They didn’t know him. They didn’t know who I was talking about. I showed them the recordings of his voice and not one of them recognised his voice at all. And as you well know Survivors, it’s not as though Jim’s voice isn’t recognisable. I find this deeply confusing and in a sense, concerning. I worry that perhaps Jim is lying to Elliot for some reason but also that...well…

[being honest with the listeners] Look, I have been keeping something from you for long enough now, but I feel as though I must share it with you now. I fear that it has the potential to get wildly out of hand and jeopardise the safety of our community and in turn, the broadcast.

Over the past week or so we’ve had an incident here at A:12, something that is threatening all that we hold dear. I have a recording from when we were first made aware of it in fact. I was attempting to record some residents sharing stories of their lives before all of this when we were interrupted quite suddenly. 

[SFX: Tape click]

Jess: 5 years I’d spent studying for this job and of course, on the day of my graduation - It all kicks off doesn’t it? Anyway, before that we’d been thinking about- [SFX: Deep creaking pipe and metal sound]

[People making shocked gasps]

Ryan: What on earth?

Jess: It came from the corridor behind you. 

[SFX: Footsteps]

Ryan: Jess, I’m not sure if we should be heading that way.

Jess: This is our home. Do you usually ignore sounds like this in your home?

Ryan: No but…[sighs] [SFX: Footsteps] [horrified] Oh God.

Other survivors: What’s happened? What’s gone on? Are we under attack? (General dismay and panic)

Ryan: Please, please everyone just. Just hold on a second.

Jess: Is it me, or is it getting cold?

Ryan: That’s what I feared. [louder] Please, everyone just take a step back.

Jess: What even is that?

[SFX: Footsteps]

Ryan: I don’t think we should be near here.

Jess: Is that, is that something moving in there?

Ryan: [panicked] Jess, move back. Move back now! We have to close up this corridor. You go back into the cafeteria, I’ll go this way. Bolt the door Jess. Bolt it and wait for the engineers!

Jess: But Ryan it’s…

Ryan: [stern] Just do it.

[SFX: Running, heavy door creak, slam, bolt. Tannoy]

Ryan: This is Professor Ryan, we require the engineering team at corridor 2a. There is a potential Category 4 Hazard present. I repeat: Engineering Team to corridor 2a. Category 4 Hazard.

Oh Jesus, hurry up….hurry up.

[SFX: Tannoy]

George: Can you confirm that the area is sealed, over?

Ryan: Aye George. I can. But the wall is severely damaged.

George: Copy that. We’ll be there shortly. [Over Bunker-wide Tannoy] This is Chief Engineer Gilbert here, we request that all residents of Bunker A:12 return to their dormitories effective immediately. It is imperative for your safety and the safety of others that you do so immediately. I repeat: All residents of Bunker A:12- [SFX: Fade out]

[SFX: Radio static]

Ryan: Following this I turned my recorder off. As you know, survivors, that was nearly a week ago now and we’re still unable to use corridor 2a. The remaining engineers, George and Frankie have been returning to the compromised area each day to try and seal it up. I was able to speak to George and gain some insight into his thoughts on the matter. There’s been a lot of upset here since this incident. No-one quite knows what it is, but a lot of people are very concerned and rightly so unfortunately. Whilst I don’t think it’s getting worse, the fact that something like this is here and becoming a problem that needs to be addressed daily...well, it’s very troubling.

I feel it’s only right that we discuss this matter further on the broadcast. If it is that someone out there has a similar experience and is able, perhaps, to offer a solution. Then...well I think we all know.

I’ve invited George, the lead engineer, to join us for today’s broadcast and hopefully shed some light on the situation.

Over to you George.

George: Okay...uh...where do I even begin with this thing. I’ll start with the physical damage first shall I? Keep it straight forward...for now.

Ryan: Aye, I think that’s for the best.

George: Alrighty, in corridor 2a, approximately a quarter of the way down from the cafeteria a large crack in the wall, it’s only a couple of millimeters wide at most but it does stretch the entire length of the wall and across approximately 1 metre of the concrete floor. For now I’m not overly concerned that the crack itself poses any structural threat to the bunker so long as it gets no worse. Cracks like this are relatively harmless and the widest section is only very short. What does concern me is what’s visible inside the crack and coming out of it as well. 

You have to bear in mind here I’m viewing all this through the screen of a hazmat suit. Whilst they are pretty clear on the whole, this isn’t through the naked eye. When we first entered the seal area of corridor 2a, Frankie immediately noted that the radiation levels had increased. The geiger counters built into our suits spiked almost immediately. These levels aren’t too troubling but I wouldn’t say it’d be safe to spend a while in there, not unless you want a healthy dose of radiation sickness. They’re stable though, and haven't fluctuated more than a few counts per minute at most. So there’s that to contend with, rendering the corridor unusable until we find the source of the radiation and remove it.

There’s also the matter of the airborne particles that seem to be present in the area. These are similar in size to dandelion seeds. Upon first inspection they were visibly disturbed by our movement in the area. However, after further observation and tests it’s clear that these airborne particles appear to move of their own volition. Of course, this is one of the more troubling aspects of the compromise. And yes, we have deemed it a Category 4 compromise as you stated in your initial communication to us. As such we have set up appropriate quarantine wash stations and temporary air-lock tents in the south corridor entrance. So far we haven’t discovered any of these particles present in any other area of the bunker, therefore I’m inclined to believe that you and Jess were able to seal the area before any escaped.

There is also the matter of the crack itself. It’s incredibly dark there. Unnaturally so in fact. Even in the torchlight provided by our suits, designed as such to illuminate an area for work. It remains dark. It’s as though there is something in there, something completely black blocking the light. We have yet to assess how potentially hazardous interacting further with the crack could be and as such have no more information to share regarding our light being blocked.

Finally, is the matter of the sounds coming from inside the crack. Under the thick layer of our suits it was hard to pick out at first, but once we noticed them we brought in some recording equipment to help identify the sounds.

I have it with me, if you’d like to share it?

Ryan: I think it’s for the best, after all transparency can only help us in discovering more.

George: Very well. 

[SFX: Recording click]

[SFX: Zip, muffled voice, geiger counter, heavy footsteps]

Frankie: Okay, it’s all sealed up and the recorder’s on.

George: Alright, let’s move up to the site.

Frankie: We should switch these counters off, don’t want it messing with our audio.

George: Good call Frankie, [SFX: Switch] let’s not linger though.

[SFX: Heavy footsteps]

[SFX: Quiet otherworldly sound similar to what Elliot heard when trapped, added static]

Frankie: I’m getting a reduced temperature reading here George. It’s on 12 degrees [a pause] going to 11.

George: Monitor that Frankie. Let’s get that recording though. Alright?

Frankie: On it,

[SFX: Heavy footsteps, growing otherworldly sound]

George: Jeez, you weren’t kidding. It’s on 7 degrees already. 

Frankie: Colder near the void site.

George: [laughs] The void huh? Is that what we're calling it now?

Frankie: Well, there’s certainly no light coming in or out of that thing still. So…

George: Alright, I think that’ll do it for now. We can listen to it back at the office.

[SFX: Heavy footsteps]

Frankie: [inquisitive] Huh...One of those motes is following me.

George: Excuse me?

Frankie: Yeah, I know. It’s following me, each time I step it’s following along.

George: Lemme see.

[SFX: Heavy footsteps]

Frankie: It’s on my gauntlet, look.

George: Frankie, get that thing off you.

Frankie: It’s not gonna get through the suit George.

George: We don’t know that. I’m not losing another person, Frankie.

Frankie: [shakes hand] Alright, alright. There was no need to…

[SFX: Recording stops]

George: [back with Ryan, awkward, like he let the recording run too long] She removed it from her suit. We decontaminated and left. Does that recording, does it help?

Ryan: I take it you’ve not been listening to the broadcast then George?

George: Uhh, no. I don’t have time for that I’m afraid Ryan.

Ryan: That’s quite alright, I understand that you’re busy. You’ve got a lot of responsibilities.

George: [awkward again] yeah, yeah…

Ryan: Well, in an earlier entry, Elliot, one of the two brother’s we’ve been following, was trapped somewhere by a creature out there. During that recording there was a sound not too dissimilar from the one you captured in here.

George: Seriously? What was it?

Ryan: Ah, I’m afraid we still don’t know. Although, we can’t deny that there are similarities to human speech, sounds and well...screams in there. Wouldn’t you say?

George: Look Ryan, I’m not really one to speculate. A lot of things can sound like screaming or people talking. Y’know that, surely?

Ryan: I do, but...We have to look at the evidence here-

George: [interrupts] And what sense does it make for a crack in the wall to be filled with voices?

Ryan: What sense does it make for a mote of dust to be following Frankie? And we all know what you’ve seen out there. I think this world stopped making sense a good while ago.

George: I just think we should be careful about making assumptions, that’s all. You start saying all these things about hearing people’s voices trapped in a wall or whatever and you’re gonna start getting people more worried than they need to be. Hysteria. And we all know where that goes.

Ryan: You’re right George...There’s a thin line we must tread between speculation and fact. Believe me, as I scientists, it’s been the bane of my life for a good while now.

George: Yeah, well...Just be careful Ryan. Alright?

Ryan: Aye George...You too.

[SFX: Chair moving and footsteps]

Ryan: [calling back as he leaves] Keep me updated on the Void Site.

George: I’m still not calling it that.

[SFX: Shuffling papers etc]

Ryan: I’ll be honest with your survivors, I’m quite afraid. I always thought of the events the brother’s experienced as quite separate to Bunker A:12. Despite knowing full well that what is happening outside is the reason we’re in here...I think I was just living in a sort of blissful ignorance that it could happen anywhere. I’ve not slept well since that first day when we discovered the crack and I can’t see that changing any time soon. Even if we were able to deal with it, the safety of A:12 has forever been compromised. I’m questioning whether we’re better off in here or out there at this point.

[annoyed] Ah, I suppose only time will tell. At least in here we have each other and all the resources we could need for a good while.

Let us continue with the brother story.

We begin with a short recorded entry from Roman before we move on to the brothers recording together.

[SFX: Sheets moving]

Roman: It’s uh, it’s been a while since I’ve done one of these. Elliot’s looking at some maps in what I think is the recreational room. I know what he’s doing, he’s planning where we go next isn’t he? Typical. The boy complains about being outside, crying about being surrounded by nightmares and constantly on the verge of a mental breakdown and then the first chance he gets of safety, he wants to bolt. And I know why he’s doing it. He doesn’t want me here wallowing about my family. Like I'm not allowed time to grieve. Like he doesn’t want to grieve himself, as though they aren’t part of his extended family. [getting annoyed] God damn, it makes me so angry just to think about what must be going through his head to justify the way he’s being.

If I’m leaving this place, it’s going to be on my terms. This bunker is like...it’s like a maze. There’s all these rooms branching off all these corridors and like Elliot said, it’s partly new, partly old. So what right? So I think old Jim doesn’t know who or what’s going on in here. He didn’t even know we were here until we were already in a section near to him. There could be other people in here, right? People who’re perhaps trapped in a different section? Or perhaps they’re not even aware Jim is here. Maybe they’re too scared to leave where they’re held up….[realising he’s sounding a bit over the top] Look...I don’t know why I’m trying to justify this to myself but I need this. I need to be certain they’re not here. That’s the only way I’m moving on.

I’ve haven’t drank since I woke up...I know I shouldn’t of had as much as I did, but...well..shit was bad, alright? God I feel stupid recording this [sighs] I need to tell Elliot what I’m doing. He can plan our next steps all he wants but I’m not going anywhere until I’ve scoured this place. [SFX: Recording crackles, lights flicker. ] Woah - What the? [SFX: Muffled sounds as Roman moves the recorder] Was that? Was that from here? But it’s recording and why, why did the lights flicker? [shouting] El? ...Jim? Hello?

[SFX: Recording crackles, lights flicker, prolonged help] Oh Jesus.

[SFX: Door creaks open quickly]

Elliot: (panting) Roman, Roman are you okay?

Roman: I...I think so?

Elliot: What’s up? Why did you call me?

Roman: Did the lights just flicker for you, did you hear anything?

Elliot: Uh, no? And no, just you shouting me.

Roman: For fucks sake…

Elliot: What’s up, you look like you’ve seen a ghost bro.

Roman: [deadpan] No, I think I heard one. In the recording, whilst I was recording.

Elliot: That...what? You heard a ghost? What are you-

Roman: [interrupting] Yes! I heard something coming from here. It sounded like a person, it sounded like someone calling for help.

Elliot: Play it back.

[SFX: Recording clicks]

[SFX: Radio]

Professor Ryan: The next recording takes place some time after.

[SFX: Recording clicks]

[SFX: Muffled movements]

Elliot: [panting] Fuck fuck fuck! How did this even happen?

Roman: It’s fine. I mean really, this place can only be so big.

Elliot: You said it yourself it’s like a god damn maze Roman!

Roman: Exactly. Always an entrance and an exit, it’s just gonna take time.

Elliot: Fuuck! [shouting] Jim? Jiiimm? Hello? Can you hear us?

[silence]

Roman: Didn’t work before, it’s not gonna work now.

Elliot: How are we lost? Just, how? We’re supposed to be safe inside a bunker and we’re somehow lost and I swear if the lights in these corridors flicker one more time…

Roman: Chill. It’s fine.

Elliot: Oh, sure. Chill...yeah I’ll just chill shall I?

Roman: It’d make a change to be fair.

Elliot: Screw you. Screw this! All of this, bs. I’m sick of it. 

Roman: What, the end of the world? You’re sick of the end of the world, poor little you!

Elliot: No! I’m sick of this bunker. I’m sick of these walls of these floors and ceilings. The crappy LED lights that can’t seem to decide it they want to be on or not. I’m sick of the smell, the taste in the air and all the dust...There’s nothing here Roman...there’s no-one here. It’s just me, you, Jim and a whole load of dust and quiet.

Roman: Thanks for the vote of confidence there Elliot.

Elliot: They. Are not. Here. I’m sorry, but it’s the truth. There’s no-one else in here. Hell, I don’t even know if Jim is in here anymore. We've been lost for so long!

[SFX: Walking]

Elliot: Roman? ...Roman where are you going?

Roman: [stern] If you’re so adamant that no-one is here, let’s go then.

Elliot: Just like that?

Roman: What do you mean, just like that? Yes, just like that. You clearly don’t care about finding them, you’d rather you just be back out there for some idiotic reason. So let’s go, what’re we waiting for? [sarcastic] I mean, it’s not like we’ve both heard cries for help couple with flickering lights now is it? Nope. Not at all….Cus that would definitely be a sure sign that there’s something more going on here.

Elliot: Look. I’m sorry. Alright? I just feel trapped in here and I’m just trying to be realistic.

Roman: [laughs] You? Realistic? Are you kidding me, you live in day dream land. Staring off into the distance.

Elliot: That’s not true. Argh, it’s so hard to explain to you what-

Roman: [interrupts] Is that the cafeteria?

Elliot: Oi, what...Yeah, it is. Holy shit, I think I know where we are.

Roman: Well would you look at that. Maybe your little hissy fit wasn’t all in vein after all.

Elliot: That wasn’t a….urgh, nevermind. Right...Which way did Jim take us back from here?

Roman: Left hand side, then up the ramp wasn’t it? 

[SFX: Otherworldly sounds, muffled]

Elliot: Holy…

Roman: That was from in there. That was behind the cafeteria door…

Elliot: Should we? I don’t...I don’t think we should.

[SFX: Footsteps]

Elliot: [warning] Roman…

[SFX: Door creak]

[SFX: Humming sound]

Roman: Fuck, that’s cold.

Elliot: No, no, no….We’ve got to go. Close that door 

[SFX: Footsteps]

[SFX: Humming grows louder until a crescendo of sound, screams, creatures, etc fill the air for a few seconds with otherworldly sounds. Recording crackles]

Roman & Elliot:  [general cry of terror]

Roman: Holy….I’ve never seen so many...

Elliot: M-m-my hand. My hand. My hand. My hand.

Roman: Stop sayi--Oh. Is that...Is that shadow?

Elliot: Get it off, get it off, get it off! Aaah, aaahh, why won’t it go away.

Roman: Ssh, ssh it’s okay. Just calm down. Is it hurting you?

Elliot: Noo, no. But...I can feel them. I can feel my missing fingers!

Roman: It’s okay...It’s okay.

Elliot: No...not it’s not. Roman….Roman they’re all looking at us...the shadows...they’re staring at us.

[SFX: Build up of sound again before a crescendo and then silence]

[heavy breathing from both E&R]

Elliot: The shadow, on my hand….It’s gone. What the fuck was that? Wait...Where did they go?

Roman: [panicked] I can’t see, everything’s white.

Elliot: What? Blink, rub your eyes, something!

Roman: [heavy breathing] It’s...it’s not doing anything. Oh God…

Elliot: Fuck, I don’t know what to do.

Roman: Just...just give me a second

[SFX: Sitting down]

Roman: What’s happened around us?

Elliot: The shadows, they all turned and looked at us, even the children. Then there was that awful noise and everything turned white for a moment before there was nothing, including the weird shadow version of my missing fingers. But now there’s just dust...just…

Roman: Dust and quiet?

Elliot: [laughs but in a sad way] Yeah. Ironically. [pause] That’s not the only thing though. Everything that was in the room, everything that was left over. It’s deteriorated. All the food that was rotting away has turned to nothing...or more likely is the dust in the air and all the tables and chairs are either rotten messes or rusted skeletons. 

Roman: You’re having a laugh right?

Elliot: No, I’m seriously not. The only light in the room is coming from the corridor and open door behind us so it’s not the brightest room but seriously, that’s what I can see. [a pause] Fuuck, what has happened to us?

Roman: It’s coming back.

Elliot: Your eyesight?

Roman: [sarcastically] No Elliot, my memory of November 1989….Yes Elliot, my eyesight.

Elliot: Alright alright. Jesus.

Roman: Seriously though, I’m so freaking glad about that. I was mad scared for a second then.

Elliot: You’re telling me, I was worried I’d have to be your visual guide for the rest of your life!

Roman: Oh fuck. You weren’t kidding.

Elliot: Yeah…It doesn’t even smell the same in here anyway. It’s more like a metallic smell than a sweet rotting one.

Roman: That’ll be those metal chairs.

Elliot: Do you think it’s affected us?

Roman: In what way?

Elliot: Well, we’ve seen things like this before haven’t we? It gets cold and shit goes weird. And we’ve seen the after effects of things changing so rapidly.

Roman: Aging you mean?

Elliot: If that’s even what it is...It just...God I can still feel my heart pounding. Every other time we’ve encountered those shadows they’ve always had repeating actions. Something that we’ve never been able to stop or interfere with. But then...then they acted differently, they turned and looked at us.

Roman: Are you sure that wasn’t their repeated action though? Don’t forget, Jim said this happened when he stepped into the room. Everyone was here one moment, and gone the next.

Elliot: Surely everyone didn’t turn to look at him though, did they? I mean, I can’t imagine him making a grand entrance to everyone eating their food.

Roman: Weirder things have happened.

Elliot: Truth.

Roman: Well then bro...what now? I think I’ve got my vision back fully.

Elliot: Well, we still don’t know if they’re any other effects on us. Anything we can’t see.

Roman: It’s not like we can do anything about that though is it.

Elliot: I suppose you’re right...unfortunately. I just worry.

[SFX: Crumbling sound]

Roman: Ah shit, look.

Elliot: Oh dear, that’s not good.

Roman: Yeaaahh, let’s head back to Jim and hope that that crack doesn’t get any worse.

Elliot: Is it even safe to be here anymore?

Roman: [laughs] If one crack is going to threaten an entire bunker then someone seriously messed up building this place.

Elliot: I don’t mean just that though, I mean what just happened. It could happen again, or it could spread to the rest of the bunker.

Roman: You’re really desperate to leave aren’t you?

Elliot: Look, I just don’t see the point in hanging around somewhere like this. There’s nothing here for us.

Roman: [annoyed] Fine. Fine! Let’s find Jim, grab our things and go then shall we?

[SFX: Walking]

Elliot: Do you think he’ll come with us?

Roman: [dismissive] Who knows? 

[SFX: Muffled recorder sounds]

[SFX: Radio]

Ryan: Survivors, as we’re discovering this together I’m quite aware that the situation Elliot and Roman now find themselves in is a difficult one, but not too dissimilar to our own. I’m interested to see what else happens in Bunker A:7. From what I can tell it seems as though the event there is much more severe than our own, but listening to the sounds from that recording I can’t help but be reminded of the one here. It concerns me...but perhaps their experiences here could give us some insight to our own fate, maybe even a warning.

More importantly though, during that last piece of evidence I received an incoming communication from Claire, it seems as though she has arrived at Ralford and has a great deal to tell us. As the site itself is quite large, I’ve given her some directions to the main building and the possible location of what we’re looking for. Once she has made it there I shall share with you her return response to me.

Until then...Don’t wander in the dark.

[CREDITS]