Episode 11: Down To The Bone

Previous episode:	Episode 10: Gag Order
Next episode:	Episode 12: Full Payload
Episode 11: Down To The Bone
	;
Series overview
Series:	Hunt the Truth
Season:	Season 1
Episode specifications
Episode:	11
Air date:	June 7, 2015
Run time:	19:38

Episode 11: Down To The Bone was the eleventh full episode in the first season of the Hunt the Truth audio drama.^[2] The episode was originally released on Soundcloud on June 7, 2015.^[1]

Official summary[edit]

“

The window on Petra’s lead is closing. With only 72 hours to get past ONI and into Deep Space, it’ll take a miracle–or a timely intervention–to keep the story on track.^[3]

”

Plot summary[edit]

Deciding to stay in his apartment, Benjamin Giraud hears voices outside. Coming to the conclusion that the voices are of Office of Naval Intelligence agents, Ben quickly runs into the hallway outside his apartment and hides in a random room, trying to make as least noise as possible. Ben hears the ONI agents searching for him and he quickly tries to run up a stairway, and is grabbed by the agents, but FERO runs in just in time to kill the agents and then tells Ben to follow her. They find a place where they can talk, and FERO gives Ben a bank account with an abundant balance. FERO tells Ben she will be going dark, but Ben tells her to hold out on her plan for a little while. They part ways and Ben heads to the freighter which takes him to the location of Petra's lead, the human colony world, Bliss. After arriving on the planet, Ben heads to the location. With less than 1,200 feet to go, he is hit by a huge silicate storm but manages to reach the glassed building and kick out a window to get inside. Ben, realizing the building is an abandoned ONI facility, starts to search around. When he reaches the bottom floor, Ben finds shelves stacked with firearms, but turns around to find an operational relay interface. To his surprise, Ben is able to connect his comm-pad to the relay. He finds recordings from alternate views of the incident on Biko, as well as evidence against his interviewee's stories. He also finds details on the SPARTAN-II program and John-117, confirming the rumors Anthony Petrosky told him about. Ben downloads all the evidence but starts getting hit with corrupted files, so he immediately disconnects. With all the files he needs safely with him, Ben heads back to the settlement.^[4]

Audio transcript[edit]

Benjamin Giraud (voiceover): (sighs) I was running out of time to catch the freighter to Bliss and follow up on Petra's lead. But I wasn't going to the Outskirts; I wasn't going to take down ONI. I was going to sit here, in between the floor joists of my old bedroom and let all those loose bits of silica glass poke through my clothes and scratch up my skin. At this point I didn't care: the room I used to sleep in didn't even have a floor anymore. The night was pouring in over my shoulders and no matter how hard I tried to disappear into my hoodie, the temperature just kept dropping. I never should've come here. They'd evacuated my neighbors, taken all my things, my stash of money, torn everything down to the bone, and they haven't even left me a hint that I had ever existed in the first place. ONI could erase anything they wanted to.

Giraud: (whispering) Hunt the truth.

Giraud (voiceover): I just sat there. It was quiet... when I got a call.

Giraud: Hello, who is this?

FERO (in call/slightly disguised): Ben, you need to get out of there now. They've found you.

Giraud: What-- FERO? Wait, no-- how, how did you--

FERO (in call/slightly disguised): Ben, listen to me. I told you I'd protect you. Now go before it's too late.

Giraud: Protect me? I don't even know who you are, how can I even trust what you-- what you--?

FERO (in call/slightly disguised): Ben would you-- do you-- just--

Benjamin: What you-- what you-- I'm not going anywhere.

FERO (in call/slightly disguised): Damn it Ben, have a pity party later. You need to get out of there now!

Benjamin (voiceover): It was already too late.

FERO (in call/slightly disguised): Okay Ben, listen to me. Ben--

(shuts off call)

Giraud: Damn it , damn it, damn it...

ONI Operative #1: Oh...

Giraud (voiceover): I could hear them out there, through the giant hole where my windows used to be.

(ONI Operatives talking in the background)

Giraud: No, no, oh no...

Giraud (voiceover): I needed to hide, stay quiet. If they were using biometrics, I needed to slow my heart down too, but I was terrified. And then, I froze. ONI was here and everything became instant.

(door opens, quick footsteps)

Giraud (voiceover): I flew out of my apartment into the hall. A door, any door. I picked one. But the plastic sheeting, I stepped too loud, so I retreated and slipped to a door across the hall, soft feet this time, moving as fast as I could toward a back bedroom, avoiding the wrinkles on the floor, navigating the silhouettes of draped furniture, trying to be silent. I curled up beneath the bedroom window and listened. That was my door opening. They were in my apartment. Had I left any evidence?

ONI Operative #1: Okay, over there.

Giraud (voiceover): I needed to relax.

ONI Operative #2: Clear.

Giraud (voiceover): I breathed and waited.

ONI Operative #1: No, he's here.

Giraud (voiceover): They would systematically scan the building until they found me and then they were going to stuff me in a bag. I closed my eyes, tried to disappear. The sounds had gotten faint. This was my chance. I could make it to the stairwell but I had to go now. I went and three strides into the living room, I could hear them coming around. I dropped down out of sight behind a couch. They were right outside.

ONI Operative #1: Shhh... he's here.

Giraud (voiceover): I waited. It was quiet... and then they struck.

(ONI operative loudly breaks door)

Giraud: No, no, no, no!

Giraud (voiceover): The agents began to overpower me. They were about to put me down when...

(Giraud gagging, then gunshots)

Giraud (voiceover): The agents crumpled to the floor. They-- they were dead. What happened? I-- I tried to clear my eyes so I could see when suddenly, I heard one of the agents, still alive...

(ONI Operative gagging, than a gunshot)

Giraud (voiceover): And then he wasn't. I saw the shooter emerge from the shadows, snatching up the ONI COM pads and stepping right up to me.

FERO: Do you trust me now?

Giraud: (panting) Yes, yes! What-- why-- yeah--

FERO: More agents will be here in two minutes. You can wait here to die or you can get your ass out that window right now!

Giraud (voiceover): I did what she said.

Giraud: Okay, okay, okay!

Giraud (voiceover): I just met FERO. I'm Benjamin Giraud and this is Hunt the Truth.

Giraud: Alright, I guess.

Giraud (voiceover): FERO led the way along the ledge to the fire escape. I was trying not the look down. We jumped the last several feet and I immediately ran across the street to take cover.

Giraud: (whispering) FERO, where are we going?

FERO: Stop talking.

Giraud (voiceover): I did as she said, trying not to think. She moved quickly, staying in the shadows. I tried to step where she stepped but it was hard to keep up. I was almost out of breath by the time she finally ducked into a drainage canal and stopped. I was trying to digest what had just happened.

Giraud: (panting) W--were those agents-- Were those agents even--

FERO: I don't have time to talk. I only came here to make sure you stay a free man so I need you to listen carefully. If they haven't already, ONI's definitely greenlit you now. You need to get offworld; agents are probably searching your neighborhood as we speak and they won't stop until you're neutralized.

Giraud: Oh God, oh God, oh God, oh God...

FERO: Listen to me. We will protect you. Oh, we're mobilizing in the Outer Colonies right now. Major pieces are in motion so everything's on lockdown. You'll have to make it on your own for at least a few more days. We'll give you the resources you need to lay low.

Giraud (voiceover): She handed me a COM pad.

FERO: This is completely untraceable, so use it for whatever you need. It gives you access to a secure account too. You'll have more than enough credits.

Giraud: What, really? Seriously?

Giraud (voiceover): Ever since ONI froze my accounts, I hadn't even been able to buy a cup of coffee. And now FERO was giving me a trap door out of financial ruin. She already saved my life and now this.

Giraud: Oh, this is great. I-- I-- I can't thank you enough.

FERO: You can access our network of safehouses on there. The protocol's blocked right now but when the lockdown ends it'll automatically prompt you. I'll make sure they know to take care of you.

Giraud: Wait, wait, wait. Won't-- won't you be there?

FERO: The move we're planning is dangerous, but I'm about to go dark. And this time, it might be permanent.

Giraud: What?! Wait, why are you taking this much risk?!

FERO: There's no time. The window's closing and the Chief is still taking the fall. Your story exposed ONI, the Biko leaks cut deep. We have those bastards bleeding but when the senators didn't buy on our hack, ONI had a chance to recover so we are going all in while they're still vulnerable. That's why we're on lockdown. The mission's desperate at best, but there's no silver bullet here.

Giraud: No, no, there has to be.

FERO: It's okay, Ben. I'm not afraid to die. What we're doing is so much bigger than me, and I know there will always be people to continue the fight, people like you.

Giraud (voiceover): ONI was coming after me with everything they had. FERO had saved my life and now she was prepared to lay down her own. I couldn't lay low. I knew what I had to do.

Giraud: Wait, wait, wait, I may have a silver bullet.

Giraud (voiceover): I convinced FERO to hold off on her plan for a few more days while I followed up on Petra's lead. I knew whatever I did, with whatever I found there, would have to be big. But if it took making a major impact to keep another one of my friends from dying in the fray... I thanked FERO again...

Giraud: Thank you.

Giraud (voiceover): ...told her I'd see her soon and we parted ways. I stayed in the shadows and moved quickly across town to the freighter headed for Bliss, only stopping once at an old military surplus along the way. I stocked up there, then caught my ride out to deep space. When I arrived, I headed straight for the Office of Mineral Rights. On the ride up, the freighter captain had seemed far more interested in bribery than my aspiring prospector backstory. I was hoping the Claims Coordinator would be equally pragmatic.

Claims Coordinator: Mr. Jared, a entrepreneur diversifying into silicates does not usually hop on a deep-space freighter to walk the glass troughs. I like your gumption, but I'd love to show you some of these projected yields.

Giraud: Uh, actually I already have a projected plot in mind.

Giraud (voiceover): After negotiating transport up here, I understood better what the industry considered acceptable compensation. With all the haggard men outside holding gold-plated COM pads, I figured the man who issued the permits would have me plundering FERO's account. So 75,000 cR later, I had access, NAV, and full gear. He seemed alarmed though when I refused an escort.

Claims Coordinator: Uh, that's four klicks from here and beyond that periphery, it's a hard slog through raw glass. Some of those formations will stab through bone.

Giraud (voiceover): I just signed the waivers. To his credit, we offered me some parting advice... free of charge.

Claims Coordinator: Wind really kicks up out there, and the particulates' been extremely rough. We've had to close the shutters twice in the past week. So, uh... if you hear that alarm, you get to cover, okay? Otherwise, it'll tear your skin off.

(automated door opens)

Giraud: Thanks, appreciate it.

Giraud (voiceover): On the outskirts of the settlement, the horizon seemed to be all quarries. When I reached the periphery though, open pit operations stopped abruptly, and

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]