Speaker 1: High excursionists. It's way back Wednesday on Into the Night Anthology,
a return to a story that left its mark. And
if you're a library member, don't forget. There's another story
waiting just for you. Be sure to check your email
if you haven't found your way there yet, listen all
the way to the end to find out how you
can become a story in my library. Welcome to Endo
the Night. I'm Nari, your guide on today's excursion down
a twisted path. Be careful not to get lost. Be
it dark or light, it's easy to lose your way.
Are you ready, then let's begin the garden. The gentle
hum of the landing gear soothed Seth Langley's frayed nerves.
Normally he enjoyed his excursions. This time he craved one.
I never imagined I'd be so happy to get away
from home. Seth winced at the thought. He loved Laury.
He really did. The tensions between them had grown in
recent months, and the pressures came from many sides. His
job with the company occupied more time these days, and
her parents nearly demanded that he and Laurie pick up
and move closer to them. Then there were their struggles
with infertility. It's reached the point that we're trying too hard.
Everything's become mechanical. We've lost intimacy. I can't enjoy time
with Laurie because I feel forced to perform. I'm not
even sure I want to be a father. Yes, getting
away for this field study came at a good time.
He needed a chance to catch his breath. He loved Lory,
he loved his job, and he even loved Phil and Doris,
his in laws. He just needed the chance to experience
the beauty of the deep forest to rejuvenate his senses.
The Cascade Mountains brought him a sense of well being
he could find nowhere else. The flight was smooth, and
Seth had even allowed himself the guilty pleasure of a
nap during the trip. Moments of relaxation were few and
far between. As one of the leading scientific researchers in
his field, he seldom took breaks. While most people never
thought twice about where pharmaceutical discoveries came from, it was
Seth's life. He specialized in the study of using natural
elements in medications. The stigma created toward pharmaceuticals by the
over use of chemicals for decades, gave rise to the
back to nature movement that became his passion. Natural cures
were for the taking if we would just look for them.
That passion and drive brought Seth here to day to
the dense forest of the Cascade Range. He lovingly referred
to the area as the Garden. Seth believed the flora
of the old forest held the cures to many diseases.
He had three new medications nearing completion of the testing
and approval stages, and all came from plants heat discovered
in the garden. As often as he could, he stole
away to this botanical paradise. Simply being there healed Seth
on so many levels. The company wanted easy access to
the area, but being environmentally conscious, developed a landing pad
and a small research lab that blended into the area
so well that no one noticed it unless they knew
what to look for. The shuttle, now ready for its
passengers and crew to disembark, slid into the hangar. The
doors closed behind the vehicle, and the team quickly made
its way to the lab. Safely passed the air lock,
Seth slipped out of his travel clothes and into the
required BioSuit. His skin condition required extra protection from the
increased YUV rays. Thin mountain air, and the elevation of
the range blocked fewer of those rays than the atmosphere
found at sea level. Seth grimaced as he remembered the
time he hadn't worn his BioSuit. Never again, his company
spared no cost to protect its rising star researcher. The
suit was clumsy, but once in the woods, Seth forgot
his discomfort. He was the only team member allowed to
venture into the forest. The rest stayed behind to analyze
his samples and to record data. His walks in the woods,
while not without risks, were his own, Seth relished them.
BioSuit safely on, Seth motioned to the staff member in
the bubble more formally known as the control The door
slid open, and Seth plotted out the front of the
building into the bright sunlight. Birds sang, and small animals
scampered through the undergrowth. He had no fear of the raccoons, deer,
and other small creatures he encountered. Other larger animals were
the threat. Seth carried no weapons, and a few times
one would have come in handy. His suit covered in
a material resembling fur protected him from the UV rays,
but it masked his resemblance as a person enough that
some predators mistook him as either prey or competition. It
was a risk he willingly took, even though it could
be a fatal one. Pushing any lingering fears from his mind,
Seth emerged into the forest. His heart swelled with joy.
This this is what I've needed. Immediately he took the
trail down to the first plant plot. He cultivated a
particular strain of sword from burns held promise to help
the blind. Seth's college roommate was blind, so this study
was close to Seth's heart. He carefully measured and recorded
the plants, collecting samples and putting them in the various
belcrode pockets covering his BioSuit. Yes, they made the suit bulky,
but they freed Seth's hands. It was a worthwhile trade off.
He hiked to the next grove of deciduous larch that
Seth believed contained an ingredient that would reverse a rare
but devastating degenerative nerve disease. As he climbed higher, he
stopped along the way, measuring, documenting, and collecting various flora.
Some new species to study grew wild. If they held
potential benefits, he'd return to create plots for those as well.
Then he heard it. It wasn't a bear, although those
did prowl the mountains. It wasn't a cougar either. Seth's
blood ran cold when he realized he was being trailed,
stalked by a more dangerous predator. Quickly taking long strides
down the mountain trail, Seth bounded for the safety of
his laboratory. He tripped and stumbled, nearly sliding down an embankment.
The racing footsteps of his enemy approached, and Seth knew
he must hurry. The fall injured his knee and aggravated
an old back injury, causing him to stoop and hobble
as he ran. His friends would have laughed at the
sight he made, but this was no laughing matter. For
a moment, he paused to catch his breath. The high
elevation made it difficult for him to run far, even
with the aid of the emergency oxygen packs built into
the bio suit. Have I lost them?
Speaker 2: No?
Speaker 1: Sooner had the thought crossed his mind, Seth had his answer.
Speaker 2: No.
Speaker 1: He had not lost them. His short rest allowed the
predators to gain ground on him. Two hundred yards separated
him from the see safety of the concealed lab opening.
Speaker 2: Could he make it. I have to make a break
for it and keep my head together. I can't afford
another fall.
Speaker 1: God, how I wish I could tell Laurie I.
Speaker 2: Love her that more than anything.
Speaker 1: I want a baby with her.
Speaker 2: I've been an idiot hiding behind work. I'll make it
up to her when I get home. Right now, I
have to make sure I get home.
Speaker 1: Mentally plotting his course through the forest, Seth took off
on a run. His pursuers yipped behind him, their high
pitched yells and howls searing Seth's ear drums. Then the
unmistakable crack of a rifle and the whizzing of a
bullet as it sailed past the back of Seth's head
caused him to panic. He'd never had that happen before.
In these encounters, he'd merely been chased. Now he was hunted.
Fifty yards twenty five yards. Seth's lungs felt as though
they would burst, but another volley of bullets drove him
to push harder at the entrance of the cave like opening,
Seth slammed his hand on the emergency button. The door
slid open, and he flung himself onto the cold concrete
floor as a bullet ricocheted off the door as it
slid closed. Damn, that was close. Maybe I need to
carry a weapon after all. Teammates rushed to his side
and peeled him out of his BioSuit, whisking him away
to the on site doctor. Seth, still in shock from
the ordeal, had one thought, I just want to get
off this planet and get home to Laurie. Outside his
pursuers scrambled to the mouth of the cave. He's got
to be somewhere. He can't have gone far. His companion,
leaning over breathless with his hands on his knees, nodded, Dave,
can you believe that we almost bagged ourselves a bigfoot?
Kicking the ground? Dave took his frustrations out on a
bracken fern. We sure did. Let's look around for a
blood trail. There's no way he disappeared into thin air.
Given the events of the morning, the team decided to
concentrate on experiments within the lab. The forest would wait
for their next trip to Earth. Thank you for joining
me for this episode of the End to the Night
Anthology podcast. Written by Caroline Giamanco, narrated by Nari. Theme
music by Nico Rodriguez, all other original music, sound design
and editing by Ohmenhawk Studios. You can find our links
in the show notes. Into the Night is on your
favorite podcatcher, so make sure to like, subscribe and leave
a five star review to help other excursionists to join us.
I'll see you next time, and remember, whether in the
shadows or in the daylight, all twisted pad lead you
into the Night. Into the Night Anthology is a creative
typo entertainment production you've been listening to way back Wednesday
from Into the Night Anthology. Library members already have a
second story waiting, and you can join them anytime at
Nari narrates dot com. Just look for the blue Join
the Library button. I'll see you there