Beyond Awakening is a science fiction audio drama series. This second season explores the question of what happens when sci-fi heroes from the future have to live with the reality of the 21st century. Will they change us or will we change them? Will it break them?
The first round of casting will run through February 8th. Some parts will be cast then, and the remaining parts will be reopened with a later deadline. This process will continue until all parts are cast. If I like your audition but another one fit the particular part even better, I may assign you to a role other than one you auditioned for (since there are tons of small roles to fill and everybody auditions for the big ones), and you may let me know if you decline the new role.
To listen to the first season or for more info, see https://www.quietplease.org/awakening/
Thanks to everyone who took the time to audition for a part. With 39 parts to work through and a hundred auditions, it's going to take me perhaps up to a week to make all the decisions. If I assign you a part, I'll send you a message with further details.
A psychologist treating four very unique patients. Generally exudes calm. Age range 35-70, gender flexible. Accent flexible. ~1400 words.
That's why I'm here, to help people deal with the crazy stuff life throws at them. You four have been through a severe trauma. I can help you process it and understand it.
How are you all feeling about the idea that somebody else lived in your body before you? Give me one word to describe the feeling.
Confronting our own mortality is the hardest task each of us has in our lives.
Doctor Maya Vatika, age 30, works at Monolith-Eigen Laboratories. Recent immigrant from India. Hindu. Indian accent desired. ~1100 words.
You physically can't leave, Mr. Hardcase. You can't even stand up. Your muscles haven't been used in years.
Maybe there's a little bit of what everybody believes in your beliefs. Every religion helps people understand the divine and our place in the universe according to the different needs of each culture, and your religion is designed just for you.
[joking] Work hard in physical therapy if you want to become the walking dead, for now you're the rolling dead.
Rosita is the widow of Ray Lotus, whose body is now inhabited by another man, which is making things quite emotionally complex and difficult for her. She tries to be empathetic and patient and usually succeeds. Emotional part. 39 years old. Light Mexican/Spanish accent could be ideal but not required. ~1000 words.
Most of them are furious about it, they want Monolith-Eigen shut down, some of them want you guys euthanized.
Is that so bad? You're alone in this world, I offer you love, does it matter why? Don't you find me attractive?
When someone we love very much dies, it's like an open wound. In time, we learn to get on with our lives and focus on other things. But sometimes we encounter little reminders of the departed -- maybe I pass by Ray's favorite restaurant, or I hear one of his favorite songs -- and it reopens the wound, suddenly the pain is as fresh as if he died yesterday.
Martha Vang is CEO of Monolith-Eigen Laboratories. Primarily concerned with profit and power, excited about her company's new innovation and the world-leading status it imparts. She can also play diplomat when the job requires it. Age flexible. ~900 words
[corporate video] Hello there, I'm Monolith-Eigen CEO Martha Vang. I want to extend you my personal welcome to our world, and I look forward to meeting you in person once you've had time to settle in. We're invested in your future!
[inspired] I couldn't be any prouder of my team than I am for what we've accomplished. These four special people are nothing short of a miracle. They're life from death. They're the opening salvo of a new era in human history.
[angry] Guys, are you TRYING to get yourselves confiscated by the government? That was PATHETIC!
A spiritual medium conducting a seance. Recognizes the client and decides to use the opportunity to settle a personal score. Age and accent flexible. ~600 words.
Welcome to the Divine Light Harmonic Abode! You must be Misty? You look familiar somehow...
Oooohhhhmmmmm oooohhhhhhmmmmmm oooohhhhhhmmmmmm... Is there anyone in the spirit world who wishes to make contact with Misty L'Quil? [pause] I sense a spirit. Spirit, you may speak through me.
I sense you've offended the spirits. Leave, and don't ever come back.
Joe Kruck, President of the United States. Democrat, elected 2036 and staring at a likely defeat in 2040 and the hands of his most powerful political rival Senator Mary Ives (R-NV). Kruck would like to do some good for people if he can, but his primary interest is keeping his power so he's not going out on any limbs for anybody. Older man. ~500 words.
Hello Mr. Erhardt, this is Joe Kruck, the President of the United States. I'm calling to reassure you that my government is committed to doing whatever it takes to bring your friend home safely.
Rest assured my administration sees you four as American citizens with equal rights despite your unique background. We embrace the full diversity of the American experience, and you're the newest part of our mosaic, a vulnerable minority we need to keep safe from Union for Humanity, not to mention Senator Ives and her ilk.
[annoyed] Oh please, you had to go straight to Godwin's law. This country went through HELL in the 2020s to re-establish the rule of law and our constitution and the health of our people, we've still got ten percent unemployment, protests everywhere threatening to boil over, I'm not going to risk our whole recovery on THREE people!
Mel Shweshwe is an author who specializes as a ghost writer for celebrity autobiographies. Direct, cynical, has no illusions about anything or anything, and ready to make a profit by churning out the lies people want to read. Big personality. ~300 words.
This torch you're carrying for Misty, that's the sort of thing people want to read. I can work with that. But I'll need to spice it up. Maybe say you had a brief torrid love affair on an alien planet a year ago.
[growing more animated as she thinks it through out loud] Alien spores making her temporarily feel love. Hot tentacle sex, and a haunting shame about it, a lingering sexual tension between you, yeah, this'll sell.
As an author, my duty is to capture the feeling. I deal in deeper, emotional truths. Not the technical truths. The technical truths make a crappy story, a really convoluted narrative that lacks a deeper meaning.
Union for Humanity terrorist, infiltrating to plant a bomb. ~300 words.
Name's Mick. Don't mind me, I'm just here to install a little server upgrade. It'll only take a minute.
[mocking] Captain Invincible is trying to intimidate us! What do you think Tony, are you as scared of this little half-human cripple as I am?
Gas! [shouting to other room, coughing] Tony, it's gas, cover... [trails off]
[talking fast and emotional] You don't care, do you? Nobody cares! I could put absolute proof, dump absolute proof at your feet and you wouldn't even read it. People like you, like everyone else, are why this world is the way it is. Self-absorbed, striding about in fine suits never thinking to look into the eyes around you, or afraid what you might see, the snake in the grass, the predator in the tree, no time for humanity among the elite, no pity for those you trample on, ants you squish, you call yourselves educated but you can't read the simple truth in front of your nose, not even if it were on the inside of your eyeballs, you'd close your eyes and scream to make it go away because you can't understand--.
Well don't get any heroic notions or I won't hesitate to kill you.
A literary agent. ~250 words.
You're the first -- even of your crew, you're the first who died, the first brain they started experimenting on. That's very marketable, people are going to want to read your story.
Don't worry about that, we wouldn't let you write it anyway. In situations like these, noteworthy people who need an autobiography fast to capitalize on the zeitgeist, we always use a ghostwriter.
[cautious] I might be able to get you an advance big enough to get you a seat on a New Shepard flight. I'll have to check on their disability accommodations.
Bob Forsan is an executive at Interplantech. Direct. ~250 words.
Your 'inventions' are, to be frank, useless nonsense.
[sigh] Utter nonsense. Your ideas were all generated from the input of the world's science fiction writers, and writers aren't scientists.
It's part of your image, that's what you do, you're not the same character anymore if you lose your farcical delusion that you're smarter than us and here to civilize us. So unfortunately this conversation is damaging your value.
An older homeless woman living on a beach in Marin county. Probably missing a lot of teeth. Has unspecified mental health problems, maybe schizophrenia or schizo-affective disorder. Best friend to a main character. ~250 words.
There are flaws, flaws everywhere. Glitches. Have you ever remembered something really clearly only to be told it never happened?
[excited] Hey, you're one of those... those dead people they woke up!
[concerned and scared] Trisha, are you okay?
Holistic cattle ranch owner who sells cow cuddling experiences. A middle aged woman with a permanent smile and aggressive positivity. ~250 words.
You're in for such a treat! There's nothing like the love of animals, the pure warmth and affection. And cows, they've got so much love to give and there's so much of them to give it!
It's a lot of work, a lot of early mornings and a lot of money, but it's sooo worth it. You're so young dear, did you grow up in farm country?
Well, let's make an introduction. This here is Bessie -- I know, cliche name. She's a Red Angus, and she loooovvveees people!
Hindu spiritual leader at the temple. Indian accent optional. Gender flexible. ~200 words.
We don't get a lot of outsiders. Welcome, Misty. Your story is of course known to me.
Re-birth is for the dead person's continuing journey of enlightenment. It's not for those they leave behind.
Once you practice Hinduism, you're a Hindu. It's not up to me or anyone else to define your conversion. You decide.
City of Sacramento police officer. ~200 words.
Calm down, Mr. Hardcase. I'll check if there's evidence of a gas leak, a broken pipe or something. And I'll have PG&E send a rep over. Meanwhile we'll keep the windows open.
Look Mr. Hardcase, you might be right. But all this terrorist stuff, it's way above my pay grade. I'm just gonna write my report, and then if the FBI think there's cause for it they'll take over.
Well seriously, the best way for you to help is for you to stay the hell out of it and leave it to the professionals. Last thing we need is you getting yourself hurt or abducted.
Widow of a man whose body is now inhabited by someone else. Immigrant from Türkiye living in Folsom, California for ~15 years now. ~200 words.
[hostile] What the fuck are YOU doing here?
Yusuf hates you for not being his father.
Omar was the kind of guy who'd leap into trying to repair something without reading the manual or watching a video.
A thinking man's thug volunteering for the anti-AI terrorist organization Union for Humanity. ~150 words.
We don't know yet. Those decisions are above my pay grade. We'll let you know when we find out.
Oh, so your fake history as some sorta bad-ass super-strong alien is why a couple barely-trained volunteers like us took you with no trouble?
We've got the cyborg! If you want her to remain alive, you'll let us go.
FBI anti-terrorism agent. ~150 words
Attention! We have you surrounded! Come out of the house NOW with your hands above your heads.
You're safe now, Mr. Hardcase. Just wait in the van here.
You have 30 seconds to decide if you want to come peaceably or die.
Employee of Interplantech interviewing a unique candidate. ~125 words.
Can you give me a quick example of a particular technology we could build?
Interesting, but Interplantech isn't a medical company and there's a lot of regulations in that field we might prefer to avoid. What are some other things you'd like to work on?
I'm sure you'll be an asset, Mr. Erhardt. Let's call you our chief architect of future technologies?
A simple-minded thug with the anti-AI terrorist organization Union for Humanity. ~100 words.
Hope they decide a kill ya soon, my dog don't like to be away from me too long.
This is the one with the story about being a super strong alien with all those tentacles.
[laughing] Lady, that's a fictional character you countin' on. Look at us quiverin' in fear.
Employee of Interpantech. Under orders to keep Clay Erhardt happy and make him think he's important, but resents Erhardt. Accent can be American or Russian. ~100 words.
[choosing words carefully] We... uh, we broke it down into component tasks and prioritized the subitems.
[sigh] I guess you'd better see Mr. Forsan.
[resentful] Okay Chief, you're the boss.
A getaway driver for the terrorist organization Union for Humanity. Not a bright fellow, but he packs a mean right hook. ~100 words.
If da feds 'r afta us, I'll lose 'em, don't ya worry 'bout it.
He hates all phones, always paranoid about 'em. Prolly enjoys smashin' 'em.
[amused] Them cyborgs as crazy as 'n ol' ChatGPT.
Senator Ives, what do you say to critics who accuse you of exploiting these four patients for political gain?
We've seen the press conference, and they look like confused, disoriented people. Can you tell our viewers why you're convinced they're so dangerous they have to be killed?
[sarcastically] I thought you'd welcome that.
Cellmate in a women's prison. ~80 words.
That's a new one. I'm warning you, I know how to defend myself.
[sarcastic] Of course not, attacking a stuffed fox exhibit is perfectly sane.
Look, why don't we both agree to stay at opposite ends of our cell and cut the chatter?
Resentful 15 year old son of the dead man whose body Clay Erhardt now lives in. ~60 words.
Mom, I've heard 'fuck' before.
Makes you nothing like dad, he always said analysis is paralysis.
So what you're saying is you think you're better than dad.
Death, in a dream. Think Terry Pratchett's Discworld death. Deep male voice preferred. ~50 words.
Hello, Trisha Blackburn.
Just weeks old and you've reincarnated so many times.
Go pull yourself together and figure out who you are. You can't come with me until we both know who I'm talking to.,
A mysterious whispering female voice in Trisha's dream adding to the surreality. Looking for kind of an ASMR quality. Any accent. ~50 words.
[whispering] You are lost in the listening distance...
[whispering] Don't trust the serpent!
[whispering] It's not time. It's not time.
A man in the street... at an anti-AI protest, being angry. ~50 words.
[loudly] Hey! You're one of those freaks from the news!
[loudly] First you took our creativity, then our jobs, now you're taking away humanity itself!
[loudly] Your kind, artificial intelligences. You're replacing us, literally now!
9 year old son of the former occupant of Clay Erhardt's body, in a couple of dream sequences. 30 words. Adults are welcome to audition if you can pull off a 9 year old voice.
Merry Christmas, daddy!
It's a spaceship!
[excited] Can we have our picnic here, daddy?
San Francisco police department deputy. Woman. Audition is entire part.
You understand you're taking full responsibility for her and for the psych eval?
And you'll see to it she makes it to her trial date?
Thug for an anti-AI terrorist group Union for Humanity. Audition is entire part.
Where are J.D. and Donald?
That's right.
God dammit. They were good men, husbands and fathers, we didn't have to lose them over YOU.
Crowd of people at protest chanting. Multiple auditions may be accepted for this part. Note this part will be unpaid, credit only.
[chants] Ban AI! Ban AI! Ban AI! Give us our jobs back! Give us our jobs back! Give us our jobs back!
Woman in crowd at anti-AI protest. Audition is entire part.
[semi-hysterical] You've literally taken over a man's body and replaced his mind with AI!
[dismissive] Cyborg, whatever.
Tourist at California State Capitol, noticing someone nearby. Age/gender/etc flexible.
[excited] Hey, the one talking to her phone... she sounds so ignorant, I think she's one of the zombies!
Tourist at California State Capitol. Identity flexible. Just one line.
[excited] I was thinking the same thing! I think she's L'Quil, the one who thinks she's an alien!
FBI counter-terrorism agent. Just one line.
[shocked] Maybe Union for Humanity is right about how dangerous they are...
Museum patron angry at crazy person. Just one line.
[angry] Hey, stop that! Get off that exhibit!
Museum patron shocked about crazy person. Just one line.
[shocked] She's destroying that stuffed fox!
Museum patron upset about crazy woman. Just one line.
[urgently] Security, security! Over there, see!
City of Sacramento police officer. Just one line.
Tell them not to hurry, this one's dead.
