Murder Drones: Overture Audiobook

The main protagonist. An angsty, rebellious worker drone with a slew of unresolved trauma and a dream to free Copper 9 from the Murder Drones in honor of her mother.

Two words: Gremlin energy. Uzi is strongly individualistic, free-thinking, and goes against the grind. She's a social outcast. Try to capture the energy of Elsie Lovelock's performance in the show.

CONTEXT:

• Line 1: Uzi is made to give a presentation for class. She gives a history lesson of what life was like before before the Murder Drones. She's fond of the past, and hates what the workers have lost.
• Line 2: Uzi is in an intense, emotional argument with her father, Khan. He thinks she's being reckless and endangering the lives of herself and her classmates. Uzi, however, is sticking to her guns. To her, merely surviving isn't enough. Living is experiencing the world and all it has to offer, and there's not much to offer when you're confined to a bunker your entire life.
• Line 3: Uzi and Thad are conversing in the clinic, following Uzi's disastrous presentation. She showed off her railgun to the class, but its instability resulted in an explosion, and now both are recovering. Thad's asked Uzi about the weapon and is impressed she built it on her own. Uzi takes great pride in this.

An upbeat Disassembly Drone whose lethality is matched by questionable competence. He's often picked on by J and regarded as a worthless failure. Deep down, he just wants to be useful to someone.

Major character.

I'm looking for something that's upbeat, cheerful, and affable. Michael Kovac brought that to N incredibly well, and is a good frame of reference when picking out a voice.

CONTEXT:

• Line 1: N is suffering from amnesia after getting his head blown off by Uzi. His systems are glitching, making him believe she's a fellow company drone. He's happily introducing himself to the "newbie" and briefing her on their mission when asked. N really wants to put his best foot forward since he's not popular among his own team.
• Line 2: N is explaining why the workers are marked for termination by the company. He doesn't know the finer details, but as the company explained, workers going rogue led to Copper 9's destruction, so they're a danger to be eliminated. He's explaining this to Uzi, still suffering amnesia and unaware that he's spilling secrets with an enemy.
• Line 3: N is taken aback by Uzi's questioning attitude. No Disassembly Drone questions the company, making this a new thing for him. While he's excited by it, he's also cautious about making those thoughts known because not everyone will be open to them. He's now warning Uzi about loose lips sinking her ship if she's not careful.

An impulsive and sadistic Disassembly Drone who takes too much joy in her job. Beneath it all, she has a soft spot for N and looks out for him.

Major character.

V is intense, impulsive, sassy, and prone to maniacal fits of laughter. Nola Klop brought all of these things to her character in the show, and her performance is a solid frame of reference.

CONTEXT:

• Line 1: V has just killed a few workers, leaving her covered in oil. She shook herself dry, and J is grumbling about not getting stains on her uniform. Ever the gadfly, V is poking fun at her for being so concerned with the dress code.
• Line 2: V's just noticed Uzi is escaping the factory and is elated by the prospect of chasing her down and tearing her apart. She's reporting this to J, secretly hoping that she's given the order to chase.
• Line 3: V and N are at an impasse. Uzi has just demonstrated a formidable power called the Solver Code, making her a high-priority target for the company. V wants to kill her as soon as possible, but N, having grown fond of Uzi, is preventing her from following through. After a tense standoff, V knocks N aside and is sternly telling him to stay out of the way.

The leader of a Disassembly Drone squad and the arc's main antagonist. She's a no-nonsense corporate bootlicker who does everything she can to ensure her self-appointed role as Intersol's Number One Disassembler. She has a low opinion of N, often berating and abusing him for lacking the same murderous drive as her and J.

Major character and the main antagonist.

Aim for a voice that's stuck-up and full of itself. J is the type of person who thumbs her nose at everyone else, considering them beneath her. Shara Kirby's performance is a good frame of reference.

CONTEXT:

• Line 1: J is a corporate bootlick. She's high on dress code, company policy, and following directives to the letter. The quarterly report is coming up, so she's especially on edge about looking presentable. When V kills a worker and shakes herself dry of the oil, J is annoyed about potentially getting stains on her suit. It's like trying to dress nice for a picture and someone is messing around with condiments that could stain it.
• Line 2: J is furious with N. She's returned from a hunt to find their landing pod is missing crucial components, their lair is trashed, and N has unknowingly spilled company secrets to a worker that he let go. To say she's upset would be an understatement and the only thing preventing her from killing him where he stands is that the company won't allow it. This is a barely-restrained level of rage.
• Line 3: J has just caught up to Uzi, and she's showing defiance by spitting on her uniform. As mentioned before, J's expecting to deliver a quarterly report with corporate soon, so this couldn't have happened at a worse time. She kicks Uzi and is enraged that her "perfect score" may be ruined. She values her standing in the eyes of the company more than the lives of workers.

Uzi's father and leader of Colony 31. Compared to the series, this version is more of a cynic who struggles to balance being a leader and parent. He hasn't been handling the loss of his wife very well and only wants to save what family he has left, but inadvertently pushes his daughter away the more he tries to keep her inside the bunker. While he has his moments of his humor, this take on Khan is more somber.

Major character.

David J. Dixon is a frame of reference for the character's voice in the series. While he's a tad bumbling, Khan is more aware and strong as a leader, so give him a beleaguered voice. He's someone who struggles with the stress of his job and tries to maintain control over as much as he can because he fears that if he doesn't, he could lose everything he has left. Give him a voice that speaks with conviction and finality, but there's a tiredness to it.

CONTEXT:

• Line 1: Khan is confronting Uzi at home about her class presentation, where she wanted to sway her class to take up arms against the Murder Drones. For years, Khan has kept the colony safe by hiding in the bunkers and only venturing out when it's necessary. What Uzi's proposing is not only reckless, but suicidal in his eyes. He's appalled and frustrated that she's still at this.
• Line 2: This is an emotionally draining argument. It always comes back to Nori, who gave her life to save Uzi and Khan seven years ago. By this point, Khan is somber, weighed down by his responsibilities to the colony and his daughter. He's trying to make Uzi understand that Nori wouldn't have wanted her to throw her life away.
• Line 3: After the dust has settled, Uzi returns to the colony alive. Khan is positively elated to see his daughter again, and is now bearhugging her in the embarrassing father manner. In front of everyone else! Khan doesn't care that he's embarrassing Uzi, considering he's been stressed for her all evening. This is close to his more humorous portrayal in the original series. 

A jock at school who is on friendly terms with Uzi. He hopes to join the WDF when he comes of age, but is blissfully unaware of the organization's shortcomings. In an aversion of the stereotype, Thad isn't a jerk. He's quite the opposite. He's friendly, well-liked, and knows the names of almost all of his classmates, even the outcast Uzi.

Supporting character.

Sean Chiplock gave Thad a voice that one would expect from a jock. It's almost fratboyish, meatheaded, self-confident, and bombastic. But there's an unspoken maturity to it, as well, showing that there are layers to him. 

CONTEXT:

• Line 1: Thad is speaking up during Uzi's presentation, revealing that he plans to join the WDF when he graduates high school. He's completely oblivious to the fact that Uzi will never be able to join herself because Khan won't allow it. Thad is innocently insensitive here. There's no way he could know about Uzi's situation, and unknowingly makes her feel worse because his father supports him while Khan never seems to support her.
• Line 2: Thad is trying to argue with his father about accompanying Khan outside to look for Uzi. She's recently escaped in the middle of the night, and everyone is on edge. Khan is willing to go out alone, but he doesn't know how to handle the repair kits in case Uzi or him get injured. Thad, however, does know how to them because he's Doc's son. Doc is against him doing this, knowing the risk of the Murder Drones, but Thad is adamant he should go out and help. He's trying very hard to get his father to see his point of view. 
• Line 3: Thad and Khan are walking across Copper 9's surface, discussing why Uzi did what she did. Thad has come to a realization: Uzi is many things, but she wasn't wrong that the WDF isn't actually defending anyone. They're hiding. When Khan was ready to risk his neck, no one else volunteered to help him. This is Thad realizing the WDF wasn't all it was cracked up to be, and he's trying to get through to Khan.

A member of the WDF and Khan's right-hand workaholic. If there was a character who was ever "married to the work," the only thing Audrey is missing is a wedding ring. It's often pondered whether she ever goes home to rest, as she's always at the office, taking on extra shifts, or doing something to occupy her time. She takes her duties very seriously, which makes her one of the most efficient members of the WDF.

Audrey is a supporting character, as well as one of the few original additions to this project. She's confident, self-assured, and comically devoted to her job. She has a New York accent, faintly Brooklyn. Think like Shrinking Rae from Invincible. 

CONTEXT:

• Line 1: Audrey is explaining to Khan how Uzi escaped. She stole the master key card, unlocked the doors, and ran into the cold. Audrey now has to deliver the news to a worried Khan. She's struggling to tell him, but pushes through because he deserves to know as her father.
• Line 2: Audrey and Doc are discussing Thad's willingness to volunteer and put his life on the line to help Khan find Uzi. Doc is understandably worried, but Audrey is telling him to be proud of his son. No one else was willing to go out but him, and that's a quality worth praising.
• Line 3: J is speaking to Audrey through the colony's front doors. She's hoping to entice Audrey into opening the doors. Audrey isn't having it, however, and directly questions why on earth she would believe a word she says.

The colony doctor and Thad's father. His name is literally Doc because everyone called him that for his job, and it grew on him. He likes the idea of people saying his name and immediately being assured. He once was a medical drone who serviced humans, but has since tailored his expertise to repair and maintain the drones of Colony 31. He often clashes with Audrey's work ethic, prescribing her mandatory time off that she treats as torture.

A supporting character. Doc is another original character for this project. He's laid-back, chill, and friendly. He understands the importance of good bedside manners when treating patients. Some might call him a mix of a hippie and doctor. I'd imagine RJ from Jungle Fury as a good frame of reference, a character who is laid back, but very competent at what he does.

CONTEXT:

• Line 1: Doc has found Audrey working herself to the bone. Again. This is a recurring trend with Audrey, and Doc is getting close to recommending mandatory time off. As much as he admires Audrey's work ethic, he doesn't want her overworking herself. She has to care for herself or she won't be any help to the colony.
• Line 2: Doc is arguing with Thad about his willingness to accompany Khan outside to look for Uzi. This is legitimate parental concern. Imagine if you were a parent and your kid wanted to go out into a hostile environment to search for their friend. You'd be against the idea and stress your point. Doc is a supportive parent, but he has his limits.
• Line 3: Audrey has attempted to invoke her role as temporary colony leader with Khan absent, but Doc reminds her that he has ultimate authority when it comes to keeping the colony healthy. Since Audrey's health pertains to her taking time off, he can exercise his authority at the doctor to overrule her. He says this in the tone of voice that indicates they've had this discussion many times. They're truly friends barbing each other.

A preppy student who often picks on Uzi. Unlike Thad, who only looks and sounds like a stereotypical meathead jock, Lizzy plays the archetype of the high school mean girl to a T. She's obsessed with fashion, heads the cheerleader squad, and always has her nose deep in her phone. 

A supporting character. Caitlin Dizon is a good frame of reference in the original series. Her voice is haughty, sassy, sounds disinterested in the world unless she's the center of it, and enjoys picking on Uzi.

CONTEXT:

• Line 1: Lizzy is giving her class history presentation on Khan's doors. Not only is she completely disinterested, reading off her phone while giving the presentation, but she hasn't done much, if any, research. It's an understatement to say she put almost no effort into this.
• Line 2: After Uzi's presentation ends with her blowing up the classroom and being sent to the clinic, Lizzy drops by to kick her while she's down by likening her to an ugly growth. It's petty high school bullying stuff. 
• Line 3: Lizzy has just found out that Uzi has left the colony, and is now taking a victory lap. She's believed Uzi was going to get herself killed if she persisted in her desire to leave, and now that she has, Lizzy feels vindicated. She's explaining this to Thad, who was always more lenient on Uzi, and feels like she's won an argument.

Uzi's mother, Khan's wife, and the impetus behind both characters' actions and conflicts. She sacrificed herself to save her family seven years prior to the events of the story. Unlike canon, Nori is permanently dead here, but she plays a very important role in the setting's backstory. She appears in flashbacks.

In terms of role, Nori only has one scene, but her impact on the plot and characters is significant. Darcy Maguire is a good frame of reference for Nori's voice. Characteristics for the voice include motherly, confident, loving, accepting, and warm.

CONTEXT:

• Line 1: Nori is cradling her toddler-shaped daughter, attempting to soothe her despite the perilous situation they're in. Murder Drones are pursuing them and Nori realizes she'll have to stay behind to buy her family time to escape. Uzi is worried about her mother, so Nori attempts to assure her that everything will be okay... knowing she's about to die.
• Line 2: Nori has just told Khan to go on without her. He has to take Uzi and run to the colony. Her leg is injured so she'll only slow them down. Khan doesn't want to do this. This is his wife, and they have to stay together as a family. But Nori is urging, pleading with Khan to do this one thing and go. Nothing else matters to her in this moment but the safety of her family.
• Line 3: Nori has resigned herself to her fate. She's going to stay behind and fight, knowing it will result in her death. But her family will be safe, and that's all that matters. She's issuing a final goodbye to Khan in this moment. They were happily married for years. They had a daughter she won't live to see grow up. As unfair as the situation is, she doesn't regret any of it. She gives Khan a final kiss and thanks him for everything they did together before sending him away to meet her death head on.

The leader of a Disassembler squad operating in another sector. An efficient, pragmatic, and self-controlled leader, L doesn't act without good intelligence and commands respect from his subordinates. He takes after Hans Landa from Inglorious Basterds, being quite theatric with his way of speaking. L is styled after a military officer, conducting himself professionally and with authority.

A supporting character. L only appears in one scene, but he says a lot. It plays into his theatricality. Go for someone that sounds charismatic, suave, friendly, but hiding an undertone of menace. Like he's ready to gut you if you don't give him what he wants. He passes himself off as your friend, shaking your hand while positioning a knife at your back. This is a character when one can give him an American or English accent. It's entirely up to you. 

CONTEXT:

• Line 1: L is introducing himself to some captured WDF members. While he's being theatrical, he's also friendly and explaining things like one would to a child. It's pretty condescending. He may sound pleasant, but he's already made up his mind that everyone here has to die.
• Line 2: L is giving his prisoners the false hope that they might be spared from death. In truth, he doesn't to intend to let any of them live; it's only a matter of how painful they want to make it. He doesn't drop his pleasant demeanor in the slightest, though, acting like the good cop in an interrogation.
• Line 3: L has just been briefed by the Director. His team is to relocate to the Malachite district to investigate Team 2 going dark. They've failed to report in for the quarter and are ignoring summons. L is now relaying this to his team. He's speaking with purpose, projecting so they all hear him, and is dead set on seeing this mission through. 

A brutish Disassembly Drone in L's squad. He's always the largest one in the room, accompanied by his pet Cabra, a mechanical canine named Zon. X doesn't speak often, but when he does, people listen. He may seem like a typical brute, but he's very perceptive and well-spoken. He embodies the boots-on-the-ground grunt. 

His voice is deep, guttural, and has a faint growly texture. It isn't a simpleton kind of voice. It's deceptively articulated. Think Legate Lanius from New Vegas. 

CONTEXT: 

• Line 1: X and his team just got one of the prisoners to spill the whereabouts of his colony in exchange for him and his wife being allowed to leave. An argument broke out between them, and the wife ran out, with the husband taking off after her. X finally makes a comment about it, noting that things got more emotionally heavy than he expected.
• Line 2: X declines to help F and Zon in hunting down the prisoners they let go (they never said they'd be spared). L asks if he's going to sit it out, to which X answers in the affirmative and explains his reasoning. F and Zon don't need his help, and his pet could always use the exercise.
• Line 3: X has been asked to interrogate one of the prisoners. While L is the good cop, X is the imposing bad cop. He says little, but his size and what few words he does speak communicate that the consequences for not answering will be severe. 

A maniacal member of L's squad. She's the little sister of her team, being the youngest and most energetic. She their hotshot aerial recon, as well as the team's medic and torture technician. It says something when you'd be better off dying to L or X's hands rather than ending up on F's dissection table.

F has a lot of inspirations, like Himiko Toga from My Hero Academia, Niffty from Hazbin Hotel, Mahito from Jujutsu Kaisen. Her voice carries a childish whimsy, full of bouncing energy and excitement. She's loyal to her teammates, but her proclivity for violence unsettles everyone around her.

CONTEXT:

• Line 1: F has been called in to assist with the interrogation. She gleefully drags in the wife of one of the prisoners, revealing her like she were on a game show unveiling a grand prize. F has been waiting the whole time for this moment, and she makes it known immediately.
• Line 2: Other Disassembly Drones like to use "disassemble" instead of "kill". F is no such drone. She fully acknowledges their work for what it is and owns it. She wishes the others did, too. It's more fun when you're honest.
• Line 3: The interrogation has ramped up, and L has okayed the torture of the prisoner's wife to coerce information. F is now threatening to cut off the wife's legs, knowing she can survive without them. After all, the prisoner doesn't need to be in one piece to be alive. She's savoring this.

The CEO of Intersol Industries and Director of Disassembly Operations on Copper 9. James was a minor character in the original show, but he's been expanded into one of the major antagonists of this iteration. His role in Overture is small, but his presence is felt through the Disassembly Drones and he's behind the entire operation to wipe out the Worker Drones.

To describe James's voice in a handful of words: cold, detached, rigid, and unempathetic. The nature of his work has eroded his compassion. He doesn't see drones as people. They're no different than machines, which is why he insists on calling it "disassembly," not murder. His logic is that you can't murder a machine because machines aren't alive. He won't consider any other viewpoint.

For additional options, one can try an Australian accent or a regular American accent. Accents are optional, not required.

CONTEXT: 

• Line 1: James has been informed that Team 2 has gone dark and aren't responding to hails. He tasks Ridley with contacting Team 4 to have them investigate what happened. Something is going on, he doesn't know, and he doesn't like not knowing.
• Line 2: James is speaking to L directly, informing him of the situation and what their new mission is. Team 4 is closest and has the best track record, so it's only logical to assign them this task.
• Line 3: L has informed James that they're already on their way to deal with a worker settlement. Understanding, James is willing to let them to finish that, but makes sure they know to head out immediately after they're done.

Director James Elliott's assistant. She often relays reports to him and carries out whatever tasks he requires. She's good at her job.

A minor character. Her voice is professional and to-the-point. Not one to question orders or have second thoughts about what they're doing.

CONTEXT: 

• Line 1: Ridley is delivering the quarterly reports to her boss, James. She's outside his office, the door is shut, and she's speaking from the other side. She has to project her voice a bit so that he hears her. They've done this routine so many times, she isn't at all nervous.
• Line 2: Ridley is informing James of an anomaly in this quarter's reports: Team 2 hasn't submitted a report at all. This team is led by J, who has always been punctual about submitting their reports on time. It's an out of character moment that alerts everyone to something happening.
• Line 3: Ridley has been tasked with contacting Team 4. On her way out, she asks James if he wants to proceed with the next phase of Disassembler production. She's trying to think ahead while keeping James in the know.

Uzi's cousin who lives in a separate colony but communicates with her via text chatrooms. They knew each other as children through their mothers and have shared a close bond despite the distance between them. Unlike in canon, Doll isn't an antagonist, but a supportive figure in Uzi's life. Although she similarly lost her mother to the Murder Drones, she's been handling it differently than her cousin.

Doll only has one major scene, but it's a fairly lengthy back-and-forth with Uzi. Try to replicate Emma Breezy's performance from the show. While speaking Russian would be great, it's not required. A Russian accent will do just fine!

CONTEXT: All of these lines are done via chatroom text, but they're all voiced.

• Line 1: Doll has been messaged by Uzi, but neither is gaming, so she correctly guesses that her cousin wants to vent. Doll isn't annoyed, but making a plain observation born from years of knowing how Uzi works.
• Line 2: Throughout the conversation, Doll brings up how Uzi has failed to escape so many times that the WDF created a game out of who caught her the most. Uzi jokes that Doll has a self-serving memory, but Doll is quick to clap back with a retort of her own. This is friendly jabbing between them, no malice at all.
• Line 3: Uzi has finally told Doll about her insecurities. She's wondering if she'll ever get outside and fulfill her dreams. Doll is a brutally honest person. If she doesn't like you, she'll tell you. This also means her kind moments are clearly genuine, so she supports Uzi by encouraging her not to give up on that dream. It will happen someday. Of course, Doll is unaware that "someday" is today.

An overworked, jaded educator at Uzi's school with a deadpan, "I'd rather be anywhere but here" demeanor.

A minor character. Try to match the dry tone Liam Vickers had in the original show. 

CONTEXT: 

• Line 1: The Teacher isn't impressed with Lizzy's crappy presentation. When she doesn't seem that bothered, the Teacher points out how few points she got.
• Line 2: Uzi's presenting her railgun to the class, but without a stabilizer, it overloads. The Teacher notices that the weapon is about to blow up and informs the students to calmly exit the classroom. Instead, they all scramble from their desks and make for the door in a frenzy. The Teacher gives up and wonders why he even tries. He isn't at all worried about the incoming explosion. Just done with everything.
• Line 3: Despite getting buried in his desk, the Teacher maintains his flat, uninterested tone as he send Uzi to the doctor and proceeds to award her detention for blowing up the classroom. Considering everything, it's hard to blame him.

Lizzy's lackey and fellow cheerleader. She's the girl who follows the popular girl around and echoes whatever she's saying to be part of the in-group. 

A minor character. She's got a high school mean girl voice similar to Lizzy. 

CONTEXT: 

• Line 1: Lizzy has just derailed Uzi's presentation, and Rebecca jumps in like a helpful toady to voice her disdain for the idea of fighting the Murder Drones. She's adding salt to the wound.
• Line 2: Rebecca is irritated with Braiden using one of her earlier lines, finding him to be an annoying, uninspired tool.
• Line 3: Rebecca is with Lizzy as she insults Uzi at the clinic and is giggling alongside her. They're pulling the petty high school bullying stuff where they toss an insult and laugh with each other like they told a great joke.

An unknown program that lies dormant within Uzi. It grants its hosts mysterious powers that makes them high-priority targets for the Murder Drones. In canon, the Absolute Solver was an eldritch entity that reactivated improperly disposed of Worker Drones. Here, it's been refurbished into an abnormally powerful computer program. It plays a big part in the backstory, but its role in Overture is minimal. To clarify, this is not Cyn. The Solver is a completely different entity here.

Since the Solver's nature is changed from canon, the voice is free to be different. I'm thinking of making the voice androgynous. One can definitely shoot for the performance of Allanah Fitzgerald from the series! Glados from Portal is another great inspiration. It's not as overtly threatening here, though. The Solver sounds more friendly, helpful even. It says few words in the story, but I'm providing a little more for the audition lines to help gauge your vocal performance.

CONTEXT:

• Line 1: Uzi is at death's door, but this awakens the dormant Solver Code within her. This is its first lines upon awakening, as if sending a signal that Uzi receives.
• Line 2: The Solver Code communicates with Uzi directly. She's confused and uneasy about what this thing is, but it assures her that it is on her side. It's her friend, even.
• Line 3: Uzi is locked in battle with J, aided by the Solver Code. As J attempts to fire a missile at Uzi, the Solver guides her into using its power to stop the missile before it hits her. It's influencing her actions.