Beyond the Dark Production - ‘The Strata’ - Episodes 1-6 | Original audio drama
Neph for Rust
Rust is the protagonist and narrator of the story. He is a grizzled, ageing courier who is somewhat ill-tempered and short on patience. He has seen everything in his time and knows the city streets like no one else. He speaks his mind and does not mince words. In the early days of body augmentation, mechanical body parts were the first technology to be used to extend the lives of recipients, and Rust was a quick adopter. As such, he had over ninety percent of his body turned into a machine. This makes him somewhat of an outlier since most citizens opted to use organic methods for life extension. However, Rust still appears normal - a man in his late 50s - thanks to the imitation skin that hides his upgrades, even though he has lived for almost 150 years. He became estranged from his family a long time ago due in part to his obsession with mechanical upgrades and these days is somewhat of a loner. Rust works long hours so that he can pay to keep his body running properly and most of the time is in a constant battle to make ends meet.
Voice is low pitch. Gravelly and world weary but with a hard edge to it.
For reference - Holt McCallany (Bill Tench from Mindhunter). See the following scene where he interviews the Charles Manson character.
https://youtu.be/DxgyQTZFenM?t=51
(Narrated, describing the slums as he walks through) At the opposite end of The Strata - back down in Dockerton - it’s a different world. The air is thick with smog that never goes away, and the streets crowded with all sorts - pump workers making their way home from the late shift, thugs loitering and looking to start trouble. Hookers with cheap body enhancements prowling for clients. The homeless. It’s not the kind of place you wander alone, unless you can handle yourself. And most of these lowlifes know my face, know not to mess with me. Just how I like it.
(First part narrated: recalling the name of his long dead wife; pensive, tinged with sadness) Even after all these years, I still think about that name almost every day. But I haven’t spoken it out loud in almost a century. I’m not even sure why. Maybe because part of me is afraid that the very act of invoking it will somehow throw me back into the past, into those horrible last days. (Second part dialogue: Angry and overwrought as he confronts a loved one, attempting to explain why he replaced most of his body with machine parts even though it alienated him from his family) “You wanna know why I did it? Why I turned myself into this... this thing? It was because I had to watch the woman I loved... my Lucia... I had to watch her waste away to a shadow. She withered, right in front of me, eaten from the inside by cancer, and there was nothing I could do about it.”
(He’s being followed down a dark alley and decides to turn to confront his pursuers. Confidently raises his voice) “Okay you two. Game's up. Get the hell out of here before I come back there and beat the living crap outta you.”
Cool voice, thank you!
No problem. I'm glad that you think that. Thank you very much! Oh also. Have a great day.