WEBVTT 00:00:00.140 --> 00:00:03.020 This broadcast is not associated with Arrowhead 00:00:03.020 --> 00:00:06.200 Studios or Sony in any way and is an original 00:00:06.200 --> 00:00:10.000 show by PV Production, LLC. Please give the show 00:00:10.000 --> 00:00:12.779 a five -star rating on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. 00:00:13.099 --> 00:00:15.880 And anywhere else you listen to the show, comment 00:00:15.880 --> 00:00:18.699 your thoughts, good or bad. It really helps the 00:00:18.699 --> 00:00:21.559 show. Previously on The Halloween Offensive. 00:00:22.300 --> 00:00:25.260 We've known each other long enough. What's this 00:00:25.260 --> 00:00:30.219 about? GNR has an assignment for you. I'm not 00:00:30.219 --> 00:00:34.859 doing this for you, Joe. We'll all be damned 00:00:34.859 --> 00:00:40.219 if it isn't Bulldog himself. Recon team, this 00:00:40.219 --> 00:00:44.759 is Stone. What's your status? Stone. We're a 00:00:44.759 --> 00:00:46.979 mile ahead and approaching the designated bridge. 00:00:47.420 --> 00:00:50.240 This is an excellent position. Let's deploy the... 00:00:50.240 --> 00:00:53.060 You've got contacts coming up on your position 00:00:53.060 --> 00:00:56.060 at heading 330 north -northwest. Should have 00:00:56.060 --> 00:00:59.329 a route displayed on your HUD. Do not deviate. 00:01:00.030 --> 00:01:03.009 The Eagles have a kill zone designated outside 00:01:03.009 --> 00:01:07.510 of the route. Episode 1 was the call. Episode 00:01:07.510 --> 00:01:12.510 2, the warning. And now, it's too late to turn 00:01:12.510 --> 00:01:16.150 back. The ghosts are real, the enemies evolved, 00:01:16.569 --> 00:01:21.269 and the cost of survival just came due. This 00:01:21.269 --> 00:01:24.689 is Episode 3 of the Halloween Offensive, The 00:01:24.689 --> 00:01:29.780 Turning Point. The battle at the outpost was 00:01:29.780 --> 00:01:34.900 brutal. We held the line, but it cost us. Two 00:01:34.900 --> 00:01:38.719 soldiers didn't make it back, and six more were 00:01:38.719 --> 00:01:42.459 injured. Two of them were sent to the local trauma 00:01:42.459 --> 00:01:45.859 center, while the rest were patched up on site. 00:01:46.680 --> 00:01:49.739 The convoy returned under the cover of dusk. 00:01:50.459 --> 00:01:54.099 The final miles blessedly quiet, no sign of the 00:01:54.099 --> 00:01:58.180 bugs following us. But the silence didn't bring 00:01:58.180 --> 00:02:04.879 us peace. Inside the outpost, the work continued. 00:02:06.040 --> 00:02:09.719 Weapons cleaned, equipment repaired, and wounds 00:02:09.719 --> 00:02:14.039 tended to. Everyone knew this wasn't the end, 00:02:14.120 --> 00:02:17.159 just a momentary lull before the next storm. 00:02:18.159 --> 00:02:21.939 And while the sun dipped below the horizon, the 00:02:21.939 --> 00:02:25.639 real work was just beginning. Grayson's recon 00:02:25.639 --> 00:02:28.500 team was deep into decoding the genetic makeup 00:02:28.500 --> 00:02:32.319 of these bugs. Searching for answers we desperately 00:02:32.319 --> 00:02:38.780 needed. Alright, here's the big picture. We've 00:02:38.780 --> 00:02:41.419 run comparative analyses on every sample collected 00:02:41.419 --> 00:02:44.000 during the last engagement. These aren't just 00:02:44.000 --> 00:02:46.759 minor mutations. They're full -scale genetic 00:02:46.759 --> 00:02:50.879 overhauls. What we're looking at here isn't evolution. 00:02:51.280 --> 00:02:56.490 It's transformation. Transformation? You're saying 00:02:56.490 --> 00:03:00.530 they're not even the same species anymore? Exactly. 00:03:00.770 --> 00:03:04.289 Now, the genetic divergence is staggering. It's 00:03:04.289 --> 00:03:07.349 as if they're rewriting their own DNA. The hunters, 00:03:07.610 --> 00:03:10.810 the lurkers, even the stalkers, they're becoming 00:03:10.810 --> 00:03:14.849 something entirely different. Something more 00:03:14.849 --> 00:03:23.490 specialized. Specialized how? Take the Stalkers, 00:03:23.550 --> 00:03:26.169 for example. Their camouflage isn't just about 00:03:26.169 --> 00:03:28.610 blending in anymore. They've developed the ability 00:03:28.610 --> 00:03:31.469 to bend light around their bodies. We're talking 00:03:31.469 --> 00:03:34.289 near -perfect invisibility. It's a deliberate 00:03:34.289 --> 00:03:37.069 adaptation and it's far more advanced than anything 00:03:37.069 --> 00:03:40.810 we've seen. Then why could we see them when they 00:03:40.810 --> 00:03:45.169 were hit? If they're so advanced, why show up 00:03:45.169 --> 00:03:49.530 after a few hits? Because it's not foolproof. 00:03:50.250 --> 00:03:54.710 The ability requires focus. When they're injured, 00:03:54.849 --> 00:03:58.629 distracted, or disorientated, they lose control. 00:03:59.189 --> 00:04:03.310 At least, that's my working hypothesis. Great. 00:04:03.490 --> 00:04:07.509 So they're invisible until we hit them. Any good 00:04:07.509 --> 00:04:12.789 news in that report? Good news? Maybe? Their 00:04:12.789 --> 00:04:15.849 rapid adaptations are so extreme that they might 00:04:15.849 --> 00:04:18.189 be compromising their functions. For instance, 00:04:18.410 --> 00:04:20.790 their ability to reproduce appears affected, 00:04:21.069 --> 00:04:27.310 but I'd have to study a live one. Are you saying 00:04:27.310 --> 00:04:29.569 they're evolving themselves out of existence? 00:04:31.689 --> 00:04:35.449 Possibly. But they're also becoming exponentially 00:04:35.449 --> 00:04:38.370 more dangerous in the short term. They might 00:04:38.370 --> 00:04:41.449 not need to if they can't reproduce at the same 00:04:41.449 --> 00:04:44.189 rate. They're optimizing to take us out before 00:04:44.189 --> 00:04:47.660 it even matters. It is one of the most studied 00:04:47.660 --> 00:04:50.220 parts of the bugs. They appear to have some kind 00:04:50.220 --> 00:04:54.720 of control over their DNA. And we're just sitting 00:04:54.720 --> 00:05:00.199 here waiting for the next move. Fantastic. Hold 00:05:00.199 --> 00:05:04.279 on. New results coming in. The genome changes 00:05:04.279 --> 00:05:07.519 are more significant than we thought. There's 00:05:07.519 --> 00:05:10.920 evidence they're coordinating. Their adaptations 00:05:10.920 --> 00:05:14.040 aren't just some random evolution. It's deliberate. 00:05:14.699 --> 00:05:18.000 That I'm sure of. You mean they're working together 00:05:18.000 --> 00:05:23.279 on this? It's like a hive mind, but on a genetic 00:05:23.279 --> 00:05:26.779 level. They're sharing data and improving collectively. 00:05:27.180 --> 00:05:30.079 Every engagement we have with them is making 00:05:30.079 --> 00:05:35.139 them stronger. Then we stop engaging. Let's starve 00:05:35.139 --> 00:05:38.439 them of whatever it is they're feeding off. It's 00:05:38.439 --> 00:05:41.439 not that simple. Avoiding them won't undo the 00:05:41.439 --> 00:05:44.639 changes. If anything... It'll just give them 00:05:44.639 --> 00:05:49.079 more time to prepare. Then we don't give them 00:05:49.079 --> 00:05:54.279 that time. We keep them on the back foot. But 00:05:54.279 --> 00:05:56.720 first, we need command to understand what we're 00:05:56.720 --> 00:06:02.439 dealing with. I'll send the report. Let's see 00:06:02.439 --> 00:06:04.519 if they're as eager to sit on their hands as 00:06:04.519 --> 00:06:30.089 they are to send us into the meat grinder. Grayson, 00:06:30.170 --> 00:06:33.790 you always find the quiet spots. I swear it's 00:06:33.790 --> 00:06:35.889 like you've got a sixth sense for avoiding the 00:06:35.889 --> 00:06:39.750 noise. Maybe I just know how to read people, 00:06:39.850 --> 00:06:42.529 Stone. It wasn't hard to guess you'd follow me 00:06:42.529 --> 00:06:48.470 out here. Guilty as charged. Needed a break from 00:06:48.470 --> 00:06:51.589 the chaos. And maybe a little decent company. 00:06:54.209 --> 00:06:57.689 Decent company? Flattery won't get you far, Lieutenant. 00:06:59.209 --> 00:07:03.370 Wouldn't dream of it. Besides, I figured you'd 00:07:03.370 --> 00:07:07.629 appreciate someone to vent to. Even you can't 00:07:07.629 --> 00:07:11.529 keep all this bottled up forever. Maybe I'm better 00:07:11.529 --> 00:07:15.430 at bottling things up than you think. But you're 00:07:15.430 --> 00:07:20.269 right. This, all of this, it's a lot. And sometimes 00:07:20.269 --> 00:07:25.250 it's easier not to think about what's next. That's 00:07:25.250 --> 00:07:28.370 the thing, isn't it? Thinking about what's next. 00:07:29.290 --> 00:07:32.569 It's a dangerous game. Especially for people 00:07:32.569 --> 00:07:41.029 like us. You mean people who might actually care 00:07:41.029 --> 00:07:45.930 about each other? Yeah, it's not just regulations. 00:07:46.670 --> 00:07:51.110 It's the stakes. If something happens, if I screw 00:07:51.110 --> 00:07:54.670 up because I'm thinking about you, or vice versa, 00:07:54.850 --> 00:08:04.290 it's not just us who'd pay the price. I've thought 00:08:04.290 --> 00:08:09.350 about it. More than I should. And it's not fair 00:08:09.350 --> 00:08:12.949 to either of us. But that doesn't make it any 00:08:12.949 --> 00:08:18.110 easier. Doesn't mean I don't think about it, 00:08:18.149 --> 00:08:26.529 Grayson. Every damn day. Same here. But we're 00:08:26.529 --> 00:08:31.089 soldiers first, Stone. It's who we are. It's 00:08:31.089 --> 00:09:07.929 what we signed up for. to save this conversation 00:09:07.929 --> 00:09:13.350 for another quiet moment. If we ever get one. 00:09:48.970 --> 00:09:51.009 Command isn't giving us much of a choice here. 00:09:52.330 --> 00:09:58.309 They want a livestock. I don't need to tell you 00:09:58.309 --> 00:10:04.389 how insane that sounds, do I? No kidding. Cutting 00:10:04.389 --> 00:10:07.789 one of these things alive? It's not just insane. 00:10:08.350 --> 00:10:14.750 It's suicidal with what we've got. Agreed. But 00:10:14.750 --> 00:10:17.090 if we're going to do this, we need to think outside 00:10:17.090 --> 00:10:20.129 the box. Traditional traps won't work. They're 00:10:20.129 --> 00:10:25.809 too smart for that. Smart's one thing, but they've 00:10:25.809 --> 00:10:28.909 got weaknesses, right? We know their camouflage 00:10:28.909 --> 00:10:32.429 fails when they're injured or distracted. Maybe 00:10:32.429 --> 00:10:39.389 that's a starting point. Alright, let's hear 00:10:39.389 --> 00:10:41.809 it. What kind of distraction are we talking about? 00:10:47.980 --> 00:10:51.480 Something they can't ignore. Maybe heat signatures 00:10:51.480 --> 00:10:55.419 or sound pulses. We can rig a decoy to draw one 00:10:55.419 --> 00:11:00.379 out. And how do you keep it alive once it's out 00:11:00.379 --> 00:11:03.659 in the open? They're fast, strong, and lethal. 00:11:04.240 --> 00:11:06.659 We need containment ready to go before it even 00:11:06.659 --> 00:11:14.600 gets close. Containment? With what? A net? Hell, 00:11:14.659 --> 00:11:16.799 I don't think we've got anything on base that 00:11:16.799 --> 00:11:19.259 could hold a stalker for more than a few seconds. 00:11:21.980 --> 00:11:24.220 There's a chance the transport crates for the 00:11:24.220 --> 00:11:27.360 shield emitters could work. Reinforced. Shot 00:11:27.360 --> 00:11:30.700 -resistant. They might hold up long enough if 00:11:30.700 --> 00:11:35.279 we can seal them inside. It's a long shot, but 00:11:35.279 --> 00:11:38.259 it's something. What about manpower? We need 00:11:38.259 --> 00:11:40.399 a team to lure it in, another to seal the crate. 00:11:43.120 --> 00:11:50.679 and backup to cover both. We're spread thin as 00:11:50.679 --> 00:11:54.639 it is. Best we can do is two teams, one to bait, 00:11:54.840 --> 00:11:58.679 one to capture. Backup's not an option unless 00:11:58.679 --> 00:12:02.840 the militia arrives early. And even then, it's 00:12:02.840 --> 00:12:10.580 dicey. Dicey doesn't even cover it. We'd be sitting 00:12:10.580 --> 00:12:13.870 ducks out there. And what if more of them show 00:12:13.870 --> 00:12:26.029 up? We're toast! Okay. Let's simplify. We set 00:12:26.029 --> 00:12:28.970 a trap in a controlled area. Tight quarters where 00:12:28.970 --> 00:12:32.049 it can't move very easily. The decoy lures it 00:12:32.049 --> 00:12:38.669 in and we lock it down. Fast. Tight quarters 00:12:38.669 --> 00:12:42.000 could work. But where? We can't risk using the 00:12:42.000 --> 00:12:45.159 outpost itself, and anywhere else leaves us too 00:12:45.159 --> 00:12:50.639 exposed. What about the storage bay? Reinforced 00:12:50.639 --> 00:12:53.940 walls, limited access points... It might buy 00:12:53.940 --> 00:13:00.120 us the time we need. Not the worst idea. Still 00:13:00.120 --> 00:13:04.639 a death trap if things go sideways. Then we make 00:13:04.639 --> 00:13:07.600 sure it doesn't. We set explosives at the entry 00:13:07.600 --> 00:13:11.100 points as a last resort. If it gets loose, we 00:13:11.100 --> 00:13:16.059 bring the whole bay down. Alright. We've got 00:13:16.059 --> 00:13:20.000 the start of a plan. It's not a pretty one, but 00:13:20.000 --> 00:13:24.000 it's what we've got. Grayson and Stone, work 00:13:24.000 --> 00:13:26.659 out the details. I'll try to let Command know 00:13:26.659 --> 00:16:11.059 what we're gonna try. Everyone fan out. The generator 00:16:11.059 --> 00:16:13.759 is still unstable. We're working blind out here. 00:16:13.940 --> 00:16:16.759 Half the diagnostic systems are fried. Then we 00:16:16.759 --> 00:16:20.039 fix it the old -fashioned way. Grayson, get someone 00:16:20.039 --> 00:16:24.039 on that manual override. First Sergeant, cover 00:16:24.039 --> 00:16:30.080 her team. Grayson, you're covered. Move fast. 00:16:33.879 --> 00:16:37.740 Wait, wait, wait. So that's when it happened? 00:16:38.700 --> 00:16:42.960 That's how... The captain... That's how he died. 00:16:43.240 --> 00:16:46.580 Quick and brutal. A stalker came out of nowhere. 00:16:46.960 --> 00:16:52.179 And there was no time to react. Still, a knife? 00:16:54.120 --> 00:16:58.779 That's something. Not much of a choice. Bullets 00:16:58.779 --> 00:17:01.559 weren't landing clean. And the thing was too 00:17:01.559 --> 00:17:05.359 damn close. It was instincts. You don't think 00:17:05.359 --> 00:17:10.819 in a moment like that. You just act. And that's 00:17:10.819 --> 00:17:15.380 when they started calling him Bulldog. Damn right. 00:17:15.720 --> 00:17:18.799 You should have seen him. Blood on his face, 00:17:18.859 --> 00:17:21.400 standing over that thing like he'd just fought 00:17:21.400 --> 00:17:25.740 a damn war single -handed. The name just stuck. 00:17:27.880 --> 00:17:34.359 Still, the knife. That's something. It wasn't 00:17:34.359 --> 00:17:37.539 about the knife. It was about sending a message 00:17:37.539 --> 00:17:40.319 to the team. We had just lost our commander. 00:17:41.400 --> 00:17:45.740 I had to show we wouldn't back down. Not then, 00:17:45.819 --> 00:17:52.279 not ever. Well, that ends he was very pissed 00:17:52.279 --> 00:18:06.200 off. The generator's stabilized. For now. But 00:18:06.200 --> 00:18:09.680 that thing's on borrowed time. Then we use every 00:18:09.680 --> 00:18:12.819 second it gives us. First, Sergeant, give me 00:18:12.819 --> 00:18:14.940 a head count of anyone able to hold a weapon. 00:18:15.319 --> 00:18:18.279 Then get three teams of five and start a sweep 00:18:18.279 --> 00:18:28.400 of the outpost. On it, Commander. And, Sergeant, 00:18:28.599 --> 00:18:38.160 there's never just one. Private, go grab. Lieutenant, 00:18:38.380 --> 00:18:44.059 local militias inbound. Good. Get everyone ready 00:18:44.059 --> 00:18:47.759 to move. Grayson, we're not leaving without a 00:18:47.759 --> 00:18:53.920 stalker. Prep your team. Already on it. Let's 00:18:53.920 --> 00:18:57.559 make this count. You want to know why they called 00:18:57.559 --> 00:19:00.720 it the Halloween Offensive? It wasn't just because 00:19:00.720 --> 00:19:04.359 of the bugs or the timing. It was because that 00:19:04.359 --> 00:19:09.990 night, everything changed. For us, for them, 00:19:09.990 --> 00:19:16.529 and for the war. First Sergeant, give me a casualty 00:19:16.529 --> 00:19:19.549 report. I need to know who's still standing. 00:19:43.589 --> 00:19:48.670 And the generator? That's right. We might get 00:19:48.670 --> 00:19:51.029 a few sparks here and there, but the power core 00:19:51.029 --> 00:19:55.789 is done for. There's no fixing it out here. Sir, 00:19:55.990 --> 00:19:59.089 what about the stalkers? You may have still walked 00:19:59.089 --> 00:20:03.950 about alive, right? That's not a priority right 00:20:03.950 --> 00:20:07.809 now. We've got lives to save. No, she's right. 00:20:08.170 --> 00:20:11.349 But we're not leaving empty -handed. Grayson, 00:20:11.430 --> 00:20:15.019 get your team together. We'll catch you on during 00:20:15.019 --> 00:20:21.900 the retreat. You want to trap one of those things 00:20:21.900 --> 00:20:24.180 while we're already fighting to get out of here? 00:20:24.819 --> 00:20:31.420 That's suicide! Not if we plan it right. We've 00:20:31.420 --> 00:20:34.220 got the bait. Our retreat will draw them in. 00:20:34.640 --> 00:20:37.140 We just need a trap big enough to hold them. 00:20:40.059 --> 00:20:43.539 We could - Rig one of the damaged transport containers. 00:20:44.299 --> 00:20:46.500 Reinforce it with what's left of the outpost's 00:20:46.500 --> 00:20:49.839 plating. It won't be pretty, but it might hold. 00:21:42.119 --> 00:21:47.180 Grayson, is the trap ready? Ready as it'll ever 00:21:47.180 --> 00:21:50.680 be. We've got one chance at this. Stone, make 00:21:50.680 --> 00:22:14.220 it count. Let's draw one in before it's too late. 00:22:17.599 --> 00:22:20.880 Roger that. Recon team, with me. Set the bait 00:22:20.880 --> 00:22:29.200 and fall back into the defensive line. It's in 00:22:29.200 --> 00:22:36.180 possession. Wait, movement on the left. Hold 00:22:36.180 --> 00:25:14.250 your fire. now You're talking about the nuke, 00:25:14.390 --> 00:25:25.490 aren't you? Damn it. Fine. But you know this 00:25:25.490 --> 00:25:28.750 isn't just the end of a base. It's the end of 00:25:28.750 --> 00:25:36.250 a lot of hope. Failsafe activated. 30 seconds. 00:25:37.309 --> 00:25:40.369 Hope's not in the base, Grayson. It's in us. 00:25:40.950 --> 00:25:45.059 We live. We fight another day. That's all that 00:25:45.059 --> 00:25:48.839 matters. All units, this is Lieutenant Stone. 00:25:49.079 --> 00:26:04.619 We're jiggering the failsafe. This is for everyone 00:26:04.619 --> 00:27:02.980 we lost. That concludes Episode 3 of the Halloween 00:27:02.980 --> 00:27:06.599 Offensive. This episode was written and produced 00:27:06.599 --> 00:27:09.980 and directed by me, Grant Peavyhouse. Featuring 00:27:09.980 --> 00:27:31.029 voice performances by... Dwarven Don as Soldier 00:27:31.029 --> 00:27:37.049 3. Emily Morris Lee as Past Soldier 4 and Recon 00:27:37.049 --> 00:27:42.009 Specialist 1. As Past Soldier 2 and Bartender. 00:27:42.349 --> 00:27:45.910 And myself, voicing Soldier 1, the narrator, 00:27:46.269 --> 00:27:50.109 Past Soldier 1, and 3. Recon Specialist 2 and 00:27:50.109 --> 00:27:53.930 3. Next time on the Halloween Offensive. Lieutenant 00:27:53.930 --> 00:27:58.089 Stone, Lieutenant Grayson, this is Colonel Harker. 00:27:58.569 --> 00:28:01.150 I'm contacting you on behalf of Central Command. 00:28:01.750 --> 00:28:05.509 Your quick thinking and leadership saved countless 00:28:05.509 --> 00:28:16.690 lives. Other things, huh? And here I thought 00:28:16.690 --> 00:28:19.109 saving your life a dozen times would count for 00:28:19.109 --> 00:28:46.119 something. to stay alive but the ghosts keep 00:28:46.119 --> 00:30:20.859 marching and so turned us into pawns, expendable 00:30:20.859 --> 00:30:25.700 in their grand experiment. And now, I'm left 00:30:25.700 --> 00:30:30.579 wondering, what the hell do I do with this truth? 00:30:31.240 --> 00:30:35.619 Whatever comes next, one thing's clear, there's 00:30:35.619 --> 00:30:40.579 no going back now. The question is, how far am 00:30:40.579 --> 00:30:59.460 I willing to go? PV Production LLC owns the rights 00:30:59.460 --> 00:31:02.319 and or holds licensing for music and sounds. 00:31:02.599 --> 00:31:06.160 This audio drama uses some AI voices and music 00:31:06.160 --> 00:31:09.039 in the production. If you are wanting to contact 00:31:09.039 --> 00:31:12.059 PV Productions LLC, please visit the website 00:31:12.059 --> 00:31:14.680 in the description. Thanks for listening.