Underground: Episode 3

Limelight

In this episode of the BBC audio drama Underground, tutor Charly navigates the claustrophobic, high-tech doomsday bunker known as Thornfield, where billionaire Edward

Key takeaways

• Charly discovers that Edward lied about being away when his wife died, as the children recall specific details from that Tuesday night.
• Obi reveals he helped design Thornfield and is now trapped in a lower sub-level, showing Charly a patient restrained for paranoid psychosis.

Main topics

• Bunker isolation & luxury survival
• Grief tech & psychological trauma

Notable quotes

"Just because you can't see something, Doesn't mean it isn't there."

Conclusion

The episode masterfully blends sci-fi thriller elements with psycholog

Transcript preview

Speaker 1 (0:00) This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the UK. Speaker 5 (0:09) Welcome to the Haunted Library. Have you come in search of a tale? This podcast invites you to browse the shelves and find stories that will linger long after you've left this place. From gothic masterpieces to pulpy penny dreadfuls, join me, Colin Morgan, with new episodes twice a week. Find The Haunted Library wherever you get your podcasts. Speaker 1 (0:48) Underground. By Chloe Myerson. Speaker 1 (0:52) Episode 3 Speaker 1 (1:15) Frequency waves, like radio, can be kilometers long. High frequency waves, like gamma rays, are so small they can pass through matter. Can I get a Speaker 2 (1:25) drink of water? Shh, it's almost finished. Speaker 1 (1:28) Humans can only see a tiny part of the spectrum, visible light, a fraction of reality. Just beyond red is infrared. Just beyond violet is ultraviolet. So remember, just because you can't see something, Doesn't mean it isn't thaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Speaker 7 (1:47) It stopped. Speaker 2 (1:48) What? Speaker 2 (1:51) That was the end anyway. Speaker 7 (1:54) Is Speaker 2 (1:55) that the Simuscape? Speaker 7 (1:55) It's classical harp. Imagine if everything stopped working. Then Speaker 2 (2:00) we wouldn't Speaker 7 (2:00) do Speaker 2 (2:00) lessons. We would still do lessons, Huxley. I don't need the tablet. Speaker 7 (2:05) What? You know everything. And Speaker 2 (2:07) I can read minds too. What am I thinking? Oh, God, I don't want to say. Say! Oh, Huxley, that's disgusting. Oh, Huxley, Speaker 7 (2:16) I can read your Speaker 2 (2:17) mind too. May, it's awful, isn't it? Stop! Okay, guys, let's do the questions. It's still frozen. Damn it. Speaker 7 (2:28) You know there's a party tomorrow night, but Daddy says we're not allowed. Who's coming? It's the people from Ingram and some other people from the surface. Ingram? Is that your mum's Speaker 2 (2:38) family? Speaker 7 (2:39) No, Ingram's another sub-state. Mummy's family's in China. Speaker 2 (2:44) Do you guys remember your mum? Before she... Speaker 7 (2:48) I remember Daddy saying that he was sad. Because I wanted to watch TV and he said yes, even though it was a Tuesday. When? What do you mean, Tuesday? That was the rule. 40 minutes of TV only on Sundays, if we were good. That was your mum's rule? No, it was Daddy's rule. He said just because Mummy was in bed watching TV, that was because she was sick. But then he let me watch for three whole hours and he just sat there and didn't say anything. And we had cereal with ice cream. Speaker 2 (3:17) And that was the night she died. Speaker 2 (3:20) Yes. But I think you're remembering something else because your dad told me he was away when she died. It Speaker 7 (3:28) was that night. Definitely. I remember now. I remember the ice cream. Definitely. And now Daddy isn't strict at all so I can play World Smashers all night. So he used to be strict. He used to make us clear the table but now we just leave it for reset. Or Popo. And he used to check our homework and he used to check on us in the night even when he thought we were asleep. But now... It's so much better now. He just lets us do whatever we want. And Speaker 2 (3:54) your mum? Do you dream about her a lot? No. But remember, two nights ago, when you were sleepwalking, you said, Mummy, don't you remember? Of course not, I was asleep. Duh. Speaker 2 (4:23) Daff? Dab! What? In your arm? Is that an IV? Charlie! Hey, Speaker 8 (4:32) welcome. What's in it? Oh, just some hydration salts, vitamin C. I want to talk to you. Cheeky shot of ketamine. What's up? Speaker 2 (4:39) Um, do you know anything about sleepwalking? I thought Speaker 8 (4:43) you were leaving. Speaker 2 (4:44) I decided to stay. Ha! Didn't I tell you? Are you going to be of any help? You're definitely staying? Forget it. I don't know why I bothered trying to get answers from some washed-up PhD with a drinking problem. Okay, let's Speaker 8 (4:57) go. Speaker 2 (5:05) This is the service lift? How far are we going? Speaker 8 (5:09) All the way down. No, no, just to level sub-14. Speaker 8 (5:15) So, how are the kids? They're fine. Let me guess. Graduated top of your year, couple of extra degrees after that, just to end up babysitting rich brats. And Speaker 2 (5:27) what does Speaker 8 (5:27) that Speaker 2 (5:27) make you? Speaker 8 (5:28) Me? I'm deedless. That's the other guy. I know who Speaker 2 (5:32) Daedalus is. So what, you designed Thornfield? Speaker 8 (5:36) I helped, yeah. I put the Minotaur in the maze and now I'm trapped here too. This way. Speaker 2 (5:49) Do people live down here? Speaker 8 (5:51) Where did you think they lived? Speaker 4 (5:52) Yeah, I think they put them on cooling. Been down in two weeks. Thinks he knows how to work floor, I'm sure. Ah, here Speaker 8 (5:58) we are. Speaker 2 (5:58) Is this a hospital? Speaker 8 (6:00) Officially, no. Speaker 8 (6:03) Grace Shepherd, 35, compliance engineer. Speaker 2 (6:09) The restraints? What? They come in my... Speaker 8 (6:12) Paranoid psychosis. Stop doing that! Speaker 2 (6:15) Hello, I'm... Get out of my head! Speaker 2 (6:25) So it must have been Grace that I heard screaming. How dare you! But how did she get on my wearable? Speaker 2 (6:32) What does this have to do with the ghosts? Ghosts? I thought you were going to tell me how it works, how they come back. Have you mistaken me for some kind of medium? I'm a scientist. Speaker 8 (6:41) But Speaker 2 (6:41) surely you've heard them. I thought everyone had. I've Speaker 8 (6:43) seen people lose touch with reality, talking to people that aren't there. No, it's not like Speaker 2 (6:47) that. Speaker 8 (6:47) Maybe Speaker 2 (6:47) it Speaker 8 (6:47) has something to do with the wearables' frequencies or the artificial sunlight. Could be full-spectrum deprivation. Speaker 2 (6:53) Why did you show me this? Speaker 8 (6:55) I thought you might want to help me. Speaker 2 (6:57) With what? Speaker 8 (6:59) Bringing it all down. Speaker 1 (7:08) And you said? That I think about it. Speaker 8 (7:11) Sounds dodgy if you ask me. Speaker 1 (7:13) Two minutes to sunset. Set wearable to sleep mode for improved metrics. Speaker 8 (7:20) Charlie. Why aren't you saying anything? Speaker 2 (7:22) Thinking. Speaker 8 (7:23) About? Speaker 8 (7:30) I'm not gonna lie. I cannot be the best person to help you with your love troubles. I Speaker 2 (7:36) don't... It's not like that. I think he must be the one who knows about all this. I'm going to ask him about it