[Introduction]
Narrator: Are you listening? Good. This is not a podcast. This is not an audiobook. This is a dimensional experience set in the unseen realms to your left, your right, and all that lingers between (between, between). We ask that you put on headphones if possible. Use caution during your journey and always—

Listen carefully.

[Sounds of cars and trucks whizzing by fade into a slow, thudding alternative rock score]

QCODE presents "Carrier", starring Cynthia Erivo.
Written and directed by Dan Blank.

[The final twangs of the guitar fade back to sounds of cars and trucks whizzing by.]

[Sounds of deep, measured breathing]

Ray: Come on man, you're dragging your ass! Come on...

[Sounds of footsteps approaching]

Police Officer: Okay! Ms. Watts, I’ll give you back your license, medical card; everything seems to be in order here except your vehicle registration.

Ray: How's that now?

Police Officer: Who is Earle Watts again?

Ray: Um ye-yeah I told you, that's my father.
Police Officer: Okay—

Ray: Uh—

Police Officer: Okay, so uh, why are you driving his rig?

Ray: I-I’m covering for him, it's temporary. Look, I-I didn't do anything illegal, right?

Police Officer: We'll find out, we'll find out, I'm just waiting on confirmation from your fleet. Just sit tight Ms. Watts, and hopefully we'll get you on your way shortly.

Ray: Okay, because I really need to get this trailer delivered on time, if it—

Police Officer: Ma'am? Ma’am? Sit tight, or this can take a heck of a lot longer. Thank you.

Ray: Right. Thanks, officer—

Police Officer: What was that?

Ray: Huh? I—

Police Officer: What’d you say?

Ray: Th-thanks-thank you, officer? Did I say something?

Police Officer: Oh no no, it's not what you said, it’s how you said it. I don't appreciate your attitude.
Ray: M-my attitude?

Police Officer: See there it is again! Right there.

Ray: [sputters] P-please, I-I'm being very respectful, but if-but if I miss my delivery window, they dock me, and I—

Police Officer: That's too bad, Ms. Watts. Because I got nowhere else to be today. Lotta’ human trafficking cases on this road, didya' know that? Not to mention drugs? You never know what you might find during a routine stop. You seem anxious; are there any weapons aboard this vehicle?

Ray: No, that's against regulation—

Police Officer: That's not what I asked, Ms. Watts!

Ray: I...No. No sir.

Police Officer: Good! Cause' I'm out here sweatin' like a pig, but I'll happily unpack this entire truck on suspicion.

Ray: [laughs in disbelief]

Police Officer: Would you like that? What was that?

Ray: I w-what?

Police Officer: That look!

Ray: N-I'm-no, there was no look.
Police Officer: Okay, step out of the vehicle.

[Sounds of truck door opening]

Ray: What? I didn't do anything!

Police Officer: STEP OUT of the vehicle, or I'll rip you out!

Ray: No! I'm not-no! Let go of me!

[Sounds of a struggle]

Police Officer: Get out of the vehicle Ms. Watts!

Ray: No I'm not—

Police Officer: 1202—

Ray: Wait, no no wait there's something—

Police Officer: Send another unit, I've got a belligerent motorist—

Ray: The dashcam!

Police Officer: WHAT dashcam?

Ray: U-um t-th-the one the fleet installed, i-i-it streams to them the whole time.

Police Officer: Oh really, where is it?

Ray: Uh, i-i-it's right there, behind me—

Police radio: 1202, what's your [?]? 1202, do you copy?

Police Officer: Goddamnit.

[Sound of truck going by]

Automated female voice: You are approaching your eight-hour driving limit; to avoid penalties, find a safe place to park for a thirty-minute break—

Ray: God damn, this-yeah that's not happening!

[Sound of phone buzzing]

Ray: Shit...Hey Loretta!

Loretta: The distribution center just called...

Ray: I'm almost there, I'm sorry, I got pulled over.

Loretta: Oh Christ; what for?

Ray: What do you think?

Loretta: Ray, do you know how much Hallmart fines the shipper if you're late?

Ray: Enough that it takes a chunk outta' my ass too, don't worry, I'm not gonna be late.

[Buzzing sound]

Distribution center worker: You're late.

Ray: Yeah, but only by a minute.

Distribution center worker: S'doesn't matter. System won't even let me check you in, you're gonna' have to reschedule for tomorrow.

Ray: No, you ca-you can't do that.

Distribution center worker: I'm not. Hallmart is.

Ray: C'mon man, it's j-it's just a drop; look, you can unload that trailer anytime you want!

Distribution center worker: And if I make exceptions, I get dinged for your fleet's screw-up.

Ray: Please, please. I can't come back-my d-my dad's in the hospital.

Distribution center worker: [Sighs] Alright, we're gonna say: "Driver arrived on property at 5:59, but couldn't locate her paperwork until 6:02."

Ray: What? That's not—

Distribution center worker: Door 152, ya' got 10 minutes.

Ray: Door 152. Thank you, thank you! Oh, oh, uh which door am I picking up at?

Distribution center worker: Come again?

Ray: I'm dropping off but I'm also grabbing a loaded trailer for Chicago.

Distribution center worker: [Laughs] You should call your dispatch, hon'. That ship is sailed.

[Sounds of weather channel]

Loretta: I don't know what to tell you hon', when it looked like you were a no-show the system automatically diverted the load to another driver.

Ray: I needed that trailer, Loretta.

Loretta: Well it's not like I had any control.

Ray: If I bobtail this truck all the way back to Chicago, after field costs I'll end up owing the fleet money.

Loretta: And, if you fly home and leave that truck down and dustin' in some yard, they'll really screw ya'. I'm lookin' at your GPS, where are ya' now, [?]?

Ray: Just outside, some busted truck stop. I hate Missouri.

Loretta: Well you're approaching your ten-hour break anyway, take a shower, get some rest, check back in the mornin' and hopefully we'll have a backhaul sorted out for ya', kay'?

Ray: Okay, uh, it's just, I told you my family needs me home tomorrow, right? I'm supposed to be helping out with my dad, and—

Loretta: Hey Ray? I'm sorry, I've gotta' take this. Don't sweat it, there's a driver shortage right now, something else will come through.

Ray: And what if it doesn't?

Loretta: Let's deal with it in the A.M., okay? Goodnight!

Automated female voice: Driver #1; In key, Shower 23 is now available.

Stranger #1: Hot damn, hot damn! Look at you, look at you! Ayo, Trap! Where ya' goin', sister?

[Sounds of a dog barking suddenly appear]

Ray: Fuck!

Stranger #2: Hi Ma'am, are you lost?

Ray: What?

Stranger #2: Yeah, I'm Chaplain Dave, I run the Heavenly Highway Ministry?

Ray: Oh, uh-um, s-some other time.

Chaplain Dave: Uh well, oh yeah well, you have a blessed evening.

[Sounds of faint motel lobby music]

Receptionist: Are you 118, sweetie?

Ray: Yep, um, where are the showers?

Receptionist: Just straight past the barber on your left.

Ray: Ok.

[Sound of creaky door opening]

Stranger #3: Oof! She's all yours.

Ray: [Voice distorted from hand covering her mouth] Mmf! Oh my god. Eugh! Eugh, ugh, oh my god.

[Sounds of shower faucet turning on and scrubbing; abruptly stops when automated voice comes on]

Automated female voice: Your shower is now complete. Please be sure to clean the stall for the next customer.

Ray: [Sighs] You gotta' be kidding me.

[Sounds of dishes clanking and laughter of a little kid]

Ray: It's just a slight delay, but by 7:00 I should-I should know what the deal is.

[Sound of male voice coming through a cell phone intermingled with noises from two children]

DeAndre: Ok; any updates on your brother?

Ray: Yeah, the doctors still don't know what's wrong, um, I-I'll deal with it tomorrow.

Jamill: C'mon, leave me alone. Would ya' leave me alone?!

[Laughter from young girl]

DeAndre: Hey, hey, hey, Malika! Can you please stop touching your brother?

Ray: Hey-I-here, b-baby, c-can-I need-[exasperated sigh]I need you to move the camera. All I can see right now is Mac n' Cheese.

DeAndre: Oh, my bad. Does it look good? A little cheesy in the middle?

Ray: [Goes to critique him but laughs when he does it for her] Oh-see, now isn't this nice? [He laughs] Hold-hold on. Um, Jamill, what are you eating?

DeAndre: [Whispers under his breath] Oh, God. Don't say anything, Jamill.

Jamill: Uh, ice cream?

[DeAndre bursts into laughter]

Ray: Uh, well why aren't you eating all the nice food DeAndre made you?

Jamill: [Scoffs] Made?

DeAndre: Ok, J-Jamill and I made an agreement, ok?

Ray: Mm-mm-hmm.

DeAndre: He could have his ice cream first, but, then he promised to eat two pieces of chicken and all of his salad, ain't that right.

Jamill: Mm-hmm!

Ray: Y-you're gonna' get my five-year-old to eat salad?

[Ray and DeAndre break into laughter]

Malika: It's not salad, it's coleslaw.

DeAndre: Hey, hey, it counts!

Ray: A-and w-why on earth is his mouth all blue?

DeAndre: Is his mouth blue? Uh, it's not—

Ray: It is blue, very blue.

DeAndre: Yeah, ok, well, we-we-we picked up Icee's after school.

Ray: Icee's AND ice cream. Oh!

DeAndre: Ray! You have no idea how hot the city has been.

Ray: You're right! You are right. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, you're being a huge help. It's just-it's just one more night.

DeAndre: Well let's hope, because this one's been having nightmares and could really use his mama right now.

Ray: Nightmares? Jamill?

DeAndre: [Chuckling] He's worried Florida's gonna' be underwater before he ever gets to Orlando. Seem's someone's been filling his head with stories—

Malika: They're not stories! Why you keep actin' like it's fake?

Ray: Oh God, please tell me you did not let her read the news again?

DeAndre: We were at the library! I didn't see what she was lookin' at!

Ray: D-DeAndre, she's eight!

DeAndre: Yeah, and I shouldn't be the one to decide what they can and can't know about! Sorry, that's someone else's job.

Ray: ...wow.

DeAndre: Nah, that's not what I meant. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Um...[sighs]

[Sounds of crickets chirping at night fade to the ring of a cell-phone]

DeAndre: Ray, baby, what time is it?

Ray: I can't keep doing this to you.

DeAndre: Hey! Hey, hey, hey, hey, I'm not going anywhere. Look, I love your kids, even if they see me as just some dude they can con into giving them sugar cereal and Xbox.

Ray: Mm-uh, you didn't say anything about Xbox.

DeAndre: Well, I can't hide it all the time, ok? I got needs too, ya' know? [Ray chuckles] And look, you're doin' a good thing, but I do think we need to talk about your exit strategy, cause' this? This is not sustainable.

Ray: I know, I know. This job's gonna' kill me. I keep seeing all these ragged, morbidly obese drivers out here and I'm worried I'm slowly turning into one of them.

DeAndre: Mmm, now that's a picture.

Ray: Babe, I can't remember the last time I saw a salad. My skin had broken out, my ass is getting big, my hair reeks of diesel—

DeAndre: Hold up, hold up, hold up, hold up...

Ray: What?

DeAndre: I just, I just need to hear more about this big ass of yours...

[Ray laughs in disbelief]

DeAndre: Hey!

Ray: Oh my g-are you-are you for real?

DeAndre: For real, you've been on the road for, what, three weeks? My imagination ain't shit.

Ray: [Still unable to contain her laughter] You c-you cannot be serious, you crazy!

DeAndre: Am I crazy? Am I crazy-hang on, just give me one second, let me get situated.

Ray: [Chuckling] B-will you lock the door at least, please?

DeAndre: Ok, good call, let me lock the door, let me pull this whole uh—

Ray: Wait-shit, shit, sh-shit, uh shit-stay with me, I think someone's trying to break into my cab.

[Sounds of someone trying to open a locked car door.]

DeAndre: What, are you serious?

Ray: Yeah, some dirtbags were fucking with me earlier.

DeAndre: Aw shit, ok, you got protection?

Ray: J-just a tire thumper, but I-but I left it up front! I-I-I'm gettin' it.

DeAndre: Ray, hey, Ray! Don't do anything stupid.

Older woman with a smoker's rasp: [Voice muffled through truck window] Hey! [Taps on glass] Hey! You need any company tonight?

Ray: Uh, no, no thank you!

Older woman: Oh...I do girls too, ya' know.

Ray: Nope! Nope, not interested.

Older woman: Fine. Stuck up bitch!

[Sound of a loud bang and something shattering]

Ray: Oh-oh my god.

DeAndre: Hey! What was that?

Ray: [?] [Sighs] Just let me go home!

[Sounds of a busy road and construction; a faint song with a country twang plays for a few seconds]

Terrell: Look, just Google "Vasanto round-up lawsuit", Ray.

Ray: Terrell, I do not care.

Terrell: You don't care about millions of dollars?

Ray: You're supposed to be looking after dad, not figuring out how to get rich off of him. Besides, dad drove for so many companies, who are you even gonna' sue?

Terrell: Whatever. When are you gonna' get here?

Ray: Yeah, about that. Uh, I'm still waitin' for a trailer but nothing's coming through, so I-I may need you to stay with dad one more night.

Terrell: No. No, no, no, no, no, no Ray, you promised!

Ray: I can't ask DeAndre to help, he's already doin' so much with the kids.

Terrell: But I got my own shit to deal with! I have a job too you know!

Ray: Are you for real? Selling supplements? I need you to stop thinkin' about yourself and your schemes for a moment and step the fuck up!

Terrell: Step up? Step up? Do you know how much I've been dealing with, alone? I shower him, I feed him, I get him dressed, get him to the doctor—

Ray: I'm sorry, I—

Terrell: —diggin' through his junk piles to find medical records and insurance cards, dealin' with his clients—

Ray: Clients? Dad doesn't have any clients.

Terrell: I don't know, like, customers. The one's that keep calling his phone.

Ray: Wait. Shippers? That doesn't make any sense, why aren't they callin' the fleet?

Terrell: You're askin' me?

Chaplain Dave: [Speaking through megaphone] Folks, this is Chaplain Dave here, the Heavenly Highways Ministry is gonna' be startin' our evenin' service shortly. Stop by our trailer chapel if you're lookin' for faith, fellowship, or just some free lemonade.

Loretta: I wish I could do something Ray, but that traffic stop lowered your performance rating, so you're just churning at the bottom of the queue. It's not me, it's the system.

Ray: It's always the system, isn't it? Listen, um, is there any chance I could maybe deal directly with the shipper?

Loretta: You're kiddin', right? Drivers are paid to drive, hon', the fleet handles the rest.

Ray: Right, that's what I assumed. Thank's anyway Loretta.

[Sound of cell-phone ringing]

Terrell: Sup'?

Ray: Hey, you still have dad's phone?

Terrell: Yeah? Think I...it's in his room.

Ray: You mind gettin' me those numbers?

[Sound of cell-phone ringing]

Automated male voice: Truck drivers are the heroes of America's highways. If you encounter anything suspicious or unusual in your travels, the human trafficking hotline is here to help.

Southern voice: Hello?

Ray: Is this Mr. Caldwell?

Mr. Caldwell: Who's this?

Ray: Um, my name's Raylene Watts, I'm Earle's daughter.

Mr. Caldwell: Oh, oh right! Right, I think I spoke to your brother.

Ray: Yeah.

Mr. Caldwell: [Clears throat] Your daddy doin' any better?

Ray: No, um, they still can't diagnose what's wrong.

Mr. Caldwell: Well, hopefully it's nothin' too serious.

Ray: Yeah. H-hey, uh, if you're still looking for a driver, um, I'm covering Earle's assignments while he's laid off.

Mr. Caldwell: Huh. Well, I'm not really lookin' to start somebody new right now—

Ray: I don't need any new training, I've been hauling every kind of freight for the last ten years and I'm damn good at what I do.

Mr. Caldwell: I'm sure you are.

Ray: You do know there's a driver shortage right now, right? You're not gonna have any luck finding somebody else to take on this load at such short notice.

Mr. Caldwell: W-we'll see. Have your daddy give us a buzz when he's feelin' better.

[Sounds of Ray's sighs; the country twang returns for a few seconds]

Automated female voice: Your call has been forwarded to an automated voice messaging system.

Ray: Hey, you never check your voicemail, so I don't even know why I bother, but-but if dad wakes up, can you, uh, can you please call me? I don't-I don't know what he was up to but I need to ask him about these side clients, because I'm trying to get home, but at this point, I-I really don't know what else I can do.

[Chaplain Dave's voice appears at first muffled through door; door opens and his voice is suddenly robust and fills the room]

Chaplain Dave: ...life on the road, with cell phones, and dispatchers, and now these ELV computers, yippin' at us for every infraction; it can be hard to squelch out all the noise and hear the voice of the one true lord. So I ask, that you take a moment as a community to join in a silent meditation, and pray for our lord and savior to take a shift in the driver's seat, so he can steer us in the right direction.

[Silent meditation ensues, only slightly interrupted by faint coughing until a phone starts buzzing loudly]

Ray: [Whispers] Oh, I'm so sorry, sorry.

[Sound of door creaking open]

Ray: Hello?

Mr. Caldwell: [Pauses] You ever driven a reefer?

[Eerie, tense music begins to quietly play]

Ray: What?

Mr. Caldwell: A refrigerated trailer. Do you know how to handle one?

Ray: Oh, uh, yeah. Yeah, of course.

Mr. Caldwell: [Takes a longer pause] How quick can you get on the road?

[Eerie music builds and then abruptly cuts off; soon followed by sound of a truck starting and alternative rock score resuming]

Narrator: "Carrier". Starring Cynthia Erivo as Raylene Watts. Written, directed, and edited by Dan Blank. Produced by Rob Herting, David Henning, Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, Fred Berger, Cynthia Erivo. Recorded, mixed, and masterd by SALTAUDIO. With performances by Steve Howey, Dale Dickey, Joel McKinnon Miller, Lamorne Morris, Byron Bowers, Chris Ellis, Robert Longstreet, Oliver Cooper, Dan Blank, Perry Mattfeld, Nate Torrence, Ashley Basara, Sydney Thomas, Jasaii Curtis, Randee Heller, James Wellington, Lance Reddick, and Elliott Gould. Original music and score by Jamie Schefman and Noah Gersh for SALTAUDIO. Sound design by Sam Plecner. Dimensional audio design by SALTAUDIO and Dan Blank. Associate Producer Tess Ryan. Script Supervision by Sam Beesley. Casting by Chelsea Bloch and Marisol Roncali at Atomic Honey. Additional country music by Mister Paradise. Recorded at Todd-AO Studios. If you're a fan of this show, check out our "Carrier" store, where you can find "Carrier" artwork, T-shirts, hoodies, hats, and more. All available at QCODEmedia.com/Carrier.