A team of xenoarchaeologists travel to distant worlds searching for traces of a now-vanished alien race. Each season brings a new site, new secrets and new dangers.
Site
RSS
Apple
Recent rankings
Latest chart positions across Apple Podcasts and Spotify rankings.
Shared links between episodes and podcasts
Links found in episode descriptions and other podcasts that share them.
For a transcript of this trailer or more info on the show, go to our website
S1E1 - "The Key to Humanity's Future"
Season 1 · Episode 1
Wednesday, April 3, 2019 • Duration 35:57
SYNOPSIS
The crew of the Herodotus Mission broadcast their first report from the Alpha and Beta sites on the planet Tefen. As they begin to search the sites, they uncover a city, a terraformer, over 200 skeletons...and a box.
One week before deployment on Tefen, the Herodotus Task Force ring in the New Year while aboard the starship delivering them to their Season 1 fates. Over the course of the two acts you will witness dancing, singing, drinking and gambling, but you will also be privy to a number of intimate personal moments and conversations that will reveal more of the inner lives of the characters you've come to love and hate (and some you haven't even met yet). What are Kathy and Harry up to? Can Adrienne and Celia keep the poker game civil or will their fellow players end up at each others throats? Will Ben even leave his quarters? You'll have to listen to see...
CONTENT WARNINGAlcohol Consumption - Several characters take part in a drinking game (40:55 - 43:17)
Gambling/Poker - Several characters get set up for a poker game (46:58 - 50:10)
Death/Grief - There are allusions to Ben's personal tragedy and the impact it has had on him (37:48 - 39:32)
As the night progresses, things get intense at the poker table with mind games aplenty. Meanwhile at the main party the nights of the rest of the team are about to overlap and entwine in surprising ways...
CONTENT WARNING
Alcohol Consumption - Alcohol is present at various points in the episode. Prominent moments involve a drinking game (13:30 - 13:45) and some characters drinking a toast (36:19 - 40:04)
Gambling/Poker - 3 scenes revolve around a poker game (7:45 - 12:10 plus 20:45 - 25:25 and 28:38 - 34:20)
Crunching/Chewing noises - Three in total, the first at 29:28 with two more prominent ones from 33:00 - 33:15
TRAILER TRANSCRIPT[A few bars of the theme tune and the rumble of a spaceship in flight]
S2E1 - Prologue - "Thankfully, Not My Nightmare"
Season 2 · Episode 1
Wednesday, February 14, 2024 • Duration 14:26
Episode Notes
SYNOPSIS
Six weeks after the events of Season 1, The Herodotus Task Force have been rescued and are on their way home via military vessel. Adrienne thinks her team safe and the worst behind them. But she is about to find out that her bosses have other plans...
Season 2 Theme music composed by Oliver Morris @oliverrmorris
This episode was written and produced on the stolen land of the Dja Dja Wurrung people. We acknowledge their elders past, present and emerging. Sovereignty was never ceded.
S2E2 - "Wrong Way Go Back"
Season 2 · Episode 2
Wednesday, February 28, 2024 • Duration 49:16
Episode Notes
SYNOPSIS
The team begins their investigation into the site where the Nabonidus Task Force went missing. Their disappearance has an air of a locked room mystery. The team finds warnings, questions, anomalies and a new mystery surrounding one of the Nabonidus team members.
The crew begins to piece together the story of the last four days before the Nabonidus crew went missing. Kathy notes strange behaviour in some of the recordings and finds evidence of what lies beyond the antechamber door. Meanwhile, Captain Francis plays a hunch that might result in their biggest lead yet.
CONTENT WARNINGS
Vehicular Accident/Panic Attack - Description of a vehicular accident and a related claustrophobia-based panic attack (6:13 - 7:12)
Loss of Bodily Autonomy - Two short scenes involving characters being unable to control their limbs and subsequent discussion (26:01 - 28:56)
Delusion/Hallucination - A scene involving a character in a state of delusion becoming worked up (44:10 - 45:15)
Tasering - A character is incapacitated by a device akin to a taser (44:55 - 45:15)
The team heads beyond the antechamber door and become increasingly frustrated with the contradictory evidence on where the Nabonidus crew might be. Meanwhile Celia and Kathy ponder the puzzle presented by Johann Mueller, with Kathy digging up a recording from his personal files that changes everything.
CONTENT WARNINGS
Delusional State/Panic Attack/Use of Restraints/Medical Sedation - A character experiencing a break from reality becomes agitated due to the handcuffs placed upon him and is sedated to prevent injury (12:12 - 14:01)
Loss of Bodily Autonomy - A scene in which a group of people lose personal control of their bodies and are moved against their will by unknown means. The scene is both described and accompanied by sound effects (36:03 - 39:53)
The following pieces were licensed via Motion Array
"You Gotta Have Fun" by Rattlesnake
"Pulsing Energy" by Rollerbird
"Club Passion" by Biofunky Music
"Party Time" by Hot Sunset
This episode was written and produced on the stolen land of the Dja Dja Wurrung people. We acknowledge their elders past, present and emerging. Sovereignty was never ceded.
The following pieces were licensed via Motion Array:
"Ready For Takeoff" by WaveArt
"New Mechanism" by E2YOU
"Party Until Dawn" by PLAYSTARZ
"Party Rock" by GvidonAudio
"Warm Country" by IhorDrums
"Ethereal Android" by Lance Conrad
"The Sense of Style" by Elena Anisimova
"Secret Alarm System" by E2YOU
"Stable" by E2YOU
"Rocket Fuel" by DHDMusic
"Fun at the Disco" by Easy Vibe Sounds
"These Romantic Feelings" by DPMusic
Licensed from Pond5:
"Auld Lang Syne (Acoustic Guitar Version)" by Liberakun Sound
All singing of Auld Lang Syne within the episode was recorded by the cast. In the outro version, performers appear in the following order:
Chris Magilton, Whitney Johnson, Jordan Cobb, Devin Madson, Shakira Searle, Shakira/Graham, Graham Rowat, Jordan/Sam, Sam "Raethr" Nguyen, and all the previously mentioned on the final chorus.
This episode was written and produced on the stolen land of the Dja Dja Wurrung people. We acknowledge their elders past, present and emerging. Sovereignty was never ceded.
MAYHEW: Nabonidus - What do you know about their current assignment?
ADRIENNE: Some site miners found twelve miles below the surface of an ice ball of a planet in Sector 17
FRANCIS: Are you saying they've...disappeared?
MAYHEW: I am saying the brass have made it your job to find out.
FRANCIS: What?
MAYHEW: Both your jobs.
ADRIENNE: You can't be serious. We have 14 dead, and many of us are still recovering from...
[Adrienne's voice and spaceship rumble fade, replaced by a computer sound effect]
COMPUTER: For attention of Jennifer Connolly, Eudoxus Initiative...
[The computer fades out to be replaced by the beginnings of the Season 2 theme]
ADRIENNE: Initial hails failed to illicit a response.
FRANCIS: Because despite all our best efforts, we've turned up nothing.
CELIA: There is still a question over whether or not the people we are here to find are alive or dead.
KATHY: We've been tasked with going through the data from Nabonidus to see what we can piece together.
HOLLISTER: (on recording) Descending the ramp now.
KATHY: We started noticing a few people doing weird things.
HOLLISTER: (on recording) Did anyone see that?
KATHY: There's a question of...behaviour.
HOLLISTER: (on recording) Can they be opened?
DUONG: (on recording) Should they be opened?
KATHY: 88 missing people. Only 87 sets of personal logs.
CELIA: We're still at a loss as to how this whole site was built 12 miles below the surface without a tunnel.
BEN: Last time we had the ultimate xenoarchaeological murder mystery. This time it's the ultimate locked room.
ADRIENNE: Covered in danger messages.
BEN: That in two dozen ways are screaming, "Wrong way, go back."
FRANCIS: They discovered evidence of sabotage.
BEN: A host of contradictions. Warnings and signs and portents and clues and half-truths.
ADRIENNE: Are you picking up on a general theme of wrongness?
[The music builds up and switches to a different, bass-heavy version of the theme]
JENSEN: (on radio) Captain, we've got something. Movement in the hangar area.
MUELLER: Stay back!
KONSTANTINIDIS: (crying) I'm sorry!
ADRIENNE: Get to the mine!
FRANCIS: Prepare to advance from the right flank!
DUONG: Someone! Please!
HUBERT: Swanson - Your two!
KONSTANTINIDIS: (screaming) Don't you think we would if we could!
FRANCIS: Do not approach!
MEISNER: (crying) Someone, anyone...help.
KATHY: (on radio) We're not going to make it to you!
BEN: (shouting) The hell you're not!
FRANCIS: I am compromised. Repeat: I am compromised.
[The music drops intensity to an outro]
COMPUTER: Among the Stars and Bones. Season 2. Coming February 14 2024.
KATHY: Ms Connolly. Please make sure that you have a screen available. Because you need to see this recording. I can describe it, but even I don't believe it and I've seen it.
Season 2 Theme music composed by Oliver Morris @oliverrmorris
This episode was written and produced on the stolen land of the Dja Dja Wurrung people. We acknowledge their elders past, present and emerging. Sovereignty was never ceded.
Season 2 Theme music composed by Oliver Morris @oliverrmorris
Schubert's Serenade, recorded by AudioGarden, licensed from Motion Array
Erik Satie's Gnosienne No. 1, recorded by Joe O'Rourke Music, licensed from Motion Array
This episode was written and produced on the stolen land of the Dja Dja Wurrung people. We acknowledge their elders past, present and emerging. Sovereignty was never ceded.
Season 2 Theme music composed by Oliver Morris @oliverrmorris
This episode was written and produced on the stolen land of the Dja Dja Wurrung people. We acknowledge their elders past, present and emerging. Sovereignty was never ceded.
Related Shows Based on Content Similarities
Discover shows related to Among the Stars and Bones, based on actual content similarities. Explore podcasts with similar topics, themes, and formats, backed by real data.
