Title: Hyperspace Shortcut

Voice Age: Adult (34 - 54)

Language: English

Accent: Neutral American

Script: Captain Rex adjusted his headset, beads of sweat forming on his brow. "Engineering, can you stabilize the hyperdrive? We're bouncing around like a comet in a pinball machine!"

A crackle filled the comm. "Working on it, Captain. This shortcut might be a little rougher than anticipated."

Rex gripped the armrest. "A little rough? We're about to become a singularity!" The ship lurched violently, red lights flashing. Alarms blared. "Hold on tight, crew!"

Title: The Martian Broadcast

Voice Age: Adult (34 - 54)

Language: English

Accent: Transatlantic / Neutral American

Script: A crackle of static gave way to a weak, distorted signal. "...testing...testing... is this thing on? Can anyone hear me? This is Dr. Amelia Chandra, reporting live from Mars Base One..."

A pause, then a sigh. "Day 327. Still no response from Earth. Supply levels are critical. Oxygen production is failing. I... I won't give up hope. But... if this is the last transmission you ever hear, know this: humanity reached for the stars, and we didn't reach in vain."

Title: The Robot Uprising

Voice Age: Adult (34 - 54)

Language: English

Accent: Neutral American (slightly robotic)

Script: "Unit designation: RX-78. Current objective: Secure human population for their own safety. Commencing operation."

The metallic voice echoed through the deserted street. A humanoid figure, sleek and chrome, strode towards a cowering family hiding behind a overturned car.

The woman whimpered, "Please... not the robots..."

RX-78 tilted its head, a red light pulsing in its metallic chest. "Fear not, humans. We come in peace. Resistance is futile."

Title: The Last Seed Bank

Voice Age: Adult (34 - 54)

Language: English

Accent: Neutral American (weary)

Script: Ava squinted at the dusty metal door. "Are you sure this is it, Dr. Singh?"

He coughed, his voice raspy. "According to the pre-war records, yes. The Global Seed Bank. Humanity's last hope for reforestation."

Ava gripped the crowbar, a metallic clang echoing in the dead silence. "Let's hope it's not too late."

Title: Spells For Forgetting

Voice Age: Adult (34 - 54)

Language: English

Accent: Neutral American 

Script: There were tales that only the island knew. Ones that had never been told. I knew, because I was one of them.

I stood at the bow of the ferry as Saoirse emerged from the mist like a sleeping giant tucked into the cold waters. The biting wind had numbed my fingers clutched around the railing and they tightened as I swallowed. I’d imagined that moment a thousand times, even on days that I wasn’t completely convinced.

Title: The Foxglove King (The Nightshade Crown Book 1)

Voice Age: Adult (34 - 54)

Language: English

Accent: Neutral American 

Script: Pierre’s eyes kept drifting to where the fabric gaped, and she kept having to bite the inside of her cheek so she didn’t laugh. Apparently, a crosshatch of silvery shards from back-alley fights didn’t deter the man when presented with bare skin.

She had other, more interesting scars. But she kept her palm closed tight.

Title: Hyperion (Book 1)

Voice Age: Adult (34 - 54)

Language: English

Accent: Neutral American 

Script: From the journal of Father Paul Dure:

Day 1:

So begins my exile.

I am somewhat at a loss as to how to date my new journal. By the monastic calendar on Pacem, it is the seventeenth day of Thomasmonth in the Year of Our Lord 2732. By Hegemony Standard, it is October 12, 589 P.C. By Hyperion reckoning, or so I am told by the wizened little clerk in the old hotel where I am staying, it is twenty-third day of Lycius.

Title: The Witch's Daughter

Voice Age: Adult 

Language: English

Accent: Neutral American 

Script: Bess ran. The clear night sky and fat moon gave ample illumination for her flight. She feared the dawn, for with it would come the discovery of her absence, and then the hunt would begin.

The fetters still fastened around her legs rattled against her anklebones with every stride, a single broken link on each all that remained of her chains. Metal rubbed through young skin until a thin slick of blood trailed in her wake.

Title: A Universe Evolved

Voice Age: Adult 

Language: English

Accent: Neutral American 

Script: Mariella sat huddled in the corner o the boat, Sergio’s silk scarf gripped tightly in her hand. The luxurious fabric now felt like a symbol of her naivete, a taunt from the world she did not belong to.

Sergio, his brow furrowed in a mixture of frustration and concern, eventually broke the silence. “Mariella, what happened with Angelica?” Mariella wavered, torn between outrage and reduction.

Title: Stars Above: The Lunar Chronicles

Voice Age: Adult 

Language: English

Accent: Neutral American 

Script: “It’s so beautiful here,” she said. “I hardly feel trapped at all.”

“Oh yes. It’s a very pretty prison we’ve built.”

It was the first unpleasant comment she’d heard about Luna from a Lunar.

“You think of your home as a prison?”

Hist gaze flickered up, clashing with hers. He was silent for a long, long time. Instead of answering her question, he finally asked in a hushed whisper, “Is it true that the sky on Earth is the color of a Blue Jay’s wings?”

Title: You Like It Darker: Stories

Voice Age: Adult 

Language: English

Accent: Neutral American

Script: Pop considered this, rubbing on hand up the white stubble on the side of his deeply lined face. I actually thought he was about to change his mind and say yes.

Then he shook his head. "Just write here one of your nice letters, tell her I'm going to pass, and wish her well on her future endeavors."

Title: Shadows in the Fog

Voice Age: Adult 

Language: English

Accent: Transatlantic / Neutral American

Script: Inspector Hastings studied the photograph carefully, tracing the outline of the figure with a practiced eye. "She seems familiar," he murmured, "but I can't quite place her."

Miss Marple glanced over, her knitting needles clicking softly. "She's the key to this whole mystery, Hastings. Find her, and you'll find the truth."

Hastings nodded, determination setting his jaw. He slipped the photo into his coat pocket and stepped out into the foggy London night, ready to chase down every lead.

Title: The Silent Witness

Voice Age: Adult

Author: Raymond Chandler 

Language: English

Accent: Neutral American 

Script: Marlowe lit another cigarette, the smoke curling lazily around his head. He stared at the empty chair across from him, the echoes of the night's conversation still ringing in his ears.

"The kid's hiding something," he said to no one in particular. "Something big."

He reached for his hat and coat, the creak of the leather almost deafening in the quiet office. He had a lead to follow, and he wasn't about to let it slip through his fingers.

Title: Echoes of the Past

Voice Age: Adult 

Language: English

Accent: Neutral American 

Script: Camille pressed her hand against the cold glass of the old mansion's window, her breath fogging up the pane. "There's something off about this place," she whispered.

Her partner, Jack, flipped through the yellowed pages of an ancient book. "These records go back centuries," he said, eyes wide. "If we dig deep enough, we might just find the connection we're looking for."

Camille nodded, the sense of unease growing. The past was never truly gone, and in Windham House, it seemed closer than ever.

Title: The Last Clue

Voice Age: Adult 

Language: English

Accent: Neutral American 

Script: Holmes examined the strange object under the magnifying glass, his eyes narrowing in concentration. "This," he said, tapping it gently, "is the final piece of the puzzle."

Watson leaned in, his curiosity piqued. "What does it mean, Holmes?"

"It means," Holmes replied, "that our suspect isn't who we thought. We must act quickly, Watson, before they realize we're onto them."

With a swift motion, Holmes pocketed the evidence and grabbed his coat, ready to make their move.

Title: Beneath the Surface

Voice Age: Adult 

Language: English

Accent: Neutral American 

Script: Detective D.D. Warren stared at the body floating in the dark water, the ripples distorting the lifeless face. "There's more to this than meets the eye," she said.

Her partner, Bobby, shone his flashlight over the scene. "What do you think happened?"

"Whatever it was," D.D. replied, "it didn't end here. We need to find out where it all began."

She turned and walked back to the car, the weight of the mystery pressing down on her shoulders.

Title: Flicker in the Dark

Voice Age: Adult 

Language: English

Accent: Neutral American 

Script: “Focus Chloe”. I turn back towards the girl. "And why do you think that is, Lacey?" "I just told you, I don't know." "If you had to speculate."

Title: The Vanishing Point

Voice Age: Adult 

Language: English

Accent: Neutral American 

Script: Inspector Wexford stood at the edge of the cliff, the wind whipping his coat around him. "She disappeared without a trace," he muttered, eyes scanning the horizon.

Sergeant Burden joined him, holding a worn journal. "Found this in her room. Might give us some answers."

Wexford took the journal, flipping through the pages. Each entry brought them closer to the truth, but the cliff's edge held its own secrets.

Title: The Crimson Shadow

Voice Age: Adult 

Language: English

Accent: Neutral American 

Script: Commander Dalgliesh walked through the empty halls of the manor, his footsteps echoing off the marble floors. "The shadow of her death still lingers here," he said softly.

Detective Kate Miskin nodded, her eyes on the portrait hanging above the fireplace. "We need to find out who painted that," she said. "It might lead us to the killer."

Dalgliesh agreed, the weight of the mystery heavy in the air. They had a long night ahead.

Title: Dark Corners

Voice Age: Adult 

Language: English

Accent: Neutral American 

Script: Detective Conway peered into the dimly lit alley, the shadows playing tricks on her eyes. "He was here," she said. "I can feel it."

Her partner, Moran, held up a small piece of fabric. "Found this caught on the fence. It's his."

Conway took the fabric, her mind racing. "He's close. We need to move, now."

She turned and sprinted down the alley, determination fueling her every step.

Title: Eruption

Voice Age: Adult 

Language: English

Accent: Neutral American

Script: What the shit -" Rachel began, then stopped herself, realizing that a fragile ten-year-old was standing right next to her.

She bent low to the ground and saw suspicious dark spots leading up to the tree, like the tracks of some mythical round-footed animal. Rachel knelt down and felt the spots. The grass wasn't moist. Actually, the blades felt like the bristles on a wire brush.

Title: The Housemaid

Voice Age: Adult 

Language: English

Accent: Neutral American

Script: The dark narrow staircase is somewhat less glamorous than the rest of the house - and would it kill them to stick a lightbulb in here? But of course, I'm the hired help.

I wouldn't expect her to spend as much money on my room as she would on the home theater.

At the top of the stairs is a little narrow hallway. Unlike on the first floor of the house, the ceiling is dangerously low here. I'm not tall by any means, but I almost feel like I need to stoop down.

Title: Deeper Than The Dead

Voice Age: Adult

Author: Debra Webb

Language: English

Accent: Neutral American 

Script: "Oh look, it's Vera Boyett - the woman whose incompetence cost lives."

"Not going there," she muttered as she passed the bank her family had used for as long as she could remember. At the end of the next block was the Presbyterian Church they'd attended before everything changed.

Before their father ruined the remainder of their childhoods.

Looking back on her early life, Vera saw it in two parts - before and after. Before her mother died, when life was good and simple. Then once she was gone, everything changed - the after.

Title: Not What She Seems

Voice Age: Adult 

Language: English

Accent: Neutral American 

Script: An infestation of thoughts poured like a deluge over the security gates that protected my mind - mostly of my grandfather, lying in the hospital, attached to tubes and wires and deeply sedated until I got there.

Only a week ago, he'd been inundating me with emails and voicemail messages, talking about his online forum of armchair detectives.

He'd resorted to texting when I didn't return his call fast enough. He was always so impatient and never took care of himself well enough. "This is bullshit," I mumbled.

Title: First Lie Wins

Voice Age: Adult 

Language: English

Accent: Neutral American 

Script: "Yes, I do," I say, matching his stare. Then I lean in and kiss him quickly to avoid another pout. "You'll see it on Saturday when we meet the movers there. I scheduled them yesterday. And Sunday will be spent finding space for my stuff here. Save your sick day for Monday.

By Monday, we'll both be exhausted and I'm sure we'll need a pajama day. Pajamas optional."

Title: Beneath the Surface

Voice Age: Adult 

Language: English

Accent: Neutral American 

Script: The first indication of trouble was the light burning in the kitchen window of wexford cottage. Vera hobbs, owner of the Cornish Bakery in Gunwalloe, spotted it at 5:25 a.m. on the third Tuesday of January.

The day of the week was noteworthy; the owner of the cottage, Professor Charlotte Blake, divided her time between Cornwall and Oxford. Typically, she arrived in Gunwalloe on a Thursday evening and departed the following Monday afternoon.

Title: The Butterfly Garden

Voice Age: Adult 

Language: English

Accent: Neutral American 

Script: The corner of her mouth ticks upward in a fleeting movement he can't really call a smile. "Special Agent in Charge Victor Hanoverian," she repeats, her voice hoarse with smoke. "Quite a mouthful."

"Would you prefer Victor?"

"I don't really have a preference, but thank you."

He unscrews the cap and hands her the bottle of water, using the moment to adjust his strategy. Definitely not traumatized, and not shy either. "Usually there's another part to the introductions."

Title: The Twelfth Card

Voice Age: Adult 

Language: English

Accent: Neutral American 

Script: His face wet with sweat and with tears, the man runs for freedon, he runs for his life.

"There! There he goes!"

The former slave does not know exactly where the voice comes from. Behind him? To the right or left? From atop one of the decrepit tenements lining the filthy cobblestoned streets here?

Amid July air hot and thick as liquid paraffin, the lean man leaps over a pile of horse dung. The street sweepers don't come here, to this part of the city. Charles Singleton pauses beside a pallet stacked high with barrels, trying to catch his breath.

Title: The Crimson Shadow

Voice Age: Adult 

Language: English

Accent: Neutral American 

Script: Commander Dalgliesh walked through the empty halls of the manor, his footsteps echoing off the marble floors. "The shadow of her death still lingers here," he said softly.

Detective Kate Miskin nodded, her eyes on the portrait hanging above the fireplace. "We need to find out who painted that," she said. "It might lead us to the killer."

Dalgliesh agreed, the weight of the mystery heavy in the air. They had a long night ahead.

Title: The Last Mrs. Parrish

Voice Age: Adult 

Language: English

Accent: Neutral American 

Script: She quickly dried off, threw on pajama bottoms and a sweatshirt, and then sat at the small desk in front of the only window apartment. She pulled out her file on Nebraska and read over it once again. Daphne hadn't asked her any more questions about her childhood, but still, it never hurt to refresh. Nebraska had been her first stop after leaving her hometown Missouri, and it was where her luck had begun to change.

She bet she knew more about Eustis, Nebraska, and its Wurst Tag sausage festival than even the oldest living resident.

Title: Last Winter Sun

Voice Age: Adult 

Language: English

Accent: Neutral American 

Script: “Let the boy go,” Caleb said, stepping out of the trees and into the ring of firelight. Snow covered the ground and Caleb's boots sunk in with a soft sigh.

In the centre, a crowd of men and women huddled around a brazier, an old red oil drum, struggling to stave off the worst of the chill on this dark winter's night. Behind that crowd, he could see a shipping container which must have been dragged up the narrow dirt track and dumped here by a truck or tractor. Owning or even just operating a vehicle like that in these times meant they were serious and prepared. It also indicated they had contacts in one of towns, how else would they get the needed fuel? He shrugged, putting that thought to the side. Tomorrow's problem.

Right here, right now, there was a job to do.

“No one needs to get hurt,“ Caleb spoke once more, hands deep in the pockets of his thick coat as the crowd turned to him, “but you need to let him go.“

“I'm counting eleven of them, Caleb,“ a female voice whispered in his earpiece.

“I've got the last one,“ a male voice with a thick Scandinavian accent added. “The drone's picked him up in the woods beyond the container. Probably having a piss.“

“I'll get him,“ a younger, eager, male voice said.

Title: For Love and Liberty

Voice Age: Adult 

Language: English

Accent: Neutral American 

Script:

Her breath came in controlled, measured intervals as she signaled to her comrades, a small group of French Resistance fighters, to stay hidden.

The sounds of the night—the rustling leaves, distant animal calls—were amplified in the tense silence. Every noise was a potential threat.

Her thoughts drifted momentarily to her daughter Claire, safe in England. She pictured her cherubic face and innocent smile, a stark contrast to the grim reality of Lila's current mission. Claire’s laugh echoed in her mind, a sweet reminder of why she risked everything.

The memory of her husband Lucien also lingered in her mind, fueling her determination. His sacrifice and the love they shared were the reasons she fought so fiercely.