Choose The Bear

Welcome to CHOOSE THE BEAR — a cinematic, immersive sci-fi audio drama set inside the ultra-mysterious walls of Zenith Aerospace, the most powerful private defense + space corporation on Earth. This prologue episode (“AWOL”) follows Lieutenant Callie Winter — a desperate, war-traumatized soldier with nowhere left to go — as she arrives at Zenith for a life-changing interview that could determine the future of humanity itself. The world is collapsing, governments are failing, and Zenith’s C-Suite is quietly selecting who actually gets to survive the incoming extinction event. This sci-fi thriller blends dystopian corporate satire, dark humor, psychological tension, and near-future worldbuilding. If you love Black Mirror, Severance, Foundation, The Expanse, or Mr. Robot — this series is for you. CAST: Hannah Lee DeFrates (Callie), Steve Mize (Zed), Antonella Pérez Ferrero (Diana), Paul “Dela” Ross (Leland), JP DeGennaro (Rion), Bernie Horton (Pete). Written by: Aly Kantor | Directed by: Helen May | Produced by: Jack Davis | Soundscape Engineered by: Bob Sawyer | Video + Scenic: Joe Swenson. Featuring music: “End of the World” by Grand Hotel and Lex Music This is Episode Zero — the beginning of a conspiracy, a survival lottery, and a morally impossible decision that will affect every human left alive. Turn your volume up, put on headphones, and step into Zenith. This is how the end really begins.

HOOSE THE BEAR — EPISODE 1 “TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES” | Official Sci-Fi Audio Drama Welcome back to CHOOSE THE BEAR, the cinematic sci-fi audio drama set deep inside Zenith Aerospace — the most powerful private defense + space corporation on Earth. Episode 1, “Technical Difficulties,” follows new recruit Callie “Bear” Winter on launch day as she battles malfunctioning tutorials, an overly cheerful autonomous flight suit, and a co-pilot AI she immediately names “The Manipulation Engine”… (Nippy). This episode blends comedy, tension, claustrophobic space realism, corporate dystopia, and character-driven sci-fi. If you love The Expanse, Red Dwarf, Becky Chambers, WALL-E, Severance, or Interstellar, you’ll feel right at home. As Callie launches toward the mysterious orbital “Communities,” she forms an unexpected bond with her capcom, Diana, who becomes her lifeline through panic, snark, and a whole lot of “huggy-tingly” flight suit calibration. When the engines finally cut out and Earth rises in the window… she’s forced to confront why she’s here, what she’s running from, and why trust — even in deep space — is never simple. Turn your volume up. Put on your best headphones. This is where the real journey begins. CAST Hannah Lee DeFrates — Callie “Bear” Winter Antonella Pérez Ferrero — Diana Meredith Nudo — Nippy / Onboard AI CREW Written by: Aly Kantor Directed by: Helen May Produced by: Jack Davis Soundscape Engineering: Bob Sawyer Video + Scenic Production: Joe Swenson Featuring music by Grand Hotel ABOUT THE SERIES CHOOSE THE BEAR is a near-future sci-fi saga exploring: AI ethics & manipulation Corporate-controlled survival lotteries Spaceflight anxiety + dark humor High-stakes humanity under pressure A growing conspiracy far above Earth This is Episode 1 — the beginning of the mission, the beginning of Nippy, and the beginning of a partnership that may determine the fate of every human left alive.

In Episode 02 of CHOOSE THE BEAR, Callie “Bear” Winter experiences her first day alone aboard the Arcadia — and it’s nothing like the recruitment videos promised. As she battles motion sickness, augmented gravity, and her relentlessly cheerful AI co-pilot Nippy, a mysterious corporate broadcast from Zenith Aerospace interrupts her routine and sends her spiraling into doubt, humor, and unexpected vulnerability. Meanwhile, her capcom Diana becomes the lifeline she didn’t know she needed. Through shaky comm signals and honest conversations, the two form a fragile connection as Bear tries to understand the real purpose of her mission… and whether she’s truly safe out here. If you love The Expanse, Red Dwarf, Avenue 5, or character-driven sci-fi with sharp humor and emotional depth, this episode delivers. Strap in — Episode 02 takes you deeper into the conspiracy, the loneliness of orbit, and the chaos of trusting an AI named “Nippy” with your sanity. CAST Hannah Lee DeFrates — Callie “Bear” Winter Antonella Pérez Ferrero — Diana Meredith Nudo — Nippy / Onboard AI CREW Written by: Aly Kantor Directed by: Helen May Produced by: Jack Davis Soundscape Engineering: Bob Sawyer Video + Scenic Production: Joe Swenson Featuring music by Grand Hotel and Lex Music ABOUT THE SERIES CHOOSE THE BEAR is a near-future sci-fi saga exploring: AI ethics & manipulation Corporate-controlled survival lotteries Spaceflight anxiety + dark humor High-stakes humanity under pressure

CHOOSE THE BEAR — EPISODE 3 "FIGHT OR FLIGHT” | Official Sci-Fi Audio Drama Episode 3, "Fight or Flight" starts immediately following a medical exam that goes to far and brings up Callie's past, which impacts her present, and her future. This episode layers in the conspiracies and strengthens the bond between Callie, Nippy, and Diana. A blend of comedy, massive tension, claustrophobia, corporate conspiracies, and character-driven Sci-Fi. If you love Greek mythology, relationship lore, Severance, Gravity, and more, you'll love this. Turn your volume up. Put on your best headphones, be prepared to feel all the feels in this one, it's going to take you on a journey. CAST Hannah Lee DeFrates — Callie “Bear” Winter Antonella Pérez Ferrero — Diana Meredith Nudo — Nippy Derek Kingsley - Dr. Lau CREW Written by: Aly Kantor Directed by: Helen May Produced by: Jack Davis Soundscape Engineering: Bob Sawyer Video + Scenic Production: Joe Swenson Featuring music by Grand Hotel and Lex Music ABOUT THE SERIES CHOOSE THE BEAR is a near-future sci-fi saga exploring: AI ethics & manipulation Corporate-controlled survival lotteries Spaceflight anxiety + dark humor High-stakes humanity under pressure A growing conspiracy far above Earth

CHOOSE THE BEAR — EPISODE 4 “QUICK PINCH” | Official Sci-Fi Audio Drama Episode 4, "Quick Pinch" follows Callie "Bear" Winter who is on cloud nine after her most recent interactions with Diana Aimes. Things are going her way and things couldn't be better when a call from Diana, throws everything into chaos again. This episode gets really layered, quickly, and if you're paying attention then you may know what is going on and something is definitely going on. If you have tears in your eyes at the end, then it proves you might be human. What is going on? What is really going on? Turn your volume up. Put on your best headphones. This journey's destination is ever changing. CAST Hannah Lee DeFrates — Callie “Bear” Winter Antonella Pérez Ferrero — Diana Meredith Nudo — Nippy / Onboard AI Derek Kingsley - Dr. Lau Cole Dzubak - Researcher Alpha Paul "Dela" Ross - Leland Ulrich CREW Written by: Aly Kantor Directed by: Helen May Produced by: Jack Davis Soundscape Engineering: Bob Sawyer Video + Scenic Production: Joe Swenson Featuring music by Grand Hotel and Lex Music ABOUT THE SERIES CHOOSE THE BEAR is a near-future sci-fi saga exploring: AI ethics & manipulation Corporate-controlled survival lotteries Spaceflight anxiety + dark humor High-stakes humanity under pressure A growing conspiracy far above Earth.

CHOOSE THE BEAR — EPISODE 5 “Diana's Hunt” | Official Sci-Fi Audio Drama It's been three weeks and the relationship between Diana and Callie is more strained than ever as Diana's relentless focus on finding out what happened to Callie takes a few turns. Callie's solitude on the Arcadia is interrupted by needing to shuttle Aura from one community to another. The trip is a 48 hour trip in low Earth orbit. Aura is a wildcard and with her comes all kinds of conspiracies. Diana finally finds something that can prove her trustworthy to Callie, but Callie's stubbornness keeps Diana at a distance emotionally. You can feel the tension build from an already tension filled space as Diana finally finds the string that could unravel the sweater. CAST Hannah Lee DeFrates — Callie “Bear” Winter Antonella Pérez Ferrero — Diana Meredith Nudo — Nippy / Onboard AI Dana Hall - Aura Paul "Dela" Ross - Leland Ulrich JP DeGennaro - Rion Steve Mize - Zed Bernie Horton - Pete CREW Written by: Aly Kantor Directed by: Helen May Produced by: Jack Davis Soundscape Engineering: Bob Sawyer Video + Scenic Production: Joe Swenson Featuring music by Grand Hotel and Lex Music ABOUT THE SERIES CHOOSE THE BEAR is a near-future sci-fi saga exploring: AI ethics & manipulation Corporate-controlled survival lotteries Spaceflight anxiety + dark humor High-stakes humanity under pressure A growing conspiracy far above Earth

CHOOSE THE BEAR - EPISODE 6 "Call Sign: Bear" | Official Sci Fi Audio Drama What would you do if you found out that your entire world is being forced to change without active knowledge of the situation? Lt. Callie Winters, fugitive, AWOL veteran, who's situation and who's brokenness was used as leverage to determine the most important thing imaginable to those looking for an alternative to life on Earth. What would you do? If this episode doesn't break you down to tears, I'm not sure you pass the humanity test. CAST Hannah Lee DeFrates — Callie “Bear” Winter Antonella Pérez Ferrero — Diana Meredith Nudo — Nippy / Onboard AI Bernie Horton - Pete CREW Written by: Aly Kantor Directed by: Helen May Produced by: Jack Davis Soundscape Engineering: Bob Sawyer Video + Scenic Production: Joe Swenson Featuring music by Grand Hotel and Lex Music ABOUT THE SERIES CHOOSE THE BEAR is a near-future sci-fi saga exploring: AI ethics & manipulation Corporate-controlled survival lotteries Spaceflight anxiety + dark humor High-stakes humanity under pressure A growing conspiracy far above Earth

CHOOSE THE BEAR - EPISODE 7 - "Behind the Curtain" | Official Sci Fi Drama This episode doesn't pull punches, doesn't hide emotions, and everyone in our audience will find relatable aspects of the story. Whether it's Diana's desperate hunt to find the truth or Aura calling out Callie despite their socio-economic statuses. Often times it comes down to leverage versus pride and in this episode we head down the path. We also learn how to "trick" A.I. which was foreshadowed in Episode 01. CAST Hannah Lee DeFrates - Lt. Callie "Bear" Winter Antonella Perez Ferrero - Diana Ames Meredith Nudo - Nippy/The Manipulation Engine Dana Hall - Aura Mikolas Paul "Dela" Ross - Leland Ulrich Steve Mize - Zed Aimes JP DeGennaro - Rion Sherwood Bernie Horton - Pete from Security CREW Written by: Aly Kantor Directed by : Helen May and Joe Swenson Produced by: Jack Davis and Yana Ramos Soundscape Engineering: Bob Sawyer Video and Scenic Production: Joe Swenson Featuring Music by LexMusic and Grand Hotel ABOUT THE SERIES CHOOSE THE BEAR is a near-future sci-fi saga exploring: AI ethics & manipulation Corporate-controlled survival lotteries Spaceflight anxiety + dark humor High-stakes humanity under pressure A growing conspiracy far above Earth

CHOOSE THE BEAR - EPISODE 8 - "Something Sustainable" | Official Sci Fi Drama When we left Diana before, she was in the middle of a discovery and a debate and now we get to see how it all plays out. All of the consequence and ripple effects meet in this highly emotive chapter in the series! The stakes are high, but the emotions will be higher and who knows maybe love wins out, love conquers all, or love leads to everyone's demise. CAST Hannah Lee DeFrates - Lt. Callie "Bear" Winter Antonella Perez Ferrero - Diana Ames Dana Hall - Aura Mikolas Meredith Nudo - Nippy/The Manipulation Engine Gamma Researcher - Emily Morse-Lee CREW Written by: Aly Kantor Directed by : Helen May and Derek Kingsley Produced by: Jack Davis and Derek Kingsley Soundscape Engineering: Bob Sawyer Video and Scenic Production: Joe Swenson Featuring Music by LexMusic and Grand Hotel ABOUT THE SERIES CHOOSE THE BEAR is a near-future sci-fi saga exploring: AI ethics & manipulation Corporate-controlled survival lotteries Spaceflight anxiety + dark humor High-stakes humanity under pressure A growing conspiracy far above Earth

CHOOSE THE BEAR - EPISODE 9 - "Epilogue: Ursa Minor" | Official Sci Fi Drama After having crash landed the shuttle, Callie, Diana, and Tardigrade have been taken to the hospital where overnight, Callie has become a hero, an inspiration. This is the official conclusion of Choose The Bear. CAST Hannah Lee DeFrates - Lt. Callie "Bear" Winter Antonella Perez Ferrero - Diana Ames Jamie Lupien Swenson - Dr. Varga Meredith Nudo - Nippy/The Manipulation Engine Nathan Roach - TV News Anchor Cathy Tran - Field Reporter CREW Written by: Aly Kantor Directed by : Helen May and Joe Swenson Produced by: Jack Davis, Derek Kingsley, and Yana Ramos Soundscape Engineering: Bob Sawyer Video and Scenic Production: Joe Swenson Featuring Music by LexMusic and Grand Hotel ABOUT THE SERIES CHOOSE THE BEAR is a near-future sci-fi saga exploring: AI ethics & manipulation Corporate-controlled survival lotteries Spaceflight anxiety + dark humor High-stakes humanity under pressure A growing conspiracy far above Earth