S1E1 - CHOOSE THE BEAR - Episode 0 - Prologue - ”AWOL”

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.