Speaker 1: School of Humans.
Speaker 2: This podcast is based on the true story of explorer, inventor, visionary,
Speaker 2: and science pioneer Tom Slick. Some of the story elements, names,
Speaker 2: and characters have been altered for dramatic purposes. Consider using
Speaker 2: headphones to enhance your listening experience. We've created an immersive
Speaker 2: soundscape to tell our story.
Speaker 3: Okay, how many tapes did you find?
Speaker 4: Three?
Speaker 5: They were in this box of letters sent to your granddad.
Speaker 5: Did you know that he and President Eisenhower tried to
Speaker 5: get in on the space race after Russia landed Sputnik?
Speaker 3: Crazy that tracks, But the stuff we're listening to.
Speaker 5: Now, Yeah, what was that voice membo you sent at
Speaker 5: like two am about some secret ops thing.
Speaker 1: Come on, there's a gun on my dad's head right now.
Speaker 5: What did you say?
Speaker 6: We're listening to a tape from granddad's expedition in the Himalayas.
Speaker 5: Okay, you found more Yetti tapes.
Speaker 7: I knew it.
Speaker 5: I knew it.
Speaker 8: I'll see you in two hours.
Speaker 5: Don't forget to shower. All eyes are on you tonight
Speaker 5: for that opening speech, which you've written.
Speaker 3: Almost I'm off finally I'm hitting play.
Speaker 4: Tom Slick February fourth, nineteen fifty eight. I'm here sharing
Speaker 4: a whiskey with my assailant and devoted partner.
Speaker 7: But I wasn't really gonna kill it.
Speaker 4: Oh, I know, and I wasn't really going to kill you.
Speaker 3: He's ayes, mom, shush, I lived with suspense.
Speaker 1: Turn it up, mister Tom, I set according. It's mister Dulles, ask.
Speaker 4: For you're a good man, Dawa. What's our lead time?
Speaker 1: We have a week and a half to lay the
Speaker 1: groundwork for the Tibet Task Force.
Speaker 4: So this Dulles really expects us to run a full
Speaker 4: on hunt while trying to save the ducks us not.
Speaker 9: Why the trees listening? Hey, we refer to him Islama X. Okay,
Speaker 9: he's a national treasure for the Tibetan people and he's
Speaker 9: been a target for China since they invaded the country
Speaker 9: eight years ago.
Speaker 4: Oh why is this Islama such a big deal?
Speaker 9: Because the Chinese have heard only one name, puncture the
Speaker 9: final breath of their victims.
Speaker 10: What was that?
Speaker 4: The battle cry of resurrection?
Speaker 9: Lama X is an emblem of hope to his people.
Speaker 9: I mean, he personifies the promise of life after death.
Speaker 10: You Americans are selfish busts.
Speaker 1: Why don't you care.
Speaker 4: Like I said, Lama x is a national treasure.
Speaker 9: We're greedy bastards too.
Speaker 4: But we don't do the saving right.
Speaker 9: Nope, Dolls has a task force going after the Lama.
Speaker 9: We're just laying the groundwork for the route through the Himalayas.
Speaker 7: So even if we don't find Agetti, still making history
Speaker 7: Unwritten history.
Speaker 10: Chapter five.
Speaker 11: This is the mostly true tale of Tom Slick, mystery hunter.
Speaker 4: Tom Slick February nineteenth, nineteen fifty eight. Ten days until
Speaker 4: we hit Tibet. We've met up with one of the
Speaker 4: other two teams. They're turning back with the dogs. One
Speaker 4: is injured, the other i'llnourished.
Speaker 1: Tell that to my empty gut.
Speaker 4: Still no sign of our Yetti, but we got the
Speaker 4: tranquilizer gun now and we are at the ready.
Speaker 9: Can you smell that?
Speaker 1: That's stench that's used Slick.
Speaker 9: We're getting close.
Speaker 4: Tom Slick February twenty first, nineteen fifty eight. Eight days
Speaker 4: till Tibet, A bear eight three fourths of our food rations,
Speaker 4: so we'll have to stock up in Tibet before we
Speaker 4: head back out. Nothing to report on the YETI front.
Speaker 4: I'm disappointed, but I hold on to hope. Tom Slick
Speaker 4: February twenty second, nineteen fifty eight. Seven days till t Bet.
Speaker 4: Our only other team in the field has gone dark.
Speaker 4: It's been two days since our last correspondence. Maybe they
Speaker 4: ran into our yetdie. We certainly haven't, and I'm starting
Speaker 4: to think Bud's right. I stink. Tom Slick, February twenty third,
Speaker 4: nineteen fifty eight. Six days till.
Speaker 12: Damn it Slick.
Speaker 4: We've just intercepted with the other team. They lost two
Speaker 4: men and as you can hear, you know.
Speaker 1: But it's scientific investigation.
Speaker 9: The mountain has broken the others.
Speaker 1: You're a mad mad chize it into five tired.
Speaker 4: Tom Slick, February twenty fourth, nineteen fifty eight. Five days
Speaker 4: till Tibet. We have nothing to eat. Bud is out
Speaker 4: scrounging up game. Well, sit and starve. This morning we
Speaker 4: trekt a grueling rounde through an unexpected mass of trees.
Speaker 4: I thought I saw.
Speaker 9: It the YETI, but when I shouted, it vanished a
Speaker 9: figment of some way I believed was real. Tom Slick
Speaker 9: February twenty fifth, nineteen fifty eight. Four days until Tibet.
Speaker 9: Still O YETI.
Speaker 10: Ain't on no hope.
Speaker 9: February twenty seventh, nineteen fifty eight.
Speaker 10: There's nothing to report.
Speaker 9: I'm recording this to remind myself I'm still here, because
Speaker 9: well I've lost everything, men, money, my mind. These Himalayas
Speaker 9: were my Oklahoma oil field, and the YETI was my gusher.
Speaker 9: But unlike my father, I gambled with.
Speaker 8: Luck and lost.
Speaker 9: Good God, did you hear that slick?
Speaker 13: Was that?
Speaker 4: Yes? The sound is sweet, sweet pctory.
Speaker 10: Let's go, come on, let's get her.
Speaker 1: Yetti always shuts off the good parts.
Speaker 13: Wait.
Speaker 6: Blair found one of these expedition tapes at the institute.
Speaker 9: I dambled with uck and lost. So what happens?
Speaker 6: They're running after what Grandad thinks is the yetti and
Speaker 6: it's chaos and everyone starts screaming.
Speaker 8: It sounded like they were running.
Speaker 9: Away from something.
Speaker 4: Well that's boring.
Speaker 1: Come on, let's just see if one of these last
Speaker 1: tapes can tell us what happened.
Speaker 4: I have twenty minutes before the pest control guy comes
Speaker 4: at the back.
Speaker 1: He's holding my addic hostage, and they're more boxes up
Speaker 1: there I need to go through.
Speaker 8: Let's just get through this one first, Okay.
Speaker 4: Bud, you alive?
Speaker 9: Oh relly mister tom your leg or through it or
Speaker 9: the other men.
Speaker 1: Tashi and Doma were consumed by the avalanche.
Speaker 4: Damn it is there any way save them.
Speaker 1: There is no chance they survived, good man.
Speaker 10: But you, me and mister.
Speaker 1: Budd ran toward the how which took us away from
Speaker 1: the avalanche's path. You say, are you saying the Yetty
Speaker 1: guided us? No, mister tom the Yetti saved us. Are
Speaker 1: you kidding me? We lose good men? Dogs bood.
Speaker 7: Tommy, we've had a change of plans.
Speaker 4: So have we two days away from Tibet. Now, I'm
Speaker 4: telling you we need an additional forty eight hours here
Speaker 4: in the Arun Valley. We're close, dolls, and the Yetti
Speaker 4: knows it.
Speaker 7: I don't give a shit. I have forty eight hours
Speaker 7: for you to get your ass Tibet, locate Lama X
Speaker 7: and get him.
Speaker 8: Out of there.
Speaker 4: What about your task force?
Speaker 7: Whatever avalanche came through there the past few hours, it
Speaker 7: knocked out their route through Baton. They have no clear
Speaker 7: path forward, but you do.
Speaker 4: Oh, so we're in George of Lama X's escape.
Speaker 7: Now, yeah, lucky.
Speaker 9: Tommy, You remember at the beginning of all of this,
Speaker 9: when you told me Lama X could help me find
Speaker 9: my yetti.
Speaker 7: Vaguely, What did you mean? Do you believe in the magic?
Speaker 10: Now? What am I saying?
Speaker 11: You believe anything?
Speaker 7: I don't see magic is a flight of hand, which
Speaker 7: is what I plan. But there have been things I've
Speaker 7: witnessed that make me question everything. And Lama X, he's wonderful.
Speaker 1: He bost it, mister budd, I think you broke it good.
Speaker 10: I hate that guy.
Speaker 7: Go here over, Oh he had a forty eight hours.
Speaker 8: Over it's Batman.
Speaker 2: Sure he's never heard that before.
Speaker 1: And go ahead and listen to the last two days.
Speaker 1: I know you want to get through him before you
Speaker 1: write your speech for tonight. Oh, I heard the Governor's coming. Shit,
Speaker 1: I'm sorry coming, Google?
Speaker 6: Can you write a speech about Tom Slick Junior.
Speaker 12: Tom Slick Junior was an oil air businessman, philanthropist, adventurer, author,
Speaker 12: and inventor who impacted the world with his scientific pursuits.
Speaker 6: That's it, Google, Is there anything else about Tom Slick?
Speaker 12: I'm sorry, I don't understand the question. Would you like
Speaker 12: me to play a pimp named slickback fin?
Speaker 3: No?
Speaker 8: No, off, Google off?
Speaker 6: Okay, So maybe I'll just say something my speech.
Speaker 13: Like tonight we celebrate the legacy of a man who,
Speaker 13: as you know, sought to uncover the many mysteries of
Speaker 13: science through this.
Speaker 6: Institute and the other two he founded.
Speaker 7: My good s boring.
Speaker 14: But but if that's what you know, what you don't
Speaker 14: know is that Tom Slick the man might just be
Speaker 14: one of the greatest unsolved mysteries.
Speaker 3: Until now.
Speaker 6: Tonight, for the first time ever, we are going to
Speaker 6: reveal the unwritten history of the most interesting.
Speaker 8: Man you thought you knew.
Speaker 3: Tom Slick Junior, I don't know something like that.
Speaker 4: Tom Slick. March third, nineteen fifty eight. We arrived in
Speaker 4: Tibet maybe six hours ago, and we were greeted by
Speaker 4: a mob of Tibetan protesters and rebels. Hey watch it,
Speaker 4: you have no concept personal space. Excuse me, ma'am, you're
Speaker 4: shout directly in my ear. The mob led us to
Speaker 4: our target, Lama X. We're now in front of his palace,
Speaker 4: which looks to be protected by a flimsy gait and
Speaker 4: this swarm of just lunatic Tibetans. There's human shield apparently.
Speaker 1: Hey wow, that was my foot.
Speaker 4: No, no, no need to apologize. I've got another one,
Speaker 4: mister Tom.
Speaker 1: I just got work from mister Dunnas the Lama X
Speaker 1: refused the Chinese general's invitation to the dance.
Speaker 11: The dance that's a doft cover for a kidnapping Lamo
Speaker 11: X appreciates dancing, it's still fucking doft.
Speaker 1: So if the Lama you'll not go to them.
Speaker 11: The Chinese are a coming.
Speaker 9: They're already here. Look, hill Cark, can I get through
Speaker 9: the mob surrounding them a peaceful shake?
Speaker 4: Okay, Look, Gaba, they can't hold them off for lng.
Speaker 4: We need to get inside and grab Lama As. Yes,
Speaker 4: mister tum Bud, you stay here. Keep that Chinese military
Speaker 4: out of the palace as long as you can.
Speaker 2: Can I shoot them if.
Speaker 4: You want to start World War three?
Speaker 1: Now am I supposed to do?
Speaker 8: Then?
Speaker 4: Look? I can't do everything.
Speaker 10: Okay, there we go.
Speaker 4: You've got a backpack full of yetti traps in a
Speaker 4: crowd of angry Tibetans. Improvide the way I always do.
Speaker 6: Blair, you're getting good at this calling thing. Where are
Speaker 6: you about to jump in the shower? I'm almost done
Speaker 6: listening to the tapes.
Speaker 5: We have six hours until the event live.
Speaker 6: Well, I have a speech, and I'm pretty sure you're
Speaker 6: gonna like it.
Speaker 5: That's the Anta tapes turning you into a believer.
Speaker 8: Oh, it's not the yetti I'm gonna expose.
Speaker 5: Oh cryptic, I like it. Do you need me to
Speaker 5: read anything?
Speaker 6: Well, technically it's not written. It's just a voice memo
Speaker 6: right now and.
Speaker 5: My hives are back.
Speaker 13: Do you hear that?
Speaker 1: Yeah, that's the shower.
Speaker 6: Okay, if you want me to wash my hair and
Speaker 6: shave my legs before the event tonight, I gotta go.
Speaker 4: Oh okay, I'll.
Speaker 6: See you in an hour.
Speaker 3: Or maybeen an hour and a half.
Speaker 4: That's gonna leave a bump.
Speaker 1: Did we kill him, mister Tom?
Speaker 4: No, No, he's knocked out. It's a sedative Dawa, but
Speaker 4: it was made for a YETI, So I think we
Speaker 4: have time, Tom Slick March third, continue Dawa and I
Speaker 4: just took out three Tibetan rebels there to protect Lama x.
Speaker 4: I guess they didn't get the memo that we're here
Speaker 4: to do the same thing, because one of them nearly
Speaker 4: took my ear off with a serrated knife.
Speaker 9: But I've siphoned our monster tranquilizer gun into MINISERI, and
Speaker 9: that Quory became Damas dark Board.
Speaker 8: We'll Chinese just showed up.
Speaker 14: They're armed with rifles.
Speaker 4: It's our front. They won't use them.
Speaker 3: I hope.
Speaker 4: Is the mob still holding them off?
Speaker 7: They're part of the problem.
Speaker 4: If the Chinese, I will take the palace. If mob
Speaker 4: will be right behind them, it'll be mass chaos.
Speaker 14: There's no way we'll get our hands.
Speaker 4: On lama As.
Speaker 1: Then mister Tom behind you, Oh Tom.
Speaker 4: Dower Dory, Now.
Speaker 1: Did we kill him? Mister Tom?
Speaker 4: You gotta ask that every time? What was there?
Speaker 9: It came from ups there?
Speaker 4: Come on, take the stairs. I'll lead, yes, mister.
Speaker 1: Tom, mister Tom ah.
Speaker 10: The sticks said, Booby is trapped with exploss.
Speaker 4: Yeah, I got that. Okay, excellent, Look daa that stair
Speaker 4: one might be a minefield, but it's also a clue.
Speaker 1: What mister tomb Mama X is close?
Speaker 4: Slick, come in, don't find.
Speaker 9: Another way up?
Speaker 14: Yes, click list to night.
Speaker 4: What's going on out there?
Speaker 14: The Chinese just threw canisters of tear as into the mob,
Speaker 14: and I was.
Speaker 15: Able to use wires and ropes from our yetti traps
Speaker 15: on the palace gates so they'd be.
Speaker 4: Near impossible to open.
Speaker 8: Good news, it's working.
Speaker 4: Bad news with up the cake. These ropes won't hold up, Slick.
Speaker 13: Mister Tom, you need to get to Lama x now.
Speaker 4: Mister dumb Yes, daa, she said she knows you, Slick, Dominie.
Speaker 4: I thought we lost you to the Nazis.
Speaker 8: And I thought you wearing a real operative What I'm not.
Speaker 4: This is a brief detour from my Yetti hunt.
Speaker 12: Call my de.
Speaker 3: I'm here to help you.
Speaker 9: Is that Lama exa Dawa dawa?
Speaker 4: Do breathe breathe Daa breathe. He's a fan. What's with
Speaker 4: the pillowcase on the Llama's head?
Speaker 9: He was doing some crazy ships with his eyes, Like
Speaker 9: what have you ever seen.
Speaker 1: A chair without being touched?
Speaker 4: No, but I'd like to not if he's chasing you, Slick.
Speaker 4: They they made it through the.
Speaker 7: Case, Blair.
Speaker 3: Sorry, I'm coming.
Speaker 12: Hey is this Olivia Slick?
Speaker 8: Yeah? Who's this?
Speaker 12: I'm a journalist and I'm like really excited about this
Speaker 12: yetty hunt story and your your grandfather.
Speaker 5: I heard that you found some tapes. Oh is that true?
Speaker 6: I'm sorry, I have a bad connection.
Speaker 10: Hey, shit, Tom Slick.
Speaker 11: Mystery Hunter is a production of School of Humans and
Speaker 11: iHeart Podcasts, starring Owen Wilson as Tom Slick, Cissy Spasic
Speaker 11: as Claire Slick, Skyler.
Speaker 10: Fisk as Live Slick.
Speaker 11: Written and directed by Caroline Slaughter, story editor Jeb Stewart.
Speaker 11: Executive produced by Owen Wilson, Sissy Spasic, Skyler Fisk, Jeb Stewart,
Speaker 11: Caroline Slaughter, Brian Lavin, l C. Crowley, Brandon Barr, and
Speaker 11: Virginia Prescott. Produced and assistant directed by hi Ilia Brock.
Speaker 11: Original score, sound design, mixing and mastering by Jesse Niswanger.
Speaker 11: Casting by Daisy Church and Caroline Slaughter, SAG coordination by
Speaker 11: Daisy Church and Julia Christgau. Promo and trailers by Carl Catel.
Speaker 11: Special thanks to Catherine Nixon Cook. Recording engineers are Tyler
Speaker 11: Klang and Casey Pegram. For iHeartMedia.
Speaker 15: Episode five, cast Ian Shaw as Bud, Dave Willis as
Speaker 15: Alan Dulles, Vince Canless as Dawa, Ava Davis as Blair,
Speaker 15: Selinez Taribio as Dominique, tim Heller as Slick's team member,
Speaker 15: Susma Resboncy as Lama ex protester, Julia Chris Gaw as
Speaker 15: the Journalist and the Google Voice Assistant, Mike Schatz as
Speaker 15: the Voice of God and the introductory voiceover with additional
Speaker 15: roles voice by David Devrees, Michael Mao, and Phil Clark.
Speaker 15: Additional audio assembly by Noah Kamer. Executive producer for iHeartMedia
Speaker 15: is Maya Howard.
Speaker 2: If you're enjoying the show, share it with everyone you know,
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