Hi, I used to listen to this podcast some years back and an episode stuck with me, but I have forgotten the name.
The episode was distinctly dark and gritty in nature, set in or near a forest of electric trees in Russia(?) possibly at the site of some military or industrial operation. The opening to the story involved some dialog that I remember as being political in nature,
There was a small settlement and a fence involved, as a starting point. A group of people who were travelers of some sort had to make a journey through the electric forest. There was a certain quality of finality to the journey itself. I believe they did not particularly wish to make the journey but were required to.
The travelers had equipment to protect themselves from the electric trees. The story was told from the first-person perspective of a male character. There was at least one female character who was important to the plot as well.
Warning: spoilers ahead. I remember certain details about the ending of the story, don't click unless you're okay with that.
There were deaths involved, I believe the protective equipment failed and caused some members of the traveling group to perish inside the electric forest. Most of the members died, possibly all of them? The journey was not completed, or perhaps was completed by a sole surviving member. Details are hazy. This was ironic, I believe, because it was perhaps the last journey required of the main character for his "tour." I believe he either barely escaped with his life, or succumbed to death inside the electric forest. Whichever it was, things did not go as planned from the outset of the group's journey and the ending was mostly disastrous.
Any help would be appreciated. Thank you!