students at Beckfoot Upper Heaton who took part in creative-writing
BECKFOOT UPPER HEATON
Voyage to the Unknown is an anthology of new writing by the First Story workshops led by writer-in-residence Daniel Ingram-Brown. First Story believes there is dignity and power in every person’s story, and here you’ll find young people expressing themselves in their own unique voices. We hope you enjoy this collection.
Amad Mohammed • Daniel Ingram-Brown Hasham Ahmed • Hashim Tayyeb • Hasnain Khan Ibrahim Mahmood • Isa Choudry • Louise Morgan Mohammad Siddiqui • Muhammad Hashir Saail Abbas Bukhari • Sahil Hussain Tauheed Wajid • Umaira Mir • Urwah Ansari Zakariya Iqbal • Zane Khan
VOYAGE TO THE UNKNOWN
FEATURI NG WRI TING BY
CHANGI NG LI VES THROUGH WRI TING 'First Story is a very exciting idea – writing can liberate and strengthen young people’s sense of themselves as almost nothing else can.' PHILIP PULLMAN Author of His Dark Materials Cover design by Brett Evans Biedscheid Typesetting by Avon DataSet Ltd
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F I R S T S T O RY
www.firststory.co.uk £10.00
AN ANTHOLOGY BY THE FIRST STORY GROUP AT BECKFOOT UPPER HEATON EDITED AND INTRODUCED BY DANIEL INGRAM-BROWN
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First Story changes lives through writing. We believe that writing can transform lives, and that there is dignity and power in every young person’s story. First Story brings talented, professional writers into secondary schools serving low-income communities to work with teachers and students to foster creativity and communication skills. By helping students find their voices through intensive, fun programmes, First Story raises aspirations and gives students the skills and confidence to achieve them. For more information and details of how to support First Story, see www.firststory.org.uk or contact us at info@firststory.org.uk.
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Voyage to the Unknown ISBN 978-0-85748-340-9 Published by First Story Limited www.firststory.org.uk Omnibus Business Centre, 39–41 North Road London N7 9DP Copyright Š First Story 2018 Typesetting: Avon DataSet Ltd Cover Designer: Brett Evans Biedsheid Printed in the UK by Aquatint First Story is a registered charity number 1122939 and a private company limited by guarantee incorporated in England with number 06487410. First Story is a business name of First Story Limited.
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Voyage to the Unknown An Anthology By The First Story Group At Beckfoot Upper Heaton Edited and introduced by Daniel Ingram-Brown | 2018
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‘We all have a voice. Some never discover it. We all have stories to tell. Some never tell them. First Story has helped all these young writers to discover their writing voice, and in so doing has helped them discover themselves.’ Michael Morpurgo (author of War Horse) ‘First Story is a fantastic idea. Creative writing can change people’s lives: I’ve seen it happen. It’s more than learning a skill. It’s about learning that you, your family, your culture and your view of the world are rich and interesting and important, whoever you happen to be. Teenagers are under increasing pressure to tailor their work to exams, and to value themselves in terms of the results. First Story offers young people something else, a chance to find their voices.’ Mark Haddon (author of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time) ‘First Story not only does an invaluable thing for the young and underheard people of England, it does it exceptionally well. Their books are expertly edited and beautifully produced. The students featured within are wonderfully open and candid about their lives, and this is a credit to First Story, whose teachers thoroughly respect, and profoundly amplify, their voices. The only problem with First Story is that they’re not everywhere – yet. Every young person deserves the benefit of working with them.’ Dave Eggers (author of A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius) ‘First Story is an inspiring initiative. Having attended a school with a lot of talented kids who didn’t always have the opportunity to express that talent, I know what it would have meant to us to have real-life writers dropping by and taking our stories seriously. And what an opportunity for writers, too, to meet some of the most creative and enthusiastic young people in this country! It’s a joyful project that deserves as much support as we can give it.’ Zadie Smith (winner of the Orange Prize for fiction and author of White Teeth)
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As Patron of First Story I am delighted that it continues to foster and inspire the creativity and talent of young people in secondary schools serving low-income communities. I firmly believe that nurturing a passion for reading and writing is vital to the health of our country. I am therefore greatly encouraged to know that young people in this school – and across the country – have been meeting each week throughout the year in order to write together. I send my warmest congratulations to everybody who is published in this anthology.
HRH The The Duchess Duchess of of Cornwall Cornwall HRH
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Thank You Melanie Curtis at Avon DataSet for her overwhelming support for First Story and for giving her time in typesetting this anthology. Brett Evans Biedscheid for designing the cover of this anthology. Moya Birchall at Aquatint for printing this anthology at a discounted rate. Arts Council England for supporting First Story in this school. HRH The Duchess of Cornwall, Patron of First Story. The Trustees of First Story: Andrea Minton Beddoes, Antonia Byatt, Aslan Byrne, Beth Colocci, Betsy Tobin, Charlie Booth, Edward Baden-Powell, James Waldegrave, Katie Waldegrave, Mayowa Sofekun, Sophie Harrison, Sue Horner, William Fiennes. The Advisory Board of First Story: Alex Clark, Andrew Adonis, Andrew Cowan, Andrew Kidd, Brett Wigdortz, Chris Patten, Derek Johns, Jamie Byng, Jonathan Dimbleby, Julia Cleverdon, Julian Barnes, Kevin Prunty, Mark Haddon, Rona Kiley, Simon Jenkins, William Waldegrave, Zadie Smith. Thanks to: Arts Council England, Alice Jolly & Stephen Kinsella, Andrea Minton Beddoes & Simon Gray, The Anson Charitable Trust, The Arvon Foundation, BBC Children in Need, BBC Radio 4 Appeal & Listeners, Beth & Michele Colocci, Big Lottery Fund, Blackwells, Boots Charitable Trust, Brunswick, Charlotte Hogg, Cheltenham Festivals, Clifford Chance, Danego Charitable Trust, First Editions Club Members, First Story Events Committee, Frontier Economics,
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Give A Book, Hollick Charitable Trust, Ink@84, Ivana Catovic of Modern Logophilia, Jane & Peter Aitken, John Lyon’s Charity, John R Murray Charitable Trust, John Thaw Foundation, Lake House Charitable Foundation, Letters Live, Liz and Terry Bramall Foundation, Old Possum’s Practical Trust, Open Gate Trust, Oxford University Press, Psycle Interactive, Robert Webb, Royal Society of Literature, Sigrid Rausing Trust, Sir Halley Stewart Trust, The Stonegarth Fund, Teach First, Tim Bevan & Amy Gadney, The Thomas Farr Charity, Walcot Foundation, Whitaker Charitable Trust, XL Catlin, our group of regular donors, and all those donors who have chosen to remain anonymous. Most importantly we would like to thank the students, teachers and writers who have worked so hard to make First Story a success this year, as well as the many individuals and organisations (including those who we may have omitted to name) who have given their generous time, support and advice.
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Contents Introduction Foreword
Daniel Ingram-Brown Louise Morgan
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I. The Mission Briefing Voyage to the Unknown Crew Register
ODYSSEY The Crew
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II. The Return Journey ODYSSEY Daily Briefing Intergalactic Memories The View from Space My Life Before… Space Rhyme
ODYSSEY The Crew Itchy Boy Itchy Boy and Melon Kill-Gor
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III. Planet X ODYSSEY Daily Briefing Alien Planet Kit List Field Reports
ODYSSEY The Crew The Crew
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ODYSSEY The Crew
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The Crew ODYSSEY Hashtag The Crew The Crew
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The Crew
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IV. The CYCLOPS Corporation ODYSSEY Daily Briefing Pronouncements of the CYCLOPS Corporation Profile Submissions Computer Update CYCLOPS Corporation: Headline Altered Profiles CYCLOPS Corporation: Next Day’s Headlines The Defiant Message
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V. The Fortress Kingdom ODYSSEY Daily Briefing The Fortress Kingdom Council Member Rules and Customs The Bag Definitions of Yesterin The Aftermath
ODYSSEY The Crew
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The Crew The Crew The Crew The Crew
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VI. The Black Hole ODYSSEY Daily Briefing Descent Darkness Light
ODYSSEY The Crew The Crew The Crew
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VII. The Return to Earth ODYSSEY Daily Briefing Homecoming Song Identity Tests
ODYSSEY The Crew The Crew
73 74 75
Six-Word Biographies
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Introduction Daniel Ingram-Brown Writer-in-Residence
I’m driving to my first session of this term’s residency at Beckfoot Upper Heaton, and I’m excited. I’m excited at the prospect of co-creating a story together with the students. I’m intrigued to see where our shared creativity will lead. It feels like there are so many possibilities ahead. This term, I’ve decided to take a different approach to my First Story sessions. Rather than running each as a standalone workshop, I’ve chosen to tie them together, using a single story as the stimulus and frame for our exploration. The story I’ve chosen is the ancient Greek epic poem, The Odyssey, attributed to Homer. It’s a story of adventures and monsters, of camaraderie, of a company travelling together, of friendships made and put to the test. I think the group of (mainly) boys I’m working with will appreciate and enjoy it. As a foundational European story, I hope it will give the group some insights into this important narrative and allow them to explore the issues of community, diversity and the meeting of cultures that it touches on. We’re reimagining the story as a journey through space, the islands visited becoming planets, and the peoples, alien societies. I hope you see some of these themes emerge as you read the book. * Each session began with a contemporary stimulus, such as a newspaper article about an interstellar object entering the solar 11
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system, pictures of markets from across the world, Twitter profiles, or a report of a mosque that responded to an English Defence League march with the offer of tea and football. Once everyone had gathered and we’d had a conversation about these prompts, we moved to our spaceship – a circle of chairs – from which the story was to be played out. Each week, the action began with a short visualisation I’d written to introduce the themes and open the imaginary space for the story. I’ve included these scripts in the anthology. If you want the full experience, you need to read them to the opening music of the film 2001: A Space Odyssey! In the sessions, I took the role of the ship’s computer, ODYSSEY, and the students were invited to become the ship’s crew, a group from Bradford who had been sent into space at the age of twelve. Since then, ten years had passed, and they were now twenty-two years old. As such, the students were asked to write as ‘themselves and not themselves’, drawing on their own real-life experience but also freed by the distance of time and space to use their imaginations. Each student came up with a nickname for their character – Hashtag, Nightwing and Itchy Boy, for example. I’ve used these nicknames throughout the anthology, but if you want to see who the real student is behind each of them, you’ll find their names in the Crew Register. The students also named the ship the Voyage to the Unknown (V2U), the title of this book. The initial script for the sessions led to a time where the students spoke out their ideas, naming the things they missed from home, describing the sound of the strange voice that echoed through the ship, deciding what should be done with the mysterious bag ODYSSEY brought back from the Fortress Kingdom. We then moved to making notes together, jotting down ideas in the crew logs, using Post-it Notes to capture descriptions, creating shared drawings to more fully explore a landscape. There was a lot of depth and detail in these 12
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times of co-construction. It was fantastic to watch the enthusiasm with which the students entered the story and allowed their ideas to flow freely. The writing in the anthology, a mix of poems, scripts, newspaper headlines, autobiographical accounts and genre-based narratives, catches some of that process, revealing some of the moments we created together. I hope you enjoy this window into the weird and wonderful universe we created together, joining us on this voyage to the unknown.
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Foreword Louise Morgan
The First Story programme has been an incredible opportunity for our pupils. We were really thrilled to be able to work with Daniel for this and have learned a lot through his sessions. The pupils have thoroughly embraced the new challenges and it’s been wonderful to watch them work with such enthusiasm under Daniel’s guidance. The work the pupils have completed is a true and creative reflection of their progress; they have learnt skills that will follow them through to GCSE and beyond, and have enjoyed bringing the stories to life. Working with First Story has meant our pupils have had opportunities they would otherwise have missed. We look forward to working with them again.
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I. The Mission
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Briefing ODYSSEY
In the year 2018, twelve intrepid crews of explorers were thrust into a dangerous and secret mission on behalf of the British government, at the request of the UN and unbeknown to the general population. Twelve Y-generation space ships, equipped with newly developed Yesterin technology, were launched from a top secret location on an island in the depths of the Pacific Ocean. Aboard were twelve companies of ordinary boys, chosen at random from twelve British cities, all aged twelve (or thereabouts), the plan being that when they awoke from their ten-year journey, they would be twenty-two years old and of fighting age. Their mission: to investigate signs of life detected on an alien planet in the constellation Lyra, after an interstellar object was confirmed entering the solar system on 2nd September 2017. Their families sworn to secrecy and evidence of their lives deleted from the data cloud, what would they encounter? What would be their fate? Welcome aboard V2U, the Voyage to the Unknown. I am ODYSSEY, an Omni-Dimensional Y-generation Service System Equipped with Yesterin. I am your ship’s computer. I am programmed to give regular information in order to counteract the memory loss you will experience as part of interplanetary transportation. I also maintain the daily routines and regular maintenance of the ship. If you have any questions, I will endeavour to answer them.
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Voyage to the Unknown Crew Register The Crew
1. Nightwing Isa Choudry 2. Kill-Gor Zane Khan 3. Hashtag Muhammad Hashir 4. Solar Urwah Ansari 5. N/A Saail Abbas Bukhari 6. The Brainiac Zakariya Iqbal 7. Melon Hasham Ahmed 8. Prometheus Sahil Hussain 9. P.E.K.K.A. Hashim Tayyeb 10. Itchy Boy Hasnain Khan 11. ? Question Mark Mohammad Siddiqui 12. Umbrella Umaira Mir 13. Crafty Boy Amad Mohammed 14. Mr T Tauheed Wajid 15. Egg Ibrahim Mahmood 16. ODYSSEY Daniel Ingram-Brown 17. MISS (Mission Information Service System) Louise Morgan
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II. The Return Journey
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ODYSSEY Daily Briefing ODYSSEY
Good morning. It is day 3,652 of your journey. After discovering the inhabitants of the Trojan planet to be hostile, and under instruction from mission control’s High Command on Earth, the Equus Protocol was executed and the planet destroyed. We have now entered the return phase of the journey and are on course for Earth. Twelve ships are still intact, carrying crews from Sheffield, Glasgow, Exeter, London, Birmingham, Carlisle, Norwich, Sunderland, Cardiff, Manchester and Belfast. This ship’s crew originate from Bradford. We are returning home; home to your families, home to the green and pleasant fields of England, home to the land of Shakespeare and Tennyson, democracy and freedom, home to green mountains and pleasant pastures, to blue seas and clear skies.
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Intergalactic Memories The Crew
I miss my fat cat, Snowball. She reminded me of falling snow. I miss my annoying big brother who never did anything. I miss my bedroom and my laptop. I miss my mischievous sister, who took things and ran away. I miss my glitched, wonky-lettered keyboard. I miss my Wi-Fi, which I haven’t used for ten years. I miss the spicy curry that nearly killed me. I miss my books stacked up with The Hobbit on top. I miss my old, wooden cricket bat that I put my spirit into. I miss the rainbow see-saw and wooden swings that dominated the park. I miss my diary that had important memories in it. I miss my white, broken bedroom door, in front of my metal sleeping bag. I miss my house and its spectacular view over Bingley. I miss my soul, my personality and my inner self.
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The View from Space The Crew
They say that England is strong, but my home is weak because it lost an empire. They say that England is great, but it is only the second greatest. They say that England is gold, but my home is full of putrid weather and pollution. They say that England is rich, but America has a higher budget and economy. They say that England is green and pleasant, but in my home, there are always floods. They say that England has signal, but my home doesn’t. They say that England is peaceful, but politicians destroy it with their debates and fighting. They say that England is weak, yeah, but it has been upgraded.
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My Life Before‌ Itchy Boy and Melon
Itchy Boy: The thing that comes to my mind as I think of home is air and oxygen, thinking back to a time when there was an ease in breathing, when I didn’t have to gasp for every breath. Melon: I think of my family. Home. Friends. School. Itchy Boy: I remember my football and the coach who supported me even with my medical conditions and tiny, skinny body. Melon: I think of rain. Sun. Moon. Wind. Ocean. Itchy Boy: The only thing I was happy to leave behind was the putrid, horrible weather. In England there is way too much rain!
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Space Rhyme Kill-Gor
So vicious, so astonishing. So dark, yet so powerful. Space so majestic, Yet it feels so mystic. The stars glisten To create a beautiful vision. Forever alone in the temporal zone. The black void deployed its darkness across the universe. Life transverses into a curse. Space is so tense yet makes no sense. I make this rhyme to fill endless time.
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III. Planet X
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ODYSSEY Daily Briefing ODYSSEY
Good morning. It is day 3,784 of your journey. We are currently entering the gravitational pull of an unregistered, extragalactic exoplanet. Our ship’s sensors have identified it as a mega-Earth located in the habitable zone of a G2V type star – a Yellow Dwarf, the same as your Earth’s sun. The planet is terrestrial, with oceans covering 70% of its surface. Initial readings show its atmosphere to be 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen, with traces of argon and carbon dioxide – almost identical to your Earth’s atmosphere. You may breathe the air of this planet without any life-supporting apparatus. Our sensors have also detected signs of movement on the surface of the planet from what appear to be upright bipeds with remarkable similarities to humans. And there are areas of habitation with settlement patterns similar to Earth’s villages and cities, suggesting this is a planet that hosts life that is organised, has language and culture. This planet is much like your home, Earth. There will be many things you recognise here – seas, mountains, rivers and cities. Please prepare for landing. Our Yesterin technology engines have been activated. To avoid nausea, remember your training. Focus on the gentle hum of the engines, feel the small vibrations of the ship beneath and around you, breathe deeply the air distributed by our environmental control systems. It has been infused with the soothing aromas of lavender and mandarin for your comfort. The ship’s lights will now dim as we approach the 31
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planet’s surface. Sit back in the soft incline of your ergonomically engineered seats. Relax. You may be aware of a small jolt and quiet rumbling as the ship’s landing gear engages. Do not be alarmed. Landing protocol has now been engaged.
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Alien Planet Kit List The Crew
Backpack . Communicator . Distress Signal . Extra Suit . Flare Gun . Food . Food and Water Recycler . Gas Mask . GPS Watch . Gravity Boots . Intergalactic Space Gun . Invisibility Cloak . Jars . Knife . Lasers . Lucozade . Med Kit . Mini Space Pod . Money . Oxygen Tank . Portable Beacon . Porta Potti . Radar . Radio/Walkie-talkie . Robot C.692 . Rope . RPG . Sleeping Bag . Solar Sniper . Spare Clothes . Survival Book . Taser . Thermal Binoculars . Torch . Translator . War Armour . Water Filtration Machine (W.F.M.)
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Field Report 1 ? Question Mark
We must stay on this planet. It has more to offer than democracy and propaganda. It has an unlimited amount of air that automatically enters your lungs to help your heart beat a little faster. The breeze takes your senses, your lungs, inviting the scents of nature. And the beauty! Such views! Imagine waking up and witnessing the dark of the night overcome by such vivid light – the start of each new day.
Field Report 2 Melon
This place is not what you think it is! All we can see is tall, dry grass. The planet has some sort of deceiving, mind-controlling atmosphere. Something is wrong with this place. Something is trying to lure us to stay. This fantasy world is actually a trap!
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Field Report 3 Crafty Boy
Dear friend, I just want to tell you that it is good for us to be here, to explore and see what everything looks like from space. It’s an amazing adventure! This planet is mystical and very spacious on the inside. We should definitely stay!
Field Report 4 The Brainiac
Dear friends aboard the Voyage of the Unknown, This place is amazing. Just like home. I have never seen anything quite like it. I can’t believe something so alien-like could be so similar to our planet. I mean, it might seem like a weird and awkward place from space, but it is very human down here. People looking like us, cities with a great amount of technology – so advanced. Houses that are like ours and animals so unique yet so similar. I hope, my dear friends, that you let us explore this awesome planet. Yours Sincerely, Brainiac
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Field Report 5 Hashtag
We must evacuate this planet and return home immediately. The deserted market we landed beside appears to be dangerous. I have a bizarre sensation of uncertainty and fear, like we are being spied on. There’s that ancient factory that still breathes smoke. It’s coated with millions of tiny spider satellites that could be distributing information about anything. They move like robots, creeping up the walls of the factory. Defending it. Have you noticed how the shadows track our every move, like servants following their master? Sometimes they seem translucent, closing in like they’re going to attack. The purple fruit in the market is glazed in poison, as if prepared for slaughter and harm. Look at how it affects the table – there’s a hole right through it! Imagine consuming that. It is essential we leave this planet. NOW!
Field Report 6 Prometheus
We need to stay because the planet has these creatures that look vicious but are actually really kind. The ocean is mesmerising. It glistens like sun penetrating a diamond. The trees are like massive pillows and the grass tastes like cucumber. The sky is an endless void of feathers. There is no time, so we will never age and become like soggy, old bananas. The sweet aroma shrouds the stone of youth. 36
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Field Report 7 Solar
Do you want to stay and explore more? I’ve found this weird pool next to a volcanic crater. We should check it out. I think there’s life on this planet. Dangerous life. I don’t know if it’s the planet’s atmosphere, but I think I saw a small, two-headed creature peeping out of the water. I stepped into it, but there was nothing but a shadow. Very peculiar.
Field Report 8 Umbrella
Dear people, We should stay on this planet because there are amazing creatures that detect things that could help us if we ever need research. There is a magical bag that listens to your command. It never denies your request. It is like a maid who never gets tired. Imagine an amazing life with questions all around you but you don’t have to answer them. The small creatures will answer them for you. They will do anything for you. We will be treated like kings and queens – but have an easier life!
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Field Report 9 Nightwing
Dear fellow comrades, I am talking to you guys because we need to stay. There is more land here that we should explore. We’ll also be really famous as the first humans to go to an unknown planet. I heard there’s a battle arena. I can test my martial arts whilst beating up aliens. That is all I have to say! Nightwing
Prometheus Update Prometheus
I had a beautiful nightmare, the dread of leaving. A vicious end shall come, I thought, death pulsing through my brain. What once was a fantasy now has died. My body is drained of its human spirit, my thoughts of home have faded. A figure, tall and pale, zoomed past, and I felt as if someone had walked over my fragile, vulnerable, helpless body. It took me. Dragging me, ripping my soul straight from the core. HIS NAME IS PROMETHEUS…
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Field Report 10 N/A
We should leave this planet. A transparent shadow is cast over the mystical lands beneath us. A horse with a sword right through its body is still alive and is bleeding fresh blood. Return because YOU WILL DIE!!!
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IV. The CYCLOPS Corporation
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ODYSSEY Daily Briefing ODYSSEY
Good morning. It is day 3,952 of your journey. We have just entered the jurisdiction of the CYCLOPS Corporation. My systems have been overridden by POLYPHEMUS, the all-seeing eye, which is the mainframe of the corporation. It will now make its pronouncements through each person aboard. At this, one by one, the crew begin to open their mouths and speak, their biological systems overridden by the great computer. This is what they say:
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Pronouncements of the CYCLOPS Corporation The Crew
ODYSSEY:
This is the shining star, one billion billion gleaming nodes networked into a firmament of brilliant light, a city-star that pulsates with energy, an energy that never rests. The Brainiac: Here is the best of them all, the leader. ODYSSEY: Here are unnumbered dazzling edifices that reach into the sky like the fingers of gods. Melon: Here is where the hidden guards thrive, the guide and shield. ODYSSEY: Here is the great bank, the commercial heart of the universe. Here is VAST, the entertainment network of the future, streaming straight into your brain. The Brainiac: Here is the god of technology. Solar: Here is the place of secrecy. The Brainiac: Here is light in the dark, the only tick amid many crosses, the king of a billion kingdoms. Here is the only plane in the sky. Solar: Here is where no other person has ever been. Here is whatever you dream. It is food and paradise. Here is the extraordinary life.
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Hashtag:
Here is the sweetness in the sour journey. Here is the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Melon: Here your life belongs. Here is the jail of your souls. The Brainiac: Here is the only surviving life form. Hashtag: Here is your future, your life, your everything. ODYSSEY: Here is bigger, faster, louder, bolder, richer, higher, brighter. Look at your transponders and see the wonders of the CYCLOPS Corporation displayed.
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Profile Submissions The Crew
ODYSSEY: Each person entering the jurisdiction of the CYCLOPS Corporation must submit their profile for approval. Enter your profiles now. The crew seem to be infected by hubris, by the boastful claims of the CYCLOPS Corporation. They begin to shout out their profiles, their chests puffed out, their heads high. Crafty Boy: Hashtag: Solar: Crafty Boy: The Brainiac: Melon: Solar: Hashtag: Crafty Boy: Egg: Solar: The Brainiac: Melon: The Brainiac: Hashtag: The Brainiac: Hashtag: The Brainiac: Crafty Boy: MISS:
I’m the world’s best at table tennis! I am taller than you! I have a double-jointed thumb! Mine’s the most expensive cat! I’m smarter than you any day of the week! I’m rich because my wealth is knowledge! My cat is more loyal than yours! I’ve been alive longer than you! I am the world’s best gamer! I’m a bouncing ball. Dancing diva. Chatty cheerleader! My name is unisex! I don’t need to practice because I know it already! I’m intellectual, telepathic and ninja-like! I’m intellectious. Strong. Bold. At the top! I have four imaginary snakes! I can beat up fifty people in a second! I like better colours than you! I am The Flash! I will find you, but you won’t find me! I AM THE BEST TEACHER EVER!
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Computer Update ODYSSEY
ODYSSEY: Having scanned your profiles, the CYCLOPS Corporation has identified you as a threat because of the many boasts you have made. The Voyage to the Unknown is being held in quarantine until further notice. All its systems will now be shut down.
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CYCLOPS Corporation: Headline Reported by Hashtag
BOASTERS BEHIND BARS! The alien parasites that entered the atmosphere of our majestic planet have been caught by the Corporation’s trained and powerful police force. This threat has been neutralised. It is no longer a worry. The insects will be sent to the planet’s most ruthless prison, Zartacla! Brought to their senses, the crew make a plan: to sneak into the CYCLOPS Corporation’s central eye, hack its mainframe computer and re-enter their profiles, altering them so that they will go unseen.
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Altered Profiles The Crew
The Brainiac: Hashtag: P.E.K.K.A.: MISS: Melon: Solar:
I have an ordinary life, guys. I don’t know how to breathe. I do the worst at the wrong time. I never win any dance competitions. I think my life is a lie. I make cringy puns at wrong times.
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CYCLOPS Corporation: Next Day’s Headlines The Crew
ALIENS OUTSMARTED US! SHOOT TO KILL! THEY ESCAPED!
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The Defiant Message The Crew
But as the Voyage to the Unknown leaves the orbit of the CYCLOPS Corporation, celebration erupts, and the crew’s hubris returns. They decide to send a defiant message to their captors: Your eyeball needs eyedrops! Seems it has become very dry. Go to Specsavers! Not so big and bold now, are you? ;) Unfortunately, the CYCLOPS Corporation doesn’t take kindly to the insult and fires its lasers, blasting one of the twelve earthbound ships out of the sky. It vows to pursue the Voyage to the Unknown to the edge of the universe, seeking revenge.
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V. The Fortress Kingdom
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ODYSSEY Daily Briefing ODYSSEY
Good morning. It is day 4,427 of your journey. You will have been awoken this morning by the peculiar glow that filtered through the ship’s triple-pane, optical windows at 0800 hours, a shimmering luminescence that played upon the white panels of the cabin, like sun reflected from a pool. This was the ultraviolet and neon light emitted by the Dark Nebula that surrounds us. Its rich swirls of greens and blues, reds, crimsons, lilacs and golds are famous throughout the universe. These clouds, known as the Pillars of Creation, shield the celestial bodies of the Fortress Kingdom. The Kingdom is known for its beauty and riches, its iridium, silver, osmium, palladium and platinum mines. It is populated by a proud and independent people, who famously never venture beyond the Nebula that protects them. The Voyage to the Unknown and our remaining ten companion ships are currently hovering at the rim of the asteroid belt that orbits the Nebula. It is too dangerous to cross. However, one of the Council Members of the Fortress Kingdom will be appearing on your monitors shortly to welcome us to the Nebula. They will appear in human form and likeness. Prepare yourselves.
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The Fortress Kingdom Council Member The Crew
As the Council Member of the Fortress Kingdom appears on the Voyage to the Unknown’s monitors, the crew make note of his appearance. A strong, muscular man, over eight feet tall, with pale skin, this Council Member is Lord of his planet. He tells us he runs its defence systems. Although he is camouflaged, appearing as a human dressed casually in flip-flops, we see behind his mask. Beneath the facade, he is clothed in red, armoured metal. He is a gruesome ogre, his little, concaved eyes staring at us. There are three of them, but the third is covered by an eye patch. There is an abnormally large scar across his left cheek, and he is completely bald. Our systems suggest he is more than three hundred years old. His face is callous, showing no sign of feeling or emotion. He tells us he is a telepath. It looks as if his satellite ears could tap into anyone’s brain. He appears to be extremely intelligent, speaking in a deep, robotic voice. He shows great knowledge, talking about the books he has read from across the universe. Apparently, he has his own religion and believes his planet to be impenetrable. He shows a love for, even an obsession with, weapons. Nothing can stop him, he says. But there is a look on his face that makes us question him; that says he feels imprisoned somehow, trapped. 56
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Rules and Customs The Crew
The Council Member lists the rules and customs of the Fortress Kingdom: – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
You cannot disobey the leader of the Kingdom. You may not disagree with any of the Kingdom’s laws. You can only vote if you work for the leader. Failure is forbidden. If a member of the Kingdom fails a mission, they are banished. Kingdom members must not kill their own people. Trees and plants are protected and must not be killed. Only those with a higher intellect, measured by a super computer, can enter the Nebula. Only those who show power are accepted. You must be tall to enter the Kingdom (eight feet minimum). When greeting someone, physical contact must not be made. Nothing brightly coloured must be worn. Those of high authority may use camouflage technology, appearing in casual attire. Fortress Kingdom members must demonstrate they have destroyed at least three planets by the time they reach adulthood. They must bathe in lava every day to build their powers. They must contribute to all available tasks. Every year, a child from each family must be sent to work in the mines. They must not steal. Exercise is mandatory. Love must not be shown, other than to the leader. 57
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– They must not drink blood. – Fortress Kingdom members are made worthy by following the Kingdom’s rules and routines. – Criminals are slaves. – Every year members of the Kingdom re-form as somebody else. – Nobody can leave the Nebula. Anybody coming into or out of the Nebula will be destroyed. – Fortress Kingdom members must swear to give their lives to the Kingdom. – Every year there is a purge in which each Fortress Kingdom member must fight. – After this, dead bodies are thrown into one of the Pillars of Creation as a sacrifice. – If you are sent into the Pillar of Death, you don’t come back. – If you are sent into the Pillar of Life, you return as a being of higher quality. – Unless you can afford a license, you must follow all the rituals and routines of the Fortress Kingdom.
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The Bag The Crew
ODYSSEY:
As humans, you are not able to move through the Nebula, but as a computer, I can transmit myself into the Fortress Kingdom and appear there in human form. I will do that now.
Time passes. ODYSSEY returns with a bag. In it, ODYSSEY says, is treasure. But the instruction is given that crew members are not to touch the bag or tamper with it in any way. It is to stay safely in the charge of the Voyage to the Unknown but not to be opened. At night, the bag sits in the centre of the flight deck, wriggling and writhing. There are whispered conversations in the corridors of the V2U. The crew are not happy. Mr T: Melon:
What is in the bag? Dunno, but I think something’s wrong with ODYSSEY. The Brainiac: A test? Melon: I think a trap. Crafty Boy: It’s weird – a bag we have to look after but can’t open? Prometheus: I told you – never trust a computer. Crafty Boy: I think we should look after it. It’s obviously important. Perhaps it’s a computer which has an important diary inside or a one-eyed black cat. The Brainiac: That’s a bit cryptic. It’s creeping me out. 59
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Kill-Gor:
What happens if ‘it’ is a spy robot sent to us secretly and anonymously? Crafty Boy: I think we should just open it to see what it is but not tell anybody. Mr T: Do not break the rules! Kill-Gor: I think we should blow the bag up. What happens if ‘it’ destroys us all one by one…? Prometheus: You’re so overdramatic! Kill-Gor: We can’t afford to risk our personal information being leaked. Melon: I have an urge to stab it. Mr T: Don’t! The Brainiac: Maybe it can help us but it’s just taking time to settle in. Melon: I have a weird feeling about ODYSSEY. The Brainiac: Yeah, I know. ODYSSEY’s acting very strangely. Mr T: ODYSSEY would never put us in any danger. Prometheus: He’s a goddamn computer! Melon: I’ll go run through ODYSSEY’s CPU. The Brainiac: OK, and I’ll go research about the Fortress Kingdom. [The Brainiac and Melon fist bump] That night, one of the men decides to open the bag. Inside is a fresh supply of Yesterin – a gift from the people of the Fortress Kingdom.
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Definitions of Yesterin The Crew
Mr T:
Yesterin is the power of knowledge from the past. It is the power to time-travel. Crafty Boy: Yesterin is the power of all computers. Kill-Gor: Yesterin is the power to look into our lives, past and future. Prometheus: Yesterin is a headset that can control the entire universe. Solar: Yesterin is every day’s unused power, which rolls over into the next. N/A: Yesterin is the power to upgrade your weakness. Hashtag: Yesterin is the power of everybody, of the past, present and future, of people, animals and all things. The Brainiac: Yesterin is the food of the gods. It is the energy that expands the universe. It is a power source capable of powering any item for as long as 300,000 years. It created infinity. Melon: Yesterin is a material that can make itself into anything you want it to be. It is a soul-bearing metal. It is ALIVE!!!
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The Aftermath The Crew
The power of the Yesterin released from the bag causes a great storm to sweep through the Pillars of Creation. Ten of the eleven remaining earthbound ships are destroyed in the storm. The Fortress Kingdom chooses not to help but to watch from a distance. Here are some quotes from the great and the good, politicians and Council Members, about the tragic event: ‘The most terrible object destroying the most beautiful place.’ (Hasham) ‘Yesterin should only be used for good and when we can control its power.’ (Urwah) ‘It was a horrible sight. The stark truth is that so many ships have been destroyed by the immense storm. We have been left in shock.’ (Hashir) ‘It lit up the night sky, shining like a thousand stars. Yesterin is too powerful for us to control.’ (Zakariya) ‘This is one of the craziest and most horrifying days of my life. It will give me shivers down my spine for the rest of my years.’ (Saail)
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VI. The Black Hole
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ODYSSEY Daily Briefing ODYSSEY
It is day 5,113 of your journey. I apologise for waking you so abruptly from your scheduled sleep routine. I have been forced to activate the Circe Protocol, which states all must be fully awake, after picking up an unknown transmission on the ship’s radio. As a computer, I can tell you the words of the transmission, but I cannot hear, and therefore I cannot describe, the voice that speaks them. The words say, ‘Come, this way, this is the way home. Come…’ I must collect as much data about this voice as possible for use when we return to Earth. Log your reports now. How does this voice sound to you? Mr T:
It’s artificial, a croaky voice. The speaker speaks in Shakespearean style instead of using modern language. Nightwing: It is a deep, croaky voice, but female. It seems to echo with an eerie scream. It makes me feel scared, illuminates my thoughts, makes me sweat. Prometheus: The voice is deep and croaky, as if I’m watching a TV show and one of the characters wields a death totem, the demon living inside her having turned her evil. N/A: The voice is eerie and dull. It echoes from all directions, as if coming from a mysteriously 65
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programmed computer. It makes me feel like my whole body is on a roller coaster, flying rapidly through the air with no pauses. The Brainiac: It is a strange, croaky voice, eerie and booming. It is the voice of a liar and persuader, a predator after its prey. Solar: It is monotone but gives off mixed and different vibes. Melon: A deep feminine voice booms from all directions, leaving echoes and whispers. It is futuristic and cold. ‘Do you know da way?’ it says. ‘Well, come this way, this is the way home…’
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Descent The Crew
ODYSSEY:
As well as the voice, I have identified coordinates hidden within the transmission. I have set our ship’s course to follow them. We will reach our destination in… Ten You may feel the cabin pressure increasing. Crew member: I look around, searching every spot, my focus settling on the photo of my mother’s grave. ODYSSEY: Nine Your heads may start to ache. Crew member: I freeze, every hair standing on end. ODYSSEY: Eight Do not worry. I repeat, do not worry. Crew member: I clench my teeth. ODYSSEY: Seven You may feel your ribcage being constricted. Crew member: The voice is possessed by death! ODYSSEY: Six Breathe, men, breathe. Crew member: My whole body shivers. My spine tingles with fear. ODYSSEY: Five There is no recorded instance of a gravitational pull as strong as the one that now holds us. Crew member: Biting my lips, I clutch the ship’s rail. ODYSSEY: Four There is no going back. 67
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Crew member: Every moment, closer to death! ODYSSEY: Three There is no going back. Crew member: Thin, crimson blood zooms to my pupils. ODYSSEY: Two Ahead, a great darkness swirls. Crew member: My brain ruptures. I feel powerless as I stare into the abyss. ODYSSEY: One Mayday. Mayday. We are entering a black hole. Mayday. We are entering a black hole. Crew member: Death, I think to myself! Never to return home! Never to escape!
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Darkness The Crew
Kill-Gor:
After that, I want to hide in a corner and turn off my thoughts. I wonder what’s next… Am I dying, piece by piece? Around me the colours change. There is crying and screaming. My body collapses while my eyes cry blood. Scary, blinded, nothing but dust, I wait, ugly and senseless. Melon: I’ve got too many things unticked on my bucket list, I think. There is a smooth liquid in front of me. I slowly put my fingers against it. Will it allow them to infiltrate it? When I hit it hard, it stops me and becomes stubborn as brick. The Brainiac: My senses die out. All I feel is cold blood in my body moving through my organs. I touch the air. I feel it around me. Nothing here, except for me. Nightwing: What feels like a poltergeist brushes past me. I wonder if it’s time for my fate. Solar: I see a person. I sense the coldness inside him, but his palms gush with sweat. His skin has goosebumps and his stance is trembly. I feel a shiver down my spine like a chilly draft coming through the cracks of a door. The ghost begins to speak.
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Light The Crew
Solar:
‘Don’t fear death. It will only get the better of you. The only person who knows you is you. I know that if you forget about your worries and problems, you will find a way. A way to freedom. A way to safety. And a way home. The way home is by persevering and cooperating. If one person doesn’t agree, it’s like the missing piece from the middle of a jigsaw puzzle. The way home is with you.’ N/A: ‘Let the air control YOU. But you control it, because when you receive it, it will gradually help you to go faster, through and out the universe. The way home is knowing who you are.’ Nightwing: ‘Stay calm. If you panic, bad things will come your way. The way home is to stay calm and not to give up. It is a test.’ Melon: ‘Don’t forget. Don’t forget what means most to you. Maybe you have travelled across the universe collecting the fanciest materials, but don’t forget you own the best of things – people that care for you. If you die, maybe you’ll be in a better place, but they won’t. Grief will take over their lives because you will no longer exist in the kingdom we call this universe. The way home is…’
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VII. The Return to Earth
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ODYSSEY Daily Briefing ODYSSEY
It is day 7,300 of your journey. Today is a special day. It is the twentieth anniversary of the Voyage to the Unknown’s launch from its secret base in the depths of the Pacific Ocean. The Earth has circled the sun twenty times since you first left her atmosphere. You have been away for 175,200 hours, 10,512,000 minutes. Today you return, now aged thirty-two or thereabouts. You have landed on counterfeit planets, escaped the all-seeing eye of CYCLOPS Corporation, beheld the wonders of the Pillars of Creation and the Fortress Kingdom they hide, and been sucked into the depths of a black hole. Today you will feel Earth beneath your feet once again. Songs will be sung about your journey, stories will be told. We have re-entered Earth’s galaxy, the Milky Way, passing the stars of Orion, the Centaurus Constellation, Sirius – the Dog Star – and are now in the solar system once again. From the viewing deck, you will have seen the diamond rain of the great gas giants Neptune and Uranus, the sparkling rings of Saturn, the writhing spot of Jupiter, and the canyons and volcanos of the Red Planet, Mars. We are now entering Earth’s atmosphere. Strike up your song! Prepare to land.
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Homecoming Song (sung to the tune of ‘What Shall We Do with the Drunken Sailor’) The Crew
Stood on Earth but not on Earth. (x3) Early in the morning. Landed on a planet where the shadows moved. (x3) Early in the morning. Blinded the CYCLOPS Corporation. (x3) Early in the morning. Flying past the Pillars of Creation. (x3) Early in the morning. Entering the Fortress Kingdom. (x3) Early in the morning. Sucked into a deep black hole. (x3) Early in the morning. What will we encounter on this journey? (x3) We’ll find out and see!
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Identity Tests The Crew
But on their return, the crew of the Voyage to the Unknown discover the world has changed – the home they remember, the school, the community. With their names deleted from the data cloud, various scammers have taken their place, stolen their identities and moved into their homes. Luckily, before they left, each voyager was asked to create a test, so that on their return they might prove their identities. These tests are now produced, and the crew sit down to take them. If they answer correctly, the scammers will be removed and the crew will finally be home.
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Melon 1. 2. 3. 4.
Why did you purposefully use your sister’s toothbrush? Why did you kill a slug? Which powerful dynasty did your ancestors come from? Which of your family members joined World War II, what was their name, and why? 5. Mum or Dad? 6. Can you solve a Rubik’s Cube right now for me? [Hand them a Rubik’s Cube] 7. Which branch of your religion do you come from? 8. In which disputed land did your ancestors reside? 9. Who is your favourite author? 10. Who’s worse, Justin Bieber or President Donald J. Trump?
• You can’t pronounce it, so it doesn’t matter • J.R.R. Tolkien • It was closer to me! • It was self-defence – did you see the look in its eyes? • I can’t choose • Okay to protect the country
• Magical Empire • Kashmir • They’re both as bad as each other • My great-grandad, Mangha Khan, because he was brave and wanted Answers (in the wrong order): 77
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Itchy Boy 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
What car did your dad have in 2018? How did you end up wearing glasses? How many houses have you lived in? What primary school did you go to? How many countries have you been to? What are your favourite foods? For four weeks you had time off school at the beginning of the year. Why? 8. Do you have a brother? 9. You have a dog called Bablu. How old is he? 10. How many pets have you had in your life?
• Fifteen years old • I went to Pakistan • No • Thirteen • None • Dust in my eye • Three • Miriam Lord • Lasagne • Four Answers (in the wrong order): 78
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The Brainiac 1. Did you pee on the floor in nursery? 2. What is your best friend’s cousin’s sister’s dad’s name? 3. Have you eaten dandelions? 4. Have you finished your Holy Book three times? 5. Can you get three wins in a day on Fortnite? 6. What is your favourite food? 7. Where are all of your houses in the world? 8. When did your cat die? 9. What was your nickname when you were two? 10. Do you think Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un love each other secretly?
• Kind of • Before I was born • No • Aftab • Yes • Yes • Monkey • Yes • Burgers • Pakistan, America and England Answers (in the wrong order): 79
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Crafty Boy 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
What is your favourite colour? How did you get a stitch on your finger? What is your favourite school subject? What is your favourite shoe brand? What is your favourite sport? What is your favourite car company? What is your favourite book? What is your favourite animal?
• Cricket • Art • Operation • Bugatti • Blue • Jordan • Tom Gates: Everything’s Amazing (Sort Of ) • Snake Answers (in the wrong order): 80
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Hashtag 1. At what age did you break your arm? 2. What would your name have been? 3. What was your first pet? 4. What is your favourite book series? 5. What is your favourite movie? 6. In what year was your sister born? 7. How did you break your arm? 8. At what age did you first learn to swim? 9. What is your favourite subject? 10. What is your favourite word?
• Discombobulate • Moeen • Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince • A Series of Unfortunate Events • 2016 • Four • I fell down the stairs • A black and white cat • History • Ten Answers (in the wrong order): 81
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Six-Word Biographies Isa Choudry Isa is king. I am Isa. Zane Khan I do not know you anymore. Muhammad Hashir I like better colours than you! Urwah Ansari I have a double-jointed thumb! Saail Abbas Bukhari I’m who you want to be. Zakariya Iqbal Intellectious. Strong. Bold. At the top! Hasham Ahmed I’m intellectual, telepathic and ninja-like! Sahil Hussain Scientific Sahil sniffs salad slyly smirking. Hashim Tayyeb Doing the worst at wrong times.
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Hasnain Khan Hasnain is Ozil. Ozil is me. Mohammad Siddiqui I like better cars than you. Umaira Mir Super cool. Super sunny. Super star. Amad Mohammed The world’s best at table tennis! Tauheed Wajid I am smart like a computer. Ibrahim Mahmood Bouncing ball. Dancing diva. Chatty cheerleader. Daniel Ingram-Brown Royalty dancer, trumpet blaster, demon writer. Louise Morgan I am the best teacher ever!
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