Written by
Nick Walker With a Song by Faye Wong
Illustrated and Designed by
John Eddy and Ian Richards at Heavy Object Commissioned by
NEW READERS I NEW WRITERS Lindsey Brassington, Fred Davidson, Roxy Duffield, Leisha Hussien, India Miller, Alice Monypenny, Lexia Tomlinson, Lillith Vickerstaff and Faye Wong.
A West Midlands Readers’ Network Project
O One ne
I am alone. In Capsule 7. Past time, there were others who lived with me. And there were other Capsules too. But they are gone now. My planet has two moons. One green. One less green. These moons, and my planet, revolve around a star which is red and dying. Each day I wake thinking that today might be the day that a ship will appear over the horizon. And dock. And those within will disembark. And some of them may like the look of Capsule 7. And me. And they will stay. For a while. Perhaps. So I sit on the roof of Capsule 7. And as the red star sets, and both moons rise, and the air crystallises, and sends prisms of light over the rocks and the hills and the nothing, I get that no, it isn’t going to be the day that a ship appears over the horizon and docks. Because it never is. And I sing. Tonight. And it’s a sad song. Sad and beautiful. Because that’s what happens to songs when they get sad enough. Although no one in the universe knows about that, because no one ever hears it. And I wait for the song, and everything else, to be over. Be over.
Tw Twoo
Thr Three ee
I wake. I sense it. A scan line. Thin, blue, and it flicks over the rocks, darts over my Capsule, flashes over my eyelids, and I’m up, I’m on the roof. And in the sky. A light flashing. A probe. A box. I send out a flare. I send out a distress signal. I send out hope. A pulse. And I wait. I make myself smart. I prepare a speech. ‘Thank you for coming. I am alone. I am harmless. I have plenty of spare cups.’ The scan line passes again. Second time. Misses my Capsule, misses my eyelids. The flare dies in the atmosphere. The signal dissolves. The point of light disappears. Probe gone. I wait. It might turn. It might turn back. I wait. The red star sets. The two moons rise. Black again. Nothing. I wait. Nothing. And I’m ... I’m ... I lie in on the roof of my Capsule and I sing. And because I am disappointed ... not the word ... bereft ... about the flare and the signal and the probe and the waiting, the song is, if possible, a bit sadder, and a bit more beautiful. But who cares about that. Not even I care about that.
G:67 STARSHIP NG 2:1: SCRIPT 13:1 BRIDGE TRAN get in here. the musak we of ed tir I’m d long voyage an ial. st saying it’s a t of new mater CAPTAIN: I’m ju l the band is ou el W : ER IC FF O T ENTERTAINMEN think? ve a band? ha , what did you CAPTAIN: We we have a band se ur Co : ER T OFFIC disk. ENTERTAINMEN , I dunno, off a ... the musak was t gh ou th ted landing on I : N CAPTAI er has reques ad le nd ba e Th T OFFICER: ENTERTAINMEN bot. mposed by a ro just passed. CAPTAIN: Or co the planet we on ... : ER IC T OFF ENTERTAINMEN e. a dwelling. e’s nothing ther we picked out e, er th CAPTAIN: Ther ng hi et ere’s som T OFFICER: Th ENTERTAINMEN n gives us nclusive. etty lazy, it ofte pr d an d, ol CAPTAIN: Inco ty e probe is pret T OFFICER: Th ENTERTAINMEN probe scans. ... w to interpret ho e m g llin te you’re not CAPTAIN: I hope Captain ... T OFFICER: No, ENTERTAINMEN nment officer. re the entertai CAPTAIN: You’ ologise ... T OFFICER: I ap ent officer. ENTERTAINMEN ve an entertainm ha e w hy w ... n’t even know on such a long CAPTAIN: I do us entertained ep ke To : ER T OFFIC ENTERTAINMEN ng. isn’t entertaini CAPTAIN: This ow ... g me how to do T OFFICER: I kn all the time tellin re he ENTERTAINMEN up u yo ning, with is sub-entertai CAPTAIN: This planet must tever is on that ha w at th f my job. lie the band’s be T OFFICER: It’s ENTERTAINMEN efore ... iverse and ther thing in the un st lie ne lo e th be ... to the blues. that’s no reason lp them get in he ht ig m it CAPTAIN: Well g ey think meetin T OFFICER: Th ENTERTAINMEN E. SILENCE. ING ON A TABL FIVE SECONDS GERS DRUMM N FI LE IB SS PO LE SOUND INDECIPHERAB e crap musak? ain. churning out th em th op st this point, Capt it ill CAPTAIN: W try anything at ld ou sh e w k in T OFFICER: I th ENTERTAINMEN
Fo Four ur
Fiv Fivee
There’s a hum. That’s all I need: My ears to fail. There’s a rumble. That’s all I need: The Capsule to disappear into a chasm. There’s a roar. That’s all I need: To be eaten by something which roars. There is smoke. That’s all I need: To burn. There’s stillness. That’s all I need: Death. Actually, that is all I need ... There’s a knock at the door. That’s all I need: A visitor. Wait. What? There’s another knock at the door. WHAT? WHAT THE ...?! OH MAN!!!
Si Sixx
Sev Seven en
And at the end of it. After I’ve spoken. His tea is cold. I apologise. I offer to make more tea. He doesn’t want any. He came to hear about what it was like to be alone and now he thinks he knows. He thinks he’s got a pretty good idea. And he wants to go. He’s making those ‘I want to go’ noises. I can’t make him stay. Not with tea. Not with anything. So I say to him. Let me sing you a song.
Ei Eight ght
Nin Ninee STARSHIP NG G:67 BRIDGE TRAN SCRIP
T 13:12:2:
ENTERTAINMEN
T OFFICER: Wow . CAPTAIN: Wow . ENTERTAINMEN T OFFICER: Wow . BAND LEADER : <from planet > I know. CAPTAIN: Wow . BAND LEADER : <from planet > Ok so ... ENTERTAINMEN T OFFICER: Get him to sing it ag CAPTAIN: Is it ain. a ‘him’? ENTERTAINMEN T OFFICER: Get her to sing it ag CAPTAIN: Is it ain. even a ...? ENTERTAINMEN T OFFICER: Hi m or her. It’s so CAPTAIN: I’m th ... I think only someone ... inking it’s a ‘her ’. ENTERTAINMEN T OFFICER: I th ink only someo could sing a so ne who’s spen t so much tim ng like that. e alone, BAND LEADER : <from planet > That’s what I think. CAPTAIN: Wha t does she look like? ENTERTAINMEN T OFFICER: As beautiful as th e song I’m gues BAND LEADER : <from planet sing. > Not so muc h. CAPTAIN: Oh. FIVE SECOND SILENCE. SOMEONE (PO SSIBLY CAPTAI N) COUGHS. BAND LEADER : <from planet > For me dow n here, the so ENTERTAINMEN ng is just abou T OFFICER: Ag t perfect. ree. CAPTAIN: Nee ds guitar. BAND LEADER : <from planet > What? ENTERTAINMEN T OFFICER: Re ally? CAPTAIN: It’s w hat it needs. BAND LEADER : <from planet > Really? CAPTAIN: Tell her, or him, to try it again and you strum alon that does to it. g with a guitar, see what
TTen en
Oh I think thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wonderful. With the thing, the thing that makes that noise. With the box. And the wires. I much prefer the song with that. I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know what I was missing. I ask if we can sing it again. And the man with the box thing says ok then. And so we sing it and play again, and then over and over. And over. And we sing and play for so long that the red star goes down and then comes up again, redder. And so now itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s morning and I offer tea again. And this time he drinks it. And we sing the song again. And again.
Ele Eleven ven
n. ficer. tain. i a t ap nt Of Cap C e the inme id th the d a a t h ai t s r i s ” w te ,” En nno, ut no b n e u u h t, I d aid t ... I d ei v . . . s I lo ot ?” , just n d g a o s me er. “It’ s go good I ip c , fi s r f sh ” s e a . O f s L e o t “ h le d?” that dunn men .” ot ot o t o N o s n I k “ i b g n’t g it ... rta h” ye bac . u e t S d e e b ain “ n t ul E m m a p o “ o e Ca “I w ar it’s id th a bit uld c e h t o a it id gu h?” s haps e sh ” a s r h ” r. ” e lin. “M it. Pe ng if eade ere, o i i v l b th nd “A ’s ask and own a b d e ar “H , the iolin uit g w s av no ed d e n n “Se lly?” ink it a h “Re h. T a “Ye
Tw Twelve Twelve elve
Thi Thirteen rteen
I don’t know what to say. There are tears in my eyes, what with these things. Wooden. Stringed. Wired. A noise made with ... cat gut, over the wires. I don’t know what a cat is. But bowing it with the gut of whatever a cat is, is ... Out of brutality comes this. Such a sound. It’s different now, me singing with this. I like different. I’ve been waiting for different. I’ve been yearning for different. I’ve been living for different. Now there is different.
Fou Fourteen rteen
?’
t too a h t k n i ‘You th ‘Yep.’ .’ ‘Me too ‘Yep.’ ‘More.’ ly.’ e t i n fi e D ‘
Fift Fifteen een
Sixt een Sixteen
My Capsule has never seen the like. Capsule 7 is the fun pod. It’s the party pod. It’s the pleasure pod. Seven times the red star has risen and fallen and risen and fallen and the capsule is so full of music and noise and laughter and cups of tea that I have all but forgotten what it was like here before. Who was that thing that lived here in misery? I don’t know. I don’t care. More tea! More music! Dance on the tables! Swing from the lights! You guitar, you violin, you harp, you flute, you tambourine, you oboe, you drums, you choir. The song again! From the top!
Seve Seventeen nteen
r. ffice O t n inme ine erta t ur n . l E i r na mbo he t Eigh Eighteen teen aid. a s choi t i s d h i e e e a h h d h t s t e ” ” and en, and en, hip. chew scre mer scre utist he s tain t fl e m e p h u h o e t a r t t h d C nd t the ound er round d up The ist a and ame em r n h i t e t l h t s a b o i i t g obo “Ge was ed the v u all ture nodd and d the c ld yo i n r d u a p e n o r d “C lea er, a d the pete n an band he trum h oth e c e e a h r e T at er. e sc nd t er a oked Offic nd th n. o t u l n o play d r e a inm , an ptai ered terta dded e Ca n h o t gath E n d e s i ian id th ,” sa usic ” sa . m “Um . . e.” e h y sa mor all t y o n t d a n g A ong tryin n. me s e’re o w s t agai e er. . a n . Offic ul lo k wh ptain n f i t i n a i t a n C h u e g t “I the bea inm ed a said terta not a nodd n ” , E s ’s g t n I n e “ icia er. y so id th mus Offic happ fact,” sa t n a The e f o , in . tainm kind appy nter ptain h “It’s a E oo. y C l e e th illy t he m s t d e i t r i d t a i “Ex le b . d,” s ,” sa a litt er. f lou loud ptain w o a d o c n d lead n n e i s d “A h k n a t a it w he b h, it’s lly,” said t yes i aid t “Yea a s s h t t i ” , ab for reed king “And ll ag o a o l y s the wa And hat I w t o n ed. “It’s nodd e n yo Ever
Ninet Nineteen een
Tw Twenty enty
Oh. I say ‘oh’. To my empty capsule. Oh. Oh. Breathe. Oh. Sigh. Sigh. Wash up cups. Sigh again. Weep. Roof. Dying star. Dead star. Song. Song again. But soft. Softly. On my own. Solo. Solo.
Twenty Twenty One One
Twenty Twenty Two Two S
TARSHIP NGG:67 BRIDGE TRANS CRIPT 1 3:12:3
:
CAPTAIN
: See th ere it is again. ENTERT AINMEN T OFFIC ER: The CAPTAIN song we : Beame like. d out. BAND L EADER: Just her. SILENCE
ON THE
BRIDGE
AS THE SONG IS SUNG. ENTERT AINMEN T OFFIC ER: It’s a BAND L s sad as EADER: More. before. ENTERT AINMEN T OFFIC ER: And BAND L as beau EADER: tiful. As when we first ENTERT heard it. AINMEN T OFFIC ER: More CAPTAIN beautifu : Why’s that, I w l actually o . BAND L n d e r? EADER: I guess after so ENTERT much co AINMEN mpany, T OFFIC she’s go ER: So th BAND L ing to fe EADER: e song h el lonelie Yeah. as ... r now. ENTERT AINMEN T OFFIC ER: Got BAND L more ... EADER: Yeah. CAPTAIN : Ok. SILENCE
ON THE
BRIDGE
AS THE
SONG IS FINISHE ENTERT D. AINMEN T OFFIC E CAPTAIN R: Shou ld we tu : Well if rn back? we turn back, an BAND L EADER: d you jo I know. in in aga in ... CAPTAIN : ... the song’s g oing to s BAND L EADER: top bein I know. g so bea CAPTAIN utiful ... : ... and turn into ENTERT a damn AINMEN silly mes T OFFIC s. ER: <ind BAND L eciphera EADER: ble, cou So what ld be a s do we d igh> o?
Twe Twenty ntyThree Three
Twe Twenty ntyFour Four
You? Ok. You? Me too. Everyone? Agreed. OK then.
Twenty Twenty Five Five
GG: 87 N P I H T 1: R O P E STARS RTER R O P S N TRA eived. c e r . . . . her) ceived. e Him (or r . . . . . te cup Favouri
Twe Twenty nySix Six
Twenty Twenty Seven Seven
Twent TwentyyEight Eight
Do I remember that sad song? It was sung on the roof of Capsule 7. It was beautiful, I am told. So very, very beautiful. Could I sing it now? No. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve forgotten it. Good.
FIND ME is a new piece of designed writing commissioned by New Readers New Writers, a group of young readers from the West Midlands. The commissioning group - Lindsey Brassington, Fred Davidson, Roxy Duffield, Leisha Hussien, India Miller, Alice Monypenny, Lexia Tomlinson, Lillith Vickerstaff and Faye Wong – were given the challenge of commissioning writer Nick Walker and designers/illustrators Ian Richards and John Eddy of Heavy Object to write and design a new piece of writing. We wanted to find out what would happen if we gave readers the opportunity to commission the kind of writing they wanted to read and in the form they wanted to read it in. The commissioning group asked for fiction from another world, collected as fragments of text which would tell a story… they wanted it available online but also in a paper/ink format and perhaps with only a limited number of copies… the result is FIND ME. Now it has been published, FIND ME will be found, read, given and borrowed. Go to: www.facebook.com/newreadersnewwriters to tell us what you think or where you read it. FIND ME is a project managed by the West Midlands Readers’ Network and supported by Arts Council England.
Design and Illustration: John Eddy & Ian Richards Heavy Object I info@heavyobject.com
FIND ME is a new piece of designed writing commissioned by New Readers New Writers, a group of young readers from the West Midlands.