(Cover)You Only Have Yourselves To Blame
See (Us) as Others (We) See (You) Ourselves
SafeDive SquidLight
CrabPhone
SONGBIRD
Explain Yourselves
Alan Harding (b.1989). Young British artist working in many areas of visual art. ‘As an artist, I am drawn to the surreal or unusual, preferring to examine areas of human life which are barely tangible, or even fictional. My work often creates questions about humans as a whole, and our intentions as we interact with the world around us. My preferred medium is analogue photography, which I favour due to the feeling that it is more ‘honest’ and true-to-life. It also gives me the freedom to manipulate the negatives, creating a completely new and unique photograph. I have a particular fondness for B+W 35mm film which I process personally to enhance the grain and contrast.’ Alan Harding suffers from a condition known as 'Synesthesia' - or the ability to 'see' sounds and music as colours, which has been attributed to his preference of B+W, over colour photographic techniques, and his strong use of black and white when painting. 'I see it as more of a gift than a hindrance, I would never refer to myself as 'suffering' from the condition, it simply exists somewhere within me, being hard to explain, it is simply an odd, gut-feeling that two of my senses are somehow linked. I consider it just a part of my personality.’ During and since graduation from B.A Photography and Video at DeMontfort University, Alan Harding has participated in numerous Art shows and exhibitions, and is currently signed to DegreeArt.com. His work has also been published in various publications worldwide, most notably ELLE magazine (uk) and Burner.
.co.uk
M.POT@Hotmail
APIRL 2011
s U t c a t n o C
Welcome back, lots of new and wonderful things this month. We have our first guest writer, Nick Benson – you might remember him form last time. I’ve also got up and did some work this time over, me – writing? Be afraid people. Anyhow – my thanks to artist, writers and people in the back ground who make this work. As always you rock. And thanks for reading!
Content 10
TopHat Editor / Comic Artist
F. Boquera-Seifert Assistant Editor
PJ takes a trip to church
12
A digital painting
16
Meet a whole new kind of act
Hazy Wix Wonder
PJ Arts Writer
20
The Adjustment Bureau
22
Emma Bond Music Interviews
New band, same as the old band?
23
SuedeHat Movie Reviews
Comics
24
Mayflies
Petite Berry Comic Artist
Religion meets Art Galleries and museums are the usual suspects in the search for art work but are these the only places to see artists creations? As I wander around Liverpool's Anglican Cathedral taking in the beautiful sculptures, paintings and carvings the answer would have to be no. The cathedral was finally completed in 1978 after 74 years being built. Now the largest Cathedral in the U.K this impressive space is host to some of the most magnificent architecture in the world. The building is also home to sculptures and carvings of angels, modern art work inspired by religion and a place to showcase local artists work. You'd be forgiven for thinking that you have wandered into a gallery instead of a place of worship as there is plenty of beautiful art work to look at. The pieces are inspired by religion and display a perfect merging of belief and art. Artists often create paintings or sculptures based on what interests or inspires them so it is no surprise that art work can be based on faith. The impressive architecture and beautiful stained glass windows are the vision of architect Giles Gilbert Scott. Historical and beautiful, with its towering arches and Gothic style, it is easy to feel awestruck when visiting. The Cathedral is now a place not only for religious services but for tours, concerts, graduations and private events. It is a lively cultural hotspot so it is not surprising that it would also host art work. One of the exhibitions on at the moment is entitled 'Cathedral Space' by Colin Taylor which will be displayed until Tuesday 26th April (9am-5.30pm daily). Using charcoal, graphite, chalk and cast iron power Taylor draws the interior of the Cathedral resulting in stunning images. The pictures, which are placed around the cathedral walls allow visitors to see the artist's interpretation of the space whilst experiencing it for themselves. This is one of the benefits of having art work displayed in the place which it is based on. The stark black, white and grey images are in contrast to the beautiful colours all around the Cathedral meaning the pictures contrast what you can see. They create a dramatic focus on the architecture of the space, by taking away the colour the tall ceilings and large windows become the focus. The Liverpool Anglican Cathedral is definitely a place where religion meets art. It a place of worship and culture and definitely worth a visit regardless of your beliefs as the beauty of the building itself as well as the art work on display is astounding. With exhibitions, talks, concerts and choirs there is always something going on. The Cathedral can be found at: St James Mount, Liverpool, L1 7AZ Š P.J If you are interested in finding out about what's on check out:
Art in a digital landscape Tophat here, coffee in hand and I have been chatting to the creator of a new digital venture, Rebecca Kesler. To quote, CVAG is: ‘The Contemporary Virtual Art Gallery (CVAG) was first set up in 2010 by Rebecca Kesler. It is an art gallery hosted in Second Life, accessible to all Second Life users, showing new contemporary artwork by international avant-garde artists. The gallery is located in Salford University’s Metaverse on the 8th floor. CVAG adapts to the artists needs. As well as hosting their artwork the rooms also meet their specifications hopefully creating an intimate experience between artist and viewer.’ But CVAG is a little more than a simple gallery, while it has followed the leading art galleries into the digital Metaverse that is Second Life its creator is not happy unless she is pushing the limits of Second Life to it limits. Through this she is helping to make stunning interactive art. Some time ago Rebecca hunted me drown and offered me a chance to work with her and the CVAG. At this point I had no dealing with Second Life, and in all honesty didn’t have
David Hancock’s Room
the greatest opinion of it. I was proved wrong and while I will not be spending my nights off on Second Life I have been shown that it can be used well. So as a new convert to the digital gallery I thought I should grab Rebecca for a chat and to get the low-drown on what her motives were and a little about the woman herself.
T.H - Could you tell us a little bit about you background? How did you become interested with the arts? R.K - I had always been interested in art. I guess my art skills really flourished when I was being bullied. It became a creative outlet. As I grew up my skills honed at GCSE with the help of some really fantastic teachers at the school. At Alevel though I decided not to sit Art and I went travelling instead. When I got back I realised well actually this is what I want to do and with no Alevel my choices were rather limited as to where I could go. I had to study a foundation which ended up being at Salford and then I went on to a Visual Arts degree graduated and now I am a practicing artist and studying for a MA. T.H - What are your hopes for CVAG? R.K - CVAG is the Contemporary Virtual Art Gallery in Second Life. The plans for the gallery are to exhibit new contemporary artists work whilst providing an environment where they can be creative....so if you want to house your artwork inside a bunny rabbit we can do this or if you just simply want a room with no plug sockets and no corners we can set this up for you as
well. At the moment I am really looking for somebody to help with the project as I am currently building dragons! It would be brilliant if the platform could continue growing to formulate a global sense of community. T.H - You’re an artist yourself and yet you’re spending you time promoting other artists. Why? R.K - It is not only about me. T.H - What motivates you to do the work that you are doing with CVAG?
the Internet and being based within an electronic revolution it is bound to influence artists. T.H - If you weren't working on CVAG, what do you think you would be? R.K - I do a variety of things. CVAG is not my only project. I would still be doing my art. Just working on other projects as well. T.H - What are your goals and objective in life? R.K - To have a family. To complete my MA.
R.K - Other people. You never know what artwork is going to walk through the door. It is a great way to see T.H - When working what item could you contextually what art is being produced not do without? and understand the backgrounds of new and emerging artists. R.K - My Mac. T.H - Do you feel that using second life as a venue for the gallery is limiting? T.H - What work(s) of art do you wish you owned? And what would you do to get them? R.K - How I feel about this is irrelevant. This is where the gallery is but in the R.K - I would like to own the Banksy rat future I am hoping to offer the gallery in Liverpool which was bought at auction. across a variety of platforms. We joked about taking apart the building brick by brick when it had been run into T.H - Do you believe that the use of the the ground and just walking off with the internet is a good thing for the arts? piece. R.K - Artists such as Franco and Eva Mattes, the hacktivist artists, Joseph Delappe etc. etc. have all been using the internet is some way in relation to their work. Telecommunication art would not have developed the way it has without
T.H - Anything you would like to add? R.K - Some mathematics. Many thanks, if you would like to see more of Rebecca’s work - here is her website
www.rebecca.kesler.co.uk
Come and meet Calatrilloz a theatrical rock band from London, who have their own unique sound and look. Calatrilloz are made up of Mr Z there lead singer, Azriel on 7 strings and Yama on Drum. As they take us through what they think of Jessie J and what are the most important things for them to take on tour. This is a band I can promise you all that you are going to need to see! Don’t believe then you will truly be missing out. E.B) Where does the name come from?
Lanval: Thirteen years ago Mr.Z wrote a tale to encompass and act as a backdrop to the music that he was creating, each song being a different part of the story. That tale is about a Circus family: that family is ‘CALATRILLOZ’ Mr Z: One day we will publish the story I wrote, or maybe you can put the songs together and create your own. However be patient, the tale consists of 40 songs, and for the moment we have released only 9.
E.B) So, who are you and where do you come from?
Azriel: ‘CALATRILLOZ’ is a theatrical rock band based in London, a mix of Rock, Goth, Metal, Blues, Jazz, Cabaret and Opera. As simple as that!
E.B) You class yourselves as “theatrical” what should someone expect from one of your shows?
Azriel: Rocking music that takes you on an emotional rollercoaster ride, and a visually rich and exciting show, where anything can happen! Mr Z: Extremely thematic songs with loads of powerful singing and playing. Calatrilloz is ready to take you on a trip you shall not forget. E.B) What / who has influenced you the most in your music?
Mr.Z: Led Zeppelin, Pavarotti, Black Sabbath, Beethoven... Azriel: Lady GAGA, System of a Down, Deep Purple, NIN....
Yama: Gogol Bordello, Dio.....you name them..... E.B) Seeing your videos they have a horror movie vibe about them, is that accidental or not?
Mr.Z: Come and step into our world! Do not be distracted by what you see. We are Calatrilloz, we can be anything! We can be your worst nightmare or your best lover! We do love the image we are bringing to the world: the little travelling theatre of horror, the sexy cabaret, the quirky musical, the Rock show, the mysterious Goths. Come to our shows and you will understand what I mean.
THE SHOE OF KNOWLEDGE will being you interesting music facts from around the world each month.
E.B) What is your favourite scary movie?
Azriel: Personally, I enjoy scary movies that are also a bit witty and ironic, like Sleepy Hollow for example. Mr Z: For me is definitely The Exorcist or anything that contemplate s the battle between good and evil. Lanval: Nosferatu from 1922
E.B) Is there any artist that you would say influenced you musically? Mr Z: I answer in position of Calatrilloz`s main composer: none and all. I have no barriers or pathways when composing. I’m just weird inside, and I bring this weirdness outside. How nice hmmm? There are tough things, music, songs, artists I love, and the deal is 99% of them are dead! Creepy
You can sing the chorus of the Beach Boys “Surfing USA” along with Chuck Berry’s “Sweet Little Sixteen”. Elvis Presley once entered an Elvis look-a-like contest in a US burger bar and only came 3rd!! A concert promoter in Hawaii sold a thousand tickets to a Spice Girls concert. Unfortunately the concert was never scheduled. The man was arrested and told police he needed the money for a nose job and a sex change. Jim Morrison from the doors was the first rock star to be arrested on stage Panic! at the disco guitarist Ryan Ross wrote the song Camisado about his dad’s battle with alcoholism.
E.B) If you could work with anyone living or dead who would it be and why?
Azriel: For me it’s always a pleasure to work with a great singer, which are sadly becoming rarer and rarer these days. Maybe someone like Dio (Rip), Geoff Tate or Bruce Dickinson. Actually, you know who kick ass? Jessie J. She kills every song; I’d love to write a rock track with her!
Mr.Z: John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin, oh God!, I can see it happening, heheh he completes me. The keyboardist from the Doors, another one I would die to work with. These men can take you higher, they go into a song, they trip on it, and the result flourish beautifully.
Mr Z: Well said! I am the Demon!
E.B) If you could only take 3 items on tour what would they be and why?
Azriel: My guitar, face paint and a tasty stripper. That covers the music, the image, and the backstage entertainment.....uh!
Mr Z: A bullet, a licence to kill and....his stripper! Yama: My magic box.....that should be enough! E.B) Thank you so much for talking to us! Is there any last words or thoughts you would like to share with our readers?
E.B) What have you got lined up for the rest of the year?
Yama: We have some interesting shows coming up like main support for E-Force (featuring Eric Forrest ex-singer of the legendary VOIVOD), Club Incarnate, Pitch Black, Whitby Gothic Week (TBC), International Motorcycle Festival (south Wales) and we are in the process of starting a collaboration with an amazing band called Achilla (Watch this space). Also... get ready for an album...Autumn 2011 probably! So......loads and loads...
Azriel: A big thanks to everyone who care about us and is giving us the energy and strength to move forward and up.
Yama: Dates, stories, photos, videos, music all of it on www.calatrilloz.com
Mr Z: Life is a tale and must be lived as such. Amen!
E.B) What does each of you bring to the band, as individuals? Would you be able to describe each band member with 3 words?
Azriel: For Mr Z I would say The Demon, The Creator, The Child of heart; YAMA, The Animal, The Manager, The Backbone; ANVAL, The Silent observer, The Freight train, the Appropriate and me, AZRIEL, The Machine, The Orchestrator, The Jester
Calatrilloz are playing @ the Purple Turtle May 12th
w e i t v a e R H e Sued Warning: The following review is prefaced by a grown man whining like a schoolgirl about deadlines and release schedules. While humorous in a ‘what exactly is wrong with you?’ fashion feel free to skip down to paragraph 3 for the start of the actual review. Well that’s March done and dusted and jeeze that was a slow one wasn’t it? For the first two weeks I could count the number of movies I would have endured for professionalisms sake on one hand and then as soon as my deadline rolls by a ton of movies I actually wanted to see get released; Battle: LA, Limitless, Fair Game, Unknown, Rango, the list goes on. But since deadlines exist solely to make my life more difficult I only got to watch one in time for this review so you’re going to have to put up with me picking apart Matt Damon vs. God in the Adjustment Bureau. I blame the editor. First the premise; Matt Damon plays David Norris, an up and coming politician whose life is turned around when he meets a beautiful mystery women named Elise in a men’s room (it’s less seedy then I make it sound). The two fall in love at first sight but are quickly pulled apart by a cabal of suitand-hat wearing entities attempt to tear them apart for undisclosed reasons. Norris must then choose to battle against the machinations of fate and the agents of the titular Adjustment Bureau or spend his life without the women he loves. If this plot sounds familiar to you then congratulations, you have seen a movie before.
Before I fall onto the plot and tear it apart like a crazed wolverine I figure I should toss out a couple of accolades for the good parts of the movie lest someone suggests I am being unfair. The acting was decent all around with particular applause going out to the various bureau members; in a premise where the agents could have been replaced by cardboard cut-out ‘agent of fate’ a lot of time and effort was put into the script and acting to make them come across as just as human as the other cast members and it really helps make them more relatable. I know I was rooting for you during the finale. And with that I have filled my arbitrary balance quota and can now laugh at the plot with wild abandon. I should probably mention that the next section contains spoilers for the end of the movie and for a number of big reveals. With that out of the way onwards to plot holes! So the deepest pitfall first then; at no point in the entire movie does anyone give even a half-assed explanation as to why David and Elise can’t be together. It’s even pointed out in the movie itself that the agents don’t have any idea why they are doing this. It is a bad sign when plot holes are so big even the characters can see them. What’s worst is they can’t even fall back on the standard ‘cause its fate’ excuse. It is revealed that the whole reason these two are so madly in love with each other in the first place is because fate
*can* and has been rewritten. Several times. Way to drop the omniscience ball there ‘Chairman’. Of all that wasn’t enough the ending just piled on the stupid. After the final chase sequence our heroes are shown that their plans have been erased and they are now free to live their lives anyway they want. While this is a pretty standard ending I can’t be the only one who can see that stuff like that is what caused the whole problem in the first place. What about all the people would interact with during their lives? Wouldn’t erasing their plan cause thousands of other plans to veer completely of course? ‘But Mr. Hat’ I hear you saying ‘Aren’t you really just over thinking this for comedic effect?’ Well yes I am but really what do you want from me; movies dealing with predetermination and divine will are pretty much made to be overanalyzed until they lose all real meaning. Although I am still calling shenanigans on the ‘never giving us a reason’ thing. That one’s just a straight up plot hole they thought we’d forget. I suppose I should at least give a final say on the movie then. Sure go see it if you’ve got the time. Despite my gripes it isn’t bad by any means. I just fell into that plot hole pretty early on and let it flavor the rest of the movie for me. This has been a SuedeHat review. Until next time remember; love transcends fate. Apparently.
r e l i Tra
Source Code The great thing about living in the computer age is film companies can’t just hand-wave stuff like how computer code allows you to travel back in time anymore. I can’t wait to see what insane techno-jumbo they come up with to try and justify this.
Trashing
Thor Honestly I don’t care how good or bad this movie looks I’m still going to see it just to laugh at the fact they decided to let Loki keep his comic book helmet. Yeah, that’s the one with 3 foot horns coming out of it. Cause nothing says villain like dressing up as a deer.
Beastly Putting aside that the ‘tattoos and piercings = malformed monster’ thing is bullshit I’m sort of more annoyed that the entire story has been modernized but they can still use ‘witch did it’ as a plot point. That’s just lazy. There are literally thousands of ways to get mutilated these days!
Manchester has now supplied the music world with a new band, strangely it is very similar to one of Manchester's biggest bands ever, bar of course one of the Gallagher brothers. As their debut album points out, the foursome who once shared success in Oasis are back in a different gear but they are still speeding to success, now under the new moniker, Beady Eye. After the fall out of Oasis, due to the rift between brothers, Liam and Noel Gallagher the younger Gallagher brother formed his new band, Beady Eye, along with former Oasis talents, Gem Archer, Andy Bell and Chris Sharrock. The band's first track to be released was 'Bring The Light', a promotional single back in November 2010 as a free download, which received mixed reactions. However, it is highly likely that as soon as the piano filled track fills a room there is not a foot that is not tapping along. The second promotional single is also the very first title to kick off the album, 'Four Letter Word', which sets off the debut with a loud, anger filled vibe, quite possibly linked to the downfall of Oasis, with the the line "nothing ever lasts forever". It feels as though Liam wanted to get rid of all the anger in the first track of the album as the second track then destroys any of the remaining anger in the atmosphere. Andy Bell's 'Millionaire''s calm and country-like feel are a thousand miles away from any anger and actually feels very relaxing. The third track hits and it is one of the best two tracks on the album with its relaxing and incredibly catchy tune it is no doubt fans will find themselves singing along to the chorus as soon as they know the words. It is no wonder at all why 'The Roller' is Beady Eye's debut commercial single. The other best track appears as the album comes to an end. 'The Beat Goes On' has a very subdued feel as there are no over the top moments and the soft aura to it makes it feel as though it is a track surrounding loss. The "last of the dying breed" as well as the "somewhere in my heart the beat goes on" lines show the sense of loss and some may think Liam is showing his soft side towards the end of Oasis but others may argue it is a tribute to Gallagher's hero, John Lennon. The final track 'The Morning Son' also has a soft, mournful air to it which then gets a little rockier and closes the album perfectly, again the lyrics drawing thoughts towards Lennon. Overall it is a very nice surprise as a debut album as some thought it would be a flop but Liam Gallagher, Gem Archer, Andy Bell and Chris Sharrock have now proven to the doubters that life as a band can go on without Noel Gallagher, even if they are no longer Oasis. The album obviously has a lot less of an Oasis feel to it as Noel Gallagher's influence glared out from many Oasis albums so it feels wrong to measure Beady Eye against Oasis. Oasis were Oasis and gained a lot of success, Beady Eye will be Beady Eye and with a debut like Different Gear, Still Speeding it is likely they could gain success also. Now all that remains is for Noel Gallagher to make his move. Nick Benson
P.B journal
LIFE UNDER THE TOP HAT
Floundering on the side of the path in the shadow of a giant stone edifice were the nascent shoots of the second age of grass. The figure in the high tensile alloy suit lifted his arm to the hermetically sealed visor. The atmosphere was broken down into figures and percentages through the sensors located all over his suit; the atmospheric oxygen was still too critical for human lungs to be able to function. It was still morning but the sun’s light - unencumbered by the thin layer of ozone that had recently reappeared encapsulating the globe in its gaseous embrace – had already begun to raise the temperature to near boiling point. Entering the first building he came to he began his search. He picked up the first piece of paper and began reading. It was a print out of an electronic mail: FROM: Johnson Caruthers (J.Caruthers@ukindos.gov.uk) TO: Michael Harrison (MikeHarris32@gaia2.future.gov.uk) DATE: Thur, May 20th, 2156 at 10.45 AM SUBJECT: Summer. Dear Nephew, I read somewhere a quote, ‘we are all but mayflies.’ Do you remember this? We were in that cabin at Yosemite at the time. The astronomer who exclaimed it had just taken his eye from the observatory’s brand new telescope, confirmed it with obscenely difficult mathematics, reconfirmed as is proper scientific conduct and then after his epiphany found the biblical kingdom of heaven empty. The meaning of our existence was swallowed up into the vastness of time and all its planes. One of the pinnacles of 20th century science had reduced us to almost nothing. Now in 2156 I can only shudder at the thought of this exclamation. The last rays of the sun will soon reach us and then we will be shrouded in fatal darkness and now I can see why we are mayflies. We only have one summer to make the most of it! I think instead of making our mark on the world it is for the world to make its mark on us. I would like to see you this year but I know that will be hard. Public transport is now consigned to the history books and to make your own way to see me would be too dangerous. This movement of ‘First Solstice Chasers’ are gaining numbers, clogging up every sea port and shipping lane. Rumours spread of orgiastic and anarchistic behaviour; civilisation is a veneer is it not? I ask you, are they wrong to free themselves of conventional law and order? Laws are governed by the need to keep society safe, keep it safe as it progresses, in other words, for the future. A luxury we don’t have. The collapse of government is close at hand, municipal service is grinding to a halt; discord and anarchy will soon rule so surely the only thing we can do is spend this summer like we would any other. I propose to do this with memory. We had some wonderful summers didn’t we? I want to make this correspondence a celebration of summer; if we can’t ever physically experience it again then perhaps we can use our memories to recreate them? As you know I have been unlucky in that I have not been able to have children of my own. The hollow consolation of this is that it has allowed me the freedom to pursue my own desires and aspirations; travelling being one of them. The first summer you came to see me you had just turned 10. I was working in Guyana, I had somehow landed a governmental job, handling exports from our remaining colonies. We were mining
written by Will Hutchinson Mayflies.
Bauxite to create an aluminium alloy that could withstand even the hammer of Thor! I was living on the site of the old Dutch governor’s residence. Parts of it were nearly 300 years old. You could still see the old wooden frame that had been preserved throughout the building. I still find it comforting to have an anchor in the past as well as in the present. We were strangers then, we had briefly met when you were very young and I was still living in England. As soon as I saw you I could see your grandfather in you, who I think I resemble strongly as well. As you got older you have slowly acquired your mother’s nose and eyes. They come from our mother’s side, your grandmother Ida. For the first few days you were feverish as your immune system acclimatised to the alien environment of the tropics. My housekeeper Ella kept her eye on you, as did her teenage son who you became later very friendly with. I must admit I was uncomfortable when we were alone. What do you say to a ten year old boy who finds himself thousands of miles away from home? It turns out I didn’t have to say much; the use of my pool and my antique .22 rifle was enough. The garden at the time was lucky enough to count amongst its residents the Breadfruit tree. Once plentiful in the tropics it has seen its numbers decimated by the mosaic virus of 2050. As soon as you got hold of the rifle and I told you how to shoot the fruit on these trees stood no chance. You peppered them until it was raining latex. A symbol of the first slave trade and maritime lore - did you know the trees were the main reason for the Mutiny on the Bounty? And there’s you chipping bits off like there was no tomorrow. I wonder if they’re still there. I was going through some boxes the other day and at the bottom of one I found wrapped up in some cloth four sets of teeth. I held them in my hand, marvelling at the size of the lower jaw. The teeth themselves were still razor sharp after all this time. God I was worried when you told me Ella’s son, Ginger was taking you fishing, the caiman in that part of the river were of a size that would have dined well on a 10 year old boy but Ginger was experienced and you were on holiday, how many opportunities were you going to get to fish for piranha? I remember sitting on the porch watching you and Ginger approach, it was late afternoon and the flies and other winged nuisances had come out to feed. I noticed you with plants wrapped around your legs. Ginger, in his wonderfully clipped Carib tongue, explained that you had been attacked by a small cohort of ants. You seemed none for the worse in fact you had big grin on your face, the first I had seen since you got there; Ginger’s quick thinking had been to wrap the leaves of the local plant known as kurang onto the sore wounds. How funny it was to see green legs emerging from your shorts. You looked like a sprite out of a Greek myth! I was naturally curious as to how you had sustained such an injury since you and Ginger had travelled by the use of a small dinghy upriver. ‘We only wanted the teeth,’ you replied and you went on to explain that leaving the piranha on top of an ant-hill the ants would strip it clean. You wouldn’t have learned that in boy scouts back home would you! I had really wished we could have gone to Mt Roraima in the south. It is alleged that Conan-Doyle set his Lost World there. The indigenous uprising in 2105 pushed their way up through Brazil and into Guyana through this mountain range where they were met by the cartel governments of Central America. A great battle was fought the like hasn’t been seen since the great wars of the 20th century. A few species went extinct, more notably the golden tree frog and the last of the jaguars found themselves caught up in the crossfire. It doesn’t matter now though; if we survive I don’t think the planet will. No plants, equals no oxygen. Of course between these two events there will be the savage barbarism that everyone has seen on those apocalyptic films that Hollywood found so profitable. I never heard from Ella and Ginger after I left although I get the feeling that if they’re still alive they’ll be the ones who will survive for the longest on land. The next time I saw you was in California. I had been transferred to the marine and coastline field department and we were invited to spend the summer investigating the Gorda ridge off the shores of northern California. You flew to San Francisco and you
spent a few days there waiting for me to get back in from the boat. You had changed a lot in the three years that I hadn’t seen you. There was nothing of the shy boy I had first seen standing sheepishly by the swimming pool in my house in Guyana. I had sent one of the juniors based in the San Fran office to meet you and settle you in and all you did was make him take you to all the sights. That picture of you standing between the two Golden Gate bridges is still on my mantelpiece. I was very young when the tidal wave, an echo of the San Andreas rupture, smashed the original. It still stands, as a wreck and an ongoing insurance dispute. We left the cool breeze of San Francisco and drove to Yosemite park. Do you remember that radio station that played a continuous loop of Marvin Gaye’s Heard it through the Grapevine, the instrumental version? It was warnings of forest fires on the other stations. Those mornings where we literally rolled out of our cabin and into the stream. Trout lazily treading the current in the dark pools disturbed by you dive bombing them. It’s amazing how the water in Yosemite remained so clean. I actually found out why on my second trip there a few months later just before winter set in. I’ll come to that later. We made friends with the family next door. A lawyer, his wife and their fifteen year old daughter. The crush you had on her, you didn’t know what had hit you. Your eyes followed her everywhere; puffing your chest out when her family went by; nearly killing yourself attempting back flips of rocks into the stream when you thought she was watching. When they asked us if we wanted to accompany them to a natural pool up a steep climb you couldn’t swallow your food fast enough and shout ‘yes!’ You even got up and shook the lawyer’s hand. The tarn was one of the only accessible pools that interrupted the waterfall as it tore down the mountain. Leaving you to your futile efforts to initiate some kind of interaction with the girl I decided to go on further. Rumours abounded about an asteroid that had hit the uppermost tarn hundreds of years ago. The lawyer had read it somewhere. I felt the air thin up there and had to stop a few times; altitude sickness isn’t to be trifled with! Looking out over the roll of the landscape my breath was taken away. Oh to experience that again, photos only seem to capture the moment not the feeling. The sky seemed limitless; every direction the blue never wavered, it was so light yet had that sense of deepness you only get when you’re in the depths of the ocean. The pool wasn’t in any way remarkable; the legend of the asteroid seemed just that. It wasn’t till I went for a swim that I saw these small black rocks that lay in the shallows. I liked to think they were part of the fallen space rock so I put one in my bag, it could go in my fish tank that sits in my office. I never did ask what happened between you and that girl. The drive back north you were very coy when I asked you questions on the matter, I couldn’t tell if that was dented pride or embarrassment after the fact. Was it the memory of a kiss that kept you staring out of the window or was it the sky glowing red from the forest burning in the distance? Do I go on? We had a few more summer adventures didn’t we? I feel I could write for an age. I’m up in Scotland now, as far west as you can get before Skye. You would have loved it here. Your mother and I used to spend our holidays up here when we were kids. Your grandfather owned an island just off the coast, passed down to him since the second of the great wars in the 20th century. Cut off from the mainland by the tide it boasts only the meagrest of dwellings. There is a fire place to keep warm and a stove to prepare my daily meals. I believe the structure hasn’t changed in the last 200 years, aside from the odd repair. I had to share a bed with your mother but I didn’t care, we would spend all night talking about the adventures we would get up to the next day. There are still the fern forests that cover most of the surface, the sheep have long gone now though. We used to get ticks when we played hide and seek but since the Lyme’s disease vaccination we didn’t care. The loch is rough today, the swells are small but angry. Forty years on and I can still remember the year of 2115, the temperature soared past 95C. It was unheard of in Scotland! Your mother swam off the beach using a glass bowl to look at the seabed. She said she saw a dogfish but no-one believed her
written by Will Hutchinson Mayflies.
so she took the little boat out and tried to catch it with a hook and bait. She failed but said something snapped the line and she was adamant it was the dogfish. I miss your parents greatly. I know I lost a sister in your mother but to lose your father so young must have been beyond comprehension, I can only apologise I could only manage a few appearances. I’m glad we got to spend the summers together we did. I like to think I somehow had a positive effect on your life even though it was fleeting at best. The mountains around me now are shrouded in mist. In a year’s time they will still be here. What is to happen to us? Will humans still be here? I believe your shuttle launches soon. The resettlement plan sounds interesting from what I’ve heard. I hope they get the terra firming finished. Maybe by the time you read this it will be too late and you’ll be treading on alien soil. But just maybe you’ll read this before you go. I wrote this to see if I could change your mind and make you stay here. We could survive. It was our summers that inspired me to create what I have. It turns out that the piece of rock was from the asteroid after all! As soon as I put the rock in the fish tank it began cleaning the water, it was amazing. Something in the rock’s minerals nullifies impurities in water, even salt water. I had it tested at the lab at work; everyone was astounded to the level that warranted an expedition to the mountain. We unearthed vast amounts of this rock and transported it back to England, we didn’t tell the Americans what we were doing, just loaded up a freighter and sailed around Alaska and though the melting ice caps to Britain. The government has known about the approaching dust cloud for some time, way before the ‘official statement’ was made. Talk of an ‘Ark’ had been gaining momentum rapidly. As you know the shuttles transport people out to planet Gaia II, I hope you have got used to the cryogenic sleep. Gaia II is terra-form project that had been in progress since before I was born. I thought of you and with my position got your name on the list to give you a chance, you were perfect anyway; young and fit, just the right person to rebuild the human race. I wasn’t chosen however nor were a lot of my colleagues but we weren’t prepared to give up without a fight. I realised what we needed to do. Did they tell you that Gaia II had only been prepped for first stage flora? I curse the day I signed you up. The introduction of the ‘true free market’ has allowed business to thrive. India is still the powerhouse it had been for the last 100 years and anything was possible out there. Luckily their policy makers could have no influence on enterprise and we found a host of bidders to carry out genetic engineering. We had artificial gills designed. Next we had a submersible made using bauxite extracted from Guyana. It really is a strong alloy when used properly. Using the asteroid and gills we were able to manufacture our own drinking water and oxygen from the sea water around us. I even had a small biosphere made and had breadfruit installed; a source of oxygen and a tasty repast. – good enough for slaves its good enough for us. The British government paid for it, if they stick around long enough they’ll find out but I doubt that, we’ll be long gone anyway before they work it out. We are setting off in September from where I now. Writing this I see that perhaps I subconsciously imagined us as the mayfly in its true sense; our larval stage can be in the ocean rather than a river, before flying free into the warm air. Who knows how long the dust will block the sun’s rays out for but I would like to think we could have some more summers together. Your loving Uncle J.
The figure in the suit put it down. It was not what he was looking for; he had wasted enough time here already.