NEW READERS NEW WRITERSI

Written by

Nick Walker

Commissioned by

Lindsey Brassington, Fred Davidson, Roxy Duffi eld, Leisha Hussien, India Miller,

Alice Monypenny, Lexia Tomlinson, Lillith Vickerstaff and Faye Wong.

A West Midlands Readers Network Project

Illustrated and Designed by

John Eddy and Ian Richards at Heavy Object

With a Song by Faye Wong

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 isnt going to be the day that a ship appears over the horizon and docks. Because it never is.

And I sing. Tonight.And its a sad song. Sad and beautiful. Because thats 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.

O neOne

Tw oTwo

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 Im up, Im 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 Im ... Im ...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.

Thr eeThree

STARSHIP NGG:67

BRIDGE TRANSCRIPT 13:12:1:

CAPTAIN: Im just saying its a long v

oyage and Im tired of the musak we

get in here.

ENTERTAINMENT OFFICER: Well the

band is out of new material.

CAPTAIN: We have a band?

ENTERTAINMENT OFFICER: Course

we have a band, what did you think?

CAPTAIN: I thought the musak was,

I dunno, off a disk.

ENTERTAINMENT OFFICER: The ban

d leader has requested landing on .

..

CAPTAIN: Or composed by a robot.

ENTERTAINMENT OFFICER: ... on th

e planet we just passed.

CAPTAIN: Theres nothing there.

ENTERTAINMENT OFFICER: Theres

something there, we picked out a d

welling.

CAPTAIN: Inconclusive.

ENTERTAINMENT OFFICER: The pro

be is pretty old, and pretty lazy, it o

ften gives us

...

CAPTAIN: I hope youre not telling m

e how to interpret probe scans.

ENTERTAINMENT OFFICER: No, Cap

tain ...

CAPTAIN: Youre the entertainment

officer.

ENTERTAINMENT OFFICER: I apolog

ise ...

CAPTAIN: I dont even know why we

have an entertainment officer.

ENTERTAINMENT OFFICER: To keep

us entertained on such a long ...

CAPTAIN: This isnt entertaining.

ENTERTAINMENT OFFICER: I know .

..

CAPTAIN: This is sub-entertaining, w

ith you up here all the time telling m

e how to do

my job.

ENTERTAINMENT OFFICER: Its the b

ands belief that whatever is on that

planet must

be the loneliest thing in the universe

and therefore ...

CAPTAIN: Well thats no reason ...

ENTERTAINMENT OFFICER: They thi

nk meeting it might help them get in

to the blues.

FIVE SECONDS SILENCE.

INDECIPHERABLE SOUND - POSSIB

LE FINGERS DRUMMING ON A TABLE

.

CAPTAIN: Will it stop them churning

out the crap musak?

ENTERTAINMENT OFFICER: I think w

e should try anything at this point, C

aptain.

Fo urFour

STARSHIP NGG:67

BRIDGE TRANSCRIPT 13:12:1:

CAPTAIN: Im just saying its a long v

oyage and Im tired of the musak we

get in here.

ENTERTAINMENT OFFICER: Well the

band is out of new material.

CAPTAIN: We have a band?

ENTERTAINMENT OFFICER: Course

we have a band, what did you think?

CAPTAIN: I thought the musak was,

I dunno, off a disk.

ENTERTAINMENT OFFICER: The ban

d leader has requested landing on .

..

CAPTAIN: Or composed by a robot.

ENTERTAINMENT OFFICER: ... on th

e planet we just passed.

CAPTAIN: Theres nothing there.

ENTERTAINMENT OFFICER: Theres

something there, we picked out a d

welling.

CAPTAIN: Inconclusive.

ENTERTAINMENT OFFICER: The pro

be is pretty old, and pretty lazy, it o

ften gives us

...

CAPTAIN: I hope youre not telling m

e how to interpret probe scans.

ENTERTAINMENT OFFICER: No, Cap

tain ...

CAPTAIN: Youre the entertainment

officer.

ENTERTAINMENT OFFICER: I apolog

ise ...

CAPTAIN: I dont even know why we

have an entertainment officer.

ENTERTAINMENT OFFICER: To keep

us entertained on such a long ...

CAPTAIN: This isnt entertaining.

ENTERTAINMENT OFFICER: I know .

..

CAPTAIN: This is sub-entertaining, w

ith you up here all the time telling m

e how to do

my job.

ENTERTAINMENT OFFICER: Its the b

ands belief that whatever is on that

planet must

be the loneliest thing in the universe

and therefore ...

CAPTAIN: Well thats no reason ...

ENTERTAINMENT OFFICER: They thi

nk meeting it might help them get in

to the blues.

FIVE SECONDS SILENCE.

INDECIPHERABLE SOUND - POSSIB

LE FINGERS DRUMMING ON A TABLE

.

CAPTAIN: Will it stop them churning

out the crap musak?

ENTERTAINMENT OFFICER: I think w

e should try anything at this point, C

aptain.

Theres a hum.Thats all I need:My ears to fail.Theres a rumble.Thats all I need:The Capsule to disappear into a chasm.Theres a roar.Thats all I need:To be eaten by something which roars.There is smoke.Thats all I need:To burn.Theres stillness.Thats all I need:Death.Actually, that is all I need ...Theres a knock at the door.Thats all I need:A visitor.Wait.What?Theres another knock at the door.WHAT?WHAT THE ...?!OH MAN!!!

Fiv eFive

Si xSix

And at the end of it. After Ive spoken. His tea is cold. I apologise. I offer to make more tea. He doesnt want any. He came to hear about what it was like to be alone and now he thinks he knows. He thinks hes got a pretty good idea. And he wants to go. Hes making those I want to go noises. I cant make him stay. Not with tea. Not with anything.So I say to him. Let me sing you a song.

Sev enSeven

Ei ghtEight

STARSHIP NGG:67BRIDGE TRANSCRIPT 13:12:2:

ENTERTAINMENT OFFICER: Wow.CAPTAIN: Wow.ENTERTAINMENT OFFICER: Wow.BAND LEADER: I know.CAPTAIN: Wow.

BAND LEADER: Ok so ...ENTERTAINMENT OFFICER: Get him to sing it again.CAPTAIN: Is it a him?ENTERTAINMENT OFFICER: Get her to sing it again.CAPTAIN: Is it even a ...?

ENTERTAINMENT OFFICER: Him or her. Its so ... I think only someone ...CAPTAIN: Im thinking its a her.ENTERTAINMENT OFFICER: I think only someone whos spent so much time alone,

could sing a song like that.BAND LEADER: Thats what I think.CAPTAIN: What does she look like?ENTERTAINMENT OFFICER: As beautiful as the song Im guessing.

BAND LEADER: Not so much.CAPTAIN: Oh.FIVE SECOND SILENCE. SOMEONE (POSSIBLY CAPTAIN) COUGHS.BAND LEADER: For me down here, the song is just about perfect.

ENTERTAINMENT OFFICER: Agree.CAPTAIN: Needs guitar.BAND LEADER: What?ENTERTAINMENT OFFICER: Really?CAPTAIN: Its what it needs.

BAND LEADER: Really?CAPTAIN: Tell her, or him, to try it again and you strum along with a guitar, see what that does to it.

Nin eNine

Oh I think thats wonderful.With the thing, the thing that makes that noise.With the box. And the wires.I much prefer the song with that.I didnt 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 its morning and I offer tea again.And this time he drinks it.And we sing the song again.And again.

T enTen

Its go

t ... I d

unno,

said the

Capta

in.

Less

good?

said t

he Ent

ertainm

ent Offi

cer.

Not le

ss goo

d, just

... I du

nno, s

aid the

Capta

in.

Sub g

ood?

I would

nt go

that fa

r, I me

an I lov

e it, bu

t with

the

guitar

its a b

it ... I d

unno.

Meh?

said the

Entert

ainment

Officer

.

A bit. P

erhaps

a bit m

eh ye

s.

Hes a

sking if

he sh

ould co

me ba

ck to t

he ship

now, th

e band

leader

.

Send

a violin

down

there,

said t

he Cap

tain.

Really

?

Yeah.

Think

it need

s guita

r and v

iolin.

Ele venEleven

TwelveTw elveTwelve

I dont 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 dont 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.Its different now, me singing with this.I like different.Ive been waiting for different.Ive been yearning for different.Ive been living for different.Now there is different.

Thi rteenThirteen

You think that too?

Yep.

Me too.

Yep.

More.

Definitely.

Fou rteenFourteen

You think that too?

Yep.

Me too.

Yep.

More.

Definitely.

Fift eenFifteen

My Capsule has never seen the like.Capsule 7 is the fun pod. Its the party pod. Its 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 dont know.I dont care.More tea! More music! Dance on the tables! Swing from the lights! You guitar, you violin, you harp, you fl ute, you tambourine, you oboe, you drums, you choir.The song again! From the top!

Sixt eenSixteen

Seve nteenSeventeen

The Captain

chewed his

nail.

Get them

round the

screen, h

e said.

Could you

all gather r

ound the s

creen, sai

d the Ente

rtainment O

fficer.

The band le

ader and t

he violinist

and the flu

tist and th

e tambouri

ne

player and

the trump

eter and th

e oboist an

d the drum

mer and th

e choir

gathered a

round the s

creen and

the picture

was beam

ed up to th

e ship.

Um, said

the Captain

.

And all the

musicians n

odded, an

d looked a

t each oth

er, and nod

ded

again.

I think wha

t were tryi

ng to say .

.. said the

Entertainm

ent Officer.

Its not a b

eautiful lon

esome son

g anymore

.

The musicia

ns nodded

again.

Its kind of

a happy s

ong, said

the Captain

.

Extremely

happy, in fa

ct, said th

e Entertain

ment Offic

er.

And loud,

said the C

aptain.

Yeah, its k

ind of loud,

said the E

ntertainmen

t Officer.

And a bit

silly, said

the captain

.

And they a

ll agreed t

hat yes it w

as now a li

ttle bit silly

too.

Its not wh

at I was loo

king for, s

aid the ban

d leader.

Everyone n

odded.

Eigh teenEighteen

The Captain

chewed his

nail.

Get them

round the

screen, h

e said.

Could you

all gather r

ound the s

creen, sai

d the Ente

rtainment O

fficer.

The band le

ader and t

he violinist

and the flu

tist and th

e tambouri

ne

player and

the trump

eter and th

e oboist an

d the drum

mer and th

e choir

gathered a

round the s

creen and

the picture

was beam

ed up to th

e ship.

Um, said

the Captain

.

And all the

musicians n

odded, an

d looked a

t each oth

er, and nod

ded

again.

I think wha

t were tryi

ng to say .

.. said the

Entertainm

ent Officer.

Its not a b

eautiful lon

esome son

g anymore

.

The musicia

ns nodded

again.

Its kind of

a happy s

ong, said

the Captain

.

Extremely

happy, in fa

ct, said th

e Entertain

ment Offic

er.

And loud,

said the C

aptain.

Yeah, its k

ind of loud,

said the E

ntertainmen

t Officer.

And a bit

silly, said

the captain

.

And they a

ll agreed t

hat yes it w

as now a li

ttle bit silly

too.

Its not wh

at I was loo

king for, s

aid the ban

d leader.

Everyone n

odded.

Ninet eenNineteen

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.

Tw entyTwenty

Twenty OneTwenty One

STARSHIP NGG:67BRIDGE TRANSCRIPT 13:12:3:

CAPTAIN: See there it is again.ENTERTAINMENT OFFICER: The song we like.CAPTAIN: Beamed out.BAND LEADER: Just her.

SILENCE ON THE BRIDGE AS THE SONG IS SUNG.ENTERTAINMENT OFFICER: Its as sad as before.BAND LEADER: More.ENTERTAINMENT OFFICER: And as beautiful.

BAND LEADER: As when we first heard it.ENTERTAINMENT OFFICER: More beautiful actually.

CAPTAIN: Whys that, I wonder?BAND LEADER: I guess after so much company, shes going to feel lonelier now.

ENTERTAINMENT OFFICER: So the song has ...BAND LEADER: Yeah.ENTERTAINMENT OFFICER: Got more ...

BAND LEADER: Yeah.CAPTAIN: Ok.

SILENCE ON THE BRIDGE AS THE SONG IS FINISHED.ENTERTAINMENT OFFICER: Should we turn back?CAPTAIN: Well if we turn back, and you join in again ...

BAND LEADER: I know.CAPTAIN: ... the songs going to stop being so beautiful ...

BAND LEADER: I know.CAPTAIN: ... and turn into a damn silly mess.ENTERTAINMENT OFFICER:

BAND LEADER: So what do we do?

Twenty TwoTwenty Two

Twe nty ThreeTwenty Three

You?Ok.You?Me too.Everyone?Agreed.OK then.

Twe nty FourTwenty Four

You?Ok.You?Me too.Everyone?Agreed.OK then.

STARSHIP NGG:

87

TRANSPORTER R

EPORT 1:

Him (or her) .... re

ceived.

Favourite cup .....

received.

Twenty FiveTwenty Five

Twe ny SixTwenty Six

Twenty SevenTwenty Seven

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.Ive forgotten it.

Good.

Twent y EightTwenty Eight

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 RichardsHeavy 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.