… Or Am I Possibly Doing Character Relationships Satisfactorily?
I guess all people want in a leader is a monster. Any sign of humanity, as you would have it, and people do not trust you. Very sad.
Welcome back to the Daniel’s Nemesis Podcast reading XBook, Chapters 17 - Ginger Comes Back Down to Earth and 18 - Fly, William, Fly.
They say that everyone has a book inside them. My mind here turns to immediate metaphors of evacuations in various ways. That’s not appropriate. Nor is the idea of cultivating a child inside and birthing it to the world as that’s a good thing. Sweat, disgusting and smelly, plays an important part in regulating body temperature. As for disease, I’d hardly say my book is cancerous in any way.
Then how would I describe XBook, this novel that was written when I had no knowledge of the world or of story craft, and that you are to listen to two chapters of today? In terms of novels being inside the body, I would say that XBook is the appendix. According to WebMD, “the appendix may act as a storehouse for good bacteria, “rebooting” the digestive system after diarrheal illnesses.” That brings us back to evacuations, once again, and suggests that at best, this novel, tough to digest as it is, is no more than toilet paper. Another theory, according to WebMD is that “the appendix is just a useless remnant from our evolutionary past.” Another apt description of a book that has basically sat around for fifteen years untouched. Either way, XBook goes completely ignored, and apart from a brief moment where it really brings our attention to its existence in very painful ways, after its removal, our lives go back to normal, unaffected, apart from a scar just to remind us of what once was.
Plus, appendix ends with the comedy ‘k’ sound, so it's officially funny.
XBook tells the story of a fighter pilot having come out of the First World War being pushed back into a new conflict, this time with alien invaders. His world is a surreal one, full of visualisations that mean he cannot tell reality from fantasy. He is not the only main character in this book as we have William the Supreme Leader of those aliens. William has a weird fascination with Earth as the new home for his race. This fascination clouds his judgement at crucial decision making times.
It’s taken some very dark turns in the last few chapters, but we are returning to a more PG rating for today.
Each episode, I read out a chapter or two and then analyse the novel based on what I can remember from my Screenwriting course fifteen years ago. Along the way, I get interrupted by former versions of myself who cannot accept that I have moved on with my life. This was not part of the plan.
What’s happened so far?
William, having instigated an attack on Earth, is left wondering why his fighter craft have not reported success back to the Mothership.
Ginger, managing to commandeer one of those fighter craft, took out the others and was returning to base.
And remember:
This is fiction,
Always fiction.
Logic is as logic does.
Chapter 17 - Ginger comes back down to Earth
I’m approaching the base now. It’s taken me barely any time at all. I really am going to have to get one of these for myself. I’ve barely touched the highest speeds. It’s actually pretty scary passing over towns and villages in a matter of a second, or whatever. These just go so much faster than anything that we’ve got. If I had gone any faster, honestly, I would be in Timbuktu by now.
I’ve got to remember how to slow down now. My feet mess around with peddles until I pretty much stall. Stalling in air is fun. Nothing to hit but the ground below.
After a slight moment of uncertainty when I’m not sure if I’m going up or down, or anywhere, except for my stomach shouting at me unsuccessfully as to what’s going on, I manage to hover again. I bring the aircraft down slowly. I place it just outside the door to the block that I need to go into. Immediately there’s a massive commotion, people are running towards me, yanking out their various weapons. They don’t want to get too close, however, affording me some time to slowly get out of the craft without getting bludgeoned or shot at from point blank range. Even so, I am not recognised immediately and have to hide back in the aircraft until the sheet of bullets dies back down.
Somebody shouts out that the alien has morphed into human shape and the torrent starts again. I shout out my name and number, but it’s impossible for people to hear with this racket. In a quiet moment, someone manages to catch something of what I shout out, and eventually the bullets stop. Even so, I do not get out immediately, leading people to believe that I’m now dead, which is why they come to the craft to check me out. I repeat my name and number at gunpoint, until someone, a friend actually, verifies who I am and I know it is now safe for me to get out. I quickly explain before running off into the building I want to go into. This is all so much fun.
It’s actually quite sad, in the brief moment that I had to look at my surroundings, the things that I should have taken notice of was that the craft was relatively unharmed. Instead, the building and ground are now heavily scarred, due to the rebounding bullets, as were the other bits and bobs that people had used to take cover with from this false invasion. Unfortunately, they had managed to do more harm to each other than they had to me or the craft. That was due to my stupidity, I should not have landed there, I should have landed in a field outside and walked in, but that would have risked immediate detection from those who had seen it fly down and destruction before I could explain. Unfortunately this was the only way. But I had not managed to allow this to sink in until I got into the building and safety. It’s always the way.
I enter the Flight Lieutenant’s office. I just barge in without even knocking. It seems like such a petty detail. Immediately I realise that I’ve caught him at a bad moment. He has his back to the door as I walk in and he hunches up when he realises that someone else is in the room. It’s grown spots since I last saw it. They pulse, but they seem to be pulsing in time with my heartbeat which, right now, is absolutely racing. I know that they are timed like this, because as the course of the meeting is to go on, they will slow down, as will my heart, but I don’t realise all this yet.
I say “Sir”, he mumbles a reply. I go on to say, “Well, Sir, it was a total catastrophe. A lot of men died today, Sir, that didn’t need to. Many of them may still be alive, but badly injured. We didn’t stand a chance out there. Worse, there are many civilians who have lost friends, family, homes, everything, Sir. What happened today, should not have happened. What makes it worse, Sir, was that there were only three of these aliens against the entire city of London. I managed to stop them, but I dread to think what may happen if we don’t stop the rest.” There is more mumbling. What is going on with him? I go round to face him. I see that the lower part of his face is covered in foam, I jump back, stumble over a leg chair, and on the floor looking up, I notice that he has a toothbrush in his hand. He swallows a couple of times. Licks his lips and swallows that as well. “Sorry Jeeves. Toothpaste. Such a luxury. Seems a waste. No, seems insulting if you don’t consume it.” I accept that remark. “Aliens, Sir,” I repeat, almost questioningly, trying to get back on track.
“How do you think we should stop them, Jeeves?” says the Flight Lieutenant.
“I have absolutely no idea, Sir,” I say. It’s truthful, at least, if not helpful. “They’re unstoppable.”
The Flight Lieutenant is looking puzzled now. He goes to speak but then stops himself as if what he was about to say would sound ridiculous. Eventually he manages to find the right words. “Well then, how come you’re still alive, and how did you manage to stop them?”
“Well, Sir. I have a nice new aircraft for us to play with, Sir. Absolutely spiffing, in fact.” “Hmm?” The Flight Lieutenant seems interested. I’m not sure whether it’s in what I have to say, or the toothpaste, which is lying on the table, invitingly. Its mouth saying you know you want to. I have to continue anyway.
“Yes, Sir,” I speak up, “I have managed to obtain one of these crafts that these space-invaders use, after it crash-landed. Much more advanced than any of our aircraft, I can tell you. And it flies like a dream. A beautiful dream.”
The Flight Lieutenant doesn’t really have anything to say back to me, but I know that he would feel that he would have to contribute something to the conversation. “Not a nightmare, then.”
“No! Not a nightmare.”
“Well, I mean, I just presumed, well, I mean, what with them using all kinds of space-gadgety stuff, how would you have been able to use it? God forsake the amount of ooze they must leave in the cockpit!”
“Surprisingly not, Sir,” I’ll leave out the little bit of blood that I found. “Just a normal cockpit. Normal, apart from all the flashing lights everywhere, the switches that I have no idea what they do, and the labels for said switches in… in..., well, in ‘alienese’, I suppose. Then there was the fact that the window is black on the outside, but you can see perfectly well through it from the inside. Oh yes. The seat is incredibly comfortable, despite being built for one of the disgustingly ugly creatures. There was a lot of blood, but that was only due to its head exploding all over the bally place. The craft also has no propeller, and no wings ...”
“So, how does it fly, then?” The Flight Lieutenant says, butting in to what I have to say.
“...so, I have absolutely no idea how it flies,” says I, just blocking out the Flight Lieutenant. “But, I do know that it flies very fast and very quietly, and it shoots these blue things that almost seem to glow. But, of course, apart from that, this craft is perfectly normal, Sir.”
“Marvellous! Righty ho, then! When do I get to see it?”
“Well, Sir. It’s still outside. Right outside. Other side of the building though.” He’s trying to lean out of the window to see it now. I carry on, “Had a bit of a bumpy landing, but I’m hoping to get better at flying it.”
“Yes. Well, get some men to put it into one of the hangars.”
“Yes, Sir. I’ll see about that straight away, Sir.”
I turn to leave, but seeing the pulsing spots makes me realise something.
“By the way, Sir. Have you any idea just how we’re going to get rid of these alien things?”
“What? Er, no. I’m just waiting for some orders from the Prime Minister.” He salutes. I salute.
“Well, Sir. I believe that I may just have a plan.”
“Jolly good.”
Chapter18 - Fly, William, fly
I’ve not allowed myself to do this before. I am in a craft that will be entering Earth’s atmosphere. I have not allowed myself to do this as I do not want to build up any kind of feelings for a place that we will take control over. Those feelings can come later, when we’ve moved in. Although, I have no idea what to do with our huge carrier ships. Will they just be left to drift into space? Will they orbit the Earth like mechanical moons? Will they be used for experiments in space, or as a means of exploring the galaxy? We have not explored the galaxy, we have not had the means, but with a planet, and the resources that the planet contains, we should be able to. It just seems sad that the one great chance that our race has had to explore space had to be overlooked in an effort to keep said race alive.
I have never been to Earth. In the couple of years that we were approaching Earth, we sent out scout ships, which with their speed could get there early, observe and return within a month, less as we got closer. Weeks or only days.
I have become so busy that I have never been allowed the time to explore. Then, in final preparation, I was needed to keep an eye on the Mothership, and this is the first time this week that I’ve managed to find an excuse. But an excuse for what? I find myself being nostalgic about the planet. But in order to gain control, I cannot be sentimental, as we will have to destroy first. Sentiment must come later.
I have nerves now. We are hitting the atmosphere. Everything is shaky, ominous, foreboding, but we are officially within Earth’s territory. And what does this mean to me? If I look behind me, I can see the last glimmer of stars. And that’s all they ever have been. Stars. That’s all they are now. Stars. But I look behind me and somewhere I see the star that was our old sun. It’s there. Billions of miles of burning gas reduced to a twinkling pinprick. Just like many of the other hundreds of thousands of stars that I see everyday that this atmosphere is obliterating. Sometimes, though very rarely, that thought alone is enough to make me feel small. No, what really gets to me is that around everyone of those twinkling stars are planets, maybe tens, maybe just a couple, but all of them hurtling around at phenomenal speeds. You can’t even see that, yet it happens.
There is a star out there, one that has caught my attention. That is our old star and there is a blank, black piece of space where our planet is. Maybe it’s in front of our star, maybe it’s tucked behind, maybe it’s to the left or the right, above or below. But it’s there, somewhere. And in front of me, very obviously, is this planet. Can this ever be home?
“You haven’t really spoken to me throughout this journey,” I say to Skernajj.
“Really, Sire?” He looks suddenly very worried. We are crammed next to each other in the confined space within the Smoov. There is no real escape, not unless you want to get sucked into the vacuum of space. Or, now that we are subject to a gravitational pull that is not simulated, without falling the still massive distance towards Earth.
I’m aware that I have a reputation of being cold and nasty, but that is forced on me, and here I am trying to be nice to someone, to Skernajj, who of all people should be the most responsive. No, I’m not trying to be nice. I’m trying to be interested.
“Yes, please speak to me. After all, we are friends, are we not? We spend all day in each other’s company. Do you not have anything to say to me?” A sentence has stuck in my head. It just says, ‘acquaintances and colleagues’.
“Re..Rea... Really, O Amazingly Amazing Wonder of All Wonders?” He looks slightly more stressed. There is a saying, never trust politicians.
“Yes, please speak to me.” I’m still smiling. This must be terrible for him. How do I convince him that I’m not just playing a trick on him? Part of my job is being able to get through to people, finding out what they want. I can’t even get small talk.
“W...W...Well, it’s... It’s been a, er, very successful, um, journey…Sir.”
“No! About anything else! Not work! Please!”
He pauses. I shouted at him. It probably helped him to calm down a bit. “It’s…I don’t know, Sire.” Something tells me I should give up. But we are here now. I want a second opinion of what Earth is like. Of what Earth means to another person who has seen it close up.
I smile once again. “Please, just tell me, how does Earth meet your expectations?”
“I don’t know, Sire?” He first looks shocked, but then scared. Behind that scared face is a very frightened person.
“Do you… like it?” I ask as kindly as possible. I guess all people want in a leader is a monster. Any sign of humanity, as you would have it, and people do not trust you. Very sad. There is a beeping noise coming from the control panel. Skernajj quickly examines it.
“Quick, Sire. The computer has located our ship, Sire.”
“Do you like Earth, yes or no?”
“Yes, Sire. The computer, Sire.”
“Well, what are we waiting for?”
“I’m sorry, Sire”
Skernajj punches in a new set of instructions into the onboard computer.
HOST TO HIMSELF:
(GETTING READY:)
Hello, this is the …
(CLEARS THROAT, SCUFFLING IN BACKGROUND)
I don’t know what episode it is… I think episode 14. It’s the one where Gilly— W— Whoughl Ginger comes back down to Earth and (HIGHER) Fly, William, Fly!
(TALKING IN A LOW VOICE)
Anyway, we’re doing the analysis.
(PAUSE, COUGH, SLIGHT PAUSE)
Hopefully, this will not be too long. This has not been a fun one to… write. Buuuut, at least it’s in a place that I think will work now. Eh well.
General Notes
(PAUSE)
HOST TO HIMSELF:
(MOUTH NOISES)
General Notes
HOST:
A couple of shorter chapters today. The first seems only to repeat the information we absorbed in the previous Ginger ch—
HOST TO HIMSELF:
Oh.
HOST:
The first seems only to repeat the information we absorbed in the previous Ginger chapter.
The second establishes a relationship between William and Skernajj.
(PAUSE)
(VOICE CRACKING)
Beginning with the Ginger chapter, and looking at the relationship…
(CLEARS THROAT)
(VOICE STILL CRACKING)
Beginning with the Ginger chapter, and looking at the relationship between him and Flight Lieutenant Johnson, the scenario —
HOST TO HIMSELF:
(MOVING AWAY FROM MIC)
Oh, my voice is fucked today.
(PLACES SOMETHING ON TABLE)
Oh, I’m gonna pause.
(INTO MIC)
I’m gonna start again.
General Notes
HOST:
A couple of shorter chapters today. The first seems only to repeat the information we absorbed in the previous Ginger chapter. The second establishes a relationship between William and Skernajj.
Beginning with the Ginger chapter, and looking at the relation—
HOST TO HIMSELF:
Bleurgh.
HOST:
Beginning with the Ginger chapter, and looking at the relationship between him and Flight Lieutenant Johnson, the scenario does seem familiar to us.
This is the third? time that we’ve seen those two together. Fourth if we include Flight Lieutenant Johnson calling Ginger. It feels like a lot more. On the surface, it does seem like a fairly redundant-t chapter.
HOST TO HIMSELF:
Oh gosh.
HOST:
On the surface, it does seem like a fairly redundant chapter.
On the surface, it does seem like a FAIRLY REDUNDANT chapter.
A lot of the main details that we learned from the previous Ginger —
HOST TO HIMSELF:
Oh gosh.
HOST:
A lot of the main —
A lot of the main details that we learned from the previous Ginger chapter —
A lot of the main details that we learned from the previous Ginger chapter are in here. I mean, personal details are kept out, but the kind of stuff that you would actually say to another person are repeated.
In fact, I remember being told off for repeating information in a much later chapter. At one point, one character recounts most of the story to that point to another character. Well, this didn’t go down well with a professional reader. They warned me of the redundancy, and to get rid of it. And in that later chapter, I certainly did make those edits. However, this chapter shows a fossil of that. Although by the latter redrafting stages, I would have been aware of the dangers of redundancy, here, I clearly felt that it would be necessary for Ginger to report to FLJ, and so inevitably there will be repetition in story details. I felt I could overcome this by adding in new information, putting more of a character spin on it as Ginger relates the events. Did it work? Dunno.
However, that’s the surface. What’s going on deeper in the chapter?
Ginger’s interactions have been thus:
Awkwardly demanding leave (agenda-driven but weak)
OG DANIEL’S NEMESIS:
(SPEAKING OVER HOST)
Does anybody care about this? Do you hear this sound? That’s me banging my hand on my head because it’s infinitely more entertaining than this.
(SIGHS)
Nobody cares, nobody cares, nobody cares.
HOST:
Being a lone and silent voice in the Christmas party
And now barging into Flight Lieutenant Johnson’s office, and reporting with absolute conviction.
So, is the dynamic between him and his superior changing? For once, Ginger is the one with the facts. He is in control of the conversation, and by the end, he is suggesting a plan.
OG DN:
(SPEAKING OVER HOST)
Just shut the fuck up. Can’t people have a sense of mystery?
HOST:
But I feel safe to say that Ginger is engaged in what’s going on. Just by relating information, he’s no longer purely reac—
HOST TO HIMSELF:
Neurgh.
HOST:
Just by relating information, he’s no longer purely reacting to what’s happening. He’s not merely observing, or acting on a whim, doing whichever action comes into his head first. By entering the second act, we really are beginning to see a new Ginger here.
How then —
(CROAKY VOICE)
How, then, about William and Skernajj? This is a bit of an odd scene for a number of reasons. William is off the ship, and he does remark at length about that.
(PAUSE, EXHALES, AND ANOTHER PAUSE)
How, then, about William and Skernajj?
(PAUSE)
This is a bit of an odd scene for a number of reasons. William is off the ship, and he (MOUTH NOISES) —
HOST TO HIMSELF:
Oh, for fuck’s sake!
What’s the time?
HOST:
How, then, about William and Skernajj? This is a bit of an odd scene for a number of reasons. William is off the ship, and he does remark at length about that.
(RUSTLING SOUNDS, CUP PLACED ON TABLE)
HOST TO HIMSELF:
(WALKING TOWARDS MIC)
Well, at least editing this first ten minutes is gonna be easy!
(RUSTLING SOUNDS)
HOST:
How, then, about William and Skernajj? This is a bit of an odd scene for a number of reasons. William is off the ship, and he does remark AT LENGTH about that.
For once, his constant looking back becomes, well, real. Being out of the ship, in a much smaller craft, he is more aware that he is positioned between the two planets. It actually makes sense for his mind to wander between concrete but distant past and potential but very pressing future as it is there, right in front of his eyes.
OG DN:
For fuck’s sake, you don’t think people can infer that?
HOST:
The gravity (pun intended) of the situation is really hitting home
(Pun?
Does that work as a pun?)
We become aware that he is not alone. Skernajj is with him. For us as the reading audience, a relationship is being established. The two figures, out of their normal zone, (VOICE CRACKING) especially the zone in which the two would normally —
(LOUDLY BREATHES IN AND OUT)
The two figures, out of their normal zone, especially the zone in which the two would normally have interactions —
(PAUSE)
The two figures, out of their normal zone, especially the zone in which the two would normally have interactions, are now in a confined space together. It’s an awkward conversation as sk—.
It’s an awkward conversation as can so often be the case. I’m having fuhh—
(SOMETHING SMALL FALLS ON THE FLOOR)
I’m having flashbacks to —
I’m having flashbacks to Ginger and Dee in the car.
What is perhaps apparent is that William clearly has an agenda when he speaks. He remains aware of his position. He breaks rank to try small talk and fails, so goes back to agenda-filled conversation which he also struggles with, but is able to persist.
However, for William and Skernajj, a relationship is being re-established or recontextualised. How much of the two do we really know? We are starting to learn more. The detail thrown in —
OG DN:
(SPEAKING OVER HOST)
This is a novel. It’s designed to explore. You don’t begin with a spoiler thesis statement.
HOST:
— is interesting. William doesn’t have an agenda for this new situation.
Williams interactions are:
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OG DN:
No.
HOST:
So, yeah. A couple of shorter chapters. Breaks up the pace a bit, and we get to see evolving relationships. Actually quite good, former me. Actually quite good, former me. Former me.
But lastly, and most importantly, I did at least get to throw in a Back to the Future reference which makes me smile, at least. (BURPS)
But lastly, and most importantly, there is a Back to the Future reference which makes me smile, at least.
OG DN:
(SPEAKS OVER HOST)
I can agree with you on that.
The Psychologist’s Chair
HOST:
What happened —
What happened to —
What happened to Ginger’s visualisations? They’ve toned down a bit. Last episode was quite surreal, and this is a short moment in Ginger’s time, so it does perhaps make sense that there would be some times of calmness.
That’s not to say nothing is going on. There are pulsating spots. And he seems hyper-aware, almost time-bendingly aware, of the surroundings around him which suggests to me hkasdf bib basdfkk j ewe rt
OG DN:
No, it doesn’t.
HOST:
— down to pacing.
Pacing was never my strongest thing. You have lots of excitement, you need some calm moments. However, where they should go, the length of them, the purpose of them, I could never quite get right. And I suspect that this is why the visualay—
HOST TO HIMSELF:
ARGH!
HOST:
And I suspect that this —
HOST TO HIMSELF:
(FED UP)
I just can’t do it today.
I’m overthinking it. Just don’t! Just relax. Just enjoy.
No, this one’s just brought me too much stress and that’s why.
I’m adding in the stress because it was so stressful. Stress association.
(SIGH)
There we go, that can go at the end.
HOST:
And I suspect that this is why the visualisations were dropped. There’s a strong chance that I was making less of a statement about Ginger, and more giving the reader a break.
However, breaking this book down as I do in this podcast really fucks with the pacing. I think it flows much better with one continual read. As is, in each episode, you just get an exciting chapter or a slow one. And today, it was slow, redundant, then reflective with no wackiness.
So, I don’t really have much to say in this episode.
(VOICE CRACKING)
I shall leave it there.
HOST TO HIMSELF:
Arhh!
HOST:
I shall leave it there.
What do we have to look forward to in the next episode?
Ginger is still in Flight Lieutenant Johnson’s office!
Until next time, TTFN!
HOST TO HIMSELF:
Done!
GINGER:
Hey, wait! I wanted to say something!
And just in case you were wondering, all text was written by me, Daniel’s Nemesis, and XBook is purely a work of fiction and is not meant to be based on anyone or any events at all.
The music was also by me, Daniel’s Nemesis, as was the image
that accompanies this podcast.
It sucks, doesn’t it?
But there we go.
HOST:
I repeat, almost questioning-in…urlp!
ling, ling, ling, ling, ling, ling, ling, ling, ling, ling
I repeat, almost questioning-in
Quesioningling
Questioningly
Questioning-ly.
I repeat, almost questiongingly.
I repeat, almost questionin-gly
Questioningly
Questioningly
Questioningly
Questioningly
Questioningly
Questioningly
Questioningly