AT 11.23PM on the 31st of October 2020 an unknown and unidentified aircraft appeared in airspace directly above London. The aircraft was and has remained motionless and uncontactable to date. On the same day an MP4 was discovered in the cloud archive of the Department of Metaphysics, Hillingdon Facility, apparently pertaining to the incident. This is a transcript of that file.
1.
INTERIOR, WINDOW shot with a small amount of glare through a camera phone. The view is from a plane on a night flight above a city. There are buildings below lit by sodium street light. Rain is falling.
Voice: [Slight but noticeable MLE accent] I know, I know, but… something’s… look… don’t do… just… look...
There is a form moving below, approximately humanoid or simian, occasionally and partially illuminated. The form is gigantic.
Voice: What is that?
End of footage.
2.
A DIFFERENT shot of similar circumstances, this time there is a river (later determined to be the Thames). There is a creature in the river, mostly outlined in silhouette. Tentacles are visible, dangling across the shore (later determined to be the Isle of Dogs).
Voice: It’s moving.
The tentacles are moving.
Another Voice: [Non-specific airborne accent - from some distance] It’s coming up. [Inaudible] white light [inaudible] the monkey, look.
The simian/humanoid figure approaches the shore, lumbering slowly. It touches one of the tentacles.
Simian: Eek!
The Simian’s cry reverberates throughout the plane. The camera phone falls to the floor. End of footage.
3.
INTERIOR OF an airplane. A head-and-shoulders shot of a man under seat-lighting, white, in his 40s, wearing a pale, short-sleeve shirt. He is sitting in a seat by a window. He tries to bat away the camera.
Man: How can you…
Voice: The plane’s not…
Man: [Over Voice] Be like this?
Voice: We have to record this.
Man looks skeptical and somewhat distressed.
Voice: Someone has to.
Man rolls eyes. Pause.
Voice: It is... Man, it’s already tomorrow. It’s quarter to one. November the 1st, 2020. [Pause] Name. [Again] Your name.
Letters flash across the window. They read “tomorrow comes today.” No one seems to notice.
Man: [Without looking at camera - sullen] You know my name.
Voice: This is Murdo Nichols. [Camera turns quickly - face-shot of Afro-Carribean man in his 30s-40s]. My name is Russell Hobbs. [Smiles - turns camera back to Other Man, who glances forlorn at the camera] We’re on flight 2319 from LAX, we’re on return from a location scout and, well, we’ve been…
Murdo: Stuck…
Russell: Stuck in mid-air [Pause] for nearly an hour now. [Pause] Nothing’s moving.
Murdo: No sound either.
Russell: What?
Murdo: Can you hear the engines?
Russell: [Pause] No. [Another pause] Where’s the monkey now?
End of footage.
4.
INTERIOR, AN airplane in low light. The camera is looking down the length of the central aisle. Seats on the plane are approximately half-occupied, some people are standing. The camera approaches the front of the isle, where the door to the cockpit is. The sign above the cockpit intermittently flashes “Every planet we reach is dead.” This is not commented on.
Russell’s Voice: [Narrating] There was an announcement from the cockpit. ‘We apologise for the…’ It cut out and the plane went completely black for… some… time… a few seconds.
Camera stops at end of the aisle. It looks both ways and back down the aisle. There is a small crackle of static on the image.
Russell’s Voice: As you can see, the flight crew are gone. [Pause - turns to door] Let’s try. [Knocks on door - more static interference] Hello. [Tries door handle] Is there anyone there?
Voice from Behind: Sir.
Camera turns. There is a very tall woman, wearing heavy, off-centre make up and a bespoke, dark unisex suit.
Woman: [Smiles, baring her teeth, which glow pink] Please sit.
Russell sits on the floor. Shot of woman’s legs and shoes. Brief intense static on image. For an instant there appears to be four legs.
Woman: [Speaks with very prim, received pronunciation]. Not there.
Russell crawls across the floor to a seat.
Woman: [Sound is slightly modulated] Thanking you, collectively for your patience. Please remain seated until the living can be [modulation ends] extracted safely.
Russell sits up and manages to point the camera at Woman, though the shot is off-centre. The woman signs in BSL while speaking.
Woman: [Robotically, with dotted eighth delay] My name is Sepon Udon and on behalf of the company and the crew and the Green World, I would like to apologise for the inconvenience that may have been caused to you. Please be assured that it is coming up. Remain seated [Sign above cockpit door flashes “Remain Seated”] and calm until extraction. Thank you.
Woman’s suit flashes intermittently pink and violet. Woman signs ‘Every planet we reach is dead’ then turns and opens the cockpit door. Behind the door is absolutely black. The Woman walks through the door in complete silence for over a minute. Though she appears to not get more distant but instead shrink. She eventually becomes a pixel and the cockpit door closes by itself. Footage turns bright green then fades to black.
Footage ends.
5.
UNDER SEAT-LIGHTING, an elderly white couple, man and woman, are sitting together in chairs.
They are holding hands, the Man is by the window, the Woman is near the aisle.
Russell’s Voice: [mid sentence] Work out what we’re going to… [noise in the background - camera whirrs around momentarily without fixing on anything] Sorry… [focuses back on couple] Murdo…! I’ll see what’s going on in a moment, yeah?
Woman: Do you think she’ll ever come out?
Pause.
Russel’s Voice: [Pause] I don’t know. Shall we begin?
Woman: [Looks at camera and smiles - west coast accent] My name’s Terri and [squeezes man’s hand] this is my husband, Bernard. [Bernard, does not respond] We are on our way home, believe it or not.
Husband murmurs.
Woman: We’ve been living in England since… What, what is it, honey?
Man: [Not looking into camera] We were on our… [looks out of the window]. We were going home. Then this happened.
Russell Voice: What do you think is going on…?
Man: [Pause - without looking at camera] There was a threat. We were warned. They told us that…
More noise.
Russell’s Voice: Excuse me, sorry.
Footage ends.
6.
LOW LIGHT, half shot of man standing by the cockpit door. The man is noticeably tall. He is listening to something. Camera approaches. Man notices camera. He beckons. Camera approaches closer.
Man: [Whispers sharply - floating, east coast accent] Can you hear it?
Russell: What?
Man leans head forward toward the door frame. Camera view is off centre.
Man: There.
Russell: Where? [Pause] Oh yeah, it’s like…
Sound is not audible without digital enhancement. Nonetheless it appears to be a monologue by a female voice.
Female Voice: [mid sentence] Kommer upp. Vi tittar på dig. Vi är de sista levande själarna. Det kommer upp. Jag borde inte vara här uppe. Du kommer att stanna…
Man: I had the same idea as you.
Camera refocuses on Man.
Russell: What’s your name, buddy?
Man scowls and does not respond. Instead he produces a phone.
Russell: Sorry...
Man: I tried ringing out. I know you shouldn’t but… this is important. [Pause - he presses some buttons] Every time I try I get [pause] this.
Camera points at phone.
Female Voice Over Phone: [Modulated and loud] Här uppe tills våra krav uppfylls. Det kommer upp. Eld kommer ut ur apans huvud.
Man: Some kind of… [Looms into shot - he is taller than Russell] How’s your Swedish?
FVOP: Du har stulit mina drömmar. Eld kommer ut ur apans huvud. Det kommer upp.
Man: Fire… coming out of the... monkey’s head? [Pause] How many people are there on this plane? [Pause - Man is uncomfortably close, filling the shot] Can you find that out? [Modulated] It’s important.
7.
ORIGINAL WINDOW shot. The monkey in the city below is squatting, motionless with its arms raised. Bright orange/white light is coming out of its head in a column reaching up into the sky. This scene is silent and motionless except for rain falling on the window pane. It lasts for one minute and five seconds before footage ends.
8.
THREE-QUARTER SHOT of Russell in low light, sleeping on the floor between rows of chairs.
Unknown Voice: He’s asleep. It seems a shame to wake him.
Several pairs of hands reach out slowly to grasp Russell. He pivots up as if his feet are fixed to the floor. Russell wakes halfway through rising.
Russell: [Half-awake] What’s going on?
Light gets brighter rapidly. Russell is panicked. A short scream. His face seems to tip directly into the camera shot.
Footage ends.
9.
PLANE INTERIOR under bright light. Dozens of passengers (more than appeared to be on the plane originally) are being shuttled along the aisle by unknown figures.
Voices in Unison: Ladies and gentleman do not panic. You are being extracted. Follow the instructions provided.
The passengers are herded toward the emergency doors where slides are waiting.
Voices: On behalf of the staff and crew and the Green World we would like to apologise for the inconvenience caused.
Camera reaches top of a slide. The slide empties out into the night sky above the city. In the distance fire is still coming out of the monkey’s read.
Voice: It’s coming up. Thank you, Sir. It’s there. Please do not get lost in heaven.
The camera shot travels down the slide and into the sky. Wind rushes. Various bodies can be seen tumbling through the sky. There is a loud screech. Tentacles. Camera shot falls for twenty-three further minutes without hitting the ground. Batteries appear to fail.
Footage ends.
ENDNOTE: No one in the Department knows how or when this footage was uploaded.
Tish Turl and Adam Turl, Cat Without a Grin (Born Again Labor Museum)
