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Leanne:

Wasting Company Time presents Tell No Tales, season two. Episode One: Isolation

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[SFX: Grieg’s ‘MORNING MOOD’ playing, footsteps enter, then stop. Music continues without dialogue for a short while]

LEO

In or out, Frank?

FRANK

Excuse me?

LEO

In? or out.

FRANK

Uh, in. Pardon my lingering in the doorway, I was only admiring your choice of music.

LEO

What?

FRANK

The music? Marvelous piece. It’s woefully underappreciated these days, overused as it is now in pop culture, too often relegated to a punchline or humorous motif. But it really is a beautiful piece of music.

LEO

Only you could manage to make classical music hipster, Frank.

FRANK

Is there a reason you’re enjoying it from the comfort of the worktop? My… sterile, clean, laboratory worktop?…
With your shoes on?

LEO

Why not? Not like we’re getting much actual science done. Might as well just lie here. Contemplating all the
bad choices that brought me here.

FRANK

I was under the impression that you had quite enough to be getting on with.

[SFX: Leo sitting up, music volume being turned down]

LEO

(SIGHS) Well, let’s see. We’ve got the oh-so-achievable goal of researching what’s happening to the spirit plane, when all we have to go off is your feeling that something’s off.

FRANK

As well as evidence of numerous spirits reporting their hold on the plane slipping.

LEO

Yes, well, that’s hardly a solid start, is it? So while we’re not making any progress on that, I thought I might work on finding a way to keep spirits stable without their tether, so that I can speak to Noah, whose stasis capsule you so generously gifted to me when I signed my soul away.

FRANK

You are forgetting that I also generously gifted you my own extensive notes. I’ve already conducted a wealth of research on both the spirit plane and the tether conumndrum. Which could be helpful to you if you made any attempt to read them.

LEO

They’re in code!

FRANK

I gave you the key to decode them.

LEO

Sure, but it’s such a convoluted mess it takes actual hours just to get through a page.

FRANK

I thought you’d appreciate it. Why your very namesake, Leonardo DaVinci–

LEO

Don’t.

FRANK

I beg your pardon?

LEO

You’re about to compare yourself to DaVinci. I’m saving you from looking like a complete arse and telling you now. Don’t do it.

FRANK

(HEAVILY SARCASTIC) How generous of you.

LEO

You’re welcome. So, in the absence of any progress on either of those fronts, I’ve been working on fixing up my recorder to playback in real-time, and that all went perfectly smoothly, except what’s even the point, because it’s not like I’ve got any use for it right now, is it?

FRANK

Hm. (LONG PAUSE) Did you know that I receive a weekly briefing informing me of every case Better Place handles over the previous working week?

LEO

Weird segue, but no I didn’t.

FRANK

Well, I do. It offers a more qualitative approach to monitoring revenue. I keep them in the filing cabinets down the hall.

LEO

Why are you telling me this?

FRANK

You haven’t spent much time with the case files I keep down here, have you?

LEO

I started looking through some of the older ones a while back, but I’m not sure if you remember, but your experiment started threatening my friend, so I got a bit distracted actually.

FRANK

Quite. Well I keep the newer case files at the far end. I keep hard copies of all the case files, here in this basement. (POINTEDLY) Even those we were not able to remove.

LEO

Just use your words, Frank. Is there something you’d like me to do?

FRANK

There are plenty of unresolved case files in the more recent cabinets. Spirits who were never removed. Spirits who might… be feeling a little talkative.

LEO

Well lucky for you I signed an NDA then isn’t it?

FRANK

You would not be able to share those recordings with anybody, you’re correct. There was no clause in the contract, however, prohibiting you from interviewing a spirit for scientific curiosity alone. Perhaps to test out the modifications you have made to the recorder?

LEO

What’s the point?

FRANK

What was the point to begin with?

LEO

To take down-

FRANK

To help them.

LEO

(SHORT PAUSE, SIGH, THEN RELUCTANTLY) Yes.

FRANK

Would a friendly face and good conversation not still be helpful, I wonder?

LEO

What’s your angle here, Frank? because I know you’ve got something up your sleeve, you don’t just-

[SFX: A few quick footsteps as Frank steps closer]

FRANK

(UNUSUALLY TIMID FOR FRANK) I am… concerned about you, Leonardo. (BACK TO HIS USUAL BRUSQUENESS) It has been several weeks since you signed my contract. You have isolated yourself from your friends, you do not leave this basement. I rarely see you sleep or eat. I have offered my own company
but you have no desire for that. I think it would do you some good to get outside and have a conversation with somebody.

LEO

Oh.

FRANK

Or perhaps I am simply trying to distract you for a while so that I can murder some helpless innocents.

LEO

Go to hell.

FRANK

(CHUCKLES) Not if I can help it.

LEO

I’ll think about it.

FRANK

Do.

[SFX: Footsteps, music fades out as scene ends]

[SFX: Recording BEGINS]

LEO

Audio diary of Leo Quinn, assist- uh. I guess… lead scientist? Under Frank Williamson, Director of Better Place. Hm. (SHORT PAUSE) Nope. That was odd. Not sure about that job title. Um, so, yeah I’ve done a bit of digging, not because Frank told me to, or anything. I’d been meaning to get a better look at the case file archives down here for ages anyway. But, yeah, I found a few good ones. This one looks simple enough to ease myself back in.

[SFX: Case file opening]

CASE PW#2237, Category Two, case status: Unresolved. It looks like this ghost haunts King’s Cross station, so no breaking and entering at least. If I leave late at night it should be pretty quiet, if not completely empty. Now that the recorder plays back in real time, hopefully it’ll look less like I’m talking to myself and more like I’ve got a weird looking phone of some kind. Only problem is, this wasn’t one of Riley’s cases, it was Paul’s. Paul retired a few months ago, and wasn’t super invested in his cases for most of the last year or so. So, while we’ve got basic details about the spirit, we know her name is Aaliyah Farrow, we know she died in 2011, from an allergic reaction. But, I mean… There’s not much more. Nothing about why she’s at King’s Cross. Her death doesn’t seem to be connected in any way to the station. Nothing about who she was in life. Suppose that’s up to me to find out, isn’t it? Yeah, I suppose it is.

[SFX: Recording ENDS]

[SFX: Recording BEGINS]

[SFX: Ambience of King’s Cross, train announcements etc.]

LEO

Hi, Aaliyah? My name’s Leo. I’m uh, I’m a scientist, working on building ways to communicate with spirits like yourself. I have a recorder that has been able to pick up spirits’ voices in the past, but the real-time playback is a new feature, so it might be a bit glitchy.

[SFX: Recorder clicks on, background static can be heard]

Would you be willing to chat, answer some questions about who you are, why you’re here?

AALIYAH

Yeah, I can chat!

LEO

(WHISPERED) Oh my god, it works

AALIYAH

Oh, shit, that’s me, that’s my voice! That’s wild! You can hear me? Woah. Definitely willing to do this for a
while. Go on, ask whatever.

LEO

I- Wow, yeah, okay, um… So. Can you start with just telling me some basic biographical details for the record, name, dates of birth and death, that kind of thing?

AALIYAH

Yeah, so my name’s Aaliyah Farrow, I was born 30th November, 1989, died uhhh, I died… I think some time in August, 2011, when I was 21. Turns out I’m allergic to shellfish, who knew!

LEO

Okay, thanks. So could- Sorry, I’m just not used to this being so immediate.

AALIYAH

No, you’re fine!

LEO

(BEWILDERED LAUGH) Thanks. Do you mind talking about why you’re tethered here? Do you have some kind of emotional connection to the station?

AALIYAH

(LAUGHS) You know, I wondered that myself for a while, but I think I’ve figured it out. I’ve got friends and
family all over, right? Some of my best friends in the world are in Newcastle. My mum and stepdad live in Leeds, my dad and stepmum live in Edinburgh, I’ve got extended family in Cambridge, and I’ve got friends who might as well be family in Hull. I moved to London for work, and I’ve got friends here too, don’t get me wrong. But my support system, my communities, they’re scattered. My spirit can’t stay behind with all of them, so I reckon I stuck it out here. Because no matter who I was visiting in life, I’d always start out here.

LEO

Right, that does make sense. It doesn’t sound great for you though. Being so torn between all your loved ones that you don’t get to stay behind with any of them?

AALIYAH

Yeah it’s not ideal. I don’t think there’s a logic to it. I’ve got a friend doing his degree in paranormal theology… oh, I suppose he’s graduated by now, actually. But anyway he used to try to explain it to me, something about electrical impulses in the brain around certain places or things or people, the emotional imprints those leave on a spirit, or something. Which I guess makes sense. I’d visit so many different friends and family, but they’re all so spread out, the one constant is this place. Loads of emotional responses happening
here, regardless of where I’m going. Could be worse, I could be stuck in that seafood restaurant I died in. I didn’t even enjoy the bloody oysters. Can’t believe I convinced myself to try them. Anyway, here’s not so bad.

LEO

Is it interesting, at least?

AALIYAH

Sure, it’s a weird setup though. I always hated quiet, couldn’t stand living alone, and this place is only quiet for a few hours a night. I’m surrounded by people, there’s always a conversation to follow or someone’s newspaper to read over their shoulder or whatever. But it’s a special kind of isolating, being around this many people and not being able to actually participate. The people are probably the only reason I haven’t gone insane, but it’s a unique flavour of loneliness that I’m not quite used to yet.

LEO

Yeah, I can imagine. I was meaning to ask, actually. I saw from the case file that the request to remove you
was cancelled because staff couldn’t feel your presence any more. Did you- I mean, is that connected?

AALIYAH

Yeah. I started reaching out as soon as I felt strong enough. Wanted to get someone’s attention. Anyone’s. Any kind of proof that I was actually here, that I was real. But it wasn’t right. People were so uncomfortable. It got me attention, but I scared people. I learned how to shut down the feeling. The… I don’t know, the look at me feeling that seemed to give people shivers. (CHEERFULLY) So, y’know. Still lonely, but at least nobody hates me any more.

LEO

I did wonder… Oh god, terrible timing, but it looks like they’re trying to close up the station.

AALIYAH

Yeah they do that after the last train, usually about 1:30.

LEO

Jesus, it’s that late? Uh, okay, well, before I go, I can get in touch with anyone you’d like, if that’ll help? If people know you’re here then they can come to visit you?

AALIYAH


Oh, I’d love it if you could get the word to some of my people. The list is massive, but er… oh, actually, you want to log into my old Facebook account? Password was Flopsy2k5.

LEO

(LAUGHS)

AALIYAH

Shut up, I was a teenager, and I loved my pet rabbit dearly, okay judgy?

LEO

(TRYING NOT TO LAUGH) No judgement, I swear. Shall I just get in touch with all the people you used to message regularly?

AALIYAH

Exactly! Or even just a few of them, and ask them to spread the word. You’re a star, thank you! I don’t suppose there’s any chance they’d be able to get their hands on something like your… recorder thingy? So they can talk to me too?

LEO

Uhh, maybe. Not for some time though. I’m kind of… tied up in some legal stuff at the minute.

AALIYAH

Ooh, patent pending?

LEO

No, god no. Nothing so self-serving as that. Just… There are some pretty big players who do not benefit from allowing spirits to speak their minds.

AALIYAH

Ah, I see. Well, no worries. Just seeing my people again will be enough for now. And I wouldn’t have blamed you for wanting to get a patent on that, by the way. You could make a fortune on that thing if you play by the rules.

LEO

I… You’re right, I hadn’t really thought about it. Rules aren’t really my forte anyway.

AALIYAH

(LAUGHS) I can respect that. I’ll see you, Leo. Come say hi if you’re ever back in the area.

LEO

I will, thanks, Aaliyah.

[SFX: Recording ENDS]

[SFX: Ambient traffic fade in]

[SFX: Phone ringing, voicemail]

LEO

Hi, Frank. It’s, uh. It’s Leo. I was wondering if you wanted to… I mean, if you’re free, we could spend some time tomorrow just- I guess- working through your notes together? Might be easier to make headway when you’re there to explain missing information. No worries if not, just… thought it might be good. I think I’m ready to finally start making some progress. If it sweetens the deal, I’ll even stop haunting the lab and actually go home, sleep in my own bed tonight (AWKWARD LAUGH). Um. Yeah, let me know when’s best… ‘Kay. So, I’ll er- oh, wait, before I go, just, I guess… thanks. For pushing me to go out. Yeah. Alright, speak soon. (HANGS UP, GROANS)

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Leanne:

This episode of Tell No Tales was written and performed by Leanne Egan. In it, you heard the voices of Leanne Egan as Leo, Asher Amor-Train as Frank, and Michelle Kelly as Aaliyah. If you enjoyed this episode, we’d love it if you let someone know. It doesn’t have to be us, but it’d be a nice ego-boost if it was. You can find us on Twitter or Tumblr @tellnotalespod and as always, links and information about transcripts can be found in the show notes. Thank you to everyone who contributed to our season two crowdfund, but with special thanks this episode to Rowan Odom, for your incredibly generous support of this season. Tell No Tales is distributed by Wasting Company Time Productions, under a Creative Commons attribution non-commercial share-alike 4.0 international license. Thank you for listening, and remember: the dead don’t bite.

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