Royal Hastings, University of London Multimedia Art MA Final Project

Candidate name: Patrick Bright

Candidate number: 0883480

Jonathan told me Alyson’s real name is Suzie and they’ve been married for years. If he mentioned why they pretended otherwise, then I didn’t take it in. Time froze before that. Something else I discovered was that Jonathan’s ma and sister died recently, not when he was a student. ‘If people think it happened ten years ago, they’ll assume I’ve moved on,’ he explained. ‘They won’t suspect it’s driving me now.’

Here’s how innocent I was: I thought they were doing it all for me. That they’d seen me only trying to protect Ludya and didn’t want me to go down for it. In return, I was that grateful I did whatever they told me. Over the weeks the truth came out. They belonged to an action group, agitators … They had a boss who gave them orders from afar, didn’t get his own hands dirty. They weren’t saving me, they were saving themselves.

Later I found out Cameron blew up at Ludya because she wouldn’t give him the radio from RD 8. Suzie wasn’t meant to steal it at all, just take photographs as evidence – so they could expose some toxic technology. Only Suzie couldn’t help being Suzie and went that step too far.

At last I acted. I did something in time. That’s what I learned on this course. I didn’t do it on the ferry with Finn. I didn’t do it when the robbers tied up the girls and hit them. But I took action in that motel room. That’s what this course taught me.

Knowing that made the rest of it better over the following weeks. They encouraged me to keep Jem occupied, so she didn’t notice Cameron and Suzie had gone. Staying happy and cheerful for Gela and the technicians, letting them think all I cared about was getting that installation made. Telling the girls in the shop how much I was enjoying the course. Visiting Jonathan and Suzie at the house. Seeing the rot set in. I don’t mean the obvious. The rot it did to them.

Suzie sat there in the back room, and every few minutes she showed the phone what it needed to see. Jonathan stayed in the front room with the radio, tuning in to the voice every day at the same time, hearing it say it was trapped, it needed help. It was Cameron’s voice. We could all hear that. The unit somehow tuned in to his spirit, stuck in limbo. Is that what happens? You’re trapped in your body when you die? Or only when you’re killed unexpectedly? Jonathan believed that and he was our leader, so maybe because he was so convinced, so were we.

He stopped talking to the leader of their group. He focused on the unit, on trying to communicate with Cameron. I thought he was doing it so that I could apologise, explain. But there was no way to speak with that poor, sad voice.

Jonathan and I took it in turns to let Suzie get some sleep. Ludya refused, and I don’t blame her. We dreaded it. Sitting in that icecold room, the hum of the freezer in the dark. The light as you opened the door. The little brush to dust ice particles off Cameron’s eyes and a type of clear oil now and then to give them the appearance of life. That’s what the phone recognises, Ludya says: the eyes and structure of the facial bones. Cameron’s phone, tethered to its charger.

We couldn’t carry on like that, so it was only right that, when the time came, I took the next step for them.

Metropolitan Police digital evidence log/Case no. 4617655/24/files retrieved 5 September 2024

AetherGen WhatsApp group members Ludya Parak, Suzie Danners and Jonathan Danners, 17 January 2024:

Ludya

So that didn’t work. The phone is programmed to dial a number when the battery drops below 5%. We can’t let it run out of charge and die.

Jonathan

OK. So what’s the logical solution? Spell it out.

Ludya

Someone has to stay with the phone and the body. Make sure it can see his face, eyes open, every four to five minutes. The phone must be charged regularly, and emails, texts and messages responded to.

Jonathan

Covert tracking?

Ludya

We’ll only know when there’s a knock on the door. Even in the absence of CT , they can trace the phone’s whereabouts via triangulation.

Jonathan

So what we MUST do is stop Cameron’s family, friends, clients and colleagues suspecting he’s missing and calling the police.

Ludya

Yep. Answering texts and messages is crucial. We must tell everyone exactly what they need to hear, so they don’t wonder why Cameron hasn’t showed.

Jonathan

And make sure the phone sees his face every five minutes. Good. Thanks, Ludya.

Ludya

It’s logical – that’s all.

Suzie

Just till we find a better solution.

Jonathan

And we’ll think of it. Until then, we’ll have to stop him rotting or the phone won’t recognise his face. Patrick will help me put him in the freezer.

Suzie

Should we involve Patrick? He could crack any second.

Ludya

It’s all his fault, so yep, we should.

Suzie

If you’d given Cameron the unit, he wouldn’t have lunged for it, and Patrick wouldn’t have thought he was about to hit you. It’s your fault, Luds.

Ludya

If you’d just photographed the unit and not STOLEN it, Cameron wouldn’t have tried to get it back and none of us would be here now.

Suzie

People needed to see the tech to believe it. Anything else wouldn’t be enough.

Ludya

NOTHING IS EVER ENOUGH FOR YOU!!

Jonathan

What’s done is done. We need to deal with THIS situation.

Ludya

NO WAY. That unit is NOT the atmospheric defence tech. It’s all here on Cam’s phone. They planted a DECOY for us to find. When we went public with the pics, they were going to reveal it as only a piece of junk. Discredit AetherGen completely.

Suzie

No. It was where she told me it would be, in the middle of its own room. All the right security around it. If it’s a dud, then why did Cameron try so hard to get it back? You’re right, it’s not what we went there to find. But it’s important tech of *some* kind. Has to be.

Jonathan

Look, we’re a team and blame is collective. Let’s move on. We need Patrick to distract Jem and make sure the MA project stays on-track. Once that’s over, the three of us can disappear. We just need to keep the phone happy every five minutes. It’s only a few months, and I know how we can do it.

Ludya

Disappear? I’ve got two kids in school, an ex with issues, and my mum’s on her own.

Jonathan

We’ll think of solutions for them in due course. Our immediate problem is Cameron’s phone.

Suzie

I’ll do it. It’s a human body. Nothing to be afraid of.

AetherGen WhatsApp group members Ludya Parak, Suzie Danners and Jonathan Danners, 9 February 2024:

Suzie

What are you telling everyone about why I’m not there?

Ludya

Gela thinks you’re working in the studio some nights, but are busy doing other work. We’re all telling Jem we’ve seen you and you’re coming in regularly.

Jonathan

Jem loves tinkering with the decoy unit and thinks it’s a radio – which it probably was once. Patrick’s helping and keeping an eye on her. Everything’s fine.

Ludya

Everything’s fine? WTF ?

AetherGen WhatsApp group members Ludya Parak, Suzie Danners and Jonathan Danners, 14 February 2024:

Jonathan

WTF is that voice? The unit is a DECOY, a DUD. All Cameron’s messages say so.

Ludya

It’s massively freaky, Suze. Whatever Jem and Patrick did has activated it.

Suzie

I’ve just had a convo with Mae on Cam’s phone. She doesn’t say why, only that she wants it.

Jonathan

The phone call he took from her, right before it happened, made him break cover and seize it. She must’ve told him what it was and to get it back – fast.

Suzie

The first message I sent from his phone was to tell her everything’s fine and not to worry. She replied, ‘Tell me you’ve got it?’ and I replied, ‘I’ve got it.’

Jonathan

That unit – if it’s not the atmos defence tech, then what is it?

Ludya

Until Thorney Coffin, Mae’s messages to Cameron clearly say it’s a neutral piece of kit to fool us. So why that voice, FFS ? Can we ask Mae from Cameron’s phone?

Suzie

No, because she told him what it was in that phone call. I can’t pretend he doesn’t know now without raising suspicion.

Ludya

Suze, what did your mole say about the location of the adt?

Suzie

Turn left along the corridor from the museum. Three doors along.

Ludya

Yet the security network runs clockwise. Based on the codes alone, I’d say the turn was right.

Suzie

She said left, so I turned left. Whatever this unit is, how can Jem or Patrick have got that voice out of it? She’s blind, FFS , and has only done a basic electronics course. He needs help charging his phone.

Ludya

Don’t underestimate Jem. She made her own testing circuit that emits sound rather than light. After just an introductory class? That’s pretty awesome.

Suzie

We need to get the unit off them without winding Jem up. Then we can investigate the voice ourselves. Find out what it is we’ve got.

Jonathan

This is the plan: Suzie will continue to reassure Mae – as Cameron. She’ll message Gela – again, as Cameron – and ask her to leave the unit at the rear doors. One of us can pick it up and bring it back to the house. Done. We get to examine the unit, and everyone is happy.

Ludya

Except Jem.

Jonathan

Gela will think of something to tell her.

Ludya

Until they realise Cameron isn’t showing up.

Suzie

He’s off-radar on a new job. He’s messaging his clients and colleagues all the time. Everyone, including Gela, knows he coordinates a team of investigators, each working on different jobs. He’ll assure Mae the unit is safe – and that’ll give us time to work out what it is.

WhatsApp chat between Jonathan Danners, Ludya Parak and Patrick Bright, 14 February 2024:

Jonathan

This is important, Patrick. When you worked on that old radio with Jem, could she have altered the tech?

Ludya

What Jonathan means is: could the voice be a recording, put there deliberately by Jem?

Patrick

I didn’t want her touching anything electric, so kept her away from the insides. Once I got power to it, we closed the case and played with the tuning dial. That’s all.

AetherGen WhatsApp group members Ludya Parak, Suzie Danners and Jonathan Danners, 27 February 2024:

Jonathan

Trying to fathom the workings of this thing. They’re so old and delicate. It wouldn’t surprise me if some of these were pure gold. The circuit was deliberately disabled and the case sealed, so it couldn’t be plugged in and used. Jem and Patrick opened the case, saw where the cable had been stored and wired a plug to it.

Ludya

We can’t rule out the Jem factor.

Jonathan

There are no obvious modern additions to the old components. When Jem says she and Patrick ‘got the radio working’, she means just that – they plugged it in. The result seems to be an unstable wavelength that’s ultra-sensitive to atmospheric activity.

Ludya

The voice, though.

Suzie

It’s potentially a holding broadcast, like the old numbers stations. A channel they keep open with creepy mysterious shit that only spies can understand. So when they need it, it’s there.

Jonathan

Give me some time. I’m going to try something.

Ludya

Did it work?

Jonathan

It worked. Shit!

Ludya

What?

Jonathan

The voice is Cameron’s.

Ludya

WTF ? No, it isn’t.

Suzie

It is.

Jonathan

I recorded the broadcast and played it back using the technique Jem showed me when we worked on Assignment Four. It clarified the voice and, believe me, it’s Cameron. He says something different every day and hasn’t repeated himself yet.

Ludya

This has got to be Jem.

Suzie

Jem talks constantly about whatever she’s doing, and she’s never worked with Cameron. In fact she’s said several times that he barely spoke to her. If she had, we’d know all about it.

Jonathan

It’s my theory we’re hearing what’s left of his consciousness, trapped between life and death. That could be because he died suddenly and traumatically – or because we’re keeping his body from decomposing. Then again, perhaps this is what happens to everyone.

Ludya

What the fuck? We need to get a grip. Get rid of the unit and the body.

Jonathan

Edison and Tesla both worked on devices to contact the dead. If either succeeded, then I have no trouble believing RD 8 would have that unit in their collection.

Ludya

Suzie, come on. You don’t believe this?

Ludya

Suze!

Ludya

Suzie!!

Suzie

I’m here. Had to do it again – only can’t just open the door and hold the phone up. The eyes frost over. Have to brush them off and wet them. I don’t know anything any more, Luds.

Jonathan

He says he’s trapped in a dark place and can’t get out.

Ludya

Yes, the fucking freezer!

Jonathan

Chill out, as Patrick says.

Jonathan

RD 8 were on to us from the moment we approached Gela with the idea, then the stuff with Cameron. But this is the solution we’ve been looking for. If we have a radio that tunes in to the Other Side, it’s potentially bigger news than any atmospheric defence technology – and what’s better still, this is tech we can SELL. This unit is our way out.

Ludya

The Other Side? Fuck, wherever that voice is, it’s not heaven.

Suzie

That’s why no one went public with the unit, Luds. It’s not what anyone wants to hear, but that’s not our problem.

Jonathan

Who knows what Cameron did in his past, right? He might deserve to be in hell. If a good person dies – ideally in a less traumatic manner – then we can test it.

AetherGen WhatsApp group members Ludya Parak, Suzie Danners and Jonathan Danners, 30 March 2024:

Suzie Danners

There’s something wrong. It’s defrosting.

Ludya Parak

Fuck no! What? What’s happening, J?

Jonathan Danners

The freezer is dying, I noticed the motor roaring last night. It can’t cope with being opened so often.

Suzie Danners

We need a new freezer, and fast. Yesterday fast.

Ludya Parak

It’s gone five on Easter Saturday, FFS ! The shops are all closed tomorrow and Monday.

Jonathan Danners

I’ll call Patrick. It’s about time he was useful.

WhatsApp chat between Patrick Bright and Jonathan Danners, 30 March 2024:

Patrick

Entry point for an upright is nearly ￡500 but there’s a cheap chest for ￡250. The staff are waiting to close up.

Jonathan

Get the BEST upright (freezer only, not fridge-freezer). Don’t worry about price. Buy the one in the shop, so you can bring it here NOW. Use your charm, Pat; the staff will help you load it into the car.

Patrick

It’s coming in at ￡709, after ￡150 off for light shop-soiling. What shall I do? These guys really want to get home.

Jonathan

Good. They won’t ask questions. I’ll be at the door when you arrive.

Patrick

Guess I’ll put it on my card then.

AetherGen WhatsApp group members Ludya Parak, Suzie Danners and Jonathan Danners, 31 March 2024:

Ludya

FFS tell me everything went OK.

Suzie

OK. The new freezer was cold enough by eleven last night. Between the three of us, we transferred him and so far, so good.

WhatsApp chat between Ludya Parak and Jonathan Danners, 17 April 2024:

Ludya

I’m shitting myself. I’ve got kids, FFS .

Jonathan

Just make the components, do the assignments and get the course done. Don’t raise suspicions. I’m experimenting with this tech, trying to tune it. If it can be tuned, then perhaps I could tune in to Mum and Sophia.

Ludya

You MUST get rid of it.

Jonathan

We can’t get rid of it while the voice is still coming through.

Ludya

I mean THE BODY!

Jonathan

But the body being so close could be precisely why it’s picking up his voice. I’m spending every night tinkering with the unit and keeping the phone working while Suzie sleeps, so we can all get out of this hell. We’ll get there, Luds. We’re in this together.

Ludya

J, listen to me. We must DO SOMETHING NOW.

Jonathan

DO THE FUCKING MA COURSE AND KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT.

WhatsApp chat between Ludya Parak and Patrick Bright, 17 April 2024:

Ludya

S and J have lost it.

Patrick

How could they lose it? She can’t leave it for more than five minutes.

Ludya

THEIR MINDS, FFS .

Ludya

Did you see him when you took the new freezer round?

Patrick

I did, God help me.

Ludya

How can they do it?

Patrick

They’re used to it now. Denial is very powerful.

Ludya

Patrick, what can we do? I’m going out of my mind, and all I do is feed the kids and make components for the tunnel and computer graphics and shit for the course, like my life isn’t about to end any moment.

Patrick

I have an idea how to get rid of the body and still keep the phone active. I’ve been studying resin and how to preserve organic things in it. I’ve been gathering what I need from RH, although after Gela’s email yesterday I’ll have to source some things myself.

Ludya

You MUST. We can’t go on like this.

WhatsApp chat between Ludya Parak and Patrick Bright, 18 April 2024:

Ludya

S and J told me what you want to do. There are no words, Pat.

Patrick

Words are useless, Luds.

WhatsApp chat between Jonathan Danners and Patrick Bright, 20 April 2024:

Jonathan

Have you got everything you need?

Patrick

I have. A saw to cut through the flesh while it’s frozen, then a bucket of drying powder for the head. It’ll dry as it defrosts – I’ve practised on flowers and scorpions.

Jonathan

What do we do between the bucket and the resin? The phone needs to be activated every five minutes.

Patrick

We can sink the head in the powder, but leave enough uncovered to activate the phone.

Jonathan

That had better work, Patrick.

Patrick

I hope it will.

Jonathan

You HOPE? We need more than that.

Patrick

It’ll work. I’ll do the hands too, in case we need his fingerprints. The rest can go.