BABY DREAMS BEHIND THE SCENES

By Aaron Murdoch

 

A crib with baby sleeping

Top of frame small machinery green light flashing

No sound the baby completely is sleeping

Floors above busy control stations

Manned by engineers, a producer and secretary

Producer looks at baby on screen and instructs

"Action!!"

 

Caption: Episode One

Blue sky orange sun green hills

Red shape with eyes up down jumping

 

Back at control station approval ratings

Baby sleeping machinery on cot transmitting

Telephone rings secretary "Producer?, The Controller

 Wants to speak upstairs."

Complying Producer arriving with the good news to share

"A successful first episode! A ratings hit!"

Voice on telephone commanded in monotone

"LOOK... OUTSIDE.. THE WINDOW!"

The Producer stared into the gloom 

In the distance orange plume

Of smoke from another destroyed city

But still the baby is sleeping

 

Caption: Episode Two

We see food in a pile at top of stairs

"I can't seem to climb!" says the red shape toy

Canned laughter plays every time it does

 

Control station buzzing from dwindling approvals

Suddenly the baby wakes screaming

Control room "Emergency! Get that baby asleep!"

Telephone rings secretary "Producer?, The Controller

 Wants to speak upstairs?"

"Get it sorted!" Yells Producer as running to

Upstairs telephone

"WHY IS BABY AWAKE?"

Producer stammers, "Well nobody knows! Please don't get

 Another Producer!"

Telephone answered "ONE. MORE... GET IT RIGHT!"

 

Caption: Episode Three

Blue sky white stairs green hill red shape toy jumping

 

Control station buzzing infant unconscious machines feeding

Producer ecstatic "We've enough ideas for two series!"

Telephone rings secretary "Producer?, The Controller

 Wants to speak upstairs."

On floor above triumphant producer answers call

"A CLIPS SHOW?!! IN EPISODE THREE?"

Producer unfazed "I knew you'd be as this!

 But I'm confident-"

"LOOK OUTSIDE THE WINDOW!!!"

The producer stared into the gloom

Which had more flames caused by cities ruined

 

Caption: Episode Four

A woman opens shawl goes to expose breast

Instead a red toy falls screaming out followed by

Tiny old man and then a serpent body wearing

Old woman mask as topless woman screams

"Oh not the monster!"

 

Control station watch ashen faced 

Telephone rings secretary "Producer, The Controller

 Wants to speak upstairs."

Producer reached the floor in silence picks up receiver

"WHY IS THE MONSTER IN THE EPISODE?!!"

Producer stammered "I... I... I don't understand? All

 staff have been screened! I assure you it will not

 happen again!" the Producer then looked at window

The gloom was more flames

 

Caption: Episode Five

We are looking down because in someone's arms

On floor in crawls a spider canned laughter

Then monster slides past eats whole the spider

 

Control station quietest just sounds of machinery

Producer staring expectant telephone

Bursts through door gunfire killing resisting engineers

Overpowered producer surrendering and tied up with secretary

Whoopee delighted foiled tool of propaganda

 

"Now we have to wait for our leader!"

"Look! The baby's asleep! Could we possibly wake them?"

"Actually, look at that! Huge stack of episodes!..."

"Do that later! We must secure building! Ration supplies

  Then decide as the secretary knows nothing..."

"Well maybe the answers could be in these programmes?"

 

Caption: Episode Six

The baby held a gun that was firing

And missed every time Ghost approaching

 

Caption: Episode Seven

Point of view of baby upright watching bigger children running

In clearing of sequence of running is a teacher

On her face wrapped around is the glaring monster

Using teachers body to point directly at camera

 

"And now in our schedule viewers opinions!"

"Good evening! And Mrs. Switch Wright says-

'How wonderful the show about the baby is!

 And what a comfort after confronting terrorists!'"

 

At broadcasting central leader smokes a cigarette

At crib attached to machine unconscious drugged bound

The revolutionaries defeated replacing the baby for

95 seasons and nobody ever questioned assumed just ignored

The poor baby perished during recording of episode four.