[Project-fallujah] Can I have it like that : Modern Ways

[Adam Moran]

[ Principal ]

   Hi
   Thanks for coming in
   We've not seen you in a while

   You're looking well
   How're you feeling ?

[ Engineer ]

      Just fine
      Just fine
	
      Is anyone else coming
      Or is it just the two of us ?

[ Principal ]

   Erm ...
   Erm ...
   Judith from Personnel will be coming in a bit

   I thought we could just chat first
   Is that ok ?

[ Engineer ]

      It's fine
      It's fine
	
      What do you wanna chat about ?

[ Principal ]

   Well ...

   It's not strictly my business
   And that's why I've asked Judith to wait
   And your Doctors say that you are fit for work again

   So who I am I to argue ?
   But still there's safety consideration in our line of work

   And ...

   ( 5 seconds of silence )

[ Engineer ]

      And what ?

      ( 5 seconds of silence )

      Ask me anything
      And I'll answer you

      You know that Bobby

[ Principal ]

   Thanks

   Well all I've had to go on
   As to your condition
   Is sick note after sick note
   Stating: Depression, Depression, Depression

   What's been the problem ?

[ Engineer ]

      Depression I guess ...

      Who am I to argue ?

      ( 5 seconds of silence )

Principal :

   But for *this* long ?
   What have you been *telling* the Doctors ?

[ Engineer ]

      Ah !
      Good question

[ Principal ]

   And ...

[ Engineer ]

      And ...

      And I told them a lot of things ...

      Can you remember our last conversation ?

      ( The Principal remains silent and raises one hand to its head )

      No ?

      Well let me remind you

      You will remember
      That you had given me three sites to run
      Split around this City
      And but one and a bit of our last two Inspectors

      You will remember
      That you had given me Tom and Jerry
      As office back up

      You will remember
      My numerous requests for help

      You will remember
      My request for you to spike Tom and Jerry
      In order that I could concentrate on the Works ?
	
      You will remember
      The near misses !

      ( The Principal remains silent and raises a second hand to its head )

      Well ...

      I just told them about *that* for the first three months

      ( The Principal raises its head and chuckles )

[ Principal ]

   And ...

   What about the rest of the time ?

[ Engineer ]

       Oh ...
       It varied ...

       Depending on my mood
       And what was going on in the world
       And what I was reading
       Which informs my mood

       For instance
       A mate got a tattoo
       She'd lain a few kids out
       She cared for
       At a hospital morgue

       I talked about that for a bit ...

       Africa got a mention also
       I said to one Doctor:
	
         'Did you hear the news last night ?
          Don't you think it's logical to be depressed ?'

       He put his head in his hands
       At that point too

      ( The Principal raises its head again )

[ Principal ]

   Did they give you anything to take ?

[ Engineer ]

      Yes ...

      The many Doctors
      Gave me many
      Roll on
      Roll off
      Prescriptions

      I have them in
      The glove compartment

[ Principal ]

   Ah ...
   You didn't take anything ?
   That explains why
   I didn't get you back
   Earlier

[ Engineer giggling ]

      I suspect three members of this establishment
      Are on Prozac or similar ? !

      ( Giggling stops )

      Ah ...

      Your face tells me
      That I am near the mark !

      I suspect
      Tom is one of them

      Further ...

      Any one with ears
      Knows that Jerry visits
      A trick-cyclist
      Twice a week

      And, any one with ears
      Knows that aromatherapy
      Fill two more
      Of his tranquil
      Lunch time hours

      Did you know
      The Site-Staff
      Are running a sweep-stake
      About his Wednesday outings ?

      Ah ...

      You did not know ...

      You really *must* get out
      To *the sites* more !

[ Principal ]

   What *is* your point ? !
	
   Don't you want to be
   In my team any longer ?

	
[ Engineer ]

      Can you remember
      When I first arrived ?

      And you told me
      Of the new design ?

      The Salmon Leap ?

[ Principal ]
	
   That was long ago
   Long long ago

[ Engineer ]

      Yes
      Long ago, long ago ...

      And remember you told me
      Long long ago
      There were no valley sewers ?

      And the rivers were
      Over burdened with the exhaust
      Of this City ?

[ Principal ]

   Yes

   Many cities were like this
   Many rivers dying
	

[ Engineer ]

      Yes

      A public health concern

      And remember telling me
      What happened
      In consequence ?

[ Principal ]

   The City Engineers
   Built the valley sewers


[ Engineer ]

      But that was long ago
      Long long ago too

[ Principal ]

   But the valley sewers
   Are beautiful

   Egg-shaped
   For strength and for flow
	
[ Engineer ]

      Yes but long long ago
      Too

      And ...

      Over time ...

      From City-Growth
      And from hard-standing

      These beautiful structures
      Becoming full to their brim ...

[ Principal ]

   More than their brim !
   Surcharged !

   Popping covers !
   Flooding roads !
   Like Artesian springs !

[ Engineer ]

      Yes ...

      Like springs
      Like springs in the hills ...

      Before the Engineers pecked holes
      In the valley sewer tops

      And let the head
      Of the City
      In to the rivers again

      And ...

      Again over time ...

      Hole after hole
      Some times three in a row

      Exhausting the rivers again

      Until ...

      Until ...


[ Principal ]
	
   Completion

[ Engineer ]

      Yes ...

      Completion

      The Completion Works

      The baby
      The design

[ Principal ]

   Yes ... Completion

   Do you know
   It was make or break
   At this time ?

   The Council thought
   'Enough is enough'
   And wanted to cover
   The rivers for good

   'Bury the pollution
    Hide the disease !'
	
[ Engineer ]

      Yes ...

      But you argued
      Your case ...
	
      'Stop the pollution
       Treat the disease !'

[ Principal ]

   Yes ...

   Many cities did
   Not just me

[ Engineer ]
	
      Many cities were like this
      Many rivers dying ...

      ( Pause )

[ Principal ]

    And ?

[ Engineer ]

      And ...

      I want to be
      On the Completion Works

      I want to be
      In the team
	
[ Principal ]

   But I need you here
   Back in this office !

[ Engineer ]

      Ah ...

      But it wouldn't work
      It wouldn't work

      Look at the office
      Look around

      This dimness
      Your tinted screens
      Stacked high with proof
      Of bygone schemes

      Shuttering

      Out with the other
      And out with the other's
      Shattered dreams

      It just wouldn't work
      It wouldn't work

[ Principal ]

   But I need your help
   To spike Tom and Jerry

[ Engineer ]

      Ah ...

      That is a problem ...

      But not mine

      Perhaps ...

      Perhaps ...

      Perhaps this would be
      A good point to call
      Judith in from Personnel ?

[ Principal ]

   And say what exactly ?

[ Engineer ]

      And say ...

      That *this* office
      Has a health problem
      And you want to address it

[ Principal ]

   It's just the odd individual !

[ Engineer ]

      Ah ...

      But enough of an individual
      To tie up the time
      Of an Engineer

[ Principal ]

   *Forget it !*

   Forget it

   You can go back
   On Completion

[ Engineer ]
	
      Thanks

( The Engineer departs - Outside the Principal's room the Engineer meets
a Colleague. The Colleague turns their hands up to the sky to signify an
open question. )

[ Engineer ]

   I think you are right
   About Tom and Jerry