"Jason sits before a flickering television in a shady bedsit. A loner, he has all but given up on life. Unbeknownst to him, his fragile grip on reality is about to slip."

- Philosophical debate -

Chat Show Host
...it's like the world you used to know
When mother earth she opened your eyes
Some things have changed and some things remain the same

But all too soon we lose those eyes
The warmth of ignorance no longer clouds our minds
The veil of truth begins to descend
Over those eyes

Narrator
The man in the chair he is closing his eyes
Thinking about the youth he left behind
It's funny how things change and some things remain the same

Chat Show Host
And all too often our children die
We lose that infant feeling
We never say goodbye

Narrator
The veil of truth is about to descend
Over his eyes

- Blackout -

"Jason finds himself in total darkness. As bizarre imagery manifests itself on an inexplicable screen, an indistinct voice prepares him for a journey of sorts."

Narrator
Jason he currently isn't here
Forced to face his silent fears
The man has lost his refuge and his sentiment

His scatty bedsit gone
The life he lived undone
Onto worlds unknown he's on his own

Time to be moving on
The demon has called its victim
Remember the ones you love
Your journey has just begun

Shaking his head in dismay
Ghosts from the past they surround him today
And many painful memories still remain

Time to be moving on
The demon has called its victim
Remember the ones you love
Your journey has just begun

- Waking -

"Once again Jason's surroundings are stripped away, revealing a vast street littered with cars and inanimate bodies."

Narrator
The streets of New Babylon
Where towering ancient buildings dominate all
A silence worthy of kings' company
Here awakens a nervous Jason all alone

There are hundreds of people
Each caressing the road
Surrounding him a world so incredibly sublime
As his focus shifts to darkening skies

- Theme of New Babylon -

Narrator
A simple explanation would be welcomed here
But the man within the picture is ignored
Lifeless and deserted are the city streets
The people on the ground are dead

Monday it had always been an ignorant day
Jason used to wish himself away
His wish came true?

Climbing to his feet he's eager to explore
The people of the city unaware
Confusing is the place he's come to occupy
And sinister its content seems to be

Seven towering buildings touch the motionless cloud
As the road it twists and turns and stretches out
Into what?

Motorcars; twisted limbs; fast food stands; broken bones
Everything here is so empty of life and the plot it has yet to unfold

The city lacking conscience maybe lacked too much
The fate it had invited was despair

Jason
Where am I?

Narrator
Market halls; shopping malls; record stores; and so much more
Everything here is so empty of life and the plot it has yet to unfold

- The Book Store -

Narrator
Approaching a book store he sees something strange in the window
Standing behind it a mannequin clutches old paper
Inward he dashes and quickly unfurls it, he's shaking

"For Jason... not to be opened until Christmas!"

His father passed away so long ago
The gift it spoke of never made it home
(made it home)

Jason (vocal panned to the right)
I didn't want you to go
And I would do just anything to see your face
No, I didn't want to let go
Yes I would do just anything to see your face

Narrator
Elegantly poisoned, yes his father slipped away
What better way to hurt someone, to tear someone apart?
A letter, a simple letter, the only thing he left behind
A note to make the angels weep and the devils cry

His mother never really let him go
The letter fuelled her anguish furthermore

Jason
No, I didn't want you to go
And I would do just anything to see your face
No, I didn't want to let go
Yes I would do just anything for you

- Funeral march -

"Jason recalls a ditty his father used to sing."

A Sailor's Song
One went to and two went fro
Toward the sea that they'll soon know
To seek the truth in stormy skies
To say goodbye to their old lives

"Entering a large square, Jason is met by strange objects and eccentric townsfolk. A large gargoyle above the square announces an 'end of times' before initiating a celebration on the square."

Narrator
Hazy lights are shining
As a square before him opens
Emptiness it leaves him
And faces they surround him
Memories of the circus
Candy floss and cider
A statue stands before them
Welcoming and golden

Gargoyle Statue
Dance, dance your lives away
For this is the end
Time to leave today
So drink, drink till you sway
The last time's today

Narrator
Silently he's poised now
Marching men they enter
Clowns equipped with laughter
Surround him with their nonsense

Gargoyle Statue
Dance, dance your lives away
For this is the end
Time to leave today
So drink, drink till you sway
The last time's today

- A clown encounter -

"Several menacing looking clowns surround Jason and address him directly."

Blue-faced Clown
We have been waiting to spring this upon you
Masking your fear was the start
So much of your person is lost in your wisdom
You must learn to open your heart

All you will see is inevitably
Drawn from a picture inside
An outer portrayal of your future resides
In this madness to which you're confined

- Clown dance -

Narrator
Jason rooted to the spot
The circus is on the move
A drop of rain descends from the sky
The lights are lacklustre and dim
The people are missing
The square is devoid
As the statue points
Into darkness

- A greeting -

"Beyond the gargoyle statue, Jason happens upon a giant theatre. Observing seven paintings in the foyer, a short fellow in a black tuxedo greets him."

Narrator
The greeter dissolves and he stands alone
Eyes on the seven paintings
Each host to a meadow in the Sun
Familiar greens and birds in the sky

The Greeter
Go on into The Theatre
Go on into The Theatre
Walk on into The Theatre
Feel it within The Theatre

Narrator
Searching for the truth
But evading him is truth

A bathroom door reads
'Enter here, see the painting Manifestation'
Nervously cautious he approaches the frame
He's eager to look within

The Greeter
Go on into The Theatre
Go on into The Theatre
Walk on into The Theatre
Feel it within The Theatre

Narrator
Searching for the truth
But evading him is truth

Stepping inside, the hall is beautifully wide
And the elegant gods are towering
The grandeur within reaches inside
And rattles his beating heart

Jason
I'm sure that I arrived on my own
But now I sense that I'm no longer alone
A presence so unnerving is here
Its eyes are on my back now I fear

It's behind me...

- First encounter -

"Jason senses a presence in the rear gods above him. A shrouded figure stands there, looking down toward the stage."

Narrator
Turning his head now he looks to the rafters
A figure is standing above in the gods
There a black overcoat masks his reticent shape
And a dark trilby hat cloaks his eyes and his face

Hidden eyesight, stares through Jason
Down toward the painting stage bound
Beckoning him

Down the aisle he quickly strolls
Unaware of what awaits
The painting sits upon the stage
It lives to entertain
Climbing up onto the stage to look it in the eye
A thousand questions cross his mind without the reasons why

The painting it reveals a landscape
The same he'd seen before
But then the colours start to fade and a cityscape is born
A hidden picture comes to life before his very eyes
Before the colours fade again

- Leaving -

Jason
I feel bizarre
I feel unearthly
I've witnessed things I didn't believe in before

Narrator
Bewildered and bemused
He leaves The Theatre now
And wanders through a harbour to a waterside
Six boats await him there