i. above the waves

narrative
a crew set sail unto stormy seas
fifteen men, intent to explore the world
1785 was the year
and their time had come to seek their fortune on the seven seas
but out in the night they sailed blind in the storm
anxious, desperate and lost
fear it held them in a depressing suspense
unprepared for what was to come...

ii. the storm

breaking the waves with the bow of the ship
the men are aware of the rain
the deck under darkness
the thunder
the crash
the storm it descends from the sky

fingers are pointing
the crew passing blame
lost through no fault of their own
no omen
no warning
just the eye of the storm
these men they can't ever go home

harris
pass me the glass
i will climb up the mast
i'm braver than most as you know
into the sky
i will climb rain or shine
in search of a place to lie low

captain godson
sooner or later
we will find a stretch of land
onward we will venture
till the ship it runs aground

the clouds above will dissipate
the storm will run its course
beyond the golden arch of dawn
all will be understood

o'leary
dissipate...
dissipate...
thunder crash...
thunder crash...
understood...
understood...

harris
listen to the captain
i don't believe he's to blame
for i have seen through the looking glass...
land ahoy!

iii. the uncharted isle

the storm subsides as land approaches
trees and birds abound
a tropical island under sky blue
greets the desperate crew

murphy
food and water!
shelter from the sun!

thorne
safe from danger!
life has just begun!

gathering strength now
sickly pirates
they wade ashore to the beach
the golden sand is warm and soothing on their aching feet

captain godson
deathly silent is this place we've found
keep your wits about you when the sun goes down

the crewmen are lying on the sand
the captain is searching for a path overland
the ship it is anchored
rocking to and fro
it's vacant
empty of life
will it remain this way forever?

o'leary
silence...
silence...
oh so silent...
peace and quiet...

captain godson
fortune
glory
age-old story
riches we will seek...

iv. the forgotten world

narrative
night fell on the beach
and with it a moonbeam
illuminating a hidden trail leading deep into the trees
the captain led his crew within
where they discovered an ancient, secret cave
curious and without fear
they ventured forth
into the darkness of a forgotten world...

captain godson
light your torches
gather round
into the cove
into the hidden dark
now...

fifteen men
march in single file
their footsteps take them
deeper underground

face to face with darkness
torches light the passageway
strange depictions carved in rock
display a long forgotten race

ancient stone
smooth as bristol blue
a distant temple
in the deepest gloom

beams of light cascade and fall upon a tower of broken bones
beyond the temple waits in silence
deep beneath the real

a wooden door beholds them now
they stand alert
the building here in deepest darkness
it fills their minds with doubt

v. the temple of laztozia

the captain spots a burning candle
it flickers in the shade
a disembodied spectre speaks from far beyond the grave

spectre
extinguish the candle and lower the lights
for we've been gifted the eyes of night
and we are many within these halls
we wait to take away your burdens
in the dark we dream of life in flesh

torches dimmed
now the door it opens
the captain leads his men into the dark
there shapes are brought to life awash with polychromatic light
revealing a maze of corridors

murphy
where to go from here?

the spectre faintly heard in the distance
beckons with its cold breath

captain godson
the time has come
we've got a make a choice
do we trust a stranger's word?

thorne
if jewels await us
pearls and diamonds
then trust my friend is theirs!

harris
i don't understand what we're doing here captain
it's out of control!
can we really trust these voices?

o'leary
trust...
trust...
trust...

spectre
you must find us!
you must help us!
trapped!
we can't get out of here!

- the change -

deeper into the heart of the maze
the dream of their fortune it fades
the pirates are fearful
they're desperate and lost
in need of a way to escape

captain godson
hear my words
i speak to you god's honest truth!
vigilance will serve you well
until the end...

and they can see a distant glimmer of light
in the depths of the maze up ahead
a chamber filled with sheets of colourful glass
a place undisturbed by time

spectre
welcome to our special place
within the glass we live and breathe
and here we've been for far too long
so cold within the glass...

vi. the chamber

light reflects from pane to pane
the shapes within are on the move again

spectre
crack the surface
smash the glass
share the future
share the past

arms in the air
the men are ready to strike
the shapes beneath the glass are frozen now
ready to join again the land of men
to walk beside them on a summer's day

narrative
with steel and stone they strike the glass
cracks are formed and the spectres gasp
the faceless figures cry out in pain
as the glass it shatters and the spooks escape

an empty silence falls upon them
deathly figures rise from the shards and splinters
disembodied
blind and clutching
twisted features
a pirate's nightmare

harris
look to your left - look to your right
it seems that we are surrounded

captain godson
what is it that we have unleashed?
are we doomed to the same fate as they?

harris
caught in the storm
bait on the sea
prey for the devils and serpents

captain godson
run for your lives!
leave me here in the dark!
this is your final chance!
take it now and go!

vii. escape

they fell into the kaleidoscope
they strayed too far
they fell into the kaleidoscope
they saw too much

harris
looking back
those things i saw
was it a dream?
i look at the mirror
there i see my face
but is it really me?
i'll never really know...

- ? -

captain godson
i can see a thousand faces staring back at me
no sky just dark
there's no redemption
no escape for me

locked up tight in artificial light
a slave to greed
a slave to hate
a slave to entropy