Page 138 of The Examiner

Gela Nathaniel

Jem, that’s an awful thought. What makes you say that?

Jem Badhuri

You haven’t seen her, not in four months, have you? Have you even spoken to her on the phone?

Gela Nathaniel

I have. I’m sure I have. I must have.

Jem Badhuri

Jonathan knows. Patrick knows. The others, I’m not so sure. But there was something about that trip – that old radio they brought back.

Gela Nathaniel

An old radio came here by accident and was returned almost immediately. Look, Jem, the final project is at a crucial stage. You’re doing well and – between you and me – you’re on course for a Distinction if you knuckle down and focus. I’ll look into Alyson’s whereabouts and confirm she’s well, but I’m sure it’s nothing for you to worry about.

Jem Badhuri

I’ve already looked for Alyson Lang and found her in a studio in Guildford. It’s her older sister’s whereabouts we need to look into. Suzie Lang. Or, as she’s been known for the last ten years, Suzie Danners.

Jem Badhuri’s Doodle Diary, 20 May 2024:

I don’t have a sister, but if I did, I wonder if she’d be as different from me as Suzie is from Alyson? The real Alyson is lovely. I perched on her saggy old settee and sipped scalding tea from a chipped mug covered in textured paint smears. She was so nice I forgot my cover story and blurted out exactly why I was there.

‘Do you realise someone on an MA course at Royal Hastings is using your identity?’

There was a long silence. The real Alyson exhaled. She said yes, she did know, but that she didn’t mind. Her sister desperately wanted to do the course and didn’t think she’d get a place otherwise. I might have believed her, if it weren’t for her voice. I can’t even describe it, but when people lie, it changes the strength of their voice. I wondered what to say next, but Alyson spoke first, and in an urgent whisper.

‘Do you know where Suzie is?’

This is the first time I’ve heard someone else admit that ‘Alyson’ is missing.

‘She hasn’t been in the studio for ages,’ I said and wondered if I should tell her the others pretend that she’s there when she’s not.

‘She stopped taking my calls months ago,’ the real Alyson tells me. ‘I went round to their flat, but they’d moved out. I’ve messaged, but the responses aren’t like her at all. You must understand something about Suzie and me. We’re more than close. Nothing can break our bond, but the last time I spoke to Jonathan, he said not to contact them any more – that they’re working on something that could change the world.

My sister is the strongest person I know. She wouldn’t let anyone speak for her, not even him. But they’re both so … I don’t know where either of them would ever draw the line.’ She stopped herself saying any more, but I could tell there were tears in her eyes.

As I left the studio and was about to make my way back through the noisy, chaotic building, Alyson stopped me and said, ‘Did Suzie ever mention AetherGen to you?’

AetherGen? The climate-change group who block roads and damage buildings. When I said as much, Alyson dropped her voice to a whisper.

‘They have a new leader who’s committed to rather more than that, and I’m afraid Suzie might be under his spell.’

‘Alyson – I mean Suzie – isn’t under anyone’s spell; if anything, everyone seems to be under hers.’

‘I hope I’m wrong,’ Alyson sighed, but all the way back to the car five of her words rang in my ears. ‘Nothing can break our bond.’

Royal Hastings, University of London Special Consideration Form

This form should be used only to communicate mitigating circumstances if you feel you have faced sudden and insurmountable barriers to achievement in your final dissertation, coursework or exams. It is not a guarantee that your final grade will be higher than that awarded by the examiner.

Name:Alyson Lang

Department:Media Arts