MUSIC INTENSIFIES 9 ETHEREAL SINGING MUSIC INTENSIFIES ENGINE DRONES SOFTLY (RADIO) WOMAN: She said she'd beat Amy Johnson, and so she has. Jean Batten, NZ's plucky air girl, has set a new record for the flight from England to Australia. MAN: Hinkler, Kingsford-Smith, Earhart, Amy Johnson, and now Jean Batten. It's third time lucky for the try-again girl as she arrives in Sydney after a sensational 12,000-mile flight. KEYS CLACK UPBEAT MUSIC Sandstorms over Persia, searing heat over India, and typhoons over Siam. The 25-year-old emerges looking as fresh as a daisy. (LAUGHS) CHEERING, APPLAUSE MAN: One can't help but feel that those present are witnessing not just the completion of an epic flight but the birth of a new star in the aviation firmament. UPBEAT, JAZZY MUSIC FLASH BULBS CLINK ALL CHEER MUSIC CONTINUES MUSIC CONTINUES MUSIC SLOWS SOFTLY: Beautiful. Copyright Able 2016 Hello. I'm the chief mechanic. Hello. Pleased to meet you. I'd like to speak to whoever actually did the service. Oh, uh, Jim. Jim. Miss Batten. Pleased to meet you. How's she running, Jim? She was missing quite badly on that last leg. Yeah, I'm not surprised. If she'd been a horse, I'd have taken her out and shot her. (CHUCKLES) What's the plan, Walter? What am I putting on my front page next? Oh, we'll find another flight for her. South America, maybe. Don't let her sit on her laurels for too long. Get her back to England and on to the next thing. They don't last long, these fliers. Haven't replaced the exhaust valves? No. No need. Only done 100 hours. Those'll do 200, 300 easy. That's not the way I fly. Need to replace them. But everything else is top notch. Uh, you know that's another two or three days' work. Yes, well... You can check those magnetos at the same time. Thank you, Jim. See ya, boys. OK, boys. Back to work. Have you been here before this? Well, of course. I mean` Thank you. I mean, this is where I first flew with Charles Kingsford-Smith. You know, I told him then that one day I should fly ` England, NZ. He was very charming. Don't think he took me seriously. (CHUCKLES) Just as well you don't still want to fly to NZ. But I do. Only I'm going to need a plane with a much more powerful engine. I mean, Southern Cross had three engines and Smithy had a navigator, and I plan to do this trip solo, single-engine plane. (LAUGHS) You've got to be kidding, Jean. W` The-The-The Tasman, it's a nightmare. It's reckless` ...for a woman? Courageous for a man, though, hm? Jean, there's nothing in NZ. 'From one end of the British Empire to the other.' Capture the public's imagination like nothing before. Look, the deal was that we sponsor your flight from England to Australia, then back. A-And then you'd do something else ` South America, China` Mr Symes, I'm sorry, but you seem to have made the mistake of thinking I'm asking your permission to make this flight. Lord Wakefield, your British owner, is a good friend of mine. So I suggest that you talk to him before you turn me down, because I will be making this flight to NZ ` with or without Castrol. DOOR OPENS > REPORTERS CLAMOUR Hello! Hello, all. Will you please`? While you're here, Miss Batten. Nice to see you too. I'm very happy to be here. Hey, are you seeing anyone in particular, Miss Batten? Oh, you can mind your own business. Hello, what's your name? Dave. Shall we have a photo? Hi! FLASH BULB CLINKS Here. Absolutely wonderful. I'd love to. (LAUGHS) You need to get a better pen. Thank you. Thank you so much. < Do you have anything to say to the people of Sydney? Thank you. Does your mother approve of your occupation, miss? Oh, she's very enthusiastic. She's a wonderful, wonderful woman. Thank you all. Goodbye. < Where are you going to next, Jean? All in good time. Thank you. I must go. Cheerio! > DOOR CLOSES > TYPEWRITER KEYS CLACK Are they still out there? Hm. Little pick-me-up? Please. (SIGHS) (GROANS) Fame's exhausting. (CHUCKLES) Not as much as poverty. Darling. (SIGHS) Clever little flier. BOTH CHUCKLE CRICKETS CHIRP SOFTLY SEAGULLS CALL GENTLE, LYRICAL MUSIC WAVES BREAK GENTLY MUSIC CONTINUES You know, you'll have to write to Ted. Why on earth did you tell him you're going to marry him? Cos I was. Were you? Mm. And now? I feel differently now. I suppose you can't help it. You're just like your father ` always attractive to the opposite sex. Come on. < PLANE ENGINE CHUGS PLANE APPROACHES GENTLE STRING AND PIANO MUSIC Can I have this? One day, maybe. Once you can use it. Here. That arrow always points north. Look, right down there. Here you go. < It's like a magnifying glass in there. If you move it round, you can see different numbers coming up. < That's your bearing. JIM: < ...fuel system. < And we've got these connectors here. < You always wanna make sure that they're tight, < cos they'll work themselves loose over time. Happened to me once, over Brazil. Switched over to the auxiliary tank and the damn thing was completely empty. It'd been leaking the whole flight. Thought I was a goner. What'd you do? Found a scrap of beach, put her down. Knocked that tooth out. Nerves of steel. > Smithy! (LAUGHS) Hello! Oh! Good to see you. Look at you. (LAUGHS) Is that...? Charles Kingsford-Smith in person. You certainly put the wind up that Castrol agent. He called you? Wanted me to talk you out of doing the Tasman crossing. (LAUGHS) I told him I once tried to talk you out of doing something you didn't wanna do. Yeah ` never attempt men's records and don't fly at night. So I told him, well, if he wanted to make as big a fool out of himself as I did, then he should go right ahead. Hm. You sure you wanna do it, Jean? You have to get back to England first. Well, once I have that record, I can buy a new plane. Ah, yes. For NZ. (SIGHS) Seriously, Jean,... it's a mug's game. You're no mug. I need the dough. OVERLAPPING CHATTER Right. Stay for another drink, Jean. I'd love to, but I need to get home to Mother. You know, you should really bring her in here for a meal sometime. Yes! Yes, I suppose I could. You could. (TAPS GLASS) Ladies and gentlemen, we have a lovely drop of French champagne over here for everyone, compliments of Miss Jean Batten. PEOPLE EXCLAIM, APPLAUD Thank you. You're welcome. Beverly Shepherd. And you are...? 'RED SAILS IN THE SUNSET' INTRO # Was down where fisher folk gathered # I wandered far from the throng. # I heard a fisher girl singing, # and this refrain was her song. # Red sails in the sunset # way upon the sea. # Oh, carry my loved one # home safely to me. # He sailed at the dawning. # All day I've been blue. # Red sails in the sunset, # I'm trusting in you. # 9 LIGHT-HEARTED MUSIC (LAUGHS) BOTH LAUGH HORN TOOTS Here we are. Isn't she gorgeous? EMOTIVE CELLO TUNE Hello! (LAUGHS) How lovely to meet you! Father. Pleased to meet you too. Come on in. You must come as often as you like, Jean. It is such a privilege for us to have you in our home. Thank you. I'm very grateful. And it pleases our son far more than he deserves. I am a model son. Oh, and your mother. She's welcome to visit any time. She can't know many people in Sydney. No, but she's a most independent, busy woman. Can hardly keep up with her myself. (CHUCKLES) Well, I am so impressed by your parents. When Beverly first decided to fly, I could hardly bear the thought. Oh, Ma, come for a spin. You'll love it. In one of those contraptions? (LAUGHS) I would not! Oh, sorry, Jean. No! No, no, it's fine. My father was dead against it too. He refused to pay for my lessons, so (CLEARS THROAT) my mother and I hatched a plan and sold my piano to pay for the lessons in London. Oh, so that's why Mr Batten's not in Sydney enjoying some reflected glory. My mother travels with me everywhere. Well, she sounds a truly marvellous woman. Come on, Beverly. A toast. To marvellous women. To Jean. Oh! To marvellous women. To marvellous women. (CHUCKLES) (LAUGHS) There. Did that when I was 12. What's the G-M for? Beverly Gordon Michael Shepherd. Oh! (CHUCKLES) I was always climbing trees when I was younger. Couldn't get high enough. (LAUGHS) What? What? Was just trying to imagine you as a child. Happy, carefree, lots of laughter. How about you? Muckin' about in trees and boats? It was lonely. WATER BUBBLES (HUMS) Morning. < Good morning, darling. Oh! What an absolutely beautiful day it is outside. I've absolutely fallen in love with Sydney. Isn't it glorious? Let's work really hard today, shall we? You can knock off your 500 words before lunch, I'll do those letters, and then we'll go to the botanical gardens for a picnic. Can't. I'm going fishing. What? Where? I don't know. Somewhere terribly oomba-joomba sounding. Do you know where my sun`? Oh no, I know where it is. FOOTSTEPS POUND ON STAIRS Jean, I do need you to sign these letters before lunch. UPSTAIRS: Oh. OK. I'll do it later. Well, at least have some breakfast before you go. There's really no need, because Bee's making a picnic with a thermos and, well, the works, really. So you just have a nice day at the garden, and... Well, cheerio for now. Bye! Bye, Mother. Bye! Jean! DOOR CLOSES CICADAS CHIRP, BIRDS CALL Here. Anything? No. But I bet I can catch a fish before you. In fact, I'll catch one in the next minute. Go on. (LAUGHS) SERENE MUSIC SPLASHING (GASPS EXCITEDLY, LAUGHS) Oh, come on! (SQUEALS) (LAUGHS) Is there anything you're not good at? No. (CHUCKLES) BIRDS CALL, INSECTS CHIRP You have nice teeth. (LAUGHS) What? Never been told that before. Hm. My father's a dentist. Oh. There is something I'm not very good at ` making friends. TEACUP CLATTERS SOFTLY REFLECTIVE PIANO MUSIC REFLECTIVE MUSIC CONTINUES CAR ACCELERATES Shan't be long. CAR DOOR CLOSES I think it's time I met your mother. Very well, then. CLASSICAL MUSIC PLAYS ON RADIO Mother, this is Beverly Shepherd. Beverly, this is my mother, Ellen. I've heard so much about` Shh, shh, shh, shh. OBOE PLAYS, STRINGS JOIN IN Oh, isn't it glorious? I adore Mahler. You adore Mahler, Beverly? Not as much as you, I suspect. Just gonna get changed quickly. Jean, another one of these came for you. Oh. Did you exercise? UPSTAIRS: Yes. Swam for hours at the lake. Jean climbed right to the top of the cliff. You should be swimming in the sea. Lakes are full of diseases. Jean has a very strict food and exercise regime. She is very fit. (CHUCKLES SOFTLY) Jean has a destiny. And nothing will stand in her way. She's writing a book, did you know? About her life. Can't wait to read it. 500 words each day for the next three weeks, and then she flies back to England. Shall we? I've got my keys. (MOUTHS) DOOR OPENS, CLOSES > What's this? (SIGHS) < DOOR OPENS, CLOSES I should have told you. I knew about it anyway. Your great desire for privacy doesn't stop everyone from talking about you, you know. You gonna marry him or`? > No. What else do they say about me? They say you use men for money. INTENSELY: How dare they. I have paid back every single penny that I've ever borrowed. I don't care what people think. I don't care if it's true. Look, I know you're not everything you make yourself out to be. How could you? That Jean Batten's perfect. It's the real Jean that I'm interested in. OK? I just wish that I could see a little more of her. (DIALS) Hello, Mother. It's me. Everything's fine. I'm going to stay the night at Bee's tonight. Yes, of course. OK. Goodbye. EMOTIVE MUSIC (GIGGLES) MUSIC INTENSIFIES (CHUCKLES SOFTLY) BIRDS TWITTER I've dealt with Ted. I wanted you to see what I had written. I'm flying back in two weeks, so we can send the letter together, and then we'll know where we stand. 9 Do you think your mother had anything to do with it? Ted's story making the press, I mean. What a terrible thing to suggest. (CHUCKLES SOFTLY) She doesn't like me very much. She adores you. As do I. DOOR OPENS (BREATHES DEEPLY) I'll go freshen up. Won't be a jiffy. Have you eaten? > No. Not a nibble. Famished. Atlantic or Pacific? Pacific. There we are. Thank you. North or south? Uh, north. Stop. East or west? Mm! (SWALLOWS) East or west? It's nice to have you back, darling. Mm. I never go far. Just look at all these countries. Oh! (LAUGHS) Um... East. East. Keep going. Further, further. Further, further. < And... stop. Majorca. Ah! SOFTLY: Let's go there. SOFTLY: Let's go everywhere. (CHUCKLES) PLANE ENGINE DRONES ABOVE What's all this? Safety equipment for you to consider for your flight back to England. Oh, really, that's very sweet` That was my idea. Flares are an absolute bottom line. There's no reason not to take them. Yes, there is. Space. This? Yes. If you go down in the ocean, this is gonna` Well, then I'm done for. Not if you have this. Jump out of the plane soon enough, this thing` What, for the sharks to get me? Which is why you have this. Which is never gonna work after it's been underwater. Really, Bee? A gun? It's too much. I'm just trying to keep you safe. > Well, don't. It won't happen. Focusing on failure just makes it happen. (SIGHS) PAPER PLANE FLUTTERS You wouldn't do all that for Smithy or Jim. I'm not sleeping with Smithy. > Though he's a devilishly handsome man. (CHUCKLES) > Your fearlessness terrifies me. (IMITATES LION) (CHUCKLES SOFTLY) SHIP HORN BLARES HORN BLARES Here we are, darling. Oh! READS: If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there shall thy hand lead me and thy right hand hold me. Thank you. Remember Jean d'Arc. Je suis nee pour ce faire. SHIP HORN BLARES Off I go. See you in London. Bye. DOUBLE BASS PLAYS JAZZY TUNE OK, Certificate of Airworthiness, registration, carnet de passages, passport and visas. Letter from Castrol to all agents. Thank you, Walter. Need you to sign here. Mm-hm. And here. JAZZY, EXPECTANT MUSIC CONTINUES Good luck, Miss Batten. Goodbye, Walter. All right? Right. MUSIC INTENSIFIES Bye. CLICKING Set and contact. Set, contact. ENGINE STARTS ENGINE RETREATS LYRICAL PIANO MUSIC WIND WHOOSHES WIND WHISTLES RUMBLING (COUGHS) (EXCLAIMS) WIND WHISTLES, ENGINE DRONES ENGINE SPUTTERS ENGINE STOPS, WIND WHOOSHES WHISPERS: Come on. (GRUNTS) CLICK! DRAMATIC MUSIC (GASPS FOR BREATH) (COUGHS) (COUGHS) Come on! WIND WHISTLES Come on! (GRUNTS WITH FRUSTRATION) ENGINE SPUTTERS, STARTS (GASPS) ENGINE DRONES (GASPS WITH RELIEF) (BREATHES RAGGEDLY) (BREATH CATCHES IN SOBS) (LAUGHS, SOBS) PEACEFUL MUSIC TRIUMPHANT MUSIC PLAYS MAN: She wanted to be back for the jubilee, and here she is. Jean Batten has arrived back in London after a 16-day flight from Sydney, making her the only woman to have flown to Australia and back. Since Amy Johnson's recent marriage, the 25-year-old NZer tops the pops for the world's most eligible air girl. But for the time being, her sole ambition seems to be writing her name in capital letters on the book of aviation history. TRIUMPHANT MUSIC CONTINUES PLAYING MUSIC FLOURISHES, ENDS RAIN PATTERS, BIG BEN CHIMES Ah, please. Mr Curnow. Good morning. Please take a seat. Ah, good morning. Hello. Oh, there you are, Mrs Batten. Thank you. Thank you. Marvellous. Here we go. Ah, here's the contract with Thomas Cook to handle all of our affairs. And here is our address and telephone number. We don't hand that out to anybody. Jean gets inundated by the press. Oh yes. I can imagine. Here's some more money to deposit into our account. I see. Uh, well, uh, just leave that there, and I'll get a cashier to verify the amount. And these. Oh. Oh! (CHUCKLES) (SIGHS AWKWARDLY) So, uh, I'm going to need you to ask Castrol to sponsor my flight to NZ. I'm not interested in any other flight, so if Castrol won't do it, find someone who will. NZ it is. (CHUCKLES) Well. (LAUGHS) Oh! You might like a copy of Jean's book. You really ought to read it. Oh! Yes, I- That would be wonderful. Be worth a fortune one day. Oh, Miss Batten. Hm? Many happy returns for tomorrow. I hope you've bought yourself something nice. Thank you. DOOR CLOSES > (BREATHES SHAKILY) GENTLE, WONDROUS MUSIC MUSIC CONTINUES Hello. MUSIC INTENSIFIES ENGINE ZOOMS BIRDS CALL (SPEAKS INAUDIBLY) WONDROUS MUSIC CONTINUES Miss Batten, any news on your next flight? Sheila, if you want a proper interview, why don't you make arrangements with my agent? Oh, Miss Johnson, may I have a few words? Sheila, darling, I gave you at least a thousand last month. You're quite the star now. I can relax and slide back into the shadows. Don't know about that. How's Jim? Same as ever. Marriage doesn't change men. I thought you were happy. You were right to break it off with Ted. Come. My God. Jean, she's a beauty! Self starter! Landing flaps. (GASPS) Nice! What's the horsepower? Oh, 200. She can do 150 an hour. So with an auxiliary tank you'll be able to cover, what, 1500 miles in a hop. 2000. You really are going to do it, aren't you ` cross the Tasman? UPBEAT DIXIELAND JAZZ PLAYS MUSIC CONTINUES ON RADIO INSISTENT KNOCKING AT DOOR Oh! Hello, Mrs Batten. Here I am. I've tracked you down at last. Uh` Oh, Sheila Williscroft from the Daily Mail. Oh, I` I` I wouldn't` I had an appointment with Jean, but she was a no-show, so I thought I'd come to her. Oh, this is cosy, isn't it? It's just temporary. Upstairs, is she? Oh... N-No. Jean isn't available! I see. Planning her next flight. Oh, look, it's no secret. Everybody knows she's planning a flight. I even know that the extra fuel tank has to be delivered by the end of the month, so really, Mrs B, you must give me extra points for doing my homework. Oh, there she is. What is she doing? She's visualising. She's imagining every step of her flight ` every take-off, every landing. Every landmark ` rivers, mountains, lakes. Every step along the way. Good Lord. PLANE ENGINE PUTTERS (SIGHS) All right. Good? Good. ENGINE TURNS OVER, DRONES (SHRIEKS) < Here we go. LYRICAL PIANO MUSIC PIANO MUSIC CONTINUES, CELLO JOINS IN MUSIC FADES What a terrible business. How's Jean? Have you talked to her? I tried. SKIPPING ROPE TAPS RHYTHMICALLY (PANTS) (PANTS) SKIPPING ROPE TAPS FASTER (SCREAMS) (PANTS) CLOCK TICKS (SNIFFLES) ALARM RINGS (TURNS ALARM OFF) < KNOCK AT DOOR, DOOR OPENS It's the big day. Sleep well, darling? Mm-hm. Steak and eggs for breakfast. Perfect. FLASH BULB CLINKS Miss Batten, Miss Batten, a word, please? OVERLAPPING VOICES < Miss Batten, how do you feel leaving London? Miss Batten, a few words for the BBC? Ah, yes, one second. JEAN: It is my fervent wish that with this flight I link the heart of the Empire with its furthest dominion, and my homeland, NZ. WOMAN: Are you feeling nervous at all? Not at all. Well, then good luck to you. Thank you. ENGINE STARTS ENGINE DRONES DRAMATIC STRING MUSIC ENGINE REVS MUSIC INTENSIFIES (CRUNCHES) ENGINE DRONES TELEPHONE RINGS Hello. MUSIC CONTINUES BIRDS CALL MUSIC CONTINUES ENGINE DRONES (BREATHES SHAKILY) MUSIC BECOMES SUSPENSEFUL ENGINE STOPS Hello. I'm Jean Batten. I'm your guest for dinner. FIRE CRACKLES, ENGINE DRONES WONDROUS MUSIC (BREATHES SHAKILY) WIND WHOOSHES RATTLING CHATTERING VOICES ECHO WHISPERING VOICES FRED: Don't be ridiculous! What the devil is... INDISTINCT VOICES ARGUE ELLEN: You're lying to us! FRED: I am going out and I'm not going to have this conversation any more. SLAP! Don't you touch me again, all right! (SOBS, SNIFFLES) (SOBS) (SNIFFLES) We will rise above this, Jean. DREAMY OPERATIC MUSIC (GROANS) (GASPS, BREATHES SHAKILY) ALARM RINGS ENGINE DRONES Beverly. Jim! Weather report, Malaysia. RAIN POUNDS (GASPS) RAIN PATTERS OMINOUS MUSIC ENGINE DRONES (YELLS) Aaah! ENGINE REVS ENGINE WHINES (GROANS) (SIGHS WITH RELIEF) REFLECTIVE PIANO MUSIC MUSIC INTENSIFIES PEOPLE CHEER, CLAP ENGINE PUTTERS, STOPS HUSHED VOICES TELEPHONE RINGS Hello. They tried to tell me you wouldn't accept any calls. I had to tell the poor woman you'd have her drawn limb from limb if you found out she'd rejected this one. Oh. How wonderful to hear your voice. I can't tell you how happy I am to hear yours. I'm afraid I'm quite tired and rather stupid. Can't think of anything to say. There's no need. Just get some rest. It's gonna be even bigger than last time, Jean. They're closing off the streets downtown for you. (CHUCKLES SOFTLY) TRIUMPHANT MUSIC PLAYS I'd like to thank you all for waiting for my arrival. I've been told that some of you have been here since very early in the morning. But it is a woman's privilege to be a little late. (LAUGHS) LAUGHTER, APPLAUSE TRIUMPHANT MUSIC CONTINUES You've got the nation's heart in your hands. Everybody wants Jean. I can't sell enough papers. And you wanna risk all that to try and fly over the Ditch to a country of two million people? It's my home, Mr Packer. Take a ship. I'm flying to NZ ` with or without your help. With respect Miss Batten, there is a reason there've been so few attempts to cross the Tasman. You will be aware of the loss of Hood and Moncrieff? That was years ago, before Smithy had even crossed` Mr Kingsford-Smith is no longer with us. And since the disappearance of Miss Earhart` Sorry, what's your point? Civil Aviation can't guarantee your safety. > (SCOFFS) Of course you can't. Nobody's been able to do that my whole life. It's an utterly ridiculous statement. Your craft will be carrying half a ton of fuel. You can't depart from Mascot. Well, then... I... will need to find somewhere else to depart from. And seeing as I have 11 hours, I best go do that. Good day. All right, listen! I'll pay you ` �2000 to stay here and do a speaking tour of Australia. Well, there's no way anyone's offering you that much for the NZ rights. No! Three. Mr Packer, it's not about money. I can't` Five! 5 grand, Jean. I've never offered so much in my life. Going to have to think about it. Mohammed has come to the mountain. Bee! And would like to take the mountain out to dinner tonight. Oh, I can't, I've` No buts. 8pm. Upstairs. Dinner. It's booked. K. Packer's doing everything he can to convince you. SOFTLY: Thank you. Well, it won't work. It's a fortune, Jean. Have whatever you wanted. As long as I don't risk my pretty little head any more. You must be worried about the Tasman. No, not at all. All right to be scared. Do you want me to be scared? No, I want you to be real. Sorry, I don't know what you mean. You can spout that all you like to the press, but don't try that on me, please. I know you, Jean. I know you're strong and courageous. I know that, but I also know it comes at a cost. So don't pretend to me` Excuse me, Miss Batten? Sorry to interrupt. Would you please? Oh, absolutely. My son. What's your name? Riley. Hello, Riley. Honour to meet you. SOFTLY: Don't tell anybody else, otherwise we'll have them all round here. (CHUCKLES) Thank you so much. Bye-bye. And good luck. Thank you. Marry me. What? SOFTLY: You can't do this here. What? Oh God. What? What is it? Don't do this. When my plane cut out over the Timor Sea, I thought it was all over. I didn't even think of you once. I don't need you to think of me when you're dying, Jean. I need you to think of me when you're alive. I'd make a terrible wife. But I would make an exceptional husband. (LAUGHS) SOLEMN, GENTLE STRING MUSIC (DIALS) Frank Packer, please. CRICKET CHIRPS MUSIC CONTINUES Jean. Mm? There's a front. It's intense and slow-moving. How long till it moves on? Well, at the rate it's going, maybe six, seven hours. You could wait, still get there tonight. No, it's a temporary airstrip in Auckland. There's no lights. Could land at New Plymouth. No, I'm sticking to plan A, but thank you. There you go. SOLEMN MUSIC CONTINUES < Good luck, Jean! PEOPLE CHATTER FLASH BULB CLINKS (IMITATES LION) (CHUCKLES) < Miss Batten, look back this way, please. FLASH BULB CLINKS POIGNANT MUSIC 9 9 ENGINE DRONES HAUNTING MUSIC ETHEREAL SINGING WIND HOWLS, RAIN LASHES (GRUNTS) SOLEMN MUSIC MUSIC CONTINUES ENGINE DRONES, WIND GUSTS If she gets through that, she should see land. ENGINE DRONES, WIND BLOWS ETHEREAL MUSIC MUSIC CONTINUES MYSTERIOUS MUSIC ECHOES: Dad! ECHOES: Dad! MUSIC STOPS (GASPS) (GASPS, LAUGHS) Oh! BREATHILY: I did it! I did it! (LAUGHS) Yes! Aah! Excuse me, Mr Batten. > How do you feel, knowing your daughter is up there somewhere? > Well, as a father, I'd rather she didn't keep risking her life, of course. Mm. But I'm also very proud of her. PEOPLE EXCLAIM PEOPLE EXCLAIM EXCITEDLY ENGINE DRONES, APPLAUSE, CHEERING (BREATHES SHAKILY) CHEERING WILD CHEERING EMOTIVE MUSIC Congratulations. Welcome home. Welcome home! Thank you! How are you feeling? > APPLAUSE CONTINUES EMOTIVE MUSIC CONTINUES ETHEREAL SINGING And here she is ` Miss Jean Batten! CHEERING, APPLAUSE ALL CHEER Yes! LAUGHTER, GLASSES CLINK Very wonderful to be here, in my home town. PEOPLE CHEER Thank you all for coming to` to greet me and my` my little plane. (CHUCKLES) I was able to fly from England to NZ in the fastest time in the history of the world. CHEERING, APPLAUSE And I` I think I can say, without a doubt, this is the very greatest moment of my life. CHEERING, APPLAUSE GENTLE MUSIC, ETHEREAL SINGING (LAUGHS) (SOBS) (LAUGHS) (LAUGHS, SOBS) 'GOD DEFEND NZ' PLAYS 'GOD DEFEND NZ' CONTINUES CHEERING, PEOPLE EXCLAIM FINAL BARS OF 'GOD DEFEND NZ' ANTHEM ENDS TELEPHONE RINGS BEVERLY: Shepherds. It's me. Jean. I just called to let you know I'll be in Sydney next week. Next week? Yeah. (CHUCKLES SOFTLY) Well, that's wonderful news. JEAN CHUCKLES SOFTLY Mother will have arrived by then too. Perfect. See you soon. LINE CUTS OFF 9 MAGPIE CALLS Hello, Jim! I wanted to surprise Bee. Where is he? His flight got in at 2. MOURNFUL VIOLIN MUSIC These are the confirmed sightings of the Stinson, and times. Based on these, we believe the plane has come down somewhere in this area, round Broken Bay and the Hawkesbury River valley. PLANE ENGINES DRONE TENSE STRING MUSIC (PANTS) TENSE MUSIC BUILDS LIQUID SLOSHES ALARM RINGS MUSIC CONTINUES MUSIC CONTINUES Refill her, Stan. I'll go out again first light. Where is everyone? They've all gone. You're the last one back. (SIGHS) Oh, Christ. It's dense bush out there. Could be a week's walk away from civilisation. They're calling it off. What? < Civil Aviation just rang. It's been five days. EMOTIONALLY: Hello there. This is Jean Batten. No, it's an utter disgrace. There's five men out there, stranded and waiting` They're waiting to be rescued. ANGRILY: No, you do not understand! You do not`! (BREATHES RAGGEDLY) CLOCK TICKS SOFTLY TYRES CRUNCH ON GRAVEL ENGINE REVS NEWSPAPER RUSTLES MOURNFUL STRING MUSIC MUSIC CONTINUES ETHEREAL SINGING The first day he brought you here, he told me he was going to marry you. And then he said, 'But I don't know if she's going to be Mrs Shepherd or I'm going to have to be Mr Batten.' BOTH CHUCKLE EMOTIVE STRING MUSIC Darling, you've got to do something. You don't want the press to get hold of this. I'm` I'm trying. What about a picnic? We could walk up into the hills together, just the two of us. Too hot. Jean, you've got to get back to flying. It's something to focus on. No. I can't. I'm done with all that. If you're not a flier, what are you? PLATES CLATTER DOOR SQUEAKS FOOTSTEPS ECHO GENTLE STRING MUSIC (BREATHES SHARPLY) What do you have to beat? Six days, eight hours, 25 minutes. Oh, you can do that, can't you? Do you have any idea what it's like up there on those long-haul flights? I piss out a chute underneath my seat. I eat these milk tablets they call food and I can't shit for a week. My legs seize up. I go deaf. When I blow my nose, it comes out black from the grime. I... I stink, I'm covered in sweat from the heat and from the fear. Yes. Yes, the fear. Because at any moment I could plunge into that sea and I could die like Smithy and Amelia and... So, yes, Mother, I can do this. But I'll tell you what, it's going to be the last time. SOFT PIANO MUSIC MUSIC BUILDS SLOWLY MUSIC INTENSIFIES ENGINE STARTS, DRONES Captions by Tracey Dawson. www.able.co.nz Captions were made possible with funding from NZ On Air. Copyright Able 2016