INT. TV STUDIO – NIGHT
Camera focuses on female presenter sitting on an orange sofa. Bright stage lighting shines down at her. The camera pans over a smiling audience to the presenter.
SARAH
(smiling)
I’m Sarah Phillips and welcome back to The Shipping Forecast. Today on the show I’ve spoken to celebrity vlogger Caistat about his new line of hover-boards, and Blue North has been in the studio talking about her upcoming film Sense, Sensibility & Cyborgs. We’ve also had a special broadcast all the way from ‘the loneliest girl in the universe’, Romy Silvers.
But I’ve saved the best for last. Now we have someone who I’ve been trying to get on the show for a very long time. The famous Clove Sutcliffe, the first ever time traveller and founder of the era-defining History Control. You don’t need me to say any more. You all know who she is − most of us had a poster of her on our wall as a kid, didn’t we, folks?
The crowd roars with excitement.
SARAH
So without further ado, all the way from the year 2058, please welcome … Clove Sutcliffe!
CLOVE enters, waving to the crowd.
SARAH
Miss Sutcliffe, it’s an honour to have you with us this evening.
CLOVE
It’s a pleasure to be here.
SARAH
Is this your first time visiting our year?
CLOVE
Actually, I’ve been to visit my girlfriend here a few times. She’s from this time period.
SARAH
So you’re in a long-distance relationship?
CLOVE
(grinning)
Centuries long distance, yep.
SARAH
How’s that working out?
CLOVE
(ducking her head, smiling)
Great, thank you for asking.
A voice in the crowd is heard yelling, “TELL US WHO ELLA IS!”
SARAH
(chuckling)
Well, I’m sure you want to keep the identity of your mystery lady private, so let’s move on. I want to talk to you about your famous work in History Control. Firstly, how do your parents feel about being used throughout history as tools?
CLOVE
They are happy to help and gave their DNA willingly. It took a bit of getting used to, I think, knowing that there are lots of clones of them out there, but they would do anything to help save one life, let alone millions of them. Of course the Katherines and Matthews …
(pausing as the crowd cheers)
… the Katherines and Matthews throughout history don’t know that they have been created by the DNA of people hundreds of years in the future. But my parents are so kind – they naturally want to help no matter when they are born. The choice to save the world is always theirs. I just give them the means to do it, by placing them at the right moment in history.
SARAH
Your work has saved countless people and their descendants. But how did you first decide that putting your parents in the past was the best way to ensure History Revisions? What inspired you?
CLOVE
I never came up with the idea. I just started doing it, because I saw that’s what was happening and realized it was a good idea.
SARAH
So it’s a paradox? You do something, because you’ve already done it…
CLOVE
Right. Somewhere out there, someone must have started the whole thing, but I don’t know who. I just carried on their great idea. Time travel is like knitting. You have to build on what’s come before, and weave the strands together until it becomes something beautiful.
SARAH
Well, that’s something for us all to think about. Now, I have one last question for you. What are you going to do next?
CLOVE
I’m about to start a computer science degree, so right now I’m frantically trying to learn how to cook something that isn’t beans on toast. It’s an adventure.
SARAH
Thank you, Clove.
(Turning to face the camera)
That’s all from us for tonight. Stay tuned next for the much-anticipated season finale of Sherbot Holmes: Robot Detective!
File note: Transcript from the first public appearance of CLOVE SUTCLIFFE, on popular talk show The Shipping Forecast