5. Are We The Waiting—(For The Royalty Statement)

[Intro instrumental: | TAG: Chord Loops Cm - Ab - G: repeat | The lone, repeating piano note from the end of clarifies into a simple, haunting three-chord loop on a slightly detuned electric piano. | TAG: A sub-bass synth note pulses underneath like a dormant headache. A metronomic, electronic tick-tock sound keeps time:] (Verse 1 - Whispered:) Static numbers on a midnight screen A silent, blinking, blue machine Refresh the page of my demise In real-time, bar-charted lies The algorithm of my worth Is giving birth upon the earth A stillborn figure, cold and black Awaiting the… awaiting the… attack (Chorus - Rising Anxiety:) Are we the waiting for the royalty statement? Are we the data, are we the patient? A heartbeat sold to Nielsen ratings Slowly deflating… Are we the waiting?… [TAG:Music swells slightly with a wave of cold synth strings, then recedes] (Verse 2 - More Urgent:) The publicist just sent a smile A colon, then a metric mile Of "engagement," "viral spread" A picture of my living dead They’ve quantified the tear I shed On chapter nine, on what I said It’s trending in a minor key For one more day of… visibility (Chorus - Bigger:) Are we the waiting for the royalty statement? Are we the data, are we the patient? A heartbeat sold to Nielsen ratings Slowly deflating… ARE WE THE WAITING?! [TAG: MUSIC - The synth strings are louder, more discordant. The drum pulse becomes a shuddering kick.] [Bridge: - TAG: The piano loop distorts, glitches, and speeds up. The bass pulse becomes erratic. Electronic noise swells, The vocal is multitracked, panicked, and layered:] SENDING… RECEIVING… NO SIGNAL… NO SOUL… UNIT OF SALE… ON A CORPORATE ROLL… SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZED… FOR THE EMPTY HOLE… WHERE THE TRUTH WENT… WHERE THE TRUTH… [The chaos reaches a peak, then CUTS OFF] [False Ending: | TAG: MUSIC:A split-second of silence. Then, a single, crashing, distorted power chord and a drum fill, as if the band is about to explode into a rock song—It’s a musical fake-out] [Instrumental Breakdown - Collapse: | TAG: The power chord doesn’t resolve. It just… dies. | TAG: It feedbacks into a low hum. We are back to the original, quiet, haunting piano/bass pulse from the intro, but now it sounds exhausted, defeated:] [ VERSE: - TAG: Return to Pulse, Vocals return, shattered and whisper-quiet, SPRACHGESANG:] The statement’s pending… The audience is ending… We are… the waiting… [BRIDGE - TAG: The piano loop plays twice more. The sub-bass pulse fades. The last sound is the electronic tick-tock, which slows down, warps, and stops with a final, digital glitch sound. Silence. A heavy, empty silence.] [TAG: INSTRUMENTAL INTERLUDE :SEGUE INTO ACT II: After 3 seconds of silence, a new sound begins: a single, fuzzed-out, violently distorted guitar note that screams with pure id. It’s held for a long time, feeding back. | This is the voice that’s been waiting in the silence. This is the sound of ST. TIMMY THE GHOST IN THE MACHINE, launching us into Act II] [OUTRO: fade out:]