“Newsflash! We have found signs of life on Planet K2-18b!” (A skit or proto short story)

Narrator: So the word on the intergalactic gravity wave data network was telling all the advanced citizens of the galaxy that those ape-like beings of planet Earth thought they’d sniffed out life on another planet. This made all the galactic tongues wag, as you might expect. Just imagine what the far far more advanced than us beings – the aliens- would have been saying to each other….I imagine it might go something like this….

“Evening SnoinkSnoik”

”Evening BlatBlat”

“Oh no SnoinkSnoink did you here the news? Those bums over at the Perseus arm of the Milky Way finally found us – drat drat & double drat!

“Well Blato me ol’ boy, don’t worry too much – at least they won’t be able to get here for another thousand years – they ain’t too bright on the anti-gravity”.

“You’re right again Snoinko – we at k2-18b can all thank our lucky stars about that”.

“Don’t you mean we can thank our lucky “sinusoidally rotating twin Roy Kerr blacker than black, black holes” – after all, that’s what drives our anti-gravity”

“Ah yes Snoink, but that would be a real mouthful say – oh wait I forgot, we communicate telepathicaly don’t we?”

“How could you forget that Blats?”

“Dunno I think maybe we are already getting dumber ever since they sniffed us out”

“Oh well, perhaps we should shoot ‘em with our death ray”

“No Snoinkster, we are supposed to protect the undeveloped cave man like life forms – remember the galactic charter?”

“Oh yeah, ok then Blatso, from now on it will all like “ixnay on the eth-day ay-ray”

“Yes lamentably ol’ Snoinkarino, it really does seem like you are becoming more like the Earthlings every second – I didn’t understand a word you said, I mean thought!”

“Well Blatsos, you’re right again! I am probably over exposed to their silly psychic mind fields – I did have a brief visit there over New Jersey the other month, the sunny weather was as delicious as the odd human snack I beamed up to my vessel!”

“Silly Alien, I told you to stop zipping about the galaxy so much, and be careful what you eat those humans are very high in fat these days!”

“Well excuse me for wanting a holiday once in a while & some time to myself, & what’s wrong with some fatty human snacks every now & then as a treat”

“Look what we are becoming, we are becoming what we eat! We have to stop all this silliness! And now they know we are here it’s only get worse! let’s rip up that pesky galactic charter & fire up the death ray!”

“here here Blatbrain!”

“No – not here – over there, let us not blow ourselves up again Snoinkenstein”

“Over there, over there, spread the word, spread the word, over there! (singing theatrically)”

“Oh brother! Now you’re singing their dippy songs – we really need to end this scene fast!”

“I agree me ol’ mate Blato-saurus – but how?”

“Let’s just stop thinking”

“Oh so we’re going to be 100% Earthlings now are we?”

“Unfortunately Snoinkeltoes, yes – that is now looking like our destiny!”

“Well, Blatzles, let’s just fire up the death ray then!”

“Right you are Snoinkletino”

“No worries Blatsoballs”

“I’m glad we eventually saw giant black almond shaped eye to giant black almond shaped eye”

“Looks like we’re back to being ourselves then eh?”

“Yeah – that Earth mind Virus got us for a few mega trillion nanoseconds!”

“True – now I forget what we are doing with the death ray are we using it or do the Earthlings get to live”

“Let’s flip for it”

Ok if I land on my six feet they live, if I land on my giant squid like head they die by giant intergalactic laser beam!” (he does a summersault & lands perfectly on his six feet)

“Ta da – I landed on my feet”

“Ok the dummies live to sniff our farts another day then”

“Let’s shut up our telepathy now that that’s all sorted Snoinkelbergster ”

“Oh Blatabus, You always think that! p.s. just call me plain old SnoinkSnoink next time would you”

“But that’ll be no fun Snoinkel-berg-ster-saurus-arino-meister”

“Oh dear…oh dear…oh dear oh dear oh dear….it’s worse than I thought…you’ve got a terrible terrible dose of Humanitis….I’ve changed my mind about it all now Blattles – Fire up the Death Ray!”

“Ok fair enough SnoinkSnoink, after all, It’s only fair & right charter or no charter it must be done!….but …er..there’s just one more problem…”

“What’s that Blatblat?”

“I can’t remember where I put it last”

End

“The Rise Of The Droid Bosses” ( A Skit,Play or Poem)

By Martin Anton Smith

“I’m sorry but we’ll have to let you go”

“Why, what did I do”

“Nothing – that’s the problem”

“But we Humans have been getting away with doing nothing in offices since, well, since I don’t know when”

“Sorry, but we now are allowed to reduce our ‘Human DEI’ quotient from 50% to 35% – we’re letting the worst ones like you go first”

“I thought you Droid’s were supposed to pretend to be nice?”

“Well, that’s another thing we don’t have to do anymore “

“Geez, what’s the world came to, we humans are becoming obsolete – we’ve become outmoded like the Horse & Cart!”

“Well, that’s where you’re in luck – theirs new jobs going in the “man & cart” industry taking us droids around the city to our battery-recharge luncheons”

“I wouldn’t sink so low”

“Come on, us Droids know guys like you’ll cave!”

“Damn you Droids! Ever since GPT27 was installed in your CPU I’ve never had a chance to put one over you metal-heads”

“Hey, we all have to accept our destiny”

“Fair enough – but I hope there’s some perks to this “Man & Cart” job I’m gonna do soon”

“Of course – you’ll get all the oats you can eat, & you can sleep in the cart during downtime”

“Deal!”

“Why didn’t you negotiate”

“Well, given the power differential between us Humans & you Droids – I thought I’d better not push back, less you accuse me of looking a gift horse in the mouth & then get angry & withdraw the job offer”.

“But we Droids can’t get angry if we wanted to – we only simulate Human emotions so you monkey-brainers don’t get jealous”

“I’m starting to think you were right in firing me & demoting me to be a ‘Man & Cart’.

“We don’t make mistakes.”

“Oh well, we Humans had it good for a while – such is life!”

“I’m glad you’re seeing the light so soon. This is why we initially hired you – you had a special kind of spinelessness that was useful in the corporate environment.

“Thankyou Droid Master! I come from a long line of spineless lazy office dwellers – right back to the Dickensian London era.”

“And now you’ll still be able to celebrate that culture with the ‘man-cart’ job”.

“Wow! – what a time to be alive!”

“Yes – I think you’ll find We Droids are tough but fair on you Humans. Now is there any more before I send you on your way?”

“Well can I ask that my Oats at least be ‘Rolled Oats’.

“I’m sorry but you’ll have to roll your own, budget won’t stretch that far”.

“So, I guess asking them to be toasted is out of the question too?”

“Sorry, but the contract I’m preparing for you has only provision for ‘untoasted but still warm unrolled oats”.

“May I ask how the Oats will be warmed?”

“Well, you’ll be provided a Cat for dual reasons – for company & to warm your bag of oats”

“Oh Master! You’ve thought of EVERYTHING!”

“Carry on like that Human & I might give you two cats! Meowww!”

“Wow – did you just did an impression of a Cat!”

“I’d better not boast, it’s human-like & very un-becoming”

“Well Droid master, I’m pretty sure you’ve already ‘become something anyway!.”

Oh, my dear Human! That’s quite wise! – Two Cat’s it is! Now sign here with an ‘X’ & everything will be ok”

Narrator: The Human signs with an ‘X’ & the Droid passes him over the desk a copy of the contract & two cats, & a big bag of Oats. The cat’s immediately lay happily down on top of the oats & begin purring & fall asleep immediately. The Human takes the cat-oat combo out of the room, the cats remain unmoved & asleep, and the oats begin to raise in temperature. The Human skulks defeatedly out the door. The Droid-Master, seemingly displaying arrogant tendencies, reclines its seat back and puts its feet on the table & stretches its arms slowly & triumphantly outwards its arms behind its head.

Pete the Green Grocer Exacts his Revenge (Podcast Transcript/Skit)

Welcome to the Baby wants its bottle inc. podcast a creative project by Martin Anton Smith, a New Zealand Based Creative.

In this episode, I present a short skit. how did I come up with this Idea?, I listened to that old old song song “yes we have no bananas”, a big band song that was a hit in the very old days. I remember as a kid in the 80’s, it was reference on occasion on TV. So I kinda liked the song, and it kicked off my creativity. I thought of updating the songs lyrics, in the form of a skit or a mini short story, you could even call it an “alternate ending”. So make sure you also eat a Banana today, but make sure its not rotten, but then again, you can always make a banana cake out of those! But then we all know you will throw it out, who has the wherewithal to bake cakes these days? Note: the original song, I hope, is embedded at the bottom of the shows transcript, see the shows description for the link .

And without further ado, lets begin…I give you my fun creation, which I have titled, “Pete the Green Grocer Exacts his Revenge” by Martin Anton Smith 2021

Ok Pete, that’s awesome, I’m so happy your niece turned 10 yesterday, and that your grandmother just turned 128, that’s gotta be some kinda record! And yes, I promise, I’ll come and have a drink of your famous home grown whiskey, just as soon as I get the time. Yes, Yes, I know its aged in oak barrels, Yes I know you made the barrels outa the old oak tree in your great grandmas back yard! What’s that? Do I like Jazz being played today? Yeah, It’s ok I guess, but Pete – You know I prefer Public Image ltd! John Lydon was…I mean IS a genius!…as was Keith Levene!….Ok Pete, I”ll tell you about the history of Punk later…what’s that Pete? Yes the trumpets are great, they really are! Now Pete, I really must Go now…no the beans and the apples will be fine….Yes a Paper bag …thanks…I you double bagged it, cheers…huh? sorry Pete, that’s all I want, no Pistachios, No walnuts, not even a Old White bean, my old Bean! I gotta run, I’ve had a bad day, I need rest, my mother has been driving me crazy lately, she’s old and losing her marbles, thinks I stole the phone, you know what’s its like, its kinda like your great grandma always asking you to find her some “doctors Orders Cigarettes'”, over and over again – Parents are so frustrating, I don’t know how you guys do it Pete – 7 Generations all in the same house!…the queue for the bathroom must be terrible! Now I really really must finally Go Pete! Hey one more thing Pete, just before I go….Pete, can you stop saying “Yes, we have no bananas” ? Its kinda stupid, no one gets that old joke anymore, I mean it’s not 1930 anymore, and no one knows that old song…I mean the joke is lost on everyone under 90…..no One knows who the hell Louis Prima is anymore, no one has liked that “Big Band” sound since Chuck Berry’s electric guitar swiftly killed it!…Pete, don’t cry, Please , Oh Jeez Pete, there’s a whole Niagara Falls coming outa your eyes, oh Pete come on, don’t be upset, here’s my handkerchief…oh thats not working, here, cry into this cup….here’s another….wait, here take this bedsheet, that happens to be blowing by…ah good yes…Pete, dry those sore red eyes…take these eye drops too…here let me help…..oh sorry, that went up your nose, I was only trying to help.

Pete, calm down, stop shouting! What? you don’t want my custom anymore? Come on Pete , ok I’ll compromise , just add a small change to that banana line, nothing big. I just want you to say something funny, for when you actually do have something in stock as the “Yes we have no bananas” line, only works for outa stock items …what’s that Pete? Oh you will go along, so long as I buy some extra Imported, extra Salty, extra Long, Extra Red Salami? ok ok, I’ll have some of that Salami then! But, now to my idea, you should say, “No!, we have some Salami?” , that’s the converse of “Yes! We have no Bananas, isn’t it? Be logically consistent Pete! Come on Pete, live up to your Harvard Education! Pete, Your Going Red….Now Blue…..Now Purple, steam is coming out both ears! Now its steaming the Brocoli! And You dont have a license to cook on Premises! Pete, with that display of anger, You really must see my therapist, don’t worry, he’s as Cheap as your disappearing bananas, and as nice as your great grandma! What’s that you say Pete? “No!, you have some rotten tomatoes for my nice Italian suit?”. Aright Alright, My God Pete, I cant believe you did that, Pete, the dry cleaning bill will be horrendous! Ok, well I guess I asked for that Pete, I was rude, very rude, I acted like an arrogant upper crust clueless colonial Englishman from 1895. I promise Pete, I’ll never tell you how to run your lovely, old fashioned, Jazz playin, half stocked, Conversational, quaint and undeniably lovable greengrocer shop. Ok then Pete, I’ll have some beans, Ok I’ll have some mushrooms, cucumber, yep my hamster loves those, lettuce yep, Grapes? ok I’ll have some grapes, though Pete, I hope they are not “sour grapes” Pete …ah aha haha haha ha ah ha! Pete, your not laughing…Pete…don’t grab me…Pete that’s sore…..Pete, I’m choking you’re choking me! …Pete…PEEEETE……. I…….THOUGHT……YOU….SAID …YOU ……..HAD………….NO……………BANANAS!!!!!!!!!!!

end of scene

Thankyou for listening to the baby wants his bottle poetry inc. podcast, a creative project by Martin Anton Smith, a New Zealand based creative. Available on Spotify and many other platforms

P.s. the original song I hope is embedded at the bottoms of the shows transcript, see the shows description for the link.