Transcript created: 3rd September 2026

Last updated: 3rd September 2026

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[This sequence is almost identical to the opening of episode one, except for Noor’s lines at the end]

 

[A small airplane engine whirring, the washing of waves in the sea. We get closer to the plane, hearing a propeller, then transition to the interior of the cabin. We hear sheets rustling.]

 

NOOR: [Sleepy, grumpy mumbles]

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[A 90s-esque digital alarm clock beeping.]

 

NOOR: [Reacting, grumbling]

 

[A click, the alarm stops, we hear it topple over as the sheets rustle again.]

 

NOOR: [Stretching, yawning, not wanting to get up]

 

[The sheets rustle as Noor sits up. We hear her move, hear a seatbelt click.]

 

[Music comes in softly - a simple electronic melody of morse-code beeps, moving quickly and rhythmically.]

 

NOOR: (TO HERSELF, SOFT) You better be out there, sailor

 

[A handheld radio being switched on]

 

NOOR: This is Noor. Welcome to the Bird Roads.

 

[We hear more clicks and zoom out on the soft sound of the plane engine as the theme music comes in.]

 

FERAH AHMET: The Bird Roads. Act Three. Part Three.

 

[The theme music ends. We come back in on the sound of two engines. Jamal is coming through via the radio, not very distorted. Each line ends with the beep of their handheld radios.]

[Throughout this scene we can hear the flapping of the tarpaulin on Noor’s plane.]

 

JAMAL: Good morning sunshine! Hope you’ve remembered to take your Oxyphenbutazone this morning. Or, actually, don’t. I’m pretty sure that stuff was outlawed was even before the apocalypse.

 

NOOR: (Yawning) Jamal. Is there a way to make you an ounce less cheerful in the morning? And I maintain that game was rigged. I didn’t draw a single Q.

 

JAMAL: What, because you’d have got me with caziques?

 

NOOR: Cazee-what now?

 

JAMAL: Cazique - a term for the chief of an indigenous clan or tribe in Mexico and the West Indies. Don’t you read, Blackbird?

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NOOR: I read plenty. Don’t know that I found all that much time for board games in between kicking all kinds of ass, though

 

JAMAL: Not kicking ass at scrabble, presumably

 

NOOR: You got a point you want to make Jamal?

 

JAMAL: Yessiree. I got a ping about an hour ago. Fuel spotted: True Course One-Thirty-Two, Variation three degrees East, Deviation seven degrees West.

 

NOOR: Shit, really?

 

JAMAL: Would I lie to you?

 

NOOR: I don’t know, would you?

 

JAMAL: Only if it was funny. But seriously Noor, if you want to keep that bird in the air we need to fetch that tank

 

NOOR: Well, you know what they say. Ladies first.

 

[Music rises up, and we hear the engines of the two planes crossing the sky. The music swells into something summery and positive.]

 

NOOR: You got eyes on it J?

 

JAMAL: Yep, I see her! And she is a beauty. (Distracted) Deploying pincer.

 

[A sudden huge splash of water.]

 

NOOR: Holy shit. We still have whales?

 

JAMAL: You sound surprised Blackbird

 

NOOR: You’re not?

 

JAMAL: (Distracted, mild efforts whilst he speaks, concentrating) If anything we gave them an all-you-can-eat buffet. I’m betting the cetaceous population has never been better. That’s another good scrabble word. Cetaceous. OK, I’ve got it. Bringing it in now.

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NOOR: Alright J. Don’t take too long with her, yeah? I’m losing altitude

 

[The positive, almost tropical music continues in a high, cheerful rhythmic melody until it ends. 

We hear the engines and a long low beep alongside creaking metal.]

 

NOOR: Connection is solid Jamal. Let her rip.

 

[Creaking groan of the machine working, muffled glug of fuel. We’re in midair, the planes’ engines are whirring far above the ocean waves]

 

JAMAL: Where are you heading next?

 

NOOR: Figured I’d explore the old African continent. I know she was one of the first to sink, but maybe Finn went out there looking for survivors? There would’ve been more people to help than there were left by the time Europe went down.

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JAMAL: Sure, sure. I hear the weather’s beautiful there this time of year.

 

NOOR: You’ve been keeping a calendar?

 

JAMAL: You haven’t?

 

NOOR: I’ve been tracking time. I just don’t know how relevant the old Gregorian is any more.

 

JAMAL: You still watching the moon, though?

 

NOOR: I was never much of a Muslim. Not sure the end of the world changed that.

Sudden new beep, DIFFERENT to the others - an incoming transmission.

 

NOOR: Hang on J -

 

[Noor clicking various buttons, affirmative beeps and trills in response]

 

NOOR: (To herself) Holy shit

 

JAMAL: You okay over there, Blackbird?

 

[Long beat.]

 

[Tapping on screens, clicking buttons, Noor frantically cross-referencing information]

 

JAMAL: Blackbird? You good?

 

NOOR: (Stunned) Jamal, I just...I just received co-ordinates

 

JAMAL: From who?

 

[As Noor speaks the theme music comes in]

 

NOOR: Unknown sender. But these - this is - these are naval co-ordinates. Seven hundred Klicks North-East. Jamal, this is it. I think...I think it’s Finn

 

JAMAL: Seven hundred - isn’t that the storm?

 

NOOR: (Interrupting) They’re alive. (All sound dies away) Alhamdulillah. They’re alive.

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CREDITS 

 

[The theme music plays as Ferah speaks.]

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FERAH AHMET: The Bird Roads Act Two, Part Three, was written and directed by Ella Watts, with music and sound design by Amber Devereux.

Noor was played by Ferah Ahmet and Jamal was played by Edward Selvey.

Our dialogue editor, script editor and production manager is Ross McFarlane. This podcast is a Tin Can Audio production. 

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[The theme music swells for a final crescendo before fading out on the looping morse code melody.]