#piratefm:plot

It was certainly a rough week, but the pirates slogged through their broadcasts, some trying their best to keep a positive outlook and others… less so. The news had hung over their heads like a dark cloud, to the point they almost forgot that someone had planned a stag night for Alfie. It might have been neglected completely, Alfie never completely on board with the idea, had St. John not pushed going forward with it. He played up that it was really something they should do for Alfie when, in actuality, he was just certain that everyone needed a night to think about anything else. Through his insistence, the night remains as stands, and the pirates make their way to the mainland.

However, maybe it is possible that the crew has more to celebrate. Over a round of drinks, Julian breaks the good news: the loophole in their problem. The government is not quite so clever as they think, nor as powerful. They can only restrict ad revenue coming from British banks, so if the pirates can convince a few bigger companies, ones who can pay internationally, they’ll be in clearer waters. It seems like great news; at least, to everyone but Juliet. She had been the one to find this answer and now, once again, everyone is praising Julian. This frustration is only made worse that, just before leaving, Juliet found a box of letters addressed to her, fan mail she hasn’t been receiving for weeks. 

Juliet is not the only one dealing with personal issues amid the celebration either; Laurey still does not feel as if she belongs with the crew, and the failed broadcast from the previous week did not help. As the night drew on, the crew saw less and less of her, though everyone’s sure she must just be with someone else. Maggie, ever aware, realized how late it was getting and began to encourage the crew to start wrapping up and heading home, and that’s when it became clear that Laurey had left on her own. The pre - recorded shows that Maureen has only give them until 5:30 AM. It should be easy enough… well, should be if the tension between the two fearless leaders of Pirate Radio hadn’t begun to boil and all members were accounted for. At least the hosts of the Chart Show seem to be enjoying themselves, at least for the time being. 

                                                tw.  boating accident

If the goal of the outing the previous night was to distract the crew members from the conflict with the government, it could be argued that it was an overwhelming success. However, not all distractions are created equal. Geo returned to his usual way of dealing with things, which is to say avoiding them entirely. He and Leo truly enjoyed the night, though ever watchful Maggie was the real hero for getting them both back to the ship. Tensions between the two founders of Radio Rock began to grow, but have not boiled over quite yet… which might simply be due to the fact that both Julian and Juliet had other things on their mind the previous night. 

Julian was able to track down Laurey and, after learning her intent was to leave, was somehow able to get her back on board. Juliet, on the other hand, was faced with the question of the letters. After finding a box containing letters (both professional and personal) that never reached her, Jules is reeling from learning about the condition of her mother, and left the party with Artie to go visit her. 

Yet, personal tangles would not be able to hold their attention alone for long. Even though it seems as if they would be able to avoid the trouble with advertising, a news bulletin arrives that will certainly weigh heavily on each of the pirates. At the same time they were on the mainland the previous night, reveling in their distractions, a fishing boat sent out a distress signal; the signal was overpowered by that of Radio Rock. The crew of the vessel are currently in critical condition.

The crew are given only a few days to decide what they are feeling now, or what they plan to do about it. In that time more information comes out about the accident, a few details that seem to lay some of the blame on the missteps of the responders and the fishing boat itself, but the whole situation is tangled, confusing, and the government sees it as an opportunity to make a further move against the pirates. While a good amount of public support seems to be on the pirates side, not all of it is and parliament was able to pass the newly proposed Marine Offenses Act, adding endangerment to their reasoning for doing so. Their other claims included misappropriate of World War II military installations and wavelengths, and the unauthorised playing of recorded music. 

The pirates are now faced with a choice. While previously it was only their advertisements that were technically toeing the line of legality, any broadcast made from the ship will be unlawful. This, this thing they have worked for, is in danger, and their next steps will decide the fate of Radio Rock and even themselves. The on air sign sits unlit, waiting for the crew to make their choice. Will they continue to broadcast? And if they do… how will they evade the authorities?

Although he was unhappy upon learning what the crew had done, Alfie moved the boat away from the scene of the crime upon request. As Silver Linings Radio faded into the distance, the crew enjoyed the spoils with a night of listening to their stolen records and drinking their stolen alcohol, while anticipating the chaos the morning would bring when they would tune in to hear their revenge live on air. And chaos it was. Records skipped, or weren’t what was announced. Some poor DJ clearly was feeling unwell. And to cap it off, a few of the ads recorded by Leo and Maggie were played almost to completion before someone realized something was off. 

The crew sat around the table over breakfast and enjoyed the failure of the competition’s broadcast. Things seemed to be looking up for the pirates who were now, in some sense, actually pirates. The irony of that idea would strike them soon.

Two things came to spoil their morning. Firstly was Liza Derry, who wandered in to grab herself a plate of what St. John had made for their breakfast, and casually dropped the knowledge that Laurey ( who had remained behind to keep the music playing while the DJs were gone ) had screwed up the broadcast. Little explanation was given before she moved quickly out of the kitchen and back towards her own cabin. The crew had little time to process that before Maureen came in holding an official looking bulletin along with a few opened letters, and broke the news.

In an effort to rid the waters of what they were labeling pirate radio stations, the government had placed a ban on companies buying advertising from stations not controlled by the BBC. The letters were from companies who were alerting the radio that they would no longer be paying. If the pirates don’t figure out a new source of income, they’ll quickly be unable to fund their project. 

Radio Rock was one of a kind. It still is, many of the crew members and true fans will argue; even as competitors and copycats begin to invade the airwaves, they were the original and they have the spirit people are hoping to find.  That’s why everyone listens to Radio Rock more than any other station. Or, at least, that was the case a few weeks ago. Numbers on certain shows have been stagnant or even regressing. The crew wasn’t entirely sure why, though there was some suspicion around the possibility of the government trying to screw them over in someway. Governments seems to love to do that kind of thing.

It was Liza who figured out what it was. A combination of talking to fans the day before and remembering the time St. John accidentally found a different radio frequency while making dinner. Always one to stir the pot, she dropped the knowledge she had gained at dinner on Saturday: there’s a new pirate radio station, and it’s pulling listeners. Silver Linings Radio is the name of the station and they’re the ones screwing over the pirates this time. For once, the government is off the hook. 

With encouragement from Leo and Geo, Maureen and Laurey were able to use the signals to find the general location of the other boat. Julian convinced Alfie to adjust the course of theirs just enough to get them close, without ( of course ) giving away their plan; he already seems to object to the pirates doing anything too illegal, and this certainly is something that would be frowned upon.  Maggie was woken up early, Jules was pulled along without much explanation, and Artie collected a few tools to help them. Tonight, the crew would be pirates. For real this time. 

They just have to figure out how to get off of their boat without Alfie noticing first.

LENGTH: Night on Saturday, July 30th, 1967

The public debate on the topic of pirate radios has become heated enough in recent months to boil the sea their ships reside in. Those against them have strong moral objections: the pirates are breaking laws and for what? Music which seems to be just as objectionable, corrupting the youth as it does. Yet, those who side with the pirates feel just as strongly. The crew of Radio Rock have become celebrities to their listeners, nearly twenty five million people, not quite rockstars but something similar; the rebels who allow them to listen to the music they want, twenty four hours a day.

It is this dedication that made today possible. Pre-recorded shows have given the pirates the day off, so they can entertain their guests: fifty contest winners from the mainland who are over the moon to meet their favorite radio personalities. Among the crowd are Jack Perry (a hopeful musician who seeks to pass off a cassette tape of his own music), Nancy Merton (a university student who listens to the pirates before her nights out), Gareth Cockburn (a somewhat strange fellow who seems fascinated with the boat itself), and Emma Lynn (president of one of the few Radio Rock fan clubs that have cropped up).

While the pirates are used to entertaining, they usually do so from behind a microphone. They’ve had these contests before, but even still, it’s always an adjustment when the boat is overrun with people once again. It’s an opportunity to interact with fans, socialize with people besides their crew mates, ignore how much the government hates them, and have a bit of fun. It’s a party after all.