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‘So how do you come to be on Gidi, Vera?’ asked the Doctor. ‘Well that’s a long story, Doc. I came here a little while ago after Barry made off with all my money. Cy and me decided it would be good to get away from Bros for a while and start afresh, so we chose this quiet backwater. Of course just recently there’s been all that debacle over that planet blowing up nearby…’ ‘Vrij?’ The Doctor interrupted ‘Yeah, that’s the one, Doc.’ ‘That’s why I’m here you see. I’m interested to find out what happened there myself.’ Vera looked worried for a moment. ‘You’re not one of them private eyes are you, Doc? I’m not really sure I know anything about that.’ ‘Vera, I’m quite sure you’ve got nothing to do with it.’ ‘Good! More battenburg?’ ‘God it’s hot in here,’ muttered Nick. ‘There’s only one hot thing in here,’ Cy murmured quietly, stroking his hair. Nick stared up at this reflection in the mirrored ceiling. ‘You know, I feel so relaxed with you.’ He rolled over to look at Cy. ‘I always thought things would work out between Alf and me but just at the moment… I dunno, maybe it’s not what I want.’ ‘What do you want, Nick?’ Cy asked seriously, his face just inches from Nick’s own. ‘Well the Doctor always told me I should be open to new experiences. Try everything, he’d say.’ ‘Sounds reasonable.’ Cy reached out and stroked Nick’s face. Nick suddenly felt overcome, and it wasn’t simply the heat or the amazing, amazing person close to him. He felt dizzy. ‘What’s wrong, babe?’ Cy asked. Nick could have sworn he smiled less than innocently, but the whole room was swimming and he fought to regain control. He pulled away, and tried to sit up, but it still felt as if he was somewhere else. Cy reached out a hand and pushed him back onto the bed. ‘It’s too late for that,’ he said. Nick closed his eyes, and then… something else. Another presence in his mind. Something inviting; yet dark. Like warm blood slipping through his thoughts. A presence, science could not deny existing within, outside maybe behind the latitude of his human mind. Something stirring deep within him that he could not resist. He knew then, that it was alien. Nick slipped away into unconsciousness. Somewhere below them all, in the darkness of the cellar, something stirred. There was a chittering, an insectoid cry that cut through the silence pervading the darkness. The room was set out as a primitive laboratory, with banks of humming machinery casting flickering lights over the walls and floor. The over-riding sound was the rise and fall of a life support machine, its ventilator pumping stale air into the concealed incubation tank above it. A frayed curtain covered the tank, but many tubes spiralled out, viscous green fluid flowing along them. Somewhere deep within it all, a chorus of voices could be heard, very quietly, chanting. Many, but at the same time one. Soft, but at the same time malevolent. Calling, and searching out others the same. ‘Born of anger, born of evil.’ The next morning, Vera pushed eggs round a sizzling pan, humming an old ditty she’d heard that she half-remembered from her Karaoke days aboard the “Hapsire Ram”. The kitchen door opened, and a pleased looking Cy wandered in. ‘Hello, Nan,’ he said. ‘Who was that man I saw you with last night?’ ‘That’s none of your business dear!’ Vera replied. ‘Anyway, why are you looking so pleased with yourself! You look like the cat who’s got the cream!’ She whooped, and then stood back as the fat from the pan spat and sizzled. ‘Sausage?’ she asked. ‘Look, Nan,’ Cy’s voice was serious. ‘I need to talk to you. I know someone stayed here last night… apart from Nick that is.’ ‘Nick! Who’s Nick?’ Vera yelled. ‘That doesn’t matter right now Nan. The thing is… I’ve been discrete. Have you?’ ‘What do you mean?’ ‘You know what I mean. About our work.’ Vera’s mood immediately darkened and she looked away, staring into the gently solidifying eggs on the stove. ‘You don’t think I’d give away any details about our project do you my love?’ she said in a small voice. ‘But… that said, the Doctor does seem like a knowledgeable and trustworthy man. He’s no Barry dear. He’d understand.’ ‘No, Nan,’ Cy said firmly. ‘We need to keep this in the family. We agreed, remember? No one must know. Only the three of us.’ Vera looked sad. She sat down and took his hand in hers. ‘If you think that’s best dear,’ she said quietly. ‘But just tell me… what did happen to Hansen?’ ‘Hansen?’ Cy frowned, and stood up. ‘You don’t need to know about Hansen. It was an accident, that’s all. It’s dealt with. Just a stupid mistake.’ He sighed, there was no way that she could be told what had really happened to their butler. She would not understand how important his blood had been to the work. ‘He was the noblest butler we’ve ever ’ad,’ Vera smiled through a tear. ‘Nobody could toss a pancake like him.’ ‘Yes.’ Cy smiled with her. ‘Nobody.’ The kettle reached boiling point. ‘Better make that tea,.’ Vera said. ‘Can’t keep a doctor waiting.’ Somewhere on the dark side of the town, and even at this time of the early morning it was dark, Waterguard Humba’s hut stood between the abandoned library and the old Galactico’s store. Humba emerged, and pulled down his washing from the line that was strung across the opening. He had had an uneasy night. Something about this girl Alf unsettled him, and it had been a long time since there had been a murder on Gidi. He had settled there to live out the last days of his service, hopefully in peace. A tin-pot colony on a deserted world. That was Gidi. Nothing ever happened here. Except now someone was dead. Of course nothing ever quite went to plan in Humba’s life. Ever since that day on Ranx when he had been involved in all that unpleasantness, all he had craved was a quiet life. Somehow though trouble followed him round. That was what unsettled him most about Alf. Unlike him, she seemed to take it all in her stride. It did not faze her that she had woken up next to a decaying corpse and she had been clear-headed and determined to find out the truth. All Humba had wanted was a good night’s sleep. Mug of cocoa and a shower and a good eight hours, he did not think it was too much to ask. He got the impression today was going to be a long one, so he popped next door and picked up some stuff for breakfast. Nice bit of toast and scrambled eggs. Perfect way to start a day! Alf awoke to the smell of eggs scrambling in the pan and the sound of toast popping up from a battered toaster. It had been a long night, with lots of questions to answer and statements to be taken. She had been well glad of a few hours shuteye. ‘I thought you’d like some breakfast love,’ Humba said, ever the gallant officer. ‘Yeah, sweet,’ she smiled. ‘Tell me more about this Vera then.’ ‘Well,’ he started, ‘there were all these rumours surrounding her. She’s been married a few times you see and, well, it’s not certain that they all died of natural causes you see.’ ‘Really?’ ‘Yes, and as for her what she may have done to her family… well nothing could be proved as far as I remember, but there were certainly unanswered questions about the death of her son.’ ‘Sounds like a right old cow.’ ‘Yeah well I think your friend the Doctor had better watch himself if he’s got involved with her. He might not come out unscathed, if you know what I mean’ ‘I’d better get up to her place then soon as possible.’ ‘Not until you’ve got something warm and filling inside yer love.’ Humba smiled warmly.
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