Series 10 Parody - Part 7

[Annie]

Yipes! I wrote more of this.


[Harry's car]

Neither Harry nor Ruth said anything much for the first ten minutes of the drive back to Thames House. The reality of what they had just seen, and the consequences it would turn out to have, where a little... overwhelming to say the least. How where they going to protect Britain from this new enemy? The Russians and the Chinese had proved enough of a challenge in the past years, and they probably didn't have the technology to change a species' DNA. Now they were up against those who had.

"Towers will have to believe you now, Harry", Ruth finally said. "Even that stubborn old know-it-all cannot explain this any other way. Can he?"

Of course it would seem very silly of Ruth to talk about these matters in a car that just might be bugged. But it was necessary to have some dialogue here, the writer thought.

"I'm not sure he is acting on his own anymore," Harry said. "If the aliens could manage to gain control of such a highly aware and alert individual as Lucas, then William shouldn't prove too much of a problem for them."


[Grid]

"Explain to me again why this guy is our boss," Beth said with a sigh. Alec had just regained enough consciousness to come stumbling in through the pods. He remained on his feet for about a second, before crashing to the floor like a log of timber.

"Because the ministry hates Harry," Dimitri replied dryly. "I can't really imagine why else they'd make him give Alec the job.

"Mgrfll!" said Alec. It probably meant "I object to that."

"We should probably... help him or something," Beth sighed. "I'll go get some coffee. See if you can prop him up against the wall... and find him a bucket."


[Basement]

"No, no, Blade! Stop! You're still going in the wrong direction," Snake shouted over the wireless.

"There is a whooping great construction site in the way," Blade hissed back. "I need to go around it so they don't start questioning me about my funny little dog."

"If you had tried to follow my instructions a little more carefully," Snake replied, "then you wouldn't have wandered into it in the first place."

"I had... business," Blade said grumpily. "Needed to get out of sight. I doubt they'd believe it if I told them I was watering the flowers."

"Turn around and go back the way you came," Snake demanded. "And from now on you listen to what I say... Mystic, where are you going?"

"I'm going to salvage our mission!" Mystic said solemnly, pulling on a pair of high-heeled boots. "Unlike either of you two, I have actually been out in this city earlier. I may not have Ninja-skills, but I know how to read a map."


[Grid]

Ruth and Harry looked a little pale, coming through the pods.

"Is everything OK?" Dimitri asked, looking up from the true-to-life bomb model he was working on.

"No, it is not," Harry stated. "We have a very serious problem on our hands. I hope you don't have any plans tonight, because I'm afraid you will have to cancel those. Why have you tied your section chief to a chair?"

"He can't really sit up on his own yet," Beth explained, force-feeding Alec a big spoonful of cereal. "I don't really think we can count on his assistance tonight."

Harry had an expression on his face that suggested he'd like to murder someone. "Well, he's not going anywhere," he said. "When he comes to, he's got the busiest working weekend of his life in front of him. I'm afraid none of us is going home tonight; not him, not me, not Ruth, not Tom..."

"Harry, are you OK?" Ruth asked nervously, putting a hand on his forehead. "You said that Tom won't be..."

"Let's just say he owes me a favour," Harry replied. "Since we apparently can't trust the official channels, it is necessary to seek asistance elsewhere."

"Oh, is he the guy who shot you, Harry?" Beth piped up. "I've heard of him!"

"So he's a bit off his hinges?" Dimitri asked. "Sounds like he'll fit in well with the current bunch. All that's missing now is Lucas and his special brand of crazy."

"Enough of that!" Harry said sternly. "Tom Quinn is a very capable and experienced intelligence officer, and you will respect him as if he was still a part of the team."

"Um, Harry?" Beth asked, "You still haven't told us what this terrible thing that has happened actually is."

Harry slumped down on a chair. "There is no gentle way of saying this," he sighed. "The aliens who made contact a few days ago may have infiltrated the government. They are able to shapeshift into humans. Vaughn seems to have been one of them, and may have controlled Lucas on behalf of his superiors. Now, mister Towers may be under their influence as well, along with goodness knows how many members of our government."

Beth and Dimitri looked absolutely dumbstruck for a while, then they both burst out laughing.

"Good one, Harry! I almost believed you!"

"Yeah, you had me there, for a minute!"

"But seriously, what is the new threat?"

Harry sighed. He'd decided he needed a drink.