Igor's Secret Laboratory, New Milton Keynes, 22:00, Thursday the 11th of March, 2055.

Getting worried about the fact that they haven't heard from myself and Yuki since we left for the government offices, Roland, Crash and Sykes download the latest screamsheet to see what's happening. Imagine their joy when they find out that me and Yuki, described as terrorists, have made the front page.

Crash calls Sheila to find out if they've heard anything and whether they can put some kind words in Yuki's direction to help us out of our predicament.

Meanwhile Yuki and I are taken from our 'tents' to some sort of lab area, where tests are run and fluids are sampled. Rather disrespectfully, we're referred to as subjects A and B.

Crash gives Shen a call to find out what's happened to him. Shen says he's okay and they find themselves discussing the two 'terrorists' who have made the news. Nothing else significant happens and everybody gets a pretty uneventful night's sleep.

About eight in the morning, Crash calls Sheila again to find out what's happening. He asks about the serum Yuki has developed. Sheila tells them all to take a blood sample and send her the raw data from the test equipment so she can analyse it. It looks like there's been no change in their conditions.

It comes as a bit of a surprise to us when Yuki and I are given our clothes back and told to put them on. We're led outside and into a truck. Once we're inside the door is locked and the truck moves off. It has no windows so we've no chance to see where we're being taken.

The drive lasts about 10 minutes, but I've got the feeling that we haven't been taken far and that the truck may have been driven 'round the block' a few times to give the impression of distance. Our guards place blankets over our heads before the doors are opened.

We're led into a building, and although we can't see, it's quite easy to tell that it has wooden floors. We ascend a couple of flights of stairs and pass through a doorway. Only now are our blankets removed so we can see. The room has plain brick-lined walls and is furnished, obviously for our benefit, with just a couple of chairs and a table. Shortly breakfast is brought to us and while it's nothing great, it is at least edible.

Overnight it seems that the threat of disturbances in the docks came to pass. There were several large 'riots' and in a number of cases the military forces fired into the armed crowds, causing injury and death.

Sykes' phone rings. He's told to be at the Axe of God for 10AM. He's told to stand "where this all started". The caller won't identify themselves and hangs up when pressed. Shen has arrived and they discuss briefly what to do, before deciding that they might as well go along and see what happens.

Using Napoleon's well-known tactic of dividing your forces for mobility, before concentrating them at the point of battle, they split up to get to the Axe. Sykes braves the back of Crash's bike, Shen makes his own way, stopping off to buy a long coat and Roland goes by taxi.

They've all made it to the Axe by about twenty to nine. They take the time to have a good look around the area from several nearby vantage points and can't see anything suspicious. As it starts getting closer to 10AM, Sykes is by himself alongside the road where we saw the biker being chased, Shen and Roland are still cautiously casing the nearby area and all is quiet.

At three minutes to ten, the rear door to the Axe opens. Sykes is called in and told to bring his friends with him. The others aren't in sight at the moment, so they must have been under observation for some time. All but Crash go in.

In silence they follow their 'guide' into the building, their footsteps echoing on the worn wooden floor. They're led upstairs and into the large bar area on the balcony overlooking the stage and ground floor. Near the centre of the room are three people. The two standing, flanking the third who is sat on a chair, are big and armed.

Elsewhere the door to the room confining me and Yuki is opened and a suited guy appears. He says he works for Biotechnica and that we should follow him. We go down some stairs and come out onto the Axe's balcony. As we approach we first see the three figures in the centre and then Sykes, Shen and Roland. The thought briefly occurs to me that we're all about to die, but then why bring us here if only to kill us? Were the others captured or what?

There are some seats in front of the three figures and Yuki and I are led to them. We sit but the others remain standing. The guy between the two who are obviously solos is really old. There's definitely something familiar about him - it's Leon Kronsky! He looks a lot more pale and drawn than he did in any of the pictures we've seen. Even though some of them are only five years old it's not easy to recognise him.

He says that Biotechnica have studied Yuki's serum overnight and are very impressed with what she's managed to do in a few short hours. To reach a similar stage took them months. The main problem their scientists faced was a lack of test subjects, something Yuki's not been so short of.

Biotechnica though have made substantially more progress and can not only halt the nanites, but they have treatments that can prevent infection in the first place, destroy the nanites in someone who is already infected and repair the damage done.

The reason they've 'invited' us here is that they'd like us to find the people who have been infected and bring them to Biotechnica for treatment. They want it done covertly and they don't want Biotechnica teams out searching for people, in case it causes them any bad publicity.

Yuki states that she has all sorts of objections to rounding up the people infected and delivering them to the Biotechnica labs. And I can see where she's coming from. It's obvious we're hearing nothing like the full truth. But by doing what they ask, we'll be cleared by the government, or so they say, and those of us who are infected will receive the treatment needed to get back to full health.

Shen and I become aware of a figure lurking in the shadows at the end of he bar. We don't see him so much as just become aware that he is there. I ask Kronsky who it is, but he pleads ignorant and the figure quietly leaves through a nearby door, giving no further clue to his identity.

Much discussion ensues. Yuki is really not keen on the whole scheme, but I manage to find an argument that gets her to go along with it, if only for the time being. At least it'll mean she starts getting the treatment she needs.

We're told to decide what additional equipment we'll need. Yuki and I start by asking for the stuff that was taken off us last night and two bags are brought out containing our things. Only Yuki's bag of syringes is missing, but they were all taken away for study, apparently.

Now we've agreed to go along with Biotechnica's plan, a doctor comes into the room, bringing some medical equipment with him. Those of us already infected are given an 'anti-nanite' injection and then we're all injected with another serum that will prevent infection and re-infection.

Time to plan how we're going to do this...

This page © Greg Aldridge, 21 June 2003