About 09:00, Orba Organics research centre, somewhere in the Pacific, Wednesday the 14th of April, 2055.

About 09:00, Orba Organics research centre, somewhere in the Pacific, Wednesday the 14th of April, 2055.

The AV-4 touches down right outside the main doors into the central building and its rear door swings down. Although I'm still in the 'autopsy' room with Yuki, Maureen and Ian, I can hear over the radio what the rest of the group and the maintenance techs are saying.

Sykes, who's gone up to the first floor to poke his head out of a window overlooking the scene unfolding outside, says he can see 2 armed men in the back of the AV-4. Shen and Roland both report that all they can see if the pilot.

For a moment the only sound is of the AV-4's engines idling, while everybody waits to see what's going to happen. That question is answered by a sustained burst of automatic fire as 2 guys emerge from the back of the vehicle, firing from the hip. They seem to be targeting, successfully, the main doors to the building.

Sykes squeaks with glee over the radio as he hits one of them in the knee. As the guy falls, one of the maintenance techs manages to get a caseless round bouncing around the inside of the guy's brain case. Two more guys exit the AV-4 firing and step over their fallen comrade. And for some reason Shen has appeared atop the AV-4.

The radio is quiet for a moment and from the autopsy room we can hear the automatic gunfire being exchanged by the 'invaders' and the maintenance techs. Sykes gets excited as he manages to shoot someone in the arm. I can only assume he's referring to one of the guys who've arrived in the AV-4. Shen manages to get another one of them as a fifth exits the rear of the AV-4.

Yuki and I leave the autopsy room and make for the centre's 'gun cupboard'. On the way we pass Paul, who's running towards the front of the building carrying a shotgun, with a dangerous gleam in his eye. We take cover in a doorway as a burst of fire rakes down the corridor from the shattered main doors.

Sykes, peering down from on high, manages to hit another guy in the leg. Roland squeezes off a shot at the pilot and watches the bullet bounce harmlessly off the armoured cockpit glass. "Bang, bang, you're dead, with a bullet in your head", sings Shen to another of the guys. At least some things never change. Shen's still got his head fetish.

But there's bad news for Shen from the maintenance techs as his bosom buddy and love-of-his-life, Debbie takes a hit and goes down. A shout marks the opening of dialogue with the invaders. "We only want Fletcher!" one of them shouts. Well, that solves the mystery of why there're here anyway. I'm guessing they don't know she's dead and were hoping to make a quick 'extraction'.

An ominous new sound pierces the cacophony. There's no mistaking the fact that the AV-4's minigun has just fired. Roland calls out over the radio that he's been hit. We know he's off in the trees opposite the front of the building, but Yuki and I head out the back towards our chalets. Yuki grabs her medical gear and I grab my heavy pistols. We meet back up and head off for where we think Roland is/was.

Sykes manages to drill a couple of rounds into the guy with leg wounds. I guess he probably wasn't moving much so was an easy target. Shen jumps into the rear of the AV-4! Interesting, as that's where 'our side' are aiming. His roommate Crash finally shows his face and fires several rounds ineffectively.

The maintenance techs account for two more of the guys. Sykes fires again, but as there are no stationary targets left, he doesn't manage to hit anybody. Shen tries to shoot the pilot, but just ends up swearing loudly over the open radio channel as his gun misfires.

Then the remaining two guys drop their guns and raise their hands. The pilot also gives up. Yuki and I make it over to where Roland lies bleeding into the dirt. She quickly stabilises him, but even I can tell from looking at him that he might lose his leg. Luckily for him, his other wounds don't look too serious. We call for help and a couple of them run over with a stretcher and carry Roland back.

I head back to the building with Yuki as she checks how everyone else is. Laura, Anthony and Paul have all taken hits, but they're not too bad. However Debbie is in a bad way and Yuki has to stabilise her before she can be moved to the medical room.

The three captives are secured and John gives Yuki a hand giving everyone first aid. The passage of time settles back down to its normal speed, now the excitement is over...