Tuesday 26 January 2016

"The Two Bens" Supplementary Scene

The Two Bens: Supplementary Scene
Kyle Scott lay half asleep in bed in the early hours of the morning. He briefly opened his eyes to see two empty beer cans on his side table before dozing off again. Suddenly he heard a violent hammering on the door. He pulled the pillow round his head to muffle the sound of Luigi answering the door of the apartment. In what seemed like a split second, the door to his room flew open and Katie Ryan strode in, tossing her hair to one side feistily. She pulled Kyle's duvet off him:
"Wake up Kyle, its serious. I take it you haven't heard the news" , she whispered loudly.
"Ere what the 'ell you doin'. You after a piece or summat?" Kyle mumbled angrily.
"Kyle I do not do chavs, as you well know. Although I am rather impressed. However this is serious; its all over the news *whispering* Bowie's dead", Katie exclaimed.
As she spoke, they heard Ben shouting from his room:
"Luigi who the hell was that hammering on the door at this unearthly hour?"
Katie ran to the door of Kyle's room and shouted:
"Its OK Ben, its just me. I need to speak to Kyle about a professional matter", she shouted.
"This is completely unfair Katie. I need my sleep", Ben tersely replied. Katie went back to Kyle's bedside:
"Ok, there is no way that we can let Ben find out what's happened. The shock will devastate him, especially coming so soon after that dull bitch nearly caused him to have a complete breakdown by dragging him through the courts. Therefore here's what we'll do: you Kyle will text all of the team right now instructing them not to tell Ben anything about Bowie and to keep him away from all newsagents and ensuring that he's kept too busy on the case to watch TV. I'll give him ten minutes to go back to sleep then I have work to do in his room."

Katie waited ten minutes, then she snuck into Ben's room and quietly removed Ben's radio-clock alarm and his smartphone. She had a word with Luigi about the situation, then she went outside the apartment into the exclusive foyer and used the phone to ring the Doctor. After a short while the phone was answered:
"Och, och, who's that?"
"Hi Doctor, this is Katie Ryan."
"Katie Ryan?"
"Yes, Katie Ryan. You know. Ben Chatham's attractive partner in leading Operation Delta."
"Och, oh that Katie Ryan. How did you get my number?"
"I've borrowed Ben's phone. Now listen Doctor, this is serious. David Bowie has died. We are very worried about Ben. We can't let him find out suddenly like this, not in his state. You must know what a wuss he is. Myself I believe in the pull yourself together school of counselling but we are on an important case. I don't want Ben going into meltdown over this. Get it Doctor?"
"Och I see, yes. Poor Ben. I feel for the laddie, I really do. I met Bowie once, indeed it was me who gave him the idea for 'Space Oddity'. Och you see Major Tom was....."
"*Interrupting* Doctor, I'm not interested in a dreary anecdote, what I want you to do is to block all info about Bowie's demise from reaching Ben's phone. Do it now please".
"Och alright lassie, there's no need to be rude. I'll just get onto it now. Poor David. And poor Ben. Please give him my regards."
"I will Doctor. Oh by the way, Ben says that he was visited by your old companion Clara. In a toilet."
"Clara in a toilet? Lurking after men? Och dear".
"No she gave us a warning. But that's our business. Ben will ring you if he needs your help. But don't say we had this conversation."
"Och do you think I'm stupid lassie? Of course I won't. Poor David. And poor Ben."
"Goodbye then Doctor".

Sunday 24 January 2016

"The Two Bens" Episode Three: "MUTATIONS"




EPISODE THREE: MUTATIONS
Ben sortly arrived at Shakey Jake's new laboratory, accompanied by Kyle, Katie and Corinne. Jake had bought a run down farm in rural Cabridgeshire and converted one of the barns into a lab. They walked in to find Jake sat behind a sophisticated computer screen, surrounded by technology. The laboratory was full of equipment, there were psychedelic posters on the walls and towards the far end of the room, rather incongruously, an old vinyl turntable was playing a vinyl copy of Jimi Hendrix's "Electric Ladyland". Jake looked up:

"Hey cats, like you won't believe what I've found out. Come and look at this."

They crowded round the computer screen which featured a map of Cambridge with a series of red and blue glowing dots and complex annotations.

"So what are we looking at Jake?" Ben asked.

"Hey man, like the red dots are where there is residual void displacement following someone recently being taken by the void. The blue indicate residual void displacement after someone has been returned by the void. Note that they are in the same place virtually, almost joined. Crazy man."

Ben looked bemused:

"I don't get it Jake."

"Man, the void like never returnes people in the exact same locations not when its like natural void activity. Its always like random. This is weird man, far out. I reckon something's co-ordinating all of this. Wow."

Ben was about to reply when Corinne Shaw held up her smartphone:

"Ok, its looks like there's just been another incident. One of these mutations has just attacked a group of schoolkids the other side of town. Its all over the internet. The music teacher fought it off but was killed in the process, it wrenched her head and broke her neck. According to this it then went into the nearby Tescos and made off with a load of liver from the fresh meat counter."

Ben was concerned:

"These things clearly crave blood and offal for some reason, based o the injuries we've heard are inflicted on the victims. Eyeballs too for some reason. Not pleasant and rather unsavoury. We must stop this one before it attacks any more children. Any ideas?"

"Like yeah man, I know just the guy. Come on", Jake exclaimed.

A short time later Ben and the others were following Jake's van in their car. Jake owned an old Volkswagen van which was painted in psychedelic colours. He called it the Love Mobile. Eventually the Love Mobile turned down an old farm track and after hald a mile they came to a dilapidated farm house. They stopped by some rusty farm equipment as an old farmer hobbled towards them:

"How do young Jake. What brings ye all to these 'ere parts?" he exclaimed.

"Like hi Len, great to see you man. Hey cats, this is my buddy Len. He's groovy" Jake enthused. Katie Ryan frowned:

"He must be going senile or need glasses if he calls you "young Jake" she tersely stated.

"Hey babe, Len's 89 years old. Like respect babe, respect".

Ben stepped forward:

"Can we cut to the chase please Jake. Why have you brought us to this dump?" he asked.

"Hey cats, Len here has a huge jar of strychnine in his shed. He used to use it to kill rabbits and foxes. Bad vibes all round. I turned him onto a new way, growing organic herbs for enhancing the positive mansions of the mind. Its a groovy project of mine to help small farmers turn away from destuctive methods to new more profitable ventures."

Ben frowned:

"Much as I admire your altruism Jake, exactly where is this leading?" he asked. Len prodded Ben with his finger:

"Now look 'ere young 'un. I recon Jake 'ere wants me jar of Strychnine. I still keeps it in me shed in case I needs it for me woife an meself if we goes senile. I ain't goin' in no home."

Later, having visited a butchers on the way back from the farm, Kyle helped Jake to tip some of the strychnine into buckets of offal, then stir it in.

"OK, we'll leave these buckets in strategic places around Cambridge after dark. The police are imposing a curfew for us. This will deal with the immediate problem of the mutations. However we still have the bigger issue to wrestle with; namely what is causing these people to be taken by the void and to return in this state."

They drove around Cambridge in the Love Mobile, leaving the buckets of offal on the pavements and in darkened alleys. Then they returned to Ben's apartment for a business meeting. Paul Farraday had prepared some bagels and salad and poured himself and Ben a large Martini each.

"While you've been away Ben, we've discovered something rather alarming. Adam here *gestures to Adam Wooten* has just returned from examining the bodies of that couple found by the milkman. He tested them with the void residue amogrifier. There is no doubt about it. Those corpses have not just been in the void. They've been in another dimension."

Ben swirled his glass of Martini round and round, deep in thought. Suddenly he sprang up:

"This is impossible. There must be an error*flashing Adam a look of desire* not by Adam I emphasise. Adam always makes the right moves. I mean with the equipment."

As Ben speaks, Corinne rushes in from the kitchen holding her smartphone:

"Ben turn on the television now. You won't believe what's happening".

Ben picks up the handset and turns on his large, high definition plasma smart-tv. He sees images of soldiers appearing out of nowhere and people running and screaming. Accross the screen is written, "BREAKING NEWS: UK UNDER ATTACK" .

Ben is concerned:

"This is serious guys. Those soldiers are just materialising there. I suspect that we are being invaded by forces from another dimension...."

 

.............. to be continued.

Saturday 9 January 2016

"THE TWO BENS" Episode Two "Deadly Dangerous Now"

EPISODE TWO: DEADLY DANGEROUS NOW
It was a milkman on his early morning rounds who found the bodies. As his milk float glided down the dark Cambridge street, he saw two figures slumped in a shop doorway. Initially he thought that it was a couple of down-and-outs until he caught sight of the young man's mutilated face and held his mouth in a vain attempt to avoid vomiting. The couples' eyes had been gouged out and their faces and hands clawed to ribbons.


Ben Chatham was enjoying his continental breakfast of croissants, organic jam and Columbian Blue Ridge coffee while lounging on his leather sofa wearing his exclusive Harrods dressing gown. The digital radio was tuned into Radio Cambridge which was playing an excerpt from Faure's Requiem. Then the local news came on and Ben sat up sharply:


"Police are investigating the discovery of two bodies in the doorway of Lasson's Art Dealers in Long Wyre Street. Unconfirmed reports suggest that a young couple have been the victims of a vicious fatal attack."
Ben looked across at Kyle who was munching a bacon sandwich:

"Am I right in my recollection that there was a similar incident only a few days ago Kyle, a young couple killed in a frenzied attack with no obvious motive?" Ben asked.

"Yeah. It was in the Cambridge Echo like. Katie was bangin' on about it."

Ben sipped his coffee:

"I suppose it could be a coincidence. Anyway, we need to pay a visit to Shakey Jake this morning as he indicated at the end of last night's meeting that he may be able to trace the source of all this void activity."

As Ben spoke his mobile rang. He picked it up and heard the distinctive voice of Barry Tuck, waiter at the Mermaid Wine Bar (played by Johnny Vegas):


"Ay its me, Barry. Ere I hope your sober and not pissed up as its all kickin' off round 'ere and you lot will wanna see what's in our back yard. The coppers are here."

In a short while Ben and Kyle were outside the Mermaid Wine Bar, joined by Katie Ryan and Corinne Shaw, whom Ben had texted. A row of police vehicles were outside and a cordon, however Ben showed the police his Operation Delta card.

"What's occuring officer?" he asked.

"We've got some kind of creature cornered in the yard behind there. Deformed."

Ben and the others ran down the side alley and saw a group of policemen standing by some old beer barrels. In the corner of the yard was a monstrous distorted man or creature which looked like a cross between the elephant man and Quasimodo. It snarled and clawed at the air like a dog, huge slivers of saliva dripping from its twisted mouth. It wore jeans and a tee-shirt, which were ripped and bloodstained. Ben gazed at the figure:

"Ok, that is certainly a man there, or once was", he shouted.

"Bloody hell, that thing is a man? Its more like a friggin' ape" the police officer replied.

Ben approached the snarling figure:

"I'm Ben Chatham. We are not here to harm you. Please try to calm down."

The creature made a gurgling sound and stood to its feet. It made a lunge for Ben, however the policeman pulled out a taser and fired. The creature fell to the floor with a shrieking sound and a group of officers fell upon it, holding it down. Barry Tuck approached Ben:

"Ay I told you you'd wanna see that fucker. Horrible innit. *Noticing Corinne* Hey up love, I ain't seen you 'ere for a bit. Hows about we go for a drink later, you've got a crackin' arse and that skirt shows it off well an' proper. Hows about a quick feel."

Corinne shot him an icy stare:

"Mr Tuck. Please feel free to drop dead. *To Ben* Ben I assume that you've reached the same conclusion that I have."

Ben looked up, concerned:

"Oh yes. That unfortunate guy looks like a void mutation."

On the way to Shakey Jake's, Ben explained to Kyle what a void mutation is:

"Occasionally when the void sucks in someone it deposits them somewhere dangerous, such as a burning planet or a war zone riddled with chemical weapons. Then at some point the victim is returned but deformed or injured. The problem with that guy however is that the deformities looked beyond normal burns or war wounds. His eyes were literally in the wrong place, his hands were animal claws."

"So like what do you think did that to 'im?" Kyle asked.

"I'm not sure. Its worrying me Kyle."

The other side of Cambridge, the children were arriving at Riverside Primary School, where the Headmistress, Anita Dobson, was ferrying them into the main hall for assembly. Miss Ethersley, the music teacher, was playing the tune of "Michael Row the Boat Ashore" on the old school piano. Once the children were inside the hall, Mrs Dobson strode to the front, clapping her hands:

"Children, please be silent. We will now all say the Lord's Prayer together *pointing* John Hodges, kindly refrain from punching Tommy or you will be made to stand in the bin in the corner for two hours. Now, after me children:


"Our father, who art in heaven,

Hallowed be thy name....."
Suddenly the door to the hall flew open and a grotesque, deformed wreck of a man staggered in, making unnatural grunting sounds, it lunged at the children with its claws.........

 

.......to be continued.