Sunday 28 August 2016

"The Two Bens" Episode 9



OK people. Here is the penultimate episode of this classic story:


EPISODE NINE: BENS UNITED

The strange shuddering subsided and the two Bens, who had fallen to the ground, staggered to their feet. They looked at each other.
"Yes I know. That was a close one. Each time the displacement will get worse until eventually it passes the point of no return and we get total universe collapse. We've got to stop this mad king of yours", Ben exclaimed.
"Of mine? Hardly Ben", the alternate Ben said with a sad smile. Ben gave him a hug and the two Ben's and Kyle walked to the perimeter fence and sat down on the grass.
"Ok I've just had a text from Paul Farraday. He's sending a car to pick us up and UNIT are also on their way here. Another UNIT force is about to mount an assault on Buckingham Palace", Ben stated.

Ben lay back in the grass and let the sunlight warm his face:
"You know Ben, I've reached a point in my life where I just don't think anything is ever going to change. This is it, the last station reached, the final destination. I'm alone and bored and that's how my life will now be as far as I can see. That awful marriage experience was the last straw, it's knocked the wind out of my sails. I scrape bits of enjoyment wherever I can find it."
The alternate Ben gazed down at Ben and patted his arm:
"Tell me about it. Every guy I've ever been out with has let my down and my life is in a complete rut." The alternate Ben flicked his golden hair out of his sad eyes. Kyle frowned:
"Ere you two are a right barrel of laughs when together, I don't think." Ben looked up at him:
"Did we ask for your opinion Kyle. No. Life must be so easy for people like you. Ordinary, undemanding, lumpen people who drift along easily through life because they don't want much and have no real passions or desires." Kyle shot Ben an angry look:
"Yeah right. Because I'm such a boring lumpen drone that I ain't capable of passions or feelings right?"
"Well you said it", the alternate Ben said tersely. Kyle felt a sudden desire to hit him however he quickly suppressed it and walked towards the road.

Meanwhile in Buckingham Palace, Richard IX was enjoying roast quail with roasted vegatables and a glass of champagne.
"I think we will take afternoon tea in the gardens later before the meeting starts to initiate formal preparations for our coronation as King in this world."
One of the King's advisors leant towards him:
"Sire, what do you desire we do with the former Queen and her family?"
Richard looked up and elegantly wiped his lips with a napkin:
"Oh Thomas must we discuss that now?"
"Well I was just thinking your majesty may wish to have that matter dealt with before the coronation takes place", Thomas replied. King Richard moved his head slightly to the side:
"Yes Thomas you are right. It has to be dealt with. Arrange for the former Queen to, how shall I put it, pass away in the night of 'natural causes' and her heirs to , as it were, disappear within the tower. The people will soon forget them as the masses have short memories in these matters."
The King's brother Giles interjected:
"Look this is madness Richard. The people here will never easily accept you as their ruler, especially if you bump off their royal family. More to the point, are you just going to ignore what happened earlier? Are you? The time displacement? You were warned it would happen. You're risking complete universe collapse. Stop this madness now Richard. And you cannot flood this universe and this England with our people. There isn't room for them here."
King Richard IX threw down his napkin in a rare display of anger:
"You forget once again Giles that you are addressing your King as opposed to just your brother. We have reached the end of our patience with you. We have forgiven every past misdemeanour and slight of yours however you are incorrigable. We are deepy saddened that our brother should treat us with such disrespect. Free movement between our universe and this will enrich this world with our more refined and cultured values."
Richard clicked his fingers and a group of armed guards approached:
"Kindly escort our brother Giles to the Tower of London. Thomas, kindly prepare the necessary papers charging our brother Giles with high treason."
Giles was violently grabbed by the guards:
"This is an outrage. Richard, for God's sake see sense".

Back at the barracks, the Two Bens were lying in the grass discussing medieval history. The alternate Ben was describing the alternate universe royal family line of succession so that Ben could acertain the lineage of Richard IX.
"I think I see now where the break with our history happened. You state that King Edward IV was succeeded by King Edward V, who died young of probable consumption and was succeeded by his brother King Richard III. He reigned until 1522 when he was succeeded by his son Edward VI and so on. No Tudors". Ben stated. The alternate Ben looked puzzled:
"Tudors?"
"Exactly. You avoided them. In this universe Edward V and your Richard III became the Princes in the Tower and their uncle, the Duke of Gloucester, took the throne from them and made himself Richard III. He was defeated in the Battle of Bosworth by Henry Tudor."
The alternate Ben looked puzzled:
"How strange. I seem to recall now that Henry Tudor was a minor exiled nobleman, the Earl of Richmond I think. He never amounted to anything. As for Richard Duke of Gloucester, he was killed by a stray arrow fighting in Scotland the year before Kind Edward IV died".
Ben stood up and grinned:
"And that is the break. Ha! You and I make a great team Ben. *Grinning* poor Kyle doesn't understand a word we've been talking about does he?"
Both Ben's laughed and hugged each other. Suddenly however the shuddering began again and the two Bens and Kyle fell to the floor:
"It's ha.... happen...ing ag....ain. Wo.........rse this time....."

In London, the car carrying Giles to the Tower of London crashed into a wall as the shuddering and time displacement began. Giles managed to crawl from the wreckage as the universe neared total collapse..............


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

1 comment:

Menza said...

Tim Ihansha would be perfect for Ben Chatham.