The scene was vibrant, the booze flowed and so did the conversations. Politics, culture, business and...sex...were the items on the social agenda. Everyone agreed; this was one of the best Kitten Club parties held at the Cuffe mansion.
"DRINK UP! TALK TO SOMEONE YOU'VE NEVER MET! THIS...IS A DREAMY...PARTY!" shouted Alan Cuffe to his assembled guests as he raised a glass of champagne.
"At least Alan's on good form" quipped one of the male guests, J. Huntington III. He was a relatively new member of the Kitten Club and already had his Gold Membership upgrade. J. was one of the types of young, ambitious and liberated young men the club was designed to attract and he found the heady mix of hobnobbing with businessmen, celebrities and sports stars exciting to be around. And then there were the women....not just the Kittens themselves but the beautiful people of Sim City as well.
J. was talking with Cuffe's right hand woman; Madelyn. She, in turn, was very interested in this young hunk of a man. There were plenty of empty bedrooms at the Cuffe mansion if things got spicy...
"I'm glad he's being sociable...he's had a few days up in his country cabin but all of a sudden he wanted to be here tonight." she said to J. "But enough about Alan, I'm interested in finding out more about you" she said, suggestively.
As Madelyn hung on every word that came out of J.'s mouth some of the Kittens had noticed something wrong.
"Tiffany...Alan's collapsed on the couch. Do you think he's alright?"
"I don't know, Yadira, he looks completely out of it. I'll go and check on him."
"Tiff...shouldn't we send for a doctor?" said another Kitten.
"I think there's one guest out in the garden who's a doctor, Skye" said Yadira. "Maybe I should fetch him"
"We should tell Madelyn as well" said Skye. "She'll know what to do"
Tiffany went over to the couch where Alan lay and crouched down next to him. "He's breathing, well that's good at least, but he's dead to the world for all intensive purposes. The music, the talking...we've got about 30 people here and he's sleeping through it!" she said.
"Normally he has great stamina" said Yadira. "Well...you know what I mean" she added, sheepishly.
"Yeah, we know, and we've all seen it close up in action" said Tiffany with a cynical tone to her voice. "Skye, let Madelyn know what's happened"
Skye trotted over to Madelyn and whispered what had happened to her. The older woman nodded and turned to J.
"I'm sorry, J, I have a little matter to deal with. I'll catch up with you later." Then she turned to Skye and said, quietly. "I need you and the other girls here to keep the guests occupied and distracted. I'll send Jenny to fetch Dr Lewis. Now show me where Alan is."
Skye pointed in the direction of where Alan was lying and Madelyn gracefully sauntered over to him, smiling all the while.
As Madelyn crouched down next to Alan she put her hand lightly on his shoulder to see if he was alright. He suddenly sat bolt upright, took a look around the room and blinked a dozen times.
"What? Wait...no! This is wrong! Stop it, Madelyn...stop the party! Stop the PARTY! STOP THE PARTY!" he cried. Everyone then stopped dancing and talking and looked over in his direction with the music still blaring out of the speakers.
Alan noticed everyone was looking right at him and his head dropped as sweat dripped from his forehead. "I....I....can't stand all this noise" He muttered. "I need peace...and quiet..."
Dr Lewis came rushing in from the garden and tried to examine Alan but he was brushed off. "I'll book an appointment with your secretary tomorrow, I promise" he said. "I need peace right now." The Doctor nodded and said, softly, to Madelyn that the party should stop and everyone go home so Alan could get some rest. She nodded.
"Sorry everyone, Alan's come down with an illness and he needs immediate rest and recuperation. Thank you for coming." she announced.
"I've never seen Alan like that before" said Yadira to Tiffany.
"This is bad...I don't know what's going on, but I've noticed something wrong with him for some time now. How this will affect the business and us, I don't know know" said Tiffany, ominously.
One by one the guests left until only Alan and Madelyn remained. He stood up, brushed himself down and went over to the wet bar to fix himself a double whisky. Madelyn followed and sat down next to him.
"Alan...what's wrong?" she asked.
"You know what's wrong. It's 'them'. Madelyn make a note of this...DO NOT WRITE THIS DOWN! I want all Lothario staff, including the Kittens, to undergo monthly blood tests. The results are to be known only by me."
"But, Alan..." Madelyn interjected.
"No. My mind's made up. Monthly blood tests. Including you and me."
"May I ask why?" she said.
"So we know who's real and who is one of 'them'" he replied, cryptically.
"One of them? Do you mean Nancy, Victor or Lily...or one of their staff?" asked Madelyn.
"No! You know, Madelyn. You know deep down...you've seen what I've seen. The laser, the bomb, that...woman."
"The mysterious one John Action called 'Leanne'?"
"Yes...she's one of 'them' but how many of them are there, walking the streets, watching our every move? Planning acts against us? Eh? And what's to stop them infiltrating my organisation?"
Madelyn struggled to see what he was driving at. "I'd understand things better, Alan, if I knew who we were dealing with a bit more. You seem to know more than me on that point."
"That's just it...Madelyn..." he said, tapping the bar with his index finger. "Once you know they exist...how can you go back to being normal? I've...seen things now...I know things....and it's hard to think of anything else knowing that they're out there."
"I see, Alan" she said, nodding. She didn't, except that he was clearly having a nervous breakdown. Sure, she'd heard rumours that the assassins were either a criminal gang or even Soviet agents but Alan was taking it to extremes the way he sounded. No, he wasn't their target and neither was she...it's unfortunate that Alan had stumbled on some criminal gang or spy ring. That's all. She'd look after him; she'd make the doctor's appointment and then probably send him back to the cabin for more rest.
In Madelyn's mind, Alan was overreacting to something that was perfectly rational but probably criminal in nature. She would sort everything out without fuss. Nothing serious to worry about.
Summer Holiday had come calling to Julia one morning. This didn't usually happen; the two of them were friends and neighbours but not especially close. The Foundry Cove community had two tight social circles. There were "the guys": Jeremy, Action and Travis and the "fashionable girls"; Suzy, Barbara and Summer. Julia felt she didn't fit that mould and Liberty was someone she knew even less as between her work and her boyfriend she was the one who hung around the Cove the least.
But they were all good neighbours, a cosy, friendly bunch and Julia liked the equilibrium of the little community and depended on the solidity, dependability and stability of it.
"Did you hear the news?" said Summer, excitedly. "Suzy and Neil are moving to Courtyard Lane!"
"What? No! They can't!" exclaimed Julia. "I mean...things are perfect as they are! Why move?"
"They need a bigger place, that's all. They're getting very busy with work and Neil needs a studio." explained Summer.
Julia sighed and her shoulders drooped. "Oh well, it makes sense but still....I mean, what will happen to their old place? Someone's going to buy it and move and goodness knows who THAT'LL be!"
"Someone exciting, hopefully. Did you know, Julia, that I've been living in Foundry Cove the longest and I've watched all of you move in and now you're all my friends! That's what's exciting about this place. We've got Jeremy, the sweetest guy in the world except for Travis. And he found Barbara who is just adorable. Then we've got Suzy, the most beautiful and vibrant person and Neil who is a dish and so talented! Action...well, I mean, he's is just the most virile man I've ever met and then there's you...our own genius and moral compass."
"I sound dull compared with the rest of you" said Julia.
Summer touched Julia's arm "Oh no, don't think like that!" she said. "You're a doctor, a healer and a superb pianist. We all dig you, Jules. A party isn't a party if you're not there. You've got a mischievous sense of humour, a sweet charm and..."
"...not 'with it' like you, Barbara, Suzy and Liberty. I mean, that outfit you're wearing...I see it EVERYWHERE! But I don't see the appeal"
"Well, it's the in-thing right now. Jules, are you OK? You seem down"
"I don't like change and disruption, that's all. Fashion's like that, isn't it? Constant change."
"I guess. But that's why you're important to us: You keep us on the level, Jules. You're invaluable."
"Invaluable" That was a reassuring word for Julia. She might not have been the prettiest, or most glamourous or even the most sociable of the gang but she was invaluable to it. She had a double life as well; she was considered invaluable to The League of Decency as well for her research skills. It certainly meant a lot to her as she went to work that morning. There was another word she liked to use...professional.
"Doctor Epstein, may I have a word with you for one moment?" came the voice of Chief Surgeon, Dr Murakami. Normally a formal request by her made Julia's heart sink...she was a cruel taskmaster who often took credit for Julia's hard work. What did she want this time?
"Dr Epstein, I am very busy with casework and I have to prepare a presentation for the State College of Surgeons so I am entrusting you with the ward work today. I won't be supervising you today. Do you feel up to the task?"
"Oh yes, Doctor Murakami" said Julia, beaming, although she soon reverted to a more serious...professional...tone.
"Good. I'll leave everything in your capable hands." said Murakami before she went off to her office.
With the ward all to herself, Julia approached the task at hand with a sense of relief. There would be no Murakami to look over her shoulder and take the credit. Today, Julia was in charge.
She was a more wise and worldly doctor these days with a number of cases seen and cured over the last few months. Her first patient was a typical sort; coming in to sort out some mysterious problem that the patient didn't really want to talk about. Just a slight pain, Doc, nothing serious. Just give me some pills and I'll be OK was what they usually said. Always downplaying the problem...
But pretty soon the symptoms would get worse and that initial denial of the seriousness of the problem would come back to bite them on the butt.
The more symptoms the better it was to make a successful diagnosis. As long as it wasn't life threatening and time critical observing the patient for that just little bit longer could pay great dividends. It could mean ordering a range of tests to help reach a diagnosis and tests meant complex scientific analysis...Julia's favourite. Swab, examine, test, and write it all up using highly technical jargon.
And from there it was back to the patient to decipher that jargon back into understandable English and write out a prescription...along with advice not to do the very thing that landed them in hospital in the first place. Yes, this was the life of the medical professional and Julia was becoming very adept at it.
It wasn't a difficult shift today. No one needed surgery although some patients required more advanced tests than others...
She pushed on through her work day...missing the conventional lunch hour and finally sitting down to eat at the canteen at 3pm. Everyone else had eaten and got back to work so Julia sat there alone. Yes, she was a model professional. She had accomplished her goals and without having to seek help or advice from anyone. Yes, she was on top of her game.
But she also felt lonely. She was usually so self contained and didn't get lonely but today she felt the feeling of needing some company, having someone to have deep conversations with but there was no one. Harper and Francesca had eaten their lunches together and were now back at work. Murakami wasn't anywhere to be seen and Mr Ghandi was finishing his shift. And there was one person noticeable by his absence: Vincent. Julia was aware of a gnawing feeling in the pit of her stomach: When she desired some deep conversation and company, she thought of him first.
After she'd eaten she returned to one of the examination bays to check on one of the patients that she had been treating but once she got there, the room was empty. She checked the notes at the foot of the bed...the patient had responded well to treatment and had already been discharged....Julia had signed off on the paperwork but had forgotten to file it. She was too distracted now as she had thought about her own loneliness.
The shift was nearing its end as as Julia went to the front desk to see if there were any late admissions she bumped into her friend and colleague, Harper.
"Hello, Harper...did you have a busy shift as well?" asked Julia.
"Yeah, it was administrative hell; just pure paperwork and rotas that needed sorting out. Listen, Julia, I have some bad news for you." said Harper in a tone of voice that sounded like the news was going to hurt Julia in some way.
"What is it?" said Julia, maintaining her professional facade.
"I looked at the work rotas for next month and noticed that Dr Bledsoe's name was nowhere to be seen" replied Harper, in a sympathetic voice as she knew...heck, all of Julia's closest friends knew...that Julia was keen on Dr Bledsoe.
"Vincent!" gasped Julia.
"So I checked to see what was going on and discovered that he has been seconded to a hospital in....The Congo."
"The Congo!" said Julia, with incredulity.
Harper looked downwards and nodded. "Yes. Apparently the situation out there is still bad: Katanga's launched another offensive at the mines out there in order to try and force the government to agree to their demands but in the meantime there are mounting civilian casualties and our government has agreed to send doctors, nurses and medical supplies to the region. Vincent, I mean, Dr Bledsoe used to work for the United Nations and they've called him up. Dr Murakami co-signed the papers releasing him. I'm sorry, Julia."
Julia said nothing but nodded at Harper as a thank you. She then clocked off, waved goodbye to her friend and then went straight home.
The Congo...a brush fire war that had been raging for six years now. It was in Central Africa where newly independent nations turned on one another over old tribal disputes; made more acute by the discovery of rare minerals, gold, diamonds and uranium there. There were factions, propped up by the use of mercenary units and the war there had already cost the life of Dag Hammarskjold, the UN Secretary General at the time. Julia was well read about world events and was now worried sick that something bad would happen to Vincent out there and she would never see him again. Heck, he could have been reassigned to a hospital in Cleveland and she might not see him again but the risks out in The Congo were terrifying.
When she got home she found Suzy waiting on the porch for her.
"Hey, Suzy, I hope you haven't been waiting for me long" Julia said.
"Only moments. Say, I have some important news for you...and for everyone and you're one of the few I haven't told yet."
"Come inside and tell me" said Julia, opening the door and ushering her friend in.
"Summer told me you and Neil are moving house." said Julia as they sat down together.
"Oh, that was the news I was going share with you. Are you OK with it? You seem a little down." Suzy replied.
"Well...I don't like change, that's all. No, I'm not upset; you have to move up and on and the new place sounds nice. I worry about who will move in next door though."
"Whoever it is, you've got a tight little community here. Is there something else on your mind? Work, perhaps?"
Julia drew a deep breath and sighed. "Yes...well, someone at work. This guy..."
"The locum doctor, Vincent? What's happened to him?"
"He's been sent to The Congo" said Julia, sadly.
"Wow, that's rough. I'm sorry, Jules, just as you were getting to know him well. I've not seen you broken hearted before."
"I'm not...broken....oh who am I kidding? He's the first man I've ever had...erm...you know..."
"Feelings for?" added Suzy, kindly, not wanting to embarrass her friend.
"Yes. Ugh, is this what love is like? I hate it!" said Julia.
"I'm afraid so. We've all had heartbreaks, kid."
"Not you, surely!"
"Yep...my heart's been broken many times; unrequited feelings for a guy, let down by others, two timed by a couple of real rats and not forgetting the time I spent months single without even being able to get a date! But..."
"Yeah, I know, you met Neil." said Julia.
"Yes I did...but even then I had to fight to win him over. He was a challenge at first but I got my man"
"So should I fly off to The Congo? Is that what you're saying?"
"Maybe nothing so drastic. I tell you what we can do right now: Let's go down to the Blue Velvet" said Suzy, standing up suddenly and grabbing Julia by the hand. "Let's go now"
Well, hanging out with a friend and dancing sure was a temporary solution. Julia thought she couldn't really miss something she never had and Vincent was a possibility, a fascinating man, but other than feelings she never knew she had being stirred, they were never a couple and he might not have even felt the same way about her.
Julia went to get some drinks for her and Suzy. Her friend had bumped into some old acquaintances and was chatting to them but when Suzy came and stood next to her at the bar she had a quiet word with her.
"Suz...was it the same for you, you know, the first time you ever liked a man?" asked Julia.
"Yes. His name was Derren and he was a year ahead of me at High School. He was everything I thought a guy should be and I savoured every moment he paid attention to this scrawny little 14 year old version of me. And then, the next year he moved state and that was that. It took me about 3 months to get over him...by then I was 15 and another guy popped up to take his place but you don't forget that first guy. I wonder if I ever cross his mind."
Julia nodded but Suzy waved the memory away with her hand. "Oh let's stop this! I want to introduce you to a great guy called Joachin...."
"To finish my set I'd like to perform a song by a favourite band of mine...Jefferson Airplane. This one's called 'High Flying Bird'...thank you" and with that the singer started to strum and sing the song. Neil and Suzy looked on, impressed with this young woman's musical ability.
"She's very good...but we need to go, we've got a lot to do today" said Neil.
"Oh a few minutes more watching her won't dent our schedule. I want to stay until the end of the song" replied Suzy.
Neil said nothing and continued to watch the young lady perform the song...although he did check his wristwatch a few times during the remainder of the performance.
Eventually, the woman finished. "Thank you, my name's Lisa Richardson and I'll see you cats real soon." and with that she bowed and then went to put her guitar back in its case.
"Now we really should get going" said Neil. "We've got to get all the way back to Willow Creek"
"I know, darling, but we don't have to see the first place until 10 and it's only 9:15 now...Willow Creek isn't that far away..." she pleaded.
"I'm worried about finding a suitable parking spot when we're there...I don't know that part of town" he replied.
"Oh there's plenty of parking! If it's where you say it is you have lots of quiet, residential roads with parking lots and lots of side streets. It's such a beautiful morning in San Myshuno, let's just take a wander for a bit...please?"
She fixed Neil with her bright blue eyes...he couldn't resist that wide eyed, keen and eager look of hers. Suzy really was the most beautiful woman he had ever met and she was now his wife! She was even wearing his favourite outfit on her...a vision in purple, right down to her eye make up. He couldn't say no to her.
"OK...five more minutes then" he said.
"The flowers are in full bloom I see..." said Suzy, noticing the elaborate planters in the square.
"Maybe we'll find a place with a garden to grow some of our own?" mused Neil.
"Hey, is that Suzy Kent...I mean, Suzy Humphries?" came a voice from across the square. Both Neil and Suzy looked in the direction it had come from and saw a familiar figure walking towards them. It was Burr DeBenning; crazy name, crazy guy. He was an old friend of Suzy's...someone who had been of great help to her when she was investigating the suspicious activities of the Landgraabs. But since she'd been with Neil, she'd seen less of him.
Neil stiffened at the sight of Burr. He thought the guy was pleasant and decent enough, but he had a feeling in the pit of his stomach that Burr fancied Suzy and that didn't sit well with him.
Burr's heart skipped a beat when he saw her. He still rued the missed opportunity of getting together with her. Neil was a decent guy...that was the problem; he couldn't hate the man who stole the woman he longed for.
"Wow, I haven't seen you since the wedding!" exclaimed an excited Burr. How's married life treating you, Suz...oh, and Neil?"
"It's wonderful" replied Suzy. "And how are you doing, Burr? Still working at the council? Still keeping an eye on Geoffrey and Nancy?"
"Yes to both. Man, you look so vibrant, Suz. Are you still pursuing the mysteries of Sim City?" asked Burr.
"I am...research is coming along slowly, I'm afraid but today I'm taking a day off" she said.
"We're going house hunting, Burr" Neil interjected.
"Oh, moving up in the world?" asked Burr.
"Something like that...but as my husband..." she said, emphasising the word "keeps saying to me we have to get to see our first place very soon. We must catch up soon properly..."
"All of us" interjected Neil, again.
"Yes, all of us...lovely to see you again, Burr!" said Suzy, all bouncy and positive.
As Suzy and Neil headed to the parking lot to pick up their Volvo sports car, she commented "How lovely to see Burr again, I hope he's doing well"
"Yes" said a less convinced Neil.
COURTYARD LANE, WILLOW CREEK, 11:30am
"Well, that last place was very nice..." said Suzy, diplomatically...she hated it.
"Well out of our price range and I don't think we need 4 bedrooms either" said Neil. "You liked it? I thought it was too run down."
"I hope the other houses in this area are nice...I've heard a lot of good things about this neighbourhood but so far the houses haven't matched up"
"OK..." Neil continued. "Last place on our list...Rindle Rose. A 2 bedroom, single storey house which is about 1/3 larger than our current home"
"Hmmm, I like it from the outside...very sweet. I like the porch and the garden is very pretty. Let's look around" Suzy replied.
Suzy's impression of the house grew after they'd looked around inside. Neil was warming to it as well.
"OK, the place is a bit messy, a lot of the furniture is very old fashioned and not with it" said Suzy.
"From what I understand the current owner is clearing out the inside and furniture so we'd be furnishing virtually from scratch" replied Neil.
"The outdoors I wouldn't want to touch" Suzy continued.
"Well, I was thinking I could put my easel up there, overlooking the river" said Neil.
"I think that would be acceptable. Oh Neil, I really like this place: It's a bit like our existing house but that much bigger and we don't get views of that horrible industrial cargo warehouse either....and I'm not taking my life into my hands every time I cross that busy road at the end of our street if we lived here."
"I'll confess...when I was looking at properties this came out as my favourite. OK, if you like this and you can see us living here then I'll get the paperwork going" said Neil, happy that Suzy liked Rindle Rose as well.
"One thing though; I'm going to miss living next to the gang and seeing them everyday..." said Suzy "I wonder what our neighbours would be like here?"
"Coo-eeee! Suzy and Neil! Over here!"
The Humphries both looked over to the house next to them, where the voice was coming from. It was none other than Eliza Pancakes; a friend of theirs who'd they'd known for some time and invited to the wedding but they'd never been to her house before.
"Hello Eliza, keeping well?" asked Suzy
"Well, as well as I can be...so rushed off my feet these days with the baby" replied Eliza. "Oh you must come and see the little one! Have you time?"
Suzy looked to Neil, who nodded and they accepted Eliza's invitation.
"I must say your house looks lovely, Eliza" said Neil.
"Is Bob around?" asked Suzy.
"Thank you, Neil, well we try to make it lovely but it's a bit of a handful right now...Bob's around here somewhere; I sent him to check on the baby."
"Oh yes, congratulations again...is it a boy or a girl?" asked Suzy.
"It's a boy...his name is Armand and, well, yes, he's a typical baby you know! Needs feeding, cries a lot, and a lot and...a...lot..." replied Eliza, her voice trailing off.
"Are you two thinking of starting a family yet?" continued Eliza/
"NO!" exclaimed Suzy.
"Well, it's too early for that..." added Neil. "I mean, we'd have to move to a bigger place if we did...I mean, we have to move to a bigger place anyway what with my work and Suzy's."
"We're in no rush to start a family. Get married life sorted first" said Suzy.
"Well, good luck with that! I don't think any of us married types ever get it sorted" said Eliza, looking crestfallen at the ceiling.
Suzy and Neil gave a polite, but nervous laugh.
Just then they heard heavy footsteps coming down the stairs. A heavyset black man with a tight afro and a bored expression on his face entered the room. Although Suzy and Neil had never met him in person, they knew that was the often absent husband, Bob Pancakes. He barely acknowledged the presence of visitors as he walked in.
"Look who's come to visit us, Bobby?" said Eliza. "You've heard of my friends Neil and Suzy, haven't you?"
"Erm...I think so. Don't they live with a Chinese girl who's a rocket scientist?" said Bob.
"No! That's Travis and Summer. This is Suzy and Neil...I was at their wedding last month...you couldn't come due to that stomach bug you caught the morning of it."
"Ooooohhhhh yes. Stomach bug. Erm, yeah, that was it." said Bob, defensively. "It's stuffy in here, let me open a window." he said, turning to one of them. "By the way, we're out of fresh coffee, this is the last cup" he said, gesturing to the mug he was holding. The atmosphere was pretty tense right now and Eliza was quietly seething as Bob still hadn't said hello to their visitors.
Neil tried to break the ice a little. "I was saying to Eliza that you've got a nice place here, Bob. Did you do much of the decor yourselves?"
Bob lightened up a little at this question. "Oh yeah, sure. You know I did the floors, the walls, knocked a doorway through there so these rooms could interconnect, expanded upstairs and added a room, a second bathroom, changed the electrical wiring and all that. Are you a home improvement kind of guy, Nigel?"
"Neil. Well...erm..." he said, trying to recall his one moment of handyman success. "I replaced the toilet in our current home. The whole home improvement thing is something I'm looking into if we buy the place next door."
"Yeah, next door man. That place could do with a new owner now that Advik has been declared legally dead." said Bob with a rueful shake of his head.
"Advik?" asked Suzy, apprehensively.
"Oh my gosh, when did you hear about that?" exclaimed Eliza. "I thought they were still looking for him."
"Not any more they're not." said Bob, sitting down and taking another sip of coffee. "They found his shoes at the top of Granite Falls...and nothing else" he said, mysteriously. "No trace of him has been found...tracks leading up to the falls, then nothing coming back."
"That sure sounds like a mystery" said Suzy with a tinge of keen interest in her voice. Neil immediately picked up on that and knew his wife's mind would be occupied at the thought of investigating it.
"This Advik had no family then?" asked Neil.
"No. So the land agents want a quick sell and are prepared to drop the price" said Bob. "Mind you, the guy was a bit of a slob...looks good outside but it's a mess inside."
"Wow, this looks like our luck's in with this one, Eliza! We should put an offer in!" said an enthusiastic Suzy.
Their conversation was then interrupted by cries from upstairs.
"Oh it's Armand, again. Didn't you feed him when you went upstairs?" asked Eliza, with frustration in her voice.
"You said to go check on him...you never said anything about feeding the little guy" replied Bob, defensively.
"Tsch, I'll have to do it...Suzy, would you like to meet Armand...leave the menfolk to talk about smashing walls and varnishing floors." said Eliza.
"That would be lovely...give you and Bob a chance to get to know each other" said Suzy to Neil. The women left the room and Neil and Bob were left alone in the living room. Bob took one last swig of his coffee.
"Shame that was the last of that. Damn fine coffee" he said, matter of factly.
Meanwhile the girls headed upstairs in the direction of the crying. In one daintily decorated bedroom there was a traditional basinet all in white and in the middle was a squirming, writing and crying baby.
"Awww, did naughty daddy forget to feed you?" said Eliza, picking up Armand. She carried him over to a side table where there was a bottle of baby formula waiting. She picked it up, put the teat in his mouth and started to feed him as she cradled him in her arms. The crying stopped, to be replaced by a succession of "a-goo...a-goo...a-goo" noises.
"Aww, that's such a cute sound, and what a lovely little boy you have there" said Suzy, smiling at the little infant.
"He is when he's feeding and he does love a feed!" replied Eliza. "He's also sweet when he's sleeping. Takes after his father that way."
Armand came off the bottle and let out a tiny burp. Then Eliza put the formula back on the table and cradled him some more. "I'm hoping having a baby will bring some joy into our home...I mean, some extra joy..." she said. "Say, do you want to hold him? Get some good practice in for the future?" she continued with a wink.
"Oh...well...I've never had much experience with babies. I wouldn't want to drop him or anything...OK, here goes....my, he's quite light. Awwww, I think he smiled at me!" said Suzy, holding him gently.
After a few minutes Eliza took Armand back into her arms and snuggled him. He was quite content so she put him back in the basinet. They decided to leave him and go back downstairs but Suzy could see a mixture of exhaustion and frustration on her friend's face.
"It must take a lot out of you, having a baby to look after" said Suzy.
"Oh Suz...it's draining! It doesn't help that my husband is a lazy son-of-a-bitch at times! I sometimes think he doesn't care at all about us!" she said, desperately trying to keep her voice down.
"I'm so sorry to hear that, Eliza. I'm only a newlywed and I haven't had a serious fight with Neil since our wedding day so I can't offer much in the way of help"
"Oh you're so blessed, Suzy, and don't take Neil for granted! I think I married too soon, too much on the rebound...and Bobby...well, he was always there, you know? Other guys came and went and, gosh, my own family background isn't much to write about...I was a bit of a wild child back in the day! I'm a lousy wife and I'm worried I'm going to be a lousy mom!"
Suzy reached out and gently touched Eliza on both arms in comfort. "I think there's hope, Eliza, when you said 'Bobby is always there'. I don't know him much at all, but he's here, he hasn't left you or Armand. Maybe he needs a bit of coaxing out of his shell? I'm sure you know what makes him tick."
"Yeah, hopefully a bomb!" Eliza said, with a chuckle. "I know, cruel joke but thanks for your friendship, Suz. Hey, it'll be great being neighbours, won't it?"
Back at Foundry Cove Neil and Suzy had time to ponder their house hunting experience.
"I really like the house, really like it. I'm already thinking about interior design" said Suzy.
"I like it too" said Neil. "How do you feel about our prospective neighbours?" he asked.
"Eliza? I've known her for ages! And that little baby is so sweet..."
"Careful now..."
"Bob...I know what you mean; we might have to get used to hearing a lot of rows from next door" mused Suzy. "Mind you, the noise Action puts out at all hours on his stereo isn't much better"
"They're a bit of a handful, the Pancakes. I think I can handle both of them at the same time in small doses" said Neil. "But you're right about the house; we should put in an offer. I'll make the call to the agents."
Whilst Neil was making the phone calls Suzy took a walk around the Cove, her home for so long she could only just remember the day she moved in. Meeting Travis, Summer and Liberty...then Jeremy. This was before Julia and Action had arrived, heck it was before Julia's house had finished being built! Rubber Soul by The Beatles had only just been released...ahhh, the memories.
Suzy walked down to the river, past Jeremy and Barbara's house and down to the little fishing spot there. In all the time she'd lived in Foundry Cove, she never tried fishing there. She'd also not noticed the little crystalline rocks that lay around the area either, nor the old moss covered logs where tiny frogs would hop in and out of. Just when you thought you knew your own hometown, something comes along to surprise you, she thought.
She also looked across the river and saw the ugly old container facility...she wouldn't miss seeing it when they moved but it was also part of the mystery of the Cove...if the glade wasn't somewhere within that facility, then where could it be from here?
Her thoughts were interrupted by the voice of Barbara, who had come along to see her. "Suzy, gathering inspiration down by the river?" she asked.
"Oh Barbara, ha, not at all...I'm just enjoying the sights of our little neighbourhood in this lovely evening. Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to block your way..." said Suzy to a passing teenage girl. The girl, an elegant blonde with a haughty manner about her said nothing as she walked past Suzy and Barbara. Barbara couldn't quite place it, but that girl seemed familiar...perhaps she had been a customer at the shop?
"There's something on your mind, I can tell" said Barbara. "Is married life still treating you well?"
"Oh yes...in fact, Neil and I have made an important decision about what we should do next..." said Suzy.
"Oh, Suz...you're not!" exclaimed Barbara.
"No! We're not going to have children...yet. We're going to move house. Not far, though. We've found a place over at Courtyard Lane we really like. That's only just up the river there."
"Oh Suz...that's great! But bad! But bad in a great way! Sure...I get you need a bigger place but it'll be sad that we can't keep popping in and out of each other's places for impromptu chats and drinks."
"I know...but just walk along that path behind me and in 20 minutes you'll find us." said Suz, apologetically. "I'll still be around here quite a bit though" she said, looking at the mysterious tree. "I don't want to miss my friends."
Barbara nodded and gave Suzy a big hug and wished her luck before heading back to her own home. Yes, the tree, Suzy thought. I'm not done with you yet!
As she sauntered back home, taking in the sights and musing about how this news would impact on her friends, she saw Summer approaching the house. Yes, Summer, her best friend. What adventures they had had together. Trying to track down Malcolm Landgraab, setting up stake outs, those quests to find boyfriends when, in Summer's case, he was living under the same roof as her all along. All those girly chats, the giggles, the bottles of wine consumed along the way...
"So I just bumped into Barbara" said Summer as Suzy approached the house. "You're not!"
"We are, we're moving house. Not for a while I mean our offer's got to be accepted and then we have to sell this place and plan a moving out date....but don't worry, we're only moving to the next neighbourhood along."
"Oh Suzy...I don't know what to say! Of course, you must have a house moving party and then a house warming one after that! Don't worry, I'll organise it!"
"Of course you will, Summer! I have learned never to get in the way of Summer Holiday planning a party! We'd love it."
"There you go, Madelyn, the business plan for the next quarter...see that it is carried out to the letter" said Alan Cuffe to his live-in personal assistant, Madelyn Buchanan.
"How long do you intend to stay here in Granite Falls, Alan?" she replied.
"Indefinitely. Have the security arrangements been taken care of?" he continued.
"Guards are patrolling incognito all around the grounds, Alan. You're completely safe...you're in the hands of top men....TOP MEN!" she emphasised. Alan merely nodded. "Oh, and here are the Lothario concept covers for your approval and in this envelope are some glossy photos of models who have applied to be Kittens...again, submitted for your approval." Madelyn continued.
"Very good...I will be in daily contact with you. Thank you for your hard work, Madelyn. Granada Place is yours to live in rent free...treat it as your home."
"Alan, I'm worried...will you return home at some point?" she asked, a look of concern on her face.
"At some point...." he said, his voice trailing off.
As Madelyn's concerns about Alan's increasingly erratic behaviour grew and his security detachment patrolled the grounds and woods of Granite Falls for any suspicious activity, one seemingly ordinary, normal looking hiker walked past the lodge and noticed Cuffe looking furtive and nervous.
"Good..." the hiker thought. "Cuffe has been neutralised"
A day later the man, named Luke Kendall, was back in Sim City. He approached a small house in Newcrest; one that was neat and unassuming but its inhabitant was anything but unassuming. Kendall rang the doorbell and after a few seconds, the door swung open and he stepped inside. There, waiting in the hall, out of sight of passers by was a slim, very attractive young woman who was wearing nothing but a skin tight neck to toe bodystocking. The two gave each other a strange looking handshake greeting by touching index fingers together.
"Probyka, Lurgid"
"Speak in English only...Leanne McGregor...I trust all is well?" said Kendall. "I see you're wearing a Body Cohesion Suit; You're not losing your form are you?"
"No...but I wear one occasionally as a precaution. I don't want to suddenly turn into a puddle, Luke Kendall".
"Very wise...I should wear mine more often just in case. To business: I am here on a matter of some urgency."
"Then step this way and tell me what this matter is. Have you a new mission for me?" she asked.
"No...I still need you to lie low for now. Although things are proceeding as planned, there are still one or two, let's call them 'inconveniences' that need dealing with."
"Did you not wipe John Action's memory of us?" she asked.
"I did...and he still has no memory of me and no clear image of you in his mind either. All he has are the police reports of various disjointed incidents and they're now safely buried in the vaults of the FBI. I have just returned from checking on Alan Cuffe...he's become a recluse and living in the wilderness. We won't be hearing from him and he's too scared to co-operate with the authorities."
"So what are these 'inconveniences' then?" she asked.
"John Action is not someone who gives up easily. I controlled the minds of everyone who was in the club the night I met with him...I used a perception filter to cloud their minds so they can't remember seeing me there. But he's persisting...him and his friends. We're well ahead of them but, I am a cautious person and I want to stay well ahead. I bear a lot of responsibility as Regional Supervisor and as things stand your name and face are known to one too many people."
"I can eliminate them" Leanne said nonchalantly.
"That would draw too much attention. No, no eliminations for now." He said, raising a hand to calm her enthusiasm.
"Then what? Are you going to send me home?" she asked.
"Oh no, you are my best agent. You're too much of an asset here." This declaration pleased her greatly and she looked at him with a seductive grin.
"Then you're plan for me is...." she said, sitting down. Luke eyed up the empty space next to her and sat down as well.
"You must change your appearance" he said, flatly.
"A change of hairstyle, some coloured contact lenses and altering my make up should do the trick...Hu-manns are so easily fooled." she said.
"Not this time...I require something more than just surface cosmetic changes. You are to undergo bodily transformation. I take it you have a transmogrifier here?" he said, looking around the room.
"I do...but I hate those machines. I hate being turned into..." she couldn't complete the sentence. Her face went from seductive and playful to sad and apprehensive.
"I admit, the experience of bodily transformation is....somewhat unsettling...." he said, trying to put a positive gloss on what it actually entailed. "But the risks are too great for you to remain here in your current form."
"The only question now is to choose who you want to be next? Male or female? Old or young? Fat or thin?" he said with an air of finality.
"Can I think about it for a few days?" she said, forlornly.
"I don't think that would be wise: The hu-manns have a saying, 'no time like the present'." he replied. "I have taken the liberty of compiling a portfolio of approved looks that haven't been taken by other agents. We can discuss your next form together." Kendall passed an electronic pad the size of a clipboard to her and on it was a display of different humans...as he said; male and female, young and old and fat and thin.
Leanne looked at them and instantly made some decisions. "I like being female...and young. Have you ever...?" she asked.
"No, this is the only form I've ever been...other than my natural one." he replied, cutting her off. "Well, that's a start, we'll select young female forms...now this one's nice: Number 12 looks just like you."
"Hmmm, she's pretty. A bit cutesy, not what I'm used to." Leanne replied, standing up and handing the clipboard back to him. "Most hu-manns consider me to be beautiful." she said, pacing the room. "I have been asked on dates many times...even had a marriage proposal! I have copulated with hu-manns a few times, have you?"
"No...I am too focussed on my work. Fraternising with the hu-manns, especially copulating with them is frowned upon by High Command. The risks of discovery are too great." he said with disapproval that she was behaving in such a sexual manner with people.
"Do not worry...I have taken care of all the hu-manns I have slept with. Two were electrocuted, one was sent home to become part of the breeding programme and the other two...I absorbed." she said with relish.
"Nevertheless, from now on you are to refrain from any sexual encounters with hu-manns unless authorised by me or High Command." he said in an authoritative voice. "Now, shall we settle on Number 12 and programme the transmogrifier without delay?"
Leanne sighed. "Yes, go ahead. Number 12 won't be so much of a temptation for them. It's sad...I love this body, it's been good for me and now I have to say goodbye to it." she walked over to a mirror and checked herself over one more time, looking fondly at every curve, her brown eyes, long dark brown hair, cheekbones, elegant nose and all the other features she had used to great effect to charm and seduce men.
Kendall, in the meantime, made a few secret adjustments to the basic Number 12 model just to make sure the new form looked different from Leanne's current one. "Alright, it's settled...take me to your transmogrifier." he said.
Leanne showed him to the bathroom where the device stood...disguised as a shower cubicle. Luke went over to it and found the secret panel where he plugged in the electronic clipboard and then proceeded to upload the new form into it.
"It's ready" he said, blankly. Leanne walked gingerly towards the transmogrifier...along with the sadness of losing her favoured form and stunning good looks she remembered what the process was like and shuddered.
"You shouldn't be so sentimental about your form...it's not your real one after all." he said.
"I know...sometimes I wonder if I will ever be my real self ever again." she mused.
"Our scientists say we can return to our original selves...one day. This..." he said, indicating his own, current form "...is only a temporary arrangement. It's like changing our clothes; the real us is underneath, interwoven into whatever form we assume. That never changes."
"The technology is still experimental...when they altered our bodies so we could shapeshift..." she said, nervously.
"We are all volunteers and our mission is paramount. Besides, with the use of body cohesion suits we can remain solid indefinitely. It's a small price to pay for our homeland." he said, trying to reassure her.
Leanne nodded and walked solemnly to the machine. She took off her bodysuit and stepped inside. Kendall started the procedure and stepped back while the device came to life. Inside the machine, Leanne braced herself. First, she could sense her body melting from the top to the bottom. She became a viscous, flesh coloured ooze churning around the transmogrifier. More thick liquid than solid, she was broken down and mixed as the machine re-sequenced her to be someone else. The sensation was uncomfortable and she felt like she was drowning as she sloshed around the cubicle. Then, after a couple of minutes she started to solidify. First she was formed into a basic, featureless humanoid shape, like clay and then bit by bit her toes and fingers formed, then her nose, eyes, ears and mouth. Then more detail was added whilst her skeleton formed and hardened and her organs came into being. Finally, hair, eyelashes and fine details were completed and the machine stopped, the door slid open and Leanne opened her eyes.
"How do I look?" she asked.
"Very good. Here, put this back on whilst your skeleton is hardening." he said, tossing her the bodystocking. She put it on and then went to the mirror.
"I see you changed the colour of the hair to match yours" she said.
"I like that colour" he said, smiling.
"Hmmm, just as I thought: Cute." she said, looking closely at her face.
"You'll get used to it" he said. "Right, let's talk some more business" he said, leaving the bathroom. Leanne remained in the bathroom to look at herself a bit more. The more she looked, the more she liked this new look. The skin was a bit pasty and she lacked the glamour of the old Leanne but this form had potential.
She walked back out to the lounge where Luke was waiting for her. He looked at her admiringly.
"I like it a lot" he said, smiling. "Of course, I think I'll have to keep closer tabs on you from now on"
"Supervisor Luke Kendall...I hope you're not trying to flirt with me?" she said, coquettishly.
"It would be better with me than with a hu-mann." he said, suggestively.
"If our superiors found out...I might have to absorb you too" she replied in kind.
"But first...business. As I said before, you are to remain low key. Just go about your normal business and establish yourself in your new form. I have a plan that might involve your particular talents in the future so keep yourself sharp."
"I want to try something first...I'll be right back" she said and with that she skipped into her bedroom where she took off the cohesion suit and flung open her wardrobe. She selected a dress, shoes, underwear and accessories and put them on and then she went to re-join Kendall.
"What are you doing? You risk going liquid again so soon after a transformation!" he said with alarm.
"Relax...I'll change back in an hour or so. I want to get your approval for this kind of look. This is going to be my style, I've decided."
"Not bad...as far as hu-mannns go." he replied, looking up and down at her approvingly.
"Do you find hu-manns to be attractive?" she asked. "I've started to think so."
"I prefer my hu-manns to be shapeshifted us. How are you feeling?" he asked.
"I think my skeleton is fully formed now. I am clear for operations, Supervisor Luke Kendall"
"Well, shall we give your body one more test before I declare you to be fully functional?" he said, suggestively.
"It sounds like you haven't tested all your functions yet...let's change that?" she said, batting her new eyelashes at him.
