From the journal of Doctor Jon Quayle Cornelius. Things have become worse: Since breaching the locked level of the secret laboratory things back in Strangerville have become more serious. The mysterious pods all around town have all opened and strange, alien plants have sprouted. The plants resemble the ones we discovered in the lab but, perhaps more ominously, the sky has turned a sickly pale green-grey colour. I fear we might be running out of time to discover and prevent the threat that is trying to engulf us..."Cornelius! Come here! Those strange purple floating spores we found at the lab...they're in your bathroom!" exclaimed David. Since the semester at Britechester had finished, David had moved out of the halls of residence and had moved in with Cornelius so he could study the alien plants better. However, he didn't think they would be actually inside the house.
"They're in the lounge as well, David. In fact all over town." Cornelius replied.
David emerged from the bathroom to find Cornelius sitting on the couch, blithely reading a book whilst the purple spores floated around him and the room.
"Are you trying to find out what these things are from that book?" asked David.
"Oh no, I was reading this novel; 'Dune'. Anyway, that's enough light distraction...let's get to work. David, you observe and note down anything that goes on with these plants and spores. The more detail the better. I'm heading off to DPR headquarters to work on the samples we took there."
"OK...but I have a feeling we're going to have to act fast because I fear time might be running out! I can see genuine panic in the locals now; now no one is pretending there isn't something serious going on...soldiers, scientists and civilians are all running scared."
Cornelius grabbed the keys to his 911 and drove away to DPR headquarters. There he sought out the head of department: Dr Murakami.
"Doctor Cornelius; you grace us with one of your rare appearances" she said, dryly.
"Fieldwork is very engrossing, Doctor. However, I do believe there's been progress...both good and bad." he replied.
"OK, give me the bad news" Dr Murakami responded as she leaned back in her chair.
"The pods have sprouted, there's alien spores in the atmosphere and the clouds have turned green." said Cornelius, blankly. But the good news is that I have taken more samples from the plants and that the lower levels of the laboratory are giving us more useful information."
"You'd better get those samples tested right away, Doctor" said Murakami.
"Without delay but first...." he said, putting his index finger to his chin in thought. "...I need to collect samples of those airborne spores. I've written down what kind of device I will need to do that..." he said, pulling a piece of paper with his writing and diagrams on it from his lab coat pocket. "...I haven't seen a sample collector in our own labs here but maybe you can have one procured or constructed and it's important it matches my exact specifications"
Murakami took the paper, looked at it and nodded. "I will make sure we can get this device to you, Doctor Cornelius".
Journal update: We have begun analysing the new plant samples and our Xenobiology expert is confident we can learn how these plants function and how they grow. The Department of Paranormal Research has equipment and technology far more advanced than any university in the Western World.
But at the back of my mind I'm wondering if we don't also need a serum to fight these plants...it might become necessary very soon...
Meanwhile back in Strangerville, David Wright had not been idle and instead was taking detailed notes about where the floating spores had been seen and seeing where each and every alien plant was to be found around the town.
He was accosted by the head of the conspiracy theory group, Erwin Pries, who seemed particularly worried about the latest happenings.
"Hey, you, Mr Scientist man! What's up with the sky? What's going on with these flying things? They ain't no fireflies I've ever seen before! What did you do up there? What the hell did you let loose?"
"Erwin...try to relax" said David, trying to calm the young man down. "We're working on it...we've discovered a lot in that lab, we just need time to work on a solution."
"You don't know what you're doing, do you? DO YOU! You and your fancy English doctor...you're stumbling around whilst our town is being attacked by something or someone. Well, there's trouble brewing around here, that's for sure. I have my defences...I suggest you get some of your own!"
The next day Cornelius received a phone call from Dr Murakami at DPR headquarters. She had informed him that he was to meet a Staff Sergeant Matt Moffett, a member of the Army-DPR liaison team, to collect a "special" parcel. The agreed venue would be the 8 Bells Bar.
"Interesting..." Cornelius said when he hung up.
"How so?" asked David.
"We are to receive the equipment I requested but the handover is to take place at the local bar...not very clandestine, is it?"
"Haven't you noticed, Cornelius? That bar is practically run by the US Army...if you want to do any kind of deals with them and not get noticed the 8 Bells is the place to do it. You will be hidden in plain view."
"That. Is an excellent point, David." Why didn't I think of that? Cornelius asked himself. I must be slipping!
He made his way to the bar and, as usual whenever he visited the 8 Bells, all eyes turned to look at him...The army had a dim and suspicious view of this flamboyant Englishman with the Mick Jagger hairstyle.
"A large gin and tonic, my good man" he said. The barman said nothing and instead just got him his drink. Cornelius then sat down at one of the bar's long tables and he was aware that one of the soldiers; a hefty slab of of a man with a beard that made him look like Fidel Castro was eyeing him intently.
"I guess you're Cornelius" the soldier said. "Yep, you match the description given to me"
"I call it my signature look. And you are?"
"Master Sergeant Matt Moffett"
"How mellifluous" Cornelius interjected.
"Say what? Anyway, I know you're him but I need to see your DPR ID"
Cornelius reached inside his jacket and produced his DPR card. Sergeant Moffett nodded and reached under the table for a shoebox sized parcel and a clipboard.
"This is the device you requested" said Moffett.
"Much obliged...." said Cornelius, who went to grab it but Moffett whisked it out of his grasp.
"I need to see some ID and the counter-sign" said Moffett
"Oh, seriously?" said a frustrated Cornelius.
Moffett just nodded.
"Alright...here's my identification and...The Siberian Bald Eagle flies backwards"
"...but only on the 12th of each month. OK, Doctor, here's your package. Don't go breaking it; it is property of the United States government!"
Soon afterwards Cornelius met up with David and Peggy back at the house and there he opened the parcel to find a strange looking electronic device that was the shape of a spatula and had no obvious discernible function.
"What's he up to this time?" asked Peggy.
"Something about that machine he's just bought in" replied David.
"Cornelius, what does that thing do?" said Peggy, as she tried to get a closer look at the device.
"If I can get it powered up...ah, that's done it. Yes, that seems to be functioning....you see this handy little machine can pick up some of these flying spores and compress them so we can take more samples."
Cornelius was holding the machine at arm's length and going in a slow circle around the living room. Every few seconds the little machine beeped and a red light would flash.
"Yes...YES...It's starting to suck in the spores. Another break through for us!" Cornelius declared, confidently.
"Well, at least he isn't worried...which might be a good sign" said David with a wry smile.
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