‹ Prequel: The Company
Returners
Invited Intruder
“He’s still not back?”
“No.” I gave Morgan a cup of coffee. “I shouldn’t be worried, should I?”
“No, he’s going to be okay.”
“Hows your head?”
“Yeah, yeah. It’ll take more than some pretty coloured drinks to get me a hangover.” I pulled a face at him. “I’ll get the car started. Hurry up and drink that, will you?”
-
Morgan and I wandered in, heads low in chatter. Janto was in his station but I payed him no attention. He seemed busy anyway. Morgan nodded at me and walked to his own station.
“ORIGHT!” Morgan suddenly erupted. “Who the fuck are you, and what the hell are you doing in my chair!”
“Eggman!” Justin exclaimed with glee, practically being the vision of a school-girl.
“Wot?” Morgan turned, livid.
“Justin sent for me.” The small, mousy man ventured. “I’m Daniel Eggbert.” Holding out his hand.
“He did, did he?” Morgan ignored his hand and the man, still glaring at Justin.
“He’s filling in for you whilst you’re off travelling.” Justin beamed at Daniel, who was looking uncomfortable.
“Er,” Morgan looked puzzled. “I’m not going anywhere, am I?”
“Of course you are, you all are. Now, get everybody will you? Jess is downstairs.” He motioned to Daniel and sauntered off.
-
“Now that I have you all here.” Justin spread his arms and grinned. “Eggman is going to be in charge”
“You’re not going again, are you?” Jess asked.
“Well…yeah. We all are.”
“Justin, wait. I’m confused.” I piped up. “What exactly…are we being fired?”
“Fired?” Justin laughed. “Fired? Megan, what on earth goes through your head? Were all going to save the planet!” He looked expectant. I must have looked blank. I stared around the room-everybody else had the same look on their faces, except Janto and Eggman.
“Wait, Justin. How are we getting…anywhere?” Morgan broke the silence. “We don’t have the means. And even if we did, the Act.”
“It’s true, the Intermperance Act prohibits human movement throughout the universe. But I changed it when I was away.” Justin beamed.
“Okay…but then…how?” I asked.
“That laser that sends me around. Were taking that to my home.” He kept on beaming.
“How long will we be gone for?” Jess asked quietly. “My boyfriends already sick of my hours.”
“Boyfriend?”
“Yeah…he think s I’m cheating about him. I…I do like him.” I rolled my eyes and muttered to myself.
“Megan, quit it.”
“Morgan, you suck.” I shoved him playfully. Jess glared at me.
“Anybody who has pets, kids or boyfriends who need to be fed, give Eggman your keys and details.”
“How long will we be gone for?” Jess practically yelled.
“I don’t know.”
“You can’t just take us!”
“Well, do you want to stay here?”
“No fucking way.” Jess grinned.
“Good. Now we have that out of the way, meet me on the roof in half an hour.”
“Half an hour?” I looked at Morgan.
“Scared are you?” Jess flounced by me, in her element. I pulled a face and went to my office.
“I didn’t think of Jess as being the space exploring one.”
“She’s wanted this ever since she saw the really old episodes of Dr Who when she was a kid. This is like a dream come true for her.” Morgan beamed.
“This is gonna be fun, right?”
“We gotta keep our cool. But yeah, it’s gonna be fun.” His beam turned into a grin so big, it almost covered his face. I laughed at him
-
“Now, keep still. I’ve changed the composition derometer to accept human DNA. Eggman was the first to try it, and he came out fine. So, just step in, it’s about ready to take us up.” Justin did his weird little clap-jump. Jess was beaming like a maniac and Morgan was shooting aliens in his head. Janto and I were the only two not smiling. We looked at each other and I glared him down until he looked away. “3…2…1.”
And then we were off.
“No.” I gave Morgan a cup of coffee. “I shouldn’t be worried, should I?”
“No, he’s going to be okay.”
“Hows your head?”
“Yeah, yeah. It’ll take more than some pretty coloured drinks to get me a hangover.” I pulled a face at him. “I’ll get the car started. Hurry up and drink that, will you?”
-
Morgan and I wandered in, heads low in chatter. Janto was in his station but I payed him no attention. He seemed busy anyway. Morgan nodded at me and walked to his own station.
“ORIGHT!” Morgan suddenly erupted. “Who the fuck are you, and what the hell are you doing in my chair!”
“Eggman!” Justin exclaimed with glee, practically being the vision of a school-girl.
“Wot?” Morgan turned, livid.
“Justin sent for me.” The small, mousy man ventured. “I’m Daniel Eggbert.” Holding out his hand.
“He did, did he?” Morgan ignored his hand and the man, still glaring at Justin.
“He’s filling in for you whilst you’re off travelling.” Justin beamed at Daniel, who was looking uncomfortable.
“Er,” Morgan looked puzzled. “I’m not going anywhere, am I?”
“Of course you are, you all are. Now, get everybody will you? Jess is downstairs.” He motioned to Daniel and sauntered off.
-
“Now that I have you all here.” Justin spread his arms and grinned. “Eggman is going to be in charge”
“You’re not going again, are you?” Jess asked.
“Well…yeah. We all are.”
“Justin, wait. I’m confused.” I piped up. “What exactly…are we being fired?”
“Fired?” Justin laughed. “Fired? Megan, what on earth goes through your head? Were all going to save the planet!” He looked expectant. I must have looked blank. I stared around the room-everybody else had the same look on their faces, except Janto and Eggman.
“Wait, Justin. How are we getting…anywhere?” Morgan broke the silence. “We don’t have the means. And even if we did, the Act.”
“It’s true, the Intermperance Act prohibits human movement throughout the universe. But I changed it when I was away.” Justin beamed.
“Okay…but then…how?” I asked.
“That laser that sends me around. Were taking that to my home.” He kept on beaming.
“How long will we be gone for?” Jess asked quietly. “My boyfriends already sick of my hours.”
“Boyfriend?”
“Yeah…he think s I’m cheating about him. I…I do like him.” I rolled my eyes and muttered to myself.
“Megan, quit it.”
“Morgan, you suck.” I shoved him playfully. Jess glared at me.
“Anybody who has pets, kids or boyfriends who need to be fed, give Eggman your keys and details.”
“How long will we be gone for?” Jess practically yelled.
“I don’t know.”
“You can’t just take us!”
“Well, do you want to stay here?”
“No fucking way.” Jess grinned.
“Good. Now we have that out of the way, meet me on the roof in half an hour.”
“Half an hour?” I looked at Morgan.
“Scared are you?” Jess flounced by me, in her element. I pulled a face and went to my office.
“I didn’t think of Jess as being the space exploring one.”
“She’s wanted this ever since she saw the really old episodes of Dr Who when she was a kid. This is like a dream come true for her.” Morgan beamed.
“This is gonna be fun, right?”
“We gotta keep our cool. But yeah, it’s gonna be fun.” His beam turned into a grin so big, it almost covered his face. I laughed at him
-
“Now, keep still. I’ve changed the composition derometer to accept human DNA. Eggman was the first to try it, and he came out fine. So, just step in, it’s about ready to take us up.” Justin did his weird little clap-jump. Jess was beaming like a maniac and Morgan was shooting aliens in his head. Janto and I were the only two not smiling. We looked at each other and I glared him down until he looked away. “3…2…1.”
And then we were off.