Rover Strike: Temporal Holiday

By Gerhard Naudé

All Rover Strike names © Gerhard Naudé
All Road Rovers names © Warner Brothers and rightful owners
All Doctor Who names © British Broadcasting Corporation
Wes © Wesley Montgomery
Tamias © Adam Chapin

Any question, comments, complaints, feedback or suggestions can be 
sent to gnaude_@hotmail.com.

Striker & Phoenix's Private Quarters
Road Rover Headquarters
State of New Mexico
United States of America
10 December
09:22 AM:

Inside the bedroom of their private quarters in RRHQ, Striker the cocker
spaniel and Phoenix the Pomeranian are busy packing some suitcases with
clothing and small toiletries. The suitcases are on their king sized
bed, and the couple are dressed in informal attire. Phoenix is checking
out some of the clothing in their dresser.

Phoenix:"I wonder what should I take? Winter or summer outfits? Or both?"

Striker:"I'm thinking that we should not take too much along. Considering
         what Wes had promised to show us, it is very likely he would
         provide us with the regte attire."

Phoenix:"It helps to be prepared, Strikie. Besides, I might need my...
         lighter clothing."

She winks at Striker, who blushes a bit.

Striker:"Let's focus on our preparations, Dear."

Phoenix sticks her tongue out at him in a playful manner. They keep
packing up.

Phoenix:"Did you talk with the Master about this?"

Striker:"Ja, we are in the clear. Got the leave permission, and if any-
         thing serious does come up there are reserve Rovers who can
         take places in Unit STRIKE."

Phoenix:"Good. I'd hate to have our holiday interrupted by Parvo or
         the KH Military or the GONV launching another zany scheme of
         some kind. Don't villains ever go on holiday?"

Striker chuckles as he zips up a bag carrying his toiletries.

Striker:"That's a good question, Firefly."

Phoenix then remembers something and looks at her husband.

Phoenix:"Do you think we'll need to bring weapons?"

He looks surprised at her.

Striker:"Weapons? What for? We are going on holiday, not a mission."

Phoenix:"I know, but considering that we are about to holiday with some
         kind of time travelers wouldn't it be prudent to take some
         defenses with us?"

Striker considers this particular issue for a minute or so, tugging the
fur under his chin. Finally he nods in agreement.

Striker:"Reg, better to be safe than sorry. I'll take my revolver and
         your laser pistol in my suitcase, though I'm certain Wes will
         not try and put us in harm's way."

Phoenix:"Let me get them for you, Strikie."

She goes to one of their closets, opens it and pushes some clothes
aside to reveal a safe with a keypad. The Pomeranian types in a code
to unlock it, then opens the safe. She takes out the laser pistol, the
revolver and a packet of ammunition. Phoenix gives them to Striker, who
then places them inside his suitcase. After a while of packing, the two
of them close and lock their suitcases.

Phoenix:"Did we get everything we wanted to bring?"

Striker thinks briefly, looking around their quarters. Finally he nods
his head.

Striker:"Ja, we can get going and wait for Wes to arrive."

Phoenix takes her suitcase, as does Striker. The couple walks out of
their quarters, turning off the lights. Once outside, Striker closes
the door and locks it.

Exterior Grounds
Road Rover Headquarters
09:40 AM:

The grounds outside RRHQ consists mostly of open lawns and fields with

the occasional cluster of trees and bushes within the cavern. A few
paths wind their way around the grounds. Striker and Phoenix are waiting
on one of the open fields, their suitcases on the grass next to them.

Phoenix:"Will we have to wait long?"


Striker:"I don't think so. Wes said he would be coming round about this
         time."

Phoenix:"I hope so. I'd hate to find out we've been making preparations
         for nothing."

Striker smiles and puts one arm around his wife, giving her a hug.

Striker:"I'm sure it won't come to that."

Phoenix smiles and hugs her husband back. Just then there is a strange 
groaning sound and a small light pulsates in the middle of the air in
front of them. The light gets brighter as something starts to material-
ize in a empty spot. The couple shields their eyes for a second to let
the light fade. When they open their eyes they see a large red booth 
standing on the grass. It has six sides and a large Victoria-era electric 
lamp on top. On a sign hanging by the door are the words "OFFICIAL POLICE 
BOOTH".

Phoenix:"Still kind of weirds me out how this thing comes out of thin 
         air."

Striker:"Ja, but at least we know it doesn't mean trouble. Not for us
         ten minste."

The door on the booth opens and out steps Wes. The male Fox with green
eyes and blond headfur is again dressed in a green coat, brown suit and 
pants that look out of fashion and holding a walking stick in one paw. 
He smiles as he sees the couple.

Wes:"Ah, Striker and Phoenix. Glad to see you made it on time."

Striker holds out a paw and Wes shakes it.

Striker:"Same here. My wife was getting nervous about you not showing
         up."

Phoenix:"Hey! I wasn't that nervous!"

Striker:"I'm just teasing you, Firefly."

Wes:"You needn't have worried about me. I make sure to be as punctual
     as possible. Now, are you two ready?"

Striker and Phoenix pick up their suitcases and nod.

Striker:"We're gereed."

Wes:"Good. Climb onboard. Ladies first."

Phoenix(smiling):"Thank you."

Phoenix enters the TARDIS first, followed by Striker and finally Wes. Wes
closes the door behind them. Minutes later pulsing lights engulf the booth 
while a groaning noise comes from the TARDID. It then materializes out of 
sight, leaving a circle of pressed grass on the lawn.

Console Room
Interior
The Celestial Harmony TARDIS
Somewhere in the Time Vortex
09:47 AM (Relative Time):

The inside of Wes' TARDIS looks different from the last time Striker and
Phoenix had seen it. Instead of a circular dome the console room is now
a smaller square divided into two floors. The console still stands in
the centre, with circular floor patterns underneath it. On the walls are
several golden hatches, while in the corner on a carpet stands a bookcase,
a coffee table with several trinkets on it and a couch. A flight of stairs
leads up to the second floor, which seems to consists mostly of bookcases.
Several pairs of wooden doors lead out of the console room. One of the
doors, however, is make from colorful stained glass. Along the walls are
several other pieces of furniture, including a grandfather clock and an
old gramophone player. The couple looks around.

Phoenix:"Wow! You've redecorated the place. I like it!"

Wes smiles, walking towards the console.

Wes:"Thank you. I got tired with the old design, so I went and made a few
     modest changes."

Striker:"You call this modest? This is a complete overhaul, Wes. How much
         did all of this cost you?"

The fox laughs as he operates the console, setting a new destination for
the TARDIS.

Wes:"It didn't cost me anything. Sure, it took me a bit of work, but the
     TARDIS is very flexible and allows me to make significant changes to
     it as I need or desire."

Striker stares at Wes.

Striker:"I suppose asking how you did it might just end up confusing me?"

Wes shakes his head and turns to Striker.

Wes:"Actually, it's very simple. You see, you start by making a few ad-
     justments to the molecular structures of.."

Voice:"Please, Wes. Don't go off on one of your rambling explanations.
       Striker and Phoenix came here to relax, not try and get several
       degrees in sciences."

Everyone turns to the source of the voice. Coming in through one of the
wooden doors is Tamias the chipmunk chief. Phoenix smiles when she sees
him.

Phoenix:"Tamias!"

Tamias:"Phoenix! Striker, it's good to see you two again."

Phoenix goes over and gives Tamias a hug. The chipmunk hugs her back.

Phoenix:"I thought you had gone back to your people."

Tamias:"Not yet. Wes convinced me to stick around with him a bit longer.
        And judging from what we've been through, he needs it."

Wes:"Hey, it wasn't that bad."

Tamias looks at Wes with one eyebrow raises.

Tamias:"You nearly got killed by those metal dales..."

Wes:"They're called Daleks."

Tamias:"Daleks. Either way, if I wasn't there Striker and Phoenix would
        have had to cancel their holiday."

Striker looks confused at Wes.

Striker:"What is he talking about? Nothing serious, I hope?"

Wes:"The Daleks are my greatest enemy, but you need not worry about them.
     Where we are going the Daleks won't be able to get to you. Besides,
     Tamias is exaggerating the whole affair."

Tamias clears his throat a bit loudly.

Wes:"Okay, maybe not much. But again, in New Babbage you won't find any
     Daleks, so you two can relax."

Phoenix:"New Babbage? Is this the place you're going to take us to?"

Wes:"That's right. I'm sure you will find the city quite a sight once
     you get there. Tamias, please take them to their room while I set
     the TARDIS on the right course."

Tamias:"All right. Striker, Phoenix. Please come with me."

Tamias leads the couple towards one of the doors while Wes continues to
work on the console. The chipmunk unlocks the doors, opens them and then
stands aside.

Tamias:"Go right in."

Striker:"Dankie, Tamias."

The couple go through the doors and find themselves in a Victorian era
bedroom. A queen-sized bed is here, along with a large dresser, a deco-
rative chandelier and a writing desk. The couple stops and looks around.

Phoenix:"Very nice! Don't you agree, Strikie?"

Striker:"A bit utilitarian, but it looks good and has everything we
         need."

They go to put their luggage down by the bed. Tamias comes in behind
them.

Tamias:"Everything all right?"

Phoenix:"Yeah, it is a good room you got for us here."

Tamias:"I'm glad to hear it. Oh! Wes wants to let you know that the
        clothes you need to wear in New Babbage are right there in
        the dresser."

Phoenix:"Oh? Is our clothes not welcome there?"

Tamias:"No, but you will stand out much less. It's optional, but Wes
        recommends the clothes in the dresser."

Phoenix:"All right, we'll try them on."

Tamias:"Good. I'll leave you two to get dressed. Wes should have us at
        New Babbage in no time."

Striker:"Dankie, Tamias."

The chipmunk nods and leaves, closing the door behind him. Phoenix goes
over to the dresser and opens it. She examines the clothes inside and
smiles.

Phoenix:"Ooo, these look fancy."

She takes out a brown top hat and goes over to put it on Striker's head.
Surprised, Striker turns to his wife while adjusting the hat on his
head.

Striker:"You really think I should wear this?"

Phoenix:"Why not? It looks really good on you. You'll fit right in!"

Striker:"You talk as if you know New Babbage already."

Phoenix giggles and turns back to the dresser. She begins to dig around
and taking out the right clothes while Striker unpacks their suitcases.

The Celestial Harmony TARDIS
10:18 AM (Relative Time):

Wes and Tamias are sitting at one of the tables, sipping cups of tea
while they relax. A short time later the doors to Striker and Phoenix's
room open. Wes and Tamias lower their cups and watch as the couple come
out dressed in their new clothes. Striker is wearing a dark blue frock
coat, matching top hat, Cashmere trousers and button boots. Phoenix is
wearing an emerald green tight gown with a long train and wearing a
bonnet with green ribbons. Wes smiles and stands up.

Striker:"How do we look?"

Wes:"You two look perfect. You will look great on the streets of New
     Babbage."

Phoenix grins and turns in a circle to show off her dress.

Phoenix:"Thing I will turn heads there?"

Tamias:"You would certainly turn mine."

Striker then looks at Wes.

Striker:"Speaking of New Babbage, when will we arrive at the city?"

Wes takes out a pocket watch and looks at the time.

Wes:"We should be there right now."

Striker:"Can you honestly tell the time from your pocket watch while we
         are traveling in a time machine?"

Wes nods, putting the watch back into his pocket.

Wes:"Of course. But then it isn't an ordinary pocket watch I have here."

Striker:"Should I really ask how it works?"

Wes:"Probably not, I guess. Unless you would like to spend a couple of
     hours listening to me talk about temporal physics."

The spaniel shakes his head.

Striker:"Nee, dankie. Firely and I are on holiday."

Wes:"Then let's go. We should be able to disembark from the TARDIS right
     now. Follow me."

Wes leads the group towards the door they had entered the first time. Wes
opens the door and then goes out first. Striker, Phoenix and Tamias follow
the fox outside before Wes closes the door behind them.

Alleyway
New Babbage
8:22 AM (local time):

The TARDIS is standing in an alleyway between two brick buildings. A few
loose newspaper are lying about, but otherwise it is not as dirty as one
would expect. The TARDIS' door opens and Wes steps outside, followed by
Striker, Phoenix and Tamias. The couple look around while Wes closes the
TARDIS behind them.

Phoenix:"Why are we in an alleyway?"

Wes:"It's reasonably out of the way. I don't like to park it out in the
     open, and certainly not in other people's way."

Phoenix:"Oh, that makes sense I guess."

Wes:"Come on. Let me show you New Babbage proper."

The fox leads them down the alleyway. When they come to the end they
emerge from the alleyway. Wes turns around and spreads his arms.

Wes:"Striker, Phoenix. Welcome to New Babbage."

Striker and Phoenix stop to look around and take in the sights. They are
standing on the sidewalks of a wide street that runs through New Babbage.
The city itself is a mixture of Victorian England architecture and Steam-
Punk technology. In the streets horse-drawn carriages and steam-powered
cars that resemble the first automobiles jam the streets, while pedestrians
dressed in a similar style as Striker and Phoenix go about to their
destinations. Electric lamps line the streets while newspaper boys stand
at the corners hawking the local dailies. The couple takes in the sights
all around them.

Phoenix:"Wow! This is amazing!"

Striker:"Ai yai yai, what a sight."

Wes:"I see you too are definitely impressed."

The couple nod at the fox.

Striker:"We are. It feels very strange to be in a world that looks like 
         it was transplanted from our world's past."

Wes:"Yes, it does look a bit foreign but you will fit in well."

Phoenix:"Are you going to show us the sights, Wes?"

The fox shakes his head.

Wes:"Not right now. Tamias and I need to go to Fullerton House for 
     a scheduled meeting. But I can give you this map I made."

He digs into his coat and takes a big folded map. The fox gives it to
Striker, who opens it up. It shows a map of the entire city, with red
circles indicating places of interests. Wes points at a spot on the map.

Wes:"We are currently here. I've marked all the interesting places worth
     seeing and visiting on the map."

Striker:"Will you away for long?"

The fox shakes his head.

Wes:"Not at all. It will only be an hour or two, at most. We can meet
     again here..."

He points to one of the circles.

Wes:"A friend of mine runs a cafe in this part of New Babbage. We can 
     rendezvous there. Oh! I almost forgot."

The fox takes out an envelope and gives it to Striker.

Wes:"Here's some money for any expenses and souvenirs you'd like to
     buy."

Phoenix:"Oh, we couldn't..."

Wes:"No really, I insist. Besides, you never know."

Striker:"If you say so, Wes."

The spaniel tucks the envelope into one of his new suit's pockets.

Wes:"Now you two go off and enjoy yourselves. We'll meet at the cafe in
     about two hours. That all right?"

Striker checks his wristwatch.

Striker:"Two hours? Goed so."

Wes:"Great! Enjoy the sights!"

Phoenix:"Thank you, Wes."

The group splits up. Wes and Tamias head up the street while Striker and
Phoenix begin to stroll leisurely down the road, taking in the sights.

Fullerton House
New Babbage
8:37 AM:


Located at the edge of a river running through New Babbage is Fullerton
House. It is a large, Victorian structure with a huge dome on top and four
spires at each corner of the building. Above the main entrance is a big
clock. A pair of wooden doors lead into the building with a sign above
it saying "Fullerton House - Clockhaven". A circular mural is on the
ground just in front of the door. Wes and Tamias are walking along the
edge of the concrete dock towards the building.

Tamias:"This is Fullerton House?"

Wes:"Yes. Nice, isn't it?"

Tamias:"Yes, but I was expecting an actual house. Not a cathedral of some
        kind."

Wes laughs and pats Tamias' shoulder.

Wes:"It WAS a synagogue at one point, but my friend Victor repurposed it
     after it was abandoned for several years. I'm still sure you will be 
     impressed."

Tamias:"If you say so."

They come up to the front door. Wes knocks several times and then waits
for the door to be answered. A minute later the lock turns and the door
swings open. Standing in the door is a stocky man wearing a green smoking
jacket with matching trousers. He has a large moustache and bald head.

Wes:"Ah, Doctor Watson."

Watson:"Ah, Mister Wes. You made good time. I trust you had a safe
        journey?"

Wes:"Very much, thank you. Oh, allow me to introduce my companion. Tamias
     from the Chipmunk Kingdom."

Watson holds out his hand. Tamias reaches out and shakes it.

Watson:"A pleasure to meet you, Mister Tamias."

Tamias:"The honour is mine, Mister Watson. And you can just call me 
        Tamias."

Watson looks behind Wes.

Watson:"Didn't you say you had two other companions with you, Mister
        Wes?"

Wes nods.

Wes:"Indeed I have. However, I brought them to New Babbage for a holiday 
     and I would prefer not to spoil their enjoyment."

Watson:"Ah. Well, why don't you two step inside? Mister Holmes and
        Mister Mornington are waiting for you."

Wes:"Thank you, Watson. Come on, Tamias."

Watson steps aside as the fox and the chipmunk go inside Fullerton House.
As Watson closes the door behind them Tamias looks around. The inside
of the building is divided into two floors. The bottom floor is circular
with a single flight of stairs that leads up to the second floor. Against
two sides of the wall are a number of large iron tanks with pipes leading
up to the second floor. Beyond the stairway and opposite the door they
came in are two tall glass tanks with a green liquid inside. In front of
those stands a round machine with a curved glass tube on top that emits
a purple light.

Tamias:"This looks more like some kind of factory than a house, Wes."

Wes:"It's just the bottom floor, Wes. The top floor is much more presen-
     table."

Watson:"Follow me, please."

Wes and Tamias follow Watson as they takes them up the stairs. When they
reach the top Tamias looks around again. The top floor has a console in
the centre that looks much like that in Wes' TARDIS, with some additional
machines connected to it via a pipe that runs along the iron floor. A row
of bookcases line one wall, while a bank of computers that look like they
come from the early 1980s are arranged opposite the bookcases. A window
looks out into New Babbage, while opposite it is a big screen that looks
like a star map. A pair of iron doors lead out to the balcony. There are
some pieces of furniture, such as a painting, a couch and book table and
a bright red seat by the console. Tamias turns to Wes.

Tamias:"This is presentable?"

Wes:"Just like home."

Tamias:"I sometimes think your people take this Victorian steam technology
        a bit too seriously."

The fox laughs. Watson takes them to the star map, where two people are
busy examining the information on the screen. One man wears a brown suit
with black shoes and a deerhunter cap on his head. The other man has a
red waistcoat, white shirt, black plaid pants, black shoes and red tinted 
glasses. The two of them turn to the group as they approach.

Watson:"Mister Holmes, Mister Mornington? Mister Wes and his friend are
        here."

Wes:"Victor Mornington! Good to see you again."

The man in red known as Victor Mornington steps forward and shakes hands
with the fox.

Victor:"Same here with you, Wes. I hope you've been well?"

Wes:"I have. Aside from a few scuffles with the Daleks it's been good so
     far."

Tamias:"A few?"

Victor:"Good, good. And did you manage to get that information I asked
        you for?"

Wes nods and digs in one of his pockets. He takes out a small disc that
looks like a miniature vinyl record. The fox gives it to Victor.

Wes:"Right here, Victor. Mind you, the Daleks were quite annoyed with me
     when I took it."

Victor:"They are annoyed about everything in sight, so that's not new.
        I'll have a look at this data. Oh! Where are my manners? Wes, I
        would like you to meet Mister Sherlock Holmes."

Victor gestures to Sherlock. The famous detective tips his head towards
Wes and holds out his hand.

Sherlock:"A pleasure to meet you, Mister Wes."

Wes:"The pleasure is all mine, Mister Holmes."

They shake hands. The fox gestures to Tamias.

Wes:"And this Tamias, my companion."

Sherlock:"Pleased to meet you."

Tamias:"Likewise."

The two of them shake hands. Once the greetings are finished Victor takes
the conversation to a more serious matter.

Victor:"Wes, I brought you here because we have a problem here in New
        Babbage."

Wes:"Oh? What is this problem?"

Victor:"Mister Holmes, could you perhaps explain it for us?"

Sherlock nods.

Sherlock:"Certainly. In recent weeks there has been a large number of 
          disappearances in New Babbage. All of the victims have been
          young women in their twenties and thirties. So far about 13
          cases have been reported to the New Babbage Metropolitan
          Police."

Wes:"Has there been any leads or witnesses to these disappearances?"

Sherlock:"Up until now, nothing. The women all disappeared without a
          trace or anybody seeing them."

Victor:"Probably because they were all prostitutes."

Wes:"Prostitutes? Not exactly something that would cause much of a
     fuss."

Sherlock:"Unfortunately very true. But these recent crimes have caused
          a stir amongst the rest of New Babbage's residents. The papers
          are full of all kinds of conspiracies and theories, all of
          them baseless."

Wes:"You mentioned that there has been no evidence 'up until now'. Did

     someone see something?"

Victor:"Yes, and that's what bothers me. Another prostitute saw her
        friend being abducted. Though it was dark and she stood a fair
        distance away from the events, she was able to describe the
        criminal. Unfortunately, the description resembles that of a
        Dalek."

Wes is surprised.

Wes:"Daleks? In New Babbage? Are you sure she saw correctly?"

Sherlock:"I spoke to the witness myself, Mister Wes, and even took her
          under hypnosis. She remembered the silhouette she saw very
          well. I do not doubt her word."

Victor:"That is why I asked for the data record. I'm hoping to find any 
        evidence that would prove or, preferably, disprove her story. I
        hate to have to explain to the mayor that the Daleks are in the
        city."

Tamias:"Do the residents of New Babbage know about this?"

Victor:"Heaven forbid, no! The people are already up in arms over these
        disappearances. If word got out that Daleks are in the city we
        would have a panic on our hands."

Wes:"How can Tamias and I help in this case?"

Sherlock:"Since you are experienced in handling these Daleks, Mister Wes,
          we are hoping you can help us stop them from whatever sinister
          plans they may have."

Victor:"First, though. I need to analyze the Daleks' data. Until then, all
        we can do is wait and hope not another disappearance is reported.
        Or that someone actually sees one of the Daleks. Oh yes! The data
        if you please, Wes?"

Wes nods and digs around in his pockets. He pulls out a small cube-like
object that has many blue lines on it. He hands the cube to Victor.

Wes:"How long will this analysis of yours take?"

Victor:"I don't know. Depends on the data itself, but it shouldn't take
        too long. A couple of hours or so."

Wes:"All right. It will give me the opportunity to give a tour to my new
     friends."

Victor:"Oh? More companions you've acquired along the way?"

Wes chuckles.

Wes:"Just a few new friends Tamias and I made. I brought them to New
     Babbage for a holiday."

Victor:"Ah, I see. Well, how about you and Tamias go and show your friends
        around the city? Mister Holmes and I will contact you once we have
        the data analyzed."

Wes:"Very well. I'll be waiting for your call, Victor."

Watson:"I'll lead you out, Mister Wes."

Wes and Tamias say their goodbyes to Victor and Sherlock, then they follow
Watson down the stairs to the front door. Victor and Sherlock go to the
nearby console to begin work on the data.

Central District
New Babbage
9:01 AM:

The central district of New Babbage consists mainly of old-style European
houses and buildings with wooden frames and white walls. The occasional
brick structure is also here in between, squatting among the wood structures
in this area. Residents are walking along the sidewalks or riding in 
horse-drawn coaches or steam-powered automobiles that resemble the first 
cars ever made. Striker and Phoenix are walking side by side along one 
of the streets. Carrying their digital cameras, they stop every now and 
then to either take a picture of their surroundings or to look at the 
items being sold in the shops. The couple emerges from one of the shops
carrying a small steam punk style clock.

Phoenix:"This will look nice in our bedroom, won't it?"

Striker:"Ja, and the alarm it has will prevent us from oversleeping."

Phoenix(grins):"Unless we want to."

Striker:"Ai, Firefly."

The Pomeranian giggles as Striker puts the clock into a bag. They
continue down the street, coming to an intersection. At the inter-
section there are two prominent buildings. The first one is a two-story
brick building with a marble carving of a man above the entrance and,
above that, a blue and red crest showing a gear with a wrench and a
hammer behind it. The second one is a large row of wood cottages with
banners hanging from them. The front of it boasts a large entrance with
the words "BRUNEL HALL HOTEL" above it. Striker points to it.

Striker:"According to the map, this is the hotel at the end of the street
         where the cafe is."

Phoenix:"Brunel Hall Hotel, eh? Looks like a good place to stay. If we're 
         going to be here a while we should check in here."

Striker:"I agree. Let me take a picture."

Striker steps back, raising his camera and getting the hotel into frame
as best he can. He then takes the picture.

Striker:"There. Now, let's see what the sign says."

They go up to the street sign at the corner and compare the name with the
one on their map. Phoenix points to the map.

Phoenix:"There. We are close to the cafe. Come on, I'm hungry."

Striker"Reg, Firefly."

The couple take the street they are supposed to follow and walk down along
it. Soon they see their destination: the CocoaJava Cafe. The CocoaJava is
an open air shop build into a two-story building. Pillars hold up the rose
pattern stained-glass covers on the outside. Inside there are several fine
and colorful couches and chairs, some arranged around a circular fire-
place. The walls are covered with posters, mostly to do with coffees or
other hot drinks. Some of the nearby shelves boast several large cakes of
various flavors and colors. Several customers are here, enjoying mugs of
hot coffee or some cake.

Striker:"Here we are. Shall we go in, Dear?"

Phoenix(smiling):"Let's do, Dear."

The couple go into the cafe. They find an empty couch by the fireplace and
sit down on it together. A short time later an individual comes up to take
their orders. It is a male rabbit with purple fur and white fur on his face
that runs down his front. He is wearing a dark red smoking jacket, dark red
pants that reach to his knees and a belt with pouches on it. The rabbit 
takes out a notepad and a pen.

Rabbit:"Good morning and welcome to the CocoaJava Cafe! I'm Blackberry
        Harvey, owner of this establishment. May I take your order?"

Striker:"A cup of coffee, two sugars and some powered milk. And you, Fire-
         fly?"

Phoenix:"A mug of hot chocolate, little sugar and lots of milk, please."

Blackberry(writing):"Certainly! And something to eat?"

Phoenix:"What do you recommend, Mister Harvey?"

Blackberry:"The black forest cakes are fresh from the kitchen this morning.
            Very nice, especially if you like chocolate."

Phoenix:"I'll take two slices, please."

Striker:"Two for me as well, asseblief."

The rabbit nods and writes down the orders.

Blackberry:"All right. It will only be a few minutes."

Blackberry turns away and heads for the kitchen. Striker and Phoenix get
comfortable in front of the hearth while watching the people, coaches and
cars travel to and fro in the street. After a few minutes Blackberry
returns carrying a plate with two mugs and two plates with slices of cake
and some forks on it. The rabbit gives the plates and mugs of coffee to
the couple.

Blackberry:"A cup of coffee, a cup of hot chocolate and two slices of 
            black forest cake for each of you. Enjoy!"

Striker and Phoenix smile politely at Blackberry.

Striker:"Dankie."

Phoenix:"Thank you. This will taste really good."

The couple begin to eat the cakes while Blackberry watches them. The two
of them nod in approval as they taste the cake.

Phoenix:"Delicious!"

Striker:"Ja, this tastes really good."

Blackberry smiles widely.

Blackberry:"Always glad to satisfy my patrons. Are you two new to New
            Babbage?"

Striker nods.

Striker:"Ja, we came here with our host Wes in his TARDIS."

Blackberry:"Ah, you're friends of that old fox? I know him very well."

Phoenix:"Does he come here often?"

Blackberry:"Oh yes. He's quite a regular here. Talk of the devil, there
            he is right now."

Blackberry points out towards the street. Coming towards the cafe is Wes
and Tamias. The fox waves towards the couple, who wave back at him.

Striker:"He and Tamias must be done with the meeting they held."

Phoenix:"Good. He can now show us the more interesting sights of New
         Babbage."

Wes and Tamias come into the cafe and sit down opposite the canines.

Blackberry:"Welcome, Wes! Same order as usual?"

Wes:"That's right, Harvey. The usual."

Blackberry writes it down and turns to Tamias.

Blackberry:"And what would you like?"

Tamias:"A glass of milk, please."

Blackberry:"Coming right up."

The rabbit disappears into the kitchen. Wes turns his attention to the
couple.

Wes:"So how are you finding New Babbage?"

Phoenix:"Great! Lots of great stuff to see and buy. This Victorian Age
         stuff really peaks my interests.*

Wes(chuckling):"It isn't exactly Victorian. Not all of it, at least."

Phoenix:"Either way, it was a good idea to come here. Though I'm hoping
         you will show us some of the sights around here."

Wes:"That I will, Phoenix."

Blackberry returns with a tray. On it is a mug of Turkish coffee and a
glass of milk.

Blackberry:"Here you go. One cup of Turkish coffee and one glass of milk.
            Enjoy!"

Wes takes the coffee while Tamias takes the milk.

Wes:"Thank you, Harvey."

Tamias:"Thank you very much."

Blackberry smiles before going over to take the orders of a new customer
who had just taken a seat. Striker sips some of his coffee before looking
at Wes.

Striker:"How did your meeting go, by the way?"

Wes takes a sip of his coffee before speaking.

Wes:"It went reasonably well, all things considered."

Tamias:"All things considered included the fact that there might be Daleks
        running loose in New Babbage."

Striker:"Daleks? Wag a minute, didn't you mention earlier that the Daleks
         are your greatest enemies?"

Wes:"Yes, I did. But Tamias is exaggerating the threat. Here might be a
     Dalek or two, but so far nothing serious. We all agreed not to start
     a panic."

Tamias:"I suppose you're right. I don't think Striker and Phoenix need to
        worry about trouble during their holiday here."

Phoenix:"Don't worry, Wes. Strikie and I are more than able to deal with
         any threat. Right, Strikie?"

Striker nods his head.

Striker:"Reg, Firefly. Though I am hoping it will not come to that."

The group continue to chat for a while about New Babbage and the sights
and points of interests in the city. A short while later, as the group
finishes their drinks and food, Blackberry comes up to Wes holding a
folded piece of paper.

Blackberry:"Sorry to bother you, Wes, but this message just came for you
            via pneumatic tube. It's marked urgent."

Wes:"Oh? Let me have a look."

Blackberry gives Wes the paper. The fox unfolds it and quickly reads the
message on it. He becomes very alert, which Striker notices.

Striker:"Something wrong?"

Wes:"It's an urgent message from Victor. A Dalek was sighted down by the
     docks by a woman it had nearly kidnapped had an officer not rescued
     her. I'd better get down there now."

As Wes gets up, so does Striker.

Striker:"Phoenix and I can come with you. You might need help."

Wes shakes his head.

Wes:"No thank you, Striker. I appreciate your offer, but I don't want
     to interrupt your holiday."

Striker:"If what you told me about the Daleks are true, then you are
         going need all the help you can get."

Phoenix gets up as well, nodding her head in agreement.

Phoenix:"Striker is right, Wes. We can help you out, especially since
         you helped us with Parvo. So we owe you one."

Wes thinks it over. Finally he sighs.

Wes:"You're right. Then let's get going quickly. Come on."

The group make their way out of the restaurant after paying Blackberry.
As the rabbit gathers their dishes Wes calls for a coach. One pulls
up to the curb. Wes looks at the driver.

Wes:"Southside docks, please. And hurry."

Driver:"Yes, sir."

The group climbs into the coach. The drivers whips the horses and the
vehicle takes off down the street.

Southside Docks
New Babbage
10:02 AM:

The docks of New Babbage consists mostly of wood warehouses, stone docks,
shipyards and various ships ranging from steam-powered boats and sailing
vessels to coal barges and Titanic-like cruise ships. Workers in dirty
overalls are on the job all around the docks, loading or offloading cargo
and fixing or building ships. However, one part of the docks has been
cordoned off by the police, dressed like 1850s London officers. The coach
carrying Wes, Striker, Tamias and Phoenix arrives at the docks and the
group gets off. After paying the driver, Wes leads the others to where
Sherlock and Watson were talking to the top ranking officer on the scene.

Sherlock:"Ah, Wes. I'm glad to see you got Victor's message."

Wes:"Came here as soon as we got it."

Sherlock indicates towards Striker and Phoenix.

Sherlock:"And are these the friends you talked about?"

Wes nods and steps aside to make the introductions.

Wes:"Yes, the spaniel is Striker and the Pomeranian is his wife Phoenix.
     Striker, Phoenix. Meet Detective Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson."

Striker and Phoenix look surprised at Sherlock and Watson.

Phoenix:"Sherlock Holmes? Watson? But you're fictitious characters!"

Watson:"Fictitious?"

Wes:"Oh, my apologies. I guess I should have explained that in Striker and
     Phoenix's world you and Watson are characters from a book, Sherlock."

Sherlock laughs and holds out a hand to the couple.

Sherlock:"Well, I can assure you that Watson and I are very much real in
          this world. Pleased to meet you."

Striker:"A pleasure to meet you, Meneer Sherlock."

The couple shake hands with Sherlock and Watson. Once the introductions are
made Wes turns serious.

Wes:"What do we have here?"

Sherlock points to a nearby woman, who is sitting on a crate while giving
her testimony to a police officer.

Sherlock:"According to the lady there she was waiting here among the ware-
          houses for, uh, business when she was accosted by a Dalek. She
          managed to escape and get the attention of some dock workers."

Wes:"Did they see the Dalek too?"

Sherlock:"Yes, they did but fortunately they couldn't make out that it
          was a Dalek. The Dalek fled into this warehouse the police have
          surrounded."

Wes:"Odd. Daleks don't usually run away. Did the lady say what the Dalek
     was trying to do to her?"

Watson:"She said that the Dalek's one claw grabbed her and tried to eat
        her. Rather far fetched, or would be if it wasn't for the other
        disappearances."

Tamias:"Daleks don't eat people, do they?"

Wes shakes his head, rubbing his chin.

Wes:"No, they usually just destroy. This is most unusual."

Striker looks at the large warehouse they are standing next to before he
turns back to Sherlock.

Striker:"So the Dalek is in here?"

Sherlock:"As far as we can tell. Police had sealed off the area shortly
          after the incident and have assured us that the culprit had not
          left the warehouse up to now."

Striker:"What is being stored here?"

Watson:"Just bales of wool from up country."

Striker:"Then I think we should go in and get this Dalek before it finds
         another way out."

Wes nods.

Wes:"I agree. Let's go inside."

Striker takes out his Colt Revolver and loads the chambers with fresh
bullets. Sherlock looks at Phoenix.

Sherlock:"My Lady, you can stay here with the officers until we return."

Phoenix:"Thanks but no thanks, Mister Holmes. I can take care of myself."

To emphasize her point, she raises both her paws and creates a pair of 
flames between her fingers. Sherlock and Watson are startled as are some
of the nearby officers.

Watson:"My God. How can you do that?"

Phoenix(smirking):"Trade secrets, my dear Watson"

Wes chuckles.

Wes:"Striker and Phoenix have... uh, special abilities and are quite
     capable in a fight. I have seen them in action and they should
     be able to defend themselves against a Dalek."

Sherlock reaches out to touch Phoenix's flames, but before she can put
out the fires or pull her paws away, Holmes burns his fingers a little.
He gasps in pain and puts his fingers in his mouth.

Phoenix:"Careful! It doesn't hurt, but it can hurt you."

Sherlock:"My apologies. My curiosity got the better of me."

Wes:"Right, let's go. Keep your eyes and stay on your guard."

The others nod. Sherlock brings them to one of the warehouse's doors.
The officers on guard there open it, revealing the somewhat darkened
interior with the only light coming from the skylights above. Wes goes
in first, followed by the others and a group of police officers. They
look around and see huge stacks of wool bales everywhere, creating a
kind of maze.

Tamias:"Look at this. There must be a hundred hiding places around
        here."

Sherlock:"Think we should split up, Wes?"

Wes:"No, better not. Daleks are dangerous, and we'd be safer sticking
     together. But let's start from one end and work from there. And
     keep your eyes peeled for any clues."

The group proceed to a main corridor among the bales and move up along
it slowly and as quietly as possible. Their eyes sweep over the bales
and in the spaces between them. They make slow progress as they check
their surroundings carefully. But they do not go unseen: a figure
watches from a dark spot among the bales but remains in its place. At
this moment Sherlock spots something among the bales and stops the
others.

Sherlock:"Look there."

He points to one of the bales: it had been ripped open and its wool
contents spilling onto the floor. Wes goes in and takes a closer look
at the floor and the bale.

Wes:"It was torn open. By the looks of it the Dalek must have snagged
     itself on the fibers."

Sherlock:"And the wool is quite clean, so this is very recent. I think
          it went in this direction."

Wes:"Could be. Let's check it out."

The group heads down one of the narrower corridors. Just out of sight
the figure, realizing they are closing in, gets moving. Phoenix perks
her ears.

Phoenix:"I think I hear something."

The others stop and listen.

Watson:"I don't hear anything."

Tamias:"I do. It sounds like a small engine. That way."

The chipmunk climbs some bales and peeks over the edge. He just manages
to catch a glimpse of something disappearing around a corner. Tamias drops
back down and turns to Wes.

Tamias:"I saw something."

Wes:"Quick, let's go. Keep it down."

The group make their way around and try to follow the fugitive. They go
further and further towards the one end of the warehouse. Just before they
reach the end Phoenix's ears perk up again.

Phoenix:"I hear it. Sounds like its at one of the doors."

Wes:"Let's sneak up on it."

Quietly, the group follow along the corridors until they see something
flashing just around a corner. Wes goes and peers around the edge. The
fox sees their quarry: A Dalek is standing by one of the emergency fire
doors, trying to cut open the hinges using one of its extended arms.

Wes(whispering):"There it is."


The others take the chance to look. Striker frowns when he sees the
Dalek.

Striker(whispering):"That is a Dalek? It looks like something from a science 
       fiction B movie."

Wes(whispering):"Don't let its looks deceive you, Striker. Daleks are very
   dangerous. See that arm? It can fire a disintegration ray that can kill
   you in one shot."

Striker(whispering):"Noted. How do you plan to apprehend it?"

Wes(whispering):"With its back turned, I could get up behind it and get at
                 its weak point. Then I can disable it."

Sherlock(whispering):"You'd better hurry, then. I can see our metallic friend
        has almost cut his way out."

The Dalek has cut away one of the hinges and is now busy cutting through 
the remaining hinge. Wes nods and begins to creep up behind the Dalek, 
trying not to make any noise. The others watch Wes and the Dalek, ready 
to spring to action. The fox is about halfway over when suddenly the 
Dalek's head swivels around. Wes stops head as the Dalek's single eye
looks directly at him.

Wes:"Oh damn."

Dalek:"EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!"

The Dalek swings its robotic arm around and points it directly at Wes,
but Striker hits first. He aims his revolver and pulls the trigger. A
shot rings out, followed an instant later by the bullet striking the
muzzle of the Dalek's disintegration ray. The impact shatters the device
into a shower of metal shards and sparks. There is a momentary silence
as everyone stares at the disabled Dalek. The Dalek is the first to take
action. It immediately turns and begins to drive along down the side of
the warehouse.

Sherlock:"It's running! Quick, after him!"

The rest of the group quickly jump into action and they go after the
fleeing alien. The Dalek is moving fast, trying to escape its pursuers.
It moves in amongst the tightly packed stacks of wool bales, weaving in
and out of various corridors. The group tries to keep up and even split
up to try and corner the Dalek. Tamias stops and looks up and down the
bales.

Tamias:"Maybe if I..."

The chipmunk quickly climbs up to the top of the bales and looks around.
He spots the Dalek not far off. Tamias runs and jumps from stack to stack,
quickly gaining on the alien. The Dalek turns a corner and heads for the
door the group had entered through. But Tamias takes a running jump from
the bale stack behind the Dalek. The chipmunk sails through the air and
crashes onto the back of the Dalek. The impact causes the Dalek to fall
over onto its side, rendering it unable to get up again. Tamias hits the
floor and rolls to a stop against a bale. The others quickly catch up with
them. Phoenix rushes over to Tamias.

Phoenix:"Are you okay, Tamias?"

Tamias:"I'm... all right. Just a bit of pain... that's all."

Phoenix:"Better let me give you a check up to make sure its just that."

While Phoenix goes Tamias over the others surround the fallen Dalek, their
weapons ready and aimed at the machine.

Sherlock:"Well, we got our culprit right here. Guess it wasn't as hard as
          you said, Wes."

Wes:"That's what bothers me, Sherlock. This was too easy."

The fox moves closer and looks at the underside of the Dalek. His eyes go
wide with surprise.

Wes:"Hey! Daleks don't move like that. There is something fishy here."

Striker comes up and taps the sides of the Dalek. A panel, which had come
loose from the fallen, drops off. The spaniel looks inside.

Striker:"Wes, are Daleks supposed to have a hollow chamber inside?"

Wes:"What? Where?"

Striker:"There."

Striker points to the opening as Wes comes over. The fox looks inside of 
it. It is a small chamber, barely big enough for one person. Wes is now
scratching his head.

Wes:"Now I'm really confused. This is the first time I've seen a Dalek
     with this."

Striker:"Wes, the manier...er, way you have been talking about Daleks
         makes me believe that this is not a real Dalek."

Sherlock:"You think its an impostor, Striker?"

Striker:"Miskien. Wes, do you have a tool to open this thing's head?"

Wes:"I do. Just a minute."

Wes digs around in his coat pockets, searching each one for his tool. 
After a short time he presents the tool: a device that looks like some 
kind of high tech screwdriver. The fox then begins to work on the Dalek's 
head, removing bolts and screws and allowing Striker to take off the 
panels. Once done, they look inside. The Dalek's head is full of me-
chanical systems, wires and a few batteries. Striker looks it over and
then turns to Wes.

Striker:"What does that look to you?"

Wes:"It's not a Dalek, for sure. This is far more primitive. More like
     something we would make here in New Babbage."

Striker:"Then what is it?"

Sherlock comes closer and looks the systems over.

Sherlock:"It that some of receiver at the one end?"

Wes:"It looks like it. The box it is attached to seems to control the
     Dalek's movements and behavior."

Striker:"A receiver? You mean this is remote controlled?"

Wes:"All indications point to that, yes."

Striker jumps to his feet and looks around.

Striker:"Then the persoon controlling this Dalek must still be around."

Sherlock:"By Jove, you're right. Come on!"

Sherlock runs for one of the doors, followed closely by Striker and Wes.
The trio come out of the warehouse and onto an empty dock.

Sherlock:"Look for someone with a transmitter of some kind."

The three of them scan the docks area and all the ships in sight. Wes
quickly spots something: behind the line of police officers and the
gathered crowd he sees a dock worker leaning against a wall, fiddling
with a small box with a single wire sticking out of it. He taps Sherlock
and Striker and points to the man.

Wes:"I think that's him!"

Sherlock:"He's certainly very agitated with what he's holding."

Striker:"It looks like a remote control. Let's get him before he leaves."

The three of them start walking towards the worker, who is still messing
around with the remote control. The man only notices them when they get
past the officers, his eyes widening. Sherlock points at the man.

Sherlock:"You! Wait!"

The worker snarls and suddenly throws the remote at Sherlock, who ducks
the thrown object. The worker takes off running. Wes, Sherlock and Striker
all go running after him, followed by several police officers.

Wes:"Stop!"

Striker:"Halt!"

The worker ignores them and keeps running. Striker, Wes and Sherlock try
to keep up, dodging barrels and crates the fugitive is overturning and 
people he is knocking down. The chase leads them into another warehouse,
this one containing barrels of wine. Startled workers step aside as the
fugitive runs past with the trio and law right behind him. The bogus
worker spots a heap of barrels held together by rope. Grabbing an axe
off a work table he passes, the fugitive chops the rope with one swing
the axe before continuing. The barrels come loose and start rolling 
towards the group. Striker and Sherlock jump out of the way on either
side, but Wes instead chooses to jump onto the first barrel. There he
skillfully jumps from one barrel to another, barely staying on one long
enough to slip off. He finally gets off the last barrel and lands on
both his feet before resuming the chase. Behind him the police officers
are less lucky, getting knocked by the barrels or forced to break the
pursuit to dodge. Striker and Wes join up again and resume the chase.

Striker:"Where's Holmes?"

Wes:"No idea! I hope the barrels didn't get him."

The two of them come running out of the warehouse, where the fugitive is 
running along a dock towards the open streets. But just before he can get 
there, Sherlock suddenly jumps out from the corner and blocks the way. 
The man stops dead in his track.

Sherlock:"You won't go far, friend. Best to surrender now."

But the man doesn't. Instead, he runs back down the dock with Sherlock in 
close pursuit. When the fugitive sees Wes and Striker appear at the other 
end, he turns and runs up a ramp to board a large steam cargo ship. The
others follow up the ramp. On the ship the fugitive pushes sailors out of
the way as he runs to the front end with Sherlock, Wes and Striker right
behind him. Soon the man to the bow of the ship, with the stern of another
steam freighter that is leaving the dock close by. He climbs onto the 
rail and jumps for the other ship. He barely manages to grab the rails on 
the other freighter's poop deck. Wes, Striker and Sherlock stop at the
edge of the first ship's bow and can only watch the freighter pull away
with their quarry trying to climb up the railing.

Wes:"Ah, curse it! He got away!"

Striker:"Not so fast."

Striker takes out his revolver and aims at the fugitive, who is pulling
himself up the railings. The spaniel fires twice, hitting the man in both
of his arms. The man yells in pain and lets go of the railing, plunging
into the water with a big splash.

Wes:"Good shot."

Striker:"Dankie. I just hope the local authorities don't mind me shooting
         a few holes into the suspect."

Sherlock is taking off his hat and coat.

Sherlock:"Oh, I'm sure they will be forgiving. Hold my things, Wes."

Sherlock gives his clothes to Wes, then climbs over the railing and dives
into the harbour. He then swims over to the struggling suspect, grabs him
and begins to pull him to the dock. Striker and Wes go back to get off
the freighter while workers and officers gather on the dock to help Holmes
and the wounded suspect out of the water. On the dock Striker and Wes re-
unite with Sherlock as well as with Phoenix, Tamias and Watson. The police
are busy cuffing the suspect and treating his gunshot wounds.

Tamias:"You got the villain?"

Wes:"Thanks to Striker. Now we can hopefully find out what all this 
     business with the fake Dalek is really about. Are you all right,
     Holmes?"

Sherlock nods, drying himself with a rag given to him by a worker.

Sherlock:"Oh, nothing like a refreshing swim. Who do you think this
          fellow might be?"

Wes walks over to the suspect and looks at him. The man has very odd
facial features, with eyes that stand out more than normal and a very
pale green skin. Phoenix gives the man a look.

Phoenix:"I don't want to be prejudiced, but that man looks very, very
         weird."

Wes:"It is very strange indeed, but I think I've seen this before. Let
     me see what he has on him."

Wes searches the suspect's clothes and pulls out a few soaked items
from his pockets.

Wes:"Hmmm. A few batteries, a packet of cigarettes, matches, some coins
     and notes... nothing of interest, really."

Striker:"Then it will be interrogation for him."

Wes:"Quite right. Let's get him patched up and then we take him back to
     Victor."

The fox then turns back to Striker.


Wes:"I think you should return to enjoying your holiday here in New
     Babbage, Striker. There's no need for you to help us out further."

Striker shakes his head.

Striker:"Nee, Wes. As I said, we owe you a favor. And this is our way
         of repaying it. Phoenix and I will resume our holiday once this
         matter has been settled."

Wes:"If you insist. I do appreciate the help, though."

Striker winks at Wes, who winks back. The group then follow the officers
as they escort the suspect to an awaiting paddy wagon.

Fullerton House
New Babbage
11:46 AM:

Everyone except Wes, Sherlock and Victor is now here, gathered up on the 
second floor of Fullerton House. Some are seated on the couches and 
chairs, while others are examining the star map or checking out the 
bookcase. A short time later Wes, Sherlock and Victor come up from the
second floor. Everyone turns to them.

Striker:"What did you learn from the suspect?"

Wes:"Well, first the good news: there is no Dalek presence in New Bab-
     bage. The Daleks that were spotted are actually just robots that
     this fellow and his friends were controlling."

Striker:"What is the bad news, then?"

Wes:"What we've learned could prove to be just as bad as the Daleks. It

     seems there is a Cthulhu Cult in New Babbage."

Phoenix:"Cthulhu? You mean those strange alien things from Lovecraft? Its
         real here too?"

Wes:"Yes, I'm afraid it is."

Tamias:"Exactly what is this Cthulhu Cult about, Phoenix?"

The Pomeranian shakes her head.

Phoenix:"I don't really know. I only have a passing knowledge of Love-
         craft and his works, but I do this Cthulhu is some kind of
         powerful sea creature you wouldn't want to get angry at you."

Wes:"It's a bit more than that, but Phoenix has the basics. Allow me to
     explain."

Everyone, especially Tamias, listens carefully as Wes begins to tell what
Cthulu is.

Wes:"Cthulu is one of the Great Old Ones, a race of what can roughly be
     described as eldritch abominations. They usually live in an other
     worldly dimension, though Cthulhu himself lives someone under the
     ocean in a hidden city. Now, while the Great Old Ones see us as we
     would see ants, some people tend to worship Cthulhu, making sacri-
     fices in exchange for power."

Tamias:"That cannot end well."

Wes:"And it usually does not. And you all saw one of the results of that
     deal. You noticed how that man looked so strange? Almost, fishlike?"

Striker thinks, rubbing his chin.

Striker:"Nou that you mention it, he did somewhat look like a fish."

Wes:"Well, he is the product of a cult member... uh... getting together
     with one of Cthulhu's creatures."

It takes a moment for the meaning of Wes' sentence to sink in. Striker,
Phoenix and Tamias are revolted.

Tamias:"Oh, that is foul!"

Phoenix:"I think I'm going to need brain bleach."

Wes:"Yes, it is not very pleasant."

Victor:"Of course, this makes me worried about what the cultists are
        doing with the women they capture."

Wes:"Well, besides... you know, I think they might be making another at-
     tempt at summoning Cthulhu into our world."

Striker:"And I assume that is not a goeie thing, reg?"

Wes nods.

Wes:"Definitely not. Cthulhu isn't what one would call 'evil', but he is
     most certainly imoral and indifferent to us. If he is let loose here
     in New Babbage, it's pretty much anyone's guess what will happen."

Tamias:"Will he destroy the city?"

Wes:"That, or something worse. Cthulhu's designs are completely alien,
     even to his followers. If he acknowledges them as his followers,
     that is."

Sherlock:"They are playing with fire. Blindly worshipping an entity like
          Cthulhu."

Striker:"What else have you learned from this cultist?"

Now Victor begins to speak.

Victor:"It took some effort, but the cultist became much more forthcoming
        after... uh, some special interrogation methods. They have a base
        under the city's sewers. More specifically, the ruins of the old
        Forrester Subway System. It used to be an important part of New
        Babbage's transportation system, but it eventually fell into de-
        cline. Rather than being demolished, the tunnels and trains were
        sealed up and built over."

Phoenix:"How fitting. A good hiding place for all kinds of rats."

Sherlock:"Did he say anything about their plans to summon Cthulhu?"

Victor:"He was reluctant at first, but I persuaded him to tell for the
        good of his mental health. All these girls the cult has been ab-
        ducting under the guise of Daleks are going to be used in a mass
        ritual sacrifice by tomorrow night. Their deaths will help bring
        Cthulhu to New Babbage."

Phoenix(shocked):"That's horrible!"

Sherlock:"Indeed! We need to go and rescue those poor ladies and stop the
          cult before their actions destroy New Babbage."

Tamias:"Do we have a plan on how to stop them?"

Wes:"Yes, we do. Victor and I discussed what we will need to do. Here's 
     the plan."

The fox begins to explain to the others the plan he and Victor came up
with. They all listen carefully.

Public Works Facility
Northern New Babbage
The Next Day
7:02 PM:


This is a large, brick building with dozens of large pipes running from
it into the ground. Giant coils are attached to the main power lines with 
cables. Several smokestacks dot the roof of the building. Inside the 
building there many large electricity-generating turbines, water pumps, 
treatment dams and pipes running everywhere. While many of the workers 
have gone home for the night, there are still a number of night shift 
workers about. At the moment, the foreman in charge is leading Wes, 
Sherlock, Striker, Phoenix, Tamias, Watson and a number of armed New 
Babbage officers through the facility.

Foreman:"Yeah, we had some problems with intruders going in and out of
         that. So we keep it under lock and key, only opening it up for
         when the boys need to do some maintenance down there."

Wes:"Can you tell who these intruders are?"

Foreman:"I'd say they are scum, but nothing specific. Dirty, dressed
         in worn clothes and you can smell them a good distance too. One
         of them did try and attack one of my men, but when a bunch of
         us showed up he fled. Now we send our boys down there with a
         few of us armed, and we don't get trouble with them."

Sherlock:"How deep do you go?"

Foreman:"Not too much. Like I said, we do maintenance work on the pipes
         and waterways, that's it. We don't venture into old Forrester's
         tunnels. Too many hiding places for ambushers and it really
         creeps the boys out. If you're going down there, better hope
         you brought a map and some good lights."

Wes:"Has been an increase in activities around the hatch?"

Foreman:"Don't about seeing more troublemakers about there, but we have
         been forced to replace the lock on it more often. In fact, the
         lock was broken again this morning. Ah, here we are."

The group comes to a big iron door. The door is closed, but the broken
padlock is lying on the ground next to it. Striker notes the broken lock.

Striker:"Haven't you tried improving security around this hatch?"

Foreman:"I did try bringing it up with the bosses, but unless these guys
         actually steal something from us, damage our property or attack
         our people, we can't do much except try to lock all the doors."

The foreman pushes the door open and leads the group inside. It is a 
barren, square room with a big sewer hatch in the middle of the room. The
hatch has "NEW BABBAGE PUBLIC WORKS" on it.

Foreman:"This is it. You sure you want to go down there?"

Wes:"It's a matter of great urgency."

The foreman shrugs, taking out a metal bar with a hook on it.

Foreman:"If you say so."

The foreman uses the bar to lift the heavy iron hatch off the hole and
pushes it aside. There is a hole that goes down some distance into the
darkness. Iron ladder beams jut out from the brick walls of the hole.
The foreman steps back.

Foreman:"There you go. Just mind the rungs, they can be a bit slippery."

Wes:"Thank you. Okay, come on everyone."

Wes goes down the hole first, climbing down the ladder into the darkness
below. The others of the group follow him one by one while the foreman
watches them.

Forrester Subway System
Deep Beneath New Babbage
7:25 PM:

It is pitch back dark, but the torch lamps carried by Wes and his group
illuminate the old tunnels of the Forrester subways. The tunnel is
circular in design, the walls covered with tiles that were once white but 
have been blacked by years of soot from train engines or covered with 
dust. The train tracks are basically iron lines placed on wooden beams 
that are resting on heaps of stones, but time has rusted the lines and 
the wooden beams have mostly rotted or have been eaten by beetles. Parts 
of the walls and ceiling have come loose, creating occasional piles of 
rubble. Everyone is on the alert, with many of them having their weapons
at the ready.

Phoenix:"Ugh, this place is really creepy."

Sherlock:"Yes, one can get easily lost down here. And there so many places
          to hide and ambush from."

Phoenix:"Speaking of getting lost, you got the map Wes?"

Wes nods, holding his lantern in one paw while clutching a folded portion
of the subway map in the other.

Wes:"Right here, Phoenix. A good thing too. These tunnels run throughout
     New Babbage. A very good way to get around the city without being
     seen, I must add."

Phoenix:"I hope you know which way to go."

Wes looks back at Phoenix and smiles.

Wes:"Don't worry, Phoenix. I know which way to go."

Tamias:"Speaking of, WHERE are we going?"

Wes:"We are going to this spot here..."

He holds the map out to Tamias. The chipmunk looks at it, focusing on
the spot where Wes is pointing.

Tamias:"What is that?"

Wes:"That is the central junction, the heart of the subway system. That's
     where the main station is as well as the turn tables and sheds where
     the subway cars were stored and maintained. It has the biggest open
     area in the system, perfect for a big gathering."

Sherlock and Striker come over and look at the map as well.

Sherlock:"Ah, very good deduction. That turn table could provide a decent
          platform for the sacrificial ceremony."

Striker:"It would also be difficult for us to stage a surprise attack
         without getting spotted first."

Wes:"That's why I suggest we hit them while they are distracted by the
     ceremony."

The cocker spaniel looks skeptically at the fox.

Striker:"Which means we have to attack right when they are about to
         kill the women. Isn't that cutting it too close?"

Wes nods.

Wes:"Yes, but it will be the best time for us to strike. The cultists
     will all be paying attention to the ceremony."

Sherlock rubs his chin.

Sherlock:"A bit risky, but we will have to take the chance."

Tamias:"It is the best opportunity. We might not get another chance."

Striker:"I don't see any other manier to do this. How far are we from
         this junction?"

Wes looks at the map again, figuring out where they are in relation to
the junction.

Wes:"About half a mile."

Striker:"Then we should think of a plan of action while we are going
         there. We can't charge in blindly."

Tamias:"I agree, Striker. Let's put our heads together."

They all begin to discuss their course to take while they keep walking
along the tunnel. It takes a while for them to reach the general area
where the junction is, but as they come to a turn in the tunnel they
can see a light reflecting in the tiles up ahead.

Phoenix:"Look, a light."

Striker:"You seem to be right, Wes. They are at the junction. We'd better
         extinguish our own."

Wes:"Good idea. Let's not give ourselves away."

The group puts out all the lanterns, plunging the tunnel into darkness.
Guided by the light up ahead, they slowly and cautiously go around the
bend to see where it is coming from. Lying across the track is an over-
turned carriage, mostly burnt out. A pair of metal sheets forms a ramp up
to the top of the subway car, where a pair of men are squatting around
a small fire. The light reveals they both have the same, odd fish-like
features on their faces. Both of them are dressed in dirty clothing and
carry rusty iron pipes. The group peers around the tunnel corner at the
pair.

Watson(whispering):"Definitely cultists. We're on the right track."

Striker(whispering):"I think we can sneak up on those two and grab them
       without raising the alarm. Shall we try?"

Wes(whispering):"Let's try."

The two cultists continue to talk between themselves, staring at the fire
in the middle and not paying much attention. As a result, either of them
see Striker or Wes coming up behind them. The two anthros quickly grab
the cultists by the arms and wrap their own arms around their necks,
keeping them from raising the alarm. Striker and Wes drag the two into
the darkness and knock them out. They then check down the tunnel to see
if anyone saw the commotion or raised the alarm. Fortunately, the tunnel
is still empty. Wes turns to the others.

Wes(whispering):"All clear."

The group moves on, making their way past the train carriage while one
officer stays behind to stand guard over the two cultists. They continue
on until the spot a light at the end of the tunnel again. In addition,
they also hear some odd chanting.

Sherlock(whispering):"I think we found our cult."

Phoenix(whispering):"What's all that noise?"

Wes(whispering):"The cultists are chanting, calling upon Cthulhu most
   likely."


Phoenix(whispering):"You call all that gibberish chanting?"

Wes(whispering):"Be glad its gibberish. Otherwise you might go mad if
   you knew WHAT they were chanting about."

Phoenix shivers. They keep going, catching sight of the tunnel opening 
up into a large, circular chamber. The group takes over by a set of 
subway carriages near the tunnel mouth and moves in for a closer look. 
The chamber is huge and dome-like, the white tiles even more soot covered
than the tunnels. There are other tunnels that connect to this chamber,
their tracks all coming together. One side of the chamber has a row of
sheds where the subway cars and trains are or were kept, while the other
side has several docks and cranes used to maintain the cars. In the 
centre is a turntable where all the tracks converge. It is here where a
crowd of cultists have gathered, forming a rough semi-circle around an
altar built out of various materials. Torches have been set up around
the turntable to light up the ceremony. In front of the altar a table
has been set up, covered with a green tablecloth. Standing in front of
the altar is a group of cultists dressed in dark green robes. Most of
them have their hoods up, but one of them, a very strange looking old
man with pale green skin and very large pupils, has his down. He seems
to be leading the chant. The group watches the ceremony.

Sherlock(whispering):"There they are."

Tamias(whispering):"That's quite a number. I didn't think there would
      be that many."

Wes(whispering):"Neither did I. Cthulhu's cult is certainly better es-
   tablished in New Babbage than I thought."

Watson spots something and points to it.

Watson(whispering):"Look over there. That carriage."

Everyone looks to the carriage Watson is pointing to. Parked at the
edge of the turntable, the former passenger subway car has been turned
into a makeshift prison. Guarded by robed and hooded cultists is a small
group of dirty and frightened young women.

Wes(whispering):"The women! The cultists are going to sacrifice them."

Striker(whispering):"Then we'd better strike soon. Look."

The cultist leader has raised his hands, bringing the cultists to silence.
Once the chanting has stopped, he begins to speak in a voice that sounds
like he's speaking underwater.

Leader:"Fellow brothers and sisters! Tonight, we stand on the verge of
        glory! We have struggled much to bring us to this point, but the
        fools in this so-called city of New Babbage have been powerless
        to stop mighty Cthulhu's servants."

Cultists(in unison):"Glory to Cthulhu, the Great Old One!"

Wes(whispering):"Let's get in position, everyone. I think they are about
   to make the sacrifice."

The group begins to spread out amongst all the structures and subway cars
in the chamber, working to encircle the cultists. The cult leader goes on
with his speech.

Leader:"Our plans will come to fruition tonight! We have everything we
        need to summon Lord Cthulhu to this pathetic city, a city that
        stands no chance of being swept away by his might power! And he
        will reward us, his servants, with power beyond our comprehension!"

Cultists(in unison):"Praise Cthulhu, the Great Old One!"

Leader:"Let us not waste further time. Bring forth the offerings to Lord
        Cthulhu!"

A cheer sweeps through the cultist crowd as the guards at the nearby subway
car unlock the only working door on it. They go in and begin to grab the
girls. The girls scream and beg, trying to break free from their captors,
but the cultists are too strong.

Guard:"Move, wenches!"

Girl:"Please no! I beg of you!"

The guards don't listen and drag the girls out of the subway car towards 
the altar. Striker, Sherlock and Wes watch the scene with concern.

Sherlock(whispering):"D***, they've already started the sacrificial cere-
        mony. We must act now."

Striker(whispering):"I'll give the signal."

Wes(whispering):"What signal is that, Striker?"

Striker(whispering):"You'll see. Just get in position, quickly."

The frightened girls are brought to the altar. The cult leader points to
one of the girls, then to the altar.

Leader:"Place her on the altar!"

The cultists drag the chosen girl towards the altar. The other girls try

to help, but are held back by the guards. She is forced to lie down on
top, then her hands and feet are bound by ropes tied to rings at each
corner of the altar. Once done, the cult leader turns to another robed
and hooden cultist. This one is carrying a pillow with an ornate knife
on it. There are some strange markings on the knife's blade and hilt,
looking like some kind of tentacles. The cult leader takes the knife
and approaches the altar. He speaks again.

Leader:"Let us now call upon Lord Cthulhu, that he may accept our meager
        sacrifices and bring himself to New Babbage!"

The cult leader closes his eyes and begins to chant in a very strange
language, with the other cultists repeating each sentence after him. As
they do this, the group has managed to encircle the cultists without
them noticing them.

Leader:"Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn."

Cultists:"Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn."

As they finish chanting, a greenish glow comes from above. Wes and his
group look up to the ceiling. They can now see that the ceiling tiles
have been painted with a number of alien symbols and markings that form
a kind of circle. The symbols are glowing, getting brighter and brighter
the more the cultists chant. Striker looks at Wes.

Striker:"What's going on?"

Wes:"They are opening the gate for Cthulhu!"

Striker:"You mean he's going to come through now?!"

Wes:"Only if the sacrifice is made! We can still stop it!"

The glow is now very bright, with a swirling mass of light in the middle
of the circle. Below, the cult leader takes the hilt of the knife in both
hands and raises it above his head, the tip of the blade pointed at the
girl on the altar.

Leader:"Now, Lord Cthulhu! Accept this pitiful sacrifice and bring your
        mighty presence to this world!"

The girl screams in terror as the cult leader is about to bring down the
knife. Suddenly a shot rings out. The bullet strikes the blade, the impact
making it fly from the cult leader's hands. The knife lands on the turn-
table, its clattering the only noise now in the chamber. Stunned for the
moment, the cultists all turn to look to the source of the shot. Standing
at the edge of a nearby platform is Striker, clutching his colt revolver
in both paws.

Striker:"Pardon the interruption."

Wes, Phoenix, Sherlock, Watson, Tamias and the officers appear from cover
and shout at the cultists while aiming their weapons at them.

Wes:"You are all under arrest for violating New Babbage law!"

The cult leader shouts and points at the group.

Leader:"Get them! Do not let them stop Cthulhu's chosen!"

Suddenly, as one, the cultists all surge forward and charge at the group.
Within seconds a huge fight breaks between them as the cultists try to
keep Wes' team from getting to the altar. While Wes' group is better
armed, the cultists, armed with whatever items they can use as weapons,
manage to use their surprise rush to even the odds for a moment. Tamias
and Phoenix are near the other girls, who are being guarded by the robed
cultists. Two of the robed guards pull out large kitchen knives and go
for the two furs. One of them swipes at Phoenix, who neatly sidesteps
the swipe. The guard tumbles past her due to the momentum of his charge.
The Pomeranian uses this chance to toss a fireball at him. The fireball
strikes his robes and immediately the cultist finds himself ablaze. The
man screams and flails about, trying to get his burning robes off.

Phoenix:"You cultists are playing with fire, don't you know?"

The cultist manages to get his robes off and toss them in a burning pile.
But the instant he does that, Phoenix comes up and punches the cultist
right in the jaw. The man stumbles backward before falling flat on his
back. Tamias is holding his ceremonial spear in both paws as the other
cultist guard charges for him. The chipmunk jumps back as the cultist
swings the knife wide.

Cultist:"Hold still, you foul vermin!"

Tamias:"You know I'm never going to do that."

The cultist tries a stabbing thrust at Tamias, but the chipmunk parries
the knife with his spear. He then quickly stabs the cultist in the leg
with the spear. The man screams in pain and stumbles backward, but he
still looks ferociously at Tamias. Tamias steps back, then begins to run 
forward with his spear tip pointed at the cultist. The robed man prepares 
to parry Tamias' spear, but instead the chipmunk plants the tip of his 
spear into a crack in the floor. Tamias launches himself into the air 
like an pole vault athlete. Caught by surprise, the cultist doesn't have 
enough time to react before Tamias hits him in the chest with both his 
feet. The cultist falls back, the air whooshing out of his lungs from the 
impact. In the process, he drops the knife, which Tamias quickly scurries 
over to and picks up. The chipmunk goes to the cultist and uses the knife 
to pin the cultist, who is still struggling to catch his breath, to the 
wooden turntable.

Tamias:"That's what us 'foul vermin' can do."

Sherlock finds himself being challenged by three cultists armed with
sticks and rusty pipes. One of them recognizes Holmes.

Cultist:"Hey! You're that detective with the big name! Lord Cthulhu will
         appreciate your sacrifice!"



Sherlock:"Is that a threat?"

To answer, the cultist swings a pipe at Sherlock's head. Sherlock grabs
the pipe and twists it, causing the cultist to loose his grip a bit. He
then yanks the pipe from the cultist's hands before jabbing it back
into the fanatic's stomach. The cultist stumbles back as another cultist
prepares to attack. Sherlock jumps out of the way as the cultist swings
a stick at him. He then punches the cultist, making the fanatic stagger
back. The third cultist tries to attack Sherlock at this point, but the
detective counters the punch and lands his own between the fanatic's
legs. The man yells in pain and collapses to the ground, clutching his
groin. The other two cultists manage to recover and both them charge at
Sherlock, screaming and brandishing their crude melee weapons. Sherlock
waits until they are almost upon him, then jumps out of the way. The two
cultists swing their weapons at the same at the spot of empty air where
Sherlock was. The cultist with the pipe strikes his companion in the
head, knocking him to the ground. Taking this chance, Sherlock lands a
blow to the back of the other cultist's neck. The strike paralyses the
man and makes him fall on top of the other cultist.

Sherlock:"A fair fight, that."

Suddenly the third cultist jumps up from behind and wraps an arm around
Sherlock's neck. Sherlock gasps and gags, struggling to break free from
the cultist. But the fanatic proves surprisingly strong, holding onto
and strangling the detective.

Cultist:"Now, detective, perpare to face mighty Cthulhu in death!"

There is the sound of wood snapping as the stick used by the other 
cultist strikes the fanatic in the head and breaks. Sherlock breaks free,
gasping for air as the man drops to the ground. Behind him is Watson with
the second half of the broken stick.

Sherlock:"Good show, Watson. Where would be without you?"

Watson:"Much where this fellow before us is right now, my dear Sherlock."

Sherlock chuckles. At the altar Wes is fighting the cult leader while
Striker and several officers are fighting through the robed guards to get
to the girl on the altar. The cult leader is trying to cut Wes using the
ceremonial knife.

Leader:"How dare you all! You have no idea whom you are dealing with!"

Wes:"Oh, but I think we are. You're not bringing your squid god to New
     Babbage."

The leader's eyes bulge with fury and he screams, lunging at Wes with both
hands grasping the blade. Wes easily sidesteps the fanatic and judo chops
the man on the back. The leader falls flat on the turntable, dropping the
knife. As he scurries over to pick it up, Wes looks to Striker.

Wes:"How's it going over there, Striker?"

Striker is busy untying the girl from the altar.

Striker:"Almost have it... there!"

The spaniel manages to undo the last rope holding the girl down. He helps
her off the altar.

Girl:"Oh thank you! I thought I was going to die here!"

Striker:"You'll be fine. Go with this officer."

The girl is taken to safety by one of the officers. Meanwhile, the leader
has managed to grab his knife again. He jumps to his feet and goes back to
a fighting stance. But as he looks around he finds himself surrounded by 
Wes, Striker, Sherlock, Watson, Phoenix, Tamias and a few officers. The
rest of the cultists are either unconscious or are being detained and
arrested by the police officers.

Wes:"Best give up. Your fellow cultists can't help you, and you don't
     have the sacrifices you need."

The cult leader looks at the now empty altar and then to the ceiling,
where the glow from the markings is slowly subsiding. The leader is now
frantic, finding himself surrounded.

Wes:"Give it up. You have no more options left. Surrender."

The leader looks at the knife, and then at Wes. A defiant look crosses
his face.

Leader:"I have one option left, heathen!"

Before anyone can stop him, the cult leader turns the knife blade on
himself and thrusts it into his own chest. Caught by surprise, the
group rushed forward as the cult leader falls onto his back with the
blade's handle sticking out of his chest.

Phoenix:"Didn't see that coming. Will this count as a sacrifice?"

They all look up. The glow from the symbols, which had been fading, is
now very bright. In the middle of the circle, a swirling green spot is
forming and growing very rapidly.

Watson:"I would say it did..."

Wes:"Oh... d***..."

The spot is covering half the ceiling. Striker looks at Wes.

Striker:"How do we close that portal, Wes? It's growing fast!"

A kind of gurgling roar makes them look up again. A pair of claws appears
at the edges of the portal. The skin is covered in pale green scales and
there are webs between the fingers, much like a frog's hands.

Tamias:"He's coming through!"

Sherlock:"Everyone back away!"

Everyone quickly turns and run to get off the turntable just as Cthulhu's
head appears from the portal. Its head looks like that of a giant squid.
The top part is a smooth, flat surface with a single crack running from
top to between its blank eyes. The bottom part is a mass of writhing
tentacles. Cthulhu is covered in green scales barring his forehead and
its skin glistens with what appears to be moisture. Coming out of the
portal, Cthulhu is very large, its head nearly filling the space from the
ceiling down to the turntable. It sees the fleeing group and reacts with
lighting speed. Its tentacles lash out for Striker and coil around his
legs like a lasso. Striker yelps and falls flat on the ground, only to
then be hoisted into the air.

Striker:"Ai yai yai!"

Tamias sees Striker getting caught and turns around.

Tamias:"Hold on, Striker!"

Brandishing his spear, the chipmunk rushes forward and stabs one of the
tentacles holding Striker. But the tentacle doesn't even flinch. Cthulhu's
other tentacles then proceed to grab Tamias' spear and yank it away before
he can react. Mere seconds later, the tentacles grab the chipmunk and lift
him into the air. Striker fires a few shots from his revolver at Cthulhu's
head, but the shots barely even penetrate the eldritch’s skin.

Striker:"Not even a scratch!"

Some of the officers try to shoot at Cthulhu, but their bullets prove just
as ineffective as Striker's. Cthulhu's tentacles begin to squeeze both
Tamias and Striker hard, the two of them gasping in pain as the air is
forced from their lungs.

Tamias:"Can't... breathe!"

Striker:"Too... tight!"

More tentacles wrap around the two and prepare to wring them like a
washer wrings a wet rag. Suddenly there is a bright flash and a screetch
that manages to get Cthulhu's attention. Cthulhu turns its head to look
only to find its view filled by the blazing visage of Phoenix in her
phoenix bird form. Caught by surprise, Cthulhu doesn't have time to
react before Phoenix is upon it. She claws at its eyes while the heat
from her flaming bird form sears Cthulhu. Cthulhu flinches, closing
its eyes and trying to fight off Phoenix with its tentacles. In the
process it drops Tamias and Striker onto the turntable. Wes and Sherlock
rush over to drag them away from under Cthulhu while Phoenix continues
to attack the eldritch abomination. Cthulhu tries to grab Phoenix with
its tentacles, but the heat makes it impossible for it to even try to
touch her. After a few more moments of struggling to fight off the fire
bird, Cthulhu retreats back into the portal with all haste. Its head and
claws disappear into the portal, which then rapidly shrinks before it
vanishes. The glow from the symbols around the now-gone portal fades and
finally goes out. Phoenix flies down to where Tamias and Striker are
recovering and lands. The Pomeranian turns back to her canine form and
goes over to her mate.

Phoenix:"Strikie, are you all right?"

Striker:"I'm reg, Firefly. Your powers had good timing there."

Watson:"But what was that?"

Phoenix:"That's my phoenix form. I turn into the legendary bird if my
         loved ones are threatened. Not always, though. Its a bit un-
         predictable."

Wes:"But it couldn't have come at a better time. Your power managed to
     drive Cthulhu back to his realm. And now that he is gone, the
     portal is closed and his cult is powerless. Well done."

Sherlock:"There might still be some of the cultists around in these
          tunnels. We'd better check them and make sure we have them
          all rounded up."

Wes:"Good idea. Let's get the rest of the cultists and the girls back
     to surface, first."

Collecting the now-submissive cultists and escorting the girls, the
group begin to make their way back along the tunnel they had come to
the surface.

Fullerton House
New Babbage
The Next Day
9:20 AM:

Everyone is gathered on the second floor of Fullerton House along with
Victor. Wes has just finished giving a report on the Cthulhu cult.

Wes:"After the sweeps I believe we have completely broken up the cult
     and ensured that Cthulhu isn't a threat to New Babbage anymore."

Victor:"And the women?"

Wes:"They are currently undergoing some therapy, but they should all
     right in a day or two."

Victor nods in satisfaction.

Victor:"Excellent work, everyone. We have saved New Babbage from Cthulhu
        as well as disprove the whole Dalek story. Now things should get
        back to normal around here."

He then looks at Striker and Phoenix.

Victor:"I would like to give special thanks to our visitors, Striker and
        Phoenix, for their help in driving off Cthulhu. It is not often
        one confronts a Great Old One and drive it off successfully."

Striker:"It was nothing really, Victor."

Victor chuckles.

Victor:"You call driving off Cthulhu nothing?"

Phoenix:"Well, he couldn't take the heat."

Everyone laughs at that.

Victor:"Nonetheless, New Babbage owes you a debt. I think you should be
        rewarded appropriately. Wes, how about you tell them what the
        reward is?"

Wes:"I will, Victor."

The fox gets up and walks over to the couple.

Wes:"Please come with me. I got something to show you."

The couple look at each other, and then get up. They follow Wes as he
leads them downstairs. The rest of the group also rise and follow them
down the steps. Striker and Phoenix look at each, wondering what the
fox is up to. When they come to the front door, Wes turns around and
smiles.

Wes:"Behold!"

The fox turns around again, opens the door and steps aside. Striker and
Phoenix step outside. Phoenix lets out a gasp and Striker's eyes widen
in surprise. Parked outside Fullerton House is a magnificent white horse-
drawn carriage with solid gold sidings. A pair of white thoroughbred
horses are pulling the carriage while several men dressed in fancy guard
uniforms are standing by it. One of the men is holding the carriage door
open.

Phoenix:"Its beautiful!"

Striker:"Maggies, that is amazing! But, Wes, what is this?"

Wes smiles, walking up alongside the couple.

Wes:"The mayor of New Babbage was so pleased with your efforts to get
     rid of Cthulhu's cult that he has offered this carriage as your own
     personal means of conveyance through the city. Oh, and you both have
     free entry to all the best social hotspots in the city."

Phoenix:"Wow, that's wonderful!"

Striker, however, looks a bit unsure at Wes.

Striker:"I appreciate it, dankie, but isn't it too much?"

Wes shakes his head.

Wes:"Nah. It isn't. Besides, the mayor owed me a few favors as well."

The fox winks at Striker. The spaniel laughs and winks back at Wes.

Striker:"Reg, if you say so."

Phoenix takes Striker's paw and pulls him to the carriage. When they 
reach it, Striker helps his wife in like a gentleman. She smiles at him 
and takes her seat, whereupon Striker gets in and sits down as well. 
The guard closes the door, then all the men get onto the carriage. The
one at the front takes the horses' straps and gets them going.

Guard:"Let's go. Hup!"

The horses start trotting and pulling the carriage. Striker and Phoenix
wave at Wes and the others, who wave back as the carriage heads into
the city. Once it disappears from sight, Wes turns to Sherlock.

Wes:"How about a cup of tea? I know a good place."

Sherlock:"The CocoaJava Cafe, I presume?"

The fox is surprised.

Wes:"How did you know?"

Sherlock smiles knowingly.

Sherlock:"Elementary, my dear Wes. Also, Blackberry Harvey told me when
          Watson and I visited."

Wes:"Nothing escapes your discerning eye, Sherlock."

Sherlock laughs and pats Wes' shoulder.

Sherlock:"Let's go and get a good spot of English tea."

Wes and Sherlock, followed by Tamias and Watson, begin to walk into New
Babbage for the cafe. Victor watches them go, and then heads back into
Fullerton House. Somewhere in the distance, a town clock strikes the
half hour, the bell echoing throughout New Babbage.


THE END