Dark Night of the Soul

Chapter 16

The air is stale in the rooms under the bridge. Four figures sit hunched in near darkness. The tallest one can't sit still. He jigs his legs impatiently and cracks his knuckles. Finally, he speaks.

'How exactly did this happen? How did we lose Makka Pakka? I need to hear it again.'

The other three look apprehensively at each other before one clears his throat.

'There's not much to tell, boss. Everything was going as planned. We blasted the kids. Just as we were about to turn to head home, Makka just leapt out. He moved so quickly, there was nothing we could do. I was going to jump out to grab him but there were human witnesses. I decided it wasn't worth the risk.'

Silence again. Finally, another hippy speaks up.

'Boss, can you remind me why we are doing all this again? You have explained it all before but I can't seem to keep the information in my head. I never was the brightest.'

The hippy boss slams his fist against the metal door.

'I shall tell you one more time. You remember back to the time before music, don't you? Our planet must return to that time somehow. Everything changed when one of our brave patrol ships intercepted an alien capsule called 'Voyager'. Within it was a golden disc of unknown function. In time we discovered its purpose ... to destroy our society through sound. When a sharp point was applied to the disc it made what we now know as 'music'. Our leaders tried to keep this secret but somehow it became common knowledge. Once our children heard this we lost control of them. This is why we are in the mess we are in. We must take revenge on this pathetic species. These despicable aliens that infected our planet with Johann Sebastian Bach.'

Outside, under the bridge, a black taxi draws up. Anna jumps out, followed slowly by a reluctant Dave. Anna pays the driver and the car speeds away, leaving behind an acrid puff of exhaust fumes.

'Now what?' whispers Dave. 'I can't believe you have brought us back here. Why couldn't you just lie low and wait for the next set of instructions?'

Anna says nothing but tiptoes to the now familiar metal door. She gives it a gentle push and it opens a fraction, allowing her to squeeze through. Once inside, she beckons Dave to join her. They can hear muffled voices in the neighbouring room. Anna presses her ear to the door.

One voice grows suddenly louder. 'Our planet must return to that time. We must take revenge on this alien world. Do you understand? I knew I shouldn't have chosen you for an alien mission as important as this. You have failed me before but you must not fail me now. Our planet depends on you. Now, one more thing. I assume you wiped the memories of those pathetic Earthlings, Anna and Dave? Well??'

Anna leans against the wall to stop her from falling to her knees. 'Dave, did you hear that too? That wasn't just in my head?'

'It's just code, Anna. I'm telling you, they're the mafia or something. Who cares? We get the money that they owe us, we go home, no-one needs to know. Don't screw this up for me, Anna, I'm warning you. There's another 50 grand in it for us if we just keep out of it.'

Anna nods blankly and continues to listen to the voices through the door. She sharply recoils as something or someone hits the other side.

'NO! You had one thing to do. Just one thing. Are you telling me that Anna and Dave can now remember the human culls? And Seamus too, wherever he is. This must be resolved. YOU must resolve this. You must find them and bring them here.'

Anna and Dave have heard enough. They don't breathe until they are back outside, in the mist under the bridge. Silently, they walk back into town very quickly, at least as quickly as Dave is capable.

Dave steers Anna down a side alley. A bouncer steps aside and the pair make their way down steep steps into a bar. They both perch on bar stools and Dave orders two whiskeys.

'Now, where do we start?' he says.