The virgin & the bad boy (Gravity)

Chapter 26/The underground is infested with Giraffes

A/N Another wonderful week and so a bumper three chapters this week. We get to find out about some of Io's secrets. 

It was a couple of days later that Binks popped by. I was getting ready to go out that evening and the news was on. I had decided that what people regarded as news really defined a planet. On Mars News was dull, these new green houses were opened up here, this orbital heating mirror is installed there, atmospheric pressure is at a new record high. What mistakes leadership was making. It had all the glamour of a rusting four tone dump truck which rather than being scrapped, accidentally filled in the wrong job application form and was now fronting a video channel on Tai chi.

On Earth news was, well, weirder. You had a feeling that they tested out headlines on people and if anyone said 'WTF?' it got in.

The news caster shifted in her chair "In news today parts of the LA underground rail network has been found to be infested with a colony of giraffes. A rail spokesman - Daran the Dump Truck said this"

"'We are clearing the infestation as quickly as we can, normal service will be resumed soon. Oh and I have a new video out. Daran the dump Truck - more Tai chi for the over 50s"

The newscaster continued "Also in the news A couple in Wisconsin has given birth to a three tonne baby tractor. Mean while on the internet many people are reporting waking up with an excessive number of fingers. So called expert 'Doctors' claim this is impossible and warn people to only go to the doctor if the number of fingers and thumbs on one hand exceeds a total of five, but what do they know they are just machines right? Election news: Republican candidate Mallery Banks says 'people should wear more hats'. Her right wing opponent Ronald Bentham says he will make a tour of those places most affected by excessive numbers of new fingers saying that UN-Facebook is failing in its duty to protect its people."

There was a video of Bentham standing next to a horse which he had selected as his running mate.

"I'll tell you something, people are reporting on Facebook waking up with four even five fingers. I tell you this increase in digits is all caused by clones, clones taking our jobs, clones taking our food, clones stealing flowers from our gardens. I keep asking myself why something isn't being done about it and then I realise. The person in charge of this security issue is a corrupt woman with strange earlobes. When I'm in charge I'll make sure clones don't make problems like this again. I'll close the boarders to anyone who looks like someone already on this planet. I'm just saying strangers are every where, be alert" 

I waved my hand and turned off the screen. This obsession with clones was wonderfully weird. Some clones  had left after being sent threatening buttered toast in the post after a random comment from Bentham.  There were only about 64 clones on planet earth ( and four of them were Harry Styles). 

"Oh what's this" said Binks looking at my new prominently displayed artwork. My treasure from my trip to London. 

"Its a genuine original Casey Soung" I said not that I hadn't been saying that to anyone who came in. I'd even repeated it to Kentro a number of times. I walked back into to my bed room to pick up another shoe.

"It's wonderful, oh and this one is really good as well. So life like" said Binks.

The other picture I wondered? I only had one. I looked around to see what he was looking at. Binks was looking in the mirror. 

"That's a mirror Binks" I told him.

"oh is it? That's nice" said Binks. "really life like. Like they are there with you. These artists are so clever. Where are you going?"

"So I'm taking out Io to watch a talk at the Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge. It's the world's oldest Scientific Body" I said. I loved the title any scientific society set up when pirates like Black Beards and Captain Kid still roamed the seas and men wore elaborate wings hand to be pretty cool right?

"What's showing?" said Binks.

"Well there is this Dr Sheep. He's giving a talk about Io's parents research and sent Io and me an invite. Casey Soung also sent me an invite."

"I haven't seen that one. But Science,  I bet the special effects are good." said Binks.

" What can I help you with?" I said putting my smart earrings on. 

"You see the problem is I've lost my robot and wondered if it was here" said Binks.

"You met me after you lost your robot so it's unlikely" I said.

Binks nodded "You see if I had my robot around it could have told me that. I'm having to rely on Lucy helping me with stuff like that." said Binks. 

Binks, Kentro and I went up to collect Io then he accompanied me back to the hyper loop station so he didn't get lost.

Poor Binks, We had past a Bentham poster with 'Strangers are everywhere. Be alert' which Binks had mused on the reason for the shortage of lerts and the role of lerts regarding strangers.  Soon we were on the hyperloop to London.