For Andy, walking into that pale light with his late father was somewhat of a relief for him. At least now, he had an explanation for his weird experiences. As soon as the light enveloped them, his father vanished and all sense of permanent security was removed.

A terrible inky darkness enveloped him, and he suddenly felt himself being accelerated to incredible speed. He almost vomited when he landed face down in human excrement. The stench that flooded his nostrils was overpowering.

He picked himself up slowly and immediately noticed yet another change of garb. He was now wearing a brown baggy top made from simple sackcloth and an even darker cloth made into breeches.

He wiped the goo from his eyes, face, and gazed around at his new location. He was standing in a grimy street with large wooden homes packed tight on either side. He noticed the black and white paint and the small open windows. From one of these a rather large woman tossed a bucketful of waste into the street below. It was in short, an open sewer.

“So, I’m not dead then,” he muttered. “What on earth is going on?”

He felt terribly disorientated which was caused by time lag and at a
loss what to do next. A male voice from behind caught his attention.

“Andy!”

He turned and saw another bloke dressed much the same as he. In his left hand, he carried a mask with a long proboscis.

“We need to collect another one mate. Where is your protection?”

Extremely confused now he glanced around and saw a similar mask lying among the detritus, which he picked up. His mate put his one on, and Andy followed suit. A cold feeling overcame him. He was a corpse collector. His agile mind dragged the date from the darkness of memory.

1666. The second Charles was on the throne.

The two men made their way along the filthy street while a third man pulled a wooden handcart. At the last building, he was led inside and in a simple room, the corpse of a young man lay.

He was unrecognizable. His face had turned almost black, a symptom that gave the disease its name.

Andy nearly flinched when his mate picked up the feet and insisted that he grab hold of the arms. Suppressing a deep fear, he helped to haul the corpse outside and toss it like a rag into the cart. Four others were already on board.

A couple of darkly dressed gents then closed the door and painted a cross upon it before nailing it shut. Anyone left inside would now die from either disease or starvation.

It was a brutal, but necessary policy.

“We have another two to collect and then we dump them.”

“Sounds fair enough,” Andy replied.

They were about to move on when a parson entered the street carrying a wooden cross.

“A plague on all your homes,” this man bellowed. “You have courted with Satan and are being punished.”

A woman’s voice echoed back, “Get stuffed you crazy fool.”

They left him to rant and pulled into yet another street. The squalor was almost unbelievable. Andy was astonished to see a pink pig running towards him squealing and he moved to one side to let the terrified animal pass.

“This is the one,” his mate said and he followed him into a home
where two babes lay dead and silent.

Fighting back tears, he gently lifted the poor mite and carried it to the cart. He placed it down gently as his colleague threw the other in.

“Right now. We are off to the pit now.”

The pit in question was located in a square, two blocks down. When they arrived, they pulled the seven bodies out and tossed them into the trench where bracken had been placed. As Andy watched in mute horror, a burning torch set it alight.

Black smoke rose into the grey sky and Andy felt himself resisting this place of horror. He pulled his mask free, and threw it violently to the ground. As his mate watched, he ran for it. He had no idea where to go. He zigzagged through the streets until he saw a small plaque nailed to a wall.

Pudding Lane.

He stopped and stared at a bakery. A burly bloke was inside smiling back.

Andy felt compelled to march in and shout, “Watch that bloody oven.”

As the astonished man watched, Andy walked out again.

He made his way slowly, with no real idea how he was supposed to live in this strange time. One thing was certain though. London was not safe. He had to get out.

As this thought entered his mind, a bloke of medium height and wearing one of those masks walked quickly towards him and grabbed his arm roughly.

“Hey.”

“Keep your tosh shut mate. You are coming with me.”

Andy tried to break free but the grip was like iron. He was pulled unwillingly around a corner and towards a soft green glow that somehow looked familiar. As he was hauled inside the door slid shut.

The figure released him and pulled the mask off.

“Did I have problems finding you.”

“Good grief Jerrix, you were the last cat I expected to see.”
---
The cat pulled the dirty clothes off and tossed them upon the squashy floor. From the pocket of his yellow cloak, he pulled out the fork shaped device and waived it across Andy’s body.

“Still no change by the way,” Jerrix told him. “Quantum signature is still wrong.”

Andy got his breath back now.

“I ended up in No-Man’s-Land by the way.”

“The time projector is not quite accurate. That should be expected.”
“You had better do some explaining?” Andy demanded.

“Oh, if I must. You are out of phase my friend. Blinking from one reality to another. Do you know how hard it was to track you?”

“So that wasn’t Norwich then?”

“Far from it. By the time I got there you had gone. Then I was attacked.”

“Who by?”

“Perhaps,” Jerrix replied. “You should be asking what by. It was
pretty powerful I can tell you.”

“So we are talking alien abduction?”

“Probably. Either that or...”

“Go on then.”

“You would never understand it,” Jerrix said scratching his head.

“Try me.”

Jerrix shook his head slowly.

“It could well be larger than you and I Andy. That is what worries me.”

“You’re not the one bouncing like some crazy tennis ball.”

Jerrix smiled.

“Very apt description. Now I have to check my controls.”

Andy watched as the cat glanced from statue to cat statue.

“You still can’t take me with you, true?”

Jerrix looked up.

“Unfortunately yes. Not until you are in phase with my ship.”

“There must be something you can do? I don’t fancy staying here for long.”

“I don’t blame you.”

The cat wandered over to a drawer that was set inside the far wall. Opening it, he reached inside and examined a bracelet.

“This may do the trick.”

He padded over and handed it over.

“Try it on.”

It fitted perfectly and the cat scanned him once more.

“Voila. Now we are in sync.”

“I won’t ask what you did,” Andy said. “I can go home now at least.”

Any saw the cat’s face fall.

“I can’t go home?”

“I am afraid not mate. In a very real sense, your home does not exist.”

He saw Jerrix walk over to the north statue and pull a hidden lever. As he did this, light shot from the eyes of the four statues and a grid formed above the waist height metallic dome.

Upon this grid, he could see an image of our galaxy.

“Very impressive.”

“I think so. Now, this flashing dot is our current location. This one over here is our next location.”

“I’m about to hop again. Very helpful.”

Jerrix smiled.

“To solve your mystery we have to find that taxi of yours. I’m damn sure it holds the key.”

“It holds my body,” Andy commented.

“Whatever you saw was an illusion. Remember that.”

As he spoke, he walked to the east statue and pulled the lever sharply. There was no sense of movement. Nothing really. Jerrix pushed the lever back to its central position and padded towards the door, which slid back.

Andy followed and found himself on an alien planet. A pink sky arched overhead and three moons floated in this splendour.

“What do you think?” Jerrix asked as the door slid shut.

“It’s an astronomers dream. Just look at it.”

As they walked off, Andy turned and saw the familiar light green glow fading.

“Come on you,” the cat called. “The ship’s safe.”

He caught up with his friend and they walked toward the rope bridge that crossed the deep ravine.

“The taxi won’t be here you know.”

“I need to speak to someone. So do you.”

The rope bridge swayed a little as they crossed it. At the far side stood a small dark cave, which was their apparent destination.

“Watch for Creepos,” Andy whispered.

“You met those?”

“Unfortunately.”

“Such a small galaxy,” Jerrix replied.

As they entered the darkness, Andy saw an old gent who looked very frail indeed. He had long white hair that covered his entire face and wore a cream smock. Shaking hands parted the hair and Andy realised that he was blind.

“Jerrix,” the gent said softly.

“I need your help teacher.”
---
“Of course you do. Sit yourselves down.”

They sat in front of the mystic as his blind eyes gazed back.

“Tell me your troubles my friend.”

Jerrix turned to Andy and said, “You had better spill the beans then.”

Over the following hour, he did just that. He left nothing out. Including that final strange experience.

When he finished the mystic smiled.

“Can you work it out?” Andy asked.

“Has Jerrix told you about the bracelet’s limitations?”

“What limitations?” Andy asked.

“The effect is only temporary. Your spatial flux will return.”

“How long?” Andy asked.

“Not more than one solar day”

“We still have time, I assure you,” Jerrix told him.

The taxi driver was rather shocked.

“You must understand,” the strange mystic said. “The taxi is simply
a mode of transport.”

“I think that is obvious,” Andy commented.

“What was the registration number?” the mystic asked.

“I had a rather special one,” Andy replied. “ZLT 99A.”

“Those are coordinates my friend.”

Then the penny dropped.

“I’m a fool,” Jerrix exclaimed. “Galactic Code.”

“Exactly,” the mystic replied.

“Will someone please explain that,” Andy pleaded.

“Advanced form of communication my friend,” Jerrix explained. “I can feed that into my system.”

“Then we find the taxi?”

“Then you find yourself,” the mystic said mysteriously.

Jerrix hauled the driver to his feet.

“Thanks for helping teacher.”

“Just take care Jerrix. You only have eight lives left.”

Jerrix understood the warning and turned to leave.

Andy followed and soon after they were back inside the cat’s ship.
Jerrix opened a drawer and pulled out a small keyboard that had a small aerial attached. As Andy watched, he began typing. Then he returned the device to its proper location.

“We can leave now Andy.”

The cat activated the galactic map and pointed to the second flashing dot.

“Termitus. Nasty little place inhabited by destructive insects.”

“Sounds like fun.”

Jerrix smiled and activated the drive system. Then he asked, “Are you ready for this?”

“Do I have a choice?”

“We all have choices,” Jerrix replied. “Even I.”

“Then let’s do it.”

He followed the cat outside and found himself staring at a rocky environment that was blistering hot.

“Another desert,” Andy exclaimed.

“More like Death Valley,” Jerrix replied. “I wonder which direction?”

“I’m more worried about dehydration,” Andy admitted.
“You have a point,” Jerrix replied pulling the fork device from his deep cloak pocket.

“What are you checking for?”

“Water and anomalies my boy. Ah.”

“That sounds promising.”

“We go this way,” the cat said marching off.

Andy followed across the hostile environment and he soon noticed huge towers of rock scattered here and there. Jerrix saw this and told him what they were.

“Termites?”

“Giant ones. Now across this crest should be a water supply.”

They reached the crest and saw below them a small green lake.
Stumbling down the short hill, they reached the lake’s edge.

“Is it safe to drink?”

Andy saw the cat dip its paws and drink the coloured fluid. He knelt and did likewise until he was satiated. As they turned to continue, the incline was swarming with huge termites.

“That’s torn it,” Andy whispered.

“Worse than that my friend. We are about to be torn apart.”

The creatures advanced and Andy turned to run but Jerrix stopped him.

“No point.” Then he stopped and holding him with one paw, he tore the bracelet off with the other.

Instantly, the scene dissolved into darkness.

really getting good!!!, :) :)

Ta my dear...