For the geneticist this was a dangerous time. He was forty-two and had worked in this underground lab for the past five years. Rather tall and good-looking, Robert had doubts about the military ethics.

The problem was they did not agree with him. Bio engineering fleas was one thing. Turning them into a deadly weapon was quite another.
The fact that they could not breed had been a victory for him.
Robert had insisted upon it.

As these disturbing thoughts drifted through his mind, his buzzer went and he answered it.

“We are ready for the test sir.”

He thanked the caller and walked rapidly down the corridor towards the test lab. When he entered, he saw three technicians looking at a rather old individual sealed inside a glass case. A single green tube led from the top and into the rear wall.

“How is containment holding up?” Robert asked.

“Pressure is normal sir,” a short technician replied.

“Does anyone else think this is wrong?” he asked.

There was no response.

“Release the fleas,” he ordered.

As he watched the test subject sitting in the corner of the containment vessel, everyone waited for the expected results. They watched as he slapped his cheek in surprise as he was bitten. Then the effect began. First, his skin began changing colour until it looked like coal. This was followed by hellish screaming as smoke began to pour from his body. Seconds later, the poor man ignited.

As flames turned him rapidly into toast, the glass exterior began to soot up. This had of course been expected. The violence of the effect had shocked Robert. It had shocked everyone.

Their thoughts had been interrupted by a klaxon and a computer voice saying repeatedly, “containment breach.”

Robert watched in horror as his colleagues began slapping themselves violently. Panic stricken now, he ran out of the test lab before bolting into his office. He activated a screen and shouted into it.

“General, the damn things have escaped!”

A middle-aged calm military man sighed and replied, “Activate the detonator.”

Robert dashed across to the far wall and punched in his security code. A single button flipped into view and he slammed his fist upon it. Then he too slapped his cheek and followed his colleagues into the bowels of hell.

The lab remained intact for another twenty minutes as the detonation sequence counted down. During that time, the weaponries fleas traced themselves to an air conduit and escaped into the outside world.

About a mile away, the residents of the farming town heard the blast eighteen minutes later. Of course, by that time it was far too late.

The fleas ignored the explosion as they flew in a tight pack into the distance. Just ahead, lay a small cattle farm with its single occupant working in the field.

He had seen the explosion of course. Wondered what had caused it. As he filled the trough for his animals, he suddenly slapped his bare arm.

“Pesky midges,” he cursed.

He suddenly felt himself sweating and saw the skin turning coal black. He staggered off as smoke poured from his overheating body before collapsing face down. Seconds later, the latest victim ignited.

As the cat joined Yoland outside, he still felt a little groggy. He gazed around at the quiet country scene.

“Where are we?” Yoland asked.

“Traix of course. Nice and peaceful. Look over there.”

She followed his gaze and saw a cattle grazing on a field of green grass.

The sun shone overhead from a cloudless sky and the track led towards a small town. Jerrix padded away from his ship going in that direction.

“You never said what you saw?” she reminded him.

“Just a vision of the Grim Reaper my dear. Nothing to be alarmed about.”

Along the verge, wild flowers grew in profusion and their scents made the air as sweet as honey. On this planet though, that delicacy was unheard of.

The small peaceful town came into view and they noticed the small school on the outer fringe. As they got nearer, they could see the children playing quite happily.

“Reminds me of my school days,” Jerrix muttered as they left the track and joined the asphalt.

“On my ship,” Yoland explained. “Learning is directly into the brain. After a year or two, we know what everyone else does.”

Jerrix was a little taken aback by this revelation.

“Sounds rather boring to me,” he muttered.

They stopped by the school gates watching the purple clad pupils at play. Behind the small playground sat a squat building constructed from dark stone. Its black sloping roof designed to redirect the rainstorms, which came frequently here.

“If only I could go back,” the cat muttered to himself.

A sudden scream took their attention. As they watched one of the pupils collapsed upon the hard surface, smoke pouring from her. A second pupil suddenly screamed and went down too.

“Come on Yoland,” Jerrix yelled dashing inside.

As children scattered and teachers ran from the building the travellers looked down upon the smoking corpse. Both were shocked to the core.

“What happened?” an elderly teacher asked.

Jerrix glanced at her.

“Spontaneous combustion. What do you think? Call an ambulance.”

The teacher pulled her phone out and did just that, as her colleagues led the weeping children back inside the building.

“What could have caused it?” Yoland asked looking at the second corpse.

“One thing I’m sure off my dear. We will get to the bottom of this mystery.”

When the ambulance arrived, Jerrix took full charge. He helped place the bodies inside, and pulling Yoland behind him took the vehicle to the small town hospital.

They had waited in the reception area for roughly an hour when a young female doctor walked up to them. Her long white coat hid the slender body underneath. As she stopped, she wiped the ginger hair from her eyes.

“I understand you were first upon the scene.”

“We were indeed doctor eh...?”

“Wilson,” the medic replied.

“Had many of these?” Yoland asked.

“Actually no,” the doctor replied. “These are the first two.”

She paused for a moment.

“The schoolteacher reports that you mentioned spontaneous combustion.”

Jerrix nodded.

“That’s a rather strange thing to suggest you know.”

“It fits the facts my dear. I would expect more cases to turn up shortly.”

“You are a medical man then?”

“I have been about,” he replied pleasantly.

“Ever examined a crispy corpse before?” she asked carefully.

“If that is an invite my dear. I would be happy to investigate.”

She stared at them both and said, “Come with me to the autopsy lab then.”

A little later, Jerrix, Yoland and Doctor Wilson were standing in a rather grim autopsy lab. Regulations had demanded the wearing of protective clothing, regardless of its clumsiness.

The cat pointed to the dark crisp exterior of the child’s skin.

“As you can see doctor, the heating originated from the interior. Thing is why?”

“It certainly looks like,” the doctor commented.

“I’ll need tweezers,” the cat said.

She handed him a pair and the cat carefully parted some of the charred material. The uniform had clearly fused with the underlying tissue.

Yoland looked on grim faced. She had seen corpses before but never this close.

“You alright my dear?”

She nodded.

Suddenly the cat spotted something and demanded a glass slide. He then placed the dark fragment onto it and padded over to a waiting microscope.

Placing the slide underneath, he examined his find.

“Well, well. It’s not a fragment of tissue after all.”

“What is it?” the doctor asked.

“It’s a flea my dear. You know. I think we have found the culprit.”

The doctor scoffed at the very suggestion.

“That is just not possible,” she said sternly. “Yes they carry disease but this...?”

“I know it is rather farfetched my dear but how else can you explain its presence?”

“Oh that’s simple,” she replied. “She probably has a pet at home.
This flea hopped on and got fried when she did.”

“Seems reasonable enough to me,” Yoland said.

The cat paused thinking to himself.

“Let’s take a look at the second victim shall we?”

He padded across to the second child and carefully probed with the tweezers.

“Ahh, now this should prove it.”

He placed the second specimen upon a slide and once more examined it underneath the microscope. Then he stepped back.

“Take a look Doctor Wilson. I never believe in coincidence.”

The good doctor peered at the lens and said, “Another flea okay. I still don’t buy it though.”

Jerrix was incensed.

“What proof do you need?”

“An explanation,” the doctor replied. “How these fleas reduce their victims to toast would be a good start.”

Moments later, her buzzer went off and she barked into it, “Yes, I’m rather busy right now. Oh no. Okay bring them to the autopsy lab right away.”

The good doctor glanced up.

“Two traffic wardens have just been brought in. Toasted. Just like the kids.”

The cat glared at her.

“You had better inform the mayor.”

The doctor tapped his black nose with her finger.

“You had better have an explanation.”