Exu is walking along the side of the park lake.
Exu: Stops. Hold on. Hold on. Hold on a minute.
Mia: What is it?
Exu: Jumps into the water.
Mia: Why did you… blub! Blub!
Exu: I got it! Swims back to the surface holding a large, white egg in his hand.
Mia: What did you just do that for?
Exu: Holds the egg behind his back so that Mia can see. This, Mia, is an egg belonging to the native species of Clom's twin planet.
Mia: And what is the twin planet of Clom?
Exu: Raxacoricofallapatorius.
Mia: Of course.
Exu: Examines the egg in his hand. They're a good species, generally, if a little primitive. I would return this to Raxacoricofallapatorius if I had a way of doing so.
Mia: How do you think it got here?
Exu: I don't know. Raxacoricofallapatorians lay their eggs in batches, and not all of them survive. Maybe this one was dead before it even hatched.
Mia: But it might not be…
Exu: No, it might not be.
Male voice: An interesting thing to find at the bottom of a park lake, isn't it?
A smartly dressed man walks along the lakeside path towards Exu and Mia. He is holding a brown briefcase, and wears a large rucksack on his back.
Exu: Who are you?
Man: My name is Cornelius Murphy. I am an alien artefact collector. I suppose, since your home planet is a member of the Raxas alliance, that you know what this item is?
Exu: A Raxacoricofallapatorian egg.
Cornelius tries to hold the egg himself, but Exu moves the egg from his reach.
Cornelius: I've come across a few of these in my time. Such a beautiful specimen.
Exu: Examines the peaceful object which sits restfully in his hands. Yes, it is.
Cornelius: Can I have it? For my collection.
Exu: If it hatches, are you going to raise the baby?
Cornelius: I will see that the baby goes to a good home.
Exu: And how will you do that?
Cornelius: I have my contacts.
Exu: I'm sorry, but I don't trust you. The egg stays with me.
Cornelius: You Abzorbaloffs are a notoriously untrusting group, aren't you? I see remarkably few faces on you. If you hand me this egg, I can round up a couple of people for you. Anybody you like. Just say the word and it is done. All I need is that egg.
Exu: No. Please leave.
Cornelius: Hands Exu a small, green business card. Fine. But if you change your mind, you can call this number, or come to this address. Walks away merrily.
Mia: What will you do if it hatches?
Exu: Looks adoringly at the egg. I… I suppose I'll be the one to raise the child. Feed it. Make sure it has a good upbringing. And try to find it a way back to its people, when it becomes possible.
Mia: We'd better keep it protected until it hatches. I don't trust that man.
Exu: I'll wrap myself tightly around it every night. To the egg. I'm never going to let you out of my sight. Nobody will take you from me. And that's a promise.
Exu is asleep under his favourite bridge, snoring loudly. It is a cold, wet, and thundery night. Naturally, Mia is wide awake. She catches sight of a cloaked figure standing just out of range of the nearest park light.
Mia: Pssst… Exu. I think something might be up.
Exu: Grunts loudly in his sleep.
Mia: Exu. Wake up!
Exu: Snores one more time.
Mia: Sighs.
The cloaked figure moves closer to Exu and Mia. It stops a few centimetres away from Mia, looking at her through its cloak and placing a finger against its lips.
Mia: Cornelius? Is that you? You're not taking the egg.
Figure: Then good luck waking up your friend. Slips a couple of sleeping pills into Exu's gaping mouth.
Mia: Screaming. No! No! Exu! You have to wake up! Exu! Please!
The cloaked figure moves out of Mia's sight, and places the cloak carefully on top of Exu and his legs. It reaches a hand on top of the cloak and finds the egg underneath, lifting the cloak again, with the egg now wrapped inside it. The figure dons the cloak once again, and approaches Mia.
Figure: Send this Abzorbaloff my thanks for his co-operation.
Mia: I will send him far more than that!
A mean stench fills the air as the figure walks mystically through the park and out of sight. Mia hears the thud of a car door closing, followed by the engine igniting and the car driving away.
Several hours later, Exu wakes up. The sun is barely starting to rise, and the rain hasn't eased off.
Exu: Something's wrong. I can feel it...
Mia: Exu! You're awake! A cloaked figure stole your egg!
Exu: What?!
Mia: I was awake the whole time. The figure drugged you to make sure you slept through it. I couldn't wake you!
Exu: But you were awake enough to see what happened?
Mia: Of course! I can never sleep outside in this weather.
Exu: Lets out a deafening roar. Do you know who took it? Where was it taken?
Mia: Cornelius. It had to be.
Exu: Storms angrily to his feet. Do you know where to find him?
Mia: I… I don't…
Exu: Roars. Come on! Where is he?
Mia: He gave us a business card.
Exu: Then where is it?
Mia: I don't know that! Where do you normally put these things?
Exu rushes towards the nearest bin and starts to dig through it. Litter is thrust all over the ground. Soon, he is holding the green business card in his hand.
Exu: Found it! I'll pick all this up when we return. Runs out of the park, and doesn't stop running until he reaches a towering office building within a concrete jungle.
Mia: Now we need to think carefully about what we're going to do…
Exu smashes the window and charges inside, as alarms wail. He picks up a nearby pole, ready to wield it at a moment's notice if necessary. Nobody is seen, and Exu makes it to Cornelius' office.
Exu: He probably isn't here yet.
Exu smashes through the office door, the alarms still ringing in the background. He begins to have a look around, starting by opening the cupboard nearest the door.
Exu: Arhh!
Mia: What is it?
Exu: It's Cornelius.
Mia: Hiding in a cupboard?
Exu: Yes, hiding in a cupboard. And dead.
Mia: What? Who killed him?
Exu: Examines the skin suit. The creature that was inhabiting his skin.
Squelchy male voice: Yes, it's under control, don't worry. The alarms immediately switch off. Glad you could come, Abzorbaloff.
Mia: You were supposed to be a hoax!
Squelchy male voice: A hoax? You people killed my family and you think our arrival here was a hoax? Do you have any idea how insulting that is?
Exu: Cranes over his shoulder, to see a male Raxacoricofallapatorian standing in front of him. Who are you?
Raxacoricofallapatorian: My name is Blaine Fel-Fotch Passameer-Day Slitheen. My mother was Blon Fel-Fotch Passameer-Day Slitheen. She was murdered along with most of my family by the people of this world.
Exu: Stands to face Blaine. You killed a person and wore his skin, Blaine.
Blaine: Shrugs. And how many people have you absorbed? How many have you killed? How many have dissolved into your skin leaving barely a trace?
Mia: He doesn't do that any more!
Exu: She's right. My name now is Exu. It's short for Exudaloff.
Mia: You accepted the name!
Exu: Yeah, it kinda caught on after a while. Exudaloff is a bit long-winded, isn't it?
Blaine: Enough!
Exu: Not that he's one to talk.
Blaine: I find your customs… strange, for sure. But I have no fight with you. Leave me. I'll grant you safe passage from the building.
Exu: I'm afraid I can't do that. You have something of mine and I'm not leaving this building until I have it back.
Blaine: The egg?
Exu: Yes!
Blaine: Fake.
Exu: What?
Blaine: Yes, you heard me right.
Exu: Then what is it?
Blaine: That I can't tell you.
Exu leaps in the air towards Blaine, with the pole held above his head. Blaine swipes his massive claw towards Exu's belly, but is hit over the head and knocked out before he can do anything.
Mia: Wouldn't you absorb him if he had touched you?
Exu: Not a Raxacoricofallapatorian, no. Their compound is too similar to ours. Not as good, but similar. Anyway, we have an egg to find.
Exu finds an open door to the right hand side of the office, and investigates inside.
Exu: Gasps. Mia, I found the egg.
A large, advanced-looking yet organic contraption fills the entirety of the far wall. The egg is placed in the centre of it all, with a distinct blue glow surrounding it. Exu finds a way to turn off the machine, and removes the egg.
Mia: Do you think it is fake?
Exu: Shakes the egg around in his hands. Doesn't feel fake. But with the organic technology available here, I wouldn't be surprised if a convincing fake egg could be made.
Mia: Exu! Watch out!
Blaine staggers into the room. Immediately, Exu turns around, holding the egg in front of him at arm's reach.
Blaine: Chuckling. You don't want to destroy that.
Exu: Why not? It's fake.
Blaine: That was a filthy lie! Destroy that egg and any life inside it dies too.
Exu: Carefully places the egg upon a table. You're right. I don't want to destroy the egg. You could create or find a new egg if you needed to.
Blaine: You're smart… for an Abzorbaloff. Picks up the egg, and goes to place it back inside the contraption.
Exu: This contraption is what I really want to destroy. Thrusts Blaine's claw into the machine, sending sparks flying.
Blaine: How did you know?
Exu: You wanted revenge on the humans, and you have a mysterious contraption. Kind of obvious what it does. Thrusts Blaine's other claw into the contraption.
A crack starts to form across the middle of the device. Blaine squirms as he tries to free his claws, but he cannot. Exu removes the egg just as the machine crashes to the ground, crushing Blaine.
Mia: Can you tell whether the egg is fake or not?
Exu: No. No I can't.
Mia: But you'll keep it anyway? Just in case?
Exu: Examines the egg thoroughly. Of course.
Mia: Maybe even move somewhere where you could raise a child?
Exu: That's a great idea!
Mia: Delightedly. Maybe if you work a few more hours, Jerry will help to-
Exu: There's some swampland not too far from here. It's a bit of a commute, but I'll do it if it's best for the child.
Mia: Frowns.
Suddenly, a green light flashes on the side of the egg. The word 'disconnected' is emitted from the egg repeatedly, as the contraption stops working altogether.
Mia: Oh no...
Exu: Arhhhhhh! Smashes the egg against the floor.
The egg does not break, but simply rolls away into a corner. Exu sits down silently on the floor, burying his head in his hands.
Mia: I'm sorry.