The three of them stood, horrified, looking at the gleaming weapon in Columbia's hands.
'Hands in the air, all of you.'
Obediently, stunned, they all raised their arms above their heads.
'Now get into that corner. I want you all where I can see you.'
Brad quickly side-stepped into the corner of the study. Janet followed him, and Dr. Scott carefully manoeuvred his wheelchair around, before raising his hands again.
'Columbia, what's going on?' Janet eventually asked. Columbia laughed, the gun still pointed towards them.
'What do you think? You're all going to die.'
Brad gasped.
'But why?' he asked. Columbia walked towards him, the gun aimed at his head.
'Those are my orders,' she replied.
'Orders?' Dr. Scott repeated.
'From whom?' asked Brad, with disbelief. Columbia smiled.
'You see, after Riff Raff shot me, I was knocked unconscious, like I said. But when I woke, we were travelling towards Transsexual. Magenta had confessed her deed to her brother, and they had decided to spare my life and keep me with them as a slave.'
'So you did go to Transsexual with them,' said Janet. Columbia nodded.
'Oh, yes,' she replied. 'And it was wonderful. More so than you could ever imagine. I stayed there for two years. I was working as a servant for Riff Raff and Magenta, but it was still a better life than I have ever had before. But then I was discovered. The Transylvanian Emperor was furious that they had brought a human to the planet without his knowledge. He ordered that I be executed at once, but I pleaded with him. I went to great lengths to gain his favour. Eventually he agreed that I would be allowed to live on Transsexual permanently, as one of its own citizens. But first I was to carry out a mission. I was to return to Earth, find those who knew of Transylvania, and dispose of them.'
'You mean us,' Janet whispered.
'But Columbia,' pleaded Dr. Scott. 'I can assure you that we have told nobody of the planet Transsexual. I myself had almost forgotten the place even existed. This whole affair took place so long ago, it's all more like a dream to me. Killing us would serve no purpose.'
Columbia swung the gun away from Brad to point it at Dr. Scott. Her eyes gleamed furiously as she spoke.
'No purpose? After I've spent nearly three years here, looking for you all? Have you any idea what kind of life I've been leading? I was given ten Transylvanian years to complete my mission. Any day now, that time will be coming to an end. If I'm right about who stole your child, Janet, then they've already come back for me, to carry out my sentence.'
Janet gasped.
'They took Charlie? Magenta and Riff Raff kidnapped my son?'
Columbia nodded, pointing the gun now at Janet.
'That lucky child. He will have a wonderful life on Transsexual with them. And the only way I can get there myself is to complete my mission.'
'Please, Columbia,' begged Brad. 'You don't have to kill us. You can tell them you did it. We'll run away somewhere for a while, somewhere they won't find us.'
Janet had begun to sob hysterically, her arms still raised weakly over her head. Columbia laughed, shaking her head.
'No. I'm afraid that won't be possible. You can't hide anything from them.' She smiled. 'Besides, I never liked you that much anyway. Now, who wants to go first?'
Janet screamed, and collapsed onto the floor. Brad jumped back as she fell onto him, struggling to keep his hands in the air. Columbia shrugged.
'Thank you for volunteering, Janet,' she said. She pointed the gun at the motionless woman at her feet. Brad and Dr. Scott looked on helplessly as her fingers closed around the trigger.
Suddenly the whole room began to shake violently, as an explosion echoed through the house. The vibrations rang around the study, shattering windows and causing several books to fall from the shelves along the wall. Janet sat up, blinking rapidly, and screamed as a small table slid across the room and stopped just a few feet away from her. A lamp which had been hanging from the ceiling became dislodged and crashed down onto Columbia's head. Temporarily stunned, she dropped the gun as she fell to her knees. Brad moved without hesitation, grabbing the weapon and throwing it out through a broken window. Columbia shrieked furiously, quickly regaining her senses.
'Bastard!' she screamed. 'I'll kill you for that!'
She jumped up and grabbed at his waist, pulling him to the ground. Clawing at him with cat-like fingernails, she struggled angrily as Janet launched herself onto her and tried to pull her off him. Dr Scott could only look on helplessly, his wheelchair wedged behind a fallen bookcase.
As the room stopped shaking, Dr Scott suddenly became aware of the two shadows in the doorway. The dust was settling around them, making them more visible by the second. As they stepped into the room, he gasped in horror, unable to move. Brad and Janet were still wrestling with Columbia on the floor, and none of them noticed the newcomers until they heard the voice.
'Now now, Columbia. This is not the way we planned this.'
The fight came to an abrupt halt as Columbia jumped back in surprise. She turned to look into Riff Raff's face, and screamed with fright. Magenta laughed.
'She always did like the hands-on approach,' she said, looking with amusement at the rabble in front of her.
'What do you want?' asked Columbia, her face white with fear. Riff Raff took a step forward, picking his way across piles of books on the floor.
'It has been ten years on our planet since we sent you on your mission. You have failed to complete it. I must say, you were cutting it a bit fine anyway.'
Columbia shook her head desperately.
'I've spent all this time searching for them.' she pleaded. I could have killed them, if you hadn't made me drop my gun. It was your landing which shook the house, wasn't it?'
'I'm afraid your time is up,' Riff Raff replied, producing his laser from inside his cloak. Janet gasped, and Brad put an arm gingerly around her. Columbia screamed.
'No!' she cried. 'I've found them for you. You can kill them yourselves, or let me have another weapon to do it with. You don't have to kill me, please!' she begged. She fell to her knees, sobbing. Magenta looked sadly down at her, then turned to her brother.
'Can't you just shoot them yourself?' she asked him gently. 'She did find them for us, after all.'
Riff Raff shook his head firmly.
'I must obey orders,' he replied. 'Columbia has not completed her mission in the given time and must therefore be executed immediately. As for these others, they are to be taken back to Transsexual as our prisoners.' He suddenly turned to his sister. 'Why do you care so much what happens to her? Could it be that you care for Columbia more than you say?'
Magenta turned away from him furiously, walking back through the study door. Riff Raff watched her for a moment, then turned back to Columbia and raised the weapon slowly.
'I'm sorry things didn't go the way you'd hoped.' he sneered. 'But then again, you wouldn't have made much of a Transylvanian anyway.'
Janet buried her face in her hands, and Brad turned his face away, unable to watch. A flash of green light made them both flinch, and Janet gave a terrified sob. Brad slowly opened his eyes to look at the scene. He gasped with surprise as he saw the body of Riff Raff lying on the floor. Columbia was still kneeling a few feet away, sobbing hysterically. Magenta stood over her brother, holding a long black gun in her hand.
'Oh My God,' exclaimed Janet. 'You killed him!'
Magenta laughed.
'He's not dead,' she replied. 'Stunned. He'll be out for a few hours, at least.'
Columbia looked up slowly.
'Why?' she asked, gazing in horror at the motionless body in front of her.
'I didn't want you dead,' replied Magenta. 'Any of you,' she added, looking at the terrified occupants of the room. 'I'm not a murderer, and neither is my brother. He just needs a little restraining sometimes.'
She laughed again. The room was silent for a moment. Then Dr Scott spoke.
'What happens now?' he asked.
'I will take Riff Raff back to Transylvania. When he awakes I will have a lot of explaining to do, but I'm sure I can manage it.'
She bent down to pick up her brother. Columbia stood up.
'And me?' she asked. Magenta looked up at her sadly.
'I'm sorry, but you cannot return with us. Without your mission completed, you will be executed. Unless we return with the three bodies - ' Dr. Scott flinched in terror ' - we cannot bring you with us. We will have to tell the Emperor that you have been "dealt with".'
Columbia's eyes watered as she began to shake with anger. She turned and ran towards the broken window and leapt through it, screaming hysterically. Brad ran to the window and saw her run from the house. Magenta shook her head sadly, lifting Riff Raff from the floor. Janet suddenly stood up.
'What about my son? Where is he?'
Magenta sighed.
'I can promise you he will lead a far better life on Transsexual than he will on Earth.'
Janet stepped towards her angrily.
'He's my son!' she shouted. 'You can't just come and take him away from me like this.'
'Janet,' replied Magenta. 'He's not a normal human. When he reaches the age of sixteen or so, he won't be able to live a normal life. He won't age at a human rate. He will be much different, unable to function here. We must take him with us. I'm sorry.'
She turned to leave for the ship. Janet ran after her, tears streaming down her face.
'You can't take him. Please,' she begged.
Magenta ignored her and walked out of the room. Janet collapsed onto the floor, gasping for breath. Brad ran to her, pulling her close. A moment later the house began to shake again, as the Transylvanian ship took off. Janet tore at her hair with grief as her only son left her for a distant planet.
* * * * * * * * * *
Janet Weiss opened the front door of her house, ripping away the police tape blocking the entrance, and stepped inside. She slammed the door shut furiously and slumped against a wall. Her son had been taken from her. She didn't care about anything any more. Where was he going to? She didn't know. He was with two people she hardly knew, people who her memory did not have a very favourable impression of. She couldn't bear it. Putting her head on her knees she began to sob again.
'Mummy?'
Janet turned as if in slow motion. In front of her stood a small blonde boy, looking tired and confused but smiling at his mother.
'Oh My God, Charlie!' She flung her arms around her son and hugged him tight. As she held him, she noticed the silver chain around his neck. She pulled it off and found that there was a silver tube hanging from it. Unscrewing the top, she pulled out a small black piece of paper, with a silver script printed onto it. She read the note carefully.
'Here is your boy. We will be back for him when he is sixteen. I hope you can give him the care he needs until then. I'm sorry things have to be this way.'
Janet dropped the note onto the floor and hugged Charlie again.
'What is it, Mum?'
'Nothing,' she replied.
I'll have to tell him some day, she thought. But for now, it was time to let him live a normal life...
THE END...?
'Hands in the air, all of you.'
Obediently, stunned, they all raised their arms above their heads.
'Now get into that corner. I want you all where I can see you.'
Brad quickly side-stepped into the corner of the study. Janet followed him, and Dr. Scott carefully manoeuvred his wheelchair around, before raising his hands again.
'Columbia, what's going on?' Janet eventually asked. Columbia laughed, the gun still pointed towards them.
'What do you think? You're all going to die.'
Brad gasped.
'But why?' he asked. Columbia walked towards him, the gun aimed at his head.
'Those are my orders,' she replied.
'Orders?' Dr. Scott repeated.
'From whom?' asked Brad, with disbelief. Columbia smiled.
'You see, after Riff Raff shot me, I was knocked unconscious, like I said. But when I woke, we were travelling towards Transsexual. Magenta had confessed her deed to her brother, and they had decided to spare my life and keep me with them as a slave.'
'So you did go to Transsexual with them,' said Janet. Columbia nodded.
'Oh, yes,' she replied. 'And it was wonderful. More so than you could ever imagine. I stayed there for two years. I was working as a servant for Riff Raff and Magenta, but it was still a better life than I have ever had before. But then I was discovered. The Transylvanian Emperor was furious that they had brought a human to the planet without his knowledge. He ordered that I be executed at once, but I pleaded with him. I went to great lengths to gain his favour. Eventually he agreed that I would be allowed to live on Transsexual permanently, as one of its own citizens. But first I was to carry out a mission. I was to return to Earth, find those who knew of Transylvania, and dispose of them.'
'You mean us,' Janet whispered.
'But Columbia,' pleaded Dr. Scott. 'I can assure you that we have told nobody of the planet Transsexual. I myself had almost forgotten the place even existed. This whole affair took place so long ago, it's all more like a dream to me. Killing us would serve no purpose.'
Columbia swung the gun away from Brad to point it at Dr. Scott. Her eyes gleamed furiously as she spoke.
'No purpose? After I've spent nearly three years here, looking for you all? Have you any idea what kind of life I've been leading? I was given ten Transylvanian years to complete my mission. Any day now, that time will be coming to an end. If I'm right about who stole your child, Janet, then they've already come back for me, to carry out my sentence.'
Janet gasped.
'They took Charlie? Magenta and Riff Raff kidnapped my son?'
Columbia nodded, pointing the gun now at Janet.
'That lucky child. He will have a wonderful life on Transsexual with them. And the only way I can get there myself is to complete my mission.'
'Please, Columbia,' begged Brad. 'You don't have to kill us. You can tell them you did it. We'll run away somewhere for a while, somewhere they won't find us.'
Janet had begun to sob hysterically, her arms still raised weakly over her head. Columbia laughed, shaking her head.
'No. I'm afraid that won't be possible. You can't hide anything from them.' She smiled. 'Besides, I never liked you that much anyway. Now, who wants to go first?'
Janet screamed, and collapsed onto the floor. Brad jumped back as she fell onto him, struggling to keep his hands in the air. Columbia shrugged.
'Thank you for volunteering, Janet,' she said. She pointed the gun at the motionless woman at her feet. Brad and Dr. Scott looked on helplessly as her fingers closed around the trigger.
Suddenly the whole room began to shake violently, as an explosion echoed through the house. The vibrations rang around the study, shattering windows and causing several books to fall from the shelves along the wall. Janet sat up, blinking rapidly, and screamed as a small table slid across the room and stopped just a few feet away from her. A lamp which had been hanging from the ceiling became dislodged and crashed down onto Columbia's head. Temporarily stunned, she dropped the gun as she fell to her knees. Brad moved without hesitation, grabbing the weapon and throwing it out through a broken window. Columbia shrieked furiously, quickly regaining her senses.
'Bastard!' she screamed. 'I'll kill you for that!'
She jumped up and grabbed at his waist, pulling him to the ground. Clawing at him with cat-like fingernails, she struggled angrily as Janet launched herself onto her and tried to pull her off him. Dr Scott could only look on helplessly, his wheelchair wedged behind a fallen bookcase.
As the room stopped shaking, Dr Scott suddenly became aware of the two shadows in the doorway. The dust was settling around them, making them more visible by the second. As they stepped into the room, he gasped in horror, unable to move. Brad and Janet were still wrestling with Columbia on the floor, and none of them noticed the newcomers until they heard the voice.
'Now now, Columbia. This is not the way we planned this.'
The fight came to an abrupt halt as Columbia jumped back in surprise. She turned to look into Riff Raff's face, and screamed with fright. Magenta laughed.
'She always did like the hands-on approach,' she said, looking with amusement at the rabble in front of her.
'What do you want?' asked Columbia, her face white with fear. Riff Raff took a step forward, picking his way across piles of books on the floor.
'It has been ten years on our planet since we sent you on your mission. You have failed to complete it. I must say, you were cutting it a bit fine anyway.'
Columbia shook her head desperately.
'I've spent all this time searching for them.' she pleaded. I could have killed them, if you hadn't made me drop my gun. It was your landing which shook the house, wasn't it?'
'I'm afraid your time is up,' Riff Raff replied, producing his laser from inside his cloak. Janet gasped, and Brad put an arm gingerly around her. Columbia screamed.
'No!' she cried. 'I've found them for you. You can kill them yourselves, or let me have another weapon to do it with. You don't have to kill me, please!' she begged. She fell to her knees, sobbing. Magenta looked sadly down at her, then turned to her brother.
'Can't you just shoot them yourself?' she asked him gently. 'She did find them for us, after all.'
Riff Raff shook his head firmly.
'I must obey orders,' he replied. 'Columbia has not completed her mission in the given time and must therefore be executed immediately. As for these others, they are to be taken back to Transsexual as our prisoners.' He suddenly turned to his sister. 'Why do you care so much what happens to her? Could it be that you care for Columbia more than you say?'
Magenta turned away from him furiously, walking back through the study door. Riff Raff watched her for a moment, then turned back to Columbia and raised the weapon slowly.
'I'm sorry things didn't go the way you'd hoped.' he sneered. 'But then again, you wouldn't have made much of a Transylvanian anyway.'
Janet buried her face in her hands, and Brad turned his face away, unable to watch. A flash of green light made them both flinch, and Janet gave a terrified sob. Brad slowly opened his eyes to look at the scene. He gasped with surprise as he saw the body of Riff Raff lying on the floor. Columbia was still kneeling a few feet away, sobbing hysterically. Magenta stood over her brother, holding a long black gun in her hand.
'Oh My God,' exclaimed Janet. 'You killed him!'
Magenta laughed.
'He's not dead,' she replied. 'Stunned. He'll be out for a few hours, at least.'
Columbia looked up slowly.
'Why?' she asked, gazing in horror at the motionless body in front of her.
'I didn't want you dead,' replied Magenta. 'Any of you,' she added, looking at the terrified occupants of the room. 'I'm not a murderer, and neither is my brother. He just needs a little restraining sometimes.'
She laughed again. The room was silent for a moment. Then Dr Scott spoke.
'What happens now?' he asked.
'I will take Riff Raff back to Transylvania. When he awakes I will have a lot of explaining to do, but I'm sure I can manage it.'
She bent down to pick up her brother. Columbia stood up.
'And me?' she asked. Magenta looked up at her sadly.
'I'm sorry, but you cannot return with us. Without your mission completed, you will be executed. Unless we return with the three bodies - ' Dr. Scott flinched in terror ' - we cannot bring you with us. We will have to tell the Emperor that you have been "dealt with".'
Columbia's eyes watered as she began to shake with anger. She turned and ran towards the broken window and leapt through it, screaming hysterically. Brad ran to the window and saw her run from the house. Magenta shook her head sadly, lifting Riff Raff from the floor. Janet suddenly stood up.
'What about my son? Where is he?'
Magenta sighed.
'I can promise you he will lead a far better life on Transsexual than he will on Earth.'
Janet stepped towards her angrily.
'He's my son!' she shouted. 'You can't just come and take him away from me like this.'
'Janet,' replied Magenta. 'He's not a normal human. When he reaches the age of sixteen or so, he won't be able to live a normal life. He won't age at a human rate. He will be much different, unable to function here. We must take him with us. I'm sorry.'
She turned to leave for the ship. Janet ran after her, tears streaming down her face.
'You can't take him. Please,' she begged.
Magenta ignored her and walked out of the room. Janet collapsed onto the floor, gasping for breath. Brad ran to her, pulling her close. A moment later the house began to shake again, as the Transylvanian ship took off. Janet tore at her hair with grief as her only son left her for a distant planet.
* * * * * * * * * *
Janet Weiss opened the front door of her house, ripping away the police tape blocking the entrance, and stepped inside. She slammed the door shut furiously and slumped against a wall. Her son had been taken from her. She didn't care about anything any more. Where was he going to? She didn't know. He was with two people she hardly knew, people who her memory did not have a very favourable impression of. She couldn't bear it. Putting her head on her knees she began to sob again.
'Mummy?'
Janet turned as if in slow motion. In front of her stood a small blonde boy, looking tired and confused but smiling at his mother.
'Oh My God, Charlie!' She flung her arms around her son and hugged him tight. As she held him, she noticed the silver chain around his neck. She pulled it off and found that there was a silver tube hanging from it. Unscrewing the top, she pulled out a small black piece of paper, with a silver script printed onto it. She read the note carefully.
'Here is your boy. We will be back for him when he is sixteen. I hope you can give him the care he needs until then. I'm sorry things have to be this way.'
Janet dropped the note onto the floor and hugged Charlie again.
'What is it, Mum?'
'Nothing,' she replied.
I'll have to tell him some day, she thought. But for now, it was time to let him live a normal life...
THE END...?