The massive trench left by the craft had left a four-mile scar across the landscape of the barren moon. Kochanski easily followed the path created by the wreckage as she piloted the Blue Midget, with a very interested Cat leaning over her to watch what she was doing. At first she had thought that there was a benefit to be gained from his natural curiosity; it would be a good thing to have him share with the piloting duties. Unfortunately, it did seem that as she tried explaining what she was doing to him, she began to realise it was much more likely that the Cat was seeing this journey more as an opportunity to press buttons occasionally and stare down her top.

Lister was looking at the topographical plan and was plotting a suitable landing spot. At least, that's what she hoped he was doing. Glancing behind her, she could see his brow furrowed in concentration as he tried desperately to make the squiggly green lines on the readout make sense. She shook her head and smiled. Well, at least he was trying.

They flew about the crash site twice before Lister gave her some co-ordinates that were almost correct, which she adjusted as they set down. As soon as the landing stanchions crunched into the crust of the moon, a hatch opened on the intact side of the half-submerged front section of the Nova 5 and a figure emerged. The odd stepping gait and the cheery waving set him out as a mechanical well before he had come close enough for the crew to make out the details of his face.

Kochanski donned her space suit, a red splattered greasy affair that was slightly large but at least was airtight. She worried about the Cat's elaborate gold number, festooned with filigree details and, for some reason, a pair of diamante effect cufflinks. It looked liable to come apart any instant but the Cat had assured her that all would be well. Well, he had actually said that he had been careful to co-ordinate his bodysuit worn underneath with the colour of his innards in the unlikely event that the suit wasn't space worthy and he suffered explosive decompression. It didn't allay her fears, but she felt she would be nagging if she pursued it so she left him to it. Lister was in his rumpled blue technician's uniform and was cleaning one of his front teeth by scraping it with his fingernail whilst waiting for the air-lock procedure to run its course.

As the door rumbled aside, it revealed the gentle angular features of the mechanoid. A quizzical frown creased his forehead before the dark red mouth parted in an awed grin as he took in the sight of his rescuers. Extending a hand to Kochanski she shook it gingerly, aware of the slightly off-kilter look in the mechanoid's eyes, his grip slightly too firm for comfort. The Cat nodded graciously, acknowledging the presence of a menial with the correct level of decorum. Lister waved.

"It is a pleasure to meet you Ma'am, Sirs. Please follow me; there are beverages and refreshments awaiting you in the craft."

Kryten attempted some idle chit-chat regarding the pleasantness of their trip, the lack of weather and the difficulty in finding a good landing area, whilst deflecting any queries on the condition of the crew or the vessel by claiming that he was 'merely a service mechanoid and would not be able to assist them further' as they made their way to the vessel. The Nova 5 was a small craft, about twice as large as the Starbug class vessels that Red Dwarf housed. Kochanski noted that it didn't have the huge hydrogen scoop that ships from her time required, and couldn't for the life of her work out what powered the damn thing. It was something she was going to try and study once they had stowed the crew safely back in Red Dwarf's medibay.

The mechanoid led them through a hatch into a maze of slanting corridors that made up the living quarters. The entire section leant to one side where it had come to rest after the crash, and they had to walk downhill to get to the main living room and the galley. The further they went, the more Kochanski's curiosity was piqued. The living quarters were incredibly generous considering the size of the craft; a crew of six was nowhere near the maximum carrying capacity of the ship. Where were all the cargo holds? Where were the engines? Running some basic calculations in her head there was no way this craft could have gone this far from Earth without putting the crew into stasis for millennia. If they did that then why? They had to have been doing something pretty special to by this far into deep space.

Her thoughts were interrupted by their arrival at what was labelled in English and Esperanto as the "Dining Room". Kryten stopped at the door and waited expectantly. It took Kochanski a moment to realise that they were alone and turned to see the Cat admiring his reflection in a full length mirror with Lister cajoling him as best he could to move on. She shook her head and stalked back up the corridor, grabbing him by his shoulder pad and dragging him down towards Kryten, who continued to hesitate before the Dining Room entrance.

"Sirs, Ma'am. The crew are through here. I must say that they have been giddy with excitement at the prospect of meeting you all."

Kochanski grimaced in concentration, focused on the mission. Lister smiled encouragingly at the increasingly awkward Kryten. Cat was doing his best not to drool.

The door slid open. Kryten strode to the side of the table and presented with a flourish the perfectly preserved skeletons of the crew of the Nova 5. Each body had been dressed, made up and posed at the table as if they had been dining.

"Oh God," Kochanski exclaimed, bringing a hand to her mouth, doing her best not to be sick.

The Cat let his disappointment show full on his face as he walked to the table and inspected the three women at close quarters. He raised an experimental finger and poked one in its boney shoulder.

"Well, isn't anyone going to say 'Hello'?" said Kryten expectantly, a hint of desperation creeping into his tone.

Lister was the one who recovered from the shock first. "Kryten, they're dead."

"Who is, sir?"

"Kryten, all of the crew are dead." Kochanski stuttered.

Kryten stopped abruptly, his shock plain.

"No!"

"I'm so, so sorry, Kryten." Kochanski moved forward and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

Kryten's face creased with consternation, "I was only away for a few minutes."

Lister shook his head, "Kryten, they must have been dead for ages. Years and years."

Kryten shook his head, "No!"

The Cat snapped. "Let your eyes see the truth your heart denies, Metal Man. They have less flesh upon their bones than a whippet left without sustenance for three months."

Kryten fell heavily upon the floor, landing awkwardly on the deck in a seated position, his eyes unfocused and staring ahead. Kochanski knelt by his side, Lister hovered worriedly next to the door and the Cat, tired of the hysterics going on around him, picked up Miss Anne's plate of the still warm soup and proceeded to lap at it.

A small, dejected whine emanated from the mechanoid. "Where shall I go? What shall I do? I am programmed to serve."

Lister stepped a little further into the room. "Well, I suppose the first thing we should do is bury them."

Another whine escaped Kryten's voice unit.

Kochanski gave the hard plastic and metal shoulder of the mechanoid a squeeze. "Kryten, please, take all the time you need. We'll do what we can to help."

"Yeah Krytes, come with us."

Kochanski shot a stare at Lister as he declared this statement. Kryten didn't seem to have heard him. Abruptly, the mechanoid stood, cleared a space on the Dining Table and proceeded to detach his left arm.

Kochanski leapt to her feet and tried to grab a hold of the robot, trying to stop his dismantling progress. His arm continued unimpeded in its progress, Kochanski's struggles had no effect.

Lister rushed forward, waving his arms and shouting, " Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa, you've got no need to do this, man."

Kryten placed his left arm on the table and was popping the catches on his neck that would allow the removal of his head. In a monotone voice he stated, "My core program dictates that my primary commands have run to completion. My runtime and power requirements are detrimental to the mission. I am now surplus to mission parameters and am shutting down." Turning to Kochanski he continued in his normal voice, "Sorry about the mess."

Just as he wrenched off his head, placing it onto the table and opening the catch behind his left ear that allowed access to his CPU, Kochanski grabbed his hand.

"Kryten, stop. I'm ordering you to stop."

Cat put down his plate and rejoined the proceedings. "Indeed domestic robot, you are terminating yourself within the Dining area with no regard to decorum. I must say that it is most ungracious to expect us as your guests to clear away your body."

Lister rolled his eyes, "Smeggin' Hell Cat, would a little tact kill you?"

Kryten's fingers stopped in their progress and the head on the table looked down sheepishly.

"You are of course correct, Sir, I was not thinking correctly."

Flipping close the hatch of his head, Kryten began to reassemble himself.

Lister smiled, "That's right Kryten, come with us. There is nothing for you here now. We can look after you."

Kryten snapped on his left arm again and nodded to himself, resolved.

"Sirs, Ma'am. I would like to accept your offer of passage on your vessel but I am afraid that I cannot allow you to care for me. I am a mere mechanoid and simply request that I can render you whatever service you require."

Lister shook his head. "Kryten, none of that 'Sir' crap. My name's Dave Lister."

Kryten nodded and gave him a little bow, "Of course, Mr Lister Sir."

Kochanski laughed at Lister's expression but stopped as she once again perceived the bodies that were still sat posed around them. She shuddered and went to Lister's side. Kryten was clearing the dining items away and collecting his belongings while the Cat was looking in the cupboards for more food. Kochanski whispered into Lister's ear,

"Are you sure you know what you're doing? It seems fairly obvious that this mechanoid is several trees short of a thicket; he's been cultivating the dead crew like some dress up dolls. How do you know he didn't do it?"

Lister stared at her and shook his head, "He's not a psycho, Krissie. He just must be so lonely. He's been stuck out here for God knows how long and has had to adjust to life on his own. I mean, its not like he could harm any of -"

"Kryten! So good to see you!" Kochanski exclaimed as the mechanoid entered the Dining Room, holding in his hands a small box. He looked around dejectedly and trembled as he caught sight of the bodies of his crew members again.

Kochanski saw the pain in his eyes and she couldn't help but go to his side. It may have been the most stupid way of dealing with the situation, bringing in a potentially homicidal droid onto the ship, but looking at him she had to agree with Lister. She could see his genuine remorse at the fact that the crew were now gone and if they were careful, it may even be possible to lead him to recovery. He needed them.

"Kryten, I think it best that we get to Red Dwarf ASAP. We'll get the skutters to sort out – matters here."

Kryten nodded numbly and let himself be led out by Kochanski, out of the last resting place of the crew of the Nova 5 and into his new life.