Hello all!

Blimey, three months have already passed! I can't believe it's taken me this long to complete this chapter! Although, I must say, I believe this to be the weakest one I have written so far. It's merely a story filler. I've had so many distractions holding me back from concentrating on my writing!

Without any further delay, let's jump right into the chapter.

Hope you enjoy.

The new week soon arrived, and I have to say it progressed a lot more smoothly than I'd expected. The three of us soon fell into a productive rhythm when it came to keeping things as normal as possible at home. Mum and Riyo weren't quite on close talking terms yet, but, fortunately, tensions continued to remain low between them. A standard interaction would normally consist of a brief conversation regarding housework or the progress Riyo was making with her transmitter. Nevertheless, as each day passed, Mum gradually grew to talk a lot more openly with our guest and slowly eased into becoming comfortable with her presence. As for Riyo, she stayed true to the promises she'd made the night they'd met one another. She helped with chores such as hoovering, cleaning, and cooking, and even accompanied me into Bromyard to buy groceries.

Meanwhile, we'd been keeping a close eye on the activities of the authorities at the crash site since Mum found out about her. Pieces of debris continued to be loaded into vans and trucks and transported away. By Tuesday afternoon, the crater was clear, and the remaining police and army personnel finally disappeared. Although we knew that the police wouldn't forget about us. It would be ignorant to believe that they would be truly satisfied with the story Riyo and I had provided. Sure enough, that assumption soon proved correct when we had a knock at the front door early Thursday evening. Mum had answered and was greeted by two officers dressed in suits. It turned out it was her they wished to speak to. After she'd invited them in, they told her that they also wanted Riyo and me present so that we could repeat our accounts that we'd given the previous officers. While both of us were a little nervous, we soon agreed. The six of us walked through to the lounge to begin the interview. The questions we were asked made it clear that these officers weren't taking as laid-back an approach as the constables who'd visited beforehand. They pressed us hard over what they believed to be any inconsistencies in our story. Although the pressure was building, we both managed to accurately recall the statement we'd previously provided.

When the officers realised that they weren't going to make any further progress with us, they moved on to Mum. With the time they took with their questioning, it became evident she was the one they really wished to speak to. With every question that was asked, Riyo and I held our breath. After all, the perfect opportunity had arisen for Mum to tell the truth and hand Riyo over to them. After having gotten to know her better, and hopefully coming to see what a gentle and warm-hearted soul Riyo was, I didn't want to believe that she would betray her.

Much to our relief, it seemed Mum must have also calculated the risks of revealing the fact that we were harbouring an alien. Of course, there was the chance that the officers would think her to be talking nonsense, but there was no way of knowing just how much they knew about the ship that had crashed. They could still find a reason to arrest all of us as a precaution towards their investigation. That might lead to enquiries by government investigators, and then the risk of the truth coming out about Riyo would be too great.

Fortunately, Mum merely stated that she had been in London over the weekend and knew nothing of what had happened back home, claiming she only found out about the crash the night she returned. Additionally, she remembered to stick to the story we'd given her about Riyo being a visiting family member. While the police didn't appear entirely convinced by her statement, they couldn't seem to think of a reason to contradict what she'd said.

With their questioning done, the officers thanked us for our time and left. When the front door closed, the three of us looked at one another and breathed a heavy sigh of relief. I think we were all thinking the same thing in that moment. We had been lucky so far that the authorities apparently hadn't discovered anything that would lead them closer to the truth, even with the spotlight of suspicion I believe we were sitting in. It would buy us time if they were focusing most of their resources on searching for a pilot that they would never find.

For the time being, things would remain calm in the house. We could lower our guard down to some extent and try to normalise things the best we could.

However, what occurred the following evening proved the greatest test of our unity.

I woke up that day feeling giddy with a soreness in my throat, and neither symptom really improved even after I'd had breakfast and a shower. Nevertheless, I had an eight-hour shift ahead of me at the newsagents, so I did my best to forget about this mild irritation and get on with my work. I figured I may work off the symptoms if I get myself busy all throughout the day.

Mum and Riyo wished me well as I left the house, to which I smiled and reciprocated. But as I sat in my car, my forehead began to throb with a burning fever. Nevertheless, I stubbornly turned the key in the ignition and headed off to work. I knew I was in for a long day, no matter how resilient I tried to be. With my boss sick and my only other colleague on holiday, there was no back-up, so the shop depended on me.

Surprisingly, there wasn't much business to be had throughout the day, so there was little to distract me from my worsening symptoms. For a majority of my shift, I rested against the counter and tried my best to stay still. I felt as though I would vomit if I were to make any sudden movements. By the time my shift was over, the coughing had become frequent, with my temperature having not fallen in the least. Furthermore, my body felt drained of strength, making every step back to my car a battle. It gave the impression I had lead boots on. This made the drive home pure torture.

After I'd pulled onto the driveway, I shut the engine off and allowed my head to fall back against the headrest. I stared up at the headliner for a short time whilst taking deep, steady breaths. When I believed my strength was adequate enough to walk, I stood from my car and slowly strolled to the front door.

Despite how sick I was feeling, I was greeted with a rather heartwarming surprise when I opened the door. There was a song blaring out from the television, and it took me less than a second to recognise the tune and lyrics.

'It's cold outside, there's no kind of atmosphere. I'm all alone, more or less. Let me fly, far away from here. Fun, fun, fun. In the sun, sun, sun . . .'

"No way!" I muttered in disbelief.

Slipping my shoes off, I took a few unsteady steps through the doorway and into the lounge. There, Riyo was sitting on the sofa with her eyes glued to a very familiar credit sequence on the screen. She quickly glanced around upon hearing my entrance.

"Oh, hey, Sam. I didn't hear your car. Did you have a good day?"

"Hey Riyo. Yeah, it was alright, thanks," I said, trying my best to make each word sound confident. I didn't really want her to notice my weakened condition. She was a guest, and I didn't want her to feel uncomfortable if she saw me incapacitated with an illness.

I stepped forward and sat myself on the arm of the sofa. "I can't believe it! You're watching Red Dwarf! I love this show!"

"Yes, it's fantastic; your mum showed me how to operate the television before she left for work. She said she'd been called to her office for some reason. I saw this show while browsing that BBC channel, whatever it is. I have to say that I haven't really been able to stop watching . . ." she said, sheepishly.

"How far have you got?" I asked, my eyes beginning to feel heavy as my fever continued to rise.

"To the middle of series two. I underestimated how good this show would be! I love Lister's character. I guess we've probably all known somebody like that," she chuckled. "Although, I must confess, I've gotten so much into this show that I may have neglected my work on the transmitter. I can't believe I let myself get distracted! I'll have to try and make up for it later . . ."

"Oh, Riyo, what's the harm in missing one night? You've been working so hard on it this week; you deserve some time to yourself," I said dismissively.

"Hmm, I suppose you're right, Sam . . . Alright, I'll leave it for tonight," she agreed, settling herself against the back of the sofa.

"Splendid, I'll just go . . . and . . . and." An overwhelming attack of vertigo hit me when I tried to stand from my seat on the sofa arm. The room was spinning, and I felt like I was going to vomit, although, fortunately, I didn't. My throat then began to tickle, and I erupted into a loud coughing fit.

After hearing this, Riyo shot to her feet and rushed to my side. "Sam? My goodness, what's wrong?" Taking hold of my hand, she began to rub my back as I tried to steady my coughing. "You sound terrible!"

"It's . . . nothing. I think it might be a small case of flu," I spluttered with a hand on my chest. "You might want to stay away from me, Riyo. Your body won't be used to the germs on this planet. You don't want this, trust me!"

"That's a risk I'll take! It's clearly not just nothing, Sam!" she snapped, almost scalding me. "You're obviously very sick, and I want to take care of you. Have you been feeling like this all day?"

"Well, uh, kind of . . ." I said.

"Kind of! You'll have only made yourself feel worse. Rest will be the best thing for you right now, so I'm going to insist that you head upstairs right now and put yourself to bed!"

"But, Riyo . . ."

"No buts, Sam," she interrupted. "I don't want to hear any excuses!"

She lifted her hand that had been holding mine and placed it on my forehead. "Gosh, you're burning up as well. That's it, you're going straight up to bed!"

"But . . ." I began.

"Sam," Riyo lifted a finger and warned me, a gentle smile creeping onto her face. "Trust me, it's likely you're only going to feel worse before you get better, so you need to give your body the rest it needs to recover."

I attempted to continue protesting, but she took no notice. To my surprise, she took hold of my arm and proceeded to practically drag me up the stairs. She didn't have to demonstrate a great deal of force to drag me wherever she wanted; my body felt too weak to stop her. Before I knew it, she had led me to my room. She finally let go of my arm once she had pulled me over to my bed and made me sit down. Although she had gotten me where she wanted, her instructions weren't delivered any less sternly.

"Now, get yourself into bed, Sam. I'm going to head back to the kitchen and make you a cup of weak tea. That'll help clear your throat up. I'll expect you to be resting by the time I get back. Do you understand?"

I erupted into a violent cough when I attempted to reply. When the power of speech was shortly returned to me, I nodded and gave a slight grin. "Yes, ma'am," I joked.

I felt embarrassed when my humour didn't prompt any reaction from Riyo. She merely stood there with a stoic yet stern expression. However, I couldn't deny that such a look made her appear all that bit cuter. It portrayed her demeanour as no-nonsense, yet it gave away the genuine concern this kind-hearted girl had for my welfare. I felt at ease in her presence.

She nodded slowly. "Good, now, please, do as I say. It won't do you any good sitting there. You need to keep warm if you're going to beat this illness quickly." While her words were firm, there was always an element of compassion noticeable. "I'll be back in a few minutes, Sam. Just call if you need anything," she said, keeping her gaze in my direction as she turned to walk over to the door

"Okay, sure, thank you, Riyo. I'll get to bed in a second, I promise," I replied. "I think I'm starting to get the chills anyway."

Sure enough, after looking down at my hands, I realised both were trembling rather violently.

"Oh dear, then you'd better not waste any more time. Go on, get some rest. I'll be back in a moment."

She swiftly exited the room. I began to undress as I heard her footsteps descend the stairs. I lay down and curled up into a fetal position before pulling the duvet over me. My head sank into the pillow as I heard the kettle beginning to boil downstairs.

Riyo had been right in her prediction; my condition only continued to worsen throughout the course of the next couple of hours. I had lost nearly all strength in my muscles, my bout of the chills had worsened, my head was pounding mercilessly, my heartbeat was accelerating, and I felt as if I was drifting in and out of consciousness.

Although, what surprised me was just how dedicated she soon became in caring for me when she noticed the further decline in my health. She continued to bring me hot drinks, the occasional portion of food, and would sometimes take a seat on the edge of my bed, softly speaking words of comfort while gently stroking my back. In my half-conscious state, her presence was the greatest reassurance I could have had to let me know that I wasn't alone.

My limbs didn't want to move, but I still tried to shift my body further up against the pillows so that I might be able to lie with my gaze looking up at Riyo. While she was doing an exceptional job of helping me relax, I wanted to see her face. With my brain incapable of organised thought, I wanted further confirmation that she was still sitting with me. I felt somewhat afraid to discover that I had been delirious this whole time.

However, as I tried to move, I felt her hand move from my back and rest on my head. Allowing her fingers to intertwine with my hair, the gentle pressure she proceeded to apply was more than enough to keep me in place.

I attempted to resist at first. "No . . . R . . . Riyo . . . please," I croaked, my eyes almost feeling too heavy to open.

"Shh, it's okay, Sam. I'm still here," she whispered soothingly. "I'm not going anywhere, I promise. Just relax; I'm right here with you."

She lightly stroked my hair as I gave in and allowed my body to lie limp. Despite the effects of the virus that was attacking my bloodstream, the influence of Riyo's tender words was momentarily a stronger distraction. I felt drowsy, my limbs giving the sensation of sinking into the mattress as a deep slumber finally took me over.

Riyo had taken notice of the slower pace Sam's breathing had taken. Carefully removing her hand from his hair, she realised that he had drifted back to sleep. He would hopefully be lost in a peaceful dream where the melancholy of the real world could hinder the boundaries of his imagination.

Carefully, she lifted the duvet to cover him up to his neck. Afraid of waking him, she was slow in lifting herself from her seat on the edge of the bed. She felt the mattress lift from where it had curved around her weight. Once she'd reached the door, she quickly took one last glance at the sleeping human. She smiled when he suddenly shuffled and tossed himself onto his opposite side. He began to snore quietly, indicating how deep he had fallen into his slumber. Her mind at rest, Riyo pulled the door ajar and made her way back downstairs.

She made herself a cup of tea and went to sit down on the sofa. Taking a sip of her drink, she considered putting Red Dwarf back on and continuing where she'd left off. But she soon decided that she wasn't feeling in the mood for comedy right now. Her sense of humour seemed to have been evaporated by her concern for Sam. Reaching for the remote, she flicked the TV on regardless. It couldn't hurt to see what was on.

The screen illuminated, and immediately an echoing hum of bass, accompanied by a fast-paced harmonisation of beeps, revealed what program she had just been in time to catch. The BBC News at six was about to be broadcast. While she admittedly wasn't entirely up to scratch with Earth's goings-on, she was curious enough to watch and listen if it meant she may learn something new about this planet. After all, it would be wise to stay knowledgeable about current affairs if she were to convincingly blend in with society.

Placing the remote beside her, she sat quietly and listened.

The titles faded out before cutting to the presenter. "This is the BBC News at six. I'm Stuart Akroyd. After a week of rising tensions in Eastern Europe, the UN is now expressing grave concern for international security after the United States put forward claims that North Korea fired a cruise missile at one of its destroyer warships, the USS Henrietta, which was positioned seventy miles from the coast of Ulsan in South Korea. The missile apparently missed the ship but struck within such a short distance that considerable hull damage was taken. Many US officials are demanding immediate defensive action, but President Stephens is instead calling for calm. He says that the United States will not be provoked by North Korea's dangerous and reckless actions into retaliatory tactics, which could lead to an overspill of tensions and risk triggering a catastrophic war across the Asian continent. Instead, the president has maintained that the United States will continue naval patrols throughout the seas surrounding South Korea, but that they would be monitoring any further developments from the North much more closely. The incident comes shortly after a direct confrontation between Russia and the United States was narrowly avoided last week through delicate diplomacy. Russian and American warships shared a short-lived exchange in the Black Sea, the cause of which is still uncertain at this point. The Kremlin says . . ."

Decided she'd heard enough, Riyo quickly turned the TV off. Placing her hands on her legs, she realised that she was shaking rather violently. The trauma of what she had experienced as the battle for Pantora began to unfold was returning to her. It was becoming all the more clear that no matter how far someone travelled across space, there was never truly any escape from conflict. It always found a way of catching up with her. Lifting a hand, she covered her mouth. There was a growing nausea in her stomach, and she was fighting hard to hold back fresh tears. Her time in the Senate had taught her to practice restraint when it came to emotions. However, she was aware that hiding from her feelings would only get tougher as time went on. She couldn't maintain such a façade forever, and it seemed that everything she'd packaged up was ready to boil back to the surface and trigger a colossal breakdown.

She eventually lost track as to exactly how long she sat there. Taking a deep breath, she removed her hand from her mouth and allowed herself to fall back against the soft cushions of the sofa's backrest. She closed her eyes as the soft surface began to mould around the shape of her head. Relieving her body of muscular exertion, she took a little more time to try and reduce her stress to a level where it no longer was rapidly pulsating throughout her body. She attempted to clear her mind of all thoughts and focus on the dulcet ambience of her surroundings. Aside from the flow of every exhale, she listened to the rustle of the trees outside, as well as the singing of the birds that were perched on the branches. Her body began to feel numb as she continued to relax.

She must have sat there for a good while when, all of a sudden, a louder noise broke her out of her trance. It was the sound of a car pulling onto the driveway. She listened as the engine switched off, followed by the slam of the driver's door a few moments later. Lifting her head, she looked up at the wall clock. It read six-thirty, the normal time for Sam's mum, whom she'd come to address as Kelly, to arrive home from work.

Standing from the sofa, Riyo made her way through to the hallway to greet her. While she was relieved that she would no longer be caring for Sam alone, she knew the hardest would be telling his mother what had happened to him. She was afraid what Kelly's reaction might be now. With an alien present, she feared she may throw accusations of carelessness her way. Throughout the afternoon it had occurred to Riyo that perhaps Sam was fighting off a virus that his body had never encountered before. She cursed herself for having not considered the risks of being in close contact with him when she first arrived.

But, of course, there was no changing what had happened, and she wouldn't be able to stall the inevitable outcome of Kelly finding out. She would have to stand there, be brave, and cope with whatever happened next.

A key turned in the lock. Riyo took a deep breath as the door swung open and Kelly stepped into the house.

She smiled upon seeing the blue girl standing there. "Oh, hello, Riyo. What are you doing standing out here? Is everything alright?"

Fidgeting with her hands nervously, Chuchi nodded. "N . . . No, I only came out because I heard your car. Everything's okay, Kelly…It's been so quiet here today. However, there's . . ."

"Isn't Sam home yet?" Kelly interrupted as she hung her jacket up on a hook. "Honestly, that boy can be useless sometimes," she chuckled.

"No, he's here . . . It's just . . . Um, that's what I wanted to talk to you about. You see, something's happened . . ." Riyo replied, unable to make eye contact while nervously rubbing the back of her hand.

Taking notice of this body language, the look on Kelly's face instantly switched from curious to concerned. "What's happened?"

"It's . . . you see . . . it's Sam . . . he's fallen sick. He's been coughing, got a fever, and barely has the strength to move. I could tell he wasn't well when he came home, but he tried to be stubborn and say he was alright. I . . ."

"Oh god, Riyo! How is he? Where is he now?" Kelly again interrupted. Her voice was growing louder and more impatient.

Stepping back nervously, Riyo lifted her hands in front of herself. "He's okay; I've put him to bed and been checking on him every so often. I've been bringing him medicine and the occasional bit of food and drink as well. He was sleeping peacefully when I last went upstairs."

"Has he been getting worse since he got back?"

"Well, um, yes, a little. But, like I said, I've been keeping a close eye on him. Thankfully, I think the paracetamol has kept his symptoms at a tolerable level . . ."

Riyo couldn't help but lower her head and look at the floor in shame. She felt embarrassed to be telling Kelly all of this. She was preparing herself for a furious outburst from Sam's mother.

However, much to her surprise, after observing Riyo's fragile and emotional state, Kelly stepped forward and placed a hand on the small girl's shoulder. "Thank you so much for looking after him, Riyo. You really are such a sweetheart," she said, warmly. "I suppose I'd better go and check how he's doing if he's as poorly as you say. He might have woken up by now. How about you go and put the kettle on? Something tells me we're going to be in for a long evening . . ." she said, retracting her hand from Riyo's shoulder.

Chuchi nervously nodded in agreement. "Of course, Kelly, I . . . I'll go right now. Please, do tell me if there's anything else I can do to help out . . ."

The older woman smiled warmly. "Riyo, don't worry, you've already done so much. But, I guess, if you wouldn't mind making us both a cuppa to start with, that'd be splendid. I think I'll quickly head upstairs to see how Sam's doing. I'll only be quick."

Riyo smiled back. "Of course, I'll get straight on it. I suppose you'll be wanting tea?"

"How did you guess? Thank you," Kelly grinned. "I won't be long." With that, she turned away and began to slowly ascend the stairs.

Riyo walked through to the kitchen to complete her task.

I felt delirious when I awoke. An outline of sweat had formed beneath me from the position I had been lying in for some time. Taking a deep breath, I slowly lifted a hand and rubbed my eyes. Turning my head to my bedside table, I glanced at my clock. It read 20:35. I had been asleep for a few hours. I groaned as my strength still felt depleted enough that I couldn't lift myself into a sitting position without assistance. Furthermore, every so often I would suffer a violent coughing fit if I tried to breathe in too deeply. I knew that I was feeling worse than when I'd initially gotten into bed.

I closed my eyes with the intention of trying to go back to sleep. From previous experiences with viruses, I figured if I slept for a few more hours then my immune system might be able to make a difference. However, as I tried to nestle back into my pillows, I heard the familiar sound of my door scratching against the carpet. Someone was entering my bedroom. Moments later, a voice followed, confirming the identity of my visitor.

"Hello? Sam? Are you awake?" Riyo's called out, barely louder than a whisper.

With my throat raw, my only capable response to her was a faint hum. I tried to adjust my head position so that I could look at her. Her feet shuffled against the carpet as she approached my bed. My eyes began to sting as I tried to make out her silhouette in the darkness.

"It's only me. How are you feeling? Any better?" she said, just as quietly as before. I also heard her place something down on my bedside table. The sound of clinking cutlery gave me a pretty good guess as to what she had been carrying.

"I'm . . . alright . . . " I gasped quietly. "Wha . . . What have you got there?" I began to lift my head to try and catch a look.

"Don't worry, it's only chicken soup. Your mother figured it was best for you to try and eat something, to which I agree with her. You can't go the evening without food," she said. "Trust me, you'll feel much better for it."

"Mmm, thank you, Riyo . . . you're . . . you're probably right," I mumbled. "If you leave it there, I promise I'll get round to eating some in a bit," I croaked in one long exhale.

The one breath was all that was needed to trigger yet another outburst of coughing. The torture my lungs had already been forced to put up with meant that every contraction of my chest, every exhale I took, delivered an agony throughout my upper body that felt as if my lungs were being viciously ripped out. Without hesitation, Riyo had seated herself on the edge of my bed and placed a hand on my shoulder, rubbing it gently and shushing me as I tried to bring my breathing back under control.

"Come on, Sam. That's it . . . nice and steady. Are you okay now?" She asked once I'd begun to quieten down.

My throat was too damaged to speak comfortably, so I slowly nodded a confirmation.

"Good . . . But . . . Oh dear, this is simply terrible," she whispered.

I was readying myself to communicate with a series of head shakes and nods as I expected her to follow on with further questions. However, instead, the hand rubbing my shoulder came to a sudden stop, and I could feel her lightly tightening her grip. Riyo was simply remaining silent.

"Riyo?" I finally forced my voice to speak, though my ruined throat left my voice exceptionally raspy.

"Oh, I . . . apologise, Sam; I believe I drifted away for a moment there. I've . . . had a lot on my mind. Especially with what's happened to you."

"How so?" I croaked.

"I . . . just know that this is my fault. I was too stupid to realise that your immune system wouldn't be able to cope with whatever germs or bacteria I might have been carrying. I should have known that I'd risk making you sick. Now look at the consequences of my foolishness . . ."

I could feel the guilt she bore as she tried to continue her increasingly emotional apology. The sight of her being so hard on herself started to upset me too. I decided in a split second to try and do something about it. Slowly, I reached my hand up and took hold of hers that was still holding onto my shoulder. Although my room was dimly lit, I could make out the change to surprise in her facial expression.

I shook my head. "Riyo, you shouldn't be saying that," I whispered. "It w . . . It was my fault too, I . . ."

I suddenly erupted into another violent coughing fit before I could go any further. When the attack had finally ceased, my head fell hard against the pillow. In that moment, I felt Riyo's hand move from my shoulder, slipping from my weak hold. Reaching up, she gently cupped my cheek. A shiver of nerves trembled down my spine at this unexpected sign of affection.

Leaning over to look me in the eyes, Riyo sighed. "How do you do it, Sam? Here you are bedridden, and you're still being so kind to me. You truly are such a unique person," she said, her thumb delicately stroking my cheek.

"Riyo . . . " I tried to speak again.

"Shh, don't speak," she lightly scolded me. "You'll only make yourself cough again . . ."

What happened next came as such a surprise that it felt like my already racing heart had leapt up into my throat. She leaned down and gently kissed my forehead. She hummed at the bottom of her throat as she pressed her soft lips against my skin. The kiss seemed to last for ages, but it was likely not more than a second. Nothing more than a tender peck. Truth be told, I didn't want it to end, especially not so quick. Nevertheless, I didn't utter a word as Riyo sat herself back up. While I couldn't see her that clearly, I knew too well that she was blushing.

She cleared her throat. "Um, uh, would you like me to leave you in peace now, Sam? I guess me talking at you like this is the last thing you need while you're on the road to recovery. How about I leave you be for a while . . ." she said, hurriedly changing the subject. She clearly felt embarrassed by what she had just done.

"No, please . . ." I coughed. "Don't go, Riyo. I . . . don't want to be left alone again . . . please . . ."

Those were the only words I could manage. However, I immediately noticed her silhouette giving a slow nod. And then, I felt her hand take mine once again.

"Of course, I'll stay here as long as you like, Sam. I promise, I'm not going anywhere. I'll be right here for you . . . always."

I felt a strange sensation overcome me when she spoke those words. It was unlike anything I had ever felt before. My heart felt warm, and my eyes moist. I couldn't be certain, but, for that moment, I believed myself to be feeling something new for this beautiful and kind-hearted girl. Love.

Well, there we are. Over and done with once again!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Red Dwarf, it's story, or characters. The franchise entirely belongs to Rob Grant and Doug Naylor.

Just to say, I don't mean anything sensitive when writing anything political. Nothing is related to current affairs. I'm simply using material to assist with story progression. Apologies to anyone otherwise.

I promise I'll do my best to get the next chapter out a lot sooner.

Until next time.

Tadaa . . .