A pause.The smile faded a little, <strong>the</strong>n not-Tim placed both h<strong>is</strong> hands on Ted's shoulders and looked him in <strong>the</strong>eyes."Ted... if anyone ever makes fun of your intelligence, don't l<strong>is</strong>ten to <strong>the</strong>m, okay?"Ted blinked."Just because <strong>the</strong>y don't see..."<strong>Not</strong>-Tim broke off as he noticed Alex staring at him. He returned <strong>the</strong> favour with added intensity."Who are you?" Alex asked softly.<strong>Not</strong>-Tim released <strong>the</strong> teen. "Just an alien," he said. "Don't worry; I come in peace."**Hamlet was delivering monologues inside <strong>the</strong> broom closet. Ears pressed against <strong>the</strong> doors, <strong>the</strong>y couldjust make out <strong>the</strong> words:"But though <strong>the</strong> four walls of th<strong>is</strong> closet of broomsDoth impr<strong>is</strong>on my body, yet still it hathNo hold on my spirit, nor on my soul-""We should record th<strong>is</strong> and sell it as <strong>the</strong> lost works of Shakespeare," Tommy said."Yeah," Jesse agreed."And waiteth here patiently for sweet release,When- MARRY, A COCKROACH! DIE, FOUL FIEND!"The teens heard <strong>the</strong> sounds of panicked stompings and a sickening squ<strong>is</strong>h."...I think we should leave out that bit," Jesse suggested."Yeah.""Stop poking me," said John Constantine."What planet are you from?" Ted asked.****<strong>Not</strong>-Tim looked d<strong>is</strong>comfited by <strong>the</strong> question. "Um," he started, when he was saved by <strong>the</strong> loud crashthat was Matt overturning <strong>the</strong> table and shoving Tommy to <strong>the</strong> ground, where <strong>the</strong>y broke out into avicious f<strong>is</strong>t fight that Tommy was trying to escape from, screaming apologies whenever h<strong>is</strong> mouth wasn'tbeing hit."YOU TWO BREAK THAT UP!" Conor shouted, hurtling over to <strong>the</strong> teens. Paul was already <strong>the</strong>re andtrying unsuccessfully and painfully to separate <strong>the</strong> two, until Conor and Alex joined in and managed towrangle <strong>the</strong>m safely apart and hold <strong>the</strong>m <strong>the</strong>re."HE POKED ME WITH A STICK!" Matt yelled, pointing an accusing finger at Tommy.Tommy spat out blood. "I said I'm sorry!""WHAT DID I DO TO YOU, HUH?"Tommy wiped blood off h<strong>is</strong> mouth with <strong>the</strong> back of h<strong>is</strong> hand and wondered if that was a trick question."Okay Tommy, no more poking people with sticks," Alex said. "Give me that stick."
Tommy reluctantly handed over <strong>the</strong> bit of tree. Alex tossed it aside, where a sudden expletive indicatedthat it had accidentally hit Kevin. (No one noticed, except not-Tim, who walked over and picked up <strong>the</strong>stick. He gave it an experimental twirl. He poked himself with it for fun and to see what it felt like. Thenhe got bored with it and tossed it aside, where a louder expletive indicated that it had accidentally hitKevin again."Sorry," said not-Tim.)"It was just one poke," Tommy said, thinking of <strong>the</strong> many more that John Constantine had beensubjected to with much less complaint."I WAS JUST SITTING THERE!" Matt hollered, blinking angrily as red started to flood h<strong>is</strong> v<strong>is</strong>ion, h<strong>is</strong>headache intensified by <strong>the</strong> recent exertion."Calm down, Matt," Alex said quietly."Where'd you get that stick?" Conor asked."I found it," Tommy said. "In ano<strong>the</strong>r block. Some guy named Scarecrow was covered with 'em."Matt extracted himself from Conor's grip and went out <strong>the</strong> door. He entered h<strong>is</strong> room and lay down onh<strong>is</strong> bed, folding <strong>the</strong> pillow over h<strong>is</strong> ear to try and quell <strong>the</strong> throbbing in h<strong>is</strong> head.He didn't like th<strong>is</strong> place at all."Yeah, <strong>the</strong>re's an alien," Neo said, slightly annoyed at Conor interrupting h<strong>is</strong> most triumphantMinesweeper game to tell him what Alex had told him not-Tim said. "H<strong>is</strong> name <strong>is</strong> Klaatu. Go away. Igave you that l<strong>is</strong>t for a reason."Alex unbolted <strong>the</strong> door and nudged it open with h<strong>is</strong> shoe, hand firmly grasping <strong>the</strong> handle in case heneeded to shut it quick. He pushed in a box of food and drinks and stared at a bunch of bottles sittingon <strong>the</strong> desk.Alex's eyes narrowed. "Where'd you get that rum?"- flashback -"Want some rum?" not-Tim asked a bookshelf, cheerfully holding up a bottle."You're drunk, dude," Ted observed.****<strong>Not</strong>-Tim wandered over to <strong>the</strong> locked room and generously donated several bottles of rum to Griffin andDonnie and Don John, wanting to share <strong>the</strong> happiness. The three pr<strong>is</strong>oners were initially suspicious of<strong>the</strong> strange person who stumbled in and gave <strong>the</strong>m rum, <strong>the</strong>n real<strong>is</strong>ed that he was simultaneouslydrinking out of one of <strong>the</strong> bottles, which meant that <strong>the</strong>y probably weren't po<strong>is</strong>oned.But by th<strong>is</strong> time, <strong>the</strong> rum guy had however left <strong>the</strong> room and remembered to re-bolt <strong>the</strong> door.- end flashback –"...Right," Alex said."Can we get out yet?" Griffin asked."I don't think so," Alex said. He shut <strong>the</strong> door and shot <strong>the</strong> bolt home."Why bo<strong>the</strong>r to feed <strong>the</strong>m?" Johnny asked bitterly from h<strong>is</strong> vantage point against <strong>the</strong> opposite wall."They killed people. Let <strong>the</strong>m starve."Alex looked at him. "Two of <strong>the</strong>m are technically innocent," he said, pointing at <strong>the</strong> locked door. "If youwant to kill <strong>the</strong>m, I can lock you in <strong>the</strong>re as well."Johnny walked off.
- Page 5: "Your behaviour these past few mont
- Page 9 and 10: Neo sank down on the sofa.He looked
- Page 11: "By a friend of one of the others w
- Page 14 and 15: Next morning62nd Floor. Arrival Lob
- Page 16 and 17: It is in fact at the cafeteria that
- Page 18 and 19: 'There is no exit here', read the h
- Page 20 and 21: Back from his breakfast, Griffin sa
- Page 22 and 23: Griffin glanced back at the three p
- Page 24 and 25: Alex looked up."...That's Paul, tha
- Page 26 and 27: The floor hackers stared at their l
- Page 28 and 29: "Okay," Conor continued. "Situation
- Page 30 and 31: "We want to get out as much as you
- Page 32 and 33: Yawning, Paul pushed open the door
- Page 35 and 36: Jack lunged at his neck. Both of th
- Page 37 and 38: Then they fell silent again as Neo
- Page 39 and 40: "I did you a favour, Jack," Griffin
- Page 41 and 42: "That's one," Neo said helpfully, p
- Page 43 and 44: New guy gave a start. "Uh," he said
- Page 45: His mom made better waffles than th
- Page 49 and 50: It is after a day or two living at
- Page 51 and 52: There had existed for a time an Ame
- Page 53 and 54: he was pretty sure was a broken nos
- Page 55 and 56: Night. A shortage of actual beds me
- Page 57 and 58: Neo yanked his finger away to safet
- Page 59 and 60: Neo sat by himself in the cafeteria
- Page 61 and 62: Splash.The sudden rush of cold shoc
- Page 63 and 64: The stairwell door opened and the b
- Page 65 and 66: "Get everyone in here in fifteen mi
- Page 67 and 68: Human beings have a strange tendenc
- Page 69 and 70: Jack shrugged. "Suit yourself." He
- Page 71 and 72: "-but we won't know for sure either
- Page 73 and 74: **"We were just trying to get home!
- Page 75 and 76: "It's John, assholes."John Constant
- Page 77 and 78: The mob surged through both doors o
- Page 79 and 80: "What?"A sudden telepathic message
- Page 81 and 82: At the rear, not-Tim turned to face
- Page 83 and 84: The lift dinged and opened its door
- Page 85 and 86: Group B: Shane, Perry, Jjaks, Chris
- Page 87 and 88: "Nah," Jesse said. "Might n-... - h
- Page 89 and 90: The teen shrugged. "I don't know."
- Page 91 and 92: "NO!" Shane yelled, running towards
- Page 93 and 94: He smiled and vanished; leaving not
- Page 95 and 96: "That wasn't really nice of y-" Dem
- Page 97 and 98:
"What? Hey, I just woke up.""...Dav
- Page 99 and 100:
"What-" Conor said, surveying the s
- Page 101 and 102:
"D'you have any food to spare? We'r
- Page 103 and 104:
Group C: Griffin, Kevin, Scott, Jul
- Page 105 and 106:
"...Er," said Dem. He put the most
- Page 107 and 108:
Group D: Neo, EddieStanding about d
- Page 109 and 110:
The cornflakes guy looked at him.Je
- Page 111 and 112:
"At least it meant we had heat," Ha
- Page 113 and 114:
Group B: Shane, Perry, Tommy, Chris
- Page 115 and 116:
"I can't bring them back to life,"
- Page 117 and 118:
Someone running after him from behi
- Page 119 and 120:
Then a ripple in the air; and sudde
- Page 121 and 122:
Nelson smirked and walked on to the
- Page 123 and 124:
"Yes sir," Ludlow hissed into his e
- Page 125 and 126:
Alex got slowly to his feet. He dim
- Page 127 and 128:
The face that looked up at him held
- Page 129 and 130:
First Combined MeetingThomas Ludlow
- Page 131 and 132:
- Reeves clears throat.- Utah shuts
- Page 133 and 134:
Griffin isn't the only one in the r
- Page 135 and 136:
He realised that he was not standin
- Page 137 and 138:
Ludlow smirked. "Thank you. Now I k
- Page 139 and 140:
Seventeen suspicious-looking, mostl
- Page 141 and 142:
Scott emerged from the alley he had
- Page 143 and 144:
Julian finished the stitches, close
- Page 145 and 146:
Stuck in House: Chris Townsend, Mat
- Page 147 and 148:
Loose in Kenselton Holding Facility
- Page 149 and 150:
Paul and the kids stared back at hi
- Page 151 and 152:
"Arctor, Robert," Dem said. "Get on
- Page 153 and 154:
With measured reluctance he tries t
- Page 155:
0704270/006/GRA"There are two kinds