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Post by sparacus on Dec 21, 2023 13:18:49 GMT -5
Ok people: here is this year's Christmas special, an example of the sort of story I would prefer rather than 'The House on Ruby Road':
THE DAY OF THE CYRONS
Prelude
Ben was languishing on the sofa in his silk dressing gown, writing Christmas cards and listening to Bowie's 'Divine Symmetry' box set, CD 1. The door of the apartment swung open and in walked Julian and Kyle with bags full of presents and rolls of Christmas paper. Ben languidly looked up:
"Did you get everything on the list?"
"Yes we did, I am most impressed with myself, considering some of the esoteric items that you listed", Julian replied with a grin. Ben laughed:
"Oh that was nothing. The most esoteric items arrived by post and are over there, including the rare Leopold Stokowski CD box set for my father. Did you get his bottle of Remy Martin?"
Kyle frowned:
"Yeah, it were £175 a bottle from Fenwick. Daft price, why not get him a bottle of Sainsbury's brandy for £25?"
"Hey we could pour out the Remy Martin and have it ourselves and fill the bottle with the cheap Sainsbury's stuff", Julian added. Ben laughed:
"Oh however tempting that is, he's know the difference. My father knows his cognac I'm afraid. Anyway, can you wrap all the presents for me please as I don't have the energy. I'm just about managing to write these cards. I suspect that I have long covid."
Julian gave Ben a hug and kissed his smooth neck.
"Poor Ben. No problem, we'll wrap them."
As he spoke Ben's mobile rang and picking it up he heard the familiar voice of Kate Lethbridge-Stewart:
"Ben we need your help urgently. Its serious. The River Salland has vanished. I mean literally vanished, all the water has disappeared overnight. Locals reported seeing strange lights in the sky and near the archaeological site at Coomford. I believe you know it."
"Oh yes, there is a major excavation going on there of the neolithic cursus near to the Coomford stones. I took part in the last excavation there myself. But surely this is a matter for the Environment Agency."
"No Ben. We have evidence of extraterrestrial activity. One of the local farmers has been killed by what can only be alien technology. Plus the archaeologists have unearthed an object that defies all explanation. Can you come please. We are based at the large farmhouse on Sheepen Lane."
Ben put down the phone and sighed:
"It looks like we have a Christmas case. No rest for Ben it seems. However at least this gives me an excuse not to visit my parents. Can you two manage Christmas for me while I am away."
..........to be continued.
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Post by sparacus on Dec 27, 2023 7:23:19 GMT -5
Ok here is part 2 of this classic Doctor Who spin off Christmas special:
THE DAY OF THE CYRONS : Part 2
Ben picked up Katie Ryan and they drove through the wet and windswept English countryside to the village of Coomford. Katie applied a fresh layer of red lipstick and then stared at Ben:
“I know you Ben and something isn’t right. Why haven’t you brought Julian with us? This case could last over Christmas.”
“Oh I need him to manage Christmas for me that’s all.”
“Balls! There’s more to it than that. You could fob that responsibility off to Kyle or some other team member. What’s going on?”
Ben looked shaken and tears welled up:
“Ok, the fact is Katie that I feel really guilty and fear it will show. I’ve had a bit of a thing going with a young police officer and can’t help myself. I really don’t want Julian to know, he can’t cope easily and I don’t want to lose him.”
“So you’re running away from an awkward situation rather than dealing with it. Ridiculous.”
Ben turned to Katie, emotional:
“You can be so hard sometimes.”
“Not hard, realistic. Face it Ben, none of your relationships work out because they aren’t really what you want. You just need the right person, the right woman to make you see yourself clearly.”
She placed her hand on Ben’s knee.
Arriving in the village of Coomford, Ben slowed down the car and asked a milkman directions to Sheepen Lane , as the satnav had stopped working. They drove on through the driving rain and found the old farmhouse. Inside they found Kate Lethbridge-Stewart and several UNIT officers were examining a pile of charred bones laid out on a wooden table.
“Ah Ben and Katie, great to see you again. This is all that’s left of Seth Morgan, the farmer who owned this place. As you can see, he has been reduced to a small pile of ash and bone. Yet nothing else here has been affected.”
Ben looked at the remains and winced:
“Not exactly a merry Christmas for Mr Morgan. Kate, we need to visit the site of the river as soon as possible to take a look.”
Soon they were being driven in a UNIT Land Rover to the place where the River Salland used to be. Ben was shocked to see an ugly brown, muddy ditch in the landscape where the river once flowed. There were piles of dead fish and crows pecking at these corpses. Ben sighed:
“Life is just a transient glow in the dark. We must all someday face the crows”. Katie elbowed him:
“Don’t be ¤¤¤¤ing morbid. Kate, where is this archaeological site Ben was telling me about?”
“Just over that bank there, behind the trees”.
They walked over to it and Ben was surprised to see a group of people with umbrellas staring at the cordoned off site and nearby Coomford Stones. One of the figures was familiar. She turned to Ben:
“Ah it’s young Ben. Just in time, we need your help urgently. Come along, there is no time to lose.”
It was Dorothy Squires of the Shenerton Women’s Institute. Ben looked at her perplexed:
“Why are you here Mrs Squires?”
“Oh come along my boy, do call me Dorothy. You know that I take an interest in the occult. These stones are a sacred site and as soon as I learned that that this travesty of a dig was taking place here, me and my pagan group had to come and stop it in it’s tracks, Christmas or no Christmas.”
“Tell me, Dorothy, has anything been discovered here?”
“Oh yes, that’s the point. These awful UNIT people have removed a sacred silver sword from this site. It will bring disaster on us all. Do you know, it could be the mythical eternal sword of the river god Esonor!”
“What a load of crap. Can we see the thing”, Katie Ryan snapped.
“We no longer have it. And it is not silver, we could find no known metal that it is made of. It is of alien origin. Unfortunately Lord Ireton insisted that we return it to him and he has the ear of the Prime Minister. He is the person who financed this dog”, Kate Lethbridge-Stewart replied. Ben frowned:
“Ok, it seems that we need to pay his Lordship a visit. That sword must be taken to the Operation Delta Lab for a thorough investigation.”
.......to be continued
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Post by sparacus on Dec 28, 2023 14:43:46 GMT -5
Ok folks, here is part 3 for you to enjoy:
“THE DAY OF THE CYRONS” Part 3
Ben, Katie Ryan and Kate Lethridge-Stewart drove through the gates of Coomford Manor and past the extensive grounds towards the large country house. It had started snowing heavily earlier and the wind was already causing drifts to form. They had phoned ahead and were met by the door by Lord Ireton’s butler, Jackson, who led them through the hall into a large oak panelled drawing room decorated with stag heads, 18th century artwork and, above the fireplace, a large painting of Lord Ireton’s grandfather. Lord Ireton joined them, shaking Ben’s hand in a formal manner. He was a tall, striking man in his late 50s with full head of greying hair.
“It is pleasing to me to meet you Ben. I have heard much about your organisation from the Prime Minister.”
“Thank you, your Lordship. I’m heartened by the fact that the Prime Minister values Operation Delta”.
“Ah now I did not say that Ben. However I am in a position to influence his thinking in the right direction, if you catch my drift. Oh but I have not offered yourself and these two delightful ladies any hospitality. Would you like some brandy or would you prefer a sherry?”
Ben chose a brandy and was pleased to see that it was a fine German Asbach brandy. Katie chose brandy as well and Kate a sherry. Lord Ireton ushered them towards a sofa by the large wood fire.
“I do prefer a crackling wood fire to all of this central heating nonsense. Of course we have to have that for the upstairs rooms but there is something magical about a fire on a winter’s evening.”
Kate Lethbridge-Stewart intervened:
“Lord Ireton, this is a working visit. We need to have the sword back for proper examination.”
Lord Ireton was bemused:
“What to you think Ben? Does the lady’s comment reflect your opinion?”
“Yes your Lordship. As you are no doubt aware, the river has disappeared. And there has been an unexplained death. We suspect that there is an extraterrestrial presence behind this and that the dig is connected.”
“So we need the sword and that’s that”, Katie Ryan added sharply. Lord Ireton smiled:
“My dear, there is no need for bluntness. Either in speech or in swords.”
“So can we have your permission to take the sword?” Ben asked.
“I was under the impression that I had already given it. Come with me Ben. You two ladies, please stay here. Enjoy your drinks, and the lovely fire”.
Lord Ireton led Ben into another large room, stuffed full of antique suits of armour and medieval weaponry:
“What do you think of my collection Ben?”
“Most impressive your Lordship.”
“Sadly too many of our heritage artefacts are finding its way abroad into the collections of American vulgar new money or worse. It is heartbreaking what has happened to this country and the sheer loss of power and status that the great aristocratic families have had to endure. New money is wealth without breeding or culture. We, the great families, are not only the guardians of stability, we are also the guardians of culture and the last barrier against mediocrity. But forgive me, I digress. Here is the sword of Esonor.”
Lord Ireton placed the sword in Ben’s hand and Ben stared at the gleaming metal a strange sensation overwhelming him. He felt faint and nauseous and staggered towards the doorway before collapsing.
Meanwhile in the drawing room, Katie Ryan gulped down a brandy and poured another.
“This is quality stuff. I wouldn’t mind a bottle of this at home. So Kate, how are things with UNIT currently”.
“As usual, always busy. So much modern new equipment that I can hardly keep up. Not like in my Father’s Day when it was mostly just good old fashioned soldiering. How about you? I hear that you left Operation Delta for a time.”
“Yes, because of that awful bitch Corinne Shaw. Thankfully Ben couldn’t survive without me.”
Katie stood up and looked around decisively:
“Where are they? I didn’t like the way that Lord didn’t shake our hands or even offer us an old fashioned peck on the cheek. I wonder how bad that snow is.”
She walked over to the window, looked out and gave a gasp. The snow was coming down in torrents and was already several feet thick. However something else had caught Katie’s eye. Out in the grounds she could see something moving in the distance. Humanoid beings that gave off a strange blue hue.....
.... to be continued.
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Post by sparacus on Jan 4, 2024 15:34:10 GMT -5
Here is the next part of this festive special for everyone to enjoy free of charge:
THE DAY OF THE CYRONS: Part 4
Kate and Katie heard voices behind them and turned to see Lord Ireton carrying a staggering Ben through the doorway:
"Benjamin has collapsed. Prepare him some brandy please". Katie was bemused:
"It looks like he's had enough of that already. By the way, there are aliens in your grounds."
Lord Ireton carefully placed Ben on the sofa and rang for his butler, Jackson. Then he went to the window but all he could see outside was the snow falling.
"I believe you are mistaken. Possibly you per chanced to see the lights from my large Christmas tree reflecting in the window pane. Please come and help your colleague".
"Urgggghh", Ben moaned. Kate and Katie went over to Ben and stroked him:
"What the hell has happened to him?", Kate asked.
"He was overwhelmed by the power of the sword of Esonor. Despite what you may have heard about me from that nauseating Dorothy Squires person, I do recognise the existence of the world of unseen powers and the manifestations of the powers of the old gods. The sword is mine and I intend to keep it."
Kate Lethbridge-Stewart scanned Ben with a UNIT advanced phone scanner:
"Ben is infused with energy from an alien device. That sword thing is extraterrestrial and nothing to do with the supernatural, you moron!"
Jackson the butler arrived and Lord Ireton gestured to him to pour Ben a large Asbach brandy and move him to a chair close to the fire. As he did so, another member of staff arrived, the chauffeur Renton, a young black guy in his twenties:
"Your Lordship, the snow is drifting and has blocked the driveway. Your guests will be trapped here for the night."
Lord Ireton stood up and walked to the fireplace, gazing at the picture of his grandfather:
"In my grandfather's time there were standards in this country. People looked up to the great families as role models to emulate and to follow the cultural standards of, if only in terms of aspiration. Now we have arrived in a cultural morass where Lords can be called morons in their own homes by minor public servants."
Ben sipped the warm brandy and felt revived:
"That sword had real power. Your Lordship, we must take it for analysis."
"It is my property. I must own and possess it."
"You will get it back". Ben's gaze drifted to the far side of the room, where he saw another portrait of a distinguished looking man in a suit.
"That gentleman in the picture over there seems familiar to me your Lordship."
"That was my maternal uncle, Harrison Chase. He was a highly successful man and a collector of rare plants. Unfortunately he suffered from a few mental health issues and passed away before his time. I stayed with him as a boy and he inspired my desire to collect things. Benjamin, I must keep the sword.. But I will let you all stay the night."
Later, Lord Ireton had retired to bed and Ben and the others were talking together in Ben's room upstairs:
"I say we nick the damn sword and get the hell out of here", Katie suggested. Ben sighed:
"The snow is too deep and still falling. Face it, we are trapped here. I am suspicious of his Lordship's motives and fear he may be colluding with whatever was out there."
"So am I if he is related to that nutter Harrison Chase", Kate added.
Downstairs, the sword of Esonor began to glow. It rose up by itself and moved through the air, levitating upstairs and towards Ben's room.............
............ to be continued.
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Post by sparacus on Jan 7, 2024 6:31:34 GMT -5
OK loyal readers, here is part 5 of this story, which is intended to show how seasonal specials should be done:
"THE DAY OF THE CYRONS : Part 5"
The sword moved through the air towards Ben's room and as it approached, the door swung open on its own. Katie let out a gasp:
"What the ¤¤¤¤? That thing is coming for us".
However the sword gently moved through the air and placed itself in Ben's hand. Then a figure began to emerge from the corner of the room. Faint at first, it slowly manifested itself into a young woman, golden in appearance with a perfect figure and luminous eyes:
"I am Esonor, of the great river planet of Esonus. Long ago I gave this gift to your people, the sword of justice and truth. Your ancestors used it wisely before the great darkness came and you lost my gift. I grant this sword to the one among you who by his great deeds will free your people from the threat of the Cyrons. Do not fear Ben Chatham, use the sword with wisdom."
Slowly the figure faded and Ben gazed at the sword in his hand.
"I have been chosen. A logical choice given my role as head of Operation Delta".
They heard the sound of gunshots coming from outside and Kate Lethbridge-Stewart rushed to the window, pulling back the curtains:
"This is bizarre. The snow has completely vanished, yet it was deep and drifting only twenty minutes ago. And a group of my UNIT soldiers are in a pitched battle out there."
She reached for her phone but found it was dead. Ben looked at his and it was not working either:
"The phones have been drained of charge. Downstairs team!"
They ran downstairs and through the great hall towards the door, Ben still carrying the sword. As he pulled out open he saw two figures running towards him.
"Come along, let us in and then shut that door. No time to lose."
It was Dorothy Squires and a young man carrying a rucksack. She saw the sword in Ben's hand:
"The sword of Esonor.! You have rescued it from that horrible Lord."
"No Dorothy, Esonor appeared and granted me use of the sword. Esonor is an alien."
"Oh my goodness, how proud I am of you Benjamin. This young man by the way is Charlie Pollock, who helps me run our pagan group. His grandfather Bill Pollock was a respected member of our community until he had a slight bit of bother with the police. But we won't talk about that. There is no time to lose. The aliens are coming."
As she spoke, Lord Ireton appeared on the landing in his dressing gown:
"What is all of this infernal noise? And who let that dreadful woman in here? A gentleman needs at least eight hours of sleep a night."
Ben stepped forward:
"Your Lordship, there are aliens out there engaged in a gun battle with UNIT forces. I am also concerned about the vanished snow and river. This sword could be the key to getting out of this situation."
"Put my sword down and stop manhandling it", Lord Ireton said sternly.
They went into the drawing room and Katie Ryan helped herself to a bottle of Lord Ireton's brandy, pouring drinks for the others. Lord Ireton, walked in haughtily and frowned at the proceedings:
"I cannot seem to find Jackson or indeed any of my staff. This is completely unacceptable. I want you people all to leave my house immediately."
Katie Ryan was unimpressed:
"Oh belt up you pompous tosspot. There may be an alien invasion going on outside. I recon they're after that sword thing and I'll bet you are in league with them. Offer you money for it did they?"
"How dare you madam! I do not sell my archaeological collection for money. I have the finest private collection of archaeological finds in England. What on earth is this nonsense about aliens?"
As he spoke, the door swung open and there stood Jackson the butler and Renton, Lord Ireton's chauffeur.
"Ah Jackson, just in time. Escort these people out of my home", Lord Ireton stated. However Jackson and Renton pulled out guns and pointed them at Lord Ireton and Ben:
"What is this? Jackson have you lost your senses?" Lord Ireton stated. Jackson grinned:
"Not at all, your Lordship. However you will all lose your senses and your lives if you give us any grief.. Renton grinned menacingly at Ben:
"Give us dat sword dude or I's gonna waste yer".
He pointed the sword straight at Ben's head..............
................ to be continued.
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Post by sparacus on Jan 7, 2024 11:50:50 GMT -5
Here we are again loyal readers. Part 6 of this adventure:
"THE DAY OF THE CYRONS" Part 6
Renton had grabbed Ben's arm and twisted so the sword pointed at Ben's head. However rather than drop it, Ben held firm and the power of the sword permeated through Ben and he moved his arm back round and a bolt of energy from the sword knocked the guns from Renton and Jackson's hands.
"Yo what was dat bro?" Renton shouted. Jackson rushed forward to punch Ben however Katie jabbed him in the shin with her high heel and he fell over. Katie kicked him in the face and he howled with pain before jumping up."
"You'll pay for this, you nasty bitch", he shouted before he and Renton ran out into the night. They could still hear gunfire in the distance and Ben turned to the others:
"I have surmised that there is a battle going on outside and we should go and see if we can help".
"You are such a hero, young Benjamin", Dorothy Squires gushed. They ran outside and saw groups of UNIT jeeps in the distance and soldiers firing. Blue glowing figures were firing back and it seemed as if the UNIT troops were getting the upper hand. However suddenly the aliens glowed brighter and then vanished. Some UNIT soldiers came running over and Kate Lethbridge-Stewart recognised one of them.
"Johnson, what the hell is going on? What were those creatures.?"
"Ma'am, they were cyrons. I'm afraid the situation is grave. We have ascertained that the cyrons are from a planet with runaway global warming and have perfected a technique for removing water and storing it on their space vessel to take back to their planet. Hence the vanishing river and snow."
"So why here? Why are they interested in this village?" Kate asked.
"We don't know ma'am'.
Katie Ryan stepped forward:
"I suggest strongly that we find those two goons with the guns. They clearly know something."
"Good thinking Katie", Ben added.
A short time later, UNIT troops were scouring the village for Jackson and Renton. Lord Ireton had reluctantly allowed his stately home to be used as a base and Shakey Jake and Adam Wooten had arrived with the Operation Delta van. Lord Ireton was pacing up and down inside the hallway:
"I cannot believe that you suspected that I might be in someway involved with those alien things. I am a gentleman, probably one of the last English gentlemen left. There are very few of us now. I am appalled that I had criminals and traitors among my staff and assure you all that had I known that they were so inclined then they would have been dismissed and reported."
Ben comforted the Lord:
"It is not your fault your Lordship. I accept that I thought that you were an eccentric weirdo and probable criminal stealing archaeological artifacts however I accept that you are not in league with aliens."
As he spoke, two UNIT soldiers strode across the grounds frogmarching Jackson between them.
"We've caught one of the ¤¤¤¤s. Do you want us to duff him up and get some info from him?" Ben sighed:
"There is no need for violence and I doubt that Kate would approve of you taking that course of action. Take him to the Operation Delta van and tie him up. Shaky Jake has a truth drug that will make him talk peacefully."
"Yeah, no violence man", Jake added.
In the UNIT van, Jackson was tied up and injected in the arm with Jake's truth drug:
"Yeah relax man and feel the groovy vibes", Shakey Jake said with a grin. Jackson's head lolled back but he suddenly started talking:
"The cyrons are coming. You can do nothing. They need water for their dying planet and we offered to sell them the sword. Storage.... storage the problem.. ship too small to carry an ocean. They need sword to miniturise the water then restore to full size later. Cyrons will not give up....."
Ben looked up stony faced:
"This means that the cyrons will be back, not just for the sword but for our oceans. *Staring straight into the camera*, this shows the consequences of ignoring the climate emergency. We must act now to avoid the earth going the same way as the cyron planet".......
........to be continued.
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Post by sparacus on Jan 25, 2024 17:33:47 GMT -5
Ok folks, here is the final part of this classic series inspired adventure:
“DAY OF THE CYRONS”: Part 7
Back at Lord Ireton’s house, Ben and Kate Lethbridge-Stewart worked out a plan for dealing with the Cyron threat head on:
“I will walk through the snow to the archaeological dig site, sword in hand. Let the Cyrons come for me. I know that the sword of Esonor will protect me, I can feel it’s strange energy and sense it’s power”, Ben said.
“Good. I’ll populate the woods nearby with my lads. When they arrive, we’ll blast them. You know Ben, I’ve come to realise how right my father, the Brigadier, was. I wish I could tell him that now, but he’s dead”. Ben sighed:
“My father doesn’t respect me at all. I don’t know how I can change that.”
Kate gave Ben a hug:
“Give it time Ben. Relationships mend and mutual respect can grow.”
Katie Ryan was walking up and down and sipping brandy:
“I don’t like this at all.You should not be putting yourself in danger like this Ben. You are the key figure in Operation Delta. Let some UNIT guy go there with the sword.”
“Katie, I just know that the sword needs to be in my hand to work. I can feel it”.
Dorothy Squires gave Ben a pat on the knee:
“That’s the pagan spirit in you, young man.”
Later, Ben set out into the cold night, the snow blowing in his face and the sword in his hand. Lord Ireton had lent him his overcoat and as Ben set off, he turned to the others:
“And that is what true English bravery looks like. That young man encompasses the true fearlessness of the gentleman.”
Ben trudged through the snow towards the archaeological site. As he sat on a large stone he felt a strange glow all around him and a blue haze formed in front of him. Three glowing humanoid aliens emerged with an ethereal blue hue to them. One spoke:
“You must give us the sword of Esonor, human creature. We must take your water. You are simple creatures, we are complex. You are ephemeral, while our civilisation has lasted for many of your millennia. You are collateral damage. We feel no pride and no pity in taking from you.”
Ben lifted the sword:
“You will not take our water. The sword will stop you. You destroyed your planet because of your shortsighted lack of concern for its ecology. You will not destroy ours.Go.”
As he spoke, the UNIT troops ran out of the woods and opened fire. The Cyrons tried to fire back with laser guns but the sword gave out a golden glow and both bullets and lasers vanished. Ben stepped forward:
“The sword of Esonor has spoken. It will send you back to your home planet to await your fate. But there will be no more violence. The sword will tolerate no violence.”
Slowly the Cyrons vanished into thin air.
Later, back at Lord Ireton’s house, Ben, Katie, Kate, Dorothy and Charlie Pollock were enjoying a three course dinner, followed by some of the Lord’s most exclusive tawny port.
“So what the hell is that sword?” Katie asked. Ben sipped his port:
“The sword is an alien artefact of immense power left here in the Iron Age by travellers from the Cyrons’ home planet. Peace loving enemies of the Cyrons whom the latter were trying to destroy. The sword communicated this to me. Esonor is the name of the traveller of that race who brought it here. It contains within it the capability to transfer knowledge telepathically. However it will only reveal its knowledge to us in small instalments. It is a mystery, wrapped in an enigma”.
“Just like you Ben”, Katie added. They all laughed as the snow fell outside and the winter logs burned on the fire.
THE END
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