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.‘You were the one who suggested that I get a personal trainer.’‘I counted three personal trainers.I had no idea that you were so dedicated.’Saarl grinned unpleasantly.‘Very.Now is this just a social call, Vogol?’‘No, Roderik, my dear.I want you over here for a board meeting.’‘Now?’‘Yes, my dear, now.We have a very important new programme that needs discussion – an award winner, no less.My spinner will be over to collect you in twenty minutes.’Lukos snapped off the communicator, and the desk faded back to mahogany.‘You are becoming far too expensive in your tastes, Roderik, my dear.Still, our new star may be easier to keep.’He pulled himself from behind his desk and crossed the office.A complex telescope on a tripod loomed in the picture window overlooking the valley, cables trailing to a tower of recorders and monitors.Lukos peered through the eyepiece.The windows of the apartment block on the other side of the valley were pin-sharp in the viewer.He gave a sigh of disappointment.What was the point of getting the most beautiful vid model in the system staying there if she was never at home.He swung the telescope towards the valley floor, filters cutting in to shade his eyes from the glare from the cornfields.He scanned the fields for a few moments, sweeping back and forth, searching.‘I know you’re out there somewhere,’ he murmured.A harvester lumbered into view and Lukos tracked it for a while, then he straightened.‘No matter, no matter.I’ll get to see you soon enough.’He swung the telescope back to its original position.He was about to shut it down when a movement on one of the monitors caught his eye.A tall blonde in a low-cut dress had appeared in one of the windows, laden down with shopping bags.As Lukos watched she put down the bags, stretched and slid the straps of her dress from her shoulders.‘Ah.A successful days shopping it seems.And now you will want to try your purchases on, no doubt.’Lukos slid a chair over to the telescope and lowered himself into it.‘Auntie.’+YES, MR LUKOS+‘How long until the first of our illustrious board of governors arrives?’+54 MINUTES, MR LUKOS+‘Excellent.’ Lukos slipped a disk into one of the recorders and I ‘ant forward, eyes fixed on the telescope viewscreen.‘Just enough time for me to watch one of my favourite programmes.’Chapter TwoAce shrugged off her jacket and tied it around her waist.It was getting hot.The Doctor had grudgingly agreed to have a breather and she had settled down under the trees bordering the field.The city loomed closer now, spires and towers dominating the skyline.It was impressive she had to admit –and it was still a long way off.A distant rumble of thunder reached her.There was a storm building.She pulled another handful of berries from one of the bushes beside her and popped one into her mouth.The berries were about the size of grapes, but tasted like oranges.Ace had got quite addicted.A huge pile of them filled the Doctor’s hat.She grimaced.The straw was getting stained with juice.Something else for him to complain about.She looked up to see where the Doctor was.He stood at the side of the cornfield studying something on the far side of the valley through his opera glasses.Ace tried to follow his gaze.There seemed to be a building set into the mountainside, it was difficult to tell through the heat haze.She frowned.He was up to something, she was sure.The sound of something crashing through the corn made her look up.One of the huge agricultural machines thundered past, blotting out the sun.Ace scrambled to her feet.‘Blimey!’‘Yes, they are impressive, aren’t they?’ The Doctor was at her side, peering up at it.‘A Guldarian farming drone.’ He frowned.‘The strange thing is that I can’t understand why it’s here.The Blinnati are superb farmers.They don’t need even one, let alone the dozens that we’ve seen.’Ace craned her neck, shielding her eyes.‘Are they manned?’The Doctor shook his head.‘Totally robotic, preprogrammed.’‘And going our way.’The Doctor gave her a stern look.‘Oh, come on, Professor.It’s quicker than walking.I’m tired and my hay fever is playing up.’‘Whereas your appetite isn’t.’ The Doctor stared disapprovingly at the pile of berries in his hat.Ace tipped the berries out and sheepishly handed it back to him.The Doctor frowned at his juice-stained hat for a moment, then his face cracked into an enormous grin.‘Well I’m sure that it’s very good for my hair! Come on.Our lift is leaving without us.’Cramming his hat on to his head he grabbed Ace by the hand and the two of them began haring through the cornfield after the ponderous farming robot.Although the machine wasn’t fast it proved difficult to keep up with it, stalks of corn whipping at them with every step.Ace could see a small ladder set into one of the slab-like sides.The Doctor lunged forward, hooking the handle of his umbrella on to one of the rungs.He hauled himself up on to a small platform and reached back for her.‘Give me your hand!’Ace sprinted forward, reaching out for him.He grasped her wrist and pulled her up on to the metal gantry.The two of them lay panting for a moment, then the Doctor struggled to his feet.‘The view should be better from the top deck.’He clambered up a ladder and vanished over the top of the machine.Ace scrambled after him.The top of the farming drone was a tangle of vents and grilles, and Ace could see the tops of huge blades whipping through the cornfield.There was a constant throb of machinery and a not unpleasant smell of engine oil.The Doctor was at a railing at the front of the machine, peering through his opera glasses, looking for all the world like a sea captain at the prow of a ship.Ace joined him at the railing, breathing in the smell of cut grass and hay.The city was spread out before them, an unbroken line of steel and concrete cutting across the valley.‘What’s the plan, Professor? Are we going to be staying here for a while?’The Doctor nodded.‘I think so.I want to find out where the energy signal embedded in that TV transmission is coming from.Have a look at this.’He handed her the opera glasses.‘What am I looking for?’The Doctor pointed.‘Big building set into the hillside, on the far side of the valley.’Ace pulled the glasses to her eyes and the building swam into focus, a jumble of concrete shapes nestling in the rock wall.‘Looks normal enough, Professor.Long way to climb down if you want a pint of milk but.’‘Look at the top, Ace.’ The Doctor waved his hands irritably.‘The communications tower on the roof.’Ace squinted at it.A tangle of dishes and aerials, stark against the sky.‘So, they like their cable telly.’‘Not a bad guess
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