 EXTRA
TERRESTRI-HILLby Neil Jones Kathy ejects Bryn and Ducket from the CLC for playing video games. Bryn later confronts Rachel for grassing him up on Lucy's orders. Kathy informs the class she's signed up the school computers to a local observatory's Extra-Terrestrial Hunt. This really captures Bryn's imagination and he stays back after school in the CLC, wondering if aliens will make contact. Ducket has had enough and walks out, but when Bryn finally decides to leave a power surge takes out all the computers. Making a run for it, Bryn witnesses a strange figure in white plus a series of explosions. Alex tends the vegetable garden when Chloe and Andrea start giving him verbal. Chloe senses Sammy's romantic interest in Alex when she leaps to his defence. Mrs Rawlinson overhears the exchange. In Science, she tells the class BBC TV are coming to do a piece on Alex's garden and that everyone is to be there - apart that is from Chloe and Andrea. They vow revenge on Alex for denying them their moment of fame. Next morning, Bryn rushes to Ducket's but he does not answer, nor is he picking up his phone. Bryn thinks last night's happenings was an alien message and Rachel sneers at his ramblings. She's more interested in phoning Lucy who's not in today, Bryn thinks both she and Ducket have been abducted by aliens. Alex goes to water his garden only to find it ruined - he furiously bursts into the CLC accusing Chloe and Andrea of carrying out their threat of revenge. They deny any involvement but are still sent to Mrs Rawlinson. Bryn shows Rachel an anomaly in the computer logs - at exactly the time last night's activity occurred. She's still cynical until Lucy phones, seemingly in a distressed state, as does Ducket. Bryn races to tell Rawlinson - who's busy chastising Chloe and Andrea (completely innocent for a change) for sabotaging her class' TV appearance. Bryn thinks a cover-up is happening. Alison laments the cancellation of the TV visit and is shocked the Alex doesn't seem bothered - it would have only fuelled negative perception of him. Chloe and Andrea face a hard time when they get to class and resolve to find out what really happened. Rachel is still playing the cynical card when Bryn asks her just why is she hanging around him - she's incensed when he dares to suggests that, with no Lucy around, she'll get in with anyone who'll be her friend. The argument is interrupted by the appearance of the white figure from last night who leaves a note in Rachel's hand. The note, signed "Egman" asks them to meet him by the bins. Egman is late for the meeting - but informs the pair he saw a beam of light come down and take out the vegetable garden. Egman then vanishes. Alex finds a marquee over the vegetable patch - initially he laughs off Bryn's theory then a man emerges from the tent in a white protective suit (like Egman). Alex gets Rachel and Bryn to lock themselves in the radio studio and Bryn puts out an appeal for witnesses. Mrs Rawlinson joins the commotion and orders out Bryn and Rachel. Bryn is convinced of a cover-up when Rawlinson refuses to explain why the tent has been put up over the vegetable patch. Then, Lucy and Ducket phone their respective friends saying with some anguish "we don't like it here". A TV reporter has now turned up at the school, investigating the "paranormal" goings on and Bryn speaks of his strange experience on camera. Mrs Rawlinson, when interviewed, dismisses everything as overactive young imaginations. Bryn's sister Megan watches the report on TV and wonders where her brother is. He's still at school, where Rachel admits she perhaps does show off to get people to like her. Once the men leave the tent he goes in for a recce - there's a big hole and Bryn is scared witless by two mud-caked figures therein. At that point Megan appears - she was "Egman" and admits everything was a practical joke to wind him up. Everything, that is, except Chloe and Andrea, who fell down the hole while trying to clear their names and got covered in mud. A minibus pulls up from which Ducket and Lucy emerge - both have been on an orienteering competition and it was a bad day. Year 8 watch the TV report - where Mrs Rawlinson explains an electrical cable overheated and was behind all the strange goings-on. Sammy sweetly praises Alex on TV and he - now back in his vegetable patch - returns the favour with some flowers. Rachel shocks Lucy with her better understanding of Bryn, and after everything Bryn can't tear himself away from tea at Ducket's. |