The call from the office came early. She rushed out of bed, hopping around the apartment trying to brush her teeth and get dressed at the same time. The car was already waiting for her when she went outside. Sandy brought her the first coffee of the morning as usual. She was like that, sweet, always doing little things for her since they became partners two years ago. 

 

Sandy was a computer genius. She also had a rather unhealthy obsession with aliens and conspiracies which eventually landed her a job, being recruited by Kate after she hacked UNIT. Completely socially awkward, but with a big heart. All in all, Yaz absolutely enjoyed every minute of working with her as Sandy came into her life as breath of fresh air at the time when she needed it the most. 

 

"Morning" she flashed Yaz a massive smile waiving a cup of hot coffee 

 

"Morning" Yaz smiled back rushing into the car 

 

"I'll drive, you drink" she said and attached her iPad to the dashboard "Briefing" she pointed to the screen "Also...Kate said she's gonna confiscate your sonic" she laughed 

 

"No, she's not" Yaz giggled 

 

"Anyways...quick update...that guy who was killed...Turns out he was working for the factory, you were right... He was a chemist" 

 

"Chemist?" Yaz frowned confused "The records show he was an engineer? He worked for the construction company HPZ" 

 

"Yeah well, I did some digging last night when you called me" she swiped over the screen "Looks like someone had some secrets..." 

 

"They're fake?" 

 

"Yap..." she grinned "All fake...Now this is the real deal" she swiped the screen again quickly 

 

Yaz took her iPad from the holder intrigued "Wooooow...PhD in Chemistry and molecular biology" she said surprised as million questions popped in her mind 

 

"He's been living on Earth for over 30 years Yaz...hiding amongst humans under a fake name...The guy whose identity he took died in a car accident" 

 

"I have so many questions now...I don't think even his husband knows about this" 

 

"Probably not...he's married for only 4 years...met him online.... Go figure...there's aliens on dating apps Yaz" she laughed 

 

"Oh you really don't wanna date an alien...trust me on that..." she laughed "I spoke with him yesterday. I don't think he even had a clue his husband was not human Sandy" 

 

"What did he say to you?" 

 

"He told me he noticed how his behavior changed...He became nervous and paranoid and when he squeezed him, he finally confessed he's been blackmailed. He refused to say who or why.... said less he knows the better. Refused to report it to the police and send his husband with kids to Canada...some remote cabin thinking they'll be safe there until he gets it sorted." 

 

"We were late" Sandy said deflated 

 

"I knooooow..." she sighed 

 

"If we get to whoever killed this man, we will get to that train...I'll see if I can dig up something else" 

 

"You dig up as much as you can on his past and I'll look into this factory...I know few people who might be able to help out. Just be careful" 

 

"I am... don’t worry....I know how to cover my tracks" 

 

"I know you do...but still...these people are no joke Sandy...they are leaving a trail of dead bodies for over a month.... You know that...this is a fifth person they killed, and we are no further forward." 

 

"I'll be fine.... seriously...don't worry" she turned shortly towards Yaz her green eyes becoming almost blue in the sun. Yaz looked away out of the window. 

 

"You alright?" Sandy asked as she fell quite. 

 

"Mmmm?" she said shortly "Yeah" she was lying and wondered if it shows. 

 

.... 

 

They came in front of the office building where the man worked. Yaz looked up, squinting at the sun. 

 

"Stay close, don't wonder off" she said and looked down 

 

They walked through the reception with fake credentials Sandy made and headed towards the elevator. 

 

"We need to be fast" Yaz said 

 

"I can do that" 

 

The hallway was quiet, only their feet rustled softly on one of those gray office carpets. Sandy hopped happily behind Yaz in her quirky multi color trainers which made Yaz chuckle. She found her fashion sense dodgy to say the least, but nevertheless cute, reminding her of the summer lollipops and brightly colored ice creams the Doctor used to take her to.

She was trying to keep up with Yaz, excited but nervous at the same time as this was a rare occasion when she would do fieldwork. Suddenly, Yaza's hand flew out, pressing her back against the wall 

 

"Wait!" she pointed to the corner disabling camera with a sonic 

 

"That was close" 

 

Yaz grabbed her hand pulling her across the hallway, finally they came to the door. 

 

"Want me to do it?" Sandy asked looking at the security system on a wall 

 

"Neah....This is just too much fun..." she giggled pointing a sonic and closed the door behind them "How fast can you be?" she said looking at the computer on a desk 

 

"How fast can you say cookie?" Sandy laughed and tied her pinky hair in a messy bun, then took out a pair of headphones. Listening to the music relaxed her while she worked, kept her focused by separating her from the rest of surroundings. She placed a small bright green suitcase on the desk opening it up. This was her cave of wonders containing her own modified computer she hoked up the one in the office and she sat down to work 

 

"Cute kids" she looked at the family photo on a desk "So sad" she said with a sigh and started to work 

 

In a mean time Yaz went through the drawers of the desk, finding it strange how they were empty, Filing cabinet containing no paperwork, nothing. 

 

"What the hell" she frowned. "The place looks like it was not even used...That's just weird" she looked in Sandy's direction, then realized she couldn't hear her over the headphones, bobbing along to the music completely in her element. She just rolled her eyes with a smile and continued looking around the room 

 

"Total transference" Sandy cracked her knuckles haply "That's it...just few more..." she said loudly and Yaz ran up to her putting her hand over mouth pulling her earphone out of one of her ears 

 

"You can be heard all the way to Skaro" she said 

 

"Mmmm?" she mumbled into her palm. Her eyes darted to the computer almost comically as she tried to speak through Yaz's palm holding her head in place pointing her finger to the screen counting down another 50 seconds to completion. 

 

"Alright" Yaz couldn't help but laugh moving her hand 

 

"Sorry" she whispered 

 

"I hate those" 

 

"I can't concentrate without them...Sorry" she looked at her apologetically. 

 

"That's alright ..." 

 

"Almost...won't be long" she looked at the computer 

 

"Shit" Yaz looked towards the door "...someone's coming" she said hearing footsteps outside. 

 

Sandy glanced at the monitor 10 seconds left. Those seconds felt like hours and when it counted down to zero, she quickly grabbed her suitcase from the table as Yaz dragged her to the floor. They huddled together, hiding behind the sofa, and looking at each other tensely, Sandy covering her own mouth with her hand worried her heavy breathing could be heard down the hallway.

The door clicked open they heard a person walking around. Sandy tugged on Yaz's sleeve, pointing to the wheels of the blue bucket that could be seen from the side of the sofa, and imitated sweeping with her hands. Yaz choked up for a second and almost burst out laughing, then the seriousness of the situation made her pull herself together. A person walked around stopping by the desk then finely turned around leaving. They both sighed collapsing on the floor. 

 

"Well, that was close" 

 

"Let's pack it up" Yaz said getting up and reaching for her hand pulling her up 

 

"I got everything..." she whispered 

 

"Good...There's nothing in the office, can you believe it. It's completely empty" 

 

"Whaaaa....like everything?" 

 

"Yeah...all the drawers...not one thing inside" she walked towards the door and felt light breeze scraping across her ankle just at the hem of trousers 

 

"What?" Sandy turned around confused 

 

"Draft?" 

 

"Ha?" 

 

"Draft...there's a draft" Yaz turned towards the empty wall but couldn't see anything. 

 

"What are you looking for?" She asked confused as Yaz got down to her hands and knees running her finger at the edge where the wall met the floor "What the hell..." she frowned "Yaz...that's not flattering" she laughed as her ass stuck up in the air and her face was pressed inches from the floor. 

 

"Unless ...." Yaz pouted her lips getting up and pointed a sonic at the wall. The image wobbled reveling edges of a hidden door 

 

"Wooooow....Where did that come from?" Sandy's eyes widened "Is thaaaat...noo waaay..." 

 

"Augmented reality perception filter" 

 

"I read about those" she ran her fingers across the door ".... never seen one like this though...more like a Wish version of it" she smiled ".... That’s so cool" 

 

"Wanna check it out?" Yaz smiled with a glow in her eyes 

 

"You have to ask?" she grinned excited 

 

She pushed the door open and gasped. 

 

"Holly bananas!!!" Sandy's eyes nearly popped out of her sockets " That's a whole ass...." 

 

"Spaceship..." Yaz barely managed to verbalize 

 

"Hoooow....I mean.... how did they get it in here?" 

 

"Dematerialization circuit" she replied as she stared at the shiny silver pebble shaped craft hovering suspended above the floor of the empty dark room and closed the door behind them removing the last bit of light from the room. 

 

"Can we get inside?" Sandy asked excitedly. Her heart was racing miles per hour, and she had a million questions in her head. 

 

"Dunno..." she said looking around "Don't!!!" She grabbed her arm stopping her as she was about to approach the ship and took out her sonic zooming around the room revealing a force field around the craft that glowed blue as it disappeared, and the doors of the craft opened up. 

 

"Now we can get inside" she turned with a massive smile 

 

Sandy took her phone out snapping selfie of herself with a ship behind her as Yaz was getting inside 

 

"You can't post those" she leaned from the door laughing 

 

"Course not...Personal collection only" she said smug following her inside 

 

She followed Yaz through an unusual, dark corridor that irresistibly resembled an entrance to a cave. The air smelled of something sweet, reminding Yaz of honey. It was almost deafeningly quiet but relatively spacious. It looked like it was made of stone and branched off into several secondary tunnels. But they followed the dim light at the end. The closer they got to the end of the hallway, the more visible the large room at the end became. 

As they came down several stone steps, they finally entered a big oval room, and it rendered them both speechless 

 

Cream colored walls which looked like they were carved out of solid stone. Smooth without sharp edges with a dome-shaped ceiling topped by a circular rosette decorated with yellow swirling patterns. Smooth decorative columns ran down the sides following the oval shape of the craft. 

It was a surprising, unexpected appearance compared to the shiny silver exterior without any visible windows or openings. 

 

Yaz was drawn to the control panel at the end of the room. Her fingers slid across the top of the smooth surface of the built-in circular monitors. Intrigued by a console she's never seen nor understood. A language completely unknown to her, but her heart was beating like a drum, and she felt something rising inside her, deep from within her which made her shiver down her spine. Feelings long forgotten, suppressed inside her soul. She smiled a biggest smile 

 

"OH...BRILIANT!" 

 

....