The Green Death - Tara's Path

This is Tara's part of the episode The Green Death.

## Summary

Tara is called in to investigate the goings on at Shingleton's mines.

## Organisations

* UNIT
* Global Chemicals

## Plot

THE COLLIERY

Tara is standing, leaning against an army truck as she waits for her Captain to come and brief her. She doesn't know much about what this particular U.N.I.T. investigation is, but on arriving at the Shingleton Colliery, she has seen several white rabbits lying dead nearby...also the body of a dead miner.

Looking around she can see a couple of buildings. There is one large building, and another, smaller building, which is underneath a huge framework with a giant wheel - this must be for lowering people into the mine.

As she is looking at it, Captain Riley Finn comes walking out of the door towards her. He smiles warmly as he approaches her. They've both known each other for years, ever since Sunnydale...

Riley: Tara, it's good to see you.

He walks round to the back of the truck. He climbs in, before poking his head round.

Riley: Hop in.

Tara: Okay, coming.

She climbs into the truck next to Riley.

Tara: Okay so tell me what's going on.

Riley: At around 0920 hours, today, a miner was found dead after conducting this month's inspection of the mine. His skin was glowing green. Around this time, the head of Global Chemicals, Mr. Stevens, was nearby telling a group of recently laid-off miners of plans for future expansion, which the government had agreed to. A local group called the "Wholeweal Community" is apparently against this as they believe that Global Chemicals plans include the dumping of toxic waste. This is something that Stevens denies. By 1200 hours, the man had been rushed to hospital. I've spoken to the Doctor who examined the body. He couldn't find the cause of death. Possibly gas, he said, but that was just a guess. He said the body's glow was very much like what you would get with putrefaction, but he'd only been dead a few hours, which makes it very unusual. I interviewed Mr Stevens myself, he wanted the mine sealed off. He didn't want anybody to go down there. I left and headed down to check out the mine myself, however I ran into a bunch of kids fighting off an attack from rabbid rabbits. My team and I took care of the rabbits. They went down easy, just like a normal rabbit would. One of the rabbits managed to kill a miner, other than that we had too injured kids and one completely unharmed. He's called Joshua, seems to be a teenage investigator. I'm letting him assist us, totally against protocol, because...well Buffy and the gang all started out pretty young, so why not. His brother Kyle is going to Hospital, their friend Waldo is free to help as he wasn't too badly hurt. Joshua has told me that he encountered one of these Rabbits before whilst paint-balling. He suspects that someone called Gordon Wolfe was involved but that's another lead i've yet to follow up. Anyway, Joshua and I headed to the mine, but one of his friends, Kim, had already headed down in the lift. Something went wrong and the lift started to fall. We managed to stop Kim (and another miner who she headed down with) from getting killed but then couldn't get down there ourselves. There was two lifts but they were both connected - when one was up the other was down - so we had to get some cutting equipment. Long story short, we got it rigged up just as you arrived and Joshua is now down there looking for Kim. So...any questions?

Tara: Well you have been busy, rabbid rabbits that's new. Sounds like we need to chat to this Gordon Wolfe?

Riley: Okay, well i'll let you look into that lead.

He takes her over to a laptop set up at the front center of the truck, just behind the driver's and passenger's seat.

Riley: This is connected to the UNIT mainframe. Hopefully, anything you need should be on here.

Tara sits down and types in her username and password and is ready to begin.

Her research uncovers a few interesting things.

1 - There's currently a warrant for his arrest, under suspicion of kidnapping, that's been issued by the Shingleton Police Department.
2 - His old address: 28 Crichton Street.
3 - There's a contract for ownership of a nightclub, called The Dive, in Shingleton.

Tara decides to visit 28 Crichton Street first and if he's not there and she finds nothing to suggest where he might be, she will visit the nightclub.

She gets out of the back of the vehicle, walks round it, and gets back in through the driver's door. As she turns on the engine Tara sees Riley talking to a young boy. Riley gives her a wave as she turns the truck around and drives away.

28 CRICHTON STREET

Tara arrives at a rather delapidated house, 28 Crichton Street, Shingleton. It's built of dark brown brick and looks a very depressing place to live.

The house looks unlived in but Tara decides to check it out anyway. She knocks on the large oak door. After a while, a lady answers the door. She is in her early forties, and looks of afro-caribean origin with short curly black hair and is wearing a purple blouse and a long purple skirt.

Woman: Hello?

Tara: Hello, i'm looking for somebody I believe lives at this property, a man named Gordon Wolfe.

Woman: Oh he moved out, well disappeared, before I moved in. The police are still looking for him, I believe.

Tara: Okay then, sorry to have troubled you.

Tara goes back to her car and drives to the Dive.

THE DIVE

Tara steps out onto the pavement and looks up at the sign. It probably used to read "The Dive" but now it just reads "Di e". The old nightclub is housed inside a large warehouse. Pieces of old police tape flap in the wind, trailing off boarded up windows.

Unsure about entering the bar on her own Tara phones Riley to see if he has more info.

Riley answers the phone.

Riley: Hello?

Tara: Hi Riley. I am at the Dive bar, not sure about entering on my own. Thought I'd check in and see if there are any developments.

Riley: The Dive? As far as I know it's abandoned. If you need some back up I can meet you there? There's not a lot going on here at the moment. I've got some soldiers watching over the rabbit warren and Joshua is down in the mines collecting a few samples, so I can meet you if you want?

Tara: Okay, might be good if you come in with me. Can't really see an easy way in.

A short while later, another army vehicle pulls up and Riley jumps out. He waves to the driver who heads back in the direction of the Shingleton Mine.

As he walks over, he looks up at the sign.

Riley: Well that looks promising...So have you tried picking the lock? Otherwise we could either force it, or you could try a spell? We don't have to go in through the front door either. We can try the windows and there's bound to be a fire exit at the back.

Tara: Thanks for meeting me. Shall we try to find a way in round the back?

Riley: Sure, let's go.

Moving round to the back of the building they find a fire exit door, slightly ajar.

Riley draws his gun, looking around aprehensively.

Riley: Have you got any spells for disarming traps, before we go in?

Tara takes out her one and only spell book.

Having a quick skim she finds a spell whose name roughly translates as "Pull The Trigger". It can be used to trigger any traps within a small area. It takes only a couple of minutes, reciting a few lines of Sumerian whilst sprinkling some ground sage.

Tara takes a plastic tub out of her bag, unscrews the lid and sprinkles the ground sage. She spends some minutes reciting the words from her book.

There is a sudden flash of light just inside the doorway which quickly disperses.

Riley: Okay, i'm going in.

Riley gently pushes the door wide open and creeps inside.

Tara follows Riley inside.

Riley pulls out a small torch and has a look around. They are both in a small hall way. There are three doors (other than the one they came through). The ones to the right and left of them are closed. The one ahead of them is ajar, there is a flickering light coming from beyond it.

Tara: (whispering) I think we will head for the light then.

Tara and Riley head for the the open door.

They find themselves in a darkened room, lit only by a television set on a unit near the wall.

They can't see much, but there is a door at the far end of the room (again ajar) and they can hear someone talking.

Male voice: Yeah exactly...so once I looked into the history of High Ridge, I realised that the dates just didn't fit. It was the meteor shower that kick started the curse. Whatever hit the earth must've been powerful. I thought i'd check it out but there's a mine there now and I couldn't get access, but what I did get, you wouldn't believe. Killer rabbits!...yeah, I know. I tried setting one off at a local paintball arena. I'm thinking I might set more off but just haven't decided where yet....

The rest is obscured. Presumably he's moved further away.

Tara and Riley share a quick glance and then approach the door.

Peeking through the door they see a man in a leather jacket walking back and forth across the dance floor area of the night club. There are some lights on but it is still very low lighting. As he turns Tara recognises him as Gordon Wolfe, the man she's been looking for. He wanders over to a large cage as he continues talking into his mobile phone.

Gordon Wolfe: ...So anyway how's it going with the big spell?...uh huh...Well if it works at least she'll be out of our hair....oh right, yeah sure no problem. Speak to you later, Ed.

He hangs up and puts his phone in an inside pocket of his jacket.

Riley switches off the torch he had clamped to the side of his gun and pockets it, and places both his hands on his gun.

Tara: Riley, I think we had better question him.

Riley: Put your hands where I can see them and turn to face me, Mr Wolfe.

Gordon Wolfe slowly turns around.

Riley steps closer. When he is close enough he quickly checks Wolfe for weapons. Wolfe stays silent.

Riley: Tara, this is your lead. I'll let you ask the questions.

Tara: Well then Mr Wolfe, lets start with what you know about the Rabid Rabbits?

Suddenly Riley's phone starts to ring and in the split second that Riley glances away from him, Gordon Wolfe manages to knock the gun out of Riley's hand and, as the gun goes skittering across the floor away from him and Tara, Wolfe twists Riley's arm up behind his back, pulls out a knife and jams it under his neck.

Gordon: Sorry, who is going to shoot me?

Tara uses the bolt of light spell.

Tara: Dissolvo!

A ball of light shoots from your hands, knocking Gordon Wolfe back. He collides with a solid brick wall and slides to the ground coughing up blood. He looks up and smiles.

Gordon: So...you're a witch are you.

He picks himself up off the ground.

Gordon: Try some of this! Vozdushnyy stat' kulak!

He thrusts his fist forward.

Suddenly Tara is hit with an intense impact of solid air! She flys backwards, skittering across the floor.

Riley pulls the trigger of his gun and Gordon collapses to the ground. For a moment he doesn't know which way to go, then he decides. He runs over to Gordon, checks his pulse, and then runs to Tara's side, crouching beside her.

Riley: Shit. Tara are you okay?

She's still in shock momentarily.

Riley: He's dead, Tara. Do you think you can stand? I think we need to get you to get you back to HQ.

Just then Riley's phone starts ringing. He answers it.

Riley: Hello?

Riley: Joshua, hi, is this important?

Riley: Okay, what did that turn up?

Riley: So that's pretty much what we already guessed.

Riley sounds a bit annoyed.

Riley: Look, i'll be there in an hour or so. Unless there's anything else?

Riley: Okay, well that's more like it. Just hang tight for a while. Once I get there we can all go and confront Global Chemicals. Bye.

He hangs up and turns to Tara.

Riley: Right, let's get you back to HQ.

Riley helps her out of the building and back to the vehicle. She seems to have quite a few broken bones so it's not easy. He helps her into the passenger seat and then goes round to the other side to drive.

UNIT HQ

Riley pulls up outside the entrance to the huge building. Above the door the UNIT logo is emblazoned.

Riley: I'll be back in a moment.

He gets out and runs inside. Moments later, several soldiers come running with a stretcher.

TIME PASSES...

EMERGENCY WING - UNIT HQ

Tara is resting in the emergency wing of the UNIT HQ. She's been poked and prodded and fixed up as best they could, she's also had a healer come in to try to help ease the bones back together. They think she should be out in a couple of days. Riley isn't happy about this though, he needs her back on the Shingleton Mine case. He's discussed this with her, and remembered something that another officer had previously mentioned to him. He disappears for a while and when he comes back he has good news, though with a cost...

Riley: I've just been to see Brigadier James and he's agreed to use one of our emergency items.

He takes a box out of his pocket and opens it revealing a green glowing object.

Riley: Remember that time that Faith managed to swap bodies with Buffy? Who could forget? Well, this is essentially what she used. I've spoken to some UNIT personnel to find out who would be willing to spend at least the rest of the day in a hospital bed watching TV...and i've found someone. Her name is Jennifer Swanson. If you agree to the swap, I think it'd be best if you go by that name, it'd just be easier to not explain about the whole body swap thing.

Tara agrees.

Tara meets with Jennifer, a member of the Magical Artifacts department in her mid-twenties with short blonde hair. She's keen to get a chance to use the "Draconian Katra".

Once the swap is done, it takes a mere moment, after the doctors assess them both to make sure there are no problems, Tara is free to go.

UNIT TRUCK

Soon Tara is outside and back in the truck.

Riley: So, "Jennifer"...where now? I've promised Joshua that i'd meet him at the mine, but I could always drop you back at the Dive? To be honest though, i'm pretty sure that's a dead end now that Wolfe is dead.

Tara: I agree. With Wolfe dead there is not a lot we can learn now. We should go to the mine. What did they find out?

Riley: The green slime that's been killing people is some kind of virus which is passed around by touch. There's loads of it down in the mines. There's also green crystals down there...Kryptonite. Now baring in mind the illegal nature of Kryptonite mining, this should be enough for us to confront Global Chemicals with. Also down in the mines, Joshua found rabbit holes, and giant maggots. He's currently got one contained at the lab at the Wholeweal Community house.

Tara: We had better go meet up with Joshua then.

A SHORT DRIVE LATER...

Riley pulls the truck up outside the engine house and he and Tara get out and walk towards the building. Riley pushes the door open and leads Jennifer inside.

THE ENGINE HOUSE

(From this point on Tara is referred to as Jennifer)

Riley: Joshua, i'd like to introduce you to Jennifer Swanson, UNIT's mystical advisor.

Joshua: Hi Jennifer, nice to meet you.

Jennifer: Hello Joshua, it's good to finally meet you.

Riley: Right, now that we are introduced; Joshua, Jennifer, I think we need to pay Global Chemicals a visit.

Jennifer: Good idea, I'd like to hear what they have to say

Riley: Dr. Jones, do you think you could join us too? The science angle could be useful.

A man with long hair and wearing a dark green woolly jumper replies.

Dr. Jones: Of course. Actually Marty the miner here got a phone call from Global Chemicals earlier. They wanted us ALL to pop by...apart from the soldiers.

Joshua: In the end we decided to wait until you got back, as I suspect they could be up to something. I wanted to take some soldiers just in case. If they have nothing to hide why would they object?

Riley pauses a moment.

Riley: I don't think I can really spare any more of my soldiers and I don't really think I can justify sending for more men...It's fine, i'm armed, and Jennifer has enough magic expertise that she should be perfectly safe...

He turns to Jennifer.

Riley:...this time?

Joshua turns to Jennifer.

Joshua: So your a witch, are you? I've always wanted to meet a witch.

Jennifer: Yes I am a witch with some power. (To Riley) I think I'll be fine.

Riley: Well then, let's go.

Riley, Joshua, Jennifer and Jones all head to Global Chemicals.

GLOBAL CHEMICALS

Riley steps up to the gate and presses a buzzer. A security guard walks up to the fence.

Guard: Can I help you?

Riley: We're here to see Mr. Stevens.

The guard makes a call and then lets you in.

He leads you all into a room and brings some chairs over for you to sit in.
You sit opposite a large desk and wait.

Guard: Mr. Stevens will be arriving shortly.

It's not long before Mr. Stevens, director of Global Chemicals, walks confidently into the room and sits at the desk in front of you.

Stevens: So good of you to join me. Captain Finn, Mr. Mendoza, Professor Jones...and...

He pauses as if listening for something.

Stevens: I'm afraid I don't know your name, Miss...?

Jennifer: I am Miss Jennifer Swanson, I am an adviser to Captain Finn.

Stevens: Well well well, Captain Riley. Yet another assistant. At least this one is out of high school.

Riley: Are you going to tell us why you wanted us here? Or should I tell you why we decided to come here?

Stevens: Be my guest.

Riley: Fine. Global Chemicals has been dumping waste in the mines, this combined with the illegal mining of Kryptonite, seems to be what is causing the mutation of local wildlife. You are going to close down this operation right now. Oh and you can get the President on the phone if you wish, because we have all the evidence we need.

Stevens: Are you quite finished?

Riley: Well...

Stevens: I'd like to introduce you to boss.

Jones: I think you mean "to my boss".

Stevens: B.O.S.S. Boss. It stands for Biomorphic Organisational Systems Supervisor. Bare witness...

He steps over to a wall and knocks twice. The wall revolves to reveal a huge computer bank and monitor.

B.O.S.S.: So my friends...we meet at last.

Jennifer: Hello Boss, so you are in control here?

B.O.S.S.: My primary function is the running of Global Chemicals, with specific focus on the acquisition of money. That is why this chemical waste of which you speak is of no interest to me. It is also why we are currently running an illegal Kryptonite mining operation. You won't be stopping me, of course.

There is a moment of silence.

B.O.S.S.: Every one of you is under my control...let me demonstrate. Joshua, would you like to reveal your secret to the rest of your friends?

Joshua: I don't know what you're talking about. I don't have a secret.

B.O.S.S.: So tell me how your family came to this country?

Joshua: By aeroplane.

B.O.S.S.: Let's not continue this game, Mr Mendoza. You are an illegal immigrant. I have all the evidence needed to get you deported if I so wish. There will be no need however, as you will follow my instructions.

Joshua: I won't be blackmailed by some dumb machine. What instructions?

B.O.S.S.: Hinks will escort you to the conditioning room.

A man stands in the doorway dressed in a black chaffeurs uniform. He points a gun at Joshua.

Hinks: Come with me.

Riley reaches for his gun.

Stevens: I don't think so Captain Finn. Drop it.

Stevens has a gun trained right at his head. Riley drops the gun.

Stevens: Kick it to me.

Riley kicks the gun across the floor and looks to Jennifer with a shrug.

B.O.S.S.: Go with Hinks, Joshua.

Jennifer: Dissolvo

A bolt of light blasts from Jennifer's hand, knocking Stevens back 6 feet. He falls onto the floor.

Riley see's his chance and charges straight towards the fallen Stevens. He narrowly avoids gunfire as Hinks turns his gun on Riley.

Jennifer: Incindere.

A jet of flame fires out of Jennifer's hand, straight at B.O.S.S. The screen explodes in a shower of glass, and blue sparks come flying off him.

B.O.S.S.: BLlaaarrjhhshkkkk

Jones dives to the floor and tries to find cover behind the desk.

Meanwhile, Riley has slam-tackled Stevens to the ground, his gun skitters into the corner of the room. Just out of reach.

Joshua, feeling weak and drowsy, finally makes it over to Riley's gun and picks it up. He wonders if perhaps he shouldn't have taken two doses of "Speed Moss" earlier.

B.O.S.S.: SECURITY! SECURITY TO ROOM 613! EMERGENCY! EMERGENCY!

Stevens struggles under the weight of Riley, until Riley delivers a knockout punch, rendering Stevens unconcious. Riley doesn't see Hinks carefully training his gun on Riley's back, he gently begins to squeeze the trigger.

BANG!

Hinks collapses dead with a bullet through the skull. As he collapses to the floor, a very shaken looking short man stands over him with a smoking gun.

Man: Come on! We have to get out of here!
BOSS: ELGIN! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!
Elgin: What someone should've done a long time ago.

Elgin points at the computer and fires at it's large data bank. Sparks fly.

BOSS: ELLLGGGGIIIIIIIiiiiiiuuuuuuuu

All of BOSS's lights fade out and his engines whir to a stop.

Riley picks up Hinks' gun and hands it to Jones who is still cowering behind the desk.

Riley: Now let's get out of here before security comes.
Elgin: Too late!

The sound of boots running along the corridor tells you that this isn't over yet.

Joshua: Jennifer, what you you think we should do? Can't you magic us out of here or something?

Jennifer: No I can't do a spell Joshua. Elgin, isn't there another way out of here?

They all look around for a way out. The obvious routes are the door (which is where the security guards will come from any moment) and a couple of large windows. Jennifer also notices that the floor around the revolving wall is wide enough to fit all of you. It's a separate piece of flooring, meaning that it's not just the wall that moves round, the floor does too.

Elgin see's where Jennifer is looking.

Elgin: Knock twice on that wall and it revolves...I don't know what's on the other side though.

Joshua: Let's have a look.

Jennifer: Come on Elgin, you don't want to be caught, any way out of this room has to be worth the risk!

They all run to the computer. Riley knocks on the wall. The entire area revolves and they find themselves in a low lit room full of trailing wires and one single door.

Everyone runs towards the door.

As they open the door, a new sound fills the air.
"Autodestruct sequence initiated. All personal must evacuate. Destruction in 5 minutes."

Looking out the door they are facing a large fence (7 feet high), the one that surrounds the entire compound.

Riley: Right, now we could either climb the fence, or I could try and make a hole in it, or we could just follow the building round and just hope that the guards are all too distracted by the self-destruct timer?

Joshua: If you can make a hole in the fence that might be the quickest way out.

Riley pulled a well-used pen-knife out of his pocket and was soon cutting through the fence. He didn't have long, the timer was counting down to zero. On getting through the hole, everybody ran.

BOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!

The ground shook as the entire building exploded, showering the area around it with rubble. BOSS's reign of environmental terror was over.

Back at the engine house, Waldo and Marty were shaken by the sudden explosion. Waldo ran outside and then continued to watch in horror as long trenches began to appear in the surrounding area as the ground sunk into them.

From the direction of the Global Chemicals building, a group of people, led by Riley, came running towards him. They avoided the trenches and eventually got to Waldo. Joshua, Kim and Riley filled him in on recent events.

Riley: My theory is that there must've been explosives planted throughout the mines too. Someone clearly wanted to destroy as much evidence as possible. Hopefully we won't have that maggot problem any longer.(Riley paused) Wasn't Marty with you?

Waldo looked back into the Engine house, but Marty was gone.

Riley: I suspect that there will be a lot of miner's going missing right about now.

Just then a soldier came running down the hill towards them. He saluted Captain Finn before asking him to follow him to the Wholeweal Community. The whole gang followed.

On arriving back at Wholeweal, the team found it surrounded by soldiers and worried-looking hippies. Jones ran over to Nancy.

Jones: My God! What happened?

Nancy: It was terrible! There was this noise coming from your lab. I popped my head in...there were so many rabbits, they were frenzied. I slammed the door shut just as one of them rushed at me. I came out and grabbed the soldiers, but by the time they got here, the rabbits were all dead.

Jones asked the soldiers to let him into his lab. After speaking to Riley, they obliged. On examination, it appeared that the hybrid fungus that he'd been working on, Saliota Orbis, was poisonous to the rabbits. It killed them instantly. Riley arranged for crops of the fungus to be grown around the mines.

After everything settled down, Joshua and his friends decided it was time to leave. As he stood beside Waldo's car, Riley handed Joshua a card emblazoned with the UNIT logo.

Riley: Any time you need any help. Just give us a call.

They all said their goodbyes. Joshua and his friends went home.

That evening, Riley interviewed Elgin at length. Elgin told him everything. How BOSS had been created with good intentions as a way of overseeing the business but soon found a way of manipulating the workers whilst pursuing profit over environmental concerns. Elgin had been growing more and more convinced that Stevens had been having dealings with the local miners after he accidentally walked in on a very tense meeting between Stevens and some of them. He hadn't known exactly what was going on but had a feeling it wasn't legal by the way he was shouted out of Stevens office. He felt lucky to have escaped Global Chemicals alive. Riley thanked him for his time and told him that the explosion would officially be put down as a terrible accident. Elgin assured him he would tell no-one the truth.

It was the early hours of the following morning when Captain Riley Finn finally got into bed. His wife, Sam, stirred briefly before falling back into a deep sleep. It had been a strange day. It felt like it had lasted months, but now it was finally over. He soon drifted off into a peaceful slumber.

THE END