The County Administrator’s words had no time to sink in before I leapt into action and offered my staff the benefit of my advice.

"We must be strong – if you show weakness or fear the Sensorites will take over our minds and leave us helpless" I said. They looked at me with relief on their faces as befits a man and a woman who have a premier quality captain aboard ship.

"Thank goodness you’re all right" said Carol Richmond. "You’ve been standing still for the last six hours. We thought you were dead."

"I have been… er… thinking" I said, nearly covering for what had obviously been a particularly strong wave of mental attack from the Sense Shire. "Planning our next move and possibly the one after that."

"The County Administrator said he would be sending travel machines through space to take us down to the Sense Shire" said Fingers. He appeared rather nervous.

"Something bothering you?" I asked.

"I am worried that I will not know which caste the Sensorites we meet belong to. I mustn’t talk to the lower caste."

"You have such distinctions?" I queried.

"How else do we know what each man is best suited to do?" he replied.

"On Earth we have a saying – all men are equal and mustn’t be judged by their covers because they aren’t books but everywhere they are in chains because some are more equal than others. The same holds true for women" I explained. He looked at me with admiration in his face.

"You have some saliva on your tunic – I think you must’ve dribbled while you were in your coma" he said quietly.

Dear Diary,

The Sensorite travel machines arrived and took us to the surface of the Sense Shire. I did offer a plan of campaign which involved replicating our strategy in the first universe but the others rejected it and I was out voted by four to one. I don’t know how that could’ve happened given that we are a crew of four but even if the extra vote had been cast in my favour it would still have been three votes to two and I am only permitted under INNER regulations to order a casting vote in the event of a tie. I was fighting a lost cause and my plan – which centred around me staying up in the space ship while they went to the surface to sort everything out – was turned down. It worked so well last time too. Oh well, their loss is my… actually it would be my loss as well as if they intend to execute us then I am, ipso facto, one of them. It doesn’t look good but I am loathe to let my crew know the state we’re in.

"Dammit, Butch, I’m a mineralogist not a virgin willing to be stabbed through the chest as part of a pagan ritual. I want valuable ores, not to have my blood supped by midgets. No offence, Fingers."

"None taken – I am content with my diminutive similarity."

There seemed to be nothing else for it. I closed the curtains which separated us from our Sensorite captors and convened an Extraordinary Crew Meeting.

Minutes of the SS Pioneer Staff Meeting

Date : the 28th Century

Present : Captain Maitland, Carol Richmond, the man John and Fingers

Apologies : None save our liberty

Agenda

1. Minutes of the last meeting and action points therein arising.

2. Avoidance of death.

3. Return to the SS Pioneer.

4. Getting lots and lots of minerals

5. Any other business.

Minutes

1. No action points to carry forward as they mostly concerned the now vanquished space genie.

2. CM made it clear that death was not in the best interests of the SS Pioneer, INNER and the department and should be avoided wherever possible.

ACTION POINT – All to avoid being killed.

3. There appears to be no way of escaping the Sense Shire which doesn’t involve the SS Pioneer therefore our success in getting back aboard ship should be made a key performance indicator. The preliminary target is within forty-eight hours though TMJ asked for an executive assurance that this KPI wouldn’t form part of the monthly review as it has not yet been sanity checked by a managerial sub-committee. CM agreed to this but indicated that this preliminary target would form part of the preliminary monthly review. All agreed to this.

ACTION POINT – CM to circulate final return to the pioneer KPI matrix as soon as possible.

4. The man John wished to remind us that our primary goal must be to obtain as many minerals as possible from the Sense Shire as it is a veritable gold mine. CM agreed to make the acquisition of minerals another KPI of this adventure. Exact figures to be determined once we achieve point 3’s KPI and are back aboard the Pioneer.

ACTION POINT – TMJ to run some preliminary estimates past CM to allow a benchmarking prior to final KPI assessment.

5. AOB – F wished to remind everyone that his race is not a violent one and that these Sensorites are probably more afraid of us than we are of them. He also requested that we convey messages to members of the lower caste on his behalf should we meet any of them.

Next meeting –

Chair – Captain Maitland

Minutes – the man John (if alive, Carol Richmond if not)