|
|
| Line 1: |
Line 1: |
| {{title dab away}} | | {{title dab away}} |
| {{real world}} | | {{real world}} |
| {{Infobox Story | | {{Infobox Story SMW |
| |main character = [[Bernice Summerfield]] | | |main character = [[Bernice Summerfield]] |
| |featuring = | | |featuring = |
| |setting = | | |setting = |
| |writer = [[Ian Farrington]] | | |writer = Ian Farrington |
| |anthology= ''[[Something Changed (anthology)|Something Changed]]'' | | |anthology= Something Changed (anthology) |
| | |release date= 3 January 2006 |
| |series = ''[[Bernice Summerfield (series)|Bernice Summerfield]]'' short stories | | |series = ''[[Bernice Summerfield (series)|Bernice Summerfield]]'' short stories |
| |prev = Showing Initiative (short story) | | |prev = Showing Initiative (short story) |
| |next = Back and There Again (short story) | | |next = Back and There Again (short story) |
| |release date=[[3 January (releases)|3 January]] [[2006 (releases)|2006]]
| |
| }}{{prose stub}} | | }}{{prose stub}} |
| '''''A Murderous Desire''''' was the eleventh story in the [[Bernice Summerfield]] anthology ''[[Something Changed (anthology)|Something Changed]]''. It was written by [[Ian Farrington]]. | | '''''A Murderous Desire''''' was the eleventh story in the [[Bernice Summerfield]] anthology ''[[Something Changed (anthology)|Something Changed]]''. It was written by [[Ian Farrington]]. |
| Line 18: |
Line 18: |
|
| |
|
| == Plot == | | == Plot == |
| The history machine functions flawlessly, as the glaring white glow is revealed to be the Big Bang; nevertheless, Benny feels that something has gone very wrong. Braxiatel arranges for Doggles to be sequestered in private quarters to give him a break from the media attention, but Benny gets in to visit him, fearing what might happen should the history machine get out onto the open market. Unfortunately, this means that she’s the last person to see him before Braxiatel announces that Doggles has been found beaten to death. The history machine has also been destroyed, which means that they can’t use it to watch the murder -- and since Adrian’s new security protocols are in place, only a member of staff could have been able to commit the crime. Benny is the prime suspect, since the guards heard her arguing with Doggles before she left. Bev tells Benny that she was with Adrian at the time of the murder, but Adrian inadvertently contradicts her later, and Joseph then catches Bev stealing Benny’s diary from her rooms. When Braxiatel assembles the suspects together, Benny points out these discrepancies in Bev’s behaviour, but Braxiatel reveals that Bev lied about her whereabouts because she was in fact carrying out a secret errand for him. Benny’s diary entries don’t mention her argument with Doggles, she has only been able to defend herself by throwing suspicion on Bev -- and Braxiatel reveals that Doggles in fact survived his injuries, and has now come out of his coma and identified Benny as his assailant. Benny insists that Doggles’ history machine would have destroyed their understanding of history and the concept of personal privacy, but the others realise that she was in fact driven by a fear that archaeology would become a redundant discipline and that she’d lose her job. Braxiatel has no choice but to turn her over to the Interplanetary Police -- but Hass attacks Braxiatel to protect her, since Benny was his first and only friend on the Collection. Bev is forced to shoot and kill Hass to save Braxiatel’s life, leaving Benny to bear the guilt for his unnecessary death.
| | ''to be added'' |
|
| |
|
| == Characters == | | == Characters == |
