In Kirkhaven, Dr Vickers has been working flat out treating the townspeople. Shortly after he leaves the very ill Jenny Marchant, she is abducted by the nDs. An elated Preston reports her findings to Reece. They need a living subject to test it on. Tucker volunteers herself, despite Drake's protests. DS Holland makes the connection between Friday and the body in the reservoir. She calls Radcliffe to identify him. Preston and Stewart begin to examine him, realising that he must have been carrying something in his blood. Jenny Marchant is returned by the nDs, confused, but otherwise seeming healthy. An examination reveals that someone has accessed all her veins. Both Vickers and Holland draw a blank. Tucker and Drake head for Kirkhaven. Preston is receiving regular samples from Tucker on which she is conducting trials of potential nD toxins. Working together, they deduce what is happening: the disease was carried by Friday and spread via the water. It causes the side effects that manifest themselves in symptoms of the illness. Marchant was 'cured' because the nDs drained off the serotonin. The terrible truth dawns on Tucker, the nDs are farming us. They need our brain chemicals to run their advanced biotechnology. She is to be part of this plan as well a shepherd to mind the giant farm. Alone, Drake and Tucker digest what they have learned. She rejects him again, terrified of what she may be turning in to. As he wanders pensively through Kirkhaven he meets Holland, who invites him home with her. In their conversation, it emerges there is a shortage of men in Kirkhaven. This registers with Drake and he calls Radcliffe to check out the statistics. Holland tries to seduce him, but all he can think about is Tucker and he runs back to her. She is moved to see him and they make love. Radcliffe finds that the population statistics are relevant. The nDs have been manipulating the gender of selected communities, of which Kirkhaven is only one, feminising them in an attempt to produce humans who could be made to reproduce asexually. Nick manages to invent a detector that gives advance warning of an nD portal about to open. Delighted with this edge, Knox pushes Reece to give the order to move in on Kirkhaven. Reece is reluctant and his team realise that they haven't got the reinforcements they need. In Kirkhaven, Tucker and Drake realise that the toxin is working. Her stigma is finally starting to heal as normal human flesh. The toxin is manufactured and loaded into ammunition. With the twin advantages of the toxin and detector, the unit moves in on Kirkhaven, repelling the nDs as they come for the townspeople. After the attack, there is silence, and the toxin appears to be working. Preston proposes a sure fire means of getting the toxin to the whole of the nD civlisation: delivering it to them via the townspeople. Reluctantly, Reece give the order for her to proceed. Reece calls Bentley in again to witness the nDs coming back for the townspeople. He is convinced and orders reinforcements to be sent. After a still night, they dare to believe that the toxin is working. As they wait, Nick's detector blips. The signal goes off the scale. Dismayed, they look out to see that a vast, threatening structure has appeared above the town. The nDs have stepped up their campaign again.

Full URL?