Biggles works it out

ALGAE POTENTIAL AS AVIATION FUEL
—news item

Air Sergeant Biggles was worried. He took a cigarette
and tapped it thoughtfully on the table. ‘Look here,
Ginger,’ he said. ‘Noticed anything strange about Algae
lately?’

Ginger Hebblethwaite stretched his long limbs and smiled
mirthlessly.

‘Can’t say I have, old chap. What’s the problem?’

‘No problem,’ muttered Biggles reflectively. ‘It’s just
that he doesn’t quite seem himself these days.’

Ginger cocked an eyebrow. ‘Come to think of it,’ he
said, ‘the fellow does look a bit green about the gills.’

‘Precisely,’ responded Biggles, flicking ash into Ginger's
lap. ‘I’m wondering if he’s up to the next op. It could be
dicey work.’

‘You may be right,’ mused Ginger. ‘But—

The door flew open and there was Algae, still with that
merry gleam in his eye that the Hun had learned to fear,
still with the same rakish tilt to his moustache, but
somehow…different.

‘I say, you chaps—‘ he began, then faltered. Some organic
change was taking place in him. He seemed to be
dissolving. Biggles shot a sharp look at Ginger. Both men
leapt to their feet, but too late. Suddenly, all that
remained of Algae was a puddle of green slime.

‘This is no time for party tricks!’ rapped Ginger, but
Biggles silenced him with a stern gesture.

'No, wait!' he ejaculated. 'Waste not, want not! There
could be a use for Algae yet. If we could just harness the
potential energy here...'

Biggles' mind was working fast. Already, in his
imagination, the Bigglesworth Bioflow Corporation was
becoming a reality. Ginger looked at Biggles admiringly.
He had to hand it to him. And he did. It was very slimy,
though, and he washed his hands thoroughly afterwards.