Bill and Qu Mi, the duo known candidly as World News 808909, hit the road again.

Another show in paradise, playing mostly to the cactuses sitting lifeless in the sand. And while the gigs weren’t exactly selling well, the most recent involving two hecklers demanding "more guitars", the duo were buoyed by the fact that they were only slightly in the red for the tour thus far.

Speeding across the Arbusto Marchito in a fully loaded semi-truck – a big rig – the pair knew exactly where they were headed... “Lacey Lucy’s.”

If you didn't already know, Lacey’s – "the last stop in town" – is a truck stop, motel and bar in the middle of nowhere and at the crossroads to everywhere. It’s a great place to rest, fill up the tank and smash a beer or two in between the endless hours of driving.

The sun was hot but cooling as it set. As it fell the sky became a blanket of brilliant orange and purple, with the heat causing barren mountains to flutter in the distance as it warped the air in-between.

The thing with Lacey Lucy’s was, if you knew how to ask, you could get pretty much anything you wanted there…

A fresh tank of gas.

A dive into a cool pool of water.

A prescription for spice.

A pair of eyes looking back at yours.

Or perhaps something a little more dangerous?!

Bill had once met a guy at the bar who swore that Lacey's was run by witches. Knowing the superstitious nature of Qu, he had decided quite sensibly never to mention it to him. Why worry him?

Eager to get there, Bill drove like an arrow towards their destination while Qu sat contently in the passenger seat on "watch duty". What they were watching for exactly, neither knew, nor had they really ever discussed it, not even since Bill acquired the gun.

You see, a few days earlier when they stopped for gas, Bill had stepped inside to pay when a dusty, 70-something guy startled him by shouting – “Number?”

Taken slightly aback, Bill shot a glance through the blinds of the window towards the pumps...

“That one there!” he had said, pointing at the only semi-truck, which for that matter was the only vehicle of any kind in sight.

“Do you know the number to call if you get into trouble out here?” the old man muttered over the counter discontentedly.

He had blonde hair, like a scarecrow, but with a taught button up plaid shirt and a pair of oversized jeans. He certainly didn’t seem modern, but he gave the impression that he knew how to take care of himself.

Feeling slightly concerned and realising he needed to diffuse the weirdness, Bill laughed unconvincingly and said – “Look buddie, we’ve got a long drive ahead. I don’t mean to be rude, but can you just tell me how much it is?”

Barely adjusting his gaze, the cashier leaned forwards in slow motion and whispered - “I see you boys out there, not drawing attention to yourselves or anything.”

He shot Bill a sudden, piercing glance with the weight of a thousand daggers.

“And I’m just a good guy trying to keep people safe in these parts because hell, lately, I got to. You don’t just travel across the Arbusto without no protection. They say it’s cursed, and hell, when it doesn’t rain for 34 years in a place, that sounds like a curse to me."

His mouth curled into a dry smile as he raised a mid-sized weapon with a wooden stock above the counter.

"You can take the rifle for 50.”

Bill knew full well that there was always something lurking around an unsuspecting corner to cause an inconvenience – be it human, plant, animal, insect or a serious weather system.

The mountains were rushing closer alongside the truck windows now, looming jagged, raised like red cliffs from the earth’s floor.

After what felt like hours, Bill felt the sun slowly begin to creep over the horizon again, illuminating the sky for enchanting panoramic views.

They were almost there! Qu had his fingers firmly crossed that Alexandrité would be working today. They had met just once before where Qu had fallen for her elegant but fierce charm. He was certainly known to play with fire.

Alexandrité had long, silky dark hair with a soft face and sharp energy. She was so calm that it felt like you could probably run her over and it wouldn’t phase her… she’d just glide away like she did when serving tables at the main bar.

Whenever he got close, Bill always felt like he could hear the electric hum of the reddy-pink neon light above the entrance to Lacey Lucy's, even from a few miles away.

The sign really was quite a feat - a 15-foot Lucy, wearing a long dress with one leg extended, but then the neon lights alternate ever few seconds revealing a rather raunchy leg as she pulls up her skirt to the knee and simultaneously slams a shot of tequila!

As the motel complex and hot tubs finally came into sight, World News parked up and walked into the office to check themselves in.

The hum of the neons was so vibrant, even first thing in the morning, that it felt like walking into an electrical storm. Had they known what was to come, they surely would have turned around and fled right there and then...

Another World was written by World News (Bembridge, Cooksley, Mitchell).

Alexandrité was mixed by Brandon Bak (Possum, Kali Horse, Ooz). Lot Lizard was mixed by Josh Korody (Breeze, Nailbiter, Tess Parks). Another World was mastered by Asher Gould-Murtagh.

The cover for the Another World project created from concept artwork by artist Lisa Westwood.