Moira was the first to notice the shift in gravity. It was only slight, but years of travel had made her able to tell the difference between the gravity of a planet, and the artificial one of a ship.

"We're almost there," she announced in a low voice. Lyn stirred nearby, both of them wedged in amidst the unmarked boxes sitting in the cargo bay.

"Yes, but where is 'there'?" Lyn asked, lazily uncurling herself from her resting position and sitting up.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Moira told her, sounding annoyed. She hated not knowing things.

"What now?" Lyn rubbed her eyes and squinted in the twilight.

"We hide these blankets and sneak out the moment we're on the ground."

"Sneak out? We don't know where we are! We should stay here, and steal the ship or something whilst they're unloading!"

"We're sneaking out," Moira said firmly, already stuffing the blanket she had been lying on down between two crates.

"But why are we leaving? Why won't you tell me what you're doing?" Her companions silence for most of the extremely boring trip had worn her self-control thin, and she was having trouble containing her frustration.

"Because if I'm wrong," Moira hissed angrily, "you want to be able to sleep at night." Having finished hiding her blanket, she strode off into the darkness of the cargo bay.

"What� What's that supposed to mean?!" Lyn called after her, but there was no reply. "Why can't I make that decision? Damn you!" She pounded her fist on the steel crate underneath her, and instantly let out a yelp of pain.

"Oh, fuck you," Lyn muttered, and began angrily shoving the blanket into a gap. If Moira wouldn't tell her, she would have to find out for herself.



Sleep held no refuge for Jessica, trapped in the warm darkness of her prison. Her dreams were filled with claustrophobia and a constant feeling of drowning, leaving her exhausted and weary.

She awoke slowly, uncertain what was real and what was made by her subconscious. The long hours of silence and deprivation wore heavily on her mind, and she could feel her grip on reality slipping, senses dull and distant.

I'm going crazy, she thought to herself. Even the small currents that had been gently running over her bare skin were gone, stealing yet another small amount of stimulus from her. She yearned for something solid, something hard and firm that she could cling to and be certain it was real. But everything around her was soft and slippery, designed purely to keep her safe and secure without any care to her mental health.

She hugged herself in an attempt to feel something, but even the touch of her own skin felt unreal. She brushed her fingers over her soft nipples, but she felt almost nothing, and it both frightened and confused her.

Gritting her teeth, she violently pinched the nipple in her fingers. There was a slight resistance, and then as clear as daylight she felt the sharp pain of her nails biting into the soft flesh. It hurt like hell, and she began roughly massaging her breast, cringing in pain even as she felt the joy of knowing she was alive.

But it still didn't feel right. Her nipple throbbed angrily, but as she rubbed the soft flesh she didn't feel the expected touch of her own skin. There was pressure, but no contact, and it confused her for a moment.

Still feeling her breast, Jessica's heart sank as she realised there was something covering her skin, like a thin layer of something slimy. She could feel it covering her fingers when she rubbed them over the nipple she had pinched, and she felt both disgusted and violated by her new torment.

Her jaw rigid with determination, she began clawing at her belly, nails slicing through the film easily. Her now exposed skin felt strange to her, and she realised that the slime was the reason her sense of touch felt dull, not because she was loosing contact with reality.

She began laughing in relief as she cleared the slime from her fingers, bringing the reassuring touch of her own skin to her. As she cleared her breasts she could feel the freely floating slime brush against her bare skin. She smiled and moved her hand quickly through the cloud, relishing such simple sensations as the tiny pieces hitting her palm.

She breathed in then, sucking in a chest of liquid. The cloud shifted towards her face as she did, and with a cold feeling she realised that she would now have to breathe the liquid she had polluted. Her lips snapped shut and she held her breath, desperation welling up within her. The liquid meant she couldn't hold her breath as long as in air, and it only took seconds before she started to feel dizzy. With no other choice, she took a deep, shuddering breath, grimly trying to catch the bigger pieces with her teeth.

But the slime that floated freely around her rapidly dissolved, and soon she was unable to feel it with her fingers. The knowledge provided Jessica with no comfort though. Even if she was to clear her entire body it wouldn't help; as soon as she lay still it would start covering her again, insulating her from the real world and stealing her only remaining sense.

Curling into a ball, she began crying softly, the realities of her prison too much to bear. She yearned for freedom, but she had no idea how long a rescue would take, or even if she would be sane enough to notice.

She pushed the thought away, telling herself firmly that she would stay herself as long as it took. She could count sheep� or spend time thinking about her Kevin�

Gritting her teeth, Jessica shook her head. She was fairly certain that Lyn was outside somewhere, and was hopefully searching for a way to help her out. All she had to do was survive until then, and everything would be fine.

Her thoughts stopped as with no warning her world lurched, throwing her violently against the soft side. She barely had time to panic before another jolt sent her bouncing off the roof. Their softness meant it didn't hurt, but the sudden unexplained motion terrified her, and it took several seconds before she was able to brace herself with her arms and legs.

Her heart thumping, she tried not to cry as she curled up in the darkness, knees and elbows wedged against the roof. Her helplessness was terrifying, but not knowing where she was being taken scared her even more.

She felt like a fish, being shaken about in a plastic bag on the way to its new home.



Crouched near the entrance to the cargo bay, Lyn and Moira watched as the man with a forklift-like machine manoeuvred in for the first set of containers.

"Where are they going?" he called to his partner, who was busy using the crane that ran the length of the bay to move a large, steel crate.

"Just stick them in the usual place," he shouted back. "Oh, and they want one set aside for use immediately, so get one ready when you're done."

"Got it; I'll use one of these." The forklift whined as it lifted the first two containers into the air, wobbling briefly as their contents sloshed around inside.

"Get ready to move soon," Moira whispered, her eyes following them over the top of the pile of crates they were hiding behind.

"Do you even know where we are?" Lyn whispered back hotly, still continuing her quest to get information out of the Mistress.

"I have a few ideas," Moira replied, her tone warning against any more questions.

"That's really helpful," Lyn muttered.

"Right about now," Moira said to herself, staring intently at the crane.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Lyn hissed through gritted teeth.

As if on cue, the crate which was previously swinging gently from the crane suddenly dropped, slamming to the ground with a deafening crash.

"FUCK!" someone yelled over the din, and seconds later the man with the forklift was running up the ramp into the cargo bay towards the crane, its cable rapidly unwinding from the winch to pile up on top of the crate.

"Let's go," Moira announced, vaulting over the crates to dash for the open bay door.

"D�Did you�?" Lyn spluttered in shock, staring as the two men tried to work out how to stop the sabotaged winch. "W�Wait!" Scrambling to her feet, she leapt over the crates after her.

"Quickly," the red-eyed Dominant hissed, crouching low at the top of the ramp and looking over her shoulder. They hadn't been seen yet, but it would only take one glance and it would be over.

"Calm down," Lyn whispered to her once they were together again.

Moira gave her an indecipherable look before hurrying down the ramp, the thick rubber soles of her suit almost soundless against the steel. Lyn followed closely, her eyes widening as she surveyed the loading bay.

It was a large, rectangular room, easily encompassing the bulk of the cargo ship at one end. Above them the roof was closed, the powerful motors that moved it still cooling after their effort. Powerful lights were spread evenly across its surface, illuminating the entire area. It wasn't the fact that the bay was empty of other ships that made Lyn uneasy, but the fact that it looked like there had never actually been any other ships in it.

The grey walls were featureless excepting a large cargo door at either end, lacking the usual ramps and catwalks that allowed quick access to a ship for repairs. There were no terminals, no machines, no guards, nothing. As she reached the bottom of the ramp, she realised that if the cargo ship were to leave, the entire room would be completely empty.

"There's no cover here," Moira said shortly, already heading directly for the nearest door.

"What the hell is this place?" Lyn hissed, having to work to keep up with the pace Moira was setting.

"A landing bay," she replied.

"You don't believe that any more than I do," Lyn replied hotly.

Moira reached the heavy steel door first, and went straight for the small panel beside it. Lyn barely had time to reach her side before she had the front of the panel off and was peering behind it, studying the arrangement of wires behind it.

"This place is weird," Lyn muttered. "It looks more like� like�"

The panel in Moira's hands beeped loudly, and with a low hiss of hydraulics the door began to slide open.

"Like it's a façade?" Moira suggested, carelessly shoving the panel back into its socket.

"Like it was built yesterday," Lyn finished, leaning in to study the panel that was now glowing an angry red.

Moira sniffed dismissively and strode off to the slowly widening gap between the two halves of the door. She knew she would have to tell Lyn what was happening eventually, but she still maintained a small hope that she was wrong, that Guy had heeded her advice.

"It wasn't built yesterday was it?" Lyn asked, walking slowly to the entrance.

"No," Moira said softly, eyeing the gloom beyond.

"Finally, an answer!" she exclaimed in mock triumph.

Moira stepped through, triggering the lights by her presence. There was a momentary flicker, and then they shone brightly, illuminating the passage in sickly green.

"Why are the lights green?" Lyn asked slowly, shivering at the horrible colour.

"You can still get back to the cargo ship," Moira told her, the green lights hiding the sudden paleness of her face. "It'll be safer there for you."

"I'm not a child," Lyn snapped, anger briefly overcoming her unease. Moira turned and stared at her, and Lyn felt herself go cold at the deadly seriousness she saw in her eyes.

"I'm coming," Lyn said slowly, surprising her self with the steadiness of her voice.

Silently Moira nodded, and together they stepped into the passage.



Trying to keep herself from worrying about Susan, Julie walked slowly through the gardens that surrounded Simeon's home. The air was cold and sharp, and she found herself looking up at the clouds that covered the sky, wondering if it would snow again. She doubted it though, as it was almost at the end of winter.

She glanced sideways, a slight frown crossing her face as Celina brushed against her shoulder. The other girl didn't seem to notice though; her eyes remained wide and searching, trying to absorb everything at once. Julie couldn't help comparing her to Kate who, whilst seeming brighter now that she was outside, was nowhere near the bubbly friend she remembered.

"Is it normally this noisy outside?" Celina asked suddenly, glancing across at Julie.

"Noisy?" Julie turned in confusion.

"Yeah� noise from the trees." She imitated the sound of a bird chirping.

"Oh! That's just a bird!"

Celina looked thoughtful for a moment. "They fly, right?"

"Yep," Julie replied weakly. The gaps in Celina's knowledge of the world still surprised her. It was hard to believe she had never been on a planet before.

Having avoided the gardens ever since her encounter with Shadow, it came as a shock to see a painfully familiar fountain come into view right in front of her. Seeing past it to where she had lain with Trig, the fragmented memories of that terrifying night took on a new clarity. Everything looked so different during the day and without any snow, but she knew exactly where it was, and the thoughts made her shiver.

"What's that?" Celina asked, gesturing to the concrete construction.

"It's called a fountain," Julie explained distractedly. "It's� a decoration."

"It's great!" She left Julies' side for the first time since coming outside and began to walk quickly around the edge of the pool the fountain sat in, her eyes sparkling as much as the water was.

Julie sighed to herself, letting the gentle ripples in the water distract her. Kate came up and put an arm around her, sensing her Mistresses mood. Coming here reminded her of Shadow, and of what she could become if she chose to.

Slightly on edge, she looked up from the pool as something moved out the corner of her eye. She half expected it to be Shadow returning for revenge, so it came as a surprise to see the tall, strong figure of her father step through the trees.

Once she recovered from the initial shock, she noticed that the serious look he had on his face wasn't directed at her. Following his gaze, she found Celina staring back at him from the other side of the fountain, her face pale.

"Celina�" Julie said slowly, and then turned back to Seth. "�Dad?" The word felt strange as it came off her tongue. She felt Kate's arm around her tighten slightly, but whether it was possessiveness or because she had never met Seth, Julie was uncertain.

"I'm glad to see you're all okay," Seth said, smiling suddenly and looking over to Julie. Crouching down, he sat the stack of folders in his arms down on the paving around the fountain.

"Hello Kate," he said with a smile. Kate mumbled an inaudible greeting in reply, studying the man who was her Mistresses father with a mixture of fascination and fear.

"How is Susan?" Sitting down on the edge of the pool around the fountain, he patted the paving and looked expectantly at his daughter.

"She's been better," Julie told him, approaching cautiously. She had a strong feeling like she was being watched, and it was growing with every moment. The air seemed strange, the skin at the back of her neck prickling, and her tension was showing in the way Kate was looking around nervously.

"She'll be okay in a day or two, don't worry. Just give her time."

"What's going on?" Julie demanded suddenly, looking directly at him. He laughed gently, but it sounded forced.

"Your mother was always good at telling when there was something wrong."

Julie stared back silently, and after a few seconds Seth sighed heavily and looked down at the paving.

"I'm going to have to stay here for a few days," he told her levelly.

"What?!" she exclaimed, immediately thinking of Simeon's reaction to her father being in the house. "Why do you have to stay here?"

Seth looked up at her for a moment, gauging her reaction. Perhaps he shouldn't tell her about the others just yet�

"Because Guy, the leader of the station you were on, is currently in the process of destroying my previous residence." He sighed inwardly; it had never been a home for him, just somewhere to stay.

Julie narrowed her eyes at him. "Why would he want to do that?"

"Because�" He glanced sideways at Celina. "Because I'm one of the leaders of a group who oppose what he's doing," he explained.

A million questions came into Julies' head. What were they opposing exactly? Why did this 'Guy' want with her?

"Where is the rest of the group?" she asked flatly, the strange feelings suddenly making sense. Was she sensing the portals opening and closing nearby?

Seth looked up at her and smiled sheepishly.

"I hope your boyfriend doesn't mind too much."

"I�" she began, trailing off. Her shoulders slumped, and she sat down heavily beside him with Kate.

"Why can't the world leave me in peace?" she whispered.

"I'm sorry," Seth said sincerely. "I've tried my best to protect you, but� there are things that are more important."

"Like what?" Julie asked, on the verge of tears. "What's so important that you have to� to attract the people who want to� who want me!"

"I can't tell you that," he told her sadly. "I can tell you that you're safe though."

"How?" she sobbed, and looked up at him. "How can you be sure?" Seth smiled wryly.

"We're safe because they're having troubles getting their portal generator to work."

"But�" Her expression brightened slightly as she realised he was probably responsible for the sabotage. "Can't they use a ship instead?"

"They could," Seth conceded. "But ships need big portals, and that size is easily detectable from here. By the time you were in any danger, we could be a safe distance away."

"R�Really?" she stammered, wiping the tears from her eyes with her sleeve. "You mean� I've been worrying for nothing?"

"You didn't look too worried, out here just the two of you," he pointed out. Julie looked suddenly very worried.

"Oh no, I didn't tell Trig I was coming out here!" She scrabbled to her feet, looking at him urgently. "If he sees any of your friends, he's going to panic when he can't find me!"

She dashed off in the direction of the house, shoes slapping loudly against the paving.

"Julie!" Kate called out, and ran off after her.

"Wait!" Seth cried at the departing girls, glancing at his wrist device. It only took a moment to see that the trip from the base to Earth had depleted most of its remaining energy, and it would take a few hours to be able to go anywhere with it.

"Can you help me with these?" he asked Celina, leaning over to pick up the folders.

Her face white, Celina stared at him for a long moment. Then slowly, she approached and took half the pile from him.

"Thanks." Standing slowly, he maintained eye contact with her.

"Do you have any idea what is in these?" she asked slowly.

"I've had a brief look at one or two," he said knowingly.

"Will you tell her� about me?" Celina looked like she was on the verge of tears again, preparing to beg and offer anything to keep her secrets.

"You know," Seth said slowly, "if they were to lose the picture in this file, they would never know it was you�" Lifting the top folder off the stack, he casually swapped it with one from Celina.

Celina stared at the folder in silence for a second, before slowly opening the top. Her cheeks turned red at the image of her naked and standing tall that was clipped to the very top. It was a clear shot, but a quick flick through confirmed it was the only one of her in there.

She glanced at Seth once, and then being careful, she folded the picture in half and then pulled it free to slot it quickly into her pocket.

"Thank you," she whispered, forcing calm into her voice.

"My pleasure," he told her softly.

"Do� do you really think I can start a new life here?" She looked up at him, her eyes glistening with tears.

"I hope so," he told her, trying to keep the uncertainty he felt from his words. The knowledge she had was undeniably dangerous, but as far as he could tell from the information they had intercepted, Guy didn't care that she was missing, and it confused him. Was she a ticking time-bomb, waiting to betray them all? Or was it something else?

Shaking his head slightly, he shifted the weight of the folders and started off in the direction Julie had gone. Celina patted her pocket to ensure the photo was secure, before following after him, her expression brighter.