Title: Adrift
Chapter: Two
Author: squeezynz@free.net.nz
Rating: PG

...........Anchor's Away..........

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From the first unsettling shift of the ship as the water lifted it from the earth, to their current tossing to and fro, it had been a roughest ride of anyones experience. Strapped into their seats, the occupants of the passenger cabin could only try to relax and roll with the violent lurches and jerky movements of the spaceship as it wallowed and foundered amongst the debris being swept along in the flood. Numerous thumps could be heard as unknown objects collided with the hull, the sound becoming a steady background noise along with the continuous swirl of water as wave after wave battered the tiny craft. The side windows showed only a swirling mass of dirty water and Mark wasn't about to unstrap his safety harness to inspect the pontoons or monitor their performance.

Fitzhugh was convinced his last hour had come. Gritting his teeth he flexed his hands where they held a death grip on the leather of his flight chair arm. The constant rock and roll was testing even his strong stomach and a sweat started to break out on his forehead as the ship lurched sickening, as if plunging to the depth's of the earth.

"How much longer must we endure this!" he moaned, mopping his forehead before clamping his hand back onto the arm of his chair. Across the aisle, Valerie sat with her head pressed back into the headrest, her teeth clenched and eyes closed. Every jolt and jerk brought a grimace to her face, all the muscles tensing up until she felt her neck was never going to be able to bend her head. Her fingers were so tightly gripping the leather that, when she flexed them for a second, the fabric was marked with deep crescents from her nails. Fitzhugh's moans were barely audible over the crash of the water against the side of the Spindrift and Valerie bit down hard on her lip to prevent a scream of pure terror from forcing its way out of her lungs. Nausea was also starting to make its presence felt, but several hard swallows kept the spectre of disgracing herself less of a worry. Mind you, Valerie thought, if the ship doesn't stop pitching soon, that could change, real fast.

Things were not much better in the cockpit with Dan and Steve being thrown around as much as their passengers with only one difference, they had a grandstand view of what was happening to the ship. Dan had suggested they close the heat-shields, but Steve had dismissed that, wanting to keep their view clear. Their headlong pace had slowed fractionally and Steve had attempted to use the landing flaps to try and steer the ship but the force of the water was still too strong and so far his attempts had proved fruitless. His only consolation was that the outrigger pontoons appeared to be working well, despite the ships motion being too erratic to really appreciate how well. They had also managed to avoid any major collision which, given the density of the trees, was, in Steve's mind, a minor miracle. Every time they came dangerously near to one of the massive tree trunks the water simply banked up and swirled the ship cleanly around it, never coming too close to cause a collision. A glance over at his co-pilot during one of their near misses showed Dan sitting rigidly in his chair, eyes tightly closed and teeth clenched. Steve didn't blame him, he'd have liked to shut his eyes a few times as well while the Spindrift continued to be swept along in the rushing flood waters.

Looking at the clock on the control panel in front of him, Steve realised they'd been travelling for over an hour, with no sign of the water's receding or slowing down. How far they had travelled was being displayed on the console beside him and Steve began to wonder if they would soon exit the woods and enter the suburbs surrounding the parklands. The altimeter showed that the water was still rising and Steve paused to wonder how the Giant's were faring.

The nose of the Spindrift suddenly crested and the viewport was washed clear of debris, giving Dan and Steve a clear view ahead. In the distance they could see a line of waves breaking, the white caps crashing back on each other in a break-line. Dan cried out and pointed to the cause of the back-wash.

"I see it Dan, a cliff or something,"

"Steve....how are we going to avoid smashing against that ?"

"I think its time we tried those steering flaps again, if we can veer the ship into the current maybe we can ride the waves across the face of the cliff,"

"Done much surfing lately Steve ?" quiped Dan, his face pale but resolute.

"Piece of cake Dan, just try and steer her away from that breakline,"

The two men labored to bring the ship around, the controls sluggish and slow. Gradually the Spindrift shifted into the position that Steve thought would be optimal. Just as he had them lined up to surf the back-wash, a piece of flotsam thumped against the hull and shifted their direction drastically to the right.

"It's too far Steve, we're heading straight for the rock..." shouted Dan over the thunderous water rushing past the viewport.

"Keep trying Dan, we have to get her nose up and ride this curve!"

As the sheer rock face loomed over their heads, Steve and Dan battled the wash and managed to regain limited control as the ship sped inexorably towards potential disaster. The first of the back wash hit the bow of the Spindrift and acted like a brake, slamming everyone into their harnasses, the nose plowing under the water then bobbing back up as the force of the water behind pushed the ship forward again, albeit significantly slowed. Dan and Steve could only watch as the rush of water carried their craft high up the rock wall, the pontoons scraping a they flew past, the water frothing beside them. Several thumps and scrapes testified to their near miss but they soon found themselves staring down a long slope of water that would ultimately carry them along and down the face of the rock wall, all the time gathering speed. A tree in front of them was spliting the downward flow of water into two torrents, rapids swirling over the trees roots in a series of dips and hollows.

"Brace yourself Dan, this'll be a bumpy ride,"

"No problem Steve....but if I clench my teeth any tighter my jaw will crack,"

"Ya know Dan, they never told us about white water rafting in flight school,"

"Guess we can write a whole new chapter in this ships operational manual when we get back," quiped Dan, grinning across at Steve.

Before Steve could respond the ship lurched into a nose dive and they hit the first of a series of rapids, the ship bobbing through each dip and dive like a rollercoaster. Muffled cries of alarm from the passenger cabin echoed those from Dan and Steve as the violent movements of the ship threatened to tear all of them from their seats. After a nerve wracking session of peaks and hollows the Sprindrift shot out of the rapids and bobbed serenely on the surface as the water carried it further and further into the depths of the trees.

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"I think you should see these readings Sherik, they seem to correspond with your predictions....to the letter,"

Reaching over, the tall brunette tore a sheet off the printer, her forehead creased in a frown as she continued to peruse the figures while crossing the room to the man seated behind a cluttered desk. Looking up, she smiled briefly at the man before handing over the long printout of paper, waiting for his reaction.

"If these figures are right Tam, we'll be able to maintain at least seventy five percent control, which is way beyond my original calculations," said Sherik, his eyes running down the long list of figures before finally lifting and meeting the excited gaze of the woman standing in front of him.

"I think this is cause for celebration Professor, shall I get us something to drink ?"

"Don't be premature Tam, we only have one specimen to work with so far, we know there are more,"

"Well....yes, but the results with the new modifications of the Nephoscope have proved one hundred percent successful,"

"Don't lose sight of our goals here Tam, this isn't just about acquiring new techonology, or even perfecting our own." Pausing, Sherik interlaced his fingers where they rested on the desk top. "We are in this to gain ultimate control....complete control over this machine, to show those in positions of power that I mean business. I won't be ignored anymore. We have delayed long enough, it is time we launched outself out into the greatest unknown."

"Oh I don't think anyone can ignore or will forget what you have achieved Sherik, you only have to listen to the radio to realise your latest tests have been spectacular in achieving your goal of getting our Council Leaders to sit up and take notice!"

"Good, but we still have to find the companions of our trail-blazing traveller....by the way, how is our latest addition to the zoo ?"

Walking over to the bank of monitors arranged to cover one of the walls, Sherik's assistant, a bespeckled man called Sarn, reached up and switched one on, the screen flaring into life and revealing the grainy image of a female figure lying on the floor of a room.

"Thank you Sarn, please inform the team that their latest test has been a resounding success...we'll take a break for now and resume tomorrow,"

"As you wish, Professor." said Sarn, bowing his head in acknowledgement." Will you be needing me any more tonight ?"

"No thank you Sarn, but be here bright and earlier, we need to resume our search as soon as possible,"

"Of course, goodnight Professor.....Tam,"

The man and woman watched as Sarn turned from the bank of monitors and left the room, closing the door behind him with an audible click. Letting go a long sigh, the woman folded her arms across her chest and turned to look at the darkly handsome man behind the desk.

"I don't know why you keep him on Sherik, you know he's only staying because of your promise of a place on the crew when this project reaches its conclusion,"

"But Tam, I also pay very well, and Sarn is nothing if not loyal to his employer, he would do anything I asked of him," said Sherik, rising to his feet and walking around the desk to have a closer look at the monitor. "Plus he has his uses."

Shrugging her shoulders, Tam turned and walked back to the row of computers and printers, some of them still spewing information into waiting collection baskets.

"I have a ton of work to do on collating these figures before I see my bed tonight Sherik, if you're not in the mood to celebrate I'll take this paperwork to my office and get to work,"

"Fine Tam, thank you for your efforts with the Nephoscope. Nephology is such a new field I'd be lost without your excellent interpretation of the information it provides." Turning to look at his companion, Sherik smiled broadly, receiving an answering smile in return.

"You're a rogue Sherik....must be why I stick around," said Tam, gathering up a stack of printouts and clutching them to her chest.

Gesturing nochalantly, Sherik waved his companion out,"Of course it is Tam, now don't over work yourself, I need you tomorrow,"

"Goodnight Sherik, I'll check-in on our new arrival if you like ?"

"No, I'll do that, Goodnight,"

Turning back to the monitor, the man gazed intently at the figure on the screen, one hand pulling absently at the small black goatee that straggled to a point below his chin. Won't be long now, Sherik thought to himself, not long before I add your companions and their knowledge to my database, then we'll have what we need to start our own intergalactic explorations. Sleep well Little People, I'll have you in my posession....soon.

Turning abruptly away from the monitor, the man walked briskly over to the desk and pressed a button on a control panel. Behind him a concealed door swung open and Sherik walked through it, the door swinging shut silently behind him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After four hours of steady progress the Spindrift had finally been disgorged into a broad lake, the current still carrying them at a swift pace but more gently now they had left the influence of the forest. They had briefly passed through what appeared to have been the back gardens of several houses once they left the trees behind, but just as swiftly the flood waters had carried its cargo of flotsam over a small weir and into the lake. Steve couldn't tell if the lake was part of a larger water system or just a flooded field, either way they were still moving forward but no longer pitching and tossing. With the calmer water both the cabin crew and the passengers had decided to free themselves from their harnasses and stretch overstressed muscles while attending to more basic needs. The ship still rolled from side to side but Mark's pontoons did a good job of keeping the whole craft relatively stable.

Chipper was finally calm after being let out of his restrictive travelling basket. When Barry had freed him, the little dog had bounded around the cabin licking every one he could, his delight in being free infectious, causing more than a few smiles, helping to relax tense nerves. Valerie had busied herself getting a meal organised and a hot drink, all to aware that she would normally have had Betty by her side. The continued absence of the bubbly flight attendant was eating away at her, their inability to find any trace of Betty a constant source of guilt and anxiety. Wiping away her tears, Valerie turned to carry a tray out to the cabin but stopped abruptly when she realised there was someone standing directly behind her.

"I came to see if I could help," said Mark, noting the red eyes and flushed face. Looking down in embarrasment, Valerie thrust the tray into Mark's hands and turned away.

"That's for Steve and Dan," she said, swiping at her brimming eyes again, her back to the doorway.

A hand appeared over her shoulder, holding a clean square of linen.

"Here," said Mark, "I'll be back to lend a hand after I deliver this tray."

Taking the handkerchief, Valerie kept her back turned but twisted her head slightly, "there's no need......" but Mark had already left the galley. Sighing, she wiped her face and blew her nose, tucking the cloth into her pocket. Continuing with her self-appointed task, she prepared something for Fitzhugh and Barry, not forgetting Chipper. Carrying the second tray into the room, Valerie had to steady herself against the bulkhead as the ship continued to wallow, the floor tilting enough to make her stagger. Reaching the chairs that Fitzhugh and Barry occupied, she clipped the tray to one arm before turning and making her way back to the galley.

"That's for both of you Fitzhugh, so make sure Barry eats his share," Valerie shot over her shoulder before entering the small kitchen. She wasn't really worried that Fitzhugh would eat the lot, she just liked getting a rise out of the older man. Her meloncholy mood lifted a little, Valerie set about fixing something for herself and Mark. As if hearing his name, the man himself once more appeared behind her, his broad frame filling the small doorway.

"I hope you're fixing something for yourself ?" he asked softly.

"Just doing that now....plus something for you, of course."

Getting on with the task in hand, Valerie was all too aware of the man behind her. As quickly as possible she finished preparing the limited meal, turning to hand it to Mark, Valerie found herself the subject of close scrutiny from a pair of shrewd blue eyes.

"You..re...food ?" Valerie stammered, thrusting the plate towards him.

"It wasn't your fault Val, you couldn't have stopped whatever happened to Betty," said Mark taking the proferred plate. Valerie could only nod her head and swallow, her throat too choked with emotion to reply. Stepping away, Mark turned and made his way back to his seat. Behind him, Valerie resumed the preparations for her own meal, her mind reeling from Mark's unexpected show of compassion.

Steve entered the cabin a short time later, his expression serious.

"As you are aware, we are currently in the middle of a lake. We are still being swept along by the current, but that is lessening the further we go. The Spindrift doesn't appear to have suffered any major damage from our trip through the forest, but we are left with several problems."

"Do we know where we are Steve ?" asked Barry.

"No we don't. Since we passed the houses its been getting darker by the minute and there are no landmarks to give us a clue as to where we are, or where the water is carrying us."

"What about dry land....are we just going to wait for the ship to be...washed up ?" asked Fitzhugh.

"At the moment, we don't have a choice...we are at the whim of the water, although we haven't sighted anything approaching dry land for the last hour."

"Anything from the Giants ?" asked Mark.

"That's another problem, we haven't picked up any local radio broadcasts....only static. It could just mean that the radio station is flooded, or that the power station has shorted out. Who knows. It does mean that we are running completely blind."

"I could work out approximately where we are," said Mark, "using the information of time and distance, but it would only be a rough guess,"

"At the moment, it would be better than what we do have....nothing," said Steve ruefully.

"I'll get right on it,"

"What can we do Steve ?" Asked Valerie.

"Until Mark completes those calculations there's not much any of us can do, except rest. I'll leave it to you and Fitzhugh to make up some beds on the deck. Dan and I need to take a break, Barry and Fitz can take the first watch. Once Mark has our location we'll work out our game plan from there,"

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This has got to be a nightmare, thought Betty, her eyes tightly closed against the bright lights, her hands clamped over her ears to lessen the sounds assaulting her. As suddenly as they had started the lights and sounds ceased, the sudden silence as loud as the previous clamour. Easing her hands away from her ears, Betty relaxed her shoulders, the tense muscles ready to clap her hands back if the sound returned. After a long five minutes of continued peace, she risked opening her eyes, blinking rapidly to focus her overwrought optic nerves. The bare room hadn't changed from the last time she'd viewed it, the walls just as bland, the ceiling just as high, only enough light for her to barely see her way around. Rolling onto her side, Betty drew herself into a ball, slowly getting onto her hands and knees before shuffling over to one of the walls and slumping against it. Time had become meaningless since her precipitous arrival, the only constant the arrival of food and water every time she awoke from her disturbed sleep. She reckoned it must have been several days since she'd been transported to wherever she was. She remembered walking ahead of Valerie, thinking that she was almost at the camp, but after that it was a blank before she awoke in the room, her thimble bucket and rain cape gone along with her earth clothes. She currently wore a set of loose pyjamas, her captors supplying her with them with her first meal.

She hadn't seen or heard from whoever had her, but Betty was sure she was being monitored, somehow. Why else would they keep testing me if they didn't monitor the results she reasoned. What they were testing her for she couldn't fathom, and her ability to resist the bright lights and hypnotic sounds was becoming harder each time they started. I'm so tired, if only I could sleep for longer than an hour or two...if only...if only. Too exhausted to think anymore, Betty wearily closed her eyes and sank to the floor, her bent arm acting as a pillow for her tousled head.

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Valerie awoke with a start, not sure what had broken her deep, dreamless sleep. Her eyes quickly adjusted to the strange light coming through the side windows, the sound of the water lapping at the hull the same as when she'd fallen asleep. Behind her came the soft snores of Dan and Steve, both men still sound asleep after their exhausting ordeal in the cockpit. The door to the passenger cabin was shut so Valerie reasoned that the other three members of the crew must be in the cockpit as no lights came from any of the auxillary rooms of the main cabin. The ship continued to wallow and Valerie carefully got to her feet with help from one of the flight chairs. Thumbing the door button she slipped through when it glided open, shutting it behind her. To her surprise the hatch to the outside was open, moonlight glinting off the vast expanse of water surrounding their small craft. Walking to the doorway Valerie looked out and saw that the water was only a few inches below the lip of the hatch. Leaning out, Valerie could see the huge bowl of the night sky high above her, only the brightest stars visible with the moon riding so high. The sound of splashing drew her attention to the rear of the ship and she saw a beam of torchlight flash off the hull as something rounded the end of the Spindrift. She let out a long held breath when she recognised the figure paddling the small inflatable life-raft. As the the man in the raft reached the outrigger, he slipped into the water, pushing the small inflatable over the pole and dipping under the water himself only to surface seconds later beside the rubber boat. Within seconds Mark had reached the hatchway and thrown the tether rope to Valerie to secure before hauling himself out of the water to sit, dripping, on the ledge of the opening.

"Have a nice swim ?" asked Valerie, belatedly noticing the pile of clothes by the doorway, before handing Mark a towel.

"Wanted to check the hull, make sure nothing was caught up on the outriggers or the engines." said Mark, panting slightly as he toweled himself dry."Water's damn cold,"

"Pull yourself aboard, sitting in a draft won't improve your condition," scolded Valerie as she noticed the goose bumps up and down Mark's arms and legs.

Grinning to himself at Valerie's maternal scold, Mark got to his feet and gathered his clothes together. Behind him Valerie shut the hatch before turning to regard the man in front of her.

"Have you slept at all ?"

"No....but I did finish those calculations,"

"That's great....so where are we ?"

"Aaah.....well...." Mark hesitated, concentrating on pulling on his trousers over his still damp boxers before reaching for his shirt. Valerie, looking anywhere but at the man dressing in front of her, tapped her foot.

"Is it a big secret...do you want to wait until Steve and Dan are awake before you tell anyone ?"

"No...no, I've already told Fitzhugh and Barry," said Mark, his fingers stumbling over the buttons on his shirt.

"Then tell me....its bad isn't it ?"

Leaving his shirt half buttoned, Mark lifted his head. "We're off the known map."

"What ?"

"We've been carried away from the city, into the rural suburbs and off our known map...this is all new territory for us. We've never been out this far, if we keep on this course....I don't know where we'll end up."

Her hand pressed to her mouth, Valerie could only stare at Mark with wide eyes. As they stood there, the door to the cockpit slid open and Fitzhugh stuck his head out. Seeing Mark and Valerie he looked back over his shoulder and addressed the cockpits other occupant, currently sitting in the co-pilots chair.

"It's Mark and Val, Barry." Turning back to the two people in the hallway Fitzhugh noticed their tension. "You told her then, isn't it awful...off the known map, I knew we should have tethered the ship and stayed where we are, now we'll end up who-know's-where, and Betty will never be able to find her way back to us." Finally noticing the glares being sent his way by Mark, Fitzhugh only raised his eyebrows and shrugged before going back inside the room, shutting the hatch behind him. With her hand still pressed to her mouth, Valerie only stared at the cockpit door, her eyes brimming over as Fithzugh's words made their impression.

"We'll figure out a way to find her Valerie, its not as bad as Fitzhugh makes it sound," said Mark, watching Valerie's pale face with concern.

"Not so bad.....its worse!" with a sob, Valerie swung around, turning her back on Mark and retreating to the end of the narrow corridor, her shoulders hunched. Cursing under his breath at Fitzhugh tackless remark, Mark stood there, helpless to ease the obvious grief of the woman in front of him. After a few moments Valerie turned back and stood facing him, her arms wrapped around her middle in a defensive gesture.

"Why haven't you told Steve and Dan ?"

"What's to tell....we can't stop our forward motion, we're at the mercy of the water currents and they need their sleep. Tomorrow will be soon enough."

Flinging up her head, Valerie regarded Mark in surprise."Steve won't be pleased you countermanded his orders.....fancy yourself as Captain, Mark ?"

Understanding Valerie's need to lash out and him the obvious target, Mark kept his cool and bit back his immediate response. Taking a deep breath he walked forward and reached out, laying a hand on her shoulder. Ashamed of her outburst, Valerie kept her head bowed.

"Go back to bed Val, it's hours yet to morning, get some rest,"

Shrugging off his hand, her eyes only briefly flicking up to meet his, Valerie brushed past him and pushed the button for the passenger cabin, the door sliding silently open in front of her.

"I'm sorry Mark," she whispered before ducking inside and closing the door.

With an almost inaudible groan, Mark stood there for a moment, his arms hanging by his side, facing the shut door. Finally, pulling himself together, he turned away and entered the cockpit.

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Sherik toggled the microphone after adjusting the focus on the monitor screen. Clearing his throat he started to speak, his normal voice transformed into an unrecognisable boom inside the tiny room currently displayed in front of him.

"What is your name ?"

The small figure curled up against the cell wall jerked awake as the strange voice shouted from the concealed speakers. Watching the perfectly formed woman, Sherik had to remind himself that she was really a small scale model of his own species, despite the illusion perpetuated by the camera closeups. Repeating his question, Sherik waited for the woman to answer.

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Betty snapped awake, her heart thudding in fright. The room was still dimly lit but she was sure she'd heard a voice. Rubbing her eyes Betty positioned herself with her back to the wall and her knees drawn up. Again a voice spoke, seeming to issue from the walls, sounding harsh and garbled. Her eyes darted around the room trying to see where the speakers were hidden but she still couldn't see anything. Again the voice sounded but this time much louder and Betty clapped her hands over her ears as the sound reverberated around the small room.

"I don't understand you....its too loud,"

After a brief pause the voice came again, this time softer and clearer.

"What is your name ?"

"I'm called Betty....what's yours ?"

"That is irrelevant....how many are in your crew ?"

"Crew ?.....what crew ?" replied Betty, her eyes still sweeping the cell to pinpoint the speakers.

"We know there are more of you...sharing of information will make your situation more comfortable,"

"I'm...quite comfortable thank you,"

Immediatly the lights brightened to a painful intensity and a piercing wail assaulted her, hands' barely lessening the din as Betty clapped them over her ears. As suddenly as they had appeared, the noise and lights ceased, leaving Betty's ears ringing and her eyesight swimming with black spots.

"Information will make your situation more tolerable," repeated the hated voice. Panting, Betty lowered her head to her knees and tried to gather her shattered wits.

"There are fifty of us," lied Betty, keeping her head bent.

"You lie....our information indicates there are not more than seven, including you,"

"Well why ask me if you know all the answers!" snapped Betty, her head jerking up to glare at the ceiling.

"I want to trust you Betty...but lying about known facts will only make your life more.....difficult,"

"But...." Betty started to protest, then stopped when she realised it was futile arguing with the voice. Taking a deep breath she decided to try a different tack.

"How did I get here ?"

"We set a trap...and you were caught,"

"Why don't I remember anything ?"

"The transportation process is still in its infancy, you are only the tenth organic item to use it...we are still fine tuning some of the side effects,"

"So you produced the fog ?"

"Yes."

"And all the other crazy weather....?"

"Yes."

"Why ?"

"You should feel honoured...we have spent extraordinary amounts of time and equipment creating the right circumstances to facilitate your capture."

"You'll excuse me if I don't stand up and applaud," said Betty.

"Sarcasm is hardly appropriate in your situation," Boomed the voice making her cringe. Swallowing on a dry throat Betty tried again.

"What do you want with me ?"

"Information," came the brief reply.

"What sort of information ?"

"I will be more specific once I know your designation within the crew,"

"My designation ? Oh well....I was just a passenger, I don't know much at all,"

"Your clothing indicates otherwise....I don't want to have to resort to another session of....persuasion,"

Cursing the luck that had seen her choose to wear her overworked flight uniform that day, Betty considered her reply.

"It's the uniform of a flight attendant....I serve drinks and take care of the passengers," she explained, her voice kept to a careful monotone.

"Are you involved in the technical aspects of your technology ?"

"Um......no, unless you count the coffee machine in the galley,"

"Who is the most technologically experiences member of your crew,"

Thinking fast, Betty decided to adopt her best dumb blonde persona, usually reserved for egocentric hotshots who needed the brush off and never looked beyond the face and figure.

"I-I-don't know...really, I was only the flight attendant, they don't tell me anything important...." forcing a laugh into her voice Betty shrugged prettily before continuing, " I'm not what you'd call the brightest penny in the purse,"

Betty waited for the voice to reply, a smile pinned to her dry lips.

"We will return to that question another time....for now I will leave you to contemplate your situation...I look forward to more co-operation next time we talk,"

Slumping back against the wall, Betty closed her eyes and rubbed the back of her neck to relax the taut muscles. As she sat there another sound drew her attention and she saw a slot open at the base of the wall in front of her and a tray appear. After a few seconds, with nothing else happening, Betty crawled over to the slot and pulled the tray towards her, the slot closing as soon as the tray cleared the wall. On it were several food items and a tall container of fluid. Opening the bottle, she found it held a fragrant fruit juice, obviously a reward for her 'co-operation'. She'd have liked to throw the whole lot at the wall in a rage, but common sense told her to think of her own survival and making her captive's angry would only jepardise her continued existance. Sipping the cool juice, Betty reviewed what she'd learnt from the conversation, disconcerted to realise that her findings were revealed to be depressingly few.

I only hope, wherever you all are, that you're out of this madman's reach, thought Betty, trying, and failing to find something positive about her situation. After finishing up everything on the tray, she crawled back to her spot against the wall and lay down. Eventually the tension and fright, overlaid with despair, overwhelmed her and she buried her face in her arms and wept.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sitting back in his chair Sherik watched the figure hunched on the floor of her prison. His fingers stoked his beard as he reviewed what little information he'd garnered from the woman. It would be a long time, he realised, before she would come close to trusting her captures. It was time to move up the schedule and start the search for her fellow travellers. The reports coming in told him that the flood had done its job and flushed the quarry out of the forest, now it was just a matter of time before they recovered the ship and its occupants. Until then, Sherik would continue his interrogation. The woman wasn't as dumb as she'd like Sherik to think she was and he wasn't about to let any potential source of information go untapped.

Reaching forward, he switched off the monitor and leaned back to stretch out his tired back. Time enough tomorrow for another session.

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