Title: Lifelines
Chapter: 4
Author: Squeezynz@free.net.nz
Universe: Land of the Giants
Rating: PG, Adventure
Archive: Sure, just let me know where
Spoilers: maaaaaaaybe
Feedback: craved and treasured...
Disclaimer: All IA's, just playing, promise to put them back.

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It had taken two days, but Mark finally got a system in place to allow them to drive the buggy. It didn't have any brakes or an accelerator, but it could be steered and it would carry as many people as could climb aboard. It also only had one speed, slow. The batteries had been fully recharged and an on/off switch acted as the ignition. When it was on the buggy started up and carried on until either the switch was turned off or the batteries ran down. Not exactly a ferrari but it would do. Even Barry had a go, his legs just reaching the floor. With Dan riding with him just in case, Barry had a fun half hour taking the buggy around the campsite and around the rockpile.

They were getting low on fresh fruit so an expedition was planned to scout the nearby forest for supplies. Their water was also getting low so they loaded up the car with empty jerry-cans and nets and boxes to hold the provision. Then Steve, Mark, Betty and Valerie climbed into and onto the buggy and they set off. The problem with the tracks left by the vehicle had been solved the day after it arrived. The flattened grass appeared to spring back to normal within approximately a day or so, resolving the dilemma of using the car.

With everything ready and packed they started the car, turning and heading out of the camp towards the dark forest beyond. Dan and Fitzhugh waved them off, Barry running alongside for a little way with Chipper barking, trying to keep up. Marna stood on the steps of the Windsifter, her arms folded, watching until they passed out of sight.

The buggy bounced over the uneven ground forcing Valerie and Betty to hold on tight to the roll bar above their heads.

" Just as well we're not fragile Steve." Betty joked, getting jostled as Steve hit a hole.

" Sorry Betty, I didn't make the roads." Steve replied, wrestling the steering wheel as it tried to follow a rut into a group of bushes.

Mark had one hand on the dashboard and the other on the roll bar above his head. " Just as well we brought containers for the provisions, they'd get bounced right out of the car."

" I'm doing the best I can....you can drive on the way back, Hotshot, see how well you do with this suspension." Steve shot Mark a grin as he swerved to avoid a rock. They all laughed, glad to be alive and being bounced around on a toy car. Valerie clutched her hat with one hand, glad for the shade from the morning sun. Her fair skin had a healthy tan but it still burned if she didn't cover up. Once they were under the tree's she could leave the hat off. She envied Steve and Mark not having to wear one, they already had good suntans to protect them for the short trip to the forest. The hats were fine but they itched and scratched Valerie's head. Betty wore one as well, but didn't seem to suffer the way Val did. Another big hole made her lurch against Betty who put out a hand to steady her.

" Thanks, one more like that and I'll have more bruises than skin on my backside." Valerie said in a low voice. Betty let out a laugh that made Steve risk a quick glance over his shoulder at them. Valerie just smiled back at him, not willing to share the joke.

They reached the forest edge and gently rolled along the border until they found a reasonable animal trail to follow. The change in light from the sun to the shade made them all blink to adjust their eye's quickly. Valerie took off her hat, together with Betty, stowing them under the front seats for the trip back later.

The ground under the trees was relatively smooth and easy, the wheels muffled by the pine needles and leaves littering the path. Valerie was looking around for any bushes that looked familiar. She let out a shout when a fruit bush came into view alongside the path they were travelling down. Steve switched off the motor and Valerie jumped out with a basket, followed by Betty.

" Won't be long, keep the engine warm." They pushed through the grass, reaching the fruit bush and starting to fill their baskets. They returned quickly, climbing once more on the back, holding the full baskets on their laps. Steve toggled the switch and the buggy lurched into action. They kept going for an hour, stopping when the girls saw fruit or plants they needed. The back of the car got lower and lower as the boxes and baskets were filled with provisions, the green tops of some plants poking out and waving as they bounced over roots and holes in the trail.

Mark had been making a rough map of their progress, using a compass and noting the readings as they went along. He used their frequent stops to mark down specific features of each stop, for use in making a more detailed map back at camp. At midday he called a halt, Steve more than happy to relinquish the steering wheel to Mark after lunch. They sat next to the car, eating their lunch and listening to the sound of the insects and birds that populated the forest floor. The buggy didn't make a lot of noise and they had seen various small rodents and animals scuttle away as they approached, but nothing bigger than a rabbit had put in an appearance that morning. Steve passed the water bottle round, while Betty gathered their lunch gear together and stowed it in the back of the buggy. Mark got into the driving seat, with Valerie beside him. Steve opted to ride in the back with Betty, to get a better view of the forest as they drove through it. Mark toggled the switch on and the car lurched off, narrowly missing a root sticking out of the ground. They reached a stream half an hour later and they stopped to investigate. Steve waded into the stream to judge its depth, finding that it dropped off steeply making it useless as a ford. The animal trail ended at the small river, but there was a large turn around area, made by larger animals coming down another track running parallel with the stream. They would have to turn the buggy around and head back they way they came or else try the new track and hope it lead back towards the forest edge. Mark was filling a jerry-can when Valerie stated she needed a comfort break, Betty said she needed one too. Steve indicated a fallen tree trunk that they could use for the ladies and another for the gents. Valerie and Betty left the men and rounded the end of the tree. Choosing a bush Betty left Valerie to take care of business. Valerie saw what she thought was a suitable bit of privacy and set about her own needs. Afterwards she must have taken a wrong turn because she couldn't seem to find the fallen tree or Betty.

" Betty, are you there ?" Valerie turned around in a circle, chastising herself for getting lost so quickly. Nothing looked familiar and Val knew that the quickest way to get even more lost was to try and find your way out. The best bet was to sit tight and wait for Mark or Steve to find her. The forest seemed eerily silent, making Val shiver with nerves.

After a minute or two of checking out her immediate vicinity, she caught a glint of something catching the sun. Thinking it was the buggy she hurried towards it. No sooner had she stepped one foot inside the cage than the door slid down with a resounding clang. Valerie fell over with the force of the cage door hitting the base. She quickly gained her feet and rushed over to the door, pulling it with all her strength which was hopelessly unequal to the task. She looked around in panic, seeing now how cleverly the cage had been hidden.

" MARK....STEVE....HELP ME !!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. Putting her weight to the bars, rattling the door, but not budging the metal an inch. " MARK....BETTY....AAAAAAAAAAH !!" She screamed in anger and frustration, shaking the cage with the force of her panic.

She could hear voices coming towards her, calling her name. Mark appeared first, running over to the cage, his eye's running over the wire trying to see how to open it.

" Thank god you've come, I'm sorry, I didn't see it...I was lost." Valerie burst out.

" Don't worry Val, we'll have you out of here in no time....STEVE, HURRY !" Mark called out to give Steve and Betty a location. They came at a run, Betty gasping as she saw Valerie in the cage.

" Oh no...Valerie are you all right ?" she asked, coming up and putting her fingers through the wire to comfort Valerie. The women clasped hands briefly as Steve and Mark tried to release the catch without success.

" I'm okay, no damage, I'm just so angry at myself for getting lost and caught in this stupid trap." Valerie answered. Mark panted and stood up, casting Valerie a worried glance.

" I can't see how we can shift it, it's a new design and more difficult. It appears to be spring loaded, unless we can release or cut the spring we can't lift the door against the tension. We need wire cutters or the gas torch." Mark rubbed a hand over his face in frustration, trying to see a way to get Valerie free with what they had. Steve looked at his watch, trying to gauge how much time they had before it got dark.

" Mark, we don't have anything useful on the buggy, Betty and I will go back to camp and get what we need and be back here in about two hours. Will you be okay here ?"

" Of course we will...get going, the sooner your gone the sooner your back...don't forget to bring both tools and anything else you think might help."

" Okay, I'll leave you a rope, torch and the hatchet." Steve turned to Betty." Pack a backpack for them, in case we're held up, better put a water bottle in it and some provision." Betty turned and ran off to get the pack. Steve gave Valerie a quick glance. " Just in case Val...we're get back as soon as we can." Valerie gave Steve a grateful smile despite her almost overwhelming despair.

Mark stood by the cage, linking fingers with Valerie, squeezing them to reassure her. Steve started back to the buggy to help Betty with the necessary supplies for Mark and Valerie. He didn't like leaving them here alone but there was no way to free Valerie until they had the right equipment. He only hoped whoever set the trap wasn't in a hurry to check it.

Once they had packed and deposited the gear with Mark at the cage, Steve and Betty ran back to the buggy, firing it up and turning back to the trail they came down, wishing there was an accelerator to speed up their progress back to camp. Steve had to curb his impatience, they still needed to get the provisions back in one piece and getting the buggy overturned from his carelessness wouldn't help matters. Betty held on grimly, tight-lipped, beside him, not complaining about the occasional pothole that jolted her nearly out of her seat.

They reached the edge of the forest and ground their way slowly but surely back to the Windsifter.

Back at the cage, Valerie had crouched down on the floor of the trap, leaning against the wire to reach through and hold hands with Mark. Mark had cleared some of the camouflage off the walls to give him a clearer field of view in case any animals became too curious. It gave him a chance to assess the design of the box for future reference, as well as rule out any possibility they had overlooked anything that might free Valerie. Now he sat next to Valerie, trying to reassure her that it would be all right, that Steve would be back with the cavalry in next to no time, certainly before it got dark. Valerie listened to his assurances with a heavy heart. If whoever owned the trap chose this day to check them, there was nothing Mark could do to stop them, more likely he would get caught himself. They stayed that way for nearly an hour before they heard the sound of someone or something crashing towards them. Mark got to his feet, hefting the hatchet, hoping against hope it was an animal he could frighten off or at least distract away from Valerie. As the sounds got closer it became clear it wasn't an animal, but a Giant, coming to check the trap. Valerie tried to get Mark to leave .

" Go now, before the Giant gets here, you don't need to be seen." Valerie cried, trying to push Mark away.

" No, I won't leave, I won't let you be taken alone." Mark started to push the pack through the mesh, followed by the rope. He held onto the hatchet to make his capture as painful for the Giant as possible. Valerie shrank back as the Giant man approached the fallen tree, stepping over effortlessly, crushing bushes underneath his hiking boots. Mark hid alongside the cage, out of sight, at first, to try and leave Steve a clue as to their direction. He scratched an arrow in the dirt based on the direction the Giant had come from hoping Steve would see it. Mark still had his radio but he didn't want to have to rely on that if they had a rough trip in the cage or if the Giant kept too close an eye on them.

Valerie screamed as the Giant crouched down to get a look at her in the cage.

Hoge peered at the tiny woman pressed against the back of the cage. He had just put his hand out to poke a finger at her when a tiny man came round the front of the cage, bringing a hatchet down on his finger, making Hoge yelp as if stung. He pulled his finger back, a bead of blood showing where the Little Man had cut him. Hoge sucked his finger, then, snarling, he swatted the man, standing so defiantly in front of him, so that the tiny man went flying for about three feet before landing with sickening force on the ground. The woman in the cage screamed a name, rushing to the front of the cage to get a better view of the man. Hoge scooped up the motionless figure and, lifting the cage door, dumped him in the trap with the woman. She rushed over and tried to lift the unconscious man onto her lap, cradling his head, trying to stem the blood from a cut on his scalp. Hoge sat back on his heels, surveying the couple as he considered his next move. He could wait and see if anymore showed up but it would be dark soon and he wanted to get back with these specimens and show the Professor. He could always come back and reset the trap. Atleast they knew that the Little People were in the area, it was only a matter of time before they caught them all.

Hoge got to his feet and picked up the trap, swinging it up to his face to view the occupant better. The man was still out and the woman was holding onto him, trying to cushion him as Hoge swung the cage around to view them from all sides.

" Let us go, what do you want with us ?" the woman said.

Hoge gave her a smile and sucked on his injured finger.

" I reckon you'll find out soon enough." Hoge replied.

Hoge turned, holding the cage by his side, he started back the way he'd come, thinking that the day hadn't been a total loss afterall.

Valerie bent her head and tried to shift Mark further onto her lap as the cage swung with the Giants stride. The gash on Mark's head wasn't deep but it bled sluggishly, Valerie tried to keep the blood out of his eyes with a cloth she found in the back pack. She dragged the pack over to make a pillow for Marks head, lowering him down but not letting go completely as his relaxed body tended to loll with each swing as the Giant walked. It was awkward but Valerie kept her arm around him to prevent further injury until he woke up, bracing herself with her other hand on the side of the cage.

" Please wake up Mark, I need you to wake up...." Valerie spoke softly, trying to suppress her own fears in the need to wake Mark. Her prayers were answered when Mark groaned and opened his eyes, squinting in pain when he raised his hand and touched the gash on his head.

" Lay still Mark, you were hit pretty hard by the Giant." Valerie explained. Mark lay back to let the nausea caused by the swaying cage subside before he tried to get up again.

" How long ?" He asked.

" About twenty minutes, not long." Valerie pulled out the water bottle, giving Mark a sip to wet his dry lips. Mark kept his eyes closed as he swallowed, wishing the hammer's would stop their drumming in his head.

" Did the Giant give any indication what he wanted, or where he's taking us ?"

" No....nothing at all, he just swatted you and put you in the cage with me. Picked us up and started walking." Valerie looked up through the roof of the cage, checking to see if the Giant had noticed them talking. Just then Hoge looked down and saw Valerie looking up at him.

" Not long now little lady, then the Professor can look at your man and fix him up." Hoge turned his head to the front and picked up his pace, as if scenting home.

Mark continued to play dead, hoping the time spent resting would pay off if they got a chance later on to escape. With his head pounding he didn't fancy his chances right at that moment. Valerie held onto his hand, her fingers clenching convulsively until Mark squeezed her fingers and she looked down to see him smiling up at her.

" Sorry, I didn't mean to crush your hand." She told him.

" Don't worry Val, we'll get out of this...we still have the radio, we'll call Steve the first opportunity we get."

Valerie gave him a weak smile, hoping he was right. The Giant was approaching what looked like tents set up in a glade surrounded by tall trees. A truck was parked next to the largest tent and two people appeared when the Giant shouted, announcing his arrival.

The two other Giants were a man and a woman, the older man being the Professor mentioned by their Giant captor. Both came over, the women taking the cage from their Giant, peering in to inspect the find.

The woman gasped when she saw Mark, turning to the older man.

" It's the one that Marna wanted, what luck....did you see any other's around, Hoge ?" she asked eagerly.

" Just those two, the woman was caught and the man tried to fight me off. Plain stupid if you ask me. I swatted him and he hurt himself."

The woman scowled at Hoge, swiftly looking back into the cage, trying to see the injury.

" We told you to be careful with them, you could have killed him."

" He tried to hurt me, what do you expect me to do, I had to defend myself."

The woman made a noise of disgust.

" Oh sure Hoge, this tiny creature was a threat to you." The woman shook her head and carried the cage to a bench outside one of the tents. She got a chair so she could look into the cage at eye-level with the occupants. The two men stayed by the truck, talking quietly.

" Hello Earth People, are you okay, is the man, Mark, hurt badly ?"

Valerie looked confused.

" How do you know his name, who are you ?"

The woman stifled a smile.

" Of course, you never met us, my name is Caron, my husband is Professor Rennet, that man is Hoge, our assistant. We used to take care of another Little Person, just like you, her name was Marna."

Valerie gasped in shock, clutching Marks hand tightly.

" Why are you out here, are you trying to get Marna back ?"

" Of course, we want all of you, actually. We need you for a little experiment we're conducting." The woman Caron smiled at the fearful look on Valerie face. " We don't want to hurt you, we need you healthy for it to work. Now tell me, how is Mark, will he be alright ?"

" Your assistant Hoge tried to kill him, he was only trying to protect me. He's got a gash on his head, its stopped bleeding but he's still unconscious." Valerie hoped Mark would play dead a little longer. They might find out more if they thought only Valerie was listening.

" I'm sorry Hoge was so rough with you. I'll get you moved to more comfortable surroundings in a little while." Caron got up and went over to the men, a volatile conversation taking place as she gave Hoge a ticking off for being so rough with the merchandise. Hoge shouted at her then stomped off and disappeared inside a tent. The Professor came back over to the table with Caron and peered at Valerie and Mark.

" Very good, well lets get the Little People settled in their temporary home, it will be dark soon."

" Sure, you carry them and I'll go ahead and open the door." Caron stood up and headed for the larger tent, holding the flap for the Professor to pass through with the cage. Valerie could see what looked like a large square box made of wood, with no windows or doors in the sides. The woman opened the lid of the box on one side, folding it back on its hinges. The professor positioned the wire cage over the lid, pushing the spring back to open the trap door. He reached in, picking Mark up gently and lowering him into the box, doing the same for Valerie, depositing her on the floor next to the comatose body of Mark. Then the pack was dropped in, but not the rope. Finally the lid was folded back and secured, plunging Valerie into darkness, until her eyes adjusted and she saw a faint light showing under a door next to where they had been placed. Despite the gentle handling Mark had lost consciousness briefly but now he groaned and tried to sit up.

" Take it easy Mark, don't try and sit up too fast." Valerie whispered.

" Next time I'm taking first class." Mark quipped.

" You just have such a winning way with Giants." Valerie teased

" Well it worked, didn't it ?" Mark gingerly probed the lump on his scalp, hissing when he pressed a particularly tender spot.

" We need to get that gash seen too, Mark, can you stand up ?"

" Sure...gimme a hand Val." Mark reached out as Valerie stood up and grasped her hand. Standing up, he swayed as he waited for the room to stop spinning and his eyes to focus. Valerie had her arm around him in support as she looked around the small room.

" I don't see anything in here, there's a light under that door."

" Let's see what's behind the door then..."

They made their way slowly over to the door, Valerie put out a hand and pushed, the door swinging noiselessly inwards. The light made Mark squint as pain shot through his head. He held a hand up to shield his eyes as he and Valerie made their way into the room. Valerie helped him over to a bench against the wall, which he sank onto gratefully. Valerie turned around to see the room properly.

" They seemed to have thought of everything, there's a sink on the other wall, I'll get a cloth so we can clean you up." She turned and hurried over to the wall, gingerly trying the tap, pleased when cool, clear water gushed out. She grabbed what looked like a towel next to the sink and soaked it. Hurrying back to Mark, who sat with his eyes closed, she perched next to him and raised the towel to rest against the wound. Mark flinched when the cold towel touched him but he took it from Val and pressed the cool compress against the lump.

" Sorry, it's the best I can do for now." Valerie turned to look around the room. The roof was of wood, the walls the same. Each wall had a light fitting of sorts, a concealed behind clear glass. The floor was covered by some sort of matting, but cut to leave a clear space near the sink bench. There was a table and eight chairs.

" They know how many there are of us....eight, to include Marna..oh no." Valerie realised the implications. Marna had been a spy, working with the Giants all this time. Against the walls were more of the benches like the one they sat on right now. The furniture was simple but well made, with no decoration or any cushioning. There were two doorways in the far wall, opposite to where they came in, with nothing on them to indicate what was behind them. Mark had opened his eyes and was also surveying the accommodation.

" If you feel okay, I'll go get the backpack. " Valerie looked at Mark, seeing him nod carefully, wincing from the sudden movement. He still pressed the cold cloth to his head, stained red now.

Valerie went back through the door and collected the pack, they would atleast have food for a while, plus the radio. Putting the pack down she decided to see what was behind the two doors.

The first door, nearest the kitchen opened onto another corridor, with more doors leading off it. She found the hallway lit softly by more concealed lighting. Trying the first door she found a bedroom, again softly lit by a ceiling light, with two single beds, complete with covers. No other furniture was evident, except a small built in wardrobe without a door. She tried the other three doors, finding the same in each, eight beds in all. Valerie shook her head in disgust, it was all so neatly planned. She went back into the corridor, and back to the main room. Mark was trying to stand, leaning one hand against the wall. Valerie hurrying over to help, his arm coming to rest over her shoulders as she took his weight.

" Mark, I've found somewhere you can lay down, you need to rest, its not far, just through that door." Mark squeezed her shoulder as they made their way to the bedroom. They negotiated the doorway and Valerie helped to ease Mark onto the bed in the first room. Mark sighed as he lay down, glad to close his eyes and rest his aching head.

" I'm just going to check out the other room, I'll be back soon." Valerie pressed a quick kiss to Marks cheek, turning and leaving the room before he could see her tears. She dashed them away angrily, not prepared to give in to weakness now that Mark was dependant on her.

Valerie came back into the main living area and turned to her left to try the second door. It gave easily and led into yet another corridor, this one shorter and at an angle away from the main room. She saw only two doors leading off it, the first led to a washroom with a toilet, sink and shower unit. Closing that room she crossed to the other door, opening it and finding a duplicate room to the one she'd just been in. " Well that takes care of the Ladies and Gents. They certainly thought of everything." Valerie exited and made her way back to the big room. Hurrying back to Mark's room she found him sprawled on his back, out cold, his hand still clutching the cloth, now red with his blood. Valerie took the cloth from his slack hand, staring down at the evidence of Mark's vulnerability. Tears started and she found they wouldn't stop. Slumping to the floor she lay her head on the mattress next to Marks hand and wept.

She must have fallen asleep herself, the next she knew she opened her eyes and the lights were out, only the glow from the living room illuminating the bedroom doorway. Valerie uncurled herself from the floor and straightened her cramped limbs. Mark was still sleeping, the blood having dried, sealing the gash. She checked his temperature but it seemed normal. Turning to leave she remembered the radio. Hurrying into the main room she saw the backpack where she had dropped it. Crouching down she rummaged through it, finding the small box and quickly hiding it in the pocket of her dress. Walking casually over to the sink she got herself a drink of water from the tap, using a cup found in the cupboard under the sink. After taking care of her needs in one of the bathrooms, discovering the Giants had provided towels and soap, she went back to Marks room, fetching the cloth to wash it out. She tried to look as relaxed as possible in case the Giants had some way of observing her. She had noticed the television screen when they first entered but hadn't taken the time to inspect it too closely. She suspected it could act like a two-way mirror, allowing the Giants to see and hear anything in the main room. With that in mind Valerie wrung out the cloth and went back to the bedroom. The ceiling light was softly glowing, as if in response to her movement about the room, maybe it was activated by a motion sensor. She gently sponged the blood from Mark's hair, careful not to knock the bump. Mark was stirring, softly moaning as he became aware of his surroundings.

" Shhhhh your okay, don't make any sudden moves." Valerie soothed.

Mark opened his eyes, blinking to clear his vision.

" You can tell the drums to stop anytime you like." he whispered.

" Mark, I have the radio, I'm going to try and contact the Windsifter."

" Have the Giants made an appearance since they put us in here ?"

" No, I haven't seen or heard anyone, but I get the feeling they can see and hear us in the main room. I don't know if these rooms are bugged as well." Valerie cast a look around the bedroom, seeing nothing to indicate a listening or watching device. Sitting down on the bed, she pulled out the radio from her pocket and extended the aerial to its fullest, turning the volume receiver to low and thumbed the sender to maximum.

" Valerie to Windsifter, come in Steve, can you hear me." She waited before speaking again. " Valerie to Steve, come in Steve." The radio hissed and crackled for a minute, then Valerie could hear a faint voice, heavy with static.

" Valerie..*zzz*..this is Steve..*hissss*..you're coming through..*zzz*...faintly..can you boost your..*buzzzz*..signal." Valerie looked helplessly at Mark. He raised himself on his elbow and took the radio from her. Turning it over and adjusting a dial on the back. " Try it again." He handed it back to her.

" Steve, this is Valerie, I read you, but your signal it breaking up."

" That's a bit...*zzzz*..better. Are you okay ?"

" We're all in one piece, for now."

" We found Mark's arrow, we're already heading in that direction...*ssss*...how long did it take the Giant to reach where you are ?"

" About an hour, Steve, be careful, I think he may be heading back to reset the trap."

" We'll look out for him...*buzzz*... we're going to travel through the night, we have the compass, we should be...*psssss*... alot closer to you by morning." Valerie looked up and gave Mark a relieved smile.

" That's great Steve, but be careful, these Giants are looking to capture us all. They have us in a big box in one of the tents."

" We'll be cautious. How many Giants are there ?"

" Three, two men and a woman, and Steve..is Marna with you ?" Valerie gripped the radio, her tension rising.

" No..... why ?"

" These Giants are here because of her, she's led them here."

" Do you know how or why ?"

" No...just that these are the same Giants that looked after her."

" We're worry about that later, for now I want to concentrate on getting you and Mark back safe. I'll be in touch when we reach the Giants camp."

" Good luck Steve...Valerie out." She thumbed off the radio, pushing the aerial back down and placing it on the bed.

" I guess we can only wait." She got off the bed so Mark could swing his legs around and sit up.

" Let's see the rest of this prison...have you found anything we can use to get out ?" Mark pushed himself off the bed, taking a moment to steady himself.

" Nothing really, the rest of the rooms off this hallway are bedrooms. The other door off the main room leads to the bathrooms." Valerie followed Mark as he made his way out to the living room.

" Well I need to use the little boys room."

" Take the bathroom on the right, sometime when we were asleep they left some towels, if you want to freshen up."

" I don't exactly like the thought that they can spy on us, but the idea of getting clean is too good to pass up." Mark gave Valerie a broad grin and turned to go through the second door.

While Mark cleaned up, Valerie investigated the cupboards and drawers under the sink. She found an eight place setting of crockery and cutlery. There were no implements for cooking, and no stove either. Obviously the Giants wanted to keep them dependant on their handouts. Valerie got the bag and unpacked the fruit Betty had put in for them. Getting some plates she was just setting the food out when the television screen came to life, making her jump with fright. The image of Professor Rennet appeared, his wife behind him.

" We hope you are settling in well ?" Tan asked. His image reaching out and appearing to adjust something off screen.

" When are you going to let us go ?" Valerie stood, backed up against the table.

" Why never, you are far too precious to my experiment" Tan looked surprised that Valerie expected any other answer.

" We don't want to be part of your experiment, we want to go home."

" You'll feel better once you've eaten, you'll find some food in the entrance way." Tan pointed on the screen to the door Mark and Valerie had first come through.

" We don't want food, we want to be let go." But Valerie was speaking to a blank screen. She turned her back on the monitor and clutched at the back of a chair, her knuckles turning white. She bit her lip as she contemplated their situation. Valerie decided to check out what the Giants had left for them. The platter on the floor of the hallway was heaped with pieces of fresh bread, cheese and some meat. Valerie lifted it and carried it back to the table, just as Mark appeared, rubbing his hair dry and looking a lot better.

" We just had a delivery...they don't want us to starve, that's for sure." Valerie waved a hand at the overflowing platter. Mark flicked a glance at it but was more concerned with Valerie's downcast face.

" What's happened, have you heard from Steve ?" He came over to stand in front of her. Valerie looked down at her dusty boots.

" Not from Steve, the Giants decided to visit." She pointed to the monitor screen." The Giants aren't planning on letting us go, they want to use us for some experiment." She added.

" Well that's not exactly a surprise, they never want to let us go." Mark tipped her face up with a gentle finger under her chin.

Valerie searched his face, then ducked her head, burying her face in his chest, hugging him to her. Mark hugged her back.

" Hey, Steve is on the way with help, we just have to keep ourselves safe and we'll be out of here soon. Let's try this food, we can keep some back for the other's and the trip home." Mark took her hand and led her to the table where they sat and shared out some of the food, using the plates. It felt strange to be sitting in such a 'normal' environment, almost like being home, except for the knowledge that they were at the mercy of a Giant Professor with a definite agenda for their future.

The meal was delicious, the fresh food a welcome treat. They had cleared the plates off the table and Mark had gone into the bedroom to check the rooms out for himself. When he got back he saw Valerie slumped over the table. She was unconscious, her pulse and breathing regular and steady. Mark was about to lift her when he felt the room start to spin, he collapsed on the floor next to Valerie, his last conscious thought; that the food must have been drugged. Then all he knew was blackness.

Tan and Caron waited until they were sure the drug had done its job. They lifted the roof and saw the two motionless figures by the table, Caron reached in and scooped up the insensible woman, carrying her over to the workbench. She measured, weighed and generally catalogued her tiny captive, picking her up and manipulating Valerie's joints to measure her flexibility. Caron took a skin swab and a hair sample, also a blood sample with the help of surgical tools used for micro eye surgery. Finally Caron undressed Valerie, taking off her dress and boots but leaving her underwear. Through all this Valerie remained limp and unresponsive. Caron redressed her in a pale-yellow tunic, similar to the design Marna was wearing when the Little People first met her. Finally Caron brushed out Valerie tangled tresses and dressed them in a more elaborate fashion that Marna would have recognised straight away as her own. After Caron had finished with Valerie, Tan carried the sleeping girl back to the box and carefully placed her in one of the bedrooms.

Then it was Marks turn. Tan reached in and picked the man up, taking him to another workbench while Caron started the tests on Valerie's samples. Mark was also weighed and measured, had the same samples taken and tests performed while he remained oblivious. He was also divested of his dusty clothes and redressed in a plain grey t-shirt and long trousers. Finally his scalp wound was checked and he was given a tiny injection of antibiotics. When Tan had finished Mark was returned to the box and put on a bed in the same room with the insensible Valerie.

Both of them unaware of the Giants watching them sleep, unaware of the violation of their bodies and peace of mind. Tan and Caron closed the lid of the enclosure, happy with the ease of the experiment so far.

The two scientists worked late into the night, testing the samples and recording the results, jubilant that their patience had finally paid off.