Chapter 2

"Ithink we should try it," Felicity urged. "The longer we stay in this cell the further we are from home."

"I know."

Lauren rubbed her stomach as she considered their options. Based on the number of times the lights had dimmed for an extended period, she calculated that they had been on the ship for a week now - a terrible week consisting of the mind-numbing boredom of being trapped in the same small space mixed with the terror of what would happen when they were released from the cell.

The Vedeckians - the aliens who had captured them - showed no hesitation in talking about their fate, although their focus was always on how to make the most profit from them. They didn't seem to consider the women as people, only as products. They didn't respond to any attempts by either woman to communicate with them. They were simply discussed, fed twice each day with tasteless pellets that bore a disturbing resemblance to pet food, and otherwise ignored.

She knew it could have been worse, but being on display like an animal on display in a zoo wasn't much of an alternative. She'd taken to pacing restlessly around the small cell, in part because the movement helped soothe the baby's relentless kicking, and in part because movement helped her think. It was during one of her pacing sessions that she'd noticed the faintest outline in the wall next to the door.

Hoping it was some kind of control panel, she'd attempted to pry it open, breaking two nails in the process. Undeterred, she managed to work the underwire out of her bra and the thin metal strip had done the job. Although she wasn't familiar with the maze of wires and circuitry, she thought she could identify the main power relay. If she was right, they would be able to open the door. But what then?

They had been debating their options ever since. They were obviously on a ship of some size and Felicity, always the optimist, was convinced that they would be able to locate a smaller shuttle and use it to escape. Lauren was not as convinced.

"First of all, neither of us are familiar with their technology. Even if we can find a shuttle, how could we fly it?"

"You'll figure it out," Felicity said optimistically. "You figured out the access panel and how to open the cell, didn't you?"

"We don't even know if that will work."

"If it does, then it proves that I'm right and you can figure out their technology."

She couldn't help smiling at her friend's triumphant expression but she shook her head.

"It's a long way from frying a circuit to piloting a shuttle."

"I know." Felicity's smile faded. "But wouldn't it be better to try than to just sit here waiting to be sold?"

It was a valid argument, but she was equally aware of the risks they would be taking.

"What if they catch us?"

Her friend shrugged.

"What are they going to do other than put us back here? They won't want to damage their ‘product.'"

"They could separate us."

Felicity bit her lip.

"I suppose, but that's going to happen eventually anyway. Maybe we can be like those prisoners in the movies and communicate by tapping on the cell walls."

She didn't bother to point out that everything except the glass barrier appeared to be soundproof. Truthfully, she was willing to let Felicity convince her. She'd much rather do something than just sit here waiting for their fate to be decided by others.

"All right. I'll give it a try when they dim the lights -"

The harsh sound of an alarm interrupted her, and Felicity grabbed her arm.

"What was that?"

"I don't know," she said grimly. "But it doesn't sound good."

The lights in the corridor flickered and went out, replaced a moment later by the red glow of emergency lighting. The ship shuddered as a series of muffled explosions erupted. Her doubts disappeared.

"Time to go."

Felicity nodded, watching anxiously as she tried to pry the control panel loose again. Her hands were shaking so badly that it took three tries before she worked it free.

"Hurry," her friend whispered.

She nodded, studying the tangled mess of wires. She found what she hoped was the main power relay, took a deep breath, then pulled it free. The glass panel slid open with a hiss.

"I knew you could do it," Felicity said, but her voice was shaky and she didn't step out through the opening.

Lauren didn't blame her for hesitating. The red lighting gave everything an eerie glow, magnified by the smoke already creeping along the floor. The air was thick with the acrid smell of burning plastic and ozone, and she coughed as she peered cautiously down the empty corridor. Although she could hear muffled shouts in the distance, there was no one in sight.

A loud crash echoed through the corridor, making them both jump and Felicity clutched her arm.

"What was that?"

"I don't know, but I think we need to move. If there's an internal hangar my guess is it will be down towards the base of the ship. Let's look for some stairs."

She did her best to sound confident, even though it was an assumption at best, and took a tentative stop forwards. She hesitated for a second, then shrugged and turned to the right. The ship lurched, throwing her off balance. Felicity tightened her hold on her arm, holding her steady as the ship shuddered again. Lauren's stomach roiled, the baby kicking against her ribs, and she fought to keep her breathing even.

"Come on. I don't think we have a lot of time."

She put a hand on the wall to steady herself, and they moved along the corridor as fast as they could. The ship's alarm system wailed in their ears, making it hard to think and the smoke was getting thicker, making it hard to breathe. Her eyes stung, and she blinked away tears.

They reached the end of the corridor and peered cautiously around the corner. Her heart raced as two black-uniformed Vedeckians raced across one end of the passage, but neither of them looked in their direction. In the other direction… a sign in an unfamiliar language, but the arrow pointing downward was universal.

"There."

Felicity nodded, still clutching her arm as they made their way across the corridor and into the stairwell. She clung to the railing as they descended the steep, narrow stairs, her body feeling even more ungainly than usual. The ship's gravity seemed to be fluctuating, making every step even more precarious.

She hesitated when they reached the landing for the next floor, then spotted another small sign next to the door. This one showed what looked like a schematic with a red dotted line that might indicate an escape route. She hoped.

"It looks like we should keep going down."

Even though she was whispering, the words seemed to echo in the metal stairwell and she cast an uneasy glance upwards but the stairwell was still empty. At least none of the Vedeckians seemed to be abandoning ship.

They followed the sign down two more levels, then out into a narrow corridor. As they did, the floor lurched beneath them, and she stumbled. Felicity grabbed her arm, holding her upright as the ship's gravity generators faltered again. Her stomach dropped as it slammed back into place, making her feel sick. She forced herself to take a few slow deep breaths as Felicity watched anxiously.

"Are you all right?"

"Yes, just a little queasy. We'd better keep going."

The ship groaned as they hurried down the corridor but fortunately, the gravity continued to hold. The hallway ended in a blank metal door with no indication of what lay behind it. They exchanged a look, but she didn't see any other alternative and hit the control panel. The door slid aside to reveal a darkened room lined with what appeared to be storage lockers and her heart sank. Why had the signs led them here?

At least the room appeared to be empty.

"Come on," she whispered. "Perhaps it leads somewhere else."

As soon as they stepped through the doorway the door slid shut behind them and the lights came on. Damn. Instead of storage lockers, the room was lined with tall, coffin shaped pods. Escape pods - escape pods designed for a single person.

"Only one person per pod," she said, desperately scanning the rows of pods looking for a larger option.

Her throat constricted as she turned to Felicity. There was no way they could both fit in a single pod.

"We need to find another way."

Felicity nodded, biting her lip.

"Do you think we can find a shuttle instead?"

"It's a long shot," she admitted. "But we can try."

Before they could turn back, there was another loud groan and the door behind them began to buckle.

"No, no!"

She pushed frantically at the control panel but there was no response from the damaged door. They couldn't go back. Her heart sank as the gravity began to weaken again. The groans of the dying ship were a morbid soundtrack to their own desperate situation.

Felicity looked at her, her eyes brimming with tears.

"We don't have a choice. We have to go, Lauren. Now."

She opened her mouth to protest but the door began to buckle again, the frame squealing. The smoke had followed them down the corridor, seeping under the door. There was no choice.

"All right. I love you, Felicity."

"I love you too."

Felicity hugged her fiercely.

"Find me," her friend whispered. "Somehow."

Tears running down her face, she nodded and climbed into the nearest pod. Felicity climbed into the next one, giving her a last shaky smile. She tried to return it, but her face was numb, her stomach turning somersaults. Then the pod door closed, sealing her away from her friend, from everything. The pod hummed to life, and then a burst of acceleration pressed her back against the padded interior as the pod launched itself into space.