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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Capellan" data-source="post: 2152397" data-attributes="member: 6294">"Total Escape" - Part 5Fury curses as he watches his companions' capture, fists clenched impotently.  Being impotent is a major cause of concern for him."There is nothing we can do at the current time, Captain." Archie attempts to mollify Fury's anger. "The Targ will be on heightened alert now.  We must wait for a better opportunity.""I know, Archie." Fury never takes his eyes off the distant figure of the Princess, "But it doesn’t make me feel any better."It's likely that S'Ondra herself isn't too thrilled with events either, as she and her foster father are frog-marched into the camp, their hands on their heads."Stop here." The leader of the patrol points at a dusty spot of ground.  The two captives do as instructed, still covered by five disruptors as the patrol leader continues to walk forward.  He comes to a halt before a tall Targ with elaborate insignia on his shoulders and executes a smart salute."Two new prisoners, Commandant.  One of them appears identical to an existing inmate."Watching the Targ conversation, Gustav whispers out of the corner of his mouth,"Can you understand zem, leibchen?""Of course.  It's not like I slept through your lectures on their language." S'Ondra answers primly, then adds under her breath. "Not all of them, anyway.""Show me the prisoners." The Commandant follows the patrol leader over to Gustav and the Princess, and examines them closely, "I see what you mean, Sub-Commander."  He snaps his fingers and points to a pair of nearby guards. "You!  Go and fetch the Chief Scientist.  You!  Fetch the prisoner that looks like this one." He gestures at S'Ondra.As the guards hurry to obey, the Commandant steps back and surveys the two prisoners, "Healthy looking specimens, Sub-Commander.  We should get plenty of work out of these two.""Here's the prisoner you requested, sir." The first of the guards returns, dragging Savage S'Ondra by the arm.  She shuffles in his wake, head lolling and eyes vacant."What's wrong with her?" the Princess hisses to Gustav, as she looks at her counterpart with concern."I zink she may be drugged." The Doctor mutters back, his voice low, "At least, I hope zat is ze case.  Ze alternative is zat zey have operated on her mind in some way -" he breaks off, suddenly realising that such conjecture is probably not what S'Ondra wants to hear."You wished to see me, Commandant?" a rich contralto voice intercedes as a new Targ arrives in the scene.  This is evidently the Chief Scientist ... and the skin-tight Targ bodysuits make it equally evident that the Chief Scientist is a She."Oh my." Gustav swallows, "Is it getting hot, here?"The Commandant nods an answer to the Chief Scientist's question, then gestures at Gustav and S'Ondra."I wanted to show you these two new prisoners." He explains, "Notice that the one on the right appears identical to this other prisoner.  This seems a remarkable genetic anomaly.""Oh, not really." The Chief Scientist gives S'Ondra a dismissive flick of her hand, "The inefficient and disgusting biological processes these primitives use to breed are responsible for such aberrations.  They occur approximately once in every two-hundred and fifty cases.  Rare, but by no means remarkable."  She pulls out a handheld device of some kind and points it at Gustav.  The instrument makes a series of high-pitched clicking noises."This other prisoner, however, is an interesting specimen.  I detect unusually high - though very erratic - brainwave patterns.  With your permission, I'd like to have him brought to the lab for further study.""Permission granted." The Commandant nods. "Do you require the other prisoner as well?""No.  Her brain patterns are normal for the species.  She can be added to the general populace."S'Ondra glances around at the guards, subtly shifting her weight so that she can spring into action."Get ready, father." She mutters, "We're going to have to make a break for it.""No, leibchen." The Doctor shakes his head almost imperceptibly, "Zere are too many of zem.""But she's going to take you away and cut you up in her laboratory!""Zere will be ozzer tests, first." Gustav reassures her, speaking quickly as two guards move forward to escort him along behind the Chief Scientist, "Zere will be time for you or Archie or Captain Fury to rescue me before anything unpleasant happens to me, I am sure."And then the camera is following Gustav as he is forcibly dragged away, the two guards each gripping one of his arms and walking fast enough that he stumbles and is forced to start half-jogging in order to keep his balance.  They drag him into the busiest of the camp buildings, in and out of which  a constant stream of Venusians are being herded.  One of the guards pushes open the door with his free hand -"OBEY THE TARG.  THE TARG ARE WISE.  THE TARG ARE STRONG.  OBEY THE TARG."A massive screen dominates the far wall of the main room within the building.  A swirling pattern of colours washes over the screen as a booming voice blasts out of loudspeakers, demanding obedience and loyalty to the new Targ order.  Dozens of Venusians are crowded into the room, and Targ guards move amongst them, making sure that all the prisoners are watching the hypnotic patterns on the screen."This way." The Chief Scientist beckons the guards on past this room, and we enter a sterile, white-washed laboratory, full of gleaming chrome instruments.  A large steel table, fitted with bulky vice-like manacles, dominates the room. "Secure him to the observation table, then adjust it to a sixty degree angle."The guards swiftly manacle Gustav, then crank a winch that raises him into a near standing position.  As they do so, the Chief Scientist runs her scanner up and down Gustav's body."Very good." She nods as the table is put into position. "You may leave now."  The guards obviously hesitate, and she waves a hand dismissively. "He's hardly likely to be dangerous while he's manacled to the table, is he?"The guards salute stiffly and withdraw.  As the door closes behind them, the Chief Scientist enters a code on the keypad beside it.  There is an audible clunk as the door's locks engage."I must say," she says in English as she turns toward Gustav and gestures with her scanner, "These results show your intellect to be quiet staggering.  Of course, they'd have to be, for you to survive your planet's devastation.""I don't know vhat you mean!" Gustav protests."Really?" the Targ seems amused, "Then how did you understand me?"  Gustav looks stricken as he realises his blunder, but the alien continues in a pleasant tone, "There would be no point denying it, of course.  You might look like one of these unwashed natives, but your physical readings are quite different.  And your brain patterns ..." she breaks off, "... well, let's just say that I've never seen such a big sine wave, before."Gustav blinks."Tell me ..." the Chief Scientist stalks across the room, her voluptuous figure straining at her tight-fitting body suit, "... are you really the product of random physical breeding?  It seems hard to believe that such primitive methods would provide such an extraordinary specimen.""It is not random." Gustav protests, "Partnerships are chosen by mutual attraction.""Mutual attraction?  You mean a shared desire to mate?""Well, ja, but -""You will demonstrate this to me.  Now."The Chief Scientist reaches up to the collar of her body suit, and we fade to black to the accompaniment of a drawn out zzzzzzzzziiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiipppppppppp.If you aren't a player in Q-Ship, don't forget to add your input to <a href="http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=124358" target="_blank">this thread</a>!  (Players should stay out.  Out, I say!)</blockquote>

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