Tarra opened her eyes and saw Jerrix kneeling over her.

“How are you feeling?”

“My teeth are sore.”

He rubbed his own and said, “So are mine.”

He helped her up.

“I thought you were dead.”

Jerrix shook his furry head.

“We went through an advanced matter transmitter that’s all.”

She looked around the huge pale room where other Helosians were appearing.

“I see we are prisoners again.”

He smiled.

“Seems like it my dear.”

“Did you find anything out with your scanner?”

“They are powered by a nemorax matrix. Now my dear, if I could get to the satellite relay station I could at least give them a headache.”

“We have to get out of here first,” Tarra reminded him.

As she spoke, the president appeared and Jerrix said, “Well, well.”

He walked towards him as the room filled up.

“So they got you too Jerrix.”

“They did indeed sir. How about the alert?”

“I didn’t have time. Where are we?”

“Some kind of orbital prison ship. Usually matter transmission is a two way process. However, it may not be in this case,” Jerrix explained.

“Does this craft have a flight deck?” Tarra asked.

“I doubt it my dear. Probably automated and sentient.”

Without warning, the ambassador appeared and hovered towards them.
The president stood his ground as people backed away.

“This is an act of war sir.”

“We only need your cooperation Mr President. Surely you can see no point in resisting.”

“We will fight you to the last man sir.”

“With your puny weapons sir? They are useless.”

“What is your real purpose?” Jerrix asked.

“Our empire is expanding. Dolomite will ensure that continues.”

“I see. Plan to mine it yourselves?”

“Our prisoners will do that for us. Under coercion if necessary.”

“Even then they will refuse,” the president promised.

“Then they will starve sir. When that becomes clear, they will cooperate.”

“He has a point,” Tarra said.

“He certainly does,” the president replied.

“We will let you think about it before speaking again sir.”

The ambassador vanished and the captives calmed down.

“Seems rather hopeless,” the president muttered.

“It is never hopeless sir. Even at your bleakest hour.”

“We can’t get out of here,” the president pointed out.

Jerrix pulled his fork like device from his deep cloak pocket and fiddled with it.

“If I can reset this I may be able to induce a short coma.”

“How will that help?” the president asked.

“If they think we are dead they may send us back.”

“That’s brilliant sir.”

“Eh Jerrix,” Tarra said. “They could eject us into space.”

“Calculated risk but I’m ready if you are.”

“Go ahead,” the president replied.

Jerrix twisted the dial and everyone collapsed immediately.
Tarra found herself in a dark, silent world. It felt warm and peaceful. No thoughts drifted through her mind.
 
When Tarra woke, it was still dark. Her human eyes took time to adjust.

“It must be night,” she muttered.

“It certainly is,” a familiar voice replied.

“Where are we?”

Jerrix helped her up and said, “Back at the bizarre my dear. It seems everyone was returned to their point of departure.”

“We had better find this satellite relay station of yours,” Tarra told him.

“We had better go this way then,” he replied.

She followed him out of the bizarre and across the adjacent square until they reached the entrance of a subway station. Descending the steps, she found herself looking at a platform.

“They have tube trains?”

“Kind of. These use magnetic lift. We have to eh, follow the track.”

“Won’t that be dangerous?” she asked.

“See that large central rail?”

“I get the picture,” Tarra said. “Do not touch.”

“Exactly. Now we have to go.”

He climbed down and helped her to join him. They began walking into a tunnel and the darkness thickened.

“Feels rather spooky,” she commented.

“Only to you my dear,” he replied. “I think it’s boring.”

They walked along until the tunnel branched and Jerrix took the right fork.

“Just a little further now.”

Minutes later, they reached another platform and he helped her climb out. After climbing the steps, she found herself in a park with a large white building at the centre of it. Upon its roof, a huge dish pointed skyward.

“It looks quiet,” Tarra said.

“Yes. The machines must have grabbed as many as possible.”

As they waited, one of them floated past and they had to duck behind the wall.

Once it was gone, they ran across the grass and entered the main entrance.

“Now we have to get to the control room,” he told her.

She followed him through a myriad of corridors until they entered a large room banked by whirring computers. Jerrix walked into a central booth and stared at the controls.

“I have to transmit a precise pulse and reset their nemorax matrix.”

“That will defeat them, yes?”

“I believe it will.”

Tarra was deeply worried.

“What happens to the prisoners?”

Jerrix glanced at her.

“I don’t think you are going to like this my dear.”

“You can’t kill them Jerrix. You are better than that.”

“Do you have a suggestion? I would like to hear it now. Helos faces
misery and slavery. I really have no option.”

“You said the prison ship is sentient, like their machines.”

“So what is your point?”

“Reason with it.”

He gave her a rather funny look and fiddled with the control console.

“This may expose us to detection but I’m about to open a link.”

Upon a screen, a series of letters and numbers had appeared.

“Are you talking to it?” she asked.

“I’m using galactic code. Far more advanced that your gibberish. Now we await a reply.”

Moments later the reply came.

“It wants the binary code.”

Tarra leaned forward and whispered into his ear, “then hand it over.”

Jerrix typed it in and seconds later, the reply came.

Jerrix studied the series of letters and numbers.

“It has agreed. It only wants time to inform the other prison ships before returning the people to the surface. Then they will move out of range.”

“How long will all that take?”

“About ten minutes. We have to wait I’m afraid.”

As they waited, Tarra wanted to know what he was expecting.

“You just wait and see my dear.

The ten minutes were up and Jerrix typed in the code before placing a paw over the transmit button.

“This will do it Tarra.”

“Then I suggest you get on with it.”

His paw fell and the pulse was beamed into space where it bounced off the satellites before returning to Helos. As it struck, the star shaped machines exploded, spreading shrapnel in all directions.

Within the relay station, Jerrix stood up and silently led her outside. As they walked across the park, Jerrix saw pieces of metal littering the grass.

“Off to see the president are we?”

“I think not my dear. Let’s just leave quietly.”

As they walked slowly away from the dark park, Jerrix noticed an undamaged machine lying silently upon the path. He stopped.

“You had better stay here my dear. That damn thing may still be active.”

He walked over gingerly and examined it closely.

“You think we are defeated Jerrix. Ha, you are wrong.”

“Mr Ambassador?”

“Your details have been transmitted and we will hunt you down like a dog.”

“Feel free, but you won’t be there.”

“I don’t need to be...”

Jerrix heard a low whirr and suddenly realised what was happening.

“He activated a double feedback loop, delaying the detonation!”

As if in slow motion, Tarra saw him turn and scream, “down!”

As she hit the deck, an explosion ripped the machine apart.

She glanced up and saw the debris scattered around a still form. She scrambled forward and saw him lying on his side breathing heavily.
She saw the gaping chest wound and suppressed a tragic scream.

Kneeling gently she rolled him over and cradled his furry head. His sea blue eyes were open and he spoke weakly.

“Seems the ambassador left a going away present.”

Tears rolled down her cheeks.

“You can’t die here Jerrix Tau. Not in this awful place.”

He coughed twice and smiled back.

“I have nine lives remember. Probably about to lose one.”

His eyelids closed and his body went limp. Tarra, crying openly now, lay his head down and stood up. As she said farewell to her strange furry friend, she saw the body fade until only a spectral image remained.

Moments later, the body returned to solidity. His eyes opened wide and he scrambled to his feet. She saw that the wound had gone. His eyes were now bright green and as for the ginger fur, well?

She felt giddy and Jerrix had to steady her.

“Feeling alright now?” he asked, wiping away the tears.

“I really thought you had gone.”

“Bio matrix reformation Tarra.”

“I see.”

He looked at her smiling.

“Actually you don’t but never mind. Where are we going by the way?”

Tarra suddenly saw her chance and plunged straight in.

“You said I could stay.”

He looked her up and down, rubbing the back of his furry head.

“Did I now. Well, I am a cat of my word you know.”

She embraced him hastily.

“Hold on Tarra. I’m a little fragile you know.”

She released him before kissing his sweet dark nose.

“Thank you.”

“Now Tarra. We have to be off before anything else happens.”

He pressed the throat clasp and moments later, she saw the green glow of the ship’s presence.

“Coming Tarra?” he asked cheekily.

“Why not. I have a galaxy to explore.”

They walked inside and promptly vanished.