Gradually, Campbell opened his eyes and noticed straight away his hands were tied closely together. The captain remembered what had happened by seeing that his feet were also bound together. A group of women had caught him; he looked at his surroundings and soon saw that he was not only just handcuffed in more than one way but was also tied up with someone else.

“You awake, captain?” Branson asked in a groggy voice behind him.

“I am, Ed,” Campbell answered. “Where are the others?”

Branson didn’t need to answer as Campbell noticed both Ricci and Randall tied up similarly as he was. “Are they-”

“Alive?” Branson completed before confirming they were. “I think our captors used some toxin to knock us out. I only just came around before you did, sir.”

“Any guesses as to where we are?” Campbell asked as he looked around their cell. It was a dark room with only two light sources peering through the roof. Whatever their prison was, their cell was a small, cuboid shape with solid cement walls around them and a singular steel door being the only way in and out.

“Certainly not Kansas, sir,” Branson answered. “I’ve not seen or heard anyone else.” 

The other two started to stir.

Randall’s bullet wound had been crudely bandaged. Blood continued to stain the bandage. He slowly tried to sit up. His face seemed drained. “Where are we, captain?”

“My best bet is a jail of some sort, Josh,” Campbell answered as he looked around their surroundings one more time. “Where on the planet, I have no clue. Are you okay?”

“I feel weak, sir.” He checked the bandage on his left arm. He held his hand out. “I’m still bleeding, sir…I think the bullet is still inside my arm.”

Ricci rubbed his head before shaking it, trying to reorient himself, adjusting to the difference in light. “Well, this doesn’t look like the ship, captain. What happened, or are we still trying to figure that out?” He asked.

“It would appear our sensor scans missed that this planet is inhabited,” Campbell answered. “That said, who these people are is a different set of questions all by themselves.”  

Ricci nodded. “I understand, sir. I would be able to make a crude attempt with the right supplies, but given we have been stripped of everything; I don’t have anything to work with.” He paused. “This reminds me of so many old films it’s not funny, though I never thought I would be here.”

“So if we’re all here, where’s Lieutenant Gasset and Commander Xiang?” Branson asked the others.

“I covered Xiang as she retreated to get to the shuttlepod to get word to Endeavour,” Campbell answered. “I hope she made it.”

Very weakly, Randal said, “Do we have any water, sir?”

Just then, the door opened, and a woman wearing similar attire to the women who attacked them appeared with a rifle aimed at them. Another woman accompanied her, but this time she shoved a couple of plates of what looked like food. Shouting something at them in her alien language, the guard closed the door with great force. The slamming noise echoed in the small cell they were in. 

Without their universal translators, the men had no idea what she had said to them. Campbell turned to Ricci and asked if he was able to work out what she had said.

Ricci thought for a moment about what had been said. He wasn’t one hundred per cent sure of the dialect, but he could make a rough guess of a few words. “I think they were cursing us for being men…Sir.”

Randall looked at what the women left and then passed out.

“Damn it,” Branson cursed after seeing Ricci pass out. “We need to get out of these restraints.”

Campbell tried to pull at the handcuffs and the tight rope around him and the doctor. “There’s no way we’re getting out of these anytime soon.”

“Whoever these women are, I’m getting the distinct impression they’re no fans of the male gender,” Branson stated before noticing something in the corner of the cell. “Ant, look, I know you’re tied up, but can you drag yourself and Randall over to that corner? There’s a constant stream of water coming in there. Can you see it?”

Antione strained his eyes in the darkness, looking for the stream of water and nodded. “Give me a second.” He grunted as he began to move towards the stream with Randall positioned to be in place for the water to hit his face.

“Get yourself into position, and the cold shock of the water should bring Josh around; then we need to get some medical help,” Branson said. 

Ricci immediately followed the order and got Randall in position before looking to the captain. “I am in position.” 

The water started to help keep Randall conscious, however, it alerted their jailers to what was going on. More of the women came in and dragged both Randall and Ricci out. Campbell and Branson started to shout out at their captors, demanding they bring them back. Their calls for help were not listened to and the door was slammed on them again. 

“If Josh doesn’t get the right medical treatment, he’ll either bleed out or die from an infection,” Branson said after a moment. 

“Damn it,” Campbell cursed.