Incarceration by TransmuteJun
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Chapter 1

I wasn't dead.

Normally, this wouldn't have been much of a statement, but it was the first thing to cross my mind as I regained consciousness. My last memory was of fighting for my life inside the Spectran Hall of Light, having just been pronounced guilty of being a traitor and sentenced to immediate execution. I had reached behind me and felt a searing pain…

I cracked open my eyes, groaning as I pulled my arm in front of me. Unlike the last time I had seen this part of my body, it was no longer encased in a metal restraint. Instead I was clothed in unfamiliar grey garments. Clumsily I pushed up the rough material of my sleeve, revealing a long, red welt on my arm. It was raised, but didn't appear to be infected.

I hadn't been killed. That in itself was amazing. At this moment, it was too astounding to even begin to think why this was. I had to focus on my current circumstances.

I had been intensely focused on survival and escape for the past few days, and it was a difficult habit to break. Even now, before I had risen to a sitting position, my eyes were moving around the room, assessing the situation as quickly as I could. At the moment I was inside a metallic chamber similar to the one I had occupied during my trial. However unlike that cell, this one had a small window cut in the upper middle portion of the door. Cautiously I stood up, moving over to the wall, placing my body next to the door, peering sideways to see what I could through the window.

Nothing.

Gradually I moved closer, until I could almost see out the entire side of the window, then ducked down below, looking up from the edge. I repeated this maneuver on the opposite side of the door. Harsh, artificial light was coming from beyond the doorway, yet there was nothing outside save a featureless metal corridor, constructed in a similar fashion as the endless corridors with which I had already become familiar at Spectran Military Headquarters.

Was I still there? Or had I been moved to a different location?

I glanced down, realizing that I was now garbed in baggy, grey clothing made of a rough fabric. The garments had long sleeves and legs, and there were some kind of slipper-socks on my feet. I didn't even want to think about how I had gotten into these clothes. At least I didn't have to worry about what had happened to my civilian attire. Thanks to the changes Chief Anderson had made to our G-Force uniforms, I had been able to burn out the fiber optic circuits and microscopic data chips embedded in the fabric. When the Spectrans tested them, they would appear to be no different from normal clothes, and would likely be destroyed in short order. At least I had managed to protect Galaxy Security secrets, to the best of my ability.

What had happened while I had been out? Where was Jason? Had the Spectrans captured him as well, or had he managed to escape? Knowing Jason, I presumed the latter. It was a small comfort to know that it was likely that my predicament was not shared with my friend. Even more, I was glad that it was not Mark who was here in this cell, held prisoner by Zoltar. The Commander of G-Force would be a valuable prize for the Spectran Leader, and I was pleased to have cheated Zoltar of his 'trophy'.

Of course it was more than that. I would give anything to keep Mark safe, just as I knew he would do the same for me. If I remained free while Mark was being held prisoner… well, that wouldn't truly be freedom at all.

Still, that didn't mean that I was planning on staying here. I would do whatever I could to escape, no matter how long it took. Unfortunately that was unlikely to occur anytime soon. I was in a far worse position, in terms of resources available to me, than I had been in before. I had failed to escape then; any attempt now would require significant planning and flawless execution. This wasn't something that could be accomplished overnight.

Neither did I anticipate rescue. The G-Force Team had already tried to rescue me once, and had clearly failed. While I was certain that they would continue to try, locating me was bound to be difficult, not to mention gaining access to the planet Spectra. However difficult it had been before, it would be doubly so now.

Before I could take these morose thoughts any further, the door began to open. I stepped back, uncertain as to what was about to happen.

To my surprise, there was no one there. Curiously I stared at the open portal. Was this some kind of trick?

"Step into the hallway." a voice ordered. It sounded like it was coming from the corridor itself. I hesitated, unwilling to blindly obey an invisible order from an unknown source.

"Now," the voice was calm, but there was an underlying tone of menace, "unless you want to be in your cell when it goes through acidic sterilization." I wasn't entirely certain what 'acidic sterilization' was, but I got the hint: move or get hurt. Tentatively, I took a step forward.

"Wasn't it made obvious that you were supposed to move?" the voice barked, nearly making me jump in surprise. "Sterilization will commence in 3… 2…"

I stepped through the doorway and into the corridor beyond. Everything shone with a strange, bluish light. Yet on further inspection, I realized that it wasn't the corridor itself; I was surrounded by force fields. On either side of me were long walls made of condensed energy, forcing me to walk on a predetermined pathway down the hall. Gingerly I moved forward, noting that another energy wall appeared behind me the moment I stepped away from the door.

I looked around, for the first time noticing a Spectran soldier who had been standing behind my door, blocking my view of him when I had been in the cell. However unlike the soldiers with whom I was familiar, this man's uniform was blue, which created a bit of a camouflaging effect, as I was looking at him through the faint blue light of the force field.

"What's going on here?" I asked.

"You were ordered to the Dining Hall." the soldier snarled. "So apparently you're going to eat."

"Either that, or I'm going to be eaten." I muttered. The guard clearly heard my remark, but was apparently unimpressed with my gallows humor.

"Just get going." he snapped. "You won't like what happens if you delay." Something in his voice made me turn my head. The energy wall behind me was moving. Instantly, I understood. My fingers accidentally brushed the wall to my left, and I nearly jumped with surprise. Yet I felt nothing, other than the physical presence of the barrier.

Without commenting further, I shuffled forward, keeping an eye on the progress of the force field behind me. It flicked with electric charges, and I gathered that this wall wasn't as benign as the ones to my sides and front. I gauged its speed, and kept up my own accordingly. There was no reason to rush to please these Spectrans.

After a few minutes, I saw that the field was heading toward a set of double doors. The blue walls around me widened, accommodating their destination. The guard motioned for me to stop, then pressed something into a keypad on the wall. The force field behind me stopped moving, and the doors began to swing open. I could see that the inside was brightly lit.

"Well go on!" the soldier huffed. "I don't have all day!"

I stepped forward, moving into what I supposed was the Dining Hall. As I entered, nearly a hundred eyes rose to acknowledge my presence. Approximately four dozen women were seated at long tables and benches, eating from trays. They were all dressed as I was, but there the similarities ended.

In the sea of blonde and light brown hair, my dark head and green highlights stood out like a sore thumb. Their thin cheeks, lips, and overall features seemed almost austere when compared to my rounded face. A couple of the women were standing, interrupted in the act of carrying trays across the room, and their tall, slim, angular bodies made my hourglass figure appear rotund in comparison. Their bearing and movements indicated a degree of sophistication and experience I did not possess; it was clear that these women were all older than I was, by perhaps five to ten years.

I was the odd person out, and they knew it.

Despite being a member of G-Force for the past three years, I was still only eighteen years old. I had never actually been to a 'real' school, or even mingled much with other women my own age. I knew nothing of cliques and 'status' in this kind of environment. Add to this the fact that while I had been schooled in the varying cultures of Federation planets, I knew next to nothing about Spectran society. The idea that I would have to 'fit in' to this group, looking so much like an outsider, frankly terrified me.

Refusing to show any weakness, I swallowed back my fear, walking through the Dining Hall, toward a counter at the back of the room where a bored-looking Spectran soldier was serving food. When I reached the counter he assessed my presence in a bored fashion.

"Oh, great. Someone new." he grumbled, dumping a heaping spoonful onto a plate. The fare appeared to be the same starch mixed with vegetables that I had been given when I had first arrived on Spectra. He passed the dish toward me, then gestured curtly to a small shelf that held flimsy plastic eating utensils that resembled spoons. Next to the shelf stood a plastic beverage dispenser and a stack of thin paper cups. When I poured out a little of the beverage, I saw that it was the same purple liquid that I had been served before, during my trial. Tavis had called it gattan, and had also confirmed that it was drugged. Frowning, I surreptitiously dumped the small amount in my cup into the drain at the bottom of the beverage dispenser.

Carrying my plate, I turned around, moving back toward the tables. There were five of them, each holding approximately ten diners, five on each side. Most of the tables were obviously full, but despite this, I noticed that many of the women seemed to shuffle their bodies around, blocking what little space might remain at the end of their benches. The message was clear. No one wanted to sit next to me. I suddenly felt as if I was in elementary school and had the cooties.

There was one table in the middle of the floor that was only about half full. As I approached, the six women present stared up at me, their eyes flat and unwelcoming.

"May I sit here, please?" I asked politely, as if this were a tea party.

"No."

I smiled winningly at the stern woman who had just turned me down. Her facial expression didn't change one iota.

"I'm sorry you feel that way," I beamed in a sickly sweet voice, "because I'm sitting here regardless."

"So why'd you ask, anyway?" the woman appeared curious, despite herself.

"Because I wanted to see how bitchy you women truly are." I sat down just as my meaning hit her. Her eyes narrowed, and her face flushed under her short, platinum hair.

"You don't know the meaning of the word." the woman threatened coldly. "Filthy offworlder! Do you know what we Spectrans think of inferior races?"

"Unfortunately, I've had far too much experience with that particular prejudice, yes." I replied calmly, taking a bite of my 'meal'. This starch was bland, in comparison with the spicy version I had had during my first night on Spectra.

A flicker at the corner of my eye was the only warning I had, but it was enough. I flung a spoonful of food toward the woman lunging at me from the aisle to my left, hitting her eyes and blinding her for a brief moment. I swung my leg out into the aisle, performing a sweep to knock her down to the floor. She fell in an undignified heap, her light brown hair flying.

"As I said, I've had some experience with this kind of thing." I continued airily, as if nothing untoward had occurred. The brunette scrambled to her feet, glaring at me and readying another attack, but the blonde put up her hand in a 'stand down' gesture. I nodded carefully, understanding that this woman was the one calling the shots.

"It seems you have." the blonde replied coolly. "Tell me where you obtained this 'experience'." By now it was clear that everyone in the room was avidly listening to our conversation. That was all for the better. I didn't need to prove myself to these women individually. Once was enough.

"Fighting Spectran soldiers." I smirked. "Why do you think I'm in this place?"

"Fighting against the Empire?" The woman twisted her lips wryly. "You've certainly got that in common with everyone here."

"Everyone?" I was confused. "Everyone here is…?"

"Is a prisoner of state." the blonde confirmed, eyeing me closely. "You really didn't know that, did you? What did you think landed you in a Traitor's Prison?"

"Traitor's Prison?" I repeated, surprised.

"Norei, she can't be a traitor!" a darker blonde whispered to the platinum-haired woman. "She's clearly not Spectran!"

"That's what I told them at my trial." I remarked offhandedly. "Unfortunately for me, the Great Spirit thought differently."

"The Great Spirit?" Norei frowned. "You're lying to us. No one gets away with that!"

"I'm not lying." I shrugged. "But if you want to think so, you can."

"Dimal!" Norei snapped, and the brunette to my left moved again. This time I jumped up out of my seat, evading her grasp by leaping onto the table.

"Prisoner Swan!" a loud voice boomed around the hall. "You are in violation of Dining Hall rules. You will return to your cell!"

"Fair enough." I shrugged. "It's just too bad I'll have to leave this 'welcoming ceremony' early."

Dimal glared at me as I jumped lightly down to the floor, Norei stared, her eyes narrowing. The other women in the room simply gaped as I walked casually to the door, which swung open, revealing the force field pathway once more.

Without looking back, I stepped into the corridor.

88888

I followed the blue energy walls back to my cell, this time without an escort. As I walked I looked around, realizing that I was passing through blocks of cells, all with plain doors bearing one small window. There were no distinguishing marks on the doors or walls, not even a number. I wondered how the Spectrans knew where everyone was kept.

The door to my cell opened when I arrived, and I entered obligingly. While I wanted to escape, it was clear that the security here was like nothing I had ever seen. Besides that, I had fewer resources. What I needed was information.

My brief encounter with the other prisoners had provided far more of that than I had hoped. I was apparently incarcerated in some kind of women's facility for Spectran traitors. The security and surveillance here was unbelievable. Still, no matter how sophisticated, there had to be flaws. I simply had to discover what they were, and exploit them. That was my specialty, after all.

I pondered my meeting with Norei. It appeared that she was some kind of leader, as the other women followed her actions and commands. Yet none of them seemed very fond of me, as a non-Spectran. It was a level of racial hatred I hadn't encountered before. Even Zoltar and the Spectran soldiers we fought seemed to hate the G-Force Team more because we resisted them, than because we weren't Spectrans. At the same time, these women were here because they had been fighting Spectran soldiers.

Could it be that these Spectran 'traitors' weren't happy mixing with other planets? That they opposed the war with the Federation on that pretext? Or were there other issues, of which I was unaware, underlying their actions? This was certainly information that would interest Galaxy Security, and could possibly help with an escape attempt. I needed to find out what these women had done to be sent here.

My interactions with Spectran women had been few and far between. On occasion G-Force had encountered the Galaxy Girls, an elite fighting force, and I knew that there were a few women working as Spectran agents, such as Mala (who operated under the names S-9 and Hanna, among others) and Madame Dumane. Yet unlike the staff at Galaxy Security, Spectran soldiers, officers, researchers and administrative personnel were almost exclusively male. Perhaps there was some kind of oppressive system here that favored males? Or was it the other way around, that women were considered too valuable to risk on the front lines? Regardless, it seemed that I had a prime opportunity to gather information.

If only I could convince these women to open up to me.

Of course, things hadn't started off very well, but I felt good about my brief interactions with the other prisoners. They already knew that I couldn't be bullied and would defend myself, if necessary. Somehow I sensed that the way to earn their respect, if not their friendship, was to portray myself as a strong, capable woman. They wouldn't think much of a weakling, nor did I want to come across as such.

I was lost in these thoughts, unaware of time passing, until my cell door opened once more.

"Step into the hallway." a voice ordered. As before, I was unable to see the person giving the command. Still, since I now knew what awaited me in the corridor, I wasn't nearly as apprehensive as I had been earlier.

"Okay." I shrugged casually, like I was humoring my unseen director. I left the cell, noting that the force fields now stretched in the opposite direction from the one I had taken earlier, to get to the Dining Hall.

"Where am I going?" I asked the guard standing beside the door.

"You've been summoned for questioning." the guard yawned. It was a different man from before, and he appeared bored with this duty. Yet I was far from bored. Questioning? That sounded interesting… as well as ominous. My pace slowed imperceptibly.

Yet I had little choice. As before, the crackling wall of force followed me, forcing me to progress along the pre-determined path. I arrived at a door emblazoned with the Spectran devil logo.

Twin panels slid upward into the wall, creating an opening in front of me. I continued at my same, measured pace, unwilling to let my apprehension show through. In the chamber beyond stood a single wooden chair, illuminated by bright lights. Other than this one piece of furniture, the room appeared to be empty.

"Sit."

The guard who had been next to my cell was outside in the hallway, the force field creating a blue glimmer between us. I shrugged, slowly walking into the room and carefully seating myself on the wooden chair, half-expecting part of it to jump out and restrain me. Instead, it was the force field that appeared, spontaneously generating itself around the illuminated circle.

The door through which I had entered closed, and another one opened.

"I'm so glad to see you here, Princess." Zoltar sneered condescendingly, as he literally looked down his nose at me. "But I must admit, you look rather dismal. Now that you no longer have your G-Force uniform, it's clear how pathetic you truly are."

"I don't understand your point of view, Zoltar." I smiled prettily. "After all, given how you dress, it's obvious that appearances don't matter to you at all."

"There's no need for insults, Prisoner Swan." the Spectran Leader snarled. "I simply want to ensure that you are being treated appropriately. Have you been sleeping well?"

"That depends on your point of view." I replied. "I've only been sleeping when I've been drugged. Although I suppose there are people who prefer it that way, I'm not one of them."

"But you've gotten sleep." Zoltar snapped, his limited patience clearly fraying. "And you've been fed."

"I believe I had two bites, yes." I agreed. "Before I was attacked and forced to leave the Dining Hall."

"You aren't being mistreated." Zoltar growled threateningly.

"Other than being drugged, attacked while I eat and being forced to walk through the corridors under threat of being electrified by force fields?" I blinked innocently.

"What in the Great Spirit's Name is going on?" Zoltar yelled at the ceiling, clearly angry. "She was supposed to be docile! Cooperative! Now this entire effort has been wasted! There's no useable footage at all!"

"We could take her words and rearrange the phrasing…" an unfamiliar voice came from

some kind of audio system.

"That's no good! They'd know it was a fake!" Zoltar ranted. "You've botched the whole thing! Your neck is on the line, Weckor!"

"My Lord, she has only been here for a few days…"

"That was plenty of time to do what I asked!"

"Sire, I…"

"Enough! I will accept no further excuses! Tomorrow she will be ready! I cannot afford to wait any longer! The people demand evidence!"

"It will be done as you command, my Lord!"

Zoltar stormed out of the room, clearly having forgotten that I was even present. The force field disappeared, and the door through which I had entered opened up once more. Almost automatically I stood, following the blue energy path back to my cell. I barely acknowledged what my body was doing, as my mind was whirling with the implications of what I had just heard.

I had plenty to think about.

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