Setback.

I woke up with an enormous headache and an urgent need to go to the toilet.

Staggering upright, I made my way over to the cubicle in my cabin and peered in. Sure enough, it was a tiny shower and toilet area.

I used the toilet and then, unsure how long I would be waiting, decided to have a quick wash, so I shucked off my jumpsuit, which was getting a bit smelly, and had a hurried shower. The fact that I had to actually wash myself brought home to me, more than anything else, my situation.

That and there was no towel.

I used the bedsheet instead, and then slipped back into my jumpsuit, worried that someone might turn up any second and catch me naked.

I need not have bothered, there was no sign of any activity, so I lay back down on the bed, nursing my sore head, swearing never to drink grog again, and fell asleep once more.

The door opening jerked me awake, I wasn't sure how much later, but I felt slightly better than I had previously.

Sth's face peered in. "Are you decent?" he asked.

I just sat up and looked at him.

"Haha, not used to drinking I suspect. Oh, here's a towel, I don't think there's one in here." He threw a large white towel at me. "And something to eat. The captain told me to keep you in here until he makes the call later." He entered the room and put a covered tray down on the table.

"Make the call?" I asked, still a bit slow. I took the cover off the tray. Ah, coffee!

"Yes, the ransom call to your family. You have to be there, proof that you're alive and haven't been harmed or... molested." He paused. "So far."

I nodded, taking a deep and welcome drink of the coffee.

When I said nothing further, Sth nodded. "Very well then, I'll leave you to it." He stepped backwards out of the room, as if expecting me to jump on him and attack. He needn't have bothered. I only cared about coffee at that point.

After the door slid shut, I picked at the breakfast, which was scrambled eggs, or egg substitute anyway, beans of some kind, and a chunk of the same meat-like stuff as had been in last night's dinner.

It tasted okay though, so I ate it, finished the coffee off and lay back down on the bed to think things through.

Daddy should pay the ransom no problem, and then I could get away from here. My thoughts turned to Nuba, and what had happened to her. I hoped she was all right. I missed her.

After a moment picturing my special friend, my hand slid inside my jumpsuit and made its way down to my pussy. I'd been so swept up in everything, I'd forgotten to be horny! However, ever since I'd come off the suppressants, nearly a year ago now, I'd been constantly in need. Nuba had been only too willing to oblige me in The School. I wondered how I would manage without her, although, for the next few minutes, I managed quite well, rubbing my pussy madly until I shuddered and jerked about in a long overdue orgasm.

"Oh my universe!" I panted, once I had managed to satiate myself. "This isn't going to be easy."

~*~

It was several hours later when Sth unlocked the door again. I sat up on my bed. I'd spent the time alternatively dozing and playing with myself. As such, I felt quite level headed when he finally came for me.

"So, it's time for the call then?" I asked Sth.

"I wouldn't like to second guess the captain," he replied. "But, probably. Come."

I stood up and followed him out into the hallway. We turned right and went up several more decks, until we arrived in a short corridor with three doors. One at either end, and one in the middle.

Sth walked up to the middle one and knocked.

"Enter."

I recognised the captain's voice immediately, even though I'd only heard it once before.

Sth opened the door and nodded his head at me, indicating I should go first, so I did. He came in behind me, closed the door and then stood in front of it.

The room I found myself in was, again, totally different from anything I was expecting. It was like a modern office, at least as I had seen on the films we'd been allowed at The School. There was a large table to one side, with comfortable looking, modern style, chairs around it, and a couple of desks along the wall.

A poster on the wall had the witty phrase: "You don't have to be a bloodthirsty cut-throat to work here, but it helps!"

In the other half of the room were a couple of sofas and comfortable chairs arranged around a low coffee table.

The captain, and Red, were sitting in two of these chairs. Red wasn't wearing her spacesuit, which made sense, but a jacket and trousers, both maroon in colour. Around her hip was a belt with a pistol holstered on either side. I eyed them jealously.

The captain was as he had been yesterday, although now I was more alert, I could see a bulge under his jacket. No doubt being armed was default for these people. Understandable.

"Here's my little killer," the captain said in a jovial voice. "Come, sit down. We need to make a call to your family, arrange a deal, then we can all get on with our lives. How does that sound?"

I nodded. "Let's do it."

"Look at that!" The captain grinned and looked at Red, "she's all business our girl here. Fantastic."

Red didn't respond, but merely gestured for me to sit in one of the seats.

I did as I was bid, and she set up a holo projector in front of me, and then handed me a pad.

"Dial your father's private code," she commanded.

Without hesitation, I did so. The screen, after a second or two to connect – we were a long way from my home planet – showed a 'ringing' display.

That went on for longer than it should have, and I frowned. Usually someone would have responded almost immediately, if not my father, then one of his assistants.

Finally though, the display resolved into a face. It was a man I vaguely recognised, some high level advisor if I remembered correctly. I frowned again, he wasn't someone I would have expected to reply to this number.

"Hello?" he said. "Oh! Is that you Alice?" He looked left and right, as if checking to make sure he was alone.

"Yes," I replied. "Where's my father? I need to speak to him urgently."

"Where are you?" he asked, ignoring my request. "The last I heard you were heading back from your school."

"I... sort of still am," I said, unsure of what to reveal. "What are you doing on this line? Where's my father?"

The man took a deep breath, and glanced about again. When he next spoke, it was in a low tone.

"It's a good job you called really," he said. "I'm afraid I have some very bad news. Your father, and the rest of your family aren't here. The..." he cut off and paused for a moment, and then continued speaking in an even lower tone. "Certain forces of the galactic government..." Here he wiggled his eyebrows slightly, as if trying to convey another meaning. "...have raided the family holdings. They've frozen most of the family accounts, seized buildings, businesses, spaceships, land, planets, moons, well, just about everything! You should not come back here now. Go to the..." here he looked about once more, leaned closer to his holo-projector and whispered. "Emergency rendezvous point. You remember the process to find that yes?"

In a state of shock, I nodded.

"Good. Now, don't call this number again, I'm fairly sure it's secure just now, but it won't be for long. Good luck Alice."

He cut the connection.

"What the fuck?" The captain, no longer jovial, stood up and loomed over me. "What was that about? What government forces? What has your family done that could warrant that? "

I actually had an idea, but there was no way I was going to tell him. Instead, I looked frightened, not hard to do, as I was actually really terrified, and shook my head.

"I don't know!" I wailed. "You heard him! I know as much as you do!"

The captain snarled and turned to Red. "Scan the feeds, see what you can find out. Something this big is bound to be news."

"Aye captain," Red replied, pulling out her pad and tapping madly on it.

As she did her research, the captain strode back and forth, pacing like a caged, and very dangerous, wild animal. I shrunk back into my chair, my head whirling at this latest setback.

After a minute to two, Red looked up.

"Well?" the captain snarled.

"They're reporting that her family have been involved in a conspiracy to overthrow the galactic government," she said. "The navy has been raiding them, apparently there have been several quite major space battles with her family's private forces." She paused and looked at me. "There's a reward out for her too, half a million."

"Half a mil? Is that it? That will barely cover our costs!" The captain swivelled to look down at me. "She's a virgin yes?"

Red nodded. I didn't dare ask how they knew that.

"Well, that's something. A little bitch as attractive as she is would fetch a good price anyway. A virgin too though, that could at least get a small return on our investment, especially considering who she is."

I quivered at his words. He was talking about selling me!

The captain leaned down and grabbed my chin, forcing my face up. "Yes, such a cute little thing." He nodded. "Looks like I'm going to get to play with you a little after all," he said.

I shook at the implications of all this. My future, which just moments ago was, perhaps a little uncertain, but at least likely secure, was now looking very bleak indeed.

"Sth," the captain said. "Prepare her and take her to my room. I might not be able to use her as I really would like, but there are two other holes that are still available."

I nearly cried out loud then, but one last vestige of pride wouldn't allow me to show weakness.

Still, I couldn't stop the tears as Sth led me away, head down and beaten.