A Heretic's First Mission

21-year old Arcadia Shazemne had just left Orbital 3 in her one-person shuttle and was en route to Williams' Utopia. This was the young heretic's first independent mission. A sense of excitement, yet anxiety, took hold of her as she flew through space.

Williams' Utopia was the only natural satellite of Theta 7. It had once been a mining outpost for the Divine Order, but since Theta 7 had joined with the Reform Planets, the miners were driven off and the installation was shut down. A wealthy entrepreneur named Dalton Williams had purchased the moon, renovated the facilities, and had created a completely terra-formed paradise, promoted as one of the Light Universe's most luxurious and exotic pleasure planets.

However, Arcadia was not traveling to the resort for pleasure purposes! Intelligence reports from Ostral-B (her homeworld) had suggested that a new administrator recently hired by Williams was on the secret payroll of mercenaries. There was evidence to suggest that this new person was also involved in a plot to expose the Reform Planets to His Divine Shadow, hence jeopardizing heretics and reformers throughout the Light Universe! Arcadia's mission was to find out who this individual was, and what his plans were in regards to the Sub-N's, the Divine Order, and so on.

She had just entered scanner range of Theta 7 when her panel lighted up. A perimeter alert! From the other side of the planet, a mercenary ship was approaching Arcadia's shuttle, bringing its weapons to bear on the tiny one-man, and unarmed, craft!

Quickly, Arcadia began conducting the evasive maneuvers that she had learned at flight school on Ostral-B. She managed to bypass the mercenary ship's first assault, slipping around Theta 7 and heading towards Williams' Utopia. The Sub-N's wasted no time in doubling back, picking up the pursuit. They were preparing for another attack!

Arcadia grabbed her survival pack, igniting her emergency thrusters. Her shuttle entered a shaky orbit around the moon, and, using the world's gravitational field, began sling-shotting around, picking up velocity rapidly. The reconfigured her trajectory, spiraling downward. In seconds, the ship would burn up in the atmosphere! The mercenaries were out of range, still trailing behind on the moon's other side. They would not be able to detect her ruse until it was too late.

At the last possible instant, Arcadia jettisoned her escape pod. The cockpit, containing her, separated from the rest of the shuttle, launching towards the planet surface. A moment later, the shuttle exploded as it nose-dived into the atmosphere. The explosion masked the little pod dropping from the sky towards the ground. The mercenaries observed the explosion, satisfied.

***

The escape pod landed in a barren, hilly region near the moon's equator. Arcadia emerged, checking her pack and herself for damage. She was okay, but the pod was badly damaged from the rough landing. She quickly surveyed the crash site. There was little else around, except rock. She began inspecting the pod for salvageable material.

"Who are you?" a voice said from behind.

Arcadia spun around, reaching for her belt just in case. Her sonic disruptor was still in her pack, she realized! The voice had come from a large, sturdy man who was standing a few yards away. He was soiled, as if he had been working underground. He was about thirty years of age or so, and was carrying some kind of tool kit in his hand.

"My name is Arcadia Shazemne," she replied. The heretic looked out of the corner of her eye to the pack which lay on the ground only a few feet away. Although the man in front of her was not attacking her, he looked quite capable of hurting her if he so wished!

The man approached, pointing to Arcadia's pod. "Having trouble with your ship?" he asked.

"Yes," Arcadia said, moving a little to give the man room. "I had to make a crash landing."

The man began examining the craft. "Looks like you messed it up good, lady," he said, somewhat bluntly. "Hope you're not planning on taking off soon."

"No," Arcadia stated, "I'm not. Williams' Utopia was my destination."

The man chuckled a little, amused. "This ain't the way MOST tourists arrive here!" he said.

Arcadia shrugged, walking over to pick up her pack. "I'm not exactly a tourist," she explained. "Would you happen to know how to get to the Pleasure Dome?" she asked.

"Well, you're not that far," the man said. He pointed towards a nearby summit. "Just over that range of hills and across the valley. You walking?"

"Unless you know of a better method," Arcadia replied, "or are able to fix my pod in five minutes."

The man laughed again, good-naturedly. "You're a feisty little thing for sure, Miss Arcadia!" he said. "My name's Wynne. Wynne Axelrad, from B3K. Here, let me take you there. It's quite a walk."

"Much obliged, Mr. Axelrad," Arcadia said, following Wynne to his nearby rig.

***

Wynne drove Arcadia to the entrance of the Pleasure Dome. In the few minutes it took, Arcadia learned a few things about her chauffer, and about the facility itself. Wynne had come to work for Mr. Williams five years ago as a maintenance expert. He now supervised the whole installation's power, upkeep, and repairs. He had been returning from an inspection of power cells when he had encountered Arcadia. Wynne said that he didn't trust the new administrator.

"Mr. Davi'ir doesn't do things the way Mr. Williams did when he personally managed the place," the engineer explained. "He's not very efficient, and he doesn't treat the hired help as well either."

"Davi'ir?" Arcadia asked. "Where's he from?" The name sounded vaguely familiar.

"I think he's from Ostral-B," Wynne answered. "I'm not sure. He's not very friendly either!"

They drove up to the entrance. Arcadia thanked her host and walked inside the facility. The Pleasure Dome was set up to accomodate those who liked a good time, and who could afford it! Fortunately, her mission paid all expenses.

"One for a full-night's stay," Arcadia told the attendant. She presented her vouchers and received her passcard.

"This is good for 24 hours," the attendant told her. "It covers all food and entertainment, plus opens the door to your room. Have a great time at the Pleasure Dome!"

Arcadia nodded, and headed towards the arena.

The Pleasure Dome was, in fact, a large dome, containing everything a person could desire in recreation and entertainment. There were shows, games, pubs that never closed and always served the best food and drink. Then there was the playroom. This is what brought so many visitors to Williams' Utopia! And it was all at Arcadia's fingertips for one whole day via her passcard.

She was checking one of the Dome Navigator Comps (DNC) near the playroom, trying to find out where the administrative offices were located, when an attractive black-haired woman approached her.

"Hi, there," she said, coy and seductive. "You wanna play?" She beckoned with an alluring finger towards the playroom.

Arcadia's eyes narrowed, guardedly. "That's all right," she said plainly. "Not interested."

The slender, ebony temptress was undaunted, however. "Oh, come now, my pet," she said, moving closer, touching Arcadia on the shoulder and moving down her arm gently and sensuously, ending up in her hand. "We could have a lot of fun... together."

Arcadia backed off sharply and rigidly. "I said, NO!" she stated, more firmly. "Get the point?"

Smiling, the woman slid away, delicately. "Too bad," she said, sly, but with feigned disappointment. "If you change your mind, you know where to find me."

She puckered her lips as to blow Arcadia a kiss, then extended her tongue, licking her lips in an enticing manner. She then turned and walked away.

Arcadia shook her head, somewhat amused at but uncomfortable with the advance, and returned to her search. Only then did she realize the small piece of paper that the strange woman had deposited in her palm.

Looking around nervously, Arcadia opened the paper. Inside was a brief message:

"Through the service entrance by the Carousel, then down the corridor to the second portal on your right. Knock three times sharply. Enter when called. You'll find who you're looking for."

The letter was computer generated and unsigned. Arcadia pocketed the note quickly and looking around to see if she was being followed or watched, headed towards the service entrance as directed.

***

Arcadia came to the portal, as described, and knocked three times. A baritone voice answered, "come!"

She opened the door slowly, ready for whatever might lie behind. She wasn't ready for this!

The portal opened into a lounge of some sort, but much more. It looked more like a private club. There were tables scattered around with patrons playing cards, drinking, or talking. There were reclining sofas and floor cushions with people sprawled out upon them, some smoking water pipes, others engaging in more erotic
behavior. Sitting in a corner, with two women at his side, was a tall, handsome young man. Upon seeing Arcadia enter, he motioned for a nearby attendant to check her person for weapons. Taking her pack from her, he led the heretic over to the man's couch.

"So glad you could join us, my dear," the man said thinly, but cordially. He paused to take a snort of some powdery drug contained within a nasal injector that one of the women was holding for him. He sighed with satisfaction.

"Now why would Ostral-B have sent a darling little dish like yourself to our Dome?" he asked rhetorically.

"I'm afraid I don't understand," Arcadia replied, feeling a little hot under the collar.

"Oh, come, come!" the man said, laughing. "There's no need to play coy with me! I've been monitoring your transmissions and your shuttle's flight path ever since you left Orbital 3!"

He adjusted his frame a bit, sitting up. "My only real question for you now, Arcadia," he stated, seeming to enjoy his advantage, "is how would you like me to deal with you?"

She didn't like the sound of that one bit! "What do you mean, 'deal with me?'" she asked, nervously.

"Well, the Pleasure Dome exists to service those seeking pleasure!" the man explained. "I have to assume that you didn't come here originally with that intent. With that assumption in mind, I see no reason for you to remain here. So, I guess it's adieu, my dear heretic!" He motioned for two of his goons to come forward.

"Wait!" Arcadia exclaimed. She sighed deeply. How was she going to get out of this one? "Suppose I, let's say, altered my original intent. What if I said that I wish to partake of your world's delights?" She paused, waiting.

The man's menacing grin turned more into a sinister smile. "Is that your final answer?" he asked. "Are you willing to spend your paid-for day with us strictly in pleasure, no poking your nose into our administrative business?"

There seemed to be no other option, at least that would guarantee her safety! "Yes," Arcadia replied. "I'll gladly accept whatever recreation you care to offer me." She bit her tongue almost immediately, realizing the gravity of her last statement.

The man was enraptured, however. "Oh, my lovely!" he said, nearly squealing with delight. "You have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that! Satisfaction guaranteed!"

Before Arcadia could amend her statement, he had pressed a button on his armrest, causing the floor underneath Arcadia to give way. She fell into a chute, and began to slide downward.

***

Arcadia ended up in what looked like a pen of some sort. Some process in the chute had successfully removed every bit of her clothing, leaving her stark naked, except for a metal collar around her neck which had not been there before. There were a few other women in the pen as well, also in their birthday suits. There was a closed hatch at one end.

"What the hell...!" Arcadia cried. She made a vain attempt at covering herself with her hands, and by crossing her legs. Another woman approached her.

"New, huh?" she inquired, blandly. "Don't worry. It gets better."

Before Arcadia could ask questions, the hatch opened. A group of other nude women entered from some platform on the other side. The women who were already there began to queue up. Arcadia tried to stand back, cowering.

"Delta Group!" a voice on an unseen squawker boomed. "You're next!"

The women in Arcadia's group began to exit the pen onto the platform. Arcadia hung back.

"That means YOU, number 11!" the voice boomed again. Arcadia felt a mild shock emit from the collar. It was enough to give her a start.

One of the other women came up to her. "It's okay, sweety," she said. "Newbies always have it rough for a while. You'll be all right. Just follow my lead and pretend to enjoy yourself, unless you actually DO enjoy it!" She gave her a wink, and took Arcadia by the hand, walking with her to the platform.

Arcadia emerged onto a giant stage. It was completely caged. On the other side of the bars and grates were hordes and hordes of men, and even a few womaen. They were seated in a giant auditorium. They cheered and applauded as the women came out in the nude. Arcadia perceived that she and the others were on stage, preparing to do some kind of performance. What kind, she could only guess.

Her guessing was quickly settled as she noticed the sign above her on the platform. It read "Power Muff Girls presents... Lesbian Love Acts!"

The voice boomed in the auditorium. "Ladies and gentlemen! For your sensual enjoyment, Williams' Utopia presents the Power Muff Girls in 'Lesbian Love Acts!" More cheers and whistles from the crowd.

The other half-dozen girls got right down to it. They started fondling and caressing one another, kissing each other on the lips, breasts, and thighs. After a brief round of orgy, they soon coupled or tripled up and began engaging one another in more serious and graphic sexual encounter. The crowd roared and cried with each lick,
kiss, or more!

Arcadia was quickly approached by one of the other girls. "Come on," she said, gently. "It's not that bad." She tried rubbing her hands down Arcadia's torso, and went for her nipples.

Arcadia reacted like lightning, shoving the girl away violently. This actually seemed to excite the crowd, as many cheered, "cat fight, cat fight!"

The other girl went sprawling, but as Arcadia was preparing to make a run for it, the collar flickered again, delivering a much more powerful jolt to the heretic. Arcadia winced in pain, dropping to her knees. Again, the audience applauded with thunder.

The other girl recovered from her fall. She had apparently been expecting something like this. "It doesn't have to be like this," she said, walking over to Arcadia and helping her up. "Listen, I know this is all new for you. Just trust me. I was where you are once. I'll show you the ropes. Just relax." She tried to initiate another
show of affection. Again, Arcadia tried putting up a fight. And again, the collar delivered another jolt, this one even more powerful. Arcadia nearly lost consciousness from the pain.

The other girl was apparently sympathetic. She knelt down and whispered in Arcadia's ear. "I'll be gentle, I promise," she said, trying to reassure her.

In pain and nearly out of will, Arcadia nodded, helplessly. She surrendered to her partner on stage, much to the delight of the roaring crowd.

***

Arcadia was kept in little more than a box, next to "boxes" holding other women, with bars surrounding her. She was denied clothing. A hole opened up for food and water, and the temperature appeared to be regulated as to not be too hot or cold. In anguish, the heretic tried to remove her collar time and time again, each time receiving a shock for her behavior.

She had done three "shows" already. Each time, Arcadia tried to resist, but the pain was simply overwhelming. Even if she had been the type to find female companionship desirable, the pain in itself dampened any sense of pleasure. Her "partners" seemed patient enough. During the waiting periods in the pen, Arcadia got to know one girl pretty well, Jezzy.

Jezzy, like most of the rest, had been captured, controlled by the collars. Some of the girls had been taken while touring the Pleasure Dome, others had been brought in by mercenaries. A couple of them were love slaves, purchased by Williams' Utopia.

"The patrons all assume that we're doing this voluntarily," Jezzy explained. "That's the shame. If it were revealed that we were hostages, being forced to do this, I'm sure the whole thing would have been shut down long ago."

"How long have you been here?" Arcadia asked.

"I really don't know anymore," she replied. "When my vouchers weren't accepted, they told me that I could pay off my stay with service to the patrons. I had no idea that they meant THIS! They also said that I'd only have to work for one day. But it's been a lot longer than that."

"Sounds familiar," Arcadia stated. "Have you ever tried to escape?"

"For the first few days or so, I'd try all the time," Jezzy said. "But the collar just kept getting worse and worse until I had to stop. I mean, I just couldn't take the pain anymore. I figured that being with other women wasn't all that bad, and that it was better than writhing in agony all the time."

"I'm not so sure about that," Arcadia exclaimed.

"Come on," Jezzy said, smiling playfully. "I'm not that bad, am I?"

Arcadia blushed. "I suppose not," she said. "But I'm NOT giving up trying to get out of here, and I plan to get you and the rest of the girls out too, if I can!"

****

Arcadia got her chance a few days later. She was sent for in order to do a "private show," meaning someone had paid extra to have one of the girls alone in a booth for a while. This particular someone had specifically requested the heretic!

She wondered who this particular customer could be. There had been hundreds of voyeurs watching the shows since Arcadia's capture. It could be anyone! Naked and anxious, she was escorted from her box to the private booth.

A woman was waiting for her. Arcadia immediately recognized her as the black-haired temptress who had propositioned her out side of the playroom earlier!

"Well, well," the woman said. "I guess we get to play after all!" She walked over to Arcadia as the door closed behind her. They were alone in a small, dark cell, with a chair and a cot. There were no other features, save a dark, blackened screen on one wall.

Arcadia tried backing into a corner. There just wasn't all that much room, however! The woman persisted in drawing closer.

"My name's Sonya," she said, seductively. "Why don't you come over to the cot with me? We can take it easy at first, if you like. I warn you, I can get pretty frisky at times!" She made a feline purring sound with her lips to emphasize her point. She reached for Arcadia's arm to draw her in closer.

Arcadia jerked her arm back forcefully. "Listen, you sick, twisted bitch, there's NO way...!" she suddenly doubled over in pain. The collar had activated again. Sonya withdrew her hand from her wrist as the pain subsided.

Sonya gently lifted her up, walking her over to the cot. "A word of caution, my dear," she said, matter of fact. "I paid for you, and YOU are exactly what I'm going to get. The more you refuse, the more agonizing it'll be for you. Surely you've figured it out by now, no? The collar simply reacts to adrenaline brought on by anger,
resistance, struggling and so on. So really, it is only YOU who are causing yourself pain!"

Arcadia listened carefully to the explanation. It made sense. It also gave her an idea!

"I'm sorry," she said, forcing calm into her voice. "It's just been so frustrating, that's all." She tried to sound more amiable.

Sonya smiled. "I understand," she said, taking Arcadia gently by the shoulders and laying her down on the cot. "What you really need to do is just relax. Let your body and your mind feel the pleasure and don't hold back!"

Arcadia faked a seductive smile. "You're right," she said, allowing herself to be touched and fondled. She reached up, stroking Sonya's hair delicately. "You know, you are very beautiful."

This seemed to warm her partner up some. "That's more like it," she cooed, beginning to kiss Arcadia up and down her naked body. She began to remove her blouse, exposing her bare breasts and rubbing them against Arcadia's. Sonya was getting more and more into it, her breathing becoming heavier and more passionate.

"Yeah, that's it," Arcadia whispered, trying her best not to laugh at herself. She couldn't believe she was actually doing this! Yes, it DID feel good in a way, but she remaining focused.

Arcadia wrapped her arms around Sonya in a warm embrace, french-kissing her on the mouth, tonguing her in a feigned sense of eagerness and ecstasy. Sonya responded, as if she was on fire! The two women rolled on the cot, Arcadia ending up on top. Sonya began fondling Arcadia's breasts, arching up to lick and kiss her nipples fervently.

"Let me help you with your pants," Arcadia offered, trying to stay in the role. Sonya had a belt on, buckled with a silver clasp. The woman seemed too much in the thralls of pleasure to notice Arcadia positioning herself for an easy pin. Still "ooing" and "ahing" as to throw her partner off, Arcadia released the clasp, and opened the buckle.

She carefully began sliding Sonya's pants down, exposing her naked and eagerly waiting honeypot. Sonya closed her eyes, obviously waiting for the moment of rapture. Arcadia began moving her hands lower, lower, and lower...

Suddenly, she sprang. Having subtly removed the belt from her waist, she quickly wrapped it around Sonya's neck. Sonya gasped, obviously not expecting the move. The belt was leather, and made for a good, strong noose. Arcadia pulled with all her might, constricting the band around Sonya's neck, tighter and tighter.

Sonya was a lot stronger than she looked. She made a desperate grab for Arcadia's face, nearly unbalancing her off the cot. Arcadia barely hung on, using one hand to swipe Sonya's slash away, pinning her hand down to the cot. In the process, Arcadia's finger made contact with a green-colored button on the wrist band that Sonya was wearing. The bracelet beeped, and Arcadia's collar fell off, clanging on the floor!

Free, Arcadia jumped up off the cot, dragging Sonya up with her. The woman had nearly suffocated from Arcadia's noose, but was still conscious. Keeping the belt on her neck, Arcadia slapped her across the face, hard. Sonya tried to fight back, but was countered by a swift kick to the abdomen, thrusting her body backwards while her neck remained in restraint. The black-haired woman went down.

Arcadia quickly removed her bracelet, and tried to get into her clothes. They weren't a perfect fit, but they would do for the time being. She went over to the door. It was locked from the outside. There was a button next to the door. She pushed it.

"You still have twenty minutes," the voice said over the squawker.

Arcadia tried disguising her voice to sound like Sonya. "This one isn't working out," she said smoothly. "I'd like to call it quits, if you don't mind."

"It's your money," the voice replied. "I'll send a guard down for the girl in a minute."

Arcadia waited, poised for action. She picked up Sonya where she lay and prepared to use her as a human shield if necessary. The light next to the door chimed, and the portal opened.

One of the pen's escorts came in, ready to take Arcadia back to her box. He was greeted by having Sonya shoved at him! He reeled back, stunned. Arcadia jumped around and over him, and bolted down the corridor.

She tried to remember her way back to the cells in order to free the others, but she made a wrong turn at some point. She could hear guards running towards her in the distance. She didn't have much time!

Arcadia rounded a corner, nearly bumping into Jezzy and an escort heading towards where she had been (her replacement, no doubt!). Jezzy's eyes opened wide as she recognized her block-mate, dressed in Sonya's outfit. The escort apparently didn't however.

"Excuse me, ma'am," the man said, trying to lead Jezzy around her. Arcadia let them go by, only to spin around, knocking the escort on the neck with a vicious chop. The man dropped to the floor.

"Arcadia!" Jezzy exclaimed. "How in the world...?"

"No time," Arcadia said, hastily. "Hold still." She pushed the green button on the bracelet again. Jezzy's collar fell off, much to the astonishment of the poor slave!

"Follow me!" Arcadia said. The two of them began running down the hallway. They hit a dead end.

"What do we do now?" Jezzy shrieked, panicking.

There was a hatch a few yards back. Arcadia had no idea where they were, but she couldn't risk being taken in the open.

"In here." She rushed to the hatch, knocking frantically.

"Come," a female voice inside said. The portal slid open. Arcadia thrust Jezzy inside, and followed. The portal shut behind them.

Standing in front of them was a tall, blond woman wearing a white surgical gown. They were in a clinic of some sort. There were diagnostic beds and panels, med comps and such. There were also two male orderlies in the room, wide-eyed at seeing the naked Jezzy in the room.

"Who are you?" the woman asked.

"Listen," Arcadia said, hurriedly. "You've got to hide us! There are guards searching for us right now! Please!"

The woman looked at Arcadia, a bit confused, then shifted her attention to Jezzy. "Come with me," she said, leading the two women to another part of the clinic.

She ordered both Arcadia and Jezzy onto separate beds, pulling sheets over them entirely, as if they were dead. Several minutes passed. Arcadia could hear the muffled voices of the lady doctor and the guards. She was obviously misdirecting them. She came back after the guards had gone.

"First of all," the doctor said, pulling the sheets off, "tell me what the hell this is going on!"

It took Arcadia a while to explain. It was apparently all news to the physician. Her mouth dropped open as Arcadia's story proceeded.

"I had no idea!" she exclaimed. "I mean, I knew that Sasha Davi'ir was kind of weird, but THIS!" She shook her head in disgust.

"It's true," Arcadia said, assuring her. "It's happening right here in the Pleasure Dome as we speak."

"I was hired by Mr. Williams to run the medical center for guests and employees," she said. "I mean, accidents DO happen, even when folks are on vacation. I just can't believe that Mr. Williams would sanction something like that!"

"I don't think that Mr. Williams is calling the shots anymore," Arcadia commented. "It's that new administrator."

"Mr. Davi'ir, yes," the doctor stated. "I always suspected that man was trouble. He and his female companion!"

"Companion?" Jezzy asked.

"Sonya's her name," the doctor replied. "She's one whacked out lady!"

Arcadia nodded in definite agreement. The doctor took Jezzy over to a closet.

"Let's get some clothes on you, dear," she said. "Then, we got to figure out a way to get you out of here!"

"My ship crashed," Arcadia explained. "Do you know of any other means of transport off this planet?"

The doctor nodded, smiling. "I think I know someone on staff who will help us out!"

***

The doctor's name was Celeste Kaliber. She gave both Arcadia and Jezzy a quick exam to make sure the collar shocks hadn't done any permanent damage. She then called maintenance. Wynne Axelrad came down to the clinic.

"Miss Arcadia and I have met before," the engineer explained.

"Good," Celeste said. "Now, can you arrange an ambulance shuttle for me?"

"I don't know," Wynne replied. "Security's monitoring all traffic right now. It seems that these two ladies' evasion has caused something of a stir upstairs."

"Surely you can get an emergency medical shuttle past security!" Celeste exclaimed.

Wynne thought for a moment. "The only way that's going to happen is if someone REALLY has an emergency," he said. "And it can't be either of these two gals! They're going to be looking for you."

"So, what are our options?" Arcadia inquired.

Wynne rolled up his sleeve. "Here, doc," he said. "Give me something that'll knock me out for a while. Let's say I had a little 'accident,'."

"Do you think it will work?" Jezzy asked.

"It seems like the only shot you've got," Celeste answered, sighing. She prepared an injection, and administered it. Wynne slumped down on a stretcher, sedated.

"All right," she said, "let's go!"

***

Crouched underneath the wheeling stretcher, Arcadia and Jezzy felt Celeste roll Wynne onto an ambulance shuttle. Sure enough, they were stopped by security.

"What's the problem, doc?" the guard asked.

"Our maintenance supervisor has an acute case of Mylo-Cardiac Abrasive Pulmonary Rupture," she responded frantically, as if the man was really dying, and trying to come up with the best nonsense diagnosis possible. "I can't treat him here. I've got to have him taken to Med Sat immediately!"

The guard waved her past hastily, and she boarded the ambulance shuttle with her stowaways.

Once on board, the pilot received his instructions, and departed.

Arcadia and Jezzy sneaked out from beneath the stretcher. Celeste came up behind the man and injected him with a neural paralyzer, as Arcadia pushed him aside and took the helm.

"So," Celeste asked. "Where are we going?"

"Back to Ostral-B," Arcadia replied. "I've got a detailed and somewhat embarrassing report to submit!"

She looked at the other two women, and Wynne, who had just woken up. "Any place in particular you want me to drop you off?" she asked.

The rest of them shook their heads. "We're fugitives now," Celeste replied. "Wynne and I can't go back to our jobs on Williams' Utopia."

"And I'm probably presumed dead by now," Jezzy commented.

"If it's all the same with you, Miss Arcadia," Wynne offered, "we just might as well go with you!"

Arcadia smiled as she set a new course for home. "We can always use a few more good heretics!" she said, laughing.

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