"Looks like a quantum computer," another tech said. "No way to get our systems to interface."

"Fine," Professor Ricter replied turning his back to the group.

That was it? Juliet thought. Just a fine and a walk away? She now wished he had said something, at least then she would know how to react. Instead, she felt as if her emotions were in some sort of limbo. She couldn't be upset because he didn't say anything to upset her yet, she couldn't be happy because he had dismissed them so quickly. "Professor, do you want us to try something else?"

"No," he replied. "You've all worked hard on a project that was doomed to fail."

"In that case we'll start to gather the cables and return them to the Arwen." She stood from her chair and felt her legs stiffen; she had been sitting too long and needed a stretch. She pointed to the two guys who made comments. "You guys start bundling the cables. I'm taking a walk."

She walked pass the Professor and saw a half grin on his face. She had no idea why she did it but she turned and asked, "Professor, would you like to come along? You've been at this a long time too. I'm sure a walk will do you good."

The Professor's half grin faded and his face seemed to flush. No, Juliet thought, I must be reading him wrong. The Professor would never flush. He cleared his throat. "Yes, that sounds good." He looked back to Doctor Lipton, "Fran, I trust you can take care of things from here."

Fran looked over at Juliet and with a slight nod said, "Sure, Professor. Have fun."

They walked out. Juliet started to walk toward the Arwen. Professor Ricter lightly grabbed her arm. "I thought we might want to go this way." He pointed down the other hallway, away from the Arwen and deeper into the station.

"You want to do a little exploring?"

"Yes," he replied. "Although, if asked, we're just stretching our legs. Come on."

Juliet found she liked this side of the Professor. He seemed to be in his element exploring the unknown, wondering what was around the next corner. She found it appealing.

"You know, this mission has been a huge waste of my time." He said.

"I think it's a waste of everyone's time. We were only supposed to be off the Earth for a few weeks."

"True, I have a lot of unfinished business on Ulliam that I'm sure others will be forced to finish. I was hoping that we could uncover some secrets here that I could use to save Ulliam, which is why I was hoping you'd be able to crack into their computers."

So, that was it. She thought. He was here to berate her in a passive aggressive sort of way. "I'm sorry, Professor Ricter," she snapped the name as if it were a curse. "I did my best."

He looked almost embarrassed and quickly stopped her. "Juliet, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to come off that way. I know my reputation, and I know I can be an ass sometimes. I have ways of making people work and one of the most effective is to yell and scream at them. I don't do sublet very well so if you think I was trying to subtly tell you something I can promise I was not. I really admire you and what you've accomplished so far."

Now she felt like an idiot. It was true, she had let the stories she had heard cloud her judgment. "I'm sorry. I thought-"

He raised his hand to stop her talking, and then placed his finger over his lips asking her to be quiet. "Do you hear that?"

She listened and thought she heard something. A high pitched hum. "I think so."

"It seems to be coming from this direction," he pointed to a turn in the hallway. "Come on, let's check it out."

"Should we contact the Commander?"

"No, he has enough to worry about. I'm sure it's nothing."

If it's nothing, then why are we checking it out? Juliet thought as she followed him.

The humming intensified as they walked. Juliet continued to follow even though her instincts were telling her to turn around and get someone else to help. Why was she following him anyway and why did she let him quickly convince her not to contact the Arwen? "Professor I think-"

"I know what you think, we should call the Commander. If we were to contact him, he would tell us to come back, and he will send a team to check this out. Granted, that's probably not a bad idea, but I would be very annoyed if some 'team' discovered something important when I could have done it myself."

"If I come along you won't discover it by yourself, I'll be here."

"True, but chances are I'll be the first one to understand what it is, if it's important."

"Thanks," Juliet replied dryly. "I'm not an idiot. I could probably figure it out just as quickly as you could."

"Maybe, you have surprised me on more than one occasion. Your discovery of the Dyson Sphere was very nice work."

"Thank you. Someone would have found it if I hadn't."

"Yes, but you gave us time to prepare for it. Never under estimate time, the sooner we know things the quicker we understand them."

They stopped at a hallway which broke off into different directions. Not sure where to go they decided to go right. When the humming grew quieter, they turned around and followed the hallway left until it was louder. "I think we're getting closer," Juliet said.

And they were. They turned one more corner and stopped. Professor Ricter's mouth fell open. Juliet gently grabbed Professor Ricter's arm, he mouth also agape. It was a Wormhole, a silver sphere floating in the middle of a large room. "Is that what I think it is?" Juliet asked.

After recovering from the initial shock of the discovery Professor Ricter said, "Yes, I believe it is. It looks like a smaller version of the one we fell through. Where does this one go, I wonder?" He stepped toward it.

Juliet held onto his arm tightly preventing him from moving any further. "Professor, you're not thinking of going into that wormhole, are you?"

"Yes, of course, how else do you expect us to see what's on the other end?"

"What if it's space? What if there is nothing on the other end."

"All good questions," He said while looking at her hand still grabbing his arm. "I can have an answer for you if you leave me go."

"You could die!"

"Yes, I could. But, do you really think I'd risk my life foolishly? No, I would not. Sometimes discovery is worth the risk of losing your life. Besides, do you really believe they would place a wormhole that went nowhere in the middle of a hallway for all to see? No, I don' think they would."

She let go of his arm. "Okay, but you're not going in there alone." She said the words and almost immediately wanted to take them back.

This time the Professor held his arm out. "I would be honored if you accompany me to the other side."

Juliet rolled her eyes and walked toward the wormhole. The hum was loud, the hair on the back of her arm seemed to move toward it. She felt a breeze, as if it was pulling the air out of the room.

Professor Ricter stood next to her and smiled. Without a word he grabbed her arm and jumped into the wormhole.

The feeling of nausea washed over her like a wave. When she and the Professor fell out on the other end of the wormhole both tumbled and fell in a tangle of hands and feet. She moaned and found herself laying on top of the Professor, her back on his side. She rolled over to get off him and stood. "Sorry about that," she said reaching down to him.

He took her hand and let her lift him up. "Guess we'll just have to go through one at a time on our way back."

She smiled and looked around. The room was illuminated from the light shine through a polarized window. She peered through the window to see blue colored star. Even in the few seconds she had to see she could tell the space between where they were and the star was crammed with ships. It took her only a few seconds to realize they had traveled to the Dyson Sphere.

Professor Ricter walked over to an odd-looking bench. He ran his hands along several poles. "I would love to know what this is."

She walked over to another piece of furniture. It had several holes on one side and one sizeable one at the top. She looked through the large hole only to see the other side of the room. She placed her hands inside the holes and they also went all the way thought. "I don't know, maybe these are couches and chairs for the Handlers. We still don't know what they look like."

"We won't make any conclusions until we see them, but I agree. This seems to be some sort of storage closet. Let's see if we can find a door and go outside. I don't think we can miss a chance like this, do you?"

Juliet wanted to say no, she wanted to say they should go back but she knew if they did he would just sneak out and do it all himself. "Well, I guess any intelligence we gather will help. However, I'm not armed and neither are you, what if we run into trouble?"

"I don't know." He replied walking over to the other side of the room. He felt along the wall looking for something. "Help me, please. I'm looking for a seam or something that might be a door handle."

Standing next to him she felt along the wall as well. It was smooth for most of the way. She bent down and felt along the ground. Her finger ran across a bump. She felt back to find a line in a wall. "I think I found something."

He knelt down next to her and felt the same thing. "They must be very small."

Between the two of them they managed to outline a small box about six feet wide but only two feet high. He gave it a push and heard a click. "Well, looks like we're in business."

They both pushed the section hard, grunting as it slid a few inches at a time. The movement encouraged them to push harder and to keep trying. Juliet kept expecting to hear an alarm. The block, which turned out to be only about six inches thick, was pushed aside.

The hallway was dark and if not for the ambient light from the sun, she wouldn't have been able to see anything. Her nose itched and she went to scratch it. The palm of her hand was coated in a thin layer of brown dust. "I don't think we need to worry about anyone giving us trouble. It doesn't look like this place has been visited in a long time."

"Not entirely true, there is no dust on the things in here."

"So, do we go out?"

"Yes, like you said, the more intelligence we get the better off we'll be."

"I'm sorry I said that now." Juliet crawled through the tiny hole. When she was clear, she stood up and brushed the dust off her uniform.

Professor Ricter followed, stood, and brushed himself clean as well. The air smelled stale. It was just cold enough for her to see a small cloud of steam come from her mouth when she breathed. She was thankful her uniform was well insulated. Professor Ricter pointed at his right. "I think we should go that way."

"Why?"

"Well, to the left is total darkness, to the right we have some light from the sun peaking through. I'm guessing there are windows in other rooms and some of their doors might be open. In any case, I can see more light this way than that."

"Good enough reason for me," Juliet said.

Disturbed clouds of dust followed them as they walked. The tiny debris filled Juliet's nose and she stifled a sneeze. "They're going to start wondering what happened to us, we were only supposed to be away on a break."

"Let the Commander worry. Besides, do you think they'll actually find us?"

"That wormhole wasn't too hard to find."

"Ah, but would they recognize it for what it is?"

As they walked down the hallway, both heard a clicking sound which caused her and the Professor to jump. A door slid open and, with nowhere to go or hide, they both ran to a wall and pressed hard against it.

The first things they saw were two antennas, each one as long as a human arm. They twitched around probing the air. They were attached to a coal-black orb which could only be a head. The alien repulsed Juliet but she did not say anything as the body, long, flat, brown with a tough armor shell walked. A dozen tiny legs, six on each side, supported the body. Each leg made a soft clicking noise as it moved out from the door.

The thing skittered down the hallway away from them. Professor Ricter, who must have been holding his breath, let the air out. It wasn't loud, but the thing must have heard it. It stopped and turned. Then it lifted itself up, only four back legs supported the entire body. The remaining legs twitched and moved around in seemingly random patterns. It stood at least six feet. Its antenna moved back and forth, searching the air.

On its belly Juliet could see several holes. She wondered what they were, what function did they serve on this alien body? They seemed to throb opening and closing, back and forth. The creature jumped a few inches off the ground and slammed its back feet. The sound echoed down the hallway loudly. The alien stopped moving its limbs. It stood perfectly still for a few seconds before jumping again. Juliet had to hold her ears and close her eyes as the sound seemed to go through her and into the wall. Once again, the alien did not move. One of the holes in its body opened, and an aerosol light mist spit out. Juliet smelled apple pie mixed with peaches.

Its antenna twitched a few more times before it lowered itself to the ground and continued on its way down the hallway. Juliet watched, fascinated by the movement of all the limbs working together.

When it was gone Professor Ricter said, "Reminds me of a centipede."

"Do you think that was a Handler?"

"Yes, I think it was." He looked at the small door from which it had come out. "And I think we should explore that room, see what else is in there."

"I had a feeling you were going to say that," Juliet replied. "And I guess you don't want to contact the Commander?"

"He's got other things to worry about I'm sure," The Professor replied with a grin.

"What if there are more in there?"

"I don't think we have much to worry about. As long as we're quiet we should be okay. I don't think they can see very well or else we'd have been caught. That would also explain why there aren't any lights but not why they have windows. Odd, maybe they use windows for another purpose? Damn, I wish I knew the answer to that. Do you smell roast turkey?"

"No, I did smell apple pie with peaches."

"Hmm, interesting. I wonder why that is."

"Do you have a theory?"

"Not right now, but I'm sure I will." Professor Ricter knelt down and pushed on the plate. He heard a click, and it slide open.

"See anything?"

"No, it's dark. I'm not looking forward to crawling again, but I don't see any other choice. Are you ready?"

"Let's go," Juliet replied. She followed the Professor into the darkened room.

Marjorie snapped her eyes opened and found herself sitting with her head down on a wooden table. The faint smell of cinnamon filled the air. That's what had woken her up, that unusual smell. She blinked as her eyes tried to adjust to the harsh light of the barren room.

The walls and floor were white and boring. She saw no doors, no windows, just the bare walls, the chair she sat on, and a wooden table. It all seemed familiar somehow, as if she had been in this room before, a shadow of a memory that brushed against her and was gone.

She looked down and saw she was wearing one of her formal uniforms. This was the blue one with the dark-blue skirt and matching leggings. Marjorie hated wearing a skirt. White gloves covered her hands. Pinned under her left shoulder were dozens of metals, most of which she didn't recognize or earn. She pulled her gloves off and stuffed them into her jacket pocket.

Marjorie stood from the chair and walked over to the wall then placed her hand on it. It was cold and solid. She lightly tapped it with her finger and heard no echo, nothing to indicate there was anything beyond. She slapped her hand against it, the snapping sound she made echoed through the room. Then, just to satisfy herself, she punched it. Solid and thick, that's what it was, impossible to bust through.

She walked back to the table and placed her hand its top. She tried to move it but it was just as solid as the wall. Marjorie had no idea where she was or how she got there. She thought of the last thing she remembered, Newman killing himself after drugging her, later the feeling of unease as something entered the room, and after that nothing. That feeling of unease crept up her spine.

A door materialized from the wall in front of her and a man walked in. She stopped in her tracks as he looked at her. The eyes, they were deep black, penetrating. She knew this man. She had seen him before in a dream, a dream she had when she was on the Arwen. This room was from the dream as well. A sensation of dread stiffened her muscles and weakened her legs. She sat down just as the door faded back into the wall.

The man wore a grey suit with a black tie. His slacks were creased to perfection. His black shoes were polished enough to reflect the light from ceiling. His hair greased down and parted neatly in the middle. A red handkerchief stuck out from his suit's left pocket. A chain hung from his belt and disappeared into his right pocket. The man carried a clipboard which he placed on the table before pulling the chair out and sitting down.

Marjorie knew she was looking into the face of the enemy. This man was the one responsible for bringing the Arwen here. He was the one who kept Newman alive to continue to live his lonely life. This man and whatever race he belonged too needed to be fought. With a strong, stern voice she asked, "Who are you and what is going on?"

"All your questions will be answered," he said. "In good time. First, I need to explain to you the situation you're in."

"Okay, that's a good start." Captain Cook replied leaning back and folding her arms across her chest.