"They are confused by our presence here, sir. They say a group of humans like you destroyed many of their people when they created this basin."

Zain scanned the immense crater in which they were trapped. "This isn't a natural formation?"

"Not according to the krudo. The band of humans detonated an explosion powerful enough to create a hole. Then the "Well" was dropped into it."

Zain froze, an uneasy sensation overwhelming him. " 'The Well?' "

"I believe they are referring to the structure directly below."

"What do you mean 'dropped in'?" Lacey asked.

"It's a ship," Zain said, understanding and disgust weighing in. "That's what we are sitting on." His unease turned to downright dismay and he closed his eyes. They were in bigger trouble than he'd thought. Damn.

"Zain, what's wrong?"

He opened his eyes and looked at her. That was a mistake. Those blue eyes deserved a better answer than he had. "I should have realized it before. That's the only way a structure that big could have been built on this planet. It wasn't. It landed."

Her eyes widened. "That's got to be one hell of a ship, even in your universe."

"It is."

"But if it's a space ship, then we can we fly it out."

Zain shook his head. "Doubtful. These types are usually dropped in place by a starship hauler. Then the engine disconnects, leaving the station behind. At least, that's the way it's normally done. What else did the krudo tell you, Reene?"

"They are concerned that we may destroy them again. They still believe it is the fault of the humans that they are attacked by Bobzillas every time the portals eject them from their underground homes. It appears that the krudo and Bobzillas are trapped here much like we are."

Lacey shook her head. "Didn't you tell them we won't harm them?"

"Yes, but they are still unsure. The humans before us were reckless and callous. However, the krudo are quite impressed that you killed several Bobzillas and that you did not fire upon their people when they first appeared."

"I hope that will be enough," Zain said. He watched the krudo disband and move toward his ship. "Are any of your weapons operational?" he asked Reene.

"Negative."

"Please get in the ship, Lacey."

"Nope." She faced the krudo with her gun ready and didn't spare him a look.

He gripped his rifle. "How's that translation program coming along, Reene? We could use it right about now."

"Translator on," Reene replied. The head krudo crawled forward on all legs, tiien rose to his full height and faced them. His saucer head tilted forward as he prattled and Reene translated. "I am Pio of krudo. We offer assistance." Lacey let out an audible sigh of relief and lowered her weapon. Her thankyou translated back. "Ship broke," Pio stated plainly. "Repair?" Lacey gaped. "You can repair it? How?" Pio swiveled his head to her. "Repair station. Fix your broken machines." Lacey's eyes met Zain's warily. "How very convenient." "My thoughts exactly," he agreed, but they didn't have many choices. "Where is this repair station?" Zain asked. Pio tapped one of his legs into the sand. "In the Well."

Chapter Eleven.

"Major Schuler, come in," the booming order rang out.

As Schuler entered, his commanding officer leaned back in his wide chair and inhaled on an expensive smoker. General Lundon's large feet sat atop a desk topped with polished stone. Behind him, a panoramic view of the military city of Jagear on the planet of Kree spread out in all its glory.

Lundon's office walls were lined with luxurious fabric, and the grand space decorated with fine, hand-hewn furnishings. InterGlax spared no expense to keep their top men happy at operations headquarters. Schuler greeted Lundon and sank into the deeply cushioned chair opposite the man's desk.

"So, how's Supplies and Ordnance?" Lundon asked, blowing a stream of cured smoke his way.

Schuler smiled. "Keeping me busy pushing buttons all day. My fingers are killing me."

Lundon bellowed a laugh and then said, "We have it made, don't we, old friend? Who'd have thought we'd still be here after twenty-two years." He heaved himself from his chair and made for a tall cabinet. On command, it produced two glasses of Lundon's custom-blend liquor.

The general brought one to Schuler. They nodded and downed the short drinks in unison. Schuler waited. His superior officer rarely invited him to drink for no reason. A moment of unease flashed through him. Had he been sloppy? Left a clue behind that would lead InterGlax to his covert operation? Rerouted one too many munitions to his installations?

Lundon stared into his empty glass before saying, "Too bad we won't have another twenty years. InterGlax is falling apart, torn from the inside out. Pretty soon we won't be able to keep the crisis under cover."

Schuler took a silent breath. Lundon knew nothing. "You are doing a fine job of soothing CinTerr."

Lundon shook his head slowly and made his way over for a refill. "I had a meeting with CinTerr's top level today. Any more attacks on sector planets and they will drop us as their enforcement branch and find someone who is more competent." He sighed deeply. "They are ready to dismiss us. I never thought I'd see the day. Half a million InterGlax operatives out of work." Lundon cast him a sad look. "Do you know this city was built on InterGlax? If we go down, it will be deserted." He turned back to the view. "I can't even imagine the anarchy that would follow in the sector without any military presence. It'll be like it was a thousand years ago, lawless and violent. Stars help the juveniles."

"We'll find the culprits who are undermining InterGlax. We are getting closer," Schuler offered.

Lundon snorted loudly. "No, we aren't. There's no pattern to these attacks. No clues. No trail to follow." A look of disgust pinched his face. "They are outwitting us from the inside, Schuler. I wish I knew how. We've grown too big, too sluggish, and too complacent. I don't even know whom to trust anymore." He glanced at Schuler. "Except you."

Schuler smiled back at him. He couldn't wait to see Lundon jobless. "Then we'll figure who's behind this together."

Lundon downed his drink. "I'm afraid by the time we find out who, it'll be too late for InterGlax."

Schuler drank to that. Lundon didn't know how right he was.

Lacey held Zain's hard waist on what she hoped would be the last time they rode this hot, dusty trail. The battle with Bobzilla and the confrontation with the krudo had wrung her dry, and the remnants of adrenaline had long since vanished.

She buried her face in Zain's strong back and, for the first time since they woke up this morning, she relaxed. He felt solid and safe, and all she wanted to do was curl up against him and forget the rest of the universe. In the back of her weary mind, she heard the words bad idea, but her mind was having a hard time convincing her body.

Despite the exhaustion, she smiled in silent triumph. She'd fought off Bobzillas and won. It wasn't on her New Year's list, but it counted for something. It had been a long time since she'd had a victory.

On the downside, the programming fairies weren't finishing her database for her back on Earth. Damn. Four days left. If Zain could get the power cells in, maybe she could be home tonight. She'd still have enough time to finish the database. It wouldn't be perfect but it would be deliverable.

The speeder slowed to a stop next to the dome. Zain swung off the vehicle and lifted his visor to check the krudo's progress. "They are stronger than they look."

"Good thing, too, because I'm not up to pulling a spaceship today." She twisted around to where a few hundred krudo were dragging Reene on his runners by cables Zain had attached to the ship's hull. It reminded her a tug-of-war gone horribly wrong.

"How are you holding up, Reene?" Zain asked into his comm unit.

"Sir, this is highly unusual. I am not designed to travel in this mode," the reply came back, sounding flustered. "And Oliver is most displeased." Zain chuckled. "I realize it's uncomfortable, but we need to move to you closer to the dome for repairs. Pio says the entrance is there."

"Sir, I must point out that I have grave concerns.

This arrangement has significant areas of vagueness."

"I'll try to get you a concrete plan once I check out the Well."

There was a split-second pause. "Much appreciated, partner."

Despite her exhaustion, Lacey laughed. "Reene is definitely one of kind. I've never met a computer with a sense of humor. How did you end up with a talking ship-or is he the norm?"

Zain leaned back on the speeder. "No, he's a hybrid model. I had him customized with specialized equipment for long journeys."

She tipped her head back on the seat and watched him. "Reene seems very ... human. Aren't you afraid that he is going to take over your ship? What if he decides he doesn't like the way you do things?"

"I'm not worried. He takes orders well. You probably didn't notice that."

She ignored the obvious jab. "Well, if he suddenly starts calling you Dave, don't say I didn't warn you."

"Another movie?" Zain asked.

"2001: A Space Odyssey. Most appropriate, don't you think?"

He laughed. She liked the sound of it, deep and rumbling. He turned then and caught her staring at him. His eyes narrowed intently and she averted her gaze before he could see the heat rise in her face. It was only a look. What was she so afraid of? "So, you trust the krudo to move Reene?"

"I don't know if I trust them, but I doubt they'd offer to drag the ship and us all this way just to kill us." She stared at him. "What a lovely thought. One I hadn't even considered until you spelled it out for me."

He tipped his visor. "Glad to be of service, ma'am."

She shook her head. Cowboys. "I still can't believe those ... beings figured out how to work the dome."

"They had years," Zain reminded her.

"Yes, but how did they do it?"

"Jealous?"

"Damn right," she said, sulking. "And it's making me a little crazy too. Call it an ego thing, but I'd like to think I'm smarter than your average crustacean."

Zain grinned, a wide white flash across his suntanned face, and she was captivated by her space cowboy. He had changed into long tan pants and a black short-sleeved shirt. Finely chiseled pecs pushed against the thin fabric. He wore his silver visor and under it, his jaw was dark with a shadow of a beard.

She suddenly wondered just how much DNA they shared.

No, she thought. Even entertaining carnal thoughts of the man was wrong. And knowing her luck, he'd be a great lover. He'd be slow and careful, thorough and passionate, the kind of man who could spend all day in bed and never tire. A man who paced himself. She nodded to herself in agreement. He didn't seem to rush anything. He approached every task with single-minded concentration. She'd bet anything he would do that with a lover, too. He'd probably kill her with patience.

She, on the other hand, having never been properly seduced by a man, would be putty in his hands. And therein lay the danger. Putty in the hands of a man. She'd done that, and look where it had gotten her.

Still, a voice whispered, just once. What would it be like? What was lovemaking like where he came from? Were there wild positions, aphrodisiacs, exotic oils ... Those big hands had to be good for something besides- "Are you okay?"

She jumped, ripped from a damn good fantasy in the making. "What?"

His silver gaze fixed on her. "You're smiling."

She could feel the rush of blood to her cheeks. "So?"

He shrugged. "Just checking to make sure you're okay after this morning."

She swallowed and forced her mind to behave. "Oh, you mean shooting Bobzillas and chatting with crabs? No problem. Us W-Ps can boldly go with the best of them."

"W-Ps?"

"Warrior Programmers."

He got a good laugh out of that, which kind of annoyed her. Obviously he didn't think of her as warrior anything.

"Well, W-P, I think I figured out what the dome is for," he said.

Her mouth dropped open. "You did?"

"Don't sound so surprised. It happens occasionally."

"I'm just feeling a little left out. So what did you find?"

"I had Reene merge your drawings with our maps last night. The small sample you gave us matched a part of this sector. Each image correlates to a coordinate in space. A planet. The portals work with the locations in the dome."

She shook her head. "For what reason?"

"I'm not sure yet," he said evasively.

"Oh, bullshit."

A corner of his mouth curled up. "You don't believe me? What a surprise."

"You know something. You just don't want to tell me."

Silence.

"Fine," she said, and blew a sticky hair off her face. "Let's see if I can figure it out myself, since I apparently stink at everything else. We have one hot, dry, deadly uninhabited planet. Well, except for the wildlife. So, that means you were shot down by some kind of automatic weapons system because someone didn't want any live bodies snooping around. The dome is the only structure here, inconveniently located in the middle of a desert basin, camouflaged and surrounded by teleportals. Underneath is one big-ass ship, and I'll bet it cost a whole lot of money to set up, and someone went to a lot of trouble to make sure no one finds it. You know, if this were Earth I'd blame drug dealers." She kind of laughed at that until she realized what she was saying. Then it made perfect sense.

Zain was silent, and she didn't need to see his eyes to know she'd nailed it. He pulled out a water bottle and handed it to her.

"I knew it," she huffed, and took the water. "So what are we on top of, Zain?"

"I don't know and I don't want to ..." He stopped and turned toward the desert. "Get inside," he said and pulled her off the speeder. They ran just as the ground around the circles glowed gold, and then the arches of the portals rose again from the red sand.

They were safely inside the dome before Lacey turned around. The portal sphere was bright, and around it sandpoppers were running for their little crustacean lives.

The floor shook, and a flash of light momentarily blinded Lacey. When she looked again, a shipper was rising from the sand. In a dazzling burst, it disappeared. Another shipper rose and vanished. She watched as more units rose nose-first like bullets from the ground below, faster and faster until it became a steady blur. The other three portals were also working. In less than five minutes, a thousand units must have passed through.

She turned to Zain. "What was that all about?"

He stepped into the center of the room and frowned at the lit images on the wall and ceiling.