"W-we aren't going into... space, are we?" Perez stuttered, "I didn't sign up for Space Force."
"Me either," Meyers said, "they're a bunch of pussies."
"Then think of yourselves as Space Marines, if that helps," Alex said.
"More like space prisoners," Copeland said bitterly.
"Were you guys in Afghanistan?" Alex asked them.
"Yeah. Three tours."
"What would you have done if you'd been captured by the Taliban?"
"Try to escape, of course."
"And how is this any different?"
"Uh, because we're in space."
"Not yet we're not."
"Those things are bigger and stronger than we are!"
"Joints and heads. They're vulnerable just like we are. Take out a kneecap and they will fall. Take out the head and they will die. Did they take your knives?"
"No, just our firearms."
"Good. Then we use knives. We take out the two guards at one of those hatches, and then move farther into the ship. Maybe we can take control of it."
"That's ballsy," Perez said, "I like it."
Before they could get any farther, a pulsing tone sounded and the cargo bay door began to swing upwards with a squeal that put their teeth on edge, like nails on a chalkboard. A moment later, the door closed with a deafening boom, and then the hiss of atmosphere made all of their ears pop.
"What the hell is going on?" JJ asked.
"I'm not sure," Alex replied, "takeoff maybe?"
A roaring sound echoed through the bay, growing louder and louder until it was deafening. Then everyone was thrown to the deck by a force like a giant hand smashing them like flies. Cries of pain and fear could be heard as they were crushed by the unseen force. The force was more uncomfortable then painful, though it did make Alex's wounded side throb with renewed anguish.
It lasted only minutes, though it felt like an eternity. Just at the point that he wasn't sure he could take much more, it was suddenly gone.
"Alex, you're bleeding again," Shannon came over to him to examine his injury. He was uncomfortably aware that her shirt was gone, leaving her in just her bra.
"It's fine," he told her.
"I don't have any more stitches here, damn it."
"So use super glue," he suggested.
"Okay. Hold still."
After a series of metallic clanks and bangs, the cargo bay door opened once more and they were all herded back out. They were now in a massive metal room with three other wedge ships sitting nearby.
The guards herded them down a hallway and into another huge room, this one separated into cubicles by metal bars. Prison was the first thing that came to Alex's mind. There were hundreds of cells on three levels, the ceilings and floors being made of metal mesh.
Hundreds of humans were already ensconced in cells, as well as some other creatures that could only be described as 'alien'. There were several giant praying mantises in the cells, as well as some octopus-looking creatures. There were rock-like beings, and blobby things.
The three special forces guys were put into a cell along with JJ. Into the next cell were shoved Alex, Shannon, Raven and Nixie. Next to them was John, Kaleb, Fennic, and Karen. There were two sets of bunk beds in each cell, but not toilet facilities hat they could tell.
In the cell directly behind Alex's there was something that looked like a blob of melted wax with three legs and tree arms. Beside that was an octopus, but standing on four of its tentacles, stiffened to act as legs.
"Hello," he said to them, waving.
The octopus waved a tentacle and made some high-pitched squealing sounds. The blob, too, waved one of its arms at him and grunted some strange sounds.
"I wonder if we can learn to speak their language," Alex pondered, "it looks like we may be here for awhile after all."
