Blinded by the sudden increase in light, Andrew wasn’t sure what had happened, yet he was fairly certain he had somehow been transported to a new location. He had many reasons which played into this feeling, the ambient temperature had dropped, and the standard ship sounds, which he had become accustomed to ignoring, had been replaced by what he could only describe as a very faint heartbeat and occasional gurgling sounds, and that his breathing was faster and deeper like when he and Linnie had climbed Mt. Hood. However, what clinched it was that, while it felt like he was still floating, he felt significantly less gravity here. The Sled had been kept at close to earth norm and this seemed noticeably less.

  The only thing that made him doubt his location had changed was the fact that he had no clue how he could have been transported to another location. If he was these elves must possess a scarily higher tech than he had ever even dreamed of. Maybe not though, maybe the gravity was due to the damage to the ship being enough to impact the spin of the ship and therefore the feeling of gravity. Maybe his breathing was due to a hull break he wasn’t aware of. I

  What he did know is that one moment he was on his ship, the next there was a bright light and then things changed. No sci-fi teleporter sounds, only a feeling that was reminiscent of what he felt when a ship folded through space and then the feeling of breathing hard while floating in lesser gravity.

  Over the next few seconds, his eyes slowly recovered and once he could see more than just blurs, he discovered that there could be no doubt that he was no longer on the Sled. While had no clue where here was, wherever it was could best be described as a high-tech prison. A prison made with aesthetics in mind instead of cold functionality of the prison he had been sent to before the Orinasa's tragic jump. The hall he was in, and the adjoining rooms, were beautifully arched in a way that reminded him of the inside of a small gothic cathedral. All appeared to be made of white marble with veins of gold running through it. The white marble of the walls and floor eerily had a similar appearance to that of the elves, though the walls were sleeker and more polished to the elves more matte skin-like presentation. Complete with gold veins and all. Which Andrew could swear were pulsing ever so slightly, though he couldn't be certain it wasn't a figment of this addled mind.

  He had a hard time looking around as he was still bound floating facing the ceiling and his motion was directed by the male elf, they called Gallen. Andrew was amazed that he felt nothing beneath him to support his weight nor could he see anything supporting Chogan motionless body floating to the left side of Gallen.

  Desperate to form an escape plan he desperately did his best to scan his surroundings for anything that might help him. While trying his best to ignore the odd, frantic, and distracting messages being displayed in his peripheral vision and sent to him mentally. He was able to discern that he was currently in a large central room or hallway with four slightly smaller rooms adjoining it, but nothing he considered to be of use yet.

  When they approached one of these smaller rooms, he was mesmerized by a rainbowy translucent barrier which appeared to be made of pure energy that separated the room from the hall. Behind which sat an arched half sphere room whose only adornment was a single bench, which protruded unsupported and ran around the entire perimeter. It was while looking at the bench that Andrew grasped what had been gnawing at the edges of his mind since he could see. Nothing seemed to cast a shadow in this place. Light seemed to permeate everything, yet he failed to find its source. It seemed to radiate from the ceiling and yet perfectly lit the room, including under the benches.

  Andrew’s contemplations were interrupted when he found himself flung away from Gallen by an unseen force. His trajectory to him through one of the energy barriers and into the room behind it. Astonishingly, he passed right through the energy barrier without issue. As he did, he felt energy wash over the outside of him. Causing goose bumps to rise across his body in a wave like pattern that he had never experienced before. As his bonds contacted the barrier, they seemed to dissolve as if they were being erased from existence. No smoke, no sound, they simply ceased to exist, as did whatever force had been keeping him aloft.

  Andrew flopped back first onto the floor; his hands unable to move fast enough after being released to arrest his fall. To his surprise, the floor was clearly not actually marble, as it gave like a thick skin. Though his injuries still made sure to report their displeasure in the sudden jarring stop that had still occurred.

  After he went through the barrier Ziggy’s odd and frantic messages had gone into overdrive. One moment it showed Andrew in perfect health, the next it showed him as hurt as he was, and various other combinations of health statuses. Two of which particularly caught his eye:

  [You have experienced Castration. Don't worry, your life isn't over. Many people who have experienced this go on to have a healthy happy life.]

  [You have died. Don't worry, you lived a great life and will be remembered fondly by many.]

  Why in the world are there a programmed messages for 'castration' and ‘death’? The dead one must have been some developer’s late-night mountain-dew fueled joke. I mean who would even see it? Also, I hope it's not true either, because if this is heaven, God needs a better budget.

  [Message 42]

  [Battery at less than 1%. Power loss imminent!]

  Ziggy's display went out. Scared and irritated at the loss of his virtual friend, He looked around and noticed that Gallen had turned his back to him.

  This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

  "It’s clear from all the touching, you don’t know or care about consent and as you aren’t trying to entertain your guests, I guess your mother never taught you basic manners either?" Was the best Andrew’s tired and weary mind could come up with, but even though he knew it wasn’t much he still said it with a smirk.

  Gallen turned around, shoulders tensed to glare at Andrew in disgust, "An abomination like you would do well to watch your tongue. Accusing an elf of having a mother could get you killed. Especially by one less tolerant than I. As for consent, does a boot ask a bug for consent?"

  Andrew’s smile turned smug, “You know that's not how that whole boot and ant thing goes right? And I'm pretty sure someone at Marvel will be suing you over that."

  Gallen cut Andrew off with a wave of a hand as if dismissing him. Before he could continue, Andrew was again lifted off his feet by an unseen force. This time though that force sent him flying like a bullet into the back wall of his cell. When he hit it, the wall stretched like pizza dough, leaving a cartoonish hole in the shape of his silhouette. Even with this amount of give, he found that the wind had been knocked out of him and his previous injuries all checked in to remind him of their existence and their displeasure with the results of his choices.

  Unceremoniously he found himself deposited back onto the bench as the wall slowly grew back into shape and oozed him out. To his surprise the bench grew in width to support his body and was easily the most comfortable thing he had ever laid on. It seemed to conform to him in a way that mattress companies always advertised, but rarely delivered. Whether it was the comfort or weariness he could not say, but he laid there for a while to try to catch his breath and calm his weary mind.

  Gallen snorts "You would do well human to remember your position and refrain from talking back to your betters. Also watch your tone, as insolence will not be tolerated here. I am only an Akeoic, you will meet many who are far more powerful and likely very few more tolerant than I".

  Gallen sneered at Andrew one last time before blinking out of existence. Leaving Chogan's body to flop, unmoving, on the central chamber floor. After whatever force had been supporting him also apparently blinked out of existence as well.

  "He's the 'Tolerant' one? Well, that doesn't bode well for this culture." quipped Andrew to Chogan, but there was no response. He stared at Chogan hoping to see his chest rise or fall but couldn’t be sure he saw anything. A tear started to form in his eye. The emotions it accompanied moved Andrew to get up and move to Chogan, as he did the bench shrunk back to its original position.

  "CHOGAN ARE YOU THERE? CAN YOU MOVE? CHOGAN WAKE UP MAN, NOW IS NOT THE TIME TO TAKE A NAP MAN!!" Andrew yelled with tears in his eyes.

  Chogan didn’t move or twitch.

  Andrew tested the barrier to see if he could just force his way through and assist his friend. Anytime he got close to it a small electrical pulse would arc into Andrew and cause his knees to buckle and forced him to stumble away. Despite the unpleasantness of the result, he still tried time and time again to force his way through. All the while he desperately called to and pleaded with Chogan until his voice started to become hoarse with the effort. Exhausted, Andrew fell bonelessly to sit on the floor and wept.

  This has to be some weird dream where my brain mixed D&D with Star Trek and is torturing me with my fears……right? What if this isn't? What if this is somehow reality and through my panic, I was what caused Chogan’s death? Maybe the entire crew’s death?

  Tears slowly rolled down his face as he sat on the floor trying his best to reel his emotions in and find a way out. Try as he might, he couldn’t do it, and it only got worse when he realized that his wife's body might be in the debris field Chogan had mentioned the ship had been drifting through. She might have been meters away, floating frozen and lifeless in the void of space and he had no way of knowing. No way to get to her and save her. No way to bring her home. He had failed everyone and maybe if he hadn’t messed up and got held back from the O maybe he could have prevented all of this. Kept his wife safe and his friends from being captured by an alien force.

  He knew these thoughts were defeatist and would bring him no answers all his attempts to force his mind to focus on figuring a way out of his situation, always seemed to end up with him in a daze staring at Chogan trying to will the man back to life.

  Unsure of what to do Andrew sorrowfully yelled, "CHOGAN COME ON BUDDY PLEASE GET UP!!!!" He kept repeating this, each iteration getting a little quieter and more pathetic, until the pain throughout his body won and he was forced to lie down on the bench. Once again the bench grew there he found the bench to be one of the most comfortable things he had ever laid on. Despite this comfort, he couldn’t sleep. His eyes still locked on Chogan, and his mind still wrestling with the potential that his wife may no longer be alive and that he might have doomed his entire crew by trying to find her.

  He was distracted from his despair, when what looked like a solid wall opened like the valve of an artery and a very large man made of living flexible marble walked through the opening. While it wore no clothes and had no visible genitals, Andrew was certain it was a male based on its facial features and physique. While this man shared the white marble with gold veins motif, it had the sheen of the walls instead of the matte complexion of the elves. With no better reaction coming to mind, Andrew openly gaped in amazement.

  Ok, this has to be a dream, elves, and space whales I can moderately accept as real things, but stone golems? No way. This has to be a Star Trek and D&D inspired dream. Plus, my being on bridge of the Sled when it jumped makes no sense. I'm just an alternate and even if I could remember why I was here instead of that d-bag Thomas, I can think of no reason I would have been on the bridge. Now I wished I’d just wake up and end this nightmare, I bet fell asleep during a gaming session and Gavin is drawing lewd things on my face right now. I'm just glad my twisted brain didn't include them and make that guy anatomically correct. Thank God for the little things……or lack there of as the case maybe.

  The golem casually walked over to Chogan’s body before looking it over.

  "Hey Ken, can you tell me if he's alive?" Andrew addressed the golem while pointing at Chogan’s limp form.

  Without a response, the marble golem person wordlessly grabbed Chogan's belt and lifted him up by it. Before it started to walk back to where the door had been. Chogan's toes and fingertips dragged the ground as they went.

  When the arterial door opened, Andrew hopped off the bench and ran forward.

  "Wait, is he alive? Where are you taking him?”

  In his rushed wearied state Andrew stumbled as he tried to stop before the barrier and fell headfirst into it. Pain wracked his body, and his muscles locked up, the last thing he saw was the door close before his vision went black.