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By Root 334 0

their way here that they really don't want to come in after all, and perhaps then we can think about staying alive ourselves, because I really don't think that life-support is going to function much longer.' He smiled, and his face softened. 'So if you'd like to turn the key inside my vehicle over there to start the engine, I can see what I can do about jump-starting the regulators.'

Vasid shuffled off, pasty-faced, to the Doctor's machine.

***

'Hey! Have you seen it?'

Dwynaar looked up from his pile of mud, spitting a gobbet of thick saliva at the bruk in front of him. 'What d'you want, Sost?'

"The sun. It's not shifting.'

Dwynaar automatically stared up at the sun, his eyelashes bending upward to shield his grey eyes.'You're crazy;

'Maybe.' The short younger man smiled uneasily at him.'But I've been working in my shadow for what feels like hours now. And I know how much work I get done in a day.'

'Yeah. Not enough.'

Sost ignored the joke, pushing a long length of wet brown hair out of his eyes.'I tell you, that sun's not shifting.' 'Well, what in the deity's name does that mean?' 'Beats me,' muttered Sost, digging at the dusty ground once again. 'Just thought I'd mention it.' He smiled grimly at Dwynaar's worried expression. 'Could be a long day.'

***

Sam put down the metal cup of water, licking her lips much to the fascination of her audience. She became suddenly aware of the scrutiny she was under, and cleared her throat. Her skin felt tight and sore, and prickled in the wet heat of the stone room. 'So...' She couldn't think of much to say. "Thank you for getting me out of the sun. I feel half cooked.'

Felbaac smiled tightly. "Thank Tanhith here. He found you.'

Sam looked at the tall, willowy man with his long droopy lashes and pretty green eyes. He smiled a little awkwardly. 'Thank you, Tanhith,' she said, and smiled herself. 'So this is Hirath then?'

'Yes. Although you'll find that anyone left here long enough comes to think of it as hell,' announced the other man with well-rehearsed melodrama.

'Well, I've heard that hell is other people. At least it's less crowded in here now the little bloke's gone outside,' Sam said.

"That's Yast,' said Tanhith, helpfully.

Sam swung herself off the bunk and paused, eyes scrunched up, as a wave of dizziness passed over her. She swallowed thickly. 'And who are you, then?'

'My name is Felbaac.' He folded his arms as if waiting for a reaction. When none came, he continued. 'Perhaps you've heard of me.'

'Sorry, no. Should I have?'

'Well, you are an alien, of course.'

That tight-lipped smile again. Sam raised an eyebrow. 'Of course.'

'So now perhaps you'd like to tell us who you are and how you come to be here.'

Tanhith called over from his spot in front of the shuttered window.'She needs rest, not an interrogation.'

'I'm fine,' said Sam, a little more grumpily than she'd intended. 'My name is Samantha Jones and as for how I come to be here... well, do you know what this planet is?'

'It's one of the places our so-called government puts away its undesirables, anyone who dares to speak out against its imperialist policies.'

Tanhith closed his eyes as he felt another speech gaining momentum and interrupted. 'It's a planet cut into segments which are rented out to the highest bidders, no questions asked. Each strip of land is caught in its own separate time zone.'

'So - explain to us how you got here.' Felbaac repeated his question with heavy emphasis on each syllable.

Sam eyed him, casually. A high forehead, dark eyes. The same droopy eyelashes as Tanhith, but blacker, less attractive. He could Ve been handsome in a way, but overall he reminded her of a dodgy salesman.

'From the control centre,' she began, hesitantly deciding that honesty was the best policy. But how much did they know? 'Up on the moon. I was sent down from the place that keeps this planet ticking over.' A shock of realisation hit her.'Hey, there wasn't anyone else out there with me was there? A woman?'

'No,' said Tanhith with a small