Captain Lance.

The captain was being held in a white room, padded like you would find in an insane asylum. She sat huddled in the corner, completely nude except for a blinking collar around her neck. She looked a bit worse for wear. I called out to her, "Captain Lance!"

She looked up at me. I don't think she recognized me. "It's me, Ensign Trask! Lieutenant Greene told me where to find you!" I explained.

She still didn't seem entirely convinced. She slowly stood up, but in a defensive pose, as if she were expecting me to jump her. "What do you want?" she growled.

"I'm here to rescue you..." I said, feeling foolish uttering that line. What was I in? A holo-vid?

Lance tilted her head and narrowed her eyes, "How do I know you're not working with THEM?"

At that point I could tell that they really did a number on the captain. She was showing paranoia indicative of torturous treatment. I approached cautiously, "Remember last week? At the initiate's ball? I was there as one of the banquets... the food tray," I felt even sillier explaining that situation... "Anyways, you told me secretly that something was up with this place and were going to investigate it further. It turns out you were right, judging from what happened to you."

"All information that could have been fed to you in support of your efforts," the captain responded, still wary of my claims. "We're trapped here and you could have made a deal with the Mayorans to keep yourself in good standing with the people."

"Good standing? I work at a brothel! In a world where the women are the leaders of the society, I am at the bottom rung!" I replied indignantly, then paused and blushed, "Ah... pardon the insubordination, captain." My time off the ship was really making me slack in protocol. The apology did seem to trigger something in Lance though. Her eyes seemed to focus and she looked up at me again as she gradually straightened up. I straightened up to and stood at attention, proclaiming, "Sir!"

Lance nodded, seeming to come out of her haze. She gave me a curt smile and nod. "Ensign... I can't tell for sure if this is a ruse or not, but my gut tells me that I should trust you. That's about all I can rely on down here anymore. What was the plan for getting me out?"

I stood there and drew a blank. We never really did discuss this part of the escape. "Uh... I took this lab coat from one of the scientists down here along with her keycard. Maybe it'll give us access to an exit."

Lance looked at the coat. "Take me to her," she said.