Not even for a second.

"Yes Sir." The man's voice breaks the silence, and Samantha saw the younger of the two guards sigh in relief. "I'll let them know down at Security, Dr. Marque." The other officer leads the glaring custodian down the hall and soon the hallway is empty except for the tall Doctor, the security officer, Samantha and the two nurses.

"She's all yours Sir." The officer hands Dr. Marque a black plastic stick that looks to Samantha like a flash drive but that Rhiain identifies for her as the key to the restraints binding her arms.

"Thank you Sargent; that will be all." The dark-haired doctor replies a in a friendly dismissal and with a sharp salute the man whirls and moves down the hall following the other men.

Samantha wonders who this strange doctor is that he had the authority to over-rule security protocals and send the officer on his way. She watches as he moves to the nurses and says something that she cannot quite catch. Whatever it was that he said must have made an impression, the older of the two women curtsies and the younger one blushes visibly. What might this enigmatic man have said that would elicit this kind of reaction.

"If I remove these are you going to beat me into a pulp?" The Doctor asks startling Samantha out of her daze.

"Ough.. No." She stammers "No, I've never attacked any one before this. But when he..." She stops when she sees Dr. Marque raise his hand.

"Not here." He tells Samantha as he steps behind her and releases the restraints. "Why don't you come to my office? We can talk there in privacy." The doctor's invitation was polite but again there was no more possibility of refusing his urbane request than she could have refused the security officer's much firmer treatment.

To her surprise the doctor's office was on the penthouse. The elevator whisked them up to a humungous room with glass windows on three of the four walls overlooking the city. Samantha is barely aware of the elegant luxury of the suite, the great desk and leather furniture cannot compare to the spectacular cityscape of majestic buildings. Neither the artwork hanging from the walls nor the elegant crystal chandelier that hangs from the domed ceiling can compare with lines of air traffic that flew both above and below the glass offices in orderly rows.

Just when Samantha's mind is beginning to accept the fantastic view, a giant spout of flame lights the night to her right as what can only be a rocket shooting through the atmosphere lifts off from just outside the city and heads into orbit.

"What is this place?" She asks in awe as she scans the alien night sky.