Linda finds the captain.

By this point, I was getting pretty tired of being kicked out of other people's rooms. I huffed my way down to the basement. It was a spiral staircase with cold steel steps. It felt like I was all alone in traveling down into a dungeon with no protection or weapons. Actually, that's exactly what was going on. I started to get second thoughts about being caught there. If someone questioned me, I wouldn't have the slightest clue how to answer it. But I needed to get down there and find the captain. I steeled myself and marched on. If anyone asked me a question, I'd admit that I just got there and was only an initiate. That should be enough cover to get me by.

I followed the route to the sector Greene suspected that Captain Lance was being held. From here I was on my own though. I tried to remain discrete but then I heard, "You there! Initiates aren't allowed in this section!"

I turned to find a scientist in a white lab coat staring down at me.

"I'm sorry, I'm new here!" I replied.

"Even an initiate should know not to pass the red corridor," the scientist stated as she stepped closer, "What is your name?"

"Uh... Vula..." I said. Hopefully that was right...

The woman scanned a card under a computer and brought up information. "When did you arrive... Vula?"

I could have tried to talk my way out of the situation, but I was under time pressure and she didn't look like she could be easily convinced, being a scientist and all... so, I grabbed the nearest object I could find, a doohickey from what I could tell, and smashed it over her head. She went out like a light and crumpled to the floor. I grabbed her coat so I wouldn't be stopped the next time and found a closet space to hide her in. I snagged her keycard as well and went back to the terminal.

There was only one holding cell in use which had to be the captain's. I charted out the route and headed there quickly. No one else was around, so I made good time. I couldn't tell how much time we had left, but we needed to regroup and get to the rendezvous point before the Ishtar left orbit. Every second counted.

I reached the holding cell and looked inside. There was Captain Lance, laying in the corner. I tried the keycard again and it opened!

"Captain!" I cried out as I went inside.