everything by hand, not just by thinking like somebody I could mention.”
Jess ignored her attempt to get a reaction, and tried to ignore the way Ali studied him at this comment.
“He's not looking too bad.” Jess said. “I think he should start waking in the next couple of hours. We're going to have quite a story for him.”
Sal chuckled. “You're turn to do the explaining, I've just been telling Ali how we got the ship and about Matt.”
Jess groaned. “OK, OK. I just hope he's in a good mood.”
“ How are our friends back there?”
“ Pretty unpleasant, so no change. Not yet anyway.”
“ Fat chance of that!” said Ali. “They're poisonous scum. Always will be.”
“ I... er... I think that might change for a while... maybe...” said Jess.
Sal looked at him sharply. “What do you mean?”
“ Well... I was thinking about what you said. That we needed to get more information on where Ali's friends were taken. And I realised that our guests know everything we need to know. And that they wouldn't tell us any of it, or even if they did we wouldn't know if we could believe it. So I... I don't think you're going to like this.”
Ali reached out, placed her hand gently on the back of his where it gripped the edge of the console tightly.
“You've done something to them? What?” she asked gently.
“ It won't hurt them!” Jess said quickly. “I put something in their meal. Just in the beer, it won't affect the children. I used the same drugs they used on us. I had the food unit add the chemicals to their drinks. I feel really bad for doing it, even to them, but I couldn't think what else to do. In about twenty minutes they should be desperate to please us, to help us.”
Ali sat back, tears in her eyes and stifling a sob.
“I'm sorry.” said Jess. “I'm so sorry. I know I shouldn't have done it. I didn't mean to upset you. I know how horrible it is, but I just couldn't think what else...”
The rest was lost as Ali threw herself forward grabbing him in a tight hug.
“Oh you... silly... what am I going to do with you? I'm crying because I can't believe how much you're helping me, helping my friends. Thank you. Thank you so much. And don't worry about that bunch. They deserve this and far, far worse.”
Jess awkwardly put his arms around Ali, greatly enjoying having her pressed so close but more than a little embarrassed, especially once he caught Sal's eye.
“Not to put a downer on things...” Sal said. “But doesn't there have to be some sort of focus? Couldn't they just end up falling for each other?”
“ I thought of that. As they start showing signs of the drugs kicking in the ship will start playing suggestions to them, getting them to focus those feelings on me. Then I guess I'll have to try to interrogate them.”
“ No. Make it me.” Sal said firmly.
“ What?”
“ Change the message. Make them focus on me. You're doing so well Jess, but don't take too much on. And I'm older. I've dealt with more unpleasant situations than you have. Please, for your sake, let me do it.”
Jess thought for a minute, not an easy task with Ali still hugging him tightly, before nodding.
“If you're sure? Really sure?”
Sal smiled sadly. “Yes. Really. We need to work as a team. You look shattered already. In fact, you should go get some rest. Alone ideally.” She arched her eyebrows.
Jess spluttered and felt himself turn bright red. Ali pulled away from him, also blushing furiously, as Sal burst out laughing.
Chapter Seven
Jess woke with a start, feeling sure he'd slept much longer than he had planned to. A tickle in his mind from the Wanderer helpfully told him it had been eleven hours and nine minutes. He'd woken facing the wall so turned as he sat up. The sight of someone sitting on the end of the bed froze him for a moment before he realised it was Sal.
“You look a lot younger when
Jess ignored her attempt to get a reaction, and tried to ignore the way Ali studied him at this comment.
“He's not looking too bad.” Jess said. “I think he should start waking in the next couple of hours. We're going to have quite a story for him.”
Sal chuckled. “You're turn to do the explaining, I've just been telling Ali how we got the ship and about Matt.”
Jess groaned. “OK, OK. I just hope he's in a good mood.”
“ How are our friends back there?”
“ Pretty unpleasant, so no change. Not yet anyway.”
“ Fat chance of that!” said Ali. “They're poisonous scum. Always will be.”
“ I... er... I think that might change for a while... maybe...” said Jess.
Sal looked at him sharply. “What do you mean?”
“ Well... I was thinking about what you said. That we needed to get more information on where Ali's friends were taken. And I realised that our guests know everything we need to know. And that they wouldn't tell us any of it, or even if they did we wouldn't know if we could believe it. So I... I don't think you're going to like this.”
Ali reached out, placed her hand gently on the back of his where it gripped the edge of the console tightly.
“You've done something to them? What?” she asked gently.
“ It won't hurt them!” Jess said quickly. “I put something in their meal. Just in the beer, it won't affect the children. I used the same drugs they used on us. I had the food unit add the chemicals to their drinks. I feel really bad for doing it, even to them, but I couldn't think what else to do. In about twenty minutes they should be desperate to please us, to help us.”
Ali sat back, tears in her eyes and stifling a sob.
“I'm sorry.” said Jess. “I'm so sorry. I know I shouldn't have done it. I didn't mean to upset you. I know how horrible it is, but I just couldn't think what else...”
The rest was lost as Ali threw herself forward grabbing him in a tight hug.
“Oh you... silly... what am I going to do with you? I'm crying because I can't believe how much you're helping me, helping my friends. Thank you. Thank you so much. And don't worry about that bunch. They deserve this and far, far worse.”
Jess awkwardly put his arms around Ali, greatly enjoying having her pressed so close but more than a little embarrassed, especially once he caught Sal's eye.
“Not to put a downer on things...” Sal said. “But doesn't there have to be some sort of focus? Couldn't they just end up falling for each other?”
“ I thought of that. As they start showing signs of the drugs kicking in the ship will start playing suggestions to them, getting them to focus those feelings on me. Then I guess I'll have to try to interrogate them.”
“ No. Make it me.” Sal said firmly.
“ What?”
“ Change the message. Make them focus on me. You're doing so well Jess, but don't take too much on. And I'm older. I've dealt with more unpleasant situations than you have. Please, for your sake, let me do it.”
Jess thought for a minute, not an easy task with Ali still hugging him tightly, before nodding.
“If you're sure? Really sure?”
Sal smiled sadly. “Yes. Really. We need to work as a team. You look shattered already. In fact, you should go get some rest. Alone ideally.” She arched her eyebrows.
Jess spluttered and felt himself turn bright red. Ali pulled away from him, also blushing furiously, as Sal burst out laughing.
Chapter Seven
Jess woke with a start, feeling sure he'd slept much longer than he had planned to. A tickle in his mind from the Wanderer helpfully told him it had been eleven hours and nine minutes. He'd woken facing the wall so turned as he sat up. The sight of someone sitting on the end of the bed froze him for a moment before he realised it was Sal.
“You look a lot younger when
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