When Greeve, the yellow starfish, woke from the unconsciousness caused by the Science Ship's explosion, he found himself fitted with electromagnetic restraints and lying on something like a hospital gurney.
The gurney jolted from time to time, and the dull rumble of its wheels against the floor kept rising from beneath him.
He lay faceup, with restraints around his two fleshy horns, four hands, and thick lower limbs. His whole body burned, aching faintly but constantly.
It felt as though his skull had been pried open and boiling water poured inside, sending his memories and perceptions billowing out like steam.
Greeve's two pairs of eyes darted around. He saw the purplish-red Rick lying on another gurney. A muscular, shaggy bear was pushing both gurneys, with four more of the same creatures ahead and behind, all tall and powerful, with vicious eyes.
They were probably shaggy bears... Greeve wasn't sure. These aliens were covered in dark brown fur, with thick limbs, large noses, and small eyes. They looked no different from shaggy bears.
So the wormhole had connected to that isolated cluster that had never been explored before, and this place belonged to a hostile civilization. They had come under attack immediately and were now prisoners.
What awaited them was probably interrogation and dissection.
Greeve sighed, knowing his life had reached its end. But Rick beside him was still young. What a waste of such a promising young starfish.
"This one's awake."
The shaggy bear pushing him spoke, but with his translator removed, Greeve couldn't understand what the creature was muttering.
"Take them to the interrogation room. We need to know how these lowly alien species entered our territory."
Another jolt came from beneath the gurney. The dull rumble of wheels against the floor became a low metallic hum, and then