A powerful explosion in the hall sent delegates scattering in panic. Clatra was struck with a on his abdomen and fell to the floor. The prisoner was forgotten in the pandemonium. A lone figure remained calm as all the other delegates ran for dear life.
Left alone with the prisoner, the figure advanced. The prisoner was twitching desperately trying to get free of the bonds around their wrists and ankles as the lonely figure approached with a sense of purpose.
The prisoner could sense that there was something different about the approaching figure. Though it looked like the others, having four matching limbs with nothing to distinguish the arms from the legs. A thick stubble which could have passed for a neck head combo unit.
Though again there were no distinguishing features such as mouth, nose or eyes to say establish a face. Or to show where the neck ended and the head began. He had initially noticed that any of the four identical limbs, attached to a rectangular torso could equally serve as arms or legs when they burst into his office.
It seemed the rule of the beings was that limbs on either end of the torso could be arms or legs depending on which way up the torso was. The arrangement seemed quite logical if not outright efficient, the prisoner thought as he studied his captors.
The being before him was anotomically no different from the others. Still he could not help sensing that it had a different agenda from the others. Even in the chaos of the others fleeing in panic, It did not seem alarmed when the one which had hoovered over him and seemed to be the leader was struck by a bolt of lightning.
The incident which occured out of the blue, caused panic and pandemonium with the aliens scrambling to get out.
It raised the two limbs which were serving as arms as it stood over the prisoner, and he could see the glint of sharp in its hands. The prisoner realised in horror that the alien was about to strike. Shutting his eyes, he held up his bound hands to fend off the blow as the alien brought the sharp object in its grip down on him hard.
Instead of feeling the telltale sharp pain of being stabbed, he was surprised to feel the bindings on his hands fall away. Opening his eyes he saw the alien hack away at the bindings on his legs .
Then a voice explode in his head, urging him gently, "get up brother". The prisoner did not need a second urging and shrugging of the severed bonds, quickly rose to his feet. The same soft voice exploding in his mind with the same sense of urgency encouraging him, "this way brother".
He realised that it was the alien that had cut his bonds which was communicating with him telepathically.
"This way', the voice urged as the alien turned and led him out of the hall unnoticed in the pandemonium of the moment.
After running for a while and having made sure they were not being pursued, they stopped. The alien's voice communicated softly once again.
"Do not be afraid brother. I will take you to your people. You may rest for a while".
"You mean they are here?", asked the prisoner excitedly.
"Yes, brother, a starship from your world landed last night", the alien telepathically confirmed.
"I will convey the news of your successful rescue", communicated the alien.
The prisoner reached into a pocket and finding what he was looking for, he pressed a button at the top of the oblong object.
Captain Maguire was keeping watch onboard the bridge of the Sandawana as it rested between two mountain ranges. After having made an emergency landing the previous the crew had endured an otherwise peaceful night. There was nothing else to occupy the crew save for regular maintenance of the starship.
Only captain Lucinda seemed worried. The rest of the bridge crew taking a cue from their captain's relaxed manner, seemed equally unconcerned. Captain Lucinda got up and started pacing backwards and forwards, provoking captain Maguire to engage her, "captain will you stop pacing, you're making me giving me a headache".
"I 'll stop once we have a way forward", captain Lucinda insisted, stopping in mid flight and facing captain Maguire.
"Look captain, we have no way of getting out of this dimension. We just need to come to terms with our situation and make peace with it".
"Not necessarily captain", challenged captain Lucinda.
"Ok captain what's your solution. I 'm all ears. Do I need to remind you that we are in this situation because of you?", remarked captain Maguire.
"That's unfair captain, you entered the anomaly willingly", she pointed out to him.
"That was only because you assured me you could get us back home", captain Maguire hit back.
"There's still a chance that we can get back home", said captain Lucinda.
"Oooh, this ought to be interesting", said captain Maguire.
"But we need to get admiral Gwangwa back first", said captain Lucinda.
"Just where do we begin to look for him?", asked captain Maguire.
"Captain, there is signal from a homing beacon", reported lieutenant Tanaka. "According to its signature it seems to be admiral Gwangwa".
"What!?", both captains exclaimed in surprise.
"Do you have a fix on the location", captain Maguire asked.
"Yes, captain", confirmed lieutenant Tanaka.
"Put up the location of the beacon on screen", ordered captain Maguire.
The giant computer monitor came alive displaying a digital image of a map. Their position was clearly indicated on the in relation to the position where the beacon was transmitting the signal from.
"Pilot, take us to that beacon", captain ordered lieutenant Tashinga at the flight control console.
"Yes, sir", confirmed lieutenant Tashinga, his fingers moving swiftly across the console before him.
The Sandawana shot up into the sky, its landing retracting once it was airborne.
"I have freed the out worlder, Tulac communicated telepathically to Sanse as he set with other elders of the committee.
"Thank you my brother", the elders communicated telepathically as one through Sanse's voice.