The huge station hung in space, like a mobile against a ceiling of stars. If anyone viewed it from a passing space craft, they would see a central sphere, a series of cylindrical tubes running around it. Atop the structure was a smaller sphere, set away from the main body of the station. The size and position of the two sections gave the impression, to some, of a huge metallic snowman. That was a long time ago, of course, as no one had passed by for many years now.

Deep inside the higher sphere, the Governor sat in his office, leaning back on his chair. Various screens surrounded him, showing different read outs and schematics of the station. He passed a hand over his balding head, his attention only half on the young officer who stood on the other side of the rather cluttered desk.

"You know the policy Tromas." He stated flatly. "The system has worked for years. No exceptions. There is no need to change it now."

"I know sir." Tromas replied, nervously adjusting the lapel of his deep blue uniform. "But we've never been in this situation before. I wouldn't know, but several of the citizens had a medical background, before. They confirm what Eeva and Greig are saying."

"Of course they would." The Governor snapped. "Of course they are all going to try and get some more food from us. Why wouldn't they? They are just using the woman as an excuse."

"Maybe." Tromas muttered. "But I'm not sure. Eeva has been weak recently. All of the tests show it. It makes sense she would need more nourishment now, with the child on the way."

"The system does not change." The Governor said bluntly. "Any change, any sign of our co-operation, and they will ask for more. Maybe not at first, but it will happen. First more food, then what?"

"But sir, the child."

"But nothing." He shouted at the young officer, watching as he recoiled slightly. "The child only exists because we allowed the pair of them to breed, and they are already pushing for more privileges. Any excuse."

"But it's true." Tromas protested. "Back home," he was cut off angrily.

"You know not to use that word." The Governor snarled. "That word has implications. It implies they can go back." He turned away from the young officer, his face not yet showing the damage of time that his own was. "We both know they can't." He paused, looking to a picture on his wall, a large field stretching across the horizon, a small farmhouse in the foreground. "They can't go back, just as we can't. The Lasel Station is their home now, as much as it is ours."

The silence hung in the air for a few moments, enough time for the Governors mind to slip back to his life before Lasel. He'd been lucky enough to be able to juggle his career and home life rather well, his expanding family not holding back his progression through the ranks of the Federation. So many young men he knew had been sent off world, preventing them from having any sort of family, aside from their brothers-in-arms, but he was fortunate enough to have remained stationed on Earth.

Until Lasel, of course. But by then, he had nothing left to stay on Earth for. His children had grown, left for their own lives, his wife was gone, taken from him by ill-health. All that he had left was the farmhouse, which felt less and less like home as each member of his family left it. Then he discovered the Lasel project. The Governor had always known it was going to be a one way trip, but the cause was a good one. If he was going to spend the rest of his life alone, with only a job for company, he may as well make a difference.

It was Tromas and the rest of his offices he felt sorry for. Unlike him, they hadn't had any choice in their assignment to the station. Their jobs were chosen for them by a higher power, a power that had sentenced dozens of young men to a life aboard Lasel, never to return home.

He turned back to the officer, ready to dismiss him. Tromas only wanted what he thought was best for the citizens, but the Governor knew better. He had been in this position many times over the years, and knew that any sign of co-operation, of weakness, would be taken advantage of. His people already thought that they had claimed a victory, with Eeva and Griegs' child the first to be conceived on Lasel. Previously, any interaction of the sort was strictly illegal. The government had declared it a trial, of course, to asses the feasibility of continuing life on the station. It was a thinly veiled deceit, but the people believed it, out of hope that things were changing. The governor knew better of course, he knew the real reason for the lapse in the rule.

"Tell them no." The Governor said finally. "And there are to be no further such requests."

"But if they insist, sir?"

"Then you insist harder." He glared at Tromas. "Don't forget your place, and don't let them forget it either." He paused as Tromas turned to leave. "They are not your family, or your friends, Tromas. You are an officer of Lasel, and your word is my word. Do not let them forget their place."

"Yes." Tromas muttered under his breath as the door slid open automatically. "Prisoners."

XXXX

"Well then," The Doctor said as the door of the TARDIS creaked open. "Let's take a look around, shall we? He stepped out of the blue box, pulling his cloak over his shoulders.

"Where are we this time, Doctor?" Steven asked, looking around at their new surroundings, a feeling of warmth suddenly falling over him. Throughout his travels with the Doctor, Steven didn't think he's ever landed anywhere that had felt so familiar. The dull grey of the walls, the dim, flickering lighting and the dull hum of machinery in the background made him feel instantly at home. "It's a space station." He beamed. "It is, isn't it?"

"It would appear so, my boy." The Doctor replied, looking around for himself. "Yes, yes, it certainly looks like a space station to me."

"The years I spent on one of these." Steven smiled. "Well, more than one, actually. From one to the next, year upon year. All so different, but all the same, in a way."

"Always a wanderer, hm?" The Doctor pondered. "No wonder you've taken to life with me so easily."

"Life with you's a bit different from just stopping off to refuel, Doctor." Steven smirked. "Much more dangerous too."

"That's never the intention dear boy." The Doctor reminded him, as he looked at the walls carefully. "But I can't help but be curious."

"What is it?" Steven asked, moving to the Doctors' side. "Interesting piece of wall?"

"Perhaps." The Doctor tilted his head. "You know space stations Steven, what do you see?"

"A wall." He replied shortly, annoyed at being patronised. A moment later, however, he realised what the Doctor was referring to, running a finger across the wall and looking at it closely. "Perfectly clean walls." He turned to the Doctor. "I've never seen space station alls this clean."

"Yes, yes."The Doctor agreed. "Most strange, as it's not new by any means. Listen."

Steven paused for a moment, listening to the hum around him.

"I see what you mean." He nodded. "Not smooth enough to be new, too many bumps and creaks. This thing's been operational for years."

"But spotless." The Doctor reminded him. "Most intriguing."

"We do try." A voice interrupted them. "Daily cleaning duties." The Doctor and Steven turned around to the new comer, an apparently middle aged man, wearing a beige jumpsuit.

"A very good job, I must say." The Doctor replied. "We were just admiring your handy work."

The man shrugged, "It's all of us really."

"All of you?" Steven questioned. "All of who?"

"What do you mean?" The man asked. "Just who are you?I've not seen you down here before."

"Oh, just visitors." The Doctor smiled, looking over the mans' uniform, noticing a patch on his left breast, embroidered "Grieg".

"Visitors?" Grieg's face lit up. "We've never had visitors."

"Never?" Steven exclaimed, looking around. "It does seem rather quiet."

"Just what is this place for?" The Doctor asked. "A space station, I know, but what purpose does it serve?"

"Purpose?" Grieg looked puzzled. "It's our home. How can you not know that?"

"We're not from around here." Steven shrugged. "Just dropped by." He looked to the Doctor. "Not for long though."

Griegs' face suddenly lit up.

"You mean you can leave?"

"What sort of question is that?" The Doctor retorted. "What can come can go, of course my boy. It's the way of the universe after all."

Grieg shook his head.

"Not here it isn't. No one ever leaves Lasel."

XXXX

The Governor span a half turn in his chair, looking up to the picture of the farm house, as he so often did and giving a deep sigh. He wondered if it was still there, if someone had taken it on, or if it had been flattened, to make way for something else. The house had been old fashioned even when he had moved in, a very rustic little building compared to the shining tower blocks that made up the cities of the thirty-first building was a reconstruction, of course, built using twentieth century methods and materials. There was something so quaint and elegant about the building, something so unique, the Governor had fallen in love with it instantly. His colleagues had berated him for leaving the comfort of the city, unable to understand why he would make his family live in such a primitive way, but he ignored them. He'd hated his living quarters in the city, it was the same as everyone else's, nothing to make it their own. When they'd found the farm house, he knew it was perfect for them.

The Governor thought back to his conversation with Tromas, and suddenly felt very hypocritical. He'd always preached that the station was their home now, yet he keep the picture there, a memory of the only place he ever really considered 'home'. Perhaps, he thought, he should take it down, even if just to show some sensitivity for his officers. It was easier with the citizens. They didn't need an explanation for why they were here, they were just expected to obey and live their lives. However, his staff were a different matter. He needed them to continue with their duties, and for that to happen, their morale needed to be high. He'd found that out in the early days, when he'd barely managed to curb a mutiny.

Tromas had been loyal even then, the only one of his young officers to follow his commands to the letter and help him reign the others in. Even so, he'd never been soft on him. Just as he'd told the young man earlier, everyone needed to know their place, know that he was in charge. And the Governor was the only one who could ever know the true reason why.

With little warning, the door slide open, the Governor jumping to his feet instinctively. He was about to reach for his weapon, as Tromas entered the room, obviously flustered.

"Sir!" He shouted. "Intruders!"

"What? The Governor exclaimed. "What do you mean, intruders?"

"Two men sir, in the living area. Signals appeared around two minutes ago."

"Then get security down there, now."

"They are already on their way, sir." Tromas said, shaking.

"Good work." The Governor nodded appreciatively. "Then we should soon find out just who they are."

XXXX

Eeva sat on the side of their bed, a hand resting on her stomach. She'd long given up on having a child, once she'd found herself on Lasel, on the day her life changed forever. Even when she had met Grieg, they had both known that nothing could ever come of their attraction to one another. As they were told when they awoke, any communion between two people was strictly forbidden.

That in mind, she couldn't quite believe what was happening when she stood next to Grieg in the area of the station designated as the chapel, with the Governor himself declaring them man and wife. They were the first, and possibly the last, married couple on the station. They had both feared that the other citizens would turn on them out of jealousy, but the far was unfounded. Everyone had been so happy for them, perhaps because it gave them hope that one day it would be a common occurrence.

Despite all of this, it had still been beyond her wildest dreams that they would ever be permitted to pro-create. Yes, it meant an awful lot of time in the medical lab, but it was all worth it. Even the dizzy spells and the nausea was worth it, if it meant they could have a child, the first ever on Lasel. Eeva heard footsteps in the corridor outside and sprung to her feet. She'd been waiting for what seemed like hours for Tromas to return, to give her the Governors response to her request. She knew that the system had never changed before, but there had to be a first time for everything.

As the door lid open, her face dropped a little when she saw it was her husband. Seeing the look on his face, she quickly forced a smile, hoping not to offend him. That soon turned to a look of confusion, however, as an old white haired man and a younger man, wearing a dark blazer over a shirt, followed Greig in to their living quarters.

"Doctor, Steven," Grieg gestured to each of them in turn."This is my wife, Eeva."

Steven held out a hand, which she shook nervously.

"Pleased to meet you."

"Pleasure." Steven smiled.

"Plus one, too, I see." The Doctor grinned. "Very good, yes, very good indeed."

"Isn't it though." She beamed. "The very first."

"The first?" Steven questioned. "First what?"

"First baby on Lasel, of course." Grieg answered. "You really don't know where we are, do you?"

"Why, of course we do." The Doctor nodded, subtly gesturing for Steve to do the same. "We're on the Lasel Station."

"He told you that." Eeva replied, cocking her head, and glaring at them with wide blue eyes. As she looked to Steven she subconsciously fixed her should length auburn hair.

"She's got you there, Doctor." Steven shrugged, before turning back to the couple. "So what is this place?"

"Our home." Eeva replied.

"For all of us." Grieg continued. "Almost two hundred citizens, plus a few dozen staff and officers."

"I assumed as much." The Doctor nodded. "But why. Why did you come here, hm?"

"We didn't." Eeva turned away. "We were chosen, taken from Earth, to a new life here."

"But why?" Steven pushed. "Who bought you here?"

"We try not to think about it." Grieg answered. "We don't remember anything before we were here, and there is nothing beyond it, s there is little point in speculation."

"Oh, there's always merit in speculation my boy." The Doctor pondered. "Though I wonder the staff you mention would feel the same way hm?"

"But why are you here?" Eeva demanded. "There hasn't been anyone new since we all woke up here."

"Just visiting, they said." Grieg answered, excitedly. 'They just visit places, all different places."

Eeva looked to them in wonderment.

"You mean..?"

"Yes." Grieg smiled, putting an arm around his wife. "They can leave."

Steven looked to the Doctor uncomfortably.

"That doesn't mean we can take you with us though, does it Doctor?"

The old man shot a look to his companion, silently berating him for his insensitivity, before placing a comforting arm around the woman.

"I'm afraid young Steven may be right, my dear. If we don't know why you're here, I can't jolly well just take you away, can I? Hm? It might be important, important that you are all here."

Grieg moved to his wife's side, gently but firmly moving the Doctors' arm from his wife's' shoulder and moving him away from her, before comforting her himself. He looked to the pair of travellers accusingly.

"So that's it is it? Just get our hopes up and leave?"

"We did nothing of the sort!" Steven protested. "You assumed!"

"And you," another voice echoed from the doorway, an officer in deep blue pointing a large laser weapon in to the room, "will not be going anywhere."

Grieg and Eeva shuffled back in to the corner of the room, terrified, each with a hand on their unborn child. A second guard entered the room, as the first kept his gaze on Steven and the Doctor, staring at them through his tinted visor.

"No one leaves Lasel." The guard barked.

"So I hear." The Doctor said, hand on his lapels. "I do wonder why?"

"Because that is the law." The officer replied, weapon still trained on the Doctor. "You're under arrest."