DISCOVERING THE HUB

"What on Earth?" Mike Flynn was stood, staring around with an expression of incredulity as he took in where he was. If he hadn't already pinched himself raw he would have decided that this could be nothing more than a figment of his imagination – perhaps he had watched too much Star Trek as a kid? But no, what he was seeing was real. Scarily real.

He was in what had appeared to be a cavernous chamber. There were walls which went up much higher than three stories, covered in slime, green plants and damp with no visible windows. In fact the whole place seemed to be lit by electronic lighting. There were different levels on the ground, including an area with what Mike assumed were high tech computers and work stations which beeped and whirred occasionally. There was another room with an array of weapons hanging on the walls and resting on cases which Mike had never seen anything like before. The only items he could identify were a couple of black, semi-automatic pistols, and even they looked advanced. Even more alarming was a large silver water feature which appeared to start on the ground level and shoot up out of the roof. Water pooled from it, leaking out into little streams and channels and the whole floor was built on metal platforms raised above them.

When he accidently stumbled past the sofa – which just seemed so out of place that he would have laughed, had he not been in shock – and almost fell into the sterile white room Mike shouted out in alarm. He was staring at what had to be a dead – please let it be dead – body lying on the top of an examination table. On trays and other tables around the edge of the small, circular room where medical instruments, scans and x-rays. There was another computer chattering away to itself. With his heart in his mouth beating so fast it pounded in his head, Mike edged cautiously down the steps and towards the body. He couldn't help it, there was something grotesquely compelling about the figure. It appeared humanoid, but as Mike got closer he began to notice the dark, leathery skin which was wrinkled impossibly deep around the face. The mouth was partly open, revealing teeth so sharp they could have bitten right through Mike's arm. And the claws on the things hands were nothing like finger nails. Strangely enough, it was dressed in a blue boiler suit which bore a strong resemblance to Mike's own Navy overalls.

Shaking, he backed away again. He couldn't deny that he was in this place, and he couldn't persuade himself that what he was seeing wasn't really there. Somehow he had been taken to some sort of futuristic, straight out of a science fiction movie base. But what the hell for?

From repeatedly being in highly pressurised situations over the years Mike had gained a very clear and responsive mind, and in that moment it kicked into gear. Hurrying back up the steps Mike headed to one of the work stations and began searching for anything which might indicate where he was.

"I must have been taken off the ship," he thought aloud. Shore leave hadn't been due for another couple of days, since that disaster the other night with Spider and Buffer. The fact that he could remember this came as a small wave of relief to Mike, but quickly turned in to horror as he feared for his fellow crew mates. Are they here too?

After minutes of desperate searching Mike had discovered a couple of things. Firstly, whoever owned that desk was a bit of a geek. There were mathematical equations and synergies on pieces of paper all over the table. Although Mike had never been much of a maths whizz he could recognise impressive work when he saw it. Secondly, this person lived on coffee. There were at least three half empty mugs on the far side of the table, and a few biscuit crumbs too.

That wasn't getting him much further though. Running a hand through his hair he turned his attention to the next desk along. This one was even more of a mess than the last; littered with official looking documents headed 'autopsy reports', a stethoscope, white lab coat covered in tiny, brightly coloured badges, and a couple of small desk toys including a stress ball. Becoming slightly more desperate Mike turned to the furthest desk, and instantly saw something useful. The computer monitor at this station was on, displaying a series of grey, slightly grainy images which was recognisable as CCTV footage.

More hopeful that he might learn something about where he was, Mike hurried forward, looking through the images. A couple showed various rooms and locations which Mike had already found, including the circular medical room and weapons room. There was also an image of the strange office in which Mike had woken up. And then there was one of a block of cells, each fronted with a glass panel. Mike actually jumped back when something threw itself at one of these. He peered at the grainy image and realised in mingled confusion and horror that it was identical to the thing lying on the medical table, except that this one was moving, jumping and snarling. Taking a deep breath Mike succeeded in reassuring himself that the glass panel did appear to be restraining the beast, if that's what it is.

The next image was a little more startling, if that was even possible. It displayed an enormous looking area filled to the brim with giant shelves and boxes coated in darkness. Except, that was, for a small light in one of the corners which turned out to be a single lamp on a table. And next to that lamp was a figure, bent over the desk and clutching at his head. Mike frowned, whoever that person was they definitely looked normal - more human. And squinting in a little further Mike could have sworn he recognised the overalls which the person was dressed in.

Robert Dixon didn't know what to do. He had always thought of himself as intelligent, focused and calm in emergency situations. And here he was cowering over some desk whilst he freaked out. That said, he was quite sure he had never been in a situation quite like this one before - unless he counted the one time when someone had spiked his drink with magic mushrooms at his high school dance.

"Perhaps I've been drugged again." Actually, he reasoned that the idea wasn't so crazy. He didn't know who would have done it but was willing to hold firm bets on Spider being the culprit. After all, why else would he be receiving messages about feeding extinct creatures and have read a report about 'Unidentified Artefacts from the planet Alba II in the Gaffa-Minor system'.

"I'll just sit here and wait until it subsides." He nodded empathetically, and closed his eyes against the madness.

Mike had failed miserably in persuading the computer to give out the location of the giant shelf room. He had tried clicking, tapping and scrolling – which was about as far as his computer knowledge went.

"God I wish ET was here!" Mike growled, fighting the urge to kick the base of the computer. He sat down in the black wheelie chair and slumped across the keyboard on the desk, adopting a similar pose to that of the person in the giant room. It did cross his mind that the person, wherever they were, might have gone mad with being stuck in this place. But just as Mike realised with a groan that he would probably be joining them soon, a clear metallic voice spoke,

"Speaker enabled."

Mike frowned and sat up. The voice had definitely come from the computer. "What?" he asked, staring at the screen. And even as he said it the tiny figure at the desk looked up, right at Mike.

Robert heard the voice. And really wished he hadn't. Because if he could hear the voice of Mike Flynn, the CO of the Hamersley, then it could mean only one thing - he had been discovered somewhere – probably still at his desk – and his Commanding Officer was not happy. Robert sighed, and hoped to goodness that he didn't look a total wreck in the real world.

"I'm sorry, sir. I don't know what's happened. I appear to have lost all function of my brain, and seem to be stranded in a strange room, surrounded by strange things."

Well that got Mike's attention – he would recognise that voice anywhere! The slightly surly, snappish voice of Robert Dixon, the Radio Operator on Hamersley. Mike knew he should be concerned that Robert was also stuck in this dreadful place, but he was just so grateful at not being alone. Even though, by the sounds of it Robert was still going through the 'refusing to accept where he was' stage. Mike took a deep breath and spoke again,

"Robert. You are not imagining this, and you are not hallucinating. You are sat at a desk in a very large room surrounded by book shelves."

Robert poked his head up again – that was weird. Then another, slightly more hopeful thought entered his brain - perhaps he can't see me! Perhaps I'm just hallucinating that he is talking to me. Then he frowned. Surely if he had to listen to someone talking at him then his brain would have chosen someone a little more exciting, Bomber perhaps. He squeezed his eyes shut and focused on the image of Bomber before waiting with baited breath to see if she would reply. When all he got was the voice of the CO again, Robert groaned.

"Robert Dixon! You are not hallucinating. This is your Commanding Office speaking, please reply!"

Robert scowled. If anyone was watching then he was going to look very silly talking to himself.

"All right, sir. So if I'm not hallucinating why are you invisible?"

Mike chuckled despite himself – it was just such typical Robert behaviour.

"I'm not invisible. I'm talking to you through some sort of communication device from another area of this, ah, place."

He watched as Robert muttered something about never going to forgive Spider, and realised that he wasn't going to be able to persuade Robert. Which left only one option – that of going to find him.

"Look, just stay where you are. I'm coming to find you."

Mike jumped away from the computer with new enthusiasm. He wasn't just a lost, bewildered, disbelieving, slightly terrified person anymore. He was a lost, bewildered, disbelieving, slightly terrified person with a goal!

Mike had succeeded in discovering the opening to what looked like a tunnel, which appeared to lead continually downward, and after what felt like hours of fruitless searching in a rabbit warren of corridors and doors, finally found the one which led into the room he had seen on CCTV. The grainy image really hadn't done it justice – the place was huge! And seemed to go on and on into the darkness for what could have been forever.

Mike pulled himself together and spotted Robert, still hunched over the desk. That same sense of relief flooded him again as he accepted that it was indeed Robert, not some hallucination of his own. Mike hurried forward and stood on the other side of the desk, staring at Robert, who was humming something which sounded suspiciously like Mozart's third symphony.

"Robert?" Mike asked hesitantly, beginning to fear for his ship mate. Robert glanced up, stared at Mike with an expression of mild curiosity, and then looked down again.

"No. Robert is not available. Not unless Bomber is present."

Mike frowned, then got the gist. "Robert you are not imagining me! I am here, standing in front of you!"

Robert sighed, rolled his eyes and gave Mike a pointed look. "Listen, figment of my imagination..." suddenly he froze, staring at Mike with a look that could only be described as horror, and spoke in a high, squeaky voice, "Why am I imagining you half naked?"

"What?" Mike looked at Robert as though the man really had lost it. "I'm not, I..." and then he looked down. "Ah."

It appeared that however he had arrived at this place, he had arrived still in his sleep wear – a plain white shirt and a pair of boxers. Mike coughed and took the executive decision to push past it. And now Robert was laughing in a mirthless manner, as though he couldn't quite believe himself.

"Robert," he took the RO's shoulders and shook him roughly, trying to stop him from laughing.

"Yeah?" He wiped a tear from his eye.

"Damn it man, for the last time you are not imaging me. I woke up this morning and found myself alone in this strange place, with no recollection of what had happened. Then I stumbled across the CCTV and saw you down here!"

Robert stared at him, letting the words sink in. "I'm not imaging this?" He said slowly.

"No. I swear to you this is actually happening, and we need to sort it out."

Robert nodded silently, and then he smirked. "Well, I guess thatis more likelythan me picturing you half naked."

"Fine," Mike tilted his head. "Whatever helps, just so long as you believe me. Now come on, we need to find out if there is anyone else stuck here. And," he glanced down again, "perhaps see if they have any spare clothes in one of these rooms."