Disclaimer: Do I really need to keep saying that I don't own Red Dwarf?

Well firstly I'm apologising for the very terrible chapter title but titles are not my strong point. Anyway Sian has told me to post this like NOW as I finished it just after chapter 2 a few hours ago - so here it is! (Chapter 4 to follow shortly)

See The Light

The pair blinked as a small amount of bright light hit them from outside as a small bowl of food and a glass of water was pushed through a small in the door about the size of a cat flap.

"Guess its dinner time?" Rimmer said distastefully, smelling the disgusting mixture that was Cat's meal, thankful that he didn't have to eat.

"Oh joy, I think I'll pass." Cat muttered quietly.

"And starve to death?"

"Better than eating whatever smeg is in there! It's probably poisoned too!"

"We can only hope." Rimmer quipped half heartedly.

"I can't eat it even if I wanted to – Which I DON'T!" Cat added forcefully as he stared up into nothingness.

"You can't die! It isn't fair on me!" Rimmer protested as he slid the tray over to Cat.

"You're so caring bud." Cat scoffed as Rimmer helped him to sit up against a wall.

"Just untie me, there's only so much I can do with hands like a crab's pincers." Rimmer muttered as Cat began to loosen the rope bounding his wrists with his usable left arm.

"Don't you think it's weird that they haven't killed us yet?" Rimmer asked after a moment.

"There's an old cat saying that has particular relevance here – Stop moving or I won't untie you!"

"I'm been serious!"

"So am I!... Look I don't know what's happened to the others, and I don't know what's going to happen to us – We're in a darkened room with god knows how many unfashionable wounds and I can't smell a thing." Cat sighed at the end of his unusually intelligent sentence and closed his eyes – Not that it was much of a difference.

Rimmer stood up and walked over to the door. "Look I don't know what's going on but I can tell you one thing – We surrender totally so let us out and we'll help you – Maybe make a cup of tea?"

"Great going bud, that's REALLY gonna help!" Cat muttered, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Shush! – Someone's coming."
"And since when was that a good thing?" Cat asked bitterly.

"Smeg you're right!" Rimmer yelped as he backed over to where Cat was.

The door opened and a tall figure stepped into the room, it was holding a small object in it's hand. They pressed it and the room lit up from the small round projector.

As Cat and Rimmer became accustomed to the dark they could see their captor was a male simulant.

"Pathetic humanoid sub species and class one hologram – Barely worth capturing you!" The simulant spat distastefully as he stared at his prisoners.

"Where are we? What happened to the rest of our crew? –"

"-Why don't you shave off your second eyebrow?" Cat butted in before Rimmer could get going in full question mode.

"Enough! You are on one of our colony planets, waiting to be auctioned off to hunters, but you are in no state to be sold!" The simulant boomed, directing the second part of his sentence at Cat.

Rimmer looked at Cat and winced, he didn't look good at all, his nose was bent, his face was covered in cuts and cruises, his hip bone was sticking out, his right arm and leg were bent in a very unnatural way and there was dried blood spread all over his clothes and skin.

"How is he still alive?" Rimmer asked in shock.

"We operated to prevent further internal bleeding then gave him pain suppressants – we need him healed to fetch a higher finder's fee from the hunters."

"Well excuse me m'laddo! But he doesn't look very healed to me!" Rimmer protested, sounding much braver than he felt.

"The cycle is incomplete, the medicine in the bowl will help his scars, but more surgery is required." The simulant explained.

Rimmer resisted the urge to be sarcastic and cleared his throat before speaking again. "What about our vessel and the rest of our crew?"

"You're primitive ship is been mended, upgraded and sold on, whilst the rest of your... 'crew' are deceased."

Rimmer suddenly felt numb, he looked over at Cat but he seemed to be unconscious – Which would explain the lack of insults and wincing for the last couple of minutes. "…How?" Rimmer finally managed to ask after what seemed like forever.

"The human was eliminated during the initial attack and your mechanoid was destroyed yesterday by an over zealous guard, he is been currently used as scrap." Rimmer looked up into the simulant's eyes, he had seem that look before – One of resentment, anger, distaste, hatred – It was like the look his father used to give him constantly throughout his childhood.

"…How long have we been here?" Rimmer asked as his voice got quieter and more hollow in the seemingly large cell.

"38 hours, 29 minutes and 15 seconds." The simulant replied coldly as he nodded to two guards behind him, who moved into the cell and picked Cat up roughly.

"Where are you taking him?" Rimmer asked, as panic rose inside him.

"To be operated on. A technician will be along presently to check your imaging system and prepare you for auction."

"What do you mean 'Prepare me?"

"Training." The simulant said simply as he shut and bolted the door.

Rimmer looked round the still lit up room, at the small but strong light… thingy, the untouched tray… The patch of blood that signified Cat's presence till a few seconds ago.

Rimmer shuddered, if this was a dream – Please god let him wake up now.