What she remembered were only bits and pieces.

A cold table, where she was laying on. Lights, strong white lights that were blinding even when she had her eyes closed. But worst of all the voices, not around her but inside her mind, the sensation that her brain was being probed with invisible sticks.

She fell in and out of sleep for what it felt like ages. When she finally opened her eyes she wasn't on the cold table anymore. Everything hurt, and from what she remembered that was a good sign, it meant that everything was in its place. Or at least she hoped. She tried to get up, and growled at how much her muscles were strained. She felt like she'd been working out for twelve hours straight.

She looked down noticing that she wasn't wearing her pj anymore, but what looked like a yellowish linen short tunic. Not very flattering and also a lot itchy. After feeling a wave of embarrassment, because someone had to have changed her into that she remembered that it wasn't as important as the fact that she didn't know were she was. Looking down at her body she didn't see any type of bruise or wound, and beside the general ache she didn't feel hurt. That was a good sign.

She got up from what it looked like a really old bed, and decided to look around. The room was small, the walls were made of red bricks. Beside the bed, it contained a sink and a toilet.The floor looked like parquet but under her bare feet felt more like cold metal, and in the centre there was what looked like a Persian carpet.

"I hope you like our creation"

Alice turned to the sound of the voice, and realize than one of the walls had disappeared. In front of her was standing a creature, and she recognized the bright red eyes. Even though it resembled a man, there were little unsettling differences. Like the abnormally long fingers, or the pointed jaw. His hair were grey, but he didn't look old. He was wearing black clothes that accentuated it's pale skin, that was so thin she could see an intricate web of red veins running all over his bare arms and face.

He continued talking, but his mouth didn't move, he didn't have one, and with a sick feeling in her stomach Alice realized that his voice was inside her mind:

"I tried to look and see what kind of habitat was best suited for you, but your will was stronger that I anticipated. Don't worry. After another session we will be able to provide more"

Alice shivered

"Where am I?"

"Even if I told you that would not be helpful for you."

"How long have been here?"

"Your species is rather curios..." he seemed to study her. Alice didn't look away. "I have collected you 35 hours ago"

Alice felt better for a moment. Her parents had already contacted the police, and they were probably looking for her in that exact moment.

"You seem pleased" her kidnapped inquired

Alice was ready to make a sarcastic comment when it hit her. Waves of sadness and terror so strong she had to clutch her head and close her eyes. She fought hard, trying to understand what was happening to her, when the man spoke again

"Oh yes... I was wondering if it would've had consequences."

Alice opened one eye

"what...?"

"When we studied you to understand what kind of species you were we had to unlock.. something in your neurological connection... so that you could understand us"

Alice loosened the grip, letting her fingers run through her greasy her. She was drenched in her own sweat and felt nauseous.

They took her out of her cell to study her three times. Each one she'd been able to see that she wasn't the only one being held capture. Beside her cell there were five others, and inside there were creatures she'd never seen.

A woman, barely dressed, with green skin. A black slimy creature made out of thousand of tentacles. A terrifying humanoid with spines and bony plates protruding from their sides, upper arms, and back, arms ended with clawed pincers, and one with light-grey skin, two thick, vertical neck ridges that receded back to the crown of their head, and an inverted tear-shaped ridge in the center of the forehead. In one cell what looked like white thick fog floated around without peace.

The voices in her head seemed to be coming from their cages, but the languages they used were unknown.

After each study session, where they laid her down on the same cold table, she was brought back into her cell, where she spent the time laying down, trying so suppress the thoughts of the other prisoners. They probed her brain, trying to look for something, but while they were doing so she realized she could do it to. She could take little pieces of information from their mind. She couldn't make out a lot of the meaning, only that soon there was going to be some sort of exhibition, but it seemed they didn't like her doing it. And when they realized what she was doing they stopped studying her. No one came to take her for what seemed like ages, but in the end they returned. That man, with his bright red eyes was with them:

"it's time"

"I don't like it"

Kirk smiled, clasping his CMO shoulder as they walked to the transporter room.

"You never like going on missions Bones..."

"This planet is way outside the Federation zone, never even turned up in the computer banks when the hobgoblin searched for it. They have made zero attempts to contact us. Why are we beaming down?" the doctor rumbled, checking for the tenth time that he had taken all the medical instruments he needed.

"Because our mission is to seek out new life and civilizations, so it is only logical to leave no planet uncharted" answered Spock, meeting them right in front of the room. The door slid open

"Ready to beam you down Captain!" informed Lt. Commander Scott"

"Thank you Scotty" replied Jim, stepping onto the platform followed close by Spock.

"Don't you think it's weird that it is Class M? This far from our Galaxy?" Leonard insisted, standing near the door

Kirk spread his arms:

"Yes, but we've seen weirder things, haven't we?"

"That is not my point!"

Kirk sighed

"Bones stop worrying. It's an uninhabited planet, we're just going down to collect some data. Now get up here." Seeing that his friend didn't budge he smirked "that's an order Doctor"

McCoy scowled, but stepped onto the transporter.

"Beam us down Scotty" ordered Kirk. Unfortunately for him, Bones was right, and he knew he was going to hear about it for months.