Well, due to popular demand of one or two people I decided to make a quick start on chapter 8. Thanks must go to anyone who gives me feedback, all much appreciated and noted. It gives me more reason to carry on with the story if I know a couple of people are willing to overlook the dodgy moments and poor spelling in the earlier chapters and are actually bothering to follow it. So thanks go to every reviewer.

Anyway - enough of my rambling and on with the story...

Time had become an unknown quantity to Fry and Bender in recent days. Due to periods of being unconscious and long journeys through space in a desperate bid to save their friends neither had taken much notice of time passing by. One thing they did notice however is that for themselves, time was running out.

The pair found themselves being "escorted" ever closer to their unwanted yet unpreventable destinies. Neither said anything though Fry at least was screaming inside. Rage and helplessness were not a good mix emotionally. All he could do was let himself be led to his fate. The sound of the soldier's boots on the hard floor of the space station filled the air as they marched down a seemingly endless network of corridors.

Eventually they halted outside an open door. Then, without warning, they were both thrown through the doorway to the ground of what seemed to be a small cell furnished only by a ledge on each side of the room for seating. With Fry's head still throbbing from the blow he took to the head back on Nomian, the impact caused a similar pain to what a hangover sufferer feels when any loud noise is made.

Bender (angry): You pansies call that a throw? I've had librarians throw me further!

Fry (dazed): Wha...what's going on?

Bender: Yeah, isn't it about time you killed us?

Soldier: Patience, we need to power up the equipment first...don't be going anywhere...

And with that the door sealed leaving Fry and Bender on their own. They both got to their feet and then sat opposite each other in the tiny cell. Neither said anything until Bender noticed that Fry was looking at him hopefully.

Bender: What are you looking at?

Fry: Well, aren't you going to do something?

Bender: Like what?

Fry: I don't know, haven't you got some escape stuff in your chest thingy?

Bender: No.

Fry: Or have you stolen one of the Professor's inventions? Like a 'robo-mole'! And it'd have big claws for digging! And it'd be able to dig through anything as it'd be all like "GRRRRR" (starts making digging motions with his arms) and...

Fry stopped when he noticed that Bender was just looking at him with an annoyed expression.

Fry (glumly): ...we're boned then...

Bender: Yeah, pretty much.

Fry: Well why have they thrown us in here then? Can't they just blow my brain out and get it over with?

Bender: They would but someone beat them to it.

Fry was, as usual, totally oblivious to Bender's insults so he just carried on as normal.

Fry: But why not though?

Bender (surprisingly knowing): Basic negative psychology lungbox, the longer the hostage has to wait for death the higher the mental anguish. First thing they teach you in the robot mafia.

Fry (slightly suspicious): How would you know about that?

Bender (uneasy): erm...Amy told me.

Fry: Oh right, cool...I guess...

Bender breathed a mental sigh of relief although for all he knew it hardly mattered if Fry found out about his time with the robot mafia anyway.

Fry (glumly): Man...how did all this happen? And what's the deal with that processor thing?

Bender: How should I know? That crackpot's got more crap than a field of cows.

Fry: Yeah but it's still kinda scary. What's so special about something the Professor made?

Bender: Beats me meatbag. What's scarier is that it sounds like crinkled peanut head made something that actually works.

Fry just sighed.

Fry (sad): I'll never see him again, or any of them.

Bender: And you're upset because...?

Fry: It was only a few days ago when everything was great. Me and Leela were dating, I'd gone a week without nearly getting killed on a delivery, I'd even started to change underpants more than once a month...and now...

Bender: Well, life goes on...for a few more minutes.

Fry: ...I'd even made plans for the future...

Bender: Bet five bucks that they all involved booze.

Fry: No! I mean real plans.

Bender: They're real plans to me.

Fry: I mean stuff like getting married and getting our own place and stuff, with a garden so in summer I can sit and drink beer in it like my dad used to back in the 20th century.

Bender: That'll be five bucks...

Fry: You know what I mean though.

Bender: Pffft, like you and whatshername could afford a place like that with the wages that old tightwad pays you. Anyway, where do I come into all this?

Fry: What do you mean?

Bender (slightly sarcastic): Oh I don't know...maybe the whole ditching Bender to move in with bigboots business?

Fry: It wouldn't be like that...

Bender: Oh sure it wouldn't. Anyway, seen as you're almost as poor as that oversized shrimp I'd only end up loaning you the money to buy the damn place with.

Fry: Would you?

Bender: Hell no, you still owe me for that stupid remote controlled rock you bought with my money, let alone all that other crap you "'needed" to get for Leela.

This reminded Fry of the engagement ring he'd bought for Leela. If fate hadn't stood in the way they could have been engaged by now...if she'd agreed. Now it looked as though he wouldn't ever even ask the question, besides he'd lost the ring back when he was taken to jail at the beginning of this ordeal. Fry sighed.

Fry: Well, I guess whatever I'd had planned will never happen now...

Bender: Meh, no big loss skintube, those plans sucked anyway. You were essentially planning to be some boring average jerk.

Fry: Yeah well, it beats all this hero crap anyway. It's not the glamorous life TV made it out to be. I'm not even cut out for the role.

Bender: I'll say, somehow I can't see James Bond ever getting his head jammed in a mailbox.

Fry (defensive): Hey! You were the one who told me that Waldo was hiding in there!

The pair were interrupted from their increasingly inane conversation when, without warning, the door opened to reveal two soldiers, both different to the two that had originally taken them to their cells. This sight was an untimely reminder of their impending fate. The soldiers walked in and pulled the handcuffed prisoners to their feet. Without so much as a word they were ushered out of the room and set off down the corridor once more.

Eventually Fry and Bender found themselves in a room which was only marginally more furnished than their cell. There was a window on the far side from which a nearby star could be seen burning brightly. Next to this window was what looked to be an open pod of some sort. There was also a small control panel on the wall which was presumably to be used in conjunction with the pod.

Fry and Bender glanced around the room underwhelmed.

Bender (to soldiers): Hey! What's the deal? I don't see any impossibly brutal torture equipment! You promised an inhuman death damn you!

The soldiers were unmoved by this and brought the duo over to the o en pod.

Fry: What's this? A space coffin?

Bender: Far be it from me to point out flaws but the coffin part usually comes after the agonizing death.

Once again the soldiers ignored these observations and without any word of caution they picked up the hapless pair and dumped them unceremoniously into the pod and immediately closed the hatch trapping them inside. Oblivious to the muffled cries of anger and bewilderment coming from the pod the soldiers silently went over to the control panel and started typing into it.

Meanwhile inside the pod there was much disgruntlement. There wasn't much room so they found themselves rather squashed.

Fry: Man...this is worse than that mosh pit we started in that phone booth on my 18th...

Bender didn't have time to respond as at that moment the pod was suddenly shot into space, flying away from the station at high speed.

Bender: Oh jeez, this takes me back...

Fry (panicking): What's happening?

Bender: Nothing much as far as I can see, but then again since I don't have a window seat I wouldn't know.

Bender didn't have much choice as there was no windows on the whole pod meaning that they really were heading into the unknown.

They lay there cramped together in silence for a few minutes until Fry began to notice something.

Fry: Bender, are you thinking what I'm thinking?

Bender: Probably not, unless you're into computer on fax machine action.

Fry: No! It seems to be getting warmer in here...fast.

Bender: Ah relax; we're just going where the sun shines that's all. Literally...

Fry: What do you mean by that?

Bender: Well you know those stupid holiday shows on TV that try and sell you tickets to "a place in the sun"?

Fry: ...yeah...?

Bender: Well, we're going there for free.

Fry just stares at Bender blankly. Bender sighs and decides to be more simplistic.

Bender: We're getting shot into the sun.

Fry: ...oh...WHAT?

Bender: Not the preferred choice of death according to recent surveys but it was more popular than getting literally bored to death by Leonard Nimoy.

Fry (sad): So...this is it then?

Bender: Yeah, now if you don't mind I'd like to spend my final minutes in a saucy daydream than listen to you moan about getting sun burn or something.

And with that Bender shut his visor and went into stand by mode leaving Fry to mull over his final moments in peace.

By now the heat had become more intense and Fry felt rather faint. He felt his grip on his senses loosening by the second as the heat became unbearable. His thoughts focused on the one eyed girl it seemed all but certain he'd never see again before he eventually blacked out. A solitary tear rolled down his cheek as everything faded...

Yes, another cliffhanger for anyone who's interested. I'll hopefully be able to get the next part up soon so I'll make a start on it quickly. Thanks again for all the feedback, really makes the writing more rewarding. In response to one of the reviews I'm keeping it in script format for the rest of this fic for continuity. Other fics I may write will be in prose.

Anyway, as I know you'll all be desperate (maybe) to find out what happens next I'll get the next part up as soon as it's ready.

So stay tuned for the next part, feedback for the story so far always appreciated of course.