Anna opened her eyes, taking a deep breath before pushing herself to sit up. John shifted in their shared cot, breathing deeply as he continued sleeping, and Anna moved off the bed. She cracked the door and walked into the canteen.

Ms. Baxter waved from the table, welcoming Anna to a seat. Before her was a large piece of fabric, strategically bunched in places, and Ms. Baxter determinedly threaded a needle through it as though a pattern in her head guided her. Anna leaned over as she took her seat.

"What is it, if I can ask?"

"It's for my niece." Ms. Baxter nodded at Anna's clothes, "I hope the press worked well for you."

"It made them good as new." Anna pulled at her skirt, "I was afraid it'd seen the last of its days."

"Modern technology is a marvel considering what it could do for your clothing." Ms. Baxter kept her focus on her work, weaving the needle without pause. "You must've seen some kind of hell to arrive as grungy as you both did."

"Some kind." Anna agreed, "John rescued me from an RA kidnapping."

"Is that why we then found you limping with the remains of a destroyed RA base?" Ms. Baxter smiled at Anna, only risking a moment to look at her, and shifted the fabric. "I'd assumed you had some grievance with them but I never assumed a suicide mission."

"Not sure I'd call it a suicide mission."

"What else do you call charging after armed torture cells with nothing but the puttering guns on that little wreck you managed to limp around in?" Mrs. Patmore's voice roused the two of them as she set a plate in front of Anna and herself. "It wasn't a smart plan."

"We did as we thought best."

"Thinking best would've kept you on Plutonium." Mrs. Patmore pointed to the food, "Now eat. You look like you've had nothing for days but intravenous nutrients and you could blow away if I turn the oxygen scrubbers on too hard."

Anna started into the food as Mr. Moseley joined them, pulling at the edge of his waistcoat. "I've finished repairing the oxygen systems on the Bates's ship. It's Bristol fashion now."

"How'd you manage to fix them?"

Mr. Moseley jerked his head sideways, in sync with the nervous tic of his hands. "It's something I learned in the army."

"Mr. Moseley can deconstruct a steam powdered rifle, clean it, reassemble, and fire it in less than two minutes." Ms. Baxter managed a warm smile in Mr. Moseley's direction and the man blushed a red deep enough to dye the roots of his hair.

"Thank you, Ms. Baxter."

"It's true." She affirmed, turning back to her mending.

"Mr. Moseley joined us after his father's shop took a turn for the worst in Londinium." Mrs. Patmore left her seat, taking Anna's plate with her own. "We couldn't be more grateful to have such a good man on board with us."

"I couldn't think of anyone better I'm sure." Anna looked over her shoulder toward the door she and John shared. "I do apologize for putting you all out of your way just to take us home."

"Plutonium's one of our stops. Not a regular, to be sure, but with the amount of cargo we have we thought it worth the effort."

Anna pointed to Ms. Baxter, "She pointed out the area of your ship where you keep the stuffs heading there. It's an ingenious organizational system."

"It is unless we get caught." Mrs. Patmore stopped, almost back to the table, when a klaxon sounded over the ship. "It's not possible."

She hurried into another room and Ms. Baxter efficiently gathered her creation, tucking it away into a bin, before heading in another direction. Anna turned to Mr. Moseley but he already had a steam-powered rifle in hand. He checked the gauges before holding it toward Anna.

"Can you use one of these?"

"Most days." She took it, checking the gauges for herself. "I prefer the gas-powered pistol personally."

"Don't we all." Mr. Moseley agreed, taking a gun of his own and following Ms. Baxter's path.

Anna hurried toward the cabin but John was already awake, pistol in hand. He reached for Anna and they hurried into the cargo hold. This ship, still bearing all the marks of the fight, opened to them and John started up the engines.

The whole machine groaned, stuttering to start as the console lit up before powering down to expel steam and smoke in a rush. John slapped it with his hand and it rumbled to life. Anna raised an eyebrow but John held up a hand.

"She's gone through worse."

"She's gone for good is what she is." Anna knocked on something and jumped back when it sparked and exploded. "What'd you name this thing anyway?"

"Jude."

"Jude?"

"After my mother." John went to touch something else but a shot fired through the hull and both ducked. "Who's firing on us?"

Anna risked a look over the console before pointing at it. "I think we've been boarded."

"We have." They rotated to see Mr. Moseley at the rear of their ship, holding his rifle one-handed while motioning for them. "Come on before Mrs. Patmore drops us all."

"What?"

"It's procedure." Mr. Moseley raised the rifle and fired, a scream in the distance telling them he hit his target. "We drop the load if we're boarded."

"How'd you do that?" John pushed Anna forward, crouching low as they ran from the rear of their ship.

"This whole cargo hold is attached by a pair of hooks. We can release and escape when necessary."

"She'd leave all this?"

"It's not worth anyone's life." Mr. Moseley took another shot before trading guns with Anna. "Especially not ours."

They ran toward the gantry, Mr. Moseley in the lead, and dodged the bullets and balls flying at them from below. John turned to fire with his pistol, hitting someone before firing against at the Jude. Mr. Moseley tried to stop him but the shot rang true and the rear of the Jude erupted.

Smoke filled the cargo hold, choking those following them, and the trio ran for the top of the cargo hold. Mr. Moseley was first through the door, with Anna right behind him as another alarm sounded. Mr. Moseley turned but the door slammed down between them.

He dropped the gun on the other side, visible through the small viewing window, and pried a panel off the wall next to him. His fingers futzed with it as John joined Anna, knocking a panel on their side off as well before pulling wires loose. Anna looked through the window, noting the sweat gathering on Mr. Moseley's brow as his fingers trembled uncontrollably.

John cried out, sucking his fingers into his mouth when sparks shot off the wires. Anna pulled him back, coughing on the smoke now stinging her eyes, and met the expression of Mr. Moseley through the window. A loud hiss and a lurch left Anna and John to grab for the railing next to them as the other side of the door pulled away.

Before the smoke masked everything, Anna watched the ship Manganese fly away through the small viewing portal. A few smaller ships gave chase but it evaded them before vanishing in a flash of light. She closed her eyes, hanging her head as the reality of their situation dawned on both of them.

But just as Anna turned to John hands grabbed them. Pulling them through the smoke, Anna's shouts for John as useless as attempting to escape the hold of the two figures holding her fast in their grip, the attackers skirted the flaming wreckage of the Jude. Even with the threat of the flaring ship, agents swarmed the hold and removed the illegal items into the ship that clamped the cargo hold in its massive jaws.

Anna struggled against the constraints of those holding her and turned her head to address them. When she did she managed a half shriek at the faceless androids holding her hostage. They ignored her protests, shuffling she and John deeper into the ship before stuffing the six of them into a lift.

"Where are you taking us?" Anna finally managed but none of the faceless beings answered her.

"They're just drones, Anna. They don't know anything and if they did they don't have the technology to speak." John knocked his knuckles against one from where his arms pinned to his sides. "They're clockwork men."

The lift doors opened and Anna stumbled when the androids shoved her forward. Their grip on her arms was the only thing that kept her moving as they walked the stainless hallways toward a main cabin. When those doors whooshed open Anna and John all but tripped inside.

"Captured in the attempt to smuggle goods to a known anti-government settlement. Taking on stolen goods. Smuggling. Treason." A voice droned, flicking over a screen in his hand without looking at them. "That doesn't look-"

He stopped, lowering the screen and frowning. His finger hovered between the two of them, going from John to Anna and back to John again. "You're not Beryl Patmore."

"Wrong gender."

He looked at Anna, "And neither are you."

"Just a bit on the thinner side." Anna managed, "Blonder too."

The man set down his screen, pursing his lips. "If neither one of you is Beryl Patmore then you must be Phyllis Baxter and Joseph Moseley."

"Wrong again." John cleared his throat, wiping a streak of soot from his forehead with his sleeve. "I'm too large."

"And I'm too short." Anna shrugged, "It's a case of wrong place, wrong time."

"No one gets on board a smuggling ship by accident."

"They took our ship for debris when we were damaged in a firefight." John pointed behind him, "It's still burning in that cargo hold if you want confirmation."

"If that's the ship that matches the identification of one known to have destroyed a number of government installations taken by rebels then we've an entirely different matter on our hands."

"Commendations?" Anna risked but the man only snorted.

"Treason. Coercion with groups known for their seditious attitude toward the government."

"Excuse me?" Anna shook her head, "It was no such thing."

"I'm sure it was." The man held up his screen toward John's face. He looked between it and John for a moment before lowering it. "Because there I was, chasing smugglers across space, and I find even bigger prizes."

"Bigger prizes?" Anna glanced at John when he spoke, noting the pale tinge to his cheeks. "What does that mean?"

"Exactly how it sounds," The man lowered the screen, "John Bates."

"You've got us confused with someone else again." Anna insisted but the man put a hand on her shoulder.

"When I check the serial number on that cybernetic leg he's got it'll confirm with the RA documented theft of a shipment of cybernetic limbs. When I check his face against his subversive and destructive articles it'll match. And when I take an unwilling sample of his blood it'll fit with the meticulous records his ex-wife keeps."

"You work for Vera?" John ground on his jaw. "How's the old bag?"

"Better than you'll be when she knows I've got you." The man grinned, "I so hoped I could find you."

"Why?"

"Because, she promised me something sensational about you and I really wanted to know what it was." The man's disgusting smile almost split his face. "I can't wait to know now."

"Who are you?"

"I'm Richard Carlisle, head investigator for the government."

"They can't like you too much if they sent you after smugglers." John taunted but Carlisle ignored it.

"I've been hoping I'd be the one to find you so I could drag you back to Londinium."

Anna fought the androids that grabbed her arms again. "What do you care about us?"

"Not 'us' darling." Carlisle pointed at John, "Him. You're collateral at this point and probably worthless at the end of it all."

"You'll treat my wife with respect." John hissed, getting close to Carlisle's face. "She's ten times what you are."

"Then I'm sure your ex-wife'll enjoy meeting her too." Carlisle waved his hand toward the door. "Take them to holding until we reach our destination."

"And where are you taking us exactly?" John called out as the androids marched them toward the door.

"Wonderland, Mr. Bates." Anna swallowed when her stomach dropped. "We're all going to Wonderland."