Panic.

I've never panicked before. Never in my life. I've heard about people panicking, though. How they would hyperventilate and scream at the top of their lungs. In my case, panic settled in the moment the armed policeman grabbed my upper arm. Because all this time I had hoped I had just hit my head a little too hard and I was dreaming – for that matter, maybe I was still lying on the sidewalk and people were gawking at my unconscious form.

But the way that dude gripped my arm?

Dang it, it hurt!

And in my dreams, I don't get hurt!

So yeah, I panicked. I pulled out of the man's grasp, staring open-mouthed and I suppose my face was contorted up into this ugly mask of fear because I swear to God I saw the officer almost grin at me.

He thought this was funny?

You don't want to know what sort of colorful words went through my mind that very moment. I would have loved to smack the hell out of that man but as I said, I was scared crapless.

I held on to my backpack as if it were my life line and my legs wouldn't move any more. I'd walked with the officer for a minute or two and the crowd around us was now staring in amazement. I should have chosen entertainer as a profession.

The way they were looking at me – wow.

"Please, Miss. Follow me." The officer said through gritted teeth. Was he getting angry now too? Aside from finding my predicament funny?

I wanted to say something – anything – but my brain was frozen. All I did was stare at the crowd and hold my backpack.

"Miss, if you do not comply, I will have to use force."

And what exactly did he mean by that? Throwing me over his shoulder and carrying me the rest of the way? That would at least give the crowd something to laugh at.

Everything happened so fast I can hardly recall what came first. The roaring staccato of a stampeding crowd or a blue flash of light. The blue flash of light was painful, by the way. Very painful. Next thing I know I'm lying on the ground flapping away like a fish out of the water.

How humiliating.

And then – again – all went black.

Enough with the blackness, okay?!

I heard groaning when I woke up. And then someone moaned.

Oh wait! That was me.

My head hurt so badly, I might have just ran up against a pole a dozen times. I was laying on something hard and cold. Slowly I sat up, blinking away blurriness and taking in my new surroundings. Grey walls, grey floor, grey door – and an ugly thin grey blanket at the foot of what seemed to be a bed.

A prison cell.

Wonderful.

So I get thrown into prison for waking up in Wonderland? What kind of messed up crap was this?

And how'd I end up in the cell in the first place? It clicked a moment later – that officer had shot me. I glowered.

I sat up against the cool wall and that's when I noticed my backpack was missing. A sigh escaped my throat. I waited and waited and waited…

I don't know how much time passed by until the door finally open – retracting into the wall. Like on Star Trek! That was neat.

Another black clad officer came through and with one hell of a deep voice, he said to follow him. I didn't really have much choice but to comply so I got up and I walked out of my prison cell. Two other guards followed me – did they really think I was such a threat that they needed three security officers? The thought made me giggle, earning a dark look over the shoulder from the guy walking in front of me.

Seemed these people had no sense of humor.

They led me into another grey room, like the ones you saw on TV in those detective shows. Only the furniture – or lack thereof – was a little different. A large table stood in the middle of the room, surrounded by four simple chairs. There was no big mirror so I guess they had security cameras installed somewhere.

The guards stayed behind in the corridor and left me alone with an elderly man wearing a dark green uniform. He looked normal enough.

Still, I wrinkled my nose as I caught sight of my stuff laid out on the table. They'd emptied my backpack. A woman's backpack.

Damn it – embarrass me why don't ya?

The man gestured to the chair opposite him and I sat down. I tried to tell my heart to calm down but evidently, it didn't want to listen. It pumped so hard I was sure the man could hear it. He cleared his throat and smiled – I wish he hadn't. He looked pleasant when he simply stared but when he smiled – the Grim Reaper himself, I tell you!

"What is your name?" He asked in a deep ugly voice. For a second I thought about telling the truth. But would it have done me any good? I think not. I hurried sifting through the slush that was my brain and sighed. I really didn't want to talk to this guy.

"What's your name?" I asked and smiled sweetly.

So these guys had no sense of humor and were immune to my female charm.

Bummer.

"Perhaps you do not fully understand the situation you find yourself in." He stated matter-of-factly. "I suggest you cooperate." He cleared his throat and leaned forward, propping his elbows on the table while steepling his fingers underneath his chin. Thin white hair was drawn from his face, showing an ugly widows peak and strange looking spots all over his scalp. Wow – a walking dead man.

"What is your name?" He asked again, arching a brow.

I scratched at my neck, feeling hot all of a sudden. The man in front of me was staring, there were no doubt cameras hiding somewhere – I was on a platter, for chrissakes!

"Kathryn." I lied, giving him the first name that came to mind. "Kathryn Janeway."

I really hoped they didn't have some sort of futuristic lie detector thing – and I still don't know why I gave him the name of the one Starfleet Captain I dislike the most. In retrospect I think Sam Carter or Vala Maldoran would have been better. But anyway…

Yes, I gave him the name Janeway. I was waiting for him to laugh in my face because everyone knew Star Trek. Right? Well, maybe this guy had completely missed the pop culture thing and the Star Trek hype because he simply nodded and sat back in the chair.

"You trespassed on restricted ground due to the arrival of the Chief of State."

"I did?" I croaked.

The man glowered at me. "The penalty is several days of incarceration."

"Because of a politician?" My voice squeaked. "Listen – I don't know what's going on here. Either I'm losing my mind or… I'm losing my mind! I don't even know where I am let alone how I got here."

"Your excuses will not work." The man without a name snapped at me. He thrust a thumb outward to the things laying on the table. The first thing he pointed at was my Sony Ericsson cell phone. "What is this?"

I stared at him, open-mouthed.

Nuh-uh.

He wasn't serious?

Was he?

"What does it look like?" I asked, not even trying to hide the smirk.

"What is this?" He asked again, picking up the phone and turning it around in his hand.

Oh wow. He really didn't know.

I felt panic creep back up my spine. In a world where they knew no cell phones? Yeah, you were in trouble.

In the deep beep kind of trouble, if you get my meaning.

"It's a telephone." I answered flatly, taking deep breaths to calm my nerves.

"A what?"

Oh. Dear. Lord.

"A phone. You talk to other people by dialing a number."

"A communication device?"

I nodded. The next thing on the table was my wallet. Damn – so he would figure out I lied about my name. Well, I couldn't get into more trouble, could I?

"And this?" He asked suddenly and I couldn't hold back a slight giggle. It just wasn't possible anymore.

"That's where I carry all my important stuff. ID card, drivers' license – you know?"

He pushed it over and narrowed his eyes. "I have never seen this kind of writing before."

I was about to give him a flipping stupid remark when a door behind him opened. Some sort of thing stepped into the room and I was up and in the corner within a second. It was huge and hairy and had a snout. With fangs protruding towards the lower jaw. Its long pointy ears stuck up out of its head and its eyes were positively glowing purple. In a strange way, it looked like a camel on two legs.

And I swear it smiled!

"Is this our guest?" It suddenly asked.

I squeaked in the back of my throat and my eyes widened. It spoke!

The military man nodded once. "Yes, Sir. She has been cooperating. To an extent."

I frowned at the man. "To an extent? I answered each and every one of your stupid questions!"

The camel-on-two-legs turned its gaze on me. "Please. You mustn't be afraid. We're all friends here."

Yeah. Of course we are.

"I am Silas Tri'fel. Assistant to Chief of State Fey'lya." He held out a hand to me but I was still too stunned. Was I really speaking to an alien? Because it struck me as rather odd that someone of importance – and I could only assume so – would like to dress up the way he did just for fun. "Do not be alarmed. We will not hurt you."

"What –" I swallowed. My throat felt parched. "What are you?" I breathed.

He – it sounded like a he – seemed to be taken aback. I couldn't really interpret the signs he was throwing my way. "I beg your pardon?"

"Are you an alien?"

He surprised me when he threw his head back and laughed.