"That would be great!" Or maybe, when you're in bed?" I teased, "Maybe I'll see him holding your boob again." Whatever you want Steve," she answered."...aybe get him to tease me," I stuttered, "While you're nude in bed with him. Get him to show me what he's doing to my beautiful wife?" I'd better get dressed and check on your dad," she replied, "What time are you heading home?" Well, in about an hour, I can drive back on Friday evening though," I answered, "And stay till Sunday afternoon." That. I nudged part of my phone out of my pocket and mentally crossed my fingers. ‘Where are you taking me?’ I asked, my voice squeaky with fear. ‘What’s going on, Jason?’ ‘I told you not to speak,’ he said calmly. ‘I’m sorry,’ I whispered. ‘I’m just – scared.’ ‘You brought this on yourself,’ Jason told me. His voice still sounded eerily casual. ‘I gave you plenty of chances to talk to me, but no. You forced my hand, Cassie.’ ‘I’m sorry,’ I repeated, tears spilling onto my cheeks. Very slowly, I. They all filed out of the room except Hopkins and Paul. Paul stood at his place, peering at his defeated adversary at the end of the table.Hopkins was a shallow, thin man, lost in a tweed jacket. He was in his early sixties. He had a full beard of salt and pepper whiskers that descended from his chin to a point. His head had less hair, just a thin ring of grey. His eyes were sad and sunken."Win some, lose some, Arthur," Paul said. He would have admitted to a tinge of smugness in his tone, and. “We can’t detect our brother, and we would be able to if he were in this planetary system. There are very few phenomena that can block our communications.”“But there ARE phenomena that can block you,” the Captain answered, jumping on that sliver of hope. Aloud he asked, “What did the message say? Could it have been an automatic transponder still working?”“It wasn’t an automatic transponder, Sir,” the Science Officer replied. “The message stated, ‘One survivor from our ship’s crash. I do not.