I pulled both ropes so that it was just tight enough to be uncomfortable.I grabbed what could be accurately described as a “shit-ton” of rope and ...egan to go to work. I cinched her elbows together tightly so that I could remove the cuffs. When I did, her arms and hands flailed together uselessly. I watched her struggle for a few minutes before giving her a very hard, attention getting smack on the ass. I heard her whimper through the pillow her face was currently buried in, and felt her. Entire civilizations have been lost through bungled first contacts. We no longer take chances. It’s the only crime with a mandatory death sentence. No excuses. No second chances.My heart sinks. I found intelligent life just in time for it to be a crippling disadvantage. I can’t be discovered. I growl in frustration. At least cloaking works. It should last until the thrusters drain the remaining power. I can’t stay cloaked after that!At least I have time. In fact, I have far too much of it. I. Next, whether it was an accident but as she pulled out a rather thick blue towel a pair of black knickers fell onto the stone floor and just lay there. She’d obviously not seen them because she turned, with some more washing, and walked towards the clotheshorse standing in the corner of the room. “So when are we going,” I nonchalantly asked as I couldn’t take my eyes off the way the knickers were just lying there. “When I’ve finished putting the washing out,” she smiled while picking up a. ’ ‘What did you two talk about?’ ‘Nothing really. I mean… Luke politely apologized and so did I,’ I say with an innocent shrug, my plastic fork cutting into my pancakes. ‘Why did you have to apologize? He was the one that called you a whore.’ I shake my head and I pull the piece of pancake off my fork with my tongue, contemplating what to say. ‘She simply apologized for running out on us and leaving us full of worry,’ Luke mumbles, looking up from the floor as I nod in agreement, swallowing. I.