As the desert raiders searched the spaceship, Drake weighed his options. He could hide himself in some closet or compartment. It was a large ship after all. The desert dwellers couldn’t search every inch. He could slip out into the desert until the raiders left. But then what? They would certainly drag Captain Buff away. No, Drake decided he would stick by the captain’s side. Perhaps they would show mercy to the injured man.
A minute later one of the desert people stood in the doorway of the captain’s cabin. He immediately called to his companions in a foreign language. Soon five unwelcome guests filed into the cabin.
The leader of the group step forward and addressed Buff, then Drake. He gestured with his hand as he spoke.
“I don’t understand,” Drake answered.
“This is my ship, and you’re not welcome here,” Buff struggled to get to his feet, but he was too feeble.
The leader turned and barked orders to the other raiders. The next thing Drake knew, he and Captain Buff were taken captive. The raiders carried the captain out and forced Drake to follow close behind. Next, Drake was hoisted onto one of the strange animals, as was the captain. Drake took one last look back at the spacecraft wreckage as he was carried off into the desert.
Hour after hour in the baking heat Drake and the others rode. He began to wonder if he would survive the trip, but he worried more about the feeble captain. Even though Buff swayed in his saddle, he managed to stay seated on the lumbering animal.
Finally, Drake spotted a structure off in the distance. But the waves of desert heat blurred his view. As they grew nearer Drake could make out a cluster of buildings surrounded by a tall wire fence. Drake wondered what was in store for him. Would he be held here as a prisoner? If so, how long? Would he ever see his family again.
When the raiders reached the compound gate the leader called to a pair of guards. The guards swung the heavy metal gate open so the group of desert people could bring their prisoners and loot from the wreckage inside. The guards then slammed the gate shut and stood eyeing the prisoners as they rode into the camp. Other than the guards, the people in the camp paid no attention to Drake and the captain. The riders zigzagged past several rectangular stone buildings each with rows of dark windows. Then they came to a stop at a structure decorated with round columns and a large entrance.
While the raiders wore clothes suitable for the harsh desert, the people who came and went from this building were dressed in colorful robes.
The raiders waited as the party leader disappeared inside.
“Captain Buff,” Drake called in a sharp whisper, “What do you make of this place?”
“It must be the home of the ruler or governor,” Buff answered in a hoarse voice.
“What do you think they want with us?”
“I don’t know.”
“Are we going to be prisoners here?” Drake asked.
“Just cooperate with them. It’s our only choice.”
Before Drake could pepper the captain with more questions the leader returned. He barked orders to the others while pointing to Drake and Captain Buff. A second later they were on the move again. This time they were forced into a dreary building with thick metal doors that were slammed shut after them. Drake was shuffled off in one direction and Buff in another.
“No, No! We need to stay together!” the captain protested.
But it was no use. Drake was taken by the arm to a small room that held nothing but a worn table and two chairs. The young prisoner paced about the tight space, worrying what would happen next.
An hour later the door swung open and a heavy man in a black uniform stepped in.
“Please take a seat,” The man in black spoke in a pleasant but firm voice.
Drake just stood staring. The man had a strange accent, but Drake could understand him well.
“Please,” the man waved his arm toward the ridged metal chair
“What do you want with us?” Drake took his seat as he was told.
“I will ask the questions,” the man’s dark eyes locked onto Drake’s. “Now tell me, where are you from?”
Drake explained that the spaceship was on its way to Turbora to deliver a load of cargo. He told the whole story of the ship’s engine problems and why it ran off course. He ended with the crash landing and his capture by the desert people.
The man in uniform repeated the same questions over and over and Drake grew tired of giving the same answers again and again.
Without warning the man ended his questioning, “That is all for now.”
Then he left the room, ignoring Drake’s plea for information.
“When can I go home?” the young prisoner called out as the door slammed shut.
A few minutes later a guard appeared in the doorway. He motioned for Drake to follow him.
“Where are you taking me?”
The guard either didn’t understand or didn’t care to answer. Drake and the guard wound through a maze of hallways until they stopped at a door with an odd symbol painted on it. Drake figured it was part of a foreign numbering system. When the door was unlocked, he found himself in a long dormitory with rows of bunk-beds lining both walls. The guard stopped at one of the bunks, patted it with his and, and then turned and left. Drake took in his surroundings. He looked for the captain among the other prisoners, but he realized they were all about the same age as he was. This meant that the captain would probably be held elsewhere.
There were about one hundred beds, but only about fifty prisoners in the dormitory. Most of them huddled in groups, chatting or playing games.
“Does anyone speak my language?” Drake asked the nearby group.
When no one responded, he went to the next group.
Except for a few glances, no one paid any attention to him. Drake noticed a door leading outside. Two prisoners brushed past him and disappeared out the door. He was surprised it was unlocked, but quickly followed the two outside. He found himself in a fenced in exercise yard. There other prisoners milled around or sat at the few worn picnic tables. In the far corner four prisoners tossed a ball around.
Drake had given up trying to find someone who spoke his language. He wandered across the barren dirt yard to the fence. The young space traveler stood at the fence and stared off into the distance. As darkness fell, the star cluster began to glow in the dark sky. He never imagined he would find himself on a remote corner of a lonely planet. He didn’t even know its name.